CHAPTER 2
Greg was back at college. He had learned that the operation which they hoped would restore Bobby's sight had failed. Worse, he had been there handing his glasses over when Bobby made the announcement.
Marcia was having a bad day: she could not keep her mind on her studies. Having learned the outcome of the operation and her sister's reaction to it, she knew it would be bad. She knew Jan quite well and understood that Jan had a need to internalize guilt for anything she was involved in. She wondered if Bobby or her parents would be able to snap Jan out of her mood.
Peter had been ordered to report back to duty. He had been given compassionate leave by his CO to spend time with his younger brother when he underwent the operation and awaited the outcome, but now it was business as usual. Under the circumstances he did not qualify for a hardship discharge.
Jan was miserable. She always thought when she had the attic for her room and privacy, she would be elated, but not so. It had been more than a year since her brother, Bobby, had saved her life, losing his sight in the process and even though he had tried to talk her out of it she still felt enormously guilty. Jan had swiped some booze from the cabinet with the intention of getting so spiffed, she would pass out and not worry about dreams since her dreams were all nightmares.
Bobby sat on the floor in the room that was now his and pondered the problem with Jan. He knew her well enough to understand that she felt guilty, but it was something that she had no control over; she was so complicated sometimes he really didn't understand why she felt this way. A knock on the door brought him from his reverie.
"It's not locked." he called. He heard the door open and the light footfalls that followed; he knew only one person who walked like that; "Hello Cindy." he said before she could speak. She found it slightly unnerving that he could do that without seeing her. It reminded her of that guy in the comic book, Daredevil.
"How do you do that Bobby?" "I tell by the way you walk; your steps are lighter and you are the only female with any reason to visit my room." "What about Jan or mom?" she countered. "Jan feels guilt, which she shouldn't; her footfalls would sound heavier. Mom's would be more certain, with a purpose. She wouldn't visit without a reason."
"Do you think anything can be done to get Jan's head back on straight?" "That is a good question." came Bobby's reply. "You know her better than I, but even I know she has a tendency to shoulder guilt for anything she is involved in, deserved or not."
Cindy came over and sat next to Bobby, hoping some inspiration would strike either of them, but without the others it did not seem likely.
Meanwhile, in the attic room, Jan had her wish: she had gotten drunk enough to pass out, but not before cracking the bulb of a lamp. What she also did not know was in the process of passing out, she had spilled the booze which was 190 proof. When it hit the lamp's hot wires it started a fire of which she was unaware, having passed out cold. As a result the fire was growing... and growing...
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