Sanne stood with her back to Christine and rolled her eyes.
“I’ll come by again tomorrow.” She walked backwards to the door, held his gaze.
Christine closed the door behind her. “Look at you!”
“You work in this department too?” He let his hand collapse on the comforter.
“No, I heard you were admitted.”
“And?” He pointed at the door.
Christine shook her head, walked over to the end of the bed, and placed her hand on the metal frame. She looked out the window, closed her eyes for a moment. The sun spilled in, making her face glow.
“So you found him.”
“Yes. Too late.”
“But you found him, and if you hadn’t shown up, that boy would have been killed.”
“Maybe he deserved that?”
Christine looked out the window. “I think we should be happy it’s not up to us to decide what others deserve. It must be a terrible responsibility.” Then she lifted the chart at the end of the bed, let her eyes slide down the page.
“Remains of chloroform and . . . amphetamine in the blood?” She looked up, her eyebrows raised, and let the chart drop. It clattered against the metal frame. The sound echoed in the silent room. So it was chloroform Koes had sedated him with? Not surprising that his heart had protested; mixed with the speed he had taken, that was some cocktail.
Christine moved to the headboard. For a moment, the space between them was crowded with what was left unspoken. Then she shrugged.
“Oh well. It’s none of my business.” She leaned over him. For a moment, her right breast rested on his shoulder, heavy and warm behind the white coat. Her lips brushed his forehead.
She stood up, adjusted her coat. “You could call me sometime?”
Then she was gone.
CREDITS
Kindertotenlieder is from a cycle of poems by Friedech Rückert, written in 1833–34. Music by Gustav Mahler 1901–04. Quoted from Wienerphilharmoniker Lorin Maazel: Mahler. Symphony no. 3 Kindertotenlieder. Mezzo-soprano, Agnes Baltsa. Produced 1985.
“De berusedes vej” by Søren Ulrik Thomsen, Digte om natten.
Midnight Rambler by Mick Jagger/Keith Richards, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, 1971.
Midsommervisen, text by Holger Drachmann, melody by
P. E. Lange-Müller, 1885.
Author photograph:
Robin Skjoldborg
Jakob Melander was born in 1965. He entered the eighties punk scene as a bass player and guitar player in various bands. He lives in Copenhagen.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
House of Anansi Press was founded in 1967 with a mandate to publish Canadian-authored books, a mandate that continues to this day even as the list has branched out to include internationally acclaimed thinkers and writers. The press immediately gained attention for significant titles by notable writers such as Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, George Grant, and Northrop Frye. Since then, Anansi’s commitment to finding, publishing and promoting challenging, excellent writing has won it tremendous acclaim and solid staying power. Today Anansi is Canada’s pre-eminent independent press, and home to nationally and internationally bestselling and acclaimed authors such as Gil Adamson, Margaret Atwood, Ken Babstock, Peter Behrens, Rawi Hage, Misha Glenny, Jim Harrison, A. L. Kennedy, Pasha Malla, Lisa Moore, A. F. Moritz, Eric Siblin, Karen Solie, and Ronald Wright. Anansi is also proud to publish the award-winning nonfiction series The CBC Massey Lectures. In 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 Anansi was honoured by the Canadian Booksellers Association as “Publisher of the Year.”
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