Transcript #2

MB: So you’re just going to type everything I say? Oh. Silly question, you’re already typing. Okay. This is a little unnerving.

AT: Just ignore her, Mrs. B. I guess I just ask questions? Is that all you want me to do?

LT: Basically – I’ll chime in if I want you to expand on anything.

AT: If you don’t feel like answering, though, just give us the teacher-glare and we’ll back right off.

MB: (She laughs; in my opinion it sounds weak) Alright. Fire away.

AT: Mr. Booker was in great health before, right?

MB: That’s right.

AT: When did he start presenting symptoms?

MB: A couple of days before we went to the clinic. I got home, Wednesday evening, and found him just inside the doorway. Just sitting, staring at nothing, really. He told me he’d fallen, but we’ve been married for five years. I know when he’s lying to me.

AT: He was lying? About what?

LT: Anthony-

MB: It’s okay. I presume you’d know, anyway – the bite mark, on his shoulder.

LT: What?

MB: You didn’t know?

LT: No… Please go on.

MB: I would have thought it’d be in his medical record… I think he was chased up our driveway, and someone bit him. It wasn’t very deep, but the mark was there. I was petrified, I told him we should go to the clinic immediately, get him some antibiotics. He, um, he said they wouldn’t help. He was listless, I didn’t really- I didn’t know what to do, other than to help him get up, make dinner. He didn’t eat anything, and that’s when I was becoming even more afraid. I kept insisting we should go, he said he didn’t want to trouble anyone. Then, um, I called the next day. And, when I got home, he hadn’t moved from the bed. He’d just skipped work altogether, and hadn’t moved.

LT: There was nothing in his file about a bite.

(The rest of the conversation wasn’t relevant and didn’t last for much longer. Melissa started to get upset, and Anthony turned the conversation to other things; school, her massive collection of antiques, in particular an old rifle they stopped making in WWII, according to Anthony. Afterwards, we returned home to make it back before curfew. I’m glad we did. I can hear the late residents throwing an argument outside.)