Richard Matheson - Ride the Nightmare

Then she saw a hitching rise to his chest and heard a faint, liquid groaning in his throat. Catching her breath, she put Connie down.

“Mommy.”

“I have to help Daddy, sweetheart.”

Connie turned and looked down at her father. Her breath seemed to stop. She stood motionless, lips parted, staring at him. Helen kneeled beside him quickly and ran a trembling hand over his cheek.

“Chris?” she murmured.

He didn’t move. Helen looked around and saw a bottle of water on the table. She pushed up and started for it. Connie caught onto her.

“I have to get some water,” Helen told her, “Daddy needs—”

“Mommy, don’t—”

“Stand by Daddy,” Helen told her. “Be my brave girl now.” She backed off slowly, raising her hand as Connie started after her. “Just stay there,” she said. She glanced across her shoulder at Adam who was pressing a handkerchief against Steve’s shoulder.

“Your slip,” he said.

Helen twitched and stared at him.

“Your slip,” he repeated. He started to turn and she drew back. Connie made a frightened sound.

“All right, all right,” Helen said. Shivering, she turned away and bent over. Drawing up her skirt, she pulled quickly at her half slip until it fell around her ankles. She stepped out of it and picked it up. Adam grabbed it from her outstretched fingers and, turning back, started tearing it into strips. Quickly, Helen moved to the table and picked up the bottle of water. She carried it back to Chris and kneeled beside him again. Opening the bottle, she pulled a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and poured some water over it. She began patting it against Chris’s temples and cheeks.

“That’ll hold it,” she heard Adam say behind her.

“No, it’s still bleeding too much.” Steve sounded a little frightened. “I gotta have a doctor, Adam.”

”Damn it, use your head!” snapped Adam, “We’ve wasted enough time. We have money now. We’ve got to clear out.”

“You wouldn’t be so damn sure if it was you,” said Steve. There was almost a whining in his voice now.

“Look you want a doctor, go get one. I’m going to Mexico.”

Helen glanced across her shoulder and saw the two men looking at each other.

“What about—?” She saw Steve’s head jerk slightly toward her and she felt a sudden, cold depression in her stomach.

“There’s no room,” said Adam, flatly.

Helen stared at him, her heartbeat suddenly jolting. She couldn’t take her eyes off Adam’s expressionless face. When he turned to look at her, she kept gaping at him.

“No,” she whispered. She couldn’t hear herself. She reached out and pulled Connie against her. “No, please.” Her fingers clamped on Connie’s arm. “Please.”

Steve groaned. “I’ve gotta have a doctor,” he muttered.

“Later.” said Adam, his eyes on Helen. He reached into his coat pocket. Helen felt a scream rising in her throat. The room seemed to wheel around her.

“No, not later!”

It was as if Steve’s voice came from miles away. Cringing back, Connie tight against her, Helen looked dumbly at him, at the pistol he was pointing at Adam’s back.

Adam looked around. “What are you—?” He stared at Steve incredulously.

“Get your hand out of your pocket,” Steve told him.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m getting a doctor.”

“Sure you’ll get a doctor—but later!” said Adam, “We have to get out of here! Don’t you understand? We’ve been—”

“I want him now!” Steve’s chest rose and fell unsteadily. He blinked and leaned back dizzily against the chair. “Don’t move,” he ordered, “Don’t move or I’ll—”

“You’re a fool,” Adam said.

Steve pressed his lips together and tried to push himself up. His legs vibrated beneath the weight and he fell back with a muffled grunt.

He glanced at Helen. “Get over here,” he said.

“What do you want?”

“Get over here.”

Helen stood up and pushed Connie away from herself. “Stay by Daddy,” she said. Connie started to object but Helen cut her off sharply. “You have to stay by Daddy,” she said.

“Get over here, lady.” There was a half-mindless drone in Steve’s voice now.

Helen moved toward him. He swallowed and grunted.

“Take the rod out of his pocket.”

“You’re out of your mind!” Adam shouted at him.

“Take his rod.”

“His—?”

“Gun, gun! Take it!”

“Yes.” Helen edged over slowly until she was standing behind Adam. Carefully, her hand trembling, she reached toward his side coat pocket.

”Hurry up!”

Her hand twitched and bumped against Adam’s side. Swallowing, she pressed her lips together and slid her hand into the pocket. He stirred a little and Steve muttered, “Watch it.”

Helen’s fingers touched the cool, oily surface of the revolver. A sudden tension filled her. Did she dare try to shoot at Steve? She inhaled quickly, raggedly. What if she missed? She’d never fired a gun in her life. Was it possible that she could fire it while it was still inside the pocket? Otherwise, in trying to jerk it free, it might catch on the pocket lining.

“Get it out, damn it!”

There was no time, no time! With a faint, hopeless sob, Helen drew the revolver out of the pocket and stepped back. For a moment, Adam’s body stood between her and Steve. Now! Cried her mind—but her muscles would not obey. Nervously, she moved over to the table and put down the gun. She couldn’t take the chance. If she missed, Connie would be killed in seconds, Chris would be killed.

“You’re gonna get me a doctor,” Steve said.

At first she didn’t realize he was talking to her and she started back toward Connie.

“I said you’re getting me a doctor!”

She stopped and looked back at him. “Me?”

“Get in your car and—”

“For Christ’s sake, will you—?” Adam started.

“Shut up!” Steve shrilled. “I’m not dyin’ on the road for you!”

“You won’t die on the road, damn it! We’ll stop as soon as—”

“I said shut up!” The gun shook in his grip as he pointed it at Adam.

“Oh… Christ,” said Adam, tightly.

“Go, get a doctor,” Steve said to Helen.

Helen backed off toward Connie. She felt her daughter move up into the shelter of her arm.

“How?” she asked, “I can’t—”

“I don’t care how!” Steve interrupted, “Just get him here!” As Helen stared at him, his lips flared back abruptly from yellowish teeth and he extended the pistol shakily.

“Go on!” he said.

She nodded jerkily and began leading Connie toward the doorway.

”She stays,” said Steve.

Helen looked at him with unbelieving eyes. “No,” she murmured.

“Let go of her.”

Helen found herself shaking her head fitfully. “No,” she said, “I won’t.”

“Maybe you’d like her killed right now!” he threatened.

Helen pushed Connie behind her. “I won’t leave her,” she said in a low, shaking voice, if you’re going to kill us you’ll have to do it now.” She drew in a rasping breath. “I won’t leave her,“ she said.

Steve’s fingers tensed on the trigger, then eased. He stared at Helen with a dull, almost animal-like confusion.

“Kill her!” snapped Adam. “You’re wasting time! She’ll never get you a doctor!”

“By God, then he will,” muttered Steve. He pushed up with a groan and stumbled away from the table. Abruptly, he whirled and pulled Adam’s revolver off the table, sliding it into his trouser pocket. He walked erratically across the room, eyes almost slitted from the pain, his lips drawn back, breath hissing from his mouth. He brushed by Helen and staggered over to Chris. He jabbed the tip of his right shoe against Chris’s side.