"What are you doing there, kid?" She giggled.
"Who do you see, Maddy?" asked the friend. She followed Madeline's gaze but looked right through Charlie.
"A kid over there. "
"Okay, Maddy. Do you want some water?" The friend reached for a child's sippy cup with a built-in straw from the nightstand.
"No. Tell that kid to come in here, though. Come in here, kid. " Madeline worked her arms out of the covers and started moving her hands in sewing motions, like she was embroidering a tapestry in the air before her.
"Well, I'd better go," said the friend. "Let you get some rest. " The friend glanced at the hospice woman, who looked over her reading glasses and smiled with her eyes. The only expert in the house, giving permission.
The friend stood and kissed Madeline Alby on the forehead. Madeline stopped sewing for a second, closed her eyes, and leaned into the kiss, like a young girl. Her friend squeezed her hand and said, "Good-bye, Maddy. "
Charlie stepped aside and let the woman pass. He watched her shoulders heave with a sob as she went through the door.
"Hey, kid," Madeline said. "Come over here and sit down. " She paused in her sewing long enough to look Charlie in the eye, which freaked him out more than a little. He glanced at th
e hospice worker, who glanced up from her book, then went back to reading. Charlie pointed to himself.
"Yeah, you," Madeline said.
Charlie was going into a panic. She could see him, but the hospice nurse could not, or so it seemed.
An alarm beeped on the nurse's watch and Madeline picked up the little dog and held it to her ear. "Hello? Hi, how are you?" She looked up at Charlie. "It's my oldest daughter. " The little dog looked at Charlie, too, with a distinct "save me" look in its eyes.
"Time for some medicine, Madeline," the nurse said.
"Can't you see I'm on the phone, Sally," Madeline said. "Hang on a second. "
"Okay, I'll wait," the nurse said. She picked up a brown bottle with an eyedropper in it, filled the dropper, and checked the dosage and held.
"Bye. Love you, too," Madeline said. She held the tiny dog out to Charlie. "Hang that up, would you?" The nurse snatched the dog out of the air and set it down on the bed next to Madeline.
"Open up, Madeline," the nurse said. Madeline opened wide and the nurse squirted the eyedropper into the old woman's mouth.
"Mmm, strawberry," Madeline said.
"That's right, strawberry. Would you like to wash it down with some water?" The nurse held the sippy cup.
"No. Cheese. I'd like some cheese. "
"I can get you some cheese," said the nurse.
"Cheddar cheese. "
"Cheddar it is," said the nurse. "I'll be right back. " She tucked the covers around Madeline and left the room.
The old woman looked at Charlie again. "Can you talk, now that she's gone?"
Charlie shrugged and looked in every direction, his hand over his mouth, like someone looking for an emergency spot to spit out a mouthful of bad seafood.
"Don't mime, honey," Madeline said. "No one likes a mime. "
Charlie sighed heavily, what was there to lose now? She could see him. "Hello, Madeline. I'm Charlie. "
"I always liked the name Charlie," Madeline said. "How come Sally can't see you?"
"Only you can see me right now," Charlie said.