n't　know　if　you　got　there　in　time　to　see　how　broken　up　the　mouse　was　or　not。〃

Dean　shook　his　head。　〃I　saw　the　blood　on　the　floor；　though。〃

I　turned　to　Brutal。

〃That　son　of　a　bitch　Percy　crushed　it；〃　he　said　simply。　〃It　should　have　died；　but　it　didn't。　Coffey　did　something　to　it。　Healed　it　somehow。　I　know　how　that　sounds；　but　I　saw　it　with　my　own　eyes。〃

I　said：　〃He　healed　me；　as　well；　and　I　didn't　just　see　it；　I　felt　it。〃　I　told　them　about　my　urinary　infection　…　how　it　had　e　back；　how　bad　it　had　been　（I　pointed　through　the　window　at　the　woodpile　I'd　had　to　hold　onto　the　morning　the　pain　drove　me　to　my　knees）；　and　how　it　had　gone　away　pletely　after　Coffey　touched　me。　And　stayed　away。

It　didn't　take　long　to　tell。　When　I　was　done；　they　sat　and　thought　about　it　awhile；　chewing　on　their　sandwiches　as　they　did。　Then　Dean　said；　〃Black　things　came　out　of　his　mouth。　Like　bugs。〃

〃That's　right；〃　Harry　agreed。　〃They　were　black　to　start　with；　anyway。　Then　they　turned　white　and　disappeared。〃　He　looked　around；　considering。　〃It's　like　I　damned　near　forgot　the　whole　thing　until　you　brought　it　up；　Paul。　Ain't　that　funny？〃

〃Nothing　funny　or　strange　about　it；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I　think　that's　what　people　most　always　do　with　the　stuff　they　can't　make　out　…　just　forget　it。　Doesn't　do　a　person　much　good　to　remember　stuff　that　doesn't　make　any　sense。　What　about　it；　Paul？　Were　there　bugs　when　he　fixed　you？〃

〃Yes。　I　think　they're　the　sickness　。。。　the　pain　。。。　the　hurt。　He　takes　it　in；　then　lets　it　out　into　the　open　air　again。〃

〃Where　it　dies；〃　Harry　said。

I　shrugged。　I　didn't　know　if　it　died　or　not；　wasn't　sure　it　even　mattered。

〃Did　he　suck　it　out　of　you？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃He　looked　like　he　was　sucking　it　right　out　of　the　mou