thinking I could see it on your hands and in your face, and at that we haven’t been trying so much for flesh building as we have for blood purification. If we can get the blood stream clean, ’most any time we can begin flesh-building. Jamie boy, I’d say you are going to make it. I’d say, if you hold steady and keep it up six months, you can close that ugly spot. It’s going to leave a nasty scar, but scars are the aftermath of any war. If your blood will purify, if you can get in working order, there is nothing to stop you from being the man God meant you to be when you were born.”
Then Jamie took Margaret Cameron tight in his arms and kissed her over and over again on the top of her head. Then he released her and looked after her wonderingly, because she was going from the back door, her shoulders shaken with sobs deeper and longer than the most motherly of women need shed over the joy of a step in the right direction for even a highly considered neighbour.
Slowly Jamie turned from the back door. Slowly he went back to the bed upon which he had lain. Slowly he got down on his knees and clasped his shaking hands and laid his forehead on them, and then, reverently, deeply, from the bottom of his heart, he thanked the Lord.
Then he headed straight for the ice box and drank a pint of tomato juice.
