Radiation
Friday, December 21, 2007
“She’s not going bald. See?”
“What?” Collette asked, as she walked through the front door of the house loaded down with the Puck in a puffy coat, and several bags.
“Nice greeting, Mom,” Carrie said. “I’m sure that’s what Collette wants to hear as she comes in the front door.”
“What are you even talking about, Mom?” Collette asked, as Mom looked closely at Collette’s scalp.
“Oh, she’s all worried about that radon in the basement again. She thinks because Joe’s scalp is thinning, that yours might be too, and that you both have radon poisoning.”
Mom had off-and-on been concerned about the possibility of radon (some sort of radioactive material) being in the basement ever since Collette had her bedroom down there. Joe took over when she had moved out. After it had been confirmed that Collette’s hair was indeed, not thinning, Mom headed off with Frances to his orthodontist appointment.
Meanwhile, Linnea created a tent of blankets and pillows for Puck on the piano bench. Puck lounged inside chewing on Carrie’s old Star Trek action figure.
“This will be the guard,” Linnea said, as she stationed her giant stuffed penguin at the door to the tent.
Carrie was busy trying to focus on her Tai Chi film as she exercised on the carpet.
“Get out of my way, dog! You’re messing up my chi!” She yelled at Trooper.
“Guys, what happened to all the chips Mom bought yesterday?” Collette asked.
“Rose ate them all,” said Linnea.
The phone rang. Carrie answered it.
“What?… He blew up the X-ray machine?… Wow… Wow…”
Yes, while Frances had been at the orthodontist having his teeth X-rayed, the machine had exploded, billowing a small amount of smoke.
“Warning: radiation detection,” said a small voice from the machine.
“Fire! Fire!” The nurses called.
Frances was pulled from the room.
“Thanks, buddy,” said the orthodontist, “you just ruined an eight million dollar machine?”
“What are they going to do,” Frances said to Collette later, “charge it to my account?”