Chapter 21: The Church Hall

The church hall on Sunday held about two hundred folding chairs, and every one was full.

Word had gone around town faster than the casseroles.

Floyd and I sat in the third row with Eli between us.

Harlan sat in the front row on the aisle in his Sunday suit.

Marlene sat beside him with her purse in her lap.

They were not touching.

Doc Barksdale stood at the lectern where the pastor usually read the announcements.

He had put on a clean shirt, and his tweed jacket hung on him.

He looked at the room for a long time, and then he took off his glasses and folded them into his pocket.

"I've been your doctor for forty years," he said.

Nobody coughed.

"Most of you I've known since you were born. A lot of you I delivered, or your mothers."

He swallowed.

"Last month I made up a laboratory report."

"I printed it on my office printer and put a name on it that isn't a lab."

A woman near the back made a small noise.

"I swabbed a baby's cheek and told his mother it was for thrush."

"I swabbed three grown men and threw the swabs in the trash."

His voice shook, and he went on.

"Then I handed a family a paper that said a child wasn't his father's."

"Emme Stallworth told you at the school fence that it was forged, and I'm telling you she was right."

"It was a lie. All of it."

Someone near the front shouted, "Why?"

I felt Floyd go rigid beside me.

Doc's hand went to his ear.

He stood there with his mouth open and nothing came out.

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