THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
Stripped to his underpants； lying on the examination table； Danny Torrance
looked very small。 He was looking up at Dr。 （〃Just call me Bill〃） Edmonds； who
was wheeling a large black machine up beside him。 Danny rolled his eyes to get a
better look at it。
〃Don't let it scare you； guy；〃 Bill Edmonds said。 〃It's an
electroencephalograph； and it doesn't hurt。〃
〃Electro — 〃
〃We call it EEG for short。 I'm going to hook a bunch of wires to your head —
no； not stick them in； only tape them — and the pens in this part of the gadget
will record your brain waves。〃
〃Like on ‘The Six Million Dollar Man'？〃
〃About the same。 Would you like to be like Steve Austin when you grow up？〃
〃No way；〃 Danny said as the nurse began to tape the wires to a number of tiny
shaved spots on his scalp。 〃My daddy says that someday he'll get a short circuit
and then he'll be up sh 。。。 he'll be up the creek。〃
〃I know that creek well；〃 Dr。 Edmonds said amiably。 〃I've been up it a few
times myself； sans paddle。 An EEG can tell us lots of things； Danny。〃
〃Like what？〃
〃Like for instance if you have epilepsy。 That's a little problem where — 〃
〃Yeah； I know what epilespy is。〃
〃Really？〃
〃Sure。 There was a kid in my nursery school back in Vermont — I went to nursery
school when I was a little kid — and he had it。 He wasn't supposed to use the
flashboard。〃
〃What was that； Dan？〃 He had turned on the machine。 Thin lines began to trace
their way across graph paper。
〃It had all these lights； all different colors。 And when you turned it on；
some colors would flash but not all。 And you had to count the colors and if you
pushed the right button； you could turn it off。 Brent couldn't use that。〃
〃That's because bright flashing lights sometimes cause an epileptic seizure。〃
〃You mean using the flashboard might've made Brent pitch a fit？〃
Edmonds and the nurse exchanged a brief； amused glance。 〃Inelegantly but
accurately put； Danny。〃
〃What？〃
〃I said you're right； except you should say ‘seizure' instead of ‘pitch a
fit。' That's not nice 。。。 okay； lie just as still as a mouse now。〃
〃Okay。〃
〃Danny； when you have these 。。。 whatever they ares； do you ever recall
seeing bright flashing lights before？〃
〃No。。。 〃
〃Funny noises？ Ringing？ Or chimes like a doorbell？〃
〃Huh…uh。〃
〃How about a funny smell； maybe like oranges or sawdust？ Or a smell like
something rotten？〃
〃No； Sir。〃
〃Sometimes do you feel like crying before you pass out？ Even though you don't
feel sad？〃
〃No way。〃
〃That's fine； then。〃
〃Have I got epilepsy； Dr。 Bill？〃
〃I don't think so； Danny。 Just lie still。 Almost done。〃
The machine hummed and scratched for another five minutes and then Dr。 Edmonds
shut it off。
〃All done； guy；〃 Edmonds said briskly。 〃Let Sally get those electrodes off you
and then e into the next room。 I want to have a little talk with you。 Okay？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Sally； you go ahead and give him a tine test before he es in。〃
〃All right。〃
Edmonds ripped off the long curl of paper the machine had extruded and went
into the next room； looking at it。
〃I'm going to prick your arm just a little；〃 the nurse said after Danny had
pulled up his pants。 〃It's to make sure you don't have TB。〃
〃They gave me that at my school just last year；〃 Danny said without much hope。
〃But that was a long time ago and you're a big boy now； right？〃
〃I guess so；〃 Danny sighed； and offered his arm up for sacrifice。
When he had his shirt and shoes on； he went through the sliding door and into
Dr。 Edmonds's office。 Edmonds was sitting on the edge of his desk； swinging his
legs thoughtfully。
〃Hi； Danny。〃
〃Hi。〃
〃How's that hand now？〃 He pointed at Danny's left hand； which was lightly
bandaged。
〃Pretty good。〃
〃Good。 I looked at your EEG and it seems fine。 But I'm going to send it to a
friend of mine in Denver who makes his living reading those things。 I just want
to make sure。〃
〃Yes； Sir。〃
〃Tell me about Tony； Dan。〃
Danny shuffled his feet。 〃He's just an invisible friend；〃 he said。 〃I made him
up。 To keep me pany。〃
Edmonds laughed and put his hands on Danny's shoulders。 〃Now that's what your
Mom and Dad say。 But this is just between us； guy。 I'm your doctor。 Tell me the
truth and I'll promise not to tell them unless you say I can。〃
Danny thought about it。 He looked at Edmonds and then； with a small effort of
concentration； he tried to catch Edmonds's thoughts or at least the color of his
mood。 And suddenly he got an oddly forting image in his head： file cabinets；
their doors sliding shut one after another； locking with a click。 Written on the
small tabs in the center of each door was： A…C； SECRET； D…G； SECRET； and so on。
This made Danny feel a little easier。
Cautiously he said： 〃I don't know who Tony is。〃
〃Is he your age？〃
〃No。 He's at least eleven。 I think he might be even older。 I've never seen him
right up close。 He might be old enough to drive a car。〃
〃You just see him at a distance； huh？〃
〃Yes； Sir。〃
〃And he always es just before you pass out？〃
〃Well； I don't pass out。 It's like I go with him。 And he shows me things。〃
〃What kind of things？〃
〃Well 。。。〃 Danny debated for a moment and then told Edmonds about Daddy's
trunk with all his writing in it； and about how the movers hadn't lost it
between Vermont and Colorado after all。 It had been right under the stairs all along。
〃And your daddy found it where Tony said he would？〃
〃Oh yes； sir。 Only Tony didn't tell me。 He showed me。〃
〃I understand。 Danny； what did Tony show you last night？ When you locked
yourself in the bathroom？〃
〃I don't remember；〃 Danny said quickly。
〃Are you sure？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃A moment ago I said you locked the bathroom door。 But that wasn't right； was
it？ Tony locked the door。〃
〃No； sir。 Tony couldn't lock the door because he isn't real。 He wanted me to
do it； so I did。 I locked it。〃
〃Does Tony always show you where lost things are？〃
〃No； sir。 Sometimes he shows me things that are going to happen。〃
〃Really？〃
〃Sure。 Like one time Tony showed me the amusements and wild animal park in Great Barrington。
Tony said Daddy was going to take me there for my birthday。 He did； too。〃
〃What else does he show you？〃
Danny frowned。 〃Signs。 He's always showing me stupid old signs。 And I can't
read them； hardly ever。〃
〃Why do you suppose Tony would do that； Danny？〃
〃I don't know。〃 Danny brightened。 〃But my daddy and mommy are teaching me to
read； and I'm trying real hard。〃
〃So you can read Tony's signs。〃
〃Well； I really want to learn。 But that too； yeah。〃
〃Do you like Tony； Danny？〃
Danny looked at the tile floor and said nothing。
〃Danny？〃
〃It's hard to tell；〃 Danny said。 〃I used to。 I used to hope he'd e every
day； because he always showed me good things； especially since Mommy and Daddy
don't think about DIVORCE anymore。〃 Dr。 Edmonds's gaze sharpened； but Danny
didn't notice。 He was looking hard at the floor； concentrating