The stifling atmosphere in the room was hardly alleviated by the sulky creaking of a fan, moving slowly, over-head. Across his supervisor’s shoulder..., Bernard could look down at the station with the first of the evening’s commuter trains starting to leave. The women would be all right in their air-conditioned carriages, Bernard thought, but the men having to travel in coaches that were little more than cattle trucks would be finding the conditions oppressive. Bernard was starting to wonder if he. Tuesday night, as the week before, my husband asked me if it was ok for him to go and have a few beers with his pals, John and Peter, I told him it was ok, that I'd call over to my friend and have a glass of wine or two, he had a shower and dolled himself up, he smelled like a fucking perfume factory when he came out of the shower, this was no few beers with the boys I thought to myself, but said nothing, off he went, and I phoned my friend to come collect me in her car, we were like to private. Jovial? You’re kinda salty.”“I do that for the kids. The adults? You just get regular old me. I’ll be back in an hour.”And just as suddenly as he arrived in my car, Santa vanished. The time I spent with him was real, just over five minutes as he explained the wish-thing to me. His offer seemed unreal, though. What single wish would I pick? I really liked the idea of winning the lottery, a huge one, but it wouldn’t last into real life. Just having money for a day…I needed a better wish than. "Dean, damn it man, she needs a hospital." She won't go, she told you that herself." Dean looked ready to slam his fist at someone and I wondered if he'd take it out on Billy."What in the hell is going on." I finally said."She's been raped." Billy said."No shit!" I said. "Any fool can see that!" I placed the tea on the table with exaggerated slowness. "What the hell are you doing examining her? And why are you so pissed?" I looked from Billy to Dean."She's my sister!" Dean said at last.I.