“She has.”
“I heard what she said about the doctors and the wobbly knees. Seems husky enough.”
“Yes.”
He studied me for a few seconds, then settled back, and looked out of the window. After another half hour he turned to me again. “She’s reducing?”
I shook my head.
He went back to his window for a while, and I settled down. A little later, I heard him turn and could feel that he was staring at me. I opened my eyes. He was watching me in frowning concentration. He shifted his eyes hastily.
I beckoned him to lean over and said in a low voice, “The doctor wants her to reduce. She’s had flu and pneumonia. She’s taken off about a hundred pounds. The doctor wants her to keep it off. She’s never denied herself anything. She loves to eat. Now, leave me alone and let me sleep.”
He seemed surprised at first, then he got the idea, and laughed. “You’re all right,” he said.
I dozed off for a few minutes, then woke up as we were coming in to a landing. The man next to me leaned over and tapped my knee.
The motors were throttled down now, and he lowered his voice, and asked hastily, “How long had she been so much overweight?”