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Show 249 president added. "Hi, Dorothy," he said as they filed in. She still lay on the bed, where her husband had drawn a quilt over her reaching her chin. Her head was propped against a pillow and she watched them come in. Her eyes darted from face to face. Lorin entered last, stepping over the rubble of keys, coins, hair curlers, a wallet, cuff links, perfume bottles and shards of mirror, and joined Sorenson and Zaret on one side of the bed, facing Burton, Oakley, and the branch president. "What are you going to do?" she asked, slurring her words. "Now don't worry about a thing, Dorothy," said the branch president. "You gave us a little scare is all, and I've asked the elders to come give me a hand." "I knew it," she said and made a strange sound in the back of her throat that Lorin with a spasm of fear recognized as laughter. "What I want you to do is close your eyes and try to relax. Can you do that for me? Now, brethren, if you'll just try to fit in--" It was awkward at best. This was done most often using a chair, and as a rule no more than three or four holders of the priesthood took part. Lorin suspected that the greater number this time meant something and he felt his scalp creep. She lay in the center of the bed, and the mattress was unluckily soft. The branch president had to lean one knee against it in order to place his hands on her forehead. To keep from losing his balance he was forced to lean his elbow against the headboard. Elder Zaret, directly across from him, hesitated but at last reached out and placed his hands on her crisp grey-flecked hair. Zaret was an uncommonly big man, at least six and a half feet tall and well over two hundred pounds. He wore thick glasses and had an irritating habit, on occasions |
