Back in the Saddle (Jessica Brodie Diaries #1)(68)

The car died a block from the hospital. It needed water. Well, what it needed was a new radiator, but water could get it further. Not bothering, I got out and started hoofing it. I didn’t want to run because I was in new shoes and they would tear up my feet, so I walked quickly. I was still a limping, sweaty mess by the time I got to there.

One step through the automatic sliding glass doors had me hesitating. I hated hospitals. I hated the death I could find here. Even that blast of smell, the sterilized musty odor, had my stomach turning in knots and trying to purge.

But Gladis was in here, and she needed me to be strong. She needed a friend, not a wimp. Stealing my courage, I plowed through the square halls along the shiny white floor.

As I finally walked through the door to her room I ran into Lady.

She reared like a spooked horse. “Jessica!”

“Sorry—“

“Jessica, this place is filled with morons!” Lady seethed with her hands on her hips. “Thousands of dollars a day and no one can get a cup of water. Useless!” She stepped around me and walked out the door at a brisk, determined pace.

I glided into the room, trying not to touch anything hospital, including the floor. Gladis lay in the horrible barred bed, her gray hair wispy against the pillows. She looked so small and fragile.

I curled my hands into fists, focused all my bearing on not crying. On not succumbing to my panic. And mostly failing. “Hey Gladis.”

She opened her eyes. “Quit cryin’ girl, I’m not dyin’!”

I smiled through my tears. “Sorry. What happened?”

She chuckled. “I fell down the stairs. In my youth everyone would think that my husband was beatin’ me. Now they just think I am clumsy.”

“Nah, in the past they just said to your face they thought your husband was beating you. They really thought you were clumsy your whole life!”

I dragged a chair to her bedside.

“S-so…” I stammered. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I sprained something or other. They thought it was a broken hip at first, but there weren’t that much damage. Just careless was all.”

I nodded. Lady came back in with some water followed by a nurse.

Gladis asked Lady, “Did you let the kids know?”

Lady nodded.

“How long ago?”

“A little over an hour.”

“Did you leave a message or talk to them?”

“Messages.”

“Hpmph." Gladis turned back to me with a glower. "You watch, Jessica. One of them will show up, check in then report back to the others. They are just waiting for me to check out of life so they can cash in!”

“Don’t talk like that Ms. Peek. That ain’t the way t’all,” Lady said. It sounded like she’d said it a million times.

Gladis rolled her eyes at me. “Just wait and see.”

The afternoon and early evening had passed. The sun had set and Lady, Gladis and I were sitting around playing backgammon when the first of a long string of flowers arrived. Gladis’s step-kids still hadn’t shown up or called.

Lady jumped up and checked the tag. “Mr. and Mrs. Markenson and sons.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Gladis said. The game continued.

A couple hours later Gladis started to doze. Without speaking a word, Lady and I cleaned up the game with economic efficiency, and I was out the door, not wanting to wake her. She wouldn’t want me going back to an empty house and would try to stay up. Which was pointless. There was no way I was sleeping in a hospital. Never again.

The next evening, after having spent my livelihood on water to get my limping beast moving again, I smuggled in chocolates. I had done a great job of controlling my tears until I heard that Gladis had surgery that morning on her hip.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I roared.

A nurse poked her head in.

“Jessica, you are hysterical,” Gladis placated.

“Yes, I am! You should have told me!”

“You would have only worried.”

“Which is my job to do, so you don’t have to. Don’t keep that kind of stuff from me again!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Told you,” Lady said smugly from her chair in the corner. She was knitting a scarf out of electric blue yarn.

Gladis just sighed.

“What did they do to you?” I prompted. “What was the damage?”

“Just a few pins, is all. But it’s still my bones. I don’t need a new hip quite yet.”

“I few pins? How bad was—“ I stopped mid-tirade and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I need a freaking coffee.”

I stormed off. Hospitals made me crazy. More crazy, truth be told. Add that to Gladis withholding information…

I wanted to explode. And cry. Definitely cry.

After making my point in the cafeteria, and getting extremely bored and uncomfortable, I trudged back, intending to make them suffer a few more minutes with my sulky attitude. As I neared the room I caught a familiar scent. Like a Bloodhound, my nose honed in.

Gremlins in my chest started clawing with vigor, scratching to get out. Ripping my heart apart.

Eyes closed, I stopped in the doorway. Then shook my head. I wasn’t strong enough for this. Gladis not revealing how serious her injury really was, an extended period in the hospital, and now this? No.