Play It Safe(40)

He also told me a nurse came every day but Sundays and Wednesdays to help Grandma Miriam get showered. Grandma Miriam’s best friend Shirley, a retired hairdresser, came every Wednesday to give her a shampoo and set. But she could mostly clothe herself just with the use of the parts of her body that she had but also she had a bunch of tools she’d been trained to use at the rehabilitation hospital. He shared further that from all that wheeling and moving herself around, she had the upper body strength of weightlifter and she could also do her bathroom business. From what Gray said and what I’d seen, she was incredibly self-sufficient though Gray had assisted in some of this. For instance, he’d installed a mirror over the stove so she could cook on the two front burners and see what was happening on the stove by looking up at the mirror.

It was ingenious.

It was also sweet.

But Gray did not help her with personal stuff. She changed into her nightgowns; he just lifted her into bed. Or out of it. He didn’t dress her and he didn’t bathe her.

And now she was behind a closed door in the bathroom.

“Call Shirley!” she shouted and I understood Gray’s concern. She sounded funny, not herself. It wasn’t pain but I didn’t know her enough to know what it was.

Though some of it was impatience and irritation, I knew her enough to hear that.

I looked up at Gray whose jaw was hard, he also looked impatient as well as worried and he was moving to her phone on her nightstand.

Before he made it there, I turned back to the door, knocked twice, put my hand to knob and called through the door, “Mrs. Cody, I’m coming in!”

Then I turned the doorknob back and forth a couple of times just to give her time before I pushed open the door and went in.

Then I closed it swiftly behind me even as my heart jumped into my throat.

She’d fallen off the toilet.

How, I didn’t know. But she was on her side on the floor, her panties pulled awkwardly up, the skirt of her dress shoved down. Her chair was in an awkward place, tilted and resting on the side of the tub like she’d run into it when she fell and tipped it over. She’d gotten both panties and skirt twisted somehow, probably panic and embarrassment so her skirt was tucked in her panties in places it would be hard to get to since she had to roll back and forth in the small space she had to do it. And that rolling probably made it worse.

“I said, call Shirley,” she whispered and I didn’t have to know her very well to know she was mortified.

I didn’t answer and I didn’t look at her face. I just walked right up to her, got down on my knees and righted her clothes. I did it swiftly, efficiently and didn’t say a word. Then I wrapped my arms around her, pulled her up, rolled her to her bottom and scooched her so her back was to the vanity cabinet. It was awkward to do all that, the space was small and with the chair wedged in, it didn’t help.

Then I turned to the toilet, closed the lid and flushed it.

Only then, when I turned back to her, did I catch her eyes.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

She pressed her trembling lips together and shook her head.

“Sure? No pain?” I pressed.

She nodded.

“Do you think I can get you up and in your chair without calling Gray?”

Her eyes held mine and I saw brightness glistening on the bottoms but she didn’t answer.

“Mrs. Cody,” I began again, “can I get you in your chair or do we need to call Gray?”

“I don’t want him to know I fell,” she whispered.

“Right,” I whispered back, “can we get you in your chair?”

“I was reaching for something. Silly. I knew better,” she told me, still whispering.

I scooted closer to her and took her hand. “We all do silly stuff but now we have to get to church. I’m not a weakling but I don’t know how to do those transfers Gray talks about. Can you talk me through it so I can get you in your chair?”

She stared into my eyes and nodded.

“Bring it over here, child, then make sure the wheels are locked. I’ll talk you through it.”

I nodded back, gave her a small smile then did as she said and kept doing it until we had her up, her skirt down, her bottom in her chair and her feet resting on the pedals.

“Need to wash my hands, Ivey,” she said softly. “But I was reaching for my perfume. Can you get it for me?”

I saw the perfume on a standing shelf across and just down from the toilet and I could see how she’d think she could make it as well as see how she did not.

I moved it to the vanity countertop as she washed her hands.

“Was running late,” she said to her hands as she wiped them on a towel. “Thought I’d multitask, save time.”

“Jesus!” Gray shouted from outside. “You wanna give me a clue? Is everything all right in there?”

My eyes went to the door at his first word then they went to Grandma Miriam and I saw my wide eyes reflected on her face.

Then, to my shock and utter delight, she burst out laughing.

“We’re fine, Gray, keep your pants on!” she shouted back after she quit laughing. “Ivey’s helpin’ me with my perfume!”

Silence then through the door, “For f**k’s sake, I thought a black hole swallowed both of you.”

At that, to my further shock and still utter delight, her eyes caught mine and she rolled hers. Then she grabbed her perfume bottle and spritzed it on.