Bed & Breakfast 17 - Suture Self by Mary Daheim

Author:Mary Daheim [Daheim, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mary Daheim
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2010-03-22T04:00:00+00:00

245

“Flynn . . . Flynn . . . Joseph Flynn,” the nurse said in a voice that dragged. “He’s listed in critical condition.”

Judith flinched. “No change from earlier this evening?”

“That’s correct.”

“Officially, you mean,” Judith said. “But can’t you tell whether he’s a little bit better or . . . not?”

“There’s been no change,” the nurse replied and yawned in Judith’s ear.

Judith and Renie hung up at the same time, then stared at each other.

“Well?” Renie inquired.

Judith’s features sagged with disappointment. “No change.”

“I told you they’d let you know as soon as anything happened,” Renie said. “Take it as a good sign. Wouldn’t you think that if Joe wasn’t going to pull through, he would have gotten worse by now? It’s almost ten o’clock.”

Judith flopped back on the pillows. “Maybe.”

Renie waited a few moments before speaking again.

“Tony says Bill has the Chihuahuas in his workroom in the basement. He sits down there watching them. Then the dogs watch Bill. And he watches them watch him.”

“Maybe it’s better than watching what’s on TV,” Judith said without much interest.

“Bill doesn’t usually conduct those kinds of experiments,” Renie fretted as Avery, the night nurse, came in for the relentless vital signs routine.

“Maybe,” Judith suggested after submitting herself to the procedures, “he did that kind of thing while he was still teaching at the university. You just never knew about it.”

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Mary Daheim

“Dubious,” Renie replied before the thermometer was stuck in her mouth.

Judith bided her time, drumming her fingernails on the bedclothes. After the nurse left, she turned to Renie.

“I can’t stand it,” Judith announced. “I’m getting out of here.”

Renie sighed. “I should have known. That’s why you didn’t take your Valium a while ago.”

“Yes.” Judith signaled for Renie to be quiet. A full five minutes passed as she listened for the voices to die down and the patter of feet to fade. “They’re settling in for the night. Help me get into the wheelchair.”

“No.” Renie glared at Judith. “You’ll do yourself some harm. Besides, we’ll get caught.”

“We won’t,” Judith asserted, laboriously starting to get out of bed. “Come on, give me a hand.”

“That’s all I’ve got,” Renie shot back. But, seeing that Judith was determined, she got out of bed. “I really don’t want to do this, coz. Where are we going? As if I couldn’t guess.”

“You can,” Judith replied. “The ICU, of course.”

“Of course.” Renie shoved the wheelchair next to the bed, then used her good arm to help Judith stand.

“Didn’t you tell Woody you thought we were in danger? Isn’t this trip a trifle risky?”

“It’s also necessary,” Judith declared. Renie sighed again as she helped her cousin prepare to sit down in the wheelchair. “Are you okay?”

Judith waited to make sure she didn’t feel dizzy.

“I’m fine.” She let Renie help ease her into place and put a blanket across her lap. “Let’s roll.”

Just down the hall, an older nun sat at the nurses’

station. She looked up and eyed the cousins curiously. SUTURE SELF

247

“Excuse me,” she said with a faint lisp, “where are you going this time of night?”

“The chapel,” Judith replied.

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