The Autumn of Ruth Winters: A Novel by Marshall Fine

Author:Marshall Fine [Fine, Marshall]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2024-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Veronica was off to a slow start after a rough night when Ruth arrived the following Monday to drive her to her next chemotherapy session.

“I already called the clinic to let them know she might be running a little late,” Marta told Ruth. “Why don’t you come in for a cup of tea?”

Marta led her into the kitchen, where she filled the electric kettle and clicked it on. Then she turned to Ruth and said, “It’s good for her to have you here.”

“Well, she is my sister,” Ruth said. She felt like a hypocrite, playing along with Marta’s assumption of her good intentions.

“She’s been very sick,” Marta said quietly. “So much pain before the surgery, and yet it took so long to get her to go to a doctor. I heard Mr. Snelling a few mornings, begging her to call her doctor. And she would say, ‘What’s a doctor going to tell me? That I’ve got a tummy ache? I already know that.’”

“I didn’t know,” Ruth said. “We haven’t spoken in a while. How did she tolerate the surgery?”

“She came home very weak. She hardly ate, could barely get out of bed. I was very worried. He only got her to do her physical therapy by threatening to call her daughter. For some reason, she didn’t want her to know.”

“I made the same threat,” Ruth said. “She finally told her herself. Chloe will be here next week.”

“Oh, that should lift her spirits.”

“I hope so. We’ll see.”

“Mrs. Snelling has been talking about you quite a bit.”

“Yes, well, don’t believe more than half of the horror stories she tells about me.”

“Oh, no—she never says anything unkind. It’s always ‘Ruth is the smart one’ or ‘I wish I was as strong as Ruth.’ She looks up to you.”

Before Ruth could process this surprising bit of news, Veronica herself came in. “Hi, Ruth. I’m ready to go.” Then she put up her index finger as if to say “Just a minute” and began to cough. She sagged against a kitchen counter, her coughing fit building in ferocity until she was gasping for air.

Ruth stood paralyzed, shocked at how weak and helpless she looked. But Marta sprang into action with no evidence of panic, moving quickly to get a kitchen chair under her. Veronica sat down, still coughing, though with less force. Marta disappeared into the other room, then returned with an oxygen tank on wheels. She placed the mask over Veronica’s nose and mouth, then twisted a valve on the tank.

“You’re breathing too fast—slow and steady, in through the nose, out through the mouth,” Marta said. Veronica did as she was told, exhaling slowly. Her frightened eyes fixed on Marta’s. It took some effort to calm her respiration, but in a couple of minutes, it was under control. Veronica slipped the mask off and handed it to Marta. Then she turned to Ruth with a weak smile.

“Ready to go?”

Ruth, shaken, said, “Shouldn’t we take the oxygen tank with us?”

Veronica waved her off. “I’ll be fine,” she said, though her face was the color of chalk.

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