Miranda

Chapter Nineteen

~Nate~

The nursing home isn't shabby, but it isn't nice either. It sits inside a little copse of trees right off the main highway in town. There is no need for a large yard area or outdoor space because all the residents here have some form of dementia or Alzheimer's. Miranda tells me that there is a small fenced in area out back where they have quiet activities when the weather is nice.

I can tell she is nervous, either for me to be here or because of her appearance or both, so I am trying to keep the conversation as light as possible.

"What's your Grandma's name?"

"Miriam, my Mother was Molly, and I am Miranda. They kind of had a thing going."

I nod, "So should I call her Miriam or Mrs...?"

"Tennyson, Miriam Tennyson. And I am not sure, I have only called her Grandma. The staff call her Miriam but I think that is because it is the most familiar."

I think about this for a second, from her era there would be a lot of respect to the older population so it would make sense to use the traditional Mrs., but if she is having a bad day maybe I should stick with Miriam, I don't think Miranda and I know each other enough to call her Grandma.

"Well, I can always play it by ear."

We walk into the building together and through the locked door to where her Grandma lives. We aren't five steps inside when a nurse comes charging over from a desk area looking astonished and angry.

"What on earth happened to you? And who is this?" she is giving me a non to friendly appraisal. Miranda's hand goes up to her eye.

"I..I..I was attacked at work last night"

"Attacked at work? What kind of work are you doing now? I thought you had a respectable job at a department store?" I am not sure I like her insinuation.

"And I will ask again, who is this? You know we have to have all authorized visitors on the patient's list" Nurse Angry Eyes keeps up her diatribe, not letting Miranda get a word in.

'I had been added to the list prior to entering the locked area, Miranda knows the policies,' I want to shout at her, but this is not my place. I am not her Dom, I am simply a friend. I repeat this to myself a few times as the nurse keeps going. Then another voice joins in from an adjacent room.

"Is that Miranda? I need to speak with her, don't let her leave!" I hear the sound of a chair wheeling back and footsteps headed our way. It is a woman in a business suit, and I am surprised to see an office worker here on a Sunday.

"April, I was trying to come by sooner, but I had work and..." April cuts her off.

"That is always your excuse, isn't it? And what in heaven's name happened to you? You can't go see her like this!"

"That's what I just told her" Angry Eyes says in an I-told-you-so voice that is really grating on my nerves. April just nods in agreement and continues her verbal barrage.

"I understand you are young and that this has all been thrust in your lap but you need to start making a real effort to be more on top of things regarding your grandmother. I told you that we needed to complete the yearly paperwork for all the care authorizations and Medicare before January. What if she had gotten sick or something and needed medical treatment before you were able to make time in you precious schedule to come and see her?"

I am aghast, I glance over to Miranda just in time to see the tears spring from her eyes.

"I am doing the best I can!" she sobs, covering her face as if she is ashamed of her breakdown. I decide that Dom or not, I need to help her. I hold up my hands and take a step to put her slightly behind me.