Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 8

Jeanie woke early the next morning. She slept through her vitals that night, which was a good thing. Maybe she dreamed it, maybe she ignored it, but she certainly didn't remember it. It was wonderful. She asked her new nurse, an older woman named Cathy, for creamy farina hot cereal for breakfast. It, thankfully, stayed down. Half an hour later, she was ravenously hungry again and she told Cathy, who smuggled her in some bread and butter and then helped her brush her teeth and get settled back into bed.

"Thanks, Cathy. You're the best." Jeanie said.

"Well, you're welcome. Jane." Cathy said. "I am going to call you Jane, since that's what the police department is calling you." She followed up. "Between you and me, I don't like that there are three uniformed officers outside your room. There are so many rumors going around."

"What kind of rumors, Cathy?" She questioned.

 "Oh, like you're a child of the Italian mafia and they're looking for you. Or you have special government clearance and someone tried to have you done away with to get some top secret project to sell to the Russians. Or that you're truly a Russian spy." She whistled in. "Now wouldn't that be somethin' Jane? You! A Russian spy!" Cathy looked at her patient with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.

"You hardly know me at all, Cathy. For that matter, I hardly know myself. I'm not sure I know myself at all, though I do like the name Jane." She tried to pass a wistful look on her face, to throw Cathy off the scent. She didn't want to tip off anyone at all, especially after being warned by three people yesterday to not tell anyone who she was.

"Anyhow, Jane, That's all the excitement we get around these parts. Oh, and someone on the third floor tried to hit their attending physician with a bed pan." They laughed together. "That was fun, but I wasn't there." Cathy said.

"I wish I could have seen that. It seems like it would be a funny thing to see." Jeanie said. The two women sat in companionable silence for only a minute when Cathy interrupted and said that she had to get back to some other patients. "Okay. Well, it was nice to talk to you, Cathy."

"The same here, Jane." Cathy said.

Jeanie interrupted Cathy's exit, "Oh! Cathy." She said.

Cathy stopped and turned. "What is it, darlin'?" she asked.

"What is the likelihood of me being able to discharge myself tomorrow?"

"Likelihood?  Oh, honey, not good. You don't have good memory and the doctors don't want you to go anywhere, really. They'll put you in a home first, before you go do somethin' like that." Cathy reminded Jeanie of her grandmother. Her glasses on the end of her nose and her white curly hair. Down to the tone she just looked at her, she reminded Jeanie of her grandmother. "I would strongly advise you to not go AMA--that's against medical advice-- darlin'. You're not well enough overall." She stood with her hands on her hips. "I expect to see you on Friday for my next shift, young lady!"

"Yes ma'am." Jeanie tried to look defeated as Cathy left the room because she knew she was getting out of there no matter what. She felt good and was holding the solid foods down really well today. So far. "Has anyone ever told you you remind them of how they think their granny should be?" Jeanie asked.

"I think I've been told that once or twice. But never quite like that, darlin." Cathy returned her wistful smile.

"Well, since I don't remember my granny, I think she should be like you. I bet you make a mean chocolate cake." Jeanie smiled. "I love chocolate cake--I think."

"As a matter-of-fact," Cathy said, with a smile, "You're not the first person to compare me to someone's chocolate cake makin' grandmother. I do love a good chocolate cake myself. I have to run now, Jane, but I'll be back later." She looked behind her at her patient. "Ring me if you need anything."