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Authors: Jan Christensen
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as she got ready for work.
CHAPTER 7
After forty-five minutes in Betty’s office, Alice stood up restlessly, looked out the window, sat down again. In a couple of minutes, she was back at the window watching the inspection team leave the building.
Her tears had dried, and now she didn’t understand why she had been so upset. An old lady she didn’t even know had died. It was sad, but not sad enough to make her carry on like that.
She wished she hadn’t told Betty about the amnesia. She’d want to do something about it, Alice was sure. Alice wanted to leave, but Betty had said to stay and wait for her.
But I don’t want to talk to her any more, Alice thought. The clock on Betty’s desk said three fifteen. Alice could go—she’d been at work eight hours. Resolutely, she got up, went to the employee’s lockers to get her purse, and left the building. No one seemed to notice her. She felt invisible.
Hannah would be worried if she was even a little late. Alice hurried back to the now-familiar clapboard house. But she didn’t want to talk to Hannah, either, so she only said, “Hi, I’m home,” and went to her room.
The smell of the nursing home permeated her hair and clothing. She washed her hair and changed into jeans and T-shirt. Hannah and Donald had bought her new clothes, and she planned to pay back every cent. She wished she didn’t have to work at Merry Hills to do it. She couldn’t believe two old people had died in the last two days alone. She shuddered. It almost seemed like she had brought bad luck to Merry Hills.
Hannah called her to dinner. She was happy to see Donald had come. In jeans and a dark green polo shirt, his hair slicked back with gel, he looked good. His blue eyes gazed at her searchingly. He’d probably heard about her reaction to Mrs. Lacy’s death.
Embarrassed, she helped Hannah put the chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green beans on the table. After they sat down, Donald said grace, then passed the chicken.
“How did your second day of work go?” Hannah asked while serving herself some vegetables.
“Okay,” Alice mumbled.
“Well, Betty called to see if you made it home all right.”
“Why?” Donald asked. “What happened?”
So he didn’t know. Better if she told him herself, in her own way. “I got a little upset. Did you know Mrs. Lacy?” Donald nodded. “Well, she passed away today, and…and I found her.” Alice attacked her chicken with knife and fork.
Out of the corner of her eye, Alice saw Donald and Hannah exchange glances. Sometimes their concern during the past two months smothered her. “I’m all right. It was just a shock.”
“Of course.” Donald patted her hand. She jerked it away to take a sip of milk.
They exchanged another look. Alice ignored them.
“Well,” Donald said. “I heard nursing only got an eighty-eight on the inspection. I imagine Betty’s upset. She’s worked hard since she’s been here. With Katherine, she helped bring the whole place up to snuff. Something about too many bedsores. The residents have to be turned every, what is it, Alice? Two hours?”
“That’s right.” Alice nodded. “Sometimes even more often if it’s convenient. You know, if we’re in the room anyway, doing something else.”
Hannah said, “So what score did you get, Donald?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Donald replied, smiling. “A ninety-seven.”
“Ninety-seven! You’re better than I thought,” Hannah said and laughed, punching him lightly on the arm.
“Yeah, well.” He seemed embarrassed.
Alice grinned at him. “Congratulations. You need to celebrate.”
“I thought a walk in the park after dinner would be fun. We could feed the ducks.”
“A typical Donald idea of fun,” Hannah said as she got up to clear the table. “You two go after we have dessert. I need to bake for tomorrow’s sale at the school.”
Alice got up to help clear.
Later, while they ate peach cobbler, Hannah asked Donald, “What did
CHAPTER 7
After forty-five minutes in Betty’s office, Alice stood up restlessly, looked out the window, sat down again. In a couple of minutes, she was back at the window watching the inspection team leave the building.
Her tears had dried, and now she didn’t understand why she had been so upset. An old lady she didn’t even know had died. It was sad, but not sad enough to make her carry on like that.
She wished she hadn’t told Betty about the amnesia. She’d want to do something about it, Alice was sure. Alice wanted to leave, but Betty had said to stay and wait for her.
But I don’t want to talk to her any more, Alice thought. The clock on Betty’s desk said three fifteen. Alice could go—she’d been at work eight hours. Resolutely, she got up, went to the employee’s lockers to get her purse, and left the building. No one seemed to notice her. She felt invisible.
Hannah would be worried if she was even a little late. Alice hurried back to the now-familiar clapboard house. But she didn’t want to talk to Hannah, either, so she only said, “Hi, I’m home,” and went to her room.
The smell of the nursing home permeated her hair and clothing. She washed her hair and changed into jeans and T-shirt. Hannah and Donald had bought her new clothes, and she planned to pay back every cent. She wished she didn’t have to work at Merry Hills to do it. She couldn’t believe two old people had died in the last two days alone. She shuddered. It almost seemed like she had brought bad luck to Merry Hills.
Hannah called her to dinner. She was happy to see Donald had come. In jeans and a dark green polo shirt, his hair slicked back with gel, he looked good. His blue eyes gazed at her searchingly. He’d probably heard about her reaction to Mrs. Lacy’s death.
Embarrassed, she helped Hannah put the chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green beans on the table. After they sat down, Donald said grace, then passed the chicken.
“How did your second day of work go?” Hannah asked while serving herself some vegetables.
“Okay,” Alice mumbled.
“Well, Betty called to see if you made it home all right.”
“Why?” Donald asked. “What happened?”
So he didn’t know. Better if she told him herself, in her own way. “I got a little upset. Did you know Mrs. Lacy?” Donald nodded. “Well, she passed away today, and…and I found her.” Alice attacked her chicken with knife and fork.
Out of the corner of her eye, Alice saw Donald and Hannah exchange glances. Sometimes their concern during the past two months smothered her. “I’m all right. It was just a shock.”
“Of course.” Donald patted her hand. She jerked it away to take a sip of milk.
They exchanged another look. Alice ignored them.
“Well,” Donald said. “I heard nursing only got an eighty-eight on the inspection. I imagine Betty’s upset. She’s worked hard since she’s been here. With Katherine, she helped bring the whole place up to snuff. Something about too many bedsores. The residents have to be turned every, what is it, Alice? Two hours?”
“That’s right.” Alice nodded. “Sometimes even more often if it’s convenient. You know, if we’re in the room anyway, doing something else.”
Hannah said, “So what score did you get, Donald?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Donald replied, smiling. “A ninety-seven.”
“Ninety-seven! You’re better than I thought,” Hannah said and laughed, punching him lightly on the arm.
“Yeah, well.” He seemed embarrassed.
Alice grinned at him. “Congratulations. You need to celebrate.”
“I thought a walk in the park after dinner would be fun. We could feed the ducks.”
“A typical Donald idea of fun,” Hannah said as she got up to clear the table. “You two go after we have dessert. I need to bake for tomorrow’s sale at the school.”
Alice got up to help clear.
Later, while they ate peach cobbler, Hannah asked Donald, “What did
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