Read Online Blackout by Jan Christensen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jan Christensen
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the other departments get, or can’t you tell me?”
“I’m sure you’ll blab all over town, Hannah.” Donald grinned at her. “Let’s see. Dietary got an eighty-two. Activities got a seventy-four. Social Services a ninety-one. Housekeeping got an eighty-eight and Laundry a ninety. I forgot what Medical Records got, and Admissions. I think Katherine pulled a ninety-seven, too, in Administration. It will burn Betty that Brenda in Social Services got a higher score than she did. Except for Nursing, which scored lower than expected, everyone else pretty much got what we all thought they would.”
“How important is all this?” Hannah asked.
“Very. Bonuses for all department heads mostly hinge on these scores. That and how we do on the state survey. The overall center score was only eighty-nine percent. I’m sure Katherine wanted to break ninety. So she’s going to push Betty, and Yolanda in Activities. Yolanda’s job may be in jeopardy. Usually if anyone gets below a seventy, they’re fired. So, Yolanda’s near the cutoff.”
“Wow!” Hannah said. “You’d better stay on the inspector’s good side.”
“All part of the game,” Donald said. “You ready to walk off this delicious dinner, Alice?”
“I need to help Hannah with the dishes first.”
“You run along,” Hannah told them. “Since I got the dishwasher, it’s easy.”
“What goes around, comes around,” Donald said, then turned to Alice and explained. “She helped a guy down on his luck last year. Well, he made good and gave her the dishwasher.”
Alice smiled at Hannah. “What do you want if I make good?”
“Oh, Alice,” Hannah said. “I want nothing more than you to be happy.”
Alice hugged her. Then Hannah went to get bread for the ducks, and Donald and Alice cleared the rest of the table.
“It’s a nice evening for a walk,” Donald said as they went outside. “But it almost always is here, except in winter.”
“Yes,” Alice said. She wished she’d brought a sweater—the air felt cool on her bare arms.
“Well, how do you like Merry Hills?”
“It’s fine. Interesting.” She swallowed hard.
“Such enthusiasm.”
“Well, it’s a little overwhelming. I’ll just have to get used to it.”
“I guess so,” he said. They arrived at the park and walked around the pond before sitting on a bench at the edge. When Alice rattled the plastic bag of bread crumbs, eight or nine ducks waddled up to them, quacking loudly. Soon all the scraps were gone. Alice and Donald leaned back on the park bench and stared at the water.
“Will you come to services on Sunday?” Donald asked.
“I…I don’t know.” Alice stood up. “I’m sorry, Donald. I want to come, but something holds me back.” She rubbed her arms. “I’m a little chilly. Could we go back to Hannah’s?”
“Of course.” He got up, too, and they stared walking. “I’m not trying to be pushy. I believe it will help you. That’s why I want you to attend.”
“I know,” Alice said. “I’ll try. Honestly.”
“That’s all I ask. Hey, you’re shivering. Let’s walk a little faster.” He put his arm around her, and they speeded up.
Alice leaned into him. It felt good to be held.
* * * * *
Alice went to work the next morning, even though Hannah told her Betty had said she could stay home a day. She needed the money to repay Hannah and Donald. When she saw Nancy and Joyce in the employee locker area, they told her about the staff meeting at nine.
“Rita assigned you with me again,” Joyce said.
They walked to the 300 hall together and started getting residents up. Joyce was kind enough to take care of Mrs. Lacy’s roommate by herself, letting Alice help a man across the hall who didn’t need two people to get him into his wheelchair.
At nine the nursing staff gathered in front of the rotunda. Betty assigned one aide for each hall to watch for call lights.
After the murmuring of voices died down, she said, “By now you all
“I’m sure you’ll blab all over town, Hannah.” Donald grinned at her. “Let’s see. Dietary got an eighty-two. Activities got a seventy-four. Social Services a ninety-one. Housekeeping got an eighty-eight and Laundry a ninety. I forgot what Medical Records got, and Admissions. I think Katherine pulled a ninety-seven, too, in Administration. It will burn Betty that Brenda in Social Services got a higher score than she did. Except for Nursing, which scored lower than expected, everyone else pretty much got what we all thought they would.”
“How important is all this?” Hannah asked.
“Very. Bonuses for all department heads mostly hinge on these scores. That and how we do on the state survey. The overall center score was only eighty-nine percent. I’m sure Katherine wanted to break ninety. So she’s going to push Betty, and Yolanda in Activities. Yolanda’s job may be in jeopardy. Usually if anyone gets below a seventy, they’re fired. So, Yolanda’s near the cutoff.”
“Wow!” Hannah said. “You’d better stay on the inspector’s good side.”
“All part of the game,” Donald said. “You ready to walk off this delicious dinner, Alice?”
“I need to help Hannah with the dishes first.”
“You run along,” Hannah told them. “Since I got the dishwasher, it’s easy.”
“What goes around, comes around,” Donald said, then turned to Alice and explained. “She helped a guy down on his luck last year. Well, he made good and gave her the dishwasher.”
Alice smiled at Hannah. “What do you want if I make good?”
“Oh, Alice,” Hannah said. “I want nothing more than you to be happy.”
Alice hugged her. Then Hannah went to get bread for the ducks, and Donald and Alice cleared the rest of the table.
“It’s a nice evening for a walk,” Donald said as they went outside. “But it almost always is here, except in winter.”
“Yes,” Alice said. She wished she’d brought a sweater—the air felt cool on her bare arms.
“Well, how do you like Merry Hills?”
“It’s fine. Interesting.” She swallowed hard.
“Such enthusiasm.”
“Well, it’s a little overwhelming. I’ll just have to get used to it.”
“I guess so,” he said. They arrived at the park and walked around the pond before sitting on a bench at the edge. When Alice rattled the plastic bag of bread crumbs, eight or nine ducks waddled up to them, quacking loudly. Soon all the scraps were gone. Alice and Donald leaned back on the park bench and stared at the water.
“Will you come to services on Sunday?” Donald asked.
“I…I don’t know.” Alice stood up. “I’m sorry, Donald. I want to come, but something holds me back.” She rubbed her arms. “I’m a little chilly. Could we go back to Hannah’s?”
“Of course.” He got up, too, and they stared walking. “I’m not trying to be pushy. I believe it will help you. That’s why I want you to attend.”
“I know,” Alice said. “I’ll try. Honestly.”
“That’s all I ask. Hey, you’re shivering. Let’s walk a little faster.” He put his arm around her, and they speeded up.
Alice leaned into him. It felt good to be held.
* * * * *
Alice went to work the next morning, even though Hannah told her Betty had said she could stay home a day. She needed the money to repay Hannah and Donald. When she saw Nancy and Joyce in the employee locker area, they told her about the staff meeting at nine.
“Rita assigned you with me again,” Joyce said.
They walked to the 300 hall together and started getting residents up. Joyce was kind enough to take care of Mrs. Lacy’s roommate by herself, letting Alice help a man across the hall who didn’t need two people to get him into his wheelchair.
At nine the nursing staff gathered in front of the rotunda. Betty assigned one aide for each hall to watch for call lights.
After the murmuring of voices died down, she said, “By now you all
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