can’t
take chances since our patients are all orthopedic
post-op. A spill on the ice or an out-of-control vehicle could be disastrous.”
“Blanche Van Boeck wants to throw me out into the
snow,” Renie said. “Do you think she’s serious?”
Sister Jacqueline cocked her head to one side. “I
doubt it. That would be up to Dr. Ming. She’d have to
convince him that you’re ready to be discharged.”
“She could do it, though,” Renie said. “She has the
influence.”
Sister Jacqueline’s nod was curt. “That’s true. But
SUTURE SELF
227
she’ll be too busy tomorrow to worry about you.
Blanche Van Boeck is announcing her candidacy for
mayor.”
The Valium helped relax Judith, but it didn’t erase
her fears for Joe. For an hour, she fussed and fretted.
She also repeated over and over how she wished she
could see him.
Renie was remarkably patient. But as seven
o’clock rolled around, she finally called a halt.
“You’re literally going to make yourself sick,” she
told Judith. “If you don’t stop stewing, I’ll ask somebody to give you another dose of Valium.”
“Okay,” Judith said, “but you know you’d worry like
this if it were Bill.”
“I’m already worried about Bill,” Renie responded.
“It isn’t normal—even for a shrink—to dress up Chihuahuas.”
“That’s nothing compared to what happened to Joe,”
Judith pointed out.
“It could be if Bill’s gone nuts,” Renie argued. “Do
you think I look forward to visiting him in some institution where he’s wearing a waffle on his head and
talking to the begonias?”
“You’re just trying to make me stop fussing,” Judith
declared. “Okay, so tell me what Bill said about the Chihuahuas. What was that about a Sea Auks uniform?”
“I’m not sure,” Renie admitted. “Between the doggy
concept, the car, and his news about Joe, I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. Maybe Bill should
analyze himself.”
“I gather you didn’t get a chance to ask him about
Nancy and Bob Jr.,” Judith said, though her mind was
mostly in the ICU with Joe.
228
Mary Daheim
“No,” Renie replied. “I could tell from the start
that something was wrong. I knew he’d get to it in
his own good time, but I didn’t want to put any detours in the way.” She glanced out the window,
where night had settled in over the snow-covered
city. “I still can’t believe that obit the Randall family
put together. Jim and Margie are both kind of weird,
