“We’re . . . alive,” Judith said, her voice sounding
very strange.
“So far,” Renie replied, also unlike herself.
Judith’s eyes came into focus. Her gaze traveled to
the end of the bed. Joe was standing there, along with
a nurse Judith didn’t recognize.
“Hi,” Joe said. He sounded different, too, almost
shy. Judith concentrated harder on his face. He looked
pale. She looked in Renie’s direction. Bill was by her
bed, also looking pale. Both Joe and Bill had ruddy
complexions. Could they actually have been worried
about their wives?
“How do you feel, Mrs. Flynn?” the gray-haired
nurse inquired.
“Okay,” Judith replied, despite the fact that she was
too woozy to know. “Hi, Joe.”
With a quick glance at the nurse, Joe came around to
the side of the bed, almost bumping into Bill. “You’re
going to be fine,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ve already seen Dr. Alfonso.”
“Good,” Judith sighed, wishing she could feel relieved, but not feeling much of anything.
24
Mary Daheim
Across the aisle, Dr. Ming was hovering over Renie.
Judith tried to hear what he was saying, but couldn’t. A
moment later, Renie was being rolled out of the recovery
room, with Bill trailing an orderly, a nurse, and Dr. Ming.
“Where’s she gone?” Judith asked in alarm.
“To her room,” Joe replied. “Renie’s surgery was
only three and a half hours. Yours was almost six, plus
it was after nine before they actually started.”
“Ohmigod!” Judith shut her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Does it matter?” Joe smiled. “It’s going on four
o’clock. Here.” He proffered a plastic cup. “Drink some
water.”
Judith had trouble getting her lips around the straw.
“It’s hard,” she moaned.
Dr. Alfonso, looking as exhausted as Judith, approached the bed. Or was it a gurney? Judith couldn’t
tell; didn’t care.
“You’ll be up and dancing soon,” he said with the
hint of a twinkle in his dark eyes.
“Hunh,” said Judith.
“I’ve talked to your husband and given him all the
details,” Dr. Alfonso went on, pushing a swatch of silver hair under the shower-cap-like hat he still wore.
His blue scrubs were spattered with blood; Judith involuntarily shuddered when she realized the stains
probably came from her. “I’m taking a lunch break
now,” the doctor said, “but I’ll be in to see you before
I go off duty.” Dr. Alfonso jabbed at the plastic cup.
“Keep drinking as much as you can. You need plenty
of fluids to keep from becoming dehydrated.”
Dr. Alfonso had no sooner padded away than Judith
