Chapter 42

Sue's Story

I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I should feel guilty with both of my children laying upstairs in a hospital room. But I don't. I know this man will take care of them and I have nothing to worry about.

We'd just gotten to the elevators when he asked if he could call me Mildred. What an odd question. Then I realized that in all our conversations I'd been referred to as Wes and Les's Mom. Even Sam calls me Mom.

I realized that's what I'd become. Mom. Oh, the minister and a couple of people at church called me Mrs. Bond, but for the most part I was either Mom or Wes & Les's Mom. Maybe I'd been hiding behind that identity because I didn't like what Sue had become. Hell, my husband even called me Mom when he happened to grace us with his presence.

Dr. Bradley was saying something about not touching the elevator walls because we were in the one they used for lepers and pulled me back into the present.

The elevator beeped, the doors opened and we were off to see the wizard. Such a stupid thing to do, but so much fun. This man seemed to be able to spot each of our hidden, personal feelings and overcome them with his antics and stupid stories. Everybody brightened up in his presence. From Sam & me to Joey and the squad and Mr. Johnson. And all the staff.

He was yelling down the counter at the cashier, asking if this food had been sprayed for pests since it had been out for over a week. But he went on piling it on his plate, pointing at some meatballs and telling Sam to try the eyeballs because he knew they were fresh since he'd taken them out yesterday. Once again, he insisted on paying and once again the cashier told him to get away from her, laughing as she did so.

He looked around, muttered "I should have made a reservation" and spotted an empty table. We sat down and took the food off our trays. Sam was just about to take the trays when the cashier came over and picked them up. She had a smile on her face that indicated she was interested if he was.

He either didn't notice or he didn't care. He was asking Sam if she'd performed any more miracles while he wasn't looking. Poor Sam. He frustrated the hell out of her and she kept trying to explain they weren't miracles but he kept insisting they were. I think she was resigned to it but put up a token resistance, trying to change his mind.

Her father had about as much of a relationship with her as my husband did with my kids. He hardly noticed her and when he did, she was his "little girl." I think that's why she hated being called that so much. Yet Jeff was not only able to get away with it, she seemed to enjoy it when he said it.

I asked Jeff what his plans were and he dropped the act. He told me he'd been hired seven months ago to straighten out the surgical department and other departments that directly supported surgery. He'd been promised that if there was enough improvement he would be up for promotion. He'd be over both Surgery and Emergency.

I asked him how that was going. "It's like trying to move a car out of the mud by yourself. I'm getting no cooperation. These doctors have done things the same way for years and insist on doing them that way forever. I swear, we'd still be using leeches if they had their way. The only way I was able to save Wes's legs was by promising the administrator that Life Magazine would be interested in us doing leg surgery and a kidney removal and transplant all at the same time. We had two photographers up in the observation area above the room. I actually had to spend 10 minutes convincing one of them he couldn't be in the operating room because of the risk of infection."

"It doesn't sound like head of Surgery is such a prize."

"No, it doesn't, does it? I'll tell you, there are times I'm ready to just say 'the hell with it' and do surgery. That's my life. When I can get in there and fix something wrong with a person or actually save his life, that's what I live for. But I know what this hospital could do if the doctors cared more for the patients than their own backsides. So, I guess I'm obligated to do something about it."

"Well, I'm glad you're here for my children. I'm confident that they couldn't be in any better hands."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could be here. And not just for your kids."

I wasn't ready for the conversation I knew was coming. I had to take a good look at myself before we had it. My thoughts were interrupted when my next door neighbor came up to the table.

"Hi, Kathy!"

"Mom! What are you doing here?"

"I got a call from a Dr. Bradley. He said he wanted me to take you home and have you take a shower."

"I sure did. The other patients are starting to complain about the stink."

Sam fought it until Jeff reminded her she was under the visiting age and would ban her from going further into the hospital than the main lobby if she didn't go home. She'd been running herself ragged and she needed to take a couple of hours off and relax.

Kathy continued. "Come on, Sam. It's noon. Let me take you home, get you showered and you can pick up anything I forgot and bring it back. I swear I'll have you back by 2:00 when regular visiting hours start."

"I guess there's not much I can do about it with both of you ganging up on me. Can I at least go up to the room and take some clothes home to wash while I'm there?"

"Please. I've had complaints about that, too. Five minutes. And no miracles."