Chapter 30

The night passed uneventfully. Contrary to legend, I was not awakened in order to be given a sleeping pill. The ward was still quiet when I woke up at my usual 6am time. Waking up may have been a mistake. My pain meds had worn off, and my entire body had stiffened up, abetted by sleeping on my back all night. I ached all over, and my ribs announced their presence when I attempted to sit up. To top it all off, my bladder was screaming for attention.

I gritted my teeth and rolled up on one elbow, then on to a seated position as I swung my legs off the bed.

With a groan I got to my feet and limped to the bathroom on creaky legs. After relieving my hydraulic pressure, I did some very slow stretches. My ribs protested, but my joints loosened up and I began to feel nearly human.

I went back to the bed and pressed the call button. After a few minutes a nurse came in.

I negotiated a clean set of scrubs so that I could take a shower. One thing about hospitals, they have unlimited amounts of hot water. The heat and pounding action of the shower made me feel even better.

When I came out, my Darvocet was on the nightstand. I popped the pill and wandered out to the nurse's station to try to promote a cup of coffee. It took a little wheedling, but eventually they gave in. I also found out that breakfast trays came around about seven to seven thirty and the house doc usually made rounds between eight-thirty and nine.

One of the nurses coming on duty was good enough to let me read the morning paper she'd brought in while I waited for breakfast. The story about the water leak was on the third page of the local section, and I wasn't mentioned by name. I was "one firefighter" who was injured and taken to the hospital. I was just as happy to be anonymous.

Breakfast arrived as I finished the paper, and Dave arrived shortly afterwards. He'd decided to come on in ahead of the morning traffic. I was happy to see him, as I was pretty bored already.

"Hi Dave- glad you decided to come early. The nurses tell me that the house doc ought to be in about eight-thirty or nine. Hopefully he'll cut me loose right then. I feel pretty good- just sore and beat up. How's the weather out there? It looks like it's getting nasty."

"Hi yourself, John. Yeah the temperature has dropped like a stone from yesterday. It's supposed to start snowing late this afternoon and keep snowing through tomorrow. They're calling for three or four inches. I guess we can't expect it to stay warm all the time this late in the year."

"Yeah, I guess we're due for some nasty weather- gotta pay for the last few days somehow."

"Yep. Hey John, I didn't get a chance to tell you this when we were here before, but the strangest thing happened at the store yesterday. You remember the protesters we had the day I had my heart attack?"

"Yeah, I could hardly forget! I about ripped Jerry Lewis's head off and crapped down his neck. Him and his little band of twits."

Dave laughed. "Well- you'd never believe who walked in the store about noontime. It was Jerry's wife! Anyhow, she marched right up to the counter, squared her shoulders, looked me straight in the eye, and in a calm, penetrating voice said " Mr. Terry- just in case you don't know me, my name is Sherry Lewis. You may or may not remember that I was protesting with my husband and some others in front of your store last Fall when you were taken to the hospital. At that time I said some very nasty things about you and your business. I have since found out that I was misinformed, and I want to take this opportunity to apologize to you and to your customers. In any event, there was no excuse for saying what I said and I want you to know that I regret it. I can't undo what's been done, but I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me eventually."

With that, she turned on her heel and marched to the door. I was so stunned that I didn't know what to say. Once I recovered, I rushed over to the door and caught her just outside.

"Mrs Lewis, Sherry- please wait a second", I said as the door closed behind me. "I don't clearly remember what you said that day, but I can't help but accept your apology. It took a lot of guts to walk in here and speak your piece in front of everyone. You didn't need to do that. You could have spoken to me privately."

Sherry shook her head. "No, Mr. Terry, I couldn't. I said what I said in public, and it is only proper that I make my apology in public. Thank you for accepting it. I hope you can forgive me eventually."

"Please call me Dave, everyone else does. Please consider yourself forgiven. I have no reason to hold a grudge, and every reason to admire your courage and honesty just now."

"Thank you, Dave. Please call me Sherry. I've learned a few things since that day, and I'm trying to make some changes in my life. I have to tell you though- my apology is only from me. My husband hasn't changed his attitude at all. I'm sure he would be just as hostile today as he was then."

"Well, Sherry- I can live with Jerry's hostility. He really doesn't mean anything to me. I am curious though. You said that you'd been misinformed. How did you come to change your mind about me and my business?"

She blushed and hesitated for a few seconds. "Dave, I'd rather not go into details about it, but let's just say that I was given the facts by someone that I had reason to believe. This person also said some things that made me think hard about my attitude and myself. The more I thought about it, the less I liked it. I realized that I was rude and close-minded and unhappy, among other things. I'm trying to change that, and trying to set things right with you is part of that."

I smiled and put my hand on her shoulder. She flinched for a second and then tried a weak smile. "Sherry- I appreciate what you've done, and I know how tough it can be to really examine yourself. If there's anything I can do to help you- please let me know."

John- her face crumpled up like tissue paper in the rain! Tears tricked down her face as she said " Dave ... this is not right ... you ought to be ... I don't know ... stern, sarcastic or grudging, or ... something. You shouldn't be offering to help me, just like that! I insulted you!"

"Yes, you insulted me, and you apologized, and I forgave you! What kind of forgiveness is it if I throw it back in your face? You're trying to make positive changes in your life, and I want to encourage you. Why is that so tough to accept?"

"I don't know ... maybe because it's not how some of the people I've hung around with would act. Maybe ... oh, I don't know... ! Anyhow, Dave- thank you! I feel much better now!" She smiled and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I have to go now, but thank you again!" With that, she gave me a quick hug and dashed off.