Diane Greenwood Muir - Bellingwood 06 - A Season of Change (10 page)

“I don’t know, Rebecca.” She started to drop forward, but Polly caught her and eased her back on the bed. The woman’s skin was cold and clammy to the touch.

“How long have you been sick?” Polly asked.

“I don’t know. It’s probably the flu.”

“How long has she been sick, Rebecca?”

The little girl took her mother’s hand. “It’s been a while. But she was better than this.”

“Has she been drinking water or eating anything?” The woman looked gaunt and deathly ill.

“I don’t know. She told me she wasn’t hungry, so I just made myself peanut butter sandwiches.”

“Ma’am, you need help. I’m going to call the EMTs. I think you should be in the hospital.”

“No! I can’t go to the hospital. I don’t have any insurance and Rebecca has nowhere to go.”

Polly was completely taken aback. She didn’t know what to do for this poor woman. She had no idea what was wrong and couldn’t leave her here without any help.

“Just a moment,” Polly said and stepped out of the room. She walked back to the living room and made a call.

“No Polly. Just tell me you haven’t done it again.” Aaron Merritt said.

“Not yet, but I’m afraid that if I don’t do something, it won’t be long. I don’t know what to do.”

“What’s up?” he asked gently.

“I’m at the house of a friend of Andrew’s and her mother is really sick.” Polly’s voice dropped to a whisper and she walked out the front door.

“What do you want me to do, Polly?”

“She won’t go to the hospital because she doesn’t have insurance and, Aaron, if something doesn’t happen, she looks like she could die. Rebecca said she didn’t know if her mother had been eating or drinking anything
. Aaron, what should I do?”

“I don’t know who this is, but I’ll bet Ken does.”

“They haven’t lived here very long. Andrew said they moved in last summer or fall.”

“If she refuses help, Polly, there’s nothing we can do.”

“But Aaron, this is serious!”

“I know, but …”

“But nothing. I’m calling your wife.”

She heard him take a breath. “Honestly, that might be the best thing for her. I can’t force the woman to go to the hospital.”

“Do you think Doctor Mason would come over?”

“Try his office. He’s a good man.”

“Okay, thanks.” Polly ended the call and dialed information and got to the receptionist at the doctor’s office. It didn’t take long for her to explain who she was and what was going on.

“Doc is in with patients right now, but I think he could come over about five o’clock. Will you still be there?”

Polly glanced back at the house and at the two boys in her truck. “I don’t know. Do you need me to be here?”

“No, that’s fine. Give me the address
again. Doc doesn’t usually do house calls, but it sounds like she can’t make it to the office.”

“I don’t think she has any insurance and I’d like to make sure that she doesn’t have to worry about this.”

“We’ll work it out later, Miss Giller. Give me a call next week. As I told you before, Doc Mason would never let anyone go without care.”

“Thank you. I’ll tell them.”

Polly went back inside and to the back bedroom. Rebecca was sitting beside her mother on the bed, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.

“I just spoke with Doctor Mason’s receptionist. He’s going to come over here at five o’clock to check on you.”

The woman tried to protest, but didn’t have the energy.

“It’s okay. He’s a good man and we will work out payment when you get better,” Polly said.

“I’m so weak.”

“You’ve been sick for a while. Your body has worn out from trying to get better. Would you like me to be here when the doctor comes?”

Rebecca looked up at Polly with pleading in her eyes and Polly nodded. “I’ll take the boys over to Sycamore House and then I will come back. I promise.” She knelt down beside the bed. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name.”

“Sarah. Sarah Heater.”

“Okay, Sarah. I will return. And if the doctor tells you that you need to go to the hospital, we’re going to make that work. Rebecca needs you to get better, okay?”

Sarah nodded and then lay back again. Polly pulled a business card out of her wallet and handed it to Rebecca. “I won’t be gone long, but if you need me for any reason, call. I’m only a few minutes away.”

Rebecca nodded and took the card.             

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll make sure she gets better.”

Polly went back out to the truck and stood beside the tailgate, taking a few deep breaths before getting in. She knew she’d be assaulted with questions. Jason and Andrew had been very patient and she owed them something.

She barely had the door open before Andrew asked, “What’s wrong? Is Rebecca okay?”

“Her mom is really sick. I’m going to take you two back to Sycamore House and then meet Doctor Mason here at five o’clock. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can’t help her by myself.”

“Will she have to go to the hospital? Where will Rebecca stay? What if something terrible happens to her?” The questions rolled out of Andrew’s mouth and Polly sighed. She’d already tossed all of those questions around in her head and had no good answers.

“I don’t know, Andrew. We’ll hope that she gets better and if not, we’ll go from there. By the way, thanks for being patient while I was inside.”

Jason shrugged. “I just played on my phone. Andrew wouldn’t shut up so I made him read a book.”

Polly reached over and struffed the hair on Andrew’s head. “At least you always have a book with you.”

She pulled into the driveway and Andrew gasped. “What happened to your garage door?”

That was right. They always came in the front door when they walked home, so they hadn’t seen the spray paint yet. “Pretty, isn’t it!” she said.

“Who did that?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll get it fixed and when it’s warmer, we’ll repaint the door.”

“At least it’s not on the front,” Jason said.

“No kidding.” Polly drove into the garage and they all piled out of the truck. “Andrew, would you mind taking Obiwan out for me today? I want to go back to Rebecca’s house.”

“I’ll make sure he gets a good walk.”

“Thanks boys.” She watched them walk into the main building and sat back in her seat. How in the world did she manage to get herself involved in all of these things? Gone were the days when she didn’t know anybody except the people she worked with at the Boston Library and a few friends from college. Now she was involved in everyone’s lives. That was a lot of responsibility.

CHAPTER TEN

An ambulance was in the driveway when Polly returned to Rebecca Heater’s home. Doctor Mason was following the gurney holding Sarah Heater outside. Rebecca stood in the doorway with tears streaming down her face. Sarah saw Polly and stopped the EMT beside her, then weakly beckoned Polly to her side.

“What’s happened?” Polly asked.

“Doctor Mason says
I don’t have a choice. I have to go to the hospital. But I have no place for Rebecca.”

“You don’t know anyone in town?”

The woman shook her head, “Only a few people at work. They won’t take her. Will you?”

“Of course. She can stay with me until you come home and I will be sure to bring her down to see you. We can come tonight.”

“No. Not until tomorrow. Let them do what they need to do tonight. She doesn’t need to see me any worse than I am now.”

The young man interrupted, “We need to move out now.”

Polly nodded and stepped back.

“Take care of my girl,” Sarah Heater said.

“I will. I promise.”

Doctor Mason stepped forward and took Polly’s arm. “I’m sorry. I was done early at the clinic and decided that I needed to come over here. I’m glad I did.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I can’t say for sure until we start running tests, but her body is attacking her.”

“Have you explained all of this to Rebecca?”

“I did my best while we waited for the ambulance. She’s pretty frightened that her mother is going to die.”

“What can I do?”

“I’m going to Boone to begin the workup. She’s my patient now and we’ll do everything we can to get her home soon. If she knows someone is taking care of Rebecca, that will be a big help.”

“I hardly know the child, but we’ll be fine. Andrew Donovan is her best friend and he spends an awful lot of time at Sycamore House. He’ll help me make her feel comfortable.”

“Everyone in town knows who you are, Polly Giller. You take in strays and waifs of every species. It seems like Lydia Merritt has found one more person who will care for people in need. When she got you on her team, I think she managed to snag a ringer.”

Polly laughed. “What else could I do?”

She walked with Doctor Mason to his car and he said, “That’s the difference between you and others, Polly. You see a problem and decide you should do something. Others ignore the fact that there is even a problem in front of them. Maybe you’re like the firemen and policemen we trust. When others run out of a burning building or a bad situation, they run in. Bellingwood knows that you will always wade in. They might not understand it, but they know it.”

He opened the driver’s door and put his right foot in, “I’ll ask Sarah to sign a HIPAA form allowing you to ask questions at the hospital on behalf of her daughter. She should be in much better shape tomorrow if you want to bring Rebecca to see her.”

“Thank you, Doctor Mason.”

“Thank you.” He got in his car, backed out of the driveway and drove down the street. Polly turned back to the front door and saw that Rebecca was still standing there.

“Well, Rebecca. Andrew and Jason are at my house and it looks as if you are going to stay with me for a few days. Shall we pack some things?”

The little girl didn’t move, even when Polly got to the front stoop. “Is she going to die?”

“Doctor Mason is going to do everything he can to help her.”

“She didn’t want to go see a doctor. I should have made her.”

“Honey, you couldn’t have made your mother do anything she didn’t want to do. Come on, let’s get some of your things together. I think you’ll enjoy it at my house. I have a big, goofy dog and two cats and if you want to see the horses and donkeys, Andrew will take you down to the barn.”

“Can he stay with us tonight?”

Polly nodded. “I’ll ask his mother. Since it’s the weekend and he doesn’t have school, this might be the perfect opportunity for a sleepover.”

Rebecca went inside and Polly followed her back to another bedroom. This room was in stark contrast to the dull, sparse decorating found in the rest of the house. Rebecca opened the door into a bright room with sunny yellow walls, beautiful floral curtains and colorful throw rugs covering the floor. Piles of pillows filled the bed, all in bright colors. A small desk on one wall was surrounded by mirrors and corkboards, filled with sketches and drawings. A small bookshelf had piles of books in it, along with painted rocks and simple knick knacks. Sarah Heater had gone out of her way to bring joy to her daughter’s life.

“I don’t have a lot of clean clothes. We were going to Boone to do laundry this weekend,” Rebecca said.

“Tell you what. Where’s your laundry? I have a washing machine and dryer and we can get everything ready for when your mother comes home. Do you want to strip your bed and grab towels out of the bathroom and kitchen?”

Rebecca’s face lit up. “Yes! Then she doesn’t have to worry about that.”

“I’ll strip your mom’s bed if you gather the rest. Do you have laundry baskets?”

“We have one. We usually just carry it down in a garbage bag.”

“Then, fill a garbage bag and we’ll take it to my house. How’s that?”

The little girl tossed the pillows onto the floor beside her bed and in moments had the bed stripped to the mattress. She ran to the kitchen and came back with a black garbage bag, already stuffed with towels. Polly went into her mother’s room and pulled the sheets and blanket off the bed. She glanced around the room and didn’t see any clothing.

“Does your mother put her dirty clothing somewhere else?” Polly called out.

“I have it,” Rebecca said. “We keep it all in the bathroom.”

Polly gathered the pile of sheets and blankets and went back to Rebecca’s room. The pillows were back on the bed, but the comforter was tossed beside the pile. “Okay,” she said. “Anything else we can wash?”

Rebecca held the bag open while Polly stuffed the sheets into the top. “I don’t think so. Should I get the soap?”

“No, I have plenty. Is there anything else we need to do here before you leave? Is the back door locked? Are all the windows closed?”

“We never unlock the back door and it’s too cold to have windows open.”

“What about your Mom’s car. Should we lock it?”

Rebecca grinned at Polly. “We never lock it when we’re here. Mom says no one would want it.”

“Okay, do you have a key to the house so we can lock the front door when we leave?”

“It’s in my backpack. But can we take mom’s keys too? Just in case?”

“Absolutely. I’ll take the laundry. You get your backpack and overnight bag. Are you ready for an adventure?”

“I haven’t had one of those forever,” Rebecca said, running to the front room. Polly followed again and saw her pick up a set of keys from a table just inside the front door. They went outside and Polly tripped the lock closed, then led Rebecca to the truck.

They drove to Sycamore House and Polly pulled into the garage. She was glad the door was already up, because she was tired of having to explain that hideous spray painted message. Once inside, Polly dropped the laundry beside the washing machine.

“How about we take care of that tomorrow. We’ll just have fun tonight.”

“Okay,” Rebecca said brightly. “What’s this?” She’d stopped at Andrew’s nook under the stairs.

“That’s Andrew’s,” Polly responded. “Those are his books and it’s where he likes to write when he’s here. He hasn’t used it as much since school started, but in the summertime when he’s here every day, he likes to hide under the desk and read.”

“I’d love to have all these books to read.”

“Oh, sweetie. Wait ‘til you get upstairs. I have a problem with books. They seem to have babies on me when I’m not looking.” Polly opened the door and gestured to the stairway. “There might be an animal or two when you get to the top, but they’re all friendly. The dog’s name is Obiwan and the cats are Luke and Leia.”

Rebecca didn’t say anything about the animal’s names, and Polly wondered if she’d ever heard of Star Wars. If not, that was changing this weekend, too. Everyone should have an opportunity for indoctrination. The girl walked up the stairs hesitantly, carrying her bag, and stopped when she cleared the top step.

“Go on in. You can leave your bags on my bed. Andrew should be in the living room. The door is open.”

Polly watched as she obeyed, setting her bags carefully at the end of Polly’s bed. Because Obiwan had heard her voice, he came tearing into the bedroom, nearly knocking Rebecca to the ground. Once he sniffed Polly, he turned around and went back to the newcomer. He nudged her hand and she set it on his head, then removed it and kept walking.

“Rebecca!” Andrew yelled. “What are you doing here?” He jumped up and ran over to his friend.

“They took Mom to the hospital. The doctor says she is really sick. She might die.”

“She won’t die. They won’t let that happen. You have to have your mom. Right, Polly?” Andrew looked up at her, pleading for her to assure them.

“They are going to do everything they can. You know Doctor Mason, don’t you, Andrew?”

“He’s the best. He knows everything,” Andrew said. “If he’s taking care of your mom, she’ll be just fine. Come over here and see Polly’s games. Wanna play?”
He grabbed Rebecca’s hand and pulled her to the sofa, then thrust a controller into her hand. “You’ll be great at this one.”

Polly went back into her bedroom and sat down on the bed. Poor Obiwan didn’t know which way to go. He wanted to jump up and sit beside Polly, but he was also desperate to check out the new person in his house. Curiosity took over and he ran to the living room, jumping up beside Rebecca.

“He’s cool, Rebecca. He likes everyone. He’d never bite you,” Polly heard Andrew say.

“He’s so big!”

“You should play outside with him. He runs like the wind.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” she said quietly.

Polly looked down at her phone. It was nearly six o’clock. All of a sudden she realized that she was supposed to have made dinner for Henry and his father. This certainly wasn’t how she planned to begin her weekend. How upset would Henry be if she canceled? All she could do was call and find out.

“Hey Polly,” Henry answered, “What’s up?”

“I have a problem with dinner tonight.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but I haven’t been here all afternoon. I ended up dealing with a friend of Andrew’s and her mother.”

“What happened?”

Polly got up from the bed and walked back over to the rear stairway so Rebecca couldn’t hear her speaking. The two kids were playing a racing video game, but Polly didn’t want to take a chance.

“His friend, Rebecca’s, mother is really sick. I ended up taking Rebecca home from school and we found her mother unable to move out of her bed. I called Doctor Mason and he called an ambulance. She’s in Boone by now and Rebecca is here with me.”

Henry chuckled. “Have you taken in another rescue?”

“Shaddup. It’s just until her mother comes home from the hospital.”

“You did! Oh Polly, this is why I love you.”

“But I haven’t even thought about dinner. I’m so sorry.”

“Dad and I will go over to Davey’s. He’s probably itching to get back with all of his buddies anyway. We’ll do dinner another time. Do you need me to bring you something.”

“No, I think we’re good. I was really looking forward to seeing you tonight, though. I feel like this week has been nuts.”

“I know. Me too. It doesn’t look like next week is going to be any better, though. As soon as work begins at the winery it’s going to get busy.”

“That has me worried. We have to find time. I don’t like this.”

“I love you too, Polly. I’ll tell you what. If you get into your bedroom before ten thirty, take your laptop. We can video chat for a while, just like we would if I was out of town.”

“Thanks, Henry. And thanks for understanding about dinner. I promise to make it up to you.”