Under the Viaduct, H. Anderson [top young adult novels .TXT] 📗

to get some rest.” The nurse looked at Kaylee. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Kaylee nodded but said to Mama C. “I’ll be back later.”

Mama C closed her eyes. “Bring Blayne.”

Out in the hallway, the nurse said, “If she keeps refusing treatment, we’re going to have to put her on hospice. Do you know what that is?”

Kaylee nodded. Her grandma had been on hospice. It was the care given to someone at the end of their life, when nothing else could be done. Or when the person didn’t want anything else done to try to save them.

“Are you related to her?” the nurse asked.

“No. She doesn’t have any living relatives.”

“And, she’s of a sound mind, no doubt about that. Stubborn woman.” The nurse smiled wryly.

“That she is.” Kaylee agreed. “I don’t suppose you can force her to accept treatment?”

“Nope. She has the right to choose. Plus, I don’t know that it would result in a good outcome, anyway. Sometimes medical treatment is just prolonging death, not life. Her lungs are shot. She also had a heart attack sometime in the last few days, so her heart isn’t doing great either.”

“Heart attack?” Kaylee cursed herself for not checking on Mama C sooner.

The nurse nodded and touched Kaylee’s arm briefly. “I have to go get Mrs. Watson’s breathing treatment and antibiotic set up. You can come back any time before eight o’clock tonight.”

Kaylee’s parents waited for her back at her room, hurrying to her for an embrace as she walked in.

“Mom, you’re hurting me.”

Her mom released her hug and wiped at her tear strewn face. “I’m sorry, Kay. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. You guys didn’t have to drive all the way up here.”

“Oh, yes we did, young lady.” Her dad’s stern voice made her smile.

Luke, her fifteen-year-old brother popped into the room carrying a soda. “Kaylee! What the heck, sister? Do I need to move up here with you to keep you out of trouble?” He gave her a one-armed hug.

Even though part of her heart was breaking over Mama C, a big part warmed up like a Christmas fire. She laughed. “I’m glad you’re all here.”

“The nurse came in while you were gone,” her mom said. “She said they’re going to discharge you in a couple of hours.”

“Oh, good. I was afraid they’d make me stay until tomorrow.” Kaylee sat on the bed.

“So,” her dad said. “What exactly happened to you?”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “Allie didn’t tell us anything.”

Kaylee sighed. She spent the next hour telling them everything. Well, almost everything.

Discharge papers in hand, Kaylee headed down to Blayne’s room. Her family had gone to the cafeteria to get dinner and would text her on the new phone they’d brought her when they were done. She’d have to get the number switched to her old number, but she was thankful to have it. Who knew how long the police would hold on to hers for evidence? Looking at the settings on the phone reminded her she still needed to call Beth, Mama C’s friend in New York. She hoped the number had automatically stored to the Cloud. She logged in and found it. Her heart raced as she dialed. How was she going to tell Beth that Mama C was just giving up, going on hospice?

“Hello?” the familiar voice answered.

“Hi, um, Beth?” Kaylee said.

“This is Beth.” Her voice picked up a little as she said, “Is this Kaylee?”

“Yes.”

“What in tarnation took you so long to call me, girl?”

“It’s a long story—”

“Well, you can tell me about it later, let me talk to Claire.”

“Well, I will let you talk to her later. I just wanted to call first to…to warn you.”

“Warn me about what?” Beth asked.

“Mama…Claire is really sick. She’s in the hospital and, well, she’s giving up, Beth. She’s refusing treatment. They want to put her on hospice.” Kaylee’s voice cracked.

“Oh no.” Anguish dripped in Beth’s voice. The anguish of someone who’d just found a long-lost friend only to be losing them again, for good.

“I’m so sorry, Beth.” Kaylee wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I’ll let you talk to her when I go back to see her later.”

She slipped into Blayne’s room, happy to see he was awake and sitting up eating Jell-O. Or trying to. He was having trouble negotiating with one hand.

“Need some help?” Kaylee asked.

His smile still looked exhausted, but his eyes lit up when he saw her. “Yes. Go get me a cheeseburger. This stuff stinks.”

Kaylee raised an eyebrow at him. “You have to start out slow. Here,” she reached for the Jell-O container, “let me help you. Between the two of us we have two good arms.”

She held it while he spooned it out and mostly into his mouth. “Maybe they should get gowns the same color as their Jell-O.” Kaylee wiped his chest with a napkin, the red stain not going anywhere.

“So,” she said. “You’re looking better than you did this morning.”

“You too.”

“It’s amazing what a shower and hairbrush will do.”

He ran his fingers through her hair, his intense gaze locked on hers.

“But, seriously,” she said, a bit of hoarseness in her voice. “How are you feeling?”

“Seriously?” His arm dropped, and he leaned back against the pillow. “The nerve block is wearing off. And it hurts.”

“Did they give you some of that medicine the doctor talked about?” Kaylee wrinkled her forehead.

“Not yet. I was going to try to tough it out.”

Kaylee shook her head and pushed the button to signal the nurse.

A voice came over the little speaker on the side rail. “Can I help you?”

Blayne tipped his head back and gritted his teeth.

Kaylee answered for him. “Blayne is ready for some pain medication.”

“Okay. I’ll let his nurse know.”

Kaylee rubbed his forehead until the nurse came in a few minutes later with a syringe. She hooked it to the IV line and Blayne put his hand on her arm and said, “What are you giving me?”

“Ketorolac.”

“Not a narcotic?”

“No. This is what the doctor ordered.”

Blayne nodded once and