FOUR
"Dr. Martin," said Prue the next time he came in, "I need to go to my house."
"You're in no condition to go anywhere," responded Martin.
Prue showed him the mortgage letter.
"I can't save the house," said Prue, "but there are personal items I need to get from it."
"Well," said Martin, "why don't you make a list and I'll have someone get them for you?"
"No," said Prue. "I mean, I'm not exactly sure of everything I want. I'll have to go through and pick out the most important items."
"I don't know," said Martin. "You've barely begun your recovery. I don't want to do anything that might set you back."
"This is very important," said Prue. "There are family heirlooms that will just end up in the trash if I don't get them now."
"I'll tell you what," said Martin. "Let's see how you're doing in a couple of days, okay?"
"But there's less than a week," said Prue. "I won't get another chance."
"Fine," said Martin. "If you're still improving in a couple of days, I'll think about letting you go. But there will be some restrictions if I do."
"I understand," said Prue.
"In the mean time," said Martin, "get plenty of rest, eat all your meals, and make sure you take your medication. Then we'll see how you're doing in a day or two."
"Thanks, Dr. Martin," said Prue. "I really appreciate it."
"Now, I do have other patients, so I have to be going," said martin. "I'll see you again, tomorrow."
"Okay," said Prue.
After Martin left, the nurse came in and handed a small bag to Prue.
"What's this?" asked Prue.
"Makeup, dear," said the nurse. "Dr. Martin is an excellent doctor, but he's still a man. He doesn't understand how important something like this is to us women."
"You're right about that," said Prue. "If they only knew what we went through to look nice for them."
"Exactly," said the nurse.
The nurse helped Prue to the closet where Prue found her suit still wrapped in plastic. She dressed, feeling thankful to get out of that drafty hospital gown. Then she sat in front of the mirror and applied her makeup.
Satisfied she had made herself presentable, she got out the small shoebox and put her jewelry on. Everything still fit exactly right. She was just putting on the back of one earring when the nurse came back in with her medication.
"Well, look at you," said the nurse. "Much better, much better."
"I feel better," said Prue.
The nurse handed Prue the small paper cup with three pills in it and a glass of water. Prue took the pills one at a time, following each with a drink of water. She handed the empty glass back to the nurse.
"You'd think they'd be able to figure out a way to coat those pills with something that tastes good," said Prue.
"Oh, I'm sure they will one day," said the nurse. "Now, you'd better get back into bed. Don't want to overexert yourself too much."
Prue got back into bed and pulled the box of bills onto her lap.
"I still have a lot of sorting to do here," said Prue. "Well, at least I can stay busy. And it's not very exerting."
"I'll check in on you later, dear," said the nurse.
As soon as the nurse had left the room, Prue spit three pills into her hand. Then she lifted a pile of the letters and dropped the pills into the box. Several other pills also lay in the box. She dropped the stack of letters onto the pills. The letters in the box kept the pills from rattling inside the box. It was the perfect hiding place.
Prue got out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. She nearly felt like her old self again. Another day or two and she'd be free of the affects of whatever was in those pills. She looked at the reflection of her earrings hanging perfectly in place. Then she began to rub the middle finger of her right hand again.
"Well, Dr. Martin," she said. "Another day or two and we'll find out what you're really after."
"Dr. Martin," said Prue the next time he came in, "I need to go to my house."
"You're in no condition to go anywhere," responded Martin.
Prue showed him the mortgage letter.
"I can't save the house," said Prue, "but there are personal items I need to get from it."
"Well," said Martin, "why don't you make a list and I'll have someone get them for you?"
"No," said Prue. "I mean, I'm not exactly sure of everything I want. I'll have to go through and pick out the most important items."
"I don't know," said Martin. "You've barely begun your recovery. I don't want to do anything that might set you back."
"This is very important," said Prue. "There are family heirlooms that will just end up in the trash if I don't get them now."
"I'll tell you what," said Martin. "Let's see how you're doing in a couple of days, okay?"
"But there's less than a week," said Prue. "I won't get another chance."
"Fine," said Martin. "If you're still improving in a couple of days, I'll think about letting you go. But there will be some restrictions if I do."
"I understand," said Prue.
"In the mean time," said Martin, "get plenty of rest, eat all your meals, and make sure you take your medication. Then we'll see how you're doing in a day or two."
"Thanks, Dr. Martin," said Prue. "I really appreciate it."
"Now, I do have other patients, so I have to be going," said martin. "I'll see you again, tomorrow."
"Okay," said Prue.
After Martin left, the nurse came in and handed a small bag to Prue.
"What's this?" asked Prue.
"Makeup, dear," said the nurse. "Dr. Martin is an excellent doctor, but he's still a man. He doesn't understand how important something like this is to us women."
"You're right about that," said Prue. "If they only knew what we went through to look nice for them."
"Exactly," said the nurse.
The nurse helped Prue to the closet where Prue found her suit still wrapped in plastic. She dressed, feeling thankful to get out of that drafty hospital gown. Then she sat in front of the mirror and applied her makeup.
Satisfied she had made herself presentable, she got out the small shoebox and put her jewelry on. Everything still fit exactly right. She was just putting on the back of one earring when the nurse came back in with her medication.
"Well, look at you," said the nurse. "Much better, much better."
"I feel better," said Prue.
The nurse handed Prue the small paper cup with three pills in it and a glass of water. Prue took the pills one at a time, following each with a drink of water. She handed the empty glass back to the nurse.
"You'd think they'd be able to figure out a way to coat those pills with something that tastes good," said Prue.
"Oh, I'm sure they will one day," said the nurse. "Now, you'd better get back into bed. Don't want to overexert yourself too much."
Prue got back into bed and pulled the box of bills onto her lap.
"I still have a lot of sorting to do here," said Prue. "Well, at least I can stay busy. And it's not very exerting."
"I'll check in on you later, dear," said the nurse.
As soon as the nurse had left the room, Prue spit three pills into her hand. Then she lifted a pile of the letters and dropped the pills into the box. Several other pills also lay in the box. She dropped the stack of letters onto the pills. The letters in the box kept the pills from rattling inside the box. It was the perfect hiding place.
Prue got out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. She nearly felt like her old self again. Another day or two and she'd be free of the affects of whatever was in those pills. She looked at the reflection of her earrings hanging perfectly in place. Then she began to rub the middle finger of her right hand again.
"Well, Dr. Martin," she said. "Another day or two and we'll find out what you're really after."