She muttered something in Russian and took her cup, pulling the teabag out, leaving a trail of milky water on the tablecloth.
While Mrs. S drank her tea, I shuffled the deck of cards that sat on the table.
She gave me a sly smile, “So, you think you’ll be able to beat an old woman today?”
I laughed and shrugged, “Hey, your streak is bound to end sooner or later.”
After dealing the cards, we sat there a moment sorting our hands.
“You start,” I told her, setting down the first card.
“How is your mother?” Her dark eyes darted between me and the cards from beneath her white brows.
I sighed, “She isn’t eating much. She’s on dialysis still. The doctors were hoping it would be temporary…I gave her an IV this morning. She knows how to change it, so hopefully, that’ll help.” I trailed off, my mind going to possible solutions to help my mom.
Mrs. S played a card before patting my arm with her free hand. “You are good daughter. You know what they gave me in Russia to cure me?”
I laughed, “I don’t know. One of your tinctures?”
“You laugh, but nothing work like krov moroy. It makes every ailment better. You should ask Alexei.”
“What’s krov moroy? I’ve never heard of it.” I played my card and sipped my tea.
“The blood of a vampire,” my patient whispered.
I groaned.
She continued, “It cures arthritis, gout, it mends muscles and bones. It fixes stomach issues, woman issues…What is the disease of your mother?”
I pursed my lips before answering, “Lupus. Mrs. S, where are you getting this idea? If vampires really existed, and if their blood did any of this, then some drug company would already have refined it and be making a killing.”
We locked eyes, and she gave me a sad look before laying another card. After playing a while in silence, I finally spoke, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She smiled, “It isn’t your fault child, most don’t know of the moroi, but I’m an old woman and not bound to keep secrets any longer.”
I wondered if her beliefs were religious or regional. Growing up, mine had been both. My family had lived in the same place for generation upon generation. My aunt was known as the local Curandera, or healer. I remember her praying and running a raw egg over me after I’d gotten sick with mono. I wasn’t convinced that I’d been cursed with the evil eye, but I did get better. It made me wonder if vampire blood was the name of an herbal remedy.
***
As soon as my patient was asleep for a nap, I opened my netbook and clicked on my email. A broad smile curved my lips when I saw Alexei had written me this morning.
Sofia,
Your questions about Russian health care made me laugh—but if I didn’t know you, it would’ve made me angry. Do Americans know nothing about Russia? What do you think Russia is? A 3rd world country? No – LOL. The doctors are excellent here, and unlike the US, we have free healthcare. I know I complain about Russia being corrupt and my dislike of Putin isn’t a secret, but every place has corruption—even the United States. The problem why we sent grandmother to the US is something else. I’ll explain it later.
The last few days, I’ve been in Moscow tracking a bounty, and just brought him in this morning—drug dealer. I’ve been thinking about what you said in your last email. I do need a change, but to what? I’m locked into obligations with my father in St. Petersburg and his business, but I don’t want that. I never wanted that. Maybe I’m having a midlife crisis.
I was thinking of your mother, and I might be able to help her. You said the disease is auto-immune. I have some friends that work for Chronos Pharmaceuticals, I can ask around to see what they say. I know they do specialized testing on small groups with new drugs.
Say hello to your mother from me and don’t forget to eat! Christ! I sound like an old woman!
Thank you again for everything you’ve done for my grandmother. Every time we speak, all she talks about is you. You’re the only one who really talks to her and spends time with her. I’m worried about the memory thing—dementia. I told my mother about your last report, and she’s scared also. I think it’s time for her to move on. I’ll let you know what our plans are.
Take care Kiska, stay out of trouble.
-A
Sighing, I quickly typed out an email:
Alexei,
Have you considered taking her back to St. Petersburg? I didn’t really understand what you meant in your email. Your grandmother needs to be surrounded by family—I would miss her, but she’s very lonely here, and I think it’s adding to her decline.
I’ve updated your grandmother’s chart, and she’s in good condition. As I’ve mentioned before, the health problems she’s suffering from are due to her advanced age. The current issue that I’m concerned about is the edema or swelling in her legs and feet. As I’ve mentioned before, the home care staff is excellent and doing a good job.
I am so sorry about offending you with my questions. You’re right, most Americans know nothing about Russia. I didn’t think you had free health care—I can only dream.
You have friends at Chronos Corp? I know exactly what you’re talking about. They do some of the most exclusive drug trials—these trials are extremely difficult to get into. Thank you, I really appreciate your help.
I wish I knew what to say about your dad and your job. I love my job and what I do. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I only wish you had that too. Maybe it’s not too late?
Anyhow, take care while you’re out doing your bounty hunter thing. I’ll be excited to finally meet you, just let me know what your plans are.;)
-Sofia
Just as I sent the email, I heard my patient call for me from where she napped. After helping Mrs. S to the sofa in the living room from her bed, I quickly loaded the dishwasher and started it up. The sound of the door opening from the living room told me that my patient’s home assistant was here for her shift.
In the living room, I stacked my paperwork and began to gather my things. Turning to Mrs. S, I smiled. “I’ll see you next week, all right?”
She frowned and turned to Cara, the home assistant. “Fine. You come here, you don’t. I don’t care. I can take care of myself. Tell my grandson, I told you that.”
I gently squeezed her shoulder. “Oh Mrs. S. You need me, so stop trying to talk me out of my job.”
“Hmph,” she told me, her shaking hand lifting a cup to her lips.
Even though my patient came off like a bitter old woman, I knew she was just lonely and scared. Her time was coming, and she could see the writing on the wall; who wouldn’t be afraid?
***
At the door, I pulled it closed and made my way to my car. Mrs. S was a lucky woman, her family loved her. She had a charming home, groceries were delivered, bills were paid. Caregivers watched her day and night. Plus, they’d hired me, a registered nurse, to check on her once a week.
My old Subaru took several attempts before roaring to life. Every time my car started was like another gift from heaven.
Working as a home care nurse actually was my second job. My real job was at the hospital, where I worked four-12 hour night shifts a week, in the cardiology ward.
The drive home was short but brutal in my exhausted state. This one day shift a week always made me feel like roadkill. Parking in the driveway, I slammed my car door and stepped over an old newspaper lying on the ground.
Opening the door of my house, I slipped in and locked it behind me. The television on in the background seemed to fill the room like white noise, it’s volume low.
“Mom? How was your day?” I flipped through the mail, biting my lip at the red “past due” stamps on two of them.
She turned from her position on the couch and smiled at me as I walked toward the kitchen. “Mija, tell me, how is Mrs. S? Is she still making you drink tea?”
I sighed and put the bills and my purse down on the
counter, peering over at my mother. “I don’t mind it so much anymore.” I forced a laugh, ripping one past-due bill open. “She still thinks her daughter is going to turn her into a vampire and I can’t get her to stop taking this gross Russian home remedy.”
I opened my netbook and logged onto my bank’s website. My account was under $100. Mom’s medical bills were killing us. I’d already emptied her savings to pay them, then my own. She still owed over a hundred thousand dollars, and the amount was only growing.
Mom laughed and then coughed. “You should get more details…” She chuckled noiselessly. “I wouldn’t mind being a vampire myself.”
“I know, right?” Quickly, I wrote out a check to the hospital, stuck it into its envelope and pasted a stamp to the corner.
Mom moaned in pain and rubbed her arm over the saline IV I’d started for her this morning.
Standing, I was by her side in only a couple of strides. “Mom, does this hurt? Why didn’t you say anything sooner? Look, this is called infiltration, it’s where the IV fluid leaks into the surrounding tissue. Let’s just remove it, okay?”
Pulling the plastic tube out, I bandaged up her arm. This would leave a bruise. “You need to call me if you have pain like this.”
Mom smiled sadly. “I don’t really need it anyway. It gets in the way.”
“Well, I’m worried about your kidneys. You can’t get dehydrated again. Were you able to chew on the ice I got you, or drink anything?” I wrapped an ace bandage around her arm where the IV had been. Exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I swayed on my feet for a moment.
“Mija, sit down. You look pale, have you even eaten today? You’re too thin.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. I ate a granola bar from the hospital this morning.”
“Ay! You need to eat more than that! You’re wasting away to nothing!”
Standing over her with my hands on my hips, I raised my eyebrows. “I’m fine, but it’s time for your feeding tube.”
“No, we’re out of the formula…” She shrugged like it was no big deal. However, it was a big deal, and I knew she had to be hungry.
“Stop being a martyr. I can make something just as good using the blender,” I told her.
Moving to the kitchen, I began rifling through the refrigerator. Pulling out a Tupperware, I sliced off a slab of tofu and flopped it into the blender. Adding some previously canned green beans and milk to the mix, I stood there dazing off for a moment. Shaking myself, I poured in a blob of olive oil, a honey packet from the hospital cafeteria and a pinch of salt.
On the counter was a whole drug store of bottles. I selected mom’s evening pills and dumped them into my small stone mortar and pestle before grinding them up and sweeping the powder into the mix. I put the lid on and ran the blender.
After prepping the supplies, I sat down next to my mom on the couch.
“Were you able to eat anything today?” I asked, while I handed her the large syringe full of water for her to flush her feeding tube. I hung up the bag on her IV stand over her shoulder.
She shook her head. “I tried, I sucked on the saltines and even a slice of peach.”
Closing my eyes, fatigue washed over me in another wave, but I pushed through.
My mom tilted her head, her pale eyes sharp and understanding. “I worry so much about you Mija. I wish you wouldn’t have taken on that second job. You never complain like your sister.”
Mom didn’t need to know about our financial situation. I could handle everything myself. Besides, a little lack of sleep once a week wouldn’t kill me.
Her fingers brushed my own. “Lay down and sleep for a while.” She patted a pillow on the couch next to her, and I laid down. My mom stroked my hair until I fell asleep.
Chapter 2
"Sofia, your alarm is going off." The fog of sleep began to lift from my brain with my mother's words.
Slapping the coffee table with my hand, I found my phone and ended the chiming. I'd gotten three hours of shut eye.
Stumbling to the shower, I peeled off my scrubs from earlier and hopped into the spray. As the water poured over me, I squeezed paste onto my toothbrush and began giving my teeth a good quick brush before grabbing the soap and doing a quick armpit, groin, and foot wash.
My head pounded, and I felt nauseous from lack of sleep. Mom was right; this sucked. What choice did I have?
Four years ago, I'd been a traveling nurse, working in one town for a few months before moving on—until mom's sickness landed her in the hospital. I moved back home to help out until she got better. But she never got better—she only got worse. She'd had to quit her job, and then her health insurance ran out.
I'd done everything I could to pay what she owed to the hospital and doctors, but what I made as a nurse wasn't enough. So, I took the night shift because it paid better. Working at night was pretty great. It was quiet, and there was no one to boss me around, no one to answer to. I just did my work without my patient's families in the way. Patient's family = bad. They always want to tell me how to do my job because their friend's daughter's cousin is a doctor, which makes them an expert.
***
My drive into the hospital was all on auto-pilot like observing my life, but not participating. Hanging my purse in my locker, I took the steps up to the second floor. After doing my rounds and introducing myself to the new patients, I slumped down into a chair in the nurse's station.
One of the other nurses, Susanne, huffed, and sank into her chair. She was about ten years older than me and a single mom of three.
Slamming a drawer closed, she huffed, "I swear to effing God! If I never see that bastard again, it'll be too soon."
I chuckled silently, turning toward her. "Deacon Warring is here again? I thought that if he'd had another heart attack, he'd be dead."
She pursed her lips. "If anyone deserves it." Susanne sat up straight, crossed her patterned scrub clad arms, and smiled sweetly at me.
I raised my brows. "I'm not switching you. It's luck of the draw."
She narrowed her eyes, examining me. "You look really tired. I've seen this before."
"Oh?" I asked skeptically.
"If you switched with me, I'd turn a blind eye if you wanted to take a nap in room 511—it's empty. Besides, it looks like it'll be slow tonight; I can take care of everything here—other than Mr. Warring."
I shook my head. "Damn, you almost had me."
"I scratch your back, you scratch mine." Susanne pinned me with big brown eyes.
I rolled my own. "Fine. Out of the goodness of my heart…"
She cut me off, "Out of the good for everyone. You need sleep. Now, go!"
Practically pulling me up, she motioned to the horrible patient's room. I'd need to check on him before my nap.
"Thanks Sofia!" She gave me a thumbs up and a broad smile.
"Gee, thanks," I told her.
My tennis shoes made a light tapping as I made my way down toward the man's room.
He wasn't that bad.
Lightly knocking on the open door, I pushed it in.
"Mr. Warring?"
"Leave me the hell alone!" He threw something, and it thumped against the wall over my left shoulder.
I smiled, and carefully erased Susanne's name from his board, talking with my back to him. "I'm Nurse Cruz. Can I do anything…"
Something cold and hard hit my back before leaving my shoulder and arm soaking wet. I looked down at the plastic cup that had been full of ice water before it hit me.
I finished writing my name and capped the dry erase marker.
When I turned, hands on hips, I narrowed my eyes at him and approached the side of his bed. "You must be in pain because why else would you act out in this unacceptable way? You can't throw things in here." I checked his chart on the touchpad, keeping him in sight this time. "I see that you're in here with another blockage and have surgery tomorrow. I can give you something to help…"
He interrupted me, his face red, a snarl on his lips. "I
don't need no damn painkillers. I need some food. I need a steak and fries." He nodded toward the door and waved me away. "Go on, go get it."
I remained planted in place. "I'm sorry, Mr. Warring, but you're not allowed anything to eat until after your surgery tomorrow morning. I can get you some ice if you promise not to throw it…"
"Fucking useless. All you damn nurses. Lazy, spoiled. Never worked a day in your goddamn lives."
My eye twitched. Why had I switched patients again? Damnit, Susanne!
I tilted my chin down and eyed him like a naughty child. "Profanity and insults will get you nowhere. If you eat something now, you might as well go home because your doctor will have to cancel your procedure. Do you want to go home?" I raised an eyebrow and turned toward the door. "I'm fine with that. I'll go get your AMA paperwork."
My slight smile dared him to do it.
He folded his arms across his chest, "Hmmph."
"That's a no I take it?" Nearing the machinery, I checked his IV and leads.
***
My conscious pricked at me fiercely as I attempted to nap in vain. As a nurse, I took my duty to heart. If you'd asked me this morning if I'd sleep on the job, I would've said a definite no, but I was desperate and so, so tired. I wanted to close my eyes and fall into oblivion, but I couldn't do it.
Swinging my legs over the edge, I stood and smoothed the bed with a heaping spoonful of guilt.
I was pushing everything too far. My moral compass was screaming, but I felt trapped.
Striding back to the nurses' station, I stood at the counter. Susanne wrote on a sticky note and placed it so that it hung from the counter next to her computer screen.
"How's it been?" I asked.
She sighed but didn't answer, swiveling in her chair to face me. "In the last fifteen minutes? It's been quiet. I mean I had a little disturbance with 503, but she's good. Go, sleep. I'll wake you in an hour."
"I can't sleep on shift," I mumbled even as I laid my head on my folded arms. I watched as Susanne doodled circles on a notepad to get her pen to work.
Shades of Red Page 63
