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Chapter 18: With a little help
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Diagnosis: Love Chapter 19:
EMMA"Well . . . this is better." Jenny stood in my sitting room with her hands on her hips, surveying the trailer. "I mean, with all due respect, it's probably not going to make the cover story of Home and Garden any time soon, but it's kind of cute, actually." I flopped back into the comfy chair we'd found at the thrift store, kicking off my shoes. "It smells better. And it's clean. And . . ." I took a deep breath. "It's mine.""It is, indeed." Jenny's tone left it up to interpretation as far as whether that was a good thing or a bad one. I understood her trepidation. While my little home-on-wheels was better than we'd found it, it was lit by a variety of gas lanterns (from the camping department at Walmart) and kerosene lamps (from the thrift store). My bedroom and sitting room walls were lined with jugs of water I'd bought for drinking, washing dishes . . . and showering. I hadn't been sure how I'd manage basic bathing, but then when we'd been looking for the lanterns at
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 20: Truce
EMMAI arrived at St. Agnes the next morning, feeling fresher and more myself. If I wasn't a whole new woman, at least I was one who had gotten a solid night's sleep, thanks to hours of hard labor and several glasses of wine. And if my new home had seemed a little less cozy in the harsh morning light than it had by the glow of the lanterns the night before, I was in a better place to square my shoulders and get on with it, even if that meant using the dreaded composting toilet and showering with my new camping equipment. Since the solar panels hadn't had time to work overnight, I cheated and warmed two gallons of water on my stove to use in the shower. The result might not have been the kind of experience I'd have had at a five-star hotel, but it did the job. What I hadn't taken into consideration was that I couldn't use my blow dryer. After a little bit of deliberation, I managed a French braid, which looked neat and efficient even if it wasn't the most flattering style. At
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 21: Friends and frustrations
EMMA"You look like you've just run from the devil." A teasing voice came from behind me. "Don't tell me you've been sparring with Mrs. Hoskins again." I glanced over my shoulder, smiling at the slender young woman who was curled on a chaise lounge. Angela Spencer wore a long cotton dress with a huge hoodie over it. She'd told me yesterday that even the softest sweats or yoga pants chafed her back since she'd lost weight over the course of her illness, so she'd defaulted to what she called granny house dresses. From the size of it, I guessed that her hoodie belonged to her husband. "Not so much sparring today." I sat down in the chair across from Angela. "And if you heard about that, I'm guessing your husband tattled on me." She grinned. "I wouldn't call it tattling so much as a full report. He told me that he'd met you on his way in to see me, and he said you were having a rough day." Inwardly, I winced. It was one thing to whine about my troubles to someone like Jenny-o
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 22:
EMMAI worked about eight hours over that first weekend at St. Agnes, mostly because I was still trying to catch up and become familiar with all of the patients. In addition to those currently on the floor of the oncology wing, we had others who would be coming in for treatment in the future. I wanted to begin establishing some protocol for integrating natural healing into their care plans from the start. And to be honest, being in the air-conditioned corridors of the hospital was a far cry better than melting in the afternoon heat in my trailer. On Sunday afternoon, Jenny called me just as I left St. Agnes and invited me over to swim and eat dinner. I was pathetically grateful for both the company and the chance to be in a real house. The home she was sub-letting from Nico really was gorgeous. I loved the lush backyard, with flowers and deep green plants surrounding the swimming pool. Jenny made us salads with crusty homemade Italian bread and special vegan cookies for dess
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 23: Not the most auspicious meeting
EMMAIt was a Friday morning, and I had gotten up early to get some work done at the hospital before the official day began. At least, that was what I was telling myself; in truth, it had been a very still, muggy night which had dawned to an even hotter, more humid morning, and the idea of air conditioning had been too tempting to resist. I was sitting at one of the nurses' stations, working on the computer there as I enjoyed my coffee. I chatted back and forth with Darcy, who was just finishing up her overnight shift. "Rough night?" She eyed my jeans and sleeveless blouse. "You're not the fashion diva I'm used to seeing." I grimaced. I hadn't shared the details of what I privately referred to as my living situation with anyone but Jenny, who had seen it up close and personal. Despite the challenges of my home, I still tried to come to work dressed professionally, but this morning, bleary-eyed from a restless night, I hadn't been able to muster the energy for heels and a dre
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 24: Amends, part two
EMMATwenty minutes later, just as the shift was changing and the hospital was transitioning from nighttime vibe into daytime brightness, I dragged my feet down the hallway toward Dr. Girard's office. I hadn't felt this much trepidation and guilt since I was a sophomore in high school.The door was open, and I paused just outside. He was sitting at the desk, his head bent over the keyboard of his computer. As before, he seemed to feel my presence before I made a sound. "I wondered if you'd come, or if you'd just pretend that this morning didn't happen." I sighed, resting my back against the doorjamb and stretching my neck. "I have a quick temper, and I have a tendency to speak before I think. My mother used to say that my mouth went into drive before my brain was engaged. But even so, I don't hold a grudge, and I always own up to my mistakes." "That's good to know." Finally, Dr. Girard looked up. "On the other hand, I'm a stubborn son of a bitch. I have an unfortunate habi
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 25: Cabana boys
EMMA"If I had half the intelligence I claim to have, I would have taken you up on your offer to move in here with you as soon as you mentioned it." With a happy sigh, I turned over on my raft to grin at Jenny, who was stretched out on a chaise lounge alongside the pool. "This could be my life all the time. I wouldn't have to worry about sweating through every night, trying to get lukewarm water for a shower, how to keep my food cold . . . or my new best friend, the skink." Jenny laughed and shaded her eyes to look at me. "You have a new best friend who's a skank? Do tell. Do I know her?" "Skink, not skank," I corrected. "And no, I don't believe you've had the pleasure. We met four nights ago . . . you remember the day we had that killer storm, and then instead of cooling things off the way storms do up north, it actually left us with more humidity? Remember that?" She snorted. "Vaguely. I can't be sure, since I live in the lap of air-conditioned luxury." "Nice. Well, any
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 26: Nice and Jenny, again
EMMAJenny wrapped her arms around her middle. I could see the tremor in her hands. "You left me. You . . . we made love. And then you were gone. Just . . . gone, with no explanation. You walked away from me, Nico." Her shoulders squared. "No, you fucking ran away from me, like what we did-what was between us-like it didn't matter at all. Like it meant nothing." I was frozen to my spot in the pool, both arms resting on the raft, my eyes wide as they darted from Jenny to Nico. I knew that this was an intensely private moment, and I should get the hell out of here, but I was afraid of what might happen if I reminded either of them of my presence. There wasn't any way for me to get out of the water gracefully. My only other option was to sink underwater, and call me crazy, but I wasn't prepared to drown to give them privacy. "Jen." Nico reached for her hand, and with some effort, pried it loose from where she was gripping her arm. "Jenny. Please. Listen to me. You're right, I did
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