trouble, because she still hadn’t arrived at Julia’s door. Julia rang for Karen and waited impatiently until the young nurse came to her room.
“Karen, my mother’s here again to visit. Would you find out what’s keeping her?”
Karen sounded unhappy. “They aren’t going to let her up here to see you, Mrs. Warwick. Dr. Jeffers says it runs counter to your treatment plan. Security has orders. I’m sorry.”
“Is she still here?”
Karen hesitated, then she lowered her voice. “I’ll find out. Do you want me to give her a message?”
“Yes, tell her to wait for me.”
“Wait?”
Julia was on her feet. “I’m coming down. I’m going home. This is outrageous.”
“But you can’t do that. You signed yourself in.”
“I’ll sign myself out. And I’m going to do it right this minute, so don’t ask me to wait.”
“Dr. Jeffers isn’t here to—”
“Good.”
“But we can’t take you down there. We have orders—”
“Damn it, I’ll find my own way, then. And if I break my neck while I’m at it, my mother can sue Gandy Willson.” Julia started toward the door. She felt her way past the desk and dresser before she bumped into Karen.
Now Karen was pleading. “You’re going to get us in real trouble.”
Julia hesitated a moment; then she shook her head. “I’m sorry. Just tell Jeffers the truth. You tried to reason with me. I refused to listen. I am refusing, that’s no lie.”
“Let me call him.”
“Do whatever you want. But he can’t get back before I leave.”
“Let me talk to your husband.”
“Good luck. He doesn’t listen very well.”
Karen’s voice caught. “Please, don’t do this. Wait until—”
Julia was a small woman, but she drew herself up to her full height. “Please get out of my way.”
“But you’re going to get hurt,” Karen wailed.
“I hope you’ve moved.” Julia started forward, feeling for the doorway. She brushed Karen as she wiggled through.
In the hallway now, she realized how disoriented she was. There was an elevator by the nurses’ station, but she remembered being told that operation depended on a key. Dr. Jeffers had apologized for not having any vacant rooms on the first floor, which were state-of-the-art and handicapped accessible. He had promised her the first one that became available. At the time it hadn’t mattered. Now she realized how convenient this was for him. She was a prisoner of her own sightlessness. She was going to have to navigate the stairs alone.
“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me which way to go?”
“I can’t,” Karen said clearly. In a much lower voice she said, “Are you absolutely determined?”
“I’m leaving.”
She lowered her voice still more. “Go right. At the end, go left. The stairs are on your right, at the very end of that corridor. I’ll meet you there.”
Julia understood. No one would fault Karen for giving in at that point and helping her patient to the first floor. She would be negligent to do anything else. But first Julia had to make it to the stairs alone.
Julia took a deep breath, buoyed by the knowledge that at the very least she wasn’t going to tumble headfirst down a full flight of steps. She turned and took a step, then another. The hall was eerily silent. She wondered where the other patients were. Making pot holders or brownies in occupational therapy? She’d met no one since she arrived. No one had attempted to make her socialize. As she adjusted, Dr. Jeffers had wanted her to be alone with her thoughts.
She slid her hand along the wall beside her, taking another shuffling step. Each time she put her foot down, she expected anything but solid floor. She was falling into darkest space, disoriented and more frightened with each step. But the alternative frightened her more. If she was forced to stay, the depression Dr. Jeffers had cited would grow to be as real as the blindness that held her in its sway.
The wall dropped away, and startled, she jerked her
“Karen, my mother’s here again to visit. Would you find out what’s keeping her?”
Karen sounded unhappy. “They aren’t going to let her up here to see you, Mrs. Warwick. Dr. Jeffers says it runs counter to your treatment plan. Security has orders. I’m sorry.”
“Is she still here?”
Karen hesitated, then she lowered her voice. “I’ll find out. Do you want me to give her a message?”
“Yes, tell her to wait for me.”
“Wait?”
Julia was on her feet. “I’m coming down. I’m going home. This is outrageous.”
“But you can’t do that. You signed yourself in.”
“I’ll sign myself out. And I’m going to do it right this minute, so don’t ask me to wait.”
“Dr. Jeffers isn’t here to—”
“Good.”
“But we can’t take you down there. We have orders—”
“Damn it, I’ll find my own way, then. And if I break my neck while I’m at it, my mother can sue Gandy Willson.” Julia started toward the door. She felt her way past the desk and dresser before she bumped into Karen.
Now Karen was pleading. “You’re going to get us in real trouble.”
Julia hesitated a moment; then she shook her head. “I’m sorry. Just tell Jeffers the truth. You tried to reason with me. I refused to listen. I am refusing, that’s no lie.”
“Let me call him.”
“Do whatever you want. But he can’t get back before I leave.”
“Let me talk to your husband.”
“Good luck. He doesn’t listen very well.”
Karen’s voice caught. “Please, don’t do this. Wait until—”
Julia was a small woman, but she drew herself up to her full height. “Please get out of my way.”
“But you’re going to get hurt,” Karen wailed.
“I hope you’ve moved.” Julia started forward, feeling for the doorway. She brushed Karen as she wiggled through.
In the hallway now, she realized how disoriented she was. There was an elevator by the nurses’ station, but she remembered being told that operation depended on a key. Dr. Jeffers had apologized for not having any vacant rooms on the first floor, which were state-of-the-art and handicapped accessible. He had promised her the first one that became available. At the time it hadn’t mattered. Now she realized how convenient this was for him. She was a prisoner of her own sightlessness. She was going to have to navigate the stairs alone.
“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me which way to go?”
“I can’t,” Karen said clearly. In a much lower voice she said, “Are you absolutely determined?”
“I’m leaving.”
She lowered her voice still more. “Go right. At the end, go left. The stairs are on your right, at the very end of that corridor. I’ll meet you there.”
Julia understood. No one would fault Karen for giving in at that point and helping her patient to the first floor. She would be negligent to do anything else. But first Julia had to make it to the stairs alone.
Julia took a deep breath, buoyed by the knowledge that at the very least she wasn’t going to tumble headfirst down a full flight of steps. She turned and took a step, then another. The hall was eerily silent. She wondered where the other patients were. Making pot holders or brownies in occupational therapy? She’d met no one since she arrived. No one had attempted to make her socialize. As she adjusted, Dr. Jeffers had wanted her to be alone with her thoughts.
She slid her hand along the wall beside her, taking another shuffling step. Each time she put her foot down, she expected anything but solid floor. She was falling into darkest space, disoriented and more frightened with each step. But the alternative frightened her more. If she was forced to stay, the depression Dr. Jeffers had cited would grow to be as real as the blindness that held her in its sway.
The wall dropped away, and startled, she jerked her
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