gentle, a tiny bird flies close by, singing a song of love, hold him closely, tenderly.”
She looked up at Daniela, who was holding tightly to Megan, a stray tear running down her face. “What happened?” Lisa asked gently.
“After I called you the first time, she seemed fine. But then she didn’t. She was stumbling around, so I got her to sit on the floor while I was trying to get the other’s settled. Then she started to shake. She leaned on me, shivering. Not violent or anything, but she didn’t respond when I asked her if she was okay, then she fell back and that was it.” The screaming of the siren in the distance announced the arrival of the ambulance.
Daniela held the door open for the squad who surrounded Lisa and Miranda. The lead technician squatted down and gently took Miranda from Lisa’s grasp, talking to her the entire time, asking questions while he examined her. Someone put an oxygen mask on her and another started an IV in the back of her hand.
It wasn’t until it was time to leave that Lisa broke down. Daniela was in no condition to be left alone again. “I have two babies and a toddler; I can’t go until my husband gets home.” They understood, telling her not to worry, they would take Miranda to the local hospital and she could get there as soon as she could. In the meantime, they’d communicate with her by phone to get permission to do anything they might need to do.
“I’ll go with her,” Daniela said.
“Thank you so much,” Lisa said, taking Megan from her. Daniela left and Lisa locked the door and put Megan down to get Dan Junior, who was yodeling. She called Pam next, crying into the phone while trying to nurse the baby.
“Mother I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Dan’s on his way home and then I can go to be with her. Could you or noni come and help out while I’m gone?”
“I’ll send my mother over and meet you at the hospital,” Pam said.
Hanging up, Pam couldn’t help thinking there goes my peace . She’d been holding her breath for four years, worrying about Miranda. Hurrying back to the children’s wing, she knocked on Nelda’s door.
“Come in,” she yelled. Pam went in to find her mother standing on a stool, doing something in the closet.
“Mother get down from there, please. We have a problem.” Nelda came out, dusting her hands off while Pam explained what had happened.
“Oh no, I hope it’s nothing bad,” she said, the two making eye contact but not saying anything out loud and giving negative words power. “Maybe she has what you had yesterday.”
“I’d forgotten all about it. I hope that’s all it is. Can you help Dan with the other children? I’ll go to the hospital with Lisa.”
“Of course,” Nelda said, getting her purse and a sweater, even though it was eighty degrees out.
They drove to Lisa’s house in silence until Nelda asked, “Does Lisa know what Marie died from?” Pam dreaded the question, sad her mother would have to worry about that all over again.
“No. No one did. She had a brain infection that’s all. No one knew the root cause, or if they guessed, they didn’t say anything.”
“I’m scared,” Nelda said, looking straight ahead. Pam grabbed her hand and squeezed.
“Me too, Mother. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not saying a word. Let the doctors work this out, shall we? It might be nothing; the flu, an ear infection.”
“She’s never been sick before.” Pam didn’t respond, forgetting about the other children. What else was there to say?
Pulling into Lisa’s driveway, they saw Dan’s car there already. “Wait here. Lisa can drive with you if she hasn’t left yet.” Nelda got out and quickly went to the door, Dan holding it open for her. He nodded his head in Pam’s direction with a solemn expression on his face and she forced a wave.
Waiting for Lisa, she debated whether to call Sandra and decided against it; she’d never expressed any interest in Miranda since Lisa
She looked up at Daniela, who was holding tightly to Megan, a stray tear running down her face. “What happened?” Lisa asked gently.
“After I called you the first time, she seemed fine. But then she didn’t. She was stumbling around, so I got her to sit on the floor while I was trying to get the other’s settled. Then she started to shake. She leaned on me, shivering. Not violent or anything, but she didn’t respond when I asked her if she was okay, then she fell back and that was it.” The screaming of the siren in the distance announced the arrival of the ambulance.
Daniela held the door open for the squad who surrounded Lisa and Miranda. The lead technician squatted down and gently took Miranda from Lisa’s grasp, talking to her the entire time, asking questions while he examined her. Someone put an oxygen mask on her and another started an IV in the back of her hand.
It wasn’t until it was time to leave that Lisa broke down. Daniela was in no condition to be left alone again. “I have two babies and a toddler; I can’t go until my husband gets home.” They understood, telling her not to worry, they would take Miranda to the local hospital and she could get there as soon as she could. In the meantime, they’d communicate with her by phone to get permission to do anything they might need to do.
“I’ll go with her,” Daniela said.
“Thank you so much,” Lisa said, taking Megan from her. Daniela left and Lisa locked the door and put Megan down to get Dan Junior, who was yodeling. She called Pam next, crying into the phone while trying to nurse the baby.
“Mother I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Dan’s on his way home and then I can go to be with her. Could you or noni come and help out while I’m gone?”
“I’ll send my mother over and meet you at the hospital,” Pam said.
Hanging up, Pam couldn’t help thinking there goes my peace . She’d been holding her breath for four years, worrying about Miranda. Hurrying back to the children’s wing, she knocked on Nelda’s door.
“Come in,” she yelled. Pam went in to find her mother standing on a stool, doing something in the closet.
“Mother get down from there, please. We have a problem.” Nelda came out, dusting her hands off while Pam explained what had happened.
“Oh no, I hope it’s nothing bad,” she said, the two making eye contact but not saying anything out loud and giving negative words power. “Maybe she has what you had yesterday.”
“I’d forgotten all about it. I hope that’s all it is. Can you help Dan with the other children? I’ll go to the hospital with Lisa.”
“Of course,” Nelda said, getting her purse and a sweater, even though it was eighty degrees out.
They drove to Lisa’s house in silence until Nelda asked, “Does Lisa know what Marie died from?” Pam dreaded the question, sad her mother would have to worry about that all over again.
“No. No one did. She had a brain infection that’s all. No one knew the root cause, or if they guessed, they didn’t say anything.”
“I’m scared,” Nelda said, looking straight ahead. Pam grabbed her hand and squeezed.
“Me too, Mother. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not saying a word. Let the doctors work this out, shall we? It might be nothing; the flu, an ear infection.”
“She’s never been sick before.” Pam didn’t respond, forgetting about the other children. What else was there to say?
Pulling into Lisa’s driveway, they saw Dan’s car there already. “Wait here. Lisa can drive with you if she hasn’t left yet.” Nelda got out and quickly went to the door, Dan holding it open for her. He nodded his head in Pam’s direction with a solemn expression on his face and she forced a wave.
Waiting for Lisa, she debated whether to call Sandra and decided against it; she’d never expressed any interest in Miranda since Lisa
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