Chapter One - Episode 105 - Taken - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update
Describing locations is an exercise that authors of writing present to beginning writers, starting with the details of wherever we are - kitchen, coffee shop, park.. wherever. This Episode has three locations: the hospital, Jeremy's home and Emmie's car. As I write this, I recognize that Emmie's car did not get much attention. A question: would more detail about her car have furthered the story? 

I did enjoy taking the elements of the many hospitals I've worked in and weaving them into Jeremy's story.

Taken

Dr. Crawford opened his mail. It had been piling up for days. The shifts at the hospital had been long. So long that he slept in the Resident Interns room, because he couldn't get home. A housekeeper tiptoed in every hour to wipe everything down. Fortunately, he was not on her checklist. 

He ate in the cafeteria, on the first floor, where everything was prepackaged in cardboard-like containers, labelled with date and contents. Housekeepers buzzed like bees around a honey pot, cleaning surfaces and not letting garbage pile up. One day, mid shift while eating a hasty lunch, one of the housekeepers slowed then stopped at his table. He hesitated and then told him to go home, or “I'll have to take you out with the recycling.”

“Do I look that bad?” The housekeeper just shrugged and walked away, shaking his head. Jeremy pulled himself up from the table. Taking the elevator to the sixth floor, he found the doctor in charge of the Covid unit, chart in hand, walking toward a patient room. Expecting to be told to just go take a nap, his colleague just glanced at him and said “Get out of here, Jeremy. I need you as a doctor not a patient.” 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jeremy knew he could leave. There were no more Covid19 patients in the ICU. Those that were still in the hospital were recovering nicely. He didn’t need to be told third time. Jeremy left for the locker room, his colleague's last words echoing behind him. He showered thoroughly in hot soapy water before dressing in his own clothes. The only tooth brush he had, needed replacing but he swiped his teeth with it anyway. Breathing deeply of the early evening air, he sauntered to his car, which had sat untended for a week. At home, he took another thorough shower with hot soapy water. He again brushed his teeth with a proper tooth brush, scrubbing them free of hospital food. He put all his clothes in the special hamper he called his Covid Clothes, and drank two big glasses of water. He grabbed the lone apple from the refrigerator and bit into its crisp clean delicious flesh. In clean and fresh smelling pyjamas, Jeremy flopped on his bed, picked up his mail and started to flip through it. He yawned. “What’s this? A wedding invitation?” Stifling a second yawn he read it out loud James Edward Digby and Martha May Haverstock request the honour of your attendance on…………… his voice trailed off as his eyes belied his desire to read further. Jeremy was asleep, the invitation in his hand. The apple rolled on the floor. After an hour, Jeremy stirred, muttered unintelligibly and rolled over clutching for a blanket. The invitation fell between the sheets. In his sleep, Jeremy tried to cover himself from the cold, muttering something about ‘stupid housekeeper took my blanket’. All together he slept for twelve hours, only waking with the persistent ringing of his cell phone. He ignored it until it stopped ringing. He dozed. The phone rang again. He slurred aloud ‘If it’s the hospital I’m not answering.’ He lifted his cell phone and was suddenly awake - almost… “Emelina. Oh! Emelina!?” Jeremy sat up, rubbing his face with his free hand. “Hi….no you didn’t disturb me…..what is it? Anything wrong?”

“I did wake you up, didn’t I?” Although Jeremy tried to sound awake and together, Emelina heard the tiredness in his voice. She was in Hartley and hadn’t seen or heard from Jeremy since he’d been out at the Estate several weeks prior. She decided to check up on him. “Jeremy I’m coming over and I’m taking you to see Cook. Pack an overnight bag. Breakfast is at the Estate and she's expecting you.”

Jeremy looked around at the mess of his bed. He didn't have time to clean it all up and pack a bag. “I can drive out there myself, Emmie. I can be out there in an hour or so.” He knew it would take longer than that to do a proper job, but he was trying to buy himself more time. “You don’t need to bother………….” Emmie cut Jeremy off before he could finish his sentence.

“No. You are not driving out there yourself. You’ve been on your feet for at least two weeks. You’re exhausted and don’t need to be behind the wheel.” Emmie was firm and, for Emmie, almost maternal. Jeremy had been a good friend for many years. She really wanted to take care of him for Michael’s sake. Her husband, Michael, and Jeremy, met in University, and had been such good friends for many years. Now that Michael was gone, as well as Elaine, Jeremy’s wife, it was important that she take care of him. He had no other family or friends in the area. He had given his every waking minute to his patients, especially in this pandemic time. 

~~~~~

On the way out to the Estate, they talked about the upcoming wedding. It was to be quite a humble affair. To keep in line with the restrictions, only the residents and staff of the Estate would be coming and, of course, Jeremy. It was to be held outside under the spreading branches of the ancient redwood in the front yard. Emmie told Jeremy all the details of how Martha and James had ordered their wedding clothes through online shopping. Cook was to be maid of honour, Brigitte an attendant and Giles and Samuel the best man and usher. Joanie would give her mother away. Joanie’s children were all part of it too: Abby, the flower girl and Ben, the ring bearer. Emmie chattered on about all the arrangements. Jeremy tried hard to stay awake but kept dozing off. “I told you that you were too exhausted to drive, Jeremy.” Emmie glanced over at him - he was sound asleep. She whispered “The wedding is in just a few days.”

“It was hell to be so tired, and still care.”

~ Lois McMaster Bujold, Shards of Honour

**Authors note: beginning Friday, July 10, 2020 and for the next several days, my blog posts will be quite short and/or sporadic. I am making an exciting life change that requires my close attention and energy. My ability to write and post my blog will be temporarily impacted. Please bear with me.