Chapter One, Episode 147 - Promise - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

Revision to show, rather than tell, was my main task for this episode. It began with the very first paragraph. For someone falling asleep, the sentences were too 'sentence-y'. I don't know about you, but when I'm falling asleep thoughts come in fragments.

Another part of revision is rearranging sentences to improve the flow of the narrative. These sort of revisions were throughout this episode, including some wording changes.

A pleasant scene that needed, and was given, a lot of upgrading, I do believe I improved its readability.

Promise

The pillow was soft. The blankets warm. Emelina sank into the comfort of her sister’s bed, but sleep didn’t come easily. Awakened at three a.m.......a distress call from Jeremy.....arriving at Hartley General........a million questions .......someone had asked for her......Jeremy didn't have answers....didn't  see Mrs. Tyler.....only more questions.......thirty years crumpled and tossed away. Emmie cried, dozed fitfully, daylight squeezed through tightly pulled curtains......she was sixteen again.

~~~~~

The big window was smudged with fingers prints. Parents and grandparents that came to get just a glimpse of their newborn family member, touched the glass as though they could transmit their joy to the right baby. Emelina, in her fuzzy pink housecoat and fuzzy pink slippers, went everyday to see the baby. She was the third baby in the third row of bassinets. One of the nurses had pointed the swathed and tiny baby out to her. The name on the bassinet was Baby Eliot. Every day, Emelina would whisper, “I’ll find you someday.” But one day, when she looked for her little girl, she was no longer there. “Miss Eliot?” A nurse was at her shoulder. “The doctor wants to see you. He says you’re ready to go home.” Emelina looked at her without seeing her. “But my baby? She’s not there.”

~~~~~

Her eyes still closed, Emelina could hear someone moving around in another room. It didn’t feel like her own bed. She opened her eyes. The room, in semi darkness, was unfamiliar. She still had her clothes on. “Emmie? It’s Dez. Can I come in?” The bedroom door cracked open. Emmie remembered driving somewhere with Dez. A phone call from Jeremy? The hospital waiting room?  “Come in Dez. I don’t know where I am. I don’t know why I’m here. What time is it?” Dez pushed the door open with her foot, two cups of coffee in her hands. “It’s five o’clock in the evening, Em. You’ve been sleeping all day. Talking in your sleep a lot, but at least you slept. Here. Have some coffee. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starved, Dez.” Accepting the steaming hot coffee gratefully, Emelina took a careful sip. “Mmmmm, this coffee tastes good, thank you. I must look a mess. Sleeping in my clothes?” Emmie pulled the scrunchy out of her hair, tangled with stray strands and bunched up crookedly. Dez looked serious and worried about her big sister. “I managed to get your shoes and jacket off before you sent me away. Here, let me help you up.” After another sip of coffee, Emmie put it on the bedside table, standing stiffly. “Dez, I need a shower before I can think straight. Can I borrow some clean clothes from you?” 

~~~~~

While Emmie showered, Dez put quiet, slow jazz on to cut the silence of her apartment while she made soup and sandwiches for both of them. She set a bowl of fresh fruit on the table, lowered the heat under the soup and went into the living room. Thumbing through an outdated magazine while she waited, she was about to check on her sister, when the bathroom door opened. Dez called to her. “I’ve left you some clothes on the bed, Em. Supper’s ready. Just soup and sandwiches.” Dez put the magazine down and looked out her patio doors at the darkening evening. There was little wind to stir the branches below. Dez felt calmness surround her.

~~~~~

While they ate, there was no discussion of the trip to the hospital or the discoveries they had made there. “Soup’s good, Dez.”  Dez nodded. “It’s just regular tomato soup.” The slow jazz provided the evening with a gentle rhythm. “I called Digby and let him know you're in here with me. Do you want to stay tonight or should I drive you home?” Emmie finished her sandwich and last spoonful of soup. “I think I’d like to stay - if it’s all right - for a few days. Be close to the hospital.” Those were her sister's first words giving any indication that there was more thought about, than spoken. 

Emelina was no longer 16. Carrie was grown and had another life. What kind of life Emelina didn’t know. It didn’t matter. In her dreams, she remembered her promise. Awake, she remembered her dream. If Emelina and her daughter could have talked, she could have answered all her questions. That was not possible for now. Emelina knew it would take time, but she was willing to do what was necessary.

“I couldn’t keep you but I never left you either.”

~ Niharika Sah, Closure

Chapter One, Episode 146 - In a Whirl - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

When reviewing any episode, I look for any phrase or sentence that still has a stilted tone to them; too much telling about a picture rather than showing the reader the picture. True also for emotions, it is too easy for me to just say 'nervous' rather than the actions that show 'nervous' (i.e. tapping fingers, twirling a hank of hair, pulling on an earlobe). Of course the actions also need to fit the character's personality. The difficulty? It makes me stop and think! No headaches yet, but lots of looking up of words online or the old fashioned way - dictionary or thesaurus. (Online is easier). 

I reworked sentences in one or two places in this episode. All in all, a fairly good read.

In a Whirl

The feeling that home provided was indescribably comforting. Even if it had come in the form of her mother's cherished pieces of china or a quilt that her favourite aunt had made, or even her father's old tape measure. All these precious things were safe and treasured in her sister's little apartment. Emmie had let them all go. Glad that she had come to Dez’s apartment, she felt at home. 

~~~~~

But still, she could make no sense of it. Her mother had taken care of it all. Emmie and Michael had both been under legal age. In the 1960’s, legal charges could have been brought against Michael. Emmie could have been grounded for a very long time. Emmie pleaded with her mother. “I’ll find a doctor to take care of it, mom. Michael can get me the money. He’s going away to university and we’ll never see each other again. I don’t care about my life but you can’t ruin his!”  But by the time she had told her mother about the pregnancy, it was too late for any of these more drastic and dangerous solutions. In the end, her boyfriend was never told about the baby and she was shuttled away to her Aunt Leila’s on the mainland. Emmie had to go full term to deliver the baby. The baby was adopted. Emmie’s memories from that time were all in a jumble. She remembered her bitter sweet emotions when she walked past the nursery and saw all the babies. Did they all have parents? Was she really too young to be a mother? And now here she was. Confronted with all her old fears and turmoils. Dez watched as Emmie’s face went from worry to sadness and back to worry again. “Dez. What should I do? If she doesn’t have anyone like she says, where are they? Where is the family that adopted her? Didn’t they give her a loving home like mom told me they would? Raise her and make sure she had an education?” Emmie was so caught up in that unhappy and confusing part of her past that she had yet to realize that Carrie was a grown woman, possibly with children of her own somewhere. 

Dez stopped her before more unending questions poured out. “Let’s just take this one step at a time, little Em.” Dez used their father’s favourite name for his wayward daughter. “What happened then, happened. All of your life you’ve been avoiding this, haven’t you? I’ve watched you with Martha’s grandchildren. I’ve seen how you are with Joey. I’ve always wondered about that look you get of longing and tenderness when they are around. Now I think I know.”

Emmie’s phone jingled. She handed it to Dez and started into the kitchen. “Here Dez. You answer it. It’s Jeremy. I can’t talk to him right now.”

Dez gave Emmie a gentle nudge as she walked away. “Make some tea or something, Emmie”……“Jeremy? It’s Dez. Emmy says she can’t talk to you right now. Tell me something good, Jeremy. That this has all been a mistake and you’ve called to apologize to her for turning her world upside down.” 

Dez could hear Jeremy take a deep breath. “No Dez. It’s not a mistake. I’m about to get off shift, but I’m going in to see Mrs. Tyler before I leave. She’s much improved. I think she was seriously dehydrated when she came in and that made it look pretty bad for her. If she’s awake, what do I tell her? She did ask for Emelina before things went south on us.” Dez breathed out a heavy sigh. “Jeremy I don’t know, and Emmie doesn’t want to talk to you.” She hesitated. “Can you hang on for a minute? I’ll talk to her. If I’m not back in five minutes, hang up and I’ll call you back. Will you be in the hospital for a while?” 

~~~~~

Dez touched the hold button and set it down on the coffee table. She really didn’t want to get in the middle of this, but already was. Emmie came to her rescue when she needed her. Now it was her turn to rescue Emmie. “Emmie, Jeremy just wants you to know that Carrie is much better. He does want to know, if she wakes up and asks for you again, what to tell her. We can tell him that he should say he doesn’t know anything more. We can tell him to have a social worker deal with it all - and maybe we should anyway. We can tell him you’ve left the country.” Emmie could hear Dez talking but that wasn’t even making sense. “What? I should leave the country?” Dez was glad that she had finally gotten Emmie attention. “No, Emmie. I just said that to see if you were listening. Now, do you want to tell Jeremy anything?” The teakettle whistled, distracting them both. “I’ll make the tea. Tell Jeremy……tell Jeremy…..to contact the hospital social worker. They may already have done that.” Emmie, relying on her work in charities and at the shelter, knew that a social worker had to be called in. “That’s the way it needs to go. And tell Jeremy I want to see him. It doesn’t have to be today, but I need to talk to him. He wouldn’t know that Michael is the father, because they didn’t meet until they were both in university. That’s all I can think of right now. Can I sleep in your room, Dez?” Emmie left the tea steeping, touched Dez’s arm and walked absently into Dez’s bedroom. “I need to go to bed now.”

“Much unhappiness has come into the world 

because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.”

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

Chapter One, Episode 145 - Anticipation - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

The first couple of paragraphs were not too bad. Then, it's as though I just wasn't paying close enough attention for my final edit before posting this episode on Aug.20. Restructuring sentences with attention to over use of names and/or improper pronouns. Only one or two typo's.

To all the copy editors in the world of the written word, I salute you. What would our books be like if everyone was left to their own devices?

Anticipation

Where is the gap between 'seeing is believing' and one’s heart knowing immediately that there is always hope? When Dr. Crawford looked at all the numbers and graphs flashing across the machines that registered Mrs. Tyler’s condition, all his training said that there should be no hope. No hope that this woman would be a survivor. And yet in his heart, when he looked at her, he didn’t believe the machines. But she was so frail, her colour as white as the sheets she lay on, unable to breathe on her own. Each time he had this intuition, this gut feeling, he didn’t believe it. When Miss Green, Mrs. Tyler’s nurse, had tossed the words ‘Adoption Papers’ over her shoulder as she cared for Mrs. Tyler, Jeremy’s heart jolted. He had to be careful though. It could be they were for someone else at some other time. All of this, including Mrs. Tyler, could have nothing to do with Emelina but he had to find out before he made any phone calls. He thought all of this as he walked back to the nurses station, afraid of what he would find out. If it wasn’t what he hoped for, how would he be able to help Mrs. Tyler besides medically? If it was what he hoped for, he would have to contact Emelina and tell her. Tell her what? He looked up at the big industrial style clock - 2:15 am.  If he could get Mrs. Tyler through the night he could call Emmie in the morning. As soon as that thought filtered through his mind, he saw the emergency call light flashing from Mrs. Tyler’s room.

~~~~~

Dez and Emmie had ridden in silence most of the five miles into town. Almost as an aside that no one would answer, Emmie said “I wonder who she is and why she’s calling for me?” But Dez did answer her. “Your Dr. Crawford must know something that you don’t Emmie. He’ll tell you.” After that they were silent. Stars winked out of the fading night sky. Glowing red and gold, the early morning sun crept across the horizon awakening the sleeping city. Traffic at that early hour was light. It was just after 4:30 when they pulled into the hospital parking lot, almost empty of cars. By the Emergency department doors, an ambulance had just pulled in and was unloading a stretcher. One of the EMTs was holding up an intravenous bag as the stretcher, with its unrecognizable cargo, was steered into the ER by his partner. 

As Emmie got out of the SUV, she looked around for Jeremy. “He said he’d meet us at the front doors.” They couldn’t just run into the hospital. A security guard asked them why they were there and went through the usual questions about symptoms and travel. They could see Jeremy standing inside pacing and looking anxious. Before leaving the Covid19 unit, he had discarded the gown, mask and gloves he was wearing, donned a fresh mask and took the elevator to the main floor. The sisters were both given clean face masks at the hospital entrance. Emmie felt not only anxious, but fearful. She gripped Dez’s arm. It was good to feel her solidness. “Jeremy what’s going on?” Dez spoke up.” Yes Jeremy, why have you called us at this hour? With little explanation? Emmie is pretty worried and upset and I’m not impressed at all.”

~~~~~

Jeremy had already started shepherding them to the elevator. “I’m just grateful you’re both here. Emmie, you could have just hung up on me. Dez, you could have refused to come. I think that when you hear what I know of Mrs. Tyler’s story, you’ll understand why I called you.” While they riding up to the sixth floor, Jeremy went over all that had happened since he had come on shift. Getting report from the young doctor about patient’s numbers and conditions, talking with the nurses, making rounds and verifying Mrs. Tyler’s condition, answering the phone, staying with Mrs. Tyler for two hours trying to keep her alive, and finally returning to the nurses station. “That’s where this gets pretty sticky, Em.” He turned to her sister. “Dez, I am really glad you’re here.” The elevator stopped, its disembodied voice said “Sixth floor”; Jeremy ushered his friends into a dimly lit hallway, accompanying them to the Visitors Lounge. “I’ll be right back. I need to make sure I’m not needed and I have something I want you to see - to read. Dez, here’s some money for coffee. It’s just vending machine coffee but it’s not bad.” Jeremy disappeared into the shadowy corridor, a small, but distinct, green light over each patient's room, towards the more brightly lit nurses' station. 

“How is everything, Miss Green? Mrs. Tyler? Is she still stable?” The nurse gave him quick report. “Everyone is fine. I made rounds when you left the floor. Everyone is settled and yes, Mrs. Tyler is stable. I assume her visitors are here?” When Jeremy nodded she said “You go on to speak with them. I’ll call your pager if you’re needed.” Jeremy thanked her, picked up Mrs. Tyler’s paperwork and returned to the visitors room. He had thought long and hard about whether to show Emmie the papers, concerned about Mrs.Tyler’s confidentiality. But Mrs. Tyler had the picture of this young girl, with Emelina’s name on the back of it and Mrs. Tyler’s condition was precarious. Emmie paced the room. Dez played a game on her cell phone.

Jeremy's voice broke the silence as he stepped back into the Visitor's Lounge. “We can talk now. Everything is quiet. Mrs. Tyler - that ’s the woman I’ve called out about - is sleeping. She had taken a bad turn, but is settled right now.” Sitting down in one of orange chairs lining the room, he decided to dive right in. “Emmie, do you recognize the name Carrie Tyler?” She stopped pacing and looked at Jeremy, “I’m sorry Jeremy, what was it you said? - Carrie Tyler? No, I’ve never heard that name before.”

Jeremy sat down, the adoption papers, secured in a ziplock bag on his lap. “Why did I call you? Because I think you are related to her, but I’m not sure. I have a hard question to ask you, Em. If you don’t want to answer it, you don’t have to. If you think I’m out of line, you can leave and never speak to me again. But hear me out.” Jeremy leaned forward, looked up at his friend standing in front of him, He took her hands in his. “Emmie, were you ever pregnant?” Sitting suddenly back in his chair, he shook his head. “Damn. This is none of my business, but she has a picture with your name on it, Em.” 

Dez stood up forcefully. “Come on Emmie, let’s go. He’s right. It is none of his business, picture or no picture.” Emelina held up her hand. “No Dez. In this situation, it is his business. If this woman is close to death, she deserves to be heard. Jeremy, what are those papers you’re protecting?” Frustrated, but curious, Dez sat back down. Softly Jeremy said “They’re adoption papers, Em.”

“Can I see her, Jeremy?” Emelina could barely speak. “If not right now because of her condition, we’ll just stay here - well, I’ll just stay here. Dez, here are the keys. You take the SUV and go back to the house if you want. I’m staying until she’s awake. But she may be too ill to deal with this right now?” Her sister took the keys, but didn’t move. “I’m not going anywhere, Em. Jeremy, how long can we stay up here?” The doctor's pager went off. “I have to go see what’s needed and I’ll let you know, but you may have to leave soon. You're not officially family members. I overstepped my bounds by bringing you up here. I’ll send one of the nurses in.” And he was gone taking the package of adoption papers with him.

Within minutes, one of the nurses came in to the room. “I can’t stay to explain, but you will have to leave now. Dr. Crawford has your phone number and will call you as soon as he can.” Quickly, Dez spoke up “Tell him that we will be staying in town at Dez’s apartment.” The words barely our of her mouth, the nurse was gone. “Come on, Emmie. Let’s go to my place. You can stay with me as long as you need to ’til you find out what you can do for this Carrie Tyler.” Emmie reached for the keys but Dez just said. “I’m driving. You look like you wouldn’t be that focussed at the wheel.”

“Being supportive often means waiting and listening and 

more waiting until you’re better able to understand the drama.”

~ Fred Rogers

Chapter One, Episode 144 - Another Step Forward - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

This episode interested me. As I began my review, it almost felt like a repeat of yesterday's Review. As I continued reading it, this episode was the scene from the other side of the telephone call between Emelina and Jeremy from the yesterday's Review; rather like hearing two opinions about the same issue. 

Because I am so late today with this, I was pleased that there were only a few typographical errors to fix in this episode.

Another Step Forward

It is easy to deny and not see the effects of something tragic if we don’t see the tragedy in front of our eyes.We could stay closed up in our homes and not allow anything tragic to enter our lives. Jeremy could talk himself hoarse, and did many times, about the precautions against Covid19. He hoped desperately that it wasn't quite so easy to deny this global viral reality. However, even Jeremy had felt that denial when he was away from the hospital, when he was out at the beautiful green Beaufort Estate, when he and Emmie were walking on the wide open beach, wading barefoot in the lapping cool water. He just wanted to deny it all. Like he had when Elaine died. It hadn’t worked then and it wasn’t working now. As a physician, he could not, in good conscience, walk away from the hospital and his patients. He had closed his private practice so he could work shifts at the hospital. Before the pandemic, he was able to keep up with both. He limited his private practice to only those that had been with him from years He accepted no new patients and felt guilty about that. But Jeremy wasn’t getting any younger and had to take care of himself, so with sadness he let go of a practice of 25 years so he could give the hospital more of his time.

Starting his shift at 11pm, he was given hand-off report from the young physician that evening who was anxious to get off on his date. He tried to get him to work the earlier part of his shift as well, but Jeremy said a firm no. One extra single night shift was enough, not a double shift. On this Covid unit, it was a fairly standard group of patients. The nursing complement was barely adequate for the patient load. Fortunately, most of the patients were almost ready for discharge, two were still quite ill with Covid19, but were out of danger. One woman, just admitted from Emergency, should have been in ICU, but there were no beds available. She would be on a portable respirator until a bed came free. He spoke quietly to the nurse who was caring for her. She told him of the patients anxiety about an old photo she had with her. When he went in to see this woman, he saw the picture pinned to her pillow. The girl in the picture looked very familiar. But it couldn’t be. The woman’s eyes fluttered open, she reached up and touched the picture, making certain it was still there. “Hello, Mrs. Tyler.” He glanced quickly at her hospital ID band. “My name is Dr. Crawford. I’m the doctor on call tonight for this unit. The nurses and I will be taking care of you. The nurse told me you want that photo to stay close.” Mrs. Tyler nodded weakly, a tear drained onto the pillow. “We’ll make sure it stays pinned and close. I’ll let you get some rest but will be back to check on you shortly.”

Mrs. Tyler’s nurse was finished preparing the patient’s medications and was just leaving the nurses’ station. “Before you go to Mrs.Tyler, did you get a name for the girl in the picture? Was she able to tell you who it was or if the girl was family?” Monica Green, the RN in charge of the unit and of Mrs. Tyler, set the medication tray down and picked up her chart. “I wrote the name on a card and put it in the front of the chart. Her name is……let me see….oh, yes, here is it. An Emelina Eliot.” Jeremy paled. “Are you all right, Dr. Crawford? It’s just an old photo, quite worn. There was no other information on it and we had to intubate her right away. It’s probably just a picture she picked up somewhere.” Monica picked up her tray and excused herself, getting on with her shift. 

Dr. Jeremy Crawford looked up at the clock. It was well past midnight so, gowned, gloved and masked, he set about on his rounds. Most patients were sleeping soundly, some a bit restless but in general the unit was quiet. Miss Green was still in with Mrs. Tyler so he just passed by the room. Returning to the nurses’ station, Jeremy sat down and, for the next hour, went through all the patient’s charts, reading medical histories, most recent nursing notes, and skimming the vital signs flow charts as well as previous physician’s orders. There was little on Mrs. Tyler’s chart except since her admission to Emergency. She had not been in Hartley long and this was her first admission to Hartley General. He put all the charts away, then stood in the centre of the nurses’ station, hands at his side, wondering how he could learn more about this Mrs.Tyler and the mysterious photo of a young girl that looked so familiar. Her belongings. I need to check her belongings.The phone rang. Jeremy looked around for a nurse or other staff member. When no one was in sight, he picked it up. “Dr. Crawford - Covid unit. Can I help?”  A very elderly voice on the other end of the line said “Oh, good. A doctor. Finally. I want to ask you about my wife - that’s Mrs. Webster in Room 642.” Jeremy saw one of the other nurses coming. He put his hand over the phone and whispered…..”It seems to be Mr. Webster asking about his wife. Can you  take this call, please? I don’t know how she’s been……..” Taking his hand away from the phone he said “Mr. Webster, I’m going to have you speak with one of the nurses while I look at your wife’s chart.” He quickly passed the phone to the nurse, hoping it was Mrs. Webster’s nurse.

“Webster, Webster…..here it is.” Jeremy picked up her chart to review it again. Once he had done so, he was about to tell the nurse he could speak with the old gentleman, but she was hanging up the phone. “It’s all right Dr. Crawford. He calls every night before he goes to bed. He’s quite a night owl. I’m Jennifer Cartwright. I don’t think we’ve met. Excuse me, but I have to get that bell. Mr. Smith in 639. He’s been a sick sick man, but he’s almost ready for discharge. Getting quite nervous about it.”  And she was gone. Now, where was he? Mrs.Tyler and her belongings. Who is she and why does she have a picture of an Emelina Eliot? 

~~~~~

Mrs. Tyler’s condition was very poor and was deteriorating. Jeremy was at her bedside for the better part of the next two hours. He muttered between clenched teeth…. “She should be in ICU. I don’t have the right equipment and medications here.” Miss Green came in. “Here Dr. Crawford I’ll take over. Go to the nurses station and sit down for a few minutes. I found some paper work in Mrs. Tyler’s belongings. Take a look at those while you’re taking a breather.” Through his tiredness, Jeremy got excited. “Thank you, Miss Green - I’ll do as I’m told and sit down. I'll take a look at the papers to see if there’s anything there - thank you.”  Miss Green looked up from checking an intravenous site in Mrs.Tyler's arm. Over her shoulder she said. “I think one of the papers said something about ‘adoption’.

“We must leave this terrifying place to-morrow 

and go searching for sunshine.”

~ F.Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter One, Episode 143 - In Passing - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

When introducing a new character, it is strongly suggested that there must be some connection to past events. In this episode, we don't really know where all the connections are, creating questions to be answered and a mystery to be solved. Future episodes will tell the readers if the writer stepped up to that challenge. 

For this revision, the biggest issues were pronouns. Names repeated too often, sentences restructured so that not every sentence begins with a pronoun. Word crafting about these details has created, I hope for my readers, a more interesting read.

In Passing

The phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Her arm stretched from under the covers, hand pawing her nightstand feeling for her cell phone. The green digital display on her radio said 3:30 am. Groaning, Emmie closed her eyes. Finally finding her phone, she pulled it into the covers and squinted at the call display. Jeremy Crawford. She was suddenly wide awake. Jeremy? Why is he calling at this hour?……… “Jeremy? What’s wrong? What is it?” From the depths of the phone, she heard Jeremy saying something. “What?” Emmie sat up. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Please, Jeremy. Tell me again. She asked for me?” 

Jeremy hesitated. “Emelina, just come to the hospital. I know it’s late and I woke you, but this young woman may not have that much longer. She doesn’t have anyone else.” Emmie was up at her dressing table. “Jeremy, I have to wake Dez. She’s staying overnight. Can I bring her with me?” Emmie’s mind had gone immediately back to another middle of the night call when she was reunited with Dez. When she realized it was Jeremy, her mind cleared. Quickly, she decided to get to the hospital. The name that Jeremy told her was unfamiliar, but thought it was probably one of the poor homeless people from the shelter where she had volunteered. Always too many young women, aged beyond their years. Too often they didn’t have anyone. “Yes, Em - but just Dez. We can only allow two visitors in at any one time. I’ll meet you at the front doors of the hospital.” Jeremy was relieved. 

It was only by accident that Dr. Crawford was on duty. He and one of the younger doctors had traded shifts. Something about a hot date that the young man couldn’t cancel? He gave Jeremy a quick report on the patients on their assigned Covid ward. Many of the them were almost ready for discharge. Some were still unwell, but were recovering. One woman, admitted from Emergency that evening, was to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit as soon as a bed was available. For now, she was on a portable respirator - not the most effective - but the best the medical staff could do. There had been a spike in Covid19 cases, making the workload heavy and the exhaustion of the staff great. Before the young woman was sedated and on the respirator she pulled out a scratched and torn photograph. On the back, in faded ink was the name Emelina Eliot. She became more agitated when the nursing staff tried to take it from her. They finally pinned it to her pillow. She settled and slept fitfully, struggling to breathe. When Jeremy heard the name, he hadn’t known what to do or if he should do anything. Finally, all he could do was call Emelina.

~~~~~

“Dez.” Emelina knocked lightly on her sister’s door, hoping to wake her gently, “Dez. I’m coming in. Wake up.”  Rolling over, she turned away from her sister's intrusion. Reaching the bedside, Emmie turned on the brass and silk shaded lamp. Dez pulled her duvet over her eyes. “What time is it, Em? Why do I have to wake up? Did you have a bad dream?” Dez turned back, rubbing her eyes. “Why are you all dressed? It’s…….” She squinted at her watch…….. “ almost four o’clock in the morning.” Dez sat up on her elbows. Not quite wide awake, she was curious and not in a good mood. “Dez, I’ll tell you while you get dressed.” Emmie took her sister’s arm and pulled her up. She got her clothes from the chair where they had been tossed and started to help her sister get out of her pyjamas. “Emmie! What are you doing? I can do it myself. Just tell me what’s going on.” Relieved that Dez was finally up, Emmie sat down in the overstuffed chair by the window. “Ok, I’ll try to make sense of it. I just got a call from Jeremy at the hospital. There’s a young woman there who wants to see me. She probably is positive for the virus - well they don’t have the tests back yet but she's so sick she may not have long left. She’s been very agitated and has asked for me by name. I don’t recognize the name she gave. She’s probably from the shelter.” By this time, Dez was almost dressed, but stopped with Emmie’s last words about the shelter. “Emmie you woke me up out of a sound sleep to ask me to visit someone you don’t even know, that may be from the shelter who is infected with the virus and it’s 4a.m? I’m going back to bed - in my clothes.” And she headed back to bed. “No, Dez. Please. I don’t know why but I have to see this young woman. Jeremy says she looks like she’s been on the street for a long time and doesn’t have anyone.” The sincerity of Emmie’s pleading was enough for Dez to acquiesce. “We have to take time to make coffee and grab something to eat.” Dez tied her trainers and was out the door before Emmie could say anything more. She hastily followed her sister downstairs. Sandwiches, prepared for lunch the next day, were a very strange breakfast at a very strange hour. Coffee in travel mugs for each of them, they set out for Hartley General Hospital. In the stillness of their drive into town, Emmie and Dez had the same thought There must be something more to this for Jeremy to call at this hour.

“Every solution to every problem is simple. 

It’s the distance between the two where the mystery lies.”

~ Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant

Chapter One, Episode 142 - A Letter to Lily - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update

Before reviewing an episode, I always look at the word count to see how much time I might need to set aside. This one looked like it may take some time. There were over 1200 words to go through. From the title I knew I would be reading Elizabeth's letter to her sister, but forgot that I had merely taken dictation from her. I did correct a couple of misspellings (don't tell on me), but didn't dare change anything else. 

A Letter to Lily

Some of us still write letters. ‘Snail mail’ is what people have called it since the postal pace was slowed by the advent of email. Mary Elizabeth Saunders, on Vancouver Island, and her sister Lily (Lillian Henrietta Saunders), in England, also part of an island, had been exchanging letters for many years. Friends and family alike had insisted that email was much better. Faster and easier, but the sisters liked to hand write their letters. Part of the ritual was folding the letter, whether one page or three pages, so it fit in an envelope. ‘Sealing with a kiss’ was what they each said when they licked the seal for the envelope. They missed each other but knew that their separate lives were right for each of them. Choosing a stamp - local flowers was the most popular and at Christmas and Easter, the stamps were poinsettias or lilies. For these two sisters, writing a letter was not just the words that they wrote but the care they took in creating a lovely little packet.

~~~~~

The kitchen was still awfully quiet. Martha and James had returned from their honeymoon and were catching up on how the household had managed without them. Martha did have time to tell Elizabeth, almost all the details of their honeymoon. Elizabeth was pretty certain sure she would get more interesting details as time went on but for now, she respected both Martha’s and James’ privacy. It was time to write a letter to her sister, Lily. She hadn’t written for a several weeks, since before the wedding in mid July. She had had one letter from her since, talking mostly about her new grandson who was growing fast. There wasn’t much else to tell except pandemic restrictions in England were not much different than on the Island.

Dearest Lily, 

Thank you for your last letter. It sounds like little Clayton is growing like a weed. Thank you for the new picture of Clayton with his proud grandpa. I was right about Charlie being all proud - the look on his face told it all. And you? Are you the proud and happy grandma I think you are? The two of you didn’t think you would have any grandchildren, but here you are with little Clayton. Babies come along when any of us least expects it.

You may not have much else to tell, but I can make up with all my news. My goodness, the changes around here almost makes my head spin. If it wasn’t for Samuel - I’ve told you about him before, he’s the gardener - I think I would be a little crazy by now. Martha and James are now Mr. and Mrs. When they got back from their little honeymoon, they just moved right into their cottage. They had it all ready - furniture, dishes, drapes, everything. Martha has a renter for her place - Brigitte Smithson - but I’ll tell you more about her later. I don’t know anything about what James is doing with his house - selling it or renting it. But, they did have a lovely, lovely wedding. Everything went perfectly, even the weather cooperated although if the rains had come down, Miss Emelina - that’s Mrs. Beaufort - said we’d move the whole wedding and reception to the Upstairs. Can you imagine that? Old Mrs.Beaufort never would have allowed ‘the help’ to get married on the front lawn and would have had a stroke letting the wedding be held in the Upstairs. She was such so strict about keeping the Upstairs and Downstairs separate. I’m sure glad that’s done with, thanks to Miss Emelina. 

There’s another change because of Miss Emelina. Remember me telling you about the young woman that was the upstairs cleaner and a kind of nursemaid to Miss Emelina when she was down so hard in her sadness? Miss Emelina has got so healthy that she has Brigitte Smithson - that’s the cleaner/nursemaid - be her Personal Secretary! So she hasn’t any time to clean properly. Lily, I went upstairs one day to put away some of the fancier china and there was dust on everything. The floor hadn’t been swept since I don’t know when. When I asked Brigitte about it, she was almost in tears about it. Well, I told her to ask Miss Emelina to hire someone to help her out. And she did! Those two always have their heads together about what I don’t know, but not long after, James (that’s Digby the butler) hired somebody. Seems Brigitte knew of a young man that needed a summer job. Only sixteen years old and the nicest young man you ever want to meet. And that’s not all - Joey Tucker’s his name - this young man heard Miss Emelina talking about a little garden and he asked if he could take care of it. So rides his bike the five miles out from Hartley, cleans all the upstairs spotless, has some lunch - I always make sure he eats a good lunch - and then goes out to the garden. He and Samuel get along just fine and Samuel teaches him all about gardening. Well, I’ll just bet you think that’s enough. Only a couple of days ago, Miss Dez - that’s Miss Emelina’s sister - needed help in the orchard. Some of the apples are ready to pick and she was all in tizzy about how she was going to do it all. Samuel just told her to ask if someone could be hired. And who do you think got the job? Joey. And his friend from town. They’ve got a lot to learn but, I’ll be getting apples more regular this year.

And the best thing I want to tell you is about Samuel. We’ve known each other for years and become good friends. I make sure he has a good lunch when he’s working so hard in the garden. All the vegetables he grows and brings me, he deserves a good meal. He comes up for coffee and a bite of cake in the middle of the morning. Starts out in that garden with the birds. Don’t know how he does it. One day, a long time ago, I noticed his shirt was missing a couple of buttons. I told him to give me the shirt and I’d fix it for him. I washed it and sewed new buttons on. I just told him to bring me his laundry and I’d do it while I was at work. I didn’t ask Digby or Martha if it was alright, but nobody has ever said anything about it so I just keep on. But that’s not the best thing. One evening - this was a few day after the wedding -  I was at home alone as usual and there was a knock at the door. Nobody ever comes to my door, so I got out my rolling pin and was ready to defend myself. But it was Samuel! He was all dressed up in his clothes from Martha and James' wedding and looking so good, I barely recognized him. He took me out for supper at the beach! We had hamburgers and sat and talked all evening.

This old Beaufort place I thought was on it’s last legs, has perked up and is busy, busy. That Covid virus has made life awful bad for a lot of people, but thanks be, we’ve not been touched except for some annoying restrictions, wearing some masks and keeping our hands clean. Lots better than what too many folks have to deal with. 

That’s about all, Lily. 

You and Charlie and that little grandson stay well,

And the rest of your family,

All my love,

Elizabeth

“Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.”

~ Lord Byron