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Chapter XXXVII
Chapter XXXVII
Maria couldn’t stop praying – as if the thoughts in her head had a will of their own. She finished her chores as quickly as possible, then ran back to Johanna’s room to peek in through the doorway to see how she was doing. Maria didn’t dare actually walk in – in case Dr. Heckleweit was there. She’d been told to stay away. Disobeying orders, thought Maria. Guilt came easily to her. She slowed to a walk and softly pushed at Johanna’s door. Maria practiced what she’d say to the doctor. “I’m so sorry, Doctor. I think I might have left an earring in here.” She wasn’t good at telling effective fibs. But Dr. Heckleweit was no longer in the room. Maria looked at Johanna’s monitor. So little movement! Only a few shallow blips to show that any life remained. Why wasn’t someone here? Where was the doctor? He said he was going to stay with Johanna. Terrified, she reached for the button to call Code Blue – a patient in crisis, but she held back. She wasn’t supposed to be in the room.
Just then, two men in smocks opened the door startling Maria. She wheeled around. The larger man spoke. “We understood that the patient in this room has passed.” And they entered with a stretcher to take the remains.
“But…” Maria wasn’t sure what to do. “But she’s not dead.”
The man grabbed Johanna’s wrist and felt for a pulse. “Close enough for government work,” he said, and he elbowed Maria out of the way and unhooked the I. V. drip and monitors.
Maria felt so very small and inadequate. “Into your hands, oh Lord, I commend her spirit,” she said, then made the sign of the cross over Johanna. She watched the men roll Johanna’s body onto a stretcher. “What will you do with her,” Maria asked softly.
“According to Dr. Heckleweit, she doesn’t have any family so the institute will dispose of the body. There’s a small crematorium about thirty miles away from here.” He nodded towards his partner. “We’ll take the body as far as our morgue. As soon as someone has to drive into town, they’ll take the body the rest of the way.”
“May I come with you?” She asked. “Johanna was my first patient here.”
“Suit yourself,” he said. “I’m Stanley. My partner here is Vince.”
They wheeled Johanna’s body into a waiting van, and drove about a mile down an overgrown path to a metal Quonset hut about thirty feet in length. The men had to pull hard to get the door to open, and, when it did, the creaking groan made Maria jump. Inside, dust, spider webs, and mouse droppings littered the floor. Maria’s eyes adjusted slowly. The only light came from two tiny windows on the right wall. Here and there a Styrofoam cup or a candy wrapper gave evidence that humans had also used the shed. Then she blinked as Vince flipped a switch to turn on a naked light bulb that dangled in the center of the shed.
Chapter XXXVII
Chapter XXXVII
Maria couldn’t stop praying – as if the thoughts in her head had a will of their own. She finished her chores as quickly as possible, then ran back to Johanna’s room to peek in through the doorway to see how she was doing. Maria didn’t dare actually walk in – in case Dr. Heckleweit was there. She’d been told to stay away. Disobeying orders, thought Maria. Guilt came easily to her. She slowed to a walk and softly pushed at Johanna’s door. Maria practiced what she’d say to the doctor. “I’m so sorry, Doctor. I think I might have left an earring in here.” She wasn’t good at telling effective fibs. But Dr. Heckleweit was no longer in the room. Maria looked at Johanna’s monitor. So little movement! Only a few shallow blips to show that any life remained. Why wasn’t someone here? Where was the doctor? He said he was going to stay with Johanna. Terrified, she reached for the button to call Code Blue – a patient in crisis, but she held back. She wasn’t supposed to be in the room.
Just then, two men in smocks opened the door startling Maria. She wheeled around. The larger man spoke. “We understood that the patient in this room has passed.” And they entered with a stretcher to take the remains.
“But…” Maria wasn’t sure what to do. “But she’s not dead.”
The man grabbed Johanna’s wrist and felt for a pulse. “Close enough for government work,” he said, and he elbowed Maria out of the way and unhooked the I. V. drip and monitors.
Maria felt so very small and inadequate. “Into your hands, oh Lord, I commend her spirit,” she said, then made the sign of the cross over Johanna. She watched the men roll Johanna’s body onto a stretcher. “What will you do with her,” Maria asked softly.
“According to Dr. Heckleweit, she doesn’t have any family so the institute will dispose of the body. There’s a small crematorium about thirty miles away from here.” He nodded towards his partner. “We’ll take the body as far as our morgue. As soon as someone has to drive into town, they’ll take the body the rest of the way.”
“May I come with you?” She asked. “Johanna was my first patient here.”
“Suit yourself,” he said. “I’m Stanley. My partner here is Vince.”
They wheeled Johanna’s body into a waiting van, and drove about a mile down an overgrown path to a metal Quonset hut about thirty feet in length. The men had to pull hard to get the door to open, and, when it did, the creaking groan made Maria jump. Inside, dust, spider webs, and mouse droppings littered the floor. Maria’s eyes adjusted slowly. The only light came from two tiny windows on the right wall. Here and there a Styrofoam cup or a candy wrapper gave evidence that humans had also used the shed. Then she blinked as Vince flipped a switch to turn on a naked light bulb that dangled in the center of the shed.
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