"Miss Ingersoll? Are you here?" Josh was supposed to be
at work but he had stopped by Miss Ingersoll's house on his way
from school. He wanted to show her the final draft of his essay, the
draft that had earned him an A+. Sure, he knew he was vain. But
his successes gave her pleasure too. So why not?
"Miss Ingersoll? It's Josh. I just wanted to say hi."
Her Thunderbird was in the driveway and the door to the house
was unlocked.
Josh looked in her kitchen. Everything was neat and in
its place. Why was he anxious? Her tea cup was sitting on the
counter just waiting for her.
That was it. It looked as if no one had been in the kitchen
all day. She should have a pot of tea on the table, and rinsed
dishes beside the sink. Josh went out into the hall.
"Miss Ingersoll? Where are you?" He opened the door
to the living room but it was empty. He looked at the stairs.
Josh had never been upstairs in this house even though
he had been doing chores here for a couple of months. The
broad stairs looked dark as they curved away forever. He put a foot
on the first step, then took it off.
"Miss Ingersoll? Are you up there? Shall I come up?"
Was that a sound? Part of him wanted to flee, but he knew that
he needed to go up the stairs. He made his footsteps loud as he
slowly moved upward. "Miss Ingersoll?"
A nightlight shone by a small table. Josh moved
deliberately across the hall to a door that stood partly open. "Miss
Ingersoll? I'm looking for you. It's me, Josh."
"Josh?" A faint noise came from the darkened room. Had
he heard his name, or only a rustling of wind? He pushed the
door open and realized he was looking into a bedroom. The
curtains were drawn but Josh could see a bed and someone lying in it.
"Come in, Josh. I knew you would find me. I wasn't
worried for a minute." Her voice was barely audible.
Josh rushed to the side of the bed. Miss Ingersoll lay in
the gloom. Her breathing was troubled. He stood staring at her.
Now that he had found her, he felt odd standing by her bed.
"Miss Ingersoll, are you all right? Maybe you're
napping. I'll go."
"No, Josh. I need you. I haven't been up all day. I
couldn't get out of bed this morning and I've just been feeling weaker
and weaker as the day's gone on. Will you bring me some juice?
Maybe a little apple juice will make me feel better."
"Sure, I. . . . Should I call a doctor? Or an ambulance?
Or get you some medicine? I don't know what to do."
"Some juice will be fine. I just have some chills. Bring me
a glass of something cold. There's a dear." She tried to reach for
his hand.
"Yeah, right. I'll get you some juice." Josh went back
down the stairs and opened the refrigerator. A bottle half full of
apple juice and an empty jar labeled prunes were all that were there.
He picked up the juice and found a glass.
All he was going to do is bring the juice upstairs and then
be off to work? Something's not right about that. Josh realized
he didn't understand what was happening. He picked up the phone
and dialed his own number.
"Mom? Mom, I'm at Miss Ingersoll's house, and
Mom, Mom, she's not well. I think, I don't know what to do. What
should I do, Mom?" Josh listened and nodded. He hung up the phone
and brought the juice upstairs.
"Put it on the table, dear. I'll drink it later. You could just
sit with me for a few minutes, if you would. And then you can be
off to work."
Josh pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat. He
couldn't think of anything to say, anything that wouldn't expose his fear.
"Just stay for a minute. Here, hold my hand and tell
me what you did in school today."
Josh reached for her hand. It felt cold and dry, like. . . .
Like death! Josh stared at the frail body. It barely made a mound
under the covers. Josh had never realized before how old Miss
Ingersoll was.
"Now, relax, Josh. Don't look at me like that." He
jumped, startled. How had she known his thoughts? "I'm not going to
die, not now. Oh, I suppose I will some day soon, but not right now.
I still have to take a trip with Holly and your mother. We're all
going up to Quebec City this summer. Did you know that? So I can't
die today. We already have the reservations! No, no. I'll be fine.
You run along to work and leave me here."
Josh heard a car outside, and then a noise downstairs.
Good old Mom. His mother burst through the door and surveyed
the room. She came to the opposite side of the bed and put her hand
on Miss Ingersoll's forehead.
"Oh, my goodness, Mildred. How long have you had
this fever? Josh, what has she had to drink today?" As his mother
took charge, Josh felt reassured.
"She just asked for that juice but she hasn't touched it.
I don't think she's been downstairs today. Is she all right?"
"Well, she's got a fever, and may be dehydrated.
Mildred? Did you have any supper yesterday? What was the last thing
you had to eat?" Josh thought his mother was speaking too loudly,
too carefully. Miss Ingersoll didn't need to be treated like that. Did she?
"Oh, my dear. Sarah. It's so good to see you. Did Josh
call you? He didn't need to do that. Just close the curtains on your
way out and let me sleep. I'll be fine. Let's all have lunch tomorrow.
I'll treat." She smiled, but her head didn't move on the pillow.
"Josh." His mother was whispering. "Go downstairs and
call Gramps. Tell him to find Dr. Levine and bring him here."
"Mom?" Josh felt himself getting weak.
"Go. Here, Miss Ingersoll. Let's see if you can drink
some of this juice."
Josh stared at the phone. He was trying to suppress
the wave of panic that was gripping his stomach. He dialled slowly.
"Gramps?"
"Who? What number you calling?"
"Whoops. Sorry, wrong number." Josh stared at the
receiver as he pushed down the cradle on the phone. Carefully, number
by number, he spun the dial again. This time his grandfather answered.
"Sure, Josh. Jack just came home a few minutes ago. I
can see his car in his driveway. What's the problem? What should I
tell him?"
"Just tell him Miss Ingersoll needs him. Tell him to
come, please." Josh felt tears welling up in his eyes. He was glad
his grandfather didn't ask any more questions. He put the phone
down and sat on the chair. What could he do? How could he help? He
felt frozen, unable to move. He was still there when his
grandfather came to the door.
"Hello. Hello, anyone in there?"
"Hi, Gramps." Josh could move again. He opened the door.
"Hi, Josh. Dr. Levine is here. What's the problem?"
"Upstairs. Mom is upstairs with Miss Ingersoll.
She's real. . . . She needs. . . . I. . . . Mom said to get the doctor."
"Lead the way, Josh." Dr. Levine had moved forward.
He had a black leather bag with him. Like something out of an
old movie.
"Around here, Doc, and up the stairs. Follow me."
Josh turned the light on and went up the stairs two at a time. When
he reached the door to the bedroom, he pushed it back against the
wall and flipped the light switch.
"Doctor Levine is here, Miss Ingersoll. Everything's
going to be all right." Josh tried to believe what he was saying.
"Oh, my. Do we need that light? Why is the doctor here?
Is someone sick?"
"I just stopped by to see you, talk with you." Dr.
Levine moved to the side of the bed.
"A lot of foolishness for a sleepy old lady. You all just
go downstairs and I'll make some tea."
"Let me look at you, Mildred. I'll just poke around with
my stethoscope for a few minutes. Uh, huh. Breathe deeply for me.
Uh, huh. Now, can you sit up so I can reach your back? No. Uh, huh."
"Doc? Doc, is she all right?" The poking and grunting of
the doctor was unnerving.
"Oh, she's fine. You're a tough bird, Mildred. What did
you have to eat today?" Dr. Levine had put his face directly in front
of Miss Ingersoll but she only smiled weakly.
"I don't think she's been out of bed today, Doc. I
don't know about yesterday. I didn't stop by. I was here two, no
three days ago, and she was fine." Josh was panicking. Why hadn't
he stopped by yesterday? Why did he only come by once or twice
a week?
"Well, I tell you what, Mildred. You've got a bad cold
and you're dehydrated. I'm going to take you to the hospital and
have them pump some saline solution into you. It will perk you right
up. And in a couple of days you should be fine. Fit as a fiddle."
Levine snapped his bag shut.
"It seems silly." Miss Ingersoll was trying to move as
she talked but the effort was too much. "I'm fine right here. But
you boys leave me alone and let Sarah help me get ready. I'll be down
in a minute. Well, now wait. I can't sit up. Jack? Jack, what's
wrong with me?" Josh felt his stomach twisting again.
"You're fine, Mildred. Just lie there and we'll take care
of you. Your job now is to relax and let us help you. Come with
me, Josh."
Josh and the doctor went back down the stairs to the
telephone.
"I'm going to call the ambulance, Josh. I want you to
wait out front for them and have them bring their gurney upstairs.
No emergency. Just be helpful. And Josh. Don't panic. I don't want
to have you carted away as well. Go out on the front porch
and breathe some of that spring air. Just relax. Think nice
thoughts. You're graduating soon, I think. Think about that, about life
after high school. I'll be upstairs. Everything's going to be fine."
