The Spia Family Presses On - By Mary Leo Page 0,60

up alongside of me. “Do you want me to phone anyone, dear?”

Jade shook her head then gave it a second thought. “You might call Dickey for me.”

All family members within earshot of that little statement backed off, except my mom. She leaned in closer to Jade and said, “Now’s probably not a good time.”

Jade’s forehead furrowed. “I tried to get him a couple times on his cell, but the call went straight to voice mail. Would you please call the Jack London Tavern in Glen Ellen and see if he’s there? It would be nice if he could come and get me, ya know?”

Mom patted her hand. “I’ll see what I can do.”

After that little reality reminder my family did their thing and let the ER staff do their thing. Even Leo let go of my hand and I wondered if someone had told him about Dickey.

But I immediately thought better of it. He wasn’t family. Murder would never go beyond family.

As it turned out Jade had a nasty looking bump on her forehead, which required an MRI, and I had somehow managed to wrench my left shoulder, which required a CT scan. Fortunately, for us both there was no major internal damage, just some superficial bruising that would heal in a week or so. A shot of something took care of my shoulder pain, and Jade was told that her bump would probably turn a bit yellow and blue, but wouldn’t leave any kind of scar.

Jade and I were released with a “To Do” list, and pain medication prescriptions from the doctor, but Lisa remained behind a curtain somewhere. Most of my family, except for my mom and Aunt Babe, left when they learned all was well. Leo offered to blow off the rest of his day and spend it with me, which was something he would never have done in the past, but I didn’t want him around. Way too much to discuss with Lisa.

After much discussion, and his mini-conference with the doctors on top of the millionth assurance that I was fine, he agreed to let me go home and rest. We would catch up at the Martini Madness Ball the following night, my first Martini Madness Ball in over two years. I was hoping to come out of it in one sober piece.

Once he was gone, and my mom and Aunt Babe went off to scope out the recently upgraded gift shop, and to fill my prescription for pain meds, my focus went to Lisa. I hadn’t seen her since we were all wheeled in and I needed to talk to her, alone, before we headed back to the orchard with my family.

Nurse Carol, an overly cheery woman with red hair pointed the way. Lisa apparently had not been released with Jade and me. “She’s still with the doctor,” Nurse Carol said. She had those round buggy eyes that made you think it hurt just to blink, hair that looked as if it wouldn’t move in a tornado, and the sweetest disposition I’d ever encountered in someone who worked the ER.

“Just follow me, girls,” Nurse Carol instructed. “These kinds of things can be scary and your friend probably needs all the reassurance she can get.”

Jade and I followed her along a row of drawn curtains. Voices rose up all around us: a child wailed, a man yelled about his injured foot, and an elderly voice asked, “How much time do I have left?”

My heart was racing the entire time as my mind conjured up horrible scenarios, not the least of which was that Lisa had lapsed into a coma or worse. Perhaps she had internal injuries like Uncle Ray had said and I had foolishly thought she’d passed out from seeing her own blood.

By the time the curtain was pulled back, I expected to see Lisa lying on the bed, completely comatose. The doctor would tell me that my best friend didn’t merely faint, she had actually suffered a head trauma and needed immediate surgery. I’d have to call her nearest relative to sign the paperwork. The thought of having to deal with Lisa’s mother was more frightening than having to deal with a comatose friend.

I shuddered at the very idea of it.

Luckily, Lisa was sitting up on the edge of the bed, looking all fresh and clean in her little blue gown, watching as an Indian male doctor pulled stitches through her right thumb. She could handle the stitches as long as there wasn’t any