Chapter XVII - Jean Has Complications

I was having some kind of dream, about what, I couldn't tell you. But then the sun lit up my room, and I woke up. I looked at my alarm clock and saw that it was eleven o'clock. I guess I was more tired than I had thought. I stretched and yawned, and swung my legs out from the covers. I slipped into my slippers, and grabbed my robe, and my bath caddy. I went to take a shower, because I was still feeling some pain in the lower part of my body. I know it will go away, and I hope it is soon. I went back to my room after my shower, and got dressed. I wanted to be warm because though this was mid November it was still very cold outside.

I went to my closet and took out my coral pantsuit, with matching blazer, and rose shell. I went to my dresser and took out my under things, and stockings. I never wear pantyhose because it is way too inconvenient. I put on my under things, and sat at my desk and turned on my makeup mirror. I put on my black eyeliner, rose eye shadow, and then my makeup. I first put on a light foundation, and then powdered over that. I put my mascara on last. Then I got into my stockings, and my pantsuit. I hadn't select my shoes yet, because I wanted to see myself in the suit first. It looked more like coveralls with shoulder straps. The shell went underneath, and the blazer went over that. I looked at every angle I could, and saw it was perfect. I went to my closet and selected a pair of black, ankle strap pumps, with the two inch heels. After making sure my clothes were straight, I brushed my hair out, and put it in a nice high pony tail. Then I decided I was hungry, so I went down to the kitchen.

I rummaged through the fridge, and found the makings for a nice salad. I rinsed off all of the vegetables, and shredded and cut them up for my salad, and then I looked to see if there was fat free dressing. There was fat free thousand island, french, and Italian. I saw a bottle of vinaigrette, but it belonged to Lydia, so I opted for the Italian. I made a cup of tea, and I sat down to eat my salad, and just as I was taking my second bite, Ken came in.

"I was in your room to see if you were still sleeping. You really slept late today. Are you feeling all right."

"Yes Ken, I have some pain. Bobbie said I was completely healed, but she meant on the outside. I still have healing to do on the inside yet, and will for quite a while. I should take a pain pill before I leave to go shopping. I need something to eat first."

"Where are your pills?"

"In my top dresser drawer on the left hand side."

"All right, you sit here and finish your salad. I'll get your pills for you."

"I can get them as soon as I am finished."

"Listen here sister, you are my responsibility. I will get them, because if you are feeling any pain, you need to take that pill as soon as you can, without going back upstairs."

"Yes, mother."

"Oh stop. Anyway, I'll get them." She left me to finish my salad, and I just sat there and thought.

If this pain lasts for quite a while yet, I am hoping that it doesn't keep me in bed. I want to go shopping today, so I guess I better call mother and tell her that Ken will go with me. I wanted to get the Christmas presents for everybody in the house, mother, Dr. McClellan, Paul, and a very special gift for Ken. Ken got me in here, and I am very grateful, and with her help I will get through this pain. Ken didn't take too long to bring my pain pills down, so I took one with my tea, and then another bite of salad.

"Now we are going to wait about twenty minutes, so the pill has time to work, and you can digest your salad. Then if you want to go shopping, you can. I will go with you."

"I need to call mother too, so she knows about the pain, and that you will go shopping with me."

I took out my phone, and called mother to tell her I still had pain in the vaginal area inside. I guess the inside takes longer to heal than the outside. But that shouldn't stop me from going shopping. It has only been a month and a half since my complete operation, so maybe by Valentine's Day everything will be healed on the inside too. Mother answered her phone after only two rings. That meant she wasn't busy right now.

"Hello, mother? I'm having pain again, and I took a pain pill, but I want to go shopping. I got up at eleven, and had a salad. Ken says we're going to wait twenty minutes, before we leave." Mother asked me if I needed to see Bobbie, and I said that would be a good idea. She said she would be right over, after she called her, then mother said she would be right over to pick me up.

Mother was at the house in ten minutes. I asked Ken to come with me, for a little moral support. I was having pain, and I don't think I should be. Anyway I need to tell Bobbie just what the pain feels like. I didn't hurt this much before, but now it is like I am on fire down there. When we got to Bobbie's office, I didn't even have to wait. She called me in right away.

"Can you tell me on a scale of zero to ten, with ten being the worst pain possible, just what you feel?"

"Well I don't really know. All I know is, that after my shower this morning, I started hurting. I mean, I have been having discomfort, but this is real pain."

"All right, disrobe and put this gown on. Then I want you to lie down on this, and put your feet in these stirrups. I'll just take a look and see why your having this pain."

She used this torture device that looked like Jaws from the movie, and that was even more painful than the pain I had. She looked there with the bright lamp light. After she removed this torture device, she told me to just lie there. She left the room, and was back in a few minutes.

"Put your feet down, Jean. I'm afraid I am going to have to admit you. I have already called for the ambulance. There seems to be a torn muscle right around where the urethra is. Have you been having trouble urinating?"

"Yes, kinda. Every time I go it seems to burn, and when I wipe myself, it is like when I had first had the surgery."

"I'm going to have to go in, and do a few repairs. You will be in the hospital until you are completely healed. Now don't worry about a thing. This time you are a physical female, so we don't have to have Gamma Deltas around you like the last time. The head nurse though, and one other are Gamma Deltas, but if you draw one of the other nurses, they won't see anything they don't have, unless he's a male nurse." I tried to giggle but it was more or less a whine.

The ambulance arrived, and they put me on the gurney and wheeled me out. When I got to the hospital, they took me right to my room. The nurse was right behind us, with a blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and of course the always present stethoscope. "Hi Jean, I'm Charlotte, Char for short, and the PCA is Debbie." She took my blood pressure, pulse, and listened to my chest and lungs, by having me take a few deep breaths. She wrote everything down on her rubber glove, and then said the doctor had called, and I will be going into surgery as soon as she got here.

I was lying in bed, and must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I had bright lights all around me. Bobbie asked me if I was ready, and I just nodded. Someone put a plastic mask over my face, and I was asleep in no time. When I woke up, I was in a large room, that had bright lights too. I must have made a noise, because the nurse was right there.

"Well, you're awake. I need to take your vitals." She did everything the first nurse did, and said good. My abdomen hurt like hell, and all I could do was cry. "Are you having pain, sweetie?" I nodded. "Okay, I will be right back.

She came back with a cup of water, and a pill. I took the pill, and laid back down. When I woke up, I was back in my room. The nurse was just leaving. I didn't recognize her, but the little blackboard said her name was June, and under that it said PCA Kim. These nurses were a little older than me by a few years, having gone to college to get their degrees. Kim was older, in her forties she told me, and had been doing this since she was out of high school. Back then PCA's didn't need college degrees, like they do now. But she said she had gone back to night school to get her degree, and she was glad she did.

After she left, I fell back asleep. I woke up to my phone ringing.

"Hello."

"Miss McMillan, this is food service, did you want to order dinner?"

"No, I don't feel too hungry. And I don't think it's a good idea to eat anything anyway. I had surgery today, and I am still groggy. Maybe by breakfast though."

"Well alright I guess. I am calling the floor to let them know. Maybe they can give you something from the fridge." I said all right, and hung up.

I went back to sleep, and around one o'clock in the morning I woke up. I looked around, and my door was closed. My tummy was growling, so I pressed the nurse's button. When she came in, she said her name was Julie, and the PCA was Darlene. She asked me what I wanted, and I told her I was hungry. She said all they had were bag lunches, and fruit. She did say that maybe a yogurt would do until breakfast. I said anything will do, just so my tummy would stop growling. We both giggled, and I told her I needed a pain pill, too.

She brought me a bag lunch and a soda, and the pill. I took the pill first. I pressed the button that put the head of my bed up a ways so I could eat. I took my time, and just ate slowly. Of course, I usually do. It was almost two o'clock by the time I had finished and laid back down. When I woke up, it was four thirty in the morning. A lady came in and said she was from the lab, and that she had to draw some blood. She looked at my wrist band, and put the rubber tourniquet around my upper left arm. She said make a fist, and she started poking around on my arm with her finger. After she found a spot to pick on, she took out a butterfly needle and placed it in my arm. She took five vials of blood. I asked her what the five vials were for, and she said a lot of medicalese that I didn't understand.

After she left, I laid back down to go to sleep, but I couldn't. I couldn't call anyone either, because of the hour. I laid back down again, and just laid there. Next thing I knew, the morning nurse was coming in to take my vitals. She said everything was good, and she said I should order breakfast, because they had a note that I had eaten a late bag lunch. I called food service and ordered a bowl of cereal, a thing of eight ounce milk, a cup of tea, and an orange. The tray was brought up about a half an hour later, and just as I was taking my first spoon of cereal, Bobbie walked in.

"How's my favorite patient doing?"

"In pain."

"Yes, it will hurt for a while, but I got the sisters together, and you are here until I am satisfied that you are completely healed, and there are no more complications. When I went in, it looked like that area never did heal properly, and I didn't see it. I'm sorry. But we have it fixed now."

"Thank you, Bobbie. But do I have to stay here until I am completely healed?"

"Yes. That way we can be sure you won't have any more complications."

"Well alright I guess. But what about my classes? I'll fall way behind."

"No you won't. Cyndi said she will bring your work to you, and she will stay in case you have any questions. She said she will bring your other work from your other classes, as well."

"Well I guess that would be good. But I still don't understand why I have to stay here though."

"Because I can keep an eye on you."

I just gave that 'I give up look', and said okay. I wasn't happy staying here for two or three weeks. It is boring in the hospital, and all you have to talk to are the nurses, PCA's, lab technicians, and the doctor. And sleep. That's all there is to do here. Okay body, you had better heal right this time, because I am going to be majorly bored while you heal.

"Bobbie can I have a pain pill, please? This hurts."

"Yes dear, I'll get the nurse." She pressed the nurse's button, and when she came in, Bobbie told her to get me a vicodin, and the nurse left. When she came back, she checked my water cup, and refilled it. I took my pill, and covered back up.

"Bobbie, I need to try to sleep. I find that I am waking up at different hours during the day and night. When I wake up I'm in pain."

"Well, I prescribed the vicodin to be taken every four to six hours, as needed. So, when you wake up in pain, just buzz for the nurse, and tell her to get you one. Anyway, I have to check my other patients. I hope you didn't think I could stay here all day." We both giggled, I said good night, and she returned it, and then left. Even though it was morning, it seemed like night all the time because the blinds were closed, and there was only one window.

So we had our lights on all the time, except when we were awake. I finished my breakfast, and set the bed table on the side of the bed, and laid back down. Trying to sleep when there are lots of people talking and walking back and forth, isn't easy. I woke up when the afternoon nurse came in and said she had to take my vitals. Here we go again. so I just laid there while she took my blood pressure, pulse, and listened to my lungs. Ho hum, I guess this is what life is like for people that are patients in a hospital. I went back to sleep, but not for long, because the lady from the lab came and took more blood. Gee by the time I get out of here, I won't have any blood left. She left after she took another five vials of my blood. I jokingly said you better keep that, I may need a transfusion by the time I go home. She laughed a little.

I was just ready to lie back down, when Ken came in the room. "Hi sister," she said with a bubbly voice.

"Why are you so happy? I'm miserable."

"What actually happened? One thing I know you're going to see your doctor, and the next thing we're told you're in here."

"Bobbie said a part inside didn't heal right, but she did another small operation, and she said it is fixed now, but..."

"But?"

"But, I have to stay here until this is all healed up, so Bobbie can see if I have any more complications. She said she got all the sisters together and I guess to help financially with the hospital stay, because this is going to cost a fortune."

"I know it is. Bobbie did come to the house, and asked us to chip in. She said that she got a hold of national to get in touch with other sisters too that can help. Not all of us are rich, but maybe the sisterhood can come up with enough to take care of the bill."

"They would actually go that far to help me? But why? I am just one sister in the whole sisterhood. I mean, I am a newbie at that."

"Oh Jean! You are not only my sister in the sorority, you are my best friend, and yes, the sisterhood will go that far to help you, or any one of us in the same situation. We even have a legal fund, should you need to sue a doctor, a lawyer, a company, or whatever. Our lawyers will look over the evidence, and make a decision. We are Gamma Deltas Jean, because we want to help. We all believe in our credo, and we will as long as we live. Remember Jean, we are still pledges, even though we are full sisters, because you never stop pledging until the day you die. We aren't just a sorority, we are a worldwide sisterhood. So yes dear sister and best friend of mine, we not only can help you, but we will.

"Jean, you may not know this, but you started something when you wanted to pledge Gamma Delta. Because of you, we have taken a hard look at ourselves, and like our founding sisters, we will be there to help. Do you know why the varsity cheerleaders live at Gamma Delta? Because they know that being a cheerleader is a part of school, not a part of their future lives. A lot of the jocks get angry because they won't go to bed with them, until they get married.

"These are the values we instill in our sisters. This is what we strive for in life; to be a good person, and to help if we can, and mostly we can. So if you are going to have to stay here, then we will make sure the bill is covered. Understand, dear sister mine?"

"I don't know what to say." I started crying because what Ken said was so beautiful. Until I pledged Gamma Delta, and Ken, mother, and Bobbie got me to progress rapidly in my RLT, I was able to have SRS long before the mandatory year was up. Probably because I was adamant, and probably because mother, even though she objected, was really behind me, helping me all the way. Yes, these were happy tears.

Ken just held me until I stopped crying. "Ken, what you said, nobody has ever said anything like that to me, until I talked to you about pledging Gamma Delta, and then things just kinda roller coasted. And even though when I pledged I was told all of this, I am just taken by surprise that they would go to these lengths to help someone, even if she is a sister."

"Well, just so you know, we are helping you. Your mother said she will take care of your part, and the rest of us are chipping in quite a bit to keep you here, until you are completely healed, because we don't want to lose you, Jean. You have been an inspiration to this whole sisterhood, and we are very grateful. You did nothing to make us doubt you, and you acted like a lady all the time. Even Paul says you are a very pretty angel, sent from heaven to help us look around and see what we can do. Oh My Gosh! When you were sitting on that stupid bench outside of the sorority house, I almost wanted to adopt you.

"Jean, you are my sister, my best friend, and my charge. Yes my charge. I brought you into this sorority because something told me you belonged here. I made sure that the girls all knew about you before the night you moved in. We had a in house meeting, and that is when Colleen and a few other girls said they were going to give you the silent treatment and see how you reacted. You didn't get angry, or threatening, or anything, except sad that they were doing it. But when you became a full sister, Colleen and the others apologized, just as they said they would. So my dear sister, I will make sure your stay here is not a boring one. Okay?"

"Okay." I then said we had to pinky swear and we did.

"Now, I will come up after class, and I, or one of the other sisters will bring you your assignments. I'll bring what homework I have to do too, and do it here, that way there will always be someone here all the time, except at night. We are going to make sure you have company. Even your mother said she will be here between showings. Dr. McClellan will come up too every now and then to see how you're getting along. So girlfriend, since we have a few hours, would you like to play a game?"

"Yes, that would break the monotony of lying here."

"What do you want to play? There is Monopoly, Sorry, Ladders, and a few card games."

"Let's play Sorry. I like that game."

"I do too."

She brought over the game, and set it up. I pressed the button that would raise the head of my bed to a sitting position. She took two pieces, and put them behind her back, and mixed them up. Then she put both hands out in front of her, and I picked her right hand. The piece was green, so that means I had the green pieces, and the other was red.

"We have Christmas colors," she said. "Red and green." We both giggled.

I rolled the die first, and got a one. I moved one of my pieces out of home. Ken rolled, but couldn't move. On my next turn, I rolled a six, and moved the six spaces. We kept alternating turns, and I won by one piece. That means I got all of my pieces in home, and Ken only had one piece left on the board. Ken put the game away, and we sat and talked.

"Jean, are you in pain? You don't look so good."

"I'm feeling some pain."

Ken reached for the control and pressed the nurses button. When June came in, Ken told her I was having pain and needed a pain pill. June took her stethoscope and listened to my heart and lungs, and then took my temperature. My pulse was rapid, and my temperature was 106. June called the desk, and ordered a vicodin for me, and then she said to call Dr. Burns. When the nurse came in with the vicodin, I took it, and then June told me that Dr. Burns was on the way.

I really didn't like disturbing Bobbie because of this, but June thought it was necessary. "June, why did you call Dr. Burns?"

"Because your temperature is 106 and that is too high. We have to bring it down. Now there is codeine in the vicodin, and that should help a little, but I am putting a cold compress on your forehead. Your friend can make sure it stays on. I want you to keep it on at least until Dr. Burns gets here."

Bobbie came in the room, and took my temperature and pulse, then listened to my heart and lungs. She looked very concerned, and told me to lie back as comfortable as possible. Bobbie then drew the curtain around my bed, and had me put my feet in the stirrups. She checked the vaginal opening, and then told me to put my legs down.

"Well young lady, I don't see anything physical that could be causing your high temperature. I am ordering x-rays stat, which means right away. They should be here very shortly. If the x-rays don't show anything, then we are going to have do take blood, and see what is going on. I can only think of one thing that can cause this kind of a temperature. I heard a little gurgling in your lungs. When you cough, does anything come up?"

"Yes."

"Is it clear, or does it have a color to it?"

"It's green."

"All right. I will wait for the x-rays, because if you have what I think you have, it will show up on the x-rays."

"What do you think it is, Bobbie?"

"I think you have pneumonia. That is not uncommon after having surgery, but sometimes it takes a while to show up. Jean, I told you that you will stay here until you heal all the way. I didn't see any inflammation in the vaginal opening, but that doesn't mean you don't have pneumonia. We'll see what the x-rays show."

Just then, a lady from radiology came in the room. She looked at my wrist band, and then asked me if I could get up. I said not really, and she said no problem. She asked Bobbie is she could help move my bed to the x-ray room, and Bobbie said she would be glad to. When we got to the x-ray room, the lady, who looked like she was still in high school, and had blonde hair and a very nice smile, lowered my bed under the x-ray machine. She positioned it this way and that to get the proper angle, and then she went into a little room behind a glass window. I could see Bobbie, and that made all the difference in the world. The lady told me to take a deep breath, to hold it, and then said I could breathe.

She looked at the x-rays, and said everything was fine. Bobbie helped the lady take me back to my room, and then she told me that we had to wait for the x-rays to be developed. Maxine, that was the lady's name, told Bobbie she would bring the x-rays right in, as soon as they were ready. Bobbie was very concerned, because this would be the second time in my life that I contracted pneumonia, and that was not a good thing.

A little while later, Maxine brought the x-rays to the room, and Bobbie put them on a lighted wall thing, and looked at them very carefully. She was using her finger to trace the outline of something, without even touching the picture. June was in the room too, and when she saw the x-rays, she looked at me with a very concerned look.

"Do you see what I see, June?"

"Yes doctor, I certainly do."

"What?" I asked, a little concerned now.

Bobbie looked at me, and came over to the bed. "Jean, I'm sorry, but you have pneumonia, and it appears to be double pneumonia. Pneumonia is a virus that can be seen on x-rays, and what we are seeing is that maybe it could be double pneumonia."

"But, I've already had double pneumonia. How could I get it twice, and once while I am in here?"

"Well I think it is a result of the last surgery. Sometimes that is possible. When you have any surgery, your immune system is weakened, and it is possible to contract a viral disease, like pneumonia. I am calling your mother and telling her. I'm also ordering antibiotics for you too, as well as some Vicks Vaporub to get rid of the chest congestion, and clear your nasal passages. I am ordering aspirin to help to control the fever, and your heart functions. Aspirin has very good healing qualities. I am also ordering cough medicine with codeine in it. That will help your cough, and it also has an expectorant in it, so that you can get rid of the phlegm in your chest and throat. So, I just want you to rest, read a good book, or play board games with your friends. I will make sure they visit you once a day." She asked me if I was allergic to penicillin, and I said no, not that I know of.

"Bobbie, how long will I be here?"

"Until you completely heal, and I don't want you going back to the house with pneumonia. Maybe by the time you completely heal, the pneumonia will be gone. We'll see."

"I am going to be so bored."

She smiled at me, and then sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Jean dear, I am really concerned for your health. I know that being in the hospital isn't the most fun part of life, but I want you to get better. Besides, once you do leave here, you will be your old self, trying on outfit after outfit." She smiled, and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. "You are running a fever. The nurses will be in quite often because of the pneumonia. I want you looked after twenty four, seven. That is why you are in the observation room next to the nurses station."

"Well, I guess I have no choice. But I will be so bored."

She smiled at me, and patted my hand. "I have to go and check on my other patients. Don't be afraid to let the nurses know if you need anything, or just want to talk. If they are finished with their charting, they will talk to you. But they also have to answer their patients' buzzers though too. Anyway dear, get some rest, and I will be back a little later."

I laid back in the bed, and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was being woke up by mother, who said my dinner was here. I had her help me with eating it, since I was really groggy. I finished my dinner, and then mother looked at me with a very concerned face.

"Dear, Bobbie told me that you had contracted pneumonia. Listen, I will be here as often as I can. Kendra also told me she would be here too, and she would do her class work here, so you didn't feel alone."

"Thanks mom," I said, reaching out for a hug. A hug from your mother when you are sick, is very important as well as comforting. She hugged me, and I laid back down, and went to sleep while she stroked my hair.

When I woke up, I noticed it was still dark, and the hall lights were still dimmed. I looked at the clock on the wall, and saw it was four in the morning. They would be coming in between now and six to take more blood. I always wondered just how people could stay alive, with all the blood they take. I turned on the television to see what was on, and Juwanna Mann was on, so I watched that, until the lady from the lab came in and said she needed to draw more blood. I told her I didn't think I had anymore, just water. She smiled and said it wasn't as bad as all that, and I said maybe not, but that's what it feels like. When she took the five vials of blood back to her vampire cave, I watched the rest of the movie, and laid back down.

It wasn't long before mom woke me up, telling me my breakfast was waiting. Mom has been ordering my breakfast for me, ever since I had the pneumonia. Either a half of a grapefruit, or an orange, tea with lemon, pancakes and sausages this morning, and a glass of milk. No coffee while I was sick. I really didn't like coffee all that much anyway.

I pressed the button on the bed to sit up a little more, so I could eat. When it looked like I was starting to fall alseep, mom told me to eat a little more of the orange, and then I could lie back down. She was really worried about me, and I couldn't blame her. She just wanted to make sure I got better. I ate two more slices of the orange, and my eyes wouldn't stay open any more. So I slid down in the bed, and went to sleep. All I know is that with the surgery, and the pneumonia, I felt very drained. I had no energy to even eat.

When I woke up, I had to use the restroom, and mother helped me with the bedpan. I couldn't get out of bed just yet, but I could use the "facilities" while I laid in bed. Anyway, since I couldn't move to well right now, I needed help to do even the simplest things. Well maybe in a week or two.

Kendra came up shortly before dinner, and sat down at the small table. She gave me a hug, and asked how I was feeling.

"I have no energy, Ken. I have to have help to even use the restroom, called a bedpan. I feel like the whole world is somewhere else, and I am just in a void."

"That's the medicine, Jean. The nurses told me a few things before they would even allow me in here. They said you will be in and out of consciousness, and may fall asleep without warning. But, if I see anything unusual, I am to press the nurses button for help. If you feel you need to sleep, just go right ahead. I will be here with your mother, until we have to leave."

Knowing that Ken was here was very comforting, and I could sleep without worry. I don't worry when mom is here either, but with Ken and mom here, it was even better. I must have fallen asleep, because Ken woke me up when my dinner came. I wasn't all that hungry, just weak, and wanted to sleep. But mother said no sleeping until I ate my dinner. Ken agreed, and asked me if I needed any help. I said I did, and she began feeding me.

I felt like an infant, being fed by her mommy. After I had eaten, less than half of my dinner, I started falling asleep. Ken tried to keep me awake, but it didn't do any good. I slept up until the night shift came on. Julie came into the room, and said now that I was awake, she needed to take my vitals. She took my temperature first, and said it was still high. Then she took my blood pressure, and wasn't satisfied with that either, and then she took my pulse, which was slow, she said. She said she had some medicine for me, and she gave it to me. One of the medicines was the cough syrup with the codeine, that had an expectorant in it. The next was an aspirin, because I had been sleeping when it was brought in before.

After taking all of the medicines Julie brought in, I fell back asleep. The first week I was there I did nothing but sleep, eat, sleep, eat, and use the stupid bedpan. Oh well, such is the life of a hospital patient. I was awakened again by the vampire lady who came in to take more blood. I wonder why it is always between four and six in the morning. Oh well, maybe someday someone will be able to tell me. I fell back asleep, and mother woke me up for breakfast.

"Mother, Julie said my temperature was still high. When will it go down?"

"Well hopefully it won't be high much longer. Everyday you are in here, and you have that pneumonia, I get more worried. I want you to get better, dear, that is why I order your meals for you. But all you've done was eat just a little then go off to sleep again. You have to eat, Jean. It is the only way to get rid of this virus. I know Bobbie wants you to stay here until you heal. But I am worried about this virus. The nurses tell me that your temperature is still very high yet. That isn't good.

"Do you remember when you had double pneumonia when you were younger?" She asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "I had to have a babysitter with you while I went to work. We both took very good care of you, and you were out of school almost that whole school year. But you didn't fall behind because Miss Marker brought your studies to the house, and helped you through them. Do you remember all the Vicks Vaporub that I put in the vaporizer?"

"I remember all the ice cream too, and all the chicken broth and tomato soup. I remember lying on the sofa during the day, and being able to watch television. Yes mother, I do remember that time. I was seven years old."

"Yes you were. And now we have it back again. That is why I am so worried, dear. I want you to get better, so that when you heal, you can go back to the sorority house. But you have to help us too, by eating everything on your tray. The saying goes, dear, 'feed a cold, starve a fever'. That is what we have to do, and you can only do that by eating everything I order for you. Just pretend you are seven years old again, and mommy is taking care of her little girl."

"I love you, mother," I said, and she gave me a big hug.

"I love you, too, sweetie," she said still hugging me.