"Erica"

(Dear reader - to refresh yourself about where we last left Erica....read again 6-21-11. Enjoy!)

          "Are you all right, dear?"  The sweetness of the voice was so unbearably loving, so smooth, so gentle, that it was... painful.  The words that voice spoke - echoed inside of Erica's throbbing head. "...all right, dear?...all right, dear?...all right, dear...?"   Prayer bells tinkling.  A match striking to light incense.  The rustling of spreading wings.   Feather light touches stroked Erica's forehead and it felt like heaven had opened her gates and sent a chorus of angels to minister to her.  The angels pulled her towards consciousness, and she opened her eyes.  "Where am I?"
          "You're at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital, dear."  A face came into focus and Erica recognized the older woman who had been watering her plants in front of the house on James Street.  "The hospital?  No! No!"  Erica struggled to sit up, but the throbbing pain pulled her head back down onto the soft pillow.  "Ohhh!"  Erica moaned, and she closed her eyes.  "What time is it?"  "A little after six, dear."  Erica's eyes flew open - wildly dancing with fear.  "No!  Oh, no!  I have to get home!  Pedro..."  Erica again struggled to sit up, this time pushing pain and fatigue backward and dragging up what will she had left to force one leg to move and dangle over the edge of the hospital bed.   The older woman stood up in protest, and walking quickly around the end of the bed, she put her warm, gentle hand on Erica's shoulder.  "You're in no condition to move, dear!  Please - lay back down! I'm calling the nurse!"  The older woman pressed the nurse call button on the wall.  "I can call your husband...Pedro is it?...to come and sit with you.  You passed out on the sidewalk and that jogger, (do you remember him?), called 911.  You didn't have any identification with you, so we didn't know who to call."  "No, no!  Please don't call Pedro !  I'm gonna be so late, and he's gonna be so mad!  I've got to get  out of here!"  Erica swung her other foot over the side of the bed.  She began to chew the soft tissue on the inside of her cheek. Blood mixed with the salty taste of her tears as she began to cry.  Again, the older woman's gentle hand firmly pushed down on Erica's shoulder.  "He'll understand, dear!"  Tears streamed down Erica's face. "You don't understand!" Erica whispered.  "He won't understand!"
          A nurse entered the room.  "You shouldn't be up!" the nurse scolded.  "I need to go home!" Erica quickly stood up on shaky feet, and the older woman moved her hand from Erica's shoulder to underneath her arm, taking much of Erica's weight on her own shoulders.   "You're not ready to go home yet!", said the woman, and the nurse agreed.  The older woman and the nurse put Erica back in bed, Erica's protests and tears falling on deaf ears.  The nurse took her vitals and told Erica that she would send the doctor in to speak with her, and left the room.  "I have to go home!  I have to!"  Erica wiped her running eyes and nose on the sleeve of her hospital gown as she pleaded with the older woman.  A soft, feathery, red blotch from the blood in Erica's mouth took form on her hospital sleeve.   "I know. I know!"  The older woman tried to sooth her, taking Erica's hand into her soft thin skinned brown hands.  "You don't know.  You just don't know...", Erica whispered.  The older woman leaned into Erica's ear and whispered, "You'd be surprised what I know!"  Erica looked up at the older woman, her eyes puzzled.  She was about to ask the woman what she meant, when the doctor entered her room.
          "I am Doctor Swanzy." A tall dark skinned woman with an African accent stood next to the bed.  "Now, tell me, do you have a name, our mystery patient?" "Erica." The doctor took notes, turning pages of official looking documents held captive on her clipboard and asked for Erica's last name.  "Gonzalez.", Erica answered.  "Your friend here.."  "Mrs. Celeste Warner", the older woman said, giving a quick smile Erica's way.  Erica looked at Celeste with surprise and embarrassment and nodded.  She had never asked the woman her name!  "Your friend, Mrs. Warner has been very worried about you! Ms. Warner, if you step out for a few moments, I would like to make a quick examination of Miss?...." "Mrs.", Erica corrected.  "Mrs. Gonzalez, " the doctor finished saying and again made a note on the pages of her clipboard.   "I need to go home!"  Erica now pleaded with the doctor.  "In due time, in due time!  Let me check you over...and then we can talk about going home."  The doctor closed the door behind Celeste as she left the hospital room.
           Celeste Warner paced the hall across from  Erica's hospital room.  A deep frown line appeared in the center of her forehead.  "Oh yes, my dear!  You'd be surprised, the things I know."