Page 49 of Loving Lizzy

“Shhh,” Barb reprimanded. “Give her a moment to soak everything in.”

The nurse walked over and checked the older woman’s bag. “You’re about halfway done. I’ll call you a cab before I disconnect everything. Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m fine. You might want to check on Mrs. Meyers. She’s determined to pull it out before her session’s done.” She leaned toward Lizzy, “Every week she tangles herself up and pulls it out. I keep an eye out to give the nurse’s a heads up.”

“I’m sure she appreciates it,” Lizzy offered.

Barb shook her head. Her mouth thinned in a straight line as she watched the nurse help Mrs. Meyers. “The poor thing only agreed to do it for her sons.”

“I imagine it’s a difficult decision,” Lizzy’s gaze refused to leave Mrs. Meyers and the nurse caring for her.

“Pfft,” Barb dismissed the notion. “She’s eighty-seven years old. Let the woman go in peace. You can’t hang on to someone no matter how hard you try. God makes the call.”

The younger woman grunted in response. “I don’t believe in all that nonsense. When it’s your time, your body knows. Your soul lives on and you’re reborn.”

“You can believe whatever you want. It’s your choice. I’m expressing my own views.” Barb nodded toward her. “She believes in reincarnation.”

Lizzy didn’t respond. She glanced at her IV bag and closed her eyes, shutting the two women out, yet still listening to the conversation between them.

“Harold didn’t make it. Such a sweet man. I bet his wife is devastated,” Barb commented.

“You don’t know for sure, maybe he suffered a setback of some kind,” Diana argued.

“His name isn’t on the board anymore. I searched for it when I came in. I hope Glenna got a full bill of health. She scheduled her appointment for yesterday.”

“When do you go back?” Diana whispered across Lizzy.

Barb paused. “I go back in four months.”

“I’m going in at three months. Hopefully, this will be it for me. I can’t stand coming here,” Diana hissed.

Barb made a noise causing Lizzy to open her eyes to see what the woman saw. Barb shot an ugly glance in Diana’s direction.

“Don’t pay her any attention. Next time you come, bring a book, or something to keep you busy. It’ll make the time go much faster and keep your mind from thinking about all kinds of things. If you’re cold, use your call bell and have the nurses bring you a warm blanket. Are you scheduled to come again in three weeks? Try to come around the same time, we like to schedule together and it’s good to have friends.”

“I packed a bag and accidentally left it by the door,” Lizzy bit her lip.

“It’s all right. You got first day jitters. When you go home, do you have someone to stay with you?” Barb asked gently.

“Ugh, yeah. I do,” she answered awkwardly. She didn’t care to explain why she lived with her ex-husband and why he didn’t wait right outside. It stung. Which seemed silly, since she insisted Michael keep his appointment. Edie’s words came to mind.

“You’ll be fine. Put lined waste baskets around your place in case you can’t make it to the bathroom. Try to keep fluids in you, you don’t want to have to stop because of any setbacks,” Barb advised Lizzy in a motherly tone.

“The side effects, will they be as terrible as I read?” Lizzy asked hesitantly.

Barb mulled over the question while Diana snorted. “Worse than you can imagine.”

A deep V creased on Barb’s forehead as she shot an angry glance at Diana. “It all depends. Everyone reacts differently. Just because some people have a bit more difficulty than others doesn’t mean it’ll be horrendous.”

Diana sat back hard against her chair. “Don’t sugar coat it. It’s chemo, not champagne, going through these tubes.”

Barb smiled at Lizzy sympathetically. “It’s not a picnic in the park. Keep in mind this is your journey. All of us can line up with the same cancer and none of us will experience the exact same thing. You take it day by day. Some will feel better than others. When you’re done, you’ll think back and laugh about the crazy woman beside you and the sweet old one.” She winked.

Lizzy cracked a smile. A few minutes later, the nurse made her rounds and unhooked Barb.

“I called your cab. They’ll arrive in ten minutes,” she reminded the woman and helped her from the chair. When she rolled her walker to the door, the nurse produced a paper bag and hugged Barb.

“She ain’t got nobody,” Diana told her. “Ericka carries a sweet spot for her. She always packs a bowl of soup and a bunch of crackers. They worry about her, but I don’t.”

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