Page 82 of A Breath of Life
“Yes. Is something wrong?” Every horrific scenario my mind could come up with flashed across my retinas. Had I broken the rules? Had Ace’s men retaliated against a perceived wrongdoing? Had Nana passed in her sleep? It was a call I’d been expecting for years, but I wasn’t ready.
“I’m sorry to disturb you at such an early hour. This is Nathan Guilliam from Evergreen Estates. I’m the head nurse on Hazel’s floor tonight.”
“Is Nana okay?” He was taking too long to get to the point.
“Physically, she’s no better or worse than she’s been.”
I collapsed on the couch with relief and closed my eyes as the man continued.
“I don’t usually do this. Especially at this hour, but Hazel seems… troubled.”
“Troubled? What does that mean?”
“I honestly don’t know how to explain it. Hallucinations or imagining people and conversations that aren’t real or never happened are common in dementia patients. Sometimes, those perceived illusions can feel threatening. Sufferers can obsess over them for a time, but mostly, we’re able to distract them and break the cycle. The other day, Hazel started expressing concerns of this nature, but we haven’t been able to redirect her attention.
“She hasn’t slept much tonight and has grown persistently more agitated over the past two hours. She’s insisting I call you.”
“Me? She asked for me specifically?”
“Yes. She said she has to talk to her grandson, Diem, and I’m to get you on the phone. We have an on-call doctor, and protocol dictates that I should call him, not you. He can give her something to calm her down, but—”
“No. Let me talk to her.”
“Are you sure?”
“My grandmother hasn’t recognized me or asked about me in almost six months. If she said my name, you put her on the goddamn phone right now.”
“Hang on.”
I glanced at the time. Quarter after four. Instinct made me want to get in the Jeep and race to the home, but the card in my hand warned me not to. The phone call might already be a violation, but since I wasn’t the one who initiated it, I hoped it wouldn’t be used against me.
Only then did I wonder if Ace’s people had tapped my phone while I’d been unconscious. I kept that in mind.
Nathan’s voice sounded soothingly in the background. “Say hello,” he coaxed. “Go on, Hazel. Diem’s there.”
I gritted my teeth. “Nana?”
“She’s listening. I’m not sure she’s going to talk.”
“Nana, are you there? It’s Diem.”
I could hear her shallow breathing, but she didn’t speak.
“Are you giving the nice nurse a hard time?”
“Oh, no. Not me.”
“No? How come you’re awake? It’s the middle of the night.”
“I have to tell Diem about Jeffery.”
“Jeffery? Who’s Jeffery?”
“I didn’t eat my dinner tonight. I don’t much like pork. Can’t chew it.”
“Maybe breakfast will be better. Nana, who’s Jeffery?”
“That’s what they gave us for dinner. Pork roast.”
