truth! I was taking a shower and someone came in and knocked me down on the floor and sat on my back and wouldn't let me go, and there was water in the bottom of the shower and I almost drowned ..." She stopped. She had never faced such disbelief in her life.
And that terrified her. If she couldn't convince anyone she was telling the truth, who would help her? What if the attacker wasn't finished with her? She needed someone on her side.
"You've got to believe me!" Duffy struggled to sit up in bed, but she was too weak, too nauseated. Sinking back against the pillow, she tried again.
"Please, it did happen. I wouldn't make up something so crazy/' Her eyes appealed to Amy. "Amy? You believe me, don't you?'*
Amy flushed and took a step backward.
"Of course you wouldn't make up such a story," the older nurse said soothingly. "It's the fever, dear. This kind of thing happens all the time, doesn't it, doctor?" As she turned away, Duffy heard her mutter under her breath, "Shouldn't have taken her off the IV. Too soon."
"I didn't imagine it!" Duffy shouted, her eyes flying from face to face in a search for understanding. "I was in the shower, and the door opened, and the Ught went off. . ." Tears of frustration spilled from her eyes.
"Didn't you lock the door?" the ponytailed nurse asked gently. "My goodness, Duffy, you should always lock the door."
"Of course I locked the door," Duffy protested. "I did! I locked it! I remeynber locking it."
"Well, there you are," the older nurse said cheerfully. "If you locked the door, how could anyone possibly have gotten in?" She smiled. "I don't think anyone around here can walk through walls, Dorothy."
Duffy wanted to scream. "Don't talk to me as if I'm two years old," she sobbed angrily. "I did lock the stupid door and someone got in anyway. They must have had a key."
**Wait one sec," the young nurse said, and disappeared. As promised, she was back immediately, a round metal ring of keys in her hand. "See, Duffy?"
she said, holding up the ring. 'This is the only extra key we have to that shower room. And it's right here, on the ring where it belongs. And the ring was hanging behind the nurses' station, right where it's supposed to be. So . . ."
"So, nothing!" Duffy snapped, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "Someone must have taken it, used it, and then put it back. Let me see it."
"I would have seen someone taking it," the nurse said defensively. But she handed Duffy the ring.
"Which key is it?"
The nurse pointed.
"Dr. Morgan, Dr. Morgan, to ICU, stat!" a voice barked over the PA system.
The doctor patted Duffy's hair awkwardly, handed the older nurse Duffy's chart, told the patient to "Relax and take it easy," gave the nurse medication orders for Duffy, and left.
Ignoring his departure because it was clear he wouldn't have believed her, Duffy continued to study the key. It hung on a leather thong. "Look," she said, pointing, "there's a smear on the strap. It's probably blood. I slashed at the person who attacked me and I know I hurt him because there was blood in the water. See?" Pointing, she held up the key ring.
Smith and the younger nurse examined it, while Amy hung back, an expression of revulsion on her face.
"Oh, Duffy, I don't think that stain is new," the nurse exclaimed. "I'm sure I remember seeing it
before. I thinks it's paint, from when they painted behind the nurses' station."
Duffy could see then that it was hopeless. The nurees, scolding her for taking a shower alone against orders, clearly thought that she had been hallucinating. Amy was looking at her with cow-eyed s>Tnpathy, and Smith was chewing thoughtfully on his lower Up.
Not a single one of them beheved the attack had actually taken place.
K no one believed her . . . who would help her? She knew now that someone, for some crazy reason, was angry with her, wanted to hurt her, kill her. As insane as that sounded, she knew it was true.
Duffy was startled by a sudden pinprick in
And that terrified her. If she couldn't convince anyone she was telling the truth, who would help her? What if the attacker wasn't finished with her? She needed someone on her side.
"You've got to believe me!" Duffy struggled to sit up in bed, but she was too weak, too nauseated. Sinking back against the pillow, she tried again.
"Please, it did happen. I wouldn't make up something so crazy/' Her eyes appealed to Amy. "Amy? You believe me, don't you?'*
Amy flushed and took a step backward.
"Of course you wouldn't make up such a story," the older nurse said soothingly. "It's the fever, dear. This kind of thing happens all the time, doesn't it, doctor?" As she turned away, Duffy heard her mutter under her breath, "Shouldn't have taken her off the IV. Too soon."
"I didn't imagine it!" Duffy shouted, her eyes flying from face to face in a search for understanding. "I was in the shower, and the door opened, and the Ught went off. . ." Tears of frustration spilled from her eyes.
"Didn't you lock the door?" the ponytailed nurse asked gently. "My goodness, Duffy, you should always lock the door."
"Of course I locked the door," Duffy protested. "I did! I locked it! I remeynber locking it."
"Well, there you are," the older nurse said cheerfully. "If you locked the door, how could anyone possibly have gotten in?" She smiled. "I don't think anyone around here can walk through walls, Dorothy."
Duffy wanted to scream. "Don't talk to me as if I'm two years old," she sobbed angrily. "I did lock the stupid door and someone got in anyway. They must have had a key."
**Wait one sec," the young nurse said, and disappeared. As promised, she was back immediately, a round metal ring of keys in her hand. "See, Duffy?"
she said, holding up the ring. 'This is the only extra key we have to that shower room. And it's right here, on the ring where it belongs. And the ring was hanging behind the nurses' station, right where it's supposed to be. So . . ."
"So, nothing!" Duffy snapped, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "Someone must have taken it, used it, and then put it back. Let me see it."
"I would have seen someone taking it," the nurse said defensively. But she handed Duffy the ring.
"Which key is it?"
The nurse pointed.
"Dr. Morgan, Dr. Morgan, to ICU, stat!" a voice barked over the PA system.
The doctor patted Duffy's hair awkwardly, handed the older nurse Duffy's chart, told the patient to "Relax and take it easy," gave the nurse medication orders for Duffy, and left.
Ignoring his departure because it was clear he wouldn't have believed her, Duffy continued to study the key. It hung on a leather thong. "Look," she said, pointing, "there's a smear on the strap. It's probably blood. I slashed at the person who attacked me and I know I hurt him because there was blood in the water. See?" Pointing, she held up the key ring.
Smith and the younger nurse examined it, while Amy hung back, an expression of revulsion on her face.
"Oh, Duffy, I don't think that stain is new," the nurse exclaimed. "I'm sure I remember seeing it
before. I thinks it's paint, from when they painted behind the nurses' station."
Duffy could see then that it was hopeless. The nurees, scolding her for taking a shower alone against orders, clearly thought that she had been hallucinating. Amy was looking at her with cow-eyed s>Tnpathy, and Smith was chewing thoughtfully on his lower Up.
Not a single one of them beheved the attack had actually taken place.
K no one believed her . . . who would help her? She knew now that someone, for some crazy reason, was angry with her, wanted to hurt her, kill her. As insane as that sounded, she knew it was true.
Duffy was startled by a sudden pinprick in
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