"I think you better go up and see about your grandmother," she said.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"She don't answer when I talk to her. I was about to call the doctor."
"Doesn't answer?"
I started up the stairs slowly. Loretta watched me a moment and then walked away as if she had washed her hands of the problem. I knocked gently on
the bedroom door, waited and then entered. Grandma Olivia was lying there, her head sunk into her large pillow. She didn't turn to see who it was who had entered. I approached the bed.
"Grandma Olivia?"
I gazed down at her. Her eyes moved toward me, but her mouth was twisted grotesquely in the right corner. Suddenly, her tongue jetted out like a small snake and she made a horrible guttural sound that made me step back.
"What's wrong?"
I lifted the corner of the blanket and looked at her small body. Her right arm was bent against her bosom, the fingers of her hand frozen into a claw. I saw where she had scratched her chest and neck.
"I'll call the doctor!" I cried and hurried to the telephone. Afterward, I called Judge Childs, too.
Later, I waited downstairs in the living room while the doctor examined her. He and Judge Childs finally appeared.
"Your grandmother has had a stroke," the doctor declared. "I wanted to send for an ambulance and put her in the hospital, but she insists on remaining here under nurse's care. Nearly shook her head off 'No!' I've sent for someone, a Mrs. Grafton, who will be here shortly. She's a fine special duty nurse, but I think it's only a matter of days before we will just have to get your grandmother to the hospital. Her vitals are stable at the moment," he added and turned to the Judge to see if he wanted to add anything.
"I'll see to everything," he said.
"Will she get better?" I asked.
"At her age a complete recovery is unlikely. She might improve with therapy, but for all that, she is just going to have to be in the hospital. For now, I'd rather she be comfortable and happy."
"Happy?" How could anyone be happy like that? I wondered, and besides, I didn't think she was happy before this had happened.
"Well, comfortable, anyway," the doctor said. "For now, she is asleep. The nurse should be here momentarily," he added and then the Judge escorted him, but returned to me.
"It's no fun being old," he said with a small smile. "However, she's an incredibly strong woman. She might make more of a recovery than the doctor thinks. Anyway, after a few days of this, I'm sure she will be taken to the hospital. At that time I'd like it if you came to stay with me. At least until you're off to school," he concluded.
"Thank you," I said, really not sure what I would do. "Well," he said glancing up toward her room and then at me, "you going to be all right?"
"Oh yes, I'm fine."
"Call me if you need anything or anything changes," he said and left.
Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Grafton, a woman in her mid-fifties, stout and very professional and businesslike, arrived. I showed her Grandma Olivia's room and she went in to examine her. I had Loretta prepare the bedroom next to Grandma Olivia's for her as well. Then I went to the phone and called Cary to tell him and Aunt Sara what had happened.
"I'll come right over," Cary said.
"No, I'm fine. In fact, I'm tired and I want to go to sleep. I have a math exam tomorrow."
"Okay, we'll check on her tomorrow," he said.
"I'd like to go up to see Grandpa Samuel in a day or so, Cary, to tell him."
"He won't even know you," Cary said, "much less understand what you're saying."
"Still, we should tell him. No one else will."
"Okay. You can't break old habits, can you, Melody?" "What do you mean?" I asked.