Emily's Home - Ginger's Out Ch. 10

The doorbell rang -- the cleaning crew. I peeked outside. A car was in the driveway, and three women were waiting. I opened the door and invited them in. They had all their own gear. Did they have their instructions for today? One of the women said yes. I cursed silently. I should have had Tara deliver the kitchen furniture with the bedroom set. I would call. Maybe it was in stock and could be delivered sooner rather than later. As it was I sat cross-legged on the floor sipping the rest of my coffee. I heard voices and vacuums dimly as I vegged out.

The doorbell rang again. I wondered who it might be. I looked through the peephole. Flowers? I opened the door. A dark haired, middle age man announced the delivery. I took the flowers, set them on the kitchen counter and reached for my pocketbook. I grabbed a five dollar bill, went back to the door, and gave it to the driver with a thank you. The card was inside the paper wrapping. It was from Rita! "Congratulations Ginger and Reenie. Best wishes to you both. With thanks, Rita." How wonderful. I gasped when I tore off the remaining paper. Inside a cardboard case was a four-sided picket fence planter with orange tulips, blue crocuses and a pretty little yellow flower I didn't recognize. It was absolutely adorable. Rita wasn't in when I called so I left a voice mail message gushing with thanks for her very thoughtful gift.

I took a chance and called Tara. She was in. She asked how Reenie and I liked the bedroom set.

"Tara, Reenie is over the moon happy! It's even more gorgeous than in the pictures. She had the bed completely made up when I came home yesterday. Thank you so much. The reason I'm calling is to ask if you have any clue yet when the rest of the furniture will be coming; specifically, the kitchen set. The cleaning crew is doing the last of their work and I'm on the floor in the kitchen."

She laughed sympathetically and said, "Let me look into it Ginger. Can I call you back this afternoon?"

"Please do. I have an appointment at three with my trainer; that would be great. Thanks so much, Tara. Talk again soon." I looked at the empty cardboard boxes stacked in the corner and shook my head. Ginger, you don't even know what day the garbage gets picked up. There were so many little details that I had to take care of. I sighed, stood, grabbed my purse, found my little notebook, and began to make random two and three words notes.

I laughed out loud when the thought came to me. Duh. Jenny -- my sister would know all this stuff. I called the house phone on the chance they might all still be home. Oh shit. It was prom day. Jenny would have her attention focused on that. Thankfully, David answered the phone. He chuckled at my mentioning the prom and the preparations.

"You're quite right, Ginger. Jenny and Meg are both at each other's throats with Terese egging them both on. I just try to stay out of the way of the cross fire. What's new? How are you?" I gave him a few highlights of the last week, focusing on the house and furnishings.

Finally I got around to my reason for calling. "David, I'm finding that even though Bill and I owned a home for years, I've either forgotten many of the details or Bill handled them. I realized today I don't even know what day garbage pickup is. Can you help me?"

With a soft laugh he responded, "Ask away Ginger." I told him what I'd done, what I'd forgotten and what I had written down. I asked if there was anything else he could think of. He asked a few questions about things like the furnace and water heater. I hurried to my purse and found the listing details. I read them all. "You might want to find out about warranties and who serviced all those things for the previous owner. If they're still in business they would know the history of all the appliances." His suggestion was a good one.

"Oh my god David, that's brilliant. I can check with the realtor. You're just the best. Thank you."

"I'm very happy to help Ginger. How are things with you and Reenie?"

I told him about the promise rings. I can never really get a read on whether or not David approves. However, he was very sincere when he said, "Ginger, that's just great. The two of you are a fabulous couple and very happy. I hope we get to meet your Reenie soon." I promised to invite them to the house warming party -- whenever that would be. I scribbled a quick note of reminder. I gave my sincere thanks and asked him to give my love to my sister and the girls. I hung up feeling much, much better about things.

I hadn't, obviously, been paying much attention to time. But, seemingly out of nowhere, the crew appeared. Apparently they had finished. The sturdy blonde who seemed to be in charge asked me if I wanted to look over their work to make sure everything had been taken care of. We started with the master bedroom. I complimented her on how clean everything looked and smelled. In each room, curtains were open or blinds were up so I could confirm they'd cleaned the windows inside and out. Each room bore marks of a vacuum. I thought they'd done a great job of cleaning.

As we came back to the hallway I thanked each of them and shook their hands. I saw eyes dart to the leader -- Jana. I had asked. She translated my thanks. They smiled and nodded. Jana asked me to write a check. I asked if I would get a receipt from Katie, her boss. She shrugged; she didn't know. Emily either would have let it go or relied on Bill to handle it. Ginger called Katie's cell. She assured me she would mail a receipt Monday. I asked her how to make out the check. She gave me the company's name. I thanked her for her help and the crew's efficiency. I handed Jana the check.

I had a thought as I drove to find something for lunch. I called Kathy, gave her the address for the house. She agreed to meet me. After a quick sandwich, I headed to the cave. I brought an extra set of workout clothes back to the house, along with a book. I changed into workout clothes and headed out the back door. I giggled. No, the hot tub wasn't filled yet. But that didn't mean I couldn't bring a towel with me, lay it against the wooden chair frame, and get some sun while reading. Aw geez, the hot tub. David and Jenny didn't have one. I'd have to find someone to help me -- us -- with it.

I read, sat in the sun, and daydreamed of what might be. The book, though it was by one of my 'great eight,' lost out to my dreams. Things were going swimmingly with Reenie. Of course I still worried every time she went out the door. That was my life now. I had to turn that part of it over to God. Saturday, my period, our bedroom set. Damn! Oh well, out of my control. I hadn't heard from Tara yet. The sun was hot in the early afternoon sky. I stood, took the towel, and moved to the shade of the patio. I sat and read. Sorta.

Had I done the right thing coming out at work? It certainly wasn't about me -- or Reenie. For as 'open' as the world is supposed to be, things still are what they are. Besides, I hadn't been Ginger for all that long so I really didn't know. Emily had her thoughts. Sure, she is me. Doubts? Nope. Regrets? Oh please! Besides, this is about work. I really like the people I work with. It really did matter to me that they felt about me the way they did before. Am I making sense? I sighed. Some things that were aren't. I'm one of them.

I heard the doorbell. Oh good. I stood, walked to the front door and let Kathy in.

"Ginger, this is fabulous! Can I get a quick tour?" Easy; only one room had furniture. She gushed about the house and hugged me. We started my workout. By now I was close to moving to a second set of repetitions. "It's not that things are getting easier, it's that you're getting stronger." That was exactly what I wanted! The hour went by quickly as always. Before she left, Kathy asked where to meet me Tuesday. I said the cave. She laughed.

The cave. I thought about moving. There's a joke! Reenie wouldn't be bringing much more than her clothes. No need for a U-Haul. That got me giggling. It was forever ago, but there was a YouTube video about U-Haul. Please do look for it if you're not familiar with it.

The cell rang again. Reenie! "Oh god baby, how are you?"

"Ginger, it's Tess McDonald. Mo asked me to call." My blood ran cold. No! No! I began to cry. "Ginger, she's okay. Just relax. She's been shot but it's not serious, just a flesh wound." I was crying so hard that I couldn't talk. My world nearly came to an end. Shot? Not serious? She's my everything! "Ginger, talk to me!"

"I, um, you say she's okay? Where is she? I need to come and ..." I cried.

"Same place as last time. It was a through and through." What the fuck is that? "She may have to be kept overnight to make sure there's no infection or complication. So yeah, but please take your time and drive carefully. Look for me when you get here, okay? Do you remember what I look like?" Yeah, but I'm not going there.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll look for you when I get there. Thank you Tess." I flew out the door and into the car. The good news was that it's a Saturday. It helped me get to the hospital quickly. I ran to the E.R. It was filled with blue. I searched for who I thought might be Tess. She found me.

"Come on Ginger, let me take you to her. She's okay! Really. The bullet went in and out but it missed the bone and anything important." You fucking idiot. Important? Everything about her is important to me! I tamped that down and squeezed her hand, nodded and made what I hoped was a friendly smile. She held my hand as we weaved through the crowd. She pulled the curtain back. I saw my honey. Her eyes were closed, her face serene. The hospital gown was off her shoulder and there was a gigantic bandage. Her arm was in a sling. A nurse was keeping tabs on my Reenie.

"I'm Kerri. Are you Ginger?" I nodded. "She's okay Ginger. We gave her an anesthetic before putting in the stitches. The pain meds have her out." She was speaking in a whisper. I felt my eyes tear. She took my hand. "Ginger, the bullet missed anything vital." She stopped until I lifted my eyes to meet hers. "She'll be okay -- really." I saw the certainty in her dark brown eyes, which settled me. I smiled my thanks. "Do you have any questions?"

"Why is her arm in a sling?"

"We don't want any kind of movement of that arm for a couple of days. Even with no other damage, there's soft tissue that's involved as well as the chance of internal bleeding. Immobilizing the arm will keep things calm and allow whatever swelling there will be to go down." I think I understood all of that.

"Is she going to be kept overnight?"

"I'd say yes. They'll check tonight for signs of bleeding or infection. If all that is okay they'll probably send her home tomorrow, sometime after rounds, with prescriptions for antibiotics and pain. Does she ... where does she live?"

"She'll stay with me at our house," I said without hesitation.

Kerri took my answer in stride without even a blink. "Okay good. I'll look for a doctor and get one in here, okay?" I nodded. She got busy doing nurse things while I sat in the corner.

My cell phone rang. Kerri looked at me; I grabbed the phone and hurried out of the room. It was Tara.

"Hi Tara, hold on a second, okay." I hurried out of the emergency room. "Sorry, what's up?"

"Everything okay Ginger?" I really didn't want to get into that with her right now.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Do you have any more information for me?"

"If you're going to be home, we'll deliver the kitchen furniture tomorrow." Dammit! I didn't know if Reenie would be released. I guess I'll have to roll the dice.

"That's great Tara." I might as well ask. "What's the rest of it?"

"It's the end of April, Ginger. I expect the house to be fully furnished no later than the middle of May. There's something you're not telling me ... what is it?" She wasn't enough of a friend that I wanted to share what happened to Reenie today.

"I'm sure you had to pull some strings to get a Sunday delivery, Tara. I'm truly grateful for that. I'll wait to hear from you about when everything else will be arriving." I wanted to get back to my honey. "I really do have to run. Thanks so much for your call and have a great weekend." I put the phone on vibrate and slipped it my purse as I walked back to the ER. My redhead was awake! The pain she felt was etched on her face. Dull blue eyes brightened when she saw me. I strode to her side, leaned over and kissed her. "This is getting old, Officer Henry."

She managed a wan smile. "Trust me Ginger, this isn't my idea of a fun Saturday." She shook her head, grimacing. "It's another example of why we hate domestic calls. They can go bad with absolutely no warning." Kerri walked in.

"Ah, the patient has joined the party. From the look on your face Maureen, you're not having much fun. With the meds you have on board, you shouldn't be in this much discomfort. Can you put a number on your pain -- from one to ten?"

"A strong seven. What did they do to me? Why is my arm in this thing?"

"Well, the bullet went in and out. It missed anything important -- bones, tendons, and the like. I don't want to make light of it. You have a couple of holes in your arm which have been stitched. You've got antibiotics and pain meds on board. If the doctors give you the green light you can go home tomorrow. The sling is to keep you from moving your arm and injuring yourself. The stitches are still very new." Reenie looked at me. I nodded, winked and smiled. She shrugged.

I was unhappy about how much pain Reenie was in. "Kerri, is the pain from the wounds or is something else going on?"

"A gun shot wound is never much fun. Even though we said it didn't do any damage to anything significant, Maureen is going to be in some pain for a while. I'm not real comfortable with her pain level. Let me go find a doctor and get him in here. I'll be right back."

Reenie's eyes closed. I walked to the uninjured side, took her hand and brought it to my lips. She smiled. I would let my honey dictate how much we talked. Her face contorted in a grimace and her hand squeezed mine. There was no way I was going to let go of her hand. I wanted to scream for Kerri but didn't. I had no idea what was going on with Reenie and I was pretty sure she didn't either. I saw tears slide down her cheeks. I leaned, kissed one away and whispered, "I'm not leaving, not now, not ever. I know you're hurting. Please, try and relax and tell me what, if anything, I can do."

"We had no idea either of them had any kind of weapon, let alone a gun. A neighbor called it in. He was beating her. That was the call we got; dispatch sent two of us to respond. I was backup, had a hand on my weapon, which was still holstered. My partner had cuffed the dude and was patting him down. I was watching him and the perp and took my eyes off the woman." She shook her head. "All of a sudden the bitch had a gun. I never saw her go for it. She fired at him, missed and turned the gun on me." She looked at me. "I fucked up and will probably take some kind of suspension. Luckily, my partner subdued her before she was able to get off another shot at either of us." She grimaced thinking about it. "Goddamn it hurt. Spun me around like a top." Her eyes left me and moved to the entrance. I turned my head and saw a familiar face. I didn't remember his name but he was here last time.

"I'm sorry I don't remember your name. I'm Lieutenant Banks." He offered his hand, which I shook.

Reenie said, "Evening Loo. This is my better half, Ginger Butler." I whipped my head around to stare at her. Wow! "Sorry for the screw up out there today, sir." She shook her head. "I took my eyes off the woman. I really messed up." She was beating herself up something fierce.

"Officer, let's focus on you getting healthy right now. We'll deal with the rest later." His eyes were dark brown bullets as he stared at the two of us. I met his gaze without flinching. If she could be strong with him in her condition, I'd be damned if I'd be anything less. "Ms. Butler, where's the nurse?"

"She's out looking ..." Just as I responded, Kerri and a doctor came in. The doctor looked annoyed at the crowd.

He said, "I need to examine the patient. You'll all have to clear out," in an authoritative voice. Kerri looked upset. I didn't like this. I sat in a chair in the corner; Lieutenant Banks said goodbye to Reenie and I and left. Kerri's eyes found mine; the smirk and nod were brief but I saw them. I turned to my honey, whose eyes were locked on to mine. I gave Reenie my brightest smile and hoped it was enough. The doctor had removed the bandage and was examining the wounds. He was barking instructions to Kerri. He asked a few questions of Reenie; her answers were short and terse. I saw her eyes go to slits as she talked. She didn't like him, his questions, or his attitude. When she looked, I mouthed 'I love you baby.' Her eyes went soft, though her lips were pursed in pain.

"Ms. Henry, I'm going to have you admitted overnight. It's more precautionary than anything. I want to be sure your wounds don't get infected before you're discharged. Another twelve hours on antibiotics should help a great deal. I'm not as concerned with the pain level right now. Your body has suffered a significant insult. Staff can monitor the wounds, your pain and your medications overnight. We'll be doing rounds early tomorrow. If the wounds are clean and we get the pain under control a little more, we'll send you home." As he was talking I walked to Reenie and took her hand. Kerri was behind the doctor, nodding in what seemed to be agreement.

I piped up, "Do you have any thoughts about physical therapy?"

He looked at me dismissively and said, "And you are?"

"My name is Ginger Butler," I replied with a thin smile.

"The nurse will fill you in, Ms. Butler."

"Kerri, why don't you get the doctor a Midol? He's obviously having a bad day." He glared at me, looked at Reenie, turned on his heel and left. Reenie laughed; Kerri covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Sorry Kerri, but that dude has the bedside manner of a debt collector."

"Ginger, you're my hero. Dr. Thomas is not well thought of among the staff. While there's no doubt being an E.R. doc is a challenge, you hit it on the head. The way he treats people is horrid. As for physical therapy, I'm sure whoever makes rounds in the morning will want to see Reenie soon after she gets discharged. The decision about therapy is likely to be based on how she's recovering."

"Can Reenie eat anything?" My stomach was reminding me I hadn't had dinner.

"Yeah, I can have a tray brought up once she's in a room."

"I thought I might go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. If I bring back a sandwich, cookie or something, would that be okay?" I was looking at Reenie when I said it. Her eyes showed her gratitude. She lifted her good arm up to me. I bent; her mouth was soft. The kiss, well, it wasn't quite as soft.

"Ginger, it will be a while till we get a room for Reenie. Why not do what you just said. I'll take good care of our girl." Kerri really did have a lovely smile. There were flecks of green in very dark brown eyes. Her brown hair was pulled back in a practical pony tail. She wore a floral print jacket over a plain white pullover top and pants. She watched with a hint of amusement as she saw my eyes flick over her. No worries kiddo. It's just my eyes taking inventory, as it were, of who was caring for the woman I love. I knew she knew!

"Honey, you have anything specific I can bring back for you?"

"An Anchor Steam and a slice of pizza." Oh yay! Even with a bad injury Reenie's sense of humor hadn't left her.

I whispered, "I love you Officer Henry. I'll be right back." I smiled at Kerri. "Hey, you want a cookie?" She laughed. I headed to the cafeteria. I grabbed a sandwich, something pretending to be potato salad, a bagel and cream cheese for Reenie, a chocolate chip cookie for Kerri and coffee for me. I put a lid on the coffee, paid for the food, wrapped the rest in napkins, and stuffed everything but the potato salad in my purse. I ate that in the elevator and ditched the container in the garbage can in the bathroom. Hey, ya gotta do what Mama Nature tells you to! Plus, it was only two days past the beginning of my period. I needed to freshen up a bit. After, I headed back to my honey.