3: 3
3.
I checked every detail of the room myself to make sure it would suit Grace Bishop.
I picked two nurses I trusted more than anyone to watch her room.
"Bed twenty-one, Ms. Bishop, the room's ready. You can move over now."
The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up.
Her mother-in-law was sprawled sideways across the hospital bed, picking at her feet.
"So delicate. Has a baby and needs a whole new room. What did I do in past lives to end up saddled with a daughter-in-law like you?"
Face flushed with embarrassment, Grace braced herself up out of the chair.
She gathered up her odds and ends and pleaded with the older woman.
"Mom, it's such a mess in here. I can't rest properly."
"Nobody's as fussy as you. Spends my son's money every single day, and still has to wear out these old bones of mine."
Still muttering, her mother-in-law climbed down off the bed and reached over to twist her arm.
"Ms. Bishop, the two of you need to settle it. If you're not switching, I'll give the room to someone else."
She hurried toward the door with her things: "We're switching. I'm switching right now."
I stood and moved aside, careful not to touch her.
Her mother-in-law came after her, carrying her own load.
My mother happened to step out of the room next door just then.
Grace stopped short, arms full: "Ma'am, could you help me?"
I moved forward quickly and took the things from her.
She looked at me, startled, a flicker of something poisonous at the corners of her eyes, too faint for most people to catch.
Once my mother saw who it was, she grabbed her tools and hurried off.
"Dr. Fox, you're so kind. Switching my room, carrying my things. I really don't know how to thank you."
I smiled at her. "Just have your baby safely and go home safely. That's all I want."
The smile on her lips froze, and her voice trailed off into nothing.
I went over the instructions with the two nurses myself.
Then I went to the cleaners' break room to find my mother.
"Zoe, is that the girl you were talking about?"
I pointed to the room next door. "Mom, starting today, she's moved over here. She's going to keep coming to you for help. Count on it."
"I've assigned her two nurses. If she needs anything, she can go to them."
My mother nodded and kept nodding. "Don't worry. I've got it."
"Mom, trust me. I have my reasons, but I can't tell you what they are."
She held my hand. "Don't you worry. I won't cause you any trouble. I promise."
Right then, there was a knock at the door.
"Ma'am, are you there?"
It was Grace's voice.
My mother and I both went quiet at the same time, listening to what was happening outside.
"Ma'am, are you in there?"
She knocked again for a while.
When no one answered, she rattled the door handle hard.
Thank goodness for what I'd learned in my last life.
Wherever I went, I locked the door behind me first.
When it wouldn't budge, she stopped.
"You old bag, off the clock in the middle of a shift? Where'd you run off to?"
Her voice had gone shrill and cutting, nothing like the gentle, pitiful thing she usually played.
"You old bag, you can dodge me today, but you can't dodge me forever."
"Just you wait. I'm not letting you off."
With that, she slowly walked away.
The hand holding my mother's had gone damp with cold sweat.
My mother's face went white in an instant.
