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When Athena got the call from the senator, saying the surgery had gone well and Sloane would likely be released in the morning, she went to Whole Foods and picked up a large bunch of white calla lilies. When she returned to the house, she asked Doris for a vase.
“Lilies?” Doris wrinkled her nose. “They always remind me of funerals. Such a strong smell. They’re not really a favorite of Mrs. Montgomery’s. Did you see the beautiful bouquet of pink roses the first lady sent? Much more cheerful to my mind.”
Athena hid her annoyance and instead gave Doris a sweet smile. She’d seen the roses that morning, along with the handwritten note from the first lady. How nice for Sloane that she was so important that the wife of the president remembered to send her flowers. That must have taken the first lady all of five minutes to ask some staffer to handle. Athena had actually taken the time to go out and get the flowers herself, but to these people she was just an unimportant underling.
“Well, I’m sure Mrs. Montgomery will enjoy both arrangements.”
Doris shrugged, then brought her a crystal vase. Athena placed the large bouquet on the dresser in Sloane’s bedroom. She hoped the flowers would make an impression not only on Sloane, but onthe senator as well. She moved the roses the first lady had sent downstairs into the entrance foyer.
Athena was waiting in the entrance hall when they arrived, Sloane looking tired and leaning on her walker as she took a few careful steps.
“Welcome home. I’m so glad everything went well,” Athena said.
“Thank you. I’m happy to be home. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.”
“Well,” Whit said. “Shall we head that way now? Or would you rather stay downstairs for a while?”
“No, let’s go up. I think I’d like to rest.” Sloane stopped a minute to admire the roses and read the card. “How nice of Anne! She leaves tomorrow for Oregon to meet their new grandson. I’m sure she’ll decide to stay awhile, and I don’t blame her. Such a happy occasion.” She looked from the flowers to the staircase and inhaled. “Okay, I’m ready. Maybe one of you can stay behind me, and one next to me. They told me I should be able to go up by myself, as long as I take it slowly. I may as well begin getting everything back in working order. Good leg going up, and bad leg going down: That’s what the physical therapist told me.”
The walk upstairs was painfully slow. Athena continued to utter encouraging words to Sloane. By the time they reached the bedroom, the woman was exhausted.
“Let me help you undress and get into bed.” Athena pulled the covers back and patted the mattress, where she’d already laid out a loose-fitting pair of pajamas for Sloane.
“We can handle this, Whit. I’m just going to sleep the day away, so why don’t you go ahead to the office. You’ve taken enough time off, and I know things must be piling up,” Sloane said.
“Are you sure?” Whit asked.
“Of course. Go.”
Athena backed away from the bed as he kissed Sloane. “Okay, ladies. I’ll see you tonight.” And with that, he was gone.
“Oh my,” Sloane said as Athena helped her change. “You’ve thought of everything. The flowers are just beautiful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Flowers always cheer me up.”
“Me too.” Sloane got into bed and adjusted the pillow under her head. “Mmm. This feels great. I hate hospital beds.”
“Yes.” Athena smiled. “Did they give you instructions? Like how often to change the dressing? Medications?”
“Yes, look in the small case over there. It’s there, along with all the meds they prescribed, my phone, and the other things I took to the hospital. Can you bring my phone over, please? You can just set it on the nightstand. Thanks.”
Athena took a sheaf of papers from the case, reading quickly through them. “Okay, here we go. All the medication amounts and times are listed, so I’ll make up a chart for myself. We don’t want to miss any doses.”
“That’s not necessary, Athena. I can take care of my medication.”
Athena thought before answering and then said, “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. After surgery, when a patient is taking pain medication, they can lose track of time, or get confused as to when they took the last one. We really don’t want that to happen. It’s better if I keep track of everything. That’s what the agency recommends too.”
Sloane sighed. “Maybe you’re right. Ihavebeen rather groggy on and off. I certainly don’t want to make a mistake, so if you think it’s better for you to handle it for now, that’s fine. All the meds for the surgery are over there, and my lupus meds are still downstairs. Whit can show you.”
“Good. Is there anything I can get you? Some food? Something to drink?”
“No, thanks. I just need some sleep. Would you draw the curtains before you leave?”
Athena pulled the door closed on the darkened room and took the instructions and medications with her. The protocol was rather simple: just pain medication and an antibiotic. Athena knew that sulfa drugs like Bactrim or Septra were typically prescribed to hip replacement patients to prevent infection, but Sloane had been prescribed Augmentin. Sulfa drugs were contraindicated in lupus patients because they could cause flares. She was glad that Sloane had so easily acquiesced to her suggestion to let her handle the meds. It would make her job that much easier.
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ROSEMARY