Free Truth by Julia Karr Page B

astonishment by asking, “How is our grandmother?”
    Fully recovered, and drawn back into his I’m-top-tier-and-you-are-disgusting-low-tier persona, he said, “Of course, the surgery was successful. Assuming Mrs. Oberon continues her present rate of recovery, I anticipate releasing her to the Edgewater Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday.”
    “Rehabilitation center?” Metro was one thing. Everyone had free medical care. But rehabilitation—that cost credits. Lots of credits that we didn’t have. “Can’t she come home? I can take care of her.”
    “Always about the cost, isn’t it?” He flared his nostrils, as if something stank. “Because the surgery was experimental, all the care is covered. You won’t be out anything.”
    “May we see her now?” Dee asked.
    “Yes. Go. Ten minutes,” was his snappish answer.
    We stopped outside Gran’s room. I took a deep breath, releasing my anger. Gran didn’t need to feel my exasperation with some jerk like Dr. Silverman. I had to remind myself that he’d saved her life, and he’d been almost nice to Dee. Although, in my corner of the galaxy, that didn’t give him a free ride.
    “Gran?” I peeked around the door.
    “Girls.” Gran was reclining in the bed. Smiling, albeit weakly, she said, “I’m not in much of a position to hug you two.” A tube dangled from her arm to a bag of clear fluid on a stand.
    I took one hand, and Dee took the other. Gran felt warm, alive. Color was back in her face, replacing the deathly gray from the day before. “You look great.” I kissed her cheek. “How do you feel?”
    “Like a new woman,” she said. “Tired, but alive.”
    Dee stroked her hand. “I was so worried.”
    “No need to worry any longer, dear.”
    “I know.” A tear trickled down Dee’s face. “It’s just with Pops gone . . .”
    “Your grandfather, yes. And the writ.” Gran’s face clouded. “Nina, dear, you will have to handle this alone. Can you do it? I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins will help.”
    “Especially now that we’re living with them,” Dee said.
    “What?” Gran’s eyebrows knotted. “Why are you living with the Jenkinses?”
    “We were evicted.” I hadn’t wanted to tell her, not just yet. “But it’s all right. I’ve got it all under control.”
    “Oh, no, Nina. Our things? How will we––” She rubbed her forehead, her monitor beeps speeded up.
    Dr. Silverman swept into the room, a nurse scurrying in behind him. “No disturbances. Out.”
    “We didn’t mean to,” Dee said. “It’s just—”
    “Out!”
    As we slunk through the door, I saw him take a needle from the nurse, inject something into one of Gran’s tubes, and then the monitor slowed down, back to its hypnotic
beep, beep, beep
.
    Silverman strode into the hallway. “She cannot be subjected to anything that will agitate her. If you can’t keep from upsetting her, you can’t come back.”
    “I’m sorry.” Tears swam in Dee’s eyes. “I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
    “See that it doesn’t happen again,” Silverman said, a softness crossing his face. “I will not have my work ruined. No more visits today. Call tomorrow to find out when you are allowed back.”
    “Yes, sir.” I took Dee’s hand, and we walked silently to the elport. Neither of us said a word until we got outside the hospital.
    “He’s not so bad,” Dee said. “He’s just worried about Gran.”
    “Uh-huh.” I let her think what she wanted. I, on the other hand, thought he was more worried about his precious reputation as a doctor.

XI
    B y the time we got back to our old apartment, Chris and his friends had already packed and moved most of our things to a storage unit.
    ��I sent the guys home,” he said. “Everything’s done except the kitchen and these from your grandparents’ bathroom.” He pointed to a collection of bottles on the dining room table.
    “Pops’s medicine!” Dee exclaimed. “He hasn’t had his pills since yesterday. Nina!”