Free Nubbin but Trouble by Ava Mallory

blurry line for everyone, but for those suffering with dementia and Alzheimer's, it was even more troublesome to navigate.
     
    “I'm looking forward to seeing them too,” I lied. What was wrong with me? Why was I making this sound like this was some kind of vacation? I was a woman on a mission. Someone around here saw something. Experience told me that nothing and I mean nothing happens in a small town or a small facility, in this case, without someone else seeing it.
     
    Sarah scanned her key card to open the doors. I took a deep breath to calm my rattled nerves.
     
    “There she is. That's the one I told you about,” Karen pointed her stubby finger in my direction, explaining to a woman who looked remarkably similar to the gruff-looking Nubbin, but in an almost softer way. “That's Mercy.”
     
    The woman's face reddened almost matching the color of her lipstick. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Something about her, maybe her bulbous nose or her deep set eyes, but something wouldn't let me turn away. Her shoulder length platinum blonde hair sat in stark contrast to her crimson shade. I had a feeling that whatever it was Karen had told her about me was the reason behind her anger.
     
    Great! These two were my welcoming squad.
     
    “What did you do,” the enraged blonde asked.
     
    Instinctively, I looked behind me. I knew she couldn't have been using that tone with me,  a woman she'd not had the pleasure of meeting yet.
     
    Sarah mumbled under her breath, “Uh oh, watch out for her.”
     
    What? No words of wisdom? No heads up as to who she was or what her issue was. And, why does she remind me of Nubbin so much?
     
    She stepped closer to me, her ample bosom in my face. My breath caught as the pungent scent of the worst smelling perfume I'd ever had the displeasure of smelling before overwhelmed my senses. She all but drained the fluids right out of me with her perfume. What did she do, bathe in a tub of patchouli and Corpse Flower? Seriously, was I the only one who could smell that?
     
    “What did you do to my father? Where is he?” She spat in my face, the pungent aroma of stale cigarettes started to mix with the already deadly scent wafting between us. Suddenly, I felt faint and I was pretty sure that not one person here would be willing to provide emergency care for me.
     
    I took a step back, doing my best not to choke from the nostril invasion. My eyes watered. My taste buds fought with desperation for immediate relief. I needed air. I needed something and, I'm pretty sure, getting yelled at by an angry fake blonde wasn't it.
     
    “Excuse me,” I said between gagging and trying to will myself not to faint. “I don't know you. I don't know what you're talking about.” I had more to say, but since I could barely breathe, speaking wasn't a viable option for me in that moment.
     
    “You're the nurse who encourages my father to do all sorts of nonsensical stuff. Do you realize what you've done? Do you realize how much danger he is in? For all I know, he could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere.” She seethed with anger.
     
    “Your father? Nubbin is your father?” No wonder she reminded me so much of him. I didn't know whether to feel sorry for her or to laugh at her misfortune. Some women could be considered handsome if they looked like their fathers, but I'm pretty sure that was only possible if they inherited their father's good features, and clearly, this woman had not.
     
    Karen sneered. “Yes, she's Nubbin's daughter. Why do you think she's so upset? This is all your fault, you know? I hope you're satisfied because now look at what you've done.”
     
    What is she talking about?
     
    “Are you out of your mind? I live in California. How could I possibly have had anything to do with this? I haven't seen Nubbin in months.” I stood up for myself.
     
    Sarah watched in amazement as this woman and Kathy raked me over the coals. For several minutes, Nubbin's daughter berated me for