Page 94 of The Blessings of Christmas
Dizzy with her success, she ripped into the next branch. Bark shot out. Pain drove into her right eye like a nail. The saw fell from her hand. She blinked and blinked. Doggone it. The eye throbbed and watered. Would she be blind? The night enclosed her.
Victoria had to go home. Somewhere in her medicine chest she had eye drops. Stooping, she felt around for her tote and the pine boughs.
With the sticky mess in her arms, she stumbled from the square. When she reached her apartment, she dropped the fragrant branches at the back door of the shop. Fumbling with the lock to her apartment, she was grateful for the overheadlight. Finally she fitted her key into the slot and banged through the door. Clinging to the handrail, she made her way upstairs.
What had started as fun had become a stupid stunt. She should have bought a real tree and asked Maisy or Darla to cut it up. Closing the top door behind her, she used the wall as a guide to reach the bathroom. Fumbling, she snapped on the light and strained to see herself in the mirror. Her eye was red. That’s all she knew. Finding the bottle of drops, she squeezed a steady stream into her eye and blinked.
Nothing. The eye still hurt like heck and her hands felt coated with chewing gum. Her panic mounting, she pumped soap into one palm and washed the sticky sap from her fingers. What should she do?
Maybe she’d have to wear a black eye patch for the rest of her life. Kids would call her Mrs. Hook.Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh.Victoria pulled out her phone. Daddy would come in a heartbeat. Her throat tightened as she went through all his cautionary tales. Why had she risked this? Why hadn’t she called him so he could take care of her pathetic tree?
No way. Tucking the phone into her jacket pocket, Victoria felt her determination kick up. Last time she was at Piggly Wiggly, she’d noticed the new urgent care center in the same strip mall. TheSweetwater Gazettehad carried an article about it. She’d go there. No one would know and this whole accident would be a secret.
Well, unless she needed surgery.
Unless she lost her eye.
But she wasn’t going to think about that now. As it was, her friends all thought she was a drama queen. Scooping up her tote, she made her way down the stairs. Outside, she breathed in the cool night air. The panic eased a bit. She had a plan.
Unlocking her car with one click, she maneuvered herself into the front seat. Her right eye was watering like crazy,and she wished she’d taped it shut. The car roared to life and she managed to back out of her parking place. Five minutes later, she was pulling into a parking lot large enough to hold ambulances and the cars of idiots like herself who’d injured themselves trying to be holiday heroes.
The woman at the front desk looked up as Victoria stumbled through the electronic door. Thank goodness the waiting room was empty. “Jingle Bell Rock” played over the sound system. She was not in a holiday mood. Christmas had just gotten her into a heap of trouble.
The entire waiting area was glassed in. Feeling like she’d been dropped into a fishbowl, she slumped into the chair across from the receptionist. No way did she want anyone seeing her on their way to pick up milk at Piggly Wiggly. Why in heaven’s name did people make healthcare facilities with so much glass when they really should focus on larger mirrors in the ladies rooms?
Not that she wanted one tonight.
“Fill out the first page, dear.” The woman handed Victoria a clipboard. “We can take care of the rest in the room.”
“It’s my eye.” She squinted at the woman whose nametag said Audrey.
“Oh my goodness. Looks like you need to be seen right away.” Taking the clipboard gently from her hands, the woman’s expression changed––or what Victoria could see of it from her left eye.
“I sure would appreciate that, ma’am.” Grim images flooded her mind, but she would not cry. Important issues came to mind. Could they match fake eyes to your original color?
Standing up, the woman crooked a finger. “Follow me, please.”
“Thank you.” Unshed tears thickened her voice.Buck up, Victoria.Wasn’t that what her friend Josie always told her? Tonight she felt alone and desperate.
Audrey showed her to a blindingly bright room. “You can lie down right there, miss. Someone will be right with you.” She pointed to a bed with wheels.
Very slowly, she sat down and swung her legs over and up, the white paper covering crinkling under her body. Should she have taken off her boots? Mama would have a fit if she put boots on a bed at home.
“There, there. A nurse will be right with you.” Audrey clucked over her.
The bright overhead lights bounced off scary equipment hanging from the wall, giving her a headache. A nurse entered the room. “Can you turn down these lights?” Victoria asked.
The nurse came closer. “I've got this, Audrey.”
“I’ll be right back to finish registering her.” With a swish of the curtain, Audrey left.
“Hi, I’m Betsy,” the nurse said in a kind but no nonsense voice. “We need the bright lights, so we can see what’s going on.” Getting closer, Nurse Betsy studied Victoria. “So what happened?”
“I was sawing...my Christmas tree.” That came close enough. No way would she admit that she’d been vandalizing their beloved square.
“‘Tis the season,” Betsy muttered under her breath. “We get plenty of people in here who’ve fallen off ladders. So you were sawing down a tree?”
“Kind of.” Victoria couldn’t even go there.
