"She has to go to the hospital. I'm alarmed by her blood pressure and I want to do some other tests. I'm going to miss something here if you don't go. Loretta." he told her.
"I can't do that." she said.
"If you don't, your granddaughter could very well lose her grandmother. How would you like that?"
"You're a terrible alarmist and blackmailer. Doctor Battie," she told him.
He laughed. "Look. I can't prescribe the right medications for you or medical services if I don't kno
w exactly what's happening, now can I? You're being unfair to me, Loretta. You're not letting me do my job properly and that will make me look bad. You want to hurt my reputation, my livelihood, my family?"
"Oh, stop it," she said. She looked away and then she turned to me. She was obviously surprised by her own physical weakness and finally a little frightened, "I'll go if you promise and swear you will not leave the house until I return. You will not let anything or anyone drive you away and you will look after Echo."
"I promise," I said quickly.
"Of course, the girl's going to be terrified. There hasn't been a day in her life that I wasn't there for her."
"We'll make her understand," Doctor Battie said.
As it turned out, he was an expert in signing. too. We brought Echo into the room and he explained it all carefully to her, reassuring her. When he asked her if it was all right to have her grandmother go to the hospital, she nodded enthusiastically.
"All right. I see I'm outnumbered here," Mrs. Westington said. "I'll go tomorrow,"
"No, you'll go right now. directly," Doctor Battie said. "Whatever you need from home can be brought to you later, The quicker you get this started, the quicker it will be over. Loretta."
"Did you ever see such a man?" she asked me. "Are you all right with it?"
"Yes, of course. I am. and Trevor's there to help as well."
"When he doesn't have his nose in a clump of grapes."
"You still producing that Chardonnay?" Doctor Battie asked her.
"Not me. That foolish man I have working for me stubbornly continues."
Doctor Battie laughed and then pulled me out of the examination room and explained where I was to take Mrs. Westington. He said he would make the calls and have everything underway.
"Don't let her talk you out of it at the last moment," he warned.
"She can do that and she's dangerously close to having a serious stroke. I'm afraid," he said.
It brought tears to my eyes. "I won't." I promised.
All the way to the hospital, she questioned the wisdom of what we were doing. "Leaving you alone there. I don't know. I don't know. I'm sure it's a mistake."
"We'll be fine. I'm not going to let anyone drive me out. I promise."
"You call me if there is even the slightest bit of trouble with those two," she said. "I won't go in unless you make that a promise."
"I will."
"I can tell when someone lies to me. I can smell it," she said.
"I will," I insisted, even though I wouldn't unless it was the last possible resort.
She looked at me askance and then smiled to herself. When we arrived at the hospital, there were attendants and a nurse waiting just as the doctor had promised. Of course, she thought they were making things worst, creating a bigger commotion than was necessary.
Very quickly she was behind a curtain, dressed in a hospital gown, and hooked up to machinery that would give the doctor the information he wanted. The sight of her in a hospital bed was hard for me and absolutely earth-shattering for Echo. The gown and the medical apparatus diminished her. She looked tiny and far more fragile outside of her own home, where she ruled like a queen.