Thank you, Ozzy mouthed, then turned a bright smile on Ezzie when she popped out of the kitchen.
“You owe me,” Frankie muttered to him.
“You mean it? Never mind. I don’t want you to change your mind.” Ezzie grabbed her oversize purse off the back of one of the chairs and followed Frankie to Dwayne.
“So this group home.” Ezzie turned in her seat to face Frankie. “What kind of group is it? Orphanage? Foster kids?”
“Senior citizens.” Frankie made a sharp left on Monarch Lane and hit the gas. “The nearest elder-care facility is more than an hour away, so a group of our older residents pooled their resources and bought a big house to share. Doesn’t cost them nearly as much, but the older they get, the more care they need. None of them drive, either. Which is both a blessing and a curse.” Frankie managed a small smile. “A lot of their calls are requests for rides, to doctors’ appointments, to go to the grocery store. Most times when they call nine-one-one we know it’s nothing life-threatening.” But this time could be the exception. “Of all of them, Alice Manning needs the most help. She’s got Parkinson’s. As far as I know, the rest are in pretty good health. Just...”
“Bored.” Ezzie sighed. “I can relate. Now that my Tony is gone and Roman’s living so far away, it’s hard to fill the days. And believe me, one can get very bored of cruises after a while.”
“I’ll take your word on that,” Frankie tried to joke.
Only a few minutes later, Frankie pulled the SUV into the driveway of the beautifully lighted Victorian house, angels and Rudolph battling it out on the front lawn in an odd holiday war for dominance. She walked to the back of the vehicle to retrieve her med kit.
“Oh, Frankie, thank you so much for coming.” Penny’s face was streaked with tears, her normally perfectly arranged white hair a bit mussed. “We’re so worried.”
“Ezzie, why don’t you wait—” That was as far as Frankie got, because Ezzie was already out of the car and heading straight for Penny.
“No need to worry any longer,” Ezzie said and wrapped a calming arm around Penny’s trembling shoulders. “Frankie’s here, and she’s going to take good care of Alice. How about we fix a nice pot of tea? It’ll calm everyone’s nerves a bit and let Frankie do what she needs to.”
“I—Yes.” After a blink of understanding, Penny nodded. “Yes, tea. That’s a lovely idea.”
“Why don’t you show me where the kitchen is and I’ll help. Come on. Come along.” She motioned for Frankie to go on ahead before she took Penny’s arm and led her inside.
Grateful for Ezzie’s help, Frankie strode to Alice’s ground-floor suite that had been updated with various amenities for someone with her condition. The bathroom in particular had a variety of handles and bars and wide space for when Alice would need a walker, which, given how her disease seemed to be progressing, would be soon. Finding Alice tucked into her bed, a mound of pillows at her back, looking pale and struggling to breathe, had Frankie reaching for her cell.
“See? I told you she’d come when we called.” Myra was sitting beside Alice on the bed, patting Alice’s hand. Oscar had taken up sentry duty in the corner, standing with his walker, his normally clear eyes narrowed with worry. “Alice, you let Frankie take a look at you, okay?”
Alice’s eyes filled. “I don’t want to be a bother. I told them not to call.”
“You are never a bother, Alice.” Frankie sat on the other side of Alice and quickly requested an ambulance. “I don’t like how that breathing sounds, so I’m going to have them take you in, okay? Can you tell me what happened?”
“She fell. Last night,” Myra said. “Didn’t tell any of us until this morning, when she said it hurt to move.”
“Where did you fall, Alice?” With gentle hands, Frankie checked for broken bones, bruises and any other potential injuries.
“Just there. On my way back from the bathroom.” Alice wheezed. “My chest hurts. Right here. And here.” She pressed a hand against her sternum, then her side. “It didn’t at first. I don’t think. I can’t remember. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Frankie assured her. “I’m always just a phone call away from you.” She took Alice’s temperature, listened to her breathing through her stethoscope. When she pressed a bit harder against Alice’s side, the old woman gasped.
“I don’t think you broke a rib, but you may have cracked or bruised one. Your blood pressure’s elevated, but that’s not surprising if you’re in pain.” She heard a siren in the distance. “You ready for a trip to see your doctor?”