Suture Self Read Online Free Page B

“Doctor,” Judith said in a plaintive voice, “could you get my husband from the next cubicle?”
    â€œHold on there,” Dr. Bunn said in a soothing voice. “He’ll be right along. At the moment, he’d be in the way.”
    â€œBut I wanted to…” Judith began, then heard Joe bidding Bob Randall good-bye.
    â€œGood luck with the knee,” Joe said, and suddenly appeared from the other side of the curtain. “Hey,Jude-girl, Bob Randall’s having knee surgery this morning. You know how it is with quarterbacks. The knees always seem to give out. He’s a really great guy.”
    Judith felt for Joe’s hand. “I thought his wife was the one who…” Judith felt drowsy. “Joe, can you find that…”
    Judith felt nothing.
    Â 
    She awoke nearly seven hours later in the recovery room, staring at Renie. “Coz,” Judith said thickly. “Hi.”
    â€œUnh,” Renie replied and blinked twice.
    â€œWe’re…alive,” Judith said, her voice sounding very strange.
    â€œSo far,” Renie replied, also unlike herself.
    Judith’s eyes came into focus. Her gaze traveled to the end of the bed. Joe was standing there, along with a nurse Judith didn’t recognize.
    â€œHi,” Joe said. He sounded different, too, almost shy. Judith concentrated harder on his face. He looked pale. She looked in Renie’s direction. Bill was by her bed, also looking pale. Both Joe and Bill had ruddy complexions. Could they actually have been worried about their wives?
    â€œHow do you feel, Mrs. Flynn?” the gray-haired nurse inquired.
    â€œOkay,” Judith replied, despite the fact that she was too woozy to know. “Hi, Joe.”
    With a quick glance at the nurse, Joe came around to the side of the bed, almost bumping into Bill. “You’re going to be fine,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ve already seen Dr. Alfonso.”
    â€œGood,” Judith sighed, wishing she could feel relieved, but not feeling much of anything.
    Across the aisle, Dr. Ming was hovering over Renie. Judith tried to hear what he was saying, but couldn’t. A moment later, Renie was being rolled out of the recovery room, with Bill trailing an orderly, a nurse, and Dr. Ming.
    â€œWhere’s she gone?” Judith asked in alarm.
    â€œTo her room,” Joe replied. “Renie’s surgery was only three and a half hours. Yours was almost six, plus it was after nine before they actually started.”
    â€œOhmigod!” Judith shut her eyes. “What time is it?”
    â€œDoes it matter?” Joe smiled. “It’s going on four o’clock. Here.” He proffered a plastic cup. “Drink some water.”
    Judith had trouble getting her lips around the straw. “It’s hard,” she moaned.
    Dr. Alfonso, looking as exhausted as Judith, approached the bed. Or was it a gurney? Judith couldn’t tell; didn’t care.
    â€œYou’ll be up and dancing soon,” he said with the hint of a twinkle in his dark eyes.
    â€œHunh,” said Judith.
    â€œI’ve talked to your husband and given him all the details,” Dr. Alfonso went on, pushing a swatch of silver hair under the shower-cap-like hat he still wore. His blue scrubs were spattered with blood; Judith involuntarily shuddered when she realized the stains probably came from her. “I’m taking a lunch break now,” the doctor said, “but I’ll be in to see you before I go off duty.” Dr. Alfonso jabbed at the plastic cup. “Keep drinking as much as you can. You need plenty of fluids to keep from becoming dehydrated.”
    Dr. Alfonso had no sooner padded away than Judith began to feel pain. She tried to crane her head to look at the IV source, but her head wouldn’t move, her neck wouldn’t swivel.
    â€œJoe, get a nurse,” Judith said, wincing slightly. “I think I’m running