Thirteen West Read Online Free Page B

Reynolds said. "My name's Alma —you can call me that except on duty. Rules. Like the damn caps. What's your first name?"
    "Everyone calls me Sally. I've had all my psych theory, but I know it won't be the same working with actual people who are mentally ill. I'll try to—"
    "I know you'll try, Sally. Don't worry so much about it. Thirteen West is so well staffed compared to the other wards that your tour here should be a breeze. Maybe you'll even learn something." She smiled.
    Alma Reynolds was really pretty, Sally thought. Sexy, too. She wished she had a better figure in spite of what her militant feminist friends said about the undesirability of being a male sex object. Alma filled out her uniform in a way that would certainly make men notice her. What was wrong with that? Or with the men noticing, for that matter? Maybe if she'd looked more like Alma she wouldn't have…
    No, don't start on the past. It's gone. Never again. "Is Dr. Fredericks always like that?" she asked, wishing she had the nerve to call him Nellie.
    "No. Sometimes he's worse. But he's a good superintendent. We hear Calafia is the best run hospital in the state system.
    "I didn't realize psychiatrists would ever—well, pick on anyone."
    Alma shrugged. "They're people, too, after all. Being a psychiatrist doesn't make you automatically nice."
    "I've met some weird ones, believe me," a woman's voice said from Sally's right and she turned to see the LVN—what was her name? Young? She wasn't, very.
    Peering over half-glasses, Ms Young moved closer. "I think it takes a weirdo to get interested in this business in the first place." She waved a hand about.
    "Including present company?" Alma asked.
    "Oh, well, I meant the doctors." The woman fingered a name pin that said she was Janet Young, LVN.
    "What did Dr. Fredericks mean about you being a PT II now?" Sally asked her.
    Janet gave her a huffy look. "I'm still an LVN, I can wear my pin if I want to."
    "PT is a state designation," Alma told Sally. "II is Ms Young's level as far as the state is concerned. PTs and LVNs have about equivalent training."
    "That's what you think," Janet said.
    Alma raised her eyebrows. "The PTs can take the LVN exam for their state license."
    "A lot of them fail," Janet said.
    Alma shook her head and turned to Sally. "Want to take a peek at the Admission Ward?" she asked. "I'm still working there till Monday."
    "I—I'm not in uniform."
    "Afraid someone'll take you for a patient?"
    Sally tensed until she realized she was being teased. "What I meant was—is it all right?"
    "You don't see the social workers or the office help in white." Alma took her hand, edging her away from Janet Young. "Don't worry so much. No one will care."
    The tall and slim young man from the first row followed them through the door Alma unlocked. Sally couldn't remember his name.
    "Hey, David," Alma said. "Look where that commendation got you. I'm sorry—I know you didn't want to go back to the west wards."
    "That's okay," he told her. "This new one sounds like it'll be different. We're sure getting a lot of help—four techs and an RN on PMs is more than minimum staff."
    "Plus Sally," Alma pointed out.
    "Hi, Sally," David said. "What do you think about drawing a ward numbered thirteen for your psych affiliation?"
    "It doesn't bother me."
    "I think it's kind of unlucky," he said.
    Alma unlocked and relocked the last door and Sally stared all around. A hall with some closed doors, some open ones. A heavy mongoloid girl—no, Down's Syndrome, they'd changed the name—waddled out of one of the rooms and caught at Alma 's arm.
    "Hi, hi, hi. You here." Her words were slurred but intelligible.
    "I'm here, Susie Q."
    The girl clutched a rag doll in one hand. She wasn't really a girl but a woman.
    "How old is she?" Sally asked in a whisper.
    "Susie Q is thirty-six, aren't you, honey?" Alma said in normal tones.
    Susie Q stared at Alma , mouth open.
    "Is she—she isn't mentally ill, is she?" Sally asked.
    "No.