Chapter 4 — The Homecoming

By the time we had crossed our own threshold, I was near the end of what my body could do.

My arms shook from carrying my whole weight on the crutches, the pain medicine from the hospital was wearing thin, and every part of me was fixed on a single, simple goal: to reach the living room couch and lie down.

Beatrice had a different plan for the afternoon.

She held the blue folder up in front of my face, and then she made the terms unmistakable, holding the small paper pharmacy bag from the hospital just out of my reach.

“Sign these tonight,” she said, “and then we’ll gladly talk about giving you your prescription.”