All of my writing is fiction, and the stories and characters are products of my imagination. They were created for my fun and, hopefully, your enjoyment. Some of the events in the stories are not particularly condoned nor encouraged by the author but are there to create and enhance the story of the imaginary characters and their lives. Comments are always encouraged and carefully reviewed. All characters within the story who need to be are 18 years of age or older. I hope you enjoy! And take a second to vote and comment.
Note: I am not a doctor nor any other type of health giver. So, I ask for a little forbearance here as I'm writing about a hospital and care for serious injuries. I've tried to research things as best I could, but I'm sure people familiar with emergency operations will find flaws in some of the things I've said. I apologize and ask that you overlook them.
~~~
"I don't want that name to be anywhere that I can see it," Molly said as she ripped the envelope apart.
"I think it's going to take time for that to happen, Molly. And some of it depends on how fast you tell them of the name change."
"I suppose, but it ruins my day when I get something addressed to Molly Holmes or, worse yet, to Mrs. Stephen Holmes. I hate the day I met him, let him bamboozle me, and believed his lies." The tears on Molly's cheeks told how much the whole subject troubled her.
Trying to stress the positive, Lynn, Molly's long-time best friend, said, "I think you can consider yourself fortunate you got away from him as quickly as you did."
"There's nothing that's associated with Stephen that's fortunate," Molly fairly snarled.
"Maybe this isn't a good subject."
"Nothing about Stephen is good."
"You know, if you let your anger go on too long, it'll just keep eating at you and making
you
miserable when what you want is for
him
to be miserable."
Molly stood, walked to the window, and stared at her car parked in the driveway. She sighed.
"You're probably right, but it's not quite like turning off a light. Plus, I'm going to see my lawyer later today to find out a little more about the settlement, which I'm sure will mean I'm getting less than I thought I was. Stephen was always good at manipulating things."
"That's a nice car you have," Lynn said, looking out the same window.
"Not as nice as the one he kept."
"Isn't he paying for this apartment?"
"Three-quarters of it. I'll have to find a new place when his time is up. I can't afford this."
"Why did you get such an expensive place?"
"I think Stephen was trying to impress the divorce people with how generous he is."
"I think I've asked before, but are you going to be okay with everything?"
"That's a big question. I make enough to get along just fine. I'll get a one-bedroom apartment and save my money so I can get a house as quickly as possible."
"That might make you more attractive to a man, too."
Molly snorted. "You're a cruel woman, Lynn, using me and man in the same sentence."
"My mother always told me that
time heals all wounds
."
"Maybe that works for your mother, but it ain't gonna work for me, honey."
"I think I understand why you feel that way, but I hope it works for you, too. You're a giver and one of the most generous and genuine people I've ever come across, and you need to share that and your love with someone."
"Lynn, that sounds noble and uniquely wonderful. I tried it once and was royally screwed over by it. I'm not interested in going through it again."
Lynn understood that she was, in effect, beating a dead horse, and she wasn't going to create a change in Lynn, at least not in the immediate future.
"Did you say you were going to see your lawyer today?"
"Ugh, yes. More details on the settlement. Have you heard the country song,
She Got the Gold Mine, and I Got the Shaft
?" It says they split everything right down the middle, and she got the better half. Reverse the genders and you have Stephen and me."
Lynn chuckled. "I think you exaggerate, my friend."
"I wanted children, but thank goodness there weren't any. Having to share them with him would have been awful. I'll let you know what happens."
"It's nasty out there with the cold and snow and ice."
"Ugh, I hate to drive in that stuff. You be careful, too."
~~~
Austin knew he should call his mother. It had been nearly a week, and she worried about him since he'd started work in the emergency room. She'd hoped he'd be a family doctor, taking care of snotty noses, the flu, and UTIs, not people who've had all sorts of horrible things happen to them and are broken beyond repair. He knew he had time to do it right now.
"Austin, is everything okay?"
"Just fine, Mom. I thought I'd give you a call before I headed off to work."
"When you do, be careful. The news people say it's snowy and icy everywhere."
"I haven't even looked out the window yet, but I'll be careful." Austin knew that it would be a busy day with the snow and ice, and he could only hope that most of the injuries would be minor and easily attended to.
"I worry about you and all the awful things you must see working in that emergency room."
"Mom, most of what happens there is very routine. There are broken arms, people with the flu, kids with upset stomachs, things like that. It's just once in a while that we get those really bad ones."
"Still, I can't imagine dealing with that."
"Look at it this way, Mom. Lots of times, I'm able to save a life or put people back together. It's very rewarding."
"I'm sure that's true, honey. "
"I'd better get going, Mom. I'm due at the hospital before long."
"Well, be careful and fix lots of people."
"The best days are those when I don't have to fix anyone."
"I'm sure that's true. Just be careful today."
Austin hung up the phone and went to the window. They had predicted the cold and a dusting of snow, but there were two or three inches, and it was still snowing lightly. He put on his down jacket and knit hat, then headed to the garage. He was confident his Mercedes would get him the six miles to work very easily but wondered about the rest of the population.
When he pulled into the hospital parking lot, he saw the flashing red lights at the ER entrance. He sighed and headed for the doctor's entrance. It looked like the bad day he was dreading had already begun.
~~~
Molly pulled into the parking lot at the attorney's office, already angry in anticipation of what was going to happen. Stephen had said things to her before the divorce but said different things to the attorneys when the legal things began.
She climbed out of the car and nearly fell trying to close the door. There were about three inches of snow covering a coating of ice that Molly had discovered two or three times on her trip. A quiet profanity as she steadied herself before taking her first step. Carefully, she made her way to the door, grumbling all the way.
She climbed the stairs and went into her attorney's office. The office manager announced her, and she was directed to the inner office.
"Hello, Molly. Glad to see that you made it. I almost had to call you and cancel. My driveway is uphill to the street, and I barely made it."
