A Penny's Worth by Nancy DeRosa Read Free Book Online Page A

Winston.
    As she walked up to the exit gate, an
older man stopped her and said, “I was impressed with how you handled that,
like a real lady you did. Gretchen is a live wire and that situation could have
gotten out of hand in a split second. That crazy woman and her crazy dog live
in my building and the both of them are always looking for a fight.”
    She smiled at the elderly man and his
miniature Collie. “Well I’m glad I was able to defuse it. I wasn’t hankering
for a black eye.”
    Patting Winston’s head, he smiled back.
“A fine woman such as yourself would never deserve that.”
    Smiled demurely, she waved goodbye.
Walking home, she felt proud. She knew she had changed another negative experience
toward her favor. She looked up at a bird flying overhead and it made her
smile. She couldn’t resist saying out loud, “Come on little birdie, take
another crap on me. I can use all the luck I can get. I’m Penny and I’m worth
so much more than that.”

Chapter 12
    Nurse Reins sat like a grizzled old albatross behind her
clean white desk. Penny was daunted; she looked tough. Reins’ eyes were too
small, giving her a shrewd look. Her frizzy gray hair made her look
unapproachable; and the multitude of wrinkles upon her face, which should give
her face warmth and character, instead made her seem intimidating.
    Penny sat opposite her desk and fidgeted
uncomfortably as Reins stared her out for a long, uncomfortable moment.
    Finally, her new mentor broke the
silence. Her voice was pinched and a little hoarse. “I don’t normally work alongside
anyone, and if it weren’t for Dr Kittles’ recommendation I wouldn’t be doing
this.”
    Taken aback with this disclosure, Penny
tried to compose herself. “Uh, well, thank-you for doing this Ms Reins. I hope
it won’t be too much of an imposition for you.”
    Drumming a pencil on her desk, Nurse Reins
curtly added, “It’s been a long time since you’ve performed any of the necessary
procedures that are required in a hospital setting, but given that you do have
RN requirements we’ll see what you remember.” She dropped the pencil with a
clang, stood up, and motioned for Penny to follow. “You’ll be working on the
oncology floor. We need nurses there the most right now.”
    “Of course,” Penny chirped, hoping she
didn’t look panicked. Her heart had begun to pound at the thought of Nurse
Reins breathing down her neck, watching her with those squinty little eyes. She
knew she had no choice but to do as she was told. Penny wanted this job badly,
but the fact she’d be working in oncology was something of a bombshell.
    That initial trepidation, made physical
by the nervous clench in the pit of her stomach, never let up. Nurse Reins
barely left her side. Throughout the long and stressful day, Penny successfully
took numerous blood pressures, monitored patients’ temperatures, administered
medications, and checked blood counts. The last blood count she checked was for
a young woman who was to have her first chemo session. Penny was about to learn
how to administer the Chemotherapy. She tried to listen very carefully to Nurse
Reins’ instructions.
    “Make sure you are always close at hand
if your patients need you, Ms Marins,” she cautioned curtly. “Monitor very
carefully when the chemo is being administered.”
    “Oh, of course.” She nodded vigorously.
    She assessed her patient to be about
thirty-five. Her name was Charlotte Munsen and her chart displayed advanced
breast cancer. Penny’s heart went out to this woman, who wore a stricken look
upon her face as she watched Nurse Reins administer the chemo through her IV.
    Charlotte Munsen noticed Penny looking at
her. She rolled her head dejectedly in Penny’s direction. “I can’t believe that
I actually have cancer, let alone that I’m in a hospital getting chemotherapy.
What the hell happened? Just last month my husband and I were talking about
having a baby.” Tears sprang to her eyes.
    “I