Dark Beach by Lauren Ash Read Free Book Online

at her happily. She ignored the child; they all watched each other.
    “Ron, seriously, I don’t think I can take this.”
    “But it’s my Nana. We have to go in there! She may pass at any moment. I mean, Jesus— her teeth . She’s already lost her mind.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I wasn’t going to tell you.” Ron bit his bottom lip. 
    “What? Come on?”
    He shook his head. “She has Alzheimer’s.”
    “Oh! ... oh.” In all their years together, Ron had never mentioned that. “Really?”
    “Yes. It’s the family secret. I was hoping we’d go in and she might be lucid or something, but with this tooth thing, hell. I don’t know why my mother never told me about this. She knew we were coming here.”
    “You said it’s the family secret; your mother is obviously ashamed or something.”
    “What the...? Well, let’s go in.”
    Jenny stopped him. “No. You go first. I’ll wait out here and come in soon. Is that all right?”
    “That doesn’t sound like a question.”
    It wasn’t so bad sitting outside the room waiting ; Kip kept her company. The child swayed back and forth and fidgeted, sat up, got down, tapped on this, looked at that. Watching her, Jenny felt glad she was out here with the young, not in the room with the old and decrepit. Something about nursing homes gave her the creeps in general. She did not want Kip to see any of it.
    The door opened and Ron stuck his head in. “She’s good. She looks fine, but she’s a bit confused. Come in, but I don’t think you should bring Kip. I’ll wait out here with her,” Ron said.
    Jenny looked down at Kip, who was busy picking at something on the peach leathered bench. “Okay, I guess.” came her answer, despite the sense of terror welling up inside her.
    With a deep breath in, and a fluff of her collar, Jenny opened the door to room 946. A lump lay still under the peach covers.
    In the far corner was a small, rickety chair. Jenny took it, crossed her legs, and folded her arms. She was hiding, but from what or from whom she didn’t know. The pull-around privacy curtain was tucked back neatly behind the patient’s bed. Part of her wanted to go over there and pull it shut.
    The lump moved.
    Tightening up even more, Jenny closed her eyes, and said, “Gerry?”
    There was no response.
    “Gerry. I’m Jenny, your grandson Ron’s wife. He was just in here.” She opened her eyes to peek. Everything was still. The only sound was a dull ticking. Oh no, there is a clock in this room! Jenny thought. Who’d want to know the time in a place like this? This is no place for time. It’s a place to lose yourself in your thoughts, or in the ramblings of your failing memory.
    There was a sudden movement, something at the head of the bed, just under the sheets.
    “Gerry?”
    It was killing her—the ticking ; she couldn’t take it. Jenny tiptoed to the head of the bed.
    “I know you’re under there. What are you doing under there?” She tried to sound nice, pleasant.
    There was a fleshy snap.
    Jenny backed up. A single drop of blood seeped through the pale apricot sheet.
    There was a whimper, then another snap and more blood.
    “Gerry?” Jenny pulled back the sheet.
    The shrunken, white-haired woman’s face was smeared with crimson as she picked the stitches from her gums. Jenny stared, horrified, not even seeing the fist that came out from nowhere and popped her straight in the gut.
    “Jesus Christ, you punched me!” Jenny yelled. “What are you doing?” Shielding her abdomen, she backed up further.
    Gerry licked her lips.
    Jenny frantically searched the room for the nurse call bell. “It’s got to be here somewhere!”
    Gerry stared vacantly and kept picking at the stitches.
    “Stop that, Gerry! You’re hurting yourself. Here it is, Jesus Christ.”
    Jenny pushed the big red button and left the old woman to her fascinations.
     
    * * *
     
    “My God, honey. I’m so sorry you had to see that. She was fine when I went in. She just sat