187 - Coffee
*Avoid saltine crackers. Everyone will tell you that you should eat them in the morning when your nauseous, but Mia ate so damned many that she still can’t even hear that word without gagging. - Celt*
Darkness and the kids quit treating Camille as if she were fragile and would shatter if they looked at her wrong. It was not an immediate change, and they all slipped from time to time. Camille also started calling them out on it.
By the time that the movers loaded up the semi, it was only the occasional slip. The last night that they were in Baton Rouge, the kids stayed with Zydeco while Darkness and Camille spent a final night at the clubhouse. Rosie laughed her ass off the following morning when the brothers were in the kitchen complaining about all the noise.
Camille walked into the kitchen and her nose scrunched up at the scent of coffee. The last few mornings, it has slowly lost its appeal. However, she still enjoyed and wanted her morning coffee.
Using the single serve maker, she made a cup of decaf coffee as she listened to the men who had become so important to her over the past four years. The machine finished and she dropped the used pod into the nearby trash can. These simple actions that she had done for so many mornings seemed exaggerated and somehow important.
That thought made no sense to her as she leaned her back against the counter that was opposite the coffee makers listening to the banter around her. It was strange that she could list out every action that she had taken since she entered the room. Yet she could not tell you what was being discussed.
Lifting the ceramic cup, her nose scrunched up again and her stomach objected to the scent. That should have told her to stop. It should have been a warning.
The instant that the black liquid touched her tongue, Camille knew that coffee would never be the same ever again. By the grace of God and a not so small miracle, she made it across the room to the sink without spilling any of the drink. Unable to move any further, she poured out the coffee as she emptied her stomach into the sink.
She was aware that the room had fallen silent, but there was nothing that she could do. Once started, she could not stop it. A large body pressed up against her back and a light kiss was brushed across the back of her neck.
“Coffee finally got you?” Darkness asked as he snaked his arms around her and rested his hands over her stomach.
She nodded between dry heaves.
“What did Critter recommend?”
“Raspberry tea is what Nessie always gives the…” she stopped herself before she gave too much away.
“Some of us,” Candy said as she sat a bottle of water next to the sink, “know why you drink raspberry tea. Raspberry mint will settle your stomach.”
“Little sips,” Rosie said from the other side of the couple. “Damn it, I owe your grandmother twenty bucks.”
With a shaking hand, Camille reached out and grabbed the bottle and struggled briefly before she got the lid off. She took a small sip and spit it back out before going back to dry heaving. The two nurses looked at each other over the sink.
“Ice chips?” Candy suggested.
Rosie nodded, “Ice chips.” She moved to the refrigerator, grabbing a plastic cup from a local chicken place. Filling the cup with shaved ice, she shoved a plastic spoon in it and then took it back to Camille. “Little sips of the hard water.”
“Why will this work different from water?” Camille asked as she scooped up a spoonful of ice.
“Damn it, girl,” Candy said taking the cup and spoon from her. She dumped the ice out of the spoon and then put just a few chips on the tip. “Small bites, hold it in your mouth and let it melt. The coldness will soothe your throat after throwing up, and it will introduce water to your body slow enough that you won’t throw it back up.”
“Look who paid attention to their CE hours,” Rosie teased.
“Someone had to, you weren’t,” Candy teased with a grin.
Her fellow nurse just shrugged, “I was still dealing with Michael.”
“Yeah…” Candy chuckled as she hugged Camille, “The boss man is still pissed that you are taking Momma Dee and that slut with you.”
Hugging her friend with the cup and spoon behind Candy’s back, Camille laid her head on the other woman’s shoulder. “I’m going to miss you, Candy.”
“That’s because everyone loves Candy,” she said with a little catch in her voice as she hugged the younger woman. “Make sure that you come back to see us.”
“Always.”
Candy stepped back and swiped at the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. Grinning, she pointed at the sink, “And thank you for doing this on the side with the garbage disposal.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Camille blushed slightly, “I wasn’t going to make it any further.”
“Please,” Rosie said as she moved over to clean the sink. “This is nothing compared to some of the shit we deal with at work.”
“Literal shit,” Candy added as she grabbed the cleaner out of the nearby cabinet. Holding up the spray bottle, she advised, “Darkness, take your wife out of here before we have a repeat performance.”
He scooped her up and carried her into the day room where they sat down on one of the couches. They waited for the kids to arrive with Zydeco before they headed to see Momma Dee before leaving. Although the Cajuns wondered, and a few of them thought that they knew why Camille got sick, no one asked. The expecting parents never offered any insight either.
Walking into the assisted living facility, Michael, the facilities director, caught them in the foyer as they passed his office. “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, do you have a moment?”
“Go on down to Momma Dee’s room,” Camille told the kids and they headed down the wing with her room. With her hand in Darkness’ larger hand, they followed the older man into the office.
He motioned for them to sit as he sat behind his desk. “I hate to see Miss Dee leave us; she’s loved by everyone around here. But I’m really glad that she’s going to be close to family.”
Darkness nodded, “She’s excited to fly up there.”
“Yeah, so Rosie is staying on our payroll and under our employment until she is in Massachusetts. I got a request from a,” he looked at the computer screen, “Monroe Clinic, to send her licensing information. Is that correct?”
This time, Camille nodded. “My brother and my friend’s mother, Tammy, work there. Tammy’s the PA at the clinic and signed off on Rosie’s employment.”
“Honestly,” Michael said with a small sigh, “I’m not sure which one I’m going to miss more. Miss Dee and her smart-ass wit and wisdom.” He smiled at the couple in his office, “Or Rosie’s bright smile, work ethic and willingness to help.”
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