Part 4 (1/2)
”I know how to make it work. I just need a little help.”
”That's okay. I'll help you,” said Macy.
”I just need to wash my things.” She pointed to her teeth. ”These things.” She looked in the mirror. ”These little white things in my mouth. I just don't remember how to do it. I think my breakfast made me a little sick. Tell Had...whatever that man's name is-he cooks our food. You know. Tell him he made me sick and now I can't think right.”
”Mother?” said Elmo.
Mallie Mae turned and was surprised to see him standing there.
”What are you doing in here? Get out of my room and just leave me alone.”
”But, Mother, you seem to be having a problem. I just want to help.”
”Get out! Now!”
Elmo walked out of the bedroom and shut the door. He stood in the hallway, stunned. He was about to go back downstairs when Macy came out.
”See what I mean?”
”Yeah. She's in bad shape. I had no idea. Has she ever acted like this before?”
”Well...”
”You mean she's been like this for a while and you didn't tell me?”
”I'm sorry. But she swore me to secrecy.”
”When did it start?”
”She started having some memory problems a couple of years ago. But I thought it was just old age.”
”You should have told me, Macy.”
”I know. But it wasn't that bad at first. It's gotten a lot worse in the past few months.”
”I can't believe you didn't tell me.”
”I'm sorry. Do you think it's Alzheimer's? She's only 75.”
”It could be. Most people don't get until their mid-eighties. But sometimes it happens a lot sooner.”
”I hope that's not what it is.”
”It could be something else. Like a reaction to medication. What is she taking?”
”Just her blood pressure medicine. And sometimes a pain pill.”
”Or it could be a nutritional deficiency. How's her appet.i.te?”
”Pretty good.”
”And sometimes people have these symptoms after a stroke.”
”Oh, I think I would know if she had a stroke. Wouldn't I?”
”Probably-considering how much time you spend with her.”
”So, what do we do?”
”I'll send her to the hospital for testing.”
”Oh, I don't think she'd like that. She's embarra.s.sed. She'd rather die than have everybody in town hear about this.”
”Okay. I'll send her to a good friend of mine in Dallas. He specializes in geriatrics.”
”So, he'll be able to find out what's wrong with her?”
”Yes. He's an excellent diagnostician. I'll give him a call and set it up for tomorrow.”
”Do you want me to drive her over there?”
”No. I'll call the limo service. You just go along and take care of her.”
”Good. I will.”
Elmo went downstairs to his study. Macy went back into Mallie Mae's room.
”He's going to send you to a geriatric doctor for tests.”
”I don't want to go to Coreyville or Longview. People know me there.”
”No. This doctor is in Dallas.”
”Good. And you're going with me, right?”
”Yes, Ma'am.”
Elmo called his old friend, Dr. John Fransein in Dallas.
”Hey, Johnny. This is Elmo Mobley.”
”Well, you didn't have to give your last name.” Johnny laughed. ”How many Elmo's do you think I know?”
”Not that many, I guess. But it's been a long time.”
”It sure has. How are you doing?”