“I peeked at your clothes,” Lolly said, pointing to the plastic hospital bag that held the tattered remains of the clothes Naomi had been wearing when she’d been admitted.
“It’s not much, but it ought to get you through the next couple of days,” Ellie said. “If there’s anything you don’t like, the name of the store is on the bag. Winona will know where to go. You can tell the woman who owns the shop who you are. You won’t need a receipt to exchange them. She’ll remember.”
This was too much. “What do I owe you?”
“Owe us?” Lolly looked affronted. “Nothing at all, sweetie. Just take care of yourself.”
What had Naomi done to deserve any of this? “I can’t just accept—”
“Sure, you can.” Ellie patted her arm. “People in Scarlet Springs take care of one another. We all feel terrible about what happened to you. No one here is going to let a guest to our town hobble around on crutches naked.”
That made Naomi laugh. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
After that, Ellie disconnected Naomi from the morphine pump, removed her IV, and helped her take a shower, getting her settled on a bench and covering her ankle and left shoulder with waterproof dressings so that her wounds wouldn’t get wet. Naomi had never showered sitting down before, but she got the hang of it. The hot water felt so good, soap and water washing away dirt and fear, making her feel like herself again.
She wrapped a towel around her hair and another around her body and pushed the call button for Ellie, who came quickly. Ellie steadied her while she got to her feet—or her foot—and walked beside her while she hobbled out of the bathroom on her crutches. The motion hurt the injured muscle in her shoulder, but not unbearably. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of these.”
“How was the shower? Do you feel better?”
“Somuch better.” It was bliss to feel clean again.
Ellie stayed while Naomi got dressed, then handed her two pain pills and a cup of water. “The doctor has prescribed Percocet, enough to get you through the next couple of weeks. We can pick up the prescription at the hospital pharmacy on your way out. Take it on time. It’s important to stay ahead of the pain. I’ll print your discharge instructions, and we’ll get you out of here.”
An hour later, Naomi sat in a wheelchair, wearing her new sundress and holding her belongings in her lap, while Ellie wheeled her out to the exit and Winona walked beside her, carrying her crutches.
“I’ll get the car.” Winona handed Naomi the crutches and hurried out to the parking lot.
Naomi looked up at Ellie. “Thanks again. Everyone here has been so kind.”
“You’re welcome. No one should go through what you went through. It’s a pleasure for us to help.”
Winona pulled up in a green Subaru Forester and parked, then climbed out to help Naomi into the front seat.
Ellie helped, too. “Watch your foot. There you go. You did it.”
Naomi lowered the window. “Thanks for everything.”
Ellie waved as Winona put the vehicle into gear and left the hospital behind.
The driveto Winona and Chaska’s home gave Naomi her first look at Scarlet Springs. There was a small downtown area with boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants, as well as a strip mall with a grocery store, a dry cleaners, and an ice cream shop. She’d seen at least two marijuana dispensaries—something she wouldn’t find back home. There was a fossil and geode store and a place called the New Life Institute.
“What do they do there?”
Winona smiled. “They freeze people’s heads after they die in hopes that they can one day be brought back to life. I hear it’s very expensive.”
“Oookay.”
Scarlet Springs wasn’t just small. It was also a little …weird.
Winona slowed down as they made their way through a roundabout where a big, bearded man was begging for change.
Naomi stared. “Is he wearing buckskin?”
“That’s Bear,” Winona said. “He’s lived in the mountains west of town for as long as anyone can remember. He’s a big guy and probably seems scary, but he has a child’s heart and mind. We do our best to take care of him.”
Bear waved as Winona passed, calling to her. “‘Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast.’ God bless you, Winona Belcourt.”
Naomi caught a glimpse of a big smile on the man’s bearded face before Winona turned down a side street. “Did he just say your name?”