“Nothing you need to be concerned about, just an unpleasant encounter with her own version of Winston.”
“Is she hurt?”
“No.”
Thank You, Jesus.“Is he?”
Nurse Rhodes avoided Constanza’s gaze as she collected the bowl and spoon.“Unfortunately, I believe his injuries are rather significant.”
“Good for her.”
“Mrs.Davis!”She scowled as she handed off the lackluster lunch.“That is not how you should respond.He was an innocent man, same as the one you attacked.”
Only if you consider the devil innocent.These people had no idea the kind of miscreants she’d associated with as Katherine Yates.“Has anyone checked to see if heisthe same man?”
“Not to my knowledge, but it matters not.What matters is bothof your actions indicate you need help, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
The poor, naive girl.Nurse Shreckhise was right.She wouldn’t last long here with that ridiculous belief.The only nurses who lasted more than a month were cynical or derived pleasure from the suffering of their patients.And now Nora was to be their next victim.
Constanza laid aside the bowl and pushed to her feet.Somehow, she’d free Nora and help her escape these cruel walls.She wobbled with her first step.
Nurse Rhodes steadied her.“Oh dear.I’ve excited you too much.”She gently but firmly pushed Constanza back onto the bed.“You must calm yourself.You don’t want to be sedated again, do you?”
“No.”Constanza needed to be awake and ready to talk to Nora as soon as she could without arousing the attention of the nurses.
“Good.”Nurse Rhodes retrieved the tilting bowl before it spilled and handed it to Constanza.“Now eat quietly and enjoy your daughter’s voice.I’m sure it won’t be long before one of the other nurses hears her and decides she needs her rest.”Once satisfied with Constanza’s compliance, she left.
Constanza set aside her bowl and glanced around for any way to reach Nora.Maybe if there was a weakness in the wall—
“Wait, I say, on the Lord.”
The final words of the psalm stopped her frantic planning.What was she doing?She’d asked for the Lord to be her light and strength.Only He could be their salvation from this mess.And hadn’t Nurse Rhodes said He’d brought Nora here for safekeeping?Peace could only be obtained in the trusting, and Constanza so desperately wanted to trust that He knew what He was doing.
I surrender, Lord.I want to trust Your plan.Help me to see it.Give me peace, not fear.
Constanza closed her eyes and listened to the soft play of Nora’s voice as she tested different musical phrases with a new psalm.Winston had attacked Nora but failed to harm her.Nurse Rhodes hadn’t mentioned Ursula, but maybe by bringing Nora here, Godwas protecting her.Nora was smart.She wouldn’t suffer here as Constanza had.Nora would comply and play to Dr.Chalfant’s expectations forrecovery.As much as Constanza wanted to be the one to rescue Nora, the truth was she couldn’t.Constanza would have to lean into her fledgling trust of Jesus and His promise to never leave nor forsake them.
“You’re fired.”Crosley’s tone brooked no argument.“And don’t think you can abandon your responsibilities in the middle of a show and get a job as stage manager elsewhere.I’ll make sure every opera house in the city knows how unreliable you are.”
One show missed in three years did not make Ezekiel unreliable.If only the man would listen to reason instead of the echoes of his anger bouncing off the foyer’s tiled floor and high ceilings.“I didn’t abandon my duties in the middle of a show.There were still hours before the performance, and I made sure Kenneth was up to the task.”
“So it wasn’t your duty to ensure the prompt book Kenneth used was properly marked?Or your duty to inspect all the stage equipment before the performers took to the stage again?”
“It was, and I did.”
“Then tell me why, during last night’s performance, Kenneth missed giving half the necessary cues and the bed collapsed in on itself while Othello smothered Desdemona.”
“Because that fool of a new stagehand had the audacity to quote the Scottish Play and name it before rehearsal.”It was the only explanation, other than Kenneth might not have been as competent for the job as Ezekiel had thought.
“You can’t blame a superstition for a failure to do your job.Collect your things, and then I never want you setting foot in this building again.”
Ezekiel had no choice but to comply.Crosley stood at the doorof Ezekiel’s office the entire time he collected his belongings into a box, apparently afraid Ezekiel was a thief as well as incompetent.As soon as Ezekiel stepped outside, Crosley slammed the door and locked it.One would think that for as faithful and hardworking as Ezekiel had been, Crosley might have spared a moment for concern over what would have been so important to draw Ezekiel away, but the man hadn’t even asked for or allowed an explanation.
When Ezekiel returned home, Tristan met him at the door.He must have been hoping Nora or Ma was with him, because when Tristan realized Ezekiel was alone, he strutted off with his tail twitching in the air.
“If I could bring either or both of them home, boy, I would.”
But he couldn’t do anything.Not his job.Not compose songs.He couldn’t even take a turn following Mrs.Reed.She’d recognize him in an instant.Even if she didn’t know his connection to Nora, garnering her attention was too big a risk.
