“Hmm. You took a bad hit, but nothing that a little rest won’t cure. We’re going to keep you overnight so the nurses can observe you. You may have a mild concussion, and I want to make sure you’re safe before I sign off on your release.”
“The Coca-Cola took care of my headache, and I feel pert, sure enough. I’m ready to leave now.” I swung my legs over the bed.
“All the same, I’m ordering hospital rest till tomorrow.” He smiled kindly, but his words were firm as he adjusted his spectacles and peered over the chart again. “Get some rest. Your Hogben test says youbothneed it.”
Mrs. Claxton straightened and gawked at the doctor, and then her eyes latched on to mine. Silently, she rolled the wordbothover her lips.
I tucked my head away from her quizzical stare.
The doctor turned to Susan. “The patient appears healthy. You’ve listed congenital methemoglobin in the notes. But as you know, we’ve only recently seen the color like hers in the one patient. And his color quickly returned after administering the drug. We’ve never had one like her.” The doctor glanced over at me. “We have a responsibility to the safety of other patients and hospital staff. Best play it safe. Hang a quarantine sign on this door. No visitors.” He stopped and adjusted his spectacles to peer at me.
“Yes, Doctor, right away. And I’ll personally see to the patient’s needs.” Susan frowned behind his back.
Why, I was surprised the city doctor hadn’t been schooled on methemoglobinemia, what my mountain doc know’d long ago.
I looked at his pale face and again repeated the words I’d been saying all my life. “You can’t catch color, sir.” I raised an arm to Mrs. Claxton and Susan’s brown faces, then pointed at my own darkened blue.
Mrs. Claxton said, “An educated man such as yourself should know as much. I promise you, sir, her color’s not contagious. Or contaminating. The same as mine and your nurse here. Though Lord knows, I’ve sometimes wished it were,” she snapped to boldly deliver a stern admonishment.
Susan peered down, hiding a smirk that had sprang to her lips.
“Nurse, help the patient into a clean robe,” he said curtly.“I’ll be at home if you need me. Otherwise, you’ll see me again in the morning at six. Until then, no visitors are allowed for this patient.”
“I’m not leaving my charge,” Mrs. Claxton huffed.
“I ain’t staying!” I said as our sentences rose together in tangled quarrels.
The doctor stared at us for an uncomfortable moment, trying to decide whether his long night was about to get longer. “I’ll allow the one visitor,” he clipped and turned to the door, his white coattails dismissing any further discussion.
Mrs. Claxton stood and exhaled loudly when the doctor left. “What the devil is that doctor talking about?”
Forty-One
“Suzannah Effie Landers,” Mrs. Claxton hissed, darting her eyes between me and her niece. “What is thishogwashtest, chile?” She pulled her niece closer to her. “What does he mean byboth?”
“Hogben, Aunt Effie. We always do one when we’re unsure of injuries or before we prescribe medication. They use frogs now to test for pregnancy; it’s faster and doesn’t kill the creature.” She grinned. “Congratulations, Cussy.”
“Law.You don’t use the rabbits anymore?” Mrs. Claxton whispered as her troubled eyes landed on me. “Did you know you were bellied, chile?”
“Mrs. Claxton, I’m sorry.” The words came hot and fast. “Warden forbid me to tell you. The prison is going to abort the baby and sterilize me as soon as I return. They’ll bury my babe in Chicken Hill just like the other babies,” I blurted.
Both Mrs. Claxton’s and Susan’s hands flew to their mouths.
“Warden? You must have taken a bigger blow to your head than what I thought,” Susan said. “It’s best you’re staying overnight so I can care for you.”
“She’s on community furlough, chile, from the women’s prison out there in Pewee Valley. And I was only told she was their librarian and had not committed any acts of violence,” Mrs. Claxton added.
The disgrace fevered my face.
“A prisoner?” Susan eyes rounded.
“I was found guilty of violating miscegenation laws. I’m a Blue who married a white man, imprisoned because I loved someone the law said I couldn’t.”
The room quieted, the sound of the ticking clock filling the soft pockets of my spent declaration.
Mrs. Claxton spoke first. “Susan, do you remember when they arrested that Negro doctor and his white lady friend from Texas. It was about a decade ago. The doctor treated whites and coloreds, you know, and was on his way to establish a practice up north when the police stopped him right here in downtown. They threw them both in jail and placed heavy fines on their heads. Colored folks were outraged. And when the couple appeared in court, it was packed with Negroes. Including my Jed. Remember?”
“Like yesterday, Auntie. The judge released them, and the crowd cheered.”
