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laughed softly. “Much better than this, Jurea. This is just the first step. It’s the toughest surgery, so the worst is over now.”
    “Never…” she began. A tear spilled down her cheek. “I never would have believed…”
    June looked at Clarence and saw that his face was wet with tears, but just as she met his eyes, he bolted.
    “Dad?” Clinton called out. “I’ll go after him, Ma.”
    “Poor Clarence… He just wasn’t ready for it, I don’t think,” Jurea said. “When can I go home, Doctor?”
    “After you see the ophthalmologist and the nurse gives you some instructions on how I’d like you to take care of the surgical site. This afternoon?”
    “Really?”
    “Sure. The hard part is over.”
    A little while later, on the way back to the Intensive Care Unit, June tugged on her dad’s arm, pulling him to a stop in the hallway. “Dad, Charlotte looks bad.”
    “I know it,” he said, shaking his head sadly.
    “You should tell her, Dad.”
    He knew exactly what she meant, for he hung his head. But he didn’t speak. He was going to make her put it into words.
    “Do it with Bud. Tell her if she wants to fight it out, you’ll be there for her. But she doesn’t have to fight for your sake. Tell her that it’s okay. When she’s had enough—”
    “I know,” he said, and lifted his head. He was just a little guy and worry made him appear smaller. “I’ve been losing a lot of old friends lately,” he said. “Wears on me.”
    “Think about Charlotte, Dad. You know she won’t let go till she hears it from you. Even Bud doesn’t have the kind of hold on her that you do.”
    “She’s a good old girl. I’ll do the right thing, June. But I have to work up to it.”
    She kissed him on the cheek. “Are you planning to be here this evening?”
    “Probably. Unless you want to try again for meat loaf.”
    “Actually, I heard from a friend I haven’t seen in ages. He’s going to be up this way and asked if I’d like to meet him for dinner.”
    Elmer squinted and looked at her over the top of his glasses. “June? You blushing?”
    She ignored his question. “If you think you’ll need me, or Charlotte will, I’ll take a rain check. But if I can be spared…”
    “You are blushing. He must be quite a guy. I haven’t seen you blush since high school.” He cackled a little. “It would do my heart good to see you give that Chris Forrest some competition.”
    That killed the blush. “Now don’t you start,” she warned.
    “Go ahead, June. Enjoy yourself. I’ll keep watch here and call you on your cell phone if there’s any change.”
     
    The day seemed to drag slowly toward evening, despite the fact that June stayed very busy and a great deal was accomplished. For one thing, Susan Stone came into the clinic and took over Charlotte’s duties. Susan had been a practicing RN when John met and married her, but even so, June hadn’t thought of the possibility of Susan helping out. It changed the whole culture of the clinic, for Susan was Charlotte’s opposite. Where Charlotte was grouchy, Susan was cheerful. While Charlotte was hardworking, Susan was brisk andefficient. And while Charlotte had trouble getting along with twenty-year-old Jessie, Susan acted like her older sister and the two got on famously.
    Still, it seemed altogether wrong that Charlotte was not present.
    It was nearly five and June was getting ready to leave the clinic when her cell phone twittered in her pocket. She went into her office to answer.
    “It’s me,” Jim said. “I’ve been cursed.”
    “What is it?”
    “I’m already here. Can you hear the ocean in the background?”
    “It sounds like static. I’ll be along shortly, right after I…”
    “June, wait. I’m being called in. It’s an emergency. I have to go right away.”
    “No!”
    “I may not be in touch for a while. I’ll try. I’ll do the best I can.”
    “Please, please be careful! Please be so careful!”
    “Will you remember something?