The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr Page B

sorry,” Emma said. “I’m so sorry. I would never have let something like that happen if there was anything I could do to prevent it.”
    â€œYou’re lying! ”
    Clarice picked up a bedpan that sat on the now vacant bed and hurled it at her. Emma blocked the missile with her forearms but that did little good. The damn thing was full. Since she knew the patient just discharged was ambulatory, Clarice must have looked high and low through the whole ward for just the right bedpan. Or more likely, she emptied catheter bags into one. The splatter threw Emma off balance. She stumbled backward, hit her tailbone on the pail on her way down and cracked her head on the metal door handle. She was covered in the filth.
    When she tried to stand, the world was spinning and she ended up scooting across the floor, escaping out of the room into the hallway.
    â€œOh, my God,” one of the other housekeepers said, running to her. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
    Clarice walked out of the patient room and, lifting her chin in the air, walked past Emma. She went down the hall to the nursing station.
    â€œCan you get up?” the other housekeeper asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” she whispered. “Ugh. Oh, God, this is awful.”
    â€œHow did this happen?”
    â€œShe threw a bedpan at me. Apparently she was swindled by... My late husband was guilty of... But I didn’t know,” she said, turning imploring eyes to her friend. “I swear I didn’t. I would never. And he’s dead now.”
    Two of the RNs on staff came running down the hall. One said, “Dear God.” The other one said, “Clarice has lost her mind.” They tried to get Emma on her feet but when she swayed and threatened to fall again, they went for a wheelchair and took her to the ER. She tried to briefly explain the problem, but it didn’t come out well. She tried to tell them she’d been married to a bad man, a thief, but she didn’t know it and it seems Clarice was one of his victims but Emma didn’t know...
    I should have done something , she thought. I should have done something when I wondered why lawyers negotiated our prenup but Richard had hired both of them. I should have asked questions when this fabulously wealthy man wanted to marry me, but I didn’t! I should have done something when the SEC started investigating him. I should have looked through his papers or found a way to hack his computer when I realized something was wrong, but I didn’t know. I should have known. How could I not have known? I should have talked to the people who worked for him, the people who eventually testified against him. I should have found out how they were going to carry on—they got deals from the prosecutors. Everyone got deals—even his mistress!
    When everything was so murky, so mysterious, I should have looked into it! Maybe I should have hired a detective or something. Maybe I should have run!
    â€œClean her up and get a head CT,” the ER doctor ordered. “Listen, you might have a concussion, Emma. Can you get a ride home today and a ride back for your car tomorrow?”
    â€œI don’t know,” she said, thinking I’m covered in urine! Who wants to drive me home?
    â€œWell, you can think about that. We’re going to get you some clean scrubs, stand you in the shower and wash you off—Mandy will go with you and make sure you don’t faint or fall in the shower. And while you’re having your CT, think about who you can call. If there’s no one, someone from the hospital can either take you home or put you in a cab. You can’t drive for twelve hours, at least. And Mrs. Carlson is waiting to see you, but let’s get you cleaned up first.”
    Glynnis! Glynnis was going to fire her!
    She was taken to a shower, her smelly uniform was put in a plastic bag and a set of scrubs provided. “I think your shoes are