The smell of garlic wafted up her nose and gave her brain a shake. She opened her eyes. It took a moment to focus but there was hot food on the tray table next to her bed. On the other side of the table was Dr. Hawk. He looked nervous. She wondered if he liked her or if he just was there out of duty. She was still trying to figure that out when he started asking her questions. Most of the answers should have been right in front of him in her chart. He asked how old she was and how long she had lived in her apartment. He asked her questions about where she worked and how many hours a week she worked. Then he asked how much she weighed. She had been waiting to start eating and that question put her over the edge. She answered flippantly with not as much as I will if I eat dinner before it goes cold. He got flustered and urged her to start eating.

Liz eagerly ate her pasta and enjoyed the garlic bread. The doctor continued to ask questions and Liz continued to eat. She didn’t answer his queries out of politeness since her mouth was constantly full. When she finally pushed the empty plate away and wiped her mouth and fingers, she announced to the doctor that she was ready for his inquisition. He apologized for being such a rude dinner companion. Liz still couldn’t tell if he was being nice to her or if this was his normal bedside manner. He said he had only one more question namely what was her height. Liz frowned. She answered that she didn’t know and perhaps he could tell her. She didn’t know what the game was but she didn’t want to play anymore. Dr. Hawk ran a hand through his hair. She knew he was stalling, buying some time to censor his words. Eventually he spoke. He told her that she had grown 6 inches from what was listed on her driver’s license. That wasn’t all. She wasn’t gaining weight and her hair had not begun to regrow. She was still weak. He listed these health issues with genuine concern in his voice. It was when he reached over and took her hand that Liz decided that perhaps he did like her a little more than he let on.

There is not much more bothersome than a large buzzing fly in the house. Except when said fly is zooming around the kitchen whilst you are at the dinner table. The fly was stalked and killed. Dinner resumed unharassed. Later I was at the computer when I was startled by a fly that literally flew under my nose. I was not amused by the fly's imitation of the Blue Angels. That fly was eventually killed. Fast forward a day. Sparky had been grilling and going in and out the back door. Every time he opened the door it seemed another large fat green fly would be circling the kitchen. Before I was comfortable serving dinner the grand fly massacre took place. Between us we killed 7 flies. However there were 2 that escaped. I had hoped they would tell any others lurking about to avoid the kitchen. At this point I was rather irritated that Sparky couldn't manage to enter the house without admitting the nasty, repulsive, disgusting, filthy flies. (You might note some prejudice against the family Muscidae.) I am not alone in my loathing.

After dinner I retired to the computer room to check my Xanga and do a crossword puzzle only to be pestered by another fly. Calling for assistance, the fly was terminated (albeit with great difficulty). No sooner had Sparky departed than a second interloper took up where the last one had left off having the nerve to bounce off the computer screen. It too was dispatched and like all the previous corpses placed in the toilet and flushed away. I had moved from irritated to the realm of seriously perturbed. I made a trip to the kitchen for a snack only to find another fly. It was a "low flyer" that had the misfortune to land within striking distance. That brought my personal tally to 4. I was working to finish the Laziest Summer Scavenger Hunt story (working without prompts)and Sparky had retired. I closed the door to the computer room so as not to bother him. Another fly appeared. I killed it. I figured that was a sign that I too should retire for the evening. To my horror I discovered 4 large flies in the hallway bouncing from the light fixtures at each end of the hall. Armed with my trusty fly swatter, I added to the death toll surpassing Sparky's tally of 8. I was disgusted and beyond perturbed. I was flat out steamed. I even woke the slumbering Sparky to tell him I had killed 4 in the hall and another in the computer room.

The next morning I demanded that the fly problem find a final solution - namely find out WHERE THE HECK THEY ARE COMING FROM!!! Sparky postulated that they must be coming in the back door. I was suspicious that they were coming in through a small gap around the dryer vent and coming into the basement. He grilled out and did not use the back door. There were still flies - 5 more in fact. Four were killed and one escaped. The basement door was closed and we waited. It seemed that my theory might be correct. We departed the house to do a little geocaching only to return to an invasion. I single handed dispatched ELEVEN flies in the span of 5 minutes. It was like the fourth plague of Egypt. With my Irish up, Sparky realized that if he wanted to continue an idyllic life of matrimonial bliss he needed to take action and fast. He immediately sprayed the perimeter of the house and around every window, door, crack and crevice. He followed that with sealing the gap around the dryer vent with that expanding foam stuff. As soon as he had finished, we departed for the Sunday night ice cream social at his parents' house. Upon returning it was delightful to be fly free. Almost. There is one fly trapped in the light fixture in the kitchen. I am leaving the light on and hopefully he will get fried, or starve, or die of thirst. I'm hoping that the escapee was killed in the apocalypse where I increased the number of notches in my swatter to 19. I have a bounty on his head - He is wanted dead or alive. If he is captured alive I anticipate capital punishment for trespassing into my home.

Dr. Hawk was still at the end of the bed in the middle of a quiet internal struggle when the nurse came in carrying a menu. Liz would get to choose her dinner and the meals for the next day too. As the nurse explained the choices, the doctor started to leave. She watched him walk to the door and then turn to look at her. Their eyes met again. This time the doctor didn’t look away. Liz mouthed the words “come back” and the doctor nodded. She took a long time deciding on dinner. It all sounded good but the nurse suggested the chicken tetrazzini with broccoli and garlic bread. She even got to choose a dessert! Before the nurse left Liz asked if it was possible for her to take a shower or bath. She wanted to feel clean just in case the doctor decided to come back after all.

She was feeling stronger and hated to use the bed pan as much as the nurse hated to help her use it. Getting to the bathroom took her almost 20 minutes. There was readjusting the bed and moving the chair and bed table followed by getting her legs over the edge of the bed. At first she thought the bed had been lowered. As she sat with her feet resting on the floor she realized that the bed was not low but her legs were longer. This couldn’t be. She was always the short one in the family. She had to buy petite sized pants because the regular ones were so long that they had to be cut off and hemmed. Then the nurse put an arm around her waist and levered her to a stand. Liz straightened her legs and stood swaying unsteadily. She put a hand on the nurse’s shoulder before sitting down on the bed. Her legs were long, weak and thin as toothpicks. It took 2 nurses and pure determination to make it to the bathroom door. Once Liz was ensconced on the toilet, the nurses had a little discussion. They found her a shower chair and provided her with soap and shampoo. Liz laughed at the shampoo but decided it smelled better than the soap. Using the shampoo like soft soap, she washed. The nurses helped her out of the shower into a clean hospital gown. The whole afternoon was gone and she was exhausted mentally and physically. Once back in bed, Liz promptly fell asleep.

I'm wrapping up the Laziest Summer Scavenger Hunt story since I've run out of prompts...

This year’s political game
Seems to be placing blame
Refuting each spurious claim
Spinning events without shame
Slinging mud to tarnish fame
Subverting truth to reach their aim
Different yet more the same
Misspoken words they must reframe
Loose tongue campaign will maim
One the winner will acclaim
As the other burns in flame
Will it be a dangerous name
Or a historic presidential dame?

I try not to get political on my blog. But I couldn't help myself with this monorhyme. The mudslinging and name calling has only begun. It seems these last couple of weeks have seen a quieting of the campaigns of the major parties. I'm sure this is just a lull before the storm. Negativity sells and the media seems to want a brawl - either real or virtual. I am anxious about the results of this election. No matter what happens I'm hoping that the House of Representatives and the Senate can contain the chaos. I've always been confident that the US could defend itself from foreign invaders. I'm not so sure we are capable when it comes to an internal assault on the constitution....

This coming weekend is that long awaited Labor Day weekend where we have 3 whole days off work. I am so looking forward to this holiday. It will be a reprieve from the hectic work schedule that included me working this last weekend. It will also be an opportunity to get together with saintvi and do some geocaching. I want to do a little shopping for Christmas gifts since that is coming up in a few months. My plan this year is to get back to the usual schedule of all Christmas shopping being completed by Halloween. This has several benefits:
1. My in laws leave for Arizona at Halloween and I'd like to gift them with their Christmas presents before they leave. Or at least send the wrapped presents with them on their journey.
2. I can take my time wrapping so that it isn't a rushed last minute job.
3. I can enjoy Advent and the house decorating instead of worrying about shopping amid the insanity that is the Holiday Madness.
4. And I will have time to bake - cookies to be precise. I really want to make son#1's favorite mint chocolate chip cookies and make son#2's favorite oatmeal scotchies, and Sparky's favorite low sugar peanut butter cookies. And maybe I'll even have time to make my favorite - pumpkin cookies or raisin spice cookies!

So that brings me back to the long Labor Day weekend. It will be half price day at Goodwill and I'm on the hunt for a nice dress to wear at the 40th Anniversary event at Purdue - perhaps something in black and gold? I also have some coupons for Kohl's. When my mother was visiting she expressed her preference for some jewelry they had there. I also need to purchase Sparky's present - he desperately wants a new GPS. His Magellan (I never liked it and it has been a pain since day one) is no longer communicating with his computer or my computer or even the net book. So it is imperative he gets a new one... That said I may have to gift it to him well before Christmas!! So far I have a good start on my sons' gifts and have several other relatives finished. I even have a couple of friends' gifts bought but not wrapped. All the work gifts are already purchased except for the one gift exchange gift... I think this weekend I will be able to make some serious progress. I'm ready! Who needs Black Friday when you have the Labor Day sales??

She met his gaze. A week ago she would have been unable to make eye contact. She studied him. It was him who looked away first. She didn’t start with small talk and instead simply asked him his name. He responded with Dr. Hawk. Without hesitation Liz made it clear she meant his first name. He was young but he had taken all the ethics classes where they warned against becoming too friendly with the patients. He recalled instantly the lecture about dying and seriously ill patients becoming emotionally attached to their doctor. With the red flags waving and alarm bells ringing in his head, Dr. Hawk seemed incapable of withholding his name. He blurted out that his first name was Cooper. Liz was puzzled by the sputtering and blushing doctor. The time seemed right but something was off and Liz paused.

With a slight tilt to her head, she asked about her possible discharge date. The doctor remained at the foot of the bed. This too was strange since every other time he had visited he had taken a seat on the chair next to the bed. Liz sensed that there had been a shift in the doctor’s attitude. No longer a friendly face he was standoffish and growing more distant by the minute. He assured her that as soon as her strength returned she could go home. In fact he told her that the hospital was in the process of transferring her to a rehabilitation center. This was not going as Liz had imagined. Previously their conversations were like tossing a Frisbee back and forth. Now it was more like a competitive dodgeball game. The tension tired her out and she laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. The tall doctor stared at her. He was drawn to her pale translucent complexion, her delicate hands, and her eyes – eyes that appeared all the more striking in contrast to her white skin.

This is the last (the very last) prompt from the Laziest Summer Scavenger Hunt - #64 Frisbee. I still have a few more entries to wrap up this story so I will be continuing...