{"id":989,"date":"2020-11-09T16:12:55","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T00:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/?p=989"},"modified":"2020-11-09T16:12:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T00:12:55","slug":"sheltering-in-place-episode-xxvii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/2020\/11\/09\/sheltering-in-place-episode-xxvii\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheltering in Place: Episode XXVII"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Previously<\/strong>: Audley, Beverly\u2019s fellow nurse and also her ex, arrived to care for the Covid stricken nurse; relieved of one patient, Lon finds their medical expertise required by another.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New Patient<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat seems to be the problem?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lois started at the low voice, and dropped the pecan bun she was trying to feed to Pamela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon was standing on the other side of the maroon and silver salon chair, which was tilted as far back as it would go to accomodate Pamela\u2019s lanky, listless form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hastily Lois turned her head to lift her mask and blow her nose, then folded the handkerchief to a fresh spot and dabbed at her eyes before turning back to Lon. \u201cShe won\u2019t eat,\u201d she gulped. \u201cShe won\u2019t talk to me\u2014or anyone. Not that there\u2019s anyone to talk to. She lies in bed all day, just staring at the ceiling. She won\u2019t even\u2014\u201d tears threatened to overflow as Lois choked out, \u201cBathe!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon surveyed his new patient. Pamela did look unkempt. The once well-groomed Gruneman\u2019s head buyer for womenswear was pallid, except for the dark circles under her gray-green eyes. Most startling, she was dressed like a dockside bum in crumpled and creased layers\u2014an orange-and-blue plaid carcoat covered a polka-dotted pajama top, paired with a worn pair of green skipants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon leaned over Pamela and snapped his fingers in front of Pamela\u2019s blank stare. The redhead blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReactive,\u201d Lon commented in an encouraging tone, and then fell silent, contemplating his course of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In truth, the oceanologist was out of their depth. They were much more accustomed to flesh wounds, sprains, fractures and the occasional case of the bends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait here,\u201d Lon told Lois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They went back into the hall. Laura had vanished, but Dolly and Ramona were still there, discussing the new arrivals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPamela needs help,\u201d Lon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan\u2019t you give her some pep pills and send those two packing?\u201d Dolly looked like she was chewing her lip underneath her paisley mask. \u201cI\u2019m fond of them, but we\u2019re full up! That Audley can share with Beverly\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll have to, they\u2019re co-contaminants as well as exes now,\u201d Ramona added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut Pam and Lois are another kettle of fish!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about the empty studio on the third floor?\u201d Ramona suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe repairs aren\u2019t finished, and there\u2019s no running water,\u201d Dolly objected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell how about\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon left the two friends to figure out housing and headed upstairs. Maxie had vanished from the lower landing, but as Lon crossed the third floor landing, Laura popped out of her apartment. \u201cAnything new?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou might be getting new neighbors,\u201d said Lon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeighbors! You mean Pam and Lois? Well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lois diagnosed reluctance warring with the Housing Assistant\u2019s natural inclination to provide shelter to those in need. At the end of the hallway Sylvia poked her head out of 302. \u201cWhere\u2019s Dolly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDownstairs,\u201d Lon continued her climb, as Sylvia said, \u201cI need to talk to her about the DeWitt deal\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon let herself into the fourth floor loft. As she traversed the living area, she heard Maxie\u2019s voice coming from the rear deck. Lon realized that Maxie had made it her current headquarters, switching from her usual spot on the couch. Perhaps even upbeat Maxie felt the need for open air these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weather had turned cold and Maxie was wrapped in a blanket against the chill, phone to her ear, talking animatedly: \u201cNo, no parties, clandestine or otherwise. I might have something in the pandemic romance department in a few days\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon asked, \u201cIs that Mamie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maxie covered the receiver and nodded, whispering, \u201cWhat\u2019s the situation with Pam and Lois?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon shrugged. \u201cNot sure.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maxie had been on the phone an awful lot with Mamie the past week. Lon had no intention of contributing grist for the columnist\u2019s gossip mill, even unintentionally. They thought of reminding Maxie that helping Mamie had proved problematic in the past, but Maxie was cavalier about the risks of her relationship with the gossip guru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lon went into their room and dragged the footlocker from underneath the bed, opened it, and pulled out the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Sitting cross-legged, she flipped through it, stopping here and there to read. dysthymia\u2026endogenous depression\u2026Feighner criteria\u2026bleak views of the future\u2026with catatonic characteristics\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping their thumb as a placeholder they closed the book and considered. Involutional melancholia, reactive depressive psychosis, or depressive neurosis? Lon was pretty sure it wasn\u2019t manic-depressive psychosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding the book, Lon left the apartment and climbed to the fifth floor. He tapped on 503, and got a muffled, impatient sounding \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAudley? I\u2019d like to consult you about the case downstairs, the melancholia\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a doctor. Take her to\u2014oh. I guess that\u2019s not a good idea right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d said Lon. \u201cAny suggestions?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audley\u2019s sigh was audible. \u201cTry a warm bath and exercise, like they used to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was advice after Lon\u2019s own heart. \u201cThanks, nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The response was some muttering of which Lon could only make out the words \u201cif it\u2019s not one thing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The front hall was empty, when he descended the last flight, but then Dolly popped out of Mrs. DeWitt\u2019s apartment. \u201cWe\u2019re putting them in Harriet\u2019s old digs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes it have a bathtub?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolly blinked. \u201cAs a matter of fact it does.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood,\u201d said Lon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took both Lon and Dolly to hoist Pamela and drag her across the hallway into Mrs. DeWitt\u2019s old suite, with Lois fluttering in the rear. Once they\u2019d laid Pam on Mrs. DeWitt\u2019s old bed, Lon told Lois to run a warm bath. Privately the amateur medic thought that Lois was experiencing sympathetic psychosis and being given a task would prove therapeutic. As Dolly turned to leave, Lon remembered, \u201cSylvia wants to see you. Something about the DeWitt case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolly nodded, looking harried, and exited. Lon couldn\u2019t blame her. The missing daughter had taken backseat to the sudden influx of invalids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when she turned back to Pamela there was a faint sign of intelligence in the doyenne of dressing\u2019s bleary eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeWitt?\u201d croaked Pam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next<\/strong>: Will detecting prove a better anti-depressant than any pharmaceutical?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Previously: Audley, Beverly\u2019s fellow nurse and also her ex, arrived to care for the Covid stricken nurse; relieved of one patient, Lon finds their medical expertise required by another. The New Patient \u201cWhat seems to be the problem?\u201d\u00a0 Lois started … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[255,273,218,215,260,106,214,223,211,217,272,228,239,245],"class_list":["post-989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-serial-siping-at-the-magdalena-arms","tag-covid-19","tag-depression","tag-dolly","tag-lesbian-career-girls","tag-lesbian-nurse","tag-lesbian-pulp","tag-lois-lenz","tag-lon","tag-magdalena-arms","tag-maxie","tag-melancholia","tag-pamela-prendergast","tag-pandemic","tag-ramona"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":990,"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989\/revisions\/990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monicanolan.com\/pulppep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}