Getting Gertie Out

It’s summer vacation. Lanta Cross is sixteen and at odds with Bernadette, her adoptive mother. She’ll do anything to get away from home and out from under Bernadette’s considerable thumb. Already working one part-time job at a local café, Lanta takes another at Saint Catherine’s Elder Care Facility. At first it appears her duties are something she can do blindfolded -- wheeling residents to and from activities, cleaning up their messes, and mainly staying out of the way of the LVNs and the administrator, Ms. Andrews. During her first week at the home, Lanta meets and befriends an elderly lesbian resident, Gertrude Weiss. They bond quickly. Yet not everything is what it seems at St. Catherine’s. When Gertrude’s journal full of her thoughts about her late partner goes missing, the abuse begins. Gertrude’s meals are late and cold. Her seemingly friendly roommate asks for a transfer to another room. As the harassment escalates, Gertrude’s physical and emotional health deteriorates. Lanta and her mother must pool their resources and work as a team to save Gertrude’s life before it’s too late. Will they be in time?

Paul Alan Fahey · Urban

Not enough ratings

22 Chs

Chapter 12

Or maybe I was.

“Well, you are a honey, but don’t tell anyone or I’ll deny it.”

“Go on,” I said. “What else have you uncovered in your private investigation?”

“Okay, so I’m guessing this is the first you’ve heard any of this.”

I nodded. “No one said anything to me. No directions or instructions, other than take so and so to activities, check on this, find that.”

She shook her head and blew out a breath, the air ruffling her bangs. “And the administrator, Ms. Andrews. Didn’t she have a talk with you?”

“Nada. Especially her.”

“Many of these places offer thorough orientations, some require people to take classes in gerontology and first aid. Things like that.”

“Well, like you said, St. Catherine’s is a small operation.”

“Mm. Getting smaller by the minute.” Bernadette paused. She flipped back and forth in her notes. “How about symptoms of abuse?”

“Nope. Tell me.”

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