“Just a visiting cat, then?”
“Yes.” She looking at Petey and then back to Nick. “Like I said, I’m a dog person. Come on in.”
Nick’s eyes traveled to the pictures on the living room wall. Shelly, with a woman who must have been her mom, and another with Dr. Wall and his wife. Then more combinations of her mom, Dr. Wall, and Dottie. A single framed shot of a man sat alone. On the main wall, dozens of pictures of children filled the space.
“These are my amazing kids,” she said as he stood before her shrine to the children. “Here’s Lizzie.” Shelly pointed to Fazio’s daughter.
“So pretty. They all beat cancer?” Nick asked as he looked around the room.
“Most, but every one has a story and every one is my little hero. I actually ran out of room last year and stopped putting pictures up. This wall, like Doc Wall, reminds me of why I am here. Some kids come from great families, but regardless, to most kids, we become their second home. Sort of an extended family. And some kids have no one.”
“So, how’s Mary doing?”
“Not well, but she’s stable. We’re going to have to work hard to get her into remission. I’m hoping I can do it. This morning the state took custody of her.”
“Wow. How did her mom react?”
“She didn’t. She was in a drunk tank in Macon. Her daughter is
fighting for her life, and she was out getting plastered.” “I’m sorry …”
“I’ve seen it before. But she’s taken low life to a new level.” She sighed. “Don’t worry, though, the hospital will take care of her and won’t let her fall through the cracks.”
“Maybe she’ll become a great doctor.”
“I’d like to see her get to the point where she can think about going to school. Right now, I just want her to be in remission. If her mom had given her the meds we sent home with her a year ago, she’d be playing with her friends today.”
As Shelly continued the five-cent tour, Nick saw more pictures of her and Dr. Wall in the great room.
“Wow, is that you in high school?” he asked.