Maudie opened her eyes just enough to peek under her long lashes. Her daughter, Dorothy, was asleep in the recliner next to the bed. Gene, her good-for-nothing son-in-law, had been gone for almost an hour.
      “Mighty long cigarette he’s smoking,” Maudie thought. “Hope he gets cancer someday.”
      But not today; not now. Maudie didn’t need the competition.
      “No sign of that pesky nurse either,” she told herself and stifled a laugh.
      Miss Nurse with her big talk about enzymes and EKG’s being negative. Who asked her? Well, Maudie showed her a thing or two. She was having “heart spells” when that little wisp of a girl was still in diapers.
      “Gonna keep having ’em too,” the thought brought a smile to Maudie’s wrinkled face.

      Maudie McGregor was a genuine wonderment, that’s for sure. She had undergone every test, treatment and medication the doctors could dream up--most of them twice. All those boys in their white coats could do was scratch their heads and keep her around for more “observation.” As long as Maudie had a say, they were going to keep right on doing it too.

      Dorothy and Gene could complain all they wanted, but they better get use to sleeping in hospital chairs. Maudie liked it here at Memorial. Folks were nice to her. They called her Mrs. McGregor and fetched things whenever she wanted. They came right snappy too. Where had this magic button been all her life? Lord knows it was no where to be found went she was wiping Dorothy’s butt or fifty years later when it was Chester’s turn. She’s had her fill of breaking her back taking care of kids and dying husbands. It was her turn to get some care by God--and Maudie McGregor was taking her turn. Oh yeah, come hell or high water she was getting her turn.

      Footsteps in the hall; Maudie closed her eyes. It was Gene. She could smell the cigarettes and Old Spice. He was finally back from wherever idiots like him go. She’d tried to warn Dorothy that he was a loser. Would she listen?

      Well her hearing improved when Maudie started having her spells. She listened now and fell all over herself to save her poor dying Mama with the bad heart. Come to think of it, Dorothy was a bit of a loser too. But, she was a gullible loser and that made her valuable; unlike that bum she married. Dorothy had just enough of Maudie’s fire in her to swing her Mama a private room whenever she had a bad spell. Maudie was never more proud of her daughter than when she told the bum she married that her Mama was never going to a nursing home.
      “At least she got that much right,” Maudie thought.
      The scent of Old Spice grew stronger. Gene was hovering. Maudie wanted to gag, but didn’t dare.
      “What are you up to?” Maudie wondered. Her lashes parted.
      “That’s right, you’re awake you old faker,” Gene whispered from inches away. “That act may fool your daughter and the quacks around here, but you ain’t fooling me.”
      Maudie opened her eyes and leveled her hottest glare at the smiling face in front of her. The smile vanished. The face stayed.
      “Save it for the devil, Maudie,” Gene said. “I brought you something to go with that nice little DNR you’ve been waving over Dorothy’s head.”
      Gene raised his hands to give her a good look at what he was holding.
      “Recognize it?” Gene’s smile was back as he held the doll closer. “Looks just like you don’t it?”

      Maudie opened her mouth to call Dorothy, but no sound came out. She watched Gene’s thumbs tighten on the doll’s chest. It felt like a sledgehammer hit her. air exploded from her lungs. Maudie tried to suck in a breath, but the pressure was too much. Panic seized her brain and her hands, twisted into claws, groped at her chest.
      “This one’s for real.” Gene said and kissed her forehead. “Good-bye Maudie.”
      The next wave of pain and pressure sent Maudie falling down a long, black tunnel. Hovering above her bed she watched her hands fall to her sides and her muscles relax. Gene stuffed the doll into his coat pocket and the blackness swallowed.

      An hour later, the man from Eskers and Holmes wheeled Maudie passed Dorothy and Gene to the waiting limo.
      “She went in her sleep,” the nurse with an arm around Dorothy said. “It was quick and peaceful.”
      Gene was too distraught to do more than hold back his tears and nod agreement.