Thank Heavens

Thank heavens for Nurse Amy.

She was home less than one-half hour

when I accidentally tip over a 24-oz glass

of boiling water onto my lap.

I tear off my clothes;

She grabs wet towels.

I bawl.

“How can I be so stupid?”

I climb in a tub of cold water

until I am shivering.

“You can die from hypothermia and shock;

You won’t die from  burns on your skin.”

She had four heating pads, an oversized heated rice bag 
someone gave her for Christmas, wool blankets on my bed;

a sweat shirt ready, a warm hat;
and asked if I wanted mittens.

Ice packs and aloe vera on the burns on my thighs.

A cup of hot water to warm me up
and an  Acetaminophen.

“Doesn’t look too bad.”

Bright red doesn’t look too bad?

No blisters.

Does it blister this soon?

Yes, if it’s going to.
(As it turned out,
there are blisters on one thigh.)

She visits with me until I settle down

and feel cozy and safe.

“I’m going to go change into dry clothes.”

DeRay had taken Ed to the Clark Planetarium.

I had big house-cleaning plans to fill the entire day.
I do my best cleaning when I'm home alone;
which is next to never.

Amy usually isn’t home on Friday during the day.

Today is Parent-teacher conferences.

No kids in school.

Thankfully -

because rocks were in the sewer lines;

thus no water and no bathrooms.

After her last scheduled conference,

she told Michelle she was going home.

“Contract hours,” Michelle teased.

“I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, and I need to go to the bathroom.”

Michelle suggested that she could go to McDonald’s.

“I’m going home.”

Thank Heavens.