The Iron Predators, Part I [SAMPLE]

Chapter 5

ELLIE

It's Wednesday morning and time to drive Gramps to surgery. Pete said that he could open today and I will be back around 11 am.

"Morning, Gramps. Are you ready to go?" I say when he comes walking out of the store.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he says jumping into the passenger seat. "Ouch!"

"Hey, be careful! Just because you're getting a new hip today doesn't mean that you can treat your old one like that."

"Just trying to have a little fun before I have to behave like a 90-year-old for several weeks. How did it go with Amy last night? Did you two have fun?"

"Yeah, she's really great. We talked a lot, laughed and cried. She told me her shitty stuff and I told her mine. We connected and are now BFF's," I say, holding my head high in pride, smiling and proving Gramps wrong that I'm not a totally lost cause.

Gramps is not used to me cursing, even if I only said 'shitty', so he chuckles, surprised at my word of choice. "Her foul mouth rubs off on you I hear. That's great! I knew you two were going to hit it off. Maybe you can make her not curse so much and she can give you some of her 'go fuck yourself' attitude."

"Haha, Gramps!" I say surprised at his words of choice. Gramps doesn't curse that much either, although he's got no filter regarding what he says to whom. Talking about his sexlife with me for example. Eww!

At the hospital, he checks in and I walk with him to the room he's been given. The surgery is scheduled in about 40 minutes, so I wait with him until they roll him away.

"Are you nervous?" I ask him while he changes into the hospital robe behind a curtain.

"No, I'm too old to get nervous," he says trying not to show that he actually is. "I'm glad that I walk up and down those stairs several times a day, showing my booty like this." He turns around wiggling his butt that is showing through the opening at the back of the robe.

"Oh my god, Gramps! I don't want to see your hairy butt," I say covering my eyes with my hands. "Now you made me blind too. I might have to do some eye surgery before I go."

"So dramatic," he says and we both laugh.

The nurse that's taking Gramps to surgery comes in, smiling. "You must be the first one laughing before having surgery."

"Everywhere you go, take a smile with you," he says.

"That you should. That was a good one."

"Oh, I have more. If you're not using your smile, you're like a man with a million dollars in the bank and no checkbook."

"You're such a goof, Gramps," I say and the nurse just laughs. "I'm gonna go now. Good luck, behave, and call me as soon as you're capable." I give him a big hug. "Love you."

"Love you too, kiddo."

The nurse rolls him out of the room and I hear him continue with the quotes. "Smile at strangers and you just might save a life."

"Well, that won't work here in the hospital, I'm afraid," the nurse says laughing, "but you just made my day."

Back at the store, Pete asks if I got Gramps there safe and if he was nervous.

"Well, I don't know if it was his nerves that got to him or the cute nurse that made him goofier than normal," I say laughing and shaking my head.

"Sounds like his normal self," he says chuckling.

We continue working, me refilling the shelves and Pete at the register. After a while, one of the freezers start making a funny noise, then stops working.