Chapter 2: Mary, Mary... not quite so contrary!

["Frank Olson" <feolson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The second floor nursing station was an oasis of soft light. Mary pointed
out the ancient Edwards Nurse Call panel and the series of LED''s that
served as the status indicators for the floor's mag locks. All the
indicators glowed "red".

"That''s very strange", I said. "This panel says all the doors are locked."

"Yes. We didn't know about the problem until I saw Mrs. S. wander by the
window. I paged a code pink and we got everyone squared away before we had
Pat call you".

"OK", I said. "I'm going to go and drop one of the exit keypads and see what
we've got."

The area in front of the nurses station had several comfortable looking
chairs scattered about similar to the one that blocked the exit door through
which Mary and I had just entered. A couple of elderly ladies were seated in
them. Both were asleep.

"It's pretty late", Mary said. "Most everyone's been put to bed, so except
for Mrs. S., you shouldn't have too many interruptions."

I sighed inwardly, and wrenched my mind away from thinking about the glimpse
of pink lace peeping from the cleavage of Mary''s uniform to the business of
troubleshooting the system. I pushed away the vision of her lounging on a
deck chair, the sun caressing the soft smooth cinnamon hued skin revealed by
her thong.. I pulled a number 2 Robertson from my belt and got down to the
business of removing the keypad from the wall box. I'd noticed that the red
status LED on the keypad was dark as I'd approached the exit door. Another
heavy arm chair was blocking the door itself.

Hmmm.. I thought to myself.. No wall box. The keypad was mounted to the wall
with drywall anchors. About a yard of wire followed it out as I gently
pulled it away. The wall had been recently painted. I pulled my trusty Fluke
from my tool-belt and confirmed that there was in fact no power to the
keypad or the mag lock. I reinstalled the keypad and made my way back to the
nursing station where Mary was comfortably ensconced in a desk chair. I
envied that chair.

"That feels nice," murmured Mary as I smoothed lotion over her back. She'd
rolled over onto her tummy and untied the string of her bikini top so I
could apply the #30 SPF sunscreen more easily. I snapped back to reality as
Mrs. S. came up to me giving her walker an agitated shake.

"I need you to bring in my Piano", she said. "It's outside in the rain and
it's getting wet".

"Sorry, Mrs. S, I'm not part of the Piano Movers Local #711. If I touch your
piano, I could get myself into a whole lot of trouble."

"Oh.. Well.. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble," she replied, and
wandered off pushing her walker along in front of her and mumbling to
herself.

"I'm going to have to get in there", I said to Mary, pointing toward the
Nurse Call Annunciator, my eyes glued to the two soft globes under her
uniform top.

"Be my guest", she replied, as she eased the waist strap of her bikini
bottom lower to reveal the glorious firm sculpted flesh of.. She moved her
chair over to the computer work station and busied herself there.

I pulled the front panel away from the door annunciator and swung open the
dead front. I sucked in my breath as Mary rolled over on the lounger.

"Whoa", I exclaimed. "What a dirty pair of relays. I'm going to have to run
back to the van and get some more sunscreen".. Mary looked at me
quizzically. "I mean contact cleaner".. I mentally kicked myself.. "and my
ladder."

Another nurse came down the hall carrying a tray of medication.

"Judy. Could you look after the desk for a few minutes while I take Jim up
to his van?"

"Sure thing."



Stay tuned, Allan!!... Chapter Three - Snakes and Ladders...