Three days before Thanksgiveing, Cathy was moved to Carver Rehabilitation Center. She'd be there for 2 to 4 weeks, and if all went well, would be released before Christmas. The doctors were amazed at how quickly she was healing from the surgery on her hip, especially considering her age. One of them even allowed that there maybe was something to Cathy's insistence that the comfry root greatly speeded up bone repair.

The family had always gathered at Aunt Cathy's for the major holidays. That obviously couldn't happen this year. Zeke invited his son and grandson over to Tupper's Creek for Thanksgiving dinner. They were reluctant to go, but Cathy urged them to accept. "They'll be serving a fine dinner right here in the dining hall, and it will give me a chance to get aquainted with some of the other folks here," she insisted.

"We're planning to come and eat with you in the dining hall," said Big Bill. He didn't much like his father's girlfriend, or her cooking.

"I'll be fine here. You all go on to Zeke's." She was insistent. Cathy appreciated time and attentiveness her family had shown since her fall, but she was feeling the need for a little space. They'd been hovering around her like worker bees around the queen, and it was beginning to wear on her. "Use that phone right over there. Go ahead and call him and say you'll be there."

Big Bill and Billy looked at each other, then shrugged. Big Bill nodded at Billy, who walked on over to the phone and dialed Zeke's number.

Janie