ABSTRACT
"I just can't afford to get it checked," Ruby said with a hint of frustration in her voice. Ruby's coworkers in the kitchen weren't sure if she was trying to convince them or to convince herself. None were convinced, especially Ruby. Ruby Green was a 46-year-old widow, mother of six, and grandmother of two. She worked hard as a cook and dishwasher at the neighborhood grade school. She was there every Monday through Friday. Her coworkers couldn't remember a day when she had called in sick. She was just always there. She never complained about the minimum wages or the hot conditions of the kitchen or the back-breaking work of standing over the stove or sink 8 hours a day. And she hadn't even mentioned this, until now.
