Affliction

by Marilee Brothers

  Reluctantly, I pull away and swipe at my eyes. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

  She grips my hand, leans close and whispers, “Just think before you act, Mel. Is that too much to ask? I know it’s hard when you see things the rest of us can’t. But, it’s not your job to save people.”

  Even though I totally disagree, I nod and kiss her cheek. “I’ll call when I get to 3 Peaks.”

  She jumps down, shuts the door and lifts a hand in farewell. I press mine against the window.

  The big engine rumbles as Jimmy works the gears and pulls away from the curb.

  “You okay, kid?”

  “Yeah,” I say, even though my heart feels ripped from its moorings. I curl up on the seat, my head resting on my backpack and close my eyes, willing myself to escape into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  I awake to the heavenly aroma of greasy food and coffee. I sit up, stretch and try to get my bearings. We’re in a super market parking lot across from familiar golden arches.

  Jimmy is slurping coffee and grinning at me. “Got your favorite food. Fries and coffee…right?”

  I smile back at him. “Yum.”

  Jimmy and I share the same taste in food. Grease and salt. Nothing green. Despite Sandra’s efforts to train me up right, nutrition-wise, I’ve resisted. I know I’ll regret it someday. Every now and then, I lay awake at night and imagine I hear the sound of my arteries hardening.

  “Where are we?” I peer through the window for a clue.

  “Halfway to Redding.” He cranks up the engine and pulls out onto the street. “Rest stop a few miles up the road if you need to pee.”

  Jimmy’s a good guy. He understands the female bladder.

  We meet up with the studly Brett at a truck stop south of Redding. I wish I could say my plans for seduction were successful, but the idea of screwing the boss’s stepdaughter puts Brett in a bad place. I do everything but strip down to panties and bra.

  With both hands clasped firmly on the steering wheel, Brett shoots me a heated glance and a smile of regret. “It’s not that I don’t want to, Mel. I think you’re real cute. But, I’m sure you know Abel has a nightstick under his seat, and then there’s your mom. She’d help Abel beat the crap outta me. Plus, we’re already behind schedule and I really need this job.”

  “No problem,” I mutter, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Thanks, Mom.

  It’s twilight when we roll into 3 Peaks. I punch Dani’s address into the GPS. 3315 Pine Drop Drive. I thank Brett for the lift, grab my backpack and climb out of the truck.

  Brett calls, “I’ll wait if you want. Make sure somebody’s home.”

  “It’s okay. I see lights on inside.”

  I definitely don’t want Brett hanging around. If it doesn’t work out at Dani’s house, he’ll feel compelled to report to Abel, who will immediately call Sandra. Before I have time to blink, I’ll be on the flip-flop, back to San Berdoo.

  When Brett pulls away, I stand on the curb and check out the house. As if living up to its address, a humongous pine tree dominates the front yard. Littered with desiccated pinecones, the grass looks like it’s holding on for dear life. Patchy, brown and sparse, the whole front yard has the look of neglect with one exception. A shiny black Toyota Tundra is parked in the weed-choked driveway.

  I’m having a hard time placing Dani in this setting. Dani, who insists on perfection? Yes, I know. It’s a conundrum. Why did she choose someone like me—so far from perfect—for a friend?

  I rationalize, thinking maybe the yard is her husband Eddie’s responsibility. I hate to be a know-it-all, but I told her not to marry him. His soul is speckled with mud. Eddie is not good husband material. But, Dani was in luv and paid me no mind.

  As I walk up the crumbling sidewalk to the front porch, I bite my tongue. When Dani answers the door, I won’t say, “Look at your front yard. You should have listened to me.”

  I press the doorbell and listen. Nothing. Must be broken. Another strike against slacker Eddie. I double up my fist and pound on the door.

  The drapery in the front window twitches and a face appears. Definitely not Dani’s face. I begin to get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something’s wrong.

  The door flies open and Eddie appears, glowering down at me, a cigarette hanging from his lips. Clad in baggy jeans and a black AC-DC T-shirt, he looks bigger and meaner than I remember.

  “Um, hi Eddie,” I stammer. “Is Dani here? I emailed her I was coming.”

  “Dani’s not here.”

  He gives the door a shove. I catch it with my foot. “Hey, remember me? Mel Sullivan? I was in your wedding. Where is she?”

  It’s painful to watch Eddie trying to collate the information. I imagine cogs and gears grinding slowly inside his thick skull as he formulates an answer. Finally, he gives me a big, cheesy grin. “Oh, yeah. Mel. Guess you didn’t hear. Dani’s in the hospital. She had a fall.”

  “What?”

  He reaches under his shirt and scratches his belly. “Yeah, it’s real sad. She was painting the bathroom and fell off the ladder. Hit her head on the tub. She’s in a coma at St. Charles.”

  The air gushes out of my lungs and I see stars dancing in a field of black. I lean over, place my hands on my knees and gulp in air. I have low blood pressure and sometimes a sudden shock puts me over the edge.

  “You gonna pass out or somethin’?” Eddie asks.

  I straighten up. “I’m fine. Can I see the baby?”

  Eddie’s gaze shifts upward and back. “She’s not here right now. She’s with, um, some friends of mine.”

  Something tells me not to ask, but I do anyway. “Who are they? I’d like to see her.”

  “Not a good idea,” Eddie says, attempting to arrange his face into that of a concerned parent. “You know, she misses her mother and all. I don’t want her any more upset.”

  “Well,” I say. “I don’t plan to upset her. I just want to see her.”

  Eddie looks like a cornered wolverine. Come out fighting. Never say die. “I’m gonna have to say no.”

  “Okay, no problem. Have you called Dani’s dad?”

  Dani’s mom took off when Dani was eight. Shortly after, Dani’s dad re-married and had three kids with the new wife. He cared about Dani but was rarely home, having to work hard to support his family.

  Eddie heaves a sigh and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, of course I called her dad. “

  “Sorry,” I mutter. “Thought I’d let him know if you didn’t.”

  He folds his arms and stares down at me. “Anything else?”

  I shake my head, shoulder my backpack and head for the street.

  Now what, Mel?

  Chapter Three

  As I trudge toward the commercial loop of Highway 97 in the gathering darkness, I call Sandra and describe the warm welcome I received from Dani, Eddie and their beautiful baby girl, Destiny. No need to make my mother worry. I’ll figure something out. During my teen years, I spent a lot of time skipping school and hanging out with ne’er-do-wells, as my mother called them. It was probably the best education I ever received. Long story short, I can take care of myself.

  First order of business: Locate St Charles Hospital. Check on Dani. I hail down a city bus. Thirty minutes later, I stand in the lobby of the hospital, trying to pry information out of a woman with characteristics not unlike my mother. Fortunately, I’ve had a lifetime to hone my skills. And, I know my way around hospitals.

  “Immediate family only.” She glances at her watch. “And, it’s after eight. No visitors after eight.”

  “But, I’m her sister. I had to hitchhike to get here. Please let me see her. What if she dies tonight? It would be on you.”

  The last bit gets to her. Doubt clouds her sharp, gray eyes. “Third floor. Room 312. Don’t stay long. Your brother’s there. Guess you’ll be glad to see him.”

  My brother? I stare at the floor to disguise my look of surprise. “Haven’t seen him for a while.” Or ever, since I don’t have a
brother.

  The third floor is quiet. The nurse behind the counter is pecking away on her keyboard, pausing occasionally to peer at the screen with a puzzled frown. Quickly, I make my way to 312. The door is closed. I open it a crack and peer into the darkened room. Bed number one. Older lady, mouth agape, hooked up to multiple wires. Not Dani.

  I peek around the drawn curtain. Illuminated by dim light filtering through the open window blinds, Dani lies on her back, her hands resting on her belly, her long blond hair splayed across the pillow. A purple bruise covers her left cheek. An IV tube sprouts from the back of one hand. Electrodes dot her chest and a blood pressure monitor hisses as it squeezes and releases her left arm. Tears well up in my eyes.

  “Another long-lost family member, huh?’’

  I turn toward the deep voice. A man is sprawled in a chair tucked into a shadowed corner. He rises, unfolding his lanky body in segments. Legs. Hips. Shoulders and head. He’s a big guy, standing at least six feet tall. Hard for me to judge, though, since I’m vertically challenged.

  I step around the curtain and let my backpack slide to the floor. “I heard my brother was here. Who the hell are you?”

  He walks toward me into the light. “Since I know Dani doesn’t have a sister your age,” he says, “Who the hell are you?”

  “You go first.”

  He scrapes his fingers through his reddish-brown brush cut, grins down at me and extends a big hand. “William Henry McCarty. You can call me Billy.”

  I give his hand a little squeeze and scoot away from him. “I’m Mel.”

  “Mel’s a guy’s name.”

  “Also a nickname for Melanie.”

  This guy is beyond irritating. Why does he care about my name? “Why are you here?” I slide between the curtain and Dani’s bed. I pick up her right hand, the one without the IV, and press it to my lips. Her fingernails are bitten down to the nail bed. So unlike the Dani I know, who always has perfectly manicured nails.

  “You tell me. Then I’ll tell you.”

  “Because she’s my best friend and I think Eddie’s a lying sack of shit.”

  Billy steps to the other side of Dani’s bed and studies her battered face. “Me too. Not the best friend part. The lying sack of shit part.”

  “So, Eddie’s not your friend?”

  “No way,” he says. “My sister, Kendra, and Dani are tight. Kendra and Dani had plans to pick out paint for the bathroom. Then Kendra was going to help out with the kid while Dani painted. She doesn’t buy the falling off the ladder story. Says there’s no way that could have happened.”

  Should I believe this guy? I frown at him. “Then why isn’t Kendra here?”

  “Kendra’s got two little rug rats. No time to play detective. Since I was a military cop, she twisted my arm.”

  The black seeds of suspicion, sown earlier by Eddie’s remarks, sprout into noxious weeds. I squeeze Dani’s hand, willing her to wake up. “Did Eddie tell your sister who was taking care of Destiny?”

  “When Dani ended up in the ER, Kendra offered to take the baby. Eddie turned her down, said she was with some friend of his.” Billy’s jaw tightens and he shakes his head. “We’re talking about the same day Dani had her so-called accident. And the baby’s already gone?”

  “He told me the same thing.”

  Billy grips the side rails of the bed. I glance at his face. The friendly-Billy face is gone. He’s morphed into a different man. Eyes focused and intense. Lips compressed in a tight line. All hard angles and edges. “Son of a bitch,” he mutters. “What’d he do with the kid?”

  Fear roils deep in my belly. “Do you think he’d do something to her? Hurt her?” Or worse? Don’t go there, Mel.

  “If he’s lying about Dani’s accident, it’s possible.”

  I still have my doubts about William Henry McCarty. Is this guy for real? He’s a complete stranger to me. Maybe he’s lying about not being Eddie’s friend. Maybe he’s here in Dani’s hospital room to make sure she doesn’t wake up.

  One way to find out. Although every fiber of my being screams, “No!” I force myself to look into his eyes, to read the contents of his soul. Unblinking, I stare into his clear, hazel eyes and gasp with surprise when I see my own face. It’s like seeing one’s reflection in a plate glass window. Is he blocking me? Is it possible he’s a fellow soul reader?

  His gaze narrows to a squint. “Something wrong?”

  Gathering my wits, I shake my head, reach for my backpack and then pause. No way will I leave Dani with Billy standing over her. “How long do you plan to stay here?”

  “Heading out right now.” His gaze sweeps over my faded jeans, black tank top covered with an unbuttoned flannel shirt and comes to rest on my backpack. “Why? Need a lift home.”

  “No, I’m good.” What I needed was to get away from this guy with the piercing eyes and crystal clear soul. As well as time to figure out if I can trust him. The fact I’m currently without a home is none of Billy’s business.

  “Do you live here in 3 Peaks?” he asks.

  “Sort of.” I drop a kiss on Dani’s forehead.

  “How do you sort of live somewhere?”

  I shrug and make my way into the hall. I have a plan and it doesn’t include Billy, so I stop outside the room and re-tie my shoes, waiting until he walks past me to the elevator. I head for the stairs when the doors slide open and he steps inside.

  Once in the lobby, I spot Billy leaning against the information desk, schmoozing with its sober-faced guardian of hospital information. She’s giggling like a thirteen-year-old with her first crush. I roll my eyes; check the signage and head back to the stairs.

  Second Floor. Surgery. From my checkered past, I know the surgical floor will have several areas for families to wait while their loved ones go under the knife. Big areas with TVs and magazines. Little areas tucked away in a corner for those who want privacy. I hit the jackpot at the end of the hall. A darkened room with an overstuffed chair, comfy couch and small coffee table. Nice big window overlooking the city of 3 Peaks. I stow my backpack next to the wall and curl up on the couch. Anyone checking will think I’m waiting while a family member has emergency surgery. I have my story ready in case some hospital employee on a power trip challenges me.

  But then, he shows up.

  Billy.

  Chapter Four

  I’d just dozed off when the lights flip on and a familiar deep voice jolts me from dreamland.

  “Thought I’d find you here.”

  I open one eye. “Go to hell.”

  He stands in the doorway, a smug smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “You don’t have any place to stay, do you?”

  I struggle to a sitting position and glare at him. “Wow, you must be a detective.”

  He moseys into the room and drops into a chair. “What’s your story, Minnie Mouse? Runaway? How old are you anyway? Sixteen?”

  Because I’m undersized, I’ve been called Squirt, Pipsqueak and/or Short Stuff my entire life. Normally, it ticks me off. Big time. Tonight, I’m too tired to get mad. I sigh, reach for my backpack and began pawing through it for my wallet. Apparently, it migrated to the bottom. Frustrated, I pull out my battered laptop and set it on the floor. Then, I grab pajamas, bras, panties, tampons, prescription bottles, toothpaste, cell phone and flip-flops. Pile ’em all on the coffee table. I retrieve my wallet. I flip it open to my ID, stand and shove it into Billy’s hands.

  “Here you go, Ace,”

  Billy’s gaze flicks back and forth between my picture ID and my face. He gives it back to me. “Honor Melanie Sullivan, age twenty-two, fully grown woman, I humbly apologize for my remarks.”

  “Alrighty then.” I begin re-packing my things.

  The way my life is going, I could have predicted what happens next. The card containing my punch-out birth control pills slips from of my hand, hits the floor and lands at Billy’s feet.

  He picks it up, reads the label and hands it to me with a wink. “Like I said, fully-grow
n woman. Safe sex is a good thing.”

  I ignore him and sink back into the couch. “Turn out the light when you leave.”

  Some people can’t take a hint. He refuses to budge. “Honor’s a nice name. Why don’t you use it?”

  “Long story and I’m tired.”

  “So, you’re from San Bernardino. When did you get to 3 Peaks?”

  “A few hours ago,” I mutter.

  “No family here?”

  “I planned to stay with Dani, but it didn’t work out.”

  He stands and stares down at me. “My sister has a big house.”

  I wave him away. “I’m okay. It’s late. I’ll figure out something tomorrow.”

  “What happens tomorrow?”

  “I’ll check on Dani and look for a job.”

  After a long moment, the light goes off. I sense he is leaning over me and open my eyes. He presses a warm hand against my cheek. “Take care, Minnie. See you around.”

  He tiptoes from the room and closes the door. The touch of his hand lingers on my skin. In its wake, a tingle of pure unadulterated lust spirals through my body, setting fire to every nerve ending. Thanks to William Henry McCarty, I am now wide-awake.

  Later, when sleep finally comes, it is fitful and filled with dreams of Dani. The dreams take me back in time to my six-year-old self.

  I hate first grade. I hate recess. All the other kids have friends. Not me. Not anymore. I curl up in a ball next to the fence and try not to think about Hope. I clap my hands over my eyes so I don’t see her running out into the street. I know it’s my fault. I threw the ball too high and it went over her head. “Stop, Hope!” I screamed. “A car’s coming.” But she didn’t stop. No matter how hard I rub my eyes or plug my ears I still hear the sickening thud as she collides with the car. I see her flying through the air, landing on the sidewalk, her face covered in blood. I can’t unsee it because it’s inside my head. I bury my face in my arms.