Operation Neurosurgeon

by Barbara Ebel

  The man abruptly stopped. “See those dead branches there?” he asked. “That’s what happens to landscaping when apartments have dogs.”

  Danny shook his head since the middle of January wasn’t a month for non-evergreens to qualify as green. Why, Dakota had never paid any interest in that short-changed, scraggly excuse of a bush.

  They arrived at Danny’s recent living quarters. The man’s key slipped straight away into the keyhole and he opened the door. He lingered at the edge of the kitchen counter, making it clear he wasn’t leaving. “I’m locking up after you leave. It’ll be the model apartment again with all this rental furniture, which we’re going to assume the bill for again.”

  Danny headed to the bedroom, everything looking exactly as he had left it. He swiped at the bedspread, picked up the end of the mattress, and grabbed his burgundy case. He went to the closet; all his personal items would go back into the suitcase and boxes he had stored there. He rolled the packed luggage in front of the kitchen counter, grasping his case with his free hand. After he placed it on the counter, he found Mary’s key and his pager, put them separately with his most important item, and continued throwing drawer and kitchen pantry items into a box.

  Danny had worked up a sweat, so unzipped his jacket, draped it near the phone. Piled mail lay there, so he leafed through envelopes before dropping them into the box. He opened the Valley View and law firm letters, the man making a face as if he had better things to do. He should have opened them days ago. He now had more attorneys after him than the number of French-style green beans in a sixteen ounce can.

  Danny stood straight. Something triggered a curious thought, like when someone looks directly at something, but it doesn’t register what he or she really sees, until later. His leather burgundy case, it didn’t seem right. What was it?

  He darted a glance to the keeper of his endeared items, a sinking feeling welling up from his gut. He inched his hand over, put his palm on top and pressed.

  Danny’s words came hesitantly, “Has anyone been in here before or after the apartment was re-keyed?”

  “Just me. To evaluate for dog mischief, or owner damage like we usually do. The place looked like you left me with no trouble. But still don’t expect that security deposit.”

  Danny discontinued listening to him. He was worried about someone else, not him. But first … He picked up the case holding Albert Einstein’s book and Melissa’s bracelet, and opened the flap. It was as empty as a strewn red neck beer can.

  Chapter 25

  As much as Danny wanted to, he couldn’t go get Dakota, yet. He needed to unload his car at Mary’s. Danny let himself into her house when no one answered the door, carried bags and boxes upstairs and stacked a neat pile in the original guest room, the only bedroom truly available. He called Sara and left a message that he’d pick up the dog later. Growing sleepier, he succumbed to the bed. His eyelids closed right away and the difference between consciousness and fading into a dream blurred. A cat’s paw ruffled the river’s surface as he stood watching, Dakota nearby, the moon a bright white ball overhead. Circular ripples grew, the water percolated, like humpback whales bubble feeding. Melissa appeared from the center and approached him, her arms outstretched. She wore a long, ethereal dress, but before she reached him, she disappeared back into the water, crying “Daddy, Daddy.” The Caney Fork River became quiet again.

  ________

  Sara scanned the newspaper’s TV guide and Nancy opened a new peanut butter jar and spread some on a slice of bread. Dakota suddenly bolted up, sniffing the air. He sat, reeled up, and pranced his two front legs in the air.

  “What?” Nancy asked. “That’s a pretty cool high-five.”

  “I think dogs like peanut butter,” Annabel said as she peeled apple skin from her braces.

  “That would explain it,” Sara said, glancing over the top of the counter.

  Nancy spread a pat of peanut butter on her index finger and extended it to Dakota. “But, like, be polite and don’t eat my finger.” Dakota gobbled the small mound and continued licking until he searched the tile floor for any fallen residue.

  “Would one of you call your father about Dakota?” Sara asked.

  “I’ll do it,” Annabel said. “I want to talk to his office anyway.”

  Nancy asked for her father. “I’ll put you through to Dr. Tilson’s nurse,” the receptionist said.

  “Cheryl,” Annabel said, “I need to talk to my Dad, but first I need your help. Dad told me to call about dates because I want to shadow him for a few days after school. I’m thinking about a medical career, but I don’t know if I would like it.”

  “Your dad isn’t here this afternoon, Nancy. We’ll have to wait to schedule you, though. He won’t be in the office for some time in the immediate future. Bye now.”

  Annabel grimaced at the receiver before putting it on the cradle. “Like, that was weird.”

  “What?” her sister asked.

  “Cheryl said Dad’s not there, and he won’t be there … ‘in the immediate future.’”

  Sara, Nancy, and Annabel exchanged glances. Annabel waved her apple core at Dakota who politely took it in his mouth and trotted to the other side of the kitchen.

  Annabel picked up the phone again and called Danny’s apartment, her face showing disbelief as she listened to a telephone company recording. “Mom,” she said after hanging up, “maybe we get to keep Dakota tonight.”

  “I doubt it,” Sara said. “Your father left a message here saying he’d pick him up. But that’s weird if he’s not in the office and you can’t get him at his apartment.”

  Maybe he’s finally lost his mind and ran off with the ‘other woman,’ Sara thought.

  ________

  As Danny rolled over, he opened his eyes, readjusting them to old familiar surroundings. Recollection of his dream sent chills along his neck. His entire career hung in jeopardy. Actually, his whole life. He sat up and buried his head in his hands. He shut his eyelids tight, concentrating into the darkness.

  Danny quickly showered and rummaged for clean pants and a sweatshirt from his duffel bag. He pulled his trousers up, zipped his fly, and struggled with the button. Pants must have shrunk.

  Downstairs Danny hesitated to scan the refrigerator for something to eat, because leaving Dakota at Sara’s longer than necessary could be a problem, especially if the dog became mischievous. Since his morning bagel, Danny hadn’t eaten, so he went through the drive-in on the way and bought two-quarter pounders with cheese, fries, and coffee.

  When Danny rang the bell at Sara’s, Nancy opened the door, while Dakota stopped barking and greeted him. Danny’s heart warmed; anymore, nobody got that excited to see him.

  “Dad, like what is going on with you?” Nancy said as Danny acknowledged Dakota. He planted a strong kiss on Nancy’s forehead.” She stood back and eyed him. “Like I said, Dad, what’s going on with you?”

  “Can’t I kiss my daughter?”

  “I guess that’s okay. I mean, like everything else. The office said you weren’t there and aren’t going to be there. And your telephone’s been disconnected.”

  Annabel came into the hallway and stood behind her sister. “Yeah, Dad, we are kind-of worried about you.”

  “Girls, it’s not the time or place to talk about it. Actually, you have no idea how nice it is to see you both.” Now he gave Annabel a hug and a kiss as well.

  The girls started to lead Danny to the back of the house.

  “I better just take Dakota and leave,” he said.

  “It’s okay. You have to wait for Mom anyway. She went to get Dakota a bag of dog food.”

  “Does that mean I shouldn’t feed him the cheeseburger I have?” Danny laughed. He ran to the car and brought his fast food. He sat with the girls at his old kitchen table, where he used to eat Sara’s healthy meals. Which explained his tight trousers. He’d been eating fewer meals, but the quality and calorie count had gone to the dogs.

  “Dad, we are never go
ing to see the inside of your apartment, are we?” Annabel asked, and then sampled a French fry.

  “No.” He washed down a bite of burger with his coffee. “Do either of you know when Mary and Casey will be home?”

  “They drove to the gulf coast for a few days,” Annabel said. “They should be home tomorrow afternoon.”

  Danny promised the girls he’d see them more the next month as Sara came through the garage door hugging a dog food bag. She grumbled something as he got up to take it. “I almost left this beside your car,” she said. “But I think Dakota needs some now.”

  “Sara, thanks,” Danny said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “It’s what’s best for the dog.” She took a cereal bowl from a shelf while Danny split the top of the bag. Sara read the feeding directions. “What do you think he weighs?”

  “Sixty pounds.” Annabel said.

  “Probably eighty or eighty-five,” Danny said. He swiped at Annabel. “It’s like a girl to underestimate weight.”

  “Okay, about two cups then,” Sara said.

  “Here, watch this,” Danny said. Dakota followed him. “Dead dog, Dakota.”

  Sara smiled and placed the dish on the floor.

  Danny and Dakota finished eating and Danny headed to the door.

  “Dad,” Annabel called after him, “where should we reach you?”

  “At Mary’s.”

  “I thought you were living with your girlfriend,” Sara said behind him.

  “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  “Hmm. Did you burden the girls with all your problems while I was gone?”

  Danny looked down. “Despite everything falling apart, I spared them.”

  Sara contemplated his words and hooked a thumb into the belt loop on her jeans. “I guess, Danny, unless you’re a politician, you end up being responsible for your actions.”

  “I suppose so,” he said, clasping the Purina bag in his left arm. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “The legal maneuvers between us have been … well … surprising. Jim Dorsey’s letter about my first child support being late, though, really hurt. You could have just reminded me.”

  Sara raised her voice. “What were you thinking, to give up what we had?” She held her tongue for a long moment. “I received a copy of that,” she said in a lowered tone. “Jim asked me if I’d gotten the payment. When I said no, he said he’d take care of it. I had no idea he’d write such a malevolent letter.”

  Danny smelled subtle orange-ginger from her hair. He inhaled slowly through his nose, soaking up its familiarity. “Listen, thanks for taking Dakota and thanks for getting the dog food.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said, waving.

  Danny lightly held the middle of Dakota’s leash. Dakota nipped at the free end as Danny held on to the memory of Sara’s lingering scent on his way to the car.

  ________

  The next day, Danny waited before unpacking his personal belongings. Crashing at Mary’s for a day or two was one thing, but he couldn’t presume staying for weeks on end. He’d have to divulge his whole mess to his sister and closest friend and hope for the best. He gritted his teeth thinking about his financial status. At the moment, he was cashless, and without an upcoming income stream. He would have to cash in his annuity to make payments to Sara. By the manner in which the Judge had decided his motion in court, trying to legally recalculate payments to her wasn’t worth it. The Judge would ignore Danny’s sob story and only see a useless nonworking professional filling his time with fishing and throwing sticks for a dog. A doctor should be a gold mine, despite his lousy circumstances.

  Danny browsed through Mary’s art room. Every completed picture was vastly different from the next; each one had a fresh quality about it, as if she were multiple artists in one. A work-in-progress stood on the easel, it smelled like oils; the palette nearby had with thick colors piled at the edges, while a short painting knife and stubby brush laid horizontal on a can. The paraphernalia and woody texture of the bedroom itself made it more artistic than any gallery viewing room. He wanted to linger there longer. However, since Mary and Casey were arriving that afternoon after a long drive, he would contribute to groceries.

  After going to the store, Danny stashed milk, cold cuts, orange juice, and frozen vegetables in the refrigerator. He stocked the empty fruit bowl and stacked dog food cans in the pantry, thinking of adding moist food to Dakota’s dry meals. In case Casey and Mary wanted to eat when they got home, he had bought a deli chicken. As he petted Dakota, he felt pangs for the past and yearned for a normal dinner with family.

  Danny heard doors slamming at five o’clock after Casey’s Jeep pulled into the garage next to Mary’s Ford.

  “We’ve got a visitor!” Mary exclaimed, toddling into the kitchen and dropping a shopping bag to hug her brother. “And four-legged Dakota, too.”

  “Hey, Danny,” Casey said. “What a nice surprise.”

  “How was your trip?”

  “Gathered some sunshine from Florida. Even went fishing.”

  “We had a great time,” Mary said. “A few days were all we needed.” Mary acknowledged Dakota as Casey and Danny continued unloading the car and shaking sand from the floor mats.

  “There’s been an imposter here,” Mary said, when Danny and Casey stopped going back and forth. She pointed to the lemon-peppered chicken and the fruit bowl.

  “A take-in dinner,” Danny said. “But do I have bucket loads to tell you. And a favor to ask as well.”

  For hours, Danny talked. They retired to the family room, after cleaning up, walking Dakota, and popping a cork on a sweet Muscadine, like a dessert to linger over. Mary changed into loose fitting sweats and slipper socks and Casey took off his leather shoes. Danny discarded his sweatshirt - how many days had he worn it? The memory of which clothes he had worn the last few days were a blur. He extended his legs on the leather ottoman, and after a while Dakota laid down, elongated on his side. Occasionally the roof creaked and the back door whispered from a breeze, causing Dakota to tilt his head in that direction, but he resumed his hunting and retrieving under his eyelids.

  First, Danny explained his preoccupation with Rachel had something to do with him missing an obvious diagnosis on a CT scan and the resulting lawsuit filed against him. Casey grimaced at some of the details - Danny’s round robin of depositions, meetings with attorneys, and Bruce’s disgust. “And the outcome is yet to be determined,” Danny said. “The Parity attorneys and the plaintiff’s lawyers are discussing an out-of-court settlement.”

  In a non-accusatory manner, Danny told them details of the divorce, the attorneys, the financial settlement, his day in court, and the unfairness of it all. “It isn’t like the legal system judges what someone does,” Danny said. “All they care about is the money. Who’s got it, who doesn’t, and who they can get to pay whom.” Danny twirled the glass of wine. “I’m not mad at Sara about all that. The whole thing is ludicrous. They didn’t take into account everything handed to her and the girls from Dad. Which I will never see.”

  “You could have come to us before,” Mary said.

  “I’m not finished,” Danny said. “Now comes the part about my apartment eviction.”

  Casey widened his eyes and leaned forward as Danny put the pieces together. “They accused me of being told several times that the dog was not allowed. In essence, they told Rachel. I’ve been thrown out.”

  “Danny, Danny, Danny,” Mary said. She split the remainder of the wine bottle contents into their three glasses and breathed deeply.

  “I’m still not finished. I am an unemployed neurosurgeon, the result of Bruce getting disgusted by the things I’ve told you.”

  “Oh my God,” Casey said.

  “Before you continue, and believe me, we’ve heard enough,” Mary asked, “you obviously need a place to stay. I take it that’s why we found you here?”

  Danny’s head bobbed up and down. “After sleeping overnight
in my car with Dakota at the Caney Fork River? Yes, that’s why you found me here.”

  Mary’s mouth fell open.

  “I need a place only …”

  Mary put her hand up, stopping him. “Danny, look, this is your house as much as it is mine. You stay as long as you want. I have so much to thank you for.”

  “I may be imposing on both of you, though.”

  “No,” Casey said. “Maybe I should leave for a while. Until all of this gets sorted and you get back on your feet.”

  Mary raised her voice. “Nobody’s going anywhere. And I mean it! Not even Dakota.”

  “Come to think of it, what is the story with Dakota?” Casey asked. Dakota raised his head, but lowered it drowsily back on the rug.

  “He belongs to Rachel or used to belong to her, but I haven’t heard a word from her. She high tailed out of town.” Danny sighed. “And I’m heartsick over something else.” Danny put his stemware to the side.

  “Mary, do you remember the book Mom gave me by Albert Einstein?” Mary nodded, and then Danny proceeded to tell Casey about his mother’s purchase of the 1920 book Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, the verification of Albert Einstein’s signature, and her bequeathing it to him. Danny told Casey he kept it in the leather case he purchased at Christmas years ago, and how the book had traveled place to place with him. “And Casey, you must remember the opal bracelet that you gave Melissa?”

  “Like it was yesterday.”

  “Well, both the book and the bracelet are missing.”

  Chapter 26

  Danny, Casey, and Mary had no reason to get up early in the morning so they remained glued together several more hours as Danny told them every detail.

  “You’re positive the Valley View office manager didn’t take your Einstein book and Melissa’s bracelet?” Casey asked.

  “Extremely unlikely. He seemed clueless when I packed my belongings. Rachel frequented the apartment, with and without Dakota, and had been there the day she vanished. That’s when she left Dakota and a small note.”