June

by Erik Schubach

  She smiled and said, “Love you too.” She looked up at a grinning Kat and said, “Love you too Kat.” My tall friend just winked down at the girl and shooed her out the door. She stuck a hand back in the door and signed to me, “Softie.” Oh god, I snorted at that.

  I watched the news then grabbed my stuff and headed out as well. I hailed a cab and had the cabbie drop me at Bellevue, I hoped for the last time. Doc Ulysses came to meet me in the waiting area this time. After we had exchanged greetings, he led me to a secure room in a hall down from the common area I always visited with Vanessa in.

  He said to me as we walked, “I sent my recommendation to the DA's office first thing this morning. It is supposed to be confidential, and I can't tell you the specifics, but I just want you to know that I recommended her release. I strongly recommend Miss Brighton think about the programs I shared with her. Without access to the proper medicine and counseling on the streets, her life will be a living hell for her.”

  I nodded a silent thanks to the man. He knocked on the door and I heard a muffled, “Come in.” He badged me into the room and then just said, “Use the call button when you are ready to leave.” He looked over to Vanessa. “The NYPD will have someone here just after noon to collect you for transfer back to holding. A nurse or an orderly will accompany them.” Then he put a couple bottles on the counter. “This is a month's supply. Take them as indicated on the label without fail. Please.” Then he looked like he was making a decision and then pulled out some papers from his pocket and put it beside the bottles. This is a sample voucher, it will get you an additional fifteen-day supply at any pharmacy with my prescription.”

  He softened. “And please Miss Brighton, seriously think about the programs we discussed. They are geared specifically for people without regular access to medical facilities and limited funds.” She just nodded once at the man and he left us alone.

  I looked around, it looked much like a dorm room in college, but a little more spartan. There were a bed, a nightstand and a lamp on a swivel arm built into the wall above it. There was a little restroom off to one side. I noticed there were no outlets anywhere in the room and nothing with a cord. Was this one of those suicide prevention type rooms you see on TV? The thing I didn't like was the mirrored camera dome in the upper corner of the room over the door.

  I turned to Vanessa to say hi, but my mind short-circuited when those electric blues engulfed me. I'm going to have to hire a new synaptic engineer to keep my brain operational and firing, the current guy is doing a crappy job. I shunted all systems into emergency override and managed to blush profusely at the supremely cute look she was giving me, obviously amused at my flustered state. “Hi,” I squeaked out.

  She tilted her head and said, “Hi.”

  What the hell? Come on, I have more confidence than this, I didn't even flinch when I confronted the New York city council about the intercity student carpooling plan they voted against. And hey, I thought disassembling the chairman's car and having it reassembled in the council chambers in the middle of the night was inspired.

  She was almost laughing now as I was sorting through my inner dialogue. She rocked back on her heels. “Whatcha got there June?”

  This knocked me back into reality. I smiled, but then I thought for a second. Is my constantly running inner dialogue any different than the voices Vanessa hears? That thought gave me an uneasy feeling. I held the bag I was carrying out to her. “They burned your clothes, something about DJ cooties, so I brought you some so they don't drag you around town in those scrubs.”

  She took the bag and squinted at me like it would explode as she reached her hand in and pulled out some pink fabric. I held my hands up in defense. “Hey, don't blame me, Small Fry picked them out for you. I swear she picked the most feminine stuff in my suitcases.”

  She shook her fist to the sky comically and growled Fran's name just like 'Kahn!'. I grinned. “She says you got big feet, so Kat donated a pair of shoes.”

  She shrugged and said, “Well you know what they say, big shoes, big brain.”

  I blinked. “Nobody says that.”

  She giggled and took the bag into the bathroom saying as she shut the door, “Says you.”

  She stepped out a couple minutes later and I forgot how to breathe. How did I not see this before? Holy shit, Vanessa was all woman. She stood there blushing in my tight capris that looked painted on, the ankle socks and Sketchers were cute. The pink top with the frills on all the fringes was almost too small for her and just clung to her curves. Her modest breasts strained at the fabric and I might have been drooling. Well, since I just recently discovered I was bi, how was I supposed to know I was a breast woman?

  Her hair draped back over her shoulders with a tempting amount that had escaped to the front to frame her face which was pretty without makeup. Damn, there's those eyes again. She waved a hand in front of my face. “Is it ok?”

  I just nodded like an idiot. Her eyes narrowed and she smiled smugly, asking, “Where the hell did the over confident June disappear to?”

  I sputtered out, “It's not fair that you just keep getting prettier. It makes it hard to concentrate.”

  She smiled in satisfaction and we sat on her bed. I could tell she was nervous about what was going to happen today, so I got her talking about music. The passion she had for it was amazing to me. Mother was the only other person I knew that could speak so fluently about musical theory.

  She shared her thoughts on a couple new bands she found down near the waterfront, explaining why she thought they would go far. Her reasoning was sound on many levels. There was even a train of thought or two that I had never considered. She had definitely earned her Scratch legend. I was amazed at the woman's intelligence. Damn, intelligence is sexy!

  It was almost noon before she suddenly got serious. “What if I fucked up June? What if this...” She violently hit her head a couple times indicating what she was talking about. “...cost me my sister? She'd die if she had to go back into the system, and I let her down.”

  I grabbed the hand that was now pulling hard at her hair. She relaxed. I smiled reassuringly to her and said, “Hey, I got this shit.” I dug in my purse and pulled out some paperwork then hesitated. I pursed my lips and handed them to her with a pen. “If it does happen, and I'm not saying it will, I'm working some angles on your arrest, this is paperwork for me to get emergency temporary custody of Fran. It sites health concerns of the primary guardian as the reason.”

  She stared at the paper then at me for a long few seconds. Then she tilted her head and asked, “Why? Why would you do this? You need me working for you that badly?”

  That sort of hurt. I looked down as I admitted, “I don't care if you take the job or not. Well that's a lie, I'd love it if you did. But I'd do this because... because in this short time I've sort of, well, become used to having you and Small Fry around. You're my friends, and I take care of my friends.”

  She locked her ice blues on me and studied me for a moment then looked back down at the paperwork. She started reading it but then just looked up at me then studied me again. She nodded almost imperceptibly like she had made a decision and flipped to the last page and signed it. She turned her eyes back to me. “She's my baby sister.” I nodded in understanding as she handed the pen and paperwork back.

  She tilted her head and laid a warm, soft hand on my cheek I closed my eyes for a second and basked in it, when I opened them again, her face was inches away. My heart sped up as she licked her lips and glanced down at mine. She started leaning in and I moved to close the gap when there was a knock on the door. She pulled back suddenly and I hissed under my breath toward the door, “Sonofabitch!” I just can't catch a break!

  She chuckled at me then called out, “Just a moment.” She grabbed both of my hands. “Maybe one day.” Then she added with her eyes searching out mine, “I really do want to get better. Please believe that.”

  I nodded, fighting back some friggin tears. She smiled and gave me
a long lingering kiss on the cheek. Then she straightened up and tugged the hem of her shirt down and called out, “Come in.”

  The door opened and a short woman in scrubs and a rather tall middle-aged police officer with a curly mop of salt and pepper hair walked in. The orderly had a bag that had Vanessa's shoes in it and held it out with a look of apology on her face. Vanessa just stared at the bag and I reached out and took it.

  Then the officer pulled his cuffs off of his belt and looked at my friend and said, “Please turn around Miss.” I gave him a sour look like he was about to pull the wings off a fly, and asked, “Are those really necessary? She's already scared enough.”

  He shrugged. “Procedure.” I just glared at him and he looked at the cuffs then Vanessa.

  I said to the frightened-looking woman that I had it bad for, “I'll walk down with you.” Then looked back at the officer. He sighed then put the cuffs away.

  Then he said, “Please spread your arms.” She did and he gave her a cursory pat-down while the orderly bagged her prescriptions. Then the officer grabbed Vanessa's arm gently and inclined his head to the orderly, who badged us all out of the room.

  We made our way down to the ground floor then to a back hall. There was a security desk and a secured exit. The officer signed some transfer paperwork then we were buzzed out to a receiving bay where a police cruiser was idling with another officer in the driver's seat.

  He opened the back door for Vanessa. I asked, “I don't suppose I could catch a ride to the station with you guys?”

  He shook his head and opened his mouth. Before he could speak, I interrupted, shaking my head in resignation, “Procedure?”

  He nodded and placed a hand on Vanessa's head as she got into the car, “Watch your head.”

  I asked, “What station? Twenty-Fourth again?” He nodded.

  I leaned into the car and hugged my friend who looked like a caged animal now, her eyes were darting everywhere. She looked to her left and was about to say something but then glanced back at me and the officer and clamped her mouth shut.

  I gave her a confident smile. I didn't feel confident. “I'll see you at the station. We'll get this all sorted out one way or another.” She just nodded woodenly and the officer shut the door then got into the front passenger side. I watched as the car pulled away, then made my way quickly to the front of the building and whistled down a cab.

  Before long I was at the Twenty-Fourth again and at the front desk asking about Vanessa. The man there said she was in holding at the moment until it was determined if any additional charges could be leveled, then she would be processed. I went over to a waiting area and paced.

  Almost two hours later, my phone buzzed once and I looked at the screen and my heart almost stopped beating, it was an email from Frank Davenport. I quickly opened it and began reading. A predatory smile slowly spread across my face as I went through the extensive email.

  I exhaled a breath that felt like I had been holding since I learned of Vanessa's arrest, I could feel a shit-ton of stress bleed out of me. Only then did I finally sit down to relax. Not more than five minutes later the desk officer was waving me over.

  The portly man said, “They are currently out-processing Miss Brighton. She'll be out in just a minute.”

  I nodded in thanks then stepped beside the metal detector and looked to the double door beyond in anticipation. A minute later a woman opened the doors and stepped out with a confused and frightened looking Vanessa. She was gripping a plastic bag to her chest and her purple backpack slung over one shoulder with a tag of some sort hanging off of it.

  Her eyes were darting around until she saw me. She seemed to relax and ran through the turnstile next to the metal detector and into my arms. She buried her face in my shoulder and just sobbed. I put my arm around her protectively and ushered her toward the door. “Let's get out of this place.”

  She looked up at me with tearful eyes and smiled and nodded. I was whistling down a cab before the doors closed behind us. It wasn't until the station was receding into the distance that she finally spoke, “I don't know what just happened. Some big brass just came into the holding area, pulled me out of the cell and apologized then they got me my stuff and let me go.” She held up a plastic bag with her belongings. She started taking them out and putting them back into her backpack, making sure all the perscriptions were there. She mumbled, “I didn't like it in there, they were calling me Crazy V.”

  I grinned at her cheesily. She paused and looked at me then squinted an eye then asked, “Oh god, what did you do June?”

  I blinked and acted like I was taken aback by the accusation. “Me?” I fluttered my eyelashes innocently “Nothing. However, my lawyer may have done something. Like possibly filing formal protests of the handling of a woman suffering obvious mental health problems. The use of a taser against department policy in a situation like that. The callous treatment and insensitive verbal barbs applied to the detainee by the desk sergeant there.”

  I shrugged. “There may have been mention of a witness at the arrest that would testify to the fact you didn't get physical, and the threat of a lawsuit if you weren't released.”

  She was just staring at me in shock and I grinned. “There was some mention that the precinct will be holding classes on the proper handling of people suffering from mental health problems, and requiring sensitivity training for all the officers.”

  This got that explosive high pitched startled laugh from her again. Then her smile simply disappeared and her forehead was on mine. It was like she was drinking in my eyes. She whispered, “I can't get enough of the music hiding in your eyes.” She paused then asked, “You've got my back?” I nodded. Then she asked, “You'd really take care of Frannie?” I nodded again. Her lips were even closer as she said, “You're kind of amazing June.” Her lips nicked mine with each word.

  My breathing was deep and ragged and my heart was threatening to pound its way out of my chest. She smiled then pulled back and stared straight ahead. “Would you... I mean if I had... for a long time, would you have taken care of her?”

  I whispered, “Yes, of course.”

  Then she chanced a glance at me and swallowed hard then asked, “Then would you?”

  I tilted my head and squinted in confusion. She clarified, “I... more than anything, I want to get better. I was clear-headed before I lost my job. The voices left me alone. You don't know what it's like. I want to get better for Fran... for me. I... would you watch her while I...” Her voice choked off.

  I reached over and grabbed her hand and she grabbed it with both of hers like it was a lifeline. She tuned back to me and caught me with her eyes again. “June, I want to admit myself to Bellevue and enter the program Dr. Ulysses suggested. They are geared for people on the street. I don't want to be like this anymore.”

  She was on the verge of tears and I was about to join her as I just nodded, afraid to talk lest my voice betray my emotions. Then her look turned into a pleading one. “It could be months.”

  I nodded and cleared my throat. “If needed, my cousin Zoey can take her in if it extends beyond October. She has two children of her own and is one of the most loving people on this planet. I already spoke with her on contingency plans if things didn't go well today. She was excited about the prospect.”

  She grinned at that. I shrugged and said, “Always plan for all possibilities.” She just wiped her eyes and then smiled and leaned against me and laid her head on my shoulder for the rest of the ride as she played with my hands.

  Chapter 12 – Planning

  We got back to Kat's. I had a text message that she had gone to pick Fran up from school. We just sat on the couch in a peaceful silence with her curled up almost into a ball with her head in my lap. I just absently stroked her hair, running my fingers through her tresses. I absently thought about the ramifications of this. Fran would be my responsibility while Vanessa recovered.

  Could I do this? Was I even qualified to take care of another person w
hen I couldn't even take care of myself? My answer came when Vanessa glanced up at me with a smile. God, I'd do anything for this woman. Hell I'd do anything for Frannie too, she was so much like Lizzie.

  We looked over to the door as it opened and a giggling Fran and Kat came walking in. I may have gone half deaf myself with the high pitched squeal that came from the over excited teen upon seeing her sister. Vanessa sat up and was almost cannonball hugged by her little sister. The two just sat there like that, silently crying, desperately holding each other.

  Finally, Fran pulled back and looked around. “How? Is... are you...”

  Vanessa gave her a nose scrunching smile that was too cute for human consumption. I swear a thousand bunnies were hugging my heart at the sight of it. She motioned her eyes toward me. “June got me out of it. They aren't pressing charges.”

  Then I either gacked or gleeped, it could have been a gurk, as I was suddenly in a death hug that reminded me a lot of Zilrita's squid hugs. I hugged Fran back as she said in a hoarse voice, “You're awesome JW!”

  I shook my head. “It was the least I could do.”

  Kat went to start some coffee then we all sat down as the sisters caught up. Then Vanessa, this impossible creature, got silent for a moment then looked at her sister with a serious look on her face. “Francine?”

  The young one lost her smile. “Oh crap, this must be serious. You only call me that if I'm in trouble or you are.”

  Vanessa just rolled her eyes at the girl. “If I had... well, if I went to jail. Would you have minded staying with June and her family?”

  Almost before she finished the question Fran was nodding. “I'd do it in a heartbeat. JW is great and treats me like a person, not a little kid. I know it's stupid, but I see her as family, like you sis.” Now I was feeling emotional.

  Then Vanessa looked down, choosing her words. After a few seconds, Fran said cautiously, “You're scaring me Van. What's up?”