by Wendy Vella
“I remember her and she was belligerent in high school, can’t imagine that much has changed over the ensuing years,” Jake said, and then took a larger bite for his second. He tried to make it last, but usually failed.
“Get you with the big words,” Buster said.
Belligerent or ensuing?” Jake questioned.
“When she left the office,” Penny said, ignoring their conversation, “She looked a bit preoccupied after talking with Mr. Cooper, and learning what Georgie’s legacy entailed.”
“Strange how she got everything, don’t you think?” Buster said.
“Not so strange when you realize that she and Georgie talked every week on the phone, and she was always sending her gifts. Georgie went up to visit Branna too, once a year since she left Howling.”
“How do you know this stuff?” Buster said, looking at Penny.
“Branna did all that?” Jake whistled. He’d been gone for most of those years, and only returned briefly on holidays. “I guess that explains the legacy then.”
“Anyway, that’s not the whole story,” Penny added.
“Do we need the whole story?” Jake eyed the chocolate muffins that were the size of his fist and filled with a soft gooey caramel center. This he knew, as he’d sampled them…many times.
“Branna O’Donnell walked straight in front of Michael Tucker, who was riding his bike on the sidewalk again. He knocked her off her feet; the sound of her head hitting the concrete, Lord, it made me shudder,” Penny said.
Penny wasn’t above exaggeration to make a story good, but Jake could see she was sincere in this.
“I think she hurt her arm too, but here’s the thing, Jake. She just climbed to her feet with my help, and after I steadied her, she told Michael she was fine, and then got into her van and drove away.”
“And the problem here is?” Jake said, looking at Buster, who was now polishing the glass on his cabinets while listening to Penny’s story.
“There was blood on the sidewalk, Jake, quite a bit of blood. And she was unsteady on her feet, and her eyes looked kind of funny when she glanced my way.”
“Why didn’t you make her go to visit Mom?” Jake swallowed the last mouthful, closing his eyes as he savored it.
“I don’t know anyone who quite worships my chicken pie like you do, Jake.”
“God’s truth, if you asked, I’d probably marry you, man.”
“Ha, yeah, maybe we could make it work.” Buster, like Penny, was an old friend of Jake’s.
“She wouldn’t go, Jake, turned white at the thought, and then just up and left me and Michael Tucker standing right there on the bloodied sidewalk.
“That much blood?” Jake drawled.
Penny rolled her eyes. “The point is, I think someone should check on her. What happens if she’s got one of those concussions and no one looks in on her and she’s up there dead for weeks?”
“Yes, because Georgie lives about two day’s hike from here, and then there’s the trek over the mountains,” Buster drawled. “But it’ll be the wolves that get her.”
“The snow’s gonna play hell with the rescue party,” Jake added.
“Will you two be serious?” Penny snapped.
“What’s the problem here, Pen? You and Branna suddenly buddies or something? If she’s hurting, she’ll find her way to mom at some stage.”
The breath whistled through Penny’s teeth as she tried to haul in air.
“It’s not about whether I like or dislike her, it’s about this being Howling and how we look after people who live in our town, Jake. What if she’s up there alone in Georgie’s house needing medical help?”
“Weren’t her and Annabelle friends in high school? Maybe she’d call in and see her?” Buster suggested.
“That was ten years ago!” Penny shrieked.
“You think they didn’t keep in touch?” Jake asked.
“They didn’t even talk to each other at Georgie’s funeral, Jake, which pretty much tells me they didn’t.”
Jake thought about the funeral, ran through the people he remembered, but drew a blank on Branna O’Donnell. “She was there?”
Penny nodded. “Dark glasses, black hat, pale face, and black dress.”
Jake and Buster fell silent as they tried to remember.
“Oh for pity's sake, you two have got to be the most unobservant men in America!” Penny said.
“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? I mean, I happen to know that Billy Lee wasn’t observing much when he missed that mighty fine pass I threw to set him up for the winning touchdown that lost us the game on Saturday. What you reckon, Buster?”
“Billy Lee couldn’t observe a Semi bearing down on his scrawny ass from a foot away,” Buster added.
Jake nodded as Penny ground her teeth together.
“So, if you could, that’d be great, thanks, Jake, seeing as you pass the end of her drive on your way home.”
“Could what?” Jake questioned.
“Go see if she’s okay, you being a doctor and all, and her closest neighbor; you’ll be able to check if she needs help.”
He looked from her to Buster and back again. “Why would I want to do that?
“Because you know how to.”
“I’m a mechanic now, Penny. I don’t practice medicine anymore.”
“Pffft, that’s just you playing around,” she waved her hand about and headed for the door. “So, maybe take her to see your mom if you think she needs an X-ray.” Penny pronounced it x er ray, which used to annoy the hell out of Jake when he still gave a shit.
“I’m not going.” The door swung shut on his reply, but Jake knew she’d heard him. “Why did I come back here?”
“It sure as hell wasn’t for some privacy.”
Jake snorted at Buster’s words. “Why is it so hard for this town to understand I don’t want to be a doctor anymore?”
“Because you’re one of their favorite sons and they had big expectations for you and refuse to believe you’re not living up to them.”
“What do I have to do? Take out an ad, run naked down the main street yelling that I’m a fucking lunatic now and not fit to look after people?”
“Bad night, bud?”
Jake was disgusted to see that the hands he ran down his face were shaking. “The worst.” He still saw the blood all over them.
“Well, snap the fuck out of it, because I’m bringing the Jeep over later, and you need to stop it making that noise.”
Sucking in a deep steadying breath, Jake forced himself to calm down. “Buster, the Jeep is one big noise.”
“Whatever, just make her run sweet again.”
“I gave up miracles many years ago.”
“I didn’t,” Buster said softly, giving Jake a steady look.
“Whatever,” Jake headed for the door, needing to get outside in the fresh air so he could haul in a deep lungful. “Bring the Jeep over later, and I’ll put it back together with some duct tape.” Lifting a hand, Jake left the shop and climbed back into his pickup. He waved to a few people and wondered why no one in Howling had seen the changes in him. Why didn’t they acknowledge that he wasn’t as friendly as he’d once been? Why did they not ask him why he’d turned his back on medicine? Instead, they brought their cars to him if they needed fixing and when Barry, Howling’s mechanic, snow plow, towing service, and search and rescue expert had too much business.
Heading out of town along the lake, the houses started to thin and he felt the tension inside him ease as he left the people behind. He’d be home soon, and he could work on the cars and hopefully not see anyone else until he wanted to. Seeing Georgie’s purple letterbox approaching, Jake decided he’d drive right by. It wasn’t up to him to check on a woman he didn’t know or care about. Hell, she was probably fine.
Any impact to the head can disrupt the normal function of the brain. People with concussion need to be seen by a doctor, and symptoms can include severe headaches, nausea or repeated vomiting and, in
some cases, one of the pupils can appear larger than the other and in severe cases, the patient can experience slurred speech.
“Stop it, for fuck’s sake; you’re not a doctor anymore!” Smacking the wheel with his hand, he passed the driveway and then jammed his foot on the brakes. He’d often said things like that to his patients and now, when he wasn’t practicing medicine anymore, this kind of dialogue would pop into his head when he overhead someone talk about an injury or medical condition. It drove him crazy.
Throwing the pickup into reverse, he spat out a few curses, then turned into the overgrown driveway. He’d see if Branna O’Donnell was okay, then leave. He could be nice if he had to; it just wasn’t something he was too good at anymore.
He’d spent a bit of time at Georgie’s, as had most of the kids in town. She’d been a woman with a large heart and a huge capacity for giving. She had tutored kids who struggled to read, and helped others learn to spell. Pulling to a halt behind a white van, he climbed out. The place was overgrown now. Georgie had been in the hospital for a few months before she passed away and while the town had tried to keep it tidy, it had slowly started to get out of hand. Looking at the shed behind the house, he wondered if it still housed the Mustang. He loved that car.
Knocking on the door, Jake spent a few minutes surveying the weatherboards. They looked in good condition, just in need of a coat of paint. When no one answered, he knocked again, this time louder, but still no reply. Then he made the wooden door shake on its hinges as he pounded it with his fist. If she didn’t open soon, he’d see if he could find a window to get in through. Seconds later, he was rewarded with the sound of it opening.
“Why are you pounding on my door?”
He’d always liked the gruff little burr of her voice. Maybe it was because he’d not had much contact with anyone else from Ireland. Whatever the reason, her accent had always made him smile.
“Hey, Branna, remember me?”
Her focus wasn’t great, but the green eyes eventually settled on him. “Jacob McBride.”
“Penny told me you hit your head, and she thought you may need to visit the doctor?”
“No…thanks,” she tacked on the last word reluctantly, then started to close the door.
Bracing a hand on the wood, he leaned in a little. “Your head looks like it’s hurting you, Rosebud.”
“It’s fine, now go away,” her words didn’t pack too much of a punch because she was whispering; obviously, the effort of speaking was not helping her condition.
“You still got that attitude working for you, O’Donnell.” Jamming a foot in the door to stop her shutting it further, he gently pushed it open, sending her back a step.
“Please, leave my house.” This time, her words had a bit more force, even though they were said through her teeth.
“Yeah, give me a minute and I’ll do just that, Rosebud.” He watched as she staggered backward and then lowered herself into a chair, the effort making her wince.
“Branna or Miss O’Donnell, my name is not Rosebud.”
“Your fault. You introduced yourself that first day in class as Branna Rose, and it stuck.”
“We’re not in school anymore, McBride.”
“Tell me about the pain in your head, Branna,” Jake said, ignoring her words, as he pulled out his mobile and switched on the flashlight app before moving to squat before her. Once there, he pried open the eyelids she’d recently closed and shined the light into them. Her pupils didn’t react as they should as he flashed the light across them. In fact, the pupils weren’t constricting at all. “Vision blurred?”
“What are you doing?” She tried to bat his hands away, but he didn’t move. Instead, he eased her forward to inspect the cut on the back of her head. “Take your hands off me.”
“I don’t go for skinny, belligerent women,” Jake lied, regaining his feet to walk around the back of the chair to get a closer look. Penny had said her legs were fine, and he couldn’t disagree; they were long and shapely coming out of those ragged cut-offs, and she filled that shirt out nicely too. “You have way too much hair,” he muttered, parting the thick mass of black curls until he saw it. Not huge, maybe an inch, but it was matted with blood and may need a stitch.
“Ouch! Stop, that hurts.” She tried to push his hands aside again.
“Surely you’re not still pissed with me for reshaping your eraser into a phallic symbol?” he was moving over her body now, checking for other injuries. Reaching her left wrist, her breath hissed.
“Why are you doing this to me, McBride?”
“Because Penny asked me to, and while I’m not big on interacting with anyone much these days, here in Howling, when a friend asks you to do something, you usually end up doing it, no matter how reluctant you are,” Jake added. “Does your wrist hurt to move it?” he questioned. It was definitely damaged, but he didn’t know how badly. The most common wrist bone to break or fracture is the carpal bone. Symptoms sometimes include pain and swelling around the wrist. Okay, fuck, will you let up?
“Yes, now leave.”
“But you’re such good company.” He moved around the house until he found one of Georgie’s scarves hanging from the coat stand. He quickly fashioned a sling for her, then slipped her arm through it. When he finished, she made a gagging sound.
“You going to be sick, Rosebud?”
She pushed at his chest and tried to rise, but he simply lifted her into his arms and took her to the bathroom. Raising the toilet seat, he lowered her to the floor, then stood back as she threw up.
“Is there no end to this humiliation?” she whispered when it was over. Sitting back on her heels, she tried to glare up at him, but failed miserably. She was shaking and pale, and he didn’t want to feel sorry for her, but he did.
Rinsing a washcloth, he then wiped her face.
“Now, I want you to listen to me, Rosebud, because you were an intelligent girl in high school and unless you did drugs or some other substance abuse, I can’t imagine your brain capacity has dimmed too much.” Jake squatted before her so their eyes were on the same level.
“I was an English professor,” she whispered.
“There you go,” Jake added, wiping her face again. “So, you should get that you need to see a doctor, because you have a concussion and while I don’t think your arm is broken, it sure as hell is not right.”
“You a doctor or something?”
“Or something,” he lifted her into his arms, which wasn’t too hard, as she didn’t weigh much.
“P-put me down.” Her words were weak and he ignored them. “Where are you taking me?”
“I think we just covered that.” He gave her a quick look as he walked back out through the door he had just entered.
Her eyes were the color of fresh cut grass, so bright they’d always given him a jolt, and he remembered that her jet-black hair had always been plaited in a long fat braid down her back. No ribbons or clips, just a plain black band had secured it at the bottom. She’d had no soft edges in school, just a belligerent girl with a serious attitude and that air of sadness that had clung to her. Of course, everything changed when she had a microphone in her hand. The girl had sung like an angel.
It had always amazed Jake that she chose to join the school band, yet avoided communicating with other students whenever possible. He’d watched her once, being dragged in by Newman, because he had the hots for some girl doing backup vocals and playing the tambourine. He’d been shocked when Branna had stepped up to the microphone. Seeing Annabelle playing keyboards told him who was responsible for her appearance, but nothing had prepared him for her voice; all the hair on the back of his neck had risen when she sang her first note.
“No, I won’t go to the doctor.” She was trying to get out of his arms now, but he was bigger, so he just tightened his hold. “I don’t like them.”
“Don’t be foolish, Branna.”
She squinted up at him as they walked out into the sunshine. “How did you know about
my fall?”
“Penny told me.”
“She had no right; now put me down.” She was squirming against him.
“You’re starting to annoy me now, so quit it.”
“I don’t know the doctor here, and I don’t want some quack touching me.”
“I’ll be sure to tell my mother that.” Jake pulled open the passenger door.
“Your mom’s still the doctor here?”
“Sure is,” Jake said, as he put her on the seat and did up her seat belt. Closing the door, he sprinted around the truck to get into the driver’s seat, because he couldn’t rule out the fact that she might try to get out. Starting the car, he backed out just as she got the door open.
“What are you going to do, jump?”
She slammed it shut, then moaned.
“I bet that hurt your wrist?”
“Go to hell.”
“What’s your problem with doctors, O’Donnell?”
“I don’t like medical people.”
Jake shot her a look as he backed out of the driveway. She was huddled against the door, shivering and pale. Sighing, he pulled the blanket out from beneath the seat and laid it over her.
“My mother’s a good doctor, Rosebud and I can personally guarantee she has no rusty needles or thumb screws in her rooms…and she’s got a great bedside manner.”
“I don’t remember her place. Does it have that bad smell?”
Pulling out of her street, he headed back into town before answering that strange question.
“No, it smells clean and has nice beige walls and magazines dated before 2010.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“But you need to,” he added.
Jake reached Howling and lifted his hand to acknowledge Ben Tiller, who stood at the curb waiting to cross. He watched the man’s eyes flick from Jake to the top of Branna’s head and back. Frowning, Jake drove on. By tomorrow, there would be questions, and he was fairly sure by the end of it he’d be sick of fielding them…such was life in a small town. He’d have to lay low for a few days until something else fired up their thirst for gossip.
“I’m an adult; you can’t make me go if I don’t want to.”
