“Have they? How do you know it isn’t just a patch of sky without any stars? It isn’t like scientists have touched one or gone inside of it.”
“What?”
“My point is, you have faith in scientists that they’ve done the necessary research to prove black holes. You’ve seen pictures that they claim are accurate and take it on faith that they’re right. What’s the difference between an astronomer and a theologist, that you only consider one to have studied a legitimate field?”
“When you put it like that, I guess you’ve proven I have faith, but that doesn’t get me on board with God yet.”
“Small steps at a time. I’ll get you there.”
“Until then, can you get me in line? We’ve been standing here, and I’ve noticed the spare ribs are decreasing at an alarming rate. If I don’t get me some spare ribs, I will make you prepare some for me.”
“What about Kim’s Husband’s Delight?”
“I can risk missing that because I know I’ll get it again. Come on, the line is this way.”
Donald urges Alex toward the food line.
“A little more, almost there,” Donald coaxes.
“Gosh, you’re as bad as my kids.”
“You mean the ones who’re eating already?”
“Fine, let’s get in line. I’m hungry, too.”
“Finally.”
“You know we can stay for the board game tournament tonight.”
“No, I think this is as much saving as I can take for the day.”
The two eventually make it to the line and start piling an assortment of delicious food onto their plates.
Claire sits in the waiting room for her first counseling session with Dr. Cameron. The furniture is drab and doesn’t boast a confident first impression.
She speaks on the phone with Benji. “Yes, I’m at the office right now. I told you this morning that I would go.”
She listens to Benji’s response.
“Of course, I love seafood. What woman doesn’t?”
After another pause, Claire answers. “Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”
The receptionist gets a phone call and turns toward Claire. “Miss Kennedy, Dr. Cameron is ready for you now.”
Claire motions to the receptionist to give her a moment to conclude her call. “Okay, Benji, I’ve got to go. They’re calling me.”
Claire listens one last time.
“Okay, bye bye,” she says as she hangs up.
Claire is ready to give her attention to the receptionist. “Thank you.” She then realizes that she has no idea where to go in the building to find Dr. Cameron.
The receptionist apparently senses the unasked question. “Just through the door on your left.”
“Thanks again,” Claire says.
Claire enters Dr. Cameron’s office.
A disheveled man in his mid-fifties sits at a large mahogany desk, which is cluttered with files and loose papers. He has a worn couch in his office and many books on the numerous shelves. He apparently treats his body in the same way he does his office. He’s short, overweight, and sweaty. Claire wonders if the testimonials online were describing the same man in her presence.
When he notices Claire enter, he stands to welcome her. “Miss Kennedy, pleased to meet you. I’m Dr. Sam Cameron.”
Claire accepts Sam’s proffered hand and shakes it. “Pleased to meet you as well.”
Sam gestures for Claire to either sit or lie on the couch.
“Thank you,” Claire says as she sits.
Sam pulls up a chair next to her. “So, Miss Kennedy--”
“Claire,” she corrects.
“Claire, thank you. So, Claire, what brings you in to see me today?”
Claire takes a deep breath. “Where to begin?”
“How about with what you do for a living?”
“Ironically, that directly leads to me sitting on this sofa.”
“Then it’s definitely a good place to start.”
“I’m a reporter for D2I News.”
“I thought I recognized you.”
“I’ve been the lead source for all the First Line stories.”
Sam nods along as Claire tells her story.
“I wanted to get an amazing story on First Line to improve ratings. I figured the best way to get more out of the story was to get concrete proof of his existence.”
“I see,” Sam says. “What did this decision lead to?”
Claire fights back some tears. “I knew that I would have to go into the rougher parts of town. I felt I needed a deterrent to go with me.”
“Go on,” Sam encourages.
“Coincidentally D2I had just hired a new reporter. He was a bit naive but very sweet. He also had the body of a small giant. I figured that he could go with me and keep me safe. At least until First Line showed up.”
“What happened next?”
“I had to urge Lou to come with me. He finally relented to tagging along. We were barely in position when we were spotted by some people. I don’t know if they were dealers or addicts or both, but they came toward us. I told Lou to drive away, but he was too scared. He just sat there, frozen with fear.”
Tears start to flow slowly but freely down Claire’s face. “I figured that I had to run. I thought only about myself and ran. I didn’t even stop to see if Lou was alright.”
“A rational reaction to an equally rational fear,” Sam states.
“Lou eventually ran after me, but we got trapped down a dead-end alley. I should have just stayed in the car. Those guys probably wouldn’t have been able to get to us with the doors locked. Lou would have snapped out of it, and we could have driven off.”
Sam nods. “You can’t change the past. Please continue your story. It will help with the healing for you to get it all out there.”
Claire takes a moment to try and compose herself. “First Line came to save us, but he was a little late. Someone shot at us and Lou got hit. I’m pretty sure that he died on the spot.”
Claire starts to cry again. Sam hands her a box of tissues, which Claire gladly accepts.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Claire wipes her eyes. “Well, First Line made short work of our attackers and told me to ‘tell my story.’”
“Did he say anything else?”
Claire hesitates for a moment, but then she commits. “He called me a fool. He was right, what I did was foolish and selfish and got a good man killed.”
Claire wipes away more tears.
“Why do you think he called you a fool?”
“Because it was obvious. I was out of my league, and he could see right through me. I should have ended it all right then.”
“So, what happened next?”
“I exploited Lou’s death for my own gain.”
“How so?”
“I convinced my boss and co-worker to air me in the hospital telling my heroic story. They did and ratings went up. They went way up. So, I doubled down on the exploitation.”
“And, why do you think you did that?”
“To make more money, of course. To advance my career. A man died, and I still only thought about number one.”
Sam scribbles some details on his notepad. “So, why are you here now? Do you feel guilty? Did something else happen?”
Claire takes a few more deep breaths. “I tried to convince myself that I’m not a bad person. I figured that I just needed some closure with Lou and that I would get it at his funeral.”
“I see.”
“Exactly. It should come as no surprise that I’m not a big celebrity among his family. His mother and pregnant sister were especially pissed at me.”
“Did you speak with them?”
Claire nods. “I tried to apologize, but it didn’t go so well.”
“What did they say?”
“They were polite enough, under the circumstances, but I could see the hate and the hurt in their eyes. They didn’t want me there.”
Cl
aire wipes away even more tears. “Since that day, I find it hard to sleep at night. I took a man to bed last night in hope of getting through that a little easier.”
“A one night stand? Is that how you normally operate?”
Claire glares at Sam.
“I’m not judging,” he quickly adds. “I just want to know how normal this is for you.”
“It wasn’t a one night stand. Actually, it was with a great guy I’m starting something new with. In fact, we have a date later tonight.”
“That’s good.”
Claire smiles through her tears. “Yeah, it is. Tonight will be our third date and the first one shouldn’t even count. I feel I’m rushing into something good a lot faster than I would, simply because I’m scared of the bad. The comments of Mrs. Drive haunt me.”
Sam pauses for a moment, hopefully taking in everything that Claire says.
“Claire, you’re clearly suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. You have a strong case of survivor’s guilt. You need to get past Lou’s death, and you feel that his family’s forgiveness is the key to this.”
Claire nods as she listens.
Sam continues. “I think getting better closure with the Drive family is crucial. It sounds like they’re good people who are just grieving. Seeing you in person may just bring up raw emotion. You should try writing a letter instead.”
Claire considers this while Sam keeps talking. “Mail it to them and express your deepest sympathies. Don’t ask for forgiveness. This is about their grief. When they’re ready, they’ll hopefully send a note back to you. This, I think, will help you get past a lot of this pain.”
“Can’t you just dope me up, Doc?”
“I prefer to try things without medicine first. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll refer you to someone for a prescription.”
“Alright. Do you proofread it or anything?”
Sam shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. This must be all you, or it won’t be as effective. I would also like to continue to see you twice a month.”
“Is this where you gouge me with a hefty bill?”
“I can’t claim it will be ‘hefty,’ but it will be considerable. However, I do get results.”
“Well, you seem to be working on Toby.”
“Toby Miller? You know him?”
“He’s my new guy’s friend. He’s the reason I got your name. My boss recommended someone else, but the reviews online weren’t as complimentary as yours are.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Alright, Doc. Twice a month sounds reasonable. I need to get a good night’s sleep. Now it seems I have two guys who are going to help me.”
“I’m glad to hear that as well.”
Claire lies flat on the sofa now. “That being said, I think I’m paying for a longer session.”
Sam laughs and puts his pen back to his notepad.
Power is brought into a large room with the two goons holding each arm. His clothes are soiled and clashing from his frantic grab. He’s clearly still high and paranoid.
The room resembles a chemist’s laboratory but on a significantly larger scale. In the center of the room are Yuri, Julie, and several guards. Many people in their underwear sort drugs and package them for distribution.
Yuri notices Power enter the room. “Mr. Wiener, so nice of you to grace us with your presence.”
“Quit the shit,” Power says. “My name is Power.”
Both goons slap Power and push him to the ground. Yuri holds up a hand to get them to stop.
“That will be quite enough. I’m sure Power isn’t feeling well.”
“What do you want?” Power demands.
Yuri sighs. “I guess we can throw politeness and formalities out the window.”
Power stares at him defiantly. The drugs in his system must have given him some chemical courage.
“Power, before all of this unpleasantness with The Opposition, you were one of my best employees at the street level. Your numbers were always high. I’m so disappointed that now you’re a joke in the community.”
“Screw you!”
The goons beat Power a bit more. This time Yuri lets it happen a while longer.
“Power, there are a lot of employees here. Don’t make me use you as an example in front of them.”
A few more painful kicks and punches, then the goons stop.
Yuri shifts back to a more pleasant tone. “I’d like you to be my top guy again, but after your recent party, that’s going to be hard.”
Power breathes heavily as he slowly stands back up. “Too bad for me, I guess. Is this my retirement?”
“I don’t think we need to be that extreme. I’m actually planning on sponsoring a new party for you here tonight.”
Power looks confused. “Why would you bring people to one of your production plants?”
Yuri answers, “We’ve been spreading the word that tonight the product is on the house. People can smoke, sniff, and shoot whatever they want, as much as they want. I even plan on having medics standing by for anyone foolish enough to overdose.”
“What about the cops?”
“Don’t worry about them. I’ve taken some precautions. Nobody will have the address until an hour out. Then, there will be so many junkies here that the cops will need time to gather everyone up. I’m sure we can win back some customers before it inevitably gets shutdown.”
Power seems incredulous. “Why would I want to stand by when I know the cops will eventually come?”
Julie steps forward and throws a knife into Power’s thigh. The blade enters about two inches into the meat of his leg.
“Ah! Jesus, what the hell!” Power screams as he hops around.
Yuri barely registers the attack. “I could take your resignation right now instead, if you prefer.”
Julie walks up and snatches the knife out of Power’s leg. Power reflexively puts pressure on the bleeding.
Julie mocks him. “It barely went in. Stop being such a whiner.”
Yuri re-focuses Power’s attention. “So, Power, will you host the party?”
Power nods, but his eyes suggest that he’s dreaming up a lot of hate and discontent for all present.
Yuri chooses to ignore this. “Good. I’ve taken the liberty of getting you a nice suit. Of course, your security detail will be here to protect you and get you out when the time is right. Your detail will be large, for obvious reasons, and carrying some bigger guns. We’re going fully automatic, third world tonight.”
Several guards lock and load their assault rifles and cheer.
Power voices the obvious concern. “What about Night Terror?”
Yuri anticipated this question. “You don’t have to worry about him either. We have an arrangement.”
With that cryptic answer, Yuri and Julie leave while the medics tend to Power’s wound.
Julie and Yuri stop in the hallway to privately chat.
“I don’t like this plan,” Julie states. “It’s expensive.”
“Business is expensive,” Yuri responds. “I need to end this tonight. Are the assets in place?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. The trap is set and baited.”
“What if he doesn’t come?”
“Then we may come away with a lot more customers.”
The two continue to walk down the hallway in silence.
That evening, Claire and Benji dine at Captain Crawdaddy’s. It’s a garish seafood restaurant that opts to use newspapers instead of plates and hands instead of utensils.
Claire and Benji sit at a table and enjoy their sloppy dinner. The two laugh and entertain themselves.
Claire finishes a bout of laughter. “I’ll have to admit that when you said ‘seafood’ I wasn’t expecting newspaper on a table and body parts thrown into a bucket.”
Benji slurps the juices out of a torn crayfish. “They’re good, though, right?”
“Yes, good and messy. Thankfully, I’m not some uptight bitch.”
“I don’t think anyone would ever mistake you for one of those.”
Claire bats faux doe eyes. “Aww, how sweet.”
The waitress comes by and refills their drinks, and then she fades away.
“So, how did the therapy go today?” Benji asks.
“Uh oh, are we going to the serious part of the evening now?”
“Claire, please don’t deflect.”
Claire becomes more serious. “Sorry, it went well. I think Dr. Cameron will be a good fit.”
“Toby definitely speaks the world of him.”
“He actually remembered Toby. Do you think that means Toby is super messed up, or he just doesn’t have that many patients?”
“I don’t know,” Benji says. “Which is worse?”
“I don’t know.”
The two share another laugh.
Claire continues. “If his bill is any way to judge, I know he must have a lot of patients.”
“I guess that’s bad news for Toby.”
“I guess so. I feel bad for the guy. He’s screwed.”
“And, not in the enjoyable way,” Benji says.
“Oh, be nice.”
“Why? You aren’t.”
“You got me there.”
Claire starts to eat some shrimp from her massive bucket of shellfish. “Man, these little guys are so good. The seasoning is perfect.”
“I love this place. I probably come twice a week.”
“Alone?” Claire inquires.
“Not always. With my number of referrals, I’m single-handedly influencing the profit for Captain Crawdaddy. If they ever open a franchise, I feel I deserve a cut.”
“Clearly you do.”
Claire finishes her meal. “I’m stuffed. I’ll have to take the rest home.”
“No room for dessert?”
Claire shakes her head. “There’s no place I can put it.”
“That’s a shame. They have an amazing ice cream lobster here.”
Claire makes a face. “What the hell is that? Do I even want to know?”
“Maybe not, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Ice cream lobster is exactly like it sounds. It’s ice cream flavored like lobster and shaped like its namesake. The dessert is big enough for four or one hungry cop.”
Benji gestures toward himself with both thumbs as he makes this statement.
Claire briefly covers her mouth. “Ewww. What does lobster ice cream taste like?”
Bystanders Page 15
