Chapter Fourteen
If Leo had expected life to be any different after his appearance at the end of the year parent-teacher reception, he would have been sadly mistaken. In fact, the idea had drifted in and out of consciousness so swiftly that he hardly remembered wondering. So, when a parent whispered to someone Friday morning as he strolled to the shop to finish a water pump job, it hardly registered with him. What did register, however, was a tentative wave by one of the high school girls.
His chest pounded; he perspired profusely; and his throat went as dry as any in a desert. He had every symptom of a teenager with a horrible crush, but the only crush he felt was the panic that came at the idea of someone noticing and accusing him of consorting with an underage girl. How he managed a nod, Leo didn’t know.
The panic surging through his veins worked to pump adrenaline into him faster than any drug he’d ever sold. He entered the shop, oblivious to the presence of Wade and Adric. As if driven, he strode directly to the vehicle he needed to finish and reached for a crescent wrench.
“Leo?”
Leo’s head snapped up, whacking it on the hood. “Ow! What!” The stunned look on Adric’s face adjusted his attitude a bit. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Can we talk?”
“Um, sure.”
The sharp jerk of his head, combined with the growing goose egg, left Leo’s tooth throbbing again. He followed Adric into the office and sat in the chair, one hand holding his jaw as if somehow it would help with the pain. Adric shook his head.
“You need a dentist.”
“And I’ll see one—just as soon as I have the money.”
“Most dentists will take payments if you pay most of it up front—they even have lower cash prices sometimes.”
“That may be, but…” Leo didn’t want to talk about it. “You needed me for something?”
“What’s wrong? You came in looking like you were running scared and ready to take on your biggest demons all at once.”
“It’s nothing.”
Adric shook his head as he leaned across the desk. “That’s not true. There is something wrong, and I want to know what it is.”
“Maybe I don’t want to talk about it. It isn’t work related, so you don’t really have the right to insist,” Leo growled.
“I suppose you’re right, but I want to help. If this is about Allison—”
“It’s not. Not this time, anyway.” Despite his reticence to speak, Leo found himself spilling the story anyway. “It’s just this girl—” At the look on Adric’s face, Leo backtracked swiftly. “No, not like that! She’s one of the high school students. I was walking to work today and she waved. It made me feel like a criminal or something.”
Adric’s lips twisted in a repressed smirk. “That’s ridiculous, of course. That thing around your ankle is for decoration only.”
The chuckles Leo couldn’t suppress spurred laughter from Adric as well. “Ok, you know what I mean. I didn’t know what to do. I just knew someone was going to see it and haul me in for daring to speak to a minor.” He sank into the chair. “Adric, I don’t know if I’m up for this. I don’t know how to be this person.”
“What person?”
“Before I was the nobody—the one everyone tried to ignore. I can do that. I don’t like it sometimes, but at least no one can accuse me of anything. People who are trying to be friendly confuse me.”
“I guess it would be unsettling. I mean, you were suspicious of people before all this, right?”
“What do you mean?” Leo knew exactly what Adric meant, but needed time to process the idea. Of course, he’d distrusted people. He had been a criminal. Anyone could be a threat. His options were limited—be intimidating or avoid interaction with the general population. His approach had always been both—always be intimidating, and when possible, avoid the general population.
“I can’t imagine you were the guy who greeted everyone on the street.”
“No.”
“Well?”
Adric seemed to expect some great revelation, but Leo was still processing the idea. “Ok, so what you’re saying is that all this time, people have avoided me because I put off those vibes?”
“No, I’m saying that people got to see a bit of who is behind the face they thought they knew and are slowly opening up to you. The problem is, or as much as I see it anyway, you forgot that you’re not used to swapping waves and smiles with strangers.”
“So if I wave at a teenaged or little girl as I pass, no one is going to call the cops on me?” At the look on Adric’s face, he shrugged. “Okay, so I’m paranoid.” He sounded antagonistic, despite his intentions.
“I think paranoid is a bit excessive. It’s just new territory. I think you just assumed your unease was because of your present circumstances rather than a carryover from the past.”
“You’re right. Thanks.” Leo didn’t feel thankful, but the slow throb had become a steady beat, drilling into the nerve of his gum line. He couldn’t think—not with the pain he knew would come.
“And get that tooth looked at.”
“I will. I need a drink.”
“I didn’t mean next year. Call today.”
Leo filled his cup with water and took a tentative sip. It felt good. That was something he never understood. He could have pain, take a drink, and it would soothe the pain. He could have no pain, take a drink, and wham! Instant pain. Madness. “It actually feels better with water. Maybe something was stuck in there. I’ll call Monday. No one is going to get me in today anyway.”
An hour later, Jael waddled up the drive and called to him, holding out a piece of paper. Leo grabbed a rag and hurried to see what she needed. “Wha—”
“Here are three dentists who can get you in this afternoon, four that are open tomorrow, and six more that have openings on Monday. By each name, you’ll find the average initial visit cost and a checkmark means they have a payment plan. Call one.”
“Yes ma’am.” He grinned, trying not to wince as air hit his tooth. “Now go home and put your feet up. It hurts me to see you standing there. Tell me there aren’t three babies in there.”
She shook her head, her eyes meeting someone—probably Adric’s—behind him. “The guy takes his life into his hands quite cavalierly, doesn’t he?”
“That he does.”
Rarely had Leo seen Adric with his wife, but the way Adric slid an arm around her waist, leading her toward the car, talking low… it brought a strange combination of satisfaction and longing. Allison was right; Adric had made the right choice. It left Allison open as well—for all the good it would do him.
Brain-bursting, excruciating pain screamed at him as Leo forced himself to roll over and peer at the clock. Two-thirty. He downed three aspirins, sighing with the tiniest bit of relief as water washed over the tooth.
At four, he glared at the clock, furious that the time hadn’t passed more swiftly and that his tooth still demanded attention. Desperate, he tried brushing. Even with a few seconds of stronger pain, for about five minutes afterwards, the pain subsided. He fingered his car keys, wondering if he was safe to drive until he found some place with alcohol. If he could just get himself drunk enough to pass out, maybe the attack would be over by the time he woke up again.
His conscience wouldn’t allow him to do it. Irritated, Leo decided he was no longer on speaking terms with said conscience and reached for the maximum strength numbing gel—again. That squirt of numbing goodness lasted him until five-thirteen.
Gritty-eyed, he flung the sheet off him and grabbed his jeans. His pockets held no change—all of it sat at the bottom of his pickle jar—the one with the lid glued shut to keep him from raiding it. He’d planned to use a glasscutter to open it once he had it full. Breaking it now…
Another wave of pain hit him, followed by a wave of nausea. He rifled through his drawers, but found nothing strong enough to break that glass. In the closet, an empty box gave him an idea. He grabbed it, set the jar in it
, and started for the door, but another jab of pain sent him back to the bathroom for a quick brush and another squirt of gel.
The plunger redirected his plans. He took it into the kitchen and aimed at the jar. Seconds later, he hit it again, this time leaving enough of a hole to let some of the change escape. Turning the jar upside down, he shook out enough to make a phone call.
Glass mingled with the change slit his fingers. Blood streaked across the plunger handle, the coins, and the counter as he went to rinse his hand and stop the flow. Now pain from his hand mixed with the tooth pain into an unbearable combination. The temptation for alcohol grew, making him grateful that the Aphrodite closed at two o’clock on weekends. In the old days, he would have called for a teener to eke him through. He hadn’t been much of a user, but the pain that rocked him now would have prompted it—yes it would.
Once he had his fingers wrapped in a paper towel, he grabbed the coins again and rinsed them, drying them on the counter. A new wave of pain hit, but Leo kept going, fighting his way down the stairs, into the alley, and onto the sidewalk that led to the minimart. If one of the local cops saw him staggering along the road, he knew they’d haul him in for public intoxication.
At the minimart, his hands hovered over the buttons until another wave of pain hit and passed. Praying that he wouldn’t whimper, Leo dialed the number he thought he remembered. “Allison?”
“Yes?” Allison sounded much too chipper for a Saturday morning at the ungodly hour of—what was it again?
“Hey, mmm I was wondering if your dad could recommend a Saturday dental clinic in Rockland. I’m dying here.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“You don—”
The phone went dead. If he called her back, would she listen? Probably not. That knowledge saved him the trouble of trying to talk again. He stumbled back home, each step more agonizing than the last. Something about climbing the stairs added a deeper throb to the pain until Leo thought he’d be able to rip the tooth out himself if he had a pair of pliers handy.
He tried sitting, but the pain intensified. He tried standing, but felt woozy. Though tempted to lie down until Allison arrived, he shuffled into the bathroom and tried brushing his tooth again. This time, the second the water hit the tooth, it sent fresh waves of pain radiating through his body. Great.
Leo pulled off his clothes and stepped into the shower, hoping the hot water would soothe his face. It did—right up to the moment when he turned it off. The pain returned, relentlessly pounding at him until he wanted to cry—would have cried if it would have given him relief.
Pulling on jeans nearly killed him, but the shirt wasn’t so hard. However, when he tried to tie his shoes, the rhythmic throbbing grew so strong he thought it would push the tooth right out of his mouth. Desperate, he squeezed a huge glob of the numbing gel onto his finger and rammed it into the tooth, pressing as hard as he could stand and praying it would get into whatever crack it needed to in order to settle the nerve. It barely touched the pain
As he waited, Leo realized that Allison had made the right decision to come. Of course, she’d know it—being a dentist’s daughter. He might have to be sedated or he might react to whatever torturous things they’d do to him. He shouldn’t drive at a time like that. Then again, did they have twenty-four hour dentists’ offices? Who would possibly be open at this hour of the night—morning—whatever.
The top drawer of his dresser, a shallow, narrow little drawer probably designed for ties or lingerie, held an odd assortment of things—his Social Security card, birth certificate, the last gauges he’d worn, a little cash, and his checkbook. He grabbed the checkbook and flipped open the register. The last entry was a week old. Leo pulled out his wallet and found two receipts and an ATM slip. After deducting the recent withdrawals, he had five hundred thirty-two dollars left.
Would it be enough? He didn’t know. How much did dentists charge to torture innocent people? Oh sure, the guy—or gal with his luck—would stop the pain, but not before inflicting more physical and mental pain on him first. He knew how the crazy people worked.
According to Jael, some had a sliding scale for lower income people. That would be him. With that thought, Leo grabbed a box out of his closet and pulled the top paper from it—his most recent paystub. Couldn’t hurt.
Allison’s knock startled him. His head jerked and his tooth began a fresh tantrum. He stumbled to the door, holding his face. “Hey, thanks for—”
“Let’s get you out of here. We’ll have you feeling better in no time.”
Allison was the perfect chauffeur. She didn’t talk or ask questions, but still, she found little ways to let him know she was there for him. The ride was smooth, something his tooth appreciated. A certain feeling of pride swelled his heart as he realized that he was partly responsible for that ride. It also nearly lulled him to sleep.
“It feels better in here. If I thought it’d last—”
“You can’t ignore the tooth forever. Just let us fix it!” Even as she spoke, Allison slowed the car, turned and came to a stop, killing the engine.
“Wha—”
“We’re here.”
“How—did I fall asleep?” He raised the seat, the vertical positioning sending new darts of pain into his jaw. The sign on the building read, “Wahl Dental.”
“I thought you were taking me to Rockland.”
“Dad is already here and waiting.” Allison stepped from the car and hurried to open his door. “Let’s get you fixed up.”
“I didn’t mean,” Leo began, swallowing as a fresh stab of pain hit him, “to bother him on his day off. I just thought he might know someone.”
“I know, but he wanted to, and at least you’ll definitely have good care. My dad is the best.”
Of that, Leo had no doubt. The man couldn’t ask for a more perfect advertisement than his daughter’s smile. However, with an office as nice as the one she ushered him into, Leo had no doubt that a hefty price tag came with it. “Allison, I can’t afford—”
“You don’t even know what is wrong or what the bill will be. Just trust us, ok?”
Rod advanced, his hand outstretched. “Hello, Leo. Allison is going to do an x-ray for me while I prepare some equipment, ok?”
“I can’t—”
“He’s worried about the money, Dad.”
“I promise to charge you every penny it costs me if you promise to pay that amount within twelve months.”
“Deal.” Like he had a choice. Leo knew he didn’t, but at least the terms seemed reasonable.
“Good. Let’s get those x-rays done and then you can fill out paperwork, while I get you doped up on Novocain. You’re not allergic to it, are you?”
“Don’t think so. What’s it for again?”
“Numbs your mouth while I work.”
“Nope. Can’t possibly be allergic to that. Not at all. Go for it. Can you do it before the x-rays? What about Valium?”
Allison stared at him for several seconds. “Is that what took you so long to get in? Dentophobia?”
“Guilty.”
Chapter Fifteen
Groggy, Leo stumbled up the stairs, almost drunkenly, and fumbled with the keys to his apartment. Several seconds passed before Allison pulled them from his hands and opened the door herself. “Come on… let’s get you on the couch.”
“Imphoh fowwwee.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. I’m just going to get you a pillow and then I’ll go get your prescriptions filled.”
She left him there, clutching the cheek that no longer ached with one hand and the other over his eyes, resting. Leo didn’t know when she left and couldn’t exactly remember why. Everything had dissolved into a fuzzy dream. His mouth felt like cotton and as if he’d eaten something he was allergic to—thick and awkward. However, he swallowed just fine if you didn’t notice or care about the water that dribbled out the corner of his mouth. Novocain—there should be a high street value on that stuff.
It ha
dn’t been that bad—not really. He didn’t want to go through it again, of course. It wasn’t that “not bad.” Regardless, he couldn’t help but be glad the ordeal had ended and so successfully. He was supposed to get something else done later—he remembered something about that—but he’d stretch later out for as long as necessary.
The door opened just half an hour later. Groggy and exhausted, Leo didn’t even move his hand or open his eyes. He just allowed himself to drift back to sleep as she moved about the apartment, doing whatever it was that women did when trying to nurse cranky, pain-addled men.
That thought made him smile. Now where had he read that word? Addled. She’d get a kick out of it, but he still couldn’t quite pinpoint how he’d heard it. He wanted to ask, but with the garbled way he knew he had been speaking, she’d never figure it out—despite her dental-impaired word recognition skills.
Her hand touched his wrist as if to check his pulse. How had he not noticed her hand was so large—her fingers so thick? The moment the thought occurred to him, he jerked upright, ready to fly at whoever touched him. Too late. Thick rough hands whipped his behind his back and zip-tied them faster than he could react in his semi-groggy state.
Leo forced open his eyes and glared at the man before him. Tall, muscular, and with a military bearing, the man was too clean cut to belong to the Kasimirs, but who else could it be? Just as he tried to mumble a question, the man spoke.
“You’re in danger.”
Leo concentrated all his attention on one response—a look that clearly said in the most sarcastic way possible, “You don’t say…”
“The Kasimirs have found you. One is down there, and another is almost here; they’re keeping an eye on the place. We came earlier, but you were gone.”
We. There were more. Leo glanced around but saw only the one man. Again, he tried to make his face say what he knew he couldn’t make comprehensible with his lips. “Who is we?”
“Look, you’re going to have to trust me just as I’m going to have to trust you now. If you yell, I have to cover that mouth with duct tape. I should anyway, but it’s clear you’ve had dental work done, and I don’t want to interfere with it until I know what it is. So. You keep qui—”
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