Fracked

by Campbell, Mark

  “Gracias,” Martin said with a smile. He turned his attention back towards the television, coughing.

  Rebecca exited the room and walked towards the nurse’s station.

  She knocked once on the door and stepped inside.

  The heavyset nurse was typing on the keyboard while staring at the computer and talking on the phone.

  The other nurse, an elderly white woman, was slouched in the chair in the corner of the room reading a book.

  The nurse on the phone glanced over at Rebecca and flashed a smile.

  “Thanks sugar, just sit those down on the desk,” the nurse whispered before returning her attention back to the screen.

  Rebecca stared at the screen with disbelief.

  “Seriously? Is that what this is all about?” Rebecca asked as she sat the clipboard down on the table. “Are you working on his discharge papers?”

  The nurse held up a fat finger and continued to yammer into the phone without taking her eyes off of the screen.

  Rebecca started to protest, but the nurse in the corner of the room spoke up.

  “We don’t write the orders. If you have a problem with it, take it up with the doctor,” the old woman said without looking up from her book.

  Miffed, Rebecca closed the door. She started to walk towards the elevator, clock out, and just end her shift without causing a scene.

  Unfortunately her conscience wouldn’t allow her to simply turn a blind eye.

  She turned away from the elevator and hurried down the hallway towards the doctor’s office.

  The office door had a glass window that was covered by blinds.

  She knocked on the door hard enough to rattle the glass.

  “Come in,” a voice said from the other side.

  Rebecca opened the door and stepped inside the office.

  The lights were off and the doctor was slouched in his plush leather chair, playing around on Facebook. He yawned, turned off the computer monitor, and glanced at Rebecca through his thick glasses.

  “Is… there something I can help you with?” the doctor asked.

  “Well, I was just wondering about the status of a patient named Martin Santoyo,” Rebecca said.

  “Who?” the doctor asked.

  “Martin Santoyo,” she repeated. “He’s the patient from room six who has bronchitis.”

  “I vaguely know whom you’re referring to. What about him?” the doctor asked, clearly annoyed.

  Rebecca frowned.

  “Sir, I just took his vitals and they’re not good… One of the morning doctors gave him the all clear to go back to work… He’s getting discharged tomorrow with no restrictions.”

  “And?” the doctor asked, shrugging. “Bronchitis isn’t a death sentence. He’ll be fine if he takes the prescribed antibiotics. They need him more on the field than we need him in here.”

  “That’s just it though… I’m not sure it is bronchitis. There were no x-rays taken and he’s coughing up blood.”

  The doctor held up his hand, cutting her off. He shook his head and frowned, frustrated.

  “Look, stop, I know that your heart is in the right place, but you have no right to question anything. If the man is clear to return to work, then the man is clear to return to work. End of story. I hate to be so frank, but if you have concerns, valid or not, then I suggest that you pass them along to the nurses. You’re an aide, not a nurse. Just because you’re wearing scrubs doesn’t mean you’re qualified to construct your own medical diagnosis and come into my office questioning another professional’s opinion. Do I make myself clear?”

  Rebecca’s face reddened but she held her tongue. She glared at him with her fists balled at her side and nodded.

  “Good, have a nice rest of the day and close the door on your way out,” the doctor said as he waved her away and turned the computer monitor back on.

  Rebecca stormed out of the office and let the door slam shut behind her. She walked to the elevator and pressed the call button repeatedly.

  Even though the hospital only had four floors and a basement; the elevator seemed to take forever.

  After several minutes, the elevator arrived and the silver doors slid open.

  She stepped inside and pushed the button for the lobby.

  Rebecca rushed through the mostly vacant lobby, signed out of the digital time clock behind the lobby’s front desk, ignored the flirty security guard, and hurried outside into the blazing heat.

  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t get the man in room six off of her mind.

  She felt guilty.

  If the system was broken and the company was corrupt, then she was a willing accomplice.

  After all, it wasn’t the first time that she stumbled across the company’s malpractice.

  Maybe that was the problem…

  Even with the knowledge that the system was broken, she knew that she’d still return to work the next day.

  That simple fact gnawed at her as she got inside her car.

  Chapter 7

  John looked like a new man after a shower and a shave. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt, jeans, and an old weathered pair of boots. He sat on the chair on the patio with his feet kicked up on the wooden banister and watched the sunset with a cold beer in his hand.

  Lucy was curled up next to him, sleeping.

  He stared at the oilrig across the street as he took another swig.

  The well was still operational and had a weathered American flag and a faded Triburton flag hoisted at the top of it. The rig looked old and rusty, but it was still doing its job and still poisoning the ground.

  Truthfully, it made him a little sick to his stomach to think about everything that damn well took from him.

  He sat the beer down and pulled out his crushed pack of cigarettes from his back pocket.

  He was down to the last one.

  Better make it count.

  He slid it between his lips and lit it using his old Bic lighter.

  John took a deep drag and blew the smoke towards the well, narrowing his eyes. He slouched lower in his chair, thinking.

  He heard a car approaching down the road and started to panic as soon as he recognized it.

  “Shit,” he muttered as he took a few last desperate puffs and then quickly extinguished the cigarette inside his beer can. He waved his hand in front of his face and tried to make the smell dissipate.

  A white Taurus pulled into the driveway and created a plume of dust in its wake as it slowly made its way to the carport.

  He pulled an open pack of Wrigley's Doublemint out of his pocket, hastily shoved a few sticks of it into his mouth, threw the foil wrappers aside, and chewed like a madman.

  The Taurus stopped behind John’s car and Rebecca stepped out.

  She looked exhausted.

  Lucy woke up and started barking as she paced by the patio’s screen door.

  “Hey darlin,” John said with a southern drawl as Rebecca walked up the steps and opened the screen door. He gave her an innocent smile.

  “Hey,” Rebecca said as she smiled back at him. “How was your day?”

  Lucy barked and looked up at her excitedly.

  “Oh you know… The usual,” John said with a shrug. “They still didn’t crack the shale. Something was wrong with one of the pumps.”

  “Well… good,” Rebecca said as she leaned down to pet Lucy. “Maybe they’ll quit putting those eyesores up.”

  Lucy jumped up and down and licked at her face.

  “Settle down, silly,” Rebecca said as she kissed the top of Lucy’s fury head.

  John chuckled as he watched them. He almost took a drink from his beer, but then he remembered the cigarette. He slowly sat the can down on the deck.

  “We got another new guy in the van today,” John said. “He seems alright, but he’s just a kid. They keep hiring these ambitious young bucks and then get surprised when they quit.”

  “Oh? Do you think this one will stay?” she asked.

  Joh
n shrugged.

  “I can’t call it yet, but I think he might,” John said. “How was your day?”

  Rebecca sighed and walked towards chair next to John.

  John lowered his feet so she could pass.

  Lucy followed her, wagging her tail.

  “Pretty slow,” Rebecca simply said as she plopped down in the chair, frowning. She stared off into the distance.

  John studied her face and knew something was wrong.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “The place is just getting to me… The way they do things, I mean.”

  John reached over and squeezed her hand.

  “Just hang in there a little while longer. It’ll be okay,” he said with a smile. “By this time next year I should have enough saved up for the big move. Pretty soon we’ll be out of this place and start our new life in Austin. You’ll get to finish college… live near your family… become a nurse… and this will all be a bad memory.”

  Rebecca smiled at the notion and then looked over at him.

  “I know my parents would love for me to be closer, but it’s you I worry about,” she said. “What will you do up there?”

  John thought about it a moment and shrugged as he stared off towards the horizon. Truthfully he didn’t give it much consideration.

  “I’m not sure yet… I’ve been thinking about getting a CDL and driving trucks for a living,” he said.

  Rebecca frowned.

  He looked over at her and quickly shook his head.

  “Just local routes, nothing national,” he assured. “Texas routes where I’ll be home every weekend. The hours would be tough but I reckon the wage will be decent.”

  She looked relieved and nodded.

  “Driving would be a good fit for you I think,” she said. She looked down and frowned, thinking. “I worry though… Will it be tough for you… to leave here? Leaving home is never easy…”

  John narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the oil well in the distance.

  “It sure doesn’t feel like home anymore,” he grumbled.

  Rebecca glanced down with a concerned expression.

  “Still… home is home,” she said. “When it comes to Austin, well, sometimes I worry that I’m making you do things you don’t want to do… Go places you don’t want to go. I don’t want you to rip up your roots all on account of me.”

  John looked over at her and squeezed her hand reassuringly, smiling.

  “Listen… Home is where your loved ones are. As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where I hang my hat. I know that there’s a better life waiting for us up north and I sure as hell can’t wait to discover it,” John said with a warm smile.

  Rebecca smiled back, eyes a little misty.

  “I feel gross. I’m going to take a shower and go throw dinner in the oven,” Rebecca said.

  She leaned close and gently pressed her lips against his.

  Slowly, she pulled back and cocked an eyebrow.

  “Have you been smoking again, John Oliver?” she asked.

  “Of course not,” he said as he gave her a sheepish smile.

  Rebecca stood up, placed her hands on her hips, and stared down into his eyes.

  John flustered and looked away.

  “John! You remember what the doctor said! I swear, you’re such a bad liar,” she said as she shook her head. “So you’re lucky that you’re a good kisser. That’s the only reason I keep you around.”

  “So does that mean I’m off the hook?” he asked as he looked back up at her.

  She looked down at him and wagged her index finger in the air.

  “Nope, it means that you’re doing the dishes tonight,” she said.

  John sighed and nodded.

  “Fair enough,” he said. “What gave me away? The kiss?”

  “That and the fact I smelled the smoke all in Lucy’s fur…”

  John looked away, embarrassed.

  “If you don’t shape up and take better care of your health like you promised, Lucy and I will be going to Austin alone,” she threatened as she flicked his nose with her finger.

  “Aw come on, Becky. Don’t play like that,” John said.

  Rebecca sauntered away, opened the front door, and retreated into the house.

  “Come on…. Sit out here and watch the sunset with me for a spell,” John said.

  The door slammed shut.

  Lucy looked up at him with her ears perked up, whimpering.

  John looked down at her and narrowed his eyes.

  “Snitch,” he said with a grin.

  Chapter 8

  Like every other morning, he was up well before the alarm clock went off.

  John stood in the bathroom, quickly brushing his teeth with one hand as he buttoned up the front of his boiler uniform with the other. He stared at the bathroom next to the mirror and hurried his pace.

  He wished that he had Rebecca’s civilized schedule.

  Getting up at four and sitting in a vehicle for over an hour just to get to work definitely wasn’t fun.

  He rushed out of the master bathroom and crept towards the bed.

  “I’m gone. Have a good day today, okay?” he whispered to her as he kissed the top of her head.

  “You too, baby, be safe…” she mumbled without opening her eyes.

  “I’ll see you later,” he whispered back.

  John snuck out of the bedroom, filled Lucy’s water bowl on the porch, grabbed his hardhat off the patio chair, and hurried to his car.

  It was nearly five by the time he pulled into the Love’s parking lot.

  The sun was just starting to rise and it was already hot and muggy.

  It was going to be another scorcher.

  John parked his car, locked it, and hurried towards the van with his hardhat.

  The van was already packed and idling.

  He opened the side door and was a little surprised to see that Mike was there.

  “Morning,” Mike said as he looked over at John.

  “Morning,” John said as he sat down beside Mike and closed the door.

  As usual, Tejano music was playing on the radio and the van smelled like cheap coffee and greasy gas station breakfast food.

  The van slowly pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the road leading into town.

  As the van sped up, the driver started chattering in Spanish to the others; they didn’t pay the two gringos in the back any attention. Soon they were well on their way into town.

  Nearly thirty minutes passed before John spoke up.

  “I have to admit,” he said as he looked over at Mike. “I didn’t think you’d come today.”

  Mike chuckled and nodded.

  “Like I said yesterday, I’m not a quitter,” Mike said proudly.

  “I bet you’re sore though,” John said.

  “Yeah… It hurts like a bitch. I feel like I’ve been frogging a bunch of fat hookers last night. You know what I mean? My back is killing me,” Mike grumbled.

  John laughed.

  “Hey man, what you do in your free time isn’t any of my business,” John said.

  “Really? They all knew you by name and kept asking for you. What was that about?” Mike asked.

  John shrugged.

  “I guess you couldn’t perform so they wanted a real man,” John said with a smirk as he slapped Make on the back. “Don’t worry, son, one day you’ll get to my league.”

  John and Mike both started laughing.

  “I can’t mess with you, man,” Mike said, shaking his head. “You’re crazy as hell.”

  “After working in the sun for as long as I have, my mind is fried,” John said with a sigh. “I’m afraid my condition is chronic.”

  Mike chuckled.

  “No cure, eh?” Mike asked.

  “Well… a cold beer and a cigarette tend to work miracles my friend,” John said as he reached for his crushed pack. “Since it’s too early for a beer…”

 
The pack was empty.

  John groaned and closed his eyes.

  He forgot all about going to the store.

  It looked like Rebecca got her wish after all.

  He looked at the empty pack with disappointment.

  “Well… this isn’t a great way to start my day,” John mumbled as he tossed the empty pack on the floorboard.

  “Maybe you should try coffee,” Mike suggested.

  John stared out the window.

  “I outgrew coffee ten years ago,” John said. “What wakes you up?”

  The van snaked its way through the congested main thoroughfare. Semi-trucks and vans clogged the road. Traffic moved at a snail’s pace.

  “Well, I have to drive from San Antonio just to meet the vanpool… By the time I get to Love’s, I’m already wired from the drive and the insane drivers on I-37,” Mike said.

  John whistled. He felt sorry for the kid. The company hired quite a few people from San Antonio, but most of them didn’t stay very long simple because of the drive and odd hours.

  “Wow… how long does that take, about an hour and a half?” John asked.

  “Two,” Mike corrected. “I live towards the northern side…”

  “Sorry to hear,” John said. “Why didn’t you just get a place down here?”

  Mike shrugged.

  “I tried… I had no idea hotels would be so expensive and rental prices are outrageous for what you end up getting,” Mike said.

  John waved his hand in the air.

  “Don’t flatter them by calling them hotels… They’re rancid little shitholes,” John said with a disgusted look. “We used to have two or three before the boom, and you could get a clean room for twenty a night. Now you have to spend over one-hundred a night for a bed with dirty sheets.”

  Mike shook his head.

  “I don’t see how they can all stay in business,” Mike said.

  The van pulled off of the main street and turned onto the bumpy dirt road that led towards the jobsite.

  “Well people who work these fields have money and they’re stupid enough to pay it,” John said. “You know what they say about a fool and his money… You know, I’m selling my homestead in about a year, if you’re interested.”