by Ali Vali
"Hey sweetie, want me to put him down for you?" asked Mona. The housekeeper had followed Harry upstairs to see what they wanted for dinner. The girls had promised to venture out of their bedroom and into the dining room to join everyone that was coming over.
"Thanks Mona, he should be out for another hour before the dinner bell rings again. At the rate he’s going I should be hospitalized by next week from dehydration," joked Desi. The fact she was going to have a moose for a child should have crossed her mind before now, considering the genetic pool she had dipped into.
"Yeah but think about how nice they grow up to be and how happy you are going to make some young lady or man someday. The Basantes clan is a collection of overgrown troublemakers from the time they come out the womb, but hell if they ain’t easy on the eye. I always thought God made them that way so that the folks in their lives don’t kill them at an early age. You mix that dark hair and those blue eyes with your good looks, and Jackson is sure to be a killer in the handsome department," said Mona as she looked down on the sweet sleeping face. She was betting if she had known Harry at this age the face would not have varied much from the one she was looking at now.
"I remember walking down the hall in high school one day on my way to meet Harry for a ride home when I saw her leaning up against her locker reading a book. She had finally grown into that body and her looks had lost all traces of adolescence and it took my breath away. From that one moment, I wanted her to be mine in every way and not just as my best friend. I’ve always loved Harry, but that was the first time I ever lusted after her," said Desi. The same blush that had crawled down Desi’s face then was making a reappearance much to Mona’s delight.
"And was she worth the wait Desi?" Mona’s question made the red on Desi’s cheeks flush hotter and darker making the young woman fan herself from thinking up an acceptable answer.
"Think about the best time you have ever had Mona then multiply that by infinity and you’ll get your answer. Harry is multitalented in a whole lot of different areas, and that part of her that strives always to please is an extra added bonus," laughed Desi.
"Well girl, I didn’t think all that screaming was because she was hurting you," quipped Mona bringing the blush up a notch.
"You are so mean to me," said Desi. The two of them were laughing quietly when Harry stepped out of the bathroom. To avoid the temptation that would get her thrown out of the bedroom again, Harry walked directly to the bed and stretched out next to Desi.
"What’s the matter?" Harry asked cupping Desi’s cheek.
"Nothing, Mona and I were just talking about you. I missed you," answered Desi as a way to change the subject. She leaned into the soft hand on her face and smiled up at Harry.
"You were the one that sent me downstairs baby," said Harry trying to sound miffed. They didn’t take their eyes off of each other when Mona started talking until they heard the snapping fingers.
"Before you get all involved in whatever you find so interesting in those pretty green eyes doc, what do you all want for dinner?"
"Surprise me beautiful lady." The smile that lit up Mona’s face told Harry that she had made the older woman’s day. "And as for you beautiful lady, if you missed me after a short run maybe I should pass on going with Kenneth tomorrow," Harry told Desi.
"No, you promised him and he’s counting on you. I just wish I could go with you again this year. I had a blast with y’all the last time you volunteered for this. Those kids need you Harry, don’t back out now. Just think if Jackson didn’t have us looking out for him, wouldn’t you want some good looking, caring doctor taking time out to give him his shots?"
"I guess, I just don’t want to leave the two of you yet." Harry fell back into her pillow depressed that her time to be home all day was coming to an end.
"We can’t fool around yet, but how would you like to make out with me on the swing until your son wakes up and demands his five o’clock feeding?" Desi’s answer came in the form of two strong arms that picked her up and carried her outside. Desi smiled into Harry’s kiss, thinking about Ellie’s stern orders of a six-week hiatus in the bedroom. What you failed to mention Dr. Ellie is that just because you can’t doesn’t mean that you don’t want to, thought Desi as she sucked Harry’s tongue into her mouth.
The next morning Harry drove three streets down from her house to pick up Kenneth at his. The project the two were headed off to was one that they had participated in since getting out of medical school. The clinics located in the housing developments throughout the city always gave free vaccinations, but through a media blitz every fall a Saturday was set aside to remind parents to bring their children in and get them updated on the needed shots. Most of the children they saw were patients of Kenneth’s clinics at Big Charity, but they loved seeing the tall surgeon with him because of the cases of candy bars she brought with her as a reward for sitting still through the examination and shots.
More than one mother sat up straighter when Harry walked in with Kenneth. They all knew through the grapevine that the tall dark hair doctor was single, and they lined up every year to take a shot at catching Harry’s eye. Harry walked into the clinic along side Kenneth wearing a short lab coat, blue jeans and tennis shoes. In a conversation with Kenneth about Jack’s progress she missed the watchful eyes of the man sitting in a late model sedan in the parking lot. He had been waiting for her arrival for an hour and once the two doctors went in through the front door he was headed toward the back entrance.
"Who wants to go first?" Harry put the boxes she was carrying down and greeted everyone in the crowded waiting room. Some of the kids who remembered her from the past few years ran up and started begging for a piece of the assortment of candy they knew were in those boxes. Harry remembered the fun Desi had had the year before handing out treats after Harry was through with their exam. They had to make another candy run before lunch, and the kids that were waiting to see Harry had fallen in love with Desi’s story telling abilities. Harry’s face brightened with a smile when she remembered thinking that her wife was going to be a great parent after watching her with the kids in the clinic. A year later it was nice to see her prediction come true with Jack.
"I’ll go first Dr. Harry. Where’s your lady friend that came with you last time?" asked the seven year old in front of her. The boy had just started first grade and had wanted to tell Desi that his teacher had read them one of the stories she had shared with them the year before.
"She couldn’t make it this year buddy but she did make me bring extra chocolate bars with me," answered Harry as she ran her hand over his head.
"She didn’t want to come?" The little boy persisted. In this neighborhood you got used to disappointment at an early age, and it seemed that the lady with hair like sunshine was no exception to that rule.
"No buddy she did want to come, but we just had a baby and she’s got to stay home until she’s feeling better. Would you like to see a picture of him?" Taking a seat in one of the hard plastic chairs Harry pulled a picture out of her breast pocket and held it out to the little boy. Harry had taken the shot of Desi and Jack sitting on their bed at home and for sentimental reasons had taken it with her that morning.
"He looks like you Dr. Harry."
"That’s cause he is mine buddy. Let’s get started with you so you can have first crack at the candy." After the innocent conversation Harry had with the little boy Kenneth heard the collective disappointed sigh released by some of the women waiting with their children. Harry’s old friend let out a light chuckle because the proud parent putting the picture back in her pocket never seemed to notice the attention she drew to herself whenever she entered a room.
"There you go Max," said Harry three hours later. She held up the box of candy and let him pick one before finishing with his chart. Turning to the boy’s mother she continued her consultation. "He is up to date on all his vaccinations, but I would like to see him in my clinic soon. Max is walking with a slight limp and I want to run some t
ests to find out why." The woman nodded her head and took the card Harry handed her that contained all the information she would need to call for an appointment. Telling mother and child goodbye, Harry turned her attention back to young Max’s file and filled in the information for the clinic worker’s.
When the door opened without a nurse calling out a name Harry assumed it was Kenneth coming to get her for lunch. Two large hands closed around her throat before she could turn around and it took a second to calm herself down enough to think of a plan of action.
The escaped Angola inmate had waited three hours in the broom closet for the patient procession into the small exam room to slow down before making his move. The person he had thought so much about was just on the other side of the door and this was his chance.
"Hello doc." The big man didn’t want to hurt her but he didn’t want to take the chance that she would call out to the police officers roaming around outside on their regular patrols.
He felt the long exhale coming from Harry thinking that it was a strange reaction for the woman to have in her situation. He never got to finish his thought as suddenly an intense pain bloomed from his instep, groin and thumb seemingly simultaneously. Harry had relaxed a moment before slamming her foot down on his from her sitting position. The action relaxed his grip letting her get up quickly turn around and bring her knee up between his legs with deadly intent. When that made him double over in pain, Harry grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back by the thumb. In less than ten seconds he found himself going from the position of power with his hands around her neck, to having Harry over him as his face pressed painfully into the top of the desk in the room.
"Have we met? Wait, let me guess, you didn’t care for my bedside manner and thought you would lodge a complaint. Is that it?" asked Harry. Tyrell didn’t answer right away when she applied more pressure to his thumb. It felt like it was about to pop out of place or something if she pulled up any more.
"No we ain’t met, but we have an asshole in common," answered Tyrell finally through clenched teeth. He was trying to move up the desk slowly in an attempt to release some of the pressure she was putting on his appendage.
"Really? Who would that be big man?"
"Byron Simoneaux." Byron’s last name hadn’t quite made it past Tyrell’s lips when the pain let up on his hand and he was lifted up off the desk and into Harry’s fist. The vicious upper cut split his lip and whipped his head back. Where in the hell did this big bitch learn how to fight? The question floated like a fog in Tyrell’s head as Harry’s other fist knocked the air out of his chest when it connected with his midsection. When he brought his hand up to his mouth to wipe away the blood it found its way back into Harry’s grip and thumb lock.
"Byron Simoneaux is an asshole I agree, so before I start actually breaking shit on your body why don’t you tell me how you know him?" asked Harry in a calm voice. Harry was sitting behind him on the desk not looking at him and her voice dripped with so much hatred that Tyrell thought this might have been a mistake. Sorry Diana, I let you down sister. His continued silence brought her head slightly forward to look at him. "You’re the fourth guy the police are looking for. Tyrell I presume?"
"Yeah doc, and please believe me I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to talk to you." The pain in his thumb was becoming unbearable but Tyrell didn’t feel like he was in a position to complain.
"Talk Mr. Lagrie, I’m all ears."
"If I promise not to touch you in any way again, will you let me up? I’m in a bit of pain here Dr. Basantes," requested Tyrell. The fact she had overpowered him so easily was still making his head swim.
"Funny, I don’t feel a thing," said Harry. Before letting him go she reached over him for something in the supply drawer and was twirling it in her fingers when he lifted himself off the desk. The ease in which Harry twirled the scalpel in her fingers made him think that she could slice off some vital part before he got a hand on her.
"I have a sister named Diana who needs your help," started Tyrell. He stopped when Harry put her hand up.
"What a noble reason to escape from prison Mr. Lagrie. The fact that you took with you the human pile of garbage that is Byron Simoneaux and his family makes me a wee bit dubious of your warm and caring side. Let’s see if I get this straight? You beat a man to death for beating up on your sister, go to jail for it and then escape so that you can schedule an appointment with me? Does that about sum it up?" Tyrell flinched when she took a step toward him not knowing what she was going to do next.
"Yes doctor, that’s about it. Only taking Byron and his posse wasn’t part of my plan. The opportunity presented itself and I took it, I ain’t here to apologize for that. The way I figure it is, I need you to fix Diana and you need me to find Byron before he finds you." Tyrell cocked his head to the side and waited for her to answer. The good doctor had done her homework when it came to the people that were a potential threat to her family. The fact that Byron had tried to take the woman before him on made Tyrell think he was even more stupid than he had given him credit for.
"Tell me Mr. Lagrie how I could possibly need you?" Harry put the scalpel down beside her and reached for a candy bar out of the box on the table. The fact that this guy had made it into the city filled her with dread. If he was here that meant that Bryon was probably roaming around somewhere too.
"You help my sister and me and my posse will find Bryon for you. He don’t like you much doc, and my guess is he won’t mind going back to the farm if he takes you out before he goes." Tyrell explained as he gingerly massaged his sore thumb. As the silence lengthened, Tyrell began to think that the only thing Harry was considering was a call to the police.
"Call my office Monday for an appointment for your sister Mr. Lagrie and let’s see if there is anything I can do." It worked in her favor to let this guy go for now if it meant getting her closer to finding Bryon.
Kenneth walked in and paused right after she had given Tyrell his directions. He had finished with his last patient of the morning and was ready to go to lunch with Harry. His friend looked deceptively calm eating a candy bar with a scalpel next to her leg and the man standing across from her was bleeding from a large gash in his lip. "Ready to go Harry?"
"Yep." Harry pulled out a card from her back pocket and handed it to Tyrell before heading out of the exam room ahead of Kenneth. With one more look at Tyrell, Kenneth turned and followed her out. He wasn’t about to ask why the guy was bleeding and why Harry wasn’t doing anything to stop it.
As soon as the passenger side door closed, the two of them sat in the Range Rover for a few minutes not talking as they watched Tyrell limp out the back door to an old car parked in the corner of the lot by the dumpster. Kenneth looked down to Harry’s flexing fist after Tyrell drove slowly away trying to think of a way to frame his question.
"What in the hell is going on?" asked Kenneth, so much for finesse.
"Whatever do you mean Kenneth?"
"Who is that guy and why does he look like he’s having a bad day?"
"He is having a bad day because he made the mistake of grabbing my throat when he walked through the door. I took exception to that and damn if his foot, family jewels and face didn’t get in my way in trying to release his hold on me." Harry started the car and pulled out of the lot headed toward the local neighborhood restaurant they ate at when they were in this part of town.
"What in the hell does that mean?" The cell phone clipped to his belt came off and Kenneth was dialing 911. He stopped when Harry grabbed it from him and shook her head.
"That asshole was the one that helped Byron and his twisted family get back into the city. Forgive me if I want him to roam around for a while longer if it means me finding the fucker before he finds Desi and Jack." At a traffic light Harry turned and faced Kenneth to see if he was going to cooperate if she handed the phone back to him. When it looked like he would, she continued down the street waiting to go into details once they were seated in the restaurant.<
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After they ordered Harry explained what had happened and what Tyrell wanted from her. Kenneth sat and listened without offering any input knowing it would not be appreciated at this point in the conversation. When Harry finished Kenneth looked into her blue eyes and tried to gauge the level of fear she must be feeling at having her family threatened. "Are you going to tell Desi?"
"Yes I am. I really don’t want to but I promised her there would be no secrets between us, so I have no choice but to tell her. You know Kenneth, I should have killed the mother-fucker that night I broke his jaw. The only thing is, I would have done it in front of Desi and that I didn’t want to do. I just hope the bastard is smart enough to stay the hell away from my family."
"Where do you think he is?"
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"That’s the third time you’ve asked me that in an hour Mike, I don’t know where he is. I woke up and the crazy mother was gone," said Byron to his brother. The three of them had spent the last two weeks by the docks eating out of garbage cans and trying to stay out of sight. They had gotten up that morning to find that Byron Sr. was nowhere to be found.
"What are we going to do Byron? I’m for leaving the city and trying to make a fresh start somewhere else." Of all the things Mike was missing, the shower they had run out of at Angola was high on his list as he raised his arm and sniffed.
"Don’t worry about fresh starts Mike, we are going to have every opportunity at that but I have some unfinished business with Desiree and her big dyke. Tonight we’ll start walking toward the uptown area and see what my wife has been up to while I was rotting in jail. The bitch didn’t even come to visit." The tone of voice Byron was using didn’t hold a hint of sarcasm making Mike think that his brother was just as crazy as his father. Either that or both of them have really strong senses of denial, thought Mike as he watched his brother’s profile.