by Cheri Lewis
I spot two boys standing under a street light that look like they could be about Travis’ age. They’re standing on the corner next to the exit ramp of the interstate. I look over at Wade and he’s having what seems to be an in-depth conversation with a homeless man about football. I’m sure it started when the man with no teeth yelled, “War Eagle!”
I start in the direction of the two young boys stopping along the way to see if anybody knew Travis, aka Skids. I glance over my shoulder and I see Wade hand the homeless man something but doesn’t linger with the conversation any longer because he’s following after me. The closer I get the more confident I am that I’ve located Skids. I pretend I don’t know who he is when I begin talking to them.
“Hey, can you guys help me out? I’m looking for someone.”
The long hair and beard have definitely altered his appearance but I shine a flashlight on his face pretending it’s an accident to verify he has the same three freckles on his face that form an almost perfect triangle from his cheek to his nose to this forehead. They glance at the photo. The kid on the right begins to laugh and Travis elbows him then says to me, “We don’t know him and if he’s out here, he doesn’t want to be known or found.”
I stick the picture back down in my pocket. “Thanks for looking but on the off chance you happen to run into him, could you give a message?”
Travis turns away with a hand painted sign that’s asking for money to buy food. I know that’s not what he’s really out here doing. I’m sure if we turned him upside down and shook him pills, vials, powders and anything else that’s an illegal substance would come tumbling out. His friend stares at me as he waits for the message. “Tell Travis his parents need him. They’re both sick now and they need him to look after his mother.” Travis pretends he doesn’t hear what I’ve said but his friend nods and begins holds up his sign to cars coming down off the ramp. A car pulls over and the friend jumps off the curb running the ten feet to the car. He doesn’t take any extra precaution hiding the fact that he’s exchanging drugs for money. I turn around far enough to see Wade looking off in the other direction. I’m sure that’s on purpose to avoid witnessing the drug sell. I look back to Travis and right before I turn to leave I say, “You don’t have to go see them or even take care of them. There are hospitals and nursing homes that will do that for them but you should at least call before that option isn’t there anymore. Your dad is dying and your mother depends on him.”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t. They paid me to find you and I did. If you truly didn’t want to be found you would have left here after they came to bring you home the dozen or so times. Something to think about…”
I turn around and walk past Wade who is staring at the two boys. When he doesn’t move I turn back to him. “Come on. I did what I came to do. Unless you’re here looking for something else.”
I nod my head in the direction across the street where there are five women dressed with little left for the imagination. He shakes his head with a half grin and we begin the short journey back to my truck.
“You’re pretty good.”
“Pretty good?”
“That was a compliment.”
“That was an insult.”
“Is that because I’m the one who said it?”
“No, think about this: if I said to you after you arrested Thomas, you’re pretty good. That would be a compliment to you?”
“I guess it would depend on who’s saying it.”
I can’t help but smile. We cross over the second street and the first thing I notice is the streetlight that was shining brightly when we walked to Ensley Avenue is no longer burning. There’s a section of about fifty feet that’s in total darkness between the buildings. I pause a moment and I ask, “Should we walk the long way around?”
“No, if this was done on purpose we have a better chance of getting to your truck from here instead of going all the way around.”
“It’s a trap and we’ll walk right into it.”
“We’ll walk right into it whichever way we go. This one is a much shorter route.”
“How do we know my truck’s still there?”
“We don’t.”
“Do we make a run for it?” I instantly cringe when I realize what I’ve said out loud. Heath would have gotten what I meant. Wade will think I’m a scared little girl who has to run to the cover of her truck.
“Nah, I see no need to run. I think we can handle them. Whoever it is. Besides, we don’t know anybody did that on purpose. It could be a coincidence.”
We begin walking slowly toward the darkened part of the street. “There are two lights out not just one. I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Me, either.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see my truck in distance and it seems to have all four tires and windows intact. I remind myself to check the bed of my truck to make sure nobody has hitched a ride back there without me knowing. My danger radar begins going off and I know we’re not alone any longer. I continue to keep the same pace and pretend I don’t know anything is wrong. “Do you want to run through somewhere and pick you up a burger? You said you hadn’t eaten yet earlier.” When he doesn’t respond I look back and he’s not anywhere near me. I spin around. “Wade?”
I see several dark figures. I can tell which one is Wade because he’s the tallest of the group. I quickly analyze the situation. Nobody is relaxed. Two in the back. Two in the front. Where did they come from? They had to be hiding against the wall. Which means they think they got the jump on us. I sigh and shake my head. Wade had to have separated himself from me. He’s trying to protect me again. When’s this jackass going to learn? I can’t hear what is being said if they are doing any talking. I begin toward him and shout to him like I’m scared, “Wade, baby what’s going on? Just give them what they want and let’s go.”
I slide my hand down in my pants pocket and flip the switch on my pepper spray. Once I’m back into the darkness I slowly reach for my taser located on my right side. It’s go time. I scream like a banshee and it works. They all look at me and Wade elbows the one behind him in the stomach then brings his hand up with a balled fist to the face. I pray my aim is right as I spray the two in front of him with pepper spray in their face. It all gets a little blurry as to what happens next. One minute I’m up and the next I’m down. There was a fifth person I didn’t see standing off to the side. We wrestle and I can hear the screams of the men I pepper sprayed. They groan and moan how bad it hurts. It’s only a few seconds before I’m sitting on my attacker’s chest with the knife he threatened me to his own throat. I’m breathing heavily and all my frustration over the last week boils out of me. I want to slice my blade into him. Make him pay for knocking me to the ground. I grab his face and lean forward pressing the knife harder against his throat. “One day you’re going to meet a woman with less self control and she’s not going to think twice before she slices your throat.”
I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. I lean up and push myself up off of him. Wade takes the knife from my hand and my assailant wastes no time getting up and running away. I’m pissed. I’m pissed at a lot of things. I’m pissed at Wade for separating us. This wouldn’t have happened if we were side by side but noooooo, he had to try to be the hero in the situation. I trudge back to my truck, yanking the door open and climb inside. Wade opens his and he doesn’t immediately get in. My eyes are about to pop out of my head I’m so aggravated. I lean over and look at him standing in the door. “What are you waiting for? A repeat? Let’s go.”
“Do you have any gauze or a towel? I don’t want to get blood on your seat.”
My eyes search him and it doesn’t take long to see the blood turning his orange shirt red on his left side. I scramble down out of my truck and around to him in about three seconds. I lift his shirt and sigh relief that it’s only a superficial wound but it’s a big one and bleeding like crazy. It will need stitches but thankfully it appears to be a laceratio
n and not a puncture. If they had stabbed him it would have been a direct hit to the kidneys.
I drop his shirt, and open my back door to hand him the sheet that I use for keeping Joe off the seat. I’m glad I washed it and put it back in here. I figured I’d need it again but for Joe. Not for stopping blood. He places the sheet against his back then grips the opened door to help himself up into my truck. I shut the door for him and get back in to take him to be seen about.
“Just drop me off at the hospital. I’ll get Troy to pick me up and we’ll get my truck from your house.”
I put the truck into drive and head to the hospital. We both are quiet. I hear him take a deep breath every now and then. When we pull into the parking lot of the emergency room I turn to him and ask, “Why, Wade? Why did you separate yourself from me? I don’t need protecting. You being cut could have been completely avoided if we were closer to one another.”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t separate myself from you. I had a gun placed at my back and was told to stop, so I stopped. Then the other three surrounded me. You kept going. You put the distance between us.”
“I knew we weren’t alone but I never heard them.”
“I didn’t either until I had the gun at my back.”
The light comes on in the cab when he opens the door. “Don’t you think that was a little too well organized for a street mugging?”
He looks back at me. “Yes, that thought has crossed my mind.”
“I don’t think the family that hired me was a set up.”
“I thought that angle, too, but since you found the kid…”
“They’ve gotten a lot better at mugging people I guess.”
“Too many shows on TV or that damn YouTube with how to videos.”
I find it funny because I watched a YouTube video not too long ago on how to fix my washing machine. It never occurred to me that there were videos of how to properly and effectively jump or rob someone. I stare out the windshield of my truck into the parking lot. It’s full and an ambulance is arriving pulling up to the sliding doors.
“Come on, this place is packed. I’ll get you fixed up.”
“This may take a hit to your well established ego, that you can do everything yourself, but this is where I’d rather let a professional have a look at me.”
“I’m not going to sew you up, dumbass. I know a doctor who will meet you at his office and do it. He’s patched me up several times over the years.” He takes a deep breath and it’s starting to annoy me that he doesn’t trust me or whatever the reason he’s taking so long to decide. “Roscoe, look, the chief’s wife works for him as his nurse. It will be a lot faster than waiting here. But if you’d rather—”
“I’m fine with going to your doctor. It’s just, if you could refrain from calling me asshole, dumbass or jackass for the rest of the evening I’d be obliged.”
His feelings are hurt? Big man to be such a sensitive softie. What a wuss. I bite my tongue at what I really want to call him and force out a half heartfelt apology, “I don’t mean anything by it… it’s just, I guess I’m a natural smart ass and I don’t think before I speak. I’ve never had a reason to, really. I mean you have no idea how hard I have to work at it when I’m dealing with some clients and they’re paying me.”
He turns back in his seat and closes the door. Before the cab light turns out I see the once white sheet is now mostly red. I put the truck back into drive then call Dr. Brand. On our drive over I look over at Wade several times and he rides mostly with his eyes closed. I know he’s in pain and I think about it bothering him when I call him names. I find myself wanting to ask if he was picked on as a kid or something but I don’t. Maybe over drinks one night. Drinks? Where did that come from? This man isn’t your friend. I mean maybe he might be. He did get Thomas. I’m relieved to be out of my own thoughts when I turn into the parking lot at Dr. Brand’s office.
I reach over and touch Wade’s arm. “We’re here.”
He opens his eyes and looks at the building then to me. “Why are we at a pediatrician’s office?”
“Because this is his office.”
“You brought me to a kids’ doctor? Is this some sort of joke? You know, Willow, I’ve tried to right my wrongs with you but…” He takes a deep breath to calm himself, from what I’m not sure. “You know what, never mind.” He opens the door and steps down out of the truck.
I’m confused at why he’s so upset. I’m doing him a favor. Yes, it will cost more because it’s after hours and well, he’s not me, but it damn sure beats sitting in a waiting room for hours to be seen. I open my door and get out to walk around to his side of the truck where he has trouble retrieving his phone from his pocket.
“Here, I’ll help you.”
“No, you’ve helped me enough. No wonder you have the reputation you do. From the moment I met you—”
“Okay, jack—” Now I take a deep breath to calm myself. “Before either one of us says something we don’t mean let me say this. I’m not sure what you think is going on here, but this isn’t a joke. Dr. Brand will be here any second and I’d appreciate it if you would be here when he does considering it’s almost midnight and I called him as a friend for a favor.”
He stands straight then winces in pain, disbelief apparent on his face. “Are you telling me that you, brave, strong, independent and not to mention grown goes to a pediatrician as a doctor?”
“Yes!” He looks at me then to the doctor’s office then back to me. “You still don’t believe me do you?” I look toward the headlights that are coming up the street then back to him. “That’s probably him.”
I’m right. The car turns into the parking lot and the doc parks in his usual space near the back door. Once he’s out he calls to us, “Willow, come on. Just use the back door.”
I turn and start toward the office. It’s only a second before Wade is beside me and he asks, “Can I ask you why you come here?”
I cross my arms and keep my eyes ahead of me and I shrug. “Because until right now it never occurred to me that I needed to change.”
And it hasn’t. I’ve came to him most of my life. He knows me. Jackie, his nurse, knows me and looks after me. He knows my history. I like him and that says a lot. There aren’t many people that I like or trust. I open the back door holding it open for Wade even though I’d love now more than ever to shut it in his face. Only a few lights are on and one of them is on in my favorite room. I hug myself tighter and go to the garden room to wait. Wade lifts a leg to slide back on to the table. I stare at the flowers that cover the walls. I hear bumping sounds coming from another room and I figure Dr. Brand is getting stuff together.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings,” Wade says.
“You didn’t.”
“Yes, I did. It’s written all over your face.”
“You didn’t really. I’m a big girl, a grown woman. I can handle it.”
“Willow, it just took me by surprise. I thought you brought me to a kids’ doctor and were somehow getting me back for—”
“Is that the reputation I have?”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way at all.”
Dr. Brand walks in interrupting our conversation and looks between Wade and me. “Well now, this is a first.”
I know he’s saying that because it’s not me he’s patching up at midnight on a Saturday night but I don’t feel like laughing or joking around at the moment. Wade clears his throat and extends the arm that isn’t holding the sheet to shake the doctor’s hand. “Thank you, Doctor, for coming in so late to see me. Willow says you’re good at what you do.”
Dr. Brand winks at me. “She keeps me in practice with stitches, among other things.”
I give him a small smile and look back to the flowers. I remember as a child imagining walking through them. It has an Alice in Wonderland feel to it, like I could escape and be in there, somewhere beautiful. Somewhere that isn’t here, somewhere pure and untouched.
“Willow.”
“Sorry I was off in la-la land.”
“Can you help me a minute.”
I stand from the chair and walk over to assist him. “This is a pretty nasty cut. You’re going to have to take it easy for a few days. No lifting or twisting.”
“I have the next week off at work.”
“How’d this happen?” I hold the tray of supplies as he continues to work on Wade’s back. Dr. Brand looks up at Wade first who hasn’t began explaining. He then looks to me and I shrug. I know my version of how it happened but I figure it’s his story to tell. “You didn’t do this did you?”
It takes me a few seconds to realize Dr. Brand is actually asking me if I cut him. Me. Like I go around cutting folks all the time. “No, she didn’t. We were out on a job and got separated. She saved me taking on three of our five attackers.”
Dr. Brand stops flushing out Wade’s wound. He doesn’t look at me as he sags down after hearing that. “Willow…”
Now I could stab Wade myself for real. “I know what you’re going to say and I swear to you we were being careful. Besides, look who got hurt and who didn’t.”
I hear Wade laugh under his breath. Dr. Brand doesn’t respond as he takes gauze off the tray and pats around drying Wade’s back. I look away as he injects a needle into the skin around the open wound. Blood, stitches, throw-up, any of that stuff I can handle, but needles freak me out. I’m good as long as I don’t have to watch them puncture the skin.