by D. Gideon
Dotty nodded. Nearly everyone in Snow Hill came here for all of their appointments and emergencies, unless it was really, really bad. For years Dr. Jim Butcher and Dr. Kendra Scott had run the med center together. Both were General Practitioners. Then when the younger Butcher joined the team, the center finally had someone to do minor surgeries. Last year Jim had retired. Kendra had been handling all of the appointments herself, with no luck finding another GP willing to move to a small town. Craig only came in for emergencies or by appointments, so Kendra and the nurses were here every day except for Sundays and Wednesdays, from 8 to 5. The doctors here had seen Dotty and the boys since they moved here, and she knew the hours by heart.
“Well, she wasn’t here. Nurse Macy said she’d been here waiting since 7:30. Jim said Kendra must’ve had some emergency and he drove over and got Craig to let us in. Jim doesn’t have keys anymore; Craig took them away so his dad would quit coming in and working-“
“So Craig let you in,” Dotty said, trying to keep Betty on track.
“Right. He gave Jim the list, and then Jim followed us over to the Sheriff’s office. We picked up Frank there—he said if anyone was going to be busting in doors it needed to be him, since he’s the undersheriff—and we all got in Frank’s car and started going down the list.”
Betty turned her hands and grasped Dotty’s. “I swear to you Dotty, if we’d known Thomas had been hurt, we’d have come to see if you needed us. But we were out across the bridge and didn’t hear the sirens. We didn’t know any of this had happened until just now, when we got back.”
“You were where you needed to be, Betty. We’re fine,” Dotty said.
As the two ladies were talking, Thomas had his head laid back and his eyes closed. He’d been stuck on that short board for hours while Dr. Butcher had tended to everyone else. He wasn’t sore about that; the others had been hurt worse. Hell, as they were pulling him out of the bed of his truck—a Deputy named Webb had driven him and Grams here like a bat out of hell—he’d seen the ambulance come skidding in. Dr. Craig had jumped in, checked Jerry’s vitals, and told the paramedics to take him straight to the hospital. Jerry had caught one of those bullets people had been shooting around. There were only two exam rooms in the little med center, and with Abe in one and Sean in another, Thomas had been relegated to the carpeted floor in Dr. Craig’s office to wait his turn. Now he just wanted to go home where it was quiet and stretch out on his bed. Getting up the stairs would be fun.
He felt the chair next to him shift, and someone touched his arm.
“Hey, bro,” the voice said, and Thomas opened an eye to see Pacino. Surprised, he lifted his head.
“Hey Tony,” Thomas said, remembering Pacino’s real name from earlier when they’d been chatting. He’d never found out the man’s last name. “What are you doing here?”
Pacino made a face. “Some pussy hit me in the head with a two-by-four during the big fight. Nurse Cranky over there says I’ve got a concussion. Had to get a few stitches back here.” He pointed to the back of his head.
“Wow,” Thomas said. “Sorry to hear that. Did they have to stitch you up out here in the lobby?”
Pacino started to shake his head and stopped, grimacing. “I’ve been stuck on a stretcher for hours, man. They wheeled me into a room with one of those cops and I’ve been there ever since. Nurse Cranky finally let me get up to take a piss.”
Thomas grinned. “You had it better than me. I got the floor in the doc’s office. When he was ready to examine me, we had to do it on his desk.” Come to think of it, he hadn’t used the bathroom since they’d been at the church this morning. As if the mere thought triggered the need, his bladder suddenly sat up and complained.
“That’s bullshit, bro. You know they gotta have a cot or something. And get this—the fuckin’ toilet wouldn’t flush. I couldn’t even wash my hands. What kind of a ghetto operation is this, anyway?”
Thomas blinked at him. “Dude, the power’s been out for days. So’s the water pressure. The toilets aren’t gonna flush without water. They’ve got a generator going here for the lights and stuff, but it can’t pull water from the city lines when there’s no pressure.”
Pacino waved a hand as if he didn’t care. “Doesn’t matter, I’m leaving anyway. I heard her saying she was getting your papers ready. You bein’ discharged?”
“Yeah, I-“
“Cool. Listen, bro: my rental’s still at the gas station. The Sheriff brought me over here. Made me ride in the back, like some fuckin’ criminal. I gotta get that car back to BWI and turn it in. Can I catch a ride with you over to my car?”
“Yeah, sure man. I-“
“No, you can not,” Nurse Macy said, walking over and handing Thomas a sheaf of papers. She pointed at Pacino. “You’ve got a severe concussion. You need to be under observation for twenty-four hours.”
“I keep tellin’ you I can’t stay here for twenty-four freaking hours. My rental was due back by noon,” Pacino said. “I have got to leave.”
“You’re not driving with a severe concussion,” Nurse Macy said. “You need to get back in that bed.”
“What’s going on Donna?” Sheriff Kane asked, walking up behind the nurse and putting a big hand on her shoulder.
“Sheriff, I appreciate you bringing me over here and all, but I’ve got to get my car and get back to New York,” Pacino said.
Simon looked confused. “You’re driving all the way to New York? Where’d you come from, anyway?”
“A chartered fishing trip out by Chincoteague, and no, I’m not driving. I’m flying out of BWI. But I gotta get to BWI. My rental was due back-“
“Your rental isn’t going anywhere,” Simon said. “It’s part of an active crime scene that my boys are still working. I can give you a copy of the report to give to the rental company when they get done-“
“How the hell am I supposed to get to BWI?”
“Bro, they ain’t lettin’ you out of here until tomorrow. The car will probably be done by then,” Thomas said. “You gotta let them do their job, man. People got hurt.”
“People got killed,” Simon said.
“Killed?” Dotty and Betty said it at the same time.
Simon nodded. “One of the guys that got Jerry down on the ground was able to take his weapon. Shot Jerry, tried shooting at Blake and Sean. Blake punched his ticket. Good guys one, bad guys minus one. So, yeah.” He held a hand up and started ticking off fingers.
“Officer-involved shooting, two officers injured, another officer shot, three civilian casualties, one civilian fatality, three thieves in my holding cell, mob activity both inside the store and out…the whole store and parking lot’s a crime scene.”
“Fuck me running,” Pacino said, rubbing his hands over his face.
“I understand your worry, Mr. Ricci, but I’ve had to send a police report to rental companies more than once, and I’ve never had them not reverse any late charges or extra rental fees,” Simon said.
“See? It’s all taken care of,” Nurse Macy said.
“I’ve got to be at work tomorrow morning!” Pacino said, his voice rising.
“Police report works better than a doctor’s note,” Simon said. “Now how about you listen to Donna, go back to your bed, and let the good people here take care of you.”
Pacino made a sound like a frustrated snarl, and Simon’s eyebrows went up.
“Or I can get one of my Deputies to come sit by your door all night. You know, to ensure you’re still here in the morning when we come to take your statement about your assault. Your choice.”
Pacino blew out a breath and looked up at Nurse Macy. “Can I at least have something to eat? I’m friggin’ starving.”
“You get in your bed and I’ll bring you some broth. If you keep that down, you can have soup,” she said, stepping back to give him room to get up. He stood and wobbled a bit, then disappeared back into the hallway.
Nurse Macy sighed and shook her head. “Stubborn idiots. Yo
u’re good to go, Thomas. Directions for home care are on the bottom sheet. I need to go get city-boy some broth.” She hurried away. The Sheriff stayed, hooking his thumbs in his belt and giving Thomas a considering look.
“What?” Thomas asked. “I don’t like that look.”
Simon pointed at the brace. “How long’s that thing gonna keep you down?”
Thomas looked at his leg, as if verifying that’s where the Sheriff was pointing, and back up. “The brace? Just a couple days. I can still get around, though; just gotta swing it like a cast. Why?”
The Sheriff rubbed his chin and looked towards the hallway, eyes tight. He thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and looked back.
“Here’s the thing. With Jerry in Salisbury and Sean here, I’m down two Deputies,” he started.
“Where’s Blake?” Thomas asked.
Simon waved a hand and stuck his thumb back in his belt. “Blake’s okay. Got pretty banged up, but nothing cracked or broken. He’s back at the gas station right now, walking Frank through the scene.”
“Oh thank God,” Dotty said.
“I had more prison guards not show up for their shifts today. Had to pull some of my guys to replace them. Things are getting—testy—over at the prison. So I’m running short. With all these people coming into town, I want my men doubling up, and I don’t have the manpower to do that,” Simon said.
Thomas cocked his head. “So you’re wanting folks to do ride-alongs,” he guessed.
Simon nodded. “For now, just ‘civilian observers’.” He made air quotes with his fingers. “If the power’s not back on by tomorrow at 9am, the Mayor’s going to call a town meeting in the Park. I’ll ask him then if he’s okay with me actually Deputizing a few folks. Fill out the ranks.”
Thomas lowered his leg from the chair. “You have to ask his permission?”
“Technically, no, but it’s the courteous thing to do,” Simon said.
“Do you really think it’s going to get that bad?” Dotty asked.
Simon nodded. “It already is that bad, Miss Dotty. If the power doesn’t come back on tomorrow, we’ll have everything we do now plus a lot of people wanting their deposits. Social Security, disability, military checks, Snap benefits…they won’t be happy.”
“Ooh,” Betty said. “Remember when the Snap debit cards stopped working for a day or so a few years back? All the rioting?”
“We didn’t have any of that here though,” Dotty said. “The folks were patient.”
“They still had power then, and the stuff in their fridge hadn’t spoiled,” Simon said. He looked at Thomas.
“So, you interested? Get some OJT before you storm the Academy?”
“I’ll do it,” Thomas said. “I can’t climb ladders and fight fires with this thing on, but I can ride in a car. Just give me 24 to make sure the symptoms don’t get worse.”
“Good man,” Simon said, stepping forward and extending his hand. Thomas shook it, and then Simon pulled Thomas up out of the chair and put his mouth close to Thomas’ ear, pretending to give him a man-hug with a thump on the back.
“I’ll expect you to be utilizing that CCW we trained you for,” he said, his voice low.
“I can’t…I mean I-“ Thomas glanced at Dotty and Betty. “Can’t afford the piece,” he finally said.
Simon pulled back and nodded. “We’ll take care of that,” he said. He tipped an imaginary hat at Betty and Dotty. “Ladies.” He turned and walked into the office, where the two doctors and Pastor Bill had migrated during the conversation.
Dotty handed Thomas the crutches. “What was that about peace?”
Thomas positioned the crutches under his arms and glanced at Betty, who was listening intently.
“Told him we can’t afford to not keep the peace,” he said.
“Too right,” Dotty said, nodding. “Let’s get you home.”
CHAPTER 24
M onday, September 3rd
College Park, Maryland
I sat on the floor with tears still tracking down my cheeks. I’d been there so long the cold concrete had made my crossed legs stiff, but I didn’t care. My flashlight laid in a cage above my head, shining across the aisle and leaving me in near darkness below. The stench of dog poo was overwhelming, but I’d learned to tune that out months ago. Besides my sniffling, the only other sounds were three dogs crunching their way through an extra-large helping of food, and the drip-drip of the gravity watering system. Lying next to me with his massive head on his paws, was King. He was a mix of a cane corso and a pit bull, and my constant companion when I was in the basement tending to our impounded animals.
In my lap were two small bodies, silent and still. Sassy and Frassy, two elderly yorkies that animal control had seized from a home where the aged resident had been found wandering and was thought to have dementia. The owner’s daughter had filed an appeal both to have her mother released from her involuntary stay in the hospital, and to have the dogs returned. The two yorkies, sisters from the same litter, had been staying with us until the court made a decision.
But the girls were old, and both required medication twice a day. The dry erase boards hanging on the canine barracks door showed that no one had signed off on medicating, feeding, or cleaning since I’d done it Friday morning. After I had finished, I’d gotten a ride with one of the animal control officers up to the College Park Veterinary Clinic for my lab work, and had walked straight to the dorms when I’d finished that night. Someone should have been in at 6 in the evening to medicate them again, but no one had. No one had done it on Saturday or Sunday, either.
Five missed doses. I honestly didn’t know if that would have been enough to make their thyroid conditions fatal, or if they’d died of stress. It was even possible that one had died from her medical condition, and the other died of heartbreak. I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. Two sweet little dogs were gone because no one had come in to do their job all weekend long.
I heard the heavy steel door swing open, and a light flashed at the end of the cages.
“Rip? You in here?” Marco asked.
Two of the dogs lifted their heads from their food bowls and ran to the cage doors with tails wagging, but the third was still too busy eating. King lifted his head and started growling. I put one hand on his head and rubbed the thick scars there.
“Shh, King. Friend. Easy.”
Marco rounded the end of the cages and his flashlight fell on us. He stopped.
“That’s…that’s a big dog, Rip. Is he supposed to be out of his cage?”
“No, but I let him out anyway, anytime I’m down here. It’s the only exercise he gets. He doesn’t trust men, just so you know,” I said.
“I’ll stay here, then,” he said. His flashlight wobbled a bit. “Are they…?”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands. “Sassy and Frassy. They were the sweetest little things. Would lick you to death if you’d let them. Probably would’ve gone to a foster home next week sometime.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Do you know why…how?”
I stood, lifting the two dogs and putting them back into their shared cage on the top row. We euthanized pets here each week, and there was an incinerator to dispose of the bodies, but I had no idea how to use it or if it would even work. There was nothing I could do for them.
“All I know is that no one fed or medicated them Friday night, and no one came in all weekend to do it, either. It doesn’t make sense. There’s three attendants that live within a mile of here, and two of them were on the schedule—I checked. Why wouldn’t they come? Even with the power out, these guys need to be fed.”
“I might be able to answer that,” he said, holding up a piece of paper. “It’s why I came down here. I was poking around and found this on the floor in the corner by the back door that we came through. Looks like someone taped it to the glass, but it fell down. We walked right past it.”
“Let me see,” I said, taking my flashlight
and walking to him. King lifted himself and padded along just behind me.
“Should I back up?” Marco asked, eyeing King warily.
“Just don’t lift your hand like you’re going to hit one of us, and don’t raise your voice,” I said.
“When Corey told me you’d come down here to check on the animals, I didn’t think about the smell,” Marco said. “How can you stand it?”
“It’s usually not this bad because we clean it twice a day,” I said. “We’ve got a gravity tank on the roof and that keeps their water troughs full, but I have no idea how much is in it. I’m not going to waste water hosing their cages out when I’m just going to let them go tomorrow.”
“Let them-“ He started.
“Shh, you came down here so I could read this, so let me read it,” I said, taking the paper and holding it under my flashlight.
-FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR MALLOY-
-FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION-
-GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN-
-STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED-
AS OF 3PM ON FRIDAY AUGUST 31, ALL NON-ESSENTIAL STATE AND COUNTY OFFICES ARE TO BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO BUDGET SHORTFALL.
THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS FAILED TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON FUNDING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. UNTIL SUCH TIME AS A RESOLUTION IS AGREED UPON AND PASSED, ALL NON-ESSENTIAL OFFICES WILL REMAIN CLOSED. NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL SHALL NOT REPORT TO WORK UNTIL CONTACTED BY THEIR SUPERVISORS.
CITIZENS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE ARE ASKED TO DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES.
FOR NON-EMERGENCIES, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL POLICE BARRACKS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE THE LEGISLATURE RESOLVES THIS ISSUE.
-SUPERVISORS: POST THIS NOTICE AT EACH ENTRANCE AND DISTRIBUTE TO ALL PERSONNEL-