by Paige Dearth
“Ugh. OK, well, I’ll see how it goes,” Juju said.
Maggie turned serious. “Did she say anything about your hands?”
“Oh, you mean the fact that one day I showed up and only had eight fingers left? She sorta freaked the fuck out the first time she saw it. But she knows I deal, and she knows all about Rock. So, I think she’s cool with it now; probably cooler with it than I am,” she said regretfully.
That night, as Maggie lay on the mattress next to Seth, she thought about Colby. She hoped to be in love someday and even have a family. Then her thoughts floated to Rock, and the peaceful feeling washed away in a wave of anger. She had a chance at love with Colby, and in her mind, Rock was forcing her to pass it up. She boiled over with hatred toward Rock for the things he’d done to all of them. Then her eagerness to help Colby shut Rock down swelled inside of her, and it made her feel powerful. Maggie was getting her first little taste of sweet revenge.
To Maggie’s disappointment, Seth was still burning up with fever the next morning. He was no longer vomiting, mainly because there was nothing left in him to vomit. He continued to complain about nausea, though. Over the years, Maggie had read several medical books. She knew that if Seth had the flu, his body would eventually heal itself. However, his suffering was unbearable for her, and she decided to make him as comfortable as possible.
“Juju?” Maggie said loudly to wake her up.
“Wha…what? What time is it?” Juju grumbled.
“It doesn’t matter what time it is. Seth feels like crap, and I need you to run down to the store and buy a couple of things. Come on, hurry and get dressed,” Maggie said.
By the time Juju left the apartment, Maggie was holding Seth up in a hot shower. He was complaining of body pain and a terrible headache. “I feel like there’s a rat in my head sticking his teeth into my brain,” Seth said.
“I know baby. We’re gonna make you feel better,” Maggie consoled him.
Just then, Juju walked through the apartment door, “I got all the shit on your list. Now can I go back to sleep?”
“No, I need your help.”
Juju warmed a cup of water and mixed in the salt and baking soda, just as Maggie had instructed. When Maggie filled the bulb syringe with the liquid, Juju’s eyes grew wide. “Ew, what are you going to do with that?”
“We’re going to irrigate his nose,” Maggie said nonchalantly.
“I’m not doing squat with that thing,” Juju said, taking a step away from the syringe as if it had cooties.
Maggie gave her a scolding look. “I need you to help him sit up and hold him still for me. Jesus, Juju, don’t be such a freak,” she added.
Seth cried and struggled as Maggie shot the lukewarm solution up his nose, but he was too weak to fight both girls, and he finally gave in. When they were finished, Maggie applied a warm, damp towel to his head and continued to do so throughout the day. She had hoped that he would improve by the next morning and was surprised when he said that he felt the same as he had the night before.
Each morning during Seth’s illness, Maggie left Juju at the apartment and she walked to his school. First, she’d meet Joey for a few minutes and then she’d let the school administrator know that Seth was ill. She was trying to prevent the school from calling Rock to report Seth’s absence. To her disappointment, the administrator showed no sign of caring that Seth wasn’t well and that he would miss school.
Six long days later, Seth still couldn’t get out of bed. That’s when Maggie lost her cool. Her stomach was in knots, and she couldn’t get Seth out of her mind for a minute. She felt utterly helpless, just as she had so many years ago whenever John William would take Seth away from her for several hours. Quickly, her concern turned to unchecked worrying, which was driving Juju and her crazy.
“I don’t understand it, Juju,” Maggie whispered in the bathroom behind the closed door. “He should be getting better. He still has a fever. I think he needs to see a doctor, but the only one we know who can see him without asking a bunch of questions is Dr. Purse. But you know what that means, right?” Maggie asked.
“Yeah, we have to ask that dipshit, Rock, to help us out. I think we should wait a little. I mean, at least Seth can eat a tiny bit of food now. He stopped throwing up, and his nausea is a lot less. I think we should give it a couple more days. If he still has a fever, then maybe we can talk to Rock about taking Seth to Dr. Purse,” Juju said.
Maggie gave it careful thought before she responded. “OK, we’ll give it two more days. If his fever doesn’t start to go down, I’m going to talk to Rock.”
“He’s such a dick,” Juju commented.
“I know he is, but we have to do whatever it takes to make sure Seth gets better,” Maggie mumbled, more to herself than to Juju.
Maggie worried about the price they’d have to pay for asking Rock for another favor. Then she lay on the mattress next to Seth and stroked his hair while she hummed “Rock-a-Bye Baby” softly in his ear as he drifted deeper into sleep.
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
Two days later, Seth was sitting upright and joking with Maggie and Juju. After nine days, his high fever had finally broken that morning. The girls were relieved to see him feeling better. He looked weak and frail, but Maggie knew that with food and rest, he’d feel better within days.
“Fuck, man, I’m glad Seth feels better. I was really worried about him,” Juju finally admitted.
“I know. These past nine days have really sucked. Between work and taking care of Seth, I’m totally beat. All I want to do is sleep,” Maggie commented.
Slowly, Seth was beginning to feel himself again. He went back to school, and he even surprised the girls one evening by heating up frozen pizza for dinner. He’d been getter stronger, and on the third day after his recovery, Joey showed up at the apartment in the late morning.
Maggie answered the door. “Joey? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in school?”
The young girl looked pale and nervous. “Seth is sick. He fell down in the hall on his way to math class. I couldn’t wake him up. The nurse came and got him, and he’s in her office. You need to come now ’cause they don’t have a phone number to call you. The nurse asked me to come and get you.”
Maggie shot out the door, still in her pajamas, and ran to the school with Joey. In the nurse’s office, Seth was lying on a small cot. Maggie rushed over to him.
“Are you OK? What happened?”
“I’m fine, Aggie. I just got really tired, and then I was asleep in the hallway,” Seth reported.
“He passed out,” the nurse, Mrs. Booker, interjected. “Went completely unconscious, but he tells me that he was pretty sick the last week or so,” she stated as she did a quick assessment of Maggie. Exceptionally exquisite was what ran through Mrs. Booker’s thoughts as she gave Maggie the once-over.
“Yeah, he had the flu for over a week. He wasn’t able to eat or drink much. He’s been feeling better over the last three days,” Maggie explained.
Mrs. Booker considered the information. “Maybe he’s just dehydrated. I think you should take him home and make sure he eats and drinks lots and lots of fluids. I want you to buy Gatorade on the way home. That will work well for him.”
Mrs. Booker paused. She watched Maggie stroking Seth’s hair. The nurse had seen a lot over the last twenty years…broken families, abusive parents, unruly children. But she was intrigued by the genuine love and adoration Seth and Maggie seemed to have for one another. It’s refreshing to see a brother and sister so close, Mrs. Booker thought. There were so many unhappy people in Kensington—many born into the hardness of poverty. Hopelessness and joblessness were the mantras in this town, and those two factors often brought out the worst in people.
Mrs. Booker had seen Maggie on the streets about a year ago, hooking. Maggie had a look and grace about her that was hard to miss and impossible to forget. The nurse figured that Maggie was prostituting to keep a roof over Seth’s head. With that, Mrs. Bo
oker knew very well, came heartache and pain.
Mrs. Booker watched as Maggie mothered the sick child. How lucky the boy is to have a sister with so much compassion, she decided. The nurse cleared her throat, and Maggie looked over at her. Mrs. Booker motioned with her index finger for Maggie to follow her into a tiny office. She closed the door behind them and turned to Maggie.
“I want you to take this,” Mrs. Booker said, handing Maggie ten dollars.
Maggie’s eyes revealed her embarrassment and relief. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, I want you to buy him Gatorade and make sure he eats, too. I can see that the two of you are very close. He’s lucky to have a big sister like you,” Mrs. Booker commented.
“Seth’s the most important person in my life. I’d do anything for him,” Maggie said.
Mrs. Booker softly patted Maggie on the shoulder. “You’re a sweet girl. You listen to me: if Seth has any more problems, I want you to come back and see me. Keep a close eye on him. I took his temperature, and he doesn’t have fever, so I really think he is just dehydrated. If there’s anything I can do to help, you come and see me, hear?”
Maggie nodded. Before leaving the nurse’s office with Seth, Maggie said, “Mrs. Booker?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Thanks for being so kind to us,” Maggie said.
It was rare for Maggie to encounter people who thrived on helping others. In Kensington, people were more likely to go out of their way to harm or exploit people.
“No problem. Now you take care of this little man,” Mrs. Booker commented, gently stroking the top of Seth’s head.
Maggie and Seth walked slowly back to their apartment. The autumn air was crisp. Seth was lethargic, and his movements were calculated, as if every step he took was painful.
“Seth? Are you OK, sweetie?”
Seth nodded. “I’m just tired is all. I wanna go home and get in bed.”
The two stopped at a convenience store and bought Gatorade with the ten dollars that Mrs. Booker had given to Maggie. Once home, Maggie settled Seth onto the mattress, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep. About an hour later, Juju came home and, seeing Seth in bed, gave Maggie a curious look.
“Joey came and got me. Seth passed out at school. The nurse thinks he’s dehydrated from being sick for so long. She said to let him rest and make sure he drinks enough. I have clients lined up, starting at two o’clock this afternoon, and my shift at Doubles starts at eight o’clock. Will you be able to be here with him tonight?” Maggie asked.
“Sure. I’ll go out earlier today. Once I make my quota, I’ll come right back and stay with him. What should I do for him?” Juju asked with apprehension, remembering the bulb syringe that Maggie had stuck up Seth’s nose.
“Just make sure he eats something and drinks a lot. I’m sure he’ll feel better in the morning,” Maggie said.
When Maggie got home at three in the morning, Juju was waiting for her. She looked over as Maggie entered the apartment. Her face was a mask of worry.
“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked.
“I don’t know, Maggie. Seth started shaking on the mattress, and his eyes were rolling back in his head.”
As if it was planned, Seth began to jerk on the mattress again. It looked as if someone was seizing his shoulders and shaking him. Maggie rushed over and sat next to Seth. She gently rubbed his arms, and she knew immediately what was happening.
Juju’s eyes were bulging from their sockets. She stood watching with her arms wrapped around herself. “That’s what he was doing…what’s wrong with him?”
Maggie tried to keep her voice even so she wouldn’t reveal the panic that was rising in her chest. “He’s having a seizure. Just relax. He’s going to be fine. Wet a towel and bring it over to me,” Maggie instructed calmly.
Juju sprang to action, grateful there was something she could do to help. By the time she walked over to the mattress with the damp towel, Seth’s seizure had ceased.
Maggie took the towel and gently wiped Seth’s face and neck. He looked at her through tired eyes. “What’s wrong with me, Aggie? I’m scared,” he muttered weakly.
“You’re going to be OK, sweetie. I’m here, and you’re going to be fine,” Maggie fussed.
Then Seth looked at her with confused and disoriented eyes. Maggie lifted his thin, long body and placed him on his side, to keep his airway open. A few minutes later, he was sleeping again.
Juju was horrified as she watched Maggie. “What the fuck, Maggie? What are we going to do? There’s obviously something really wrong with him, right?”
Maggie looked up at Juju. “Yeah, something’s wrong. We’re not going to panic…that would just freak him out,” she whispered.
“But what are we going to do?” Juju insisted.
“We’re going to wait and see how things go. Just remember to stay close to him when it happens. You wanna be sure he doesn’t hurt himself if he has another seizure.”
Maggie got up and went into the cramped bathroom. Only then did she let herself cry, releasing all of the anxiety and dread that had gripped her. When she came back into the living area, her eyes were bloodshot and her face looked as if it were made of stone.
“You all right?” Juju inquired, taking in her friend’s expression.
“I’m fine, Juju. It’s Seth I’m worried about.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Just as quickly as Seth’s symptoms began, they stopped. The next morning, he was feeling much better. He was still zapped of energy, but his spirits were better, and he had some color in his face. The girls were slightly relieved but still cautious.
“I want you to stay in bed and rest today,” Maggie told Seth.
“No, Aggie. I wanna go to school. I wanna see Joey. Besides, I feel better now,” Seth insisted, nuzzling into her for a warm hug.
“You’re a real charmer, aren’t you?” Maggie said cheerfully, as she pulled him closer.
“Yeah, the other boys hate me ’cause all the girls love me,” Seth remarked.
“Oh, really?” Maggie teased.
“Yeah, but ya know, I love Joey. I told ya, someday I’m gonna marry her,” Seth said.
“You’re twelve, Seth. It’s a little too soon to talk about marriage. Besides, you need to do well in school. You want to go to college, don’t you?” Maggie pressed.
“You didn’t have to go to college,” Seth protested.
“That’s because I couldn’t, and you know that. But it’s different for you. You’ll have the freedom to do whatever you want,” Maggie reminded him.
“Well, once I’m bigger, I’m gonna kick Rock’s ass so you can do whatever you want too,” Seth said valiantly.
“Nah, I’ll be a wrinkled-up old woman by then. Rock will be running away from me,” Maggie kidded. “You go to college so you can get really rich, and then I’ll come and live with you. How’s that sound?”
Seth’s face lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. “Yeah, I like that. We’ll live together forever.”
Maggie gave him a tight embrace. “You’re the best man in my life,” she whispered.
Seth gave her a Herculean squeeze and walked into the bathroom to get ready for school.
That night, while in the lap dance room with Colby, Maggie let her guard down and told him about Seth. Tears dribbled down her cheeks as she expressed her concern over his freakish symptoms. “I think he needs to see a doctor. I mean, he felt better today, but who knows? He had seizures, and I know that’s just not normal,” Maggie explained.
Colby listened, and his heart ached for them. Then he came up with an idea. “You said the nurse at Seth’s school told you to go see her if there were any more issues, right?”
“Yeah, but there’s only so much she can do,” Maggie responded.
“How do you know? If she can draw his blood, I can get it tested. All you need to do is convince her to take blood and give you the vials. Then I’ll bring the blood to a friend of mine w
ho works in a lab. That way, you’ll know what you’re dealing with. How does that sound?”
“That sounds incredibly nice of you. OK, I’ll do whatever it takes. You’ll get me everything for the blood test, right?”
“You bet I will. Just so you know, this isn’t the norm. I would never do this kind of thing for other informants I’ve worked with in the past,” Colby said.
“So now I’m just another informant,” Maggie said, smiling brightly, knowing it was far from the truth.
“Nah, you’re just my best-looking informant,” he teased.
Two days later, Maggie and Juju walked Seth to school. They stopped for a few minutes to chat with Joey and watched as the two walked into the school together. Maggie and Juju waited until they entered the school, and then they went directly to the nurse’s office.
“Hello, Maggie,” Mrs. Booker said, giving her a warm smile, and then concern washed it away. “How are you? Is Seth OK?”
Maggie returned the woman’s smile. “Seth seems to be better than he was two days ago. But we’re a little worried.” She gestured at Juju. “Oh, I’m sorry; this is my roommate, Juju.”
Juju said a quick hello and turned back to Maggie, who continued speaking.
“He had a couple of seizures the night he came home sick from school. He hasn’t had any more since then, and he says he feels better, but I’m worried. It’s not normal to have seizures, right?” Maggie said nervously, already knowing the answer.
Mrs. Booker was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was calm and even. “There could be many reasons why someone would have seizures: epilepsy, high fevers, a bad infection, or something like a tapeworm. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. How else has he been feeling?”
Maggie rattled off his symptoms. “He’s very tired all the time. He has night sweats, and then he’s freezing cold. He’s been complaining that his body hurts him…you know, like when you have a fever and get achy all over.”
Mrs. Booker nodded. “I’m not a doctor, but it sounds like our Seth is showing signs of mononucleosis. You’ll need to take him to your doctor and have a blood test done to know for sure.”