by Pat Warren
As they stood at the hospital entrance, Jeff told him so.
“I feel better, too,” East told him. “She’s got a fighting chance, Jeff. You go back in there and tell her again that you’re right there, waiting for her.”
“I will, Dad, and thanks.” Jeff hugged him fiercely one last time, then watched him climb back into the cab and drive off. His steps lighter than when he left, he hurried back inside to ICU.
He’d been talking to her for over an hour, telling Tish about East’s visit, all the good wishes of everyone they knew. Finally, tiring, he leaned back in the chair alongside her bed and sighed.
“I was thinking earlier about our wedding, that crazy day, and about the wonderful night. Remember, Tish?” He stared at her face, so serene even in this unnatural sleep. “We had quite a few lovely nights afterward when we moved into that apartment in Los Angeles near the hospital, right? The place was small, but we both agreed we wouldn’t get a bigger one until the baby was born.”
Jeff felt a smile form as he recalled the early days of their marriage. “I worked such long hours that I was bone tired most of the time. But just the thought of having you to come home to would make me forget my fatigue. And you were so wonderful. You put in for a leave of absence until after the baby was born. I know you said that when the baby was old enough to leave with a sitter, you’d return to SPEAR in some sort of office job. But I secretly hoped you’d be too happy staying home with the baby and me and not want to go back to work. At least not until our child was in school.
“I wouldn’t have mentioned it to you because I’d hate to hold you back. But you know how I grew up, never a parent around to meet any of even my most basic needs. I wanted our child to have more, to have it all. I would, of course, be gone a lot at first, but later, I could arrange my hours so I’d spend more time with both of you. And I didn’t want to miss all those great firsts, like first word, first step.”
Slowly, his face sobered as he sat thinking, remembering. “We were happy, weren’t we, Tish? Or was I living in a dream world? Was I so engrossed in my work and so in love with you that I didn’t notice that you missed your friends in SPEAR, missed being in the field? Lord, I hope not.
“You seemed to be happy. We laughed a lot, like the time you made that stew dish and put in some kind of seasoning and the peas turned black? And the time you went to the laundromat and didn’t notice that someone had left a bright-green sock in the washer and the whole load of whites came out a pale green? I didn’t mind wearing green underwear. You were so upset and I remember I just laughed and tackled you onto the bed. We wound up making love, the green-tinted clothes forgotten.”
Bracing his elbows on the arms of the chair, Jeff steepled his fingers and stared into middle distance. “When did it all begin to fall apart, Tish? Did it start way back and I didn’t notice? Because of your upbringing, with servants and all, you didn’t know how to boil water or clean a house or wash clothes. Yet we laughed at the few mistakes, like I said. I helped as much as I could and you learned. Pretty soon, you were making dinners that I used to fantasize about all the way home.
“There was Swiss steak and fried chicken to die for and this crab dish baked in the oven. And you did it on a pretty small budget, because we agreed I wouldn’t tap into my trust fund unless we needed to buy something big. And, of course, you wouldn’t take a penny of money from your father, which was fine with me. But we got by.
“We hardly ever quarreled. I’d get upset about small things, but I couldn’t stay angry with you. I tried so hard not to disappoint you, to make you glad you’d married me. I did pretty well, except maybe for that one time, the day when you arranged for a surprise outing. I hadn’t had a day off in ages and you wanted the day to be special. Only it didn’t quite work out, remember?”
Los Angeles, early December
“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Playfully, Tish pulled off the covers. “You’ve been sleeping for ten straight hours.” She sat down on the bed, leaning forward to stroke his morning beard. “If I leave you here much longer, you’ll wind up with bedsores.”
“Mmm,” Jeff murmured, trying to rouse himself. “Then you can play nurse.”
“Come on, lazybones.” She stood up. “I’ve got breakfast almost ready. You have time for a quick shower.”
Jeff yawned expansively, trying to remember what plans if any they’d made the night before. He’d been working so many shifts that the few hours he had off were a hazy blur. “Why are you rushing me? Are we going somewhere?”
“You bet we are. It’s a surprise.”
Slowly, he sat up, his feet hitting the floor as he ran a hand through his hair. “A surprise, eh?” Truth be known, he’d love to spend the rest of his day off right here in this bed. It seemed he never caught up on his sleep. However, it wasn’t that often they could spend time together and it was good to see Tish excited.
He gave her a smile. “Okay, boss. I’ll be there in ten.” He paddled into the bathroom.
It was more like fifteen minutes later that he made it into the kitchen, following his nose to the wonderful aroma of bacon. “I thought these cooking smells made you sick, babe?” he commented as he sat down at the table.
Tish carried over a plateful of bacon, eggs and toast and set it down in front of him before going back for her own. “It’s funny. Some days the smell of something as mild as chicken soup makes me queasy and other times I’m just fine.” She poured coffee for Jeff. “But coffee I can’t manage at all.”
He patted her still-flat belly as she stood alongside him. “Looks like junior’s going to dictate your menu for a while yet.”
“That’s all right,” Tish answered, sitting down. “She’ll be worth it, I’m sure.” She smiled at Jeff across the table.
This was one of their running jokes. “He’ll be worth it, you mean.”
“We’ll just see.” Tish glanced up at the clock on the wall alongside the phone, then began eating.
“Are we on a time schedule?” Jeff asked, digging in.
“No, not really. I’m just anxious to get going.”
And they did, stacking the dishes and grabbing their jackets. At the car, Tish held out her hand. “I have to drive. It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you which way to go.”
Going along with her, he handed over the keys and got into the passenger seat. “Do I have to close my eyes?” he asked as she started the car.
“It wouldn’t hurt. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to guess and you’ll distract me.” L.A. traffic was still so confusing.
“Okay.” Leaning back, he closed his eyes.
They’d been riding about ten minutes when Jeff’s beeper went off. As he straightened to check the number, he heard Tish groan.
“Oh, no! I forgot about the beeper.”
Jeff checked the number and recognized it immediately.
Slowing, Tish looked both annoyed and frustrated. “They can’t leave you alone, not even for a day. We got away from the phone, but they found you anyhow.” She pulled over to the curb. “I suppose you have to go to the hospital.”
Jeff turned to face her. “Honey, I’m a doctor. You know I can’t be completely out of touch.”
Tish sighed. “I know. I just wanted us to have a nice day, just one day, away from phones and hospitals.”
“We may be able to have that. It’s not the hospital beeping me.” Looking around, he spotted a phone booth up ahead. “Pull up over there, will you?”
Frowning, Tish did as he asked. “If it’s not the hospital, then who’s beeping you?”
“I’ll explain in a minute,” Jeff said, jumping out of the car and hurrying to the phone booth.
Tish watched him through the window, hoping it was just some little something he could straighten out on the phone. It wouldn’t have been East calling or Jeff would have told her. Impatiently, she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel until at last, he came jogging back. There was a worried expression on his face as he opened the driver’s door.
“Honey, I hate to spoil your surprise, but I’ve got to go see someone. I hope it won’t take long. Scoot over so I can drive.”
Easing herself over the divider, Tish didn’t bother to hide her disappointment. “But you said the call wasn’t from the hospital.”
“It wasn’t.” Quickly, Jeff checked the traffic then executed a neat U-turn before stepping heavily on the gas. “There’s this kid, only fifteen years old. Danny. He came into the ER one night when I was working there. His face was all beat up, a gash in his leg and he had a broken rib. He just hobbled in, bleeding, doubled over in pain. No money, no insurance, no one with him. I fixed him up and X rays showed several old healed fractures. I asked him what happened but he was reluctant to talk. After a while, I got him to trust me enough to tell me his stepfather beat him regularly and his mother was a drunk so he’d taken off last year, mostly living on the streets since, getting by on odd jobs.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” Her disappointment momentarily forgotten, Tish was all sympathy.
“Yeah, it is, and boy, could I relate. So I gave him a few bucks and a hot meal, then got him into a homeless shelter that night.” Jeff sighed wearily. “The next morning when I got to work, Danny was waiting for me, all bruised up again. Some older guy at the shelter had robbed him and beat on him because he thought he was holding out on him, that he’d hidden more money.”
“What a terrible life.” She looked at her husband’s profile, the way his jaw tightened. “Did you go through some of that?”
“Oh, yeah. Street people, especially the kids, are always scared. They’re prey to everyone and everything—older homeless guys, the police, the weather, or dogs on the loose. There is no one to help them if they get sick or comfort them if they are lonely and afraid.” He paused. “Anyhow, I talked to this woman I knew from a while back who took in teenagers, tried to give them another start. She agreed to take Danny in. I thought he was finally on the right track, but I just talked to her. Danny took off a couple of days ago and now this grocer called her, said he caught Danny stealing and he was going to call the cops if she didn’t go see him.”
“So instead, you’re going to go see him, right?”
“Honey,” he glanced over at her, placing his hand over hers, “I have to. I hope you understand. I promise not to take too long, but—”
“But you just can’t abandon Danny like almost everyone in his life has abandoned him. Of course, I understand.”
Jeff smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”
He had to go. Tish understood because he was who he was and couldn’t stand to ignore anyone in need. There’d be other days they’d share. “Don’t worry, Jeff. The surprise can wait.”
She watched as he turned into a neighborhood that had seen better days. There was a shabby apartment building, a pawn shop on the corner, a dry cleaners with a ripped awning hanging precariously from a rod, and a mom-and-pop grocery with fruits and vegetables displayed in crates outside. Iron gates were shoved aside during business hours, but Tish was certain that at night, this block looked like a prison.
It was hard not to feel guilty for having grown up far differently. It hadn’t been easy because of her father, but at least she hadn’t had to steal to eat or run away from beatings.
“Maybe there’s something I can do for Danny,” she suggested, though she hadn’t a clue what that might be. “I want to help you.”
“You’re helping me by being so understanding,” Jeff said as he parked in front of the grocer’s. “Why don’t you wait here until I check things out?” He left the car, looking around.
A woman pushing a baby carriage with a crying infant somewhere under a pile of groceries passed by, not even glancing up. Two young men huddled together smoking in the doorway of the pawn shop. A few cars drove by, most hurrying, wanting out of this rundown section. Otherwise, it was quiet.
Stepping toward the open doorway of the market, Jeff saw Danny sitting near the front with his left wrist handcuffed to the arm of a wooden chair. A pudgy balding grocer wearing a stained apron tied around his ample middle stood waiting, his small, mean eyes watchful.
Jeff walked over to Danny, saw the anger and humiliation in his dark eyes. And something else. Fear. “Are you all right?” he asked the boy.
Danny nodded toward the grocer. “He said he was going to call the cops in another ten minutes.” He lowered his voice, trying to keep out the trembling. “They’ll put me in the system, Jeff. I—”
Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder. “Easy.” He turned toward the grocer. “You do this a lot, handcuff kids?”
The eyes narrowed. “So what? I got a right to protect my property. That kid stole from me.”
Jeff’s voice was low, controlled. “What did he steal?”
“Two apples. But how do I know how many other times he stole? These kids around here, filth is what they are. They need to be locked up. Honest, hardworking people shouldn’t have to deal with them.”
Jeff glanced over his shoulder at the sign on the apples, then tossed a five-dollar bill at the man. “This is for the apples. Now unlock him.”
“No, no. That’s not enough. I lose business while I sit here and guard this thief. I’m going to call the cops. They know what to do with thieves.”
Jeff had known men like this grocer, those without compassion. Some used to try to sell him their rotted fruit at the end of a day. Stepping closer, so close he could smell the man’s stinking breath, he leaned down. “You ever been hungry, Pops? I mean so hungry your stomach almost caves in and you can’t remember the last time you ate? This boy knows that feeling and so do I.” Deliberately he let his eyes roam to the man’s fat belly and back up to his eyes, looking a little worried now. “No, I don’t suppose you ever have.”
Over his shoulder, Jeff glanced at the handcuffs on Danny. “Where’d you get those?”
“None—none of your business. I got ’em, that’s all.”
Turning back, Jeff examined the cuffs, then turned back to the grocer. “Police issue. I don’t suppose you’re a cop. How’d you get those, Pops?”
“I—I found ’em. You can’t prove no different.”
“Oh, sure. Police handcuffs, with the key and all, and you just found them. If you did, it was your duty as a citizen to turn them in. And by the way, it’s against the law for a civilian to handcuff someone.” Jeff drew in a breath and straightened, nodding to the phone on the wall. “So, you still want to call the cops?”
The grocer studied Jeff’s eyes, then turned away. “All right, just get him out of here.” He handed the key over.
Jeff unlocked Danny’s wrist. “I’ll just take these and give them to the nearest cop so you don’t get tempted to break the law again.”
Needing to have the last word, to save face, the grocer waved a fist at Danny. “I ever see you around here again, I call the cops for sure.”
Sliding his arm around Danny’s slim shoulders, Jeff led him over to the car, opened the back door and waited until Danny slipped in, then got behind the wheel. “Danny, this is my wife, Tish. Honey, this is the boy I’ve been telling you about.”
Tish turned and smiled at Danny who was looking clearly uncomfortable. “Hello, Danny.”
Not meeting her eyes, he mumbled a “H’lo.”
Jeff drove away from the market where the grocer stood glaring at them. “He didn’t hit you, did he?”
“Nah. I can handle guys like him.”
“I’m sure you can.” Jeff let that hang in the air a few minutes, until it sunk in to Danny that he hadn’t handled anyone.
“Jeff,” the kid began, “I’m sorry. I let you down. But that lady, she has so many kids in that tiny house. We’re sleeping on the floor, in chairs. This one kid kept coughing in my face all night, another was throwing up.”
“It’s okay. But stealing’s not the answer, either.”
They were in a much better neighborhood now and Jeff spotted a restaurant up
ahead. Stopping there, he and Tish took Danny inside and fed him. The boy could really eat, but then, he probably hadn’t had a decent meal in days, Jeff knew. He noticed that Tish, much to her credit, chatted with Danny, not by asking probing questions, but just talking. She drew the boy out and they both could see the longing in his eyes for someone to just listen, to care about what he thought.
Jeff finished his coffee and came to a decision. He wanted to help the boy, but it would be up to Danny. “Listen, Danny, yesterday I was talking to our caretaker, the woman who looks after our apartment building. Her husband died last year and her son’s away at college. She needs help running things. You know, yard work around the place, keeping the swimming pool up, some minor repairs and occasional paint touch-ups. She told me she was going to run an ad for someone. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in doing?
“Before you answer, understand that she couldn’t pay much, but if she meets you and likes you, she’d let you stay in her spare room. Maria’s a great little lady, but she’s got arthritis and can’t keep the place up anymore. I’d help you out when I can, but you have to enroll in school, keep good attendance, try. You’re probably behind, but you can catch up. I did.”
Danny was obviously remembering the talk they’d had where Jeff had told him his story of living on the streets and how he’d had to work really hard to overcome his past. But it was possible. The boy looked skeptical. “You’d do that for me? Why?”
“Because someone did it for me once. The thing about good deeds is that usually they multiply. Kind of neat, eh? I see potential in you, Danny. When you get through school and then college… No! Don’t look like that. I said I’d help you and college certainly is a very real possibility. But you have to do your part. No more running, no stealing. If you have a problem, you come to me.” Jeff turned to Tish, a question in his eyes. She nodded and he took her hand. “Both my wife and I will help you. What do you say?”