by Baxter, Cole
"Did she tell you how that happened?"
"Only that she was helping a friend."
Mary sighed. "Well, I'm that friend."
Shannon frowned, clearly not understanding anything, which was natural since she knew nothing about Nick. "Is everything okay?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting . . ." Mary started thinking out loud.
Burdened by the fact that Nick had died, and in such a horrible manner, it was quite possible that she was looking for trouble when there was none. Mary could have had a moment of doubt and nothing more.
"Tell me," Shannon insisted.
So she did. "To tell you about what is happening, you need to know a little backstory about me, first."
"Okay."
Telling Shannon about Nick wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. As it turned out, Shannon was a good listener, and her insight about some occurrences was quite helpful. Once Mary finished the story about Nick, she returned to Ruby and how she’d saved her, helped her when Mary needed help the most.
Unfortunately, after that, things started to change. Mary recounted how Ruby appeared to experience a lot of mood swings, especially when things didn't go her way.
Mary expressed all her concerns about her friend regarding her behavior and how she kept picking on her. Apparently, even when she was trying to do the right thing, Mary ended up doing the wrong thing.
Shannon was very sympathetic toward everything she heard. "I have to admit that the reason I stopped spending so much time with her is that I noticed all the same signs you’re now referring to. Although I simply believed she was just too high-maintenance until you shared all of this with me. Now, I'm not so sure." Shannon paused to catch her breath. "Frankly, I have too much of my own drama to add Ruby's to the mix."
Mary thought that was a bit too harsh but didn't comment on it.
"Although,'" Shannon continued, unaware of Mary's little reverie. "Listening to you speak, I have to wonder about her motives."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, her interfering during your argument with Nick, and getting hurt by him . . . whether she had done it on purpose."
Mary was shocked that Shannon would suggest such a thing. "She didn't fake that," Mary argued, setting the record straight. "I saw Nick pushing her."
"I'm sure," Shannon replied in a calm manner. "Just, what if she provoked him on purpose?"
"Why? Why would she do such a thing?" Mary demanded, rattled by where this conversation was going.
Shannon shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe to have leverage over you. You said it yourself—she treats you like a slave now."
Those were not Mary's precise words. "That's too harsh. She's an old woman. Of course she needs help."
"You're too nice," Shannon said with a shake of her head.
Mary frowned. "Why do people keep saying that to me?"
"Because it's true," Shannon replied, slightly amused by Mary's reaction.
"Ha-ha, very funny."
"And another thing." Shannon got serious once again. "I think your therapist was on to something."
"In what regard?"
"Ruby does appear to be a bit unstable."
"After everything she's been through, I think she's allowed a little bit of eccentricity," Mary argued.
"Look, if I'm right and she did manage to orchestrate all that, got herself hurt on purpose, then there is no telling what else she can do," Shannon warned.
"Don't say that. It's too horrible to contemplate something like that," Mary denied with all her being.
On the other hand, Shannon was relentless. "You need to try and keep your distance from her as well."
"I can't. She needs me. At least until she has her cast off."
"As I said, too nice."
Chapter Twenty
After the last argument Mary had with Ruby, she intentionally avoided her phone calls for two days. She went to check up on her, bring her hot meals and some fruits, but didn't linger. It was hard keeping a distance. Mary felt like it was something that needed to be done.
At the same time, she still believed Shannon was overreacting with her assessment when she said all those things, but it was an irrefutable fact that Ruby was a bit clingy.
When Ruby texted her asking if Mary would be so kind as to go with her to the doctor's office since her cast was coming off, Mary relented.
Of course I will go with you, she immediately texted back, rushing to meet her.
"How's that feel?" the doctor asked Ruby once he took care of the cast.
Ruby looked at Mary first, and Mary encouragingly smiled back, before she answered, "To be perfectly honest, Doctor, a little odd, as though it didn't heal the right way."
"It healed properly," the doctor immediately reassured her.
"But it's so stiff," Ruby complained.
"That's perfectly normal, Mrs. Thompson. You will need some rehabilitation, of course. I am confident that your motor skills will return and be at one hundred percent."
For some reason, Ruby looked displeased upon hearing that, though the news was good.
"Thank you, Doctor," she eventually said.
"Free at last," Mary joked once they left the hospital, trying to cheer Ruby up since she still looked a bit down. "How about we celebrate this by going to Marty's?" she suggested.
Ruby beamed, instantly cheered, like Mary hoped she would be. "That is one excellent idea. My treat, of course," Ruby added generously. She was always like that when in a good mood.
Mary ordered a caramel cake that was simply to die for, and Ruby stuck to her usual cake, tropical delight with pecans.
After they ate, Mary realized she'd stayed much longer than she’d intended to.
She had piles of work to sort through before going to bed. Once the bill was settled. they exited the shop. Ruby was in the middle of some story, chatting away as usual, when Mary felt the need to interrupt her.
"Ruby, it's getting late. I really need to get going now," she told the other woman apologetically.
Ruby's good mood disappeared in an instant. "What? What do you mean, you have to go? Aren't you coming home with me?" she demanded, clearly surprised, with just a dash of hurt.
"Your cast is off, and you don't need me so much anymore," Mary countered.
"That's not true. My hand still hurts me. It feels so stiff and useless, and I can't manage without you," she complained, almost in a panic.
Mary felt torn. She was backlogged at work. Alisa was giving her more responsibilities than usual since she had stepped up and proven herself very capable during that crisis. Not to mention, she really needed to start going to therapy again. She hadn't even told Dr. Carson that Nick had died, for crying out loud. She needed a break.
When she tried to explain all of this to Ruby, minus the part about her therapist, Ruby became enraged.
"I wish I were more like that, thinking only about myself when you were in need. When Nick tried to harm you, banging against your door like a madman and I was the one who stopped him," she reminded, as if Mary could ever forget.
"You stayed inside while I dealt with him. If I didn't, then maybe I would have all my limbs intact and in working order, without a care in the world," she ranted.
Guilt instantly washed over Mary. Ruby was right. She had been injured because of her, because of her cowardice, and it was Mary's responsibility to take care of her friend now.
Instantly, Shannon came to mind, warning her to stay vigilant.
What if Ruby was trying to manipulate her? Was she guilting Mary into having her way? Was her fear of being alone that strong? What to do? What to say? Mary was beyond confused.
Since Mary couldn't know for sure what was going on, she said, "I am so sorry, Ruby. You are absolutely right. I will make it up to you, but I really have to get going now."
"Mary . . ."
"Please, Ruby, try to understand. I can't afford to get fired at the moment."
Ruby huffed, clearly prepared to reply, when
her expression changed. She transformed from anger to surprise and pain in mere seconds. Ruby grabbed her head with both her hands and grimaced, starting to moan.
"Ruby, are you okay?" Mary asked, instantly alarmed.
Ruby didn't reply to her . . . because she couldn't or wouldn't, Mary wasn't sure.
"Ruby?" she tried again.
In the next instant, the other woman slumped to the ground.
"Ruby," Mary screamed, reaching to catch her. Unfortunately, she was too slow and too far away.
Ruby sprawled to the ground and started to thrash about uncontrollably. She was having another one of her seizures.
Oh, no, what have I done?
"Ruby!" Mary fell to her knees next to her friend, feeling at a loss, not knowing what to do.
"Please, can somebody help us?" she screamed, praying like crazy that this time, somebody would listen. Luckily, people rushed from all sides in an instant, answering to her pleas, even exiting from the pastry shop they’d just visited.
"I'm a doctor," a young woman said, and the crowd parted, letting her pass.
Thank God.
"What happened?" the young doctor inquired.
"I don't know, she just collapsed. She has some type of seizures," Mary replied lamely, finally being confronted with a harsh reality that she didn't have a clue about anything. Ruby had never wanted to speak about her disease, and now when she really needed to, Mary couldn't help. She felt completely useless.
The doctor nodded. "Move out of the way," she told the people around them.
"Ma'am, can you hear me?" she asked Ruby. She was unresponsive.
"It looks like an epileptic seizure," the doctor said. "Did she take anything? Drugs?"
"No, of course not."
The doctor, looking at her watch, took Ruby and gently placed her on her side. That didn't stop Ruby from moving about, though Mary thought the movements lost some of their power.
"Does this happen frequently?" the doctor asked Mary.
"I've only witnessed one, a couple of months ago."
The other woman nodded again.
"Is she going to be all right?"
"I'll do my best," she replied, which Mary didn't find reassuring. At the same time, she understood the doctor couldn't go around making promises she might not keep.
"Can somebody call nine-one-one?" the doctor asked the people around, and one young man waved with his phone.
"Already on their way."
"Thank you."
Ruby, please wake up, Mary prayed with all her might. Another agonizing minute passed, and Ruby started to thrash less until she completely stilled.
"Ma'am, can you hear me?" the doctor tried again.
Ruby's eyes fluttered open and Mary sighed with relief. She's finally responsive.
"What happened?" Ruby asked, clearly alarmed to wake up in such a manner and discover that she had been watched over by a stranger.
This fit ended a lot faster, but Mary believed it was more violent than the one on the train. Poor Ruby.
"Can you tell me your name?" the doctor asked, checking her vitals.
"Ruby Thompson."
The doctor looked at Mary and she nodded in confirmation.
"Good," the doctor continued. "Can you tell me what date it is?"
As the doctor continued to question Ruby, making sure she didn't sustain any brain damage, Mary chastised herself for upsetting her friend so greatly that the other woman had actually had a seizure. Ruby was a very ill woman and any kind of stress could be fatal for her, Mary realized.
The doctor helped Ruby to sit and Mary rushed to support her as well.
"The ambulance should arrive in a couple of minutes," the doctor reassured them both.
Ruby started shaking her head before the doctor finished her sentence. "No doctors, no hospital," Ruby announced in a weak voice, surprising them both. "I just need my pills."
While the doctor tried to reason with Ruby, Mary fetched Ruby's bag, which had fallen to the ground. Rummaging about, she found a decorative casing and figured that must be it before presenting it to Ruby.
"Thank you, honey." She opened it up with shaky hands and took two.
"What are those for?"
"I'm an old woman, doctor. I take a lot of pills to keep functioning."
"You need to go to the hospital and have a checkup," the doctor insisted.
"I will, I promise. For now, I just wish to go home. I'm fine, I promise."
Taking her medication, Ruby was strong enough to stand with a little bit of help. The crowd started to disperse now that the emergency was over and the tale had a happy ending.
"Thank you, Doctor," Mary told the other woman, who simply nodded in return.
"Glad I was there to help. And remember, Mrs. Thompson, go and see your doctor," she insisted before she said her goodbyes.
Mary apologized to the emergency medics, who looked very pissed off that they came all this way for nothing, before returning to Ruby's side.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"
"Just take me home."
"All right."
Mary hailed them a taxi, and on their way to Ruby's apartment, the other woman dozed off a couple of times, giving Mary the opportunity to think about everything that happened. Mary was very upset, and on so many levels, her mind was working overtime.
Ruby immediately fell asleep once Mary put her to bed, and she figured the seizure had really exhausted her this time around.
I guess you got what you wanted. I'm here, Mary thought sarcastically. Usually, she would feel ashamed for having such thoughts, yet this time it made her pause. She had a lot of time to think things over on the cab ride, and some things just did not add up. It was very convenient how Ruby had an epileptic fit right at that precise moment when Mary wanted to leave.
You are losing your mind, Mary, she informed herself, except she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being played.
I need to know the truth about what’s going on. Luckily, she was in the right place if she truly wished to get some answers.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mary didn't feel comfortable snooping around Ruby's house. However, she really didn't see another way to get to the bottom of things. She knew something was wrong, and now it was time to get proof. While she pondered where to start with her search for answers, she absentmindedly started sorting through Ruby's mail, like many times before.
She stumbled upon a medical bill. Usually, she would just place that in Ruby's medical file that she kept in her writing desk. This time, it gave Mary an idea.
To better understand what was going on, Mary would go through Ruby's medical history. She was very much aware of what an invasion of privacy that was, yet desperate times called for desperate measures.
She rationalized that reading through it would provide her with much-required insight, if not concrete answers. Besides, it was time Mary knew what type of a disease Ruby was dealing with so she could help her the next time she was in need, if nothing else.
Mary suspected it was some sort of epilepsy. Assuming and knowing were two vastly different things. Mary knew nothing about that disease, and today, it became apparent that she needed to educate herself. I am doing the right thing.
Making sure Ruby was still asleep and would be down for the count for at least a couple of hours more, Mary went to work. She walked on tiptoes, trying to quench the feeling that she was doing something wrong, and getting to the desk, she pulled out Ruby's file.
It was thick, Mary noted with concern. Settling in a chair, she opened it and started to read. Sorting through the bills, and there were a lot of them, she quickly managed to find a copy of her medical records.
Here we go.
Mary couldn't understand everything since it was filled with technical terms and medical language. One thing became apparent, though.
Mary read a couple of sections the second time around, needing to be completely sure. WTF? she thought, feeling
completely confused.
Ruby didn't have epilepsy at all. As far as she could tell, she was healthy for a woman her age. Of any age, she corrected herself. So why does she act as though she has it? That was the real question. Needing an answer, Mary continued reading.
Ruby had a record of visiting hospitals multiple times a year, practically once every month for malingering. Mary was unfamiliar with the term, so she looked it up on her phone.
Malingering is the purposeful production of falsely or grossly exaggerated physical and/or psychological symptoms with the goal of receiving a reward, she read. Apparently, Ruby was only seeking attention by going to the doctors.
Oh, Ruby.
She really was completely alone, especially after losing her daughter and needing any kind of comfort, so she intentionally hurt herself or exaggerated her condition so the doctors would look after her, even for a little while. Mary's heart broke just a little realizing how lonely Ruby felt.
It was apparent that her friend needed help from a therapist, though she detested them the most. All the same, it was still quite sad.
Slightly rattled by what she learned, Mary continued to dig further. Sifting through the files, she frowned, stumbling upon an additional file that was marked as Creedmoor Psychiatric Center. Ruby was institutionalized?
Alarmed, Mary opened it up and discovered she was dead wrong. Ruby was committed many times in the past. She was shocked beyond measure to read some of the medical assessments from one Doctor Josef Madsen, who was apparently Ruby's psychiatrist while she was a resident of that facility.
No wonder she didn't like those kinds of doctors. She’d spent too much time dealing with them.
Doctor Josef Madsen diagnosed Ruby to be suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissism, and she had history of being forcibly hospitalized due to suicide threats.
Oh, my God. Ruby was not sad or alone. She was unbalanced. Mary's heart started to pound like crazy reading all that, feeling as though she was learning about somebody else entirely and not her Ruby.
Does it really? a part of her rebelled, remembering all the intense moments they’d shared, Ruby's fits of anger, and her inability to be alone. When all that was happening, Mary rationalized it as her grieving and needing someone to lean on. As it turned out, she was way off.