Lacy's End (14 page)

He laughed.

“It’s not funny,” she said.

He shook his head. “Yeah, it is. I just had this vision of you trying to stand up to Peter Waldrip, the mighty sheriff.” He sobered. “It wasn’t a pretty image.”

“You have to help me, Allen.”

“Of course, I’ll help you. Come with me.”

He propelled her down the corridor, his hand clutching tightly to her elbow as if she were a naughty pupil being escorted to the principal’s office. Patients and hospital staff stared as they passed, making her feel even more as if she were in high school.

They came to a stop in front of the security office. Allen opened the door and nudged her inside. She went, hesitantly. The chief officer, Harry Bing, was sitting behind a desk, filling in some kind of paperwork. He didn’t look up when they entered but said, “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

They patiently waited. Allen still held her elbow in his grasp. She pulled it free. “I’m not going to run away.”

He smiled. “Sorry.”

The chief looked up, registered the face, and said, “Hey, Dr. Petoro. What can I do for you?”

Allen handed him the paperwork. “I have a court order barring Sheriff Waldrip access to his daughter.”

The chief’s mouth opened in a wide O, and his eyes bulged in his socket. He shook his head. “No way, man. I’m not enforcing that one.” He tried to hand it back to him.

“You will,” Dr. Petoro said. He thrust the papers back at him. “Court order!”

Chief Bing looked at the papers but didn’t take them. He shook his head again, sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“He doesn’t own the whole damned town,” Angela said.

The chief laughed. “Says you.” Then he turned solemn. “I’ll not risk my deputies’ lives. Got that?”

“It’s their job,” Angela said. She turned and stalked out the door.

***

Lacy had a deck of cards laid out. “It’s your turn, Jake.”

When he didn’t go right away, Lacy reached over and turned a card.

“Hey,” Jake said. “Why’d you do that?”

“I can’t wait all day.” Lacy grinned. “I’m getting out of here soon.”

Jake raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yep,” she said, shining with confidence. “I’m feeling great.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

She frowned at him. “Not you, too, Jake. I thought you were on my side.”

“I am on your side,” he said. “I’m just asking a question.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will,” he said.

She smiled at him. “I’m so glad I met you, Jake. I was so lost without a friend to confide in. I really want to introduce you to my mom.”

He gave her a weak smile. “Maybe soon,” he said.

“Why not now, Jake? Why do we have to wait?”

“It’s not time.”

He turned toward the door, alerted by a noise. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

He stood and disappeared into the bathroom just as the door to her room opened.

Dr. Petoro and Angela walked in. They eyed the card game laid out on the table. They looked around the room, finding it empty of visitors. Angela asked. “What are you playing?”

Lacy began to pick up the game. “Rummy.”

“Don’t you need two people for that?”

She shrugged. “My friend Jake was here. He had to leave, though.”

They were both staring at her. She didn’t like the way they were looking at her. “What’s wrong?” she asked. She looked directly at Dr. Petoro. “I’m leaving today. No more stalling.” Her look was stern.

He shook his head. “That’s going to be up to you, Lacy.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She didn’t like the conspiratorial look on their faces, and when they looked at each other, the pregnant silence made her uneasy. Her rushing adrenaline made her monitor give a slight beep. She breathed slowly in and out until she felt her body relax. She wasn’t going to let them keep her any longer than she had to. She took another one, breathing in and out until she felt her body relax, like her yoga instructor in gym class had instructed. Her monitor returned to normal. She smiled and tried again. “What do you mean by that?”

Allen walked over to the monitor, checking the readouts. What was he looking for—signs of distress? Or was he stalling?

Lacy shifted her gaze between Dr. Petoro and Angela. “What is going on here?” she demanded. She set her jaw with a little more determination. I said, “What is going on here?” When they still didn’t answer, she screamed, “What is going on here!”

She flung back the covers, attempting to get out of bed. Allen rushed to her side, forcing her back down on the bed. Her breathing became rapid, her chest heaving as she spat, “Let me go,” between clenched teeth. Her monitor began to beep.

“Calm down, Lacy,” Dr. Petoro said.

Lacy’s glance stole to the bathroom door. “Jake,” she called. “Jake,” she called again. “I need you, Jake. Can you hear me?” She began to cry, calling Jake’s name between sobs.

Allen and Angela looked at each other, then at the door to which Lacy seemed to be calling.

“Oh, Jake…” she moaned. “Why won’t you come to me?”

Allen pushed a call button to talk to the nurse. She answered, “Yes?”

“Bring in some Ativan,” he said.

“Yes, Doctor, right away.”

“No!” Lacy screamed. “I don’t want more drugs. I just want to go home.”

Dr. Petoro looked directly into Lacy’s angry eyes. “Then listen to me.”

The nurse entered carrying the syringe. Lacy looked at Dr. Petoro with pleading eyes. “Please,” she said, already visibly calming. “I don’t want any more of that stuff.”

“Are you going to calm yourself?”

She nodded.

Dr. Petoro looked at the numbers on the monitor, saw that her blood pressure was beginning to come down. He held his hand up to stay the nurse. “Hold it a minute,” he said.

The nurse nodded, backed herself into a corner of the room to await further instructions.

“I have to tell you something, Lacy. And how you react to the news is going to determine whether you get that shot over there.” He gestured toward the nurse. “Are you ready to listen?”

Lacy eyed him suspiciously but nodded.

He pointed at Angela. “You know what Angela’s job is, right?” Lacy nodded. “You can go home today, on two conditions.” He paused, waiting for her to protest. What he saw was hope. “Angela, because of her job, can’t let you return to your home right now.”

“But, you said—” Lacy began, but Dr. Petoro cut her off.

“That’s one of the conditions. A judge has given Angela temporary guardianship over you, and your dad can’t be near you until this whole thing with your father gets sorted out.”

Lacy shook her head. “No! I can’t leave my mother. My mom needs me,” she protested. “What will my dad think? What will my dad do?” Lacy asked. Her eyes went glassy, the first sign of the tears that would well up in the corners of her eyes. She looked at both of them and then past them as she smiled and said, “Jake. Please help me, Jake.”

Angela and Allen stared at each other, looked over their shoulders and narrowed their eyes. Allen nodded inquiringly at Angela, tipping his head slightly. Angela shook her head while shrugging her shoulders.

Lacy began to sob softly. “Please, Jake,” she moaned, but Jake only shook his head. “I’m sorry, Lacy. I can’t interfere.”

Lacy dropped her shoulders in defeat, looked directly into Angela’s eyes, and said, “All right, I’ll go.”

She dressed with a heavy heart. Jake had gone again and hadn’t returned. She was grateful for that because she was slightly irritated with him. What good was a friend if you couldn’t count on him to back you when you needed it?

“Ready?” Angela asked.

Lacy nodded and somberly followed her out of the hospital.

***

The Waldrip’s home was pleasant enough, as trailers go, that is. It was clean, open, smelled like lilac most times. Lysol and bleach dominated the air at others.

Brenda Waldrip was a demon of clean, as her father always had called her. Brenda would often scrub with raw fury, trying to get off stains visible only to her. Lacy wondered if she secretly was trying to scrub clean her life.

Angela’s home was comfortable. An old sofa, clean and in good condition, occupied an entire wall in the cozy living room. On a table in front of the couch sat various magazines begging someone to read them. Lacy sat down and picked one up, scanning the cover for articles that might interest her. There were several items on abandoned children—begging for adoptive parents, Lacy guessed. On page five, there was an article about supporting the Haiti disaster. Lacy read this with a saddened heart. She wondered what she might do to help.

Angela sent Lacy in ahead of her while she checked the mailbox. Now she opened the door, struggling with a large package. She scowled when Lacy didn’t rush to help. Angela leaned against the doorframe, trying to brace herself. “Excuse me, Miss…”

Lacy turned, jumping to her feet. “Oh, sorry,” she said, grabbing hold of half the box. “What’s in here?”

“Pamphlets,” she wheezed, as they set down the box.

Boldly, Lacy ripped open the package and began leafing through them.

Angela stood back, folded her arms across her chest. “Help yourself.”

Lacy looked up. She blushed as she returned to scavenging. “What are all these for?”

“I’m giving a talk on drug abuse at the high school next week.”

Lacy shook her head. “They aren’t going to listen to you.”

Angela sighed. “At least one will.”

Lacy narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What?”

Angela repeated, “At least one will.”

“What does that mean?”

Angela’s eyes misted over as a long-ago memory, filed in the recess of her mind, surfaced. Angela had been seventeen. Her sister, Brittany, was fifteen, when Jasper Perry had entered their lives.

Jasper had been sexy and charming, the tall, dark Hollywood type. He was dashing, debonair, and old enough to be their father. Their mother had brought him home from a party one night.

“You girls be nice to him,” her mother had said, grinning slyly. “If all goes well, he’ll be your new daddy.”

The first time he struck her, Angela struck back, letting him know clearly, she would take no shit from him. Brittany hadn’t been so bold, or so lucky. Jasper had beaten her so badly that he put her in a coma, where she lay for six months before finally slipping away. Their mother had grieved for a short while, and she and Angela spent many nights sitting beside Brittany’s bed just reading or talking to her. But after awhile, Jasper began demanding his wife come home and tend to his needs. Angela continued to sit by Brittany’s, bed and when she finally died, Angela was holding her hand.

Angela shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Lacy. I have to keep trying.”

Lacy replaced the brochures back into the box. She looked around at the modest décor. Pink curtains draped over windows, accenting the wooden blinds that hung there. Standing in front of the window, she could see a small, well-manicured yard,  A large vase filled with silk roses stood on a table in the entryway. A coat rack stood on the other side of the door. Lacy watched Angela remove her jacket and hang it on the rack. “You have a nice place.”

Angela smiled. “Thanks. Are you hungry?”

Lacy shrugged. “I could eat.”

Angela began to walk toward a room that Lacy assumed was a kitchen. Angela motioned with her hand for Lacy to follow. “Feel like helping?”

“Sure,” Lacy said. “I’m a whiz in the kitchen.”

Angela smiled. “Somehow, I figured you were.”

They set to work chopping, slicing, and sizzling until they had all the makings for BLT sandwiches. Lacy shook her head when Angela offered her mayonnaise. “No thanks.” She grabbed the mustard instead.

As Angela chewed, Lacy watched her. Growing uncomfortable after a few moments, Angela set down her sandwich. She shrugged her shoulders while making a palm up gesture with her hands. “What?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“If you mean why am I helping you, it’s my job.”

Lacy shook her head. “I don’t buy it. There’s more.”

Angela changed the subject. “Sorry, all I have to offer tonight is the couch. I’ll order a bed tomorrow and set it up in my office.”

“Don’t bother. I don’t plan on being here that long.”

Angela stared at Lacy, trying to figure her out. “You don’t owe your mother this. It’s her job to keep you safe, not the other way around.”

“Mom’s weak. She needs me.”

Angela felt her anger flare. She started to protest but changed her mind. She wouldn’t get anywhere arguing with Lacy. “How are things for you at school?”

Lacy shrugged, picked up a potato chip and set it back down. “I haven’t been to school for a week.”

“I mean overall. Do you like school? Do you have many friends?”