Paradise Lots 2 Lurleen Stays
The Doc Visits
Marie-Ann hadn't recognized her daughter, Lurleen, until she spoke. Not such a quiet night after all.
"I thought you never wanted to see this hellhole again," Marie-Ann said.
Lurleen said nothing, but shook her head. A fading bruise on her face showed through where she'd sweated off her makeup.
Marie-Ann slipped off the stool, poured another cup of coffee, and took it to Lurleen. "You might as well take a load off."
Lurleen slipped out of the backpack and folded into a chair.
"Did you hitchhike in?" Marie-Ann set the coffee on the table and sat on the other side.
"I walked from the interstate." Lurleen held the cup with both hands. "Didn't see a single car."
"Ten miles." Marie-Ann shrugged. "I reckon you ain't et today."
Lurleen shook her head again. "A trucker bought me breakfast." She raised her head and stared at her mother. "Can I stay here?"
Marie-Ann sighed. "Yeah, at least for tonight. We'll figure things out tomorrow, but things haven't changed here." She pushed herself to her feet, feeling older than ever. "Take #8. I'll send over some bedding and a sandwich."
"Thank you, Mama." Lurleen stood, picked up the backpack, and collapsed on the floor, out cold.
Marie-Ann felt for a pulse, weak but regular. Lurleen was breathing. The mother shook her head. Nothing good would come of this, but she couldn't turn her eldest away, even after their previous hard words and the ever-present I could've told you if you would've listened. Too late for any of that.
Marie-Ann pulled out her cell and dialed her concierge doctor, a retired sawbones. The ambulance was too far away and bad for business, all those flashing lights and sirens.
Then she opened the back door and whistled for Mac and Shorty to come get her daughter.
"Take her to #8, and let the Doc come in to see about her." She locked the register, and then she got sheets and a pillow out of the storeroom to make up the bed.
She walked out the back, down the short boardwalk path to the trailer, and unlocked the door. The place was still clean, if a bit musty. She threw a sheet over the mattress and let the boys lay Lurleen out on the bed.
"Tell Darlene to come get the register key," Marie-Ann said, "and watch for Doc. Bring him around, and keep it quiet. I don't need everybody knowing about her just yet."
The last girl who worked this trailer was a lot like Lurleen, too smart for her own good
and too dumb to hide it. Marie-Ann had sent her packing, but hadn't found another girl yet. She hadn't really looked.
Maybe she was getting soft in her old age, but she wasn't surprised to see Lurleen. She'd dreamed about her twice this week, another bad sign. Seems like her dreams were only warnings of bad stuff she couldn't do anything about.
Someone knocked.
"Come in," Marie-Ann said.
Darlene stuck her head in. "You wanted me?"
Marie-Ann handed her the register key. "I won't be long. You're in charge until I get back. You know the drill."
"Yes, Mama." She peered over at the bed. "Who's that?"
"Your sister. Now go on. Can't leave people waiting."
A brief smirk passed across Darlene's face before she could suppress it, but she said nothing, closing the door behind her.
As Marie-Ann thought about what to do, she undressed her daughter, finding more bruises and a few scars. Her arms bore old tracks, but no new ones. Maybe she was trying to get clean. Running away?
Her husband Dean would look here first, if he came after her. It must have been bad for her to come back here—no place else to go. No other choices.
Lurleen was tough, a scrapper from her elementary school days. She'd gone off to college three years ago, much against everyone's advice, but seemed to be doing good. Now this.
Marie-Ann threw a sheet over her daughter, not tucking her in, but covering her naked body out of some unfamiliar motherly impulse.
Footsteps sounded on the walk, then a knock on the door. Doc pushed the door open and came in, mostly sober. He wore jeans and a Hard Rock Café t-shirt, carrying his kit in a gym bag. It wouldn't be good for a doc with a revoked license to be seen carrying a doctor's bag, even here.
He nodded. "What've we got here?"
"Exhaustion, most likely," Marie-Ann said. "She came in, we talked for a minute, and then she fell out."
Doc checked Lurleen's pulse, looked into her eyes, listened to her heart and breathing. He examined her arms, pressed on her stomach, and tested for reflexes on her feet. He'd been a good doctor once, just a bit too generous with prescriptions and insurance claims.
When he finished, he covered her and packed his tools. "I don't see anything wrong that rest and food won't cure. Take her to the health department for the usual testing, but I think you're right about exhaustion."
"Thanks for coming. Your usual fee?"
He liked Marlene, another sister, and was her regular. He shook his head. "No, I'm actually a bit short of cash this week."
"Cash it is, then." Marie-Ann left the lights on and checked that the cameras were focused on the bed. They went back to the Café.
Doc sat at the bar, while Marie-Ann checked her monitors and sent Darlene back to her trailer. She poured herself another cup of coffee and got a beer for Doc, along with his payment.
"Are you going to keep her on?" Doc pocketed the money. "It didn't go well the last time."
"It's too soon to tell."
Well written!