Doc opens the door before I knock, he stands from his wheelchair on one leg, wraps me in a bear hug and laughs warmly.
“Malone, about damn time one of you sons of bitches comes to visit me.”
I am relieved to see that he seems happy.
“Well, we did try to tell you not to move out here to BFE.”
“Yeah, yeah, come on let’s sit on the porch. Do you want a beer, water…I think Helen made some sweet tea?”
My eyebrows shoot up at the mention of a lady.
“No thanks I’m good right now. Who’s Helen?”
He lets out a bark of laughter.
“I told you I didn’t want a bunch of hairy, stinky babysitters, Helen, is a sweet, beauty.”
“Oh, is it something serious?”
“Nah, she’s just using me for beer money, but then I’m just using her for sex…we have a mutually beneficial understanding.”
“Sounds like a classy arrangement.”
“Don’t judge Malone, she’s a good lady, and what we have is honest and forthright. That’s a hell of a lot more than I can say for most relationships.”
I look down at Doc’s leg.
“So, where’s your, prosthetic?”
“Ah, the damn thing hurts like hell. I don’t think the thing fits right. But it takes months to get in at the VA.”
We sit on the porch for an hour or so catching up and talking about the team. Until an old, beat up, white Toyota Prius drives up, it was one of the first hybrids, God knows how many miles that car has on it. Out steps, who I can only assume is Helen. She was clearly very pretty in her day. Petite build, blond hair and sparkling blue green eyes. Her face shows the wear of, too much drinking and based on the cloud of smoke that exits the car with her and the cigarette hanging from her mouth, a serious chain-smoking addiction. She walks up the steps and smiles at us brightly with surprisingly white teeth.
“Hi, sugar.”
She bends down and plants a kiss on Doc’s mouth with overly red lips, and he gives her bottom a squeeze. I can’t help smiling at this new version of Doc. He’s so unguarded and relaxed.
“Get me a beer, will you babe.”
“Sure thing... anything else…you want something to snack on?”
“Nah, maybe later”
Helen bounces up and scampers into the trailer, with the energy of a bottle of champagne that has just been uncorked. She returns seconds later with three beers. She passes them out and pulls out a chair.
“So, who’s your pretty, friend sugar?”
“This is Malone, one of my brothers from the unit.”
She smiles at me, and I know instantly who is responsible for the change in Doc’s demeanor. She is a natural care giver and radiates with a kind of warm, soothing, happiness, like when the sun comes out on a gloomy day. She chats with us animatedly for about twenty minutes, until the door to the trailer across the dirt road opens. We all watch as a scrawny girl, maybe eleven or twelve steps out, and walks toward a garden next to her trailer. She carries a shallow wicker basket. I get a feeling of unease that I don’t quite understand, until she turns. I see her little face marred with a black eye. I immediately break out in a cold sweat and my heart races. Fueled by fury I am ready in an instant to go kick some ass. Doc places a restraining hand on top of my shoulder, just before I bolt out of my seat. I look at him unable to remove the rage in my eyes, and I see the wisdom and compassion in his.
“That’s not the way to play this Malone…you gotta think of the long game.”
“In the long game she ends up dead. Look at her, she’s tiny how many beatings can she take.”
“She’s tougher than you think, and she knows when to run.”
I look at him with doubtful eyes, but finally calm myself.
Doc looks to Helen.
“Call her over babe, and see if she’s hungry, I’ll check out her eye.”
“Edie, come over here, honey.”
She looks up and hesitantly puts down her basket, then walks over. Helen immediately goes into mothering mode, and I can’t help but think of Mrs. Hollock, and how she was always there for me.
“Honey, are you hungry?”
She nods her head, looking wide eyed at me. I can only assume to her, I am just a frightening, strange man. Helen wraps her arm around the girl’s shoulders and ushers her inside, but I can hear her whisper in her ear as they go.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s just a big teddy bear, like Doc.”
I laugh out loud as the door shuts.
“You know, teddy bear was my first impression of you also.”
He looks at me with one arched eyebrow.
“Jack ass”
We both laugh, and just then Helen pokes her head out the door.
“Sugar you don’t have much in your fridge, do you want me to run to the store?”
“Yeah babe, grab my wallet.”
Helen and Edie come outside and Helen hands Doc his wallet, he hands her a few bills.
“Just run up to the quickie mart and grab some chicken for dinner. Get some more beer and cigarettes if you need them, and whatever pile of sugar Edie wants.”
She kisses him on the forehead and looks him in the eyes. It seems casual, but for just a second the moment is intense.
“Be back in a few.” She gives him a wink, and then Helen and Edie set off hand in hand.
It is
