Michael Collings - The Slab

Jack crossed the room and laid one hand on Mark’s other arm.

“How’s he doing.”

“Compound fracture. But you probably guessed that. Doesn’t look terribly serious but we’ll have to keep him here at least over night to stitch him up and set the arm. Then keep him under observation. Infection, you know.”

At least they got the one that was fairly easy to understand, Jack thought. Spoke decent English.

The doctor had not looked up but kept his attention riveted on what he was doing.

“He fell out of a tree,” Jack said. “Bunch of kids were out back playing in the tree. He fell.” Jack ended weakly. He’d already said that. Enough.

The doctor shook his head slightly, up and down just sufficiently to indicate that he’d heard but not enough to invite further discussion.

“Mark?” the doctor said. “How does it feel now. I’ve given you a shot that should help.”

The boy still kept his eyes closed. “Okay, I guess. Numb now.”

“Mark, what happened?”

“I just told…,” Jack began.

The doctor held up one hand. Jack shut up.

“What happened?”

“I was up in the top of the old tree and slipped. Fell onto another branch. It broke and I fell all the way down. It hurt.”

“Mr. Merrick?” The voice came from behind Jack.

He stood and turned to face the woman. Hatchet-faced old broad.

“Would you step out into the hall with me, please?”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Please step outside, Mr. Merrick. We can talk more freely there.”

Jack patted Mark’s good arm, then stalked out of the room.

“Okay, what the hell is this about? Who are you?”

“Orinda Washington. Hospital liaison with County Child Services.”

“Child… I don’t have to talk to you.” Jack turned and began opening the door to Mark’s room.

“Yes, I’m afraid you do, Mr. Merrick. Here and alone with me, or in my office with a security officer.”

Jack stared.

“What do you mean. Mark fell! A dozen kids saw it!”

“That’s what the boy said. Before you came in. It’s what we expected him to say, that he fell from something. Of course, we’ll have an officer at your home shortly to verify what happened.”

“Then what…!”

She held up a hand, not to placate him but to stop him.

“Your son’s file was flagged, Mr. Merrick. Both your sons’ files, as a matter of fact. And your wife’s. In fact, you are the only member of your family whose file in the ER is not flagged.”

“This was an accident! How many times do I have to tell you people that. Mark is clumsy, he climbed too high, and he fell. End of story.”

“This time, perhaps. But we’ve established a…what shall we call it…a cut-off point, where the signals become too obvious to be missed. This time might have been an accident. The last time also. But so many times in less than three years? That worries us.”

“Worries you? What the hell have you got to be worried about?”

“Actually, Mr. Merrick, perhaps you are the one that should be worried.”

“Are you threatening me? Because if you are, I’ll sic my lawyer on you-and this dipshit hospital-so fast that…”

“Not a threat, Mr. Merrick. Not even a warning. Just a word of advice. We are worried about Mark and Clark…and Ariel, as well. We just wanted to know that their files are flagged.”

“Yeah, well you’re not the only hospital that…”

“There are only two hospitals in Tamarind Valley. Oak Glen and County. We share information about certain cases. All of our information. It would be wise if we never saw…”

Jack turned his back on the woman and slammed through the door.

“When can he go home, doc?”

When Jack stomped into the house a few hours after he left with Mark, Ariel knew the look on his face. She had seen it before. Her heart fell. Not again.

She started to ask about Mark.

“Not a word,” Jack growled. “Not a word from you.”

He strode down the hall and disappeared around the corner. An instant later Ariel heard the door to his den smash against the jamb.

Clark looked up from where he was half-laying on the floor, doing his homework while stealing glances at the TV screen.

“Is Mark all right?”

“He’s still at the hospital. They will probably keep him there for a day or two.”

“Like last time?”

“Yes. Like last time. But I’m sure he will be all right.”

“Mom, are we going to move again?”

Ariel swallowed. She knew the signs. There had been sufficient…episodes…in the sixteen years their marriage had endured. She knew the sequence-move to get a fresh start, stagger along as if they were a normal family for a while, then the excuses and the yelling would begin again. She could almost write out a time-table. But somehow, she felt that this time things were different. Frightening. Moving at a much faster pace than ever before. Deteriorating almost day by day. Jack seemed…different here, in this house. Sometimes when he emerged from his den after a…difficult evening, she almost didn’t recognize him.

She smiled wanly at her younger son. She couldn’t find it in her heart to answer him.

“Slick, this is Jack.”

Jack winced at the undercurrent of static coming through his cell phone. The thing was the newest model, only a couple of weeks old. The interference only happened back here in his den, and that sure as hell made him mad. Every other place in the house, clear as crystal-back here in his den, hisssss buzzzzz sssssssh.

“Jack,” the voice answered. “Good to hear from you, buddy. How they hangin’?”

“Not so good. That’s why I’m calling.”

“Well, you know, nothing too good for an old roomie. What can I do you for?”

“It’s…well…I’ve been thinking of selling this place and moving.”

“Going upscale on us, huh?”

“Not exactly. More like moving away. Out of state.”

Hissss, buzzzz, ssssssh. The static surged more loudly as the voice on the other end momentarily fell silent.

“Like that, huh?”

“Yeah, afraid so. Anyway, you know how much I appreciate your getting us into this place. Bargain-basement price and all.”

“No problemo. After the old fart that used to live there died, his two kids couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. Funny, though, the deal almost fell through there at the end. I couldn’t even get them together in the same town long enough to sign the papers. Not a family I’d like to know better. They didn’t so much as speak to each other the whole time. But that’s neither here nor there. How can I help?”

“I know the market’s pretty soft right now…”

“That’s the understatement of the year!”

“Yeah, but it’s…I…can you help me dump this place? Fast?”

“Sounds serious.”

“It kinda is. Look, you and I know the condition the house is in. Will that make it too hard to get rid of?”

“You made any improvements.”

“Just the room conversion. The old garage is the family room now, and I had them build an adjoining garage. The property was just wide enough between the house and the fence to fit.”

“Umm. That will add a good bit to the square footage. Any more…uh…complications?”

“Not really. Just what you know about. Cracks along the foundation. Cracks on the inside walls. Seems to have slowed, though. Not much new recently.”

“Okay, Jack. I think we can work with this. It’ll take a little of money, though, not as much as a major re-build but a bit.”

“Whatever.”

“Okay, buddy, here’s what we’re going to do…”

Jack had a bitch of a headache. It started at his temples and shot across his forehead, throb throb throb throb. His eyes watered from the pain.