Chapter Eighty-Four
He woke up slowly and opened his eyes. Lucky breathed a sigh of relief - no dreams last night. Cindy lay close to his side, her head nestled under his protective arm. Lucky smiled and kissed the top of her head. He closed his eyes again and drank in the warm softness of her body as he lightly stroked her soft, blonde hair. Cindy made a noise and stretched, wrapping an arm around Lucky's midriff, pulling him closer. Lucky rolled over, placed his leg on top of hers, and the two of them melded tightly into one, like two perfectly fitting pieces in a puzzle.
Cindy raised her head sleepily. "How are you feeling?" she asked with concern. She stroked his hair and placed her hand over his heart. "I'm worried about you."
"I'm okay," Lucky answered. "I have a headache and feel sluggish, but that's all. I have a problem, it's not the first time it's happened."
Cindy propped herself up on her elbow. She ran a finger down Lucky's forehead to his lips and tapped them lightly. "Tell me about it."
Lucky sighed. "Do you really want to know? It's not nice or pretty. And it's kind of embarrassing."
Cindy nodded. "Yes, I want to know. Don't worry. You can tell me."
Lucky lay back on the pillow and covered his eyes with his hand. "I told you I was in the hospital, right? Well, I was in the locked ward, you know, that's where they put crazy people who can't be trusted in the outside world." He drew in a ragged breath and kept his eyes covered as he spoke in a slow monotone. "They hypnotized me. I told them I didn't want to know, but did they listen? No. They never listen. They just ask you questions and tell you things. I don't know, anyway, I found out some stuff about my mother and what she did a long time ago. It made me mad, real mad. So, basically, I went berserk and ran so fast down the hallway trying to escape that I hit my head on the door. It was a huge metal door."
Lucky removed his hand from his eyes and turned toward Cindy. "See this?" he asked, pointing to his scar over his left eye. "This is from the accident. It was almost fractured there. And I broke my nose in several places. It looks different now, it's flatter right here than it used to be."
"You still look pretty to me," said Cindy softly as she traced his scar and ran her finger over the bridge of his nose.
Lucky laughed. "I don't know if a man wants to be pretty," he commented wryly. "Anyway, the accident knocked me out, and since I'd had another head injury not too many months before, I grew some scar tissue on my brain. It gives me seizures. They told me I have epilepsy now. It's not temporary." Lucky signed raggedly and bit his lip. "God, my tongue hurts," he said to himself.
"Can you take any medicine to help the epilepsy?" asked Cindy.
"They had me on some medicine," he admitted. "It worked okay, but I still had seizures sometimes. I had a bad one on the day I left the hospital."
"Did you run away?" questioned Cindy.
"Yeah," said Lucky. "I guess you could call it that. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Are you in trouble?"
Lucky laughed bitterly. "Maybe. I'm afraid they're going to come and take me back there. I don't know if I can stop them."
"Have you heard of legal aid?" asked Cindy. "Some of us working girls use them sometimes, and they can help."
"I'll remember that if it comes down to it," remarked Lucky. "Are you afraid of me now that you know?" he asked softly as a shiver of fear gripped his heart. "I'd never hurt you, you know that. I care about you." Lucky's eyes filled with tears as he reached out to Cindy and hugged her tightly. "Don't leave me," he said tearfully. "Everybody leaves me."
Cindy started crying in reaction to Lucky's words and held him tight. She stroked his back, trying to soothe him. "I'm here," she said. "I'm here."
After several minutes, they separated, and Lucky asked, "What are you doing today? I have the day off. I'm going to a check cashing place to cash my check, and then after that I don't know."
Cindy rose from the bed and pulled her teeshirt over her head. Lucky's eyes never left her as she wandered around the room, opening drawers and selecting underwear and stockings. "I'll work the mall for awhile today. That way we can go on our date tonight," she said smiling. "I can't wait."
Lucky sprang out of bed and walked up behind her, running his hands over her chest and midriff, luxuriating in her soft skin, and kissing her on the neck. "Do you have time before you leave?" he asked suggestively. Cindy's laughter tinkled throughout the bedroom. "Come with me and let's take a shower," she said, taking him by the hand and leading him toward the bathroom.
~*~*~*~
"Lucky, why don't you see a doctor while I'm at work today," suggested Cindy as she prepared to leave. "There's a free clinic about a half mile away."
Lucky gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I know. My uncle helps run it," he exclaimed, shaking his head.
Cindy took Lucky's hand. "Don't you think your uncle would want to know you're okay?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.
Lucky shrugged. "Maybe. Yeah. I guess so. I'll give him a call."
"Good," replied Cindy, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss Lucky goodbye. Lucky pulled her closer to his body, and the two kissed passionately for minutes, not wanting to separate and start their day apart from one another.
"Hey, hotstuff, we've got to go to work," Tamara said loudly as she slapped Lucky on the back. She winked at Lucky. "We'll see ya later." The two hookers left the door to start their day as Lucky stood at the doorway and watched them walk down the street.
~*~*~*~
Lucky had a light step as he left the check-cashing place. With a wallet full of money, he felt free and on top of the world. What would he buy Cindy for their date tonight? Lucky strolled into the drugstore and selected a box of fancy chocolates, the kind that had the name scrolled across the front of the box and ribbons decorating it.
He walked over to the aisle with the condoms, head held high. He was a man who had sex. It's natural that he would go to buy the protection that he needed. Lucky recognized the Trojan brand name and whipped a big box of them on top of the chocolates. He strode up to the counter and set the two items down while he reached for his wallet. The checkout cashier was a young man a few years older than Lucky. When he handed Lucky the receipt, he joked, "Have a nice night." Lucky smiled and gave him a salute as he sauntered out the door with his purchases.
~*~*~*~
Lucky pushed open the front door of the free-clinic, and the bell rang to announce his presence. He walked up to the counter and asked the nurse on duty, "Is Dr. Tony Jones in?"
The nurse was a new volunteer and hadn't met Lucky before. "Yes, he's in his office. May I ask who's wanting to see him?"
"Lucky Spencer. I'm his nephew."
The nurse picked up the phone and dialed two numbers. She spoke briefly and hung up. "He said he'd be right there," she remarked.
Lucky walked around the waiting area of the clinic, swinging his plastic bag back and forth and whistling under his breath.
"Lucky!"
Lucky turned around to see Tony walking towards him at a rapid pace. Tony held out his arms and pulled Lucky into a hug. "Boy, I missed you," he said. Lucky was tense but relaxed after a few seconds and accepted the hug.
"Let's go back to my office so we can talk privately," suggested Tony.
Lucky hesitantly followed Tony, looking around him as they walked to the back of the clinic, as if the hospital police would instantly materialize and snatch him away. Lucky gingerly took a seat and darted his eyes around the room, being careful to listen for footsteps in the hallway.
Tony noticed Lucky's nervousness and sat back in his chair, waiting for Lucky to calm down and make the first attempt at conversation. He studied Lucky and took in the fact that his clothes and hair were clean. He didn't seem high on drugs or alcohol. In fact, Lucky seemed to be in a good mood.
"I thought I'd stop by and tell you that I was okay," Lucky said as he swung his plastic bag back and forth beside his chair.
"Yes, I can see that," agreed Tony. "You look good."
Lucky looked down at the floor, then back up at Tony as his left hand drummed the armrest of the chair. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure thing," stated Tony.
"I need my medicine for um…the epilepsy?" said Lucky. "And, that bracelet you gave me came in handy. Thanks."
Warning lights went off in Tony's head. What's going on now? he wondered. Play it cool, Jones, don't scare him off. Find out what the problem is and deal with it. "Taking your medications regularly is a good idea," agreed Tony. "I'll write you a new prescription that you can have it filled at the clinic. You can take the bottle with you."
Lucky brightened and sat up higher in his chair. "That would be great." He frowned lightly. "I had another seizure yesterday. I don't want to have them anymore. They scare people."
"Yes, they can look frightening to someone who doesn't understand," agreed Tony. "But you can instruct the people that you spend time with how to care for you if that ever happens again."
"Yeah," said Lucky, looking around the room again. "I did." He laid his hand on the side of his cheek. "I think I hurt myself last night," he confessed. "I bit my tongue. It's messed up. I can hardly eat or talk."
Tony stood up. "Well, let's have a quick look," he said. "Maybe we can fix you up."
~*~*~*~
"Stitches?" asked Lucky in surprise. "Won't that hurt?"
"Not if we give you a topical painkiller. It'll be over before you know it," promised Tony. "Why don't you change into a gown so you don't get any blood on your clothes - just in case."
Lucky paled. "I hope not," he mumbled.
"I'll be back in a sec after I round up the supplies," said Tony.
~*~*~*~
"Kevin? It's Tony Jones. Lucky's here at the free-clinic with me. He walked in about fifteen minutes ago asking for his epilepsy meds. Could you send your prescriptions our way. I'd like to give him his psychiatric drugs now that I have him here." Tony listened for a minute. "He had a seizure yesterday and chewed up his tongue badly. I'm getting ready to stitch it up in a few places. I'll call you later to check with you. Thanks. Bye."
~*~*~*~
Lucky sat on the examining table looking like he'd jump out of his skin when he saw the supplies that Tony carried back. Tony laughed. "You look like a horned toad ready to spring. Am I going to have to give you a tranquilizer to get you through this? I thought you were a tough guy."
"Not that tough," Lucky said shortly.
"Open up," said Tony. "I'm going to numb the side of your tongue. We'll wait a few minutes and you tell me if you can feel it or not."
As they waited for the local anesthetic to take effect, Tony noticed that Lucky had several needle marks and bruises on his left arm. Tony glanced at his pupils, but they looked normal. Lucky wasn't high now, but obviously he'd been taking drugs in the recent past. His heart sank. Kevin was right. He was back to using heroin from the looks of things.
"How've you been?" asked Tony casually.
"Fine," replied Lucky. He brightened up. "I got paid yesterday. I brought your $60 back for you. Thanks for the loan."
Tony smiled briefly. "So you've found a place to live?"
"Yes," replied Lucky without adding any detail.
Tony sighed. "Okay, if you think your tongue feels numb, here come the stitches."
~*~*~*~
Tony handed Lucky a bag with five bottles in it. "These are your meds," he said. "The instructions on how to take them are on the side of each bottle. Be sure to follow the schedule. It's important. And, be aware that you shouldn't mix recreational drugs with prescribed drugs. You don't want to have a bad interaction."
Lucky colored when he realized that Tony knew about his drug habit. "Yes, sure," he said nonchalantly as he accepted the bag.
Tony laid a hand on Lucky's shoulder as the two walked to the door of the clinic. "I miss you, buddy. Would you try to stop by and visit or give me a call occasionally?"
Lucky smiled. "Okay. I appreciate everything, Tony. I really do. I'll try to call you tomorrow or the next day. There's a phone at work."
"Thanks, Lucky," replied Tony. He watched with sad eyes as Lucky walked away from him down the street.
~*~*~*~
"Well, he has all of his meds now," stated Tony as he cradled the phone to his ear. "That doesn't mean he'll take them, but he has them. I'm encouraged that he stopped by especially for his epilepsy medication. Oh, and I warned him about mixing recreational and prescription drugs. He's using again, Kevin. I saw the needle marks on his arms. It about broke my heart. But, he knows that I know, so maybe that'll be enough for him to lay off."
"I'm curious as to how he behaved while he was at the clinic," said Kevin.
"Very nervous," replied Tony. "He was constantly looking around. I think he's afraid that someone will forcibly take him back to the hospital. He had a hard time relaxing, even with me. I didn't broach any difficult subjects and let him do most of the talking."
"Did you get any more information about his living arrangements?" asked Kevin.
"Nope, not really," answered Tony. "He confirmed that he'd found a place to live but clammed up tight."
"So you think he's off the streets?" asked Kevin.
"Certain of it," replied Tony. "He's clean, groomed, his clothes looked fine. He's definitely living with someone. Oh, and he's so darned proud of that job, whatever it is. He even gave me back the money that I loaned him. Maybe he's living with a girl," Tony stated. "Shame on me, but I sneaked a look into a bag that he was carrying around with him, and there was a box of condoms along with a box of chocolates in it."
"So he's sexually active now," pondered Kevin. "That's interesting. You may be right about his living arrangements. Do you think he'll keep in contact with you?"
"I asked him to before he left. He said there was a phone at work and that he'd try to call or stop by in the next few days."
"I suppose it's wait and see now," stated Kevin. "But, I'm still concerned about his drug use. That's not a good sign as far as his overall mental health. Something is still bothering him."