looked down, his gaze scanning the parking lot near Lindy. “There’s nothing around to say she’s drunk anything.”
Her dad squatted down and touched her shoulder. “Lindy?” I’d thought the way he’d pulled up, he’d be shouting at her, but his voice was more concern than frustration.
Jason and I had encountered his temper as kids, the day we’d stolen that spray can. It wasn’t fun.
“Lindy?” he said more strongly when she didn’t answer, or move. He straightened, then bent over her, turning her head. There was absolutely no sign she even knew he was there. He lifted one of her closed eyelids.
All there was beneath it was the white of her eye.
Shit. She was in a hell of a mess.
Mr. Martin sighed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders as he straightened up and his hand reached to the breast pocket of his shirt. He pulled out a cell, turned his back on us and walked a few feet away.
I looked at Jason. He looked at me. I was sure he felt like I did. Neither of us could move on with Lindy like this.
“Miriam, I’ve got Lindy down here at the Macinlays’ store… Yeah. Don’t worry I’ll sort it. You don’t need to fret, it’s not good for you, but just tell me what time she left home?”
I probably hadn’t seen her mom for more than a year, let alone months.
“Okay. Go check her room would you, she’s been drinking, or taken something, I wanna know which and what…”
There were a few minutes of silence.
“It’s empty?”
“How many were in there, do you know?”
“Okay, I’ll get her some help and call you. Don’t worry, honey. It won’t do you any good to worry, you know that, you have enough going on. She’ll be okay.” He sighed when he ended the call. He didn’t look at Jason or me, just stared into the distance for a moment, then took a deep breath, like he was drawing on some reservoir of strength and patience.
He probably needed it for Lindy, if she’d been this messed-up for six months. No wonder her parents had gone into hiding.
Jason and I looked at each other, waiting on the verdict.
With his back to us, he lifted another cell from a clip on his pants pocket.
“Hi, I’m at the Macinlay store, in Main Street, I need an ambulance, quick time. It’s an emergency. An overdose.” He sighed again. “It’s my girl…” There was so much pain in his voice it hit me hard, and I could see it hit Jason too.
We’d been celebrating a new life in the world… and Lindy… was so unhappy she’d tried to check out. Shit.
“What did she take?” Jason said, when Mr. Martin turned around, clipping the cell back onto his pocket.
He didn’t answer straight off. Lindy probably wouldn’t want Jason to know.
But she’d come down to his store… Fuck. Why?
“She’s taken all the anti-depressant meds she’s been prescribed.” He walked back over to Lindy, and as he moved I caught something glinting in the light by the lamppost behind him. I walked over to get it as he bent over Lindy again.
“And this,” I held it up. “A quarter bottle of vodka to wash them down with.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Jason said, watching Mr. Martin slap her face as he braced it with the other hand…
“Those pills will make her dopey; they shouldn’t kill her.” He looked back at Jason. “But I’m no medic.”
“She’s been sick. It was like her stomach was empty.”
“Yeah, well she took them three hours ago at least, that’s when she left home.”
Her dad sounded defeated. I’d never heard him talk like that. She had fucked up her parents not just herself.
“Lindy! Lindy, honey! Come on, you got to wake up!” He slapped her face and shook her.
Her hand swung out to stop him slapping her, but so weakly it was pathetic.
She’d been the center of attention at school, the leader of the girls, the one every guy wanted… Now she lay in a wasted heap. She’d hit a self-destruct button.
Lindy what the hell did you do to yourself?
Problem was Jason and I had both played our part in her destruction.
My heart ached and my lungs were too tight to get any air into.
Her dad kept talking to her and smacking her face. She mumbled something back at him, annoyed.
Jason’s dad pulled up. He got out of his truck, then came over. “I’ve come to pick the boys up, Dwayne. How is she?”
Mr. Martin looked back at him. “Darren. I’d appreciate it, if you, and you boys…” He looked at us with a meaningful gaze, “say nothing to anyone about this.”
I nodded, as Jason did. But I doubted Lindy would want us to be the keepers of her murky secret. She couldn’t trust either of us.
The ambulance came along the street, siren screaming.
At least the street was lined with stores so no one peered around their curtains, watching.
Mr. Martin stood up as the medics got out. He told them in a low voice what she’d taken.
In minutes she was strapped on a gurney, then rolled into the ambulance. He didn’t go with her. He said he had to get the car back to the station and find someone to cover his absence. He said he’d meet them at the hospital.
I wanted to go. But, it wasn’t my place––she and I hadn’t spoken for months so I could hardly force myself on her in an ambulance when she couldn’t say, fuck you, you bastard.
My gaze and my heart followed the ambulance as it pulled away.
“Will you let me know how she is, Dwayne?” Jason said, before Mr. Martin got back in his car.
He stared at Jason for a moment, then nodded. “Thanks for trying to help her, and for calling me.”
It didn’t seem like he blamed Jason for Lindy falling apart.
I wondered if he knew about my part––if he blamed me. I blamed me. I owed her bad.
Jason’s dad climbed back into the driver’s seat of his truck. Jason stood beside it holding the passenger door. “You coming?”
“No. I’ll walk. Clear my head.”
Jason gave me a concerned look, then he let go of the door, walked over, held me and then smacked my shoulder. “It was good catching up. We’ll do it again?
