think Clifford and those old men have anything to do with the pot. They never had a grow out there before that I know of. But I could be wrong.”
“Amazing,” she said.
“There are lots of little marijuana camps hidden back in these woods—some of ‘em pretty good size—but you can’t grow it outside in winter months. It’s still the biggest cash crop in California. But even if you gave Clifford and those old boys a million dollars, that’s how they’re going to live.” He took a breath. “Not all local growers look like vagrants. A lot of ‘em look like millionaires.”
“What happened when you grabbed his arm like that?” she asked.
“You didn’t see? He was raising it like he was going to touch you. Familiarly.”
She shuddered. “Thanks. I guess. Why’d you want me to see that?”
“Two reasons—so you’d know what some of this country medicine is about. Some places where they’re growing are booby-trapped, but not this one. You should never go out to one of those places alone. Not even if a baby’s coming. You better hear me on that.”
“Don’t worry,” she said with a shudder. “You should tell someone, Doc. You should tell the sheriff or someone.”
He laughed. “For all I know, the sheriff’s department’s aware—there are growers all over this part of the world. For the most part, they stay invisible—it’s not like they want to be found out. More to the point, I’m in medicine, not law enforcement. I don’t talk about the patients. I assume that’s your ethic, as well.”
“They live in filth! They’re hungry and probably sick! Their water is undoubtedly contaminated by the awful, dirty containers they keep it in. They’re beating each other up and dying of drink and…whatever.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Doesn’t make my day, either.”
She found it devastating, the acceptance of such hopelessness. “How do you do it?” she asked him, her voice quiet.
“I just do the best I can,” he said. “I help where I can. That’s all anyone can do.”
She shook her head. “This really isn’t for me,” she said. “I can handle stuff like this when it comes into the hospital, but I’m no country practitioner. It’s like the Peace Corps.”
“There are bright spots in my doctoring, too,” he said. “Just happens that isn’t one of them.”
She was completely down in the dumps when she went back to the grill to collect the baby. “Not pretty out there, is it?” Jack said.
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