Warning: Get tissues ready.
QUITTING TIME
by Phair
Beth pulled into her driveway more than a little tired. She left for work almost fourteen hours before and put in a full day under hot stage lights. Tomorrow would be the same routine just with different dialogue. The last couple of shows for the year were always her most difficult to stay motivated for. This year she was finding it bordering on impossible.
“Just two more weeks, kiddo, and then vacation time,” she sighed as she got out of the car.
As she approached her front door, any hope Beth had of a steaming hot shower and early bedtime vanished. Stu was sitting on the front steps on top of his suitcase. His quad cane was on the lowest step. His elbows were resting on his knees and his chin was in his hands. Tears were streaming out from under his glasses and down his face.
Beth stepped up and sat down next to the old man. “What ‘chu doin’ there, Dad?”
“It’s time. You got to send me off to the hooskow. You need to pack me away in the loony bin,” Stu was trying to be brave but he kept crying. “Lock me up and lose the key.”
“Why’s that, Dad?” Beth asked as she placed her hand on the back of his neck and gave a gentle squeeze.
“I hit Lindsey. Smashed her right in the face,” he answered as he stared at the offending hands.
Beth was stunned. She sat for a few minutes hoping he would explain. Hoping that it was an exaggeration. Hoping it was some kind of mistake. No more details were forthcoming.
“Dad, tell me what happened.”
“I thought I could get her to tell me why she’s lying about not remembering getting beaten up. We were talking but she didn’t like what I was saying and…well, things got heated. She said some terrible things after I said some terrible things and…pow,” the old man connected his fist with his open palm.
Beth took a deep breath. It was a bad scenario. Not the worst but very bad, indeed. She knew she needed to act fast. Both her charges were suffering. Both need reassurance and comfort. And, Beth knew she needed both of these people in her life. The sudden realization surprised her.
“Come on, let’s get inside, Dad. Nursing Homes don’t accept admissions this late in the afternoon,” Beth said as she stood and helped her father in law to his feet.
“Oh cripes no, not a nursing home?” He cried. “Please, I’d rather go to jail.”
Beth steered the man into the living room. She sat him down before taking his suitcase back upstairs. A thought struck her as she was passing the bathroom. She went straight for the medicine cabinet. Taking out two pill bottles, she did a quick count before racing back down the living room.
“Dad, you’re hording pills again. Look, I told you last time it wouldn’t work to try to overdose on your heart medicine. But, this time you confused it with you anti…”
“Anti? I take an anti something? I thought they were all for my heart. Aren’t they?”
Beth shook her head with some degree of impatience, “No, Dad. One of your pills helps with your mood. It keeps you balanced. Okay, we’ll have to get in touch with your doctors to get you properly medicated again. And, this time I’m going to stay in charge of your pills. That means waking up at 3:30 am when I’m working to take your medicine.”
“Sorry, Beth. I kind of remember us talking about it before. I’ll do what you say this time,” Stu hung his head.
Beth knelt in front of him and softened her tone of voice. “Dad, no matter how sick you get, there is no need to kill yourself. I’m here for you. The doctor said he can help us control any pain. If I have to get nurses to come in to help out then I will. I’m going to call your psychiatrist to get you an appointment tomorrow so you can talk about how you feel.”
“But, you have to work…,”
“The world will not crash to an end if I miss one of the last days of shooting. I’ll have them make me into a cartoon or something.” Beth stood and asked, “Will you be okay while I go talk with Lindsey?”
The old man nodded. “I’m really sorry, Beth. Tell Lindsey for me, please.”
Beth nodded and headed for the guest room. There was no light coming from under the door. Beth started to worry Lindsey might not even be there still. The thought that the girl had left panicked Beth. She didn’t wait to even knock on the door.
“Lindsey?” She asked as she walked into the semi darkened room.
A sniffle answered her. When Beth’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, she was able to make out a slumped shape on the bed leaning against the head board. A plastic trash bag had fallen off the foot of the bed and clothing trailed its path. Beth approached the bed cautiously but did not ask permission to sit on the edge before she did.
“Lindsey…,” Beth was trying to think of a good way to start.
Lindsey interrupted, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make him mad. It just happens. I piss people off all the time. I always say the wrong fuckin’ thing all the time. I’m such an ass…,”
“No, you’re not. And, you’re not the one who needs to apologize…,”
Lindsey wasn’t listening as she continued, “I screw up everything good. This was the only place really, really good and I blew it. I tried to pack but…where am I gonna go? I still can’t do the stairs without getting dizzy…,”
“Lindsey, honey, the doctor said your balance is getting better but it takes time. You were so badly hurt. Your body will heal.”
“Right, and in the mean time I got to figure out where to go. I always wreck it. Always screw it up. Maybe if I could find someplace with no people. Maybe if I’m all alone I won’t ruin things so much…but…,” Lindsey’s tears were started falling faster and her shoulders shook, “but…I don’t want to be alone no more. I don’t want to miss out on a chance to have a fam…you know…people…I don’t wanna leave, Beth!”
Beth couldn’t stand it. She pulled the sobbing girl into a hug and gently rocking her shuddering body. Lindsey melted into the embrace and cried in earnest.
“Honey, you don’t have to leave. This is your home if you want it to be!” Beth stunned herself when she said those words aloud but she plunged a head anyway. “We are your family. Weather you want us or not, we love you. Stu is very sorry he hit you. He had no right to slap you. Nobody has a right to put their hands on you, Lindsey.”
“Sure he did. I was giving him all sorts of shit,” Lindsey mumbled into Beth’s shirt.
“No, NOBODY has a right to hit you. Regardless of what shit you dish out! Stu hasn’t been taking his medicine. He does this every so often. When he hit you, it was because he was confused. I’m taking him to the doctors tomorrow to get him straightened out.” Beth disengaged the still sobbing girl to sit her back a bit in order to see eye to eye. “But Lindsey, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that your Grandfather and I are frustrated with your refusal to help find your assailant. We saw the bruises. Somebody punched you right in the eye and in the mouth. You saw him, didn’t you?”
Lindsey began to shiver and her chin trembled. Her voice was a mere whisper, “Please don’t make me say. Please. Let it just go. When I go away to college, they won’t want to hurt me anymore. They won’t need too. Please Beth, can’t we pretend it didn’t happen? It won’t matter in a couple of months, you know, after I go away.”
Beth got a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was certain she knew who beat Lindsey. However, the girl was so fragile at the moment Beth didn’t want to push her.
“How about we just delay the conversation until we get things squared away between you and Stu? We’ll give it a couple of days and who knows, maybe you’ll want to talk to me about it.”
Lindsey nodded.
“Okay, want to go out and tell Stu if you forgive him or not?”
“He’s gonna need to forgive me too. He and I, we were both being jerks, Beth,” Lindsey confessed.
Beth gave a sad smile and replied, “It must run in the family.”
