RED SOX: Believe
FEEDBACK: is appreciated at p.phair@comcast.net
Sunny was attempting a deep breathing relaxation exercise she learned in her Thursday night Non-denominational American Buddhism for Busy Executives class. She kept her head between her knees while she was sitting on a cooler and clinging to the rail. Her eyes were squeezed shut. All her efforts did little to alleviate the distress in her belly. The pitching of the boat along with the uncertainty of making it back to shore in one piece had already cost her two less than dignified moments hanging over the side. She was suspicious some of Mr. Braveman's crew were wagering in whether or not there would be a third or fourth round of hanging over the side for her. Sunny loathed being mocked so she was eager to deny them their sport.
Moaning at her feet distracted her enough from her own pain to open her eyes. Animal was lying there flat on her back but finally rousing. The crew had dragged her out of their way shortly after they started for home. What she was in the way of, Sunny had no idea. All the men, except Skippy who was driving the boat, spent the trip either playing cards or taunting each other. Sam was doing both. Sunny made a mental note to discuss correct worker to work ratios with Mr. Braveman as part of his Cost Containment Plan.
"Beautiful."
The murmured word from Animal, who was blinking to wakefulness, brought a smile to Sunny's pasty face.
"She's not too far gone then," Sunny thought to herself. "She can still appreciate a beautiful woman like me. Her spirit must still be pure and true." She graced Animal with a generous smile.
"Wasn't it a thing of beauty?" Animal asked.
"IT?" Sunny questioned.
"The explosion. Wasn't it just friggin' awesome? Did you see how the mother fucker went down? Whooosh! Down she blows!"
Animal sat up abruptly almost knocking heads with Sunny. The young woman leapt to her feet and started to shout for Mixer.
"How long, man? How effin' long did it take?"
"Two four zero," Mixer replied without looking up from his poker hand.
"Balls!" Animal seemed very unhappy with the response. "I knew I should have used six more sticks. It would have been a really, really big fall down."
Dick Weed stepped up close to Animal before he began to speak in a very calm and clear voice. "It was plenty big enough, don't worry about it. The tub's down on the bottom and that's all that matters to the guys paying us. Now, you need to listen to me 'cause the boss got something else for you to do."
"Oooh, tell me it's a sky rise. Please, one of those friggin' huge fuckers in town!" Animal begged.
"No." Dick stated in a no nonsense voice which caused Animal to flinch. "Digger sent this nice lady over here to help you."
Animal's eyebrows drew together in angry disappointment. "Mutha Fucker! He's sending me to the hatch? I'm doing all the shit he tells me to do and he's still locking me up. Son of a bitch! Come on, Dick, you gotta give me a head start. Two minutes is all I need. Please! I can't go back to those hellhole hospitals. Shitty food, cold handed docs, smelly floor cleaner, all those stupid rules; no running, no jumping, no matches, you gotta wear clothes all the time…,"
"Relax! She ain't no doctor. She a…a…hey, what the hell are you anyway?" Dick asked in confusion.
Sunny stood and approached the pair. After hearing the conversation, Sunny was truly unsure where to begin or whether she should begin at all. She decided decorum should rule the hour regardless of her final decision on the contract and extended her hand toward Animal.
"I'm Sunshine Bright-Day. I'm a business consultant Mr. Braveman has engaged to assess your particular needs, Ms. Animal. He believes you are very valuable to the company and wants you to try to smooth over some of your rougher edges."
Animal was going to accept the offered handshake when Dick pulled a small remote out of his jacket pocket. Animal flinched then hesitated and drew back slightly.
"Mind your manners," Dick warned the young woman.
Animal thought about the statement. She gave a short nod of her head before reaching for Sunny's hand again.
"Nice to meet you," Animal said in an over rehearsed manner. "It's a pleasure doin' business with you." She paused as if she was finished but then quickly added, "I must say, you have a smokin' hot ass…,"
The comment was interrupted by Dick pressing the remote and Animal wincing in pain.
"NO!" Dick shouted. "How many times do we have to go over this shit? Just two stupid lines then shut the fuck up. Why is that so friggin' hard to remember?"
"You didn't just shock her?" Sunny asked in horror. "Don't even tell me that's a shock dog collar. Have you lost your mind?"
Dick gave a heavy sigh. He spoke as if explaining something basic to somebody fairly simple. Animal nodded agreement to every word the man spoke.
"The kid is completely out of control. She doesn't listen to anybody. She acts then thinks. In our line of work, shit like that will get you killed and probably kill any asshole standing within ten feet of you. She's smart enough to know it too. She wants me to stop her before she blows her head off. Hell, the collar was her idea."
"It was, lady. I love getting to blow shit up. And, they pay me too. But, none of the other guys will work with me unless I'm kept on a short leash…,"
"…literally." Dick finished Animal's sentence.
Sunny's head was throbbing. Animal appeared quite happy with the current arrangements. Dick, obviously the job foreman, believed he was doing the right thing in physically disciplining an employee. Braveman knew what he was sending Sunny out to sea to see and didn't think to mention anything other than Animal's improper demeanor with clients. How could this kind of an employment situation exist in Boston? In the United States? In the new millennium? And, more important, what could Sunny do about any of it?
"Unless I've been sucked into an alternate universe, the shock collar is assault and battery. Animal, take it off. Dick, give me the remote," she commanded in her most serious tone.
"Oh shit! Animal's loose. Dump the dynamite overboard," Snotty sounded panicked.
Animal's cheeks flushed moments after she removed the collar. "Seriously, we still have some? How many sticks? Let's light 'em and toss the bitches over the side."
Sunny took the collar and remote before addressing the group. "There'll be no dumping of unused supplies. And, there certainly will be no lighting sticks of dynamite and hurling them into the air. Mr. Weed and Mr. Mixer, I suggest you both secure the hazardous materials. Mr. Snotty and Mr. Sam, go prepare any other equipment we'll need to unload at port. Ms. Animal, sit on the cooler and do not move. I mean it. Not one inch!" Sunny waited a moment as the crew scowled her, "Gentlemen and Animal, it is in your best interest to do the tasks as I've instructed if you wish to continue in secure employment."
The group straggled away from her. They grumbled as they went. There was no enthusiasm in their movements but they did, indeed, attend to the work as she outlined it.
"Mr. Skippy, how long until we dock?"
"How the fuck should I know?"
Sunny closed her eyes and counted to three. "You should know because you sailed us out to where we were and now you're sailing us back. So, give it your best guess, if you would be so kind."
"Twenty minutes," he shrugged, "give or take."
"Thank you." Sunny allowed herself a satisfied smile at her management skills.
Sunny stood over Animal during the rest of their boat ride. As soon as the harbor came into view, Sunny pulled out her blackberry. She entered in a cursory schedule of contacts she'd need to make over the next twenty four hours and set alerting signals accordingly. If she had any hope of salvaging Wreckers from imminent disaster then she needed to be at the top of her game. She was already speed dialing the first number when the signal alerted her to do just that.
"A very good morning to you! You've reached Bright Day Management Services. I am Oran, the Executive's Chief Assistant. How may I be of service to you?"
"Good Morning, Oran," Sunny was grateful for the small semblance of corporate stability Oran's greeting provided her. "There is much to do this lovely morning. I hope you're at your computer."
"Of course, Sunny, I've been here and waiting for you to call for several hours. Where shall we begin?"
"I'll email you new specs for the contract. Merge them with our standard format. Forward a copy to me for review and then I'll reply with the usual changes. Make sure Patrick reviews the rough draft himself. I pay him too much to be turfed to paralegal. I want a hard copy ready for signing in thirty minutes."
"Re-write contract, check."
"Find every OSHA reg applicable to de-construction operations. I mean every reg; hard hats to port-a-potty waste removal. Include as a sub heading for all state and fed rules covering hourly, at will employees. Be detailed here. I want everything from physicals to personal protective equipment fit testing. Oh, include a sub sub heading for employee assistance programs."
"Safety, labor laws, and addictions," Oran said softly over the clicking of his key board.
"Third, call Mr. Braveman and schedule an appointment at his earliest convenience. I'm going to hit him with the Corrective Agenda right after he signs on the dotted line."
Oran reminded her, "Your earliest available appointment is two weeks from Thursday at four pm."
"No, two weeks is far too long to wait. I need to wrap him up sooner. Find me something, Oran."
A moment of silence passed. "If you are willing to schedule into our daily Friday Morning Quarterbacking then you could see him at six thirty am tomorrow."
"No, we will never interrupt Quarterbacking. Some things in life must be sacrosanct. I'll see him at five am in my office. Make sure he picks that time, Oran. It needs to be his idea. And, don't let him even think he needs to bring his lawyer."
"Consider it written in stone."
"Call in LaShawna and Hilda. Show them the two hour edition of my three and a half hour tutorial, Post Reaganomics and the Reinvention of Trickle Down. I need them versed in the Funny Pages account and watching the presentation will ramp them up. Oh, and give them the extended, five hundred page handbook instead of the abbreviated version. They absolutely must be ready to take the lead from me first thing Wednesday morning. I need to carve out several big blocks of time for myself. I want to handle Wreckers' contract on my own."
"LaShawna, Hilda, Reagan, Funny Pages, tomorrow, check."
"Dr. Wiseman must see a new patient for me at ten today. Check up from head to foot with all appropriate referrals. I'll follow up with insurance information when it's available. Just in case, tell him any unpaid balance will be handled by Bright Day." Sunny looked down at Animal and noticed the woman was scratching at her hair. "Have a cab ready to meet me at the docks. My ETA is five minutes. Ask Dr. Wiseman's office to have an antiseptic bath prepped and a set of medium scrubs available."
"Dr. Wiseman, the usual."
"Get Song Bird on the phone. Tell her she has to drop everything for a home visit. Seven tonight should give me enough time deal with the rest of this morning, this afternoon, and any unscheduled late day chaos."
"Intuitive at seven."
"I'll be in the office at twelve thirty on the button. Have lunch ready from the Costa Rican place on Milk Street. Oh, and send dinner to my place for six thirty. Surprise me. Something comforting. I feel I'll need a little extra support by evening."
"Lunch, on time, Central American Delights, dinner, Mom's Soul Kitchen."
"Let's make things happen, Oran!" Sunny commanded with enthusiasm.
"We'll make magic the Bright Day Way," Oran responded as expected with the sound of clicking keys in the background.
Sunny's blackberry sounded a small blip. "I must run. I've got a million calls to make. Have a wonderful and rewarding day, Oran."
She flipped to the next call before he could respond.
Sunny couldn't believe how badly her head was throbbing. Perhaps, Dr. Wiseman would prescribe something for her once he finished with Animal. Sunny was still incensed at the woman's grudging acceptance of the check up. It took almost twenty minutes to convince Animal to submit to the examination. It took another ten minutes to get her to agree to wash up.
"She's putting me way behind schedule." Sunny fumed to herself. "Such an ungrateful…well, animal."
"Ms. Bright-Day, would you please step into my office?" Dr. Wiseman waved her in from the reception area.
His office was stacked with books and journals but Animal was not waiting in one of the bulky leather chairs. The doctor pointed to a chair opposite his desk indicating Sunny should sit.
"Your friend…,"
"…client…," Sunny corrected.
"…has allowed me to speak with you regarding her medical status while my nurse helps her cut some of the snarls out of her hair. It seems she's been living on the streets for some time."
"Actually, they told me she was living under a trailer at Wreckers' lot."
"Yes, well, she's been without adequate shelter for some time. Just about all the health ramifications you'd expect see from such an existence are currently present."
"Specifics," Sunny wanted to move the conversation along even though the elderly doctor liked to dawdle.
"Lice, mites, fungal infections, malnutrition, dehydration," he gave a heavy sigh. "But, there are a few problems I didn't anticipate."
"Like?"
"Burns, second degree, on three of her finger tips, a nasty little burn on her neck, and a black and blue ringing her neck."
Sunny looked away embarrassed to know what caused the bruising.
"However, her pyromania was truly a shock. I was prepared for a mental illness with, more than likely, a substance abuse. But, pyromania? Ms. Bright-Day, I believe this young woman may be a danger to herself and others. Ordinarily, I recommend getting homeless individuals accommodations in a shelter but in her present state she would most likely set her mattress on fire. We should be thinking commitment."
Sunny frowned. The doctor's assessment was correct and time consuming. She needed to act and act quickly.
"Dr. Wiseman, Animal…,"
"Dear God, do you call her Animal?"
Sunny sputtered in exasperation. "It's her name. It was her name when I met her. Okay, maybe not her given name but it's what they call her and she answers to it. At the moment, it's the least of her problems. Dr. Wiseman, Animal has found a channel for her explosive tendencies. She's working with a de-construction company. She's excellent at what she does which is blowing things up."
"You are, quite literally, playing with fire, Sunshine."
"Okay, I'm open to any and all recommendations Doctor. Make them practical and possible," Sunny stated as took her blackberry out and began furiously texting.
"I would think intensive in-patient hospitalization with pharmacologic therapy as well as psychoanalysis and perhaps a little EZT would be the best route to address her mental health issues."
"How long?"
"How long what?"
"How long would she need to be in-patient to get well?" Sunny asked without looking up from her phone.
The doctor rubbed his chin before he made a ballpark guess. "I would think two or three months to get started. Then transition to a supervised living situation. From there, she should be stable enough to fend for herself with outpatient support and social services. Her need for treatment, of course, will be life long."
"Seven days."
"What?" The doctor was completely confused by Sunny's statement.
Sunny turned her phone over to the doctor so he could read the text message. "An acquaintance of mine at the state office for Medicaid just emailed me what Animal's benefit would be. Oh, but she doesn't even have Medicaid, yet. It's about two to four months for the applications to process. She'd still be entitled to services, of course. Seven whole days of in-patient treatment and twelve outpatient visits per calendar year. So, we can bring her to an ER and they'll send her off to McLean and she'll be out in seven days unless she sets the psychiatrist on fire during her counseling session. By the way, she won't do anything crazy in the hospital because she's so desperate not to be in a hospital. So Dr. Wiseman, give me another suggestion. And before you answer, please remember just how much money my company pays your practice each quarter to be helpful in exactly these kinds of situations. Then consider how rarely I actually need to utilize your services. Good pay for very little work, I'd say. So, it really behooves you to do your absolute best right now."
Sunny walked out of the doctor's office with a patient belongings bag filled with medications, creams, referrals, and brochures. Animal was sitting in the reception area reading a magazine while she waited. Her physical state had greatly improved over the past hour. Her dark hair was freshly washed and clipped short, close to her head but not shaved. Her skin also looked well washed. She was wearing clean green scrubs and red no skid socks on her feet.
"Are you ready to go?" Sunny asked.
"What's in the bag?"
"Stuff for you."
Animal grinned, "Matches?"
"You're not funny. Come on, I've got a lot to do. And, you've got medicine to take."
"No thanks," Animal shook her head and got to her feet. "Medicine doesn't agree with me. Makes me feel weird. You know, fuckin' dopey."
Sunny used her most serious tone of voice, "Going forward, you are not allowed to profane in my presence again. I'm trying to assist Mr. Braveman in his efforts to help you. The very least you can do to show you appreciate the work being done on your behalf is to stop profaning."
"Sure, no problem. Anything you say. I really do appreciate what Digger and you are doing for me. You're both fuckin' fabulous."
"Ms. Animal!"
"Shit, what the fuck did I do now?" A stunned Animal asked.
"You are profaning!"
"No freakin' way." Animal began to look around her feet. She lifted one foot then the other to check the soles. "Where the frig did I profane?"
Sunny silently counted to three. She counted a second time. She found she had to count a third time before she could speak reasonably.
"Ms. Animal, profane or profanity refers to your use of vulgarities or curse words."
Animal's eyes lit up as she finally understood. "Swearing? You want me to stop effin' swearing? No problem! I'll fu…I mean I can keep it clean."
"I would be grateful."
Animal smiled. "Where are we going now?"
"I'm going to my office. You are going back to Wreckers."
Animal's face changed. The joy present only moments before drained away. Sunny was alarmed at how instantaneously Animal's features shifted from a happy woman to something a kin to a frightened child.
"How old are you anyway?"
Animal answered without brightening. "Twenty one or maybe twenty two. Depends. What year is it?"
"It's two thousand and nine."
"Oh, then I'm twenty three." Animal shrugged, "Happy birthday to me, I guess."
Sunny didn't know what to say. She suddenly felt under the trailer in Wreckers' lot might not be the best place to leave the suddenly sad and vulnerable woman who was so unstable she was unsure of her own age. Add in Animal's fondness for blowing things up and the heavy duty equipment lot filled with oil drums, leaving her alone at the trailer seemed like a very bad idea.
"If you take all the medicine the doctor gave me for you and use the creams he wants you to use and you promise not to light any fires then I might be persuaded to take you back to my office for lunch."
Animal grinned again. "I won't even say the word fire."
"What about the meds?"
"Can I look at the names of them first?"
Sunny started to think she'd be forced to drop an uncooperative Animal off at the lot. "Why?"
"I'm allergic to penicillin."
"Okay, you can look at the names first."
"Effin'…I mean, sweet deal!"
Sunny took out her blackberry. "Oran, no time for pleasantries we are way behind schedule. My ETA has been pushed back by thirty minutes. Make sure we have enough lunch for one more. Also, set up the wall monitor in my office and dig out the DVD of the Yule Log from last years' End of the Year Multicultural Holiday In-service." Sunny ended the call without Oran getting out one word. "Alright, Ms. Animal, we need a quick side trip to WearGuard for you then back to my headquarters for the Strategic Planning phase. Or, as I like to call it, Alpha Foundation One."
"What are you strategically planning?" Animal questioned as she hopped stepped to keep up with the rushing executive.
Sunny kept her quick pace while she replied, "You, Ms. Animal. We are strategically planning your entry into stability."
"Oh," Animal sounded unconvinced.