Drinks sloshed out of cups. Laverna called for napkins as the baby-faced miner was pulled out through the entrance. The open door blasted away the gloomy haze inside the Dirty Shame, and the team squinted and shielded their eyes as the sun reflected off the snowy banks piled on the street. The Flood Girls watched her feet slide through the dirty slush on the sidewalk, followed by the last of the miners, making her way outside. The door shut by itself, extinguished the light of another winter day in Quinn.
* * *
Laverna could not acclimate to the casts. She knocked things over with her permanently outstretched arms, coffee mugs, ashtrays, wall clocks. Red Mabel always cleaned up the mess.
The worst part was the sleeping. She was still in considerable pain, even though the doctor promised that it would get better, day by day. Like most men, he was a liar. Laverna was now sleeping on her side, one pillow under the cast on her left arm, and three extra painkillers just to make that tolerable. She found herself waking every other hour, stuck there, partially mummified, and she would peer at the bare left wall until she could sleep again. She decided to get a piece of art, a seascape or something, so at least she’d have something to stare at.
The second worst part was the itching inside of her casts. She begged Red Mabel to burrow around, stick objects inside, combs, a fireplace poker, a toothbrush, anything.
Tabby or Ginger came at lunchtime to feed her. Red Mabel was always busy at lunchtime. Laverna doubted it was anything nefarious, just that Red Mabel was exhausted from caretaking. Laverna endured the chatty Tabby saying complimentary things about Rachel, while spooning tomato soup into Laverna’s mouth, and stabbing cut-up pieces of grilled cheese sandwich with a fork. Ginger was slightly better. She always brought real food from a restaurant, and while she fed Laverna she talked about business and filled her in on the gossip she pocketed at the Sinclair.
Laverna had a plan. She needed Black Mabel, and Ginger agreed to find her. Ginger had survived cancer and tried all of the experimental therapies. There were rumors in Quinn that Ginger continued to grow marijuana in her greenhouse.
That evening, Laverna heard the distinctive rumble of Black Mabel’s Subaru Brat. She did her very best to come to a sitting position on the couch, and this act took so long that Black Mabel was already in the door by the time Laverna accomplished it.
“Jesus Christ,” said Black Mabel. “It’s roasting in here.”
“I need drugs,” said Laverna.
“Okay,” Black Mabel said, and unzipped her long leather jacket. Many pockets were hand-sewn into the lining, and Laverna knew they contained Black Mabel’s stashes. Laverna was nearly salivating.
“I need something to help me sleep, and I need something to get rid of this itching.”
Black Mabel considered this. “I don’t have anything to help with the itching. All my pills make people itch even more.”
“I don’t care,” said Laverna. “Just give me something that will knock me out. And light me a cigarette.”
Black Mabel stuck a lit cigarette in Laverna’s mouth and began to unzip pockets. She pulled out Baggies and Baggies of pills, and laid them out across the coffee table. She began to move the Baggies around, in some strange order, like it was a shell game. Finally, she held up a Baggie that contained seven small green pills.
“This oughta do the trick,” said Black Mabel. “Truckers love them when they’re trying to come down off of speed.”
“Fabulous,” said Laverna. “There’s a twenty on the kitchen table.”
Black Mabel came back with the money. She ashed Laverna’s cigarette. “I hope they help. You look like shit.”
“I need another favor,” said Laverna. “You’ve got to put one in my mouth, and get me some water.”
“It’s only seven o’clock,” said Black Mabel. “Are you sure you want to go to sleep right now?”
“Goddammit,” said Laverna. “What the hell kind of drug dealer are you? Give me two.”
Black Mabel did not protest. Laverna swallowed the pills she placed on her outstretched tongue.
“Do you want me to come back later and check on you?”
“No,” said Laverna. “I want you to leave.”
An hour later, she lay in bed, incapacitated, too drugged and dreamy for sleep.
When Red Mabel showed up, she cursed Black Mabel for drugging her friend. Laverna could barely talk, just muttered about the pills.