down and let him tend to me, the sooner he could see to Robbie’s needs. Needless to say, I ended up cooperating.
Once Basco was done fixing me up, I had moved from the couch to the armchair closest to Robbie. I wanted to be close by, in case she needed me, but I didn’t want to be in Basco’s way either. I was still kind of shocked that Basco still worked for the Benettis. His shock of white hair and his aged skin should have him years into retirement by now, but I suppose that was just fanciful thinking. Everyone knew you never truly retired from the Mafia.
Robbie’s eyes looked haunted as she stared at me, letting Basco look her over. “I’m so sorry, Frankie,” she whimpered. “I’m so, so-”
“Stop it,” I demanded. “This is not your fault.”
“Of course, it-ow! Shit. Sorry,” she mumbled to Basco. Her eyes flew up to look my way again. “Frankie, I’m the one who told Randy who you were. This is completely my fault.”
“She’s got a couple of cracked ribs,” Basco announced. “Nothing to be done about those except to bind them properly.” He eyed her skeptically. “Can you sit up, child?” Robbie tried to sit up and immediately winced against the pain. Basco and I gathered her in our arms and helped her sit.
“Is that okay?” I asked, scared for her. Scared that she might have more than just physical damage.
“I’m fine,” she lied.
“I need you to stand,” Basco instructed. “I need to bind your ribs and it’ll be easier that way.”
Robbie gave him a tight nod and I helped her stand even at the protesting of my own body. I hurt, but not like she was.
Basco didn’t bullshit her and I think she appreciated that. “This is going to hurt like a sonofabitch,” he told her. “Scream if you must.” When Basco lifted her shirt, I almost started weeping. Robbie was black and blue all over. You could see an actual outline of a footprint where someone stomped on her so hard. Basco began his ministrations, and she didn’t scream, but she bit down on her lip so hard, fresh blood started oozing down her chin.
I needed to distract her from the pain. “This is my fault for failing to tell you not to tell anyone who I was,” I said, bringing us back to the topic at hand. “I should have told you to keep it a secret.”
Robbie shook her head in a grimace. “It doesn’t matter, Frankie,” she argued. “I knew Randy was a loser. I knew he was a loser and I still dated him. I knew he was a loser and I still shared with him…things that were none of his business.” Her eyes glossed over in wretched despair. “I wanted so badly for him to be a good boyfriend, I pretended he was and treated him like I thought he should be treated.”
“All done.” Basco announced.
“I need to sit,” she blurted.
Basco just nodded. “Intense pain can bring on waves of dizziness,” he explained.
Robbie sat down and the movement broke my heart. She endured this beating to protect me and I felt helpless in her time of need.
Basco took her left hand and let out a deep sigh. “Child, you have two broken fingers that I’ll need to set,” he told her. “This too will-”
“Hurt like hell,” she finished, trying to laugh off the pain, but was unsuccessful when she winced.
“Yes, it’s going to hurt, but it must be done. They appear to be clean breaks and should heal nicely.” Robbie didn’t comment. She just gave him another small nod to get on with it, and this time she couldn’t contain her moan of agony.
“You’re doing great,” I said lamely. I didn’t know what else to do.
“Frankie, get the green bottle out of my bag and get her some water,” Basco instructed. “She’s in too much pain for me to wait until after everything to give her a narcotic.” I ran to do his bidding and, once she swallowed the pills, he said, “This is to take the edge off. I will administer a stronger sedative via a syringe once you’re all patched up.”
“Won’t that be too much?” I asked.
Basco glanced at me and I had a feeling he wanted to roll his eyes at me. “Frankie, I’ve been doing this for more years than you’ve been alive,” he chastised. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“The cut above your eye should have been stitched, but I think