too. “Do you know if he’s had a tetanus shot or not?”
“I don’t know anything but that he comes yelling at me that he’s cut himself, and I bring him here. His regular doctor don’t seem to be taking anybody today.” She huffed. “This kid ain’t mine, but my boyfriend’s. He’s going to be powerfully pissed off when he finds out I had to bring him in here. If not for the nosey neighbor threatening to call the cops if I didn’t, I’d be at home watching my shows and shit.”
The boy’s entire body stiffened when the woman spoke. Rayne wasn’t sure if it was the threat of his father or the woman, but she was going to make sure he was safe. Her mind was a jumble of things she had to do, and it wasn’t until the curtain came back and Abby stuck her head into the room that she felt like she was going to be all right.
“This is Abby. She’s the clerk that checks on things like that. If you’d not mind telling her his name, she can check the records to see if he’s had all his shots up to date. Also, she’ll need his father’s name and address.” The woman, who hadn’t given her name on the paperwork in front of her, smiled. “I’d like to check it out if you don’t mind. He may well be sicker if he’s not had this shot.”
Rayne was afraid to leave the little boy. Abby seemed to realize that too, asking the woman to come with her. She went with Abby but wasn’t the least bit happy about it. Before she left the room, however, she looked at the little boy and said he’d better not be lying to anyone. She’d know.
As soon as she thought they were far enough away from the cubicle, Rayne smiled at him. Asking his name, he told her that they called him Mistake, and sometimes Shithead.
“Well, I’m sure you have a better name than that, don’t you?” He nodded at her and then looked around before whispering his name. “All right, Louis. Why don’t you tell me how you really hurt your arm. I can’t stitch this closed until I’m sure it’s not going to be infected.”
“I don’t lie.” She said she knew that about him. “Dad tried to cut it off this morning on account of me having a glass of milk when he didn’t say I could. I was really hungry. And I thought he was gone for the day when he come back and slapped me around. Then when Brenda told him I was a little thief and that I needed to be taught a lesson, he said he’d cut off my hand so I’d not be able to steal again. Don’t tell them I told you. Please?”
“I won’t.” She hated that the child was so afraid. “I’m going to call another doctor in to see how many stitches we need to put in. You can trust him, Louis. He’s a good man.”
“I don’t trust nobody, ma’am.” That tugged at her heart so much that she had to look away in order to reach for the little device around her neck that would call anyone that she needed. She had noticed that Wats had his on when he’d been in the office with her.
“You miss us already? I’m still here if you need to have— Something is going on.” She explained to him, not alarming Louis, that she had a patient that needed stitches. She asked him to come to her now, please. “I can do that. I have my father with me. Would it be all right if he were to come with me?”
“Yes. That would be wonderful.” She smiled at Louis. “You’ll like Mr. Wilkerson. He’s a good man too. He’ll have our daughter with him.”
She didn’t have to wait long for not only Wats to join her but also her father-in-law and Cooper. The man with them was one of the officers on the force and seemed to be off duty, as he was dressed in jeans and a shirt. She introduced Louis to them all, not telling him that Cooper was a cop. As soon as she showed them the cut on Louis’s arm, Cooper stepped out, saying he’d return. Brenda returned just as he left them.
“What the fuck are you doing now? Having a tea party? I need him to get his ass home before his daddy shows up. He’s going to be