Free A Life Less Broken by Margaret McHeyzer Page B

is
barely out of your life. I think you need to go out and have a bit of fun
before you get serious about someone again. I mean, you don’t fuck around, you
don’t ‘play the field’ as you young kids say, you don’t drink, you don’t smoke,
you barely do anything except come to work and occasionally go out for dinner with
that cute brother of yours.”
    “Lauren, I’m
turning thirty-nine this year. I don’t want to party, I don’t want to go out, and
I don’t want any flings.”
    “Not to be
harsh, but I doubt she’ll be able to give you much of anything,” Lauren says as
she points upstairs to where she assumes Allyn is. “She’s so badly broken,
Dom.”
    “I don’t
expect anything from her. I’m merely her psychiatrist.”
    “Okay, Dom.
I’ll let you think that until your mind catches up and you finally realize what
you’re doing.”
    I look at
her and tilt my head to the side.
    “There’s
nothing to realize.”
    “Okay.” She
backs away and holds her hands up, palms facing me. “Well, can you write the
prescriptions out so I can go torment Charlie? It’s so much fun to screw with
his head. I may even let him take me to dinner, if he’s a good a boy,” she says
and laughs a small, evil giggle.
    I write the
prescription and Lauren happily takes it and moves toward the front door.
    “Take good care
of her, Dom.”
    “I will,” I
answer her honestly.
    I let Lauren
out of the front door and lock it, then take the stethoscope and the antibiotic
syringe upstairs to check on Allyn. I need to examine her to determine if she needs
antibiotics or this is just a cold from being out in the rain.
    “Allyn,” I
say gently, trying to rouse her from her sleep.
    “Ummm,” she
answers as she turns toward me.
    “I need to
listen to your lungs, so I need to touch you with the stethoscope.”
    “Okay,” she
murmurs and turns away so her back is to me.
    I should be
putting the stethoscope directly on her skin, but I don’t think she’s ready for
that. Instead, I place it over the thin material on her back and listen to her
lungs as she breathes. There’s a slight rattle, which tells me she’ll soon have
an infection if I don’t intervene.
    “Allyn, I
need to put the stethoscope on your chest too. Can you turn around so I can
listen, please?”
    “Okay,” she
mumbles and moves so she’s lying on her back.
    I put the
stethoscope on her chest and she flinches in her stupor. “It’s just me, Allyn. I’m
listening to your lungs. I’m going to move the stethoscope to a different
position,” I say as I smooth her hair again, trying to reassure her that I’m
not going to hurt her.
    “Alright,
I’m tired.” She falls into a light sleep as I listen to her chest.
    There’s a
definite slight rattle, and I need to give her the antibiotics so she doesn’t
end up with pneumonia. I don’t think she needs the injection, the tablets
should be enough.
    I go
downstairs to check on the soup.  When I return upstairs, I bring the penicillin
with me. She’s still lying in the same position I left her in.
    “Allyn,” I
softly call her.
    “Yeah.”
    “Can you sit
up for me? I’ve got something for you to eat so you can take some medicine.”
    “I don’t
have medicine,” she says, groggy.
    “No, but I
got you some. Can you sit up, or do you need help?”
    “I’m okay.”
She shuffles a little and sits up in bed. Her eyes are bloodshot and her skin
is pasty and almost transparent.
    I sit on the
bed and she reaches for the soup.
    “Nope,
doctor’s orders.” I wink at her and lift the spoon to feed her.
    “I can do
it.” Her objection is weak.
    “I didn’t
say you couldn’t. What I said is that I’ll look after you – doctor’s orders.” I
hold another spoonful of soup up to her lips and she smiles faintly before
accepting my offering.
    “I’m sorry
you’re stuck here. I’ll call Mom to come help me,” she mumbles.
    “Allyn, I’m
here because I want to be. Now can you eat some more