Free Gold Hill by Claudia Hall Christian Page B

rehab doc said he thought
some of the damage was from those concussions I got playing high
school football.”
    “ Didn’t you fall off the
stage last year?” Tanesha asked. “They brought it up in rehab. The
counselor thought you fell because you were loaded.”
    “ The stage was supposed to
glide out over the crowd. I thought it was done moving but it
jerked at the end,” Jeraine said. “I’d practiced on that stupid
stage four times, used it for the show the night before, but when I
got out there it jerked. I fell forward. The fans tried to catch me
but I hit my head. I had a concussion but no one did these kinds of
brain scan. The doctor asked. Mom was mad that I didn’t get proper
care. She went on a whole rant about the quality of care in the
US.”
    “ I thought the brain
damage was due to the drugs?” Tanesha asked.
    “ The concussions are only
part of the problem. The drugs did the rest,” Jeraine said. “And,
if I don’t give my brain time to heal, I can easily get worse. I
have to go to brain rehab a couple of times a week and do these
brain exercises at home. No school. No work. No stress. No drugs.
Good nutrition, exercise, sleep a lot, stuff like that. Lucky I
have money.”
    Tanesha smiled.
    “ Speaking of money,”
Jeraine said. “I’m supposed to talk to Schmidty in a little bit.
He’s had some accountant go over my finances to see what I still
owe the record company and whatever else. When are we due at the
Castle?”
    “ An hour or so,” Tanesha
said. “They’re having a big party.”
    “ Val’s up for
that?”
    “ Oh you know,” Tanesha
smiled.
    “ Ever the actress?”
Jeraine asked.
    “ Well that,” Tanesha said.
“And in that household, she won’t see the baby until tonight.
Everyone wants to hold her, touch her, take photos. The kids are
out of school so they get to meet her. Rosa is going to be Jackie’s
nanny.”
    “ The
housekeeper?”
    “ I guess Celia took care
of Rosa’s boys when they were little. Rosa wants to return the
favor while Val’s in town. She’s there with Jackie now. Val’s
sleeping.”
    “ Wow.”
    “ It’s how they are,”
Tanesha said. “Everyone’s connected to everyone else. It’s
nice.”
    “ Sounds horrible to be
that dependent on people,” he said.
    “ I think it’s
nice.”
    “ Well, I thought I could
talk to Schmidty,” Jeraine said. “Then we could stop by our
not-yet-yellow house to see what progress they’re making and then
go to the party.”
    “ I can sit in with
Schmidty if that helps,” Tanesha said.
    “ Sure,” Jeraine said.
“You’re going to help me with my finances right?”
    Tanesha nodded.
    “ And we’re never going to
spend another night apart, right?”
    “ What?” Tanesha
laughed.
    “ It’s just something I
thought of,” Jeraine said. “You know, Paul McCartney only spent one
night apart from Linda. That was the night he was in jail for
possession of pot in Japan. I think it’s a good idea for
us.”
    “ I’ll think about it,”
Tanesha shook her head at his manipulations. “You could have just
asked.”
    “ Oh yeah?” Jeraine’s eyes
scanned. “How likely is it that you’d say ‘yes’?”
    “ Seventy percent,” she
said.
    “ I like those odds,”
Jeraine said. “How do I make it one hundred percent?”
    “ I’ll let you
know.”
    He leaned over to kiss
her.
    “ I’m going to deliver
babies as a doctor!” Tanesha beamed.
    Tanesha’s bright smile made
him laugh. She kissed him. His laptop pinged indicating that he was
receiving a video call. He patted his lap for her to sit on it. She
pulled her chair over and he laughed.
    “ Hey Schmidty,” Jeraine
said. “How’s LA?”
    “ Good,” the young man’s
face was red from too much sun and bright smile.
    “ Sun burned?” Tanesha
asked.
    “ I’ve been out with Lizzie
every morning,” Schmidty smiled. “Walking on the beach. I forgot
sunscreen this morning.”
    “ How is she?” Tanesha
asked.
    “ Good,” Schmidty