Blown for Good - Marc Morgan Headley [64]
The clerk looked at me then turned his head towards the pumps. He saw the moped, gave me a receipt and shook his head.
I pumped the gas. Decisions. Decisions. I had made it this far. Should I go to the optometrist? Should I make a run for it? Should I just drive back? If I take off with the moped, are they going to throw me in jail for grand theft auto? I don’t have any money to get a hotel, food or cover any sort of living expenses for more than a day or so.
I decided to get the eye exam. It was paid for and it was my only chance out of this whole mess. I drove the rest of the way into Hemet keeping an eye out for any security guards who never appeared. Maybe they would be at the doctor when I got there. They weren’t. I went in, filled out some paperwork, gave them my glasses to test and then got the exam. They gave me a prescription and I picked out some glasses I liked. I also picked out some contact lenses and they gave me some samples on the spot. The doctor showed me how to put them in and explained that my eyes would have to get used to them.
When I put them in, I could not believe how much better I could see. Wow! My eyesight had really gotten a lot worse since I had first started wearing glasses. The doctor told me my prescription was double what I had before. Twice as bad. Wow.
I thanked the doctor and left. I went next door to In-N-Out burger and got a bite to eat. As long as I was out I might as well live it up. I had $4 to my name. I got a Double-Double and a coke. It was pure heaven. There was something about In-N-Out, either it was the crap food on the base or because I had not been properly nourished in the last few weeks. Whatever the reason, the euphoria I felt while eating that burger was memorable.
I got back on the moped and headed back. I knew that security would be steaming mad when I arrived. I had blown the base and taken off without okay, without a license, without okay to drive and against orders to return immediately. As far as they were concerned, I had probably blown and was on my way to Mexico!
I pulled into the main gate. Danny opened the window. “You are toast, dude!” He said it with a smile.
“Go ahead and meet me in Tapes,” I said as I squeezed through the slowly opening gate.
I drove over to Tapes, took the helmet off and headed inside. I could see Danny rounding the corner as I walked in the building. Greg Wilhere was in Tapes as I walked in. Danny was now just a few feet behind me. He looked pissed and ready to lay into me.
I walked up to Greg Wilhere. Danny had just made his way in and was approaching me.
“Did you get your eye exam, Marc?’ Greg asked.
“I did even better, Sir. Even though no one could give me a ride, I managed to borrow a moped and made it into town myself. I was able to get temporary contacts and glasses ordered, Sir. My new prescription is twice as strong.” As the words came out of my mouth, I half smiled at Danny Dunagin who was ready to pounce on me and drag me up to the main booth.
“Wow.” Greg said, “See, it was your eyesight. I told you! Well done on making it go right and getting into town and back.”
“Thank you, Sir,” I said.
“Did you need something, Danny?” Greg asked.
“No, Sir. I was just passing through.”
My every fiber wanted to flip Danny off and tell him to go stick it where the sun didn’t shine, but I kept my cool and just smiled at him as he walked out.
In the meantime, Lynnea Baker was the only other person who could run the quality control station, besides myself. She had tapes backed up all around her. It was a disaster zone and she had been up for days doing both of our shifts. I could imagine she was pissed off at me, she said nothing and let me sit back at the station. I went back to work like nothing had happened. No one said anything. Even Jason Bennick managed to walk through without saying much.
“You are lucky people in high places like you, Marc.” That was all Jason said as he passed by.
I had managed not only to weasel my way out of getting in trouble, but had also made