Riven - Jerry B. Jenkins [84]
But somehow he felt warm all over as he left. There was nothing like doing something for somebody else, especially when that somebody was your little brother.
Funny thing about Brady’s mood, though. Something deep in his gut still niggled at him. His life, which had never been much to speak of, was spinning, spiraling. Brady felt as if he were sinking, and somewhere inside simmered a fury he feared he would not be able to control.
Right now it was focused on himself. He knew he was the reason for all his own problems. But it made him want to lash out. Even his grandiose offer to Petey had more to do with showing everyone else that he could be thoughtful, generous, than it did with pleasing his brother. And even if it wasn’t true, he could appear to have the means to pull it off. That ought to show somebody something.
Adamsville
Thomas had barely touched his own meal. He peeked in on Grace, and she had not moved. The soup and sandwich and tea were cold, so he took the tray back to the kitchen. He didn’t want to wake her. Would she sleep through the night? That would be okay too. But he wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t do all he should for her.
He leafed through the yellow pages, finding listing after listing for general practitioners. That was no way to find a doctor.
Thomas phoned Gladys. After she determined exactly what part of town he and Grace had settled in, he could hear her rummaging through some papers.
“I think you’ve got a family clinic not far away,” she said. “Friend of a friend knows one of the doctors there. Worth a try. Here it is. Plum Creek Medical Center.” She gave him the number.
“I owe you, Gladys.”
“I’m keeping a tab,” she said, chortling.
Thomas reached the after-hours answering service, and the woman on the other end seemed to be reading from a manual. “I can contact the physician on call and ask him to call you. Otherwise, you’re advised to check the patient into a local emergency room if necessary. We recommend Sky Ridge. Would you like me to have the doctor call you?”
“Uh, no, not yet. Would I be able to get his number, in case—”
“I’m not authorized to provide that, sir. But you can call back anytime, and I will have him call.”
Grace appeared in the doorway. “Who are you talking to, Thomas?”
30
Adamsville
Grace was none too pleased with Thomas’s initiative, despite his loving motive. She convinced him that she had just needed a long nap and that it had done the trick.
“I feel 100 percent better,” she said. “I have pep I haven’t had in ages. And don’t you think my arms look better?” She moved close and raised her sleeves.
Thomas wouldn’t have sworn to it, but there could have been some lightening in the bluish marks.
“I’m serious, Thomas. I feel like a new woman. In fact, I think I’m up to a walk. Are you?”
In truth Thomas was not up to it, but what could he do? He was eager to test her claims. He changed clothes and joined her, and she seemed to maintain a brisk pace with no ill effects. He did not let on that he had discussed her health with Ravinia. When they got home, he reminded her that she still had a commitment to see a doctor very soon.
“If I need to,” she said.
Three Days Later | Addison
Things had not gone well at Burger Boy. Brady wondered what he had been thinking when he agreed to dress like an idiot and smile at demanding customers all day. The work looked easy enough, but people with just a little more experience seemed to be able to do it in their sleep. Everything felt clumsy to Brady, and he took every complaint as a personal attack.
He snapped at customers and was sarcastic, which bought him meetings with his shift supervisor, a woman in her early twenties who looked like a young teen. He promised to do better, but he had already been officially warned, and she told him he would be carefully watched.
Worse, not one of the kids on the Burger Boy team looked like a druggie or even a prospect. This would be no place to start