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I let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Oh, yeah, because telling her they have shot her father will not be alarming at all.” My phone buzzed, and I was afraid to see who the caller was. Hesitantly, I pulled the phone out of my pocket, relieved to see it was only my mother. “Yeah, mah?.... No, the doctor hasn’t been out yet….yeah, I know I need to call Char. I want to wait to see the outcome—don’t yell at me. Look, it’s going to be hard enough to tell her, but I want to make sure I have something concrete to tell her…. No, thanks, but I’m not really that hungry.” I chuckled, “Yeah, I know I’m always hungry, but right now is not a good time…. I will… yeah, I love you too.”
“Mothers are something else, aren’t they?” Dallas chuckled and jumped up from his seat to pace the room for the thousandth time. As I looked around the waiting room, I’d never seen these men so somber, which was a sign that this man meant the world to them. Not just them, but to me, too.
I prayed for a speedy recovery and prayed that Char still had a father to come home to after she finished her internship. However, knowing her, she was going to be on the first plane to Anchorage the minute she got word about her father. “Hey, Stevens!” Austin said softly, which was uncommon for this normally gruff, temperamental asshole. “The guys and I have taken up donations to pay for Charlene’s plane ticket home.”
“That’s kind of you and I think she’d appreciate that,” I responded, feeling tears well up in the back of my eyes and nausea hit me at how I was going to tell her.
***
After two long hours, I don’t think any of us had fingernails left when the doctor finally came out. “Dallas Marquez?” He called out.
Dallas jumped up and wiped his palms on his jeans nervously, “Yeah, Doc, that’s me. So?”
“Mr. Dixon’s injuries are too severe and we are preparing for him to be transferred by air to the medical center in Anchorage. He’s been shot in the spinal cord, which is now sheared. Even if Mr. Dixon survives the surgery, there is a very good chance he will suffer from paralysis.” The doctor looked at Chief’s record and back at Dallas, whose skin was now a lovely shade of alabaster. “Does he have any family besides you men?”
Dallas cleared his throat. “Yeah, he’s got a daughter who is currently in Seattle for school.”
The doctor tightened his lips and if I could read minds; the doc said that her dreams were shot to hell. There was no doubt in my mind that Char would need to be a caregiver for her father. No thanks to that douchebag, Kennedy Townsend.
FIVE
CHARLENE
My fellow students and colleagues all had reason to celebrate. After graduating with our law degrees, we were offered internships at various local firms. I went straight to a Navy Recruiter because my interests were elsewhere; of course, I would need to wait a couple of months before I go to the Naval Officer Training School in Rhode Island, so long as I pass the physical at the Military Entrance Processing unit in Anchorage.
With already an entire pitcher of beer in my system, I was ready to head back to the hotel for the night. I wasn’t completely inebriated since I couldn’t hold my liquor, but I was feeling good. One guy, Jasper, didn’t hide that he had a thing for me, but he wasn’t my type and I wasn’t in the market for any type of relationship since my time in Seattle was short. I was also a virgin, so there was no hope for him. He’d never get lucky. Jasper leaned into me, trying to steal a kiss, until I pushed his face away. “Oh, come on Char. We only have another week before we won’t see each other. Don’t you want something to remember me by?”
I groaned and shook my head, saved by my phone vibrating incessantly in my back pocket to see it was Mushu. Normally, I would tell him I’d call him back in the morning, but he left a couple of voicemails, which he never does.
“Hey, Char! It’s me, Mushu. Of course, you know it’s me. Please call me back when you get this—it’s important. Bye.”
There was an unusual hysteria in his voice, and I needed to step outside to call him back. Mushu must have read my mind, for this was a perfect escape away from sleazy Jasper. “Hey, Moosh. Sup?”
“Hey, Char. Um—I don’t know how to put this lightly, but um—something’s happened.”
My buzz was almost non-existent, and I gripped my chest to relieve the pounding of my heart. “What do you mean? Something’s happened?”
“Chief Dixon—I mean, your dad is in critical condition. They evacuated him by helicopter to the medical center in Anchorage.”
My mouth opened, only no words came out. I wanted more details and was unsure if Mushu would give them to me over the phone, but it was my father. I had to be persistent. “What in the fuck happened to my father, Mushu?” I fought so hard to hold back the tears that choked me but gave up trying. “What happened to him? You better tell me now or I’ll come through this phone and rip your fucking head off.” I was yelling, and he knew not to take it personally. This upset me beyond all measure.
“The guys and your old man went to the Aklark club to reason with some members and.”He paused and his voice was broken. “The Chief was shot.”
We both cried together on the phone and my legs gave out, causing me to collapse to the concrete sidewalk. “We all got some money together for you and got your plane ticket to Anchorage.”
“Tell them thanks. Can you send me the itinerary?” I heard the ping on the phone seconds later. “It’s for the morning. Do me a favor-tell the guys even though I appreciate the ticket, I don’t want to see any of their faces right now. It’s their fault he was shot when they could have stopped it.” I disconnected the call. I didn’t care to hear their side of the story. This was something that could have been avoided.
The only thought I had was to pack up and get to Anchorage to be by my father’s side. I couldn’t care less about anyone else but him. It was an early flight, seven in the morning. I’d be lucky to sleep tonight nor would I be able to and I ran back to the hotel without saying goodnight or goodbye to the friends I’d never see again.
SIX
MUSHU
All eyes were on me when I dragged my feet back into the club. “Did you get a hold of her?” Dallas yelled out as he rushed around from behind the podium. “Dude, are you crying?” He slapped my back. “I know our chief is laid up, but we’re men here. Not a bunch of pussies.”
What was his deal? Was Dallas Marquez emotionally inept? I’m sure this bothers him as much as the rest of us, but he lacked emotion like he didn’t care and was all business. But I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had to be strong for the rest of us; just as Chief Dixon would be.
He laughed and lightly shoved me. “Don’t be a dick, Dall. So, are we about to have a meeting or what?”
