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“Pain pills on the upper shelf in the bathroom cabinet and some water,” she rasped out between spasms. Prosper put his arm around Maggie’s bone-thin shoulders and supported her while she swallowed the powerful pain reliever and sipped at the water.
When the sound of a Harley engine began to rumble closer and closer, Prosper made a low growl.
“Don’t judge Jack too harshly, Prosper. This isn’t easy for him.” Maggie laid her head back on the high pillows of her bed and sighed. “He’s doing his best. He really is.”
“Cut the crap, Maggie.” Prosper’s words were harsh but his tone was gentle.
There was a small hesitation.
Then she said, “There’s something we need to talk about.”
“Hell, Maggie, every man knows that no good conversation ever started like that.” He grimaced and that made her smile, just a little.
“I know what you’re doing, Prosper.”
“What am I doing, darlin’?”
“You’re using that shop to wash money to pay for the treatments. The treatments that the doctors told us might help me.”
“Yeah, and what the hell is going on with that. You should have started those weeks ago, right? We got the money waiting, time to get the damn show on the road.”
“They schedule them in groups. The next group is coming up … I don’t know, in maybe a week or two.”
“How is that something you don’t fucking know, Maggie?”
“I know because I can’t get the treatments.”
“What are you talking about?”
Maggie looked at him with infinite sadness and shook her head. “I’ve been denied for the study part of the treatment. A patient has to be eligible for the clinical before you get the rest of it.”
“This is bullshit,” he ground out. “We have all the money you need to pay for those treatments. You’re gonna fucking get them.”
Maggie’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s a no go.”
The finality of her tone filled him with dread.
“So, what is it? Is it a list?” He snarled out around the huge lump of fear in his throat. “Because I will kill every other motherfucker on it if it means getting your name to number one.”
Maggie took his big, warm hand in her small, cold one.
“Honey, I’m just not a candidate.”
“What the hell does that mean?” His voice grew louder as his tone grew angrier. “Not a goddamn candidate? You’re not running for president, for Christ’s sake. What does that even fucking mean? Not a candidate?”
“It means, they’ve determined that the cancer is progressing too quickly, brother.” Jack stood in the doorway.
“Well, look at what the fucking cat dragged in!” Prosper bellowed in disgust. “You turn your lily-white ass around right now and get back on that bike. ’Cause you and me? We’re gonna go down to that damn cancer clinic and find the motherfuckers who have the balls to call themselves doctors. Then we’re gonna put a gun to their heads while they look over Maggie’s records again and again and again until they find a way to make her a damn candidate.”
“Don’t you fucking talk to me about my goddamn wife!” Jack had finally snapped. His face distorted in rage and his fists were clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white. Jack’s body was rigid with repressed violence. “You don’t think I’d slit their throats and rip out their hearts if I thought it would help? You think you know me?You think you fucking know me? You have no goddamn idea of what I am capable of…no clue of the lengths I would go to to save her! Maggie’s my wife, my fucking life! What part of that are you having a hard time understanding, you motherfucking imbecile!” Jack shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Jack, please. It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” Maggie looked on in sorrow filled horror as her husband collapsed against the door. The fight torn out of him, the words a burden too heavy to bear.
Prosper on the other hand, glared at Jack with murderous intent.
Jack continued on, his voice ragged with the effort, “Look, Prosper, Maggie and I have gone over and over and over this with her doctors. The treatments would just cause her pain, and maybe even shorten Maggie’s life from the stress the chemicals would put on her body. We’re at the end game here. You gotta accept it, brother. We have.”
“Mamma?” Raine and Claire were standing in the doorway. Looks of abject terror radiated out from their little faces.
