Running Game(50)

Fuck…

I looked up at Helga, and realized how fitting this all was. I sowed the seeds and now I was reaping the sour results.

“Give me your leg,” she said, her thick accent almost incomprehensible. I sighed, lifted my leg, and submitted to my punishment.



Helga left two hours later, but not after she practically killed me. I could barely move, my entire body was screaming with pain and exhaustion. My range of motion had never been better, but I was pretty sure she tore three ligaments making that happen.

The thought of spending the next few months like this was almost unbearable.

The second she was out the door I hobbled over to my cellphone and called Maria, the private investigator.

“I need you to do a little more work for me,” I said.

“Anything at all. How can I help?” she asked.

“I just need you to do a little checking on my friend again. The one you were looking into previously? Maisey? I’d like you to just tell me what’s she’s up to. Whatever you do, don’t let her know you’re watching her.”

“No problem. Am I looking for anything in particular?”

“No. I just want to make sure she’s okay, mainly. I’m worried about her.”

“Okay, you got it. I’ll get on it right now and get back to you in a few hours.”

“Thanks, Maria,” I said, hanging up.

I didn’t feel bad for having her check on Maisey. It wasn’t spying. It was concern, that’s all. There was something more going on, I could feel it in my bones. I didn’t know what. But there was some other reason Maisey didn’t want me in her life, some other explanation for why she was so determined to keep me out of it.

I’d spent ten years wondering why she left me the first time, I wasn’t about to waste another ten wondering the same thing.



I was just finishing up dinner when Maria called me. I answered on the first ring. I’d been on the edge of my seat waiting all day.

“What did you find out?” I asked.

“Well, I went to her house first, but she wasn’t there. I hung around a while, and then I saw a man go in for a few minutes and come back out with a pink backpack and a teddy bear. I followed him hoping he’d lead me to her, and he did.”

“Good, where was she?” I asked.

“At the hospital. I followed him in and he went to the pediatric wing. Looks like Ms. Jayne’s daughter was admitted last night. I did a little asking around and talked with a friend of mine who works down at County General to get some more information. She tells me the kid’s going to be ok, but she’ll be in the hospital for a few more days.”

“Oh, wow. Okay, thanks, Maria. Do you know what’s wrong with her?”

“Asthma or something? Kids hooked up to a ventilator. Look, I’m already dangerously close to breaking about twelve different laws related to patient confidentiality, so I’m not going to say any more.”

“Right, okay. Well, thanks a lot, Maria. I’ll get back in touch if I need you again.”

“Anytime, Jesse.”

“Oh! Maria? What’s the kid’s name? I’m going to send some flowers and balloons over to her room.”

“Jessica Madeline Jayne.”

“Jessica?” I asked. Something began tugging at my brain that I couldn’t quite put a finger on, but I pushed it away as I thought about Maisey. She must be terrified.

“Yeah, they call her Maddy, I guess.”

“Maddy, right,” I said. “Thanks again.”

I hung up the phone and called the florist hoping like hell they’d restocked the store.





34





MAISEY





“It’s going to be okay, baby, we’re going to figure this out. I promise,” I held Maddy’s hand as the doctor walked out of the room. I was so upset, so worried, so fucking angry that I wanted to lash out at someone, anyone. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let Maddy see how worried I was.

Last night had been a nightmare. One of the worst attacks we’d had so far, and I’d been scared to death as I raced her to the hospital.

She was all I had. She was everything. I couldn’t live without her, and watching her suffer was torture. I felt helpless and that made me furious more than anything else.

I was her mother. I was supposed to protect her. And I couldn’t.

It was like an invisible monster was constantly waiting for us just out of sight, just waiting to attack and knock us off our feet. I wanted to fight it. I wanted to pick up a baseball bat and kick its ass…

But I couldn’t.

There wasn’t a worse feeling in the world than not being able to protect your child.

I’d like to find a way to accept it, but I couldn’t even do that. So, I kept fighting. I kept questioning the doctors and doing my own research.