Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“Did you give me a shot?” Not that it mattered, but I wanted to know.
“I did, child. Just a little something to help relax you. I’ll give you something for pain, too, before you leave. No use suffering when I can make it easier for you.”
“I… I only have a couple hundred dollars,” I said. “But I’ll pay you what I have.”
“Nonsense,” she said. The woman scowled at me. Much like a grandmother might if you were ever stupid enough to try to pay her for the chocolate chip cookies she made you. “You’ll let me do this so I know in my heart your body will heal.”
“You sound like him,” I said, indicating Styx. “He blackmailed me into letting you examine me.”
She glanced at Styx. “That true, boy?”
Styx just shrugged. “Ain’t denyin’ it.”
“What’d you blackmail her with?”
“Just told her she owed me for the ride from West Virginia to Kentucky. As repayment, she had to let you examine her.”
“Hum… not sure that actually qualifies as blackmail, but if it works, who cares.” She grinned at me. “You let this one have his way in this, won’t you?”
“I just don’t want everyone putting themselves out for me. I may not look like it, but I’m a survivor. I’ll make it through this.”
“I have no doubt you will, sweetheart,” Mama said. “And we’ll all help you survive. That’s what the men and women in this club do. We help each other survive. Thrive. Now. I have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you want Styx to leave while I do this?”
Reflexively, my grip on Styx tightened. “I --”
Mama raised a hand and shook her head. “Your reaction is all I need. He can stay as long as you need him.”
I looked up at Styx, expecting to see pity or something equally embarrassing. Instead, he just met my gaze with his steady one. “I’m here, Jolene. I’m not going anywhere unless you want me gone.”
“I’m not used to having someone with me,” I whispered. “Why do I need you with me?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said immediately. “All that matters is that you want me here. I’m here. And I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
* * *
Styx
I wasn’t sure if I was going to go back to West Virginia to kill a motherfucker, or sit there and let Jolene rip my heart out with every new injury Mama revealed. Once Jolene threw her lot in with me, she was all in. She looked to me for everything. I could tell she liked Mama. Trusted her, even. But she always wanted my approval. Even when Mama asked to examine her privates, instead of making her own decision, she looked up at me with trembling lips. I knew she didn’t want to do it, but I knew she needed it.
“It’s up to you, baby. But you need this. If you’re hurt or need medicine, Mama needs to know.”
Very softly, she said. “I probably need a Morning After pill or something. They used condoms but I don’t wanna take a chance. And yeah. One of ’em… The first time… He came inside me,” she finally managed to whisper.
“I’ll get you some antibiotics, too,” Mama said. “Just in case. Will you let me have a quick look? If you have tears, we need to address them so you heal.”
Jolene looked so miserable, I wanted to stop Mama from doing this. Instead I moved to set her on the exam table. I got a thick blanket from a cabinet and draped it over her lower body and sat beside her in a chair at the head of the table.
“I’m right here. I’ll hold your hand, and I’ll never take my eyes off your face. No one’s gonna embarrass you. No one’s judgin’. I’m your support. You take what you need to get through this from me.”
She nodded several times, just a miniscule movement, but an affirmative nonetheless. Mama undressed her from the waist down while I talked to her, letting her hold my hand while Mama did what she had to.
“It’s not as bad as I’d feared,” Mama said. “Can I wash you, Jolene? I need to put some cream on these lacerations, and you should be as clean as you can when I do.” Jolene just nodded, closing her eyes as color swept up her neck to her face. The part that wasn’t turning reddish purple pinkened in her embarrassment. “I’m going to give you some mild cleanser to use in a sitz bath. You need to do it every day at least twice a day for a week. Then you’ll need to dry yourself carefully and apply the cream. You’ll be able to feel the small tears. Wear loose-fitting cotton underwear and pants for at least a week.” She smiled, patting Jolene’s knee. “You’re young. I think your physical wounds will heal nicely. You’ll let Styx work on the emotional ones, won’t you?”