Chapter 5
The Clinic’s white walls nearly blinded with their brightness. Jace guessed they were supposed to be cheerful and warm, but all he felt was a terrifying coldness seep into his bones as he and Reggie walked toward the waiting room.
Sunlight poured through the many windows in the room in which his mother sat, giving her blue aura a radiant glow. However, her posture told the true story. She sat alone in the room, her body slumped forward, her bowed head resting in her hands, her short afro in disarray.
“Mom?” Jace reached for her hands, Reggie at his side.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.” She stood and fell into his arms, her tear-stricken face falling against his shoulder. Reggie took a step back, his expression one of resignation.
“Where’s Dad? Is he gonna be okay? What happened?”
Juliette Williams released her son and began to wring the tissue in her hands. “Um…the doctor said that your dad’s condition is critical. He’s getting transfusions as fast as they can get transfusers in here. But, so far, his body’s not using the blood. It’s just coming right back out.” A lone tear fell from one eye and slid down a track left by many others, before she wiped it from her cheek.
“But, Mom, what happened? How could a car hit him?” A glimmer of suspicion gleamed from Jace’s eyes.
Her gaze swung between her two sons, nervousness displacing her usual cool reserve.
“Uncle Jace!”
Jace whipped around to see his twelve-year-old niece, Ann, putting down a tray burdened with food and drink. She picked up a cup of coffee and took it to her grandmother, who threw the used tissue in the trash and rolled the cup in her hands as if the warmth gave her hope.
“Hey, Sweet Pea, what you got there?” Jace fairly glowed when he looked at her. She was his only niece, Reggie’s only child, and he loved her to pieces.
“Just some snacks for Grammy and me. I didn’t bring anything for you, though. I can go and get you something, if you want.”
He looked at her for a moment. He was having a hard time getting used to this older, more mature version. Her baby fat had disappeared one day when he wasn’t looking. She had cheekbones, a waistline, budding boobs, and hips. In an effort to keep the encroaching teenage years at bay, he grabbed her, swinging her through the air.
“Uncle Jace! Put me down!” Her laughter bounced from the walls, filling the room with a sense of happiness, if only for that moment. “I’m too old for that now. You have got to stop doing that.” Once on her feet, she smoothed her hair and snuck a peek around the room, perhaps to ensure no one outside the family had witnessed the humiliating activity or her treacherous laughter. She released a heartfelt sigh, but only after she saw they were still the only ones in the waiting room.
Ann and Jace sat on the pillow-soft couch where she put her small hand into his larger one and held it tight. “Is Grandpa gonna be okay?”
“We don’t know, Sweet Pea.” He had to answer truthfully, though she seemed to have regressed to a little girl again, looking for reassurance that her world would remain the same.
“When will we know?” she asked, her eyes big, her voice a whisper.
“I don’t know. We just have to wait and see, Sweet Pea.”
Just then, a white-coated woman walked in. She surveyed the room until her gaze lit upon Jace’s mom. “Mrs. Williams, I’ve just come to give you an update. I’m sorry, but nothing has changed.”
His mom sank back into her chair, her tall, slim frame folding in on itself. Tears coursed down her face. He gestured to the doctor and he, Reggie and the bespectacled woman moved a small distance away.
“I’m Jace and this is my brother, Reggie. We weren’t here when you talked to my mom before. Please fill us in.”
The doctor nodded before speaking. “I’m Dr. Perry. Sorry to meet you under these circumstances. As I told your mother, your father has multiple organ injuries. Unfortunately, his body is rejecting the transfusions. So right now, all we can do is wait and see.”
“Um, how often does that happen?” Jace asked. “I mean, somebody’s body rejecting—”
The doctor played with the diagnostic glasses now hanging around her neck. “Not very often at all. Usually, the body accepts the transfusion and begins to heal itself right away. We don’t know what causes rejection. No studies have been conducted since it so seldom happens. In your dad’s case, we’re pretty sure it’s because—”
“No studies! You don’t know! That’s bullshit, lady! I want to know—”
“Reggie!” Mrs. Williams’s voice cut through the air, her tone putting an instant stop to his tirade. “If that’s all you can say, then I don’t want to hear another word out of your mouth.”
Like the chastised child he was, Reggie hung his head, putting his clenched fists in his pockets. Embarrassment joined anger when he raised his head and found Darius standing in the doorway. His brother’s friend had seen and heard the whole encounter.
Jace turned away from Reggie to ask Dr. Perry another question. “I don’t understand what you mean when you say he’s rejecting the transfusion. I mean, how does he—” His voice trailed off before he completed the question.
“Well, the blood doesn’t stay in his body.” She stopped playing with the glasses to cover his hand with hers. “Um…I’m not sure you want the details.” His nod told her to continue. She glanced at his mother and lowered her voice. “Okay…well…it just flows from every opening: his pores, his ears, his mouth, etc.”
“Oh, God!” His gaze dropped to the floor while he rubbed his forehead. “How long can he live like this?” He stood erect, stone-still, while he waited for her response.
“We’re not sure. I’m sorry, but I just don’t know. Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
“Yeah, how did he get here? How could this accident have happened?”
“A guy brought him in. His name is in the records. I’ll be glad to get it for you, if you want.” Her digi beeped, diverting her attention. “I’m sorry. I’m needed. I’ll be back to keep you all updated.” Her receding back greeted Jace before he could utter another word.
Darius, who had talked to Mrs. Williams while Jace and Reggie talked to the doctor, spoke as Jace reached him. “I’m sorry about your dad’s accident, man. What the hell happened?”
Jace sat next to Darius and told him everything he knew so far. After which, he tried to recall all he knew about The Clinic and how it worked. He knew that medical personnel and transfusers staffed it. The transfusers could only donate a couple of pints of their blood every several hours. Or maybe, days. He couldn’t really remember the amount or the time.
“Do you know how much a transfuser can donate at once? And how long do they have to wait before they can donate again?” Jace looked at Darius with expectation because Darius’s brain housed all kinds of esoteric knowledge.
But, Darius shook his head. “Seems like…I don’t…ummm…couple of pints? I just don’t know.”
Jace went back to his inner musings. Though he didn’t know how many transfusers his dad would need if his body kept rejecting the transfusions, there were things he did know. Unlike human blood, their blood couldn’t be stored for even the smallest time without spoiling. So, injured aurals needed to receive live body transfusions.
The doctors kept track of vital signs much like humans. The diagnostic glasses Dr. Perry had worn eliminated the need for x-rays and other human diagnostic tests. With the glasses, the doctors could see every part of the aural body, or human body, for that matter: from the largest organ or bone to the tiniest blood vessel or cell. So, Dr. Perry could see at a glance that his dad’s body was not healing itself.
Having run through everything he knew about The Clinic, his mind turned to thoughts of the accident. He glanced around the room to see his mom still slumped in the same chair and Reggie sitting on the couch talking with Ann. He turned toward Darius, and in a tone so soft he was sure no one else could hear, he gave voice to his suspicions. “A car hit him? He had to be drunk, man.”
“Yeah, that could never have happened if he’d been sober.”
“I’ve been racking my brain, trying to come up with some other reason, but what else could it be?” Jace asked with a shrug.
“I think that has to be it, but why? Why would he start drinking again? Why would he put your mom, hell, all of y’all through that crap again?” Darius was in the unique position of knowing all about the crap Jace had endured. Countless nights Jace had awakened Darius by knocking on his bedroom window at three or four in the morning because Mr. Williams was drunk and raising hell.
Jace’s thoughts settled in the same place as his friend’s did. He remembered being a little boy seven or eight years old and dreading the arrival of the weekends. He never knew if chaos was coming his way. His dad usually arrived home Friday evenings already drunk. Sometimes, he’d just be drinking, not drunk. He’d be happy and fun to be around on those days. Most times, though, he’d be drunk, sloppy drunk, stumbling, slobbering, cursing, and fighting. The upheaval always started with his mom, but sometimes spilled over to Reggie and Jace. At times, they’d awakened, the overhead light bright in their eyes, to their dad cursing at them, smelling like a liquor still, his spit flying through the air. Their mom would be hanging on to an arm, trying to pull him from their room and begging him to leave the boys alone. Her face a mask of pain, sometimes physical, always emotional. At other times, they awakened to the jarring sound of shattering glass, a vase being thrown to the floor, or the breaking wood of a door being kicked in. It was at these times that Reggie pushed Jace from the house, insisting that he go to Darius’s so as not to be subjected to the living hell that was their home.
Weekend after weekend, the turmoil continued until one pre-dawn morning Reggie thought he was big enough, strong enough to threaten their dad’s life. Jace, standing behind his brother, backed him up in the high, squeaky voice of the ten-year-old he was.
Jace remembered almost feeling sorry for his dad when he stopped his ranting and raving, the words of their threat penetrating his alcohol-soaked brain. With his eyes wide and jaw slack, he fell heavily into the nearest chair before racking sobs poured from his body.
As an adult, Jace was pretty sure it had been the shock of the threat, and not the chance Reggie could actually make it a reality, that had made his dad stop and take stock of their lives and his. After all, Reggie was just a skinny seventeen-year-old kid. Still, his dad hadn’t taken a drink since that day—until this one.
The situation had had a lasting effect on Darius, too. He’d often been at Jace’s when Mr. Williams arrived in a drunken rage. Every Friday he’d hoped that would be the Friday Mr. Williams would come home sober, happy, and laughing like he did during the week. And though he’d never talked about it with Jace or anyone else, his hope had been palpable, a living, breathing thing. So for Darius, drinking had always been out of the question. And since becoming an adult, he realized that as a little boy his sleep pattern had changed, too. Sleep had enveloped him during the week, wrapping him in its arms so securely that even a freight train at full throttle running through his room wouldn’t have awakened him. Yet, the weekends were a different story. Subconsciously, he was on alert. The slightest tapping at his window and he had been up and running to the back door to let his friend into the peace and quiet of his home. To this day, he slept poorly during the weekends, always on alert, always waiting. The volatility of his friend’s life had made him appreciate the tranquility of his own: the love, the laughter, and yes, even the discipline.
Shaking his head slowly, Jace raised his eyes until they found Darius’s. “I just can’t imagine what would make him drink again, but that has to be it.”
“Yeah, his skills are way too developed. Even if he hadn’t been paying attention, he would have instinctively avoided being hit. He had to be drinking.”
Clicking heels at the doorway made them look up to see Dr. Perry entering the room, the glasses swinging around her neck. Everyone stood and gathered around her, hoping her smile indicated good news.
“Well, Mr. Williams has taken a turn for the better. His body is now keeping the transfusions—”
“So that means he’s gonna be all right then?” Ann piped up.
“Well, we’re hoping so.” Dr. Perry’s smile diminished somewhat as she looked at the hope displayed on their faces. She faltered, seemingly unsure if the young lady needed to hear the details of her grandfather’s condition.
The need to voice her concern was lifted from her shoulders when Darius took Ann’s hand and appealing to the little girl in her, he said, “Come on, girl, let’s go over to the cafeteria and get some ice cream to celebrate.”
When Darius and Ann were out of earshot, Dr. Perry continued. “As I said, he’s not rejecting the blood anymore, but he’s not out of the woods yet. I wish I could tell you his body will automatically use the blood to heal itself, but I can’t. Internally, he’s pretty badly torn up. It’s just a wait-and-see game now. I’ve never seen anybody this badly hurt survive even to this point. So, that gives us hope.”
“Do you have any idea when you’ll know something?” Mrs. Williams asked, her face a mask of worry and misery.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t. It could be hours, or days even, before his body reacts.”
“Is the alcohol having a detrimental effect?” Jace just had to know if alcohol had been involved.
“Oh yes, it was definitely a factor in the transfusion problem. And now, it’s inhibiting the healing process.”
Shame, weariness, and finally, pain crossed their faces, but Dr. Perry couldn’t give them more hope. “I’m sorry, but I need to get back now. I’ll let you know if things change.” She grabbed Mrs. Williams’s hand, giving it a warming rub before she turned and walked away.
When Darius and Ann got back with ice cream for everyone, which nobody ate, Jace explained what the doctor had said.
Ann sat next to her grammy, chattering away. Darius glanced over at the two of them. Mrs. Williams took a small bite of her ice cream, possibly just to placate her granddaughter. “Why don’t I take Ann home with me since y’all don’t have any idea how long you’re gonna be here?”
Jace nodded and called Reggie over. “Why don’t we let Darius take Ann home with him so Mom doesn’t have to try to keep a happy face on for her? That’s gotta be a strain.”
“I ain’t getting ready to let my daughter go home with him. Why the hell is he here anyway? He ain’t family.”
Darius let out a long sigh, but gave no response.
“Aw shit, man. Not that crap, not now.” Jace was so caught up in his father’s situation he had momentarily forgotten what an ass Reggie could be.
“I am not sending my daughter home with him,” Reggie said, pointing a finger in Darius’s direction.
Jace dropped his voice to an angry whisper. “So, what’s it all about, Reggie? Do you actually think he would do something to her, or is it just because he’s a purple guy?”
Reggie’s whisper matched Jace’s in volume and anger. “All I gotta say is, she ain’t going with him. She can go stay with her mom.”
Darius sat gazing out one of the many windows facing him as the fervent whispering swirled around him.
“What?” Jace exclaimed, his whispering voice taking on an added intensity. “You would rather let her stay with your drug-addicted ex-wife than let her stay with Darius? You done gone crazy! That’s not gonna happen.”
It had been puzzling to Jace how Reggie had formed his opinions on coven matters before he’d read a couple of psych books. Prejudice had never been tolerated in their home, even during the drinking years before their father had started his new career. But with the new found wisdom the books provided, Jace realized Reggie had rebelled, becoming the opposite of their father in the way that would hurt their dad the most, publicly if not privately. Even with that knowledge, Jace still had a hard time accepting his brother’s views, and tried to ignore them whenever he could.
The argument between the brothers was about to spiral out of control when Darius roused himself and made a suggestion. “What about Rita? Do you think you could let me be in Ann’s presence long enough to take her to your girlfriend’s? I probably won’t rub off on her in that short period of time.” With a smirk and a nod of his head, he taunted Reggie. “But if I tried hard enough, I probably could.”
Jace, almost smiling, knew Reggie really hated to admit this idea was a good one since it had come from Darius. But Ann couldn’t continue to stay there, and Jace knew Reggie wanted to be there, had to be there.
Reggie closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths before he responded. “Let me call Rita. See if she’ll do it.” His eyes open now, he pulled his digi from his pocket and dialed her number while walking to a corner of the room.
“I just can’t believe what an asshole he is. I’m sorry,” Jace said while shaking his head.
“Not your fault. You know, even though I know he’s a bigot, it’s still a shock to hear. It’s so different than when we were little. He’s—”
“Rita said it’s okay.” Having finished his call, Reggie was back with them. “So, I’ll be back. I’m gonna take her over there.” He turned toward Ann and her grammy. “Peaches,” he said to Ann, his expression softening as his gaze fell on her, “how’d you like to go visit Rita for a while?”
Ann’s answer was evident by the big grin suddenly lighting up her face. She clapped her hands and took one leap in the air before she seemed to remember her newly acquired twelve years. So she responded with a subdued, “That would be great.” Ann loved going to Rita’s because she was the only one who let her experiment with make-up. Her grammy wouldn’t even talk to her about it. “But only if Grandpa is gonna be okay. He is, isn’t he?”
Reggie took her hand before answering. “We think he’s getting better. So, we adults are gonna have to be here for a while. I promise I’ll let you know as soon as things change. Okay?”
“Okay, Daddy. Bye, Grammy.” She gave her grandmother a hug and then skipped over to give one to Jace and Darius. “Bye.”
“I’m gonna get outta here, too, man. I’ll be back later. Let me know if you need anything.” Darius spoke with Mrs. Williams and gave her a hug before leaving.
Jace and his mom were alone for the first time since the accident. They clung to each other for moral support. Though Mrs. Williams would never admit it, might not even be aware of it, Jace was her favorite child. Her hand trembled as she wiped the tears away with a new tissue from the box sitting on the table beside her. “My God, this is a nightmare. I just don’t know how this could happen.”
“Yes, you do, Mom. You do know the answer to that. He was drunk. Still, there’re some things we don’t know. What could have happened to make him think drinking was the only solution, you know? Why couldn’t he talk to you or me or Reggie? And Wilmington? What was he doing there?”
