“She needs food to heal and compassion,” she said.
“I’m trying here. I risked everything to save her. I don’t know what else I can do,” he said.
“Dr. Arthur wants her to go to his clinic in a few days for a check-up,” she said.
“He won’t come here?” he asked.
“No, he tries his best not to do house calls. If he ever gets caught helping us… Well, we’ll both be in trouble,” she said.
“Where do I go?” he said.
“He’s in town, right on the square. Small clinic,” she said.
“Is there a certain time?” he asked.
“No, just bring her there. He’ll see her,” she said.
“Anything else?” he said.
“There's plenty that needs done around here if you're gonna sass me,” she said.
“No thanks,” he said.
“I gotta get out of here. Call me if she doesn't start eating or if it gets worse,” she said.
Moments later, an engine turned over, and tires went down the gravel. The front door opened and closed. Quinnlyn walked down the hall toward the room and knocked on the door.
“Yeah?” I asked.
He knew I was awake, and even if he didn’t, he would open the door to check on me anyway. He opened the door and stood in the doorway staring at me.
“Would you like to go into town? Get you some books? Maybe even a TV?” he asked.
“I guess it beats staying here,” I said.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said.
I got off the bed, slipped my shoes back on, and walked out of the room. I held the pendant tightly in my hands, afraid to lose him again. We drove down the dirt road, the way we came in. We passed a little sign,St. James Parish, announcing the county we were in. The towns were small. Barely anything to them.
We eventually made our way onto Interstate 10 and headed north. Neither of us spoke, the radio filling the silence between us. I wasn’t sure what to say. My heart was so broken that I felt like my speech had left, too. It took almost an hour before we arrived in Baton Rouge, where he pulled into a Walmart Supercenter. I tucked the little piece of Izayuh in my pocket. He was with me even if he wasn’t with me.
I followed him around the store. I was afraid to say or do the wrong thing. I’d been such a free spirit before I was held captive. That part of me surfaced occasionally, but mostly I felt like I had no fight left.
“Do you need more pads?” he asked.
My head snapped toward him, then I dropped my eyes to the floor.
“Um… um… yeah, I guess so.”
My cheeks were burning.
“No need to be embarrassed. My mom was a midwife before we moved. I was taught young that was part of life, and women were the reason any man existed,” he said.
By the time we got to checkout, our cart was overflowing. He’d gotten us a TV, a DVD player, DVDs, a small stand, books, a pack of cards, food, and a handful of random things. The TV and stand didn’t fit in the cart, so the employees took them to the front for us. Once we checked out, he loaded everything into the back of the truck.
“Would you like some Popeyes?” he asked, once we were both back into the truck.
“I guess so.”