by my place last night to threaten me, and I found this when I was leaving for work this morning.” She waved her hand at the obscene graffiti.
Lozen bit her lip and glanced at her watch, “Come on, we’ve got fifteen minutes before clinic. Let’s sit down and talk.” Lozen led Randi over to a bench. “Let’s stay out here where there’s a little privacy.”
“Do you think Joe is really dangerous? Or is he just trying to keep me off balance?” Randi asked. “He said something about keeping my mouth shut to the prosecutors, so it makes me wonder if they are going to press charges against him even if Maggie doesn’t want it.”
“Maggie’s mom called me this morning. Her brother, Russell—the cop—well, he forced Maggie to go to her mom’s last night. Joe was nowhere to be found, which probably meant he was winding up on a bender. Russell was so mad he told Maggie that if she didn’t give a shit about what Joe did to her that was her business, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Joe hurt the baby.”
“This is a mess. I haven’t even been in town for a week and somehow I’m in the middle of a terrible situation. I have no idea how to help make any of this better.”
Lozen looked at Randi sympathetically. “I know you want to help, but I think the best you can do right now is take care of yourself. Are you scared to be out at your place alone?”
Was she? Randi wasn’t sure. “Well, Elan came by last night—I’d gone home after our run, and the whole Joe thing unnerved me, so I called him. Then Lee stopped by, because he’d heard about Joe hitting me on Sunday.”
“Lee and Elan were there at the same time? How’d that go?” Lozen raised an eyebrow.
“So…there is history between the two of them? I got the feeling that there was more than a little tension in the air.” Randi scratched her head. “I know Elan used to date Maggie.”
“There’s a story, but we probably shouldn’t get into it now. You want to come over to my house for supper?” Lozen asked.
“That would be really nice, but I promised Elan that I’d help with the high school kids that are running cross country.”
“Then let’s make it tomorrow night. I’ll make you some real Apache food.” Lozen smiled, “You okay with rabbit?”
“Yeah, sounds good. Can I bring something?”
“Just come and relax.”
“I’ll try to do something about my car so your family doesn’t think you’ve invited a crazy woman over.” They giggled a little.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let my husband know that you really aren’t Dr. Bitch.”
The two women made their way into the hospital, and Randi realized she was excited about the idea of going to someone’s home as a guest. Even though Lozen was probably fifteen years older, Randi felt like they could become real friends. She’d ask Elan, or the kids, about etiquette and how to be a good guest. She mentally paused. Elan. All the excitement over Joe and her newly decorated car had pushed away any thought of their close encounter the evening before.
“Oh, before I forget,” Lozen said, “You’ve got ER rotation on Friday night.”
Randi shrugged, “It’s not like I’ve got a big date or anything.”
The day passed quickly, Randi thought. There was a steady, but not overwhelming, stream of patients. Before she knew it, it was 5:30. She went to the ladies room and changed into a
Lozen bit her lip and glanced at her watch, “Come on, we’ve got fifteen minutes before clinic. Let’s sit down and talk.” Lozen led Randi over to a bench. “Let’s stay out here where there’s a little privacy.”
“Do you think Joe is really dangerous? Or is he just trying to keep me off balance?” Randi asked. “He said something about keeping my mouth shut to the prosecutors, so it makes me wonder if they are going to press charges against him even if Maggie doesn’t want it.”
“Maggie’s mom called me this morning. Her brother, Russell—the cop—well, he forced Maggie to go to her mom’s last night. Joe was nowhere to be found, which probably meant he was winding up on a bender. Russell was so mad he told Maggie that if she didn’t give a shit about what Joe did to her that was her business, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Joe hurt the baby.”
“This is a mess. I haven’t even been in town for a week and somehow I’m in the middle of a terrible situation. I have no idea how to help make any of this better.”
Lozen looked at Randi sympathetically. “I know you want to help, but I think the best you can do right now is take care of yourself. Are you scared to be out at your place alone?”
Was she? Randi wasn’t sure. “Well, Elan came by last night—I’d gone home after our run, and the whole Joe thing unnerved me, so I called him. Then Lee stopped by, because he’d heard about Joe hitting me on Sunday.”
“Lee and Elan were there at the same time? How’d that go?” Lozen raised an eyebrow.
“So…there is history between the two of them? I got the feeling that there was more than a little tension in the air.” Randi scratched her head. “I know Elan used to date Maggie.”
“There’s a story, but we probably shouldn’t get into it now. You want to come over to my house for supper?” Lozen asked.
“That would be really nice, but I promised Elan that I’d help with the high school kids that are running cross country.”
“Then let’s make it tomorrow night. I’ll make you some real Apache food.” Lozen smiled, “You okay with rabbit?”
“Yeah, sounds good. Can I bring something?”
“Just come and relax.”
“I’ll try to do something about my car so your family doesn’t think you’ve invited a crazy woman over.” They giggled a little.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let my husband know that you really aren’t Dr. Bitch.”
The two women made their way into the hospital, and Randi realized she was excited about the idea of going to someone’s home as a guest. Even though Lozen was probably fifteen years older, Randi felt like they could become real friends. She’d ask Elan, or the kids, about etiquette and how to be a good guest. She mentally paused. Elan. All the excitement over Joe and her newly decorated car had pushed away any thought of their close encounter the evening before.
“Oh, before I forget,” Lozen said, “You’ve got ER rotation on Friday night.”
Randi shrugged, “It’s not like I’ve got a big date or anything.”
The day passed quickly, Randi thought. There was a steady, but not overwhelming, stream of patients. Before she knew it, it was 5:30. She went to the ladies room and changed into a
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