The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments) (25 page)

She had to stop. Out of breath would be an understatement. Needing just a rest, Cal dropped to the ground at the top of the hill before they headed down to the buildings. The ground was hard, it still had frost on it, and her finger tips were getting numb from the cold.

“Keep moving.” Jake walked up to her and reached his hand down. “Now.”

Cal raised her hand and showed him her middle finger.

“Very nice, very nice,” he rested his hands on his hips, his breath visible as he spoke. “Let’s move. We’ll be down there in a minute. You’re dragging today.”

“I’m not dragging. You’re working out like you have something to prove.”

“Oh, she speaks.” Jake pulled at his ear.

“I spoke to you last night.”

“Yes, to call me a dick.”

“That’s still speaking to you.” Cal started to get up swiping away the hand he held out to her.

“You can’t still be mad at me.”

Cal rolled her eyes at him and started to walk. “I’m not mad at you,” she said as she pulled the sleeves to her sweatshirt down to cover her hands, “even though you went overboard on the running and climbing.”

“I did not. Winter’s coming and . . .”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m tired of hearing it. And give me back my food. I just really want to know who appointed you king of my dietary needs?”

“And I want to know why you’re being so indignant about this?”

Cal slowed up her walking, something that always angered Jake. “It’s my food and my body. Why do you have to have things your way all the time? It’s Jake’s way or no way.”

“That’s the best way.”

“Oh, God, you frustrate me,” Cal growled the words out.

“And you walk too slowly.”

“Then go ahead.” Cal motioned her hand at him. “Walk without me.”

“I think I will.” Jake sniffed loudly walking backwards. “You can’t keep up with me anyhow. I thought for sure you could, being that I’m older than you. God, are you acting old.” He turned around, laughing and began to walk.

“Old? Did he call me old?” Figuring she’d show him, run up to him and pass him in a challenge, Cal took off. She veered to her left to the steeper but shorter route down. Running and picking up speed she made noise, noise that made Jake turn around.

“She’s challenging me?” He smiled and then turned back.

Getting ready to call out to him when she got within ten feet, Cal suddenly felt the weakness of the ground beneath her. It gave way and with a loud shriek she fell though. She felt like she was falling forever as she desperately reached out trying to stop herself. What she grabbed onto frightened her. The sharp wooden point came within inches of her face as she came to a halt, feeling a painful ripping in her leg.

“Cal!” Jake spun around. He didn’t see her. “Cal!”

“Jake!” Cal called from four feet below the ground. She looked down and saw there were four or five spikes about five feet below her. “Jake, hurry,” She cried out and tried to free her bleeding leg which was now wedged in a branch.

“Cal.” Jake followed her voice. He saw the indented brush as he approached. His heart sunk as he realized it was a trap. “Cal.” He rushed to the hole sliding to his knees, looking down and seeing her.

“Jake, help me.” She looked up at him. “I can’t hold on.”

“Grab my hand.” Jake lay on his stomach and reached down.

“I can’t let go. I’ll fall.”

“I won’t let you. Just reach for me.” His hand extended further.

Holding her breath, she reached up to him, her finger barely touched his when she felt the safety of the grip of his strong hand.

“I have you.” Jake brought his other hand down bracing her arm and lifting her up. “Are you hurt?”

Cal grunted some as her wedged leg was pulled free. “I’m all right. Pull me up.” Using her legs to help, she felt relief as she was lifted to safety.

“Holy shit.” Jake stood up lifting Cal to her feet. “Are you OK?” He placed his hand on her face.

“My leg,” Cal said as she lowered her hand to her thigh.

“Fuck, you’re bleeding really bad.” Jake squatted down to look at the gash. “This is bad.” He stood up. “I’ll carry you.”

“No, I can . . .” she said, and then she was in his arms and finished softly, “. . . walk.”

“I can’t believe I let this happen.” Jake upset with himself carried Cal quickly back down the hill. Only this time, he was carefully watching for anymore traps.

^^^^

Bringing Cal into the bathroom, Jake put her down on the commode. He knelt down before her resting her leg on his knees. Extending his long reach, he turned on the water in the sink and grabbed a towel. He wet it while balancing her injured leg. “How bad does it hurt?”

“My legs were cold. That helped.” Cal tried not to show the extent of her pain.

Jake wrung out the towel and brought it down. He wiped off the blood surrounding the wound, and then the wound itself. The four inch gash bled despite his attempts to hold it closed. “This needs stitched.”

“Then I guess I’m out of luck.”

“Not necessarily.” He brought his damp bloody hand up and touched her face.

Cal felt the wetness. “Thanks, Jake.” She knew he left a wet mark.

“Hold this tight.” He stood up and went into her room.

“Where are you . . .” she asked and then bottle of Jack Daniels was set on the sink before her as he walked back in, “. . . going?”

“I can’t say it’ll be good . . .” Jake set a clear plastic pouch on the sink next to the bourbon, and then knelt down before her again, grabbing her leg. “But it’ll work.”

“What is in that pouch?” Cal lifted her eyes.

“Sutures.”

“No.” Cal fought to retrieve her leg. “No, Jake. I’m not letting you stitch my leg.”

“Cal.” He braced her. “What choice do you have? Bleed or heal? You have to heal. You can’t take a chance on infection.”

“I can’t let you stitch my flesh.”

“I’ve done it before.” He grabbed the pouch and opened it. The sutures were already prepared and wrapped in gauze with a tiny tube of antibiotic ointment. “I always come prepared.”

“Who have you stitched before?”

“Myself.”

“It’s the facial scar, isn’t it? That’s a really bad one.”

“Cal, please.” He grabbed the Jack Daniels. “This is going to hurt.” He unscrewed it with his teeth and poured some over her cut onto the towel.

Cal, who had been holding back bravely, screamed loudly.

“Sorry.” He pulled out the sutures. “Just hold still. I’ll do it as quick as I can.”

Cal reached down and stopped his hand moments before he inserted the needle into her leg. “Do it correctly instead of quickly.”

“Now watch carefully, you may have to do this to me.”

“You’ll stitch yourself.” Cal took a quick breath as she watched him work. The blood seeped out from her gash as in some final hurrah as he tugged the thread, pulling the gap closed. She grew skirmish. “Oh, that’s gross.” Despite the fact that it wasn’t even nine in the morning, Cal reached for the Jack Daniels and took a long drink. Then she took another.

Aldo knew when he returned that morning that something was up by the way that Barb and Tina both turned their chairs around toward him when he walked in the door. Their faces were glum with no hint of the excitement he expected to see when he walked in the room with their promised Eggs Benedict breakfast. “What’s wrong, Barb?” Aldo set the Styrofoam containers down gently.

“Cal fell into the trap.” Barb watched him sit down slowly, covering his eyes. “He pulled her out?”

Aldo slid his eyes up over his fingertips. “Graison?”

“Yes.” Barb answered. “She was bleeding badly. He carried her into the bathroom.”

“She’s alive though.” Aldo sat back in relief.

Tina indicated toward Cal’s monitor. “Jake’s going in her drawers. He must be getting her clothes.” They watched as Jake pulled something out for Cal to wear and take it into the bathroom.

Aldo leaned forward. “He looks frazzled. Can you turn up the sound?”

Tina tried. “It’s as loud as it goes. It’s next to impossible to hear anything in the bathroom. Maybe, if we’re quiet.”

Aldo stood from his seat and walked over to the speaker was. He listened as best as he could. Hearing Cal bitch at Jake that she could clean up and dress herself, Aldo faced Tina and Barb. “She’s complaining. She’s fine.”

Barb let out an audible sigh of relief. “I’m very glad for you, Aldo. You deserve this luck.”

“Thank you.” He walked back to the table and passed them their containers of breakfast. “Now, if Graison is as smart as we hope he is, he’ll scour those woods for traps. And at the very least . . .” He turned back to the screen that showed an empty Cal’s room. “Make it safe for them to be out there.” He opened his own container. “Let’s hope.”

“Jake, really, I’m fine.” Cal, with his help, hobbled to her bed. “The Jack helped a lot.”

“Yeah, well, don’t complain come four o’clock this afternoon when you’re hung over.” Jake lifted the pillows for her back to lean on. “Here, set this ice under your leg.”

“I’m not drunk. Trust me, the pain eliminated that.” She scooted over to center of the double bed.

Seemingly down, Jake sat on the edge of the bed next to her. He rested his hand on her knee, gliding it up and down her leg as he spoke to her. “I feel really bad about what happened today. I feel like it’s my fault.”

“It’s not.” Cal moved her face to his. “And I won’t let you blame yourself, so don’t even do try.” She lifted his chin. Softly she touched her lips to his.

“If I had been more alert, I would have seen it. It was so obvious. But no, I was too busy worrying about making up with you.”

Cal rested her head back on the pillow. “I appreciate how you helped me. Can you leave it at that and not make it into a mind argument within yourself?”

“OK.” He started to pull his hand away. “We didn’t eat yet . . .”

“There you go with the food thing.”

“Hey, you’re the one drinking on an empty stomach.”

“Two drinks. And it was only to help with the agony you put me through while you played Dr. Graison.” She saw his head lower. “Jake, stop this.” She lifted his head, then grabbed his hand and placed it on her thigh. “Thank you for playing doctor with me.”

Jake’s stone face finally cracked a little as her lips met his. He pressed his mouth harder to hers as he kissed her back against the pillow.

“Dudes!” Rickie called through the door, pounding.

Jake separated slowly from Cal. “Impeccable timing that kid has.”

“Dudes, come on!” Rickie knocked louder and more frequently.

Jake slid from the bed, tucked in his tee shirt and opened the door. “What is it Rickie?”

“What’s up, Sarge?” Rickie walked right by him. “Cal-babe, I heard you had the most severest of accidents.”

“Yes, I fell in a hole.” Cal told him.

“Was it a big one?”

“Pretty big.”

“Whoa. Anyway I brought you a gift. Hold out your hand.” He waited for Cal to do so. “Here you go, babe.” He placed a pink pill in her palm.

Jake was watching. “Wait a minute.” He opened Cal’s hand. “What are you giving her?”

“Chill, Sarge, it’s only a Percocet. I brought them with me. It’ll take the edge off the pain.”

Jake snatched up the pill. “She’s been drinking, she can’t take this.” He placed it on her dresser. “But we appreciate it, Rickie. If she needs it later, I’ll make sure that she gets it.”

“No problem. You guys want me to leave now?”

“Actually . . . no.” Jake pulled a chair over for Rickie. “Stay here for a minute until I get back. I want to get us something to eat.”

Rickie sat in the chair. “I’ll babysit the Cal-babe.”

“Thank you.” Jake rested his hand lightly on Cal’s knee, leaned close, quickly kissed her and stepped to the door. “I’ll be back. And Rickie, don’t let her take that pill.”

“Aye-Aye, Sarge.” Rickie saluted.

Jake paused before stepping out. Not only did Rickie have the wrong rank, he had the wrong branch of the service again as well. Stopping himself from saying anything, chalking it up to Rickie’s love for irking him, he left the room.

“Sarge is tense.”

“Yes, he is.” Cal agreed.

“OK, now that he’s gone.” Rickie pointed backwards with his thumb. “You want your pill?”

^^^^

Before his bed, Fr. Dan knelt. His arms flat out extended, his forehead lowered to the softness of it, indenting the loose fitting covers. “Dear Jesus.” He lifted his eyes, praying loud with emotions. “I’m weakening…weakening. Through your grace the nightmares have stopped, but the feelings are so strong, so strong.” He shook his head, eyes welling up with tears. “Is this your will, are you telling me that what I feel inside is not wrong? Give me the strength to make the right decisions. I’ve been faithful to you. I know you’ve forgiven me of my sins. Help me not to repeat them.” Backing up, Fr. Dan blessed himself and stood up slowly using the bed as leverage. He exhaled loudly as he walked over to his desk. He opened the drawer and lifted out the three photographs that were in there. He set them down staring at each one, one at a time. Then seeing it, he pulled it from his drawer—the box, the wooden box, the size of a cigar box. Its avocado colored swirl design stared at him from the lid. It was the box that was missing from his room, the same one that mysteriously reappeared after his mind breaking confrontation with Rickie.

Was it there all along or did Rickie put it back? He slowly lifted the lid. He had opened it every day to remind him of why he was there in the first place. Pulling out the papers one at a time, he read them. “You,” he said to his papers, “are to help me ignore this.” He lifted the three photographs. “I’ve not been honest with any of these people. What would they think of me if they knew?” He tossed the papers to the side and stared at the three pictures. “Do you know? Is that why you left these for me, to taunt me, to tease me, to tempt me?” He slumped forward sitting down covering his eyes, peering against his inner will at the three pictures that were left for him. Pictures he did not ask for—pictures of Rickie.

Quickly his head lifted to the sound of running water in the bathroom, Fr. Dan rose and slowly made his way to the door. He listened to the shower door slide open and then shut. He waited until he heard Rickie begin his awful singing of seventies songs. Then Fr. Dan did what he had been doing. He cautiously opened the bathroom door, just a
creak
. Quiet enough so his presence would not be known and just wide enough for him to see the reflection in the mirror of Rickie as he showered.

Fr. Dan leaned in the doorway gaping, sweat beads forming on the bridge of his nose. He would stay there until he could no longer distinguish Rickie’s young body in the mirror because of the steam.

^^^^

Cal’s chin rested on her hands which rested upon Jake’s bare chest. She glanced up at the clock as they lay in her bed. A little past nine P.M., the day had been a quiet one, and a wasted one. Her leg wasn’t throbbing as bad; Rickie’s pill helped. Of course that knocked her out for three hours. She watched Jake lying there, one arm stretched behind his head holding it up as he stared at the ceiling.

Her fingertips ran across his chest hairs and then she placed her lips to him, softly, holding them there, her eyes never moving from his face. “You want to get dressed and take our cover off the smoke alarm?”

Jake cleared his throat. “No.” He answered almost inaudibly. “Not yet.” Bringing his other arm up, his fingers traced from the small of her back up to her hair. “Just give me a few more minutes.”

Cal scooted her body up some, bringing her lips to his. When he barely responded, she asked, “Are you OK?”

“Yes.” Jake seemed to be so deep in thought. “I’m fine.” He didn’t want to talk; he just pulled her closer to him. He let himself relax. “You know, this is what I really like best. Don’t get me wrong. I love when we’re together. But . . . don’t laugh.” Jake ran his hand down his face. “I just think this is great. Lying here like this, being with someone you just feel so comfortable with. I never had this. It’s all so new to me. It’s still a little scary.”

“Tell me about it.”

“You?” Jake lowered his head placing his lips to her. “I would think being with someone is second nature to you.”

“Yes, being in relationships was second nature. ‘Was’ is the key word.” She let her hand go up and down his chest as they talked. “However, when Jessie died, I shut out everything and everyone that stirred any feelings in me.”

“Is that when you broke up with David?”

“I would rather not talk about David with you.”

“Do you still love him?” Jake asked, fearing her response.

Cal looked up at him. “Why would you ask me that?”

“I think it’s something I would like to know.”

“I let my walls down with you, Jake. I never thought . . .”

“You aren’t answering my question.” Jake cut her off.

“It’s not as simple as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.” Cal moved away from him a little.

“I think it is, Cal. You love him or you don’t.” Jake watched her stare at him. “Forget it. I got my answer.” Jake slid from bed.

“Jake.” Cal sat up.

He lifted his shorts from the floor and put him on.

“I can’t believe you’re angry about this.” Cal stepped from bed and grabbed her shirt. “You asked the question.” She continued getting dressed. “Giving you a straight answer is not that easy.”

“Yes it is. Do you still love the guy?”

“I will always love David but . . .”

“Then what was this all about?” Jake asked with angry emotions as his hand pointed to the bed.

“You know if you would let me finish answering you.”

“I think you answered it all. What more can there be to say?”

“How about this? Fuck off.”

“Excuse me?” Jake tilted his head offended. “Do you care to . . .” He grunted loud when he heard the banging outside of his door. “Goddamn it. What the fuck?” He stormed to the door. As he opened it, he saw Rickie and John in a twisted fight, rolling in the hall. “Hey! Knock off the noise.” Jake shut the door. No sooner did he try to continue his discussion with Cal than there was a knocking on his door.

Fr. Dan called with desperation. “Jake! Jake! We need you out here. We can’t break them up. It’s getting bad. Rickie’s in trouble.”

Jake shook his head. “Get Griff, he’s strong enough.”

 
Fr. Dan continued his pleading. “Griff is ill. Has been all day. Please, Jake.”

Irritated, Cal limped to the door. “I can see you’re not going to do anything.”

Jake stopped her. “And you are. Oh, yeah,
fuckin
’
Hopalong
Cassidy to the rescue. Stay put. I’ll handle it.” He opened the door and stepping into the hall was nearly pummeled by Rickie as he was tossed by John. “Knock it off.” Jake disgusted, grabbed John, lifted him from Rickie and slammed him into the wall. “Knock it off, goddamn it.” He saw through the corner of his eyes Rickie fisting up. “Don’t!” Jake held his hand out. “No cheap shots.” Placing his hand on his head he looked at the two men. John looked distressed. Rickie looked like he had taken the brunt of John’s emotions. “Now can I go back to my room or will I have to be subject to this shit again?”

“Sarge,” Rickie shouted. “He started it.”

“He’s been sleeping with Jennifer.” John pointed at Rickie.

Rickie’s hands shot up in defense. “No, no, dude you have it all wrong.”

“Wrong?” John screamed. “I just walked in on you.”

“No,” Rickie said. “No, I wasn’t with Jennifer, she’s yours. I was with Maggie. So we’re cool, right?”

Jake threw his head back. “I don’t believe this. Rickie! Are you that . . . never mind. This isn’t worth my time. And I cannot believe you two are fighting over a woman. A woman? It’s degrading gentleman. You don’t beat each other up over a woman. Learn some self-discipline for crying out loud.” Shaking his head Jake walked back toward Cal’s room. When he walked back in Cal looked just as displeased as she did when he left. “Now, back to you.”