I shook off my surprise and said, “There are spare keys to my apartment in the drawer at the gallery.”

“I know where they are.”

“Could you go to my place, get me some clothes, shoes… um, underwear and bring them to the hospital?”

“I’ll do it right now.”

For some reason, his words made tears sting my eyes.

“I’m going to be in testing,” I lied again also blinking again this time for a different reason. “So, could you just leave them at the nurse’s station?”

“Sure, but I can –”

“No, no, I don’t want to waste any more of your time.”

“Sadie, it isn’t –”

I interrupted again. “No really, it’s okay. The testing could go on for awhile.”

Ralphie was quiet then he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, fine, just a small accident, banged my head a little. I might be out of work for a couple of days though.”

Or weeks, but I’d come up with other excuses later.

“Okay,” Ralphie agreed but he didn’t sound like he bought it.

I drew in a silent breath then on the exhale I thought of something else.

“Just so you know, my place is a bit of a mess –”

“Now, Sadie, that I don’t believe. You are Queen Clean.”

That sounded more like the Ralphie I knew.

“No, it’s just that –” I started but Ralphie cut in.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch because I’ll see a speck of dust. I promise, I won’t report you to the Tidy Patrol if you left a bowl in the sink.”

“Ralphie –”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Ralphie –”

“Toodles.”

Disconnect.

Oh my.

Oh well, I’d figure out some excuse for why my apartment looked like…

I stopped thinking about what my apartment looked like and more importantly why and set it aside. I’d deal with that later too.

I put the phone back, pulled the cover up and then laid back, thinking of what to do next so I wouldn’t think of all the things I was trying not to think about.

Then the door opened. I immediately closed my eyes. I heard footfalls, footfalls that stopped by my bed.

“Sadie, sugar, you asleep?” Daisy’s country twang whispered.

I pretended to be asleep.

Now, Hector being there was bizarre beyond bizarre but Daisy and Marcus being there was bizarre on top of bizarre.

They hated me. Why were they there?

“I think she’s asleep.” Daisy was still whispering.

“Sleep is good.” I heard Marcus’s deep voice say.

Silence.

I waited for them to leave. Then I heard a feminine crying hiccough which was followed by a masculine, “Sh.”

It took all the Powers of the Ice Princess not to open my eyes and tell Daisy I was okay which I was not, but some lies were good, I’d learned that from loads of practice too.

I listened to Daisy cry and Marcus soothe her for awhile then he said, “You’ve been here all night. Let’s get you home.”

Thank God. Finally.

“No,” Daisy’s voice was clogged with tears, I could tell even on that one word. She kept talking. “I’ll just go down to the gift shop, get a magazine and stay with her. Hector said he won’t be back for awhile.”

At least that was something.

“You sure, darling?” Marcus asked.

Daisy didn’t answer but I heard footfalls again, the door opened and closed.

I opened my eyes. I was alone. That was until whenever Daisy got back with her magazine.

I thought about how much energy it would take for me to understand what on earth was going on.

Then I realized, just before I fell asleep (for real this time) that I didn’t have enough energy to figure it out.

* * * * *

I opened my eyes and saw Daisy sitting in the chair where Hector slept.

She was wearing shoulder-to-toe dark denim, fawn-colored fringe falling from the shoulder pads of her blazer, more fringe down the sides of her skintight jeans. She had on fawn-colored, spike-heeled, platform, round-toed boots, her jeans tucked into the boots. There was more than a hint of rhinestones and rivets sprinkling her outfit everywhere.

She looked like she was going to get up and start singing, “Jolene”. Instead, she sat, legs crossed and read National Enquirer.

Darn. Now what?

I couldn’t feign sleep and avoid her forever. Or could I?

“Sadie?”

My eyes moved to Daisy’s and she was looking at me.

There was the answer, I couldn’t feign sleep and avoid her forever.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I sat up and lifted my good hand to pull my hair away from my face. When I dropped my hand, my hair tumbled back in my face again.

I sighed.

“Let me get that,” Daisy said softly and I looked at her again.

Her Enquirer was on the chair; she was up and digging through her purse. She yanked something out and dumped her purse on the night table.

She showed me a big, pale pink clip.

“Voila!” she said as if she’d pulled a rabbit from a hat not a hair clip from a handbag.

“Turn your back to me,” she ordered and even I wasn’t Ice Princess enough to tell her to go jump in a lake.

I turned my back. Her hands went through my hair, her long fingernails gently scraping my scalp.

It felt nice. It reminded me of when I was little and my Mom used to brush my hair at night before I went to bed. Sometimes when my Mom would brush my hair, she would tell me stories. Sometimes they were funny stories, sometimes romantic, sometimes adventurous. I used to love when my Mom brushed my hair and told me stories.

Daisy carefully pulled and scraped my hair for longer than was needed then she twisted it and I felt the clip go in.

Her hands went to my shoulders and she gently turned me around to face her. When I did, her eyes were on my hair. Then her gaze dropped to mine.

“All better,” she said.

“Not even close,” I replied.

There she was, bitchy Ms. Townsend rearing her ugly head.

Daisy’s teeth bit her lip and her eyes sparkled with tears.

“Sadie, sugar –” she started but before she could say more the door opened and Hector walked in.

Really, no more, I got it. I was the daughter of a Drug King, a bad man who probably destroyed many lives. But seriously, how much penance could a daughter do for her father’s sins? I mean, I didn’t sell he**in to school kids for goodness sakes!