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“Cindy, she left the babies alone to walk me to the elevator.”
“Are you sure, Daddy? Maybe there was someone in back, and you didn’t notice.”
“Oh.” Decker hesitated. “Shows you what I know. Is there someone in back now?”
It was Cindy’s turn to hesitate. “Well, Darlene kind of told me to wait for her specifically because she didn’t want the babies left alone. She and Lily—that’s her newest trainee—they were collecting the babies from the moms after the twelve o’clock feeding. It’s taking a little longer because Darlene volunteered to help out in the adjoining nursery. They’ve been shorthanded lately ’cause of budget cuts.”
“So Darlene left you in charge?”
Cindy’s eyes went to the ceiling. “She’s right here on the floor, Daddy. I have her beeper, but it isn’t even necessary. She comes back every few minutes. Says she’ll finish up real soon. She’s doing the best she can.”
“Cindy, you’re a peach, but Darlene doesn’t know that. You could be anybody. Did you ever see Marie leave the babies alone?”
Cindy shook her head. “I guess Darlene is very trusting.”
“It’s dumb. She’s asking for a tragedy and a lawsuit.” Decker put his hands in his pockets. “I’m very grateful that you’re watching Hannah. And truthfully, yes, Marie does tweak my nose. If Rina weren’t so … so laid-up, I’d check my whole family out of here. But as of now, I’m stuck. So if Mrs. Elias wants to take over for you for a while, let her. Marie’ll probably be more tolerant of her than you.”
“I ask you, Daddy, is that right?”
“No, it isn’t right, but frankly I don’t care. I’m looking for what’ll work. So help me out. You can come back when Mrs. Elias has to go home to tend to the boys. Okay?”
Cindy nodded.
“And please don’t make problems. I want you here in the nursery, Cindy, because I do trust you.”
“Thanks, Dad. It’s nice to hear that.”
“You’re welcome.” Decker rubbed his eyes. “Go burp your sister. Give her a kiss for me. Tell her I love her and hope to burp her very soon.”
“She’ll be waiting for you, Dad. Sorry if I’m being a bit of a pain.”
“Nah, you’re never a pain. You’re a great kid, Cynthia. The best. God knows, your mother and I have had differences, but she did a fabulous job.”
“You had a little to do with it.”
“Not as much as I should have.” Decker raised his brow. “Probably why you turned out so good.”
9 (#ulink_007a8382-2045-5756-b5c5-6d0da154e8e4)
After she vomited, she felt much better. Mack was nice—helping her into a chair, then wiping her mouth. He took out a Rubbermaid quart container and peeled off the blue lid. Dipping a tablespoon into the hard plastic, he fished up some tan mush.
“Open up.”
“I’m sick.”
“Open up, Tandy. You need your calories.”
She didn’t move.
“You’re really infuriating, you know?”
Mack pried her jaws apart with his thumb and forefinger. She was fighting him, but it was a losing battle. Such unbelievable strength in two little fingers. She couldn’t help but be awed. He force-fed her some mush, pushing the oversized spoon into her mouth. In her different life, she would have gagged. But now she was in control.
Pureed chicken. Wasn’t half bad.
“Come on, Tandy, open all the way up.”
Passively, she complied.
“That’s a good girl.”
Another spoonful.
“How much do I have to eat?”
“The whole thing.”
“Mack—”
“If you want to look right, you have to eat right. Now shut up and open up!”
She paused. “I don’t think that’s physically possible.”
Mack laughed and fed her another spoonful. “You did fair tonight. I’ve seen you do better.”
“I wasn’t at my best.”
“Something on your mind?”
She shrugged.
“What?”
“It’s just work, I guess.”
“Bitches giving you problems?”
“Always.”
“Open up, Tandy. I refuse to let you leave until you’ve had your proper caloric intake. How the hell are you going to build muscle if you don’t give your body fuel?”
“A month ago, Leek put me on eight hundred calories a day for two weeks.”
“A month ago, you were working for the cut. We’re not working for the cut right now, Tandy. We’re going for bulk.”
She sighed but obeyed. After she swallowed, she said, “All this back-and-forth. One minute I feel like a pig, the next minute I’m starving myself.”
“Hey, are you going to let your body control you, or are you going to control your body?”
She was silent.
“Know what I’m saying, Tandy?”
“I know. Rest assured I’m in total control.”
“No one said this was easy. You want easy, don’t come here. Go to the Golden Hotshot Spa and pay a million dollars a day to do it all wrong.”
“I’m not looking for easy, Mack.” She licked her lips. “I’ve never looked for easy. Easy is unhealthy. Maybe it is my work. My other work. I do so much, and no one ever says anything. They take me for granted.”
“The docs, too?”
“No, the docs love me. They know I’m great. It’s the people I work with … the nurses … the head nurses.”
“They’re just jealous, Tandy. They can’t stand the fact that you know more. Probably galls them that you look so good, too.”
She nodded.
Mack presented her with another spoonful. “So don’t pay any attention to them, okay? They’re just laying a trip on you.”
“Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to work.”
“So move in with me or Leek or Eric. We have group grunts. They really get the competitive spirit going.” He paused. “We could set you up with some easy nursing clients. No bureaucracy and lots of side benefits.”
Right, Tandy thought. She knew all about the side benefits à la Leek. Penny-ante stuff. Such mundane fools. “Not for me. But thanks for the offer.”
“Welcome. Open.”
She swallowed the puree. It tasted like gritty soup.
“Besides, my work is important, Mack. People rely on me. I just don’t get any appreciation from the people I work with.”
“Like I said, they’re jealous.”
“But my patients … I’m really important to them.”
“I can dig it.”
“The doctors don’t have the time. It all falls on the nurses.”
Mack began scraping the sides of the container. “People at the hospital ever notice how good you look?”
Tandy twitched. He didn’t understand. Talking to Mack was like talking to wood. But at least he was real. She knew that much.
“Uniforms hide a lot.”
“Uniforms hide these?”
He squeezed her breasts. She yelped with pain.
“God, don’t do that! I’m so sore.”
Gently, he began to touch her, walking his fingers over her breast tissue. But it was more medical than erotic.
“You definitely are swollen.”
“I’m really going to feel it tomorrow.”
“That’s okay. You can only tolerate pain if you have pain.”
“No more.” She pushed aside the spoon and stood. “No more. I’ve got to go to work. Did you get it?”
“Yeah. I mixed it with a little something to take the edge off. I mean, you’re still going to feel sore—gotta feel the soreness—but not like a truck ran over you. How do you want it?”
“Usual, I guess.”
She sighed and dropped on her hands and knees. She felt him pulling off her panties.
“God, you have a wonderful ass.”
“You mean a wonderful pincushion.”
She felt him kissing one of her buns, running his mitt-sized hand over her firm flesh. Mack’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a woman.”
“I can’t, Mack. Besides, it won’t work. You know that.”
“What a loss …” His voice was low and wolfish. “For both of us.”
Kill him.
Tandy jerked her head up, her eyes snapping open. The suddenness of her motion startled Mack.
“You all right, Tandy?”
Beads of sweat ran down her face. The low one. Or was it? Did she really hear it? Tricks upon tricks upon—
“Tandy?”
“I’m …” She took a deep breath and let out a forced laugh. “I’m … fine. Let’s get on with it. I’ve got to go.”
Gritting her teeth, she didn’t even flinch as she felt the bite of the hypodermic. She rose slowly, her muscles aching. Like an old woman, she hunched her way to the corner, pulled the uniform off the coatrack, and stepped into the white dress.
She looked in the mirror, straighted her collar, and tugged on the hemline. Her developed chest was pulling the dress upward, showing off her long, shapely legs. She flexed and pointed her toes several times, watching her calves expand and contract with each movement.
So graceful. Like a ballet dancer.
Her face had lost some of its color. She steadied her hands and pulled out blush, dabbing her cheeks with a touch of red. She dropped the compact back in her purse and pulled out a brush. Gathering her hair into a ponytail, eyes on her reflection, she knew she was beautiful. It wasn’t Mack’s fault. Mack just couldn’t help himself.
Again she straightened her posture. She was now a model of efficiency in her uniform. She knew she could inspire trust.
