Excerpt
He ran a hand through his disheveled graying hair, and glared at the doctor.
“Humph, I might have knowed it was you. Whatdaya want?”
“Your kids are hungry, man, and you’re still in the sack. What’s more, this place is a pigsty. Were you out last night?”
Corky had the grace to look repentant. “Heck Doc, I only went to the beer parlour for a while. No harm done.”
Dr. Dunston snorted. “Your kids were alone, Corky. I could report you to the authorities and have you thrown in jail.”
“Hey no, Doc, you wouldn’t! Would you? I mean, I was only gone for a few minutes. I was worried about Lydia so I needed a beer …” Corky’s voice trailed off and he looked at the floor “or two.”
“You were worried about Lydia, were you? Funny thing is, I haven’t heard you ask about her since we came in.”
“Yeah well, you haven’t given me much chance, have you? So, how is she?”
Dr. Dunston sighed, cleared the litter off a chair with a swipe of his hand and sat down heavily. “She’s doing all right. We had to do a hysterectomy. Her uterus was full of fibroids.”
Tyne, standing quietly by, suppressed a smile when she saw the bewildered look on Corky’s face. “English please, Doctor,” she murmured.
“Okay Corky, we had to remove Lydia’s womb. There were growths but they’re not cancer. But there’ll be no more children; and when she comes home you leave her alone for a long time. You hear?”
Corky blinked rapidly, but after a moment he looked down again and nodded. “Yeah sure. I ain’t demanding anyway.”
The doctor raised his eyebrows and got to his feet. It was only then that Corky became aware of Tyne’s presence.
“Hello, Tyne,” he said, his eyes alive for the first time. “What you doin’ here?”
“I came to help out, Corky. I’ll let Dr. Dunston explain.”
Grant Dunston’s explanation was short and to the point. Corky agreed to let the children go home with Tyne until his wife was well again.
Libros Libertad 