Coal Black Blues by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

Author:Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy [Sontheimer Murphy, Lee Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Published: 2016-09-28T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

On the first Friday in December, they made the trip to town. Neil refused to let her accompany him to see the VA doctor so Caroline waited, flipping through magazines about guns and hunting. When he emerged, his sober expression alarmed her. She stood up and met him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I’m healthy enough that the doc gave me permission to go back to work on Monday.”

He handed her a paper and she read it. “Okay, but there’s something else. What is it?”

Neil sighed. “It’s no big deal. He just said the same stuff about my lungs that Dr. Tommy did. I guess he doesn’t expect me to ever be an old man.”

“But he still said you could go back to the mine?”

“Yeah, he did after I explained why.”

Caroline sensed he wasn’t sharing all the details. “But I’m guessing the doctor was less than thrilled about it.”

He headed toward the exit at speed so she followed. Outside, he paused. “You could say that, not happy about the mine and other things.”

“Don’t hold out on me. What things?”

Neil shrugged and hunched his shoulders against the chill wind that gusted hard enough to blow discarded cups and part of a newspaper around the parking lot. “He thinks I should take the Paxil for the PTSD.”

“Oh.” Caroline unlocked the car and climbed into the driver’ seat. Neil settled down beside her. “But you don’t agree.”

“Hell, no I don’t. It messes me up worse than the PTSD. I’m not going to take it.”

Color flooded his face as he spoke. Obviously it was a major point of contention for him.

“Then don’t.”

He turned his head toward her. “I’m not. I figured you’d pressure me to get back on it, though.”

“I would if I thought it was beneficial, but you said it isn’t so it’s not.”

His tense posture relaxed a little. “Well, thanks.”

“Have you tried something else, with less side effects?” she asked. “Like Valium?”

“No.” He made the word sound final. “I don’t want any of it, Carrie. I don’t want to be drugged to get through life.”

She dropped the subject. “I still think you shouldn’t go back into the mines, though.”

Neil snorted. “I told you I’ll think about the store, but I’m going back to work Monday.”

Caroline knew he shouldn’t but she kept silent. He had decided and he would. Neil had always been too stubborn to sway once his mind was made up. “I know. Do you want to grab something to eat? Maybe barbecue?”

He shook his head. “I’m not up for barbecue just yet. Let’s grab a burger somewhere and head home. I’m a little tired.”

Her plans to do some shopping unraveled, but she didn’t complain even though being housebound hadn’t been all fun. “Sure, just tell me where.”

“Five Guys is fine,” he said.

“Sure,” she said. “I like their fries almost as much as the hamburgers.”

After lunch, Neil insisted on driving so Caroline changed seats with him. If he headed back to work, he’d be driving so he might as well make a trial run now.

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