Muffin But Trouble by Victoria Hamilton

Author:Victoria Hamilton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
Publisher: Beyond the Page
Published: 2019-06-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Virgil was on his way, understanding through my blubbering where we were, approximately. I sent Lizzie outside to wait for them and flag them down, getting myself together with effort. I crouched down beside the disheveled sagging cot, wiping the tears from my cheek with the back of my hand.

The place smelled of rot, mold and vomit. There were two trays of food on the other cot, soup with congealed fat on the top, and sandwiches, the bread curling and desiccated. “Lynn, it’s me, Merry,” I said, pushing back her frowsy hair from a high forehead pallid and yet filmed with sweat. “Lynn . . . Leatrice,” I said, not knowing which name she’d respond to. “It’s me, honey, Merry Wynter. Can you hear me?” I examined her worriedly. Her eyes were open and staring, but unfocused. Her skin was dry, flaky, and coarse, like leather. Her scalp looked awful, the dermatitis she was prone to having flared up and leaving scaly patches. I’d bet she was dehydrated. There was also a sour smell clinging to her, like spoiled diapers. She wore a nightgown, of sorts, a long cotton shift, stained with numerous substances. My stomach turned. I looked to Felice. “How long has she been like this?”

“A few days. She won’t eat.” Felice rocked back and forth, fist pressing into her stomach as if she felt ill, as well she might with the odor in this place. “She hasn’t been able to keep anything down, not even water today. Anything she eats or drinks she brings up.” Felice’s eyes welled, and tears began running down her cheeks. “Mother Esther made her an herbal tea, but that didn’t help. Before today she was at least able to get out of bed by herself, but she hasn’t been up at all today. Mother Esther said she was being stubborn and willful.”

“She’s sick,” I said angrily. “Anyone could see that.”

“I was told to leave her alone until she decided to get up. Mother Esther said she’d get up soon enough if we let her sulk, but I snuck here to see if she had eaten her lunch and wanted to go to the toilet, but she couldn’t get up.”

My phone pinged. It was Virgil.

“Sweetheart, I’ve busted open the gate and we’re bringing Dewayne’s Jeep to the encampment. I don’t give a shit what goddamn Mother Esther or anyone else says even though she’s squawking at us and flapping her arms like a chicken.” His voice was rugged, and I had a sense that they were approaching over the bumpy ground. “We’ll be there in less than five minutes. Have your friend ready to load in and we’ll take her directly to the hospital.”

I nodded, then muttered a teary yes. My husband is the best. I shoved the phone back in my bag. “Felice, we’re taking Lynn to a hospital.”

She looked tearily relieved and nodded. “She has a purse with some cards in it. She hid it before the prophet could take it away when she first came here.

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