bad. It’s just a little blood,” Johnny said and then glanced up at Marshall, who was looking anxious, and gave him a wink to reassure him too. “He hurts and he is sore all over, Marshall, but he’s not worse, okay?”
Marshall nodded, then burst into tears.
“Oh hey! Guys, come on now. You’re breaking my heart,” Johnny said, his voice shaking. “Come here, Marshall. I need a hug.”
Marshall fell into Johnny’s outstretched arm, his shoulders shaking with muffled sobs.
Johnny laid his cheek against Marshall’s head and stifled the urge to join them.
“My nose is bleeding,” Beep cried.
Johnny pulled himself together, gave Marshall a quick hug and a kiss on the top of his head, and then gave him something to do.
“Bring me another wet washcloth, will you?”
Marshall bolted from the room, wiping snot on the back of his arm as he went while Johnny tended to Beep.
“Now, let me see that little nose.”
Beep tilted his head.
Johnny gave it the once-over and noticed that the gauze that had been in his nostril was missing, probably lost during sleep.
“I see what happened, Beep. That bandage Dr. Quick put up your nose fell out. We’ll get some fresh gauze and fix you right up, okay? Are you hurting too?”
Beep nodded.
“More medicine coming up,” Johnny said as Marshall came back with a wet cloth. “That’s perfect. You go get dressed while I help get Beep settled. I made oatmeal. If you’re too hungry to wait, help yourself.”
“Can I have raisins?” Marshall asked.
Johnny grinned. “May I have raisins, not can I, and, yes, you may. You’re gonna turn into a raisin one of these days.”
Happy for the freedom of making his own cereal, Marshall threw on some clothes and bolted for the kitchen before Johnny changed his mind.
Beep shifted against Johnny’s chest and looked up.
“Are you gonna settle me now?” he asked.
Johnny grinned.
“Yeah, buddy. I’m gonna settle you now. After we get you dressed, do you think you might try and eat a little oatmeal?”
Beep frowned. “I don’t want no raisins.”
“You don’t want any raisins,” Johnny said.
Beep sighed. “I already said that.”
“I know, buddy. Now let’s get his bloody shirt off and get you a clean one, and then we’ll get your medicine.”
Johnny grimaced as he eased his arms out of each sleeve and then stretched the neck opening before pulling it over Beep’s head. The bruises were larger and darker, making him look even more fragile. He couldn’t believe that this had happened and had no idea how it was going to play out.
* * *
Ruby Dye turned the Closed sign to Open as she unlocked the front door of the Curl Up and Dye.
Today was likely to be unusually hectic. Vesta was sick at home, and Ruby and Vera were picking up her appointments. No one was getting a lunch break, but they were confident they could do it.
Ruby and Vera had already divided up the clients over the phone last night, so she began checking supplies to be sure she had the right products on hand. One of the ladies she was picking up for Vesta was Jane Farris, who ran the Before and After day care. Ruby liked Jane, although she thought she was a little uptight. It was Ruby’s opinion that if you’re going to run a business involving children, you should at least enjoy being around them. Jane talked about them like they were dirty puppies who peed on floors and chewed on furniture, which she was certain was not the case.
A short time later, Ruby’s first appointment showed up, and then Vera and Mabel Jean walked in together and the day began. What she hadn’t planned on was an hour-by-hour playback of everyone’s opinion on the assault of Brooks Pine. By the time Jane Farris arrived, Ruby was stunned by what she’d been hearing, and Vera’s cheeks were an angry red.
Mabel Jean was working her nail file like a chain saw and gritting her teeth to keep from arguing with the clients who were so disrespectful to a family down on
Marshall nodded, then burst into tears.
“Oh hey! Guys, come on now. You’re breaking my heart,” Johnny said, his voice shaking. “Come here, Marshall. I need a hug.”
Marshall fell into Johnny’s outstretched arm, his shoulders shaking with muffled sobs.
Johnny laid his cheek against Marshall’s head and stifled the urge to join them.
“My nose is bleeding,” Beep cried.
Johnny pulled himself together, gave Marshall a quick hug and a kiss on the top of his head, and then gave him something to do.
“Bring me another wet washcloth, will you?”
Marshall bolted from the room, wiping snot on the back of his arm as he went while Johnny tended to Beep.
“Now, let me see that little nose.”
Beep tilted his head.
Johnny gave it the once-over and noticed that the gauze that had been in his nostril was missing, probably lost during sleep.
“I see what happened, Beep. That bandage Dr. Quick put up your nose fell out. We’ll get some fresh gauze and fix you right up, okay? Are you hurting too?”
Beep nodded.
“More medicine coming up,” Johnny said as Marshall came back with a wet cloth. “That’s perfect. You go get dressed while I help get Beep settled. I made oatmeal. If you’re too hungry to wait, help yourself.”
“Can I have raisins?” Marshall asked.
Johnny grinned. “May I have raisins, not can I, and, yes, you may. You’re gonna turn into a raisin one of these days.”
Happy for the freedom of making his own cereal, Marshall threw on some clothes and bolted for the kitchen before Johnny changed his mind.
Beep shifted against Johnny’s chest and looked up.
“Are you gonna settle me now?” he asked.
Johnny grinned.
“Yeah, buddy. I’m gonna settle you now. After we get you dressed, do you think you might try and eat a little oatmeal?”
Beep frowned. “I don’t want no raisins.”
“You don’t want any raisins,” Johnny said.
Beep sighed. “I already said that.”
“I know, buddy. Now let’s get his bloody shirt off and get you a clean one, and then we’ll get your medicine.”
Johnny grimaced as he eased his arms out of each sleeve and then stretched the neck opening before pulling it over Beep’s head. The bruises were larger and darker, making him look even more fragile. He couldn’t believe that this had happened and had no idea how it was going to play out.
* * *
Ruby Dye turned the Closed sign to Open as she unlocked the front door of the Curl Up and Dye.
Today was likely to be unusually hectic. Vesta was sick at home, and Ruby and Vera were picking up her appointments. No one was getting a lunch break, but they were confident they could do it.
Ruby and Vera had already divided up the clients over the phone last night, so she began checking supplies to be sure she had the right products on hand. One of the ladies she was picking up for Vesta was Jane Farris, who ran the Before and After day care. Ruby liked Jane, although she thought she was a little uptight. It was Ruby’s opinion that if you’re going to run a business involving children, you should at least enjoy being around them. Jane talked about them like they were dirty puppies who peed on floors and chewed on furniture, which she was certain was not the case.
A short time later, Ruby’s first appointment showed up, and then Vera and Mabel Jean walked in together and the day began. What she hadn’t planned on was an hour-by-hour playback of everyone’s opinion on the assault of Brooks Pine. By the time Jane Farris arrived, Ruby was stunned by what she’d been hearing, and Vera’s cheeks were an angry red.
Mabel Jean was working her nail file like a chain saw and gritting her teeth to keep from arguing with the clients who were so disrespectful to a family down on
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