Page 78 of Doozer

Minus sighed. “Spike would have jumped in sooner, but the country club staff wouldn’t let him inside the dining room. He was waiting outside when the judge went off, and by the time Spike got to him, the judge had already given your father a couple of solid whacks to the head.”

“Did the cops arrest Snodgrass?” I asked.

Minus nodded. “Yeah.”

“So, he’s in jail?”

Minus and Sweet Pea looked at each other.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I said.

Sweet Pea grimaced. “He’s a judge, man.”

“Who attacked another man with a golf club in the middle of a pro shop,” I pointed out.

“He was out on bail before your father was even out of surgery.”

“That motherfucker,” I seethed.

“Well, your old man is safe now,” Minus said.

“Thanks to all of you,” I said.

“We’re family,” Minus said. “We look out for each other.”

“You didn’t have to look out for him, and you did anyway.”

“You and your old man may have your differences, but he’s your family, so he’s our family too.”

“Mr. Mancini,” a nurse said. “Your father is awake and is asking for you.”

I nodded and headed into the room. My mother hugged me and then smoothed her palms over my kutte. “I’m going to take the girls to the chapel. Light a candle and pray.”

“Okay, Mama,” I said, and my family left me with my father who patted the mattress.

I pulled a chair up to his bed and smiled. “You got the presidential suite I see.”

I’d never seen a hospital room so fancy, complete with private balcony. Not that it did much for a view today, considering, in pure Pacific Northwest fashion, it was pissing down with rain. I often forgot just how much money my parents had, mostly because I saw money as a curse the majority of the time. But when you’re sick, it was certainly a good thing.

Dad nodded. “I’m sorry, son,” he rasped.

“It’s okay, Pop, you just get better.”

“I should have listened to you.”

“Let’s not worry about that right now,” I said.

“I was wrong about you and I was wrong about…your club. They saved my life,” Pop said, then let out a groan.

“Shit. You in a lot of pain?”

He nodded and I shot out of my seat, heading straight for the nurse’s desk down the hall.

“Can I help you, Mr. Mancini?”

“My father’s in pain, can you give him something? He’s in room 2112.”

“I’ll check his chart and be right in.”

---