Page 16 of Falkner
“If you’ll remember, he’s met you, so he knows just what sort of person you are.And your lies about me won’t bother him in the least.As I pointed out to you, he’s met you and knows just what sort of person you are.”She asked her what that was supposed to mean.“It means, Mother dear, that he’d no more believe you than it was raining if he was standing in the downfall himself.He’d find some way of disputing your word.”
“I don’t deserve this from you.”Doone laughed again.“This isn’t funny.I’m trying to tell you the way things are going to be from now on, and you, as my daughter, will give me whatever I desire because I deserve the best.You’re going to be taking me to places when I tell you, and you’ll do it with a smile on your face.”
“Let me tell you how it’s going to be in real life.I’m not doing shit for you anymore.I’m not going to be at your beck and call.I’m not going to be taking your phone calls anymore after this one, nor will I be getting you anything you think you deserve.I’m going to be dishing up my own version of what you get, and trust me when I tell you it will be just exactly what you deserve.You might not want it, but it’s going to be something that has been coming to you for a long time.”The laughter again got on her last nerve.“I cannot wait to see you in court.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”There was only a dial tone as an answer.“Pick up this phone right now, Doone, or so help me you’re going to make me angry.Hello?Doone McFarlen, pick up this phone right now.”
By the time she realized that Doone wasn’t going to be speaking to her anymore this afternoon, her head was hurting so badly that she was sick with it.The pain behind her eyes felt like her eyes were bulging out, and she was sick to her stomach.Going to her room, she was ready to lie down when someone came to her front door.She didn’t have the energy to mess with anyone right now.
Going to the door when it sounded like whoever it was wasn’t going to leave anytime soon.Snatching the door open, she asked the person, none too nicely, what they wanted.She didn’t know which one of them was more surprised, the man in a nice suit or the two officers who were with him.
“Ms.McFarlen, my name is George Hasher.I’m here on behalf of the Department of Welfare.You have been found fraudulent in your paperwork, and I’m here to have you removed from the housing that we provided for you when you said you were in need.”She didn’t understand and said as much to the man.“You lied to a government agency, Ms.McFarlen, and I’m here to make sure that you are out of the house that we so graciously provided for you.”
Still not understanding what they were saying to her, she was out of the doorway and into cuffs before she could ask again what they were talking about.She was screaming at them to let her go when it seemed as if the entire neighborhood came out of their houses and were gawking at her.Finally, they put her in the cruiser and left her there with it running.If she could get into the front seat, she’d run them all down, including the police that seemed to be standing around with their thumbs up their asses.
“You need to call my daughter, Doone.She’s the one who will make you understand that you’re making a mistake in doing this.Call her.”She looked around at her neighbors and snarled at them.“Get back away from here.Your staring is making me mad, and my daughter won’t have you taking pictures of me either.”
Nearly all of her neighbors had their cell phones out, taking pictures of her or whatever they were doing to her.She didn’t like it, not one bit.Trying to get out of the cruiser, she was pissed off to find there weren’t any handles on the inside of the door.What did they expect her to do, spend the rest of her life in this thing?
Pounding on the doors with her feet, she screamed until her head hurt worse than it had before.She didn’t know what they were about.This isn’t anything that she deserved right now.Not ever when she thought about it.This was all that man’s fault, and the sooner he was out of Doone’s life, the sooner things would go back to the way they were, where she was getting what she deserved and not being arrested for god only knew what.
As she was gathering up her breath for her next round of screaming at the people outside, she remembered Doone saying something about court, and she couldn’t wait to see her there.Did this have anything to do with that statement?She didn’t know, but there was no way that Doone had wanted her to be arrested and humiliated like this.She didn’t deserve this kind of treatment and was going to have to explain that to these people when they got their heads out of their asses and let her go.
Meggie didn’t deserve this.She was a good person when things were going her way.And they usually did.But Doone had gotten with that man, and now things were going the wrong way for her.She didn’t like it either.Meggie wanted things the way they were before all this happened, and she didn’t care what Doone had to do to get things back to where she was getting what she deserved.
Meggie had spent her entire life getting the things that she felt she deserved over anyone else.When the people down the street from her got a new television, she talked her dad into getting a bigger one and putting the box out three different times when the trash had been picked up.It was difficult for her to get up and get the box before the trash company came by, but she’d done it.People were asking if they’d gotten three different televisions, and she allowed them to believe that they had.
When one of the little girls down the street had gotten a new bike, Meggie wanted one as well.But her parents said that they didn’t have the money for it and had told her no.She’d taught them a lesson that they didn’t soon forget, and they got her the bike so that she’d have one better than little Lucy did.She wondered if they were in heaven, telling people about how she’d beat them with a tennis racket over several days until they just did what she deserved.She never had a problem with them telling her no again after that.
She supposed that was what she was going to have to do to Doone again and have her stop telling her no.She’d done it when she’d been younger, and her daughter had learned her lesson then.Getting her to do what she deserved again was going to be no hardship on her.She would just have to learn that mother knows best.And that she got what she deserved when she wanted it.No more would she be testing her anger either.Today was going to be better simply because she’d told her that it would.
While she was making plans to tell her daughter, she watched the police and the Hasher man.She didn’t know what they were up to, but she was going to get her house back as well as her things.And they’d better be right where she left them.She wasn’t going to be putting up with her things being moved around by her daughter; there was no way that they’d be able to get away with it either.
~*~
“She’s been arrested just now.”Falkner would have loved to have been there when she got arrested, but things like work had gotten in the way.And what he’d been told about it, it had been a real shit show too.The neighborhood had turned out for her getting her comeuppance, and it was funny that people were posting pictures and videos online about how she’d had a temper tantrum in the back seat of the cruiser.“She’s begging them to have you called so you can make sure she gets what she deserves.”
“She is getting what she deserves, just not in a way that she likes it.”They’d been talking all morning since arriving at work at the same time.It was stupid, he thought that they couldn’t ride together because of some rule about fraternization.But then he could understand it as well.They didn’t want people having sex in the hallways or rooms of the patients.“I spoke with Mr.Hasher again on my break.He’s still saying that I’m not going to get repercussions from this about my mom.He’s just glad that I turned her in when I did.”
“Dad is still working on your defense, just in case your mother makes a big deal out of you helping her.But Dad even says that since you turned her in, it’ll go a long way in making you look good.Also, the car that you gave her should have been counted as income.All the times that she went out and took money from the joint account should have been income, too.She’s going to be in a great deal of trouble when this is all said and done.”He had to laugh a little when Doone said ‘good’ to him.She wanted her mother to get all the things she deserved in this.“Do you want to go to the courthouse to get married in the morning?I know you said that you did, but I’m just making sure right now.”
“Yes.I know we don’t know one another all that well, but we have lots of time to do that.Also, sleeping with you has helped me sleep better at night as well.I wasn’t getting any restful sleep before.”He said that he could tell that she was getting more rest.She was getting out of bed quickly now.“I know that it’s for the wrong reason, but getting married to you will piss off my mom a great deal, too.I can’t wait to see the look on her face when I tell her that it’s a done deal.”
“I don’t care so long as you’re in my life.We love each other and that’s all that matters.Your mother can piss off for all I care.”They both laughed, and he felt good about what they were doing.His brothers, along with their wives, and his parents were going to be there, and that would make it a large family event.“I have everything I need with you.”
“And I have the same with you.I love you, Falkner.So very much.”She said that she was busy, and he closed the connection.It was easy for them to talk like this at work, and no one was the wiser.He’d been talking to his brothers this way his entire life, and no one ever knew either.
They didn’t have lunch together either, but it was all right.No matter where they were seated, they were still together.It was the most fun he’d had in a long time.Being sneaky hadn’t been anything that he’d grown up doing, but as an adult, it was the only way that he felt good about being able to talk to anyone who needed him.
He was making his way to the doctors’ lounge when there was a page for him.Since he’d been working there for so little time, he was as shocked as the rest of the people that he worked with.It didn’t take him very long to get to the emergency department doors before he knew what was going on.It was Mulkeen.
“What can I do for you?”The man was on a gurney with his arm wrapped up as well as his leg.There were bruises on his face along with some deep scratches that looked concerning.He asked again what he could do for him and was surprised by his answer.
“I want you to be the doctor who does my treatment.I might not like you at all, but I know a good doctor when I see one.”He asked him what he’d done.“I fell down the stairs when my dog got caught up in my legs, and he took me down with him.Then he just sat there beside me, looking at me like I should have given him a treat.Stupid dog.”
Falkner ordered some x-rays and some blood drawn.While he was willing, he was going to get as big of a workup as he could get on the elderly man.In addition to the other tests he had run, he examined Mulkeen with the nurse on duty.Which just happened to be Doone.
He was surprised when Mulkeen didn’t say a word about her being in the room with him.But he allowed her to start an IV and even to draw the blood.As they worked through all the things thatcould have happened to the man, they worked professionally and without cause for any trouble.He supposed he was in just enough pain to let it go.Giving him something for the pain, Doone asked if there was anyone they should call.
