璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第120部分

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The　question　relieved　everyone；　and　Sarah　was　talking　work　again。　‘She‘s　been　through　the　most　crucial　period。　If　there　were　going　to　be　a　serious　withdrawal　reaction；　it　would　have　happened　already。　She　may　still　have　periods　of　agitation；　brought　on　by　external　stress；　for　example。　In　that　case　you　have　the　phenobarb；　and　I‘ve　already　written　out　instructions　for　you；　but　she‘s　gutting　it　out。　Her　personality　is　far　stronger　than　she　appreciates。　You‘re　smart　enough　to　see　if　she‘s　having　a　bad　time。　If　so；　make　her　…　make　her　…　take　one　of　the　tablets。‘
The　idea　of　forcing　her　to　do　anything　bridled　Kelly。　‘Look；　doc；　I　can‘t　…　‘
‘Shut　up；　John。　I　don‘t　mean　jamming　it　down　her　throat。　If　you　tell　her　that　she　really　needs　it；　she‘s　going　to　listen　to　you；　okay？‘
‘How　long？‘
‘For　another　week；　maybe　ten　days；‘　Sarah　said　after　a　moment‘s　reflection。
‘And　then？‘
‘Then　you　can　think　about　the　future　you　two　might　have　together；‘　Sarah　told　him。
Sam　felt　uneasy　getting　this　personal。　‘I　want　her　fully　checked　out；　Kelly。　When‘s　the　next　time　you‘re　due　into　Baltimore？‘
‘A　couple　of　weeks；　maybe　sooner。　Why？‘
Sarah　handled　that：　‘I　wasn‘t　able　to　do　a　very　thorough　exam。　She　hasn‘t　seen　a　physician　in　a　long　time；　and　I‘ll　feel　better　if　she　has　a　CPX　…　plete　history　and　physical。　Who　do　you　think；　Sam？‘
‘You　know　Madge　North？‘
‘She‘ll　do；‘　Sarah　thought。　‘You　know；　Kelly；　it　wouldn‘t　hurt　for　you　to　get　checked　out；　too。‘
‘Do　I　look　sick？‘　Kelly　held　his　arms　out；　allowing　them　to　survey　the　magnificence　of　his　body。
‘Don‘t　give　me　that　crap；‘　Sarah　snapped　back。　‘When　she　shows　up；　you　show　up。　I　want　to　make　sure　you‘re　both　pletely　healthy　…　period。　Got　it？‘
‘Yes；　ma‘am。‘
‘One　more　thing；　and　I　want　you　to　hear　me　through；‘　Sarah　went　on。　‘She　needs　to　see　a　psychiatrist。‘
‘Why？‘
‘John；　life　isn‘t　a　movie。　People　don‘t　put　their　problems　behind　and　ride　into　a　sunset　in　real　life；　okay？　She‘s　been　sexually　abused。　She‘s　been　on　drugs。　Her　self…esteem　isn‘t　very　high　right　now。　People　in　her　position　blame　themselves　for　being　victims。　The　right　kind　of　therapy　can　help　to　fix　that。　What　you‘re　doing　is　important；　but　she　needs　professional　help；　too。　Okay？‘
Kelly　nodded。　‘Okay。‘
‘Good；‘　Sarah　said；　looking　up　at　him。　‘I　like　you。　You　listen　well。‘
‘Do　I　have　a　choice；　ma‘am？‘　Kelly　inquired　with　a　twisted　grin。
She　laughed。　‘No；　not　really。‘
‘She‘s　always　this　pushy；‘　Sam　told　Kelly。　‘She　really　ought　to　be　a　nurse。　Docs　are　supposed　to　be　more　civilized。　Nurses　are　the　ones　who　push　us　around。‘　Sarah　kicked　her　husband　playfully。
‘Then　I　better　never　run　into　a　nurse；‘　Kelly　said；　leading　them　back　off　the　dock。
Pam　ended　up　sleeping　just　over　ten　hours；　and　without　benefit　of　barbiturates；　though　she　did　awaken　with　a　crushing　headache　which　Kelly　treated　with　aspirin。
‘Get　Tylenol；‘　Sarah　told　him。　‘Easier　on　the　stomach。‘　The　pharmacologist　made　a　show　of　checking　Pam　again　while　Sam　packed　up　their　gear。　On　the　whole　she　liked　what　she　saw。　‘I　want　you　to　gain　five　pounds　before　I　see　you　again。‘
‘But　…‘
‘And　John‘s　going　to　bring　you　in　to　see　us　so　that　we　can　get　you　pletely　checked　out　…　two　weeks；　say？‘
‘Yes；　ma‘am。‘　Kelly　nodded　surrender　again。
‘But…‘
‘Pam；　they　ganged　up　on　me。　I　have　to　go　in；　too；‘　Kelly　reported　in　a　remarkably　docile　voice。
‘You　have　to　leave　so　early？‘
Sarah　nodded。　‘We　really　should　have　left　last　night；　but　what　the　hell。‘　She　looked　at　Kelly。　‘If　you　don‘t　show　up　like　I　said；　I‘ll　call　you　and　scream。‘
‘Sarah。　Jesus；　you‘re　a　pushy　broad！‘
‘You　should　hear　what　Sam　says。‘
Kelly　walked　her　out　to　the　dock；　where　Sam‘s　boat　was　already　rumbling　with　life。　She　and　Pam　hugged。　Kelly　tried　just　to　shake　hands；　but　had　to　submit　to　a　kiss。　Sam　jumped　down　to　shake　their　hands。
‘New　charts！‘　Kelly　told　the　surgeon。
‘Aye；　Cap‘n。‘
‘I‘ll　get　the　lines。‘
Rosen　was　anxious　to　show　him　what　he‘d　learned。　He　backed　out；　drawing　mainly　on　his　starboard　shaft　and　turning　his　Hatteras　within　her　own　length。　The　man　didn‘t　forget。　A　moment　later　Sam　increased　power　on　both　engines　and　drove　straight　out；　heading　directly　for　water　he　knew　to　be　deep。　Pam　just　stood　there；　holding　Kelly‘s　hand；　until　the　boat　was　a　white　speck　on　the　horizon。
‘I　forgot　to　thank　her；‘　Pam　said　finally。
‘No；　you　didn‘t。　You　just　didn‘t　say　it；　that‘s　all。　So　how　are　you　today？‘
‘My　headache‘s　gone。‘　She　looked　up　at　him。　Her　hair　needed　washing；　but　her　eyes　were　clear　and　there　was　a　spring　in　her　step。　Kelly　felt　the　need　to　kiss　her；　which　he　did。　‘So　what　do　we　do　now？‘
‘We　need　to　talk；‘　Pam　said　quietly。　‘It‘s　time。‘
‘Wait　here。‘　Kelly　went　back　into　the　shop　and　returned　with　a　pair　of　folding　lounge　chairs。　He　gestured　her　into　one。　‘Now　tell　me　how　terrible　you　are。‘
Pamela　Starr　Madden　was　three　weeks　shy　of　her　twenty…first　birthday；　Kelly　learned；　finally　discovering　her　surname　as　well。　Born　to　a　lower…working…class　family　in　the　Panhandle　region　of　northern　Texas；　she‘d　grown　up　under　the　firm　hand　of　a　father　who　was　the　sort　of　man　to　make　a　Baptist　minister　despair。　Donald　Madden　was　a　man　who　understood　the　form　of　religion；　but　not　the　substance；　who　was　strict　because　he　didn‘t　know　how　to　love；　who　drank　from　frustration　with　life　…　and　was　angry　at　himself　for　that；　too　…　yet　never　managed　to　e　to　terms　with　it。　When　his　children　misbehaved；　he　beat　them；　usually　with　a　belt　or　a　switch　of　wood　until　his　conscience　kicked　in；　something　which　did　not　always　happen　sooner　than　fatigue。　Never　a　happy　child；　the　final　straw　for　Pam　had　e　on　the　day　after　her　sixteenth　birthday；　when　she‘d　stayed　late　at　a　church　function　and　ended　up　going　on　what　was　almost　a　date　with　friends；　feeling　that　she　finally　had　the　right　to　do　so。　There　hadn‘t　even　been　a　kiss　at　the　end　of　it　from　the　boy　whose　household　was　almost　as　restrictive　as　her　own。　But　that　hadn‘t　mattered　to　Donald　Madden。　Arriving　home　at　ten…twenty　on　a　Friday　evening；　Pam　came　into　a　house　whose　lights　blazed　with　anger；　there　to　face　an　enraged　father　and　a　thoroughly　cowed　mother。
‘The　things　he　said　。。。‘　Pam　was　looking　down　at　the　grass　as　she　spoke。　‘I　didn‘t　do　any　of　that。　I　didn‘t　even　think　of　doing　it；　and　Albert　was　so　innocent。。。　but　so　was　I；　then。‘
Kelly　squeezed　her　hand。　‘You　don‘t　have　to　tell　me　any　of　this；　Pam。‘　But　she　did　have　to；　and　Kelly　knew　that；　and　so　he　continued　to　listen。
After　sustaining　the　worst　beating　of　her　sixteen　years；　Pamela　Madden　had　slipped　out　her　first…floor　bedroom　window　and　walked　the　four　miles　to　the　center　of　the　bleak；　dusty　town。　She‘d　caught　a　Greyhound　bus　for　Houston　before　dawn；　only　because　it　had　been　the　first　bus；　and　it　hadn‘t　occurred　to　her　to　get　off　anywhere　in　between。　So　far　as　she　could　determine；　her　parents　had　never　even　reported　her　as　missing。　A　series　of　menial　jobs　and　even　worse　housing　in　Houston　had　merely　given　emphasis　to　her　misery；　and　in　short　order　she‘d　decided　to　head　elsewhere。　With　what　little　money　she‘d　saved；　she‘d　caught　yet　another　bus　…　this　one　Continental　Trailways　…　and　stopped　in　New　Orleans。　Scared；　thin；　and　young；　Pam　had　never　learned　that　there　were　men　who　preyed　on　young　runaways。　Spotted　almost　at　once　by　a　well…dressed　and　smooth…talking　twenty…five…year…old　named　Pierre　Lamarck；　she‘d　taken　his　offer　of　shelter　and　assistance　after　he　had　sprung　for　dinner　and　sympathy。　Three　days　later　he　had　bee　her　first　lover。　A　week　after　that；　a　firm　slap　across　the　face　had　coerced　the　sixteen…year…old　girl　into　her　second　sexual　adventure；　this　one　with　a　salesman　from　Springfield；　Illinois；　whom　Pam　had　reminded　of　his　own　daughter　…　so　much　so　that　he‘d　engaged　her　for　the　entire　evening；　paying　Lamarck　two　hundred　fifty　dollars　for　the　experience。　The　day　after　that；　Pam　had　emptied　one　of　her　pimp‘s　pill　containers　down　her　throat；　but　only　managed　to　make　herself　vomit；　earning　a　savage　beating　for　the　defiance。
Kelly　listened　to　the　story　with　a　serene　lack　of　reaction；　his　eyes　steady；　his　breathing　regular。　Inwardly　it　was　another　story　entirely。　The　girls　he‘d　had　in　Vietnam；　the　little　childlike　ones；　and　the　few　he‘d　taken　since　Tish‘s　death。　It　had　never　occurred　to　him　that　those　young　women　might　not　have　enjoyed　their　life　and　work。　He‘d　never　even　thought　about　it；　accepting　their　feigned　reactions　as　genuine　human　feelings　…　for　wasn‘t　he　a　decent；　honorable　man？　But　he　had　paid　for　the　services　of　young　women　whose　collective　story　might　not　have　been　the　least　bit　different　from　Pam‘s；　and　the　shame　of　it　burned　inside　him　like　a　torch。
By　nieen；　she‘d　escaped　Lamarck　and　three　more　pimps；　always　finding　herself　caught　with　another。　One　in　Atlanta　had　enjoyed　whipping　his　girls　in　front　of　his　peers；　usually　using　light　cords。　Another　in　Chicago　had　started　Pam　on　heroin；　the　better　to　control　a　girl　he　deemed　a　little　too　independent；　but　she‘d　left　him　the　next　day；　proving　him　right。　She‘d　watched　another　girl　die　in　front　of　her　eyes　from　a　hot…shot　of　uncut　drugs；　and　that　frightened　her　more　than　the　threa