Chapter 10: Laura
San Diego, California 1750 HRS
Eager to be home, or actually eager to find Harm, Mac knocks anxiously on Elizabeth Harrell's front door. When Liam's mom opens the door wiping her hands on a dish towel Mac smiles. "Hi Beth, I've come for Laura. Is she ready to go?"
"Hello Sarah. I think so. I've already gathered up her things. She and Liam are playing in the den, but dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes. Why don't you stay?"
Not wishing to be rude, Mac apologizes. "No, I'm sorry, we can't. I've just received word a short while ago that a friend is in town and I need to locate him."
"Okay, maybe next time, but can you spare just a few minutes? There's something I want to talk to you about."
Mac shifts her weight from one foot to the other.
Sensing her hesitation, the other woman clarifies. "Please; it's about Laura."
A frown creases Mac's brow. "What's wrong?" She immediately steps over the threshold into the house.
Elizabeth Harrell pats her shoulder as she closes the front door. "Maybe nothing, but I'm not absolutely sure. Laura took a nap today. She and Liam have been playmates since they were two. So, I feel like I know her pretty well. She didn't just take a nap, she asked to take one. That never happens unless she's overly tired because her leg is bothering her. In spite of it, she's such an energetic little thing. I asked her about it and she said her leg gets tired easily since her mom made her stop therapy."
"What?" Mac is at a loss. "Casey made her stop her physical therapy?"
"You didn't know?"
"Casey doesn't exactly volunteer information… And Laura hasn't said anything about it. Did she tell you why?
"Apparently, Laura's therapist, Charlie Waters, told Cassandra that Laura is outgrowing her brace and that it is time to get her a new one. For whatever reason, Cassandra doesn't want to do that. I imagine it has something to do with money. I've never bought anything like Laura's leg brace, but something tells me it wasn't cheap. Laura says the brace is causing a pressure point on her hip. Apparently, it was Charlie and not her mother, who explained to her what pressure points are, and why they are bad. She even showed me some moleskin padding that Charlie himself put inside the brace to give her some temporary relief. As near as I can understand it, Laura's not really clear in her explanation, but Charlie told her mother that a new brace was needed on three or four different occasions, after Laura's regular therapy sessions. After the last time, Cassandra told Laura she was done with therapy.
Mac can literally feel her blood pressure climbing. "Damn her." She whispers.
"Laura's really unhappy about it too. I know she saw Charlie once every two weeks. It used to be once a week, but that that's been a while ago now. Charlie would do stretching exercises with her to help keep what little muscle tone she can in the leg. I imagine keeping the leg limber helped her maintain some strength. He taught her how to deal with muscle cramps, and I know for a fact that Charlie is the one who taught her how to protect herself when she loses her balance and falls down. Aside from what he did as her therapist, it seems he cared about her and she definitely cares about him. I think she misses him tremendously."
"I imagine so." Mac says unhappily. "It sounds like he paid attention to her, and she's starved for it. I'll fix it! I can promise you that. Thank you Beth, for telling me."
"I don't have Charlie's office phone number, but I do know he works in the building behind the hospital. Laura was able to tell me that much."
"Okay, if Laura's going to stay with me, then I'll need to talk to him anyway. I've never been really clear on exactly what caused the problems with Laura's leg the only thing Casey has ever said is that it was a birth defect."
The other woman's eyes go wide with shock for just a moment and then, as if deciding that she shouldn't be shocked, she shakes her head. "Well, technically I suppose that's true, Laura was born that way, but there's not a person in this trailer park who doesn't know why it happened. I know you know she drinks, but before Laura was born Casey was popping Oxy like it was candy. Laura was prematurely born with a positive tox screen; at least that's the rumor anyway. Sarah, Laura spent the first eight months of her life in foster care. Casey got clean, and they gave Laura back to her. I asked your mother about it one time. Laura's muscles never developed properly in the womb. Her leg got the worst of it. The brace helps, or it would, if it fit her properly. Therapy helps, but then somebody has to actually take her to therapy. The problem isn't entirely correctable, deaf either with or without surgery, but your mother told me that Laura's pediatrician referred them to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, who did tell them that Laura might benefit from surgery. Cassandra couldn't afford it, so they stopped talking about it.
"I'll get into it. Tomorrow I'll find Charlie and talk to her pediatrician."
"You okay? You look ready to chew nails."
"If my sister wasn't in jail… Well, they'd have to put me in jail; because I'd kill her."
"One more thing… I made Laura take her brace off for the day. She's not very happy about it, because she moves better with it on. I checked, she doesn't have an open sore on her hip, but she does have a tender spot. I recommend limited use of the brace until you can figure something out."
"Oh, she's getting a new one. One that fits. I don't know the first thing about buying leg braces, but I'm going to figure it out; and fast!" Mac proclaims.
"Well then, I think maybe Laura is finally in good hands."
"Thanks Beth. I hope so. Somehow, it seems I always manage to say something that upsets her."
"That's just because she's coming from a bad place, so upsetting her is a fairly easy thing to do. I give her six months with you. After six months, she'll be a new kid."
Mac sighs, "From your lips to God's ears. Now, where's my girl? I really do need to be on my way.
"Right this way. She's been in much better spirits sent she woke up from her nap."