Linda was relieved that Joey was all right. But she had been slightly shook
up by her confrontation with Ruthie's mom. The woman was the most
dominating adult she had ever had to put up with. She had met various
adults who tried to put her in her place and turn her into somebody she was
not, but Annie was the most aggressive and persistent of all of them. But
Linda bravely moved on with her life, unwilling to let the psychotic run
her it to the ground.
Linda and Carol visited Mr. Tim Hardy, a man recovering from a triple bypass. She checked his vitals, listened to his heart with her stethoscope, took his blood pressure, and even did an electrocardiogram.
"You look to be okay Mr. Hardy. You still taking the medicine the doctor gave you?"
"Yep."
"Good. And I'll see you in three weeks.", Linda said smiling and cleaning and packing up with her.
"You take care huh?"
Linda nodded and smiled, "You too Mr. Hardy."
"So are you getting along at school okay?"
"Yeah except Mrs. Camden is hassling me today."
Mr. Hardy shook his head in disgust, "That meddlesome woman. Don't let her get to you. Who is your next appointment? My son will drive you."
"Actually you're my last patient. Thanks Mr. Hardy."
Mr. Hardy nodded as he took Linda's appointment card she used to put the date of her next patient visits.
David Hardy, who was Linda's brother's best friend was waiting for the girls outside in the car. He was a friendly sort of teenager, and actually had a soft spot for younger kids.
The drive home was uneventful and Caroline was allowed to sleep over at Linda's house. When they got home Mrs DeLeon was in the kitchen with her husband making dinner. Both were professional chefs with budding careers and usually every meal was a gourmet. But Linda loved it. And she loved her parents regardless of who they were as they loved her regardless of who she was. Oddly enough she hadn't realized it until a year ago.
"Hi ma, hi dad."
"Hey sweetie. How was your day?", Tom DeLeon said.
"Okay. Mr. Hardy is doing well."
"Good. But how was school."
"It's fine.", Linda said.
Both parents nodded and Sandra added, "Well dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you go change and wash up and we'll call you when dinner is ready."
++++++++++
"Carol may I tell you something?"
Carol nodded.
"I'm thinking of returning to Los Angeles."
"Why? Aren't you happy here?"
"Well yes. I just want to finish what I started. And I really loved working in a major hospital. It was more challenging then."
Carol nodded and shrugged, "Well will you write to me often?"
"Of course. It's not like I'm abandoning you or anything, Los Angeles is only three hours away you know."
"Yeah I guess. I'll really miss you though.", Carol said. She knew this day would come eventually, ever since she found out about Linda's secret.
Linda looked down and felt guilty. In a way she wasn't sure whether she was doing the right thing. She instinctively thumbed her stethoscope and was lost in thought. Carol sensing Linda's pain moved over to embrace her and Linda gladly returned it. They sat there crying for a minute.
"Don't forget to write huh?"
"I won't."
++++++++++
Dinner was delicious as ever and there was lots of chatter and good family time. Linda had told her parents about her confrontation with Annie and the two swore to put an end to it.
"That's it I'm putting a restraining order on that woman. She has been harassing you long enough."
"Dad I don't think it's necessary."
"No Linda. She's gone far enough.", Mrs. DeLeon agreed.
"But."
"No buts."
Linda wanted to argue even more but a stern look from her father and she knew it was fruitless. The truth is she did not want to get her parents into trouble. The Camdens were powerful in this town and messing with them would lead to trouble for both of them.
Then the doorbell rang.
"I wonder who that might be?"
Mr. DeLeon answered the door and Linda recognized a cop named Kevin, Lucy Camden's husband. Roxanne was with them as well. And just to make things worse, Ruthie and Peter were with them.
"Hi I'm Officer Kevin of the Glen Oak PD. Apparently Ruthie says that your daughter might have been hiding drugs in her locker."
Linda frowned and was about to say something but her father held up his hand to tell her to keep quiet.
"I take it that Ruthie hasn't figured out Linda's secret yet?"
"No but these are serious charges."
"Yes but it's not what you think. Would it be okay if me, my wife and my daughter have a chat with you two alone in my office?"
Kevin looked at Roxanne and she shrugged and nodded.
++++++++++
Carol, Ruthie and Peter were in the dining room eating what was left of the dinner. Ruthie had an evil look on her face as if she were a vulture swooping in for the kill. And Carol wanted to strangle the life out of the know it all.
"So how long have you and Linda been dealing drugs?", Peter said.
"Were not."
"Oh really, Ruthie responded, "Then why was Linda carrying a bag full of syringes?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Ruthie pulled something out of her back pocket. It was one of Linda's syringes.
"This fell out of Linda's black bag earlier."
"Give me that!", Carol reached over to snatch it from Ruthie's hand but Ruthie was quicker.
"Why does Linda own a stethoscope?"
"None of your business! And that syringe isn't yours."
"I'm sure that this will make for an interesting topic among your friends. After all why would Linda be carrying these unless she were a drug dealer or better still a drug addict."
"You little bitch!", Carol went around the table and threatened Ruthie. Peter stepped in her way but Carol shoved him back and the two started to grapple.
"Hey what's going on in there.", Mrs. Deleon said entering. Peter and Carol stopped fighting but Carol then kneed him in between the legs, dropping Peter in an instant. Kevin, Roxanne, the DeLeons and Linda jumped in trying to separate Ruthie and Carol since Carol then charged Ruthie, once free of Peter, and the two started scuffling. Peter was bawling and clutching his private parts while all this was going on.
++++++++++
By the time the night was over, Kevin and Roxanne had to call Carol's parents to bring her home. Oddly enough Roxanne told Ruthie that Linda was not guilty of any drug dealing and just to leave it at that. Even stranger, Kevin gave Linda her syringe back. That made no sense at all.
The next day Peter stayed home and the school got a call from his mom saying that Peter was sick. He was limping and waddling all day. The doctor's said he will be fine. But Ruthie could not get any information from Kevin, who echoed Roxanne's own orders by telling her to mind her own business.
But Ruthie was Ruthie and nothing, and absolutely nothing was beyond her knowledge. She had to know everything. It was her duty, her right. That way she could be superior to everyone else around her and use that knowledge to gain an advantage over them. And she was going to find out, no matter what.
Linda and Carol visited Mr. Tim Hardy, a man recovering from a triple bypass. She checked his vitals, listened to his heart with her stethoscope, took his blood pressure, and even did an electrocardiogram.
"You look to be okay Mr. Hardy. You still taking the medicine the doctor gave you?"
"Yep."
"Good. And I'll see you in three weeks.", Linda said smiling and cleaning and packing up with her.
"You take care huh?"
Linda nodded and smiled, "You too Mr. Hardy."
"So are you getting along at school okay?"
"Yeah except Mrs. Camden is hassling me today."
Mr. Hardy shook his head in disgust, "That meddlesome woman. Don't let her get to you. Who is your next appointment? My son will drive you."
"Actually you're my last patient. Thanks Mr. Hardy."
Mr. Hardy nodded as he took Linda's appointment card she used to put the date of her next patient visits.
David Hardy, who was Linda's brother's best friend was waiting for the girls outside in the car. He was a friendly sort of teenager, and actually had a soft spot for younger kids.
The drive home was uneventful and Caroline was allowed to sleep over at Linda's house. When they got home Mrs DeLeon was in the kitchen with her husband making dinner. Both were professional chefs with budding careers and usually every meal was a gourmet. But Linda loved it. And she loved her parents regardless of who they were as they loved her regardless of who she was. Oddly enough she hadn't realized it until a year ago.
"Hi ma, hi dad."
"Hey sweetie. How was your day?", Tom DeLeon said.
"Okay. Mr. Hardy is doing well."
"Good. But how was school."
"It's fine.", Linda said.
Both parents nodded and Sandra added, "Well dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you go change and wash up and we'll call you when dinner is ready."
++++++++++
"Carol may I tell you something?"
Carol nodded.
"I'm thinking of returning to Los Angeles."
"Why? Aren't you happy here?"
"Well yes. I just want to finish what I started. And I really loved working in a major hospital. It was more challenging then."
Carol nodded and shrugged, "Well will you write to me often?"
"Of course. It's not like I'm abandoning you or anything, Los Angeles is only three hours away you know."
"Yeah I guess. I'll really miss you though.", Carol said. She knew this day would come eventually, ever since she found out about Linda's secret.
Linda looked down and felt guilty. In a way she wasn't sure whether she was doing the right thing. She instinctively thumbed her stethoscope and was lost in thought. Carol sensing Linda's pain moved over to embrace her and Linda gladly returned it. They sat there crying for a minute.
"Don't forget to write huh?"
"I won't."
++++++++++
Dinner was delicious as ever and there was lots of chatter and good family time. Linda had told her parents about her confrontation with Annie and the two swore to put an end to it.
"That's it I'm putting a restraining order on that woman. She has been harassing you long enough."
"Dad I don't think it's necessary."
"No Linda. She's gone far enough.", Mrs. DeLeon agreed.
"But."
"No buts."
Linda wanted to argue even more but a stern look from her father and she knew it was fruitless. The truth is she did not want to get her parents into trouble. The Camdens were powerful in this town and messing with them would lead to trouble for both of them.
Then the doorbell rang.
"I wonder who that might be?"
Mr. DeLeon answered the door and Linda recognized a cop named Kevin, Lucy Camden's husband. Roxanne was with them as well. And just to make things worse, Ruthie and Peter were with them.
"Hi I'm Officer Kevin of the Glen Oak PD. Apparently Ruthie says that your daughter might have been hiding drugs in her locker."
Linda frowned and was about to say something but her father held up his hand to tell her to keep quiet.
"I take it that Ruthie hasn't figured out Linda's secret yet?"
"No but these are serious charges."
"Yes but it's not what you think. Would it be okay if me, my wife and my daughter have a chat with you two alone in my office?"
Kevin looked at Roxanne and she shrugged and nodded.
++++++++++
Carol, Ruthie and Peter were in the dining room eating what was left of the dinner. Ruthie had an evil look on her face as if she were a vulture swooping in for the kill. And Carol wanted to strangle the life out of the know it all.
"So how long have you and Linda been dealing drugs?", Peter said.
"Were not."
"Oh really, Ruthie responded, "Then why was Linda carrying a bag full of syringes?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Ruthie pulled something out of her back pocket. It was one of Linda's syringes.
"This fell out of Linda's black bag earlier."
"Give me that!", Carol reached over to snatch it from Ruthie's hand but Ruthie was quicker.
"Why does Linda own a stethoscope?"
"None of your business! And that syringe isn't yours."
"I'm sure that this will make for an interesting topic among your friends. After all why would Linda be carrying these unless she were a drug dealer or better still a drug addict."
"You little bitch!", Carol went around the table and threatened Ruthie. Peter stepped in her way but Carol shoved him back and the two started to grapple.
"Hey what's going on in there.", Mrs. Deleon said entering. Peter and Carol stopped fighting but Carol then kneed him in between the legs, dropping Peter in an instant. Kevin, Roxanne, the DeLeons and Linda jumped in trying to separate Ruthie and Carol since Carol then charged Ruthie, once free of Peter, and the two started scuffling. Peter was bawling and clutching his private parts while all this was going on.
++++++++++
By the time the night was over, Kevin and Roxanne had to call Carol's parents to bring her home. Oddly enough Roxanne told Ruthie that Linda was not guilty of any drug dealing and just to leave it at that. Even stranger, Kevin gave Linda her syringe back. That made no sense at all.
The next day Peter stayed home and the school got a call from his mom saying that Peter was sick. He was limping and waddling all day. The doctor's said he will be fine. But Ruthie could not get any information from Kevin, who echoed Roxanne's own orders by telling her to mind her own business.
But Ruthie was Ruthie and nothing, and absolutely nothing was beyond her knowledge. She had to know everything. It was her duty, her right. That way she could be superior to everyone else around her and use that knowledge to gain an advantage over them. And she was going to find out, no matter what.