Mercedes had been discharged from the hospital for a week now and her pain still hadn't gone away. The therapy wasn't helping and the Vicodin's were making her nauseous. She walked down the street, passing various bars, and looked up at the bar her brother, Mikey, used to hang out in. After a moment of thinking, she walked in, and leaned on the bar.
"Where's Matty?" She asked the bartender, who had moved up to her and asked her if she wanted something.
"There's no Matty here." He shook his head, starting to walk away.
"I'm Mikey Boscorelli's sister. I need to see Matty. I know he's here you can either tell him I am here, or I can go where I know he's hiding and pull him out."
"All right, hold on." The Bartender eyed her and walked into the back. After a moment a stoned out guy with red and blue hair walked out, and moved to her side.
"Hey, Mercedes. How you been? What can I do ya for?" He touched her arm. Matty always liked her, but knew, with Mikey around, he never had a chance.
"In pain. I need some shit."
"Which kind? I got it all."
"I know. I need something to make this pain go away, but won't make it obvious to my brother and husband I am on it. I need to be alert at the same time."
"I got just what you want, but it'll cost you." He guided her into the back room. She looked at the various people lying on the floor. She recognized half of them and just shook her head. She looked at Matty who passed her a bag of coke. It was pretty big, about 2 8-Balls worth. He looked at her and smiled.
"How much?"
"Call the first one on the house. I know it's not your first, but you get the family discount. After this it'll be $200 a bag."
"All right. I got your pager #. If I need you, I'll call. Thanks."
"Hey how do I know this isn't a bust?"
She looked over at him, blinking. He had a point. She could be in there to bust them, her brother was a cop, and she had denounced all drugs from day one. She looked at him and opened the bag. She was pro at breaking up the rock, simply from watching her brother do it so often. She broke it up and smoothed it out, making neat lines with the razor he had. She took the $100 bill sitting on the counter, and snorted the lines, all 3, one at a time, after a 5-second pause. She looked up at him and sniffed, eyebrow raising.
"Nice. Free high when you hang out with us. Come by, I'll hook ya up."
"Nah, my brother ever sees me in here, I am a dead firefighter."
"All right. I'll check ya lataz." They knuckle bumped and she walked out, stashing the coke in her bag. She moved down the street, towards the firehouse, and walked up to the Bus Carlos was sitting in as some new girl was getting it ready. Carlos looked up at her and smiled.
"Welcome back, love." He got out and walked to her, kissing her deeply. She kissed him back and smiled. He had no clue what he was hugging, in her bag, was almost $500.00 in cocaine and she was high as a kite. She walked upstairs and looked around. DK and Walsh, along with the other 2 new people were sitting around the TV. She went into her office and thought about what to do with the stash she had. She could put it in her desk? No people might need paperwork and find it. She decided the best place was her locker. It had a lock, and it wasn't visible. No one knew her combination. She put her stuff in the locker and sighed, closing it.
"Where's Matty?" She asked the bartender, who had moved up to her and asked her if she wanted something.
"There's no Matty here." He shook his head, starting to walk away.
"I'm Mikey Boscorelli's sister. I need to see Matty. I know he's here you can either tell him I am here, or I can go where I know he's hiding and pull him out."
"All right, hold on." The Bartender eyed her and walked into the back. After a moment a stoned out guy with red and blue hair walked out, and moved to her side.
"Hey, Mercedes. How you been? What can I do ya for?" He touched her arm. Matty always liked her, but knew, with Mikey around, he never had a chance.
"In pain. I need some shit."
"Which kind? I got it all."
"I know. I need something to make this pain go away, but won't make it obvious to my brother and husband I am on it. I need to be alert at the same time."
"I got just what you want, but it'll cost you." He guided her into the back room. She looked at the various people lying on the floor. She recognized half of them and just shook her head. She looked at Matty who passed her a bag of coke. It was pretty big, about 2 8-Balls worth. He looked at her and smiled.
"How much?"
"Call the first one on the house. I know it's not your first, but you get the family discount. After this it'll be $200 a bag."
"All right. I got your pager #. If I need you, I'll call. Thanks."
"Hey how do I know this isn't a bust?"
She looked over at him, blinking. He had a point. She could be in there to bust them, her brother was a cop, and she had denounced all drugs from day one. She looked at him and opened the bag. She was pro at breaking up the rock, simply from watching her brother do it so often. She broke it up and smoothed it out, making neat lines with the razor he had. She took the $100 bill sitting on the counter, and snorted the lines, all 3, one at a time, after a 5-second pause. She looked up at him and sniffed, eyebrow raising.
"Nice. Free high when you hang out with us. Come by, I'll hook ya up."
"Nah, my brother ever sees me in here, I am a dead firefighter."
"All right. I'll check ya lataz." They knuckle bumped and she walked out, stashing the coke in her bag. She moved down the street, towards the firehouse, and walked up to the Bus Carlos was sitting in as some new girl was getting it ready. Carlos looked up at her and smiled.
"Welcome back, love." He got out and walked to her, kissing her deeply. She kissed him back and smiled. He had no clue what he was hugging, in her bag, was almost $500.00 in cocaine and she was high as a kite. She walked upstairs and looked around. DK and Walsh, along with the other 2 new people were sitting around the TV. She went into her office and thought about what to do with the stash she had. She could put it in her desk? No people might need paperwork and find it. She decided the best place was her locker. It had a lock, and it wasn't visible. No one knew her combination. She put her stuff in the locker and sighed, closing it.
