Porterville

This story is purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to person's living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental.

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Mark Stevens

Porterville Chapter 20

Britt drove to a nearby Subway and ordered some lunch for him and Devon. Next he drove to Porter Textile. Devon was waiting at the gate and hopped inside the car the moment Britt came to a stop.

"What's going on, Britt?" he asked.

"We'll talk over lunch," Britt answered. "I'm taking you to Mom's for lunch. We need some privacy so we can talk some things over."

"Damn, I was hoping you had something more romantic planned."

Britt reached across the seat and placed a hand on Devon's thigh. "Sorry to disappoint you, Love, but right now we actually have some pressing matters to address."

"I'm listening."

Britt removed his hand as he watched the road in front of him. He turned and gave the man beside him a quick smile. "Be patient; we're almost there."

A few moments later Britt turned onto his mother's street and said, "That's odd."

"What's odd? This is your mom's street," Devon pointed out.

Britt pulled into the drive and parked behind his mother's car.

"Mom's home," he said shutting his engine off. "She is never home this time of day."

"Perhaps she had a feeling her favorite son was bringing his lover home for lunch and wanted to be here," Devon suggested. He smiled as he said the words.

Britt reached for the lunch bag and ran up the steps with Devon on his heels. He found the door unlocked and hurried inside the house.

"Mom," he called out.

There was no answer.

"Mom, are you here?"

He stepped into the living room and found Catherine on the sofa.

He called out, "Mom, are you all right?"

Catherine Williams didn't answer her son.

Britt threw the sack of food on a chair and fell to his knees. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. She didn't respond. He shook her harder.

"Mom!" he cried out.

Catherine Williams was refusing to respond to her son.

Britt leaned over and lay with his ear against her chest. He was relieved to finally hear the short shallow breaths she was taking.

"Call 911, Devon," he cried.

Devon did as he was told. Britt hurried to the kitchen and returned with a wet cloth to place on his mother's head. When it touched her face, Catherine moaned.

"Mom, can you hear me?"

Catherine uttered another sound and opened her eyes.

"Thank God," Britt breathed. "Mom?"

She tried to speak to him, but the words refused to come out of her mouth.

"It's okay, don't try to talk. We've called 911; they'll be here soon."

"Not...necessary. I'm...okay."

"Can you get her some water, Devon?"

Devon left the room and soon returned with a glass. He handed it to Britt.

"Here, Mom, take a drink."

A sound came from outside announcing the arrival of the EMT's. Devon went to the door and had it opened when the men reached the porch.

"What's the emergency?" one of the men asked him.

"In there," he said pointing.

Four men hurried into the living room and found Britt kneeling beside his mother.

"What happened?" another one asked.

Britt explained about arriving home and discovering his mother on the couch and that she was unconscious. He stood up and moved out of the way.

"What's your mother's name?"

Britt told him it was Catherine.

"Catherine, can you hear me?"

Catherine tried to open her eyes.

"Can't," she whispered.

A second EMT took her blood pressure.

The first attendant asked Britt if his mother had been ill recently.

He told him she was fortunate to be very healthy, and that he couldn't remember the last time his mother had been sick.

A blood pressure reading was taken, and the attendant whistled. "Too low," he said and added, "We really need to get her to the hospital where they can check her."

"Then do it," Britt answered.

The man nodded and said, "We will as soon as we get her to stabilize. The pressure has to come up or we're going to be in trouble."

"Has your mother had problems with her blood pressure before?"

Britt shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of," he answered.

"Has she been under any unusual stress lately?"

Britt felt a stab of guilt hit him. He told the man about the break in to her house. He even mentioned the warning note they had received some time back.

"Did you notify the police?"

"The break in we did, but not when we received the warning note."

"Maybe you should have," the attendant said looking down at Catherine. He called her name again. "If we can get her to remain alert it will help her pressure."

"Mom, can you hear me?"

Catherine managed to open her eyes and remain with them open for a few seconds.

"Britt," was the only word she said.

"I'm here, Mom.

"Is Elaine here?" she asked.

Startled, he said, "Elaine? Are you asking if Devon's mother is here at the house?"

"She was...here...I think."

Britt looked across the room at Devon but remained silent. To himself he was thinking, "Why the hell would Elaine McKenzie be at his mother's house?" Aloud, he asked, "Why were you home? Weren't you supposed to work at the Center today?"

"Sick," she whispered softly. "Bad...headache."

The mention of "headache" brought a sudden interest for the EMT's. Britt explained that his mother sometimes suffered with migraines and that she had for several years.

"Did you take your medicine, Mom?" he asked.

"I meant to have my prescription refilled...forgot to."

"Did you take something for your headache, Catherine?" the attendant asked.

"Someone stopped by to check on me." Her eyes searched until they found her son. "Did you give me something?" she asked.

"No, Mom," he answered. "Devon and I came home for lunch and discovered you here on the couch."

"Then it must not have been a dream," she said softly.

Britt leaned over and watched his mother closely. "What did you dream, Mom?"

"Is Devon still here?" she asked.

Britt looked at the man and gave him a nod.

"I'm here, Catherine," Devon added. "Can I get you something?"

"Devon, I think your mother was here checking on me. I was rude and went to sleep while she was visiting me. Please let her know how sorry I am. I fear I was not a good hostess to her."

"I'm sure she understood, Catherine," he assured her.

Britt was having a difficult time trying to keep the emotion from his voice as he asked, "You think Elaine McKenzie was here? Today? You must have been dreaming, Mom," he added.

"Perhaps you are right. About Elaine, I mean. Still, I think that someone was here and they did give me some medication. It seems that who ever it was, they told me they also had migraines. I think we compared and discovered we took the same medication for them."

"Britt, my mother does have headaches now and then," Devon said. "It's quite possible she does take the same medication for them your mother does."

Any further thoughts on the subject of Elaine McKenzie, Britt didn't get to express. The attendant who had been monitoring Catherine's blood pressure suddenly announced that she was ready to be transported to the hospital ER.

"Do you really think this is necessary, Britt?" she asked.

They had his mother loaded and were ready to roll her out the door. Britt placed a hand over his mother's.

"Let's just get you checked out, Mom. It would make me feel better. Okay, Mom?"

"I guess I will listen to my son," she told the attendants and closed her eyes.

The men had Catherine loaded and ready for transport by the time Devon and Britt stepped out the door.

"You are coming with me, aren't you?" Britt asked Devon.

"Try and keep me away."

"Wouldn't even think about it," Britt said as he locked the door.

The ambulance had just pulled out of the drive when another car pulled up in front of the house.

"What the hell?" Britt said.

"My words exactly," Devon said as his mother got out of the car.

"I hope everything is all right," Elaine McKenzie said as she reached them.

"Were you by earlier?" Devon asked his mother.

"I was. She was very sick, and I asked if there was something I could do for her."

"Did you give here some medication?" Britt asked Devon's mother.

"I did. She and I take the same thing for migraine headaches. She had forgotten to have it refilled. I offered to go to the pharmacy for her, but she wouldn't hear of it. So, I gave her some of my medicine."

"She was unconscious when we found her," Britt said. "Which, by the way, we need to get to the hospital," he finished.

"Yes, please, go see after Catherine."

It was all Britt could do to keep from launching a full head on attack with the woman, but for his mother's sake, as well as that of Devon, he forced himself to remain cool. However, the matter of Elaine McKenzie's visit, and whatever the reason had been, was a subject Britt was not going to let slip by. "Not by a long shot," he thought as he backed his car out of the drive and headed for the hospital.

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Britt was sitting beside Devon in the hospital Emergency waiting room when he heard his name being called. He stood to his feet.

"I am Britt Williams," he said.

"I'm Dr. Chase. I've just spent some time with your mother."

The doctor extended his hand, and Britt accepted the handshake. He pulled his hand away and said, "Is she going to be okay?"

"She's going to be fine. Has she had any trouble before with her blood pressure dropping the way it has today?"

Britt shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of. I've been home most of the summer and nothing has happened like this before.

The doctor mentioned the drug she had taken for her migraine. "Sometimes it will cause the pressure to drop. Especially if she took too much of it," he added.

"My mother is very cautious," Britt said.

The doctor smiled. "Oh, I'm sure she is, Mr. Williams. I didn't mean to imply she wasn't; however, it's not uncommon for a person with a really bad migraine to take more than what's normally prescribed. Have you ever had a migraine?"

Britt shook his head.

"Well, I have, and I can honestly say, they hurt like hell. Bottom line, however, whether or not she took too much medicine at this point in not a concern here; we're going to watch her for a time, and when she's alert, I'll send her home."

"You don't think she needs to spend the night so she can be watched?" Britt asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I really don't think so. We'll give her some time and see how she does."

"Can I see her?"

"Certainly; just follow me."

Britt turned to Devon. "Come on, Dev; you're family."

The two followed the doctor through a closed door and down a short hallway.

"She's in there," the doctor said pointing to a closed door.

Britt pushed the door open and walked into the room, followed by Devon.

He walked over to the bed and called out his mother's name.

Catherine had been lying in the hospital bed with her eyes closed, but when she heard her son's voice, she opened them. She gave him a small smile.

"I feel so silly," she said. "I'm not even sick."

"At least we know you're going to be okay," Britt said.

"The doctor said it was the medicine I took that caused me to pass out."

Because Devon was in the room with them, Britt chose his words carefully.

"Mom, how many of those pills do you usually take when you have a headache like the one you had today?"

"Just one," she answered. "I've never taken more than that."

"You're sure that you and Devon's mother take the same prescription for migraines?"

"Positive. Elaine takes the same medication that I do."

"And she only gave you one capsule today?"

Catherine gave him a nod. "Just one," she answered.

Devon stepped into Catherine's view, and she gave him a smile. "Hello, Devon. I'm very glad that you are here with Britt."

Devon stepped to the side of the bed. "I wouldn't be any where else, Catherine," he assured her.

Catherine reached out and took hold of one of his hands. "You tell her I am so grateful she stopped by today. I was in pretty bad shape when she arrived."

"I'm glad she could help you."

"We're going to step out for a bit and let you get some rest," Britt said.

"When am I going home?"

"Depends on when the doctor thinks you're alert enough," he answered.

The two men walked out into the hallway. Doctor Chase was standing by one of the desks, and Britt walked over to him.

"I have a question for you, Doctor," he said.

The man gave him a smile. "Ask away," he said.

"I was wondering if it would be okay for me to leave the hospital for a short time. I have a couple of errands I need to run."

"Of course," the doctor answered. "Your mother is going to be fine. In fact, I can say with good confidence that she will be discharged in the next hour or so. She seems to be fairly alert already. I just want to make sure her pressure doesn't drop again."

Britt looked at his watch. The he said, "I'll be back in one hour. My cell phone number is on her admission forms, should you need me before that time."

"By all means, go do whatever you need to do. Everything will be fine here."

Out in the waiting room Britt said, "Devon, let's go outside."

Once they were out of the building Devon said, "Britt, you don't have to be careful what you say around me."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I know you're pissed my mother went to see your mom. It bothers me, too."

"I just don't understand, Dev, why the hell she was there. I've never known the woman to set food inside our house."

"Something didn't sound right to me when she said she was coming back to check on Catherine. If her visit had been on the up and up the first time, why would she return for a second visit?"

"You think maybe she had a motive for the second visit?" Britt asked.

"Damned if I know. You and I both know that the woman never does anything unless she has a reason."

"You heard Mom say she only took one capsule. Which is the normal dose," he added. "Still, something just does not add up here."

"So, what errand do you need to run? Would you like for me to do it for you so you can stay here with Catherine?"

Britt shook his head. "The doc said she's going to be fine. I've been thinking about something, Devon. You want to take a ride with me back to the house?"

"I can do that. Is there something you want to bring back to her?"

"No, since she's going to be discharged soon, she's okay. No, I have something else in mind."

"Which is?"

"I'm not sure. Just hang with me, okay?"

"Let's head over to Catherine's then."

It just took a few minutes to make the short drive back to the home where Britt had grown up in. For the most part, the trip was made in silence. Britt didn't seem ready to fill Devon in on his plan, and Devon respected his silence.

Britt pulled up into the drive and jumped out of his car. Devon followed on his heels, again, remaining silent. Britt unlocked the door, and suddenly they were standing in Catherine's living room.

Devon looked around the room with a puzzled look on his face.

Britt walked through the living room, then the dining room. He didn't stop until he was standing in his mother's kitchen. He looked around the room and then walked across the floor and stopped in front of the kitchen sink. He opened the door to the cabinet underneath and pulled out the trash can.

"Are we looking for anything in particular?" Devon asked.

"I'm not sure."

The can was empty of garbage. His mother must have taken the trash out before she left for the Center that morning. He checked it closely but saw nothing but the black plastic bag that lined the container. He returned it back to its spot and closed the cabinet door. He stood to his feet, looking around the room once more.

Devon hesitated a moment before he said, "If I had a clue what you were looking for I would offer to help search for it."

Britt turned and gave him a quick kiss. "I know, Babe. I hate to run this in the ground because, after all, she is your mother. Still, something just doesn't add up here. I hope you understand, Dev."

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me," Devon assured him. "I'll be the first one to agree with you; I firmly believe the woman was up to something."

"Or still is," Britt added.

A small drop of water fell from the faucet on the kitchen sink and landed against the stopper. Britt reached down to see if it just needed to be shut off. When he did, he noticed something that looked like soap suds toward the back of the sink. At first he thought it was just left over from when his mother did the breakfast dishes. Without thinking, Britt placed his hand against the stainless steel metal. He immediately felt something rough and grainy like touch his fingers. It was definitely not soap, he thought.

He brought a finger to his nose and breathed in deeply. Again, it definitely was not soap. Actually the foamy substance didn't have any odor. He stuck out his tongue and gave the finger a lick. A bitter taste greeted his senses.

"What the hell is this shit?"

"It's not soap?" Devon suggested.

Britt shook his head. "Definitely not soap," he replied.

He reached over and pulled a paper towel from the roll underneath the top cabinet. He carefully cleaned his finger off, leaving a narrow trail of white liquid like powder on the towel.

"What are you doing, Britt?"

"I'm going to have this checked out. Something tells me this could be why Mom was unconscious when we found her."

"You think my mother tried to do something here?"

Britt shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Dev. I wish like hell I could say that I didn't think she might be at the bottom of this, but I just can't. I'm really sorry."

Britt watched Devon's jaw tighten up, and heard him say, "Britt, I can promise you this: if I find out she has done anything at all to hurt your mom, I will blast her myself."

A sudden calm settled over Britt; a feeling that really left him puzzled. He gave Devon a big smile.

"Let's just see what we come up with, okay. I will say this, Dev; the next day or so could bring a lot of changes around here. I'm afraid it's going to be a huge shoot out, and who is left standing, well, I think we're all going to be surprised with the results."

"I don't mind telling you, Britt, that you're scaring the hell out of me."

Britt found a box of zip lock bags and stored his paper towel inside one, carefully sliding the lock across the top of the bag. He gave Devon another quick kiss and said, "Let's go, Dev."