Primary Justice

15

THERE WAS A LOUD, deliberate knock on the door.

The heavyset woman in the white uniform recognized his knock. She rose quickly and, after peering through the peephole, opened the door.

The man walked into the apartment and took off his jacket. “How is she today?”

The woman hesitated. “She’s … fine. Stable. Very good, under the circumstances.” She paused. “I know what I’m doing.”

The man smiled. “That’s why you get paid the big money.” He glanced down the hallway. “Get her.”

Nodding obediently, the woman walked halfway down the hall and called out.

After a few moments, there was a shuffling noise, and another woman, much thinner and younger, poked her head through the bedroom door. She had a vacant, distracted expression.

“Someone here to see you,” the nurse said quietly.

The younger woman looked down the hallway and saw the man standing in the main room of the apartment. A panicked expression spread across her face. She slammed the door shut.

The man frowned. “I’ll handle this,” he muttered. He pushed the woman in white out of the way and walked down the hallway.

“Open the door,” he said, quietly but firmly.

There was no response.

“I said, open the door,” he repeated, a little more loudly than before.

Still no response.

A sudden rage came over him. Gritting his teeth, he threw his full body, shoulder first, against the door. The door shuddered but did not open.

Even more enraged, the man began to kick the door. His pounding dented the outer wood surface.

He stopped, breathing heavily. His entire body was trembling. “All right, then,” he said, “see what you think about this.” He leaned close to the door and whispered a few brief words.

After a moment, the woman slowly opened the door. She was crying. Red blotches appeared on her face and neck just above her blue bathrobe.

“Please don’t hurt her,” she said. Her face was wet with tears.

“We’ll see,” the man said. With both hands he shoved the woman back against the bed.

He smiled. The rage had passed. He turned and looked back at the heavyset woman. “You’re dismissed.”

“But I haven’t prepared her for the evening yet.”

“I said you’re dismissed!” the man growled. He slammed the bedroom door shut.