The McDead

Crying time

Falls was bubbling. She bounced into the canteen and wanted to shout, ‘Oh yeah!’

She saw Sarah sitting alone. Head down, the picture of misery. Walking over, she said, ‘The star’s a little dimmed.’

Sarah looked up, said nothing. The skin above her left eye was bruised.

Falls sat, asked, ‘What happened?’

‘Why, do you care?’

Falls touched her hand, said, ‘Wise up, I’m here.’

Sarah mumbled, ‘Thanks.’

‘Listen, we could do like in Cagney and Lacey.’

‘Go to the Women’s Room?’

‘No … cry.’

Falls stood up, went and got some tea and danish. On the way back she put four sugars in the tea, plonked it on the table, said, ‘Here.’

‘Oh I couldn’t.’

‘It’s for the sugar rush but it won’t last, nothing does. You can tell me on the upswing.’

Come the upsurge, came the story.

Like this: ‘I was having a drink with … with McDonald. He was getting me pina coladas. I’ve had them before but not like this. By the time we left, I was near legless. Next thing I know, we’re in the front seat of his car and he’s trying to push … his … thing in my mouth. I hit my eye against the door and then I vomited all over his … his, lower part. He got so angry, he pushed me outta the car. I was lying on the pavement, and this I do remember, he leaned over to shut the door and said, “Yah useless slag.” Then he drove off.

‘I dunno how I got home. Can I have some more tea, it was lovely?’

Falls got the tea, then asked, ‘What ya going to do?’

‘I dunno. Will you tell me?’

Falls took a deep breath, then, ‘You could charge him.’

‘Oh God.’

‘God won’t help and neither will the brass. They’ll drag you through it and make it impossible to stay in the job. You might-big might-make some trouble for him but they’ll massacre you.’

Sarah looked set to cry again, said, ‘So, he gets away with it?’

Falls grabbed her wrist, said, ‘I never said to let it go, I just told you about the official method.’

Hope now in Sarah’s eyes, ‘There’s another way?’

Falls gave a smile that Brant would have understood, said, ‘Course there is.’