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All day long, I was buoyed by the prospect of marching up to Star
and telling her I was quitting. ‘Go get fucked, Star. I’m going home.’
Certainly, the pay here wasn’t enough to keep me, and there were
other ways to get through medical school. I didn’t need Star or her
benighted reservation.
As prepared as I was, I still jumped when the pager went off. I
looked out the window, and the clinic was dark. Unlikely she’d be in
the cafeteria. I walked to the next corridor and knocked on her door.
I drew in a deep breath so I could say my piece all at once. I was
fixed on this course and wouldn’t back out now. Tomorrow at this
time, I wouldn’t even be a memory around here.
The door opened. “Seventy-five seconds that time. Not bad.” She
wore a lacy nightgown cut in a deep V between her breasts. The
exposed flesh was soft brown and inviting.
I stepped into the room. “Star...”
“Tim, I want you to spend the night with me. Can you do that?”
I tried again. “Star...” I began, but then I deviated from my prepared
text. I said, “I’d be grateful. It’d be like a dream come true.”
*****
I said, “You’ve got to admit, though – a speeding van at 2:30 in the
morning, a white boy and an Indian woman, no ID, and a bloody
corpse in the back. It’d be a poor cop that didn’t at least ask
questions.”
*****
“He’s a good man,” he [the shaman] said to Star, in a soft voice. “The
wilder the horse, the better the ride.” He and Star stared at one
another for a few seconds, then Star burst into laughter. Then they
both laughed, while I tried to force a smile. There was nothing subtle
about his joke.
*****
and telling her I was quitting. ‘Go get fucked, Star. I’m going home.’
Certainly, the pay here wasn’t enough to keep me, and there were
other ways to get through medical school. I didn’t need Star or her
benighted reservation.
As prepared as I was, I still jumped when the pager went off. I
looked out the window, and the clinic was dark. Unlikely she’d be in
the cafeteria. I walked to the next corridor and knocked on her door.
I drew in a deep breath so I could say my piece all at once. I was
fixed on this course and wouldn’t back out now. Tomorrow at this
time, I wouldn’t even be a memory around here.
The door opened. “Seventy-five seconds that time. Not bad.” She
wore a lacy nightgown cut in a deep V between her breasts. The
exposed flesh was soft brown and inviting.
I stepped into the room. “Star...”
“Tim, I want you to spend the night with me. Can you do that?”
I tried again. “Star...” I began, but then I deviated from my prepared
text. I said, “I’d be grateful. It’d be like a dream come true.”
*****
I said, “You’ve got to admit, though – a speeding van at 2:30 in the
morning, a white boy and an Indian woman, no ID, and a bloody
corpse in the back. It’d be a poor cop that didn’t at least ask
questions.”
*****
“He’s a good man,” he [the shaman] said to Star, in a soft voice. “The
wilder the horse, the better the ride.” He and Star stared at one
another for a few seconds, then Star burst into laughter. Then they
both laughed, while I tried to force a smile. There was nothing subtle
about his joke.
*****
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