“That oil is a wonder!” Rebekah enthused about the two wheel cart that held her possessions. “I hardly have to push it anymore. Just give it a squirt and we’re ready to roll.”
“Good,” Molson had a smile. “I’ll see you next week, okay?”
“Sure will,” she agreed, tucking into her soup.
Molson gathered up his bags and began to trek down the alley. Further along, he ran into Geoff. “Morning Geo. How have you been? Is that cough still bothering you?”
“Right as rain,” Geoff said merrily as he whittled. “That last medicine you gave me seems to have done the trick.”
“Good. Mind if I listen to your lungs just to be sure?” Molson set down his bags, riffling through them for what he needed.
“That’s doable,” Geoff nodded. “I saw your girl. She and some fella were talking to Ike down the way.”
“When? Yesterday?” Molson placed his stethoscope’s chestpiece along Geoff’s back. “Take a deep breath.”
“Today,” Geoff sucked in air, pausing his whittling while he concentrated. “Maybe ten minutes ago.”
“Really?” Molson frowned. “Let it out and one more breath.”
Geoff followed the instructions. “I haven’t any reason to reason to lie to you.”
“Point taken. My apologies Geo,” Molson disinfected and put away the stethoscope. “A guy was with her?”
“Yup. You get replaced?” Geoff asked curiously. “She came around with him the other day. I forget his name, but we had a long discussion about the rights and wrongs of this world.”
“It would be pretty quick if I was,” Molson wondered who was with Holly. Was it someone she knew or was it some guy bothering her? “Here’s your soup and I got you some packs of flavored rice since you have one of those burners. Do you have enough fuel?”
“Sure do,” Geoff responded.
“Your lungs sound clear,” Molson packed up his stuff. “Keep warm and dry. You should be good. Which way did you say Ike was?”
“He’s over by the back of the Chinese place,” Geoff informed him. “His limp is worse.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Molson nodded his thanks before heading for the alley behind Chinese place. He saw Ike talking to Holly as another man grabbed a duffle bag. He scowled as he approached them. “I thought I made it clear you shouldn’t come down here without me. I don’t want anyone hassling you.”
“Where have you been?” Holly dropped her bag and flung herself into Molson’s arms. “I’ve been asking around everywhere after you. I was so worried! Why didn’t you call me back?”
“I’m sorry,” his arms automatically came around her as he glanced at the other man. Molson was shocked to see Fielding standing there. The man was obviously uncomfortable as he waited with a large bag. “What’s going on?”
“When I found out you hadn’t made your rounds a couple of days ago, I decided to do them for you,” Holly explained as she pulled back a little, still holding onto him. “You said not to go alone so I brought my dad since he’s a doctor.”
“I said not to go without me,” Molson clarified, worried about the danger she had unintentionally put herself in. “That’s the reason for the tattoos, so that I can go from gang territory to gang territory without anyone bothering me. There are places you shouldn’t go. Places where things would happen to you if you go without me.”
“She shouldn’t be out here in the first place,” Fielding said grimly.
“I wanted to go,” Holly frowned at her father.
“Holly,” Molson tamped down his emotions, slowly releasing her. “He’s right. I was wrong to bring you out here.”
“You’re kidding,” Holly looked at him in confusion. “This is one of the things I love about you. I want to be a part of it.”
“You are the most precious thing on this earth to me. I don’t want to see you getting hurt because of me,” Molson shoved his hands in his pockets, so he wouldn’t reach for her. “You should go.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” Holly questioned him.
“I’m no good for you Holly,” the fact that he was repeating Fielding’s words wasn’t lost on Molson. It was humiliation at its worst to do this in front of her father. “Someday you’ll see that.”
“You’re not any good for me?” Holly echoed indignantly. She folded her arms indignantly. “You help hundreds of people each week who otherwise couldn’t afford healthcare or decent food. You took care of your mother who is a challenge. You succeeded in getting your wrongfully incarcerated brother out of prison. You’re working on becoming a doctor, so you can help even more people. Who isn’t good enough for whom?”
