“I bet. I read a little bit about mushroom poisoning after she came in. I had no idea killer mushrooms were so prevalent.”
“I think that’s true for a lot of people. It certainly was for us,” he said.
“I’m glad she made a full recovery,” I said and started pulling out the pots and pans I needed for dinner.
6
INK
“How long have you worked at the hospital?” I asked.
“I’ve been at the hospital for eighteen years. I started as a patient care technician and worked in the evenings while I was in nursing school.”
“Have you always worked in the ER?”
“No. I worked on one of the patient floors before transferring to the ER. I’ve been there for the last ten years. What about you? How long have you been a mechanic?”
“It’s probably getting close to twenty years now,” I said. “I spent a year prospecting for the club before I earned my patch. After that, Phoenix had me take some classes at the local college before I started working at the garage. So, yeah, it’s getting close to twenty years.”
“Prospecting,” she said. “What does that mean?”
“It’s sort of like an internship. You spend a year or so working with the club to prove your worth and loyalty. If the officers decide you’re a good fit, you earn your patch,” I said and turned to show her the patches on the back of my cut.
“Can I ask what made you want to join the club?”
“The simple answer is stability,” I said, unsure of how much to tell her. I wasn’t ashamed of my past, but over the years, I’d discovered that blatant truths sometimes made people uncomfortable.
“I’d be interested in hearing the complex answer if you’re comfortable sharing.”
“Do you remember when the dairy farm was exposed for holding people against their will until they worked off their debt?” I asked, even though I had a feeling she did. It was impossible to live in Croftridge long without hearing of it.
“Yes,” she said as she continued working on dinner. “That was a huge story for our area. It was all over the news for weeks. I always wondered if there was more to the story that wasn’t covered in the news.”
I snorted a laugh. “There definitely was, but to answer your original question, my family was one of the families being held there.”
She turned from the stove to face me. “This seems very personal. We don’t have to talk about this.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “It was a little scary when it first happened, but we weren’t there very long before it was raided.”
“How old were you when that happened?” she asked and turned back to the stove.
“I was sixteen when my family was taken to the farm and seventeen when it was raided.”
“What happened to your family after it was raided?”
“After all was said and done, we were free to leave. The problem was that we didn’t have anywhere to go or any money to start over. Ember realized that would be the case for most, if not all, of the families at the farm. She worked with her dad to create legitimate jobs and housing for those who were displaced. When we were told we had the option to stay, my mother wanted to, but my father didn’t. Since we were at the farm because ofmy father’s poor life choices, my mom told him in no uncertain terms to fuck right off. He left, and we stayed. My mom and I got jobs on the farm, and when I turned eighteen, I became a prospect for the club.”
“How did that experience lead you to the club?”
“Oh, right,” I said, having forgotten her original question. “When everything went down with the farm, it was discovered that Phoenix was the rightful heir to the property. Almost immediately, the Blackwings were heavily involved in every aspect of the farm. I liked what they were doing and what they stood for.”
“I’m glad it turned out well for you. I’m sure that wasn’t the case for everyone.”
“The ones who stayed and used the opportunity to get back on their feet did. The ones who left, not so much. But you can’t help people who aren’t willing to help themselves.”
“That’s very true. They’ll usually just drag you down with them,” she said.
“Sounds like you know from experience,” I prodded.
