Café Chocolaté

Chapter XXXI – Timothy Teller

Timothy grimaced while he watched Eddie shift, moaning as pain overcame some of his control. He stiffened, gritting his teeth.

“Try to relax, buddy. Try to relax.”

He could feel Ginger looking between them, but Timothy refused to look back at her. He didn’t know what else he could do for Eddie. With the blood flow stable but without proper access to medical help or supplies, Timothy knew nothing else he could do for the injured man, except bandage the wound as best he could and keep an eye on him. And nothing else he could tell the worried sister.

Eddie fidgeted again, gritting his teeth so hard that it must have brought pain to his jaw. Ginger ruffled his hair gently, but it didn’t seem to help much.

“He’s a brave man.” Fabian’s voice sounded odd. Perhaps the sound of pity colored his voice. “In his place, I would have been yelling a long time ago and making a scene, I’m afraid. He hardly makes a sound. Not from lack of pain though.”

“Maybe he’s not in much pain, after all.” Kimberly’s grunt that followed annoyed Timothy.

Fabian seemed unfazed, however. “It’s plain to anyone watching him that his pain level is off the charts. He’s brave.”

It took several seconds before Eddie shook his head. Timothy had to bend over him to understand what he said.

“I’m not brave.” He took a sharp intake of breath. “I just don’t want to scare her.”

Timothy glanced up at Ginger, who clearly had no idea. “Scare who, Eddie?”

He winced. “The kid. She’s scared enough. I don’t want to make it worse.”

Timothy patted Eddie’s shoulder. “A noble aspiration.”

“Why are you crying?” Mary’s whine raised Timothy’s level of annoyance once again and made him turn from the injured man.

My patience is thinning. Lord, help me, it’s thinning fast.

“Great.” Kimberly’s rough voice joined. “First, the brat and now a grown woman.”

Timothy tried to discover which grown woman they spoke of and just caught sight of Renee wiping her eyes. “I’m fine.”

Mary crossed her arms. “If anyone has a right to cry it’s me after going through that grueling interrogation!”

“Would you leave the woman alone?” Ginger shook her head, then lowered her voice. “Bunch of vultures.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Mary pulled a chair up beside Renee, ignoring Ginger completely. “What do you have to cry about?”

“Maybe she’s overwhelmed. Any normal person might be overwhelmed in our positions.” Fabian leaned against a table, his arms crossed.

Mary peered closer at the woman and Timothy felt like ordering her to the far end of the room. Renee didn’t answer.

“Is it Eddie? Don’t tell me that he’s your brother too!” At Renee’s look of confusion, Mary shook her head. “No, your husband is the one you mentioned earlier. Don’t tell me that Eddie is really your husband and you’re crying over the idiot, while still trying to hide his true identity!”

“Of course not!” Renee’s tears seemed to turn into surprised consternation.

Eddie looked like he would have rolled his eyes, if he had the energy, but he closed them instead when Timothy looked back down at him.

“You do have some interesting, but positively wild theories.” Fabian tapped his foot lightly on the ground.

“She is the one who was crying.” The whine vanished from Mary’s voice. She sounded odd without it. She turned back to Renee again. “Your husband is the key here, I think.”

Timothy saw Ginger’s interest had been caught. A thoughtful frown started on her face.

Renee shook her head. “I-I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You’re crying.” Mary nodded triumphantly, rocking most of herself in the process. “It’s probably over your husband. I can tell by the way that you’re crying that it is.”

Timothy rolled his eyes.

“Why don’t you let it out and tell us all about it?” Mary obviously believed she gave sage wisdom.

Renee shivered. “No, thank you.”

“Oh, but you must!” Mary wheedled. “You’ve already made us put up with your tears.”

Timothy looked at Ginger, who raised both eyebrows. She bit her lip, probably to avoid speaking.

“She may be exaggerating a bit.” Kimberly dropped her empty cup onto the nearby table. “But you might as well oblige her.”

“I’d…” Renee voice failed her, her eyes roving the room with an obvious search for support.

“You owe it to us. Tell us about your husband.” Mary nodded again.

“I hardly think she owes any of us anything.” Fabian had a touch of annoyance in his voice.

“Perhaps not.” Kimberly shrugged. “She might as well tell us though. I mean, why not?”

Timothy took one look at Renee’s tearful, but silent attempt to protest and decided it was time to intervene. “Because she clearly does not want to tell you about it. So, why don’t you leave the poor woman alone?”

Mary Dill widened her eyes. “She owes-”

“She doesn’t owe anyone diddly-squat!” Ginger leveled her eyes at the woman, but kept her voice even. “You have been wailing literally since the first explosion every time something jars you. Do you owe us anything?”

Timothy just caught a flash of a smile cross Fabian’s face. “The woman makes a very good point.”

Mary blinked rapidly, opening and closing her mouth, as if words literally died. Kimberly glared in Timothy and Ginger’s direction a moment, but also remained quiet. Renee’s sighed and closed her eyes.

“Fear turns people into bullies.” Eddie’s voice just reached Timothy.

“Or idiots.” Ginger yanked her head up to look at Timothy and seemed to suspect something from his look. “Hey, I didn’t yell at her. And you said something first.”

Timothy shook his head with another glance at Renee. “I wasn’t going to say you shouldn’t have said anything. They needed to leave the poor thing alone.” He pulled up his watch to take Eddie’s pulse.

Ginger waited until he laid Eddie’s wrist back down before speaking again. She spoke loud enough that only he and Eddie could hear her. “They needed to stop bullying her, but I can’t help but wonder myself.”

Timothy raised his eyebrows. “Wonder what?”

“Wonder what is upsetting her.” Ginger nodded toward Renee’s still drooping figure.

“Anna’s story about her friend’s murder seemed to upset her a good deal.” Timothy sighed, he hardly knew for what reason at this point. “If she’s still upset over that…”  

“Then she took it awfully to heart then.” Ginger moved to a more comfortable position, though she didn’t let go of her brother. “Almost as if…” She stopped.

Timothy frowned. “Almost as if she had a personal connection or a similar experience.”

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