All She Can Take

F O R T Y - S E V E N

"I got an eviction notice. I lost my job. And I have AJ, you know..." The words fought against her. They were used to being unsaid and kicked and screamed as she pushed them into the light. "I stole some money from Phil's stash spot. I didn't know it belonged to Kru."

Chante moaned as if she could feel Sid's pain and rested her forehead against her knees. Tears leaped from Sid's own eyes seeing that. Someone be so affected by her misfortune and pain. She crossed back over to the sofa and sat down. Her body leaned against Chante and Chante lifted her head to support Sid's slacking frame.

"He killed my dad, Chante. Kru. It was him. He admitted it."

"Oh my god."

"And now he has Phil...he'll kill him if I don't make these drops."

"Did you? Did you do them all? Sid, you have to!" Chante was panicked. The gravity of it all hit her like a freight train.

"I did. You are the last. I don't know what to do Chante." Sid was back in her own head dealing with the realization that she had no guarantee that Kru would actually let Phil go. She could do everything he says and it wouldn't stop him from killing Phil. He was the game master here. Kru set the rules.

Chante reached into the pocket of her sundress and pulled out her cell phone. She typed away rapidly and waited. Soon her phone dinged and she looked at Sid.

"I just texted Frenchie to let her know you did the drop."

"You think he'll let him go?" Sid asked Chante.

"I...it's his brother," Chante said. It was a hope that Sid had but she couldn't entirely hang her hat on. Chante hadn't seen Phil all crumbled on that bathroom floor. His face almost unrecognizable. But Sid just nodded and chose to take the hope that Chante had offered to her.

"I've got to get to the bank before it closes. I hate having this stuff in here." For the first time, Chante wrapped her hands around the crumpled paper bag. Sid watched as she went into the desk and pulled out some bank slips and other cash.

"You want to come with me? I can make you some dinner afterward. You look exhausted, girl."

Sid pulled out her phone and checked the time.

"I have to get to work." Sid was exhausted but being back in the kitchen would feel as close to normal as she had in a while. She needed it.

"Ok." Sid trailed behind Chante to the front door. When they stepped outside the world felt different to Sid. She'd been so focused on getting this task done. Having something driving her, something that she could physically do to quiet the negative whispers in her head. But now that it was done all she had left to do was wait. This marked her entering a new hell.

"Let me know if you hear anything. Or if you see Phil. Please?" Sid asked Chante as they were about to part ways.

"Of course." Sid nodded and headed off down the block toward her car. She couldn't help looking in all the dark corners as the sunset dipped below the horizon. Couldn't help imagine Phil in all of them, bleeding, needing help from someone. Needing her.

***

Sid felt satisfaction as she dropped her tempura-battered shrimp into the fryer. Watching the flour bloom in the hot oil she closed her eyes and let the gentle crackling sound vibrate somewhere in her soul.

"Umm, Sid? You okay?" Nissan was next to her, seeming to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah, sorry. Just being a food weirdo. What's up?"

"I get it. I get the same way when I shuck corn. Something about hearing the tearing sound." He closed his eyes and Sid smiled. "But now everyone does this microwave business. It's easier and faster, yeah, but that sound...you know?"

Sid did know. She completely understood hearing food and having it make you happy.

"Anyway, just checking in. Have you given my offer any thought?" Nissan asked with expectant eyes. Sid pulled her lips in. She'd forgotten all about his offer. A new restaurant in Massachusetts. All the details seemed like they were from a time long ago instead of just three days ago. It all seemed foreign to her and impossible with her life falling apart. But she put on a competent smile, not letting on.

"Still mulling it over."

"Yeah, it would be a big change. Take your time. Take your time. But in the meantime, look." Nissan whipped out his phone and after a few taps handed it over to Sid. Her eyes balked.

"Is that a brick oven? It's the size of my apartment." The oven was outside flanked by beautiful wooden tables and chairs. Lights strung around a vine wrapped pergola. She sighed and pulled the phone closer.

"Just installed it today. Get that authentic taste fresh out of the oven and onto the tables."

"It looks amazing. They're going to flip over this." Sid reluctantly gave the phone back to him as Nissan beamed, filled up by her approval. His brusque and serious look evaporating for a moment. At that moment they both sniffed what smelled like burnt ocean. Sid looked into the fryer to see that her shrimp tempura were hard crisps. She cursed and lifted them out.

"I'll take the blame for those just this time. But a chef always keep an eye on the food no matter what's going on." He threw her wink and was off to wherever.

She quickly battered up some more shrimp and dropped a fresh batch into the fryer while the image of that brick oven rolled through her mind.

"Sid!" Someone shouted from the far side of the kitchen near the office. Can a girl fry in peace?

"What?" She shouted back.

"Phone." Sid took the shrimp out of the fryer. "Hey, get the rest of these in for me?" Sid called the cook who she saved from the beef over and quickly subbed in. She dusted stray flour off her hands as she picked up the phone.

"Sidney." She said.

"Hi, Sid. It's Christina. From the front desk." Sidney recognized that tiny voice anywhere.

"Okay. Is everything alright?"

"Can you...come? Please." Sid's stomach dropped.

"Yeah. I'm coming." She snuck out of the kitchen and made her way across the hotel corridors to the front desk where Christina, usually very formal and composed immediately grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the office.

"What's going on?" Sid asked but her answer was given immediately. She rushed over to a large luggage cart that sat in the middle of the room.

"The bellman found him on the ground outside. This is the guy from before right? I recognized him so we brought him back here." Christina's voice shook with nervousness.

"Call me a car, please," Sid asked. Christina didn't move quickly enough. "Now! Please!" Christina grabbed a nearby phone and began to dial as Sid lifted Phil's head into her lap. Underneath a smattering of purple and black bruises, she could make out his face. She pulled him off of the cart and he groaned. His shirt stained with blood. The same shirt she had brought him days ago. His closed hadn't been changed since they took him. He was soiled all over.

"Phil? It's me. Phil. Talk to me. Talk..." She groaned as his head lolled to the side and blood poured from his mouth onto the carpet. Tears pooled in her eyes and dropped onto his dirty shirt as she watched his chest stop rising and falling. She shook him. Kept shaking him until he pulled in another strained breath. She buried her head against his chest and heard the faint struggled beating of his heart. She closed her eyes and prayed. She prayed it wouldn't stop before help came.