Winnie's Secret

*ABUSE*

4:00 am

The paramedics pushed the gurney out of the diner and into the parking lot. The man riding it moaned as it ran over the bump of the front door. His eyes were swollen shut and a thin layer of dried blood glazed his face. The collar of his once white shirt was now a soaked crimson, fading to a light pink at his waist. His cheeks puffed as the neckbrace he wore pushed up against them and his knuckles bore battle scars. Behind the beaten man followed a young nurse with blood-soaked scrubs. He walked briskly across the lot and stepped into the vehicle with flashing emergency lights.

Thirty-Five Minutes Earlier

Winnie’s 24-Hour Diner was located at a quiet corner in Cleveland. The bar at the center of the dining room was surrounded by a couple of dozen stools, mostly empty at this hour. The exception was Henry, a nurse who was one year out of school, working on his usual post-shift eggs and sausage.

“Can I get ya anything else, honey?” asked the waitress.

“Thanks, Beth. I’m good for now,” he said through a mouth full of food.

Her eyes looked at him accusingly. “Do they feed you anything at that hospital?”

“I think I just forget to feed myself.”

Beth chuckled and refilled his cup of decaf. “You still like it there?”

“As much as I can. It’s busy and some of the things I see are just heartbreaking.”

“Like what?”

Beth was a good listener. Henry liked this about her. She seemed to genuinely care about you and your story outside Winnie’s walls. She was an old stubborn woman with the warmest of hearts. Once you got through that tough outer shell of hers, you were family. He always got off work when she was starting her shift at Winnie’s. It probably wasn’t the smartest financial decision to eat out after every shift, but he enjoyed his time there so he justified it. “Take my patient Sophie for example,” he began. “Last week she gets carted into the ER with eyes swollen shut, broken wrist, and three cracked ribs.” 

Beth’s jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed. “What in the hell happened to the poor thing?”

“Paramedics said the 911 call was for a fall, but no there’s no chance a staircase has that good of a right hook.”

“She gonna be alright?”

“Yeah, she’ll be alright eventually. Just feel so bad for her. Nicest person you could ever meet.”

The front door’s chime interrupted their conversation. Standing in the doorway, a man looked around the restaurant.

“Hey there! Take a seat wherever you like,” said Beth. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“Please,” he said as he hung his jacket on the back of his chair and sat.

Beth handed the man a menu and poured the remainder of the pot into his mug. “I’ll get a fresh pot started for you,” she said as she walked through the kitchen door.

Henry watched the man flip through the menu, wondering if he looked like someone searching for conversation. He had grey slacks on and a white collared shirt; not an outfit Henry expected someone to be wearing at 3:30 am. His build was average and his face was bare. The copious product in his immaculate hair clumped the strands together, forming a window to his thinning scalp. He put the menu down and clasped his fingers around the mug. Henry took this as a sign to break the silence.

“What brings you out here tonight,” he said with a friendly voice.

“Oh just hungry,” he said.

Henry gave the man a look that said does it look like I was born yesterday? “Come on. We’re both in a diner in the middle of the night. No judgment from me.”

The man smiled and took a sip of his coffee. “Wife troubles.”

Henry nodded and pursed his lips. “What kind of trouble, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Don’t mind at all,” he said. “Affair.”

Henry exhaled dramatically and shook his head. “That’s trouble for sure, friend. Might need something a little stronger than coffee.”

“At a diner?”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Hey Beth can we get two late-night lattes?” Henry yelled toward the kitchen door.

“Sure thing sweetie!” said Beth’s muffled voice.

“Late-night latte?” asked the man.

“Whisky and coffee.”

He nodded his head with a frown. Not a frown of sadness but a frown one might use to say not too shabby! Beth brought out two steaming cups of coffee and placed them in front of the two men. Henry took a sip and his reaction to the drink made the others laugh.

“Made it a double for you boys,” she said with a grin.

“Thank you, ma'am,” said the man.

“My pleasure, stranger. You got a name?”

He offered Beth his hand. “Victor.”

She shook it. “Nice to meet ya, Victor. I’ll be in the back. Just call my name if you need anything at all.” Beth walked back through the two-way swinging door to the kitchen.

The man sipped his drink and clicked his tongue which apparently helps taste it better. “Not too shabby!”

Henry smiled and lifted his mug. “So, how’d you find out about the affair?”

“The guy called the house last week! Didn’t know she was married.”

“No shit! What did you say?”

“Well at first he apologized and said he dialed the wrong number. Then he called back and confessed! Musta felt guilty or something.” Victor looked away and downed a gulp this time.

“Sorry to hear that. Any idea what you’re going to do?” Henry nearly cut himself off as he realized he may have been digging deeper than he should. “I don’t mean to pry.”

“No worries. I prefer skipping past the bullshit anyway. Plus it’s been handled.”

“Single and ready to mingle? Gotta say a diner might not be the best place for a late-night pickup.”

“What?”

“I just mean Winnie’s at nearly 4 am isn’t gonna get you much action, pal.” Henry started to laugh but was cut off by Victor’s intense stare. It was a puzzled look of confusion and anger.

“How dare you?”

Henry cocked his head, somewhat confused.

“We are going to make it work,” he said. His lips quivered as he spoke and his eyes were like daggers, thrusting their way through his own. There was a loud silence between the pair of men, and Victor continued his sharp stair.

“Right… Well, that’s great! Good to hear,” said Henry doing his best to sound genuine. He smiled and returned to his sausage. 

“And I said it was handled. Leave it at that,” Victor said with a tone that wondered why Henry had to ruin such a great conversation.

“Sure thing! Didn’t mean to upset you,” he said as he lifted his mug as to say salut.

Victor drew in a large dramatic breath and put his hands up, palms facing Henry. “It’s fine it’s fine! You just shouldn’t say things like that, man.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. We’ll just forget I said anything,” Henry said as he returned to his plate. He was really hoping this would end the conversation and he could wrap up his visit to Winnie’s soon.

“Everything is changing, man. We used to be so close. Why would she do something like that?” Victor seemed to be talking to himself at this point - no longer looking at Henry. His voice had gone from an aggressive accusatory tone to a boyish whine. “And of course, I can forgive her. That’s what love is after all, but there have to be consequences.”

“Hey Beth, I’m ready for my check,” yelled Henry.

“Sure thing darlin’. Be right out.”

“I mean I didn’t want to punish her but, of course, I had to. How can you expect to lead a loving trusting relationship if they can do whatever they want without repercussions? It doesn’t work like that so we do what we have to do, right?

Henry’s face was glued to his now empty plate. From the corner of his eye, he could see Victor looking at him for support. “Oh, right on. Do what you got to make it work.” At that moment Beth pushed the swinging door open and handed Henry his check.

“Oh, Sophie. Why’d you have to start this mess?” said Victor to himself, head in hand.

There was a ringing in Henry’s ear. He was looking at his receipt but not comprehending what it had to say. It was crinkling in his hand as his grip tightened. There was a tingling in his forearms and fingers that seemed to make him restless and his jaws were like a vice. He saw the man’s mouth moving but couldn’t hear anything but the ringing. Flashing images of his patient’s eyes puffed shut and her crusty swollen lips overtook his mind. The speckles of blood in her hair, the sound of her labored breathing, and the wincing after each cough. The rage in him grew and before he knew it he was up on his feet taking stride after stride toward the stranger.

Ten Minutes Later

Henry sat in the back of the police car, hands cuffed behind him. The officer who had arrested him sat in the passenger seat while his partner drove to the station.

“Heard about this guy last week,” said the cop. “She didn’t want to press charges.”

“He probably will,” said Henry.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” said the cop. Henry shook his head and rested it on the window, looking at the tall buildings pass. “Good thing the camera’s at the restaurant are busted and the waitress saw him swing first.

Henry’s head perked up. “Sorry?”

“It’ll be Winnie’s little secret.”