Leopard's Baby

After spending the night in a holding cell Tammy was brought to the county lockup to serve her ninety-day sentence. The first step was a complete physical examination. The doctor was a man in his mid sixties who must have been at least fifty pounds overweight. His nametag read “Ira Gilson, MD.” He wore a white lab coat. He was two inches shorter than Tammy, had a full head of snow-white hair, and a large, bushy mustache of the same color. Also present was a heavyset woman in her forties wearing a nurse’s uniform. She had dark, greasy hair. Throughout the entire time Tammy was there the nurse sat watching with a smirk on her face, not saying a word.

The doctor started by taking a medical history. Then he ordered Tammy to strip, get on a table, and place her feet in stirrups. He gave her a vaginal and rectal exam, taking more time than Tammy thought necessary. He palpated her breasts and rubbed her nipples until they hardened.

“I see you’ve recently given birth,” Gilson said as the exam continued.

“About two months ago,” Tammy replied, willing herself not to show any emotion.

“What happened to the child?”

“He’s with his paternal grandparents,” Tammy said. Her breathing quickened as she fought to control her anger.

“No doubt that’s a sore point with you,” Gilson said with a chuckle. “That’s what happens when you can’t control your impulses. What about the father? Is he in the picture? Is he willing to take responsibility? Or did he claim he wasn’t the father?”

“He was killed in a crash. We were married.”

Gilson had Tammy sit on the table, still naked. He examined her eyes, ears, and mouth, took her blood pressure, tested her reflexes, and listened to her heart and lungs. While doing the latter, his hands kept brushing against her nipples. When he completed the exam, she remained impassive while he stroked her back. He could not seem to take his eyes off her breasts.

“You’re a good looking girl, Tamara,” Gilson said as he nodded his head in approval. “I don’t get many here who look as good as you. You’re in great physical shape. No sign of sagging or excess weight we often see after childbirth. All the readings are normal. Your pulse rate is a little slow. You can get off the table now.”

Tammy stood. A man came in, looked Tammy over, grinned, and handed her clothes consisting of plain, white underwear and an orange jumpsuit. Tammy started to get dressed when Gilson stopped her.

“I didn’t notice this before,” he said as he put his hand on her left hip. “You have a long, nearly invisible scar here. How did you get it?”

“I was shot. May I get dressed now?”

“Sure, get dressed,” Gilson said as he stepped away from her. “When and where did that happen?”

“A little less than a year ago in Italy.”

“Italy,” Gilson said, raising his eyebrows. “You do get around. Less than a year and the scar is barely visible. You must have some constitution.” He patted her on the rear and said, “Any medical issues don’t hesitate to ask for me.”

***

Karla entered her nephew’s room. Her mother was sitting in a rocking chair, holding Brendan in her lap. She was trying to give him a bottle, but he kept turning his head aside. Watching the proceedings with a frown on her face was Sandra Burnham, the nurse/nanny.

“I don’t understand,” Jennifer said. “He takes a few sips and then refuses to take more.”

“You’re too tense, Mother,” Karla said. “He senses it. Let me try.”

Reluctantly Jennifer got up. Karla sat in the rocker and draped a towel over her shoulder. Jennifer started to hand the baby to Karla.

Burnham darted forward and placed her hand on his neck. “You must support his head, Mrs. Roberts. His muscles aren’t strong enough yet.”

“I know, I know,” Jennifer said. “It’s been quite a while, but it’ll come back to me. I did have two children. I know how to care for them. Before long he’ll be more than happy to be with his grandmother.”

Karla took the baby, snuggled him against her left breast, and made cooing sounds. Burnham handed the bottle to Karla. She placed the bottle in his mouth. He sucked hungrily.

“Why does he take it from you and not me?” Jennifer complained in a whiney tone. “You’ve never had a baby.”

“Must be maternal instinct,” Karla said. What I remember most about my childhood, Mother, is a succession of nannies, she thought but didn’t say. After I was born you weren’t real involved in raising me except to show me off so people could see what a pretty little girl you had. Karla placed her lips gently on his forehead while he drank. “I have it, you don’t. Or, maybe he senses you’re the one who took him away from his mommy.”

“Nonsense,” Jennifer replied. “He’s too young to recognize the difference. It may be the perfume I’m wearing. It might upset his stomach. Or maybe he’s allergic to it. Next time I feed him I won’t wear any.”

“Don’t underestimate what he knows and doesn’t know, Mother,” Karla said. She shifted Brendan slightly so his head rested on a different spot of her arm. He continued to drink his formula. “I know you think you’ve won, but you haven’t. You don’t know Tammy the way I do. She’ll never give up trying to get him back. You think you know how dangerous she can be, but you don’t. Not really. You have to see her in action first, and when you do you could be in for a world of hurt. You have three months to work out a deal with her family. Arrange some sort of mutual custody. Tammy won’t be happy about it, but she’ll abide by any agreement her mother makes. If you wait until Tammy serves her sentence it may be too late.”

“You worry too much,” Jennifer scoffed. “This house is too secure for her to do anything. She’s not bulletproof. If she tries to break in and gets shot, I won’t have to worry about her anymore. You’ll have to excuse me. I have some friends coming for lunch and I have to get ready. Sandra, when he’s finished his bottle, bathe and change him and put him down for a nap.”

If only you knew, Mother, Karla thought as Jennifer left the room. I’d like to tell you, but you wouldn’t believe me and anyway I promised Tammy I wouldn’t. If she comes here as a leopard, she will be bulletproof. At least with ordinary bullets.

***

Tammy was given a thin mattress, a pillow, sheet, blanket, and toiletry kit and led to a cell. It contained bunk beds, a stainless-steel table, and two stainless-steel chairs. All were bolted to the floor. There was a stainless steel commode/sink bolted to the wall and a ledge on one wall for belongings. The cell was occupied by a hard-looking woman in her forties. She was two inches taller than Tammy and was hefty without being fat. Her bare arms were covered with crude, prison tattoos, so Tammy was aware that the county lockup was not the first time she’d been incarcerated.

“I get the bottom bunk,” the other woman said. “I was here first.”

“Fine,” Tammy said. She started to make up her bunk.

“I’m Sheila.”

“Tammy.”

Sheila came over behind Tammy, put her hands on Tammy’s shoulders, and started to knead them. “Feel like getting friendly? It’ll take the edge off, at least while I’m here.”

“Sorry,” Tammy said without turning around. “I don’t swing that way.”

“Try it, you may like it,” Sheila said. She moved in closer and pressed her front against Tammy’s back at the same time cupping Tammy’s breasts.

Tammy spun around and pushed Sheila away. “I guess you haven’t heard ‘no means no’ holds for females as well as males.”

Enraged, Sheila, her teeth exposed and her lower jaw pushed out, ran at Tammy swinging her arms wildly. Tammy moved inside the other woman’s arms, picked her up by the armpits, and slammed her into the cell door. The breath whooshed out of her. Still holding her against the door so her feet were six inches off the floor, Tammy put her face an inch away from Sheila’s chin. In a low, threatening tone, Tammy said, “Because of your size you can probably do whatever you wish with most of the women in this place, but you can’t with me. If you start something, trust me, you’ll regret it. Deeply. Understand?”

Sheila struggled to get free, but couldn’t. Finally she said, “I understand. Let me go.” Tammy released her. She fell, but banged her head against the door. She rubbed the back of her head and muttered, “Fucking cunt, I’ll get you for this.” She didn’t realize Tammy could hear her.