The first Name Lizabee recognized was Jane Millner. Jane was a waitress, a single mother, and a drug addict living in a seedy apartment across town with her four month old. Although the woman had tried to go clean several times relapses were common and, worse still, because Jane had used after she'd given birth and was breast feeding her baby Nora had become addicted too via her breast milk. Hopping a transport to get across town Lizabee entered the shady complex and made her way to the third floor. It wasn't hard to tell which apartment was Jane's. Lizabee could hear the infant crying all the way from the second floor and the sound absolutely chilled her. For some reason babies caught in the throws of withdrawal sounded noticeably different from normal children. The reality was sad. But true.
"HEY. HEY JANE. ITS ELIZABETH. LET ME IN." Lizabee said pounding hard on the door. For all she knew Jane could be strung out herself and either not there or passed out. Lizabee wasn't above picking the locks if she had to in order to get in. It would have been maddening to imagine Nora in there all by herself.
To her relief the blond waitress was home after all and after a few long minutes did come to the door.
Despite Lizabee announcing herself it seemed like the woman half expected it to be someone else calling at her door, but the second she caught a glimpse of the younger woman's blazing red hair she threw open the door and let Lizabee in.
"Oh my God Lizzy I'm so glad you're here." The taller woman whimpered. "I swear, I only did a little this time. I didn't mean to, I mean, there wasn't any formula left..."
"Yeah, I know Jane. Just show me where she is and I'll do what I can." Lizabee was trying very hard not to be absolutely infuriated that Jane had been breast feeding again while she was using. While by some miracle it was true that she'd more or less stayed off the harder stuff during her pregnancy, Jane apparently hadn't been strong enough to resist getting her fixes after. The drug abuse aside, the woman had been told she could feed Nora using formula instead but apparently Jane's habit often came first over buying formula and other common necessities. That, or the woman actually forgot what she needed to do and had resorted to breast feeding out of instinct. This was the third incident since the child had been born, where Lizabee had been asked to intervene.
Per her request Jane lead Lizabee to the bathroom of the apartment where Jane had set up the out of order bathtub like a makeshift crib. Lizabee didn't like to imagine what could happen if Jane ever became too overwhelmed by the infants high pitched cries in such a condition.
Although Nora had a pad underneath her and a yellow baby blanket tucked around her, Lizabee could see the infant visibly trembling and in distress. The sight tore away at Lizabee's heart.
"Poor sweetie. Come on. Auntie Lizzy is here. I've got you little one." Jane helped Lizabee pick the infant up out of the bath tub and position her as best they could in Lizabee's arms. The screaming was almost unbearable to take as she carried the child out of the ominous bathroom and into the main part of the apartment which, although small, Jane kept relatively clean.
"How long has she been showing symptoms Jane?"
"Um...Since yesterday morning I-I think." The woman replied helplessly.
"Its been almost 24 hours then which means this could go on for another two days. I'm going to help her Jane but if there's actual health problems present you know I can't do anything. You need to get her checked out by an actual doctor. The shit your doing can seriously fuck up this child's system. Are you hearing me? JANE? ARE YOU HEARING ME?" Lizabee demanded.
"Y-Yes. Yes. GOD! I know. I know...I-I swear I'll take her in as soon as I can. J-Just help her now...Please." The blond pleaded.
Not really convinced, Lizabee sighed and shut her eyes a moment as she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do. If she'd been trying t do this for an adult there was a chance she might have incompasated herself but with such a small child like this Lizabee was certian she could handle the after effects well enough.
Lifting Nora so that she was curled partially into Lizabee's shoulder, the red head began to slowly breath in through her nose and out through her mouth deep and deeper as she formed the meta-physiological connection between herself and the infant opening up a channel that would allow her to literally absorb all of the infants discomfort and place it upon herself. Slowly as the seconds ticked by Nora's tremors began to lessen significantly and her little body started to relax. After a few minutes even the infants crying subsided as the reprieve from its suffering and the warmth of Lizabee's body seemed to lull the child into a exhausted, although entirely peaceful, sleep.
Lizabee's body on the other hand had grown rigid and tense and the young woman mentally fought the flooding impulses that poured through her mind and body.
"Jane t-take her. Qu-ick." She choked out.
Jumping out of the sofa she'd sunken into the woman quickly took possession of her sleeping daughter again before Lizabee dropped to one knee as if the wind had been knocked out of her and collapsed against the edge of the sofa grasping her right wrist tightly as her whole body spasm-ed and the fine muscles in her hands, face, and throat began to twitch and mildly shake. Squeezing her eyes shut Lizabee sat on the floor like that waiting for her nervous system to adjust to the sudden physiological change.
"God, Lizzy. Are-are you going to be OK?" Jane asked, although, not with as much concern as she could have at least feigned under the circumstances and in light of what Lizabee had done to make up for Jane's mistakes.
"J-just give me a minute or two Jane. All right?"
"Sure sweetie. Its just...I need you to leave soon. I'm expecting company." Jane replied coyly.
It was amazing to realize that despite the fact that her infant child had, up until moments ago, been suffering needlessly; Jane had been expecting her latest boyfriend to come over so that the couple could squeeze in an hour or two of screwing before she was due for her shift that evening. Even more amazingly, if Lizabee hadn't happened to come by that day there was no doubt that Jane would have had her boyfriend over anyway and that they would have simply willed themselves to ignore Nora's pained crying the entire time.
The sad thing was that Lizabee knew this was the case and tried to help Jane anyway. Then again her actions had nothing to do with the waitress and everything to do with the life of the waitress's baby.
Yes, indeed.
Everyone paid a price for the life they lived. Whether it was their choice to live it or not.