Sunshine Cures All Ills

Friday evening

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"You look a little down Michelle, what's going on?"

It was Paul Murphy. He's one of the local cops from the next suburb. We've gotten to know each other professionally over the past year when I occasionally worked ER afternoons. We've been friendly, but nothing more than professionally.

"Oh, a couple of things getting me down. How are things going for you? Still having trouble with your boss Lt. Parker?"

"Is the pope Catholic? Does a bear shit in the woods?" He exhaled some of his frustration. "He keeps on my case. He answers to damn bean counters. Police by numbers. All they like to see are the number of tickets, not if you're doing a good job. I help make calm, I investigate. That doesn't count. They want something that they can point to in numbers."

Suddenly I realized that we both had problems that could be solved. "By the way Paul, are you working next Thursday evening?" He nodded yes. "It's my time for a coffee break in a minute, could you join me?" He nodded yes again and walked over to his partner. Jeannie Reynolds sat with the accident victim and he told her that he'd bring her back some coffee, three creams, two sugars.

We took the 5 minutes to walk to the cafeteria, making small talk and discussing the challenges of some people we have in common like a 'god's gift to humans' doctor and some 'rotating door' ER patients. After getting something to drink, I led the way to the back of the cafeteria. There's a quiet spot slightly isolated by the windows and out of earshot. I normally sit there alone and look outside.

"Paul, I have to ask you something. I'd like to tell you something, but I really don't want it to be connected back to me at all. Is it possible for me to be an unknown source?"

"That's going to be a yes and a no. Sometimes there's a way to do that. Other times, it isn't possible. I..."

I was immediately pissed and popped out "Zajebista."

"Hey, I know that it's fucking great, but let me finish before you swear at me."

I was shocked. He knew what I said. I said it was fucking great, in Polish.

"Ok Officer Paul Murphy, so how do you know Polish?"

He smiled at me and replied, "My mother is a Slodowska, same surname as Marie Sklodowska Curie, the Nobel prize physicist of a century ago. We may be related if we go back a couple of hundred more years. So watch your tongue young lady, I'm not gupia, I'm not stupid."

He smiled at me with a little bit of a good natured smirk, and continued. "For right now, let's say that we're only talking about gardening, nothing more. I know that you're into roses. I kill my roses all the time from over watering." I understood that what was to be said was going to be in confidence. I nodded and he continued. After he glanced all around us, he said "What's up Michelle?"

"I happen to know that an individual will be driving around Thursday with a small amount of coke. I also know where he stores a whole lot more of it."

"Now you have my attention. A bust like that in this 'burb will look very good for me."

"Don't ask me exactly how I found out. He's picking some up and going to pick up his date that loves to snort it. He stores most of it in a storage unit at the rental place north of Devon. It's under a different name and his date's name is Alicia P something or other. She's a community college student at Oakton." I got a smile on this one. "He's supposed to pick her up at 6:30 at the school and then they're going back to his car to snort and fuck. His car is a white Beemer."

I could see the wheels turning in Paul. There are more than a couple hundred of white BMWs around Chicago metro area. The community college has enough students and with a different name as that... even a nick name. He may be able to track her down.

Then Paul asked one question. "Is his name Cory Heinz?" I nodded and he continued. "We've known that he's been selling for a while. We never could catch him. Now I have a date and several places. I can keep your name out of it completely. I'll find a legal reason to pull him over."

"Oh by the way, I heard him say that he keeps his 'supplies' in his trunk somewhere around the driver side taillight." I saw that one of my co-workers was approaching so I started talking louder. "...And if you'd quit watering those roses, the roots would stop rotting out on you." I sighed then looked up at Marsha. "Oh hi Marsha, want to give this hopeless gardener some advice? You're a much better gardener than I am, and a heck of a lot better than him. At least I don't drown my roses. Everything I tell him goes in one ear and out the other. This man is dangerous with a hose." I started to stand up, "I have to get back to the ER. See you guys later." Paul nodded to me with a smile as I pushed my chair back into the table and turned to leave as I returned to my shift.

That was possibly one of the fab 4 down, three to go.

My shift continued, but the nagging question of letting the sunshine in on the rest of the fab four and their fuck partners was not straightforward. How was I going to do this for the other three, one of which being my darling soon-to-be ex-husband. The two wives came to our wedding. I've spoken to them before although we haven't spent much time together. I wonder if I can get their work phone numbers? Their work email addresses? That way it could not be discovered by their husbands.

It's the last one, the whore from Mark's work that'll be most difficult. I don't know who would care. Is she living with someone? Married? I thought about it for the rest of the shift. Phone book lookups, internet searches, emails... EMAILS. All four of them trade email jokes and there's a big crowd that's been added to the list in the past several years. I told Mark to take me off those lists. The jokes were at best raunchy to just plain mean spirited and not to say stupid, unless you were a 12 year old boy.

I think that I can get into his email. I've never done it before and haven't tried. He'll be at work tomorrow morning and I get to stay home before leaving to work for the 3 - 11 afternoon shift. He tends to use the same passwords everywhere, including our banking and investments. That's another thing to change. Call in a fraud alert and freeze all transactions. I have to put together a list of things to do.

It's true, women multi-task, men hunt. Goes back to gathering by women and hunting for men. Going after game, be focused on your prey. Going after grains, fruits, tubers, see everything around you. I had loads of questions to answer, loads of issues to solve.

One of the things I needed to do was to find a way to keep his hands off of me. I had to get tested very soon. I have no idea of what I may have already picked up. But for now, I don't ever want to have him touch me again.

My shift was nearing an end when a 14 year old patient came in. She hadn't been to a doctor in years outside of school required visits because the family couldn't or wouldn't pay for it. Now she's got medical insurance. Her care now wasn't going to be an uncollectable charity case to be paid for by the other paying customers' of this hospital.

I'm taking her history and presenting symptoms. It's evident that she has a massive yeast infection. These things could be dangerous for a variety of reasons including sterilization and giving it to your partner. Sometimes the medicine is unpleasant. WAIT...THAT'S IT.

After I prepped her, the doctor came in and began his examination. The young girl was clearly in discomfort from the yeast infection, as well as the 35 year old male doctor examining her vagina. He's busy and completely businesslike, she's nervous and anxious. I stayed around and assisted the doctor and comforted her at the same time. After the diagnosis, I was to instruct her on all she should be doing. The doctor was on to the next non-emergency patient.

I provided her with limited samples of two types of medicine to use and the prescription to be filled at a pharmacy. We discussed what to do and what to expect and the follow up with another physician. It might happen this time. I opened both medication samples. One stunk to high heavens, and she refused it. The other one was not so bad and she accepted it. After she left the examination room, I slipped the open one into my pocket. It couldn't be given to any other patient now. This smell will keep dupek away from me.

I texted home at 11 saying that they needed me for another hour or two. He responded OK and said that he'd go to sleep. I spent the time doing paperwork and I wasted time before getting home after 1 AM. That's when I put some of that awful smelling med on, right next to my vagina. It did a good job stinking up the bedroom and the bed.

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Saturday

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Saturday morning is a prime time to sell cars. I was awakened at 7:30 by Mark. "Hey honey, how about kissing me a little bit before work?" He was dressed for work with his cock erect and being waved in front of my face. Servicing him was never going to happen again. "I'm so sorry honey, I came down with a yeast infection and that's taken all my drive away from me." He started to push his cock toward my mouth when I waved the bedcovers, and the awful stench flooded the room again.

"Oh my god, that stuff stinks. That's what I smelled last night. How long will you have to be on it?"

"Sorry Mark baby, it looks like it may be a week." The stench must have been good enough because he backed away from me and put his cock away. "We had that good gynie doctor in last night and she said that there's a new strain going around. If I don't do this, I wouldn't be able to work. We got your student loans and the car payment on your Camaro to pay. Maybe later this week. OK hun?"

He stomped away and under his breath I heard "fucking yeast infection." I pretended to go back to sleep. As I heard the back door slam from his anger, I bounded out of bed looking out the window to see him pull away. Getting a cup of coffee, I saw the computer was on and I pulled up Gmail. First thing first. His email address was still there. I had to guess his password.

One of the things that I know is that it is easy to get locked out of Gmail accounts pretty quickly. For my own account, there were several times when I forgot my password and had to answer the security questions then I got emails to my other accounts asking if I knew someone was logging in.

I wrote down the main 4 passwords he uses that I know and then the variations I remember. I can't mess up opening up his Gmail. I can only make two attempts before I get off the machine and reboot and try another day. If I fail should I ask him to put me back on the joke lists?

I know that it sometimes reset at 3 attempts. Then there is a problem and it can lock up. I don't know his security questions and answers, and I don't want to try. It could trigger an email to another account and maybe a text to his phone. This has got to work.

Here goes with the first one I remember, "1COOLdudE". His Gmail account opened for me. Thank god the dupek is as vain as hell. Why did I marry this jerk? There has to be over 200 emails. I pass over the ones from me and his parents. I look for the ones from his buddies.

Reading the subject lines, it's clear that Mark is still a little boy. Pretty gross bathroom humor, racial humor, stupid, very stupid political garbage. It's all about talking heads spewing venom and hate. Why did I marry this asshole? What the hell was I thinking? Was I this blind, or just in love? Or stupid? Who's gupia here? I'm the stupid one.

I know, I know. It was love and I was blind to everything else. My friends attempted to warn me, my brother asked me three times if I was sure. I was gupia for falling for him. Never again, never again will I not look before I leap. How does it go? 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me?' I will have no more shame.

Getting into his emails, it's like he's still 13 years old, not 23. He's on lists from work too. That's where the fat little whore Wendy Straub is at. She works in the parts department processing paperwork. Mark is a car salesman there.

He has a couple of joke emails from her with lists of people on them. On one of the emails straight from her, the primary addressee is a Tommy Blanch and everyone else is a cc. The way she is speaking to him, it looks like it has to be her live-in boyfriend. She is telling him to pick up some milk, eggs, bread and beer on the way home. I have an email address. He's an over the road trucker. No phone numbers though. I'll Google his name later and see what I can find on him.

Here are a couple only between Mark and Wendy. Looks like they almost got caught a month ago when Tommy came home a day early. Mark had to sneak out the first story window and run to his car. They were going to be more careful. Boyfriend is on the road next Tuesday till Sunday. Mark sent her an email Thursday night wanting to fuck her in at her apartment this next Thursday, the next poker night. He didn't wait a minute, did he.

I looked at the other emails that Mark sent. I promised myself that I wouldn't cry, and it's not working. The betrayal is more that. From when we were dating, engaged and married, he hasn't been able to keep it in his pants. Then there's the boasting and the belittling. I'm just a piece of ass to him. No love, no feelings, no caring. The words out of his mouth make him loving, the words and his poker night when I'm not there, he's a self-centered creep.

Dupek has been planning on replacing me a couple of years, after I pay off his student loans and his Camaro. He's been stashing away cash for an emergency fund for himself. It's up to $1,500 now. He plans on us being technically broke and the divorce will make it a wash for both of us. Except that I'll still have my student loans to go. They were in my name and a lower interest rate, so we decided to pay off his first. That shit ain't gonna happen.

I think that our common emergency fund we have will be put to good use very soon. I forward a selection of emails to my new account then get into his sent folders and delete those too. Clear out the trash, starting with that asshole of a husband.

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It's Sunday evening, three days since I found out what my husband is. I've been going through hell trying to keep up appearances. I've gotten in contact with the two wives. They were hurt, and very very pissed. We all agreed to wait until Thursday and take them all down at the same time. I've been able to speak with Tommy, the whore Wendy's live in boyfriend. He'll still be on the road, but told me that the problem will be taken care of.

I've got thousands of things to do to cover myself, to protect myself. All I can do is my best to get through this evening shift. I have to take it one day at a time. I've spoken to my brother on the west coast, and that has helped. But I can't talk about it with our common friends.

It's always busy at the ER. While charting at the nurses' station I looked up and saw a pair of familiar faces, "Hey Paul, Jeannie long time no see." Paul glanced over and smiled at me. "What is it now? Third time in three days?"

"You know Michelle, normally for cops it's a bummer to have to babysit prisoners or accident victims at the ER, but being able to see you, and the free coffee, makes it all worth it." He paused, "On the other hand, if there wasn't any free coffee...". That's when all three of us chuckled.

"So Michelle, can you join me when you have a break?" I nodded yes and scanned my charting and patients. "Paul, it'll be in about 15 minutes or so. Does that work for you?" He nodded and I went back to charting.

Paul has been my unknowing support throughout this. Somebody sane to speak with even though I've only told him about Cory, and we haven't talked about it since.

It was about 20 minutes later when I tapped him on the shoulder and we took off towards the cafeteria. It was the usual small talk until we sat down. This time, I realized that he had a very concerned look on his face.

"You've been very helpful to me and I think that I may even be able to take a dealer down from what you've said." He leaned into me and spoke softer, "I'm pretty good at evaluating people. As a cop, I have to be."

I shifted a bit, an uncomfortable shift. I was starting to worry about where he was headed.

"Michelle, if you can, please tell me what's going on with you. I see your stress, your strain. You're just about to burst. Was what you overheard only the tip of the iceberg? It's been getting worse for you over the past couple of days. I will keep this in strict confidence. I'm worried about you."

I looked at Paul. He gave me an opening and I have been ready to burst. I looked down at my hands. They were clenched together into a rock. "Psia krew." He winced. I just swore and we both knew it.

Still looking at my hands, I started to unload. "Last Thursday I overheard my husband talk on the phone with Cory, one of his high school friends. The four of them play poker at our apartment every week on Thursday evenings. They all have been fucking people on the side. It's a game to them and their overgrown egos. I can't share this with anyone that they know. Juicy gossip would put me at risk and alert them. This whole thing's been bottled up inside of me." I exhaled in frustration. "Mark has been fucking around and had no plans on stopping. He doesn't really give a shit about me, never has. I'm just a daily fuck and a meal ticket."

At this point, I needed to wipe tears from my eyes. "He's got plans to pay off his student loans and his car with our earnings then trade me in on a newer model in two years. We'll have no money between us, and I'll still have my loans. I set up my old tablet in the dining room and with Google video and watched and heard their entire poker game.

"I can't go head-to-head with him, but I'm going to let somebody else take him down Thursday. Instead of playing poker, each one of them will be playing house somewhere. You're taking care of Cory, I've been emailing and talking with the other two wives and the trucker boyfriend of the bitch that's been fucking and sucking Mark." I stopped talking. I realized that I wasn't even looking at Paul, I was just vomiting what's been bottled up inside of me. That's when I slowly looked at him.

I saw compassion in his eyes, I realized that he was holding my hand. "Michelle, it's had to be hard to do this alone. You lost the man that you loved and trusted. Your friends need to be out of the loop for now." He softly continued, "You do have me here, I can help in so many ways." He paused when he saw me relax and the tears in my eyes. "Even if all you will allow me to do is to listen, I will be here for you right now and in the future. I know that this is bad, but you will survive. I was worried that with drugs involved, you'd be in mortal danger." He paused, "This will sound funny, but it is so much better for you that it is a wayward husband instead of a drug operation. You'll survive the first, I don't know about the second."

All I could do was to grasp his hands, feel his warmth, feel his support. "Can I meet you sometime tomorrow before the afternoon shift? Someplace quiet and private where we can talk while Mark is at work?" I nodded yes. "How about my mother's house? She'll make lunch for us and provide pretty good cover in case you need it. She's has a couple of health issues, so you being an angel of mercy would be a good cover."

I nodded yes when he continued, "The only thing is that she swears like a Polish truck driver, so you'll feel right at home." He laughed as I punched him in the arm. He wrote down his phone number and his mother's address. "Tomorrow at noon, sharp. Be on time."