Convictions: Kelly and Stephen (11 page)

Stunned by the violent undertone to his voice, Kelly turned slightly to meet his glare and whispered “we understand each other perfectly.”  With that she left the room to finish packing. 

Her hands were shaking as she packed her bag.  That was a side to Stephen she hadn’t seen before, but Marv had warned her not to tell him.  Stephen had told her that Marv had killed his father, and if that were true, that would be a very good reason to hate him.  But looking at Marv it was hard for Kelly to imagine him killing anyone.  And if he had then why wasn’t he in jail; why we he free here in Alaska, and why was Stephen living next door to him?  Maybe the death of Stephen’s father had just been a terrible accident, like Amanda’s.  If it had been an accident, even if Marv had been somehow involved, then one would think that Stephen would have eventually gotten over it and forgave the old man.  One thing was for sure, who knows what Stephen would have done to Marv the day he found him here having coffee if she hadn’t been here.  Maybe she saved the poor old mans’ life. 

She could dwell on it and ruin their last night together for however long it will take to settle things with her parents, or she could shake it off.  There was obviously much more to the story than she knew and maybe if she heard it she would understand Stephen’s feelings.  She was exhausted from the day and the worry over her father trumped everything else tonight she would give Stephen the benefit of the doubt. 

Kelly returned to the kitchen and, with little talk they made a no-fuss dinner, did the dishes, retired to bed early.  When they lay in bed, side by side but not touching Stephen said “I’m sorry; for earlier.  Not for what I said, but that it came out sharper than I had intended it to.  Few things in this world cause me more fear than Marv.  It’s not something that I am comfortable talking about so I ask again for you to please trust me.”

His apology vaporized whatever qualms she might still have been holding onto.  She turned into his arms and he held her tight.

Kelly’s cell phone alarm rang out at five-thirty.  She showered, dressed, and finished packing her last minute items.  After a quick breakfast and coffee they walked hand in hand to her Jeep.  Stephen loaded her bags into the back.  “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you?”

“I’d love you to but it doesn’t make sense.  I don’t know when I am coming back.” 

They lingered for more than a few minutes, longer than they should have, but squeezed in several extra embraces; neither of them wanted to say goodbye.  After a final lingering kiss Kelly climbed into the driver’s seat, buckled, and waved goodbye.  He watched the Jeep back out of the driveway and continued watching until it had disappeared out of sight. 

The drive back to Hanlon and its tiny airstrip was agonizing for Kelly.  But the thought of her mother being alone right now was equally so.  At the airstrip she pulled into a parking spot, removed her bags, and locked the Jeep with just minutes to spare.  She entered the terminal to pay for her tickets where she receive her Alaskan Air confirmation number before handing her bags over to the young man who would load them into the baggage compartment of the small prop plane. 

Within moments they were airborne, on their way to Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage.  If all went well she would have only a forty-five minute layover there, just enough time to make some calls before her Alaskan Airline’s flight departed Anchorage for Seattle. 

Kelly needed to call Dale, her agent, to let her know that she was going to be in town for a few days.  She would call the hospital to check on her dad’s condition and then her mother with an expected arrival time.  A smooth non-stop flight to Seattle would get her in at half past noon and after collecting her bags, a short taxi ride would have her at Northwest Hospital by one-thirty.

She had arrived in Anchorage on time, made the necessary calls, and now waited in line to board her flight to Seattle.  Once settled into her seat she closed her eyes and let the events of the last couple of days wash over her. 

The nurse at the hospital reported that her father was no better but no worse for now.  Only time would tell how bad it had been and what areas of his brain had been affected.  She’d just have to wait until she got there to see him for herself.  Her mother was hanging in there and very relieved to know that Kelly would soon be there.

As for work, she hadn’t actually spoken to her literary agent, Dale, but left a message letting her know she was coming to town and wanted to set up lunch.  She’d have to break the news to Dale about her father.  Depending upon how things went with him she may or may not be able to make her next deadline.  They were just going to have to deal with it.  If the publishers cancelled her contract she was quite sure that Dale would be able to find another, with the success that she has had there have been many attempts by competitors to steal her away over the years.  And besides, this was the first book that she had ever missed a date on.

And then there was Stephen.  The turmoil that his named stirred up inside of her was amazing.  Never in her life had she felt so blissfully deliciously happy or so confused at the same time.  She loved him; there was no longer any doubt about that.  She trusted him, she wanted to believe him, but if he’d just open up to her it would help her to understand him better.  He was so completely committed to her.  It didn’t matter to him that he knew nothing about her past, her first marriage, her family.  He never seemed to have questions about her at all.  He seemed only to be interested in their present, what they have now, and his love for her.  She wished she could be more like him in that way.  But she can’t shake her underlying fear that whatever he is hiding, he hides for good reason.

***

Somewhere over British Columbia she drifted off to sleep.  The next thing she heard was the overhead instructions to prepare the cabin for landing.  She stowed her laptop bag, once again disgusted with herself for her lack of motivation.  She had planned to do some work on the plane. 

The plane landed smoothly and taxied to the gate.  A few uneventful moments later she was off and headed to baggage claim.  With bag in hand she exited the terminal, hailed a cab, and gave the driver the address to Northwestern Hospital.  She would be with mother soon.

Checking in with the nurse’s station Kelly asked for Mr. Connell’s room.  The nurse helped her to temporarily stash her bags in a storage closet and then showed her to her father’s room, which was an ICU bed in the Stroke Unit.   He looked so pale and small lying in bed and there appeared to be at least fifty different devices hooked up to him, some making regular noises, others hopefully not.  As she looked down at him he seemed at least twenty years older to her. 

Her mother was dozing off in a chair on the far side of his bed.  Kelly didn’t want to startle her so she softly cleared her throat and said “mom, it’s me Kelly, I’m here now.”  Kelly’s mom slowly became aware of her surroundings, and that Kelly was in the room.  Kelly crossed over to her, knelt down, and hugged her gently.  Her mom began to cry, a cry of relief that someone was finally there to help.  She had always been a petite woman but now she looked frail and very old.  Where has the time gone and when had they gotten so old, Kelly thought.

They talked quietly for a while.  The doctor came in and gave them another update.  Things didn’t look quite as bad as they might have.  One of the instruments was measuring brain activity and the doctors were very encouraged by the data that they were receiving.  Still they couldn’t give any definitive prognosis until he came out of the coma at which time they would be able to perform more tests.  A prognosis of whether he would ever go home or instead would he spend the rest of his days in a nursing home.

Kelly convinced her mother to let her take them both back to the house.  Kelly wanted a shower and change of clothes, and they both needed something to eat.  Her father would probably not wake up before they got back and if he did the nurse would call them right away on Kelly’s cell phone.  Kelly retrieved her bags and they made their way to her mother’s car in the parking garage where she loaded her bags and drove them both home.

With a shower and dinner completed, Kelly excused herself to her old room and made two phone calls.  The first was to Charlie to let him know she was in town and about his grandpa.  Charlie wanted to visit that night but Kelly convinced him to wait until grandpa was awake.  She told him she loved him and assured him she would bring him to the hospital the minute grandpa was strong enough for visitors.

The second call was to Stephen.  He answered on the second ring so she asked him if he had gotten any work done at all that day.  He said no, that the only thing he had been successful at all day was missing her.  She filled him in on her father’s condition, their plans for the night and next day, and before hanging up she reminded him how much she loved him.

Finishing with the dishes they locked up the house and made the trek back to the hospital.  The evening was spent near his bedside, though with no change in his consciousness.  They talked about Kelly’s childhood, and reminisced about family memories.  When she was young Kelly thought that she had had the most boring of childhoods, but looking back now, and remembering the family situations that some of her friends endured, she could see how lucky she had really been.

At nine the nurse indicated that visiting hours were over and promised to call if there were any problems overnight.  Kelly and her mom went back to the house where they both fell asleep with thirty minutes.

When they arrived at the hospital Monday morning, Kelly’s dad was sitting up slightly in his bed.  He still had most of the devices attached but the when Kelly and her mother walked into the room they could see instant recognition on his face as he showed as much of a smile as his lack of strength would allow.  Her mother cried tears of happiness.  With great relief they greeted the doctor who arrived shortly thereafter proclaiming a road to complete recovery.  There would be strenuous physical therapy.  Mr. Connell would have to work hard to re-strengthen some nerves that had been damaged and it wouldn’t be easy.  He would have good days and bad days but with commitment and hard work he should be able to achieve a ninety-five percent recovery within a few months.

After spending some time with her dad she went out into the hall to use her cell phone.  She called Charlie and they set a time for her to come pick him up.  He would come and have lunch with his grandpa and Kelly would have back home in time for soccer practice at three. 

Kelly rang the doorbell promptly at eleven.  Candace answered the door, greeting Kelly warmly and invited her in.  “Hello Kelly, so good to see you, Charlie will be right down.”  Kelly noticed that Candace, though just as pretty as ever, looked somehow different, tired maybe.  She couldn’t put her finger on it exactly but there was something about her that had changed.

“Come on back to the kitchen, would you like coffee?”

“No thank-you, I have already had too much coffee at the hospital this morning.” Kelly replied following her.  “How have you been Candace?  You look wonderful as usual.”

“Oh yea right, well, I’m just living the dream.”

“That doesn’t sound good?”

“Well Kelly, you know how it is, you’ve been here before.”

Kelly quickly realized that this was about Scott.  “Yes, Candace, you are right.  I have been here, and I’m sorry to say but I’m glad I’m out.”

“You know, I really can’t complain.  I have a beautiful house; I don’t have to work; I have two great kids and one wonderful step-son.  I guess I just thought though that it would be different.”

“Well Candace, if it’s any consolation I had hoped when you two got married that he would have change.  I really wanted the best for you.  So what are you going to do now?”  Kelly asked, thinking of Charlie. 

“Oh I’m not going anywhere.  I have two much invested here.  And with the kids, I just don’t want to disrupt their lives.  They still love him and they have every right to have two parents at home. It’s my cross to bear and I’ll bear it alone.  Maybe someday when the kids are grown and gone I’ll make a change.”

Charlie came bounding into the kitchen ended their conversation.  He gave Candace a peck on the cheek, hugged his mom and said “OK, I’m ready, let’s roll.”

“Don’t worry Candace; I’ll have him back by three.”

Kelly and Charlie picked up subs on the way back to the hospital.  Kelly’s dad was thrilled to see his only grandson but was envious over the subs.  Unfortunately the nursing staff said that subs were not an approved menu item for him yet.  Charlie promised he’d come by the house and bring subs for grandpa after he got out of the hospital.  Kelly returned Charlie home and got back to the hospital just in time to meet with the care manager and her mom. 

Kelly and her mom met with her dad and his care manager, to review the list of tasks that would need to be completed before his doctor would even entertain the idea of him going home.  He would go to a rehab center for one week, maybe longer, where he would get started with therapy under the watchful eyes of round the clock nurses.  They would not release him to home until they were sure that he and Kelly's mom could handle his care alone.  Once strong enough to go home there would be a visiting nurses service that would check in a few times a week but the rest of the time Kelly’s mom would have to be able to handle it by herself and be responsible making sure that he continues his therapy on an outpatient basis. 

They received for review several brochures for possible rehab centers and, after speaking with several references, selected a center with a very good reputation that was located within a few blocks of their home so that Kelly’s mom could easily visit each day whenever she wanted.  All of the plans for his continued care and recovery were well underway by the time they left the hospital that night.  Kelly and her mom ate a quick dinner and went right to sleep.

The next morning after breakfast they went back to the hospital to collect his personal belongings.  An ambulance would transfer him to the rehab center.  Kelly and her mom would meet him there after lunch giving time for his new caregivers to get him settled in and get to know him.  On the way to his new temporary home they stopped at a CVS and selected a pile of magazines and a few books that he might like to keep his mind busy.  Kelly also purchased a word scramble puzzle book and a bag of hard candy to keep next to his bed.  The care manager had told them that the more things he had to keep his mind busy, the better and quicker his recovery would be.

It was one-thirty when they were directed to his new room.  It was bright and cheery, nicely furnished and outfitted with a new flat screen TV.  Kelly’s mom set to work unpacking the suitcase she had brought with PJs, lounging wear, a robe, undergarments, socks, and slippers.  She would take his dirty clothes with her home to wash each day rather than bother the housekeeping staff with that chore.  It was her job after all and she needed to keep busy with her regular routine as much as possible.

***

It was Wednesday, and Kelly’s fourth day in Seattle before she was able to make time for Dale.  When she called Dale’s office and found her in, they arranged to meet for lunch at a local downtown hotspot at one o’clock.  Kelly was on time; Dale was thirty minutes late, as usual.  When she did arrive Dale had her cell phone pressed to one ear and her free hand was busy pointing the maître d’ in the direction of Kelly’s table.  As she approached the table Kelly overheard her say into the phone “I have to go now dear but please don’t forget our arrangement.  If it doesn’t happen that way there will be hell to pay for all of us.  My best to Joanne” and with that she hit the end button.