Until Then (Cape Harbor)

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “Want something to eat?” Graham placed his hands on the bar and leaned down a bit to look his dad in his eyes. Over the past two weeks, George had put on weight from the fried foods he ate and, as far as Graham knew, had only moved from his recliner to meet the young kid who lived down the street, who George had conned to bring him food every night from the fish fry. “I can have Peggy bring something over for you. Something that isn’t fried.”

  “I’m fine,” George said gruffly.

  Graham knew he was anything but fine, but the stubbornness often won when it came to his father. Graham continued to set up the bar, making sure it would be ready for Krista when she took over for the rest of the day and night. She had taken on more hours, which allowed Graham to travel back and forth to the hospital.

  A few old-timers walked in and sat next to George, who perked up at the presence of his friends. Their boisterous chatter echoed throughout the nearly empty bar. Graham served the other two men and told them the kitchen was open if they were hungry, but he left them alone for the most part. He wanted his father to relax and be happy when he offered to give him a ride home later.

  Krista arrived within the hour. She met Graham at the bar and nodded toward his father. “Does he know yet?”

  Graham shook his head. “Honestly, I hoped he would’ve drunk a couple more beers before we left. He’s going to be angry with me.”

  “He’ll get over it. Here.” Krista handed Graham a clear plastic bag with a blanket inside. “My mom put this together for your mom.”

  “Wow, please tell her thanks.” He flipped the bag over in his hands and looked at the intricate designs of the patchwork quilt. “She’ll love it,” he said confidently.

  “You should probably go. Traffic is going to be a bitch, no matter what time you leave.” Krista was right. Graham was very thankful for her. She’d stepped up and taken over most of the day-to-day operations for him while he helped his mom deal with Grady. He owed her big-time and would have to figure out a way to repay her. When he hired her, she was part time, someone to fill in for him when he needed a day off, but over the past few months and more so in the past weeks, she had become a valuable employee.

  Graham went to his father, placed his hand on his shoulder, and waited for the two men beside George to stop complaining about the weather and how Mother Nature needed to get her head straight. One day, it was snowing; the next it was fifty and sunny. They wanted the sun because that meant they could get a head start on the fishing season.

  “Dad, you ready?” Graham prepared for his father to give him flack about leaving so soon. There wasn’t any reason either of George’s friends couldn’t take him home when he was ready. Much to Graham’s surprise, his dad finished his pint of beer and said goodbye.

  George followed his son through the bar and into the back room. He was aware of the break-in that had happened over the summer, and even though Graham blamed Grady for it, George would never believe his son would steal from the family business. Graham never pushed the issue. At the time, he’d wanted to call the cops to have the place dusted for fingerprints but wouldn’t go against his father’s wishes. So, Graham left it alone and made the necessary modifications to secure the old bar.

  “What’s that?” George asked of the bag Graham carried. He showed it to his dad.

  “Krista’s mom made it for mom.”

  “What for?”

  “Um . . .” Graham paused. He’d assumed it was to keep her warm while she stayed in the hospital with Grady. He knew women liked to sew and knit and often gave pieces as gifts, and he had also heard of prayer blankets, but as he held it in his hand, he wasn’t exactly sure. “I don’t really know.”

  Graham opened the car door to the back and set it on the seat and then opened his door. He slid into the driver’s side and waited for his father.

  “Your mother does that.”

  “Does what?”

  “Makes things for people, like casseroles. She meddles.”

  Graham reminded his father to buckle up, and then he started his car, intent on ignoring the jab against his mom. He drove slowly through the alley, keeping in mind the other vehicles parked back there. He pulled out onto Third Street and turned left.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I need to stop at the bank.” The lie fell easily. His father said nothing as Graham drove down the road. When he passed the bank, his father noticed instantly.

  “You missed the bank.”

  “I know.” Graham pressed the gas pedal and picked up speed. The signs changed from twenty-five to thirty-five and then fifty.

  “Where the hell are you taking me?”

  “Grady needs you today. He’s going to need his family when he wakes up.”

  “Graham, if you know what’s good for you, you turn this car around right now and take me home.” His father spoke sternly, and if Graham had been younger, he might’ve listened. As it was, it was time for George to accept Grady’s issues.

  “No can do, Dad. Mom and Grady need us, and we’re going to be there for them. You always talk to me about how I need to be a better brother; well, now’s the time for you to step up and be a better father.”

  “Don’t you dare—”

  “I did,” Graham cut his father off. “You need to accept that Grady is an alcoholic, that we’ve enabled him for years. If his overdose isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is, but it’s time we stop pussyfooting around Grady and get him the help he needs before he does something we all have to pay for.”

  “Your brother is fine.”

  “Except he’s not, and deep down, you know he’s not. I get there’s some pride there—you don’t want people looking down on you—but let me tell you something; they already do.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” George angled himself away from his son and looked out the window at the passing scenery.

  Graham nodded and ended the conversation for now. His father was thickskulled and prideful. It was going to take a lot to get through to him.

  When they arrived at the ferry booth, Graham showed the attendant the pass he had purchased and took the ticket with his lane assignment on it and drove to the line. They were right on time and boarded instantly. He shut his car off, pulled the lever of his seat, and reclined.

  “Who’s Roxy?” His father’s voice broke through the silence between them.

  Graham knew exactly who she was. “She’s a local. Friends with Grady. Used to hang out with us when we were younger. How do you know her?”

  “She’s called the house looking for Grady.”

  Graham sat up and readjusted his seat. He hadn’t heard of his brother and Roxy dating, but it made sense. By most accounts, Roxy Jean Wilkins was trouble. She originally hailed from Anacortes, and when she was seventeen, her parents split. Her father moved to a small shack that straddled the town lines of Cape Harbor and Skagit Valley. When they were teens, they used to think it was funny. If you were on the left side of the house, you were in Skagit Valley, but go to the bathroom, and you were in Cape Harbor.

  When Roxy would stay with her father, she would come into town and hang with the locals, which included the Chamberlain twins, Bowie, Austin, and a few others. She was never one to hang out with Brooklyn or the Whitfield sisters, and if you asked any one of them what they thought of Roxy—well, their thoughts wouldn’t be pleasant.

  Rumors about Roxy swirled through the towns. Some said she dealt drugs, others said she had a hard life, some people stretched the truth about her, and a few said they understood her, while others pretended they didn’t know her at all. Most of all, Roxy was an opportunist, and Grady’s downfall was her opportunity to try and fit in with the tight-knit group from Cape Harbor. She’d hung around more in the last couple of years, always with Grady.

  “What did you tell her?” Graham asked.

  “Nothing—he isn’t home, and it’s none of her business.”

  Graham laughed. His father was right; Grady
’s whereabouts were none of Roxy’s business. They finally agreed on something.

  “Does your brother like this lady?”

  “Don’t know, Dad. Grady and I haven’t spoken much over the past few months.” His father mumbled something under his breath and went back to being quiet until they arrived at the hospital.

  Because it was visiting hours, they didn’t need to check in with security. Graham made sure to walk side by side with his father to prevent him from running off. He felt like he was herding cattle trying to get his father to go where he needed him to. When they arrived at the doors to the intensive care unit, Graham pressed the button, like he had done many times over the past couple of weeks, and gave his name and waited for the doors to open. They walked in through the second set and followed the path toward Grady’s room.

  “George,” Johanna breathlessly said when she saw her husband. She left her son’s bedside and wrapped her arms around George. “I’m so happy you’re here.” Graham let his parents have their moment while he went to visit Grady.

  He sat down and held his hand. Whatever nutrients the doctors fed Grady had done the job of making him not look so sickly. His cheeks had filled out, and his skin looked natural and not like death. The last time he’d seen himself in Grady was back in California, months before the accident.

  “I can’t believe this is your place.” Grady walked all over the house and finally into the backyard, where he spotted a couple of women lounging by the pool. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said to Graham.

  “Benefits of having an in-ground pool.” Graham set his hand down on his brother’s shoulder and jostled him around. The twins laughed and high-fived each other.

  “Damn, I can see why you love it down here.” Grady tilted his head toward the sun and smiled. “Sun, women, more women.”

  Grady sat down between the women and introduced himself while Graham kept his distance. He wanted his brother to have a fun time while he visited.

  “Holy shit.” Graham looked over his shoulder and smiled as his girlfriend approached. Monica had yet to meet his brother—or his parents, for that matter. When they had come for graduation, everyone had their plans, and it didn’t seem right to mix the two families at the time.

  “Hey, how was work?” Graham asked as Monica sat down on his lap. Not in the chair beside him, like he would prefer.

  “Good—glad to be out for the weekend.” Monica kept glancing at Grady, hinting that Graham needed to introduce them. He tapped her on the thigh, a signal to get up so he could as well.

  “Grady, come meet Monica.”

  Grady came over with his hand held out. “Nice to meet you. My brother talks about you nonstop.”

  Monica beamed and placed her hand on Graham’s cheeks and squeezed them while making kissy faces at him. Monica was ready to take their relationship to the next level. She wanted marriage and babies and had a timeline of when it all had to happen. Graham wanted to wait, enjoy the single life, and chill with his roommates for a bit longer. Plus, he wasn’t exactly on the same page as Monica. He had lingering feelings for Rennie, which wouldn’t go away no matter how hard he tried.

  Grady went back to flirting with the girls by the pool, and Monica eventually left, although she put up a stink about Graham taking Grady out to the bars later. The possessiveness Monica had over Graham was a quality he didn’t appreciate, but he knew it stemmed from his relationship with Rennie.

  When evening rolled around, the Chamberlain twins and Graham’s roommates boarded a train for San Francisco and hit the town running, and Grady quickly learned what Cali life was all about.

  By the time the weekend was over, Graham was exhausted. He took Grady to the airport and made him promise to come back in the fall, once fishing season concluded.

  “You never made it back,” Graham said to Grady.

  Dr. Field and two nurses walked in and went right over to Grady. The nurses started messing with the machines and the tubes running in and out of Grady’s body.

  “We are weaning him off the sedation meds,” Dr. Field said. “Grady could wake up within hours, or it could be a day or two. We’ve done everything we can to repair some of the damage to his organs, but he is far from stable. His pancreas, liver, and kidneys are severely damaged from the continued alcohol abuse. Before he’s discharged, we’ll insert a feeding tube through his nose and into his stomach. He needs a liquid diet to maintain weight.”

  “So, he can’t eat real food?” George asked.

  “No, he can eat soup, ice cream, anything soft. He won’t be able to digest anything heavy. No meats, pasta, those types of things, at least for right now.”

  “When can we take him home?” Johanna asked.

  “Mom,” Graham said, cutting her off. He shook his head slightly, as if to remind her Grady wouldn’t be going home anytime soon. “Sorry, Dr. Field, please continue.”

  He cleared his throat and began speaking again. “We’re recommending inpatient rehab for at least three months, if not longer. The severity of Grady’s addiction is one of the worst I’ve seen in years, and I’m not confident he won’t need to stay longer.”

  “He doesn’t need any help,” George blurted out.

  “Mr. Chamberlain, I can respect that you feel this way about your son, but he’s going to die if he drinks another drop of liquor or injects his body with any more heroin. He will suffer a massive heart attack, or his death will be slow and painful from each organ shutting down. Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t pass away already.”

  Harsh as the words were, Dr. Field was right to say them to George. He, as well as Grady, needed a reality check. A slap in the face, as it was. The family needed to band together to help Grady or accept that their son and brother was going to die.

  After the doctor and nurses left, time all but stood still for the Chamberlains. George paced the room. Johanna sat by Grady’s side and held his hand. Graham needed fresh air, and when he stepped out of his brother’s room, he saw the two police officers who had found Grady on the side of the road.

  “Unbelievable,” Graham said as he stood next to them. “He’s not even awake yet, and you’re here to arrest him.”

  “We’re just doing our jobs, Mr. Chamberlain.”

  “He’s sick,” Graham reminded them. “He can’t go anywhere.”

  They nodded but said nothing else. Graham stormed out of the ICU and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He pressed Rennie’s name and waited for her to answer.

  “Hey, Graham Cracker.”

  He closed his eyes at the sound of her nickname for him. He desperately wanted her. In his life, by his side, in his bed. He had to find a way to stop thinking of her as more than a friend, or he was going to fall off the deep end. “They’re bringing Grady out of the coma.”

  “That’s great news. I’ve started working on Grady’s case. I met with a colleague today, and he gave me some advice. I should be able to handle everything.”

  “The police officers from the other day—they’re here.”

  “What? Why? To arrest him?” Rennie seemed frantic. Graham could hear papers shuffling around, and she muttered some obscenities. “They can’t arrest him right now. His arraignment would need to be within three days, and he’ll be in no condition to leave the hospital. Shit.”

  Graham held the phone to his ear and waited for Rennie to come to her senses. He tried his hardest not to laugh but pictured Rennie running around her office—without her heels on, for some reason—with the phone cord knocking papers and books off her desk.

  “Okay, I’m going to call the chief in Port Angeles and talk to him. I have a plan, but I want to talk to your parents about it. Is your dad on board yet?”

  “Possibly. I think Dr. Field scared the life out of him.”

  “Good. I’ll clear my schedule and see when I can get up there. Call me if anything changes, okay?”

  “I will, Ren.” They hung up, and relief washed over him. He felt confident Rennie would get Grady the h
elp he needed. When the bar had been broken into, Graham wanted his brother in jail, but after seeing the difference of what two weeks of sobriety had done for him, Graham knew rehab was the best place for Grady.

  Graham went back to Grady’s room and suggested his parents take a walk, at least to go and get something to eat and to get some fresh air. Johanna took George by the hand and led him out of the room.

  The blue plastic chair next to Grady’s bed was as uninviting as cleaning the bathroom at the bar after a busy Friday night. Still, Graham sat down in case Grady woke. Even though phones weren’t allowed in the ICU, Graham slipped his out of his pocket and pulled up a game he often played to pass the time.

  He sat there, with nurses coming in and out of Grady’s room, and waited. He spoke to his brother, telling him about the weather and how he had to tighten down the houseboat the other night because the waves made him seasick. At some point, Graham rested his head on Grady’s bed and fell asleep.

  Graham felt something brush through his hair. It reminded him of when he was little, and he would lay his head down on his mother’s lap, and she would comb her fingers through his hair. He lifted his head, and Grady’s hand fell away. Graham glanced at his brother and saw his eyes fluttering open.

  “Grady,” Graham said his name softly. “Can you hear me?”

  Grady groaned and tried to speak. He reached for the solid tube coming out of his mouth, but Graham stopped him. “Let me get the nurse.” He pressed the call button, and immediately, a nurse came in. She smiled at Grady, turned the switch off, and started talking.

  “I’m going to remove your breathing tube, but you have to wear oxygen for a little bit. Nod if you understand.”

  Grady nodded.

  The nurse instructed Grady to breathe out as she removed the tube and encouraged him to cough. Graham gagged while watching the procedure. “I’ll page Dr. Field and have him come check on Grady.”