Point Counterpoint

by Fiona Wilde

He faced the camera. "And that's all the time we have for this evening folks. See you again Monday for the next edition of Loggerheads."

  The co-hosts smiled at the camera until the light went off, signaling the taping had ended. Jill reached down and removed her microphone. "Nice sucker punch there, Mr. Chadwick."

  "Nice way to twist the facts, Jill." he replied.

  "If they were so twisted, why didn't you use your closing moment to straighten them out rather than take that cheap shot." She got up from her chair. "Well, have a good weekend, anyway."

  She shook Aaron Sims' hand. "Thanks for braving the snow to come in," she said.

  "No problemo," Sims replied. "I'm a big fan. A big fan. Say, you wouldn't want to, like, go have a drink with me, would you?"

  Jill grinned. Aaron Sims didn't look old enough to drink. "Thanks," she said gracefully, "but I've already got plans."

  She walked down the hall to her office, eager to get her things and be on her way home. The on-air exchange with Chadwick had given her a headache. She was rubbing her temples when she got to the office. The ringing of her phone only made the throbbing in her temples worse, and at first she considered ignoring it until she glanced down at the Caller ID and recognized her mother's number.

  "That's weird, she never calls me at work," Jill said and answered the phone. "Hello."

  The sound of sobbing filled her with instant dread and she sunk down in her chair. "Mom," she said, her voice shaking. "Mom what's wrong. Is it dad?"

  "N-n-no-no!" her mother wept. "It's your sister. There's been an accident!"

  "Megan! Oh, God, no! What kind of accident!"

  "She and Trent had a wreck on the way up to the inn. He's all right but she's been badly injured. Trent called from the hospital. She's asking for you, Jill."

  Jill began to cry. "Oh. Oh no! Is she going to be OK?"

  "I hope. I--I don't know. I can't get a flight out because of the weather," her mother said. "I was hoping you could, especially since she wants you there."

  "Of course I'll get there. What hospital is she at?" Jill jotted the information down on a pad. "I'm leaving right now," she said.

  Jill stood and looked out the window. The snow had moved up the coast, but at last report most of the planes were still grounded from the cold.

  "I'll just drive," Jill told herself and then stopped. She got to and from work by limo. A limo sure couldn't take her on a six-hour trip. She sat down and put her head on her desk. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" she sobbed.

  "Are you alright?"

  Jill hadn't even heard Chadwick come in, but there he was, standing in her office. "My God, you're crying. What's wrong?"

  Jill hurriedly wiped the tears from her face and stood, looking around as if confused. "It's my, my sister. My baby sister," she said, her voice soft and afraid. "There's been a wreck and I need to get to her. I need." She scrambled on a desk for the phone book. "I need a car. I need to rent a car."

  Chadwick walked over and took the phone book from her. "Good Lord, Jill, you're a mess. Look at you. Your hands are shaking. You're shaking all over. You're in no condition to drive. In your state you wouldn't make it out of the city alive."

  "But I have to go," she said. "I have to."

  "Of course you do," he said and walked around to help her up. "I'll take you."

  Jill stopped. "You don't understand," she said. "It's six hours away."

  "That's alright," he said. "I didn't have any plans for tonight anyway. A drive will do me good."

  Part III

  For the first thirty minutes of the trip, Jill sat silently in Brad Chadwick's Land Rover, mindlessly running her thumb across the buttons on her cell phone.

  "I'm sure they'll call as soon as there's news," Chadwick said. "They don't allow cell phones in the hospital and with privacy laws being what they are they're not likely to give you information without your brother-in-law's say-so."

  Jill nodded and bit her lower lip. "I just wish I could get through to him," she said. "Or that he'd call me."

  Chadwick looked at her. "You must be very close to her."

  Jill gave a sad laugh. "Even though we're three years apart, our parents always said Megan and I should have been twins. You know how some older sisters will do anything to keep from hanging out with a younger sibling? Well, it was never like that with me and Meggie. I didn't want to do anything if she couldn't be a part of it. I even blew off a scholarship so I could go to school closer to home. I didn't want to leave her."

  "But now you're six hours apart," Chadwick said. "So what changed?"

  "Oh, she met someone and fell in love and, well, I know it sounds silly but when Trent came into her life I felt like he'd keep her safe. I felt a little better about going off to the big city. We've talked every single day. As a matter of fact, in just about two hours it will be the first 24 hour period in which we haven't spoken." Jill put her face in her hands and began to cry, an apology coming through her tears. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know I'm acting like a child."

  "No you're not," Brad Chadwick handed her a handkerchief. "It's kind of funny what you said, though."

  Jill blew her nose. "What part?"

  "About how you felt like Megan's husband would keep her safe."

  "How's it funny?"

  "It just seems kind of inconsistent statement for a feminist." He said.

  "Well, it's her, not me." Jill replied.

  "So she needs someone to keep her safe, but you don't?" Even though his voice was gentle, the statement was loaded and Jill, exhausted from the emotional toll of her situation, felt muddled when she tried to articulate a response that didn't contradict her public statements.

  "Megan's my little sister, Mr. Chadwick --"

  "Brad," he corrected. "Please call me Brad."

  "Brad," she repeated. "Megan's my sister, so naturally I feel protective."

  "Hmm."

  "Hmm what?" she asked. Although she didn't feel it was the time to debate, the conversation was keeping her from obsessing over her sister's situation, which Jill didn't think could necessarily hurt at the moment.

  "It just occurs to me that your wanting your sister protected doesn't result from a belief that she's inadequate, but a genuine love and concern for her well being."

  "Exactly," she said. "So?"

  "So don't you think it's a little ironic that you consider your concern benevolent but consider the same concern by a man chauvinistic?"

  "Well, it's different when men do it," said Jill. "They are protective because they think women aren't capable."

  "Who says?" he asked.

  "They do." Jill replied.

  "They? Who's they? The men?"

  "Yeah?"

  "You've asked them? You've asked every man if their chivalry and old-fashioned desire to be the protection and breadwinner for their families is because they have to be? Or could it be because they want to be?" He smiled at her as he asked the question.

  "No, I didn't ask every man," she said, exasperated. "It's just assumed --"

  "Ah-ha!" he said.

  Jill was momentarily speechless. "Alright," she said. "You got me. Just please don't ask me to re-do this debate with you on Loggerheads."

  "Don't have to," Chadwick replied. "I've recorded the whole thing with my dashboard camera."

  "Oh, no you didn't," she said, but her voice was laced with doubt.

  He laughed then. "God, you believed me! I had you going!"

  "No you didn't," she said, a trace of a pout in her voice.

  "Well, let's put it this way. If you're that naive I won't rest until you have male protection. For your own good, of course."

  Jill mock glared at him and then they both laughed.

  "Thank you," she said.

  "For what?"

  "For taking me to the hospital. You're right. I don't think I could have driven. I'm so worried."

  "Don't mention it," Chadwick said.

  Jill's phone rang then and she almost dropped it in her haste to open it. "H
ello!"

  "Oh, Trent, thank God it's you," she said. "How's Megan?"

  The line crackled with static, but Jill was able to make out her brother-in-law's reassuring words. "Her arm's broken and she's got a really nasty cut on her hairline where here head hit the windshield. She looked so bad when they bought us in and was so out of it that they thought she might have a brain injury. But they did a scan and thank God, there's no permanent damage."

  "Oh. That's great. That's just great," she said and began to cry again. "Can I talk to her?"

  "No, hon, she's sleeping," said Trent. "The pain meds they gave knocked her out. But she asked for you like a zillion times. And of course she kept worrying about Emma. But she's safe with mom so that's one less thing to worry about. Where are you?"

  "On the way. We just passed Medford."

  "We?" Trent asked. "Are you with someone?"

  "Yeah, a friend from work offered to drive me," she said.

  "That's good," Trent replied. "You don't need to be driving alone. We'll see you when you get here. She'll be in Room 541 Bed 2. It'll be after visiting hours but if you explain the situation I'm sure they'll let you up."

  "Thanks," said Jill, then, "Oh God. I forgot to ask, Trent. How are you?"

  "I'm fine aside from some bruises and a headache," he answered. "I've got a couple of scrapes and bruises but the guy who slid into us it on Megan's side. Her airbag didn't completely deploy. Mine did. The minivan is toast."

  "Geesh," she said. "I'm so glad you guys came out of this alive. You just don't know how much I worried."

  "Sure I do," he said. "As much as we'd worry if something happened to you. So travel safely. And don't worry about calling your folks. I've already done it."

  "Thanks," she said. "See ya later."

  She snapped the phone shut and leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief. "She's going to be OK."

  "That's great," he said. "You must be really relieved. I can't believe you referred to me as a friend."

  "Your act of kindness has earned you a promotion," Jill laughed.

  "Wow, from knuckle-dragging conservative blowhard to a liberal's best friend," he said. "That's quite a jump."

  "I didn't say best friend," said Jill, closing her eyes.

  "Give me time," Chadwick said.

  "You always sound so confident," Jill said. "Are you as confident as you seem?"

  "I've had the same question about you," he said.

  "You first," he said.

  "Honestly, no," she said. "I have just learned not to react to my fears."

  "But they're still there?"

  "Of course," she said. "I'm human. I'm just afraid if I respond to them they'll take me over and then I'll be vulnerable."

  "To what?"

  "I don't know," she said. "To other people, maybe To myself. But no fair. I asked you first."

  "Hmmm. I'd say I am as confident as I seem, but I'm more likely to show it when I'm not. I haven't mastered my feelings, but most men haven't because we don't spend much time considering their impact because we consider them non-essential. They just kind of breeze through us. We don't get hung up. So anger, hurt, frustration - they may show but they don't stop us from getting things done."

  "You're kidding, right?" Jill asked. "You think feelings are non-essential?"

  "They are to getting things done," he said. "Feelings are a luxury to be indulged. But you can't be afraid of them or you'll either be led around by them or spend all your energy stuffing them down."

  Jill said nothing, but just looked out the window. A lump was forming in her throat, and she didn't know why.

  "It's snowing," she said.

  "Yeah, I see that. But don't worry. We'll get there anyway. This vehicles a workhorse. You let me worry about driving. You just try to get some sleep."

  Jill had never had any man tell her what to do. Instinctively she felt irritation - her natural reaction - and then felt it subside, like a tide being pulled out to sea. "OK," she said and laid her head back against the seat. Within minutes she was out.

  Chapter Six

  Part I

  Jill tried to remain composed when she saw Megan lying in the hospital bed. For a moment, she doubted that Trent had told her the truth. A large bandage covered the left side of her sister's head and there were large purple bruises under both eyes. Her arm was elevated in a cast.

  Brad Chadwick had insisted on accompanying her up to the room and held her elbow now as she gasped at the sight of her injured sibling. Instantly, Trent was also at her side, his eyes weary. Although it was four in the morning, it was apparent he'd had little sleep.

  "It looks worse than it is, Jill, I promise," he said.

  Jill hugged her brother-in-law to her. "I'm just so grateful that you're both alive. When I got that call, I can't even begin to describe..." She released Trent and walked over to her sister's bedside.

  Trent turned to Chadwick and extended his hand. "I'm Trent Mabry," he said.

  "Brad Chadwick." Chadwick took Trent's hand.

  "I know who you are," said Trent as Jill rushed to her sister's bedside. "Megan and I watch you and Jill on Loggerheads. I have to say I was pretty shocked to see you come in here with her. Gosh, when Jill said a friend was bringing her you were the last person I expected to see. I thought you two hated each other."

  Chadwick smiled. "Well, our political views make it difficult to be civil sometimes, but when I heard her break down on the phone after she got the call about her sister...let's just say a man would have to have a heart of solid rock not to be moved by that."

  "I'm glad you were there for her," Trent said. "Jill's a tough cookie but she's not as tough as she looks. Megan and I worry about her. It sure would be nice to see her finally have some kind of anchor in her life."

  "Oh, we're not---" began Chadwick.

  "Oh, no," hastened Trent. "No, I didn't mean to imply that you two were an item or anything. It just surprises me to see her let anyone help her, is all. She tries to be so independent." He shook his head. "After a while, something's going to have to give."

  The men looked over to see that Megan had awakened. A tear slipped from her bruised and swollen eye as she saw the face of her sister, and Jill murmured comforting words. But the reunion was short-lived.

  A nurse was now in the room, carrying a syringe. "It's time for Mrs. Mabry's antibiotic," she said. "And as much as I hate to cut your visit short technically we aren't supposed to allow anyone up here until 8 a.m."

  "I could go," said Trent.

  "No," said Jill. "You don't have to go. You're her husband. You should stay. I'll get a room nearby and be back in the morning. I'll rent a car to get out on Sunday."

  "Well good luck," said the nurse.

  "Excuse me?" asked Jill.

  "Apparently you haven't hear the weather report. Another front has developed over the mountain. More snow's coming in. They're calling for near white-out conditions through tomorrow." The nurse plunged the needle into Megan's IV drip. "It looks like you're stuck here."

  "Well, that's that," said Chadwick. "I'm in no shape to drive back tonight anyway. We passed a strip of hotels on the way. We'll just book a couple of rooms and ride it out."

  "Yeah, that's really all you can do," said Trent. "No use risking your lives. You never know what will happen in this kind of weather." He glanced down at his wife. "Believe me."

  Part II

  "You're kidding." Jill rolled her eyes as Chadwick climbed back in the driver's seat of the Land Rover and announced that the third hotel they had tried was booked solid.

  "I wish I was," he said, rubbing his hands together against the cold. "It seems every ski party in the area has gotten snowed in and snatched up all the rooms."

  He turned the ignition and guided the vehicle back out onto the road. The snow was falling harder now and they were running out of options.

  "Here, I'll try this one," he said and pulled into a driveway with a flickering sign that read "Spruce Motel."

 
"Do you want me to go this time?" she asked.

  "No," he said. "It's cold out. You stay here."

  Jill watched as Chadwick exited the vehicle and jogged across the snowy lot to the small, dimly lit office at the front of the hotel. It surprised her how kind he was. When she'd read his book, she'd imagined a person who was as arrogant and disrespectful in his personal life as he was ideologically. Now she was forced to see him in a different light. Cynically, she wondered if he didn't consider the hours he'd spent taking her to see Megan as some sort of mechanism to confuse her into letting her guard down. Then she felt guilty for being so suspicious. And yet, there'd been the issue of Tina. A person who would plant a mole in a rival co-worker's office was capable of anything.

  Chadwick was running back to the car now. A blast of cold air and snow followed him in as he opened the door and jumped inside. "I've got good news and bad news," he said.

  "Please, give me the good news first," she said.

  "They had a vacancy."

  "And the bad news."

  "It's a single occupancy," he said. "One bed. And they're out of cots."

  "I can sleep on the floor," she said.

  "Nonsense," he said.

  "I insist," she replied.

  "We'll argue inside, where it's warm." There was a tone of finality to his voice, and as he spoke Chadwick reached back to pull a bag out from the back seat. "I picked up my laundry before work today. No girl clothes, unfortunately, but I do have a t-shirt and some pajama pants if you want them. Come on."

  Part III

  The room was simple and clean and after the long ride all Jill could think of was getting clean. Fifteen minutes after entering the room, Jill emerged from the shower feeling far better than she had when she went in. She donned her bra and Brad Chadwick's t-shirt and pajama pants, which she was forced to roll up at the cuffs.

  "You're still awake," she said when she reentered the room to find her co-worker sitting in a chair flipping through a magazine. I thought you'd be asleep."

  "Oddly enough, I'm not sleepy," he replied.

  "Me neither," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and beginning to towel dry her hair. "I was feeling exhausted but the shower woke me up. What are you reading?"