Broken

by Robin Nadler

  He grinned. “Sounds good, but how’s that working for you?”

  She laughed. “Let me live in my bubble of happiness.”

  “You got it.”

  “What about you? You’re seeing patients today, right? What are you going to do about an assistant?”

  His face darkened and he sighed. “I have other nurses. I’ll just use someone else. I don’t even know if Susan will show her face here. I don’t know how to handle that right now.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Want me to come with you until you figure it out?”

  He looked at her and smiled. “No, I need to move forward just like you do. Besides, don’t you have an important case to work on?”

  She nodded. “I have a referral from Steve. He feels I may be able to help his patient. It’s always nice when your mentor thinks you can be of help to someone.”

  He beamed at her and hugged her tightly as they came to her floor. “I’m so proud of you. I’ll pick you up later, okay?”

  She pulled him to her for a kiss and nodded. “I can’t wait.” She turned and walked away while he headed to his office.

  ******

  It had been six hours and both David and Lila had been swamped. They hadn’t had time to call each other once and a few texts were all they managed. It seemed as if everyone was having a medical crisis and their expertise was needed. In a way, it helped the day move along.

  “I’m so glad you’re back, Dr. Frankel,” Maggie said. Lila had requested her as a new assistant when she came in. She wasn’t taking any chances working with anyone she didn’t know and feel 100% comfortable with. Maggie was familiar with working with David and he knew she would be a great choice to help Lila.

  “I’m so glad to be back. It’s nice to help people,” Lila smiled at the friendly nurse. “I am just exhausted.”

  The older woman smiled and handed her a banana. “Dr. Bryant made me promise to make sure you kept your potassium up. He said to watch you for muscle cramping.”

  Lila laughed. “He did, huh? Well you can tell him not to worry. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  Maggie chuckled. “I have known Dr. Bryant for years and he has never cared about anyone that wasn’t himself. You made him human, so if it makes him happy that I look out for you, then so be it.”

  Lila got choked up. “Thank you, Maggie. I know urology isn’t your first choice. I really appreciate you being here to help me and help our patients.”

  “A body is a body, and we fix bodies, right?” she smiled and her eyes crinkled at the edges.

  “That is true, still, thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Lila asked her as they finished up for the day.

  “You got it,” Maggie said and left Lila alone in her office.

  ******

  David washed his hands after his last procedure of the day. He was nervous every time he turned around that Susan would be there. He didn’t realize how much he was bothered by everything that he knew about her. He knew it was upsetting to him, but being at work, it was as if every moment he was reminded of her. She was as important in his job as she had been in his life.

  He sighed as he sat down at his desk and finished his paperwork. He wanted to get out and pick up Lila and go relax. It was good to be back in a routine, but the best part of his routine was now going home with Lila. He heard someone coming as he finished his last chart.

  “I would have come to get you,” he said without looking up.

  “I was hoping I could talk to you.”

  He looked up as Susan stood there.

  “Please. Will you give me a few minutes?”

  He sighed. “I don’t really want to get into it. It’s been a long day.”

  “David, I would like a chance to explain.”

  He took out his checkbook. “How much do you need? Tell me an amount that would have made a difference. How much did my attack cost you?” He glared at her.

  She crossed her arms and sighed. “I deserve your anger, David. I deserve it all.”

  He shrugged. “Good for you. So what’s the point of this visit? I have somewhere to be.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have been upfront with you about what was happening. I should have trusted you. But you have to believe me when I tell you I didn’t know how far they would take it. I had no idea how insane they were,” Susan said.

  “Right, so if they hadn’t tried to rape and kill me and Lila, it would have been worth it?” He stood up and grabbed his keys. “I’m leaving. I can’t do this right now.”

  “David, wait,” she began. “There’s more you don’t know.”

  He froze. “I’m done listening to more lies. You keep throwing out bits of information when it’s convenient for you. If you were truly honest about wanting to be forgiven, you would come clean about everything. This back and forth is shit. I’m done and to be honest, my life is better than that.” He tried to walk out.

  “David, please.” She walked after him. “I need your help. I don’t have much time.”

  He turned to look at her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’m dying. I need you to find my son before it’s too late.”

  “You don’t have a son. What kind of a sick joke is this?”

  “I do. There is a lot you don’t know, David. A lot your mother kept from you.”

  He felt sick. “I don’t understand. What does this have to do with me?”

  “My son is your half brother.”

  Chapter Sixty:

  “Get out of here,” David said angrily.

  “It’s true. I didn’t want to tell you like this, but I need you to understand,” Susan began.

  “I need you to stop talking to me. I need for you to leave and for this to be over. I need you to stop lying,” he said, his eyes burning with tears.

  “I’m not lying. Your father and I had an affair when you were in grade school. Your mother never knew,” Susan walked to the couch and sat down.

  “She didn’t see you pregnant? She didn’t know? What did you do with the baby? You never had a child when I was growing up,” David tried to figure this out. “My father wouldn’t have just left you alone to raise a child.”

  “He didn’t know either,” she said quietly.

  “This is garbage. I don’t believe anything you have to say. I need you to leave right now,” he yelled.

  Lila ran into the office and stopped when she saw David and Susan. She walked to David and looked at him.

  “Hey, what’s going on? Are you okay? I could hear you down the hall,” she said, looking between the two.

  “I’ll be fine when Susan gets out of my sight.”

  “Lila, please let me explain. I need to tell you everything,” Susan said.

  Lila turned and glared at her. “I thought you told us everything already. Who does this to people? David loved you, trusted you and you used him. How is he supposed to trust you again?”

  “There’s more. Apparently she is dying, and get this,” he said with disgust, “she had an affair with my dad and has a son who is my half brother.”

  Lila was stunned. “What?”

  “I was trying to explain, but he won’t listen to me,” Susan said.

  “Give us a minute,” Lila said as she stared at her.

  “But,” Susan began.

  “Wait in the other room, please,” Lila said firmly.

  Susan sighed and walked into the other room of the office.

  Lila walked to David and didn’t say anything; she just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

  He never had this. He never felt so loved and cared for before Lila. The fact that someone else was here, with his best interest at heart, meant the world to him. He felt his tears fall and he wiped them away, embarrassed.

  She reached up and took his hand in hers, kissing his fingers. “I’m so sorry you have to deal with this,” she said softly.

  He walked to the couch and sat down, running his hand through his hair. �
��I just don’t know what to think, Lila. How do I know if she’s even telling the truth? How can I believe anything she says?”

  She sat down next to him and put her hand on his thigh. “I’m not sure. All I can tell you is that I’m here with you and I will stand with you no matter what. You aren’t alone and I think, knowing that, all of the rest doesn’t seem so bad.” She looked at her hands and then at him. “All day, when I was working, my mind kept drifting to you and how when I went home,” she looked at him and her eyes were wet. “I wouldn’t be alone anymore.”

  He pulled her to him again and they held each other, both of them a mess of emotions and neither one of them wanting to lose sight of what they found with each other.

  “I just want to take you home and I don’t want to think about anything else,” he said.

  She wiped her eyes and smiled. “Let me go tell Susan we will talk to her about this some other time.”

  He nodded and she walked out. He stood up and grabbed his things, turning back around when he heard her much too quickly.

  “She left. This was on the table,” she handed him an envelope.

  He shook his head. “I don’t care. Let’s go,” he walked to the door and waited for her.

  Lila put the note in her purse and followed him out.

  ******

  “So how was the patient Steve sent you?” David asked her as they sat in the living room and ate take out.

  “He was nice. It took him a bit to believe I was an actual doctor, but once Maggie set him straight, I was able to work with him.”

  David grinned. “Maggie is good at that.”

  “She doesn’t pull any punches. I like that. Not enough people say what they mean.”

  “I agree. She never took any shit from me. I admired that.”

  “How was your day?” she took a sip of her wine.

  “Good. I think I can really help this sweet young couple start a family. They deserve it, having been through a lot.”

  She smiled and he waited. “What?”

  “I love hearing you talk shop.”

  He grinned. “Oh really, well there’s plenty more where that came from.”

  Her eyebrows raised and she put her wine down. “Is that right?”

  He stood up and walked to her, holding his hand to her. “Oh yes.”

  She took it and he pulled her flush against his body. “I prefer less talk and more action,” he murmured.

  Giggling, she pinched his behind. “Then get to it.”

  He scooped her in his arms and she laughed as he carried her into the bedroom.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he said as they sat on the bed, both having taken their clothes off, and were simply looking at each other.

  “I can understand that. I’m hot,” she said and her face dissolved into laughter.

  “You are hot; smoking hot,” he moved to her and ran his finger down her chest.

  Her nipples pebbled under his touch and she reached to take his hand in hers. “Stop.”

  Concern flowed through his body. “What is it? Are you okay?”

  “Is this real? Are we really here, in love, together?” She stroked his cheek with her hand.

  He knew what she meant and he moved to take her in his arms, their bodies flush against each other. “This is real. We’ve been waiting our whole lives to find each other, Lila. This is real. Feel me here, touch me, know I’m not going anywhere.”

  She pulled his mouth to hers and he laid her down gently and made love to her slowly and sensually, leaving no doubt in her mind of his commitment to her. She gave him everything she had and he cherished it. He held her to him as they came back to earth and for all of the problems facing them, for all of the unknowns; there was one thing absolutely clear. This was all that mattered.

  Chapter Sixty-One:

  David got up in the middle of the night and walked into the family room, looking in on Adam, Eve and Little T. He smiled at the cute family and sat down on the couch. He couldn’t sleep, the confrontation with Susan running through his mind. He looked at the table where Lila had set down the letter and he picked it up, deciding to read it and try to settle his thoughts.

  *******

  Lila woke up when she heard a noise. She jumped out of bed and walked to see what was happening. She found David rummaging through a box he had brought over.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He looked at her, his face pale. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “David, stop. Tell me what happened.”

  His hands were shaking and she took him by the shoulders, turning him to face her. “David, look at me.”

  “I don’t think the woman we saw today or the past few times was Susan.”

  “What?”

  “I think it was her twin.”

  Lila led him to the couch and they sat down. “She has a twin?”

  David ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know, but something just isn’t right. Look at this,” he handed her the letter.

  Lila read it and saw what he meant. It was full of apologies and then it had a line that talked about his mother and how she never got to put her thoughts and wishes into words for him. It would only be through letting her into his life that he would ever know everything his mother wanted him to know.”

  “Susan gave you that letter from your mom,” she said.

  He nodded, “And she called my mom Arlene in the letter. She never went by that. Everyone called her Leannie. Susan was my mom’s best friend, Lila. She wouldn’t betray me or my family like this.”

  “But she looked just like Susan. Do you know if she had a sister?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find. I know I had some of my mom’s things here and I was looking for her old scrapbook. Most of her stuff is in storage, but I kept some things with me. I don’t remember her ever talking about a twin, but I feel like something is wrong. I’m afraid Susan is in trouble.” He wiped his face.

  “Okay, then we need to figure out where she might be. Can we go to her house?” Lila hated to see him so upset, but she was also wary of the story.

  “It’s the middle of the night. I’ll go. You stay here,” he stood up and went to grab a shirt.

  “Like hell I will,” she followed him. “We are strongest together, David. You aren’t going anywhere without me.”

  He smiled gratefully. “Good.”

  ******

  They got to Susan’s house and Lila stayed right with David as they approached the door. She lived in a house on the end of a dead end street. David went to knock and the door opened. He moved Lila behind him and they walked in.

  “Susan?” David called out into the darkness.

  They heard nothing and Lila felt for a light switch. They both gasped when the light flooded the house.

  Everything was overturned, as if someone was looking for something. David ran through the house and Lila called the police. They met in the family room and waited, having found no one and nothing. David was frantic and blaming himself for everything.

  “She has helped me my whole life, Lila. She has worked side by side with me for years. How could I not know something was off? How could I doubt her?” He paced through the room.

  “Why would you ever think it wasn’t her? I was fooled, too, David. She looked just like her and everything fit together.” She stood in front of him and placed her hands on his cheeks. “Right now, nothing matters but finding her. We will find her and figure this out.”

  He pulled her to him and held her. He prayed it wouldn’t be too late.

  “We found something,” an officer said from the basement.

  David and Lila ran after the other officers and they both froze when they saw Susan, unconscious and lying on the concrete floor in a corner of the basement.

  “Oh God,” he said and ran to her.

  “We need to wait for the paramedics,” the officer said.

  “We’re doctors,” Lila said and move
d to Susan’s face. The older woman had a nasty bruise on her forehead and blood down the side of her face. David was losing it and Lila looked at him. “It’s okay. She has a nice strong pulse. I don’t think she’s been down here that long.”

  The paramedics came in and Lila stood back with David. They watched as she was placed on a backboard and then carried out. They followed behind to the hospital.