“You know, after the wedding I was going to ask you if you’d like to get a bite to eat. But then the tornado hit and of course there hadn’t been a chance since then, to see if you’d like to go out with me again? It would be just you and me this time.”
“Oh, um‒‒”
“Don’t get me wrong, we can take little Freddie to another ball game sometime or anything else kids like to do. I’d like to spend some time with him too, it’s just that I want to get to know you better first. I mean, if that’s all right?” Jerry could hear himself rattling on, but he was getting the impression that Yvonne was about to turn him down. He knew the best way to prevent that was to say whatever he thought she wanted to hear.
“It’s okay, Jerry, I would love to go out with you again. Just the two of us.”
“Wonderful. What are you doing tonight then?”
“My hair.”
Jerry was confused by the sudden mixed signals Yvonne was giving off. As a guy he knew that when a woman said she was washing her hair, it meant that she wasn’t interested, and Jerry really wanted her to be interested. “Oh, uh, okay, how about tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night would be great.” Jerry perked up immensely, “Let me write down my address and you can pick me up around six. Is that all right?”
“That’s perfect,” Jerry said with a glint in his eye.
*
Vicky kept glancing over at Aidan, wondering if she had the courage to talk to her about an idea she had. She knew Aidan wasn’t going to like it, but it was something she felt strongly that she had to do. Finally she decided she would just say it and see what happens. Shutting her office door, she went over and sat beside Aidan.
“Aidan, can we talk?”
“Sure, kid,” Aidan put down the file she was studying and turned to look at her, sensing that this was going to be a serious talk that she probably wasn’t going to like. “What’s up?”
“Honey, I um, I want you to hear me out before you say anything, okay?”
“Okay, now I’m starting to worry, but go ahead, I’m listening.”
“There’s something I feel I need to do, and I want to do it right away before I lose my nerve. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and I um, I want to talk with Harold in jail‒‒”
“Hell no!” Aidan exclaimed, as every nerve in her body knotted in tension.
“Now sweetheart, you said you’d hear me out.”
“Why, Vicky? Why would you even want to be in the same room with that monster?”
“Honey, I’ve faced my nightmare, and he doesn’t scare me anymore. I fought back. I even hit him in the head and knocked him out. All I want to do is ask him why. I just need to know why he raped me, why he keeps coming after me. I just want to know why?”
“Because he’s fucking crazy, that’s why.” Aidan took Vicky’s soft hands in hers, “Baby, please, I’m afraid for you.” For Aidan, that was the most honest thing she could have said to Vicky.
Vicky lifted Aidan’s hand to her cheek, and held it there as she said, “Please, Aidan. I feel strongly that this is something I need to do.”
Aidan looked into her lover’s large troubled eyes, and could see how strongly she needed to do this. What bothered Aidan the most was that she didn’t know if she could protect Vicky from herself, without pushing her away. She knew that Vicky, who was so vulnerable for all her bravado, so innocent for all her tribulations, so strong for all her fears, wouldn’t stand a chance against Harold, just as she didn’t when she was thirteen. It’s not that he would be able to touch her physically, but just his words could do irrevocable harm. He had a way of saying things that wormed their way inside a person’s subconscious, spreading like a virus eating away at their brain, causing them to lose their perspective and their confidence. But perhaps there was one who could traverse the mental landmines Harold would set out, one whom Aidan trusted to kill the virus before it burrowed inside.
“Okay, baby, we’ll go see him, but only if Dr. Kline comes with us.”
Vicky didn’t mind Kline being there, in fact, she felt stronger just knowing he would be close by. “You’re right, honey, having Richard there is a good idea. Can we call him now and see if he’s available to do this?”
Aidan pulled out her cell phone and called his office.
***
“Sam, can you come help me please?” Dakota called over to her new volunteer.
“Yes ma’am?” Samantha stood up and walked over to Dakota.
“Oh please don’t call me ma’am, makes me feel old.”
Samantha laughed and nodded her head. She hadn’t thought of it that way. It was just how she had been trained to address a superior officer and that’s what Dakota was to her. Or at least that’s how she needed to perceive her in order to continue the charade.
“The corporate board of directors has called a special meeting for tonight and I want to be sure I get Vicky everything she might need, so I need you to help me run some reports, okay?”
“Of course. How shall I start?”
“I.T. has a program set up on this computer to pull reports from, and I’m going to need stat comparison before and after the bombing, and before and after the tornado. She will probably need to know patient satisfaction for the last six months and the budget report for the past year.”
“That’s quite a few reports. Is she in trouble with the board?”
“Oh no, I don’t think so. I just want her to have everything at her fingertips whether she needs it or not. I don’t want Vicky to get caught with her pants down, so-to-speak.”
“You really like her don’t you?”
“Oh yes, I think she’s fantastic and I am learning a lot from her.” Dakota practically beamed with admiration, “And not just about the business either. Her strength in a crisis is unprecedented.”
“I’ve actually witnessed how she handled herself in a crisis when we were in Syria. She’s a very capable person.”
“I’d love to hear more about your adventures in Syria.” Dakota saw a sudden flash of pain cross Samantha’s eyes, and immediately regretted her words.
“No you wouldn’t.” Samantha crossed her arms protectively, “It wasn’t that kind of adventure.
“Oh, um, of course. I, um…,” Dakota was at a loss as to what to say next. She feared she might have touched on something that was none of her business, and much to her surprise, worried that Samantha might close the door completely on their fledgling friendship, one sided though it be at the moment. Dakota stammered her way back to talking about something she hoped was safe ground, Vicky. “Vicky is so much more than capable. She’s intelligent, encouraging and supportive. She took a real chance in hiring me to run her beloved hospital.”
“Why do you think that?” Samantha asked, again confused by the dynamics of the healthcare business.
“Well, twice this hospital came close to being shut down, and twice Vicky pulled it out of the fire, so-to-speak. I’ve seen companies with far less overhead, close their doors, thanks to the economy. And even though a hospital is all about taking care of its patients, it’s still a business that needs to make money.” Dakota notice that Samantha stood more relaxed now, her arms at her side, “Vicky is the reason I wanted this job so badly, even though it’s totally out of my expertise.”
“I don’t understand,” Samantha unconsciously stepped closer, “If she loves this hospital as much as you claim, then why would she trust you with it if it’s not something you’ve done before?”
Dakota could feel the warmth emanating from Samantha’s closeness and momentarily lost her train of thought. “I uh, that’s the part I’m not sure about. Don’t get me wrong. I’m totally capable of running this hospital because it is the same as all the other business structures I’ve run in the past. But with Vicky, this hospital is something much more than a business, and because of that, she’s single-handedly kept it afloat. That’s what I want to learn from her.”
“I have no doubt that you wil
l, Dak.”
“What about you, Sam? What do you want out of life?”
“Right now, I just want to be free.”
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you free now?”
“No.” Samantha sighed, and explained, “There’s the physical type of freedom, and then there’s the mental freedom, and I don’t have either of them…, yet.”
***
Dr. Kline walked into Vicky’s office, and sat down in the chair that Aidan offered him. He had never had a spur of the moment session in Vicky’s office before, and he felt just a bit off kilter, until he rationalized with himself that it didn’t matter where they were, as long as he could get them to talk. But what Vicky had to say to him, surprised him more than it probably should have. He knew Vicky was a gregarious and generous person, but he didn’t know she had the kind of strength it would take to ask her rapist face to face, why he raped her. It wasn’t that long ago that Kline feared for Vicky’s mental stability at facing her rapist, and in fact, it was Aidan who talked her out of a particularly bad episode, where Vicky’s mind had trapped her as a little girl, even as Harold threatened to rape her again.
“Victoria, I think it’s a good idea, and also a bit risky if you’re not prepared for his tricks, so that’s why I’ve asked to talk with you two before we go. That and I have something very important I need to tell you, Aidan.”
“Oh yeah, sorry about that, Doc, I forgot to pay you, didn’t I?” Aidan dug down deep in her jeans pocket and pulled out some money.
“No, keep your money, Aidan. I was honored to officiate at your wedding. And might I say, that was the best wedding and reception I have ever attended.”
Vicky beamed with pride. With the aftermath of the tornado, she barely had a minute to remember their wedding. She wished she could have stopped time and just lived in that moment, the moment they said I do.
“Doc, we were honored that you officiated for us and I’d like to pay you for it,” Aidan handed him the money but he wouldn’t hear of it.
“You must understand, Aidan, it was important to me, as your friend and as a public figure. No, you keep your money,” he pushed her hand away and continued talking, “What I wanted to tell you is that I spoke with your father the day of the wedding, Aidan, and he told me in no uncertain terms,” Kline drew in a calming breath, “that you were adopted.”
Aidan looked at Kline, then at Vicky, and then back at Kline, and finally blurted out, “Fuck me!”
“According to him, he is not your father. I called in some favors and did some digging and he’s telling the truth. You are not his biological daughter, Aidan.”
This was the first time Aidan believed anything her bastard of a father had said, and she jumped up and bellowed out, “YAHOO! I’m not that crazy bastard’s daughter!” and then she sat back down again, contemplating the weight of what that statement meant. “Doc, what does this mean? If I’m not his daughter, whose daughter am I?”
“I’m sorry, Aidan, but I don’t know. Your birth certificate lists Harold as your father, but my research affirms that he is not. Your DNA doesn’t match his, so he is telling the truth about not being your father, but is not offering a reason why your records show him as your father.”
“Oh, sweetheart, that’s wonderful news. I knew deep down that you could never be his child, you’re to caring a person.”
Aidan squeezed her hand, “But Vicky, that means I’m not a Cassidy. That means that you’re married to someone with no last name.”
Kline explained, “Your last name is Cassidy on the birth certificate, so that makes me wonder if Harold is who he says he is?”
“You’re right, Doc, they wouldn’t let me into the Army or issue me a passport if my last name was in question. As much as I hate that man, I don’t want to give up my name. It’s who I am. It’s who Vicky married.”
“You’re wrong there, darling. I married you, not your name. And yes, I’ve taken Cassidy as my last name, but it would not have made a difference to me what it was, or who your father is, I’d marry you again in a heartbeat.”
Aidan looked at Vicky with sincerity, and rubbed her fingers up the inside of Vicky’s arm, “I love you so much, baby.”
Kline interjected quickly before the newlyweds made out on the office floor again, “Okay, now, back to you, Victoria. I think you should have a lawyer present when you talk to Harold. If you decide to take him to court you need to be careful how you approach him.”
“Is that really necessary, Richard? If there are too many people in the room, he might not talk to me at all. I don’t want to interrogate him; I just want to ask him why.” Vicky became quiet and Aidan sought to reassure her.
“I understand now, baby. You just want to ask the question, so you can get past it, and we will help you do that, won’t we, Doc?”
“Yes, but Aidan, I strongly suggest that you don’t accompany her when she talks to him.”
Aidan instantly became annoyed, and Vicky was confused by his reasoning.
Kline explained, “This needs to be about Victoria, and you’re anger and hatred for the man will only take the focus off of that. And you just found out that you were adopted. You have questions for him as well, which I encourage you to ask, just not during her visit.”
“You’re right, of course, Doc, and I agree with you. But I am going with her; I’ll just wait outside the room. And Doc, under no circumstances is Vicky to be left alone with him by herself.”
Kline replied, “I completely concur, Aidan.”
“And if he tries to touch her, you’ll both leave, agreed?”
“Absolutely agree, Aidan.”
“And if I don’t agree?” Vicky asked.
Chapter 13
Life is a roller coaster of peaks and valleys that can turn a person’s stomach one minute and uplift it the next. And sometimes those peaks and valleys can happen within minutes of each other, leaving the head spinning and the stomach churning. Life has a way of reminding a person of the checks and balances, as a way to keeping them humble or exasperated. Such as was the case for Vicky.
“I’m just saying that I have a choice in this matter too, and I don’t appreciate you two deciding things for me. I’m a grown woman who makes million dollar decisions every day, but you both are treating me as if I were a child. If I decide I want to talk to Harold alone then by God, I will.” Vicky said that with a little more force than she intended, but she needed to get her point across to both Aidan and Dr. Kline, before she lost her temper.
“If Harold were a business man, I might agree, baby, but he’s not. He’s a low life rapist who doesn’t deserve to walk the earth.”
Vicky stated calmly, “I totally agree with you, Aidan. But what you two are doing is taking my freedoms away from me as if I were no better than Harold.”
Fuck me! Aidan gasped as if hit by a brick, “I’m sorry Vick, you’re right. I was just trying to protect you,” she explained.
“As was I.” Kline added.
Turning to Aidan first, Vicky said, “Sweetheart, I love you dearly, and I love that you want to protect me. I always have. But every time you try to protect me you leave me out of the picture. I’m just asking that you include me in the discussion from now on. If I think you have a valid point then we’ll decide together, okay?”
“Absolutely, baby, you’ve got a deal.”
“And Richard, I’m saying this with all due respect‒‒”
“No need to say a word, Victoria, I’ll back off too,” Dr. Kline said with a smile.
“Thank you. Now, as for the visit, I actually agree with both of you, I don’t want to be alone in that room with Harold any more than you want me to be.” Vicky shivered at the thought of ever being alone again with Harold. “So Richard, if you would be so kind as to stick close to me, I’d appreciate it.”
Expecting to walk into a dark, dirty and depressing building, where the prisoner’s yelled obscenities at everyone, Vicky was actually comforted when she walked into the Pulaski C
ounty Detention Facility’s lobby, and saw how clean and inviting it was. Still, she had a lot of trepidation because of where she was, and what she was going to do.
Harold had been moved from the city jail to the detention center, where he was to remain until his trial. The facility was located on the edge of the county line, and had not been damaged by the tornado.
Dr. Kline had called ahead of their arrival, and arranged for a private room where he and Vicky could sit across from Harold, with a table between them. And because of Kline’s affiliation with the detention center, they put Harold in the interrogation room where Aidan could watch him through the one way glass.
Vicky and Dr. Kline took their seats at the table. Aidan could tell that Vicky was really nervous, and she wished there was some way to comfort her, but had to accept that this was something Vicky needed to do on her own.
The side door opened and a guard escorted Harold in to the room. Harold’s hands were shackled down to his feet and he shuffled when he walked. But that didn’t stop him from smirking when he saw Vicky. He tried to lift his hand out to her, and Vicky recoiled instinctively.
Aidan’s heart skipped a beat, and she reached her hand out to the door, but then she saw the guard push Harold down into a chair, and she relaxed, on the surface at least.
“Vicky, you’re looking especially pretty today, is that for me?”
“No, Harold, it’s for me, and for my wife, Aidan,” Vicky said pointedly. She was getting angry that Harold seemed to have all the control, so she unconsciously tried to provoke him.
“That dyke? It’d be wasted on her. What you need is a real man. That’s what you wanted when we first met.” Harold was calm and collected as he tried to lead Vicky back to the rape. He had heard her when she mentioned that Aidan was her wife, but he didn’t believe in lesbians or same sex marriages, so it was inconsequential to him.
“I didn’t have a choice the first time. You took that away from me,” Vicky said as confidently as she could, but inwardly she was shaking with nerves.
Remember This Day Page 20
