Kate looked at the cake, then up at Ruth, who had a roguish grin on her face, and was holding a can of whip cream, and she applauded. She sauntered over to Ruth, took the can of whip cream from her hand, and squirted the word yes, on the cake. Then she scooped up a finger full of the cream, and slipped it into Ruth’s mouth.
“Very good, kitten, I’m impressed. You get an A plus for creativity.”
***
Aidan walked up to the office manager at Homeland Security, and asked for a desk and computer, where she could work at. She was assigned a desk towards the back of the office, and the secretary got her set up with a login and password. Aidan didn’t waste any time, she typed in her father’s name and last known location, and the database popped up a picture of him. The picture was at least twenty years old, so Aidan did a search for something more recent. When that didn’t pan out, she searched his records for his social security number, hoping she could get a current address. She figured his social security checks had to be mailed somewhere, but the database showed that the checks were returned to sender, uncashed.
“Shit,” Aidan sat back and rubbed the back of her neck.
“How’s it going Cassidy?” Tom stood in front of her desk.
“Sir,” Aidan jumped up.
“At ease, Cassidy, we’re not that formal around here. Are you working on the case?”
Aidan blushed and realized, she probably should have been, but she wasn’t, she was working on catching her father. “Uh, no sir, I’m not.”
“Oh, is there another case more pressing?”
Aidan realized she’d made a mistake in not telling Tom upfront. But she had hoped to catch her father as quickly, and quietly as possible, and didn’t feel right about having Homeland involved, since it was not in their jurisdiction to catch child molesters. She hit the escape button on the keyboard, and asked, “Can we talk in your office, sir?”
“Of course, follow me.”
Aidan walked into his office and took a seat while Tom closed the door behind her.
“What’s up, Cassidy?” he asked as he walked back to his desk.
“Sir, first of all, it is not my intention to bring my family squabbles to work, nor is it to take advantage of your generosity, but I feel I need to be upfront with you about something, and probably should have told you, before you hired me.”
Tom appreciated her respect, something he felt she didn’t give easily, “Go ahead.”
“Remember when I asked about getting a permit for a gun?” Tom nodded and Aidan continued, “I needed it because my father, Harold Cassidy, whom I thought died years ago, is stalking my fiancée. He saw her on the O’Hare show and has turned up at the hospital looking for her. He’s insane sir, and I’m afraid he might hurt her again.”
“Again?”
“Yes sir.”
Tom didn’t have to read between the lines to know what Aidan wasn’t saying, he’d seen too much in his law enforcement days not to know what she meant, so instead he simply said, “What can I do to help?”
Aidan was stunned, from her years in the Army, where everything had to be filled out in triplicate, she expected some push back. “Let me continue to use your database to track him down.”
“That’s not a problem. Have you issued an all-points bulletin on him yet?”
“No sir, I wasn’t sure if I had the authority to request an APB?”
“You’re an agent now, Cassidy, you have the authority.”
“Thank you sir, uh, how do you do that?”
Tom laughed, he had forgotten that she was still a trainee in so many ways, “No problem, ask my secretary and she’ll show you on her computer.”
“Thank you sir, thank you very much,” Aidan stood and shook his hand.
“I hope you catch him, Cassidy. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”
Aidan nodded her head and left the room.
Tom thought, as he watched her go, that he was even more impressed with her now. All that she’s been through and she is still composed and in control, even when her fiancée is being threatened. I need more agents like you, Aidan Cassidy.
***
Samantha sat across from Dr. Kline, looking pensive but annoyed. She thought she did enough talking last night. She found it was easier on the phone, where she couldn’t see him. But Dr. Kline convinced her to keep her appointment, so here she is, asking, “What do you want to know?” She thought if he asked questions, she could give a simple, non-descriptive answer that would pacify him.
“The night of the attack, you were dragged away from the truck by insurgents, is that correct?”
“Yes”
“What was going through your mind at that moment?”
“That this was bad,” Samantha nervously pulled at her hair.
Kline looked at her and contemplated his next question. The beginning of a session is always the hardest for a patient. He needed Samantha to feel secure enough to share her story with him, and he sensed she wasn’t ready to talk about the war or her capture yet.
“Okay, well let’s talk some more about your baby then. How is he doing this morning?”
Samantha perked up at the mention of her baby, “He’s doing much better now. He’s putting on weight and they’re hoping to take the IV out of his poor little arm soon.” She pulled out one of the pictures Aidan had taken, and showed it to the doctor.
“And I understand it was a rough delivery?” He asked, as he reached for the picture, and smiled at it.
“We were in the middle of a desert, of course it was rough, but Aidan took good care of me.”
Kline handed the picture back to her, and asked, “Oh? I thought that it was Vicky who actually delivered the baby?”
Samantha thought about it for a moment, torn between her jealousies and loathing of the very woman who saved her baby, “Yes”
Kline could tell she was at odds with herself by the mere mention of Vicky’s name. A patient like Samantha, had layers of walls that would need to be chipped away at, in order to release all the pain and anger built up inside them. He decided this newest pain, would need to be dealt with first. “And how do you feel about that?”
Samantha looked at him with annoyance, but answered the question anyway, “I don’t know. I mean I’m happy she was there and saved my baby, but I’m furious that she stole Aidan out from under me.”
“So you think that even though Vicky and Aidan have been in love since the first grade, that she stole her from you? And Aidan just let her?”
Samantha was not aware of their childhood together, but before it could sink in she said, “All I know is that Aidan dumped me yesterday because she wants Vicky. What would you call it?”
“I can understand how you would feel ‘dumped’ but have you considered that Aidan did you a favor?”
“A favor! Are you serious?”
“Would you rather be married to a woman who doesn’t love you the way you love her? Sure you would be happy for a few months, but soon the resentment would start setting in. You’d notice little things at first, like how the affection was one-sided and the love making was lacking or non-existent. I’m not saying Aidan would do this to you on purpose, it’s just the way a one‒sided love affair plays out.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. She could love me again, like she did in Iraq.”
“Ms. Vincent…,” Kline softened his approach, and said, “Samantha,” he leaned closer to her, “she does love you, but she loves you as a friend. When you were together in Iraq it was Vicky she was seeing in you. She didn’t realize she was doing that to you. I know she wouldn’t have, had she known, but you and Vicky are alike in a lot of ways, and she didn’t see that until just recently.”
Samantha crossed her arms defiantly and asked, “What am I supposed to do with that, doctor? It’s obvious you’re bias.”
“No, Samantha, I’m not. I don’t favor Aidan over you. I am standing on the outside, looking in, and I can see clearly. I believe, once you�
�ve calmed down emotionally, you’ll see that it never would have worked out in the long run and forgive Aidan. And you should also explore your feelings about Vicky; she is really the innocent one in all of this.”
Samantha sneered at his suggestion, thinking that was easy to say, but emotionally hard to do, “I’m not ready to be rational about anything.”
“Samantha, I imagine that right now you feel all alone in the world. Everything has been turned upside down, twice, in a very short period of time. But forgiving these two women will go a long way in helping you to heal, helping you to see that there is a future waiting for you. And I know, they are both willing to lend their support to you in whatever manner you need.”
“And if I don’t want their support?”
“Then you face losing what could be the best friendships you’ve ever known.”
Samantha wasn’t buying it, not yet anyway, and Kline could see her skepticism, so he continued on, “Samantha, did you know that Vicky’s father almost died while she was in Syria rescuing you?”
“Yeah, I heard something about that, but not the reason why. I mean I’m not stupid enough to believe she did it for me.”
“No, you’re right, she didn’t do it for you. She did it for love. She knew Aidan had asked you to marry her, but she went anyway. She knew her father was seriously ill before she left Baghdad, and she went anyway. She left her business suit behind, and crawled through mud and sandstorms, to be with Aidan.”
“Yeah, she’s a real saint,” Samantha sneered.
“I’m not telling you this to make Vicky out to be some kind of saint. I’m telling you so you’ll understand her motives, were solely to protect Aidan.” Knowing Vicky the way he did, Kline played a hunch, “Tell me Samantha, did she ever once try to keep you away from Aidan?”
Samantha gave it some thought, trying to will it to be false, but she knew he was right, “No, not that I recall.”
“No, in fact I’m sure she took a step back and waited. And what did you do, Samantha?”
“What did I do? I fought hard for my woman and—”
“And she still choose Vicky,” Kline said gently.
“Oh…,” Samantha began to understand what he was saying.
*
“Where are you, Vicky?” Aidan was phoning from her car.
“Oh hi, honey. We’re on our way up to check in on Samantha’s baby, see if he needed anything.”
“Okay, have fun, I’ll catch up with you in a little bit,” Aidan hung up her phone and gunned her Mustang, not necessarily because she was in a rush, she just enjoyed hearing the engine roar.
Back in the furthest corner of the front lobby sat Harold Cassidy, waiting and watching. He’d been loitering there for quite some time, going over his plan in his head. He just needed to get Vicky alone so he could put his plan into motion. When he saw Vicky walk through the front doors, he jumped up. But then he stopped and scowled when he saw she was with two other people.
“Welcome back, Ms. Montgomery,” several of Vicky’s employees were waiting in line at the coffee shop, and greeted her as she walked in, “Good to see you, Ms. Montgomery.”, “Loved you on the O’Hare show!”
“Thank you, it’s so good to be back,” Vicky couldn’t help but smile, as the hospital welcomed her back. She chatted with the employees, introduced them to her friends, and then bragged on her friends to her employees, and vice-versa. She was not aware of Harold moving towards her, trying to hear their conversation. But Jerry was aware, and could tell by the way he was dressed, that he wasn’t an employee, so he instinctively moved between him and Vicky. Jerry blocked Harold’s view of her, and that annoyed Harold so much, that he cussed under his breath and left. Joyce noticed the subtle maneuver Jerry had made to get between the man and Vicky, and she made a mental note to ask him about it later.
“How are you all handling the influx of patients we’ve been getting?” Vicky asked her employees.
Although the influx had not died down since the original airing of the show, the repeat had brought in even more patients and more donated dollars.
Her question brought on an inundation of comments about how great it was, how hard they were working and how grateful they were that St. Frances was famous again. And this time it was for something positive that Vicky made sure the employees got the credit for. On the O’Hare show, she told of how brave her employees had been, during the terrorist hostage takeover, making sure their patients were safe.
“Hang in there, it will get better, I promise.” Vicky wondered if more employees had been hired to help with the extra patients. She decided that would be the first thing she looked at on Monday.
Finally she headed for the elevators, followed closely by Jerry and Joyce. When they got to the Labor and Delivery floor, Vicky pointed out the baby she helped deliver in Syria. She nodded to the nurse who came out with a gown, gloves and a cap for her. Delighted, Vicky quickly dressed, and slipped into the nursery where she picked up Samantha’s baby and began to coddle it.
“Oh, hello there, little man. It’s so good to see you again,” Vicky marveled at how much better he was looking. No longer a gray pale color, he had rosy cheeks and the beginnings of a plump belly. The baby latched on to Vicky’s finger and smiled, as if he knew who she was. Vicky was convinced he did. “You are so precious.”
Samantha walked up and joined Jerry and Joyce at the viewing window, “Hi Jerry, visiting my boy, I see.” Samantha felt a friendship with Jerry, mostly out of respect. He had every reason to hate her for stabbing him, while in Syria, but he didn’t.
“Yes, you’ve got a real cutie there, Sam.”
“Thanks, I think so too. Would you like to hold him?” Joyce had the feeling that Samantha was flirting with Jerry.
“Oh gosh no, I don’t think that would be a good idea. Maybe when he’s healthy and out of the hospital.”
“Okay, but I’ll hold you to that.”
Vicky gave the baby back to the nurse and came out of the nursery pulling off her gown and gloves; she looked up as she was taking off the scrub cap and said, “Samantha, I was hoping you’d be here. How are you? Is there anything I can do for you or the baby?”
“Yes, you can stay the hell away from my son,” Samantha said snidely. Any progress she might have made was pushed to the back, when she saw Vicky holding her child.
Vicky turned a bright red and replied, “Oh…um…, I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Of course, it won’t happen again,” Vicky turned and quickly walked down the hallway, refusing to cry. Jerry stayed close to her, but Joyce lagged behind, she had something she needed to get off her chest.
As soon as Vicky turned the corner, Joyce turned to Samantha and said tersely, “Listen, I don’t know what your story is, but I do know hers, and you’re a complete moron.” Joyce turned and walked away; leaving an embarrassed Samantha, with her mouth gaping open.
But just as Joyce rounded the corner to catch up with Vicky, Harold Cassidy stepped out in front of her.
“Excuse me, aren’t you friends with Vicky Montgomery?”
“Yes I am, can I help you?” Joyce looked at him curiously. He looks like he needs a hot bath and a flea collar.
“I saw her on television and I’m a huge fan of hers.”
“Oh, well, that’s nice sir. I’ll give her your regards.”
“Could you give her this instead?” Harold handed her an envelope with a card in it.
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
“And don’t let that disgusting dyke that hangs around with her all the time, see it. She’ll want it for herself.”
Joyce thought maybe she could punch him and get away with it, or maybe she’d just cuss him out and save her hands for surgery. Finally, she decided he wasn’t worth her time, and she just walked away instead. No way in hell I’m giving your shit to anyone else but Aidan now, you bastard.
Catching up with the others she asked Vicky, “Are you okay, hon?”
“Yeah, it’s okay, Samantha has every rig
ht. I should have thought that through a little better.”
Jerry placated, “She’s going through a really rough time right now, and to her, you’re the enemy. It can’t be easy.”
“Of course you’re right, Jerry. I of all people completely understand that. Okay, so let’s forget about it, and go do some shopping!”
“I thought you wanted to see the big dogs first?” Joyce reminded her.
Vicky laughed and said, “Uh, Joyce, I am the big dog around here, remember? No, I’m kidding, besides, I’m not in the mood now. Let’s go do something fun.”
Though she wouldn’t tell them, it really bothered Vicky that Samantha acted the way she did. Not so much because she wanted to be friends with her necessarily, but because she loved that baby and she knew it. In the middle of the war torn Syrian desert, Vicky delivered a seven month preemie, kept it alive in a makeshift incubator that she and Aidan built from scratch, and cared for him all the way back to the states. She was bonded with that baby, and she believed the baby had bonded with her. And now that bond had been severed.
Samantha looked at her baby through the protective glass, and thought maybe she had been wrong. Maybe Dr. Kline was right. Maybe she lashed out because it was her way of fighting off the desire to be friends with the woman who saved her baby. Maybe…
*
Finally catching up to her fiancée at a clothing store downtown, Aidan kissed her on the cheek and nodded toward Jerry, who gave her a thumbs up. Aidan knew that meant no incidents, so she allowed herself to relax just a bit. She laughed at the sight of Joyce, walking towards them with an arm full of clothes.
“Is all that for the wedding?” While Aidan was not normally naïve about most things, she wasn’t much for shopping, and didn’t understand the need for indulging just because one was in a different city. Unlike Joyce, who loved shopping sprees and she didn’t care what she was shopping for.
Joyce scoffed, “Of course not, this is for Ellen and me. More for Ellen actually, she will look stunning in this green frock.”
“Poor Ellen,” Vicky said, “she will probably think it’s as hideous as I do, but she’ll appreciate the thought just the same.”
Remember, You Love Me: Little Girl Lost Page 15
