A Brush With The Truth

 Chase watches the ER doors open and and close again then turns back toward the window absently watching the cars coming and going from the parking lot. His thoughts still occupied by what was going on in the room across the hall. His mind still whirling from everything that had happened in the last eight hours and what the hell hadn't happened? One minute he couldn't be happier enjoying the morning with the woman he loved the next he's wondering who it was he was in love with? The Erin he thought he knew wasn't the person he found out about today. She'd been lying to him for almost three years if you count the time Lesley was pregnant.
Part of him understood Lesley was her cousin and like him with Well her best friend but that understanding didn't make him less furious or feel less hurt. He was hurt that she'd keep this from him for so long and hadn't trusted him enough to tell him the truth especially knowing he would have told her. Never a sign or hint of what was going on right in front of him just business as usual. Was he so involved with creating his company that he was just happily oblivious or was it something else?  Chase's head snaps around as the door of the ER open and Erin walks through coming straight for him.
"Hey." She looked tired and drained as she stopped in front of him searching his face for some telltale sign of what he was feeling and thinking.
"Hey, how's it going back there?" He says genuinely concerned.
"Okay I guess." She croaks out then clears her throat.
"We have him on antibiotics. We're still waiting for his tests to come back. I thought I'd give them some time alone." Chase nods his head not sure what to say.
"He's a tough little guy" She smiles glancing back at the ER.
"Yeah, I guess I wouldn't know." He snipes walking a few steps away from her then turning back.
"We're you ever going to tell me?" His voice calm his expression filled with hurt. Erin looks up at him a moment unable to bear the pain she felt at seeing it.
"I tried to tell you like a million times I just couldn't." Chase looks down at the floor knowing the answer to his next question before asking it.
"Why not?"
"You already know why!" She half laugh at the irony.
"Come on can you honestly tell me if the roles were reversed you wouldn't have done the same thing?" He glares at her a moment his temper barely controlled.
"No, you and I both know I would have told you." Erin laughs again and shakes her head.
"I know you would but I also know you would have felt compelled to tell Wellington." Chase shakes his head in disbelief.
"So what you're saying is you couldn't trust me." He walks back towards the widow and look out Erin trailing behind him.
"Come on Chase truth, you would have told Wellington same as I would have told Lesley! You would have never let her tell him herself in her own way." Chase turns back to her laughing bitterly.
"You never gave me the chance!" Erin brow draws into a frown as she folds her arms across her chest her her chin set her anger edging her voice.
"Look what happened as soon as you found out! You went right into white knight mode to make sure Wellington knew! I wasn't even here and I bet the first thing you told Lesley when you had a chance was she had to tell Wellington or you would!" She hisses trying not to attract the attention of the others in the room. Chase looks around at the sprinkling of people in the room staring at them then leans in lowering his voice but not diminishing the anger he felt.
"You're dam right! He's the kid's father he has right to know if the son he never met is going to live or die! You bet your ass I was going to tell him the truth!" Erin sighs in frustration.
"That's the point Chase it wasn't your truth to tell and it wasn't mine!" Chase stares back at her his jaw clenched but silent. Erin takes a reassuring breath before continuing.
"And I promised Lesley I wouldn't tell anyone. I couldn't break that promise not even to you. I'm sorry if that hurts you I truly am but as her friend and her doctor I was bound by my oath as a doctor and as her friend." She stares up at him his face a mask of confusion waiting for his response.Chase hesitates a moment not sure what to say he wasn't done sorting through his emotions. A part of him was still battling with the betrayal he felt the other part still hurt and not wanting to concede she was right. He looks away from her spotting the nurse coming behind them thankful for the interruption.
"Dr. Stuart your results are back." The nurse calls from the door.
"Thank you Jan. Can we talk about this later? I need to get back." She turns back to him her concern for the baby carving it's way across her face.
"Sure, yeah I'm not going anywhere." He smiles weakly giving Erin the first sign of hope she'd seen from him since she came out to see him.
"Good." She says turning and walking to the exist then stops and turns back.
"Could you send a nurse to get me when my Grandmother gets here?" Chase's jaw drops his eyes open wide he runs his hand through his hair and sighs.
"Your Grandmother is coming?" He wasn't ready to explain this all to Mary.
"Yeah, don't worry she already knows I talked to her. Besides Lesley is going to need her and it's way better than Alex right now." She shrugs. Chase gives her  a little half grin rubbing the back of his neck then sighs.
"Very true. I'll make sure someone tells you."
"Thanks." She says her shoulders stiffening worry twitching at her lower lip as she turns for the door. Chase watches her a moment then crosses the distance between them in three easy strides.
"Erin!" He says wrapping his arms around her and holding her a moment.
"You're a great doctor baby he's going to be okay, we'll talk later okay." He kisses the top of her head then releases her.
"I'll be right here I'm not go going anywhere." He smiles down at her. Erin smiles back him some of the worry that had been etching her face gone.
"I'll see you later." She turns and walks quickly back through the doors into the ER. Chase smiles after her a moment then reaches in his pocket for his ringing phone.
"Chase Van Dorn." He says smoothly into the phone all traces of what had transpired in the last few hours gone from his voice.
"Mr. Van Dorn I'm so glad I reached you! I've been trying to reach Mr. Swift for an hour!" Dax says sounding mildly relieved.
"Yeah, he's here with me we're kind of in the middle of some family stuff what's up?'
" I sent all the revisions to the state and the EPA and you have your approval. Mr. Van Dorn senior put in for the certificate of occupancy this afternoon. And I have the other bit of information about Stockton you asked for.I'm sending it to you right now." Chase waits a moment while Dax hums to the audible rhythm of his fingers click clacking on the keyboard.
"Viola!" He says clapping his hands together.
"You should get that momentarily. Is everything with you and Mr. Swift alright?"
"Juuuust peachy." He draws out distractedly as he skims through the information he just received.
"Dax thanks a lot. I appreciate all the help you've given us."
"As always it's my pleasure. Is there anything else I can help you with?" He asks his fingers still clicking keys.
"Umm, yeah my family is going through something right now so Well won't be available and I'll be in and out for the rest of the day. Could you keep an eye on things for us please? If you need anything you can reach out to Preston then me."
"Not a problem don't worry about a thing. You just take care of your family and I'll be in touch. Bye."
"Thanks again, bye."  He says sitting down on the window sill and reading the information Dax had just sent him trying to distract himself from what was going on between Well and Lesley across the hall.
Wellington stares from the pale sleepy child in Lesley's arms back to Lesley.
"My child?" He stares back at her still dumbfounded. Lesley clears her throat continuing on before she lost her nerve.
"Why don't you hold him?" Wellington's eyes open wide his arms coming up tentatively. As Lesley lifts the half sleeping child from her and hands him to Wellington's outstretched arms. He looks at her his expression happily panicked, furious and scared all at the same time. Then it all seemed to disappear from his face and replaced by joy as he held his son for the first time.
"He's beautiful." He says smiling down at him as holds him close his head bowed against his chest their heads touching silently weeping unable to speak as he cradles his son. Lesley watches them a quietly holding back her own tears at the image they made one she had only imagined for so long.
"He's so smart and funny. He is such a good little boy. You should have seen him the other day when we went to feed the the ducks he was so excited..." She snuffs wiping a stray tear from her cheek as her voice trails off. Her smile fading as she thinks of all the moments she'd taken from him.
"Hey little man. It's your Dad." He says looking down at him smiling proudly Jamie whimpers a little smile then snuggles close to him. Lesley watches the two of them together the scene wrenches at her heart.
"I'm sorry Wellington." She says her voice almost a whisper.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He looks up from his son his eyes piercing hers.
"I did what I had to do," Her voice firm her chin tilted defiantly she rushes on before she lost her nerve.
"I found out I was pregnant the same night you called to tell me you weren't coming back you were staying with Lola I finally realized you were never coming back. She'd sunk her fangs into you again and had some weird sick hold on you. That woman is toxic and wherever you are she is. No matter what happened or how much time passed she would be apart of our lives forever. Especially if she found out we were going to have a baby. I couldn't have that physco around my child. So I cut you out of our lives. I'm sorry that you missed so much time with our son but I won't apologize for protecting us from that lunatic. Considering what happened afterwards you and I both know I was right to do it."
"Are you finished?" He says staring at her a moment his anger barley in check.
"Yeah, I'm done." She says evenly her stare unwavering.
"Good we can talk about all that later right now lets just concentrate on our son." Lesley stares at him a moment then sighs.
"Fine. Just so you know Chase found out today the only one that knew was Erin. I swore her to secrecy and you know me she really didn't have a choice."
"Nobody did!" He snaps his eyes glittering with rage. Lesley glares at him her anger equal to his her retort on the tip of her tongue as Erin walks back into the room stopping their anger mid stream as both of their attention snap to her. Erin squares her shoulders as she approaches and guards her expression as Wellington places Jamie back inside the crib then turns towards Erin.
"Hey, we got Jamie's test back and it was what I suspected he has Bacterial Meningitis." Erin ignores the audible gasp from her cousin only pausing for a moment before continuing.
"We're having him admitted. We have to take him up for CT scan." Lesley watches as the nurses bundle up her sons bed and equipment and instinctively reaches for Wellington's hand the later instead wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close. Erin watches the reaction of the two as their child is wheel from the room.
"Try not to worry we caught this early he's going to be okay" She reaches out and hugs her cousin and then Wellington.
"I'm going to go with him okay, and then we'll bring him to his room a nurse will come get you when he's ready. I promise I will stay with him the entire time."
"Thanks Erin" Lesley sniffs looking as if she would crack any minute.
"I have to go you two try not to worry too much." She smiles then turns and jogs from the room. Wellington watches her leave her tearing off her gown quickly tossing it in the bin then chase after the medical crew. He turns back to Lesley who stands frozen to the spot tears slowing rolling down her cheeks her lip quivering.
"Jamie" She whispers before collapsing sobbing in his arms.


"Harbinger Falls" Copyright 2014
    

"Time Will Tell"

 Hank walks down the steps of town hall stopping at the bottom for a moment to enjoy the warm fall sunshine smiling to his self as he continues his walk. He wasn't sure exactly whom all his sons friends were but they were efficient. They had already delivered the revisions to the state, the report to the EPA and he'd made the appointment for the inspection for the certificate occupancy. It felt good to be one step ahead of Jay Stockton for a change. He'd been looking forward to this day for years. The day when Jay's strangle hold on him, his family and this town would come to an end.
He glances up at a passing "Stockton Lumber" truck reminding him of his childhood. When he Ed and Jay would hitch a ride on the back of Jay's Dad's truck on their way up to the lake. Hard to believe at one point they had all been best friends, then everything had changed the morning Sharron Swift had walked into his office.
 He'd been working in his father's Mill's legal department for a few years longer than he had planned and he was starting to get that closed in restless feeling. He wasn't sure whether to stay or pursue his own dreams. His father needed him but he wasn't sure this was what he wanted for the rest of his life.
She'd walked in that spring morning and it was like a burst of sunshine in his life. It had taken him a moment to remember she was the same pretty little girl that used to chase after them when they were kids. Sometimes he'd look back and see her tau head down her shoulders slumped standing on the edge of the lawn looking forlorn and convince the other to take her with them. Now there she was standing on the threshold of his office door. She was young, vibrant, funny cheerful and she had grown into a beautiful young woman. Nothing left of the child he used to know not the the way his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.
"Sharron?" He says turning towards her smiling broadly.
"Hank!" She squeals running to him and throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him.
"I was hoping I'd see you!" She lets go standing back smiling from ear to ear.
"I'm so happy I caught up with you!" Hank grins fighting back a blush.
"Wow you are absolutely stunning." He mutters his thoughts spilling out before he could filter the words. She blushes slightly smiling happily.
"You don't look so bad yourself." She says admiring what she was seeing tall lean, muscular frame sun bleached hair sun kissed skin still gorgeous. Hank always was a handsome devil even as a kid but he'd never acted or treated people with that arrogant conceit some kids get. Out of all her brother's friends he'd always had been thoughtful of her feelings and had even stuck up for her and forced them to take her along on more than a few occasions. Which also made him the object of her childhood crush for years.
"So this is where you've been hiding yourself." She says walking around his office looking at his niknaks and plaques. Hank chuckles leaning back against his desk.
"Me? I haven't seen you since you were in braces and pigtails." Making them both laugh.
 "How was your first year at school?" He says watching her pace around the room enjoying how much she'd grown in all the right places.
"Great, a lot of work but great. What about you what have you been up to?" She asks stopping her pacing and coming to stand in front of him. Hank smiles waving his arm around the room like a presenter.
"Keeping my Dad's business afloat. What brings you here?"
"I applied for the temporary secretarial job for the summer."
"Did you get it?" He says trying not to sound too hopeful not sure why he did.
"I start tomorrow" She smiles enjoying the tell tale grin on his face.
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you, and I was able to find a place to do my volunteer PT hours." She smiles proudly. Hank lets out a small whistle then nods in approval.
"Wow! You're going to be a very busy girl." Sharron nods in agreement.
"It's not so bad" She shrugs.
"I only have the PT a couple of  nights a week. I'll still have some free time thankfully. What about you? What do you do for fun or are you still all nose to the grindstone?" She teases making Hank blush again.
"I get out! I still play on the baseball league on Sunday's. Why don't come down and watch us play sometime. I'm sure the guys won't mind anymore." He says with a wink making her blush this time.
"Maybe I will!" She laughs nervously feeling suddenly shy.
"I'd like that." He smiles back feeling suddenly awkward as silence falls between them. Hanks stares at her a moment longer then pushes off the desk and walks around it stalling for something to say. Sharron's mind races quickly searching for something to say afraid to say what was on the tip of her tongue.
"Well I'd better get going. She says instead chiding herself mentally for taking the coward's way out.
"What if I picked you up on Sunday around ten we could go to the game maybe stop at Mr.Gerber's hot dog stand?" He says nervously not even sure what had possessed him to do so or what he was saying. The expression on her face making him even more unsure as he rambles on. .
"You know for old time sake?" He chuckles nervously trying to hide the odd sensation of hope he had mixed with the dread he felt at the prospect of her saying "No". Sharron smothers a giggle and stomps down the giddy feeling that was about to overwhelm her.
"I'll see you Sunday." She says coolly then sauntered out the door.
Hank stops at the intersection smiling broader as he hears the familiar sound of a car horn and Sharron rolls to a stop.
"Hi ya handsome you need a ride?" She teases from the open car window.
"Anywhere you're going hot stuff!" He laughs walking around the car and climbing into the passenger seat.
Marjorie spots Hank standing at the corner calls his name and waves just as Sharron's car pulls up alongside him. She shakes her head at her luck then proceeds into the town hall building and up to Ed's office. She opens the door closing it behind her noting that Georgia's desk was empty then stopping when she hears the sound of Jay's voice coming from Ed's office.
"I just saw him leaving the Zoning office! Now what the Hell are you doing about it?" He snarls stepping closer. Ed glares back at him his temper barely in control.
"You keep forgetting the people you're talking about are my family! My son and my nephew! What makes you think I'm going to betray them? Secondly, he's been given the go ahead by the state and the EPA by this town and might I add by YOU! There is nothing standing in their way! Just face facts its over!" Jay's eyes narrow his voice animalistic.
"You had better find something and find it fast! You're up for re-election aren't you Ed? It would be ashame if someone found out about you and an evening... " His voice trails off as he smiles slyly Ed's head snaps up his eyes bulging at his words his anger turns to rage.
"Now get this through your thick head I'm not helping you!" He grinds out.
"You had better be careful Stockton I wasn't the only one there that night and if I go down I'm taking you with me you can bank on that!"  Jay glares at him a moment then smirks.
"True but I'm not up for re-election." Ed grins back  knowing he had his checkmate move.
"I'm not the one trying to fulfil your obligation to that Japanese outfit. What do you think they'd do if they found out? Weren't they a little twitchy to begin with?" Jay's anger tweaks he was right he couldn't afford that kind of a scandal right now not if he was going to seal that next order.
"You know this deal with the Japanese affects you too!" Ed stares at him him his look cold and determined.
"Not as much as it will hurt you. Now unless you have some town business to discuss you'll have to excuse me I have work to do."  He say sitting down in his chair and pulling out his computer keyboard. Jay's jaw clenches tight his lips a thin white line his eyes ice cold.
"Don't get too comfortable in that chair Ed. This election year you're going to have some competition, some very tough, very winnable competition." Ed looks up at him his expression unmoved.
"Do whatever you want Jay. I don't give a dam!" Jay stares back at him his smile menacing.
"You will Ed, believe me you will!" Jay snatches up his briefcase as he turns to leave slamming out of the office door then storming to the exist never noticing Marjorie tucked away in the corner of the sofa behind it. He slams the outer door then stops in the hall to answer his phone.
"Yes, I'm on my way I'll meet you at the club!" He says before moving further down the hall. Marjorie sits another moment as a plan formulates in her head then stands and walks into her husbands office smiling pleasantly as she walks to his desk.
" Hi honey! Are you ready for our lunch?" Ed smiles happy for the distraction after the last ten minutes. He stands walks to his wife and kisses her cheek.
"Been looking forward to it all morning!" He says walking to the coat rack pulling off his jacket and shrugging into it.
"Where would you like to go?" He says opening the door for her.
"Thank you, I thought maybe we could go to the club?" She smiles pleasantly passing through and stopping as Ed locks his office door.
"That's fine! The chef there makes the best steak in town!" He says walking to the outer door and holding it open.
"Perfect!" She smiles to herself as she walks ahead and presses the elevator button.
"You're sure looking chipper this morning." Ed says coming to stand beside her as the elevator doors open. Marjorie smiles back laying her hand in the crux of his arm.
"I was just thinking that Abigail Colgate and the Ladies Auxiliary have their luncheon today I may be able to kill two birds with one stone." She smiles to herself.



"Harbinger Falls" Copyright 2014