Another Time in Another Place
**Knock knock**
At the sound of the knock at the door, James sets the book he was reading down on the table next to him. He sets his glasses on top of the book and gets up off the couch. "Who the hell is that?" he wonders, as far as he knew no one was aware he was home from Sydney.
"What do you want?" he says rather harshly as he pulls open the door.
On the other side of the door were two grim looking officers flashing their badges at him.
"You James Ford?" one of them asks.
"Depends who wants to know"
"You know a Cassidy Phillips", the other one asks, not breaking the serious look on his face.
James rolls his eyes, what the hell had Cassidy gone and done now.
"No", he replies, stepping back from the door and going to close it, not in the mood for anything Cassidy may have done now.
"Mr. Ford", the officer says putting his hand onto the door in order to stop him from shutting it. "You are sure you don't know Cassidy Phillips" he continues, while his partner flashes Cassidy's picture in front of him.
"Whatever she said I've done, I ain't seen her in over a year"
The officer glares at James, "Cassidy Phillips died in a car accident a few hours ago. You are listed as the father of one Clementine Phillips"
James feels his knees weaken and he grips the door, and doesn't hear the next words the officer says.
"Mr. Ford?" the officer repeats, "You are the father of Clementine Phillips?"
"Umm, yeah, it's a possibility" he can't believe he is having this conversation. "The kid?" he asks. "Is she?"
It takes a moment for the officer to understand what he was asking, and shakes his head, "Oh no, she's in a hospital in Miami, only sustained minor injuries from what we were told"
The officer hands James a piece of paper with the address of the hospital in Miami where Clementine was. "From what we have been able to find, you are the child's only living relative"
James shakes his head, "This is some kind of joke right? Cassidy would never have listed me as the kid's guardian; I've never even laid eyes on the kid. I'm not fit to be a father"
The officer gives him a displeased look, "Fit or not Mr. Ford, you are the only person in the world that that little girl has right now. We'd suggest you get on a plane and get to Miami"
James stares down at the piece of paper in his hand. "Is this really happening?" he thinks to himself.
When he looks back up the two officers were tipping their hats at him, and he hears one of them mumble something about sorry for your loss, as they retreated to their vehicle.
He stands in the doorway for quite some time, staring at the little white piece of paper in his hand, Cassidy dead, the little girl he'd never met laying in a hospital bed in Miami, alone.
"Dammit Cassidy" he says aloud as he shuts the front door. "What have you gone and done, I ain't fit to be a damn father"
He hears the officer's words in his head, "Fit or not Mr. Ford, you are all the only person in the world that little girl has right now"
He wrestles with the fact that even though he was the only one the kid had, she was likely still better off without him. "Son of a bitch" he says as he finds himself standing beside the phone. He picks it up and dials, "I need to book a flight on your next plane to Miami" he growls at the travel agent.
*****
Shall I continue?
