Chapter 2 - Get the Girl
Earlier in the afternoon. 5:45 pm.
Kerry was sitting in the lounge staring out the window when her thoughts were interrupted by Luka who'd come in and flopped on the sofa. He'd showered and changed but he didn't look like he had anywhere to go. He glanced in her direction and said hello.
"How's it going with the custody hearing?" He had a comforting tome in his voice and Kerry could tell he truly cared.
"It's an uphill battle but I'm not giving up," she replied with a sigh.
"You can't give up. He's YOUR son; in spite of what Sandy's family feels. You're a fighter, Kerry. It'll all work out and one day it'll just be a bad memory," he said, supportively.
"How about you? Still no word from her?" Kerry asked.
He quickly averted his eyes to the window and shook his head. Weary from going over in his head what could have prompted her to leave; this was different from the other crosses he'd borne before. There was a concrete reason when he had lost his loved ones the first time ... It was a senseless war. This time, Sam's sudden departure with Alex, confused and alarmed him. She looked terrified and hurt the day she left with Alex screaming in the back seat. It had something to do with Steve but she hadn't made any sense that day and though he tried to stop her; tried to reason with her; it was no use. She didn't seem to trust anyone. Not even him.
"It's killing you, isn't it? ... Not knowing where they are?"
"Yeah. I miss them," He sighed and walked over to the window and stared onto the street below. Every time he looked out he saw couples, walking arm in arm; families together. Every day since she left, it seemed like he treated patients with wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, grandparents. Not a single bachelor, homeless person. Everyone he treated had someone to go home to; someone to care about and someone to care about them. He had that with Sam and Alex up until they left 2 weeks before.
"You know, Kerry, all I want is to be happy. You know how I was before I left for Africa. With all that happened there, I decided that I'd been given another chance at life just so that I could work and help others. What other reason was there? I was still alone. But they took me away from that ... Made me happy. I love both of them and now here I am, alone with no idea of where they are or what's happened to them. She took off and I have no idea what the hell I did,"
"You didn't do anything, Luka. I think Sam's done this before. She's a runner," Kerry said, matter-of –factly.
"Yeah, but did she run away with his jack-ass father this time?" he said with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. "I just wish I knew,"
"You've been here everyday working since they've been gone," Looking at her roster she confirmed her statement. "Yep. Says here, fifteen days consistently. You're waiting for her to walk through those doors and she hasn't. Go home. Maybe she'll call,"
"I've been home and everywhere in Chicago and I have no idea where she could be,"
"Take some time off. Go look for her if you have to. You need a break from here and from what you're going through. It'll do you good to go away for a couple weeks ... Clear your head,"
"I can't get them out of my head. What makes you think I won't think of them while I'm alone for two weeks?"
"You're taking two weeks off, Luka. I can't afford for you not to. Carter's back tomorrow and we'll be fine until you return,"
"I don't know Kerry I ..." He was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Dr. Kovac, there's a call for you. Line three. Umm ... I think its Sam,"
"Thanks Jerry," He glanced at Kerry hopefully. She nodded and left the room.
"Kovac," he answered.
"Hey, it's me,"
"Sam, thank God! Are you guys alright?" he asked.
"We're fine..."
"Where are you?"
"Luka, just listen, okay?" He heard her sigh. I just wanted to let you know, we're on our way back. We're just outside Chicago,"
"Sam, what happened? Did you leave because of something I did?"
"God, no. I didn't leave because of you," she said. "I didn't leave you. It's Steve,"
"You're with him?" he asked, dejectedly.
"No, I'm trying ... was trying, to get away from him – AS USUSAL. He follows us around and when he catches up to us he tries to crawl back into our lives. He fills Alex's head with all these stupid ideas and makes our lives impossible. Usually, he disappears but he's found us now and I just decided it would just be safer if I came back,"
"I wish you told me this sooner. You could have stayed with me and we could have worked this out together,"
"I know that now. I'm sorry I hurt you... again,"
"I was more worried than hurt. When are you back?"
"I was going to head this afternoon but I have to get my car fixed ... some idiot rammed it in the parking lot and the back bumper's detached. If I can get it fixed in the morning I'll be back in the city by noon,"
Listen, I've got two weeks off and I was going to use them to look for you anyway. I'll come to you tonight. We'll stay the night in your room then we'll take care of your car in the morning. Give me the address of your motel," he said. He sounded and felt more in control but mostly he was grateful that he was getting them back. Sam smiled with relief on the other end of the phone and gave him the address.
"Okay, that's about an hour or so away so with the traffic getting out of the city, I should be there in ....oh, two hours? ... So close to eight,"
"Thanks. Sorry I ... I'm just sorry that ..."
"You confuse me? ... Every single day?" he finished her sentence with a chuckle.
"That's not how the line goes," she teased.
"Huh?"
"You know - the famous line from Jerry McGuire?"
"Jerry McGuire?"
"Never mind. We'll rent it one of these days," she laughed.
"See you at eight," he said.
"I'll be waiting," She hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things were going to be alright.
Luka rushed out to the admitting desk and told Kerry that he would be back with Sam the next day. Everyone was pleased to see his boyish grin again.
"Okay, I know enough, now get outta here!" yelled Kerry. She watched the tall, young man, who was too old for his years, rush out towards his car and she smiled. Perhaps if happiness finally found him, it could find her and re-unite her with little Henry.
Earlier in the afternoon. 5:45 pm.
Kerry was sitting in the lounge staring out the window when her thoughts were interrupted by Luka who'd come in and flopped on the sofa. He'd showered and changed but he didn't look like he had anywhere to go. He glanced in her direction and said hello.
"How's it going with the custody hearing?" He had a comforting tome in his voice and Kerry could tell he truly cared.
"It's an uphill battle but I'm not giving up," she replied with a sigh.
"You can't give up. He's YOUR son; in spite of what Sandy's family feels. You're a fighter, Kerry. It'll all work out and one day it'll just be a bad memory," he said, supportively.
"How about you? Still no word from her?" Kerry asked.
He quickly averted his eyes to the window and shook his head. Weary from going over in his head what could have prompted her to leave; this was different from the other crosses he'd borne before. There was a concrete reason when he had lost his loved ones the first time ... It was a senseless war. This time, Sam's sudden departure with Alex, confused and alarmed him. She looked terrified and hurt the day she left with Alex screaming in the back seat. It had something to do with Steve but she hadn't made any sense that day and though he tried to stop her; tried to reason with her; it was no use. She didn't seem to trust anyone. Not even him.
"It's killing you, isn't it? ... Not knowing where they are?"
"Yeah. I miss them," He sighed and walked over to the window and stared onto the street below. Every time he looked out he saw couples, walking arm in arm; families together. Every day since she left, it seemed like he treated patients with wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, grandparents. Not a single bachelor, homeless person. Everyone he treated had someone to go home to; someone to care about and someone to care about them. He had that with Sam and Alex up until they left 2 weeks before.
"You know, Kerry, all I want is to be happy. You know how I was before I left for Africa. With all that happened there, I decided that I'd been given another chance at life just so that I could work and help others. What other reason was there? I was still alone. But they took me away from that ... Made me happy. I love both of them and now here I am, alone with no idea of where they are or what's happened to them. She took off and I have no idea what the hell I did,"
"You didn't do anything, Luka. I think Sam's done this before. She's a runner," Kerry said, matter-of –factly.
"Yeah, but did she run away with his jack-ass father this time?" he said with a sigh, running his hands through his hair. "I just wish I knew,"
"You've been here everyday working since they've been gone," Looking at her roster she confirmed her statement. "Yep. Says here, fifteen days consistently. You're waiting for her to walk through those doors and she hasn't. Go home. Maybe she'll call,"
"I've been home and everywhere in Chicago and I have no idea where she could be,"
"Take some time off. Go look for her if you have to. You need a break from here and from what you're going through. It'll do you good to go away for a couple weeks ... Clear your head,"
"I can't get them out of my head. What makes you think I won't think of them while I'm alone for two weeks?"
"You're taking two weeks off, Luka. I can't afford for you not to. Carter's back tomorrow and we'll be fine until you return,"
"I don't know Kerry I ..." He was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Dr. Kovac, there's a call for you. Line three. Umm ... I think its Sam,"
"Thanks Jerry," He glanced at Kerry hopefully. She nodded and left the room.
"Kovac," he answered.
"Hey, it's me,"
"Sam, thank God! Are you guys alright?" he asked.
"We're fine..."
"Where are you?"
"Luka, just listen, okay?" He heard her sigh. I just wanted to let you know, we're on our way back. We're just outside Chicago,"
"Sam, what happened? Did you leave because of something I did?"
"God, no. I didn't leave because of you," she said. "I didn't leave you. It's Steve,"
"You're with him?" he asked, dejectedly.
"No, I'm trying ... was trying, to get away from him – AS USUSAL. He follows us around and when he catches up to us he tries to crawl back into our lives. He fills Alex's head with all these stupid ideas and makes our lives impossible. Usually, he disappears but he's found us now and I just decided it would just be safer if I came back,"
"I wish you told me this sooner. You could have stayed with me and we could have worked this out together,"
"I know that now. I'm sorry I hurt you... again,"
"I was more worried than hurt. When are you back?"
"I was going to head this afternoon but I have to get my car fixed ... some idiot rammed it in the parking lot and the back bumper's detached. If I can get it fixed in the morning I'll be back in the city by noon,"
Listen, I've got two weeks off and I was going to use them to look for you anyway. I'll come to you tonight. We'll stay the night in your room then we'll take care of your car in the morning. Give me the address of your motel," he said. He sounded and felt more in control but mostly he was grateful that he was getting them back. Sam smiled with relief on the other end of the phone and gave him the address.
"Okay, that's about an hour or so away so with the traffic getting out of the city, I should be there in ....oh, two hours? ... So close to eight,"
"Thanks. Sorry I ... I'm just sorry that ..."
"You confuse me? ... Every single day?" he finished her sentence with a chuckle.
"That's not how the line goes," she teased.
"Huh?"
"You know - the famous line from Jerry McGuire?"
"Jerry McGuire?"
"Never mind. We'll rent it one of these days," she laughed.
"See you at eight," he said.
"I'll be waiting," She hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things were going to be alright.
Luka rushed out to the admitting desk and told Kerry that he would be back with Sam the next day. Everyone was pleased to see his boyish grin again.
"Okay, I know enough, now get outta here!" yelled Kerry. She watched the tall, young man, who was too old for his years, rush out towards his car and she smiled. Perhaps if happiness finally found him, it could find her and re-unite her with little Henry.