Chapter 2: Distress Call
The next morning Sam finally woke to bright sunshine and the piercing sound of his cell phone. He saw Andy's name on the screen, and groaned at the thought of dealing with her in his current state. He thought of hitting ignore, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.
"What is it McNally?" he managed to force out his dry mouth.
"Sam, I'm so sorry to bother you on the weekend. Did I wake you?" she said in a shaky, nervous voice.
"Yeah, but just tell me what's wrong," Sam said trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.
"Sam, it's the car. It won't start, and I really wanted to use it to pick up Dad when he gets out of the rehab he checked himself into. I'm stuck up here at this stupid house, and if Luke finds out the car is already having problems and had to be towed to a mechanic, he'll never let me live it down." She blurted out in a panicked voice. "I know it's a lot to ask, but is there any way you could come up and take a look at it?" she pleaded. "You're the only person I know who's good with cars."
Sam felt the throbbing in his head getting worse by the second. "What do you mean, 'if Luke finds out'? Where is he anyway?"
"He left an hour ago. He's going to be in the office all day." When he didn't respond, she added, "Please, Sam. I know this was an emotional purchase that wasn't practical without my Dad to check out the engine before I bought it. But when Dad got down on money and had to sell his Mercury, it took the remaining life out of him. Since living out here in the sticks meant I had no choice but to get a car, I couldn't resist the chance to get a similar one to have a nice surprise when I go pick him up tomorrow. But Luke is so sensitive about the fact that I'm not thrilled about living way out here that he never let me explain. I just don't want to deal with him if there's any chance to get it running again today."
"McNally, calm down. You're making my hangover worse by the second. Look, you can't keep avoiding conflict with your boyfriend now that you're a live-in. You're going to have to learn how to deal with him, and I don't think it's a great idea for me to come over there…" Sam tried to put her off.
"Please, Sam. I wouldn't ask you to do this, but Dad was so down when he relapsed. I gave him a big ultimatum after the Kaliciak fiasco. I know he thinks he's going to lose me. I can't handle it if he isn't able to stick to sobriety, but I want him to know that I still think he can do it. The car is the best way I can think of to let him know how much I'm pulling for him and that I remember what he's like when he's on track. He used to love tinkering with that car, and it kept him going for a while after Mom left…" her voice trailed off.
McNally always had a way of getting under his skin and slicing straight into his heart like no one else when he she struggled with the cauldron of feelings her family generated. He sighed, "OK, I give in. Look, give me an hour to try to get my hangover under control, then I'll be there."
Andy let out a relieved breath, "Thank you SO much, Sam," she said in a teary voice. "I..I'm sorry I had to put this on you. I didn't know where else to turn…"
"Don't sweat it, McNally. This is no freebie. You're gonna make it up to me. I'll come up with something good, believe me," he said gruffly to snap her out of the funk she seemed to be in.
She chuckled weakly, "Do I even want to know where that's going to land me?" she asked.
"Probably not, McNally, but like you said, you have no choice. I'll see you in about an hour."
