***The Next Morning***
Walter and Jennifer had done their best to keep Stephen comfortable all night. The later in the evening it got, the more agitated he got. After they finally got him settled into bed, they had a conversation in the living room.
"Walter, how long has he been this agitated?"
"Ms. Jennifer, he just hasn't been the same since the surgery. He just never rebounded from that."
"You should have called me, I should have hired some help so you wouldn't have had to do it all alone".
"Frankly, Ms. Jennifer, he wouldn't have liked that. You know how he is with people in the house. He wouldn't have liked it at all, and he still would have wanted me to do it all".
"You're right, Walter. I just hate that you had to do all of this".
"If I didn't have such a high respect for your father, I wouldn't have".
Stephen woke up in a good mood, and he and Jennifer had a nice breakfast together.
"Mr. Edwards, Jennifer and I are going to take you to your doctor's appointment this morning. And then when we get back home, I'll make you a turkey sandwich, just the way you like it".
"Very well, very well".
Walter helped him get dressed, and then they all headed to the doctor's office.
Jennifer got him signed in, and they took back into an examination room.
The nurse came and took him for some tests and x-rays.
"I'll be right here when you get back, Pa".
She kissed his cheek and then waited till he wasn't in the hall any longer and found another nurse.
"Would it be possible for me to speak with the doctor before my dad gets back?"
"I'll see what I can do".
A few minutes later, the doctor came in to speak to her.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Martin."
"Hi, I'm Jennifer Hart, my father is your patient".
"Nice to meet you".
"So, I live in California. And I came out here when he had the tumor removed, and helped him get through the surgery and I stayed a couple weeks, and then went back home. And I came back for his first chemo treatment. And now I'm back because his last one is supposed to be this week. But I'm concerned because I'm noticing some things. For one, he's having some confusion-he mistook me for my mother, who passed away more than 20 years ago, when he saw me yesterday. And then he took a nap, and when he woke up, he didn't remember that he had already seen me. And I found out he's been writing checks to people that don't make sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he wrote some to my mother. And he wrote some to my husband to pay him back for a dowry that my husband supposedly paid for me. My husband insists there was never a dowry, and I believe him. And the amounts are all wrong. One was for 94 thousand dollars while another was for 8 dollars. And Walter-this is Walter Hargrove, my dad's houseman-he told me that my dad will be fine, and then get agitated, and take a nap, and then wake up fine, and it just loops. And I haven't the foggiest idea of how to help him, and I'm also wondering if I'm seeing these things only because I haven't been with him every day".
"Mrs. Hart, given your father's advanced age, some of what you are describing sounds normal. And some of it doesn't. I ordered some in-depth tests, because I wanted to be sure that we had the most up-to date records for him. Cancer surgery can really take a toll on a person, and so can chemo. His tumor was in his lung, which is why we had to remove the lower half of his right lobe. So, his energy is zapped from not only the surgery, but also from having his breathing capacity diminished".
"That makes sense".
"Let me see what the test results are, and then we'll go from there".
"Thank you, I appreciate it".
A few minutes later, the nurse brought her dad back, and Walter helped get him settled on the bed again.
About 10 minutes later, the doctor came in.
"Mrs. Hart, there seems to be a problem with the paperwork. May I see you in the hall?"
"Certainly. I'll be right back, Pa".
She stepped into the hallway and he led her into the next exam room.
"I'm afraid the x-rays show the reason that your father is in this confused loop, and will explain why you said he was out of sorts."
He put an x-ray up on the screen, and pointed to it.
"It appears that there is a large mass on his brain. And that mass appears to be pushing on the part of the brain that deals with emotions, memory, and clarity".
Jennifer teared up.
"Well, I guess any explanation is better than none at all. What does this mean?"
"Well, I think we can safely say that there's no reason to continue with his chemo. I'm going to ask the oncologist on staff here to come and speak with you".
"Thank you".
She returned to her dad.
The doctor came in and examined Mr. Edwards, and then the oncologist came in.
"Hi Mr. Edwards. Hello Mr. Hargrove. Hello, I'm Dr. Houser".
"Hi, I'm Jennifer Hart, Mr. Edwards daughter".
"Mr. Edwards, I looked over your test results. Do you feel up to discussing them with me?"
"I suppose".
"Have you been having any headaches, or dizziness, or confusion?"
"Some."
"Mr. Edwards, I think you have another tumor. This time it's in your brain. And it's in an area that might cause some of these symptoms".
"Can you get it out?"
"I could. But it would come at great risk to you. It's rather large, and it would mean that you would have to be put under anesthesia, and given the area that the tumor is located in, there's a rather sizeable chance that you would come out of the surgery with diminished capacity or diminished abilities."
"What happens if we don't take it out?"
"The best I can give you is 3-5 months. I can refer you to hospice, and they will come to your home and make sure you are comfortable without any pain. Given the fact that 2 months ago, this wasn't even there, I think the 3 months is generous".
"And if I do the surgery, you'll be my surgeon?"
"One of them, yes. But let me ask you-do you have a living will?"
"Yes, I do".
"Mr. Edwards, this isn't a surgery that I can foresee being successful for you".
"Well, then I guess my time is up. I will take the hospice referral."
"Very well. I'll have the nurse draw it up and call it in".
"Thank you".
He turned to Jennifer.
"I'm going to order some equipment that I think will help to keep him more comfortable, and it will be delivered to his home this afternoon."
"We'll be there. Are there any restrictions as far as diet, or anything?"
"At this point Mrs. Hart, anything is fair game. If he wants it, give it to him".
She nodded.
"Ok Pa, let's get you home".
***Later That Afternoon***
Stephen was sleeping in his recliner. Jennifer was reading on the couch, and the delivery was expected at any moment.
She buzzed them in when they rang the intercom, and opened the door for them.
They brought in an adjustable hospital bed, and got that all set up in the living room. There was also a wheelchair, and a walker, and a shower chair.
The men got it all set up, and then patiently waited while Jennifer made up the bed. After she was done, they picked him up and put him in bed, and got him settled.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it".
"Our pleasure, ma'am".
Stephen had slept through all of that.
The hospice nurse came about an hour later, and asked lots of questions and then got herself set up in the guest room.
She stayed with Stephen so Jennifer could go upstairs and take a bubble bath.
She took the phone with her into the bathroom, and sank into the bath and then called Jonathan.
"Hello?"
"Hey".
"Hi darling. I was wondering when you were going to call".
"I'm sorry, it's been a whirlwind. How are things on your end?"
"Well, I got in touch with my accountant, and he froze all the business accounts. But the price of the stock has dropped. So, I'm trying to get that back up. I rented us office space, and we should move in by the end of the week. The insurance company approved our purchase of all kinds of office equipment, like furniture, and computers and software and all that. So, it won't be the same, but it will be the best we can do right now. Deanne is working on assigning the offices, and getting a phone tree up and going so we can keep everyone in the loop. I rented a single office just for me and her to do this out of, and if we are lucky, we'll get to go home by 8 tonight".
"I see".
"How's your dad?"
"About the same. He woke up in a wonderful mood, which I was very thankful for. And then I went with him to his appointment. And that's when everything fell apart".
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, they took him for some x-rays and tests, and I took that time to speak with the doctor about my concerns. And then the doctor came back and asked to speak to me in the hall about the paperwork, and took me into another room and told me that he has a very fast growing aggressive tumor on his brain. It's pushing on the part of the brain that deals with emotions and clarity and mental stability and all of that. So that explains the confusion and the check writing. So, the oncologist came into speak with my dad and he laid it to him straight. He told him that surgery was an option, but it's far from the best option, and that he didn't see it being even remotely successful. And as a result, my dad is now on hospice, and the doctor gave him a couple of months, but stated that he was being very generous".
"I'm sorry, darling".
"It's so hard to see him like this, even with an explanation".
"Darling, I'm going to put Mark Hankins in charge. And then I'm calling Jack".
"Darling, I can handle things for a little bit if you are needed there. It's alright".
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Walter is here. And so is the hospice nurse. And since we got home, Pa has been more peaceful than I've ever seen him. He's been asleep for almost 4 hours now".
"I just hate that you are going through this alone".
"Nothing you can do, darling. Nothing any of us can do".
"Did you and your dad have a chance to talk about what arrangements he wants?"
"He told me in two conversations that he doesn't want anything. He just wants to be with momma".
"I see".
"I think I want to fund a scholarship at his college though, in his name. Something, so he'll at least have a legacy. He wants me to sell the gallery, but told me not to sell it to Marco Pedroli".
"I would second that".
"What? What do you know?"
"Darling, Marco Pedroli is an alias for a man named Antony Frederickson. He bills himself as an international businessman. But he's more known for being an international con man. He tried to buy one of Hart Industries' holdings several years ago. He presented me with a bogus check, and I did what I always do, which is check with the bank first to see if it's good. It wasn't, so I canceled the deal, and he's had it out for me ever since".
"Darling, do you think he's responsible for the bombing?"
"Could be, but that's not really his style. He's more of a buy up all the stock and then takeover the company and sell it for a cheap profit type of guy".
"Well, my bathwater is getting cold, so I have to get out. I love you, I'll call you tonight when I go to bed".
"You mean you've been in the bath this whole time and we've been talking about the company? I must be losing my touch".
"Not on your life, Romeo. I love you".
"I love you too, darling. I miss you immensely".
"I miss you too. I said I was only staying a week, but it might be longer."
"If I can tie up some loose ends, I'll fly out tomorrow night".
She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone, and then got out of the bath.
She put on some lounging clothes and headed downstairs.
His nurse, Monique, was right by his side.
"How's he doing?"
"No change".
She nodded and then headed to the kitchen.
They all tried to keep the house as quiet as possible, and she was just about to head to bed when Stephen woke up.
"Jennifer, are you still here?"
"Hi Pa. I'm right here. Your nurse is here. Her name is Monique".
He nodded.
"I'm so tired, sweetheart".
"You can go back to sleep, Dad. You don't have to stay up".
"I love you".
"I love you too".
She kissed his cheek and he went back to sleep.
"Monique, he looks gray to me. Does he look gray to you as well?"
"A little. That could be from the medicines, though".
She gave him a shot of morphine to ensure that he would sleep for several hours.
"Monique, I've locked all the doors, but if you need to go to your car or anything, the key is right here on the hook. And please, help yourself to anything in the fridge, and if you need a bathroom, there's one right here, under the stairs. If you need me, I'm upstairs in the first room on the right".
"Yes ma'am".
A few minutes later, Jennifer headed upstairs to bed.
She changed into a nightgown and called Jonathan as she climbed into bed.
"Hello?"
"Hi".
"Hi baby. Any change?"
"None. He woke up a few minutes ago from that nap he took this afternoon, and told me he loved me and then went back to sleep. His nurse just gave him a shot to make sure he would sleep all night".
"He needs the rest".
"Yeah, he does. What are you doing?"
"I just got in bed. Max is at a poker game, so I made myself dinner and then watched a movie".
"I see. I wish you were here in bed with me".
"Me too. Want to have phone sex?"
"Jonathan Charles! This is still my father's house".
"He's not going to know, darling".
"You are insane if you think I'm doing that. What if the nurse or Walter heard us?"
"I'm sure they would be amazed at your stamina".
"Jonathan! What's gotten into you?"
"I just miss you, that's all".
"I miss you too."
"As soon as we get this bombing thing behind us, and things stabilize with your dad a bit, I'm taking you on a vacation. How does a Mexican cruise sound?"
"Heavenly".
"They started clearing the rubble away today".
"I see. Any word on arrangements for Stanley?"
"Two weeks at least. His sister contacted me and stated that their parents needed time to travel so they booked it for two weeks from Saturday, on his birthday".
"That seems appropriate for him".
"You know, I tried to call him 4 times today. I feel as though I took him for granted, and I never meant to, but I never realized how much I would miss him".
"Yeah, I know what you mean".
She stretched out a little bit.
"Oh, this bed is so cold and empty without you".
"Yeah, ours is too".
"Darling, we haven't been to the cabin in a long time. What do you say we take a few days and head up there?"
"I say yes, as soon as we can, we will".
Jonathan knew that whenever Jennifer brought up going to the cabin, that meant she was craving romance.
She started yawning, so he told her he would talk to her tomorrow.
"I love you, baby".
"I love you too".
As soon as they hung up, he called Mark Hankins and put him in charge.
Then, he called Jack.
"Can you get me to Maryland before sunrise?"
"Yes, I can".
"Let's do it."