Fairfield Stables the day after the Dan Heartfield fight
Dr. Varani pulls into Fairfield stables. It's not the first time she been here. She treated Lisa's kids a few times when they'd come back down from France a couple times a year. Trish does these house calls because Lisa values privacy and discretion about her life which is understandable considering the gossip that seems follow her. The car and driver that was sent for me escorts me into the house. I'm immediately greeted by JB whom I've met on several occasions now. Before he has time to tell me anything one of the kids ambush him and his attention is directed away from me. He settles the kids down as quickly as he, he gets one of their staff to guide me towards my patient and I assume Lisa.
I'm let into one of the rooms and meet Lisa inside who he cradling the child in her arms singing a lullaby to soothe the miserable child.
"Thank you for coming, Trish." Lisa greets while she lays the child down on the bed for me to examine. I try to start the examination procedure only to have the child do everything to avoid being prodded.
"You welcome Lisa. Which one of them is this?"
"Theo, this time." Lisa answers.
"Well, he doesn't like doctors does he. Look at him trying to get away from me. I swear to god Lisa all your kids hate doctors because they all have the same reaction, trying to escape my tyrannical paws. I wonder which one of you they take after, you or their dad."
"That would be difficult to ascertain, both us hate doctors." Lisa for some reason states this affectionately.
Finally, Theo cooperating with Lisa's help allows Trish to examine him to make a diagnoses. "Sounds like a normal run of the mill cold," Trish states unconerningly.
"He must have picked up his sisters cold from a few weeks back," Lisa states worriedly.
"It's normal Lisa. It will pass," I reassure her.
"I know but the doctors told me to be extra careful with them. After all they were preemies," Lisa explains her worry.
"Don't worry Lisa. Honestly, you wouldn't know it, that they were preemies. They're all exceptionally strong and robust now," I tell Lisa trying to alleviate her fears.
"From your lips to Gods ears," Lisa expresses.
Lisa redresses Theo's as I pack my medical bag. I write a prescription to be filled in case the cold gets worse.
"Most of the time, I can believe that. But when they get sick, that's a lot more easier said then done," Lisa confides to me.
"Just do what you've been doing. You know the routine, if it gets worse get the prescription filled and administer. Otherwise, let him ride it out."
"I see you've gotten pretty comfortable with country lingo already," Lisa amusingly tell me.
"When in Rome and all that… you know how it goes," I fire back.
"Mummy… me play now," Theo asks Lisa.
"Yes, you can kiddo." Lisa tells home as she open the room door calling JB to take him downstairs to the others.
"You got a little free time for some coffee on the patio or do you have patients waiting," Lisa asks me.
"No, got a clear morning. This is my only call until late afternoon where I'm back at the office or I get an emergency call before that. So I definitely have time for coffee," I let Lisa know.
On the back patio both Lisa and Trish get their coffee and make themselves comfortable while watching the kids play.
"Thanks for coming, Trish. It puts my mind at ease to have your have expert opinion," Lisa remarks with relief.
"Not a problem, plus you sent a car for me. I get to take in the scenery and didn't have to drive here so it was more then okay," I inform Lisa happily.
"I need to ask you something. You don't have to answer if I'm crossing a line. I know you have client patient confidentiality but I need to know if Jack is okay after what happened yesterday," Lisa gets out hesitantly.
"Lisa, you know how this works."
"I know, I just need to know that his okay, Trish."
"Then call him and find out," I encourage Lisa.
"I haven't talked to him since we broke up. I don't think he or his wife would appreciate me calling to check up on him. It would be very inappropriate not to mention distasteful," Lisa earnestly tells me. Lisa holds up her hand in apology, "I'm sorry, I asked you. I shouldn't have it was inappropriate of me, I apologize for putting you on the spot and ambushing you," Lisa sets down her coffee and walks to the railing over looking the backyard as she leans on a pillar needing a moment to collect herself.
"No, apology necessary," I convey to Lisa contemplating whether to ask her about her and Jack. "Lisa, are you okay," I ask her concerned.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired," I hear the catch in her voice and no a lie when I hear one.
"Lisa it's obvious you care about Jack. Otherwise, you would not ask about how he is. What happened between the two of you?"
"We broke up, Trish. He broke it off although it wouldn't have mattered even if he didn't. He has his wife back and that was never going to be a contest because I wouldn't have been in the running anyway. So breaking up when we did, actually spared me some of the extra heartbreak. Not to mention the public scorn and disdain of being his mistress."
"Lisa, I don't know what to say," I can hear the heartbreak in her voice. It doesn't seem like Lisa is registering what I just said she's almost in a trance like state.
I hear her very quietly talking to herself, almost like she's having a self talk. "It's not like Jack to get into a fight. Not even with Dan. I know Jack, his not the type of man to use violence. He has to have been at his wits end to have lost his cool that way. His very thoughtful almost sage like in his ability to navigate what's thrown at him. I just need to know that his doing okay, after yesterday."
The quiet distress of her voice makes up my mind. "Look Lisa, Jack had fifteen stitches in the forehead. A deep cut caused by Dan smashing a plate into his head at point blank range. But we managed to get the wound cleaned and stitched. All in all, he'll be fine."
"Was he in a lot of pain," Lisa asks with great concern and anxiety.
"No, he wasn't."
"What do mean he wasn't? Jack is a really strong man but his not superman," she counters with incredulity.
"He wasn't in physical pain, okay Lisa. Lets leave it at that."
"If he wasn't in physical pain, then what? I know Dan is a real pain in Jack's side but not to the point of affecting him mentally and emotionally. Jack's too strong for that."
"No man is an island Lisa."
"I know that Trish. I'm just saying that Dan doesn't sit on top of any list that Jack has worries about. They've always had this frosty thing between them since the first time they met. They've had an intense dislike for the other ever since. Dan can irritate the hell out of Jack, yes. But not to the point of affecting Jack to that level."
"You know the fight was about you?"
"So, the rumours say. But that's all it is, gossip which I don't believe."
"It isn't a rumour, this is straight from the horses mouth."
Lisa puts her hand over her heart in disbelief. "Jack wouldn't be fighting about me, Trish. I hold no place in his life, I was just someone passing through his life. It's not worth anything to fight over, for Jack."
"You seem pretty sure of that? Why is that?"
"Jack was never mine to love in the first place, Trish. Lyndy was…. Sorry, is his wife and the woman he always wanted to make a life with, not me. I was an aberration for Jack."
"Mummy, wat…er." Jace comes running towards Lisa panting out of breath with his request.
Lisa pours some water into a kids sippy cut on the small little side table that's here on the back porch. Just as Lisa is done the another one runs up and with a similar request. "Me wan….t, me wan….t, " an commanding Theo orders from his mum.
Lisa does the same routine and just as with the previous child another shows just as she's done, demanding water as well. "Mum…my, mu..mmy me too," an adamant Thea pointedly looks at her mum.
"They're a sight to behold Lisa," I say in awe to her as I watch the children play in the yard with two other people that I've never met. "Who's that they're playing with?"
"JB's brothers, whom I might add act just like little kids from time to time," Lisa amusingly tells me.
"Where is JB and Jules?"
"JB, Jules and JB's dad are gone to the lake to do some stone skipping."
"Jules too, I'm impressed. She can't walk yet but can skip stones. Must be some type of guinness book of record. We should call someone about that," I tease Lisa.
"Well, JB thinks it's never to early to learn the important things in life. Anyway, she finds the lake soothing so it's a win for all of them I suppose."
My phone rings and I have to leave Fairfield immediately. Lisa walks me to the car waiting to take me to my emergency call.
"Lisa thanks for letting the driver take me to the this call," I tell her thankfully.
"I insisted having you brought here by our driver so this is the least I can do. Thank you for coming to take a look at Theo and for the other thing," Lisa states with sincerity.
"You'll welcome on both counts."
"You're a good friend to have Trish. I mean it, you've been a god send for my family and me in particular," Lisa express to me with a genuine wholeheartedness.
As I leave Fairfield it doesn't escape my attention that my conversation with Lisa, about Jack remains unfinished.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Briar Ridge
Lyndy walks into Val office at Briar ridge.
"Hello, Lyn take a seat I'm almost done with these papers," Val informs Lyndy.
"Hello, Val no problem."
"Okay, all done for today, I hope. What's up Lyn?" Val asks Lyndy.
"You know what's up Val. My husband getting into a fight with another man over THAT two-bit whore?" Lyndy angry expresses to Val.
"What are you going to do about it?" Val prompts.
"I want her gone from Hudson, that's what."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Val asks impressed by Lyndy's initiative.
"Her life needs to be unbearable here in Hudson to make her leave with her tail between her legs," Lyndy informs Val shrewdly.
"I always admired your tenacity Lyn," Val chuckles with delight.
"Thanks, for calling me to tell me about the fight yesterday. You can be sure that nobody at Heartland would have said a word to me about it," Lyndy resentful states to Val.
"How is Jack by the way?" she enquires.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Lyndy sarcastically get out.
"What do you mean? Haven't you seen or talked to him yet?" Val disbelievingly questions Lyndy.
"No, I haven't Jack can be impossible to find when he doesn't want to be found."
"You really don't have any idea of how Jack is do you?" Val sympathetically imparts to Lyndy.
"Big fat surprise, there!" she sarcastically spits out with venom. "I can't believe how Jack humiliated me in public like that."
"Of all things, getting into a fight with Dan Heartfield. Not just getting into a fight with him but the fight being about Lisa."
"She's a trouble maker that one. With her nimble slut body driving men to take a swing at each other over her whorish charms," Lyndy states with derision.
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Val remarks approvingly.
"Both of them are pathetic, drooling over some used up tramp whose expiry date will be sooner rather then later."
"How are you going make her life hell?" Val inquisitively proves Lyndy.
"I've been up half the night thinking of it. I know some nefarious characters from my time in the states. I have a few favours I can call upon."
"What do you know about her wretched kids?"
"There is nothing concrete in that regard. I got all different stories ranging from two, three or five," Val remarks with disappointment at the lack of solid information. "Fairfield has been locked up pretty tight, and she hasn't ventured out of there much previously when she back from Europe."
"Doesn't really matter how many she has they'll come in handy to make her life a living hell. When I'm done with her those wastrel children of hers, she'll wish she never laid eyes on Jack. Better yet she'll wish she'd never been born," Lyndy gleefully proclaims.
"Lets go out to celebrate her demise," Val enthusiastically states.
"That's a great idea Val. Something I can finally throw myself into in this useless town."
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