Chapter Twelve
(see my Profile for more info ... Cast of Characters ... Timeline ... etc ...)
Matt's apartment … a few minutes later …
"Mmmm …" Stephanie moaned as they continued to kiss – hungrily.
"Mmmm … Mmmm …" Matt moaned back in agreement as he pressed her back into the cushions even more.
The ringing of a phone brought them both back to reality.
"Damn." Matt cursed breathlessly as he buried his face into Stephanie's neck. "I was just about ready to slide into second base."
"It's mine." Stephanie tried to catch her breath as she leaned to pick up her phone off the coffee table. "Oh hell – " She cursed as she pressed the button. "Hello … hello, Mother. I thought it was you … because the display said 'Offshore Call' … no – I'm fine – just a little out-of-breath … well – if you must know – I was in the middle of a very passionate kiss with the most gorgeous man you've ever seen … you're right – it couldn't possibly be Eric … why are you calling … because you always do have a reason …" She gave Matt a strange look. "I'm doing much better – thank you for asking … yes – the therapy is helping … I agree – Bridget is a blessing – but then – most daughters are … yes – I know – except for me … I see … do you want me to send a car to pick you up … no trouble at all … yes – I will still be here … what kind of a daughter would I be if I didn't make sure you got home safe and sound … alright – I'll see you on Sunday … it was nice talking to you, too, Mother … goodbye." Frowning, Stephanie disconnected the call then tossed her phone back onto the coffee table with a clunk as she sunk back into the cushions. "If you had any idea …" She started to say then caught herself and shut up abruptly.
"Any idea – what?" Matt insisted, deciding it was time to push her into opening up to him.
Stephanie hesitated then turned into him, her expression and manner softening.
"What a mood breaker that was." She shrugged it off.
Frowning, Matt reached over and caressed her cheek.
"Stephanie …"
"So – what was that about second base?" She took hold of his hand and gave it a tender kiss before placing it on her breast. "I'm sure if we tried, we could get the mood back." She whispered seductively.
"Oh – God." Matt murmured weakly – quickly losing all sense of reason. "What am I going to do with you."
"Well – I think I just gave you a pretty good hint, my love." She pulled him into her, feeling him start to squeeze her breast. "Mmm …" She smirked. "I thought you would catch on …"
Matt silenced her with another hungry kiss as his hand started to work its magic – on both of them.
"Oh God … we really are a couple of lovesick – sex-starved – teenagers." She moaned breathlessly as she tugged on his lips hungrily.
The ringing of the doorbell startled them both back to reality.
"Damn!" Matt cursed even louder this time. "That does it. We're moving out into the middle of nowhere." He decided as he stood and went to answer the door, still mumbling under his breath.
"Delivery for Dr. Brannigan … from Frontier Cleaners." The young man told him.
"Oh yeah … I forgot all about this." Matt sighed then took the garment bag. "Hold on." He reached over to the table and grabbed a few dollar bills and handed it to the delivery guy. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Matt closed the door then turned and just stood there.
"See the affect you have on me. You make me forget everything else that's going on in the world."
"Well – gee, dear – I'm really sorry about that." Stephanie apologized dully, shifting positions to get comfortable.
"Ha! I bet." He chuckled then draped the garment bag over the back of the chair. "My favorite suit ... I agreed to attend a fundraiser for a children's hospital on Saturday night … would you care to be my date, Miss Douglas?"
"You're asking me out on a REAL date?"
"I am." He sat down next to her.
"I'll have to check my calendar and get back to you – alright?" She teased.
"You get back over here to me right now." He pulled her back into his arms then his mood turned serious. "There is something else we need to discuss … before it's too late for me to go out to a store and …" He let his words trail off as he got comfortable next to her. "Do you want me to wear a condom?" He asked matter-of-factly.
Stephanie just stared at him stunned for a long moment, not sure that she heard him right.
"Matthew … my days of getting pregnant are long gone." She pointed out, trying to lighten the mood.
"That's not what I was referring to." He told her then paused. "After my divorce, I was always careful and always wore a condom. There weren't that many women but I did have sex. Then, I just lost interest and gave it up – about two years ago. I had all the tests done – you know for HIV and STD's – during my annual physical at that time. Since then – nothing … but if you would feel safer if I wore a condom, I will." He shrugged.
Stephanie's expression softened as she moved closer and kissed his cheek.
"My gorgeous – responsible – man of my dreams … " She smiled easily then let out a heavy sigh. "Eric is the only man I've had sex with … well, it's been over ten years. There's always been some doubt about how faithful he was … anyway, I've always been tested during my annual physicals as well … we haven't had sex for over six months now. And I was just tested again when I was in the hospital in November." She explained. "Anyway – my answer is – no. I don't want you to wear a condom – as long as you feel safe not wearing one."
"I think it's safe to say we both feel safe being together then."
"You have no idea how safe I feel being with you." Stephanie added in a whisper as she snuggled into him closer then paused. "As long as we're on the subject of medical tests …" She started out hesitantly.
"Let me go get my laptop and we'll do the research on Pam's pills." He finished for her then quickly stood and went over to the desk. Returning to the sofa, he laid it on the coffee table then opened the lid and pressed the button to boot it up, slipping on his glasses as he waited.
Stephanie sat up and watched over his shoulder as the screen lit up. When she saw that his desktop wallpaper was the same as the painting in the bedroom, she smiled and gave his cheek a kiss.
"I told you I take you wherever I go." He reminded her then clicked on an icon and waited for the window to open up.
Seeing that it was for a search database she didn't recognize, she couldn't resist teasing him.
"What – the famous Dr. Brannigan doesn't Google?"
"Nobel prize winners have our own top secret database." He typed in the name of the drug then pressed the enter key.
"Oh – really?" She smirked then waited for the results to pop up, having to frown. "Not too many to choose from."
"That's not necessarily a bad thing." He tried to sound optimistic as he clicked on the first one then started to skim through the text.
Deciding to let him do the reading, Stephanie leaned back into the cushions and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. Frowning, Matt clicked through the rest of the links one by one.
"Do you ever remember Pam going in for any kind of medical tests? At any age?"
"Never … she's always been very healthy … my mother never mentioned a word about there being anything wrong with her – ever."
His frowned deepened as he typed in some more.
"I'll do a check on the doctor who prescribed the pills." He murmured preoccupied. "What about the changes in her personality – like the other night?"
"When she came to LA last November – after I was shot. She was behaving differently. That was the first time I noticed anything." Stephanie paused. "I wasn't the only one who noticed. My children thought she was acting strangely as well … my youngest son started to call her Aunt Baby Jane ... and then the police … they even added her name to the list of suspects." She admitted sadly. "Mother had left Pam alone while she went on one of her cruises. Pam probably forgot to take the pills or took too many … who knows what was going on. And then she was behaving the same way when I arrived a few days ago."
Matt made a face as he closed the lid to the laptop, removed his glasses then moved back into the cushions next to her.
"So Dr. Brannigan – what's the verdict?" She asked dreadingly.
"The drug became available in the late 1950's. It lost its FDA approval in the late 1960's when it was determined that it didn't serve any medical purpose other than to alter a person's moods. There isn't any published research on its side effects or long term use. The doctor is no longer licensed to practice medicine or prescribe medication – due to some questionable practices that were reported but never followed up on. He probably has an illegal mail-order practice going on." He paused.
"You know, Matthew – there really is no reason for you to sugar-coat this for my benefit. Just go ahead and tell it like it is." Stephanie took a deep breath as she took all this information in.
"I'm sorry, my love … but there really isn't any way to sugar coat this." He made an apologetic face as he leaned to kiss her cheek and pull her back into his arms.
"So – all these years, Ann Douglas really has been giving her youngest daughter these pills just to control her behavior … Mother always wanted perfection ... she failed with me ... so instead, she turned Pammie into a Stepford daughter ... a Betty Crocker clone. Probably as a means to keep her under her thumb, so that Pam would never have a life of her own - other than to remain here and take care of her ... a housekeeper, cook, chauffeur, companion ... a captive audience to listen to that God-awful song day after day ... "
"Stephanie … is your mother really capable of doing something like that?"
"Matthew … as far as what Ann is capable of … this is just the tip of the iceberg." Stephanie sighed heavily, tightening her arms around him. "Now – the question is – what do I do about it?"
"What do WE do about it." Matt corrected her, kissing the top of her head.
"What DO we do about it, Matthew?" She asked scared.
"The most important thing we have to do is to get Pam off the pills. And it will have to be gradual and controlled – under expert medical care."
"A rehabilitation center?"
Matt just nodded with a heavy sigh.