The following morning, Calleigh sat up in her bed eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee. The food wasn't really that bad, except that by the time it got to her room it was either lukewarm or cold and cold scrambled eggs did not taste appetizing. Calleigh was hungry, though, so she ate everything anyway. She was still annoyed with the decaf they insisted she drink, and was looking forward to a visit from anyone who would buy her a real cup of coffee. While she was eating, she was skimming through her magazine GunDigest, trying to occupy her mind and find an article she had not yet read.
Calleigh looked up when the door to her room opened; a man stepped through and entered the room.
"Daddy!" Calleigh squealed as she saw her father, Kenwall 'Duke' Duquesne, standing there. "You were able to come!"
Calleigh's father stood in the doorway and then walked over to Calleigh's bedside. Duke looked her over, checking to see how she was doing. "Hello, Lambchop," her father replied as he smiled and bent down to give her a kiss on her forehead.
"Don't I get a hug too?" Calleigh teased her father.
"Absolutely," and Calleigh's father bent down to give his daughter a big hug. Calleigh wrapped arms around her father's waist and happily returned his hug.
"I missed you, Lambchop. I am sorry that I wasn't here sooner to see you," Duke apologized, "but I had to finish a case I was dealing with. By the time I was contacted, you were already out of danger and on the road to recovery."
"That's fine, daddy. My friends were keeping me company, and I am much better according to my doctors. I should be going home tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? That is good to hear." Duke looked a little closer at his daughter. "I'm going to be able to stay in town for a few days before I have to leave . . . . . That is, if it's OK with you."
"Of course, its OK with me," Calleigh reassured her father. "It's also wonderful to see you. Why wouldn't it be?"
"It's so good to see you, Calleigh, and to know that you are going to be fine. I was so scared when the office called me."
"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to scare you. I think I scared a lot of people." Calleigh continued, looking thoughtful. "I am overwhelmed with the amount of attention I've been getting."
Duke looked closely at his daughter. "I hear you saved Eric Delko's life."
"I think we both jumped for the gun at the same time. I guess I was just a little faster," Calleigh explained to her father.
"Your boss, Horatio, told me the story. He also said that the man who shot you probably will not go to trial."
"That's what I've heard, too," Calleigh said. "It's just the way the system worked out this time. The team did a good job with all of the information and evidence."
"So, do you need a ride home tomorrow or is a friend taking you?"
"Eric told me that he would take me home. I think he already cleared it with Horatio."
"Eric, uh? He seems to always be around you; I think he cares for you. Are you dating him?" Duke looked at his daughter wondering about the relationship.
"No, daddy. I never dated Eric. We're friends - good friends - and coworkers," Calleigh said. Then she thought, 'at least now. Hopefully, that will change soon and we can be something more.'
Duke looked at his daughter carefully once more and kept the rest of his questions to himself.
"Come, sit here, daddy, and tell me what's going on recently. I haven't seen you in a very long time." Calleigh moved over on the bed and patted the mattress next to her.
Duke sat next to his daughter and put his arm around her. "Well," he began, "there's not really a whole lot to tell." He proceeded to entertain Calleigh with stories about some of his cases and the doings of some of the people he worked with. He had to stop with the stories when he told Calleigh about one of the judges who had such a bad case of gas that the witnesses being questioned couldn't concentrate on anything but the smell. Calleigh had to hold in her laughter as her father told her that the trial was postponed and the aide was personally going to handle the details of the judge's lunch so that the incident doesn't happen again.
"No more, daddy, no more - I am not supposed to be laughing that hard." Calleigh told her father with a smile. "The doctor will tie me down if I break my stitches. I still want to leave here tomorrow and go home."
"Well, no more funny stories then," Duke replied. "Can I talk to you about something serious?"
"Sure, dad. Is everything well at home? Are you ill? Is mother?" Calleigh asked worriedly.
"No, nothing like that, Lambchop. Nothing like that." Duke thought for a minute. "I was here last night . . . . . I mean, I wanted to - I came here to visit you last night and you had company - a friend - attractive woman with light brown hair."
"Yes, her name is Lucy. . . . . although she's not really a friend - more like a friend of a friend."
"Well, anyway, . . . . . you both were talking. I didn't want to interrupt. I heard her - Lucy - mention that she is going to break up with Eric?"
"Daddy, that is a situation that I can't talk about right now."
"OK, OK. I understand. I just want you to know that I want the best for you - all the time. I really do." Duke looked at Calleigh hoping that she would be able to sense, to see in his eyes that he meant every word.
"I know you do, daddy," Calleigh tried to reassure her father.
Duke wasn't convinced. "It's just that I know there are things I shouldn't have done or things that I should have done differently. When I heard you could have died, I was beside myself. You are my little girl, my baby. I don't want to lose you."
"You won't lose me, daddy. I'll always be your little girl."
"There's something else that I heard and wanted to talk to you about it." Duke paused, and took a deep breath. "I heard her tell you to go to some Al-anon meetings and you said you would?"
"Yes, daddy. I promised her; she's been very kind to me. She seems to think that it can help me with some . . . issues . . . and I already went twice and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
"So you actually think it might be beneficial for you?" Duke asked carefully.
"I've gotten some good insights, so yes, I think it will be beneficial," Calleigh answered. "I think I need to do this for me."
Calleigh looked up at her father. "And how have you been doing? Are you still drinking? You told me you would stop."
Calleigh's father looked down. "I'm trying, Calleigh. I was doing really well and then I heard you got shot, and I had to have one for my nerves. I just couldn't stop myself; I was so worried about you. But I will stop now, I promise."
"So that's why you couldn't come to visit right away - it wasn't only a court case" Calleigh realized aloud.
Calleigh started getting angry that her father would blame his drinking on her - because she got shot. Then she realized what she was doing and took a deep breath - count to 10 and remember you can't change anyone but yourself. She tried to remember some of what she learned; it was difficult because it sounded better and seemed easier on paper than in an actual situation.
Calleigh looked and her father and said sincerely, "Daddy, I love you, but it's not my fault you drank - Don't ever blame me or use me as your reason for taking a drink. Out of all the choices you had, it was your choice to turn to the alcohol. I cannot enable you any longer; it's not fair to me or to you. If you do anything illegal here again while you are drunk; I cannot - I won't - protect you from the consequences. I will help you get help, but I cannot put my job or my life on the line again. Do you understand?"
Duke looked at his daughter and started to protest, and then he saw the determined look in her eyes and the stubborn set of her jaw. "I understand," he replied sheepishly.
"Good," Calleigh was satisfied with that answer, and wasn't really looking to push the issue. She did miss her father's company; even though Calleigh had a difficult childhood, there were still some pleasant memories of her with her father. It was her father that first taught her about guns - how to aim properly and how to shoot them, how to clean them and take care of them. In the turmoil of her childhood, Calleigh wanted her father to love her and be proud of her. One of the bonds they had was developed during their shooting sessions together. Ironically, it was those childhood situations, both the painful and the happy that formed Calleigh into one of the foremost and respected ballistic specialists in the area.
"So, daddy, let me tell you about some of the more interesting cases we had here - but, first, I need a big favor from you." Calleigh looked at her father with a huge grin.
"What is the favor? If I can, I will," Duke replied valiantly.
"I need a real cup of coffee; they have only been letting me drink this lousy decaf substitute.
Calleigh's father laughed; he knew what a coffee lover his daughter was.
"Of course, my Lambchop. I would be delighted to. I will be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail." Calleigh watched as her father saluted her and left the room to get her coffee.
While Calleigh waited for her father to return, she realized that this was the first time she spoke to her father about his drinking without feeling guilty. She finally knew that she was not the cause of his drinking and that it had to be his decision - not hers - to stop. She could at last see beyond his illness to the man underneath. However, that did not stop her from wanting to see him get the help he needed. Calleigh would try not to let herself feel guilty any longer about her inability to control her father's drinking. Calleigh also realized that as an adult, it was her choice on what limits to put on her relationship with her father - he no longer would have her silent permission to hurt her.
Duke returned with two cups of coffee and handed one to Calleigh. "Here you go; it's hot, filled with caffeine and just the way you like it."
"Thanks, dad. You're a lifesaver. I have been waiting for this all morning."
Calleigh took a long deep drink from her cup; such a simple pleasure had the ability to put her in a good mood for the start of her day - which was a good way to start.
"How long are you staying here in the hospital visiting me?" Calleigh asked her father.
"I can stay for a little time yet; then I have some business to attend to. I'll be back later in the day. Will that be alright?"
"Sure, whatever works best for you; I know you have some people to see. Don't worry about me; my friends come visit me throughout the day and on breaks and I am doing fine."
"Now, daddy, since you've upheld your end of the bargain, I guess I have to keep you entertained now with stories of some of our cases."
Calleigh proceeded to tell her father stories for over a half hour until her father had to leave.
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