Chapter 25

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Most parents will tell you that a sure fire way to get a baby to go to sleep is to take them for a drive; that a moving car was as soothing as any lullaby. Martin would agree if he weren't already asleep himself. Reese was driving him home after a particularly grueling morning session of physical therapy.

"Hey, we're here." Reese said, shaking his shoulder.

"Already?" Martin asked, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up.

Reese just gave him a light laugh and responded, "Yes, already. Now get up, I gotta go pee."

Reese and Martin made their way down to the Muireann. Martin was moving slowly because he was so tired and Reese was urging him to move faster because her bladder was quite insistent. As Martin neared the boat he spotted a familiar figure standing on the deck and called out, "Hey, Viv!"

Vivian turned around at hearing her name, held her hand up above her eyes to minimize the glare and smiled at seeing Martin. She waited as Martin and Reese boarded the sailboat.

"What are you doing here?" Martin asked as he gave Viv a quick hug hello.

"Since I don't have to testify I snuck out for awhile and I thought I'd check out this boat I keep hearing about." She turned to Reese and said, "Hello, I'm Vivian Johnson. I work with Martin."

Reese smiled and said, "Hi, I'm Reese Watkins; Martin's sister."

"Nice to meet you." Viv replied.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Reese urgently added, "I don't mean to be rude but I really, really have to hit the head."

"Oh, go! I've been there before, get outta here!" Viv chuckled waving her hands to shoo Reese down below. She turned to Martin, "'Hit the head?'"

"It is a nautical term." Martin smiled at Viv. "Hungry?"

"I could eat." Martin motioned for Viv to follow him down below.

"Wow, this is much nicer and bigger than I pictured." Viv remarked looking around at all the modern conveniences installed on the boat over the years.

"Thanks." He opened the fridge and asked, "Sandwiches alright?"

"Yeah, do you need any help?" Viv asked.

"Nah, I got it. Feel free to look around." Viv nodded her head as she continued inspecting the cabin. Martin pulled out all the fixings and assembled three sandwiches before grabbing a bag of potato chips and putting them on the table. "What would you like to drink? I have soda, water, or iced tea."

"I'll take the iced tea, thanks." Viv took a seat in the salon booth. "Wow, these look great."

Martin shrugged as Reese emerged from the head "Sorry to rush off; it was nice meeting you Vivian." The two women shook hands.

"You can't stay for lunch?" Martin asked, pointing to the sandwich.

"No, I have to go meet a new artist for lunch in half-an-hour." She leaned in and gave Martin a quick peck on the cheek and started walking away when she turned back and grabbed the sandwich saying, "For the road."

Both Martin and Viv laughed as Reese waddled away. "Your sister seems nice. How far along is she, five months?"

"Yeah, just about." Martin replied, taking a bite of his lunch.

"What does she do?"

"She's a curator at the Smithsonian." Martin turned his focus away from his lunch and looked directly at Viv and asked, "Why are you really here, Viv?"

"What? Can't I just stop by to say hello?" Martin cocked up his eyebrow and looked at her hard. "Okay, I just thought maybe we could talk."

"About?" Martin asked.

Vivian sighed and said, "Whatever you want. I just thought maybe you needed someone to talk to."

"No offense, but what do you know about comas?" Martin didn't want to sound harsh but he was tired and more than just a bit cranky.

Viv looked at him and calmly said, "Nothing about comas but I do know a few things about facing your mortality and feeling that things are out of your control."

They looked at each other for a long moment before Martin finally spoke. "How did you deal with it?"

"Well, besides not telling anyone at work, I just looked at it like an agent: gathering facts, information, doing research. I realized it's not only the illness I had to deal with but the way I reacted to it as well." Viv leaned back and added, "I also realized that I had Marcus and Reggie to worry about. You really realize the importance of having family during a time like that."

"Yeah, I can't imagine going through this without my parents and sisters." Martin commented.

"I don't want to pressure you to talk if you don't want to, Martin. I just want you to know that I am here if you do."

Martin nodded his head and said, "Thanks."

They ate in amicable silence for a few minutes. Viv held her sandwich up to her face and casually asked, "So, how'd things go last night?"

Martin stopped mid-chew and looked over at her, slightly shocked that she would ask. He was unsure how much to share with her so he replied simply, "It went fine."

"Just fine? Because the way Sam was fluttering around this morning I would have thought it went much better than fine." Viv smiled devilishly.

"Sam does not 'flutter.'" Martin replied amused at the thought of Sam doing anything that could remotely resemble fluttering. "But yeah, I guess it went better than okay. We are having dinner tonight to talk about things."

"I'd say that's a good idea." Martin bit his lip and looked away. "Isn't it?"

"I don't know." Martin turned to look back at Viv. "Sam can be…difficult."

"Help me out, what do you mean by 'difficult'? Give me an example."

Martin searched his memories, unsure of how much to share. "Do you remember the Chelsea Prince case, when you were out of breath?"

Viv cringed inwardly when she realized what Martin might be leading towards. "Yes."

"I was worried about you and I tried talking to her about it several times but she kept blowing me off. And then you collapsed and she blew up at me."

Martin was doing research at Viv's desk when he heard Sam approaching. He turned to try and update her on what he found out about the doll's head when Sam just attacked.

"Did I…did I do something wrong?" He asked, unsure why Sam was so agitated.

"Well, you haven't said two words about it since she collapsed, at least not to me. And now I walk in and you're sitting at Vivian's desk, using her computer." Sam seethed.

"You think I'm being disrespectful to her?"

"No, I think you're being selfish and inconsiderate, is what I think?"

"The thing was Viv, she wouldn't talk to me about it so I just gave up. I thought that's what she wanted but turns out I was wrong about her again."

Viv felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She was so engrossed in her own drama that it never occurred to her that asking Sam to hold her secret would be detrimental to hers and Martin's relationship. If it had been a secret like that between her and Marcus she knew that it would have killed her to not tell him. She knew that she would have to come clean with Martin in order to make it right. "Martin, I have to tell you something."

He looked at her perplexed. "What?"

"Sam knew that I was having heart problems." Martin looked at her confused. "She walked into the women's restroom and saw my heart monitor. I made her promise to not tell anyone, you in particular." Martin's jaw clenched and Viv could tell that he was not happy to hear this revelation. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't ready for anyone to know: I see now that it was wrong of me. Martin, I'm really sorry."

Martin sat there quietly for a long period of time. He was fluctuating between anger, disgust, and hurt.

"Martin, talk to me."

He gave her a hard look and quietly said, "I think you should leave now."