Ford picked up his suitcase and headed downstairs. Already dreading having to leave again. Crom was crying his eyes out with Holly trying to console him. Ford gave his wife a kiss and whispered, "Please, remember to pay the bills first when you receive the money I send."

She gave him a soft smile but said nothing.

Ford knelt down to his son and said, "It's only a week, buddy. And, when I get back, I will take you out to the park with Uncle Wayne. How does that sound?"

Crom nodded. Ford looked over to Holly, "Just in case you can't remember the instructions for your medicine, I have them written down in your room. Take care."

Holly seemed troubled by that statement for some reason. Regardless, he waved to her as he left for the train.

Crom ran to his mother and cried into her dress. "Get off me! You're going to get snot on my dress!" She said as she pushed the child off her.

This only made Crom more upset. Holly walked over and carried him to the next room. She picked up a pack of colors and said, "Crom, why don't you draw a picture for when your dad returns. I am sure it will make him really happy."

Crom nodded and started to color. She got up to begin cleaning when Crom said, "Why don't you draw something for him too?"

Holly smiled and said, "I suppose I could." She thought for a moment and picked up a pencil. She started to sketch what would eventually be a portrait of the young doctor. But it wasn't long before her peace was interrupted.

"Holly! I need you in the bedroom!" Iluka shouted.

Holly put down her pencil and hurried upstairs to find Iluka digging through what appeared to be a lockbox. Holly noticed there were three compartments inside the lockbox. The first contained a stack of what appeared to be letters, and the second had various jewelry pieces. The third and final compartment had a massive wad of money. Holly thought it was oddly suspicious but didn't say anything, "Yes, Mrs. Iluka?"

"First, I want you to tell me which outfit you think looks better. The little black dress or the romantic red dress?" Iluka asked, pointing to two dresses hanging on the back of the door.

Holly smiled and answered," I think Ford would prefer the little black dress on you."

To Holly's surprise, Iluka started laughing, "You seriously think I would dress this way for Ford? No way, I am meeting someone tonight, and I want him to notice me." She thought before continuing, "I think I will go with the red one. Now hang these clothes back in the closet." She pointed to a massive pile of clothes sitting on the bed.

Holly realized what was happening but knew that it wasn't her place. After she finished putting the clothes away, she was about to leave the room when Iluka added, "By the way, you will be watching Crom tonight." Holly nodded and continued downstairs.

When Holly went downstairs, a man in cowboy attire was playing with Crom. She didn't know who he was, so she approached him, "Excuse me, sir, but who are you?"

Crom excitedly introduced the cowboy, "This is my Uncle Wayne. Uncle Wayne meet Holly. She's…"

"She's the help.…." Iluka interrupted, "Do you have any mail for me? I am waiting for a letter."

Wayne noticed Holly's eyes fall when she was referred to as 'the help.' The poor girl was embarrassed. He knew that Ford would never purchase a human, so what exactly was going on here? He intended to ask Ford the next time that he was in town. Wayne reached into his mail parcel and pulled out an envelope addressed to Iluka, "Just one from the local carpenter. He sure is aggressive with his promotions."

"Well, business is business," Iluka defended, "I am sure you have many more places to visit, so get going."

Later that evening, Holly was cooking dinner when she heard a knock on the door. She saw a tall, muscular man with long blue hair standing in the doorway. "Aloha," he greeted. He then looked her up and down and said, "My name is Ludus. I am the local handyman. And you are?"

"I'm Holly," she replied simply.

He smiled at her and said, "It's wonderful to meet you, Holly. Maybe we can meet sometime and get to know each other."

Before Holly could reply, "Iluka ran down the stairs and threw herself at Ludus, kissing him passionately. Ludus, how are you, my love? I am so excited to go out tonight." She pulled away from him and said, "Why don't you ready the horse, and I will give Holly some final instructions before I go." Ludus nodded and stepped outside. Iluka approached Holly and lowered her voice, "Ludus is mine, Holly. You are not allowed to go anywhere with him. And, if you dare say one word about us to anyone, I will make you regret it. Do you understand?" Holly nodded, and Iluka smiled at her, satisfied. "Good, have Crom in bed by 8:30 and don't wait up," she hurried out the door.

Iluka and Ludus headed to Skytree Village, far from the trio of towns they resided in. They decided to eat at a hotel that had a fancy restaurant inside. After they ordered, Ludus asked, "So where did this new girl come from. Did Ford find out about us and try to make you jealous."

Iluka laughed, "That dense doctor, no, of course not. I bought her from an auction to do work around the house."

To her surprise, Ludus seemed angered by her comment, "Wait, you mean she's a slave?"

"Well, she was supposed to be until Ford turned into a human rights activist. He wanted to pay for a trip for her to go home, but when she explained she didn't have a home, he offered her a paying job as a live-in nanny." She answered, rolling her eyes in frustration.

Ludus took a swig from his whiskey before continuing, "Iluka, you mean to tell me, after the years of slavery our islander ancestors had to endure being captured and enslaved, you purchased one? Have you lost your mind?"

"It's just one. Besides, they did it to us. So why shouldn't we do it to them?" she asked.

"Because people aren't property," he concluded. He threw cash on the table to cover the meal they didn't yet eat and said, "Find your own way home tonight."

"But Ludus!" she shouted after him, but he had already mounted his horse and left.

Iluka started to cry as she figured out what to do next.

Holly was cooking breakfast the following day when she heard Iluka come in the door. Holly greeted, "Good morning, Mrs. Iluka. How was your… ahhh." Iluka grabbed her braid and spun her around, slapping her across the face as soon as they made eye contact.

Tears filled Holly's eyes as she looked at Iluka, confused. Her cheek still stinging from the slap.

"You stupid, stupid, girl. It's your fault Ludus is mad at me," Iluka yelled.

"My fault? What on earth did I do?" Holly asked.

Iluka didn't answer. Instead, she went upstairs and started wailing…loudly.

Not wanting to think about it further, Holly called Crom to the table for breakfast.

Crom noticed the handprint on Holly's cheek and did something that surprised her. He pushed a kitchen chair over to the refrigerator and climbed on it, pulling out an ice pack. He handed the ice pack to Holly and said, "Here, whenever dad has a mark like that, he usually puts ice on it."

Tears filled Holly's eyes as she realized that the doctor sometimes went through this kind of abuse. "Thank you, Crom. That's very thoughtful."

Ludus and Iluka made up a few days later. He still didn't like what she did, but he decided to let it go since Holly was now being paid for work. Holly was helping Crom with his homework when she heard some noises coming from upstairs. The headboard hit the wall violently, and Iluka called out Ludus' name in ecstasy. "What are they doing up there?" Crom asked.

Holly flushed; she didn't know what to tell him. "Oh, they are just playing leapfrog. Now, let's get back to this equation." Holly let out a sigh of relief when he did as he was told. She smiled, thinking, 'he's such a good kid. How something this sweet came from that witch upstairs; she will never know.'

Ford unlocked the clinic door the following week and found Iluka talking to Miranda from the general store. "I want the dress cut lower here and the slit to go slightly higher."

Miranda nodded and replied, "Yes, ma'am is that all?"

"Yes, that will be fine," Iluka said, handing Miranda some cash.

The older woman looked up, "Oh, hello, Ford." Her smile made dimples in her cheeks.

Iluka turned around and faked a smile, "Darling, I am so happy you are home." Miranda took this as a sign that she should leave. When she left, Ford said, "I brought you a gift." He pulled out a beaded necklace, "I saw it and thought of your lovely eyes. It was in one of the tribes' shops."

"Oh, thank you, Ford. It's beautiful," She replied, immediately putting it on her neck. He then looked around and asked, "Where's Crom?"

"Oh, Holly is with him by the lake. Wayne brought him a model boat kit during the week, and she helped him build it. So, they are testing it out together," She replied as she turned away from him.

Since Iluka seemed too preoccupied to talk, Ford decided to go down by the lake to see Crom. He noticed Wayne and Holly watching over the little guy as he played with his ship. Crom was the first to notice his father's arrival and called out to him, "Papa, you're back! Did you bring me a surprise?"

Ford smiled, "I sure did, but first do you want to show me how you captain that ship."

The child nodded excitedly. Holly smiled and asked, "Did you have a good trip?"

Ford shrugged, "As good as can be expected. I don't mind traveling for leisure, but these traveling doctor gigs are very different from your traditional clinic visits. If I didn't have to do them, I probably wouldn't."

"You probably wouldn't have to do them if you got Iluka to cut out her shopping habits," Wayne commented. Ford had been best friends with Wayne since they were in diapers. He is probably the only person he would have taken that comment from.

Ford nodded and replied, "I know. It's just how do I stop her. I can't monitor her every second of the day."

Holly decided to change the subject, "Ford, we planned on having a picnic after Crom plays for a while. Would you care to join us? I packed plenty of food."

Ford smiled, "That sounds nice. I think I will."

As they ate together, Wayne told a story about Ford and him when they were children. Suddenly, Holly's eyes went blurry, and her body was cold. Ford added to the story, and the two men started laughing when they noticed she was silent. Ford noticed she was white as a ghost. "Holly, are you alright?" It was at that moment she slumped over on his shoulder. He quickly picked her up and said, "Wayne, watch Crom." He then ran towards the clinic as fast as he could.

He carried Holly into the clinic and was surprised to see his wife having a makeout session in the exam room with Ludus. "Darling, I can explain," Iluka said as she noticed him.

Ford shook his head, "Not now. I am in the middle of an emergency." He carried Holly into the next exam room and took her sugar. It was nearly 400. He quickly gave her a dose of insulin and put a cold, damp cloth on her forehead. "Hang in there, Holly." He said as he watched over her.

Crom and Wayne came in a few minutes later, carrying his boat and picnic supplies.

"How is Ms. Holly," Crom asked, running into the room.

Ford picked up Crom and said, "She's going to be alright. She just needs some rest."

Crom looked at the expression on his father's face and asked, "Are you, sad daddy?"

Ford bit his lip, the child knew nothing about what he had seen, and he wanted to keep it that way. "No, Crom, I am just worried about Ms. Holly. Just like you."

Crom thought for a moment and ran to his room to grab something. He returned and handed Ford two sheets of paper. "When you left for work, Mrs. Holly suggested that we draw something for when you get back. She said that it would make you feel happy. Mine is the one on top."

The first picture showed the family standing in front of the house. Ford smiled and said, "You did a beautiful job. I am going to hang this in my office." He then looked at the picture underneath. It was drawn entirely in pencil. It was a sketch of him and Crom's faces. His eyes got big, "Wow, she's quite the accomplished artist."

Wayne looked over Ford's shoulder and looked equally impressed at both pieces of art, "Yall did a good job, Crom!"

Crom beamed and asked, "Dad, while I wait for Holly to wake up, can I have something sweet?"

Ford nodded, "I brought you back a small bag of sweets from the tribe. It's in my suitcase. Don't eat it all in one sitting."

"Okay, Dad," he yelled as he ran to retrieve it from the suitcase.

Being alone with Wayne and an unconscious Holly, he asked, "Wayne, can I meet with you and Brad at the garden grill tonight after it closes?"

"It's fine with me. I will let Brad know to expect us. Is something wrong?" Wayne asked.

Ford nodded, "Yes, but I can't talk about it here."

Judging by Ford's body language, Wayne knew that whatever Ford was going to tell him would be bad. He put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "We'll be there. I am going to go now to let him know. Let us know how Holly is doing when you get there tonight."

Ford nodded and didn't move from his spot when his friend left. Iluka walked in, "Ford, what you saw isn't what it looked like."

"Really, because it looked like your tongue was down Ludus' throat," Ford responded, choking up a bit.

"He means nothing to me, Ford. He was simply an infatuation. You have nothing to worry about," Iluka replied.

Ford didn't say anything. Instead, he simply walked out the door and headed to his office, shutting the door behind him.

A few hours later, Holly came to with a massive headache. She tried to get up, but the room was spinning, and her legs gave out underneath her. Ford heard the crash and entered the exam room. He helped her up and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy and tired," she responded.

"You just had a spike in blood sugar. I gave you an insulin dose, so you should be fine now," he said. Holly tried to get up again, but he gently pushed her back down and said, "But you will need some rest." Holly thought for a moment before whispering, "Can I ask a selfish request?"

"What is it?" Ford asked.

"Can you hold my hand until I fall asleep? My father …" Holly shot straight up in the bed, "I remember something!" She looked Ford in the eyes and said, "My father used to hold my hand until I would fall asleep when I was ill."

"Do you remember anything else?" Ford asked.

Holly thought as hard as she could, but she couldn't remember anything else. Finally, she looked down and shook her head no.

Seeing her so disappointed hurt him. Silently, he reached for her hand and fulfilled her 'selfish request.'

When she realized what he was doing, she smiled at him and whispered, "Thank you," before quietly drifting off.

Later that night, when Crom was fast asleep. Ford grabbed his coat and announced, "I am going visit Wayne and Brad. Crom and Holly are asleep, so you shouldn't have anything to tend to do. Have a nice evening."

Iluka started taking down her hair and purred, "Yes, dear, and we can have some time to ourselves when you get back."

Ford didn't say anything or even react. Instead, he turned on his heel and left the room. Iluka rolled her eyes, thinking, 'The grouch better straighten up. It's not like he can get anyone better than me.' She then went back to combing her hair.

Wayne and Brad sat at the bar chatting when Ford arrived inside the Garden Grill. "decaff?" Brad asked.

Ford nodded and got straight to the point, "Iluka's cheating on me." Brad stopped pouring the coffee, and Wayne put his hand on Ford's shoulder. Ford continued, "For the first time in a very long time, I just don't know what to do. I gave her everything she ever asked for. I spent as much quality time as possible with her, and she still goes looking for someone else."

"What happened?" Brad asked as he sat one of Ford's coffee in front of him.

Ford went into detail about what happened after Holly collapsed, "I went home and carried Holly to the nearest exam room. Inside, Ludus and Iluka were in a compromising position, making out. I just don't know what to do. I love Iluka but seeing her with another man completely disgusted me."

Brad nodded, "I was cheated on by an old girlfriend. Of course, it wasn't quite the same because we weren't married, but I do know how you feel. You wonder why you weren't good enough? What did you do wrong? And most of all, did she ever love you at all?"

Ford nodded, "I am not going to lie. I am even considering divorce at this point."

"Divorce? Now, Ford, I am not denying that she was wrong in every way, shape, and form. But you have a history with Iluka. Maybe you should consider marriage counseling or something first. After all, at this point, all you know is they kissed. Maybe they didn't go any further than that."

Ford nodded; I suppose you are right. Thanks, guys. "Any time," Brad replied.

Ford went home and found Iluka lying in bed wearing a fancy nightgown. She had a bottle of wine with two glasses on the nightstand, waiting for his arrival. He walked to the bed, and his primal instincts took over. The night ended with both husband and wife gasping for air.

After Ford woke up and showered, he felt even worse than he had the night before. Now he felt shame. Ford may have slept with his wife, but the 'passion' they shared was empty. It was like he slept with a complete stranger.

Now dressed, Ford walked downstairs and noticed Holly seemed to be struggling. Her hands were shaking as she carried the plates to the table. "Holly, sit down," he commanded as he grabbed the finger stick test. This time the test read 60. "Your blood sugar is too low," Ford explained. He walked over to the fridge and poured her a little juice, "Here, drink this. It will make you feel better in no time."

As she drank the juice, she immediately started feeling some relief. "Why are my sugar levels all over the place. It was all the way up to 400 yesterday. Am I doing something wrong?" She asked.

"No, diabetes is a complex disease and very difficult to treat, especially since some cases are worse than others. You happen to have a severe case. Part of the difficulty is when your body consumes carbs, not all carbs are equal, so they can affect your blood sugar in different ways. Emotions, stress, hormones, and even water intake can all impact how much insulin you need," Ford explained.

"Thank you, Doctor Ford. I feel so blessed to be in your care," she said.

That one sentence made his terrible morning feel just a little bit brighter. He picked up Holly's glass and asked if she needed any more juice before washing her cup and adding, "Just sit down for a few minutes, I will take care of breakfast. By the way, here is your pay."

Iluka came down a little while later. She found Ford in his office and climbed on his desk in front of him. "Ford dear, I think we need to go on a little trip to rekindle our relationship."

Ford was quiet before answering, "We might have been able to do that if you would have paid the bills like I had asked." He showed her the stack of unopened envelopes, "You were supposed to take care of this, Iluka. What happened to all the money I have been sending home."

Iluka cringed, "Ford darling, don't get mad. All we need is for you to go abroad a week or two and…."

"And you will go sleeping around with other men while I will be working until my entire body aches. I can't do this anymore, Iluka!" Ford, the normally levelheaded doctor, shouted.

Suddenly, Ford heard Crom start to cry from the other room. He got up to handle it but saw that Holly was already working on calming him. He then turned to his wife and said, "Besides all that, I don't want to miss out on watching my son grow up. So stay, don't stay, I don't care anymore. But I will not let you keep using me like this." He walked out the room, heading straight for Crom. He looked at Iluka over his shoulder, who was mentally screaming, 'Shit!'