The room was dark but you could make out a shadow of a person in the bed
to the left of him. Gary felt the wall for a light switch but found nothing. He
slowly walked over to the window and opened the curtains. The afternoon light
streamed through enough to brighten up the whole room. Gary slowly walked
over to the bed, their person in it started stirring because of the sudden change
of light in the room.
"Adison?" Gary whispered. Adison slowly opened his eyes but at the sight of Gary
sprang for his bed.
"Don't hurt me! Please!" he yelled hysterically. Gary ran over to him and held
him down in the bed.
"Don't move! Your in no condition to move!" he informed the squirming Adsion.
"What's wrong with you?!" Gary asked him. Adsions room door swung open
and Marissa stepped into the doorway.
"Gary ... is everything ok? I heard noises," she asked. Gary was almost on top of
Adison now trying to restrain him.
"Marissa honey.. Shut the door and take a seat," he said slowly.
"But Gary!" she yelled concerned.
"Now Marissa!" he yelled back losing his patients. She did as she was told.
"Adison! What's gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?" Gary yelled over
the sound of the two men wrestling each other.
"I…I didn't touch your wife I swear!" he shot back.
"What? My wife?! But I'm not married," Gray informed.
"Your… your not?" Adison said now lying still in his bed.
"No I'm not," Gary yelled.
"So your not Anatonia Giovani's husband?" he asked feeling stupid.
"Anatonia Giovani!" Marissa stated in disbelief.
"Yea you know Sun Times news reporter/WBKL news anchor," he informed.
"We know who she is ... unfortunately," Gary told him.
"Oh so you're a member of her fan club too I see!" Adison stated sarcastically.
"Oh of course she's just such a remarkable person," Gary joked back with a
laugh.
"I used to believe that myself," Adison sighed. The room went silent and Adsion
clasped back on his pillow.
"Adison... What is it?" Marissa said going over and sitting on the corner of his bed.
"She used to be such a remarkable person! Believe it or not she was a
remarkable person," he rubbed his eyes then clasped his hands together.
"I ... I don't understand," Marissa remarked.
"Of course you don't there hasn't been much released to the press about it. That
is until now. As soon as I'm out of this hospital I'm going public starting with you
two," Adison continued.
"It being...?" Gary questioned.
"It was 7 years ago. God I can't believe how long ago it was! I was 21 and in my
last few months of the marines. I was stationed in Israel trying to reach some
type of peace agreement between Israel, Syria, and Jordan. Things were really
beginning to heat up in those last few months and the press was eating it up. 3
others and me were asked to participate in an interview for the Sun Times our
home own paper. The reporter was Anatonia and that's how we met," he said
slowly lying back down.
"But why would that make headlines? Why do you fear her husband?" Marissa
said softly.
"Because ... because I was stupid. Because I fell in love and believed that she had
too! She stayed with me my last months telling her editor she still wasn't finished
and sending her articles through email. After my release we went home
together. But I never knew why she kept me a secret I never knew until she
called me one night about 3 months ago crying," Adison stated.
"Why what had happened?" Gary questioned.
"Well, she is pregnant ... and I'm the father. That's when she told me that she
was married," he informed.
"Ouch!" Marissa said placing a hand on his blanket covered leg.
"Yea my thoughts exactly! That's when I told her I wanted to be in her life. I
told her I wanted to be in her life and that we could be together. Instead I got a
cold shoulder. She said that if it got out that she had an affair that her career
and life would be ruined. She said everything she worked for would be down the
tubes. So I told her I was going to make our relationship public. I had no other
choices she wasn't going to let me see my child," he said sitting back up. He let
his eyes gaze at the ceiling remembering what she had said next that etched a
scare in his heart.
"Adison please," she sniffled softly. He knew she had been crying. He could
imagine the soft droplets as they made there way down her face. "I've worked
so hard to get where I am. Please don't take that from me," she begged.
"You're doing this to yourself. Were both losing things we love, guess were even,"
Adison stated carefree. It grew silent and anger started to build in him. "So what
the hell was the last seven years Toni? Was I just some toy?" he spat out.
"No… no Adison I love you," she broke down.
"How can you say that? You don't hurt someone that you love," Adison yelled stressed.
"But I never meant for you to get hurt," Anatonia said crying loudly.
"Well you know what Chicago's little sweet heart, unlike everything else you do
so perfectly this time you finally screwed up!" he slammed the phone down.
"So did you? Gary questioned brining him back to reality.
"Well, I would have but she made the next move. She told her husband and the
police that I had raped her. The police showed up at Madison Towers the same
day to question me and I told them I had proof. At my apartment there were
pictures of us, jewelry receipts, some of her things. I even had a tape of our
conversation. I didn't get to the phone in time and the answering machine
kicked on so when I picked it up and we talked it was all recorded. When we
got there my apartment had been ransacked. Everything gone. But no
fingerprints left at the scene and she was supposedly at her office. Now
everything I worked for is down the drain. I'm probably going to get life for this
... this crime that I didn't commit seeing who's pressing the charges!" he yelled.
"So that's why you tired killing yourself," Marissa concluded.
"Kill myself? You think I tried to commit suicide?" he questioned.
"You did didn't you?" she seemed confused.
"Heavens no. I'm trying to clear my name," he explained.
"Then your wrists," Gary pointed to them.
"Well, I didn't get a good glimpse of him but he was tall and he towered over
me," Adison explained.
"He?" Gary asked.
"Oh ... oh my god!" Marissa said softly, "You ... you didn't try to kill yourself.
Someone made it appear as you did!" she placed a hand over her mouth.
"Yes, and the last thing I remember is you," he pointed to Gary," Busting down
the door and putting your shirt over my wrists after that its blank. If you don't
mind me asking who are you anyway?" Adison questioned.
"Gary... Hobson my names Gary Hobson," Gary said dazed still trying to take everything in. Adison extended his hand.
"I think I owe you a thank you Mr. Gary Hobson." Gary stuck out his hand
slowly. "So what were you doing at my office?" Adison asked.
"Ahh... well... I... umm.. I was sent to your office from... my ahh... my
restaurant… ever hear of McGinty's? A waitress said... that umm... well you had
left your glasses there from last night," Gary said slowly.
"But I don't wear glasses and I wasn't even at McGinty's last night!" Adison
stated.
"Oh well it was dark and people make mistakes you know," Gary turned
around and rubbed his head but remembered something so turned around to
face Adsion and Marissa. "Hey Adison why did you ask for no visitors today?"
Gary questioned.
"No visitors?" Adison said confused.
"Yea your receptionist said you had requested no visitors," Gary informed.
"That's news to me" he said astonished.
"Besides even if you wanted to your intercom wires were slashed," Marissa stated.
"How do you know?" Gary asked.
" I was talking to a police man out in the hall," she informed.
"Who could have done this!"? Adison questioned taking a deep breath then lying back," Guess I'm still a bit weak." He remarked.
"Take it easy Adison... now who was the last person in your room?" Gary asked.
"Well... umm you," he said.
"Before me," Gary asked him.
"Well,... humm... Jackson! But he would never," Adison stated letting his voice trail
off.
"Or would he! Let's go Marissa we gotta find this guy," he said leading her out of
the room.
"Wait... what about..." Adison was yelling as the door shut, "Me! What about
me!" he said clasping back on his pillow. Gary led Marissa down the hall and
into an empty elevator. As they were going down they heard a meow and both
turned around. There in the corner behind them was a cat. Gary's attention
fixed on the cat.
"Uhh.. Gary!" Marissa tugged on his coat, "Gary!" she yelled again.
"Huh?" he came out of his trance.
"I... a... forgot to give this to you," she pulled out the paper. He quickly grabbed
it and read the front page.
"I think we might have already found the infamous Jackson Carter," Gary yelled
slamming the stop button on the elevator pad.
to the left of him. Gary felt the wall for a light switch but found nothing. He
slowly walked over to the window and opened the curtains. The afternoon light
streamed through enough to brighten up the whole room. Gary slowly walked
over to the bed, their person in it started stirring because of the sudden change
of light in the room.
"Adison?" Gary whispered. Adison slowly opened his eyes but at the sight of Gary
sprang for his bed.
"Don't hurt me! Please!" he yelled hysterically. Gary ran over to him and held
him down in the bed.
"Don't move! Your in no condition to move!" he informed the squirming Adsion.
"What's wrong with you?!" Gary asked him. Adsions room door swung open
and Marissa stepped into the doorway.
"Gary ... is everything ok? I heard noises," she asked. Gary was almost on top of
Adison now trying to restrain him.
"Marissa honey.. Shut the door and take a seat," he said slowly.
"But Gary!" she yelled concerned.
"Now Marissa!" he yelled back losing his patients. She did as she was told.
"Adison! What's gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?" Gary yelled over
the sound of the two men wrestling each other.
"I…I didn't touch your wife I swear!" he shot back.
"What? My wife?! But I'm not married," Gray informed.
"Your… your not?" Adison said now lying still in his bed.
"No I'm not," Gary yelled.
"So your not Anatonia Giovani's husband?" he asked feeling stupid.
"Anatonia Giovani!" Marissa stated in disbelief.
"Yea you know Sun Times news reporter/WBKL news anchor," he informed.
"We know who she is ... unfortunately," Gary told him.
"Oh so you're a member of her fan club too I see!" Adison stated sarcastically.
"Oh of course she's just such a remarkable person," Gary joked back with a
laugh.
"I used to believe that myself," Adison sighed. The room went silent and Adsion
clasped back on his pillow.
"Adison... What is it?" Marissa said going over and sitting on the corner of his bed.
"She used to be such a remarkable person! Believe it or not she was a
remarkable person," he rubbed his eyes then clasped his hands together.
"I ... I don't understand," Marissa remarked.
"Of course you don't there hasn't been much released to the press about it. That
is until now. As soon as I'm out of this hospital I'm going public starting with you
two," Adison continued.
"It being...?" Gary questioned.
"It was 7 years ago. God I can't believe how long ago it was! I was 21 and in my
last few months of the marines. I was stationed in Israel trying to reach some
type of peace agreement between Israel, Syria, and Jordan. Things were really
beginning to heat up in those last few months and the press was eating it up. 3
others and me were asked to participate in an interview for the Sun Times our
home own paper. The reporter was Anatonia and that's how we met," he said
slowly lying back down.
"But why would that make headlines? Why do you fear her husband?" Marissa
said softly.
"Because ... because I was stupid. Because I fell in love and believed that she had
too! She stayed with me my last months telling her editor she still wasn't finished
and sending her articles through email. After my release we went home
together. But I never knew why she kept me a secret I never knew until she
called me one night about 3 months ago crying," Adison stated.
"Why what had happened?" Gary questioned.
"Well, she is pregnant ... and I'm the father. That's when she told me that she
was married," he informed.
"Ouch!" Marissa said placing a hand on his blanket covered leg.
"Yea my thoughts exactly! That's when I told her I wanted to be in her life. I
told her I wanted to be in her life and that we could be together. Instead I got a
cold shoulder. She said that if it got out that she had an affair that her career
and life would be ruined. She said everything she worked for would be down the
tubes. So I told her I was going to make our relationship public. I had no other
choices she wasn't going to let me see my child," he said sitting back up. He let
his eyes gaze at the ceiling remembering what she had said next that etched a
scare in his heart.
"Adison please," she sniffled softly. He knew she had been crying. He could
imagine the soft droplets as they made there way down her face. "I've worked
so hard to get where I am. Please don't take that from me," she begged.
"You're doing this to yourself. Were both losing things we love, guess were even,"
Adison stated carefree. It grew silent and anger started to build in him. "So what
the hell was the last seven years Toni? Was I just some toy?" he spat out.
"No… no Adison I love you," she broke down.
"How can you say that? You don't hurt someone that you love," Adison yelled stressed.
"But I never meant for you to get hurt," Anatonia said crying loudly.
"Well you know what Chicago's little sweet heart, unlike everything else you do
so perfectly this time you finally screwed up!" he slammed the phone down.
"So did you? Gary questioned brining him back to reality.
"Well, I would have but she made the next move. She told her husband and the
police that I had raped her. The police showed up at Madison Towers the same
day to question me and I told them I had proof. At my apartment there were
pictures of us, jewelry receipts, some of her things. I even had a tape of our
conversation. I didn't get to the phone in time and the answering machine
kicked on so when I picked it up and we talked it was all recorded. When we
got there my apartment had been ransacked. Everything gone. But no
fingerprints left at the scene and she was supposedly at her office. Now
everything I worked for is down the drain. I'm probably going to get life for this
... this crime that I didn't commit seeing who's pressing the charges!" he yelled.
"So that's why you tired killing yourself," Marissa concluded.
"Kill myself? You think I tried to commit suicide?" he questioned.
"You did didn't you?" she seemed confused.
"Heavens no. I'm trying to clear my name," he explained.
"Then your wrists," Gary pointed to them.
"Well, I didn't get a good glimpse of him but he was tall and he towered over
me," Adison explained.
"He?" Gary asked.
"Oh ... oh my god!" Marissa said softly, "You ... you didn't try to kill yourself.
Someone made it appear as you did!" she placed a hand over her mouth.
"Yes, and the last thing I remember is you," he pointed to Gary," Busting down
the door and putting your shirt over my wrists after that its blank. If you don't
mind me asking who are you anyway?" Adison questioned.
"Gary... Hobson my names Gary Hobson," Gary said dazed still trying to take everything in. Adison extended his hand.
"I think I owe you a thank you Mr. Gary Hobson." Gary stuck out his hand
slowly. "So what were you doing at my office?" Adison asked.
"Ahh... well... I... umm.. I was sent to your office from... my ahh... my
restaurant… ever hear of McGinty's? A waitress said... that umm... well you had
left your glasses there from last night," Gary said slowly.
"But I don't wear glasses and I wasn't even at McGinty's last night!" Adison
stated.
"Oh well it was dark and people make mistakes you know," Gary turned
around and rubbed his head but remembered something so turned around to
face Adsion and Marissa. "Hey Adison why did you ask for no visitors today?"
Gary questioned.
"No visitors?" Adison said confused.
"Yea your receptionist said you had requested no visitors," Gary informed.
"That's news to me" he said astonished.
"Besides even if you wanted to your intercom wires were slashed," Marissa stated.
"How do you know?" Gary asked.
" I was talking to a police man out in the hall," she informed.
"Who could have done this!"? Adison questioned taking a deep breath then lying back," Guess I'm still a bit weak." He remarked.
"Take it easy Adison... now who was the last person in your room?" Gary asked.
"Well... umm you," he said.
"Before me," Gary asked him.
"Well,... humm... Jackson! But he would never," Adison stated letting his voice trail
off.
"Or would he! Let's go Marissa we gotta find this guy," he said leading her out of
the room.
"Wait... what about..." Adison was yelling as the door shut, "Me! What about
me!" he said clasping back on his pillow. Gary led Marissa down the hall and
into an empty elevator. As they were going down they heard a meow and both
turned around. There in the corner behind them was a cat. Gary's attention
fixed on the cat.
"Uhh.. Gary!" Marissa tugged on his coat, "Gary!" she yelled again.
"Huh?" he came out of his trance.
"I... a... forgot to give this to you," she pulled out the paper. He quickly grabbed
it and read the front page.
"I think we might have already found the infamous Jackson Carter," Gary yelled
slamming the stop button on the elevator pad.