Stormy Weather
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1
Chapter Four – Strong Winds
Amanda trudged up the walkway to the Carters' front door. As she pushed the button for the doorbell, she silently wished that the story of Jamie's disappearance hadn't hit the television screens yet, so Jenny would be spared a little while longer, but it wasn't to be. As soon as the door opened, Amanda couldn't help hearing the Headline News broadcast.
"Seehra and Washington Herald photojournalist James King are missing, believed to be held somewhere in or near the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan. Any attempts at search and rescue will be hampered by the mountainous, heavily forested terrain. . ."
"Amanda! Come on in," Janet said, leaning out to open the door for her. "Jenny's just about ready." She hurried to click off the television's disturbing images before calling back to Kerry's room, "Jenny! Your mother's here for you!"
As they waited for the girls to come out to the living room, Janet brushed her hand down Amanda's arm and looked at her with concerned eyes, saying, "Oh, Amanda, I'm so sorry. . .we just heard the news. I hope you know we'd do anything we can to help you."
"Thanks, Janet, but there really isn't much any of us can do," Amanda said, with a sigh of resignation.
Just then, as the girls came down the hallway, Jenny's pale face and red- rimmed eyes were evidence enough that she'd already been crying. When she caught sight of her mother, Jenny dropped her book bag at her feet, hurrying into her mother's arms. "Oh, Mom!" was all she said, as she buried her face in Amanda's chest.
"It'll be all right, Sweetheart," Amanda said, hoping her words were true, as she rested her chin atop Jenny's head and held her close. After a moment, she pulled back slightly, took her daughter's face in her hands and wiped away the remaining tears with her thumbs. She combed a hand through one side of Jenny's hair as she asked, "All right for now?" At Jenny's slight nod, she said, "Well, then, we'd better be going. Your Dad will start to wonder what happened to us if we don't get home soon."
At that, Jenny turned to pick up her bag, and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Carter. 'Bye, Kerry."
Kerry rushed over to give Jenny a hug, and whispered, "Call me, okay?"
Jenny nodded to her friend as Amanda urged her on toward the door. "Thanks for everything, Janet. Kerry, we'll be in touch. 'Bye!"
**********
Jenny started a barrage of questions as soon as they'd hit the sidewalk. "So, Mom. . .what do you know about this? Does it have anything to do with your work? Are you and Dad goin' over there? What's. . ."
"Sweetie, please! One question at a time!" Amanda interrupted. Where did she get it, this 'gift of gab'? She opened the door for Jenny, climbed in and started the car before beginning her list of answers. "Now first of all, we don't know very much, not yet. Second, this doesn't have anything to do with our work. We did hear about it there, sure, but it's nothing to do with us personally. And no, your Dad and I aren't going over there. . .in this case, we'd only get in the way."
Sweeping a hand through her hair, Jenny asked, "Okay, but Mom. . .what's gonna happen to him?"
"Honestly? I don't know, Sweetheart," Amanda replied, briefly glancing in Jenny's direction. "We just have to hope that someone from our side will find him, and bring him home—safe and sound. Now, no more questions 'til we get home, all right?"
"All right," Jenny sighed.
**********
Lee was both surprised and relieved to find that he'd arrived at home before Amanda and Jenny. Still shaken by the near miss on the highway, he pulled a glass out of the kitchen cabinet, set it on the counter and poured in two "fingers" of Scotch whiskey. He seldom drank any more, but this night had more than qualified as a reason to have at least one drink, if only to settle his nerves.
Leaning back against the counter, he swallowed the first taste of the warming liquid. 'How could I miss seeing that truck? That's never happened to me before—not when I'm sober! I didn't even see the damn thing! Wait! I didn't see?' Was this what it was like to have night-blindness, or could you gradually lose your sight? He couldn't help wondering what was happening to him. . .first the severe headaches he'd had for the last three weeks, then this almost-collision tonight, because of something he couldn't see.
Neither could he stop thinking about Jamie's abduction, and about what could or couldn't be done about it. And yet, until he learned more from the people on the ground over there, how could he help? He'd check messages every hour or two tonight. . .that was the least. . .possibly the most he could do, he determined. He started to take another sip of the Scotch and realized the glass was empty. He'd just rinsed the glass out and set it in the sink as Jenny and Amanda came in the back door.
**********
After they'd told Jenny what they were able to share about her brother's disappearance, Lee gave her a hug, then pulled away, rubbing a hand down her arm lightly as he said, "Now, why don't you go ahead and get ready for bed, okay? We'll be up in a minute."
"Okay, Dad, Mom. Good night," she said, squeezing her mother's hand before hurrying up the stairs to her bedroom.
After Jenny was out of earshot, Amanda slipped off of the kitchen stool and walked over to stand beside Lee. She slid her hand around to his back as she asked, "Are you gonna tell me what happened tonight?"
"What d'you mean?" he asked, with an air of innocence.
"Don't try to fool me, Lee," she insisted, pulling away from him and folding her arms in front of her. "You know exactly what I mean. . .you were right behind me for a long time, then all of a sudden, I couldn't see you any more. So what happened?"
"Well. . ." he stalled, shooting a glance to the ceiling, but the ceiling offered no help. He wasn't sure he wanted to share this with her, but on the other hand, she'd just keep after him until he did, so. . .
"Well, what?" Amanda demanded.
"Well. . ." he hesitated again, looking down this time. 'All right, out with it, Stetson,' he told himself, before looking up into her eyes. "I don't know how it happened, but just after you'd rounded that big curve, I guess I was about a half mile behind you. . .anyway, all of a sudden, this pick-up truck cut in, directly in front of me, and I had to swerve to miss it. The car skidded across the highway, and I barely missed going over the embankment."
She reached out and took hold of his hand as she said, "Oh, Sweetheart! No wonder you looked so upset tonight."
"Yeah," he said quietly, nodding and glancing down at their joined hands. 'Might as well tell her the rest,' he reasoned. "Amanda. . .that's not the worst part."
"Oh?" she asked, impatiently.
Lee picked up his story. "The worst part is, the truck driver had to have been coming up alongside me before he pulled over, but I never saw the truck, Amanda--not until it was right in front of me!"
"Oh my gosh, Lee!" she cried out. "You could've been killed, and all because of something you couldn't see?" As if she didn't have enough to worry about, she had to wonder if her husband was losing his sight by inches. What else could've caused this? All she could say was, "We've gotta get you in to the doctor's office, tomorrow!"
"No!" he said sharply. At her hurt look, he softened his voice to say, "No, not now. . .after Jamie's home safe, maybe, but not right now."
"All right," she answered, "but we're not putting it off forever." What she didn't say was, 'I know you too well, Lee Stetson--later means never.'
TO BE CONTINUED
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1
Chapter Four – Strong Winds
Amanda trudged up the walkway to the Carters' front door. As she pushed the button for the doorbell, she silently wished that the story of Jamie's disappearance hadn't hit the television screens yet, so Jenny would be spared a little while longer, but it wasn't to be. As soon as the door opened, Amanda couldn't help hearing the Headline News broadcast.
"Seehra and Washington Herald photojournalist James King are missing, believed to be held somewhere in or near the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan. Any attempts at search and rescue will be hampered by the mountainous, heavily forested terrain. . ."
"Amanda! Come on in," Janet said, leaning out to open the door for her. "Jenny's just about ready." She hurried to click off the television's disturbing images before calling back to Kerry's room, "Jenny! Your mother's here for you!"
As they waited for the girls to come out to the living room, Janet brushed her hand down Amanda's arm and looked at her with concerned eyes, saying, "Oh, Amanda, I'm so sorry. . .we just heard the news. I hope you know we'd do anything we can to help you."
"Thanks, Janet, but there really isn't much any of us can do," Amanda said, with a sigh of resignation.
Just then, as the girls came down the hallway, Jenny's pale face and red- rimmed eyes were evidence enough that she'd already been crying. When she caught sight of her mother, Jenny dropped her book bag at her feet, hurrying into her mother's arms. "Oh, Mom!" was all she said, as she buried her face in Amanda's chest.
"It'll be all right, Sweetheart," Amanda said, hoping her words were true, as she rested her chin atop Jenny's head and held her close. After a moment, she pulled back slightly, took her daughter's face in her hands and wiped away the remaining tears with her thumbs. She combed a hand through one side of Jenny's hair as she asked, "All right for now?" At Jenny's slight nod, she said, "Well, then, we'd better be going. Your Dad will start to wonder what happened to us if we don't get home soon."
At that, Jenny turned to pick up her bag, and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Carter. 'Bye, Kerry."
Kerry rushed over to give Jenny a hug, and whispered, "Call me, okay?"
Jenny nodded to her friend as Amanda urged her on toward the door. "Thanks for everything, Janet. Kerry, we'll be in touch. 'Bye!"
**********
Jenny started a barrage of questions as soon as they'd hit the sidewalk. "So, Mom. . .what do you know about this? Does it have anything to do with your work? Are you and Dad goin' over there? What's. . ."
"Sweetie, please! One question at a time!" Amanda interrupted. Where did she get it, this 'gift of gab'? She opened the door for Jenny, climbed in and started the car before beginning her list of answers. "Now first of all, we don't know very much, not yet. Second, this doesn't have anything to do with our work. We did hear about it there, sure, but it's nothing to do with us personally. And no, your Dad and I aren't going over there. . .in this case, we'd only get in the way."
Sweeping a hand through her hair, Jenny asked, "Okay, but Mom. . .what's gonna happen to him?"
"Honestly? I don't know, Sweetheart," Amanda replied, briefly glancing in Jenny's direction. "We just have to hope that someone from our side will find him, and bring him home—safe and sound. Now, no more questions 'til we get home, all right?"
"All right," Jenny sighed.
**********
Lee was both surprised and relieved to find that he'd arrived at home before Amanda and Jenny. Still shaken by the near miss on the highway, he pulled a glass out of the kitchen cabinet, set it on the counter and poured in two "fingers" of Scotch whiskey. He seldom drank any more, but this night had more than qualified as a reason to have at least one drink, if only to settle his nerves.
Leaning back against the counter, he swallowed the first taste of the warming liquid. 'How could I miss seeing that truck? That's never happened to me before—not when I'm sober! I didn't even see the damn thing! Wait! I didn't see?' Was this what it was like to have night-blindness, or could you gradually lose your sight? He couldn't help wondering what was happening to him. . .first the severe headaches he'd had for the last three weeks, then this almost-collision tonight, because of something he couldn't see.
Neither could he stop thinking about Jamie's abduction, and about what could or couldn't be done about it. And yet, until he learned more from the people on the ground over there, how could he help? He'd check messages every hour or two tonight. . .that was the least. . .possibly the most he could do, he determined. He started to take another sip of the Scotch and realized the glass was empty. He'd just rinsed the glass out and set it in the sink as Jenny and Amanda came in the back door.
**********
After they'd told Jenny what they were able to share about her brother's disappearance, Lee gave her a hug, then pulled away, rubbing a hand down her arm lightly as he said, "Now, why don't you go ahead and get ready for bed, okay? We'll be up in a minute."
"Okay, Dad, Mom. Good night," she said, squeezing her mother's hand before hurrying up the stairs to her bedroom.
After Jenny was out of earshot, Amanda slipped off of the kitchen stool and walked over to stand beside Lee. She slid her hand around to his back as she asked, "Are you gonna tell me what happened tonight?"
"What d'you mean?" he asked, with an air of innocence.
"Don't try to fool me, Lee," she insisted, pulling away from him and folding her arms in front of her. "You know exactly what I mean. . .you were right behind me for a long time, then all of a sudden, I couldn't see you any more. So what happened?"
"Well. . ." he stalled, shooting a glance to the ceiling, but the ceiling offered no help. He wasn't sure he wanted to share this with her, but on the other hand, she'd just keep after him until he did, so. . .
"Well, what?" Amanda demanded.
"Well. . ." he hesitated again, looking down this time. 'All right, out with it, Stetson,' he told himself, before looking up into her eyes. "I don't know how it happened, but just after you'd rounded that big curve, I guess I was about a half mile behind you. . .anyway, all of a sudden, this pick-up truck cut in, directly in front of me, and I had to swerve to miss it. The car skidded across the highway, and I barely missed going over the embankment."
She reached out and took hold of his hand as she said, "Oh, Sweetheart! No wonder you looked so upset tonight."
"Yeah," he said quietly, nodding and glancing down at their joined hands. 'Might as well tell her the rest,' he reasoned. "Amanda. . .that's not the worst part."
"Oh?" she asked, impatiently.
Lee picked up his story. "The worst part is, the truck driver had to have been coming up alongside me before he pulled over, but I never saw the truck, Amanda--not until it was right in front of me!"
"Oh my gosh, Lee!" she cried out. "You could've been killed, and all because of something you couldn't see?" As if she didn't have enough to worry about, she had to wonder if her husband was losing his sight by inches. What else could've caused this? All she could say was, "We've gotta get you in to the doctor's office, tomorrow!"
"No!" he said sharply. At her hurt look, he softened his voice to say, "No, not now. . .after Jamie's home safe, maybe, but not right now."
"All right," she answered, "but we're not putting it off forever." What she didn't say was, 'I know you too well, Lee Stetson--later means never.'
TO BE CONTINUED