PART TWO
'Boy, I'm beat' Jesse groaned flopping down on the couch in the doctor's lounge.
Seated at the table opposite, Amanda smiled sympathetically 'Tough afternoon in the ER?'
Jesse pulled a face 'Tough day in the ER and it aint over yet' He looked at her sadly 'And I'm afraid you're gonna be pretty busy soon too – we didn't save them all'.
'Oh Jesse I'm sorry' she replied placing a comforting hand on his arm 'but you know, you did your best'.
'I'm used to dealing with death' he replied, his boyish face unusually solemn, 'I see it in the ER every day, but somehow it's just so much harder in the holidays. You know, telling people they've lost their loved ones, right before Christmas' he sighed 'it just doesn't seem right'.
She nodded sympathetically 'I know, Christmas is a time for families and when a member of the family gets taken like that …' she bit her lip, suddenly thinking of Mark and his wife. Of course Katherine died of cancer; her's wasn't a sudden death like those suffered in the ER, but still her heart ached for him.
Jesse smiled at her tenderly, hoping to bring some cheer back into the conversation 'Hey, I guess it just makes us realise how lucky we are right?'
'Oh I know' she replied, cradling her mug of coffee between her hands 'I was just thinking of Mark and Katherine is all'.
Jesse nodded 'But at least he still has Steve and they have each other.'
She sighed 'That's true, but I'm not sure how much they're helping each other right now'. She looked at him, her brown eyes intense 'Jesse you've seen them, they're both trying so hard to be strong for the other, that neither is showing their true feelings. They're both alone, when they could be together'.
He frowned 'So how do we get them talking?'
She shrugged helplessly 'If I knew that I'd have done it by now'.
Jesse ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair, thinking hard 'I think Mark's our best bet' he said finally 'You know what Steve's like, he never talks about his feelings at the best of times, but Mark, may be we could persuade him to talk to Steve, tell him how he feels'.
Amanda shook her head sadly 'Normally I'd agree with you, but not this time. Mark feels guilty about not being there for Steve when Katherine died. He's determined to stay strong this time'.
Jesse let out an exasperated breath 'But doesn't he realise that he'll be there for Steve more if they talk about it?'
'To be honest' she replied 'I think he's so consumed with his own grief that he's not thinking straight right now. If he were, he'd know that by staying strong he's cutting himself off, just like he did when Katherine died'.
Jesse let out a whistle 'Do you wanna tell him that?'
She smiled ruefully 'I'll toss ya for it!'
He grinned 'Nah, you always win'.
'Oh Jesse what are we gonna do?' she asked, her smile disappearing 'I hate to see them like this'.
He nodded thoughtfully 'I guess I could have another go at Steve or ….' His eyes lit up mischievously 'may be we could lock them in a room together! I bet after a couple of hours one of them will talk'.
'Jesse!' Amanda admonished good-naturedly 'we can't just lock them in a room' she paused and looked at him, a smile slowly spreading across her face 'can we?'
Jesse grinned back 'Okay' he said 'here's the plan. Mark's finishing off his rounds and Steve's due here any minute right?'
Amanda checked her watch 'you know I'm surprised he's not here by now'.
'Well' Jesse continued conspiratorially 'when he finally gets here, this is what we'll do'.
***
Steve coughed harshly, tasting blood. The hard concrete of the quayside offered no relief from the pain that spread in waves. It was dark now and cold too. They had left him for dead and if he lay here much longer he would be. He didn't know what had led them to spare his life. May be they were just sloppy, or maybe they thought the weather would finish the job for them. Maybe they were right.
His left side was on fire, his shirt and jacket soaked with blood. His breath was coming in gasps and each one was more laboured than the last. He was pretty sure his ribs were broken and if the knife wound didn't finish him off then pneumonia surely would. He had to do something whilst he could still think. He knew it wouldn't be long before loss of blood led to loss of consciousness and then that would be it.
No one was looking for him here. He'd told Tanis he was going home and his father that he was working late. Jesse and Amanda were expecting him at the hospital, to sort out the few remaining details for the Christmas party, but they'd just figure he was delayed at work. He grimaced, by the time anyone realised he was missing it could well be too late. How could he have been so stupid?
Mustering his strength he reached slowly, tentatively for his jacket pocket, stifling a groan as the small movement tore at his injured side. Cold fingers scrabbling clumsily, he felt a sudden warm glow of hope, as he found what he was looking for – his cell phone! He lay still for a second, eyes closed, amazed at the effort it had cost simply to search inside his pocket. But now was not the time to rest; that would come later when he was warm and safe.
Focusing all his energy into one movement, he pulled the phone free. The pain in his side was almost enough to cause him to pass out, but grimly he hung on. He was almost there, almost safe. He just had to push a few buttons and help would be on its way. He smiled grimly – some Christmas he was gonna give his Dad! Yet again Mark Sloan would be spending an evening by his son's hospital bed. Steve sighed, he had wanted so much to make this a special Christmas for his Dad and instead this. Still at least he was gonna make it; his father wouldn't have to lose another member of the family. As for Christmas, well he'd just have to make it up to him next year.
Raising the phone in front of his face with his right hand, he reached up agonisingly slowly, with his left. Jaw clenched against the pain, his breath came in short bursts, his muscles trembling with the effort. He blinked the blood out of his eyes and tried desperately to focus upon the tiny numbers that wavered alarmingly before him. Finally locating the on-button he pressed it with relief.
Nothing happened.
***
Mark smiled at the patients and staff as he made his way around the wards, but his heart wasn't in it, not really. Oh outwardly, he was his usual self, seemingly buoyed up to even greater heights by the season, but anyone who looked closely would have seen the sadness in his smile. He sighed; it was almost the end of the shift, almost time to go home. Home to Steve.
Much as he loved his job, usually by this time in a shift he couldn't wait to leave, to settle down in his favourite arm chair at the beach house, to peruse the papers and on those evenings when he was really lucky, to enjoy some quality time with his son. But right now it was different. Keeping up a show of enthusiasm was getting harder and harder. Already today he had broken down in front of Amanda, a rare show of weakness of which he was now mortally ashamed. Okay, so she had tackled him directly on the issue of Katherine, but more and more he found other less obvious things brought tears to his eyes. The snatch of a song on the radio, an elderly couple holding hands, really the most innocuous things seemed to do it.
Steve wasn't stupid, before long he'd realise that his father was falling apart –again! Inwardly Mark cursed himself. If only he had Steve's strength of character. His son was so stoic, so in control of his emotions. Normally Mark worried, felt Steve bottled things up, kept them to himself. Right now he wished he had some of that stoicism himself.
Spending time with Steve, it was getting harder and harder to put on a cheerful facade. More than anything he wanted to confide in his son, to seek comfort, but he knew that wasn't fair. Why ruin Steve's Christmas as well as his own? He frowned, thinking of Amanda – he knew her, her good nature wouldn't allow her to leave things as they were, she'd try to talk to Steve. He couldn't let that happen. He had to speak to her, make sure she didn't say anything.
Urgent now, he picked up his pace, taking the next corner almost at a run, and it was for that very reason that he collided with a small child coming in the other direction.
'Ouch' she cried, landing on her backside in the busy hospital corridor.
Mortified, Mark bent down to help her to her feet. All around them people went about their business, either not noticing or too busy to stop.
'Oh I'm so sorry, are you alright?' He asked
She nodded, her blue eyes sparkling.
'You know that's a very pretty dress you have on' he remarked, smiling down at her fondly 'but I'm afraid it's got a little dusty. Why don't we find your parents and then we'll see about getting you cleaned up'.
The girl looked at him sadly 'I don't know where they are' she said 'I was playing and this man told me to run. I ran as fast as I could and now I'm here'.
'A man told you to run?' Mark said in surprise, trying to keep the alarm out of his voice. As he spoke he surreptitiously checked her for injuries, his experienced eyes raking her young frame.
'Yes' she said 'I was playing at the Eastside Docks and he said it was getting dark and that I should go home. He gave me a badge and he said he was going to take me home'. She frowned 'But then these other men showed up and there was a fight'.
'A fight? Really?' Mark said gently, now even more concerned for the child.
'Yes' she said solemnly 'But I ran and ran'. She paused and looked up at Mark, her blue eyes worried 'I hope he's okay, he was a real nice man.'
'You ran all the way from the docks?' Mark said incredulously, 'Why it must be a least a couple of miles'.
She nodded 'I was so scared I just kept running and I didn't look back'.
I'll tell you what' Mark said 'You come with me and we'll get you checked out and cleaned up and then I'll call my son and get him to go see if your friend is okay. How's that?'
She smiled and nodded happily, taking hold of the hand Mark proffered.
'My name is Dr. Sloan' he said as they left the ward 'What's yours?'
'Kat' she replied proudly 'Kat O'Brien'.
***
In half an hour Steve figured he'd managed to drag himself 6 inches. And boy he'd paid the price for those precious 6 inches. His whole body trembled, though whether it was with the effort or the cold he couldn't be sure. His eyes were closing again, the lids getting heavier as the seconds, minutes, hours ticked by. It was useless. He groaned at the fresh wave of pain in his side, though if truth be told, the sensation was a welcome relief – at least it told him he was still alive.
Thinking was becoming increasingly difficult. Thoughts were elusive, impossible to pin down. At times he wasn't sure if he were dreaming or awake. Fragmented conversations with Jesse, Amanda, his father, none of which made any sense, seemed to play on a loop in his mind. And yet he knew that he had to keep going. He couldn't give up. He couldn't die here, tonight, alone in the dark. And so he continued to drag himself along the quayside, inch by painful inch. He continued, even though he knew that his progress was slowing, his rest periods lengthening.
It was hard to believe that earlier a little girl had been playing. She had skipped happily along this quayside path, a path that was now stained with his blood. He hoped she'd made it. After his one desperate shout, he'd been unable to do any more. The blows had come thick and fast and weakened by his injured side he'd been unable to withstand them. At best he'd given her a fifteen minute head start, he just hoped it was enough. Perhaps she'd made it, was safe and warm and happy and looking forward to Christmas. He didn't dare to think of what might of happened if she hadn't.
But there was nothing he could do for her now. He couldn't even help himself. He lay still again, gasping for breath, clutching at his side as the December wind tugged at the shredded remains of his shirt and jacket. As his eyes began to close, he thought of his father and angrily forced them open again. This wasn't gonna happen, not here, not now. Taking a deep breath he inched painfully forward again, squinting weakly at the distant harbour lights that spelled civilization and safety. But they were still an eternity away. As he lay back again gasping for breath; he realised that despite the wind, he wasn't feeling the cold anymore.
***
'Okay honey, now this isn't gonna hurt a bit' Mark promised, as he moved the x-ray equipment into position. He was on his own tonight, the x-ray techs so busy with the influx of Christmas injuries, that they'd left him to his own devices. He was pretty sure that the child wasn't seriously hurt, but he wanted to check her out all the same. Already he'd drawn some blood, just to make sure there was no infection. Who knew what she could have picked up playing at the Eastside docks. The place was a health hazard, a breeding ground for drug addicts and reprobates. He sighed what was a young girl doing down there all alone?
He looked at her, wondering again where he'd seen her before. She looked strangely familiar, but try as he might he couldn't place her. He shrugged, he'd seen hundreds of kids in the last couple of weeks, may be she just reminded him of one of them. He'd tried calling Steve, but could get no answer. He sighed; his son was obviously busy as usual, still it was unlike him not to answer his cell.
Mark frowned; he knew Steve was working extra shifts in order to get time off for Christmas, putting himself out for his father's benefit as usual. He wondered how he could ever repay him. Letting him live at the beach house was a start, but even that was really more for his benefit than Steve's. Oh Steve might talk about the great views, the beautiful Ocean, but Mark was no fool. Steve was a grown man and independent to boot. He stayed at the beach house so his father wouldn't be alone.
Turning back to the little girl he sighed. How worried her parents must be to have a child missing at Christmas time. But then may be they didn't care? He'd seen it before. How lucky he was that his own son was still so close to him, the bond they shared was truly special. This little girl was an enigma. He wondered what had happened, how she'd got here. How could a girl so young get all the way across town alone? He frowned to himself, things just didn't seem to add up, and where had he seen her before?
'Dr. Sloan to main reception please, Dr. Sloan to main reception'
Mark groaned and pulled a face. He didn't want to leave his young patient, but he had to answer the page. He turned to her, a smile on his face
'I have to step out for just a second honey' he said kindly 'but I'll be right back okay?'
She nodded and Mark rushed to reception at top speed, hoping to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and return to the little girl. As he reached the desk he spotted Amanda, her head buried in an autopsy report. On hearing his approach, she looked up and smiled.
'Did you page me?' he asked
'I sure did' she said cheerfully 'I was hoping you could go through these reports with me'. She grinned 'How about we do it over coffee? I'm making!'
Mark smiled; she was so transparent. Obviously she was worried about him and was surreptitiously checking up. He appreciated the sentiment, but didn't have time to indulge her concern; he had a patient to attend to.
He let out a breath 'You know Amanda that sounds great but I'm kinda busy right now with a patient'.
'Oh' she replied biting her lip. Inwardly she groaned. How on earth were they going to get Steve and Mark to talk if she couldn't even get Mark to the doctors' lounge? Steve hadn't shown up yet either. Jesse's plan was going down the tubes fast.
'You know' Mark said thoughtfully 'I'd really appreciate it if you came with me and had a look at her' he paused obviously troubled 'I'm sure there's something not quite right, but for the life of me I can't put my finger on it'.
Amanda shrugged and slipped off her stool, sliding her arm through his 'Sure' she said 'but as soon as we're done I'm making us both a coffee. Deal?'
Mark smiled gratefully 'Deal' he promised.
As the two doctors reached the cubicle, Amanda slightly ahead, she stopped puzzled.
'I thought you said you had a patient' she said
'Well so I do' Mark replied, 'she's right in here'.
Stepping aside Amanda shook her head 'there's no one here Mark'.
He groaned 'I don't believe it, I was only gone for a couple of minutes'. He turned away thinking fast 'Well she can't have gotten far, we'll just call security, get her stopped at the door'.
To his frustration, Amanda didn't move, but instead remained standing by the bed, gazing intently at something in her hand.
'Amanda!' he snapped urgently
Slowly she turned and opened her hand, a frown marring her pretty face 'Mark' she said 'what's Steve's badge doing here?'
He took one look and gasped in horror. Then he ran.
***
Back at the docks Steve lay quietly. He'd given it his best shot; and now he had nothing more to give. No one could say that Steve Sloan wasn't a fighter. He'd battled death before and won, but it seemed that today death had the upper hand. He wasn't afraid of dying, not really. In his line of work he'd come to accept the possibility of death. He'd lost friends before, had seen colleagues die in his arms. He'd always known that sooner or later his turn would come. In fact, he'd been lucky to survive as long as he had, many of his friends; his contemporaries hadn't returned from Vietnam.
So no he wasn't afraid, at least not for himself. It was his father he was worried about. Despite his vitality and vivre, his father was getting old. How would he cope without a son to look after him? Steve's brow creased into a frown and then he smiled. His father wouldn't be alone; he had Jesse and Amanda. Although not related by blood, he always thought of them as family, perhaps even more so than Carol, the sister who had dropped out of his life for eight years and even now was only in touch sporadically. Steve sighed, he'd liked to have set things straight with Carol, but it was too late now.
When he saw the lights he almost laughed. He had never deeply examined his religious beliefs, but he guessed if he'd had any thoughts about heaven, then these bright white lights would have fit the bill perfectly. His pulse quickened slightly at the thought that this was it, and then he felt warm hands touching his shoulders, soft voices murmuring in his ears. He sighed contentedly; if this was heaven then it wasn't half bad. He felt warm and at peace. Slowly he closed his eyes and let go.
***
Taking his hands from Steve's shoulders, Mark was shocked by how cold his son felt. Moving backwards to let the paramedics do their work, he prayed under his breath for a miracle. If only he'd gotten here sooner. The little girl had told him the man had given her a badge, why hadn't it occurred to him that it was a police badge? 'Please Steve' he murmured under his breath, 'please don't give in'. But his medical knowledge told him that already it was likely to be too late. He had seen the blood that had soaked through Steve's clothes, the ragged, angry wound in the soft, exposed flesh of his side.
'We're ready to go now Mark' Amanda said gently, placing a hand on his arm and struggling to keep her voice steady 'We'll be at the hospital before you know it and Jesse is there waiting to operate'.
Mark nodded, but didn't reply. Taking her hand he allowed her to help him into the ambulance and then he moved over next to his son. Taking Steve's hand he urged him to keep fighting. His lips continued to move for the entire journey, as he sat as if in a trance, his eyes never leaving his son's face. As they arrived at the hospital Amanda and Jesse exchanged worried looks, but neither spoke. And then Jesse was gone, and Amanda was left alone to comfort Mark, as they began the long wait for news.
Tanis Archer entered the doctors' lounge hesitantly, not wanting to intrude. Amanda looked up and smiled, motioning to the other woman to join them. Taking a deep breath, Tanis sat down next to Mark.
'Mark, I'm so sorry' she said softly 'I had no idea he'd gotten into trouble, he told me he was going home'.
Mark looked up at her, his eyes filled with pain 'Tanis what happened?' he asked.
She sighed 'I don't know Mark, we were on surveillance, but we'd split up. I took the west side and he took the east. I know we shouldn't have, but Steve wanted to get home early, he said he had some things to do on …' she paused suddenly as she realised what she'd been about to say. 'Way to go Tanis' she thought, angry with herself for her thoughtlessness.
'.. on my Christmas present?' Mark said with a rueful smile.
She nodded, then continued slowly 'We were watching for a smuggling racket. We had a tip off from a Snitch of ours, but it came to nothing. Steve thought Eddie, our snitch, might have been taking us for mugs, playing us off against the smugglers to make some fast bucks'. She swallowed hard 'All I can think of is that he was right. They must have jumped Steve after he put the phone down on me'.
Mark sighed 'That must have been what the little girl meant. She said some men came along and started fighting and Steve told her to run'.
'Little girl?' Tanis said in surprise 'what little girl?'
'There was a witness' Amanda explained 'ten year old girl was playing down by the docks, she turned up here at the hospital'.
Tanis raised an eyebrow 'I need to speak to her. At the moment, she's the only one who can I.D. Steve's attackers'. She turned to the two doctors 'Where is she? I need to pick her up right now, she'll have to go into protective custody'.
Mark let out a sigh 'I'm sorry Tanis, but she ran off. I turned my back for 5 minutes and when I got back she was gone'. He paused thinking hard, 'but I do have her name, maybe you could trace her that way?'
Tanis nodded at him reassuringly and dragged out her notebook and pencil 'We'll give it our best shot' she promised 'Now what was the name?'
'Kat O'Brien' Mark replied.
Tanis looked at him, bewildered 'I'm sorry Mark, but I think there's been a mistake.'
'Whaddaya mean?' he said 'I asked her and that's what she told me. She's about ten years old, long blonde hair, blue eyes and was wearing a long purple dress'. He looked at Tanis defiantly 'I can remember her exactly'.
Tanis swallowed hard and replied 'Yes Mark, that sounds exactly like her, even down to the purple dress. But Katherine O'Brien was murdered a year ago today, down on the docks. She'd been out playing, with a hoop and stick I think – the family didn't have much money for expensive toys'. She paused and looked at him searchingly 'We never found her killer'.
Mark's face was pale, his eyes wide with shock. He turned to Amanda 'but I saw her, I swear I did. You believe me don't you?'
Amanda looked down for a moment, taking a deep breath 'I'm sorry Mark, but I remember that case, I did the autopsy'.
He shook his head – what was going on? Was he losing his mind?
'The badge' he suddenly exclaimed 'she had Steve's badge. And I did X rays and blood tests'.
The two women exchanged worried glances 'I'm sure there was a little girl' Amanda said 'But Mark it couldn't have been Kat O'Brien'.
***
The Christmas tree lights twinkled, casting a multicoloured glow. The enormous tree was strewn with tinsel and baubles of every shape and size. Beneath the tree, the pile of gifts seemed never ending. The brightly coloured parcels adorned with ribbons and bows were stacked haphazardly, teetering on the brink of collapse, no doubt a result of the impatient and curious probing of one or two of the guests. A delicious smell of turkey still wafted in from the kitchen and from the living room, the strains of Bing Crosby singing 'White Christmas' drifted melodically throughout the house.
Amanda smiled tenderly as CJ and Dion played happily on the floor at her feet, racing the remote control cars, gifts from 'Uncle' Jesse that they had been allowed to open early. Next to her, Mark leaned back in his armchair, occasionally taking a long draw on the malt whisky at his side. The roaring coal fire took away the December chill and gently toasted his slippered feet, which were propped up on the table in front of him. He looked up at a noise from the kitchen.
Still wearing his coloured paper hat from dinner, Jesse came in, balancing a plate stacked high with sandwiches, one of which he was already munching on 'You know this turkey is really good' he said, although Mark and Amanda had to struggle to make out the words, as his mouth was full when he spoke them.
Amanda raised her eyebrows and exchanged glances with Mark 'I can't believe you're still hungry after what you put away at dinner' she said.
Jesse smiled and shrugged, putting the plate down on the table
'You either' she said, looking pointedly at the couch
Steve smiled sheepishly as he picked up one of the sandwiches Jesse had just brought him. 'Hey, I've had a week of not eating' he said, 'I think it's about time I made up for it'.
Mark looked at him fondly 'Quite right son, although I agree with Amanda. You've eaten more today than you have in the whole of last week, you don't want to over do it'.
Steve rolled his eyes and settled back on the couch, moving tentatively to protect his injured side 'I'm fine Dad' he said.
'You know' Jesse said looking at Steve with mock seriousness 'as your Doctor I think they could be right. I think may be you should hand those sandwiches back over to me'
Steve grinned; enjoying the joke even though it was at his expense 'Not a chance Jess' he said stuffing the remainder of the sandwich in his mouth and reaching out for another.
Jesse shrugged 'Hey, you can't blame me for trying, this turkey really is good'.
Mark chuckled at the good-natured banter and then stretching and yawning eased himself out of the chair.
'Going somewhere?' Amanda asked
Mark smiled 'I just need a little air'.
As he stood on the veranda looking out at the inky blackness that was the ocean, the wind tugged at his hair. He shivered, it really was kinda chilly out tonight, he wouldn't stay too long. Automatically, he thought of Steve, a week ago, lying alone and injured on the cold floor of the quayside. He shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. How lucky they'd been to get there in time. And it was all thanks to a mysterious little girl.
He still couldn't explain how or why, but he knew the little girl had been Kat O'Brien. Tanis had subsequently shown him the police reports. Amongst them had been the photos – every detail of the child was exactly as he'd remembered it. Frowning, he thought back to the previous few days. Once he was sure Steve was out of danger, he'd put all his energy into trying to solve the mystery, but he had to admit that even he was stumped this time.
He had eagerly awaited the results of the blood tests and X-rays, but they had proved frustratingly inconclusive. The labs had never received the blood samples he sent and the X-rays hadn't come out. Logically he could think of rational explanations – bloods often went missing, especially when the hospital was busy, and he had taken the X-rays himself, and he sure was no X-ray tech. But still it seemed to be more than a coincidence. He sighed, asking the question that refused to go away – had it really been a ghost that saved his son?
Strong hands on his shoulders startled him out of his reverie. He turned and looked into a pair of clear blue eyes. The eyes were tired certainly and the face paler than usual, but Steve was alive and he would recover, and for that Mark would be forever grateful.
'It's getting cold out here' Steve remarked gently 'You coming back inside'.
Mark nodded 'In a minute' he replied, still lost in his thoughts. Then his Doctor's instincts kicked in and he looked at his son sternly 'What are you doing out here, you're in no shape to be standing up'.
'I know' Steve groaned 'but I was worried about you'.
Mark smiled 'You were worried about me?' he said, his tone ironic.
Steve nodded 'Pretty funny huh?' he replied and both men laughed, although it cost Steve to do so.
'Here, sit down' Mark said, noticing Steve clutching his side.
Gratefully Steve sat. If truth be told, he hadn't been sure how much longer he could have remained upright. As it was he had been standing with a slight stoop to allow for his wound.
Sitting down on the sun lounger next to him, Mark looked at Steve 'Better?' he asked.
'Much' Steve replied with feeling.
'You know I still can't work it out' Mark said
'Katherine O'Brien' Steve replied
'Uh huh' Mark said 'I know I saw her, but I couldn't have could I, not really?'
Steve looked at his father earnestly ' I saw her too Dad. I can't explain it either'.
Mark smiled 'May be we shouldn't even try' he said. 'May be we should just accept it for what it was, a miracle. May be that little girl really was the spirit of Christmas'.
Steve grinned 'Sounds good to me!' He looked at his father 'So d'you think we could may be go in now, it's getting kinda cold and …' he smiled good-naturedly 'I left my sandwiches in there with Jesse!'
Mark laughed and helped him out of the chair. As they walked back into the house, Steve's arm around his shoulders, equal parts affection and the need for support, Mark turned to his son, his tone serious 'You know there's one thing I just have to ask'
Steve looked at him in surprise 'Go ahead'
Mark broke into a grin 'After what you ate for lunch, how can you possibly still be hungry?'
They both laughed.
'C'mon guys!' Amanda's voice could be heard, 'it's time to open the presents'.
As she finished speaking, the harmonious ringing of trained voices filled the air. Mark turned to Steve, his eyes wide with surprise 'Barbershop?' he said
Steve nodded 'And they're waiting for you to make it a quartet'. He grinned, his eyes sparkling 'Merry Christmas Dad'.
'Merry Christmas Steve' Mark replied.
Epilogue
'And so we had a great day' Mark said cheerfully 'Steve was a little sore and tired, but that was only to be expected, and with three doctors in the house you can imagine what a fuss was made of him.' Mark smiled 'his appetite was as healthy as ever though. He was always the same, even as a kid – remember that year he threw up when he ate a whole box of snow caps? Jesse gave him a run for his money though – boy that little guy can eat, I don't know where he puts it!'
Mark paused thinking hard 'And what else? Oh yes we had a postcard from Carol; she's coming to visit in the New Year. Boy, It'll be good to see her again, it's been a while'.
Taking the handkerchief from his pocket, he fondly polished the little plaque, and rearranged the fresh snowdrops. 'You know, I wanted to thank you Katherine' he said suddenly solemn 'I know that you were with me last week and with Steve. You helped me to find him'. He paused swallowing hard 'You know I almost lost my faith in you and I'm sorry, I was wrong. But I know now that you're with us and you always will be'.
Getting up, he took one last look at the grave and then turned away. But this time his heart leapt with joy, for he had been given his sign. The little girl, 'the spirit of Christmas' who'd appeared to him and to Steve; it hadn't escaped Mark's notice - the little girl's name, was Katherine.
The End!
Author's note: Thanks everyone for the really kind reviews of Part One. I had a great time writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I plan to update Murder is Academic very soon.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!