@#%$, Damn it, and a dozen other swear words went through my mind. Just
when I had a viable plan as to how to get the necessary DNA materials off
of Brenda, Fate has to jump in and kick me in the ass. Why me? We all
know what they say about the Devil loving people who make plans, but
couldn't he take a break now and then from ruining mine.
"Good morning, My Lady."
Sam walked in half dressed in sweatpants and stretching like he just rolled out of bed. Hmmm. If I have to have a man around, at least he is easy on the eyes.
"Have you made any coffee?"
I was still feeling out of sorts over having my plans interrupted. I shook my head, "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, no shirt, no shoes, no service."
Sam smiled at my grumpy tone. "I rarely get dressed before I have my morning coffee."
"So I will be subjected to this bit of eye candy every morning?"
"Unless you plan to bring me my morning cup in bed."
"Flirting Sam?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. Did you have a bad night?"
"No, more like a bad morning."
"You couldn't have been up long enough for things to go that badly. So, what's the bad news?"
I turned on the radio. "It's on all the news stations." I turned the dial until I found what I was looking for.
"In the news, Brenda Morgan was arrested this morning for the murder of Luis Alcazar."
I flipped off the radio station and turned to Sam. "Now do you see why I'm so upset? How the hell am I supposed to find out whether or not that husband steeling bitch is really sick or not if she is sitting in a jail cell?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you are like a dog with a bone when you get an idea in your head, Skye."
"Actually, yes. All three of my ex-husbands."
"I don't understand. How could they have found sufficient evidence to arrest her?"
"They probably found the knife. Her finger prints were all over it."
"What knife?"
"Brenda paid a little visit last night and attacked Alcazar with a knife."
Sam swore. "When the hell did that happen?"
"Right before you showed up."
"Damn. I though we were the only ones there last night."
"Are you kidding? That place was practically Grand Central Station. First room service, then Brenda, then you, and I could have sworn that Jax was there last night."
"Did they see you?"
"No. Brenda was focused on Alcazar and despite our differences; I have a hard time believing that Jax would just leave me there in the state I was in. Although, I would give just about anything to find out what Alcazar meant."
At Sam's questioning look, I said, "Before Brenda attacked him, Alcazar said, 'How long do you think that you can get away with this latest act Brenda? Eventually they will find out that you are playing them for fools.'"
Sam whistled. "Well, Alcazar is dead and we will probably never get the truth out of Brenda."
"And that still leaves me with the problem of whether or not Brenda is really sick."
"Why do you care?"
"Because, despite everything Jax has done, I still love the Bastard."
"Oh God, please don't tell me that you want him back."
"No, even if he wanted to come back, I'm not sure I could take him back. He has lied to me to many times and broken to many promises." I started laughing. "Ironic isn't it. The reason I can't take him back is because of his lies to me. Considering how many times I have lied to him, it's almost hypocritical."
"I assume these lies are about Brenda, from the way you are so determined to get to the truth about her."
I nodded. "He found out that Brenda was alive on our wedding night. Not only did he not tell me about her, he asked her to stay. He even arranged for a place for her to go. I woke up alone the next morning because he had gone to her. He postponed our honeymoon because of her then turned around and lied to me about why. He continued to see Brenda and lied to me about were he was. He was even bold enough to say that he had a meeting with my half-brother Jason. He probably thought that it was a safe lie. After all, Jason and I don't talk. Except for that day, for the time he said that he was with Jason, Jason had stopped by to talk to me."
"After all of this, Jax had the nerve to turn around and tell me that our marriage was over because I didn't tell him what I thought I knew about Brenda. And you know what, the truth is I probably haven't gotten to the truth about her yet."
"Skye, it sounds to me like he was looking for a reason to leave."
"I know. And that was the worst lie of them all. The lie he told to himself. He kept telling me that I was the woman that he wanted to be with, not Brenda."
"It seems to me that if that were the truth, after you two argued he wouldn't have jumped from you bed into Brenda's. He would have gone somewhere to be alone."
"My point exactly. He was trying to ease his guilty conscience by waiting for the first thing that came along that he could blame me for. God forbid should he just once admit the truth. From the moment she came back, he wanted to be with her."
"That's why you want to know the truth about Brenda."
"I think that it is only fair that he knows what he is taking to bed at night, don't you?"
"You're not going to let this go, are you."
"Not a chance."
"Okay. There has to be another way to get that information."
"I already tried to get to her medical files. I didn't have enough time before I was caught."
"You didn't have me with you. I can pick locks and get by any security system. All you need to do is distract the doctor."
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What's that?"
"They will probably have me arrested if I show up there again after I tried to get into their files in the first place."
Ring Ring
I looked at the phone slightly annoyed.
Ring
"Do you want me to get that for you Skye?"
Ring
"No." I picked up the phone. "Hello."
"This is the Relnmar clinic in Switzerland. I am trying to contact Antoinette Quartermaine."
"This is Antoinette Quartermaine."
"I'm afraid we found something unusual in you r test results, but our clinic's policies forbid talking about a patients medical records over the phone."
I stood there somewhat in shock. "Actually, I'm truly beginning to appreciate you hospital's privacy policy. I would like to make an appointment with the doctor who ordered the tests."
"Of course. That would probably be for the best. After explaining the complication, he could refer you to someone more suited to handle the problem."
"Is there any opening for Thursday?"
"There is one at 3:30."
"Please schedule me in at that time."
"Okay, your appointment is scheduled for 3:30 on Thursday afternoon."
"Thank you very much for the phone call." As I hung up the phone, I felt extremely light headed.
"Skye, what's wrong?"
"Sam, were you serious about breaking into the medical files?"
"Yes, if that's what you want. Why?"
"Because it looks like you're about to get your chance. I have an appointment with the good doctor on Thursday. We are going to Switzerland."
_____________________________
"You promise that they won't harm the photos?"
"Will you relax and sit down. Skye, in case you haven't noticed the pilot wants all the nice people in his plane to buckle up before he takes off."
"Well then he isn't worried about me then because I don't know of anyone who would describe me as nice. Now about my photos."
"No one is going to hurt your photos. They're just going to scan in some of your old photos and intermix the pictures with some of mine."
I could tell that Sam was doing everything he could to not laugh. "What?" I blurted out.
"Nothing."
"Sam the flight to Zurich is about 8 ½ hours. I guarantee that if you don't start talking, I can make this flight feel a lot longer."
"It's just that you are more protective of that box of photos than you are of your jewellery."
"My jewellery is insured and easily replaced. My photos aren't."
"I'm sorry Skye. I just think that it's kind of funny that you keep your photos in a fire safe lock box in the back of your closet while your jewellery sits out on the counter."
"So I'm a little screwed up."
"Actually, I think that it's the rest of the world that is screwed up. Your probably the only sane one in the lot."
"That's a scary thought."
"In the interest of passing time, do you mind if I ask a question?"
"Go for it."
"This is a hypothetical situation. You are going to take over a company. What is the first thing you would do?"
"That depends, do I intend to run this company myself?"
"Yes"
"Find a backer."
"Why? I've scene your file. You could easily afford most companies. Why find a backer?"
"I'm to conservative with my own money." I laughed at the disbelief on Sam's face. "It's true. I have two files at home. One is rather thick and the other has only a few sheets of paper. The thick folder is where I keep the bulk of my money. Every one of those investments is extremely safe and low risk. The profits on these don't yield the high returns one generally finds in something more speculative but these profits are guaranteed. I keep all but $700,000 of my total estate in that folder."
"The other folder with the few sheets of paper is the $700,000?"
"Correct. When I first started handling my own funds, a gambler friend of mine gave me some advice on how to handle my money that I still follow. He said to sit down, take a look at everything I own and decide how much of it that I am willing to loose. Not just risk, but out and out loose. Then take the rest and put it somewhere safe. When I go out to play, I pretend that the other portion doesn't exist."
"The portion you play with, that you decided that you could loose was $700,000?"
"No. It was $250,000, but that was twelve years ago. Every year at tax time, I take half the profits from my high-risk folder and put it in the safe pile. But the base on the risk pile gradually rose to $700,000. I never play with the rest. The only time I play ruthlessly with larger sums is when I am playing with someone else's money."
"That explains Jax."
"What does?"
"When you went after ELQ, you wanted to run the company. Therefore you needed someone else to buy it and put you in charge. So you chased Jax."
"To a certain extent, you are right. I was extremely attracted to Jax, not just sexually. I was looking for someone with money and power. Jax had both. Then I made a big mistake. Well, actually, I made three. I fell in love with him. I let him know it. Then, I married him. The last one is what I regret the most. I can't believe that I let him, hell, that I let any man talk me into going before a priest again and saying vows for the fourth time in my life. After my third marriage, I swore that I would never do it again. That I would never get up and listen to another man lie to me before a priest. My first two responses to Jax's wedding proposal was no. He told me that if I said yes then he would spend the rest of my life making sure that I didn't regret it. Well, I do regret it. When the power went out at the church, before the power went out at the church, there was a little voice in my head telling me to make a run for it."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because my mother once told me that my first instinct brings nothing but trouble. That I should go with the second, third, or maybe the fourth."
"Skye. Do me a favour. Don't ignore your first instinct. Even if you don't act on it, tell me what it was. You never know. It might turn out to be the better response." . _____________
"You do realize that if we find out that Brenda really is ill, then she will have the prefect excuse for getting away with murder."
"I know. However if she really is ill, I see no reason why we need to inform everyone right away. A few days in jail won't hurt her that much."
"Skye, by the time we get back, she will already have been in jail for a couple of days."
"You have got to be kidding. With the way Sonny and Jax hover over her, I doubt that she will even spend the night."
"Here is where we part company. Remember, you need to keep him away from his office for as long as you can."
"Don't worry. The one thing I'm very good at is keeping a man distracted."
I walked to the front counter.
"May I help you?"
"Hello, My name is Antoinette Quartermaine. I have an appointment." When I used the name Antoinette Quartermaine last time, I never thought that I would ever be in this clinic again. But there are some advantages to using my first name. Very few people know what my real first name is. The few that do know it also know that I never use it. Anyone asking here about Mrs Skye Jacks will get absolutely nowhere.
"Yes, Miss Quartermaine. IF you will have a seat, I will call you when the doctor is ready for you."
"Thank you." I sat down and started flipping through a magazine. Oh god. What if something is really wrong? I have been so focused on finding out the truth that it never occurred to me until just now that the reason I could get this appointment was because something might be wrong. What if it is serious? How could it be serious? I feel perfectly fine. What did that lady say? That they found something unusual in my test results. That doesn't tell me much."
"Miss Quartermaine. The Doctor will see you now. Please follow me."
As I walked into the office, the doctor looked up and scowled. Well, I guess that he remembers me.
"Hello Miss Quartermaine. I hope you won't be to insulted if I refuse to leave you alone in my office."
"I understand completely." The last time I was here, he caught me trying to break into his files. "The nurse said that you found something in my test results."
"Yes. If you would sit down then I will explain it to you."
"Is it serious?"
"I don't believe so, but since you had stated past complications in your medical history, I felt that it would be necessary to bring this to your attention. We found evidence to suggest that you have recently miscarried."
Oh god. A miscarriage? How could I have had a miscarriage? I wasn't even aware that I had been pregnant.
"Now don't be alarmed. We figure that you were probably only a couple of weeks into the pregnancy. It is quite normal for a female to miscarry during this time and not know about it. It probably felt like a heavy menstrual cycle."
Oh God. I know exactly when it happened. Right after I slipped up and got drunk. While I was hiding from everyone in all of those awful hotels, I had a heavy period and I was at least a week and a half late before that.
"However, due to your past medical history, I felt that it would be prudent that you be informed. I have created a list here of several doctors that are the best in that field. It would be in your best interest if you went to see one of them and make sure that there wasn't any complications."
"Thank you." I started to stand up but my legs were shaking so badly that they wouldn't support my weight.
The doctor came around the desk. "Here, let me help you to the nurse's station. I don't have any more appointments for the day, so why don't we take a short walk while you absorb this information. Afterwards, I can help you make an appointment. Some of these doctors keep a tight schedule. I might be able to get you an opening sooner."
The doctor walked with me around the corridors until I felt like I wasn't going to pass out. Then he led me to a waiting area so that we could sit down. "Ok, now, what state do you live in?"
Did he just say something? My mind was so numb that while I know that he had been talking, I wasn't really paying attention. Oh yes, something about where I live. "New York."
He nodded and looked at some paper in his hand. "I know, Doctor Clifson at the Mayo Clinic in Manchester, Minnesota. He is the best in that field in the states. I will have the nurse call him and set up the appointment."
"Thank you. Have you ever been to the Mayo Clinic?"
"Actually, I just returned from there. I have done several case studies and my findings were recently published."
"Really? Is it on the same disease this clinic specializes in?"
"Of course. I'm quite proud of the book. It even has my picture on the inside of the back cover. The Mayo clinic in Manchester was my last stop on the book tour."
"So you have been touring all the book shops?"
"And giving lectures on the disease at various hospitals."
"Did you stop in New York?"
"No. It was kind of strange that we didn't.
"Why was that?"
"We had two confirmed book signings on one lecture scheduled in that state but they were cancelled at the last minute."
"That is odd." Someone didn't want the doctor to show up in New York. "So is there any chance that I can get a signed copy of your book?"
"Of course. I have a couple of extra copies in my office. We can pick one up after we stop at the nurse's station."
"I almost feel guilty taking it from you after trying to break into your files the last time I was here."
"Would it make you fill any better if I told you that I planed to charge the cost of the book to your bill?"
I laughed. "Gee thanks. That actually does make me feel better."
"I'm glad to be of service. If you would wait here, I will get the book and the appointment made for you."
Well that went well. Sam was right. Jax never did talk to that doctor. I wonder who hired the impersonator. I bet it wasn't a coincidence that the real doctor's appointments in New York were cancelled at about the same time that the fake showed up in Port Charles, New York.
I looked up as the doctor returned. "Here is the book, signed as requested. Your appointment is three weeks from today with Doctor Clifson at the Mayo Clinic in Manchester Minnesota at 12:30. That was the only time that he could fit you into his schedule for the next two months."
"I'm sure that it will be fine. Thank you for going to so much trouble."
"It was a pleasure. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
I walked out and got into the car. "Hi Sam."
"What took you so long? I have been waiting here for 45 minutes."
Actually I had forgotten all about Sam. "I told you that I was good at distracting men. Besides, the doctor and I had a lot to talk about."
"Are you okay? I mean how bad is it?"
"Relax. I'm fine."
"Skye, They asked you to come to Switzerland so they could discuss your test results. The last time I checked, a doctor wouldn't ask you to fly half-way across the world in order to tell you that you are perfectly healthy."
"I have an appointment with a specialist in the states in three weeks. I will know more then." I could tell that Sam wasn't satisfied so I changed the subject. "Did you get it?"
He nodded his head. He knew what I was doing. I guess he decided to let me get away with it. "Thanks to your brilliant distraction, I not only found and copied Brenda's medical records, I also have copies of her medical bills and payment records for the last four years. They were definitely treating her for something. I'm sure that is will make interesting reading on the way home."
"Sam, this may sound funny but I bless the day you came into my life and beat the crap out of me."
"I can honestly say that you are the first to ever tell me that."
"Good morning, My Lady."
Sam walked in half dressed in sweatpants and stretching like he just rolled out of bed. Hmmm. If I have to have a man around, at least he is easy on the eyes.
"Have you made any coffee?"
I was still feeling out of sorts over having my plans interrupted. I shook my head, "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, no shirt, no shoes, no service."
Sam smiled at my grumpy tone. "I rarely get dressed before I have my morning coffee."
"So I will be subjected to this bit of eye candy every morning?"
"Unless you plan to bring me my morning cup in bed."
"Flirting Sam?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. Did you have a bad night?"
"No, more like a bad morning."
"You couldn't have been up long enough for things to go that badly. So, what's the bad news?"
I turned on the radio. "It's on all the news stations." I turned the dial until I found what I was looking for.
"In the news, Brenda Morgan was arrested this morning for the murder of Luis Alcazar."
I flipped off the radio station and turned to Sam. "Now do you see why I'm so upset? How the hell am I supposed to find out whether or not that husband steeling bitch is really sick or not if she is sitting in a jail cell?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you are like a dog with a bone when you get an idea in your head, Skye."
"Actually, yes. All three of my ex-husbands."
"I don't understand. How could they have found sufficient evidence to arrest her?"
"They probably found the knife. Her finger prints were all over it."
"What knife?"
"Brenda paid a little visit last night and attacked Alcazar with a knife."
Sam swore. "When the hell did that happen?"
"Right before you showed up."
"Damn. I though we were the only ones there last night."
"Are you kidding? That place was practically Grand Central Station. First room service, then Brenda, then you, and I could have sworn that Jax was there last night."
"Did they see you?"
"No. Brenda was focused on Alcazar and despite our differences; I have a hard time believing that Jax would just leave me there in the state I was in. Although, I would give just about anything to find out what Alcazar meant."
At Sam's questioning look, I said, "Before Brenda attacked him, Alcazar said, 'How long do you think that you can get away with this latest act Brenda? Eventually they will find out that you are playing them for fools.'"
Sam whistled. "Well, Alcazar is dead and we will probably never get the truth out of Brenda."
"And that still leaves me with the problem of whether or not Brenda is really sick."
"Why do you care?"
"Because, despite everything Jax has done, I still love the Bastard."
"Oh God, please don't tell me that you want him back."
"No, even if he wanted to come back, I'm not sure I could take him back. He has lied to me to many times and broken to many promises." I started laughing. "Ironic isn't it. The reason I can't take him back is because of his lies to me. Considering how many times I have lied to him, it's almost hypocritical."
"I assume these lies are about Brenda, from the way you are so determined to get to the truth about her."
I nodded. "He found out that Brenda was alive on our wedding night. Not only did he not tell me about her, he asked her to stay. He even arranged for a place for her to go. I woke up alone the next morning because he had gone to her. He postponed our honeymoon because of her then turned around and lied to me about why. He continued to see Brenda and lied to me about were he was. He was even bold enough to say that he had a meeting with my half-brother Jason. He probably thought that it was a safe lie. After all, Jason and I don't talk. Except for that day, for the time he said that he was with Jason, Jason had stopped by to talk to me."
"After all of this, Jax had the nerve to turn around and tell me that our marriage was over because I didn't tell him what I thought I knew about Brenda. And you know what, the truth is I probably haven't gotten to the truth about her yet."
"Skye, it sounds to me like he was looking for a reason to leave."
"I know. And that was the worst lie of them all. The lie he told to himself. He kept telling me that I was the woman that he wanted to be with, not Brenda."
"It seems to me that if that were the truth, after you two argued he wouldn't have jumped from you bed into Brenda's. He would have gone somewhere to be alone."
"My point exactly. He was trying to ease his guilty conscience by waiting for the first thing that came along that he could blame me for. God forbid should he just once admit the truth. From the moment she came back, he wanted to be with her."
"That's why you want to know the truth about Brenda."
"I think that it is only fair that he knows what he is taking to bed at night, don't you?"
"You're not going to let this go, are you."
"Not a chance."
"Okay. There has to be another way to get that information."
"I already tried to get to her medical files. I didn't have enough time before I was caught."
"You didn't have me with you. I can pick locks and get by any security system. All you need to do is distract the doctor."
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What's that?"
"They will probably have me arrested if I show up there again after I tried to get into their files in the first place."
Ring Ring
I looked at the phone slightly annoyed.
Ring
"Do you want me to get that for you Skye?"
Ring
"No." I picked up the phone. "Hello."
"This is the Relnmar clinic in Switzerland. I am trying to contact Antoinette Quartermaine."
"This is Antoinette Quartermaine."
"I'm afraid we found something unusual in you r test results, but our clinic's policies forbid talking about a patients medical records over the phone."
I stood there somewhat in shock. "Actually, I'm truly beginning to appreciate you hospital's privacy policy. I would like to make an appointment with the doctor who ordered the tests."
"Of course. That would probably be for the best. After explaining the complication, he could refer you to someone more suited to handle the problem."
"Is there any opening for Thursday?"
"There is one at 3:30."
"Please schedule me in at that time."
"Okay, your appointment is scheduled for 3:30 on Thursday afternoon."
"Thank you very much for the phone call." As I hung up the phone, I felt extremely light headed.
"Skye, what's wrong?"
"Sam, were you serious about breaking into the medical files?"
"Yes, if that's what you want. Why?"
"Because it looks like you're about to get your chance. I have an appointment with the good doctor on Thursday. We are going to Switzerland."
_____________________________
"You promise that they won't harm the photos?"
"Will you relax and sit down. Skye, in case you haven't noticed the pilot wants all the nice people in his plane to buckle up before he takes off."
"Well then he isn't worried about me then because I don't know of anyone who would describe me as nice. Now about my photos."
"No one is going to hurt your photos. They're just going to scan in some of your old photos and intermix the pictures with some of mine."
I could tell that Sam was doing everything he could to not laugh. "What?" I blurted out.
"Nothing."
"Sam the flight to Zurich is about 8 ½ hours. I guarantee that if you don't start talking, I can make this flight feel a lot longer."
"It's just that you are more protective of that box of photos than you are of your jewellery."
"My jewellery is insured and easily replaced. My photos aren't."
"I'm sorry Skye. I just think that it's kind of funny that you keep your photos in a fire safe lock box in the back of your closet while your jewellery sits out on the counter."
"So I'm a little screwed up."
"Actually, I think that it's the rest of the world that is screwed up. Your probably the only sane one in the lot."
"That's a scary thought."
"In the interest of passing time, do you mind if I ask a question?"
"Go for it."
"This is a hypothetical situation. You are going to take over a company. What is the first thing you would do?"
"That depends, do I intend to run this company myself?"
"Yes"
"Find a backer."
"Why? I've scene your file. You could easily afford most companies. Why find a backer?"
"I'm to conservative with my own money." I laughed at the disbelief on Sam's face. "It's true. I have two files at home. One is rather thick and the other has only a few sheets of paper. The thick folder is where I keep the bulk of my money. Every one of those investments is extremely safe and low risk. The profits on these don't yield the high returns one generally finds in something more speculative but these profits are guaranteed. I keep all but $700,000 of my total estate in that folder."
"The other folder with the few sheets of paper is the $700,000?"
"Correct. When I first started handling my own funds, a gambler friend of mine gave me some advice on how to handle my money that I still follow. He said to sit down, take a look at everything I own and decide how much of it that I am willing to loose. Not just risk, but out and out loose. Then take the rest and put it somewhere safe. When I go out to play, I pretend that the other portion doesn't exist."
"The portion you play with, that you decided that you could loose was $700,000?"
"No. It was $250,000, but that was twelve years ago. Every year at tax time, I take half the profits from my high-risk folder and put it in the safe pile. But the base on the risk pile gradually rose to $700,000. I never play with the rest. The only time I play ruthlessly with larger sums is when I am playing with someone else's money."
"That explains Jax."
"What does?"
"When you went after ELQ, you wanted to run the company. Therefore you needed someone else to buy it and put you in charge. So you chased Jax."
"To a certain extent, you are right. I was extremely attracted to Jax, not just sexually. I was looking for someone with money and power. Jax had both. Then I made a big mistake. Well, actually, I made three. I fell in love with him. I let him know it. Then, I married him. The last one is what I regret the most. I can't believe that I let him, hell, that I let any man talk me into going before a priest again and saying vows for the fourth time in my life. After my third marriage, I swore that I would never do it again. That I would never get up and listen to another man lie to me before a priest. My first two responses to Jax's wedding proposal was no. He told me that if I said yes then he would spend the rest of my life making sure that I didn't regret it. Well, I do regret it. When the power went out at the church, before the power went out at the church, there was a little voice in my head telling me to make a run for it."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because my mother once told me that my first instinct brings nothing but trouble. That I should go with the second, third, or maybe the fourth."
"Skye. Do me a favour. Don't ignore your first instinct. Even if you don't act on it, tell me what it was. You never know. It might turn out to be the better response." . _____________
"You do realize that if we find out that Brenda really is ill, then she will have the prefect excuse for getting away with murder."
"I know. However if she really is ill, I see no reason why we need to inform everyone right away. A few days in jail won't hurt her that much."
"Skye, by the time we get back, she will already have been in jail for a couple of days."
"You have got to be kidding. With the way Sonny and Jax hover over her, I doubt that she will even spend the night."
"Here is where we part company. Remember, you need to keep him away from his office for as long as you can."
"Don't worry. The one thing I'm very good at is keeping a man distracted."
I walked to the front counter.
"May I help you?"
"Hello, My name is Antoinette Quartermaine. I have an appointment." When I used the name Antoinette Quartermaine last time, I never thought that I would ever be in this clinic again. But there are some advantages to using my first name. Very few people know what my real first name is. The few that do know it also know that I never use it. Anyone asking here about Mrs Skye Jacks will get absolutely nowhere.
"Yes, Miss Quartermaine. IF you will have a seat, I will call you when the doctor is ready for you."
"Thank you." I sat down and started flipping through a magazine. Oh god. What if something is really wrong? I have been so focused on finding out the truth that it never occurred to me until just now that the reason I could get this appointment was because something might be wrong. What if it is serious? How could it be serious? I feel perfectly fine. What did that lady say? That they found something unusual in my test results. That doesn't tell me much."
"Miss Quartermaine. The Doctor will see you now. Please follow me."
As I walked into the office, the doctor looked up and scowled. Well, I guess that he remembers me.
"Hello Miss Quartermaine. I hope you won't be to insulted if I refuse to leave you alone in my office."
"I understand completely." The last time I was here, he caught me trying to break into his files. "The nurse said that you found something in my test results."
"Yes. If you would sit down then I will explain it to you."
"Is it serious?"
"I don't believe so, but since you had stated past complications in your medical history, I felt that it would be necessary to bring this to your attention. We found evidence to suggest that you have recently miscarried."
Oh god. A miscarriage? How could I have had a miscarriage? I wasn't even aware that I had been pregnant.
"Now don't be alarmed. We figure that you were probably only a couple of weeks into the pregnancy. It is quite normal for a female to miscarry during this time and not know about it. It probably felt like a heavy menstrual cycle."
Oh God. I know exactly when it happened. Right after I slipped up and got drunk. While I was hiding from everyone in all of those awful hotels, I had a heavy period and I was at least a week and a half late before that.
"However, due to your past medical history, I felt that it would be prudent that you be informed. I have created a list here of several doctors that are the best in that field. It would be in your best interest if you went to see one of them and make sure that there wasn't any complications."
"Thank you." I started to stand up but my legs were shaking so badly that they wouldn't support my weight.
The doctor came around the desk. "Here, let me help you to the nurse's station. I don't have any more appointments for the day, so why don't we take a short walk while you absorb this information. Afterwards, I can help you make an appointment. Some of these doctors keep a tight schedule. I might be able to get you an opening sooner."
The doctor walked with me around the corridors until I felt like I wasn't going to pass out. Then he led me to a waiting area so that we could sit down. "Ok, now, what state do you live in?"
Did he just say something? My mind was so numb that while I know that he had been talking, I wasn't really paying attention. Oh yes, something about where I live. "New York."
He nodded and looked at some paper in his hand. "I know, Doctor Clifson at the Mayo Clinic in Manchester, Minnesota. He is the best in that field in the states. I will have the nurse call him and set up the appointment."
"Thank you. Have you ever been to the Mayo Clinic?"
"Actually, I just returned from there. I have done several case studies and my findings were recently published."
"Really? Is it on the same disease this clinic specializes in?"
"Of course. I'm quite proud of the book. It even has my picture on the inside of the back cover. The Mayo clinic in Manchester was my last stop on the book tour."
"So you have been touring all the book shops?"
"And giving lectures on the disease at various hospitals."
"Did you stop in New York?"
"No. It was kind of strange that we didn't.
"Why was that?"
"We had two confirmed book signings on one lecture scheduled in that state but they were cancelled at the last minute."
"That is odd." Someone didn't want the doctor to show up in New York. "So is there any chance that I can get a signed copy of your book?"
"Of course. I have a couple of extra copies in my office. We can pick one up after we stop at the nurse's station."
"I almost feel guilty taking it from you after trying to break into your files the last time I was here."
"Would it make you fill any better if I told you that I planed to charge the cost of the book to your bill?"
I laughed. "Gee thanks. That actually does make me feel better."
"I'm glad to be of service. If you would wait here, I will get the book and the appointment made for you."
Well that went well. Sam was right. Jax never did talk to that doctor. I wonder who hired the impersonator. I bet it wasn't a coincidence that the real doctor's appointments in New York were cancelled at about the same time that the fake showed up in Port Charles, New York.
I looked up as the doctor returned. "Here is the book, signed as requested. Your appointment is three weeks from today with Doctor Clifson at the Mayo Clinic in Manchester Minnesota at 12:30. That was the only time that he could fit you into his schedule for the next two months."
"I'm sure that it will be fine. Thank you for going to so much trouble."
"It was a pleasure. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
I walked out and got into the car. "Hi Sam."
"What took you so long? I have been waiting here for 45 minutes."
Actually I had forgotten all about Sam. "I told you that I was good at distracting men. Besides, the doctor and I had a lot to talk about."
"Are you okay? I mean how bad is it?"
"Relax. I'm fine."
"Skye, They asked you to come to Switzerland so they could discuss your test results. The last time I checked, a doctor wouldn't ask you to fly half-way across the world in order to tell you that you are perfectly healthy."
"I have an appointment with a specialist in the states in three weeks. I will know more then." I could tell that Sam wasn't satisfied so I changed the subject. "Did you get it?"
He nodded his head. He knew what I was doing. I guess he decided to let me get away with it. "Thanks to your brilliant distraction, I not only found and copied Brenda's medical records, I also have copies of her medical bills and payment records for the last four years. They were definitely treating her for something. I'm sure that is will make interesting reading on the way home."
"Sam, this may sound funny but I bless the day you came into my life and beat the crap out of me."
"I can honestly say that you are the first to ever tell me that."
