Chapter Seventeen

Sam looked down at Jasmine and then at her watch. "Wow, it's getting close to dinner. Ed, I should take her up to the room and get her some dinner and get her ready for bed."

Ed nodded as he stood up and then knelt at Jasmine's eye level, "Well it was very nice to meet you, Miss Jasmine."

Jasmine grinned as she threw her arms around Ed's neck and then looked at Sam, "I want him to tuck me in tonight."

Sam laughed softly and pried her away from Ed. "He's got a lot of other things to do tonight, Jasmine. He's got a wife and a little girl too."

Jasmine looked at Ed, her eyes were wide, "You do??"

Ed nodded and smiled, "I do. Her name is Delinda."

Jasmine smiled and nodded, "That's a pretty name."

Sam smiled as she held her hand out, "Quit flirting, Jasmine and let's go." Giving Ed a wink she took the girl's hand.

Ed merely laughed softly and lead them out. "Sam, can I see you for a sec please?"

Sam glanced back at Ed and nodded, "Sure," she looked at Jasmine, "Jasmine, please wait outside and don't go anywhere, okay?"

The girl nodded and did as she was told. After she had left, Ed looked at Sam, softly, "Thank you."

The woman blinked in surprise, "For what, Ed?"

Ed gave her a quiet smile and shrugged, "You just gave me the only bright spot of my day. That little girl is a gem and she's lucky to have you."

Sam smiled softly and hugged him, "I'm upstairs if you need anything, okay?"

Ed nodded as he kissed her cheek and smiled, "Thanks."

Samantha gave him a wink and headed out of his office. Once Ed was alone, he walked over to his CD player and took out a CD. Soon an angelic voice filtered through the air.

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart

Without saying a word, you can light up the dark

Try as I may, I could never explain

What I hear when you don't say a thing

Ed sighed as he sat down and booted up his computer and then connected to the Internet. Making sure that his printer had plenty of paper and didn't predict a jam, he reached into his pocket and took the piece of paper out and plugged in the web address. Within seconds he was at the site.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

Sighing deeply, he read the page again, soaking in the information. He knew that he had to make it look as if nothing had happened, as if it was a fluke from life. Ed hit the print button and waited.

All day long I can hear people talking out loud

But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd

Old Mr. Webster could never define

What's being said between your heart and mine

Jillian's head was turned towards the wall. She knew that she put Ed in an unthinkable place. But she also knew that he'd ask the same of her if he was the one in the bed. She sighed quietly as she looked down at her wedding ring and remembered words to one of her favorite songs.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

You say it best when you say nothing at all

Sitting up, Jillian reached for the tablet and pen and began to write a letter.

Pulling the printed document out of the printer, Ed's eyes scanned it as processed the information and stored it away in his memory. He had to do this right. His wife was counting on him and Ed didn't want to do anything to bring her anymore pain than she was in.

Folding the paper in half and then in half again, he stuck it in the back pocket of his jeans, picked up his car keys that he had dropped on his desk and headed out. Stopping to lock his office, Mitch wheeled up behind him.

"Mr. D?"

Ed glanced down at the man in the wheelchair and gave him a soft smile, "Hey, Mitch, what's happening?"

Mitch smiled at him. "Not much, just getting off and I saw you locking up. You don't do that unless you are going to be gone for a bit. You going away on vacation?"

Not wanting to reveal his family problems just yet, Ed simply smiled and nodded, "Yeah, taking the wife to Hawaii. I've been promising her for years."

The other man smiled broadly, "Hit Waikiki Beach. You guys will love it."

Giving him a fake laugh Ed nodded, "We will. Have a good evening, Mitch." Clapping the man on the back gently, Ed headed down the hall. The minute he was out of sight, his smile quickly faded.

Her pen swiftly leapt across the pages, the sounds of her writing filled the air. Page after page of words of love, wisdom, advice and truths appeared. Jillian paused briefly to rub her cramping hand and then continued. She knew she had to write this letter to her daughter and she knew that it was the only way that it would explain what happened and why her father did what he did.

She sighed softly as she signed her letter and then reread it carefully. Nodding in approval, Jillian carefully folded it into thirds and placed it in the envelope and sealed it. Setting it on the bedside table, she placed the tablet and pen next to it and laid back and sighed deeply, her eyes closing.

Delinda had her head resting on Danny's shoulder and was dozing. Every once in a while, Danny would glance down at her to check on her and then he'd sigh quietly because he'd remember that it wasn't very long ago when he'd sleep his pain away. Leaning down to press a soft kiss upon her forehead, Danny glanced up and saw Mary. He smiled softly at her, his voice was quiet, "Hey."

Mary smiled as she walked over and sat down next to him, "Hey yourself. How is she?"

Danny sighed softly, "I think she's more scared of how Ed is going to take it than what is going to happen to her mom."

The woman nodded quietly in agreement, softly, "She's not the only one. Danny, when your mom died, how did your dad handle it?"

Danny flinched as he remembered, his voice was eerily quiet, "He shut down, Mare. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't sleep, wouldn't even shower... He stopped working altogether... Stopped doing what he enjoyed doing... and started drinking." He glanced over at his friend, "I can see Ed doing that. I can see him finding solace in the bottom of a bottle and it scares the hell out of me."

Mary nodded again as she reached for his hand, softly, "We will just have to do all that we can to not let that happen."

Danny sighed quietly and glanced down as Delinda stirred and started to wake up. She sat up and concealed a quiet yawn and looked around and smiled softly at her friends, "Hey."

Mary gave her a smile, "How are you?"

The blonde nodded quietly, "Has anybody seen my dad?"

Danny looked down the hall and saw the man himself on cue, he nodded down the hall at Delinda and she stood up and walked towards her father.

Ed gave his daughter a warm smile as he saw her and hugged her tightly, "Hey baby."

Delinda buried her face in the crook of her father's neck, whispering, "Where'd you go?"

Releasing his daughter, Ed planted a kiss on her forehead, "I just wanted to shut the office down at work. Plus I went home and grabbed a shower and a bite to eat. You probably should do that too."

His daughter shook her head, "I don't want to be away from mom."

Ed nodded and looked at her, "I'm taking you girls to Hawaii. It's all set up. I had actually had the trip planned long before this happened and I wanted to surprise you both. Your mother still has her heart set on it so I'm going to take her out there. Honey, I'd really like it if you could go with us."

She smiled softly and nodded, "I'd love that, Daddy, thank you. I'll put in for the time at work."

The man smiled softly, "Sounds good." He glanced over her shoulder at Danny and then looked back at her, "Delinda, would you excuse me a moment, please?"

Gripping his daughter's arm affectionately as he walked by her, Ed kept his eyes focused on his employee. When he reached Danny, he simply looked at him, "Can you and I talk?"

Danny glanced over at Mary and then at Ed, nodding, "Sure, Ed."

The two men walked away to someplace quiet and Ed sighed deeply as he tried to formulate his words. As Danny patiently waited, he could see just how exhausted his boss was.

"Danny, I want to apologize to you for what I said earlier. I was out of line. I should never have snapped at you like that and I'm sorry."

Danny gave his boss a quiet smile and shrugged a little, "You are under a lot of stress, Ed. You are upset over your wife, which is natural."

Ed looked at him pointedly, "But I had no excuse to say what I said."

His employee just gave him another smile, "Don't worry about it, okay? You and I are even now for that whole you walking in on me and your daughter thing."

Ed couldn't help but laugh softly and nodded, "Deal." In an uncharacteristic move for Ed Deline, he reached out and pulled the younger man into an embrace and whispered softly in his ear, "Be there for my daughter. She's gonna need you for what I can't provide for her right now."

Still reeling in surprise from the impromptu hug, Danny nodded, softly, "Don't worry, Ed, I got it covered."

Ed smiled softly as he stepped away, "Good. You are a hell of a man, Danny. A good employee and an even better friend."

"Speaking of friends..." Danny started as his head nodded down the hall to where Mike was coming up.

"I am a lucky man indeed," Ed remarked softly.

Ed smiled quietly as he saw the jovial African American man approach them. "Ed, man, Sam told me about Mrs. D and I'm so sorry."

Ed nodded quietly, "Thanks, Mike, it means a lot that you are here."

Mike stuffed his hands in his back pockets, "How is she?"

The older man nodded, "She's... well... you know... she is trying to be strong for my sake, but I can tell she's just as scared as I."

Mike nodded in empathy. "Yeah... I was telling Sam earlier that is so weird because just the other day I was flirting with her and teasing you."

Ed smiled as he remembered, "Yeah. Life is cruel like that, isn't it?"

The man sighed deeply and nodded, "That it is, Big Ed, that it is. Listen, is there anything I can do for you? Make some calls? Contact anybody?"

Ed shook his head, "No, Mike, thanks. Listen, I'm going to get in there, I want to talk to her."

Mike nodded and gave Ed a pat on the back, "Sure thing, Mr. D, give her my love."

Ed smiled weakly at his employee and friend as he headed into his wife's room. Smiling softly after he opened the door, Ed walked in and went over to his wife and leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

Smiling as she woke up, she looked at him, her voice was quiet, "Hey, Handsome."

Ed grinned at her as he sat down, "Hi there, gorgeous."

Jillian sat up a little and smiled as she watched her husband dig out the folded piece of paper out of his pants. "I did some research on the Internet, I think I may have found something."

She nodded quietly, softly, "What is it?"

Ed sighed deeply as he looked around and then back at her, "Jill, before I tell you, you have to be 100% sure that this is what you want me to do."

Jillian nodded, "I am, Ed."

"Okay... According to this website, all I'd need is an empty syringe. I'd take your iv out and inject a small bubble of air into your bloodstream."

She swallowed hard and nodded, "That's it?"

Ed nodded and looked down, whispering, "That would kill you quickly and it'd be painless and it wouldn't get back to me doing it."

Jillian put on a brave face, she gave him a false smile, "I married Dr. Kevorkian."

Ed flinched and set the paper down and stood up, walking to the window, "Christ, Jillian, that's a hell of a thing to say."

Jillian sighed softly and looked down at her hands, "I'm sorry, Eddie, it was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. I know that you are struggling with this."

He turned and looked at her, his voice was soft, "My wife of thirty years is asking me to kill her. Yeah... I am struggling with this, Jillian."

She nodded silently, not knowing what to say. After several moments Ed turned and looked at his wife and found her quietly crying. Walking over to her, he pulled her close to him, softly, "I'm sorry that I snapped at you."

She sighed deeply as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, quietly, "I'm sorry I made the crack, Ed. I just wasn't thinking." Sighing again she pulled back and looked at him, "I have the letter for Delinda ready." She reached over to the bedside table and handed him the envelope.

Ed's eyes scanned it and he put it in his back pocket. Jillian looked at her husband carefully, "You aren't going to read it?"

Ed shrugged as he sat down, "It isn't addressed to me." He leaned in and took her hand, "Besides, I trust you that you answered questions she had and whatever you didn't answer, I'll answer."

Jillian nodded and looked at her husband, softly, "Hold me, Ed. Please..."

He looked at her and knew he couldn't refuse her. Standing up, Ed slipped out of his shoes and walked around to the other side of the bed and got in and wrapped his arms around her.