Chapter 2
Samantha frowned and looked away in shock. Shaking her head she said,
"I'm sorry did you just say my father?"
Amanda nodded as Samantha got up and paced around a little with her arms crossed defensively.
As Jack watched her go into full defence mode from the bullpen he knew something huge was in progress.
"I got a call from a nurse from the ER of Mount Sinai to say he'd been admitted the day before yesterday. I got a flight out yesterday morning."
Samantha spun around to face her mother.
"You've seen him! Mom, I can't believe this!" She gestured with her arms in despair.
Amanda got up and moved towards her daughter but Samantha pulled away seething that he'd wormed his way back into her mother's life so easily.
"The truth is Samantha I got a letter from him three months ago."
Samantha shut her eyes again in disbelief.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She said softly.
"I thought you'd be upset."
"Oh, like I'm not upset now?" She sank into the chair opposite Jack's desk heavily. Her mother knelt down in front of her.
"Honey, he didn't tell me he was sick. He didn't say much of anything in the letter. Although God knows I've read it hundreds of times trying to find something else. Mostly he asked after you."
Samantha shook her head. She tried to let go of her mother's hand but she wouldn't release her.
"This man left us without a word twenty years ago and now he's pitching up saying honey I'm home and you don't find that suspicious?"
Samantha thought for a second and then asked, "Who is paying his medical bills Mom?"
It was Amanda's turn to be angry. She jumped up and stood over her daughter.
"You listen to me Samantha Spade, you may almost be thirty but you will not talk to your mother like that. I am not giving your father money nor has he asked me for any."
She sighed and turned away from Samantha who softened and got up, turning her mother around gently into her arms.
"I'm sorry Mom. I'm just worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt again."
They pulled apart and Amanda smoothed a strand of hair back into place on her daughter's head.
"I know you're angry at him and on many levels I still am too but he has no one else and whatever he's done, we've shared a life together and I can't walk away from that however much you'd like me to."
Samantha looked down as her mother lifted a card from her purse. Handing it to Samantha she said,
"This is where I'm staying, call me later and we'll talk alright?"
Samantha smiled and nodded.
"Goodbye sweetie."
As she watched her mother leave Samantha sat on the edge of Jack's desk and sighed heavily, desperately trying to hold back the tears as her world crashed down around her.
Seeing her body language, Jack immediately went in to check she was ok.
"Sam?"
Hearing his voice was all she needed to go over the edge. She put her hand to her eyes and began to sob heavily.
Jack felt like he'd been stabbed straight to the heart as the pain of seeing her cry coursed through him. He took her by the shoulders and eased her up into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed helplessly.
Vivian saw this unfold and nudged Danny. Martin soon noticed the two of them and they all stood up to see what was happening. It was clear that Samantha was extremely upset but about what?
"What's wrong Sam? Tell me please."
She took deep breaths in order to calm down enough to speak. He stroked her hair gently, comforting her. Pulling back from him she said,
"My dad. My dad is here in New York. She's here to visit my dad. He's in Mount Sinai, I don't know what's wrong with him and I'm not sure that I care."
"Wow, no wonder you're upset. And your mom's ok with this?"
"I don't know what she's thinking, but then I never have."
She sat down again and put her head in her hands.
"I don't know what to do Jack. I don't want to see him, I don't. He made his choice all those years ago and I'm not going to make it easy for him now just because he says he's sick."
Jack tried to soothe her as she shook her head with every word He nodded and sat down opposite her. He reached out for her hand and she took it, holding onto it for dear life. In the midst of her turmoil, Jack was secretly pleased that she was turning to him and leaning on him. He hated to see the woman he loved in so much pain.
"Sam, listen, it's Thursday, we've got things under control here so why don't you go home and take tomorrow off. Spend some time with your mom and sort things out."
He raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded slowly. She wiped her face and squeezed his hand.
"Jack, could you go and get my things from my desk. I can't take the stares and the questions not now."
"Ok. Am I telling them or making something up?"
"Make something up." She said without even thinking about it. He nodded and smiled, getting up.
He walked into the bullpen and gathered up Sam's things. Vivian and Danny looked at each other and Martin looked at Jack curiously.
"What's going on Jack? Who was that with Samantha?"
"Uh, that was her mom. She's got some personal stuff to take care of so she's taking tomorrow off." Seeing their confused looks he stopped and turned to them. "Look guys, I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready. Right now she just needs some time."
He nodded at them and took her stuff back to his office. She put her coat on and turned around to see him putting his on too.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm driving you home." He said, in a voice that was taking no arguments to the contrary.
She nodded gratefully and walked out in front of him. She felt everyone's eyes on her but she didn't look back and stepped into the elevator.
As they stepped out into the garage he put his hand on the small of her back to support her. She shut her eyes at his touch and walked a little closer to him that she should have. She didn't care. She needed him and he was there for her. That was it.
He dropped her outside her building after a journey of comfortable silence. As she watched him pull away from the kerb her heart sank like a stone in her chest. She climbed the stairs to her apartment feeling empty. She wanted him to stay with her and talk to her. Just hearing his voice calmed her down and made her feel so wanted and important. Now looking around her empty apartment with her mother's revelation pressing on her, she couldn't have felt more alone.
