Secrets and Lies
Chapter 6
Before she had time to analyse her feelings on the subject any further, she snatched up the receiver again and dialled. In the seconds that followed, she did contemplate slamming it back onto its cradle and not doing this, but this contemplation was ended when a woman answered the phone.
"Hello?"
She hesitated all of a sudden. His mother. A woman not only had Sam never met, a woman Sam doubted she could ever meet, not knowing what she knew about her son. How much did his mother know? How much of what went on in his life did he tell her about? Then she remembered that there were things about this situation that even he didn't know.
"Hi there. This is Sam Taggart at County General ER in Chicago. Is Ray there please?"
She followed her abrupt pause smoothly, introducing herself and trying to paste over the rapidly opening cracks in her own façade. There was a moments silence on the other end of the line, then a shuffling noise, before anyone spoke again.
"Hello?"
The voice was unmistakeable. A knot turned in Sam's gut that she tried very hard to ignore. This wasn't for her, this was for Abby. The more that thought turned in her brain, the more she hated him all over again.
"Ray?"
"Yeah. Who's this?"
Clearly, her voice was less memorable. She sighed heavily before answering. This could be worse than she thought.
"Sam. Sam Taggart,"
She allowed a pause for her words to sink in, but got nothing. No recognition at all. She could just imagine his blank expression.
"County General ER,"
She added finally, hoping to jog his memory. Something clearly clicked at that point. Yes, she thought bitterly, I'm the one who knows more than she ever wanted to about your sordid little life.
"Yeah. Sam. I remember. How's County life these days?"
"This isn't a social call,"
Her words were terse, clipped short by the acid in her tone. She barely wanted to be speaking to him, let alone engage him in proper conversation. She couldn't help how she felt about him. It was irrational, but it was also all too real even after all this time.
"I'm phoning to let you know – Abby will be dead by morning. She wants to see you. I think you owe it to her to get here,"
He owed it to her? He more than owed it to her to get here. Sam couldn't hide the faint note of bitterness in her voice any longer.
"She's dying?"
He sounded almost surprised. He'd known she was ill. She was ill before he left for Mercy. Surely, he couldn't have expected this to be good news.
"Without a miracle, yes,"
Sam answered honestly. She couldn't quite believe it herself. After 5 years, it could all be over in a matter of hours.
"I'll be there,"
And for once in his life, she believed him.