Part 40
David met Brenda in the hotel lobby in the morning.
"I don't know whether to go to classes and then to the hospital or straight to the hospital," she said.
"You could go to the classes," he said. "He should even be getting out in the next couple of days."
"Then to figure out how we keep the ogre from talking to him."
"We're thinking Zander could go on the offense. Go to him and say what he has to say. Put the timing into his control."
"Good! It's the unexpectedness that's such a drag. I was there the day Zander opened the door and saw Cameron standing there, after four years of not seeing him. Cold as he could be. I couldn't believe my eyes or my ears. I was right there. Damn that man!"
"He's not too popular right now, that's for sure."
"I didn't meet him that much earlier than you, so from my point of view you could be his father just as well."
"I didn't do anything, though. There's his whole life before he met you."
"Oh, I know, but as to that, you've already done more, in a few weeks, than that jerk did in years, because everything he did was so negative."
Cameron had flown back from Pine Valley that morning. He went to the hotel, then walked down on the docks, then ended up in Kelly's Diner.
David had vowed to walk in on him next rather than be walked up on. He waited for Cam to look down at a newspaper, so as to maximize the element of surprise.
"Well, Cam," he said, sitting down right across from him. "I have to hand it to you, you've managed to alienate all the women in your son's life to the point where all I have to do is show up and I get total acceptance. How did you manage that? It's a feat nobody else could match. Someone would like you in spite of yourself if you weren't so good at ticking everybody off."
The surprise, to David's disappointment, had no apparent effect, at least, not from an offensive attack from David.
Cam just looked up and stared coldly.
"First, of course, you've got his mother," David went on. "She dislikes you. In moderation, but it's clearly dislike and she'd keep you from her son as long as possible. Then there's the mother of your granddaughter, she despises you with all her might. Then there's his girlfriend who hates you with the heat of many suns."
"And these are people whose opinion is supposed to carry any weight?"
"You mean it doesn't bother you?"
"It should? A thirty-two year old woman who is spending her time with a boy ten years her junior."
"They're going to college."
"Since he should have graduated, last year, and she should have graduated 11 years ago, that's not real impressive. Then a thirty-two year old woman, married to a criminal, who has a child by a boy ten years her junior."
"Nevertheless, it's your granddaughter. And Donna?"
"You already know her poor choices."
"Yes, I guess I don't need your recital there. But it must really get to you how she pulled one over on you."
"Pulled one over on me?"
"She did pull one over on you. A really big one. I know you can hardly stand having been outsmarted by Donna for twenty-two years, which leads to Alexander, whose faults you're also pretty dedicated about pointing out."
"Those are genetic," Cameron said, drinking some coffee.
"Is that a joke?" David's eyes started lighting up. "Is there a sense of humor in there somewhere?"
There was no answer. Cam smiled the slightest smile.
"You need help, Cam," David said. "But we can trust you not to sneak up on Alexander again, is that right?"
"That's right."
"Then how do you plan to get around the three of them?" David went on. "Carly, Donna, Brenda. All three will do anything to keep you away? You may as well have stayed in Pine Valley for all the chance you're going to get to talk to your son."
Cameron looked away, but seemed a little uncomfortable at having been caught going to Pine Valley.
"Dr. Lewis?" A young girl was standing there. "Would you tell me what's going on, with Zander? My mother says he's OK, but that's all she'll tell me. The doctor and patient privilege, she says. I know he's in the hospital because somebody I know at the country club told me."
"Here's another one," David said. "Speaking to you, at least."
"No," Cameron said, "This one is a victim. He's fine now, we believe," he said, turning to Emily. "The incident allowed us to detect and treat a congenital condition."
"You're the kidnap victim?" David asked her.
"Yes," Cameron said, before Emily could answer.
"Who are you?" she asked David. "His uncle or something?"
"Yeah, something like that," David answered.
"Yes," Cameron added. "He's a relative."
"Well," she said, "Well – er, thank you."
"You could probably go visit him if you really wanted to," Cameron said, as she left.
"I'll try that. Thank you," she said, looking at each of them before she walked off.
"She's a victim, you say. Yet she cares." David got up. "How do you explain that?"
"That I raised him so well."
"You need help, Cam."
"I'll call you when I need you," Cameron said, sarcastically.