Part 60 PG-13

"The CXR shows marked improvement in the density of the left lung infiltrate," Monica said. "I have the Fi01 down to 50. Pulmonary artery pressure dropped from systolics of 65 to 45 this morning."

"Surfactant was never was reported to work in adults, but in this one case, the results were very dramatic," David observed.

"I have never seen anything that helps in ARDS once it has been established for 4 days!"

"I hope he continues to improve," David said.

"It's a great thing to have happened," Monica said. "I don't know if we want to develop a reputation for this, though."

"You look absolutely beautiful," Ned said to Brenda. They were working in the record company office.

"And I got concerned turning thirty would be a damper on my career," she said. "Now I know it's not a problem. I'll stay barefoot and pregnant."

"What? Pregnant?"

"Yes."

He sighed. But then he said: "Why don't you go and see my grandmother? She'd like to hear about it."

"I've been visiting her every once in a while. But you're right, she'd like to hear this."

"What's going on with Zander anyway? When was the last time he was arrested?"

"He was arrested by a heart condition. That's taken care of. His mother's back in his life. That's doing a lot of good."

"Isn't his father back in his life too?" Ned asked. "Emily said she's seen him."

"Oh, Cameron. Yeah. But he's a jerk. If you think Zander had troubles, you can lay a lot of it at his door. Really impossible man."

"Something about the way Zander talked to my grandfather," Ned said. "Made me wonder if he didn't have a father who was like that."

Brenda considered this.

"I suppose, a lot. Yes. But Edward might stick up for you to outsiders. Cameron doesn't seem to. And Edward ignores you guys more. I mean, he doesn't pressure you as much as I think Cameron must have pressured his sons."

"Sons?"

"Yeah, Zander has a brother. I think Emily knows that."

"I don't think she's ever mentioned him to me. So it's a good thing if Grandfather ignores us?"

"The more the better. Does he ever say anything encouraging?"

"I'm trying to remember," Ned said, laughing. "I don't think so."

David saw Cameron in the hotel lobby.

"Did you get some sort of order of visitation to your adult child every other weekend?" Cameron asked.

"All right, I make no bones about it. I want him back, however late it is. How does it feel to have a co-father? The more I talk to you, the more I'm convinced I should try to do it, no matter how old he is."

"Well, let's see. I'm still shocked at the idea of having a co-parent of any kind."

"Poor you. As if you didn't contribute to that."

"So what she didn't do is my fault, too?"

"Probably at least somewhat. And I'm glad he changed his name himself. By the way."

"You can bet it's not a real legal name change. Anyway, that had nothing to do with you."

"It was in his bones that he needed to do it. It was a gut feeling."

"It was running away." Cameron walked on to the elevator.

"Yeah," David muttered to the closed elevator door. "Running away from you was another good instinct."

Donna was in the coffee shop. David went over to her.

She looked up from something she'd been reading. "Hi," she said. She smiled.

"During all the years you were married to him," David started out, boldly, "did you ever have another affair?"

"No," Donna said, feeling like this question was less serious than it sounded.

"How'd you manage not to kill him?"

"I guess he's back in town and you just ran into him."

"That's a real good guess."

"What did he say? Or would you rather not remember?"

"It wasn't worth remembering. It's something about how I must have a weekend visitation order with my adult son."

"I guess he thought he was being funny."

"Does he?"

"Sometimes. Once he complained that when he makes jokes people take him seriously. His sense of humor is too dry for most people."

"Too dry for kids," David said. "Too dry for Zander."

"Could be. That could be a lot of it. Cam does sometimes come off as bewildered that Zander thinks he's such a bear."

"Cam's the older generation, he should figure out it, rather than leave Zander flying in the wind trying to figure out when he's serious."

"Yes. What do you think of this second grandchild? I know Cam's not going to see it as anything other than irresponsible."

"If it were a girl his age or younger it would be a lot harder than it is. The penchant for these older women helps there. At least they are on more solid ground, especially Brenda. Then as to taking the responsibility of fatherhood seriously, you can only say he's trying his damndest. Of course Cam will think it's not good, and maybe it's not ideal, but what is?"

"I think you're right. I hope this penchant for older women is OK - I mean it could arise out of me not taking good care of him."

"Nothing's ideal."

She smiled at him.

"You just said 'Zander'," he pointed out.

"I'm hearing it so much," she said. "He prefers it."

"Yeah, he must hear 'Alexander' in Cam's voice mostly. Let's go and walk down to the docks."

"Because they are there?"

"Come on, will you?"

Zander and Brenda were at Wang Duck's for dinner.

"Lila Quartermaine and Ned Ashton know," Brenda said. "So it's only a matter of time before Emily knows."

"Everybody'll know," Zander said. "The child is destined to be famous, notorious and crazy. His or her mother, the brilliant chemist -"

"Who didn't have a father to help her!"

"Well, you did those problems without help. This is why I point out that it is you who are the brilliant chemist."

"Well, don't forget, you're the brilliant economist."

"Oh, yeah. You know, Dad never helped with any homework, but then, I never asked. Just the way he is, you know, I knew better than to ask."

"The way he is, he'd get you thinking you were stupid for not knowing how to do it already."

"Yeah. I didn't know some things, David said just think about it. Then at the hospital he was explaining something to me and I thought - you know, Dad never took either of us there when we were kids, to show us where he worked, and that's something you ought to do, according to what I've been reading. It's too bad David didn't have children, because it comes naturally to him. Meanwhile other people have them and they're - well, they're not as, they're-"

"They suck," Brenda said. "They're awful at it."

"Well, yeah, that pretty much says it," he said laughing.

"Another thing that comes way more naturally to David," Brenda said, "dealing with Donna, or getting along with her. I don't know what comes naturally to Cameron, if anything, but dealing with women isn't it. Or Donna, anyway."

"What kind of woman would even want to talk to him, let along marry him? I mean, I know Mom did, but she was too young to know better, I guess."

"Maybe that's it. A really younger woman."

"I'd have to tell her what she was getting into," Zander said, laughing. "I can't sit by and let some poor young girl get drawn into that!"

"She won't believe you, because she's young."

"OK," he said. "I'll read my fortune." He unfolded the little slip from a fortune cookie. "Your father's girlfriend younger than yours," he read, in a Chinese accent. "And way stupider."

"Let me see that!"

"It really says that!"

"It does not," she laughed. "OK. Here's mine: boyfriend more brilliant chemist than he let on."

"Here's another one," he said. "Boyfriend really great in sack; fun night await you."

"I don't need a Chinese cookie to tell me that!"

She reached across the table and took his hands.

"Let's go," he said, eyes twinkling.