Jack entered his home with Conner sleeping soundly on his shoulder. The house was quiet. He carried his son upstairs and put him to bed. He walked down the hall to his bedroom where he found Kate sleeping peacefully. He walked into his closet and stripped out of the slacks and dress shirt he'd worn to the hospital. He exited the closet in jeans and a t-shirt and walked back into the bedroom. He watched Kate sleep for a few minutes and wondered why she would lie to him, why if she really loved him as she said she did, she could look him in the eye and lie to him and he became hurt and a little angry. She must've sensed she was being watched because she opened her eyes sleepily and then smiled at him.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey." He replied.
"How's Conner?" She asked.
"He's pretty sick, but he's resting now. There's nothing we can do for him, but make him rest and keep liquids in him and hope he snaps out of it in a day or two." Jack told her his tone flat, almost clinical.
"Did you get a chance to check on Tony?" Kate asked.
"No. Kate. I was busy watching them stick a needle in my son's back." Jack snapped.
"Why are you snapping at me Jack?" Kate asked.
"I'm just tired and don't feel like playing 20 questions. I'm going to go downstairs, try to catch a nap on the couch." He mumbled.
"You don't want to take a nap here? Maybe I can help you relax so you can sleep better." Kate offered in a teasing, seductive tone.
He looked at her and worked hard to control his anger. He didn't want to fight with her; he was too tired to think clearly.
"I'm really tired Kate, can I get a rain check?" He asked in a soft almost apologetic tone.
"Jack what's wrong?" Kate asked.
"Nothing, I just need some sleep." Jack said.
"Then come over here and lay down. I'm feeling better and will listen for Conner." Kate said as she climbed out of bed.
"You don't mind?" He asked.
"No." Kate said.
She watched him strip out of his clothes, a little surprised that he stripped down to nothing to climb into bed and wanted nothing to do with her. She decided that he'd been through a lot in the last couple of days and probably was beyond tired and decided not to over-analyze the situation.
Jack slept hard for over four hours. Conner had been awake for nearly three of those four hours and feeling well enough to lie on the couch and watch his favorite movies. When his fever began climbing again she gave him some medicine and he had gone back to sleep. She decided to check on Jack and make sure he wasn't getting sick as well.
She entered the bedroom and found him stretched out on his back the blankets pushed down away from his upper body, revealing just enough of him below the waist to make her suddenly want him. She was amazed that he could do that to her because no man ever had. She stripped off her clothes and quietly scooted onto the bed with him. He stirred for a moment, but didn't wake up.
She moved her hand over his chest and stomach and down, caressing his semi-hard cock softly until his eyes opened. He looked at her through glazed, sleepy eyes halfway in-between sleep and consciousness, aware of what she was doing to him, but too unaware to protest if he wanted to. She climbed on top of him and began moving her wet opening over him, smiling at his response. She kissed his mouth quickly and then moved her mouth over his neck and chest, sucking and nibbling and then kissing him again, him not really kissing back, but not resisting either.
She finally reached down and put his now hard cock into position and slid onto him, eliciting a slight moan from him, but little else. Was he really that tired she wondered. She didn't care. If anyone deserved to get laid without putting any effort into it he did. She continued to move over him and to her surprise he came very quickly. Less than three minutes after she had felt his hard cock slip inside her she felt the familiar warmth running out of her and him go soft. He never made another sound after the slight moan, never even participated in the intercourse. He just allowed himself to come and was done, as if he didn't really care one way or the other. She found the whole experience almost shameful and realized something was wrong. She moved off of him and sat up on her knees, covering herself with the sheet, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"What's going on Jack?" She asked.
"You tell me Kate." He said coldly.
"Tell you what Jack?" She said.
"Tell me why my father would think you weren't TJ's biological mother." Jack said and noticed the quick reaction in her eyes before she looked away and regained control.
"Because your father wants to break us up? Hell, I don't know Jack." She lied.
"Stop it!" Jack yelled.
"Stop what?" Kate asked.
"Stop lying to me. My father is an interfering, manipulative prick, but he doesn't tell bold-faced lies Kate." Jack insisted.
"Jack, I don't know.." She started to lie again and he put his hand up to stop her.
"Shut up Kate. Don't say another word to me unless it is the truth." Jack ordered and moved off of the bed.
"Where are you going?" Kate asked.
"I'm going to the hospital to check on Tony. I'll take Conner to my mother so you can have some time alone to think." Jack said.
"Think about what?" Kate asked angrily.
"Think about us and if you care enough about us to tell me the fucking truth Kate because when I get back that's what I want to hear and if you lie to me again I'll find out eventually and that will be it. I love you more than anything and I can't believe you don't trust me enough to be honest with me, but if you can't find that within yourself and come clean once and for all then we aren't going to make it." Jack grumbled.
"You don't lie Jack? You don't keep secrets?" Kate accused.
"No Kate, I don't. You can ask me anything you want and I'll answer. I kept Conner a secret the first few days, but we barely knew each other then. I don't keep important things from you Kate and just to prove it, I'm going to tell you about Brandi." Jack said.
"Who is Brandi?" Kate asked.
"Brandi is an old girlfriend. Actually she was more of a friend with benefits because we never really dated. I'd buy her dinner and drinks and she'd fuck my brains out. She's very ambitious, very driven and not looking for Mr. Right to sweep her off her feet so we got along great." Jack said.
"So why are you telling me about Brandi?" Kate sighed.
"Brandi came back today after being gone for 18 months. She came back ready to pick up where we left off and there was a moment Kate when I thought about it, considered following her to the nearest supply closet and going for it because the woman I love isn't who she says she is. She must not be, otherwise she wouldn't be lying to me. It's a good thing Conner was there because he's probably the only thing that kept me from cheating on you today. That honest enough for you Kate?" He finished his angry rant, the hurt in his eyes and his voice coming through loud and clear.
"Jack please don't leave. I can explain." Kate pleaded.
"Good, I'll be anxiously awaiting your explanation Kate, but right now I need to get away from you. I need to focus on anything but you right now and when I get back if you're even thinking about telling me anything but the truth then don't bother being here. I love you and I want to marry you and have a full and happy life with you, but I don't want any of that if it's all built on a lie." Jack said.
Kate didn't respond. She watched him dress quickly and leave the bedroom. She heard him down the hall packing a backpack for Conner and she sat in the bed wondering why she'd let things get this out of hand. She listened to him shuffle around until she heard the front door open and then close, realizing she was completely alone and wondering what she should do. Should she tell Jack the truth or should she just leave.
Jack left Conner with his mother. He needed to be anything but a father and someone's fiancée at the moment. He went to the hospital to check on TJ. The bleed in his spleen had slowed and it looked hopeful that he would avoid surgery. He was sedated and looked very small and entirely too alone. Jack sat beside his bed for a long time, hoping that the child would at least sense that the entire world hadn't forgotten about him. He heard the shuffling of feet and looked up. Conner's teacher was standing just inside the small area of the pediatric ICU that Tony was occupying.
"I guess you heard." Jack mumbled.
"I did. I missed Conner today. Is he sick?" She asked.
"Yes, he's very sick; you probably won't see him this week." Jack mumbled.
"Oh that's a shame, anything I can do?" She asked.
"No, but thank you." Jack said.
"Is Tony going to be okay?" She asked.
"He's healing and he's got a tough road ahead, but physically he'll be okay eventually, emotionally is another story." Jack sighed.
"What's going to happen to him?" She asked.
"We're keeping him heavily sedated right now; trying to get some internal bleeding under control without surgery and it appears to be working. Once that is under control he's going to have to under go some bone surgeries to break and set old injuries that never healed properly, the worst of which is going to be his right hip and leg. Tony won't be back to school this year." Jack said not attempting to hide the anger he was feeling over the child's abuse.
Ms. Andrews didn't attempt to hide her feelings on the matter either, placing a hand over her mouth as the tears that filled her eyes escaped. She wiped them away and looked at Jack who could only give her a look of agreement, understanding the sick, helpless feeling seeing a child in this kind of shape leaves you with.
"I will make sure Tony finishes his school year. When he's not so out of it, I'll come tutor him, make sure he's ready to move on to first grade." She told Jack.
"I'm sure he'll like that. He's going to need all the friends he can get while he's here, before he gets lost in the system." Jack said sadly.
"We can't let him get lost in the system Jack." She argued.
"Yeah, Kate said the same thing. She wants to bring him home with us, but I can't do it. He's going to need more time and attention than I've got to give. It wouldn't be fair to Conner." Jack said.
"You're right, he is going to need a lot of specialized one on one if there is any hope of him recovering emotionally from this." Ms. Andrews agreed.
"Hopefully they'll find a good place for him. Listen, I've got to go, but you're welcome to stay. I know it doesn't seem like he knows people are here, but we like to believe that deep down they do know and that it makes a difference." Jack told her.
"Yes, I think I will sit with him for awhile. Is it okay to talk to him?" She asked.
"Sure and who knows, he might even hear you." Jack said with a smile and left the room.
Jack walked to the nurse's station and pulled out Tony's chart. He made a few notes in the chart and put it back.
"I'll be back in the morning to check on him. Keep him sedated and schedule him for another CT scan first thing." Jack told the nurse.
"Same old Dr. Shephard, just can't stay away can you?" The voice chimed in from behind him.
He smiled and turned around.
"You should talk; you probably didn't even unpack before you came back to work." Jack teased.
"Sure I did, I had to unpack my stethoscope." Brandi teased back.
"Ah, further proof that we were twins separated at birth." Jack laughed.
She moved closer to him and pulled him away from the nurses' station.
"That's a nice theory Jack, but you're older than me and I'd never sleep with my brother no matter how good looking he was." She said making sour face and making him laugh.
"Good point." He chuckled.
"So are you done here? Would you like to get that drink now and catch up?" Brandi asked.
Jack thought about it for a moment. It was just a drink. He had no desire to sleep with this woman anymore. What had happened earlier was a moment of insanity brought on by anger and hurt. Granted, he was still hurt and angry, but he was no longer too exhausted to think clearly, so exhausted he was vulnerable enough to consider sex with an old friend.
"Yeah, a drink sounds good. Have you eaten? Want to grab something?" He asked.
"As a matter of fact, no I haven't eaten. Let me go hang up my lab coat and grab my purse and I'll meet you in the lobby." She said.
Jack agreed and watched her walk away. He looked over at the nurse who had been watching them. She looked away and shook her head.
"Like father like son." She mumbled.
"Did you say something?" Jack asked.
"I said, goodnight Dr. Shephard." She lied.
"Goodnight." He replied and took the stairs down to the lobby. He pulled out his phone and sent Kate a text message.
Kate heard her phone go off and looked at it. She read the message several times:
Going to have dinner with an old friend. Don't wait up.----Jack
Kate could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew who the old friend was and she knew this was her fault, that if he cheated and slept with this Brandi girl it was her fault. Why had she let the lie get so far out of control, why couldn't she bring herself to just tell him the truth? Kate had gotten so good at lying that it never occurred to her that there was someone that deserved honesty; that someone might be hurt deeply by her lies, that her lies might actually destroy the first really good relationship she'd ever had.
"Please Jack, just come home and I'll tell you everything." Kate whispered to herself.