After he hung up the receiver in the communications room, Shane let out a breath he did not even know he was holding. They had a cure. Peachy was going to be fine and, to Shane's shock, so would Bo. It was so like his pigheaded friend to hide the fact he was sick with a deadly virus. Well, what's done is done, Shane thought. Bo was safe now. Now Shane just had to share the news to the others.
He found them all on the patio outside, enjoying the early evening weather. Andrew was running around on the lawn, Steve was reclining on a chaise, and Kim and Kayla were playing with the babies. Shane smiled as he saw Stephanie taking some wobbly steps. He remembered the first time she walked, and how he had shared that moment with Kayla.
Stephanie has a father now, he reminded himself with a sigh. She had filled such a void in his life, and now he had that empty feeling once more. Trying to ignore it, Shane stepped outside.
Steve spotted him first. "Well if it isn't Master Donovan deigning to visit the peons."
Shane ignored the sarcasm. He figured Steve was just embarrassed after his little antique-throwing fit the other night, and sarcasm was just his way of coping. Kim and Kayla had turned toward him, so he figured he would break the news.
"I just got some news from Dr. Manning," he said. "She has the cure."
"That's wonderful!" Kim exclaimed, as she grabbed Kayla in a hug. They both jumped up and ran over to Shane. First Kim, and then Kayla embraced him. He tensed slightly when Kayla's arms wrapped around him and quickly pulled away.
"So, dude, everyone's gonna be okay?" Steve asked.
Shane nodded. "Dr. Manning said that Peachy's recovering nicely and-"
"What about Bo? Is he okay?" Kim asked, cutting him off. Kim gave Kayla a worried look.
Shane looked from Kim to Kayla and saw a similarly expectant look on her face. "Bo's fine," he said, but then it hit him. "Are you saying you knew? That you knew Bo was sick? Why didn't you tell me?"
Kayla looked down at the ground, obviously uncomfortable.
"We couldn't," Kim said. "Bo made her promise."
"But she told you, didn't she?" Shane could feel his anger rising.
Kim nodded, sheepishly. "But only because I was going to testify against Lawrence. Kay told me so I would understand why I couldn't show him my true thoughts."
Shane felt his jaw drop. "So that's why you let him off?" he said angrily. "Lawrence would've gone to jail for years if you'd testified and said you heard him admit to the rape. Instead, he could be walking the streets in just a few months."
"And Bo might be dead," Kim shouted. "We did what we had to."
Shane slammed his hands together, and wheeled toward Kayla. "Weren't you the one who kept insisting that we had to be honest with one another? How could you keep this from me?"
Kayla turned ashen and looked out the corner of her eye at Steve.
"Hey!" Steve barked from where he was lying. "Don't talk to her like that."
Shane's anger had not diminished. "I'll talk to her any bloody way I like."
Kayla stepped toward him. "Look, Shane, why don't we go inside and I'll explain?"
"No, baby, you don't have to explain anything to Master Donovan. You're not one of his servants that he can order around and act all high and mighty to." Steve glared at Shane. "Besides, what's all this 'honest to each other' stuff anyway? You don't owe him anything."
Shane almost told him. He almost blurted out that they were supposed to love each other and be honest with one another, but Kayla grabbed his arm.
"I'm sorry," she said, letting go of him. "We should've told you, but like Kim said, Bo made us promise. I was afraid he would run away if anyone knew. Keeping it secret at least let me keep some tabs on him."
Shane couldn't stay mad at her. Maybe she had her reasons. Still, he thought she could trust him with anything. But if he said anything more, it would probably raise Steve's suspicion, not that he wasn't giving them an odd look already.
"Fine," he said, with a sigh. "I just wish you'd have told me." He made a point of also looking at Kim. "Both of you."
"You don't need to know everything," Steve muttered. He said something else, but all Shane caught was "ISA."
Kim walked over and put a hand on his arm. "It's good news. You should be happy. Why don't you stay and spend some time with Andrew?"
And have to sit and watch Kayla and Steve together? "I'm sorry," Shane said, trying to come up with a reason to leave. "I have some things I need to do for Tarrington," he said. "And I need to follow-up on the virus and the immunology lab. Um, I just stepped out to give you the news."
That seemed to work. Kim pulled away, even if she had a disappointed look on her face. "Perhaps I'll see you at dinner," Shane said.
"A celebratory feast," Steve said. "Champagne and caviar for all." He was still looking at Kayla with a narrowed eye.
"Yeah . . . champagne and all that," Shane muttered, before he went back inside and returned to work.