Chapter 22

Wednesday, June 10, 1987- Morning

Depending upon his work schedule, Donovan's visits with Sean took place every other Saturday or Wednesday. Today he'd managed to persuade Sean's charge nurse the teen should be trusted with a two-hour pass to Denny's Restaurant. However, Sean didn't seem interested in eating. He stared at his plate instead.

"Say something." Donovan picked up a sausage patty and chewed it. "I've got you for a couple hours. It's your chance to talk."

Sean rolled his eyes.

"C'mon," Donovan begged. "Tell me whatever you're feeling."

Sean's thin lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "How's your ex, Dad?"

"Melissa?" He'd only tried to date her that one evening, but Sean quickly put a stop to it.

"Julie," Sean corrected. "She is dying, right?"

Annoyed by Sean's insensitivity, Donovan stabbed into his side of hash browns. "No."

Sean folded his arms across his chest, and sat back against the booth. "That's not what I heard on TV."

Did he see my interview last night? Is he allowed to watch the news?

"Which broadcast?"

"Noon." Sean sipped his soda. The straw made a slurping noise as he sucked in air at the bottom of the glass. Patrons turned their heads, casting scornful looks at Donovan.

"Cut it out!" Donovan pulled the glass away. "Eat."

Sean shoved his plate aside.

Donovan glared. Feeling as though he were battling a two-year-old, he reminded himself, Don't play into it. He wants you to react.

"What channel did you watch?" he asked.

"Not yours. Can't stand that witch."

Melissa…

"Right." Donovan waved the waitress away as she tried to refill his coffee mug. "Look. I'm sorry about Saturday. I intended to visit you. Julie and I didn't anticipate what happened. The police hauled me in for questioning. After they finished, I went to the hospital to make sure Julie was okay."

"She wasn't."

"She's pretty bad off. I try to see her when I can. I think you should know that in case you call and I'm not home."

"Sure, I get it, Dad! You'd rather spend time with your ex-girlfriend than try to get your own son home to be with you."

"What more can I do?" Donovan was tired of the arguments and trying to fight the system. "You have to carry out your sentence and get reevaluated. If you're good, they'll send you home in a month."

"It was only supposed to be here for five months!"

"Yeah, well you screwed that up, didn't you?"

With Donovan's last remark, Sean gave him the silent treatment for the remainder of their visit. Donovan drove home that afternoon pondering the uncertainty of his future life with Sean.

#

Overnight into mid Wednesday morning, Julie's condition improved. She'd kept two meals down, and suffered from little congestion. With her chest and feeding tubes removed, next came the daunting task of sitting up in a shower stall while two nurses cleaned the accessible parts of her body. While Julie was grateful to get rid of the body odor, she felt over-medicated, dazed and sore.

One nurse used a handheld sprayer while the other pulled Julie's matted, wavy hair down for rinsing.

"What kind of shampoo do you use at home?" the nurse with the sprayer asked.

"Rr..Reddick."

The shampoo Julie normally used contained a detangler. She tried to catch a glimpse of the complimentary shampoo bottle sitting on the shower ledge above her head, but didn't recognize the label. It's probably generic.

"Do you h…ave a," she drew a breath, "p-ick?"

"Just a comb, Sugar." The second nurse smiled down at her. "Don't worry. We'll be gentle."

I spent two years letting it grow out and now this? During her time with the Resistance, she'd kept her hair at shoulder length for easy caretaking. She thought if the nurses ever did comb it all out, her mother should braid it for her, to keep it out of the way.

After rinsing out the shampoo, the second nurse worked conditioner into Julie's hair. "You want to try something different for lunch today? How about some Jello, or a nice cherry popsicle?"

Julie shrugged as a chill swept across her bare shoulders. The only thing she wanted was to get back into her warm bed.

After redressing Julie's incision, the nurses helped her into a clean hospital gown then wheeled her back to her bed.

#

Julie soon regretted letting her mother braid her hair. Exhausted, she didn't care for Connie's rambling about lifestyle changes she ought to make. Connie questioned Julie about her faith, wanting to know if she belonged to a local church. While Connie claimed her only concern was she'd not contacted the right priest when Julie was critical, Julie sensed it was just another opportunity for Connie to pry.

"How long do you plan to stay?" Julie asked.

"Until you're well," Connie said. Her hands busily working, she looped the rubber band around a braid.

Until I'm released from the hospital, or until I am completely recovered? Julie couldn't fathom Steve's patience in having Connie stay with him. She didn't know whether to thank him for putting her up or putting up with her.

"Are you sure Gabby and Jeff can manage without you?"

"Of course," Connie answered. "They're grown now. They know how much you need me. When you get out of here, I'd like to take you to Father Mahoney's parish. Steve said he didn't know when you made your last confession."

About what? Julie frowned.

"When was it?" Connie probed, combing the rest of Julie's locks to one side. "Turn your head, Sweetie."

"None of your..." Julie strained to finish the sentence, "…business." She glanced at her mother's wristwatch as Connie snagged the comb on a tangle.

"Ow, dammit!"

"Don't swear," Connie snapped.

Covering her mouth, Julie coughed.

"Don't jerk your head. You'll only make it worse."

Julie coughed several times, rousing pain in her chest wound. Her eyes grew moist.

Connie backed away. "Do you want me to finish?"

Julie nodded. Connie leaned in again, hands busied with a second braid.

"Mom, I w-ant." Julie coughed. "To ask… you something."

"Yes, baby. What is it?"

"About…heaven."

Connie held Julie's hand and patted it. "Your Grammy Amanda's there. Your father's there. I hope we'll be there someday."

"I… think I was."

Connie blinked. "When?"

Julie glanced at the watch again.

11:34. Donovan's not here yet…

"You were in heaven?" Connie asked.

"Did I die? Is that why you… had the …Priest c-" she gasped.

"I don't want to frighten you, Juliet."

Whatever happened, it's over. I'm alive now. She drew a breath. "It's okay, Mom… You can…tell..."

"Steve told me it happened Saturday. You'd stopped breathing, but they were able to resuscitate you."

"I saw a… bright light… and my friend Ruby… and a little boy."

"Ruby?"

"With the… Res…istance. She was… killed."

"What about your own family, Julie? Are you saying Grammy wasn't there, or your father?"

"I don't know." Her eyes felt heavy and she yawned.

"You've been pretty doped up. Maybe you just imagined it."

"I know what…" she gasped, "I saw… Mom."

Connie snapped the rubber band around the second braid. "There. You look adorable, Honey."

"Th-Thank you."

"Anytime."

#

Spending the greater part of the morning in his home laboratory, testing mucous samples, Steve hoped to determine whether or not Pico had the same strain of hybrid bronchitis as Julie. The bacterium looked identical under his microscope, but a call to the hospital for an update on Julie's condition led him to believe Pico hadn't died from bronchitis. Steve knew the only way to determine the real cause of death would be a complete autopsy, as Donovan suggested. Steve didn't wish to bring the rotting corpse back to his apartment. He did know of a better approach in having an autopsy performed on Pico; Leave an anonymous tip with the Los Angeles Police Department. While driving to the hospital, he stopped at a pay phone and made a call, hoping it'd be just a matter of time before the police arrived at Carlton Laboratories.

#

Yellow police tape marked the Science Frontiers parking lot where Julie's red car remained, but squad vehicles weren't present. Donovan climbed out of the passenger seat of Maggie's Civic after she parked.

In the back seat, CJ chanted "Cai, cai, cai," while waving his brown teddy bear.

"What's he saying?" Donovan asked.

"Car." Maggie smiled. "He thinks everything is a car."

Donovan reached back and gave one of the teddy's feet a tug. "Nice wheels."

CJ drew the bear to himself. "Mmmy, cai."

Donovan nodded at Maggie. "Thanks for the lift."

"Just go easy on that ride of hers. It's her pride and joy."

He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I got the picture. Bye Maggie." He closed the door.

Maggie drove off as Donovan ducked under the yellow tape, pulling Julie's key chain from his pocket. He opened the driver's side door, and admired a sleek, leather interior.

"Nice."

He sat in the driver's seat then readjusted it to his six-foot-two frame. The sweet aroma of Julie's perfume lingered. Donovan closed the door then turned the key in the ignition. A sultry ballad began to emanate from the Bose sound system. Donovan listened as a husky sounding male lamented about being made to wait for his lover on a bed of nails, and how he continued to wait for her.

Julie Parrish, what do you listen to? Donovan grinned. The song evoked memories of the moments he'd shared with her.