Chapter 32

Wednesday, June 17, 1987 – Afternoon

A collection of medium-sized cardboard boxes sat on the floor of Donovan's garage, the purpose for Steve's visit. He knew once Julie became aware of their existence, she'd surrender them.

Steve followed Donovan into the kitchen where Julie leaned against a counter. Broken glass lay at her feet in a puddle of water. Julie avoided eye contact with either man.

Donovan flung his box on the kitchen table, scooped Julie up, then carried her to the couch. Steve followed.

Donovan knelt at Julie's side, and ran his hand across her wet cheek.

"You didn't have to do that. I would've gotten it for you."

Sniffling, Julie murmured, "I'm sorry."

Rage welled up inside of Steve as he realized, Maybe he really does love her.

Julie wiped her nose as Donovan straightened and turned to Steve.

"This isn't a good time," he said.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Steve placed his box on the coffee table.

At least convince her to let you take the boxes back to the lab then you can start scanning the disks.

He knelt next to Julie. "I know you're not feeling well, but look." He patted the box, lifted out a floppy disk and presented it to her.

Julie stared at the disk through glazed eyes, but didn't take it.

"Thanks." She sniffled. "I'll… look through them later." She settled back farther into the pillows, and closed her eyes.

Steve shoved the disk back into the box. "Look through them? You don't have anything to look with!"

Julie opened her eyes and glared at him.

"When she's better," Donovan insisted, placing his hands on Steve's shoulders and steered him toward the door. "I tried to tell you this was a bad idea. It's time for you to leave."

Steve shrugged Donovan's hands away, enraged he'd had the nerve to touch him. He wanted to turn around and slug the guy right in the face, but didn't for Julie's sake, or the sake of obtaining the files.

#

I can't work today. She's too sick. Donovan considered Julie's weakened condition as he swept shards of glass into a dustpan. I have a few vacation days remaining. Wait a bit to call in… By then, she'll be asleep.

He peeked into the living room and saw Julie sitting up on the couch eating a tuna fish sandwich he'd prepared for her. He pulled a Coors out of the fridge, and popped the tab.

"Are you going to hide in there, or will you sit with me?" Julie asked.

Now she's going to confront me about keeping secrets. He remembered times gone by when intense arguments had fueled their passion for one another. Purposely keeping his distance these past couple years, he'd wanted to give her the space she needed to rebuild her life.

He strolled into the living room, noting the half-eaten sandwich and unpeeled banana on the coffee table.

"Feel better now?" He sat in the armchair then placed his beer on the coffee table.

She eyed the can. "Do you always drink before work?"

"Not usually."

"I didn't think you were a Guinness man."

He chuckled at her remembrance of Becky the barmaid's remark. "Only when I'm at Kelly's."

"You go there often?"

He hesitated to answer. "Not anymore."

"Because of me?"

Not only did she seem uninterested in her disks, she was getting personal.

"No. Are you sure you're not mad I didn't tell you everything?"

She shrugged.

"I needed to be sure we weren't going to lose you," he explained.

She blinked and glanced away, staring at nothing. Tears formed in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I thought I did… die," she mumbled.

"Did someone tell you that?"

She nodded. "My mom."

"You gave us all a scare."

"She didn't have to tell me. I already knew… I went to heaven."

Not knowing what to say, he just listened.

"I saw Ruby… Engels. You remember her, Mike?"

"Yeah," he said. Ruby had sacrificed her own life during Julie's rescue from the Visitors.

"I saw someone else."

Your grandmother, Amanda, he guessed. Julie used to talk about her often.

"If I tell you who it was, you won't believe me."

"Why?"

"Because…" Her voice cracked. "It doesn't make any sense."

Why would she think I wouldn't believe her? Why is she so upset?

She looked at him again. "I saw a little boy, maybe a year older than CJ." She rubbed her eyes as her simple phrase turned to a sob. "I can't believe how I…" She swallowed. "I didn't think about him before."

Maybe she lost a sibling when she was little and never mentioned it.

He placed his hand over hers, feeling the warmth of her fingers. A part of him wanted to hold her."People move on, Julie. I'm sure whoever he is… was, he understands."

"He was…" More tears came as she swallowed again. "Our son."

We never had a child. She had the miscarriage… She was only a couple months along…

He looked at her. "The baby you… lost?"

She nodded. "He looked like Sean did when he was little. Remember when you showed me pictures? This boy had your eyes."

Donovan felt a tug of empathy in his gut.

"Did you ever think what it would have been like… if we'd had that child?" Julie asked.

Her question made him feel uncomfortable. He knew if they'd had a child together, it didn't necessarily mean they would've stayed together. Another kid. Another custody agreement, I would've lost.

"I don't know."

Julie's throat contracted as she swallowed. "You know, I used to think maybe I lost the baby because of the chemicals I worked with in the lab, but now I'm not sure."

"It was bad timing, Sweetheart. It wasn't your fault. I certainly never blamed you." He squeezed her hand.

#

Near quitting time, Steve cleaned his lab, not having accomplished anything but sulking over information he couldn't possess. He shrugged off his lab coat and placed it on the back of a chair. He considered putting the project on hold until Julie returned to work.

If the answer is on those disks then all these experiments are just a waste of time and money, Steve reasoned. Julie won't give up the disks. She's too ill. She couldn't care less about the project… You can't force her to give them to you. She won't forgive you…

He hurried to Ross Templeton's office, and rapped on the door.

"Come in," Ross called.

Steve swung the door open and marched in. "I can't do it."

"Can't do what?" Ross pulled off his bifocals then placed them on the desk.

"I can't work on this project without her. She knows things and she's not in a position to … share them."

"What things?" Ross motioned to an empty chair.

Steve remained standing. "She has files from her research at Science Frontiers in her possession, information we need to continue the project."

"Since when?"

"Since she and Mike Donovan went to Science Frontiers," Steve lied. "The day Pico shot her."

Ross looked confused. "I spoke to Dr. Parrish the other day. She said she and Mr. Donovan found the files burned."

"I don't mean the paper documents. I mean the backup disks. Donovan gave them to her today. I asked her for them. She refused to release them to me!"

"That's foolish of her. Why would she hang onto them knowing how badly you need them?"

"She's selfish? Perhaps she fears if I solve the issue without her, she won't reap the profit?"

"That's absurd. Even if you did have the correct enzyme, those experiments will take weeks, even months to conduct. It'd be a long time before we knew for certain. I tell you what I'll do, I'll call her myself and maybe she will turn them over to me."

"No, you can't tell her I told you-"

"What are you afraid of?"

It wasn't the first time he'd been accused of being intimidated by Julie. Steve remembered Connie's allegation as well.

"I'm not afraid."

"I need to speak with her," Ross said. "Where does this Mr. Donovan live?"

After a few minutes of pleading to no avail, Steve surrendered Donovan's address.