Chapter 51

Wednesday, July 15, 1987 - Morning

With his arms full of luggage, Donovan followed his son into O'Brien Center's Parking lot. He watched Sean scan the vehicles for a Camry; pause on a red Camaro, smile then kept searching.

"Where's your car?" Sean questioned.

"That awesome red one you saw."

"Don't joke with me."

Donovan approached the vehicle, leaving Sean behind. "I'm not kidding." He pulled a set of keys from his pocket. "For the next few hours, this is my car."

Sean still seemed unconvinced until Donovan unlocked the driver's side door and popped the hatch.

"No way!" Sean exclaimed, his face brightening.

Grinning, Donovan unlocked the trunk.

"This is rad," Sean said, giving the car a onceover. "Where'd you get it from?"

"A friend lent it to me." Donovan gently placed one suitcase in Julie's trunk and then took the other from Sean.

"Which friend?" Sean asked.

"Julie."

"Are you seeing her?"

"No."

"Well maybe you should." Stepping around to the passenger side, Sean added, "This is bad ass."

Donovan snickered. Yeah, I'll use her so you can spend more time with her car, Kiddo.

Sean's eyes were big as he climbed into the passenger seat. Donovan turned the key in the ignition.

Sean studied the interior, his eyes stopping on the dual CD-player. "Now that's rad."

He pressed a button.

"Careful," Donovan warned.

U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," played.

Snickering, Sean selected another song. Donovan was familiar with all of them. He'd listened to the entire CD during his drive to Santa Clarita.

Dissatisfied with the music, Sean skimmed through a collection of CD's in the middle console. Albums by Heart, Huey Lewis, Lionel Richie and Peter Cetera weren't to his liking either.

"Doesn't she have any Metallica or Motley Crue?" he complained.

"No," Donovan said, backing the car out of its space.

Sean changed the stereo from CD to radio, and settled on a hard rock station, then adjusted the treble and bass to his preference. Donovan imagined Julie's horror when she turned on the stereo.

"You'll put it back the way it was before I return the car to her?" he asked.

Smirking, Sean didn't answer.

#

Ross' wife, Shelly Templeton received only a few phone calls from people interested in volunteering as test subjects, and that worried Steve. He'd driven to Lone Pine yesterday, gathered blood samples from three middle-aged men then returned to Metzgar today. When he returned to the lab at noon, he didn't see Julie's car in the parking lot, which concerned him even more.

Yesterday Julie had a meeting with Steve, Ross and Shelly to determine how long and how often she ought to work, since she hadn't received the approval from her doctor they'd been hoping for. The fact that her car wasn't here today made Steve wonder if she didn't feel well enough to come in. But he heard her soft voice as he walked into Shelly's office that afternoon.

He eyed Julie, dressed in her lab coat with a pink, ruffled blouse underneath. She was a little pale, but none-the-less stunning.

"I thought you weren't here," he said.

"I have Donovan's car," she explained, motioning to the Styrofoam cooler in his hands. "You collected the samples?"

He nodded, heading down the hall. Julie followed. Though Steve found it odd Julie had Donovan's car, he didn't pry.

He dropped the cooler off in one of the small rooms where a pair of lab technicians would run tests to determine whether the Lone Pine candidates were eligible for the trial. Steve knew if any more calls came in today, he'd be making another trip to Lone Pine. He loathed the drive and hoped Julie would accompany him.

"How long have you been here?" he asked as they entered their lab.

"A few hours," Julie said. "I reviewed the reports from yesterday. It's really impressive, how the cranberry extract works."

"I know," he agreed. "How much longer can you stay?"

"Can I, or should I?" She sat at her desk. "Actually I need to stay for at least a couple more hours. I lent Donovan my car to pick his son up. It turns out Sean just happens to have a thing for '87 Red Camaro Sport Coupes. It's his dream car."

"How nice," Steve said, dryly. "Do you trust him around your car?"

"Of course." She smiled, and opened a manila folder. She pointed to a paragraph of interest. "There might be a problem with the cactus enzyme, Steve. Take a look at this."

Steve picked up the folder then read how the enzyme affected the digestive system of one rhesus monkey. Since yesterday morning, the animal had experienced diarrhea.

"Are they certain it's because of the enzyme?" he questioned. "Maybe he came into contact with something else that made him ill."

Julie shrugged. "The only thing to do is wait and see. Give it another day or so, see if any of the other test monkeys come down with it." She blinked several times.

Steve guessed she was tired.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked. "You can rest on my cot."

She stifled a yawn. "Thanks, I think maybe I will."
Steve followed her to the cot, and opened his sleeping bag. After Julie lay down, he covered her with it. She smiled at him in gratitude. He reached for the portable boom box on the windowsill above the cot, and turned the music to an easy listening station.

"Here's some soft music that will help you sleep," he said.

"Thanks." She yawned.

Steve set the volume to low as Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It?" started to play. Steve walked to the lab counter and started organizing a small collection of test tubes. As he worked over the next hour, he'd look over at Julie now and then to see if she'd fallen asleep, but she hadn't. She lay there with a serious expression, her eyes glassy.

Air Supply was on the radio singing, I'm all Out of Love.

Is she thinking about Donovan?

Julie caught his gaze and quickly looked away.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Her mouth moved to whisper, "Yes."

There was a rap on the doorframe drawing Steve and Julie's attention.

Shelly walked in. "Julie has company."

Julie wiped her eyes and sat up.

"Are you okay, Honey?" Shelly went over to Julie as the song on the radio changed to another.

Steve saw Donovan standing out in the hallway without his son.

Donovan stepped into the lab as Shelly helped Julie from the cot.

Donovan looked at Julie and asked, "You okay?"

"Fine," she answered, then cleared her throat.

"She doesn't feel well," Steve explained.

Not looking at Donovan, Julie said, "Mike, I need to use the restroom. I'll meet you outside."

Steve watched Donovan exit the room.

#

Steam rose from the pavement outside Metzgar Laboratories as Donovan and Sean waited for Julie in the sweltering heat. When Donovan saw Julie heading in his direction, he opened the trunk of her car and removed Sean's luggage.

Julie strolled over to them, her eyes never leaving Sean.

"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "Look at you! You're almost as tall as your dad."

She gave Sean a hug and he accepted, but looked uncomfortable.

Julie let him go, and smiled at Donovan. Donovan saw her tears were gone, but he still worried.

Sean grabbed one suitcase, while Donovan took the other. Julie led the way to a row of vehicles parked closest to the building. Once they reached Donovan's Camry, she unlocked the driver's side door, reached into the front seat then presented Donovan with the tape.

"Thanks," he said.

"That was interesting."

"Sorry. You weren't meant to see that," he admitted, opening his trunk.

She gave him a knowing grin, and asked, "Oh? And why not?"

Donovan laid the two suitcases in his trunk.

"He's got another package in your car. Walk with me?" He looked at Sean. "Wait here."

With a shrug, Sean leaned against the passenger side door.

"Are you okay?" Donovan asked, following Julie to her Camaro.

"Fine," she said.

He touched her arm. "You're not sick or anything?"

She gazed at him with the same pained expression he'd seen too much of since their disagreement.

"I'm fine." Her voice cracked.

He touched her chin, and looked into her glassy eyes.

Squinting, she moved his hand away from her face and sniffled. "Will you call me in a month and tell me how Sean is?"

He thought what she really meant to say was, Will you call me in a month to tell me if Sean's stable enough that we can get back together?

You know I can't promise you anything, he wanted to say, but found himself nodding instead.

"Take care, Mike."

He wanted to hug and comfort her, but went on about removing the last of Sean's items from her trunk. Julie walked with him as far as his car, and then continued on her way inside the building.