10

Chapter 571 Deadly Precautions

"

A few days later, Scarlett and Tara were sitting in a booth at Scarlett's favorite Mexican restaurant eating chips and salsa and drinking iced teas.

"Your father doesn't mind watching your store?" Tara asked.

"No, he's been spending most days with me. He's working on a security system for the store. After everything that's happened, he wants to make sure that if anyone dangerous walks through the door, I'm safe."

"We both know how important it is to feel safe," Tara said.

"I've got to leave the chips and salsa alone," Scarlett said dipping a chip into the salsa. She would only eat three more, she promised herself. "Jax is making dinner tonight."

"Jax cook?" Tara chuckled at the thought. "What is he making cereal or toast?"

"He can grill," Scarlett said coming to Jax's defense with a smile. "Tonight he's making something he and his father used to cook together homemade chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese from a box but he adds spices to it. I made the homemade ranch dipping sauce for the chicken this morning."

"I made dinner for him a couple of times. I would pretend that he and I had our own place," Tara said wistfully. "I think I just wanted out of my home situation and I thought Jax was the answer. He and I aren't right for each other. We never had that intense romantic passionate love that you and Jax have. I want to be madly in love with someone."

"Sounds like you and Steve aren't doing so great."

The waitress brought their lunches bringing a temporary pause to the conversation. Scarlett ordered a shredded beef taco, rice and a pork tamale while Tara selected a chile relleno, beef enchilada and rice and beans.

Tara dipped a chip in her beans and ate it as she thought over the question.

"I don't know. We get along and I like him. He's coming with me to my conference in wine country, but how long does it take to fall in love? How long did it take for you and Jax?"

Scarlett remembered back to those early days with Jax. They had come so far and gone through so much, it felt like years ago.

"I dated in college I'd been in a couple of relationships, but never in love. I thought it wouldn't happen to me because I'm too controlled emotionally. I met Jax and knew instantly that he was a player and I wasn't about to let him play me."

"You succumbed to the blonde good looks and charm. It's only gotten more intense since high school," Tara said.

"Not quickly. I fought it. I really liked being around him, but I wasn't going to be just another of his conquests and I made that clear to him. He said we could just be friends."

Tara burst into laugher nearly choking on her Mexican rice.

"That never works."

"He insisted it would work," Scarlett thought back to those first crazy weeks of her romance with Jax. She would have run off if she hadn't been trying to solve her sister's murder, but she needed Jax so she stayed.

"When did it quit working?"

"It was over time. I liked him more and more and he respected my boundaries. We just kept getting closer, but I refused to admit I was in love with him, but I knew I could count on him. That night with Kohn, I called him and he came over immediately. No hesitation. It wasn't until the night of his injury when I was afraid he might die that I realized I loved him."

"Maybe I'm too impatient with Steve," Tara said thoughtfully. "Maybe I just need to give it a little time."

"Enjoy what you have now," Scarlett advised. "If you don't enjoy his company anymore, end it."

"You're right. I'm too impatient to fall in love. I'm not some desperate high school girl. Actually, I'm worse. I'm a desperate professional woman who wants a great romance. Is that so bad?"

"Not at all," Scarlett assured her. "Give it some time and if you still don't feel love then end it, but you have only been together a month or two. It takes time. With Jax, I just knew I liked him and I always looked forward to seeing him. We always had fun together. Slowly, it just happened. There wasn't one moment when I realized I was falling for him. I'm sure I was in love with him for awhile before I realized it. If he hadn't been near death, I don't know when I would have realized it. I can be very stubborn and I was so determined that I wouldn't fall in love with him."

"Jax and I sort of clung to each other back in high school. He was still dealing with his father's death and my father's drinking was getting worse. I was trying to fix him and love him enough to get him to stop drinking. It took years away from Charming before I could see that his feelings for me had nothing to do with his drinking."

"Did he ever get sober?"

"I don't think so. After awhile, it was just too painful to see him destroy himself. I offered help, but he refused. It was tearing me up inside, so I had to distance myself. That's why I didn't look for a job in Cali when I finished all my schooling."

Tig spotted the women sitting in a booth.

"Ladies," Tig said. "Having lunch?"

The women nodded.

"Are you eating here?" Scarlett asked. She wondered if she would have to invite him to join them. She really didn't want to have to do that. She liked Tig but she wanted to enjoy girl talk with Tara.

"I'm just picking up burritos for the guys," Tig said. "Hey doc, I have a question for you."

Tara was used to people approaching her for medical advice. It was one of the drawbacks of the job. It was Tig, so she hoped it wouldn't be too weird.

"Can you get an STD from a cow?"

Tara kept her expression professionally neutral. Scarlett's eyes widened and she bit her lip trying hard not to laugh.

"If you have been exposed, I suggest you see your doctor and get tested," Tara said smoothly.

"Yeah," Tig said. The hostess found Tig and gave her a bag stuffed with burritos.

"Or you could ask a vet," Scarlett added. Tara almost burst into laughter. She quickly covered by faking a coughing fit.

"That's a great idea. There's a crow-eater who's a vet tech. Thanks."

Tig took her burritos and left. Scarlett and Tara exchanged looks and burst into giggles.

"I don't want to know what that was about," Scarlett said when she finally quit laughing.

"Tig's always been into weird stuff," Tara explained. "Any creature living or dead is not off the table for Tig."

"Dead? Creatures?"

Tara nodded grinning.

"He's completely open sexually although I don't think that extends to men. When I was doing my rotation through the ER, you wouldn't believe the things people—actually men—got stuck inside them."

"Like what?"

"Flashlights which can be dangerous if they have batteries. Vegetables. This one guy in his eighties comes in with his wife and his hobby is making sex toys. He got one stuck and it wasn't the first time. His wife tells him very calmly that he promised he was going to be more careful. The thing was huge. He almost needed surgery." They both laughed."Did he ever try anything with you?"

"Has Tig ever tried anything with you?"

"No. He's always been nice enough to me probably because I was with Jax. You don't need to worry. You're Jax's old lady. That makes you untouchable."

"Jax told me that I wouldn't have any trouble with the guys. They are always nice to me. Cooking for them helped."

"The guys must have loved that. I've been thinking a lot about my return to Charming. I'm glad I came back. It was important to see Jax and to realize that he and I are truly over. I was hoping that I would see him and there would be this great romance, but I care about him like a brother not a lover. I'm glad he and I are friends and I'm happy that we've become friends, but other than that, coming back to Charming has been a complete shit show."

Scarlett laughed at Tara's choice of words. The cool Dr. Knowles could be remarkably down to earth at times.

"I've lived through some of that myself," Scarlett said. "You have had a tough time with psycho Kohn and that whole nightmare."

"I thought once the Kohn incident was put to bed that my life would start all nice and fresh. Steve was a help, but there are things going on at the hospital that are worrying me."

"I know you've mentioned that Margaret and Dr. Namid are both nightmares to work with."

"It's beyond that," Tara said leaning forward. "There are serious illegal activities going on. I've been doing some investigating."

"What sorts of things?"

"I think that Dr. Namid is deliberately killing babies usually ones that have a low quality of life and a limited life span."

"Kind of an angel of death thing?"

"No, I think the parents are paying him. I know it sounds crazy but I've noticed babies having surgery with little chance of a positive outcome and even if the surgery doesn't kill the infant, the benefits are very small if any at all."

"Why would the parents agree to a surgery like that? Wouldn't the insurance refuse to pay for a high risk poor outcome surgery?"

"I think the parents are in on it. They have these babies who have a painful poor quality of life and a limited life span. Typically, these birth issues are caught early and the mother has an abortion to spare the baby suffering. And I know some people say life is all important but let them deal with a baby's endless cries of pain and suffering and then deny that infant mercy. These babies have a few years of life and it is a miserable horrible life. In all these cases, the parents paid the hospital and didn't use insurance."

"You have proof?"

"I've got stuff. I think babies are also being sold. The parents donate babies bodies to science but they are going to a company controlled by Dr. Namid. You can make big money off baby parts."

"I've heard of mortuaries doing that. I imagine babies are rarer," Scarlett said.

"Exactly. The organs get harvested, the skin gets used and just about everything else. It brings in big bucks. If I'm right, this scandal could destroy the neonatal unit's reputation. No one is going to be happy with me. I'm leaving tomorrow for a medical conference that Dr. Namid usually attends. I have a bad feeling about it. That's part of the reason I asked Steve to come with me. He knows the risks and he'll be armed. I've been working on all my proof and what I suspect. If something happens to me, I need that information to go to David Hale. You are the only person I trust to do that for me."

"OK," Scarlett said without hesitation, "what do I need to do?"

Tara smiled.

"Thanks for this. I hope I'm just being paranoid."

"I have had times when I thought I was being paranoid. A lot of those times, I was right and being paranoid saved my life. I think you are smart to listen to that inner voice."

"That's what I was thinking too. I might feel a little ridiculous, but I'd rather that than if something happens to me to die knowing they got away with it. I am going to give you a USB drive with the password taped to it. There are also two cloud accounts with the same information. I've written instructions on how to get into the accounts with my user name, password and the file name for each account. If anything happens to me . . ."

"I go to David and explain and give him the thumb drive and the access information for one of the files on the cloud account. I keep the duplicate to myself in case I need to use it if the information vanishes from Charming PD."

Tara nodded smiling.

"You are smart. That's exactly it. I trust Hale, but I don't know who Margaret and Namid might get to and Unser is in SAMCRO's pocket. That means, someone else could be paying him off too. That's why I want you to have a secret back-up copy."

"It's the dark hair. I got smarter."

Tara chuckled.

"No, you were smart before but it was more disguised with the blonde hair."

"If I can't get action out of David because he was blocked or for whatever reason, I'll go to the state and feds."

"I know you will. That's why I trust you. I trust Jax too, but he can't go to Hale with this. That stupid outlaw code about not talking to the law. I don't expect you not to tell Jax about the USB and everything. I don't want to be the cause of secrets between you. I just don't want him saying anything to anyone else. It has nothing to do with the MC so that shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm glad you don't expect me to keep it a secret. I hope everything works out OK for your conference and Steve."

"Well, if I live, Steve and I are spending the weekend in the wine country. It should be nice and romantic."

"Sipping wine in beautiful surroundings sounds great to me. I need to get Jax to take a vacation with me."

Tara reached into her tote bag and pulled out a palm sized blue flowered bag with a zipper across the top and handed it to Scarlett.

"Everything is in there."

Scarlett briefly looked at the contents to make sure she had no questions about how to access the USB and the cloud files. It was perfectly clear as Tara described.

They finished their lunches paid their bills and walked out to their cars.

"Thanks again for doing this for me," Tara said.

"I hope I don't have to take action, but I will if anything happens."

Scarlett hugged Tara. She had a bad feeling about Tara's trip too.