Keesha Ward gave up, closed her book, and capped her highlighter. She was practically coloring her social work practices text yellow anyway. She laid her textbook on the shelf under her bedside table and glanced at the clock; it was almost nine o'clock so if she was going to call AJ she probably needed to do it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to though. They had never been the kind of couple who called each other every night to say goodnight but she had felt unsettled by their conversation at lunch after she had inadvertently revealed her cousin's aversion to interracial relationships. AJ had just let the topic drop. Perhaps that was because he didn't want to discuss it in front of Brenda. Or maybe he just didn't want to discuss it at all. Keesha was afraid of that.
With trepidation Keesha picked up the phone from her bedside table and started to dial the Quartermaine number. AJ's fourteen-year-old sister Allison answered on the second ring. Keesha wondered if she was waiting for a phone call. She remembered those days.
"Hey, Keesha, are you going to be up for another thirty minutes or so. I'm just proofing my education psychology paper and I'm almost done."
"Uh, we can just talk tomorrow," Keesha said.
"No, I want to talk to you, I can take a break. Maybe fresher eyes will be better to spot any errors anyway," AJ said.
"It really isn't a big deal. I'm sorry, I'll let you go."
"I'm not going to force you to talk to me, but if you're calling because you feel like things are weird now after lunch, I understand and I want us to talk through this. I just didn't want to say something hastily and regret it."
"Ok," Keesha said.
"Maybe we're overthinking this. I'm not dating your cousin so, unless you share his perspective, perhaps we just focus on our own relationship. Or maybe that is over simplified."
"I want to be more enlightened than my cousin and believe it doesn't matter. But I'm afraid you're right, unfortunately, that is over simplified. It has only been thirty years since the Supreme Court determined that anti-miscgenation laws were unconstitutional. Several states still have laws on their books which would make it illegal for us to marry."
"So, we won't move to South Carolina or Alabama. I know it's ridiculous and I know I will never really understand your cousin's experiences as a black man but I believe I love you and that has to count for something."
"I get the impression that Dr. Tom Hardy said many of the same things to Dr. Simone Ravelle. Their marriage didn't last."
"No, but maybe that really had nothing to do with them being a biracial couple. Or maybe it did, but even if it did, that doesn't have to be us. We aren't them."
"From what Justus has said I get the impression that fidelity with Tom was difficult for Simone. There was question if Tom was really Tommy's father because she and Dr. Davis had a fling right after she married Tom. Justus at least believes that Tom and Simone's marriage was really over before they got involved."
"But you didn't?" AJ asked.
"I guess I just feel like God never sends you someone else's husband or wife. What would it have hurt if Justus waited until the divorce was finalized to start having a romantic relationship with her?"
"That is reasonable, I agree."
"I guess I also think if you're convinced someone is your soulmate then you hang in there and work through the hard times. I think Justus gave up on Simone far too easily if he really loved her."
"Maybe, or maybe there is just a lot we can never understand from the outside looking in."
"Maybe, and don't misunderstand, I completely understand that sometimes you have to know when you have to let go, like with Jason, but in Justus and Simone's case I don't see it. Of course, I guess that was kind of your point."
"Something like that, so, are we ok?"
"We're ok, at least until you try to whisk me off to Alabama," Keesha said.
"Sounds good, what if I take you to the Outback on Friday night. Ned is playing and I guess Mac and Felicia are donating the cover to the Charles Street Foundation."
"I would love to go with you. Do you need a ride to campus in the morning?"
"If you can. I spent the afternoon driving the minivan because I did school pickup and then took everyone to soccer. But, yeah, I would love to have my BMW back."
"So, I guess Brenda isn't feeling better," Keesha said.
"She says she is just over tired from studying."
"She doesn't look well. Didn't your mom get her set up with some doctor last summer when she was so anemic."
"Yes, Dr. Cahill, maybe you can mention that."
"Oh, so I get to be the meddling friend."
"No, you get to be the concerned friend because I can't see you doing anything else. I love you. Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."
"I love you too, goodnight," Keesha said. She replaced the handset and then padded into the bathroom to brush her teeth and finish getting ready for bed.
XXXXXXXX
Scott Baldwin opened the door to see Dr. Evelyn Lambert standing on his door step. "Uh, hey, I was going to call you. I've just been a little bit busy," he said sheepishly.
"The police came to talk to me at the hospital yesterday," Eve said as she stepped inside.
Scott had intentionally kept her name out of things but he supposed they had figured it out somehow. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to get pulled into this," he said.
"Well, it's a little late for that!" Eve fumed as she crossed the room and sank down onto his couch. "So, what exactly do they think you did?" she asked a moment later.
Scott caught her phrasing. She hadn't already convicted him. Perhaps that was a start. "I've been charged with rape 1. I am innocent I assure you, but I understand if now you have even more reason to fear being associated with me."
"Are you innocent because in your opinion it was consensual sex?" Eve asked.
"No, I'm innocent because I never had any sexual contact with the alleged victim and I never would," Scott asserted.
"Ok…"
"Ok?"
"So, what happens now?"
"I will eventually get indicted because it is rare for grand juries to not indict and then we will go to trial. That is where in an ideal world I prove my innocence. In the real world who knows?"
"I'm sorry. Does Serena know what is happening."
"Serena is with my sister and her husband. Child Protective filed a CHINS petition at the same time the DA filed felony charges."
"Wow! I had no idea. Is there anything I can do?"
"I don't even know anymore," Scott said. He didn't. He had essentially been trapped in his worst nightmare since Saturday morning. Every day he spent away from his daughter he lost even more of his faith in the justice system.
XXXXXXXX
Dr. Monica Quartermaine opened the door to the 5th Floor Pediatrics Unit with an exhausted sigh. Saying it was a long day would not be an exaggeration. She had never made it home before she ended up getting called with a STEMI. She took the patient to the cardiac catheterization lab for a successful angioplasty and stent to their Right Coronary Artery. Immediately after she finished that the ED was paging her about a patient with unstable atrial fibrillation who required cardioversion. She got that patient admitted to the CCU just in time to be in the right place at the right time to intubate on of Dr. Devlin's cardiomyopathy patients. Or perhaps she was, nursing was complaining that they had been telling Dr. Devlin all day that the patient wasn't going to turn around with BiPAP.
By the time she had completed the intubation, wrote ventilator orders and taken care of all of the necessary documentation it was nine-fifteen and she realized with a pang she wouldn't get a chance to put Katelyn and Serena to bed. She had attempted to prepare them for that reality at breakfast but that didn't really make it sting any less from her perspective. She had finally literally had her coat on and been about to walk out the door at nine-thirty when she had received the page from pediatrics.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Quartermaine, but Mr. Longsworth is adamant that something must be done now!" Meg Lawson said once she exited the stairwell.
"Just so I know what I am walking into, by Mr. Longsworth do you mean Stuart Sr.; Stuart Jr.; or Stuart III?"
Stuart Longsworth Sr. was about ten or fifteen years older than her father in law. He was real estate investor who had founded Longsworth Realty back in the 1950s. He and her father in law had collaborated on some deals and competed on others. They were friends at least when it was convenient and perhaps even when it was less convenient. He had also been on the hospital board until about ten years ago when he seemed to pass the torch to his son Stuart Longsworth Jr. who was handling most of the day to day affairs of Longsworth Realty. Stuart Longsworth III was a few years younger than her brother in law, John Quartermaine. He was actually Audra's father but from her experiences marrying into and raising children in the Quartermaine family she could understand if he and his wife, Jeanette, were unable to get a word in about their own child over the overpowering voices of the rest of the family.
"I seriously have no clue. Maybe all of the above, there are like ten family members in that room. Maybe if they would all just go home and let that poor child rest then this fever which they are so obsessed with would break," Meg said.
"How high is the fever?" Monica asked.
"When I took her vitals fifteen minutes ago it was 103.4. It's been somewhere around 103 most of the day."
Monica reached for Audra Longsworth's chart from the rack, opened it on the counter and turned to the orders section and started to write. "What I explained to Audra's parents this morning was that she had all of the clinical criteria of Kawasaki Disease except for five days of fever. Her mother says she first felt warm Friday night so I guess we've finally reached that fifth day, or night in this case and we can go ahead and start high dose aspirin and the IVIg Infusion. My original plan was to start in the morning if she was still febrile just because I would rather we have all hands on deck if she should have an adverse reaction to the IVIg but if they are adamant they want to start tonight we can," she said.
"Do you want me to tube everything to Pharmacy?"
"You're going to need to tube the IVIg. I presume you have chewable aspirin in the Pyxis so you can pull that. I'm going to go in and talk to the parents and see if they want to start the IVIg tomorrow or right now. You can bring the aspirin in because we're going to give that tonight regardless," Monica said. Then she took a deep cleansing breath, released it, and prepared herself for the likely chaos contained behind the door of room 522.
XXXXXXXX
Carly Ashton curled up on the love seat of the sitting room of her new master suite flipping through some catalogues that the interior designer from Wyndham's had dropped off. She was supposed to be helping Carly design the nursery. Carly found the whole process both exhilarating and intimidating at the same time.
"Oh, that is nice," Ned said as he passed behind the couch and paused to point at a crib.
Carly considered the crib. It was very nice; it just cost more than many people spent on cars. Of course, Ned did drive a new Miata.
"Or not, I meant it when I said that the nursery theme and furniture selections were up to you. I know a lot of this pregnancy has been stressful for various reasons so I think it will be good for you to have fun with this. I scheduled the painters for this Thursday and I arranged for us to stay in one of the family suites at the PC Hotel on Thursday and Friday. That way you won't have to worry about the paint fumes."
"Don't you have that meeting on Friday?" Carly asked. When they had lunch with Amy and Chloe on Monday, Amy had mentioned the Deception Cosmetics Shareholder's Meeting. It had kind of sounded like a big deal.
"Exactly, so that will be a convenient time to stay at the hotel since there is a cocktail party at Evening Song in the hotel Thursday evening and then the Shareholder's Meeting is being held in one of the hotel conference rooms on Friday morning. Would you like me to book a Spa session for you on Friday?" Ned asked.
"Sure, that would be great. I need a manicure although maybe I should go on Thursday afternoon and then I'll look presentable for the cocktail party."
"I could book both days. The massage therapist is certified so you could get a pregnancy massage on Friday."
"Now that sounds heavenly," Carly said.
"I'll take care of it first thing in the morning. I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I have a board meeting at eight and I want to go the gym before that. Don't stay up too late. You and the baby both need your rest," Ned said. He gave her shoulder a compassionate squeeze and then went into the master bedroom proper.
Carly flipped through a few more pages of the catalogue before she reached for the cordless phone and dialed a familiar number.
XXXXXXXX
In her West side Manhattan apartment, Simone Torres adeptly saved her file with one hand while reaching for the cordless phone with the other. "Yeah, what?" she asked.
"Good grief Simone, it's almost ten pm. I can't be waking you up this time," her friend Carly Ashton grumbled.
"Waking me up, no! Interrupting my creative process, that is a different matter entirely. But, since you have already done that, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to let you know everything looks good with the baby."
"I'm glad. Are you and Ned hoping for a natural birth?"
"Oh, gosh, I hope not! Apparently if you wait too long then sometimes it gets too late to do the epidural. That better not happen to me," Carly said.
"Didn't Mr. Mosher ask you if the L in your middle initial stood for Late in fourth grade. Ned strikes me as a super organized and punctual person so maybe he will drag you along. By the way, make sure you give Ned my cell number in case he can't reach me at home. I better be the first non-family person to hold your little guy. I'm also calling dibs on Godmother!" Simone said.
"Ned's cousin Jason is going to be the Godfather but I guess that means I should get to pick the Godmother," Carly said.
"That sounds reasonable. So, is everything else ok?" Simone asked. Carly might be her oldest friend, and really the only one who had any idea she had grown up in a trailer park in Miami but she and Carly had probably spoken more in the past month than they had in the past year and she had a feeling there was a reason for that.
"Sure, everything is fine; marriage is just an adjustment I guess," Carly said.
"Did you and Ned have a fight?"
"No! Ned has been amazing. He hired this designer to help me with the nursery and he's arranging for the painters to come on Thursday and we'll stay at the hotel for a few days to get away from the paint fumes. Can't I just miss my best friend?" Carly asked.
"Sure," Simone said but she still had a feeling there was a lot more Carly wasn't telling her. It would eventually come out. It always did.