Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 15:30:17 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Theresa - Chapter 26 (revision) Message-ID: Jennie pointed out a flaw at the end. So, I've corrected the mistake. ---------------------------------- Chapter 26 Good Intentions "How's Jeff?" Sam asked as he heard the Imaging Chamber door open and close. He didn't move an inch from his position, staring blankly at a wall before him as he sat on Jeff's living room couch. "Poor kid took it hard," Al answered. "Don't blame him really." He walked closer to Sam and sat on a chair which he always kept in the Imaging Chamber. "He's sleeping some of his grief off now." Not a sound was made for several minutes. Al watched with concern as Sam continued to stare at an blank wall. Finally, after nearly five minutes, the silence was broken. "Why am I still here, Al?" Sam asked, not facing Al. It took a moment for Al to realize that Sam had spoken to him. He sighed. Sam wasn't going to like his answer. "You haven't completed what you're here to do." Sam finally turned to look at Al. It was obvious that Al was right about Sam's not liking his answer. "I haven't completed what I'm here to do? And what's that?" Al looked at him in the eyes. "You're here to save Chris Raj-ad-Allah's life." Sam glared at Al. "I already did that. Try again." Al sighed. He stood up, picked up the chair, and moved it beside Sam. He sat back down, giving the effect of him sitting on the couch next to Sam. It might have been easier for Al to just punch a few buttons on the handlink to achieve the same effect but Al didn't want to freak Sam out by suddenly appearing beside him. "Sam," he started gently. "I know you want this to be over. But it's not. Ziggy says..." "Ziggy," Sam muttered under his breath as he stood up, putting some distance between himself and Al. "Ziggy isn't always right, you know!" "Sam," Al said quietly. "Chris is going to die of a seizure tomorrow, Saturday, June 3rd." Sam sighed and shook his head. "I thought we solved that problem," he muttered in annoyance. "I'm afraid not," Al told him. "Chris is a stubborn man. Since he and Suzanne missed their flight to Egypt, they changed their plans. Now, they're going to take a cruise to Europe in two weeks." "So?" Sam asked, wanting Al to get to the point. "So, Chris is going to change his appointment with his doctor to the end of next month." "Next month?!!" Sam exclaimed, looking directly at Al. "But he promised Suzanne he'd see a doctor!" Al stood up. "He promised her that he would see a doctor after their honeymoon," he pointed out. Sam looked at Al with a sigh. "Al, if I mention the subject one more time, he'll wring my neck!" Al shook his head. "I don't know what else you can do, Sam. You have to save him somehow. Besides, maybe after what you guys went through, he might listen." Sam laughed cynically. "Yeah, but how do we get him to listen?" Al thought for a moment. "Same way we got him to walk. Force him to see his problem." Sam looked at Al with a frown. He knew what Al was thinking. He also knew that, unfortunately, Al was right. ********************* Theresa walked into the exclusive restaurant, dressed in the white suit that Al had bought, carrying a small binder under her arm. She had been keeping herself busy all Wednesday night, snapping pictures of her work, having the film developed, and preparing her portfolio. Now, she stood by the door, searching the restaurant for the face of Elizabeth Covington. "Miss Brookner!" a voice called out. Theresa traced the voice to a table on the far side of the room, beside a window. "Over here!" the voice beckoned. Theresa obeyed, slight confusion on her face. At the table was a woman roughly the same age as Elizabeth Covington. She had a much kinder air about her, accented by her soft features. "I'm sorry," Theresa told the woman. "I was expecting Ms. Covington to meet me." "Ms. Covington?" the woman questioned. "Oh!" she realized. "You mean Elizabeth!" She laughed. "No need to worry. She'll be here soon. Running a little late, I'm afraid." She smiled at Theresa and suddenly realized that Theresa was still standing. "Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me! Please, sit down. I'm Julie Anna Parker, Elizabeth's partner. Call me Julie Anna." She offered Theresa her hand. Theresa accepted it. "Pleased to meet you." "Would you care for something to drink while we wait for Elizabeth?" "Just water. Thank you," Theresa answered. Julie Anna made a slight frown with her eyebrows. "Water? Come on. Live a little." She raised her hand and shook it slightly, gaining the waiter's attention. The waiter came over after a moment. "Bloody Mary," she ordered. She looked over to Theresa, waiting for her to order. "Just water," Theresa told the waiter. Julie Anna shrugged. "Suit yourself. Oh! There's Elizabeth!" Elizabeth Covington approached the table with a smile. "Good afternoon, ladies." Julie Anna laughed. "Elizabeth, you know I'm no lady." "But I imagine Miss Brookner is," Elizabeth answered as she sat down. "So, which shall we do first? Business or pleasure? I dislike doing both at the same time." Julie Anna looked at Theresa. "Business. I think if we wait much longer, Miss Brookner will be unable to hold back her curiosity." "I agree," Elizabeth answered and also looked at Theresa. "Miss Brookner, for your former employment you put down 'self-employed private sexual therapist.' Interesting choice of words." "Well..." Theresa started uncomfortably. "Elizabeth," Julie Anna taunted her, "don't torment her like you do me." She looked at Theresa. "Elizabeth has a tendency to tease people, even on the wrong subject. Your past is your business." "Thank you," Theresa told her, grateful for the word of support, although it was obvious that they knew she had been a prostitute. Elizabeth smiled. "Julie Anna's right, I'm afraid. You must forgive me. What we really want to know is if you would be interested in being an assistant manager of an art gallery we own in Phoenix. You can even sell your own work there." Theresa looked from one woman to another. "Are you serious?" "Perfectly," Elizabeth told her. "No offense," Theresa told them, "but why me?" "Because you're exactly what we're looking for: someone talented in art but with no preconceived notion about what makes art art," Julie Anna told her. "And I think your work is so good that it must be in one of our galleries," Elizabeth put in. "This is a great opportunity for you, Miss Brookner. You'll have a steady job plus the opportunity to make your art known. Perhaps you might be able to own your own gallery in the future. Fifteen hundred a month. What do you say?" Theresa hesitated, uncertain. "That's a lot of money," she commented. "Well, we can negotiate for a smaller amount if you'd like," Elizabeth replied. "No, that's okay," Theresa told her with a smile. "Good. Then we have an agreement?" Theresa nodded. "Excellent. We can get the paperwork done in Julie Anna's office later today," Elizabeth told her. "Now, what do you prefer, Miss Brookner? Salmon or chicken?" Theresa politely shook her head. "I'm sorry but everything that has just happened has made me much too..." "Excited?" Julie Anna put in. "Yes, Ms. Parker," Theresa said honestly. "I just couldn't eat." "Well, then, we'll meet you later," Elizabeth said, reaching into her purse. "Here is the address to Julie Anna's office. Meet us there at three o'clock?" "I'll be there,"" Theresa assured her as she stood up. "Thank you very much, ladies." With that, she left them. Once Theresa was out of sight, Julie Anna looked at Elizabeth. "Another favor to a friend?" Julie Anna questioned. "You mean hiring Miss Brookner?" Elizabeth replied. She smiled. "Maybe a bit. She was certainly suggested to me by a friend." "Bob Stane," Julie Anna surmised. Elizabeth shook her head. "No, not Bob." She smiled at him. "Someone with a little more rank than Bob." ************************ "I can't believe she's gone," Chris said softly as Suzanne laid beside him on their bed. She responded by placing her head on his chest and rubbing his chest gently. "I know," she told him. "I miss her too." Chris closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the ceiling. He rubbed his face roughly with his hands. "Oh, what Jeff must be going through! He adored her!" "Still does," Suzanne commented. The two remained quiet. The only sound was the sound of traffic running through the streets a block away. The traffic reminded Suzanne of the time. "It's nine o'clock," she told Chris. "Are you going to work today?" "No," Chris answered, sighing slightly. “I think I'll check on Jeff. I'm worried about him." "Jeff might not want company," Suzanne pointed out. Chris shook his head. "You don't know him like I do. He puts on this strong funny man facade but he's really very sensitive, which is why Jennifer fell for him in the first place. He's probably sitting at home, trying to cope with Jennifer's death. But I don't think he can do it alone." He looked at Suzanne lovingly. "He needs me. I just know it." Suzanne raised herself to her knees and looked down at him. "Then, let's go." Chris smiled slightly. "He may need me but he doesn't necessarily want me." Suzanne shook her head. "Why don't you go take your shower?" she told him. "We should go see him." She stood up from the bed, slipped on a robe and heading towards the door. Chris sat on the side of the bed for a few seconds before standing and heading for the shower. As he stepped into the shower, the telephone rang two times before Suzanne picked it up in the living room. Chris finished his shower and then dried himself off as he came into the bedroom. "Chris," Suzanne said, waiting for him in the bedroom with a cup of coffee, "that was Jeff." She gave Chris the cup. "He said he needed to talk to you. He wants us to go to his place." She hugged him. "I'm worried about him, Chris." "He probably doesn't want to be alone right now," Chris told her. "Everything's going to be okay." He smiled at her gently. "Go take your shower. We'll leave as soon as we are dressed." ************************ "Sam, are you sure this is going to work?" Al asked with concern. He looked from Sam to the front door and back, not sure they should be doing this. "It's the only chance he's got," Sam told him as he sat on the living room couch to wait. "I don't like this," Al commented. "I really don't like this. There's got to be another way, Sam." Sam shook his head. "Al, you told me that the only way you got Chris to walk again was to make him confront his problem. Force him to see that he could walk if he really wanted to. Chris is only going to see his problems if he confronts them." "That was different!" Al emphasized. "That had to do with a psychosomatic problem! This is physical, Sam! This is a medical problem, not a psychological one!" Al paused. "If you push him too hard, it could kill him," he said firmly. Sam looked at Al with determination. "That's the chance we'll have to take." Al's eyes widened with astonishment. "You're going to do more than just scare him, aren't you." Sam didn't answer. "Oh, shit, Sam! Either you've been more affected by the accident than you want to admit or you're insane!" "Neither," Sam told him as the doorbell rang. Sam stood up and went to the door to answer it. "Sam..." Al said, strong warning in his voice. "Trust me," Sam told him just before opening the door to let in Chris and Suzanne. He offered them to sit down and took a seat near Chris. "How are you doing, Jeff?" Chris asked with concern. "I'm okay," Sam told him. "We need to talk." "About what?" Chris asked, ready to help "Well,"Sam started,"no offense, Suzanne, but I was hoping to talk with Chris alone." "Oh!"she said quickly. I'm sorry. I'll just go into the kitchen and make some coffee or tea or something." "Tea would be nice" Sam told her. "Tea it is then," she answered, going to the kitchen "Sam, don't do this,"Al said, giving a last plea. Sam looked into his eyes. He had the look of a man who had to do something even though he didn't want to do it. Al sighed, knowing Sam was right. This was the only way to save Chris, even though it risked Chris's life. "At least be careful," Al told him. "Jeff," Chris asked as Sam returned his attention to Chris."Are you okay?" Sam sighed. "No, I'm not okay." Chris nodded his head. "I understand." Sam glared at him. "No, I don't think you do." "What?" Chris questioned, confused."Of course, I understand, Jeff. I lost my family the same way, remember?" "I'm not talking about Jennifer's death," Sam said quietly. Chris hesitated. "Now, I'm really confused. If this isn't about the accident, then what is it?" Sam was silent for a moment, preparing to do what he knew had to be done. "Have you seen a doctor yet about your seizures?" "Oh, geez, Jeff," Chris said with a huff."I thought we settled this. I'll see my doctor after the honeymoon." "That's if he has a honeymoon," Al commented. "That's not good enough," Sam replied to Chris. Chris looked at Sam with incredulity. "What? Don't you trust me, Jeff?" Sam looked at him. "Of course, I trust you. But you really need to see a doctor." "I did see a doctor, remember? After theaccident? He said I was fine." Sam shook his head. "He was looking for immediate damage to the head due to the accident, not for neurological problems like yours." "Jeff," Chris said, standing up."I'll see a doctor for a full check-up after the honeymoon. End of discussion. Now, I'm going to help Suzanne with that tea. Okay?" "No, it's not," Sam said, also standing."And it's not the end of the discussion. Chris, I lost my wife! I don't want to lose my best friend too!" Chris looked at him. "What makes you think I'm going to die?" he told him loudly. "Listen, Jeff. I can take care of myself." "You think you're alone in this" Sam retaliated."Well, it's my business as well as yours." "And when did it become your business?" Chris yelled at him. "Sam," Al put in."Ziggy says that if you keep this up, Chris will have a severe seizure! You could kill him!" "When you called me your friend!" Sam answered."Damn it, Chris! Friends take care of each other! Help each other!" "Well, I don't want you help," Chris answered quietly but belligerently. An idea came to Al. "Sam, tell him that's fine with you." "What?" Sam questioned Al. "You heard me," Chris told him. "It worked the last time," Al explained. Sam turned to Chris. "Yeah, I heard you. And that's fine with me. You want to die? Go ahead." He started to walk away from his chair, passing Chris as he went. Chris grabbed Sam by the shoulder angrily and spun him around. "Why you son of a bitch!" he yelled, punching Sam in the jaw. Having heard the argument, Suzanne ran into the living room while Sam got back on his feet. "What the hell... Oh!" she exclaimed as she saw Sam return the blow from Chris. "Whoa!" Al exclaimed."Take it easy, Sam!" "Jeff! Chris! What the hell are you doing?" Suzanne demanded as she hurried over to help Chris up. "I'm beating some sense into your husband," Sam answered her. "Yeah?" Chris questioned."Well, I gonna beat some sense into you!" He decked Sam with a strong right hook before Suzanne could stop him. "Get up!" he ordered Sam "Chris! Stop it!" Suzanne demanded. "I think you'd better call an ambulance," Sam told her as he stood up. "Are you hurt?" she asked with a little concern. "No, but your husband will be." Chris glared at him. "That does it!" He brought his fist back to punch Sam but suddenly stopped. His hands went to his head as his eyes closed tightly in pain. "Oh, gawd, Sam!" Al exclaimed."He's having a seizure." "Chris!" Suzanne exclaimed in concern as she grabbed Chris and helped him to the floor. "Call an ambulance!" Sam ordered her. "But.." "GO! I'll stay with him.I've had more experience with this." The reality of the situation struck Suzanne. She hurried to a phone and dialed 911. Sam did everything he could for Chris. He laid him flat on the floor and kept his head and neck as still as possible. "Hang on, Chris," Sam told him."Help is on the way." ----------------------------------------------- Two more chapters to go. Stay tuned. Keep the Leap! Kat The Al-coholic going through severe QL withdrawl