Melissa Good - Thicker Than Water

The nurse took a step back. “I’m sorry.” She fell silent. “I didn’t meant to upset you. I thought the doctor had already spoken to the family about this.”

“He did,” Kerry murmured softly. “But I don’t think we’re ready for that decision yet.”

They were both silent for a few moments, then Kerry shifted and put her hands on the bars. She felt sick to her stomach, the 50 Melissa Good tension creeping up her back and making her head pound. The nurse watched her, then adjusted a wire and left quietly, her steps muffled by the overhead speakers making soft, urgent announce-ments.

DAR AND ANDREW sat side by side on the couch, sharing a bowl of ice cream and a good deal of conversation. “If that’s what you found there,” Andrew portioned off a scoop of vanilla, “what else they got to look forward to? Can’t blame ’em for sticking their heads back down underneath the manure, Dardar.”

“Dad, it’s not like this is Tailhook,” Dar said. “Or some half assed misuse of government funds crap. This is documented evidence of big money smuggling and money laundering.”

Andrew grunted.

Dar removed a cherry and bit down on the stem as she considered all that had happened. “Hell if I’m going to let that jackass get away with this. Alastair’s just gonna have to take a stand on his morals on this one.”

Andrew glanced at her. “Ah don’t think Jeff Ainsbright’s the mover and shaker, Dardar. Just the nitwit they done got to front it all. Figgured he done just used his kid to roadblock you.”

“A pair of stooges.” Dar sighed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But damn it, someone has to be behind it, Dad.”

“Yeap.” Andrew nodded. “Problem is, that feller pro’bly ain’t gonna get hisself nailed for it. Big shots always find some little feller to squash.”

“Maybe. But I’m not going to help them hide it.” Dar glanced at the sliding glass doors, which showed a peaceful darkness outside. She was a little surprised she hadn’t heard from Kerry, but maybe no news was good news. The television had reported several times that the senator’s condition was “guarded,” and Dar figured that at least sounded all right. “Thanks for keeping me company for dinner, by the way.”

“Heh.” Andrew chuckled. “Your momma’s done gone to one of them art things tonight. I figured pot luck with you was gonna beat out that crackers and cheese mess they always have.”

“Ah. Yeah, I’m not much into the rubber chicken circuit myself.” Dar smiled. “I used to leave business cocktail parties and stop at Burger King on the way home.” She jumped a little as her cell phone rang. “Whoops.” She dug it out, checked the caller id, and opened it. “Hey.”

There was silence for a moment, then a sigh. “Hey.”

Dar sat up, reading the tension and grief in her lover’s voice.

“What’s wrong?”

Thicker Than Water 51

“What isn’t?” Kerry whispered. “Oh, Dar.”

Panic set in. Dar’s pulse jumped, and her mind raced. “Are you okay?” Her voice took on a sharp edge and Andy put the bowl on the table and watched her in evident concern. “Where are you?”

Kerry leaned against the car door and closed her eyes. “Outside the hotel. In the car. I just wanted to talk to you before I went in.” She wished her head didn’t feel like it was exploding. “They want us to pull the plug.”

Dar sucked in her breath. “God, I’m sorry, Ker.”

“Me, too,” Kerry replied softly. “Everyone’s a wreck. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do.” She’d gone back from the CCU unit and faced her mother, who was in hysterics and everyone else in pieces, and just dealing with the barrage had been difficult enough.

Getting out of the hospital had been worse. The press had rubbed them raw and she’d finally torn herself free, outran two of the most persistent and jumped over a low wall that had led her to where her car was parked.

Her relatives had all gone to her family’s house. They expected her to follow. Kerry had huddled inside the car, knowing she couldn’t. It was just too much. Now she was outside the hotel and reaching for her lifeline. “Shit.”

“Want me on a plane?” Dar asked. “Screw everything.”

Kerry’s defenses broke down. Her throat closed and her eyes fill with tears and she suddenly wanted to be in Dar’s arms so badly it hurt. She gasped and held the phone close, trying not to start sobbing.

“That’s it. I’m on the way.” Dar’s voice went from concerned to decisive in quick order. “Just hang on, okay?”

Kerry took several deep breaths. “No…wait,” she managed to get out. “Dear God, I’d love for you to be here.” She sucked in another ragged breath. “But they can’t take it, Dar. It’s too much.”

“Fuck them,” Dar replied. “I don’t give a damn about them. I give a damn about you and what you want, and that’s all there is to it.”

Kerry watched several couples walk by.

“So what do you want?” Dar asked very quietly.

“I want you,” Kerry whispered.

“You’ve got me.”

“Give me a day with them, Dar.” Kerry felt very, very tired.

“I think we’re going to make the decision tomorrow night. I could use a friend around when that happens.”

“I’ll be there,” Dar said. “Are you all right?”

She could feel the tunneling starting. “No.” The light outside 52 Melissa Good was suddenly garish. “Let me go inside before this migraine hits.”

“Call me later,” Dar said. “Please?”

“I will,” Kerry replied. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Kerry closed the phone and gathered her strength, then opened the door and let in the cold night air.

DAR SET THE phone down and stared at it. “Damn it.”

Andrew put his plate down. “Not doing too good up there?”

“He’s on life support and they want to end it.”

“Ah.” Her father drew in a sobering breath. “Wall, I got to say I never had much use for that feller, but I feel bad for Kerry having to go through all that.”

“Yeah.” Dar went over and over Kerry’s words, and more importantly, the tone behind them.

“You going up over there?”

“Tomorrow. Probably,” Dar replied. “Kerry said her family’s pretty shook up.”

Andrew’s eyes twinkled. “Think she’d want you up there just to take their minds off her.”

“Huh.” Dar stood up and walked across the living room. She stopped at the back sliding doors and gazed out over the porch to the sea. The sunset poured across the sand and water, a lone seagull drifted over the waves as though searching for something in its depths.

Kerry had specifically asked her not to come up until she was ready. Dar respected her partner’s desire and almost understood the ambivalence between Kerry wanting the comfort of her presence, and not wanting the antagonism it would cause.

She understood it. Really, she did. Her ears twitched, hearing the echo of that stifled sob as Kerry told her to stay, and she balanced it against the knowledge that between the network problem and the military, things were going to come down at work the next day. “Dad?”

“Surely I’ll give you a ride to that thar airport, Dardar,”

Andrew said placidly. “’Member to pack them long johns. It ain’t tropical up there.”

Dar met her own eyes’ reflection in the sliding glass door.

“Well, worst she could do is throw me out of her hotel room. She doesn’t have to tell anyone I’m there, right?”

“Yeap.”

Dar turned. “Thanks for the ride offer, but I don’t know how long we’ll be out there. I’ll just leave mine at the airport.”

A grizzled brow moved upward. “Dangerous, them parking Thicker Than Water 53