The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
AFFLICTION
BY TROG |
CHAPTER
45 |
CHAPTER 45
( 4 weeks later)
Vicki opened the door softly, peaking in before she entered and took a chair beside Todd’s bed. He had slept most of the night under heavy sedation, but now he was restless, moaning and thrashing in his hospital bed.
“Tea,” he whispered just before he opened his eyes, looking lost and confused.
He blinked a few times and focused on the objects hanging above his head, a plastic packet of bight, red blood hanging on a rack and a bottle of intravenous solution dripping into a long plastic tube. His gaze followed the red and clear tubing downward until it stopped, disappearing into the back of his hand. When he turned his head he saw Vicki sitting there quietly, smiling benignly. His brain was fuzzy and as he moved he felt something on his face, in his nose. A glass tube had been inserted and was draining into a bag beside his bed. He felt its hard coldness running down his throat and into his stomach.
“What happened?” he said, his voice thick and groggy.
“I found you in your office last night, Todd. You had passed out from drinking and were coughing up blood. When I found you you were so pale and cold, you’d lost so much blood...I thought for an instant...well, thank goodness you’re okay.”
Todd started to get up but the sharp, stabbing pain in his abdomen forced him to lay back down again.
“Don’t get up, Todd...you’ve had surgery. They had to perform surgery on you last night to stitch up your perforated stomach. It ruptured and you were bleeding heavily.”
Todd reached down and touched his abdomen, feeling a bandaged area that burned when he moved.
“Great...that’s all I need...another scar.”
“Don’t make light of this Todd,” Vicki said angrily. “I was frightened to death. You have been drinking heavily for weeks now, knowing what Larry Wolek had told you about your ulcer. You could have died, Todd...do you hear me!”
“That would have been a relief...for everyone...specially me.”
Vicki shook her head.
“I don’t want you talking like this. You need to pull yourself together...and you need to take better care of yourself.”
“I’m so thirsty...”
Vicki got up and held a cup of water which he drank quickly through a straw.
He stared at her, then looked away.
“How did I get here?”
“I called an ambulance...when we got here they said you needed surgery. I had to call Blair to tell her.”
“WHY THE HELL DID YOU CALL HER?”
“Because she’s your legal wife, Todd...and she needed to sign and authorize the surgery, that’s why. And...she was here most of the night with me, Todd...so she must care about you. She left a little while ago to go and pick up Starr. She thought it might cheer you up.”
“DON’T YOU PITCH BLAIR TO ME, OKAY! THE LAST TIME I LISTENED TO YOU... ABOUT BLAIR...I WOUND UP MARRIED TO THAT VIPER AGAIN!”
Todd closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. When he opened his eyes he again focused on the bright packet of blood as an overwhelming sadness clouded his face.
“Blood. Blood. It’s all about blood, isn‘t it? It gives life and takes it away from you,” he said pensively, his eyes welling up with tears.
“Todd...honey...what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“Yeah, Vicki...it hurts like hell,” he said as tears streamed down his face.
Vicki got up.
“I’m calling the doctor.”
“No...no...don’t! It’s not the surgery...I hardly feel that pain. That pain is nothing to me.”
“Well...what’s wrong. Is this about Tea?”
Todd wiped his face and looked away from her, embarrassed.
“Do you know anything about blood typing, Vicki?”
“What? Well...I vaguely remember the basics from high school biology. Why?”
Todd laughed a little.
“Yeah...me either...that’s why I looked it up. That’s what I was doing at The Sun last night.”
Vicki walked over to him.
“I don’t understand, Todd.”
Todd sat up a little and looked up at Vicki. His hollow eyes filled with tears again as he struggled to speak.
“Jack...Jack is type AB.”
“So...what does that mean, Todd?”
“Blair is type A,” said Todd.
“Okay...so that means that you have to be...either Type B...or AB...am I right?”
Todd nodded gravely and Vicki just stared at him, his mouth trembling as he struggled to hold back his emotions. Vicki walked around his bed and looked at the pint of blood that was being pumped into Todd.
“Oh my God...you’re type A. That means....”
“He’s not mine. Jack isn’t my kid,” whispered Todd, turning away from her with a painful moan. “His biological father would have to be type B or AB...it’s Max Holden.”
Vicki brought her hand to her mouth and shook her head solemnly. Walking around his bed she sat back down by his bedside, taking his hand.
“Oh, Todd...I’m so sorry.”
“I feel like...like I’ve lost everything, Vicki,” he said.
“No...no...my dear. You haven’t lost everything . But, Todd...are you sure about this?”
Todd nodded.
“Yeah. I went by Dorian’s yesterday to see the kids...but...nobody was around. I decided to wait for a while...and I noticed the divorce papers on the desk. I went over to check and see if Blair had signed them when I saw some of Jack’s medical record from his last doctor’s visit. It listed all the shots he’d had, his height, weight...and his bloodtype. Type AB. If he was mine he’d have to be A...because both Blair and I are A.”
“Does Blair know that you know?”
“No...I don’t even know if she knows for sure. But...I’m sure she suspects it. She doesn’t want to know because right now it’s working in her favor. Just like when she was pregnant...she used that kid to get sympathy from the jury, then she used that kid to play Max and me off against each other...I think she knows.”
“Well...do you intend on confronting her?”
Todd looked away from her.
“I don’t know. I really can’t deal with this right now...I need to find Tea! Vicki...I need you to call the police station and see if there’s any news about her.”
“I already called a few minutes ago. I’m sorry Todd but there’s no news. It’s like she and Aaron Blackmoor just disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“It’s those lazy, incompetent idiots in this town!”
“Well, Todd...it hasn’t helped that you’ve been slandering the police in The Sun over this case for weeks now. Maybe Bo is not too inclined to help you after calling for his resignation and referring to him as an “incompetent hypocrite” in your latest headline.”
“TEA IS GONE BECAUSE OF BO! HE’S A SELF-RIGHTEOUS BASTARD WHO USES HIS POSITION TO SCREW PEOPLE OVER! HE WANTED TO GET ME...ME! BUT INSTEAD HE GOT TEA! I’M NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL HE’S...NOTHING!” yelled Todd, sitting up angrily.
Vicki stood up quickly and pushed him down gently.
“Todd...just calm yourself. This isn’t doing you any good. Please...just lay still. Calm down.”
Todd laid back down and closed his eyes, coughing, exhausted from the effort of his tirade.
“God...I’m so stupid! Everything...all of this is my fault. I put Tea through so much shit...I pushed her right into that bastard’s arms....and then...then I go and sleep with Blair...and marry her. No wonder she left me...maybe even a killer looks better to her than me. Oh, God, Vicki...how could she do it...how could she leave with him?” Todd whispered his head turned away from her.
“Well...I think she did it for you. The last time I saw Tea she was riddled with guilt...about your marriage, about Ben‘s death...and then when she saw you behind bars...well...she saw this as a way to give you your freedom...a way of protecting you. I’m sure that’s what she wanted.”
“I don’t want this freedom...this isn’t freedom...it’s death,” he said, wiping his eyes quickly. “Look at me...I’m pathetic...I’m weak, Vicki, I admit it...but...I don’t want to live like this...I just can’t do it anymore...not without Tea to help me,” he gasped softly, “I can’t do this shit anymore...”
“Oh, honey...I’m sure they’ll find her. Bo, FBI and Interpol, everyone is looking for her...I‘m sure we’ll here something soon.”
“Daddy!” shouted Starr as she came barreling through the door.
*****
Todd opened his eyes and his pale face lit up with joy.
“Hey, Shorty...am I happy to see you,” he said as she leaned in and kissed his rough cheek.
“Hi, Todd...how are you feeling,” said Blair sweetly, standing at the door in a sunny, yellow dress.
Todd looked over at her. Jack wasn’t with her.
“Where’s my....where‘s Jack?” he asked.
“It’s raining out...I didn’t want to bring him out in this weather,” she said, walking further into the room by Todd‘s bed. She leaned over him, caressing his face and suddenly leaning down , she kissed him before he had a chance to shrink away from her. Blair smiled and stood beside Vicki.
“Daddy...can I tell you a joke?”
“Sure Starr...I could really use a laugh.”
“Okay...why was the cook so angry?”
Todd knit his brow dramatically, pretending to ponder over her question.”
“Gee...I don’t know...why was the cook so angry?”
“Cause...he had to WHIP the eggs and BEAT the cream every day.”
Todd smiled broadly and caressed her face.
“That’s a good one, Starr.”
“Todd....Starr and I were talking...and...we thought maybe you should move back home....until you recover,” said Blair.
Todd threw her a suspicious look.
“Yeah, Daddy...we want you home with us. Will you come home, daddy?”
“We’ll see, Starr. Blair...Vicki...can I have some time with Starr...alone?” asked Todd.
Vicki got up and walked toward Blair who looked very pleased with herself.
“Of course, Todd,” said Vicki. “Blair and I will go and get some coffee in the cafeteria. We’ll see you in a bit.”
“Alright, honey. Aunt Vicki and I will be back shortly.” she said before looking back at Todd. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Todd...I was really worried about you.”
Todd looked into her eyes. They were so clear, so full of confidence. It was as if she believed they were still together...as if there was actually something between them.
“I’m fine...”
Blair and Vicki walked out and Starr climbed up on Todd’s bed.
“Listen Starr...I don’t want to lie to you. I’m not coming back to live at Aunt Dorian’s house.”
“Why?” she pouted sadly. “Don’t you love us anymore?”
Todd pulled her closer.
“Of course I do. This has nothing to do with you, or Jack. It’s grown up junk...between me and your mother. I love you...and Jack...I’ll always love you...but...I don’t love your mother...not the way I’m suppose to...not the way you want me to...not the way I love...Tea.”
“Tee? But daddy....Tee’s married.”
Todd stared at her.
“How do you know that?”
“Cause her husband ....Mr. Black...Black something came to the house.”
Todd bolted up, the sharp pain from his fresh incision burning his abdomen as he stared at his daughter.
“What? When...when did Aaron Blackmoor come to the house.”
“I don’t remember...it was a long time ago.”
Todd placed his hands on her tiny arms and pulled her toward him.
“Starr...I need for you to think...this is very important. When did you see Aaron Blackmoor?”
Starr opened her green eyes widely and stared at the ceiling for a moment, then she smiled.
“I remember...it was the day before you were suppose to take me to the movies.”
“A month ago...the day before I was...what was he doing there? What did he want.?”
“I don’t know. Mommy made me go upstairs so they could talk alone.”
Todd laid back and looked up at the ceiling as Starr snuggled up next to him.
to be continued...
2002 Copyright by Trog
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