TITLE: PICKING UP THE PIECES-CHAPTER THREE
AUTHOR:
Cindy Wylie (RkieFan1960@AOL.com).
CHAPTER
THREE--San Antonio, Texas-Spring 2001
On the
Friday before spring break Jill took Shelby to see her cardiologist at
Methodist Children's Hospital. She was hoping that the little girl needed
surgery. She'd had her first surgery when she was nine months old and she'd
barely survived it. The doctors at the children's hospital in San Antonio
had been treating Shelby since their arrival in town in October of 1999.
Dr. Richard
Dominguez was Shelby's primary cardiologist. When he'd first met Jill he'd
been impressed that she was willing to take on her own granddaughter, despite
the fact that the baby was often seriously ill. He had just assumed that
Jill's was another situation in which the child was unwilling or unable
to care for the child and thus had been adopted by the grandparents.
Jill was
sitting with Shelby in the waiting room, looking around at the other parents
with their children. Like Shelby, the other children were all thin and
pale with bluish casts to their skin. The receptionist came out and called
Jill and Shelby back to the examining room where she told them that Dr.
Dominguez would soon be with them.
"No needles,
Nana," Shelby insisted.
Jill smiled
and smoothed her long blonde hair off her shoulders. "I hope not, sweetheart,"
Jill signed back.
Dr. Dominiguez
walked into the room. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Danko, Shelby," he greeted
with a warm smile as he looked over Shelby's chart. "Let's have a listen
to your heart, shall we, young lady?" He put the ends of the stethoscope
in his ears. "How has she been eating?"
"The same.
It's a struggle to get her to eat anything," Jill admitted.
The doctor
listened to Shelby's heart with a sober expression. "I want to do a cardiac
echo of her heart. It's an ultrasound. . . ." He started to explain.
"I know
what it is," Jill interrupted. "I've read everything there is to read about
procedures. Is she going to need surgery?"
"I'll
know more after I do the echo. We can go into the other room and get started.
Does your daughter have a hand in what happens to her daughter?" He asked
without thinking.
"If you're
referring to Shelby's mother, she's dead," Jill told him.
"I'm sorry,
Mrs. Danko," he apologized in a subdued voice.
"There's
nothing to forgive. You didn't know," Jill replied simply.
After
he did the echo, he sent Shelby off to the play room with the receptionist
while he summoned Jill to his office.
She sat
stiffly in the chair across from him and waited for the other shoe to drop.
"You didn't have to send her away. She can't hear anything you say," Jill
reminded him.
"I know.
Shelby's going to need surgery. Unfortunately the earliest ,I can schedule
her for is going to be either late August or early September," he told
her.
"Will
she be all right until then?" Jill asked, suddenly frightened.
"She should
be fine. We'll do some more tests this summer and get her squared away.
After this surgery she'll be able to lead an almost normal life," he assured
Jill.
"Doctor,
life for that child hasn't been normal since day one. I don't think either
of us even know what that is," she informed him.
"Well,
you will now," he smiled as he walked Jill to the playroom to collect Shelby.
That afternoon
after Michael got home from Sunday school, Jill loaded her SUV and they
headed for South Padre Island. The sea water was still too cold to go swimming
but they were able to go to the beach and the hotel had an indoor pool,
which delighted both children to no end. And, for the first time in several
months, Michael actually acted like the child Jill had given birth to,
instead of the clone he'd become since arriving in San Antonio.
When they
returned to San Antonio and home, Jill found several email messages from
what she referred to as 'the L.A. people.' One was from Mike saying he'd
be arriving the next evening and would be staying the weekend, much to
Jill's consternation. Then she looked further down and grinned when she
saw an email message from 'SymphonyGirl77.' She wondered what Mary Kathryn
was up to these days. She opened the email message and read:
'Mom,
You're
impossible to get in touch with these days. I called and Rosie said you
were in South Padre. I can't believe you were able to find a room with
all the college kids around. Anyway, I'm going to be in Houston next week
and was wondering if you wanted to drive up with the kids and we could
have dinner. I have so much to tell you! Please say yes! I have a lot of
news! Call me when you get this.
I love you,
Mary
Kathryn'
Jill looked
at her watch. It was nine o'clock in New York...not too late to call her
daughter. Mary Kathryn was a notorious night owl. Jill doubted she ever
slept. But after her first visit to New York, she could understand why
they called it 'the city that never sleeps.' There was always something
going on. Jill picked up the phone and dialed Mary Kathryn's cell phone
number, getting her roommate, instead.
"Jasmine,
this is Jill Danko. Is Mary Kathryn around?" She asked.
"Mary
Kathryn, telephone! It's your mother!" Jasmine shouted as Jill felt like
covering her ears. Neither of Mary Kathryn's two roommates was what you
would consider quiet.
"Hi, mom!"
Came the voice of Jill's middle daughter.
"I just
read your email message. When are you going to be in Houston?" Jill wanted
to know.
"I fly
in on Tuesday. I'm performing with the Houston Symphony Wednesday night
and I have to head back to New York on Thursday. Can you drive up for dinner?
I miss you and the kids," Mary Kathryn begged.
"Mary
Kathryn, that's a long drive just for dinner and the kids have school next
week. I can probably make the trip but I don't think I can bring them,"
Jill apologized.
"Well,
okay," Mary Katherine sighed. "It'll be easier to talk to you without the
distraction, anyway. I have news," she told Jill.
"You said
that in your email. What news?" Jill wanted to know.
"I'll
tell you next week. I have to go and practice. Kiss Michael and Shelby
for me. I have great gifts for them but I'll give them to you next week,"
Mary Kathryn continued in a breathless voice.
"Mary
Kathryn, I wish you'd stop buying them things. Their rooms already look
like a storeroom for FAO Schwarz. Where are we meeting for dinner?" Jill
asked.
"Well,
I'm staying at the Sheraton near the airport. The restaurant isn't too
bad so could we meet there?" Mary Kathryn asked.
"That
sounds great. I'll have them call your room when I arrive. Be careful.
I love you," Jill told her daughter as she hung up.
The next
afternoon, Michael was full of nervous energy waiting for his father to
arrive. He asked Jill a million times what time his plane was getting in.
Their home in Olmos Park wasn't that far from the airport so she figured
Mike would be at the house within an hour or so after landing. All he had
to do was rent a car. She doubted he'd bring a checked bag. She began pacing
the floor at the time Mike's plane should be landing. She didn't know why
she was so nervous about seeing her ex-husband. He'd be spending his weekend
with his son, not with her.
The doorbell
rang shortly after four o'clock. Jill smiled as Michael ran to answer it
and flew into his father's arms. "Dad!" Exclaimed the little boy as he
hugged his father tightly.
"What
has your mother been feeding you? You're huge!" Mike remarked as Michael
led him into the house.
"He eats
everything that isn't nailed down," Jill told him as they came face to
face for the first time in more than three months. She still found herself
getting lost in the most brilliant eyes she'd ever seen in her life. Eyes
that his daughter shared with him, unlike Michael, who looked exactly like
Jill.
"Thanks
for letting him stay with me this weekend," Mike stammered, desperately
trying to think of something to say.
"You flew
all this way just to see him. A lot of fathers wouldn't bother," Jill remarked
as Rosie walked into the room leading Shelby by the hand. "Shelby, Papa's
here," Jill signed as Shelby smiled at Mike.
"She's
getting big," Mike said, not sure of what else to say.
"Yeah,
she is. When you get a chance, I need to talk to you about her. It
doesn't have to be this weekend, just as soon as you have some time," Jill
rambled as Mike nodded. "Michael, go get your things."
"We're
staying at The Holiday Inn Airport. I was going to take him downtown tomorrow
if you and Shelby wanted to join us," he offered.
"Mike,
but this is your weekend to spend with Michael. . . ." Jill started to
say.
"Please?
I know you said it wouldn't be right or fair, but I want him to know that
his parents can be friends, even if we don't live near each other any more.
Just dinner, Jill," he repeated.
"Okay,"
she reluctantly agreed after a few seconds. He did have a point. "By the
way, he likes The Original Mexican Food Restaurant. Keep that in mind when
you're thinking of a restaurant."
The next
afternoon Jill was in her room looking for something to wear for dinner
with Shelby sitting on the bed watching her. "I must be crazy," she said
out loud, knowing that Shelby couldn't hear her.
She knew
that everything would be fine as long as nothing was said about Savannah,
Troy or the accident. It was ridiculous when you were stuck discussing
the weather to your ex-husband.
The
divorce had been the last thing that Jill wanted, but their home life had
become so hostile that Jill had moved out a few months after Savannah's
death, moving Michael and the baby out to Ryker's lake house, which was
not an ideal situation since Mike did most of his work at the lake house.
Trap finally came up with a better solution. He moved into the larger house
while Jill moved into his smaller caretaker's cottage.
Even
though Jill was no longer living with Mike, the fighting and the arguing
continued. Then Mike started drinking, which compounded things. She flat
out refused to let him take Michael with him. In turn he threatened to
have her thrown in jail for refusing to let him see his son.
"I'm
not refusing to let you see him, Mike! You can see him any time you want,
but you're not taking him anywhere with you in a car!" She screamed, shaking
with rage.
"God,
Jill! Do you think I'd be so stupid as to drink and drive with my son in
the car? What kind of a father do you think I am?" He shouted back.
"Believe
me, you don't want me to answer that question right now. If you were a
better father, our daughter wouldn't be lying in Forest Lawn right now!"
She cried, not caring anymore whether she hurt him or not. Her heart was
too badly broken.
Jill turned
back to Shelby, who was sitting on the bed watching her with expressive
brown eyes. The little girl looked especially cute dressed in a red sun
dress and matching sandals, her long blonde hair swept up in a pony tail.
"Come on, sweetie. Let's go meet your Papa and Michael," Jill told her,
sweeping her up and carrying her downstairs and out to the Trooper, where
she securely buckled her into her car seat.
It was
a short drive to the hotel where Mike was staying. He was in the lobby
with Michael when they walked in. Jill's heart began to pound strangely
in her chest as she looked at Mike.
"I was
thinking that it's inconvenient to take two cars, so do you want to take
your car or mine?" Mike asked nervously.
"Well,
I've already got the car seat in mine, so let's take it. But, you can drive,"
she smiled as she held the keys out to him, remembering how he was always
complaining about her driving.
"Thanks,"
he grinned back, taking the proffered keys in his hand. "Come on, son.
I don't know about you but I'm starving."
Jill once
again buckled Shelby into her car seat as Michael got in the passenger
side and buckled his seat belt. Mike got behind the wheel and tried to
find the lever to adjust the seat. When he finally located it he moved
the seat back slightly so that his feet were more comfortable on the pedals.
He then busied himself adjusting the mirrors and the steering wheel as
Jill watched. It was a routine she'd probably seen him perform a few thousand
times.
When he
was satisfied that everything was set the way he wanted it, he started
the car and pulled out onto the access road heading for Loop 410. "What's
the easiest way to get downtown?" He asked, getting onto the freeway.
"Go 410
to I-10. It'll take you straight downtown," Jill instructed him as he nodded.
"It's different from the last time you were here, isn't it?"
"Half
of this stuff wasn't even here," Mike remembered as Michael listened with
curiosity.
"When
were you here, dad?" Michael asked. He knew his father hadn't visited San
Antonio since they'd moved there.
"It was
a very long time ago, son," Mike told his son. "You and your sisters weren't
even born, yet."
"Not even
Michelle?" Michael asked, stunned.
"Nope,
not even Michelle," Mike remarked, looking in the rear view mirror at Michael.
"Michelle
said something about getting married soon," Jill brought up.
"Yeah
and we all think it's about time. They've been living together for almost
three years," Mike grumbled.
When they
arrived at the restaurant Jill noticed another routine that Mike always
went through. At the table, he had to sit so that he could watch the door.
It was something he'd always done during Michael's lifetime so their son
never questioned it. Something to do with another restaurant and a gunman
and memories that still sometimes invaded Jill's dreams.
The waiter
came over, took their orders and then left.
"So, how
is everybody?" Jill asked in a too cheerful voice, trying to think of something
to say.
"It depends
on whom you're talking about," Mike said quietly as he studied the menu.
"Just
start with a name and tell me how they're doing," Jill prompted curiously.
Mike studied
her for a few seconds. "Well, at the moment, Willie is in Las Vegas working
on some missing persons case that we've been working on for the past five
months. We got a tip that the guy might be in Vegas, so Willie took Jen.
He said something about making a vacation out of it. He's the only guy
I know who'd turn work into a vacation."
Jill laughed.
"I talked to Eddie last week. He's going to fly out for a few days this
summer after I put Michael on a plane to see you.".
"Yeah,
we don't see eye-to-eye too much, any more. He thinks I'm stubborn and
I think he's just a cantankerous old man, but I don't want to discuss that
now. Did I tell you that Terry and Serena got divorced?" He asked.
"No, he
did," she whispered, not wanting to say more in front of Michael. She definitely
didn't want to start an argument in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
A change in topic was definitely in order. "So, what's with this missing
persons case?"
"Let me
see. The guy vanished on his way home from work right before Thanksgiving.
He worked for a big computer software company in Studio City. Right after
he vanished one of his bosses discovered that some disks were missing with
classified information. I can't really go into too much about it. We aren't
sure at this point if the guy's just hiding out or if he's been murdered
and we just haven't found the body yet," he finished, looking at Michael
who'd been hanging on every word.
"So, I
take it you've been tracking this guy around the country?" Jill guessed.
He picked
up his water glass and took a sip. "In the last five months I've been to
Denver, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati -- which is an awful place and I wouldn't
recommend to anybody," he made a face as Jill laughed. "And for New Year's
I was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico," he paused as the waiter appeared at
their table with their plates. "That's just the places I've been. Willie
and Trap have also been traveling the globe. At the moment Trap's in Mexico
City."
"Sounds
like the guy's left tracks all over the place," Jill remarked thoughtfully.
Mike nodded.
"Do you
like it better than police work?"
"Yeah,
I do. When I get a case I never know where it's going to take me or how
long it's going to take to solve it. Sometimes I can solve it in a day
and some like this case might take a lot longer. It's not as dangerous
as police work but it has its own brand of excitement," he said, his eyes
gleaming.
"I bet
it does," she grinned back.
When they
arrived back at the hotel after dinner Mike let Michael into the room with
instructions to lock the door while he went to see Jill safely back to
her car. "What did you want to talk to me about?" He asked as they stood
outside the Trooper with Shelby, who was squirming to get out of Jill's
arms.
"I really
don't want to talk about it standing out here," Jill told him.
"Okay,
what if I come out to the house tomorrow morning," he suggested.
Jill unlocked
the car with her remote. "Okay, stop by around lunch time and we can talk
then," she agreed.
The next
afternoon Mike showed up as scheduled. Jill instructed Michael to play
with Shelby outside so that they could talk.
"What's
going on?" Mike asked, sitting down on the sofa.
"I had
to take Shelby to the doctor last week. They want to perform the surgery
on her. The one they told us about when she was born," she told Mike.
"And?"
He asked, puzzled.
"I'd like
for you to be here when she has the surgery. I can't go through it with
her alone. What if things go wrong like they did the last time?" She asked
in a shaky voice.
"Why don't
you just bring her back to L.A. and have the surgery done at the children's
hospital there?" He begged.
"Mike,
they have good doctors here, too," she reminded him.
"Well,
if the doctors here are as good as you say they are, then what are you
worried about?" He asked in a sharp voice.
"Never
mind I said anything, okay? Do you want to be notified if she dies so you
can squeeze her funeral into your busy schedule?" She snapped bitterly.
"Well,
as you so succinctly put it last week, my name isn't anywhere on the adoption
papers! I think that makes her wholly your responsibility!" He retorted
in an icy voice.
"If she's
my sole responsibility then why do you pay child support on her?" Jill
wanted to know. "If it's out of guilt, please stop. She doesn't deserve
the pity and neither do I."
"Fine!
When I return to L.A. I'll have my lawyer contact your lawyer and we'll
change the arrangement!" He roared at her.
"You do
that!" She shouted back.
"Look,
I didn't fly down here to do this," he insisted as he tried to calm down.
Arguing with her was the last thing he'd intended to do.
"Oh, I
know. Most of our arguments are best conducted via long distance."
"Let me
collect Michael and get back to the hotel. You are going to continue to
let him stay with me for the rest of the weekend, aren't you?" He suddenly
asked in an anxious voice.
"Mike,
I'd never take my anger at you out on him. What time are you flying out
tomorrow?" She asked.
"I have
a nine o'clock flight, so I'll probably drop him off early. Are you going
to be here?"
"No, I
have to work. I'll let Rosie know you're dropping him off," she suggested.
Mike grimaced
and rolled his eyes.
"Mike,
please don't," she pleaded rapidly. "She's very good with the kids. Let
me go get Michael." She left and returned a few minutes later with Michael
and Shelby. "Michael, mind your father. I have to work tomorrow so he's
going to drop you off in the morning with Rosie."
"I want
to go," Shelby signed as Jill picked her up.
"Not today,
sweetie. We're going to have a good time today, just you and me," she told
the little girl. "By the way, I'm seeing Mary Kathryn Tuesday night in
Houston. Any messages?"
"Tell
her to call her old man once in a while," he grumbled as he ushered Michael
out the front door and toward his rental car.
<><><><><>
Jill arrived
in Houston late Tuesday afternoon and drove to the hotel. The desk clerk
called Mary Kathryn's room and a few minutes later, the elevator door opened
and a vision in long dark hair emerged.
She ran
over to Jill and embraced her excitedly. "Oh, mom, it's so good to see
you!" Mary Kathryn shouted with glee.
Jill pulled
away to look at her. Jill had to agree that the good thing about having
tall parents was you were never going to have trouble putting things in
the overhead rack on airplanes. At 5'10, Mary Kathryn was model thin. Her
long dark hair swept past her waist and her blue-green eyes were always
sparkling. She led Jill into the hotel restaurant where they were both
quickly seated.
"How are
the kids?" She asked after they'd placed their drink orders.
"Doing
good. Your dad was in town over the weekend, so Michael stayed with him.
He wants you to call him once in a while," Jill repeated Mike's message
Mary Kathryn's
features clouded over. "Why? I don't need his money any more," she grumbled,
taking a sip of her water.
"So, you
said you had news. What's going on?" Jill asked, changing to what she hoped
was a happier subject .
"I have
a ton of news!" Mary Kathryn was almost giddy with excitement. "I'm going
to be going to London in August! Patrick booked me at The Royal Albert
Hall! Can you believe it, mom? Me going to Europe! I couldn't believe it
when he told me!"
"Mary
Kathryn, that's wonderful! How long are you going to be there?" Jill asked,
Mary Kathryn's excitement catching.
"A week.
I'll send you pictures every day," she promised.
"What's
your other news?" Jill prodded.
"Oh, mom,
I met the most wonderful man. I went to this party with Jasmine at the
U.N. and afterwards, we stopped at this diner to get something to eat since
the food at the U.N. party was dreadful," she emphasized, making a face.
"Anyway, these firemen came in after their shift and we started talking
to them. You know what a flirt Jasmine is."
"No, but
I know what a flirt my daughter is. So, what's your fireman's name?" Jill
asked with a wry smile.
"Pete.
He's really cute, mom. I can't wait for you to meet him. So, when can you
come up to New York?" She asked in a rush.
"Mary
Kathryn, one thing at a time. How long have you been seeing Pete?" Jill
inquired.
"I met
him right after Christmas. He's really sweet, mom. He's not like Troy,"
she suddenly added, remembering how her mother had felt about that
relationship.
"I'm sure
he is, Mary Kathryn. We Danko women definitely have a thing for men in
uniforms," she admitted.
"I can't
wait for you to meet him," she told Jill again.
"Michael
was asking if we could see you this summer, but I told him I knew how busy
you were. Maybe we could fly out in the fall if Shelby's surgery goes okay,"
Jill added as Mary Kathryn's face went pale.
"When
does Shelby have to have surgery?" Mary Kathryn asked.
"Late
summer or early fall. It depends on when the doctor can fit her in," Jill
answered quietly.
"Oh, that's
marvelous. Bring her to New York. Everybody knows that New York doctors
are the best in the world," Mary Kathryn insisted.
"Now,
you sound like your father. He wanted me to bring her back to Los Angeles.
The doctor she has in San Antonio is perfectly competent. I'm sure he even
actually graduated from medical school," Jill joked, but her smile stopped
when she realized Mary Kathryn didn't appreciate the humor.
"I miss
Savannah a lot, mom," Mary Kathryn choked out as Jill squeezed her hand.
"It isn't fair that she had to die that way. She was the brightest of the
four of us."
"I know,
but you and Michelle are doing so well. You know she's probably very proud,"
Jill reminded Mary Kathryn.
"It's
getting late. I know you probably want to get back to San Antonio before
it gets too late. I'm glad you were able to meet me," Mary Kathryn told
her mother.
"Me, too,"
Jill smiled back. "I'll try to bring Michael and Shelby to New York as
soon as I can."
Mary Kathryn
walked her mother to her car and hugged her before Jill got behind the
wheel and drove off. Waving as her mother drove off, she thought to herself
how complicated her life had become. She hadn't even told Pete about her
complicated family life. She knew that was going to have to change and
soon.