Fort Lupton (9 page)

“
So Seth’s getting some
and you’re not?”

“
Didn’t matter, ’cept when
we were leaving for ’Nam,” Mitch said. “I didn’t want to die a
virgin. I convinced Maresol to help me out
and . . .”

Mitch shrugged and fell silent.

“
And what?” Charlie
asked.

“
I fell in love with her,”
Mitch said. “Plain and simple. We left the next day. Man, I spent
years trying to fuck her out of my system — lots women, a few men,
you name it, I tried it. Nothing replaced her. We came home from
’Nam and went to college.”

“
Why did Seth go to
college twice?” Charlie asked.

“
Why does Seth do
anything?” Mitch asked. “The great O’Malley wanted to go to college
again so he did. Plus, we needed a degree to get into the Denver
Police. There were a lot of guys back from ’Nam. It was hard to get
in, and we wanted to be cops.”

Mitch shrugged.

“
And Maresol?” Charlie
asked.

“
We were together then,
sort of,” Mitch said. “I mean, she had those kids, and I was really
just a kid. We’d get together, and I’d screw it up.”

“
She didn’t?”

“
Oh sure, a few times,”
Mitch said. “But it was mostly me. I couldn’t handle the fact that
everything was so
easy
, so perfect. I wanted my own kids. That was the real thing.
She couldn’t have any more kids.”

Mitch shrugged.

“
That’s how I wound up
with your mom,” Mitch said. “It was stupid. I knew it. Seth told me
so to my face, but I really wanted you and Sissy. Once you were
born, Patty . . . She didn’t really care what
happened to me, so I started sneaking around with Maresol. Then I
got sick and . . . You probably know the
rest.”

“
Mom kicked you out when
she found out the VA wouldn’t pay for all your medical bills,”
Charlie said.

“
It was stupid,” Mitch
said. “Seth has always had piles of money. Even after most of it
went up our noses, he still had piles of money. He’d already paid
all the bills when she kicked me and you guys out.”

They walked along in silence for a
while.

“
It’s a great story of how
to be a complete idiot,” Mitch said. “I could have been really
happy in my life, but I made it hard for no reason.”

“
When Seth talks about it,
it sounds like you guys had a great time,” Charlie said.

“
Oh yeah?” Mitch grinned.
“We probably did.”

Mitch fell silent thinking. Charlie didn’t
dare say anything in case he missed something good.

“
I guess from this
perspective,” Mitch said. “The only thing that matters is who you
love and how well you do it. I loved Maresol, from that first
night. She loved me too. Seth and Andy, they had love in spades.
And we all fucked it up. It seems like a waste to me
now.”

Charlie watched his father. Mitch seemed
lost in thought.

“
Seems to me like your
love for Maresol didn’t really go away,” Charlie said. “You loved
Seth and that’s still here.”

Mitch looked at Charlie and shrugged.

“
Maybe it’s not a waste,”
Charlie said. “Maresol and Seth are still here. You’re here with
them. I’m sure Andy’s looking after Sandy, and you’re here with me.
Maybe everything is how it should be.”

“
Easy,” Mitch
said.

Charlie nodded. They kept walking. Neither
had anything to say. They just enjoyed the day and the company.
They’d walked farther than Charlie had ever walked when he heard
his name.

“
Charlie.” A woman’s voice
seemed to echo along the beautiful river. “It’s Honey.”

Charlie was standing next to his body. The
doctors had finished his surgery while he’d been walking with his
father. He looked over and saw Maresol’s bed. His father was
sitting on her bed.

“
I know you can hear me,”
Honey said. “I’ve been where you are. I know it seems really great,
safe, beautiful, and so peaceful. But it’s easy to get
lost.”

Honey picked up his hand in hers.

“
Don’t get lost, Charlie,”
Honey said. “It’s time for you to come home.”

Charlie felt as if he were thrown back into
his body. Suddenly, he was looking out of his eyes. Honey smiled at
him.

“
Welcome back,” Honey
said.

“
Hurrrtt,” Charlie
said.

“
I know,” Honey said.
“Sandy asked them to reduce your pain meds so that you would wake
up.”

“
Whyyy?” Charlie
whispered.

“
You were getting lost,”
Honey said.

“
Noo,” Charlie said. “With
Dad.”

Honey leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
Her face was next to his.

“
Your dad told Delphie to
bring you back,” Honey whispered. “He thought you were getting
lost.”

“
Wasss with him,” Charlie
said.

“
And you were getting
lost,” Honey said. “I know. I’ve been there. It’s easy to get lost
and just stay there. You belong here.”

Charlie shook his head and groaned in
pain.

“
I know how hard it is,”
Honey said. “Of all people, I know how hard it is, but you’re just
starting this life. You have lots to live, lots to love. Your dad
said he promised you that he would make sure you came back, that
you wanted to come back. But you were getting lost. Your dad said
that you needed to be loved and give love. I think he’s
right.”

Charlie felt tears fall down his face.

“
I’ll be here,” Honey
said. “I’m not leaving your side. Together, we’ll get through
this.”

“
Why you?” Charlie
asked.

“
Because I know how.”
Honey smiled at him. “Because I wanted to stay there — no pain, no
hardship, only peace and love. I came back for love; I came back
for MJ, and now Maggie. I can help. Even your dad said
so.”

“
Hurrrt,” Charlie
whispered. “Bad.”

“
Okay then,” Honey said.
“Do what I say. Take as deep of a breath as you can
and . . .”

Charlie’s focus slipped. He saw his father
at the end of his bed.

“
I’d rather spare you all
of this,” Mitch said. “But it’s what you wanted.”

Charlie blinked at his tears.

“
Love you, Charlie,” Mitch
said.

“
Now pretend you’re
blowing on the pain — wherever it is in your body,” Honey
said.

Charlie smiled at his father. He puckered
his lips and blew.

“
Good job,” Honey said.
“Let’s do it again.”

~~~~~~~~

Wednesday evening — 5:55 p.m.

“
I’m sorry, Heather,” the
nurse said.

Heather looked up as the nurse came into her
side of the room. She was on the other side of the glass wall from
Blane. When she arrived an hour ago, he’d been too sick to move
from the bed. He’d just managed to make it to the chair.

“
I can only give you
another five minutes,” the nurse said.

“
I understand,” Heather
said.

The nurse nodded and pulled the door
close.

“
I don’t want you to go,”
Blane said.

“
I don’t want to go,”
Heather said. “I . . . It’s hard.”

Blane nodded.

“
I don’t know if I don’t
want to be alone,” Blane said. “Or if I just feel that much better
with you here.”

Heather smiled.

“
You are my health tonic,”
Blane said.

“
I miss you,” Heather
said. “Us. Our life.”

“
It’s only for a short
while and . . .”

“
I know, I know,” Heather
said. Blane nodded. “I know. I want you to take your time. Get
well. Get really well. Because seeing you so sick
today . . .”

“
I can’t believe how sick
I am,” Blane said. “I forgot how it is . . . I was
like this . . .every day before you came to love
me.”

Heather blushed. She put her hand up to the
glass. He struggled for a moment and put his over hers on the other
side. Her phone pinged, and she looked down.

“
What’s the word?” Blane
asked.

“
Charlie’s out of
surgery,” Heather said. “The operation went well, and his vitals
are strong. Honey’s in with him. I told you what his dad told
Delphie?”

“
That he was getting
lost.” Blane nodded and sighed.

She smiled. For a moment, they just looked
at each other. The nurse peeked in.

“
You can stay while I get
him back into bed,” the nurse said.

“
Thank you,” Heather
said.

The nurse pulled on a sterile gown, gloves,
face mask, and a hat before going into Blane’s room.

“
I love you,” Heather
said.

Blane smiled. The nurse helped Blane up from
the chair. He grunted with exhaustion and pain. They shuffled
across the small room to the bed. The nurse got Blane into bed and
helped him pull up the covers. Blane waved to Heather. The nurse
nodded, and Heather left the room.

Biting her lip to keep from crying, she made
it past the nurses station and ran down the stairs. She opened the
stair door and saw Tres in the lobby. He gave her a smile.

“
I thought you might need
some help,” Tres said.

“
I do.” Heather
nodded.

“
Hold your hand?” Tres
asked.

Heather nodded. He took her hand and they
stood facing each other for a moment. He gave her a slight smile
before turning toward the door. They walked to her car together. He
helped her in the car, kissed her cheek, and went to his own
car.

Unable to face the Castle,
Heather drove home. Alone
.

Too tired for
murder

Thursday morning — 8:53 a.m.

“
Charlie would want you to
be here,” Seth said to Sissy.

Staring at the hotel’s carpet, Sissy nodded.
Her long blonde hair was up in a tight bun that hid the pink
streak. She wore jeans with a lovely hand-knitted-by-Delphie
sweater over her long sleeved T-shirt. She had spent the last two
days under going physical challenges, dancing, and medical exams,
and the last two nights with Charlie. Today, she would complete her
last interview with the four American ballet companies looking to
take on apprentices this year.

“
He wants you to do this,”
Seth said. “He told me himself.”

“
But not today.” Sissy’s
voice came out in numb syllables. “He didn’t tell you today,
because
today
he’s probably going to die.”

Seth put his arm around her shoulders. She
reached up to hold his hand. Seth looked up when a young ballerina
and her mother came out of the room. The girl’s mouth smiled a row
of large, white teeth while her eyes gave Sissy a venomous look.
Sissy missed the entire moment by staring at the floor.

“
Good luck,” the girl
said.

Sissy looked up at the girl. Seeing the
venom in the girl’s eyes, Sissy squinted at her and looked back at
the floor.

“
They’ve already found
their candidate, of course,” the girl’s mother said. She
straightened her daughter’s ponytail. “But it’s good of you to try,
dear.”

Seth gave the mother a pained look. The
mother’s face made a kind of sneering smile before they walked down
the hallway.

“
Don’t let them get to
you,” Seth said in a Sissy’s ear.

“
Those two?” Sissy glanced
down the hallway where they’d gone. She shrugged. “They’re always
like that. They act like they already won. It’s just how they
are.”

“
That’s my Sissy,” Seth
said.

“
How did you compete?”
Sissy asked. “I mean, you were younger than me when you went to
college.”

“
I’ve never bothered
trying to do it,” Seth said.

“
What do you mean?” Sissy
asked.

“
I just got out there and
kicked ass,” Seth said. “I didn’t waste my time or energy on this
kind of . . .crap.”

Sissy smiled.

“
Truthfully, I didn’t know
any better,” Seth said. “By the time I figured out what was going
on, I already knew your dad. You know how your dad was?”

“
Who’s better than you?”
Sissy imitated Sandy imitating her father’s voice. “They’re gonna
look pretty stupid when you prove them wrong.”

Seth laughed at her imitation and Sissy
smiled at him. Ivan came down the hallway toward them.

“
We are last they see,”
Ivan repeated what he’d said a few times already. “This is very
good.”

He sat next to Sissy.

“
You no feel good?” Ivan
asked.

Sissy nodded.

“
It’s okay,” Ivan said.
“You go in and you be yourself. If this isn’t the year? It isn’t
the year. Why do we care?”

Sissy grinned at Ivan. He’d been adamant
that she sign with a ballet company before she turned fifteen next
month. But the moment he learned that Charlie was injured, Ivan had
changed his tune.

“
This will be your home,
our home together, for years,” Ivan nodded. “They don’t care about
Charlie? We don’t care about them.”