Authors: Vivienne Harris-Scott
Ethan
spends a few minutes on the balcony of his doctor
’
s office. He notices his hands are still
shaking as he holds the railing. He closes his eyes and works on his breathing
by counting backwards, as the doctor taught him, until it comes back to normal
and he doesn
’
t
feel his heart is pounding in his head instead of his chest.
“
Thank you
,
”
he says
,
as he returns inside and sits back on the sofa facing Dr. Michaellson.
“
Ethan
, what
exactly happened last night? Is your wife ok?
”
asks the doctor, real
concern etching his features as he steadily adds,
”
Because if I heard you
correctly, you menaced your wife? And that can
’
t be right; because we
both know if you meant your threats or have done something to her, I
’
d have to report you to
the authorities
…”
his voice trails as he
is giving a hard stare to his patient.
The two men look at each other in a face-off similar
to the one they had on the first day they met, until Ethan says in a clear,
collected, yet deceptively calm voice, his eyes unwavering,
“
I threatened to hurt her
and our baby in order to prevent her from leaving the house. This was the only
reason I said those words. Vic is fine and was still asleep safe and sound in
her bed when I left the house to come here,
”
He cracks his knuckles, his eyes still glaring at the
therapist.
“
Marina
,
our housekeeper is at home with her
.
Feel free to call and check
,
”
his tone is casual
,
but his eyes narrow sharply on the doctor when he
concludes,
“
Let
’
s be clear about one
thing, I
’
d kill anyone who
’
d dare lay and hand on
her or my child.
”
He reaches for his glass
of water and takes a sip, his gaze never leaving the man in front of him.
They remain silent until the therapist finally relaxes
in his chair, and reiterates more gently this time,
“
Ethan, tell me what happened
last night that affected you so much that you made these unconceivable threats.
What happened that was so terrible it prevented you to sleep and drove you here
at 7:00am in the morning
…”
Dr. Michaellson watches his patient as he lies down on
the recliner.
“
She was leaving. And, I
couldn
’
t let her go...
”
Ethan replies closing
his eyes, and remembering.
Ethan
and Julian
March 2004. Prince of Wales Hospital.
Sydney. Australia.
Vic had spent the day after the ball in
her room mostly staring into space, asking herself how she would get out, how
she would leave him. She had woken up at noon
,
still exhausted from the previous night confrontation with her husband,
and
Marina had confirmed
,
Ethan was home
after spending the morning out.
She
had spoken to Lily that previous evening, feeling utterly broken, admitting to
her friend she had been caught, and had cried herself to sleep after the phone
call. She was mentally and physically drained. Kevin had rung and after she
told him of the night's events, he said he would be arriving in the next few
days. He swore he would drag her out of the house if necessary, but she was
leaving Ethan, one way or the other. That thought while comforting was also
scaring her out of her mind.
She
had gone to bed that night wondering what else could go wrong.
She
woke up at 2:03 a.m., a sharp pain in her abdomen making her wince.
She
touched and caressed her ribcage saying softly,
“
Please, stop hurting. Everything will be
fine,
”
She
turned on the light, noticed the late hour, and examined her nightgown as she
felt it damp. She got up, feeling dizzy and looked at the bed sheet
realizing the dampness she felt was actually blood, and her flat sheet
spotted a large stain.
Panic
rising as she could feel her body temperature getting higher as seconds went
by, she started to slowly walk out of her room, her legs barely supporting her.
She
opened the marital bedroom and whispered,
“
E...
”
with a trembling voice, holding herself
against the frame.
“
E...please,
I...
”
She
didn't finish the sentence, and felt herself fall into a dark oblivion.
((~~!~~))
“
Ethan?
”
he heard through the maze of his churning
thoughts.
He
looked up and stared at the man in front of him, unable to say a word.
"Man,
you look awful...What are you doing here?
”
asked the worried voice.
"My
wife is here, Julian... She... she...
”
came the ragged reply.
Julian
sat down at the cafeteria table and observed the man, his old best friend
and nemesis, Ethan McGregor.
He
had noticed him upon entering the cafeteria
,
to get coffee at the unholy hour of 3.37 a.m. First, he noticed the bodyguard
standing a few steps away from the man, and upon closer examination of the
blonde man, he realized who he was. The man was pale and had a hollow look
that told Julian, he was lost in his own thoughts and whatever they were,
he was scared. He was absently touching his wedding band and hadn't
noticed someone was intensely staring at him.
Julian decided
to approach him, for old times
’
sake, but also out of sheer curiosity, as he'd never seen Ethan appear so
distraught. This was definitely a new experience. If there was one thing
certain in this world: Ethan McGregor never showed fear. Cockiness, yes,
discomfort maybe, fear, never.
They
were very similar, or at least that how Julian remembered it.
Yet,
here he was, pale as a sheet, barely able to form a sentence, a terrified look
on his face.
"What
about your wife?" Julian gently enquired, trying to hold still the man
’
s gaze.
"She's
in the ER...
”
said the distressed voice,
“
I
found her unconscious...She's pregnant.... I...I...
”
he could barely finish,
”
They asked me to leave, so they could work
on her...I...She..." he stammered.
Ethan
could barely breathe, let alone formulate what he wanted to say, which was,
"She's here because of me, and I don't know if she will live or
die.".
He
had found her probably a few minutes after she had passed out. He had been in
bed, asleep, and sort of heard her whimper his name, but thought he was
dreaming, so he turned in the bed, blocking out the noise. Until a few minutes
later, his half-awake brain registered the room was not in total darkness
anymore; it couldn't have been a dream because he could see some light
from the corridor, which meant the bedroom door was open, which could only mean
she had opened it and called him out....
He
had flicked on the lamp on the nightstand only to be greeted by the sight of
her lump form on the carpeted floor.
He
had thrown the quilt out, rushed towards her while calling her name. When he
realized she was not coming to, that her body was cold, drenched in sweat and
that her nightgown was smeared with blood, he had lifted her, carrying her
while rushing down the stairs, screaming for his night guard to get the
car. He needed to get his wife to the hospital and there was no time to
wait for an ambulance.
Upon
arriving at the Prince of Wales, which was only 12 minutes away, Vic had been
put on her gurney, an oxygen mask placed on her face and she had been
taken behind ER doors. Ethan had been questioned about her condition and then
told to go and wait until they had more news for him.
That had
been over an hour ago.
Unable
to stand still in the waiting room, he had ended up at the cafeteria as he was
shivering and thought coffee would help. He was wrong in that regards, but upon
sitting down, he found himself unable to get up again as if heavy lead was
now running though his veins, rendering him incapable of moving.
It
was the guilt.
You can't move because you know whatever the doctors
say, it's your fault.
He
had started to recall the events of the past few weeks, from their wedding
anniversary till tonight, and felt himself getting drained and unable to
breathe, his heart constricted in his chest, not even realizing
tears had fallen down his cheeks.
Now,
feeling like in a twilight zone, he simply could not believe Julian McCarty was
here, facing him, and they were actually talking.
"Why
are you here Jay?" he asked using his old nickname.
Julian
face's turned sombre and said, "Mother."
((~~!~~))
Since being diagnosed with lung cancer the
month prior, Helen's condition while stable had been preoccupying. After seeing
several specialists with her children present, it was decided a course of both
radiation and oral chemotherapy would be used to quash the disease. It would be
intense, but it was her best chance. She had started treatment three weeks
prior, and up until this very evening, things seemed to be progressing as
well as circumstances allowed.
Julian
was still in Sydney due to his daughter recuperating from her heart
surgery and had stayed at the McCarty estate with his mother, his wife Belinda,
Melissa, Charlie and the girls. Due to the medical conditions of his
mother and daughter, a day and a night nurse were living at the mansion to
ensure permanent care.
What
had happened this evening was incomprehensible. Everyone had retired for the
night, and around 2:30 a.m., he heard his sister Melissa scream into the night.
A terrifying sound that propelled him out of bed, and rushing to the room where
it originated from, which was his mother's. Only there, he froze in shock as he
found his sister on her knees holding their mother's head while the night nurse
was compressing her chest.
Julian
dialled the ambulance while watching the scene in front of him, bewildered.
Forty-five
minutes later, here he was, in the hospital
’
s cafeteria, hoping to find some comfort
from a hot cup of coffee while his sister was in the waiting room hoping the
doctors would come and tell them what exactly had happened to their mother
for her breathing to collapse!
Julian
would not admit it to anyone but he had been scared. Really scared.
I
can't stand her, but I love her. She
’
s my mother,
was his thought as he was stirring the coffee, and glancing around the room.
The
last thing he had expected was to see Ethan. Of all people!
As
the two men looked into each other eyes, they knew, they both were thinking of
their past, their friendship and the peculiar circumstances that led them
to this hospital that very night.
Ethan
was the first to speak.
“
I'm sorry,
“
he said in a cracking voice.
“
What for?
”
Julian asked.
“
Helen...You...I...My wife...Everything.
”
he replied, his voice still shaking.
Julian
chuckled,
“
Don't
get sentimental on me E...You are scared, it's normal. Once your wife is out of
here, it'll be business as usual...But thanks for saying it anyway...I know you
mean it.
”
He looked at him, as he nodded.
They
remained silent for another few minutes until a doctor entered the cafeteria
and said,
“
Mr
McCarty?
”
Julian
got up but as he was walking towards the doctor, he stopped, turned
his head and said, "E. I hope she and the baby are fine. It was nice
running into you...Even after all this time and under such circumstances."
Ethan,
got up, walked towards Julian, and surprising both of them, gave him a hug
while saying against his ear,
“
I hope Helen will be ok. I pray
everyone will be ok.".
Upon
separating, he looked at a stunned Julian who hadn't moved, cleared
his throat, and left the room followed by his bodyguard.
((~~!~~))
Helen's was breathing with an incubator
and resting, oblivious to her surroundings. Melissa and Julian were outside her
room speaking with the attending about what the next course of action would be
since it seemed the intensity of her protocol had caused the lung
collapse. The doctor reassured them, medication would be adjusted, and she
shouldn't suffer any more setbacks.
Both
relieved, they finally relaxed, and entered their mother's room.
On
another floor of the hospital, Ethan was looking at his wife through the glass
panel of her bedroom door.
She
was alive.
Thank God, she is alive!
S
he
was asleep, an IV in her arm, an oxygen mask on face.
Oh
God, this is so hard...
He
hadn't dared enter the room; his hand resting on the knob for what seemed an
eternity.
He
knew he needed to go in, to comfort her, hold her hand until she'd woke up,
tell her everything would be all right, that she was ok, that their baby was
ok.
He
couldn't.