Imperfect Daddy by Gregg E. Brickman

Author:Gregg E. Brickman [Brickman, Gregg E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-01-10T00:00:00+00:00

29

Kathleen's parents, Zachary and Sarah Nelson, knocked on my front door a few minutes before ten on Tuesday morning. Sarah was an older version of her daughter—blond, thin, medium height, but healthy. She had opted for early retirement and had not yet reached her sixtieth birthday. Zach was about the same height as his wife, a smidgen heavier, a couple of years older, and completely bald—Kathleen once told me he had alopecia universalis and didn't have a hair anywhere on his body. Coke bottle-thick glasses made his huge blue eyes look the size of silver dollars. They entered my home, thanking me for my kindness to their daughter and grandson.

"Where is she?" Zach asked after offering the necessary courtesies.

"She's with Mikey in the guest room." I led the way. Kathleen was sitting on the side of the bed. Mikey appeared asleep.

Kathleen shuffled toward Sarah and Zach, her gait unsteady and the drag of her left leg obvious. Sarah's forehead wrinkled and her eyebrows drew together. She didn't comment on the worsening of her daughter's symptoms. Kathleen walked into her parent's arms and collapsed. Together, the Nelsons guided her to the sofa, wedging her between them like a well-thumbed paperback novel between two sturdy bookends.

Sensing my presence wasn't required, I slipped out of the room, managing to grab the dog as he came in through his door. I didn't think it would have been appropriate for him to enforce his mandatory greet-Sunshine policy. I stuck him under my arm and carried him into the bedroom, closing the door behind us.

I phoned Connie. She had called earlier, saying she heard about Dick on the news and was going into work. The staffing shuffle caused by Kathleen and my absences was having a ripple effect. The supervisor had summoned Connie for overtime.

When Connie came to the telephone, I said, "Got a minute?"

"A few," was Connie's clipped response. I heard crying children in the background.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say much earlier. Kathleen was near by, and I didn't want her to hear."

"Understand. How's she holding up?"

After I gave her a full report, including the status of her MS symptoms, I asked about Amber. "Kathleen mentioned the child a couple of times this morning. Even with all that has happened, she still imagines she can raise the girl."

"That would be interesting."

I heard some mumbling and waited for Connie to deal with the interruption.

When she came back on the line, Connie talked double-time. "I went in to see her on my break. I go see her every day. The child is clinging to any adult who gives her attention without abuse. Kathleen thinks Amber can't live without her. That's not true. Amber needs a loving home, but it doesn't have to be Kathleen's home." She covered the phone and said something. "Sorry."

"I understand."

"Amber's improving. Her fever stayed down after the last spike. The doctor upgraded Amber's condition to serious from critical and transferred her out of PICU. At least, he wrote the order. We don't have a bed yet.

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