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he wanted them when he was strong enough to use them. He also told her to
bring his wallet. When he left the hospital and climbed into the taxi he had
phoned, he had everything he needed.
Stephen knew the doctor would refuse to release him, so he released himself. He
simply got up and walked out He was already in the elevator when the phone in
his room started ringing.
"Logan Airport," he told the cabbie outside the hospital. At three in the morning
he boarded a direct flight to Atlanta.
As Stephen waited for the plane to unload its passengers, his nerves remained
tightly drawn. The muscles in his jaw clenched so hard they were making the top
of his head hurt. The dull heat of exhaustion burned his eyes.
Damn, damn, double damn. If I had told Jason everything when I should have,
this wouldn't be happening.
Of course it would, another voice inside him said. The beast hasn't given up in
five hundred years, why should he give up now?
Well, then, damn, damn, double damn for not telling Jason sooner so he could
have been more prepared.
The other voice was silent.
Stephen stood up, pulling his coat and suitcase from the overhead compartment
Walking off the plane and into the disembarking tunnel, his head hung low. God,
he felt old, weak, and helpless. The picture of his own death kept flashing
through his mind. Despite his fervent belief in an afterlife and his hopeful belief
that he would end up in heaven, he wasn't sure he wanted to see God just yet. It
wouldn't hurt to spend a few more years on earth, would it?
He caught a taxi in front of the airport, gave the driver Jason's address and lay
his head back on the seat. He fell asleep instantly. The cabbie woke him an hour
later.
Stephen walked slowly up the stairs to Jason's apartment.
The sun was beginning to rise and birds chirped happily in the nearby trees.
I wish I felt so happy, he thought as he dragged himself up the steps. Stop that,
he quickly told himself. It won't do Jason any good if you're looking defeated.
He straightened his posture, put rigidity in his spine and firmness in his jaw.
Look the part, he thought, even if you're not sure you're capable of playing it.
Standing before Jason's door, he dropped his case with a groan and looked at his
watch. Six-fifteen. Would Jason even be awake? Too bad if he wasn't, because
he would be soon.
Stephen knocked. The door opened less than ten seconds later. A shocked look
split Jason's face when he saw his father.
"Dad!" he exclaimed. "What& how?"
"I had this feeling you needed to talk to me," Stephen said with a weary smile.
Then he collapsed into Jason's arms.
When Stephen awoke, the first thing he saw was a beautiful woman standing
over him. He smiled weakly.
"I'm going to assume you're a friend of Jason's," he said. "I'm his father. My
name's Stephen."
"Hi. I'm Alex," she said. "How do you feel?"
"Like hell. But that's an improvement."
"You gave us quite a scare," Alex said. "But I'm glad to see you're okay. Is there
anything I can get you?"
"Some hot tea would be nice," he said.
"You got it," she answered.
Stephen looked around. He was lying in bed. Jason must have carried me in here,
he figured.
"How long have I been asleep?" he asked.
"About eight hours," she answered. "Jason's been pretty frantic. He's phoned his
work, told them he won't be there today. Now he's in the other room, talking to
your doctor."
Stephen frowned. "Damn. Now I'm going to get it from both Jason and
Janokowski. I feel like a little boy who did something wrong."
She laughed. "I'll try to keep Jason from lecturing you. Let me go get that tea,"
she said and started to leave.
"Alex?"
She turned to face him.
"Something awful happened here last night, didn't it?" Stephen said. "Something
neither one of you understands."
Her eyes widened and she shivered. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she
nodded slowly.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"It sort of runs in the family. After you get that tea, you and Jason come in here.
I'll try to explain."
When she was halfway through the door, he spoke again.
"You're a brave woman to stick around," he said.
"I love Jason," she said simply. "What else could I do?"
A few seconds later, Jason raced into the room.
"Are you okay? How do you feel?" he asked. "Do you need a doctor?"
"Easy, easy. Calm down," Stephen said. "I'm fine. Just a little weak. The flight
took it out of me."
"Dr. Janokowski is incredibly pissed at you," Jason said. "He said you must have
a death wish. He says to keep you in bed even if we have to nail the covers
down."
"We don't have that luxury," Stephen said somberly. "You and I have a lot of
things to talk about. A lot of ground to cover. Starting with: What happened here
last night?"
Jason jumped slightly. "How did you know about that?" he asked in a whisper.
Behind him, Alex entered the room carrying a tray holding a steaming cup of
tea, a bowl of sugar, and a slice of lemon. A can of Coke also sat on the tray.
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Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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