Reunited by the Badge

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  “My room is there. Oliver is down at the other end of the house.”

  “Thank you,” she’d said. “I just need to freshen up.”

  He had nodded, then he leaned and had pressed a kiss to her cheek.

  Simone could still feel the warmth of his lips against her skin. Despite everything else between them, there was no denying their chemistry. Even when they had been at odds over something, their intimate connection always brought them back around, centered, focused and wanting to make things between them well.

  Her fingers tapped gently at the spot, her eyes closed. Suddenly everything she had trusted and believed in shifted. She found herself reassessing what she wanted: most important, she realized she needed to be happy. She imagined herself following him to Morocco. Because being with Paul brought her the most immense joy. Falling asleep in his bed, waking to him beside her. Those intimate moments when it was just the two of them and they could shut the world out, nothing and no one intruding on those moments, that made her happy. And then she imagined if she didn’t, the very thought of what would follow bringing her to tears. Minutes later, Simone was sleeping soundly.

  * * *

  Oliver moved inside from the rear patio. Smoke billowed from the freshly lit grill. Racks of spare ribs lay marinating in an oversize metal pan as he began to prep the evening meal. Paul looked up from the papers he was studying. The second package of samples had arrived safely, and Oliver had already begun to run the necessary tests.

  “The drugs are contaminated,” he said, locking gazes with his brother.

  Oliver nodded. “It’s the bacterium Burkholderia cepacia.”

  “How did they get this past the FDA?”

  “That I can’t answer, but I do know that all the samples you sent me tested positive for the same strain of B. cepacia.”

  “Unbelievable,” Paul muttered.

  “Look, you and I both know the multitude of ethical issues with the pharmaceutical industry, starting with questionable accountability. Between lack of healthcare reform, price gouging and greed, product contamination is just another blip on an already overloaded radar.”

  “They can’t be doing this on purpose, can they?”

  “Highly unlikely, but they are just as accountable for their negligence. But bottom line for them, is their bottom line. They’re making money and that’s all they care about. Now, it’s highly possible this is a fluke. Maybe they aren’t aware, but you asked questions that should have raised a red flag for them to do some testing. It doesn’t look like they’re interested in doing that.”

  Paul cussed, throwing the pages in his hand across the dining room table. He knew he wore his frustration like bad makeup, everything in his heart filled with horror and pain. He knew the system was broken but never imagined that he would be personally touched by the jagged edges. That patients he’d sworn to help heal would suffer instead because someone else didn’t give a damn.

  Oliver moved to his side and took a seat. “You been out to the barn yet?”

  Paul shook his head. “No. Why?”

  “I’ve been working on a few things that you might be interested in. Why don’t you take a walk while I get our dinner ready?”

  He blew a heavy sigh. “I should probably go check on Simone.”

  “How are things with you two?”

  Paul shrugged, not sure he had an answer. “We have a lot to work through and this bull isn’t helping,” he said.

  “Maybe the two of you working on a common goal is what you need to pull you back together.”

  “I actually don’t know that we can ever resolve our issues. Simone is married to staying here in the United States with her family and I don’t know if I can commit to that. My work is important to me.”

  “More important than Simone?”

  The two locked gazes as Paul pondered his brother’s question. Nothing was more important to him than her, not even the work he felt destined to do. He loved Simone. Loved Simone with everything he had in him. But he realized love might not be enough for either of them.

  He pushed himself from the table, not bothering to reply to his brother’s question. “I think I’ll take a walk and go check out the barn.”

  Oliver chuckled. “You do that. I’ll call you when the food’s ready.”

  * * *

  Simone was startled out of a sound sleep. The room was dark, except for a small night-light plugged into a socket beneath the end table. She sat upright, clenched fists rubbing at her eyes, then rolled to the edge of the bed before she threw her legs off the side. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep and she hadn’t intended to sleep for almost three hours, she thought after she stole a quick glance at her watch.

  She moved from the bed to the bathroom. Minutes later she felt refreshed, her teeth brushed, face washed and bladder emptied. She took one last look at her reflection in the mirror and pulled her hands through the short length of her hair.

  Exiting the bathroom, she gathered her phone from the dresser and headed out the door down the length of hallway to the family room. Oliver stood at the counter in the kitchen. A small television rested in the corner, the station he was watching tuned to a repeat episode of Family Feud. He was laughing intently as he sliced vegetables into a bowl.

  “Hey!” Simone said, tossing her hand up in a slight wave.

  Oliver looked up and smiled. “Hi! You’re just in time. I was just about to take the ribs off the grill. Everything else is ready, so we can eat. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “I am and it smells really good.”

  “It’ll taste even better. I promise!”

  “Where’s your brother?”

  “Out in the barn. He needed to blow off some steam,” he said as he gestured toward the dining room.

  The table was littered from one end to the other with the documents that Liza had printed for him. Folders were piled together and a few pages were scattered across the floor. A notepad and pen sat at one seat, two-thirds of the page scribbled with notes. Clearly, Paul had been busy since she’d last seen him.

  “I’d offer to neaten that up, but I wouldn’t want to disturb anything. I know how your brother is about something he’s working on.”

  “No, I wouldn’t mess with it. We can eat here at the kitchen table. There’s plenty of room and we can watch the snow come down while we eat.”

  “It’s snowing?”

  Oliver nodded. “We’re supposed to get an inch or two. I think it’ll just be a light dusting if anything at all. It just felt a little too warm out today, so I don’t think the ground is cold enough for any precipitation to stick.”

  Simone moved to the back door to peer outside. It was pitch-dark out, only a spattering of stars and a quarter moon lighting the sky. Behind the house was a freestanding barn, a light from inside shining to the outside. And snowflakes were falling like dust from the sky.

  “It’s so pretty,” she said, the comment more for herself than anyone else.

  Behind her Oliver chuckled. “It’s all right!”

  Simone turned, her arms folded across her chest. “Can I help with anything?”

  “Actually, I’m glad you asked. Would you mind setting the table for me?”

  “Not at all,” she answered.

  He pointed to an upper cabinet. “Plates are up there, and you’ll find the silverware in the drawer below it. Glasses are in the top cabinet on the other side of the sink.”

  Simone moved into the kitchen and grabbed what she needed. There was a small breakfast table in the alcove that looked out the bay window. She grabbed three placemats from the corner of the counter and began to set to the table. As she moved to gather three glasses, Oliver cleared his throat.

  “It’s not my business, but I’m putting my money on the two of you getting back together.”

  He moved to the table and filled two of tho
se glasses with red wine, then gestured for her to take a seat with him. They both took a sip from their drinks before Oliver continued.

  “And I say that not because I’m a gambling man, but because I see how Paul is without you. He’s been missing you like crazy. You two are good for each other.”

  Oliver’s comment was chilling, despite the warmth of his delivery. She and Paul were both close to their families and their siblings had a vested interest in what happened in their lives. Simone imagined the two brothers had discussed her more times than she could count. She knew how often she had cried on her sister’s shoulder about Paul. That Oliver believed there was hope for them was endearing. She, however, wasn’t as confident.

  “I think your brother and I might be too broken to make things work.”

  “Apart, yeah. But you two are like two pieces of a larger puzzle. The last two pieces necessary to finish the perfect picture. You need each other, even when you think you don’t.”

  Simone took another sip of her beverage. There was a moment of pause until she set her glass back onto the table. “So, how’s your love life doing? The last time we saw each other you were dating that pastry chef? Right?”

  “He owned a bakery. You know, that one down in Humboldt Park.”

  “The one that specializes in pies? That one?”

  Oliver nodded. “They have the best pies! He would make me a different pie every Sunday morning. The chocolate velvet was to die for!”

  “He’s not making pies anymore?”

  Oliver sighed. “Not on Sundays and not for me.”

  “I’m sorry. You were always so happy when I saw you together.”

  “He said I worked too much. He needed someone who wasn’t always at the office.”

  “And you don’t think you two can work things out?”

  “I think when it’s right, you know. With us, even when it felt good there was always a lot of doubt. Mostly because he was still very closeted. Being in public with me made him uncomfortable.”

  Simone pushed out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

  Oliver waved a dismissive hand. “It’s all good. Haven’t you heard? I’m a very eligible bachelor. Men are falling all over themselves to date me! Someone new will be making me pie in no time!”

  “There’s an attorney in my office who’s single. I’d love to introduce you two. He’s a really nice guy.”

  “Nope! Because if things go south, you’ll be in the middle feeling bad about it.”

  “It can be a casual introduction. Like you both show up at the same cocktail party and just happen to cross paths as you’re mingling. I’ll point him out and you can take it from there. No pressure.”

  “And who’ll be throwing this cocktail party?”

  “I will, of course! You know I throw a mean party!”

  “Maybe it’ll be an engagement party?”

  Simone laughed. “Now you’re pushing it.”

  Oliver laughed with her. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too, my friend.”

  “You and my brother really need to figure it out. You can’t keep playing with my heart the way you two do.” He winked his eye, then chugged the rest of the wine. “Now, if you’ll please grab one of my jackets there on that hook by the door and go to the barn and tell Paul Michael that his dinner is about to get cold, I would appreciate it.”

  She laughed. “This is serious. You used his full name.”

  “And I expect you to do the same. Otherwise he’ll be out there for the rest of the night.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What’s so special about the barn?”

  “That, my darling, you’ll have to see for yourself,” he said as he pointed her toward the door. “Now, hurry up. Two more minutes and I’ll be taking the corn bread out of the oven.”

  “You made corn bread?”

  “And your favorite macaroni and cheese!”

  Simone jumped from her seat and threw her arms around the man’s neck. She kissed his cheek. “Thank goodness someone still loves me!”

  Oliver laughed. “Woman, no one could ever stop loving you!”

  “Paul Michael and I will be right back,” Simone said with a wide grin. “Even if I have to drag him kicking and screaming!”

  “Tell him dinner is on the table,” Oliver said as he rose from his seat to peer in the oven. “And I will start without you two!”

  * * *

  Simone stood in the doorway of the backyard structure, her eyes sweeping around the room. What had originally been a barn had been transformed into a laboratory. Oliver had clearly gone to great lengths and much expense to build a space that rivaled some medical facilities. The pristine space boasted fully equipped workstations and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment that included clean benches, biosafety cabinets, ductless enclosures and more. It was impressive and Simone didn’t have a clue about most of it.

  Paul sat at a table, staring into a microscope. He was completely engaged, his focus distracted from his surroundings. He didn’t hear when Simone opened the door and let herself inside. It was only when he paused to jot down some notes that he seemed to realize she was there.

  “Hey! You’re awake!”

  “Hi! I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”

  “You needed the rest. I’m glad you were comfortable.”

  Simone moved to his side. “This is amazing,” she said.

  “Oliver’s put in some serious work since I was last here. But he wants to move here to Canada and make this his home base. His job at the CDC will allow him plenty of leeway with this setup. Having the lab will enable him to continue his cancer research from home. He has full safety certification and all his Declarations of Conformity. He’s ready to rock and roll.”

  “So, what are you working on out here?”

  “Just trying to make sense of the data. I mailed a second box of samples here that made it, and Oliver’s been running tests on them. We think that Halphedrone-B is contaminated with a bacterium called Burkholderia cepacia. It’s an unscrupulous human pathogen that causes pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals with underlying lung disease.”

  Simone squinted, looking confused.

  Paul continued. “Basically, it attacks systems in the human body that are already compromised. Then it shuts down organs and eventually causes death.”

  “Does the drug company know?”

  “I can’t imagine them not knowing. Why else would they send people after us if they didn’t know?”

  “But we need to find out for certain, Paul. Right now, it’s all just theory. We need to make sure the evidence is irrefutable.”

  Paul nodded. “I need to run some additional tests, but I also have to get my hands on more samples of the drug. What I sent to Oliver in Chicago originally is gone. Those samples were from a batch lot that had been shipped to my clinic in West Africa and tissue samples from infected patients. What we’ve been able to test thus far—the stuff that made it here—is a whole other drug lot. We just need to be sure that it’s not just unique to one single production lot.”

  “We’ll get it,” Simone said. She pressed her fingers to his back and gently caressed the length of the broad area.

  He suddenly looked exhausted, closing his eyes as he settled back against her touch. He took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

  “I think you’re the one who needs to get some rest now. Your brother said to tell you the food is ready. Why don’t we go eat and get back to this with fresh eyes in the morning? Oliver made corn bread, and macaroni and cheese to go with the ribs!”

  Paul laughed. “You’re a little obsessed with the food, aren’t you?”

  “I like to eat, and your brother is a great cook. It’s very easy to be obsessed.”

  “Just give me five more...” he started.

  Simone shook her head. “Now,
Paul Michael Reilly. Before Oliver comes out here to get us both.”

  He laughed again. “Damn! My full name? Really, Simone. That’s some mess Oliver would pull!”

  “He’s a great influence,” she answered. “So, let’s go, ’cause I’m hungry!”

  * * *

  The laughter around the dinner table felt good. The food was delicious, and the company made everything feel right with the world. After filling their bellies, Paul and Simone relaxed, feeling completely at ease. They were safe, and in that moment, safe was home with family and each other. Nina Simone was playing out of the speakers, Oliver’s comedic homage to his guest’s name. But the soft tones of Nina’s Pastel Blues album were appropriate for the mood, easing them all into a subtle trance.

  Oliver rose from the table first, wishing them both a good night. “I’ll let you two do the dishes,” he said. “I have to fly to Atlanta in the morning for a meeting at the CDC. While I’m there I’ll see if I can find out anything that might help you.”

  “Just please be careful,” Paul admonished. “We don’t know who you can trust.”

  “Not to worry.”

  “When will you be back?” Simone asked.

  “I actually need to go back to Chicago after I leave Atlanta. It may be a few weeks before I get back up here. You two will have the house all to yourselves. I trust you’ll take good care of each other.” He rounded the table, hugged them both, and then he disappeared to his side of the home.

  * * *

  There was something calming about him and her doing dishes side by side. As Paul had cleared the table, Simone had loaded the dishwasher. Then he had washed the pots and pans as she dried them.

  “Do you want to sit and talk?” Paul questioned, “Or are you ready to head to bed.”

  She smiled. “I had a long nap, remember? I’ll probably be up for another few hours.”

  “More wine? Or my special hot chocolate?”

  “That cinnamon hot chocolate you make would be very nice,” she answered.