by K. J. Dahlen
His eyes came back to where his kids were playing. They fell on Melora and that’s when he noticed something different about her. He glanced over at Cassie, then back to Melora. There was something different about them tonight, like the two of them shared a glow he hadn’t noticed before. Then he thought about his dad. Was there something he should have noticed before? “Do you know what’s up with Melora? Sam said she’s acting weird lately.”
Cassie snorted. “Bones needs to get his shit together on this one.”
“What does that mean?” Deke frowned.
Cassie leaned forward and whispered in his ear.
When she sat back, Deke was stunned. Turning his head slowly, he watched the other woman. Nothing on the outside had changed but he knew in his heart what Cassie told him was true.
Deke smiled and the bigger his smile grew the more the idea took root. He threw his head back and laughed out loud.
Everyone stared at him for a moment.
Swiping at his eyes, he stopped and looked back over at Cassie. “Wife, is there something you might need to tell me?” He cocked his head to one side and stared at her.
Cassie smiled and looked away, “Possibly…husband.”
Deke groaned for a moment then looked at his children. They had been a complete surprise, a not unwelcome surprise but a surprise nonetheless. Turning his head, he studied his wife again. All he could do was smile. Yep, he was ready for more.
~* * * *~
The next morning he was whistling as he walked into his office. Cassie told him the night before what her secret was and he couldn’t wait to share the news. In fact, he wore the biggest shit eating grin on his face all morning.
Before he could even sit down and start his day, there was a knock on his door. He turned and called out, “Come in!”
The door opened and a young man entered. He was tall but not as tall as Deke. His hair was black and cut short and his eyes were green. He approached slowly and just stared at Deke for a moment. “Are you Deke Tory?”
Deke nodded. “And you are?”
The other man straightened and stared him in the eye as he responded, “My name is Charlie Blackman. Does the name mean anything to you?”
Deke thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No it doesn’t. Should it?”
“The name Quinn Blackman mean anything?”
Again, Deke shook his head.
Charlie snarled. “It should yeah.”
Deke stared for a moment. “Why should it mean anything to me? I don’t know the name or the person.”
“Maybe your father does.” Charlie growled. “Or at least he should.”
Deke shrugged. “Then maybe you should talk to Sam about that, not me.” Turning to his desk he said, “If you’ll excuse me I have work to do.”
Charlie took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’m sorry. Maybe I should explain myself before you dismiss me completely. I’d rather not talk to Sam Tory in this lifetime but to save her life, I will.”
Deke turned back to Charlie. “Maybe you should tell me whatever it is.”
“My sister’s name is Quinn. Quinn is also your sister and she needs your help.”
Deke felt his world sway. He moved over to his chair and sat down hard. Looking up at Charlie, he had to ask, “What do you mean she’s my sister too?”
“Quinn is Sam Tory’s daughter, which makes her your sister as well as mine.” He shrugged. “I came to you first, hoping you could help me.”
Deke narrowed his eyes. “What do you need my help with that you can’t go to Sam about?”
Charlie released a sigh of disgust. “I wouldn’t ask Sam Tory for the time of day, let alone something like this.”
“And what the hell is this all about?” Deke glared at him. “Explain yourself before I throw you out on your ass.”
“I need to know your blood type.”
Deke pulled his head back. “Why do you need to know that?”
“Because your father passed his rare blood type on to my sister and she needs a transfusion to live.”
“What the fuck?”
Charlie began to pace as he explained his mission, “My sister contacted aplastic anemia from our mother while Mom was pregnant with her. Mom used to work in a chemical plant where she contacted the disease. She was able to get treatment but only because she had a common blood type. Quinn wasn’t so lucky. When the anemia presented itself this time, her blood type was harder to find, in fact only a relative with the same blood type can help her. She needs a marrow transfusion in order for the drugs to work.”
“Can’t your mother help?” Deke asked. “And what did you mean this time?”
Charlie’s eyes hardened. “This is Quinn’s second go round with this disease. The first time it wasn’t as bad as this time. She was able to handle the drug cocktail the doctors gave her.” He shook his head. “This time, the doctors tried but the cocktail won’t work. Mom’s body was weakened by the disease the first time. She wouldn’t accept the full treatment because of the baby she was carrying, so her body began to shut down. After Quinn was born, the doctor’s began an aggressive treatment but there was too much damage by that time. She came back that time but then a couple years later, she got pregnant with me and the doctors told her we might not make it. She barely survived having me and when the anemia came back this last time, almost a year ago it proved fatal. Her body was just too fragile to survive the treatment the third time. She was sick a lot when Quinn and I were growing up, so Quinn ended up taking care of her and me when she should have been a kid but that’s just something you do for family. Now the anemia has presented itself in Quinn again and her body’s is rejecting the drugs she needs to live. The doctor tells us a marrow transfusion from someone with her rare blood type should help her not reject the drugs. It’s not even a certainty but it’s better than nothing. I’m hoping you can give her that. It’s worth a chance anyway.”
“Why not go to her father?” Deke wanted to know.
Charlie stared at him for a moment then shrugged. “If Quinn knew I even spoke to you, she wouldn’t accept the transfusion. She hates your father with everything in her. If I didn’t love her enough to look beyond Sam’s bloodline, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Does she know about me?”
“Yes she does, but because of Sam she wouldn’t ask you for anything either,” Charlie admitted. “She’d hate it if she knew I was here talking to you, begging you to give her a small bit of hope, because that’s all she has left.”
“What makes you think she’ll accept it if she knows it’s from me then?”
“Because I’m begging you to give her this chance without telling Sam,” Charlie explained. “Maybe as long as this has nothing to do with your father, she’ll accept it. At least I’m hoping she will. Without this transfusion, she won’t make it.”
“What exactly do I have to do?”
“To start with, you need to have a blood test done to see if you are a match or not. If you don’t share the same blood as Quinn, it’s a moot point anyway.”
“That’s not so bad,” Deke replied. “What if the sample matches hers? Then what?”
“Then the doctors will ask you for a sample of your bone marrow. If it’s a viable match, it will be a go and once the serum is administered, she can begin treatments. The longer this process takes the more damage is done to her organs, so I’m hoping your blood matches hers.”
“What happens if the blood doesn’t match?” Deke asked.
“Then she begins a slow painful death. We just had to watch our mother go through this and it broke our hearts to know the drugs would no longer work for her.”
“Why didn’t the drugs work for her this time?”
“The first time, she refused treatment because of the baby she was carrying. That baby was Quinn. The doctors warned her that if the baby had a different blood type than hers, treatment could cause a miscarriage. Mom wouldn’t risk losing
the baby.”
“Why if she hated Sam so much, why would your mom refuse treatment at the expense of a child?”
Charlie shook his head. “She would never say anything but I think she loved him.” He shrugged. “She must have felt something for him, she wouldn’t risk his child even at the threat of her own body.”
Deke sat there for a moment then decided to help. “Let’s go test my blood to see if it matches your sister.”
“Dude, she’s your sister too, you know.”
“Yeah, well that kinda blows my mind right now,” Deke admitted. “I thought I knew all of Sam’s bullshit, now I find out something new and it sucks.”
Tell me about it,” Charlie agreed.
CHAPTER TWO
Deke stared at the paper in his hand and was dumbfounded. It was the initial blood test Charlie asked him to take. His blood was almost a perfect match to Quinn Blackman’s. The little they differed was due to the different mothers they both had but apparently, Sam’s blood type was strong enough in both of them to make it stand out.
Quinn’s doctor had been called in and while Deke and Charlie waited for him to get there, Charlie began telling Deke about his sister. When the results became known Charlie relaxed and opened up. Deke wasn’t so sure. He was reserved about meeting Quinn. He thought Sam should know about his daughter but Charlie was adamant about keeping Sam in the dark.
When Charlie left to get a cup of coffee, Deke called Cassie. “Hey, Baby Girl.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I think you should be here for this.”
Cassie frowned and gripped the phone. “What do I need to be where for?”
“I need you to join me at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.”
“Are you okay?” Cassie whispered.
“Yeah, I’m fine but this is something you need to know about.”
“Should I bring Sam with me? Is this a family thing?”
Deke paused then told her, “No don’t tell Sam, not yet. Just meet me here.”
“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Charlie returned with fresh coffee. As he sat down, Deke told him. “I called Cassie.”
Charlie nodded. “I figured you might.”
“She is my wife.”
“Yeah, I know. I met her the other day at Redemption House.”
Deke stared at the other man for a moment. “And?”
“And what?” Charlie shrugged.
“There was a strange tone in how you said that. Almost like you wanted to say something else.”
Charlie shrugged again.
“If you got something to say, spit it out.” Deke glared at him.
Charlie glanced away and raised the cup to his lips. “I didn’t know what to expect when I got to Redemption House. I thought I’d find something totally different when I got there.”
“Like what?”
“Something more depressing I guess. Some of the second chance houses I’ve seen are very depressing, almost like the world has given up on the people who really need the help.”
Deke frowned. “You almost sound disappointed.”
Charlie shook his head. “No I wasn’t. Redemption House was a welcome change. I found the people there friendly and upbeat. The services she provides are awesome. Everyone there went out of their way to make a person feel good.” He paused then added, “That’s a rare find when you’re poor and desperate.”
“Cassie doesn’t get to spend much time at Redemption House. She’s busy taking care of our twins but now that they’re older, I’m sure she’ll be there more.”
“Your Cassie is a rare person,” Charlie admitted. “I listened to people talking about her all morning, then I met her and I wasn’t sure if she was real or not.”
Deke chuckled as he pictured his Spitfire. “Oh, she’s a real flesh and blood person. She also has big ideas and isn’t afraid to put them to work.”
Charlie grinned. “Yeah, I did notice that about her and I noticed something else that day.”
“And what was that?”
“The people there were happy.” He shook his head. “I saw one of the men there, he was just standing in the door to one of the rooms. He just stood there watching everyone, not talking to anyone. No one went near him but he watched everything going on that day. Then a little girl came in and she was crying. I don’t think she was hurt but she couldn’t seem to find someone and she was scared. The guy watched her then he went over to her and began talking to her real low and she stopped crying. A few minutes later, she was sitting on his lap giggling. Then her mother got there and the little girl jumped off this guy’s lap and ran to her, then she brought the mother over and introduced the guy to her.” Charlie shook his head. “Man, I would’ve been freaking out but not the little girl and after talking to the mother, she wasn’t freaked out either.”
“That would be Harry.” Cassie’s voice interjected.
When she joined them, Charlie frowned but Deke greeted her by pulling her down next to him.
“Harry is the new guy but he’s becoming someone important to the House.”
Charlie glanced at Deke then stared at Cassie for a moment. “What are you doing here?” he finally asked her.
“My husband called me and asked me to meet him here. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
Charlie got to his feet and began to pace. “Oh man, she isn’t gonna like this,” he muttered to himself. “Quinn is not gonna like this at all.”
Cassie frowned. “Who the hell is Quinn?” Turning to her husband, she waited for his answer.
“Quinn is Charlie’s sister and mine as well, if the blood test is accurate.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she growled. “How can she be Charlie’s sister and yours?”
“Hmm, we both share the same father…” Deke said dryly.
“Sam?”
“Sam.” Deke scowled. “Seems my father strikes again, in his infinite stupidity.”
“What’s going on here?” Cassie demanded.
“My sister is sick and Deke can help her,” Charlie explained. “But she doesn’t want anything to do with Sam, in fact if she knew Deke was donating she wouldn’t want anything to do with him either but I’m not willing to let her die—so I asked him to help.”
Cassie looked confused. “Come again?”
Deke gently patted her arm. “It seems Sam had a fling with Quinn and Charlie’s mom and left her pregnant. Their mom got sick while she was carrying Quinn but refused treatment because of the threat to the baby. After the baby was born, mom got treatment but the damage was done. Now Quinn is suffering the same ailment and her body is rejecting the drugs. She needs a bone marrow transfusion before she can get treatment. That’s where I come in. We share the same blood type. Unfortunately, its Sam’s blood type we share. They don’t want Sam to know.”
Cassie turned to Charlie. “What is your mother’s name?”
“Her name was Junie Blackman. Why?”
“Was?” Cassie questioned.
“She died last year after another go round with this crap. This time, she lost the battle.”
Just then, a nurse stopped by the waiting room and told them the doctor would see them now.
Charlie, Deke and Cassie went to the exam room and sat down.
An older gentleman joined them a few minutes later. In his hand was a file folder and he greeted Charlie like an old friend. “Well, Charlie, I guess you found him, didn’t you?” The older man turned to Deke and held out his hand. “I’m Dr. Ethan Bright.”
“Deke Tory,” Deke stated then turned to introduce Cassie. “This is my wife Cassie.”
Dr. Bright nodded at her then turned to Deke. “I take it Charlie explained a bit about the situation to you?”
Deke nodded. “I understand Quinn won’t have anything to do with Sam.”
“You take that correctly, but I’m afraid she won’t appreciate the
fact that you’re here at all either,” Dr. Bright explained. “I’m afraid she tarred you with the same brush as your father. She won’t appreciate the fact Charlie found you and talked you into coming here.”
“Why?” Cassie asked. “Is she so eager to die?”
Dr. Bright chuckled. “On the contrary, she just doesn’t want anything to do with Sam.”
“Well, I can understand that but it doesn’t really help now does it?” Cassie stated.
Dr. Bright settled into his chair and observed both of them. “You have to understand some of the history this family has with Sam Tory.”
“I’m sorry but that information cannot come from you.” Cassie shook her head.
“I think it can in this situation,” Dr. Bright countered. “You see, I knew their mother and treated her illness as well. Junie told me things about her relationship her children might not know. She also gave me permission to tell you…” He looked over at Deke.
“She knew about me?”
“She found out about you, after she had Quinn.” He opened the file and handed Deke a letter. “When I first met Junie Blackman she was very sick with aplastic anemia but she was also pregnant with Quinn. I told her the same as I would tell any patient. If her child had a different blood type, the treatment could cause a miscarriage. The thought of a miscarriage shut her down. She wouldn’t allow anything to cause her baby harm. Just getting her through the pregnancy was tough but the baby was born and she got treatment. Although her body was damaged, her spirits were high. She loved that baby girl. The baby is what got her through everything. She had to get strong again, because she had a baby to live for.”
“Then what?” Deke asked. “Why didn’t she contact Sam about the baby?”
“What makes you think she didn’t?” Dr. Bright asked.
Deke felt an invisible hammer slam into his chest. Did Sam know about his daughter? If so, why had he done nothing about her? Why did she hate him so much? He held the letter in his hand and wondered what was in the letter. He raised his eyes to the doctor. “Why did you give this to me?”