Fatal Complications

by John Benedict

  “I’m impressed that you got free on a Friday night,” she said. “How’d you manage that?”

  “Nothing special. I told Cindy I had to work late—bad C-section. She’s used to my unpredictable hours by now. And the bad C-section part is true. I helped Mark Seidle with a truly nasty one.”

  She rested her chin on both hands and affected a doe-eyed, adoring expression. “I heard you’re the best.”

  Rob had to laugh.

  “So, how did the phone call go?” she asked, dropping her silly look.

  “Great. Well, I didn’t actually talk to her—I left a message. She must be at one of her meetings.”

  “Meetings?”

  “Cindy sits on the board of the hospital Women’s Auxiliary and co-chairs the Dauphin County Breast Cancer Awareness chapter. And there are half a dozen others—I can’t keep them all straight. She’s very involved.”

  “So you’ve said.” A thoughtful expression crossed Gwen’s face. “You know, in all the times I’ve heard you talk about your wife, I’ve never heard you say anything bad about her. Don’t you guys ever fight? Jim and I fight constantly.”

  “That’s just it. We don’t fight. We don’t even argue. She has her activities and friends, and I have mine. It’s a very peaceful arrangement.”

  “Arrangement? Did you say arrangement?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not like that,” Rob said quickly. “I mean, Cindy and I get along fine. And we’re just as happy as the next couple.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes. It’s just that now our lives revolve around Steven and Jessica and their activities. We trade a lot of notes and phone messages—you know, who’s picking up who, where and when, that sort of stuff. And, like I said, we never fight.”

  Gwen just nodded and gave him a thin smile.

  “All right,” he said, “maybe the sizzle has gone the way of the woolly mammoth—but that’s just the way these things work. You’re too young to understand.”

  She smiled and pushed the hair out of her face. “So, what about when it’s time to swing from the chandeliers?” she asked, her eyes twinkling. “What happens then?”

  Rob looked across the room and took his time finishing off his beer. Finally he turned to face her and said in a subdued voice, “Gwen, we don’t even know where the chandeliers are anymore.”

  “That’s sad.” She took a long swallow of her beer. “I’ve always dreamt of being married and being passionate. Do you think that’s possible?”

  “Maybe,” he said.

  “They say you can tell from a kiss when the fire’s fading,” she said.

  He found himself staring at her mouth as she said this, marveling at the way her lips and tongue moved as she spoke. Just then, a haunting song came through the bar’s amped-up sound system; the bass was so powerful that Rob felt the vibrations in his chest. “I like that song,” he said.

  “So do I. Rihanna sings it.” Gwen tossed her hair aside. “But I’m guessing you won’t like the title.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s called ‘Unfaithful.’”

  “Ouch,” Rob said. He looked away as Rihanna soulfully delivered the refrain, “Might as well put a gun to his head and pull the trigger/end it all.”

  She reached across the table and took his hand. “You okay?”

  He nodded and gave her a half smile.

  “You don’t look it,” she said.

  He pulled his hand from hers and sat up straighter. “It’s just…we’ve never met outside the hospital.” Rob was vaguely aware that he had crossed a line here—a significant one—but he didn’t want to think about it now.

  “I know,” she said, then glanced at her watch. “You could probably still make Steven’s concert, if you left now.”

  “Hmm.” Rob looked at his own watch and thought for a moment. “You know, I almost didn’t show. Out in the parking lot, I almost turned around.”

  “What stopped you?”

  “I don’t know. I guess you’re just too damned irresistible.”

  She smiled back at him. “So, basically, you have no self-control.”

  “Actually, I do. I’m usually very disciplined.”

  “I see.” She leaned across the table, looking intently at him. “What happened?”

  “Some evil witch put a spell on me,” he said, trying mightily not to focus on her shirt; the V-neck afforded him tantalizing glimpses of her breasts, nestled securely beneath the stretchy fabric.

  “So, I’m a witch, now?”

  “Okay, I take it back. A sorceress.”

  “That’s better.” Her smile slowly faded and she took another sip of her beer. “Do you want to go?”

  “No.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  They stared at each other in silence for a long time.

  Rob finally disengaged from her eyes. “It’s getting hot in here. Want to take a walk?”

  “Sure.” She stood up and reached across the table to scoop up her purse.

  “Do me a favor there, Esmerelda—don’t bend over like that again. That shirt of yours is killing me.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 7:30 P.M.

  Luke pulled his aging Camry over in front of his apartment on West Areba Avenue in Hershey. The sun had set an hour ago, but the western sky was clear and ablaze with the ephemeral hues of twilight. He hopped out of the car and grabbed his briefcase from the back seat. There was a definite nip in the evening air. A striking orange harvest moon was rising in the east, appearing unnaturally large on the horizon; the days were getting shorter. Across the street rose the giant cocoa bean storage silos at the Hershey Chocolate factory and to the northwest, the Hotel Hershey stood guard on a hill like a medieval fortress overlooking the town.

  Luke crossed the porch and stepped inside and was immediately attacked by their golden retriever puppy, Colby. The dog was five months old now, but still had sharp puppy teeth so you had to be careful. After crashing into his leg, Colby rebounded and started running in tight circles on the carpeted floor in the living room. The puppy almost knocked over the small table holding Kim’s marble chess set. The smell of roast chicken, one of his favorites, hung delightfully in the air. He heard Kim moving about in the kitchen.

  Luke bent over and snapped his fingers. “Colby! Find Froggie!” This stopped the dog in his tracks and he stood motionless with his head cocked to the side as if to say, “Did you say what I think you said?” You could see the wheels spinning in his head. After a moment, Colby sprinted toward the bedroom. Luke smiled to himself and shouted toward the kitchen, “Hey, anyone home?” He took off his light coat and hung it up on the coat tree near the front door.

  “You poor thing,” came his wife’s reply. “I was beginning to wonder.”

  Luke glanced at his watch. “Sorry it’s so late.”

  “No problem,” she called out. “You like your chicken well done, right? Uh, make that blackened.”

  Luke walked through the dining room into the cramped kitchen and came up behind Kim, who was busy stirring the gravy and didn’t turn around. Luke wrapped his arms around her, encircling her big pregnant belly, and snuggled up close. He lowered his face to the long, strawberry blond hair that flowed down her back, then nuzzled her neck, breathing in the delicate fragrance of her hair and skin. “Guess who,” he said playfully.

  “Um…Mike the plumber?”

  “Naw.”

  “Shucks. Um, Jim-Bob the carpet man?”

  “No.”

  She squirmed around in his embrace and turned to face him. “Oh, it’s my long-lost husband, L-something.” She giggled and crinkled her nose. “Luke, that’s it. What’re you doing home so soon?” She couldn’t help breaking into an enormous grin.

  Luke kissed her and tried to hug her tighter, but her belly wouldn’t allow it. Colby made a wild entrance into the kitchen, his clumsy puppy feet clattering across the worn linoleum floor. He tried hard to hit the b
rakes, but his hindquarters squirted loose and skidded out from under him. He slid across the floor rump first until he thudded into the cabinets. But Froggie—a beat-up old rubber squeaky toy—remained clamped in his mouth. As soon as he regained his footing, his little chest jutted forward with pride. Luke and Kim laughed together.

  “Good boy, Colby,” Luke said. He knelt down and patted the dog on the head. Colby worked his jaws and Froggie squeaked in response.

  “You’ve really taken to that dog,” Kim said. “I knew you would.”

  “Right as usual,” Luke said as he scratched behind the dog’s ears. “I have to admit, though, I thought it was a big mistake, getting a puppy with a baby on the way.” Colby sank down onto the floor and rolled onto his back. Luke obliged him by rubbing his belly. “But you pleaded so nicely.”

  She smiled and reached down with one hand to caress the nape of Luke’s neck.

  “And you know I can’t deny you anything,” Luke said, looking up at her.

  She slid her hand up onto the back of his head and continued to rub gently. “Just think what a great dad you’re going to be.”

  “I hope so,” Luke said. He stopped petting Colby.

  “Of course you’ll be.” She studied him and her expression turned serious. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I know what you’re thinking. You’re not your father, Luke.”

  “You didn’t know him.” He stood up slowly.

  “But I know you. You’ll be the best father ever.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  “I know so.” She reached over and gave him a big hug.

  He hugged her back. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” They held each other for a few moments in silence, then she went back to stirring the gravy. “Don’t beat yourself up over the past.”

  “You’re right. Hey, anyway, sorry it’s so late. Bad case at work.”

  “Everything turn out okay?”

  “Well, not exactly. All the patients did fine. Their anesthesiologist, on the other hand, lost about five years off his life.” Luke forced a weak smile.

  Kim turned around. “What happened?”

  “Let’s talk about it over dinner, okay? I’m starved.”

  “Okay. Will you carve the bird?”

  “Sure.” Luke grabbed some potholders, turned, and opened the oven door. The aroma of roast chicken overwhelmed him, smothering all troubling thoughts of his father and work.

  “I hope it’s not too dry,” she said. “It never fails that when I try to surprise you with a nice dinner, you get stuck working late.”

  Luke sampled a piece of chicken as he was cutting it—dark meat was his favorite. “It’s delicious.” Food or no food, though, he couldn’t wait to share his tale with her. “Remember this morning, how I said I didn’t like OB anesthesia?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, you should’ve seen this big, muscle-bound dude named Bear.”

  Twenty minutes later, Luke pushed his plate forward and sat back in his chair. “I’m so full. Thanks for making it.”

  “Sure.” She rose. “Do you want some apple pie and coffee?”

  He patted his belly. “Just coffee, please. Decaf.”

  “I’ll go make some,” she said, gathering up the plates. “That was some scary delivery story. I’m glad it turned out all right.” She started toward the kitchen.

  “Me, too. Although I did have a little run-in with Dr. Katz afterwards.”

  “What do you mean?” She stopped and turned around.

  “He called me to his office and reamed me out for the total spinal thing.”

  “You’re kidding,” she said, returning to the dining room.

  “No,” Luke said. “And I got pissed.”

  “No way.”

  “Yeah, really. I mean, we saved her from bleeding to death.”

  “I thought you said Seidle kind of panicked?”

  “He did. I’m telling you, if Rob Gentry hadn’t come in when he did, the lady would’ve died. I told Katz that, but he didn’t want to hear it. He seemed to take Seidle’s side.”

  “Sounds like a rough end to a rough day,” Kim said softly. She set the plates back down on the table and moved around behind his chair. She began to massage his neck and shoulders.

  Luke let his head hang forward as she worked on him. “And Rob said to me earlier, ‘watch your step around Katz.’ I have no idea what he meant by that.”

  “Sounds like they don’t get along,” Kim said. “Do they have a history?”

  “I don’t know. They’ve both worked there awhile. But, speaking of Rob Gentry, I’m afraid he might be getting involved with one of the secretaries.”

  “What? That’s horrible,” Kim said. She stopped rubbing his shoulders. “Are you sure?”

  “That’s the word around the hospital.”

  “You know how gossip spreads,” Kim said. “He seems like such a nice man.”

  “He is.”

  “Does he have children?”

  “Yeah, two.”

  “That’s such a shame. Who is she?”

  Luke turned to face her. “Her name’s Gwen. She actually works for our group as a billing person.”

  Kim raised her eyebrows.

  “I think she’s also married with kids,” Luke added.

  “That’s so sad. What in the world are they thinking?”

  “Maybe they’re in love. Teri, the anesthesia tech, says she’s seen them making goo-goo eyes at each other in the hallway.”

  Kim frowned. “Is she pretty?”

  “No way. Gorgeous, maybe, but not pretty.”

  “Very funny,” she said sourly.

  “Almost as gorgeous as you.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 8:00 P.M.

  From the parking lot, the picturesque skyline of Harrisburg was visible across the Susquehanna River; countless reflected city lights sparkled in the roiling water. The green dome of the capitol building appeared majestic, lit up and silhouetted as it was against the night sky.

  Rob took Gwen’s hand and they strolled closer to the river, neither saying a word. Sounds from the noisy Rabbit faded, replaced by the chirping of crickets. Stepping over a low-hanging chain barrier to a more deserted gravel lot, they were close enough now to the river to hear it gurgling as it flowed. A full moon hung over the city in the east; the rest of the sky was starlit and disturbed only by a few clouds. A faint breeze stirred, bringing cooler air, but Rob barely noticed.

  “Want to sit?” He gestured to an old, crumbling cement block.

  “Okay.”

  They sat down side by side and looked across the river, taking in the view. He turned to face her. “Pretty, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” she said, still gazing toward the city.

  Rob pointed across the river. “I heard they put new tiles on the dome—replaced the old, faded ones. That’s why they’re so brightly colored.”

  “They do look nice,” she said, turning slightly to get a better view.

  The mechanical buzz of an approaching pontoon boat’s engine interrupted them. They watched the boat, adorned with festive party lights, pass by them and head upstream. Slowly the drone of the engine faded into the background.

  Rob refocused on her. “Do you remember meeting for the first time?”

  “Yes, in the cafeteria last year, right before Christmas.”

  “What do you recall about it?”

  She started to say something, then stopped.

  “I remember it like this,” he said. “I could tell you were something special when I first saw you. I was behind you in the lunch line to pay.”

  “I remember it, too,” she said, her eyes drifting as she thought back.

  “This is gonna sound silly,” Rob said, “but I felt an amazingly strong attraction—like a physical force grabbing hold of me.”

  She didn’t say anything, but looked up at him with a questioning look.
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  “It gets worse,” he continued. “I knew from that moment that you would be trouble for me.”

  She readjusted her position on the concrete block and her knee brushed up against his thigh. He didn’t move away—touching her seemed natural and most desirable.

  Neither moved for a minute or two. Finally, she broke the silence. “I felt it, too.”

  He looked deep into her eyes; he could make out their distinctive emerald color even in the low light. “You’re beautiful, you know.”

  She looked down, an embarrassed smile spreading across her face. “Thanks,” she murmured. Neither said anything and she carved out some designs in the gravel with her boot.

  “Thanks for meeting me tonight,” he said.

  “Sure.”

  “What kind of story did you tell to be here tonight?” Rob asked.

  “Didn’t really have to—my husband stays out late most Friday nights.” A frown creased her face. “He won’t stagger in till later.” She chuckled at this.

  “Who’s watching the kids?”

  “My mom. I told her I was going out for drinks with coworkers—Friday night and all, I needed to blow off a little steam.” She smiled. “Sort of true.”

  Rob stood. “I should go,” he said.

  She looked up at him, disappointment clouding her face. Abruptly she rose and faced him. “Okay, but I need a hug first,” she said, opening her arms, palms skyward.

  “Sure.” He took her into his arms and drew her lightly against him.

  “Thanks,” she whispered into his ear.

  Feeling the warm swell of her breasts pressing up against him and her soft hair tickling his face, he had trouble letting her go. His arms seemed to have lost the ability to move. They held each other for several minutes in silence.

  She hugged him back gently at first, then pulled him in more forcefully. Rob’s resistance crumbled and he matched the urgency of her embrace. Soon their cheeks slid smoothly across one another and he felt her warm breath on his ear again. He inhaled deeply, taking in her magical scent, feeling as if it had the power to stop time. Perhaps he could just stay here in her arms forever, never needing to do another thing in his life.