A Masquerade Affair

by Elin Magdelene

  He closed his eyes and prayed silently that he was right. He didn’t want to give her false hopes but he had to try to help her feel better.

  “It’s my…my friends’ son. He was jumping on the bed, fell off and injured his head, badly.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Surgery bad.”

  His arms around her tightened but Richard had questions he wanted to ask her. Like what was it she was not telling him? He could sense that she did not tell him the whole story.

  “You’re sure you don’t want me to accompany you to the waiting room?”

  “Yes, I’m sure but thanks anyway. You’ve done enough already. Besides, I think Ben and Brenda might not be up to receiving guests.

  They were standing before the elevator. She’d asked that he should not walk her into the hospital but he had insisted on following her until she was on her way in the elevators. He hugged her as the elevator doors opened to allow her entry then he stood looking as the door closed taking her to the floor of the surgical unit.

  Richard walked back to his car waiting outside the hospital entrance and Martin drove off. He pulled out his phone to make some calls just as his phone buzzed.

  “How’s she doing?” It was his mom calling to check up on Vivi.

  He’d had to reschedule his parents’ trip to be able to get Vivi to San Francisco on the jet, “I just dropped her off at the hospital.”

  “Why didn’t you go with her?”

  “She didn’t want me to. She said something about her friends’ needing their privacy.”

  “And you let her go alone? You should’ve gone along regardless, Rich.”

  He realized his mother was right. This was one of the times he should have insisted but he didn’t. Should he go back to the hospital?

  Dr. Morris walked to the waiting room to meet with the parents of his patient. He had to confer with the parents before proceeding with the next step.

  Brian, the patient, had been brought to the ER with an injury to the head after falling off a bed. X-rays and CT scan showed no other major injuries. The doctor was concern that Brian had lost lot of blood.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Elliot?” he asked when he reached the lobby.

  Three people stood up and walked towards him. There was a middle aged couple and a younger woman. He assumed that the couple, who appeared to be clinging to each other for support were the boy’s parents. Was the other lady the aunt or perhaps another family member? She seemed equally as distressed as the parents, if not more distressed.

  He invited them to a private room, “We have been able to get the bleeding under control but Brian lost lot of blood. He is being prep for surgery but he will need blood transfusion.”

  He paused before he could ask the next question. Somehow he wondered if any of the people in the room would be able to donate blood to Brian. He knew if any of them could donate blood then his suspicion might be unjustifiable.

  “I’m sure you are aware that Brian has a rare blood type?”

  “Yes, we learned that when Brian was very little,” Mrs. Elliot replied.

  The doctor nodded, “His blood type is RH(null) also known as the “golden blood.” In our world today, only about fifty people, or even less, have that same blood type, so it is very scarce.”

  He looked pointedly at the father then he said, “Presently, we do not have that blood type available in the blood bank except the ones reserved for the nearest donor. So is there any family who could donate a pint of blood before he goes into to surgery?”

  He noticed the couples’ eyes turned to the other woman in the room.

  Mr. Elliot spoke to her, “Vivi?”

  She shook her head, “No, I’m afraid not?”

  “We adopted Brian when he was a baby, doctor,” explained Mrs. Elliot.

  Vivi asked, “You said there is some blood reserved in the bank for the nearest donor. Couldn’t some of that be used for Brian?”

  Dr. Morris rubbed his hand over the charm that rested in his pocket. He had hoped they would reach this point in the discussion.

  “I will have to contact the donor for his approval. There are regulations regarding how often a donor can donate blood. He is presently unable to make a donation because he did so recently but I am sure he won’t hesitate to give his approval. He happens to be my cousin.”

  “Please, help our son, Dr. Morris,” Mrs. Elliot said.

  “I will make that call to him now.”

  Dr. Morris excused himself as he pulled out his phone and placed the call. He wasn’t considering hospital protocols and procedures because he was willing to take that chance.

  Richard listened as his mom explained their plans for the trip she and his dad were taking to Las Vegas. But he thought about her advice that he should not have let Vivi go alone to the hospital. His phone displayed an incoming call at that moment.

  “Mom, I’ve got to take a call coming in. It’s Larry on the other line.”

  “Okay, call me later once you hear from Vivi. I want to know how the kid is doing.”

  “I’ll be sure to do that.”

  He switched over glad that Larry was calling since he needed Larry’s help any way.

  “Hi Larry, you’re just the person I need to talk to right now.”

  “That’s good to know because I was wondering, how quickly can you get over to San Francisco?”

  “I’m already in San Francisco. Why do you ask?”

  “How quickly can you stop by at my workplace? There is an urgent favor that I need to ask you but I’ll let you know when you get here.”

  “That’s no problem. I’m very close by. I’ll be there in about five minutes.”

  Dr. Morris gave him the directions to the waiting area of the surgical unit. Then he hung up and waited for Richard to arrive.

  Chapter Eleven

  Richard exited the elevators and came face to face with Vivi and a couple. He thought the couple appeared vaguely familiar but he could not remember where he’d seen them.

  “I specifically told you it was best if I came here alone, Richard,” Vivi told him when he walked over to her.

  “Actually, I called him. Richard is my cousin,” Dr. Morris said entering the room.

  “Your cousin whose blood type is RH(null)?” Mrs. Elliot asked.

  “Yes.”

  Hearing the mention of his blood type give him a hint of why Larry had called him to the hospital. They’d always referred to the hospital as Larry’s workplace which in fact it was.

  “Richard, I have a patient, Brian, who is in need of a pint of blood. Since you are in the restriction period I was hoping you could authorize release of a pint of blood reserved for you in the bank.”

  “Definitely, let me know what I need to do?”

  Then Richard turned to Vivi to confirm what he already assumed, “Is Brian the son of your friends?”

  “Yes…, he is,” she looked at the couple.

  Realizing she needed to make introductions, Vivi said, “Richard I’d like you to meet Brenda and Ben Elliot.”

  “I’m sorry about your son, Mrs. Elliot,” Richard said reaching for the hand of the boy’s mother.

  “Please, call me Brenda.”

  “And you can call me Ben,” the man responded.

  “Larry, I will be very glad to do whatever I can do,” Richard told his cousin.

  Dr. Morris completed the process of getting the required authorization from Richard. He knew without a doubt that there was definitely something that didn’t seem quite right.

  He felt the charm in his pocket once again. It was definitely the charm he’d made for Richard years ago. Dr. Morris had become orphaned at a very young age and his aunt Abigail had taken him into her home.

  One day Richard had come home from school complaining that some kids had called him teacher’s pet. They were mad because he’d made sure to tell the teacher when another kid was being bullied.

  His teacher had given him a yellow star which he had proudly displa
yed in his room. Larry, who was eight years older than Richard, had carved him a charm in the shape of a star and engraved his initials “RM” on the back of the star.

  He had said to him, “You are a star, Richard. Shine bright wherever you go and always remember your star will help you find a way out when you need it.”

  He looked at Richard who was now attentively engaged in a conversation with Vivi. He’d learned that Richard had taken a friend to their parent’s home. What was her connection to the family whose kid he was treating and how long had she known his cousin?

  When he had held Brian’s hand in a comforting gesture, as he usually did to his patients, he had felt the object in the boy’s hand. A nurse later told him that Brian had been clutching the charm when he was brought into the emergency room. Could it be mere coincidence that the child clutching the charm had the same rare blood type as his cousin or was it something of significance in this case?

  Now, Larry decided, was time to hand over the charm to the boy’s mom. Hopefully, Richard would take his eyes off Vivi long enough to see the charm.

  He reached for the charm, “Mrs. Elliot, you might want to keep this so that Brian doesn’t lose it. The nurse said he was holding on to it when he came in.”

  Richard was conversing with Vivi but raised his head slightly as Mrs. Elliot reached for the charm dangling from a black leather necklace in Larry’s hand. He gulped, wondering if he was hallucinating. He walked over in an attempt to get a closer look at the charm―his lucky charm. He could recognize it no matter what.

  His stomach knotted and he could not seem to release the air filling his lungs. He felt cold sweat break out all over him as he drew closer.

  “May I take a look at your charm, Mrs. Elliot?” he asked, his voice sounding raspy.

  Unsure of his seemingly engrossed interest in it, she passed it on to him, “It is Brian’s lucky charm. He carries it everywhere with him.”

  Richard gulped as he turned over the charm and saw the initials―his initials― in bold letters on the back of it. He remembered nine years ago when he had last held it in his hand.

  How could he ever forget the overwhelming passion he’d shared with one amazing woman? It had been at a masquerade ball and she had insisted that their identity remained incognito so they had not removed their masks. He could never forget the silkiness of her skin when he’d placed the necklace around her neck with the promise, “This charm will lead me back to you no matter how far apart we might go physically.”

  He was back in that room, hearing her laugh out cheerfully, “It may but I’d give you a run for your money before it does.”

  She was right; he had yet to find her. It couldn’t be Brenda Elliot, could it? There was absolutely no attraction between the two of them.

  He opened his mouth to ask the question he could not resist asking then he hesitated. He looked over at Vivi who was still standing few feet away, staring absent mindedly at a chair. How would she react to him having a kid and how might this information affect their relationship? He forced his thoughts back to the charm in his hand.

  He glanced nervously between the couple and suddenly he realized where he had seen them before―at the restaurant. Their kid had been slurping spaghetti.

  “How did…Brian get it?” He asked, his hands now beginning to shake as he waited for her response.

  “His birth mother gave it to him on the day we took him home,” Ben Elliot responded to his question.

  He could not jump to conclusions now. But why would Brian’s birth mother give it to him? There were so many pieces to the puzzle that he needed to solve to find out the truth. He knew there were too many connections to be coincidental. He needed to know if he had a kid.

  “His… birth… mother? Do you know who she is?”

  Brenda jumped in unsure of his sudden interest in Brian’s mother, “Yes, we do, why?”

  She had made a promise to Brian’s biological mother and she would keep it. She was grateful that he was helping Brian but she could show her gratitude in other ways.

  Sensing Brenda’s reaction Richard went into negotiation mode, “This might sound weird coming from me a stranger whom you’ve just met but could you tell me the name of his biological mother, please?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. We gave her our word that we would never disclose that information,” she replied.

  Okay, thought Richard. Perhaps some incentive might motivate Brenda to be more cooperative.

  “I assure you I am willing to use whatever resources to gain access to that information.”

  It was a subtle but most times effective line his rivals deemed irresistible. He respected her loyalty but this was a vital piece of information he needed.

  Vivi had barely noticed Richard walk over to talk to Brenda. She was overwhelmed with guilt and she willed Brian to fight his way to recovery. She was unaware of the conversation going on around her until Richard’s last statement.

  She saw Brenda glance her way nervously then responded, “Sorry, but the only resource you have that is of essence to me at this time is a pint of blood for my son.”

  “I’m interested in reaching out to her because I need to know how she got the charm.”

  Vivi decided enough of it, she had lived with this guilt for long enough but not after today.

  “His biological mother got that charm from his biological father, Richard, stop badgering Brenda.”

  He turned to Vivi, “How would you know that, Elvira?”

  She stood up straight, shoulders squared, head held high, and she walked over to where he stood, “Because I’m his birth mother.”

  There, she’d told him; she would not deny her son when he needed her most. She had given him up to ensure he got the care he needed which she was unable to provide for him at the time but she’d never stopped loving him. She had insisted on an open adoption because she couldn’t just let him go.

  The two stood facing each other as he processed the information she’d given him. He’d spend years trying to find her alias Spitfire until he met Vivi. Looking at her daring stance, he was unaware of the anxiety and guilt consuming her. Although he was livid with her at the moment, he thought her challenging pose was sexy and his body responded in kind. But he would not be diverted, not now, when he might be the father of the little boy she had given away.

  “Spitfire?”

  Vivi shook her head; he couldn’t possibly know that except―“No…, it can’t be.”

  Vivi’s heart somersaulted when she saw him nod. His alias couldn’t be the Green Arrow, could he? How had she been captivated by him not once but twice? Perhaps she should count her lucky stars that she had not gotten head deep in before it was too late this time.

  This was one of the many times skills developed as a lawyer give her an advantage. She recovered from the shock of what she’d just discovered.

  Richard could not stop the barrage of questions that came rolling out as his mind tried to process the shock.

  Vivi, however, did not flinch when he babbled, “How did it happen? I took the necessary precaution to protect you.”

  He didn’t care that the others in the room were staring in disbelief at the real life soap opera they presented.

  “You know what they say, Richard―99.9% accurate. So we were part of the 0.1% that fell off the accurate train.”

  “So you uncaringly gave our little boy up for adoption? How could you be so heartless? Did you do that to get at me? He was an innocent little baby, Elvira. He didn’t deserve to pay the price for my actions.”

  “You really think this was about you, Richard? It was never about you. It was the best thing I could do for Brian. At that time, I couldn’t give him what Brenda and Ben were able to give him.”

  He held out the charm, “You had this. You could have found a way to contact me. This is the digital age, Elvira. You’re intelligent enough to have known what to do.”

  “And have you thinking that I wanted your money? I didn’t even know you
r actual name. How sure was I that you wouldn’t have denied any connection when you learned a child was involved?”

  “I’d never have denied my child, Elvira. It was your suggestion that we remained incognito, wasn’t it? Now I understand why you insisted. It was to protect your parents and you. That was the same reason why you gave our child up too, wasn’t it? You didn’t want your father to know that the pastor’s daughter wasn’t as innocent as he may have assumed?”

  Did it hurt to hear his accusations because it came from him or because that was the actual reason for giving up her son? Would she even have thought about giving Brian up for adoption if she wasn’t ashamed that she’d betrayed her parents’ trust? But Richard was equally as responsible as she was so she could not let him make her feel guilty for doing what was right for her child under the circumstances.

  “Shut up, Richard,” she yelled at him.

  It was the first time Richard was spoken to with such insolence so he was taken aback. He was so stunned that he couldn’t find his voice. He ignored the persistent ringing of his phone as he stared at her.

  Realizing that he had calmed down for a moment Vivi said, “Now is neither the place nor the time to engage in this argument. Right now, Brian needs us.

  She turned to the child’s adopted parents and his doctor, “He needs the support and love of all of us as he recovers.”

  She was glad that Brian’s doctor was Richard’s cousin. It was also comforting that Richard was his biological dad. Just knowing that he was there made her hopeful that Brian would be alright. Hadn’t he said so himself even before they were both aware that he was in fact Brian’s dad?

  Chapter Twelve

  Richard listened as his cousin met with them after the procedure on Brian, “It all went well and he is responding well to the transfusion so he should be fine. He might experience headache over the next few days and he will be given some pain killers.”

  “Can I see him, Larry?”

  “Come on, I’ll walk with you. He is in recovery.”

  “We need to see him, Dr. Morris,” Mrs. Elliot told him.