by Nella Tyler
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but your father was in an accident this afternoon. He is alive, but he’s in critical condition in the ICU. The next few hours will be crucial.”
“I understand,” I managed to express, not even noticing that the man on the other end of the line didn’t have a Southern accent. “I’ll be on the first flight out. If he’s conscious, tell him I’m coming.”
I didn’t wait for him to respond. I simply hung up, unable to hear anything more until I had a moment to think. I ran out of my office, feeling like my mind had drifted into a fog. Nervousness and unresolved feelings flailed inside me, scorching the emotions that I otherwise tried so hard to hide. Anger, mostly, was what fueled this strange sense of self that I was experiencing.
When I walked out into the main part of the office, both Carly and Donavan looked up from their desks, and their expressions were filled with concern.
“Carly, Donavan, I have to go to North Carolina. There is a personal matter that I must attend to. It’s urgent. Donavan, take care of the place and give me updates. I’ll work remotely with you until I return. Carly, make sure I still have some semblance of an office when I return.”
“Okay…” Carly replied, but it was Donavan who said what it was obvious they were both thinking.
“What happened?”
“Personal issues. Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” I answered, knowing the chill in my voice was off-putting, but in a way, I wanted it to be.
I had always found it was beneficial to keep business and personal matters separate. The last time I forgot that, I’d had one of the worst fucks of my life. Currently, I couldn’t handle a low blow like that.
Therefore, I made the split decision that I was finished with the conversation entirely.
“I will keep in touch,” I told them before walking hurriedly out of the building.
The entire ride to the airport, boarding the plane, and the long ride back to the place I had sworn never to return to seemed like it was all a dream. There were plenty of times, throughout the flight especially, that I wondered if I had fallen asleep at my desk.
However, when the plane started to land, reality sank in and I felt more than the turbulence bubbling in my stomach. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew that whatever was to happen, I didn’t want to be a part of it.
I watched the familiar land mass pass underneath us. The roller coasters of Carowinds, an amusement park that had been the highlight of my childhood, could be seen briefly before the sight was overcome by red clay, a staple of the state and a pain in the ass to get off your shoes. The mountains could be seen in the distance, dancing in and out of view with the interchanging movement of the clouds, and of course, Interstate 95 wound like a thick, black vein through the countryside.
Soon enough, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport came into full view.
Christ, Tim, you don’t even want to be here, I thought as the plane rounded the airport, flashing a quick sight of Charlotte in the distance. As we started our final descent, the thoughts that I felt should have plagued me throughout the entire ride now seemed to crush me.
Memories flooded back. It was like the gates of Hell blew open in my mind and cursed it with wretched reminders that I would do anything to forget.
Now, rounding the tarmac and finally putting the wheels of the plane on the ground, I heard the pilot give the final, cheerful announcement of our safe arrival. “Welcome to Raleigh, North Carolina. The weather is currently sunny and fifty degrees. It is four-thirty here in Raleigh. If this is your final destination, or if you are continuing on with us, on behalf of all the flight crew, I would like to thank you for riding with us! Have a great day!”
News that we were going to reach our destination shortly caused the plane to erupt in a burst of hurried excitement. People started talking and shifting in their seats, wanting to be one of the first to leave the aircraft.
However, all the news made me feel was a tightening cringe, which overtook my entire body and made me feel ill.
Chapter 6
Jenna
It was late and my internal clock was already failing me.
Normally, I would have the early shift and get home at around dinnertime, but today, Dr. Pierce had gone golfing, so I agreed to switch his shift with him. I wasn’t regretting the decision, but the wish to go to sleep was already forcing me to lean heavier on the coffee than normal.
I walked in, a cup of java in hand and saw Raymond looking bright-eyed and ready to take on the day. “Good evening, Jenna!” he exclaimed.
I chuckled. “Good evening, Raymond. You’re in a particularly good mood today. Did your golf game go well?”
“Hell, no! It went awful. I couldn’t get a hole in under par to save my life, but it still was a gorgeous day.”
I could appreciate that, even if I couldn’t fully understand it. I was more of a morning person, but since I had worked my entire life to be here, I would rather spend the best part of my day working.
Give it time, Jenna, a cynical side of myself insisted. “Well, I’m glad you had fun. Did you lose any golf balls?”
I tried to participate in the conversation, especially since Raymond seemed willing to have a one, but mini-golf was about the extent of my expertise on the sport. I played when I was little and when I wanted to have a fun date, but that was it.
“Almost every one of them.” He shook his head and pursed his lips as though he was reliving every moment. “You know, for as much as I could tell you how to play golf, I simply do not have the talent for it. But, I enjoy it, anyway.”
“That’s good. I’m glad your day was successful.”
“What about you? Did you do anything with your daylight freedom?”
“Honestly, I caught up on some much-needed sleep and housework. I know, it sounds boring, but it was nice.”
“Yeah, this place will drain you. Sometimes, you need to take some time to decompress.”
I nodded in agreement and sat down across the table from him. “So, what do we have on the docket for tonight?”
“Mostly follow-ups, but there is one newcomer that we need to keep a particular eye on. Do you know who Phil Meck is? His son is Tim Meck? He’s a software billionaire—”
“Oh God! What happened to him?”
I had heard of Tim. I knew that he’d donated a lot of his money to charities around here and was thought of as someone who was going to put Pinehurst on the map, but I didn’t put much stock in any of that. Sure, the charities were nice and all, but I cared more about what happened to his poor father than what Tim did for a living.
“He was in a terrible car wreck. His pickup truck ran off the road and flipped into an embankment. The man is lucky to be alive.” The way he shook his head and stared down at the ground gave me the impression that Raymond didn’t care much about Tim’s money, either.
“Do you know him? Mr. Meck…senior?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s a good friend of mine. When I moved here, I ended up only a few blocks down from the house he lives in. He invited me to dinner. Didn’t care that I was a newcomer. He’s a good guy. Shame what happened to him. I’m happy that it looks like he’ll be okay.” Snapping out of his morbid train of thought, Raymond chuckled. “Phil is going to hate having to rely on people to do things for him, though until he gets better.”
“Is he conscious?”
“Oh, yeah. He came in last night and was in critical condition, but thankfully, he’s conscious and talking. Especially for his age, his body seems to be responding well. He woke up about an hour ago…Nurses tell me he’s giving them hell,” he chuckled. “I’m headed up to see him now, but seeing as he’s a friend of mine, I would appreciate it if you helped me out with this one…maybe more than usual?”
“Of course,” I grinned, inching closer to him in an effort to show my support.
“Good. Let’s go.” He stood up and walked briskly out of the break room. I thought it was strange but knew that I should
be used to his actions by now.
When we walked into Mr. Meck’s room, Dr. Pierce spoke first. “What did you do to yourself, Phil?”
Raising his eyes towards Dr. Pierce, Mr. Meck narrowed his eyes. “Aww…dammit! I was hopin’ to slip outta here before you found out about this mess.”
“Well, from the look of your x-rays, it doesn’t look like you’ll be going anywhere for a while.”
“Yeah? You needed a damn x-ray to tell ya that? I coulda told you that by the amount of my body that refuses to move.”
“You’re lucky, Phil. Between your injuries and internal bleeding, it’s a miracle you’re even still here.”
Phil’s shoulder raised and lowered in a nonchalant fashion. “Guess it wasn’t my time,” he offered simply before his eyes slid over towards me.
I hadn’t said anything yet because I wanted to let the two men have their time to banter, but when all eyes fell on me, I felt slightly out of place.
“Who is this lovely lady?” Mr. Meck inquired.
“This is Dr. Barnes. She is shadowing me and will be taking care of you, along with myself while you stay here.”
Mr. Meck nodded. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” he replied before he returned his attention to Dr. Pierce. “And, how long will I be here?”
“A few days, at least,” Dr. Pierce replied, this time in more of a physician’s no-nonsense tone, letting Mr. Meck know he was serious. “You have a few broken bones, so we want to make sure they are setting right, and you did have internal bleeding, so we want to make sure it has stopped for good before we even think about sending you home.”
At first, the elderly man looked as though he thought about arguing, but soon decided against it and simply shrugged his shoulder in a noncommittal manner.
“I guess a few days of rest and relaxation couldn’t hurt,” he agreed.
“That’s what I want to hear.” Dr. Pierce grinned.
“Always, Doc. You know what's best, right?”
“Right! Now, you get some rest and we’ll be back to check on you in a little while.” With that, Dr. Pierce exited the room.
After a quick nice to meet you, I followed him, still feeling slightly out of place when in their presence.
Nonetheless, I liked the older man. I had heard about him and I had passed Tim a few times in school, but he and I never ran in the same circles, so I didn’t have much of an opinion on either of them. Yet, after meeting the senior Mr. Meck, I wondered, from what I did know about Tim, how he could possibly have been raised by someone who was so…fun.
Raymond and I continue our rounds and eventually, Dr. Pierce asked me to go check in on Phil. I agreed and turned toward his room.
“Hello, Dr. Barnes,” Mr. Meck instantly exclaimed when I walked into the room. “Did Ray send you in here to make sure I haven’t made a run for it?” His beam soured slightly though when he looked down at the cast that elevated his right side. “Not that I’d get all that far with this darn busted leg,” he grumbled.
“No, Mr. Meck. He only sent me in to make sure you were doing okay. I think he has a little more trust than that,” I replied lightheartedly, trying to keep his spirits up.
“Oh, please,” he retorted in a tone that caused me to look straight at him. “You hold my life in your hands every time you walk through that door.” He raised an eyebrow as a scruffy upper lip curled into a grin. “The least you could do is call me Phil.”
“Okay,” I responded, mentally letting loose a sigh of relief. “Of course, Phil it is!”
“Great!” His blue eyes twinkled in a wispy way.
As I drew closer to check his vitals, I noticed that for an older man, he was extremely muscular. I wondered what he did for a living, but didn’t want to be too invasive and ask. His burly beard and quirky, funny personality were nothing like what I remembered of his son.
Again, I wondered if they were actually related.
“So, what do you think, Doc? Am I going to live? Did you find a pulse in this old body? Am I dead and don’t know it yet?”
“No, Sir! You are most certainly alive, and from what Dr. Pierce said, you’re lucky to be so.”
“Yeah, well, between you and me, I don’t know if I feel so lucky. I ache all over, and I know I’ve got a long road of recovery ahead of me.” He huffed a loud sigh.
“This is true,” I told him, knowing it would be no use to assure him otherwise. “But I think you’ll be fine. When you get out of the hospital, do you have someone who could stay with you?”
Phil burst out laughing, and I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. “Hell, no! The only family I got left is my son, and I don’t think he’s going to show.” He huffed and looked away from me. “If he even cares enough to know what happened, he probably is trying to figure out how to pull the plug.”
Hearing that made my heart sink, but something told me there was more to the story than the older man was letting on. “Oh, come on now, Phil. That can’t be true.”
“Nah. Unfortunately, I don’t think Tim even cares that much about me. He’s too busy in California. Three-hour time difference, and I still don’t think he feels he’s far enough away from me.”
I was quiet for a moment, feeling sorry for the man. It was obvious that he wanted his son to be there, but had convinced himself that it wouldn’t happen. I guessed that way, he wouldn’t be disappointed. It was sad. I couldn’t imagine missing an opportunity to be there for any of my family members if they needed me. I hoped Phil was wrong, but figured that he knew his son better than anyone else.
“Who knows? Maybe this will change things.”
“I doubt it. Tim isn’t the sentimental, you’re-near-death-so-now-I’m-going-to-show-you-I-love-you type,” he grumbled and looked down. “Hell, I never was, so I don’t know how I expect him to be. I’ve got soft in my old age, Doc…do you have a cure for that?”
I chuckled. “You know that’s not a bad thing.”
“Maybe not for you. You can bat those eyes and you can get damn near anything you want,” he teased.
I narrowed my eyes, playfully in his direction, but before I had a chance to respond, there was a knock at the door.
Both Phil and I looked up with about the same amount of surprise. There, standing in the doorway, was a man that seemed extremely put together, especially for being in a hospital.
“Tim?” Phil exclaimed and I couldn’t help but grin, happy to see that the elder Mr. Meck had been wrong about his son.
“Hey, Dad…” Tim answered awkwardly before turning to me. “Are you…do you want me to come back?”
“No,” I insisted, walking toward him hastily. “I’m finished, Mr. Meck. Take as long as you would like. If you need anything, let us know.”
As I passed Tim, I tried not to notice much about him, but what I picked up on was his short, blond hair, striking azure eyes, and muscular, tan physique. Instantly, I found myself growing attracted to him. He had certainly grown into his own since high school. I didn’t remember feeling this way about him then.
Feeling my face get red, I turned away from him and hurried out of the room, not only to give them privacy, but also to keep from making a fool of myself. I quickened my step as I walked down the hall until I could catch my breath. When I did, I stopped and glanced back at the room.
Although I couldn’t see him any longer, the highlights of his appearance were etched into my mind. Wow… I thought, drawing in a deep breath, before shaking my head and putting more distance between us, eager to forget about the strange experience.
Chapter 7
Tim
The sight of my father in the hospital bed was far worse than I thought it would be.
While it was clear that he was no longer in mortal danger, the casts, IVs, and monitors that surrounded him made the usually strong man that I grew up with look feeble. There was still a little bit of blood on his head and a few bruises from the accident, but otherwise, he looked to be cleaned up fairly well.
Or, perh
aps I was simply trying to make the ordeal seem less horrific than it was.
Who am I kidding? He looks like shit! Still, regardless of my actions and the rapid flow of emotions coursing through me, I couldn’t find the words to express pity for the man.
“So…you decided to show up. That was unnecessary,” my father spat as soon as the woman who I had found in his room left.
“Well, it is nice to see you, too. I’m glad you’re alive,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and narrowing my eyes.
“Bullshit. You don’t care whether I’m alive or not.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I retorted.
“Yeah, well you don’t have to be.”
“Well, like it or not, old man, you’re stuck with me until I’m sure you're going to be okay.”
“I’m fine! Go back to your life and leave me alone!”
“Oh my God, you’re impossible!” I shouted, exasperated. “You know what? I’m going to stay right here if only to succeed in pissing you off!”
With that, I dumped myself into the uncomfortable chair at his bedside and glared at him.
“As compassionate and loving as always, aren't you, Son?”
I didn’t dignify that with an answer, considering anything I had to say to that was far worse than what I wanted to put out there at that moment. Normally, I would’ve shot my mouth off as much as I possibly could, but even now, with him being an ass, I was still happy to see him. I was still happy I had come, if only to reinforce that once I left, I never wanted to come back.
Since I didn’t bait him anymore, he simply glared back at me and an awkward silence ensued. I wanted to say something, but didn’t feel like arguing or hearing his underhanded way of telling me what a disappointment I was, so I settled for the silence.
However, eventually, even that became overwhelming and I needed to say something, or I was sure I would go crazy.
“So, what happened, Dad?”