by Laura Acton
Scott noticed his cousin’s protective move. “How do you know so much?” Scott asked warily given the events with Dan. His protectiveness was on high alert, like his cousins.
Heather read the confusion and wariness. She realized they must not know everything that happened. “Because I was here with them all from Tuesday evening through yesterday morning. I provided care for Dantastic during the night so Patch could get some sleep.” She hoped her explanation would lessen their concern.
Her statement drew the attention of Mark, Ryan, and Erik while the cousins wondered at another nickname. What was up with that?
Mark stood and strolled over wearing a slightly puzzled expression. “Welcome, Heather. Apparently, William left some things out of his report to me. Understandable, given his state last night. Would you please share with us what you know?”
Heather shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t know much of anything. I was here to care for Dan. I know whatever is going on has been extremely emotional for everyone involved. You’ll have to ask the general or one of the Special Forces men or TRF team for more details. Would you mind if I checked on the general?”
Mark realized William would not share classified details with anyone without the proper clearance level and then only on a need to know basis. “Yes, that would be fine. He has been sleeping for about three hours now.”
Heather went to the room Dan had been in, guessing it would be the one the general would be in. As she opened the door and quietly entered, Heather was happy to see him still sleeping. Also relieved he didn’t wake as she checked his wound, blood pressure, and pulse. Heather checked for fever and was glad to find none.
She thought things looked alright physically—he only needed a good long rest. Heather took one more peek at General Broderick and before leaving the room, quietly said, “Rest now, your son’s gonna need you.”
Ryan was the first to see Heather exit Will’s room. He politely asked, “Would you care for a cup of coffee?”
“Yes, that would be lovely, cream and two sugars, please. I have to head to work in a bit. I’m gonna need loads of caffeine today.”
Erik fixed her a cup as she joined them at the table. The cousins also all took seats around the table. Heather decided there were probably some things she might share with this group. After taking a sip of coffee, she smiled and said, “Dan’s sure got a lot of people pulling for him. Alpha Team acts more like a family than a team. And the three men in his unit, they care deeply for him. They’re like brothers from what I can see.
“It was impressive to see them all rally around Dantastic. But then again, Dan deserves it. My dear friend Lois Clarry is taking care of Dan in the ICU today.” Heather stared at Scott. “If she sees you she might hug you.”
Scott raised his brows questioning. “Why?”
Heather’s grin brightened. “Because you look like Dan. Dantastic saved her granddaughter Sara, from a drug-crazed gunman. I think Lois and Sara have plans to adopt Dan.”
Hearing the name Sara always sent a little pain through Jeff’s heart. He still missed his little cousin to this day. “How did he save Sara?”
Heather shrugged. “It was all over the news the day Dan was hurt in the ravine and air-lifted to the hospital. He had quite a day.” Heather then gave them a quick recap of Dan’s day and included what happened with Agent Donner. She knew all about that from the nurse’s grape vine.
Heather, Zach, and Kyle were all shocked and saddened as they watched Jeff, Scott, and Adam run to the bathrooms and kitchen sink to vomit after Heather explained what happened with Donner.
When the three returned, slightly pale, and sat down at the table again, Heather’s expression was concerned as she asked, “Are you ill? Did you eat something that didn’t sit well?”
All three shook their heads.
Zach rose and got three bottles of water. He set them down in front of Jeff, Scott, and his brother. Zach stayed behind Adam and put his hands on his shoulders. He understood why they threw up—not entirely, but enough to know they were affected because of what happened to Sara and Dan.
Mark reached out a hand and placed it over his son’s hand. Jeff turned his eyes to his dad and received a comforting expression. Jeff returned the expression. Although their fathers didn’t puke their guts out, he could see they were all just as affected by what Donner did to Dan.
Scott raked his hand through his hair. He glanced at Kyle and gave him a wry smile letting his worried and confused brother know he was okay. He then turned and met Heather’s concerned eyes. “No, it’s not food poisoning or any illness. It’s just that we,” he pointed to himself, Jeff, and Adam, “were old enough to remember the accident.”
After taking a sip of water, Scott shared, “Adam and I were seventeen, and Jeff was fourteen at the time. We lost two cousins that day. For Agent Donner to accuse Danny of being the cause of his father’s suicide—that’s just sickening. The Donner’s harmed Danny more than …” he trailed off as the bile started to rise again.
Sensing she touched on a painful memory and they might like some privacy, Heather checked her watch. “I have to be going now. Nice meeting you all. If you need any assistance with the general, please call me anytime.”
“Thank you for coming, Heather. I’ll make sure William knows you stopped by,” Mark said as Heather handed him her contact information.
As Heather left the hotel suite, she made a mental note to alert Lois to Dan’s twin. She sighed as she waited for the elevator. Heather had only met these men, yet there was something about them which made her instantly admire them.
Her intuition told her Dan had a close-knit family who embraced him like his TRF team and Army unit did. They would be there for him as he recovered from his devastating injury. It would be a long, hard road back, but with family and friends like Dantastic had, Heather could see Dan making a full recovery.
Shattered Beyond Repair?
26
July 20
Nick’s Home – 1:00 p.m.
Nick washed the dishes he used for lunch. Another one eaten all alone—unbearable at times. The team wondered why he was always at headquarters. He would never admit this to them, but being at home reminded him of all he lost, and headquarters was full of his family. Here empty and cold—there warm and full of life.
He shook his head. I’m getting maudlin now. Must be because of everything happening with Dan and his father over the past few days. It’s dredging up so many old memories for me.
Nick saw the desolate look in General Broderick’s eyes—one he understood well. The general lost one child and could lose the second one because Dan wasn’t out of the woods yet. Nick sympathized with the feelings which came with the death of a child. The pain of losing Martin never truly went away.
He learned how to live with it—mostly. His constant companion, an ever-present dull ache and emptiness. Though some days it was a sharp and cutting pain as agonizing as the day he moved Janie and found his lifeless little boy filled him. Janie tried to protect Martin with her body—both riddled with holes. Some images burned too deeply in his mind’s eye to ever fully delete them.
He wondered … was it like that for both Dan and the general? The photo of the accident scene with Dan screaming left an indelible mark on his retinas also. If it affected him on an emotional level viewing only a photo, witnessing it first-hand would be …
Nick dried the plate and put it in the cabinet. He understood how an experience so traumatic might twist a child’s mind, especially with the way the general reared Dan. Nick couldn’t conceive of insisting his son only call him sir, but he tried not to judge the general too harshly.
Clearly the general loved his son and recognized his errors contributed to the problem. An ‘if’ seeped into Nick’s thoughts. If only Sara didn’t die, what would Dan’s life be like?
Nick abruptly closed the door on the thought. Should’ve, could’ve, and especially ifs, he wouldn’t think about. Ifs could drive a man to drink. Ifs had dri
ven him to the bottle. Ifs might ruin a life. Ifs had nearly destroyed his life.
As Nick dried a glass, his mind returned to the scene after the general was shot. Dan struggled to breathe and called the general dad without realizing it. The general’s reaction was so heartfelt. Then Dan tentatively tested the word softly once again. His response of good. Dan said good, not fine. There was hope for father and son to reconcile.
The glass slipped from Nick’s hand and shattered on the tile floor as he remembered Dan falling to the ground and the look of utter shock on Dan’s and the general’s faces. Sadly, just as things looked like they might be mended life dealt them another terrible blow. Dan needed to pull through. Father and son deserved the opportunity to reconnect.
He retrieved the broom, swept up the shards of broken glass, and threw the remnants in the trash. Shattered beyond repair.
Nick strode to Martin’s bedroom. He opened the door and strode to the center. Turning in a slow circle, his gaze landed on various things which once belonged to Martin. His eyes stopped on the racecar bed—still brand new. Martin only slept in this bed for less than a week.
Time to put the things away. Martin is gone … he isn’t coming back to sleep in this bed. That part of his life was like the glass, shattered beyond repair. Time to move forward and quit living in the past. He hung onto material reminders of Martin so long. Time to let them go because he would always carry Janie and Martin in his heart … they would be with him always.
He pulled out his phone and made a call. When Jon answered, Nick said, “Hi, I need your help with something before we go visit Dan. I have something I want to give Joey.”
Nick ran his hand along the racecar bed. Joey would like this.
Grand Citadel Hotel – Main Suite – 1:00 p.m.
Glad Heather left, the Brodericks let loose feelings they suppressed in front of a stranger.
Scott raged, “Goddamned Donner! How could he do that to Danny? Danny was just a little boy. His world shattered, and he was an innocent. He was only walking Sara home from the park like a good brother. Then BAM! His world is never the same. Donner took the light from Danny. It’s like I lost two cousins that day.”
Adam clenched his fists and his expression and tone filled with self-loathing. “I feel like I failed Danny twice. We weren’t there for him after Sara. We weren’t there for him for the past year—after Brody.” His eyes landed on Jeff. “He needed us like I needed you and Scott and my parents after Sophia died.”
Ryan looked at his son and softly said, “Adam, you didn’t fail Danny. You were only a kid yourself when Sara died—”
Adam interrupted and angrily shouted, “I wasn’t a kid! I should’ve done something, said something. Not let Uncle Will drag Danny off to the isolated base. I have been there—trained some pilots for cold weather there. It isn’t a place for a little kid! Why the hell did Uncle Will take Danny to that godforsaken place!”
Kyle sent Zach a confused look and Zach’s return look conveyed just listen.
Ryan’s voice became stern yet compassionate, “Adam, you were only seventeen. While not a child, you were not an adult and certainly not equipped to deal with what Danny needed. None of us were. Will and Yvonne did the best they could. They sought out professional help for Danny.”
He turned to his brothers and sighed heavily questioning with his eyes. Time for full disclosure, the boys were old enough now. Mark and Erik nodded their approval, knowing what Ryan asked. Yes, it was well past time they know the full story.
Ryan drew in a few breaths to prepare himself. “What you boys don’t know is Danny would zone out whenever he passed by the damned intersection where Sara was killed. There is no other way to reach their house, so it happened often. Danny never remembered the catatonic episodes. Sometimes they last for days. When he came out of them, Danny would scream incoherently for hours.
“He never slept through the night. Yvonne and Will would put Danny to bed only to have him wake every few hours in terror—screaming and drenched with night sweats. At their wit’s end, Will and Yvonne, at Jasper’s suggestion, tried giving him a mild sedative in his warm milk at bedtime. Only a short-term solution which didn’t touch the root cause of the trauma.
“Danny wouldn’t eat, speak, or respond to anyone except Becca. Danny wouldn’t seek her out, but if Becca toddled over to him, he would pick her up and hold her until she fell asleep or grew restless. Once, Becca shared her oatmeal cookies with Danny. She handed it to him, and he ate it, but it wasn’t enough. Danny was wasting away before our eyes.
“His mind was locked away in a terrible place where none of us could reach him. He didn’t or couldn’t respond to our loving, soft words and shunned all efforts to console him. Sadly, he only reacted to direct orders spoken in a commanding tone. Yvonne couldn’t bring herself to order him that way. William died inside a little every time he ordered Danny to eat.
“Not only were they trying to cope with the death of Sara and watching their son painfully slip further from them, but little Becca was also suffering. Little Becca, was bewildered by it all. She kept calling out for Sara to come play with her. She didn’t understand Sara was gone.
“Every time Becca called out for Sara, Yvonne would tear up. It was so hard for her. Yvonne’s grief nearly consumed her. And if Danny heard Sara’s name, he would scurry into a corner, curl up, and sob uncontrollably.
“Whenever Yvonne tried to embrace Danny to soothe him, he pulled away. The only touch he ever allowed was stroking his hair. Yvonne would sit in the corner next to Danny for hours upon hours stroking his hair as he cried.
“Poor little Becca, she was too young to understand, but at the same time recognized something was wrong. Yvonne spent so much of her time trying to help Danny that Becca didn’t receive the attention she needed. Little Becca cried a lot for her mommy as Ann cared for her. Becca knew Ann wasn’t her mother even though they looked the same.
“It was heart-wrenching for all us. Yvonne’s own health rapidly deteriorated as she stayed up night and day trying to reach and comfort a son who wouldn’t allow her to hold him. It tore your aunt and uncle to pieces. We all tried, we tried so hard to break through to Danny.
“Though we didn’t believe taking Danny away was the best thing, we acknowledged Will and Yvonne were doing what they thought best for all. Both Danny and Becca were suffering—Yvonne and William were suffering too. Something had to change. Sending Danny to the Yukon base wasn’t a decision they made lightly nor without anguish for them all.
“It was based on the advice of experts in child psychology. It was the best option available to them at the time. None of us thought the separation would be so permanent or divisive. If they had only realized, I’m sure they would’ve made other choices—like selling the family home and moving.
“They did try to bring Danny home—many times—especially after the Dupont debacle. But Danny would revert, withdraw, and shut down completely every time they did. Danny never remembered the trips home, either. That is until he was sixteen. We all had hope then, but those goddamned boys at the high school ruined it completely. Danny was lucky to survive that night. If not for Bella and the police officer …”
Ryan trailed off and gazed at his son beseeching him to drop any guilt feelings he harbored and accept there wasn’t anything Adam could’ve done when he was seventeen.
Adam stared at his dad. That was more than he ever knew. But then he never asked because the little he had known was so hard to deal with and so heartbreaking. Though, if he had asked, Adam doubted his parents would’ve shared this with him back then. No—Adam was certain they wouldn’t have.
The thing which impacted him the most was he had never thought about the effect on Becca. She was three and Adam assumed she was oblivious like Amelia, Zach, and Kyle. His voice tinged with sadness, Adam said, “I was aware of the cationic episodes, but I had no clue about all the other stuff. About little Becca.”
Kyle’s mouth had dropped open in shock a
s his uncle spoke. He knew none of this—other than Sara died. His eyes teared up, and his heart broke for his cousins and his aunt and uncle.
Scott bowed his head. He and his sister Vicky were aware of most of this. They were older, Vicky was fifteen, and they spent a lot of time helping Mom out so Mom could help her twin sister that summer.
Vicky regularly stayed home to care for their siblings, four-year-old Amelia and two-year-old Kyle. While he mostly went with Mom and took care of Becca or tried to engage Danny and draw him out. Danny never responded to him—that hurt really badly for a long time because they had been so close before the accident.
Mark looked at his son. Jeff paled, and it appeared he might be sick again. He expressed thoughts he hoped would help his son. “You were all too young to burden with information like this. You were grieving the loss of Sara—that was more than enough for you to deal with.”
Drawing in a breath, Erik confessed, “Part of me has blamed Will for his decisions—for taking Danny away. I’m just now realizing … I’ve been so unfair to William. He tried to do what was best for Danny.”
Erik looked at his sons and added, “As I would’ve done for Scott or Kyle. It was truly a catch twenty-two for William. Keep Danny at home and watch him continue to suffer and Yvonne become ill as she did everything in her power to help Danny. Or take Danny away from us hoping a change of location would help and would be less detrimental to Yvonne’s health. We can’t second guess their decisions in hindsight—it would serve no useful purpose. He needs our support now—not our judgment.”
Mark and Ryan both nodded.
Ryan said firmly, “Erik’s right, that is in the past. We need to focus on the present and the future. Out of darkness, we see the light. What happened to our entire family is a tragedy, but all is not forsaken—we have hope. That’s what we focus on. Listen to me now, we come together. We all help Danny and William find the light, reconnect, and build a father-son relationship like we all have. We are Brodericks. We can do this.”