All the lines to cross

by Ashish Rastogi

  Stephen hugs me. "Jon, this is a favorable start. You may be back in the team for the start of the season."

  His words don't register. My thoughts are on what I did to Sharon. I must apologize. When I get up to go to her, she has disappeared. We walk over to meet Tom and his team.

  "Thank you, Tom, for this. I don't know how to repay you." I shake hands with Tom.

  "At a personal level, we all want only one thing, Jon. Stop hurting her." Tom does not hide his anger.

  I bite my lip. "Where is she?"

  Tom shakes his head and then turns to me, "You messed up again, Jon. This time there is only you who is to blame and no one can help you. How could you do such a thing to her? She would never think of harming any patient and you were never only a patient to her."

  What can I say? At this moment, I have no desire to talk to anyone. I only want to meet her and beg her to forgive me—forgive me for hurting her again.

  Chapter 47: Running Away

  Sharon

  Thank God, the hearing is over and out of the way. Now I need to escape from here, asap. I hope no one spots me. One person in particular. When Tom and Richard walk over to meet Kevin and Jon, I slip out of the room.

  The moment I am outside, I sigh and purse my lips, trying to loosen the tension in my body. I lean against the wall and close my eyes. Tears threaten to break out but I have to control them. 'There never will be.' The words resonate in my mind. Have I put a stop to this troubled relationship? My heart does not agree. Gosh, I will need a lot of strength to move away from him.

  Someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn and find Nora standing beside me, her arms extended towards me. She hugs me.

  "How have you been, dear?"

  I nod to show I am okay, as my voice will surely betray me. To avoid her eyes, I adjust my coat. Nora reminds me of my immediate mission. Get out of here before Jon comes outside. I cannot hold on to my resolve if he makes a move.

  I sense Nora wants to say something, so I pre-empt her. "Jon will be okay, Nora. We provided good evidence. If you will excuse me, I need to go. A patient is waiting at the hospital."

  Another lie today. God help me, how many more lies will come out of my mouth! I hate lying. I denied my feelings for Jon—I loved him. Though it does not matter anymore. The memory of his door shutting on my face comes back.

  "Sharon, thank you for everything you have done for us. I hope things work out for you and Jon." Nora shakes my hand.

  At those words, the traitorous tear glands start to flood. Before any tears can roll down my cheek, I rub my eyes with the back of my free hand. "Need to go. I am sorry for rushing out on you. You can always call me when you need anything."

  Nora nods and releases my hand. I say goodbye. Thankfully, Nora does not hold me back. I rush towards the exit. The moment I step out, cameras flash and mics are thrust into my face from everywhere. Questions come fast, but my mind is numb. I don’t want to answer any. The news teams surround me. Pinned against the door, there is only one way out for me—to go back inside. I turn and close the door behind me, pausing for a moment to consider my next move. I need to get out of here and fast, or at least hide till Jon leaves the building, taking the news teams with him.

  I notice the restroom on the backside. There is a janitor there. I run to him. "Is there another exit?"

  "Yes, you will find one at the back. Walk straight and then take two left turns. You will be out in the parking lot." The janitor points me to the back.

  "Great, thank you so much." I find my escape.

  Chapter 48: Remorse

  Jon

  I come out of the room, the doors slam back. My eyes scan the area for the one person whom I need the most. My heart sinks, she is not here. Mom is pacing the floor.

  "Mom, do you know where Sharon went?" She points me towards the back. I run as fast as I can. The door leads me to the parking. I hear the hum of her motorcycle—turning towards the noise, I see her ride away.

  When I return, Mom is with Stephen, Kevin, and Tom. Jason has joined them. Mom has tears in her eyes. "I am happy for you, Jon."

  I should be glad, but I am not. My heart is crying for her. Mom senses it.

  "Jon, you have to do everything to get her back. You misjudged her and pushed her away. She is a girl with high morals. She would never consider harming anyone."

  Mom narrates the conversation on the phone when they were trying to get her to Boston to operate on me. Sharon risked her reputation to fix my leg. When everyone gave up on me, she took it up as her mission. It makes me sick.

  Every step of the way, she has supported me—even when we were strangers. What did I do in return? Pushed her away at the first sign of trouble. Up till today, my stupid mind had convinced me, it was her fault. I tried to rationalize my behavior towards her using this as a justification.

  By ignoring her pleas and not giving her a chance, I inflicted the deepest wound on the woman close to my heart. In doing so, I lost her trust. I am no different from the other men who caused her pain in life. How wrong I have been all this time! I have broken her and broken the only true relationship I ever had. The climb from this pit is going to be long and hard. The toughest play of my life.

  For the next few days, I try to reach out to her. She does not answer. She does not respond to a single text message. I try meeting her at the hospital. It is eerie—everyone looks at me with imaginary daggers, ready to strike me down.

  One day, I request Betsy. She ends the conversation with a curt reply and hangs up on me. "Jon, please don't ask me. I had warned you, but you cut her heart out." Tom also refuses to help.

  The church has a guard to keep me out. He has specific instructions to not let me inside the building. I go to her apartment, only to find she has moved from the place.

  All my attempts fail. The misery rubs in as time passes. Every day is a shit hole, sucking me deeper inside. I drink during the day, trying to drown myself in my sorrow and wake up every day with a headache—I deserve the pain.

  I destroyed the greatest gift life gave me. No woman had ignited the passion the way she did. Up until her, women hung on me for fame and money. Sharon was different—she didn't want anything for herself. She was the only one who cared about Nate and me.

  What a douche bag I am? The only reason she had walked away from me after the surgery, was to protect Nate. What woman would put my son before herself? I had ruined it for me and Nate—the chance of happiness in our life.

  Emily and Mom express their helplessness. Emily does not hide her anger. When I request her to speak to Sharon, she refuses. "You need to walk out of this hole yourself," she shrugs me off. Even Nate avoids me. He spends most of his time with Mom. I am lonely. Alcohol is the only thing that numbs the sadness.

  After a few weeks, Mom joins Jason and Kevin to confront me. "This is how you will repay her?"

  "How does it matter? She hates me." I keep slouching on the sofa.

  "You deserve it Jon, but this is not the way to deal with it. You don't train or go to medical reviews. The pre-season starts in a month." Jason shakes me by the shoulders.

  I shrug off his hand, "I don't want to play. Every time I walk, my mind goes back to her and how I ruined everything,"

  "Stop moping around, Jon. Get a hold of yourself. Do you even read what people are saying? They are accusing her of sabotaging your career. The only way you can redeem her self-respect is by going out there and playing the best game of your life." Jason shows me his phone.

  I read the article on my injury and the comments below. The trolls are still after her. Interviews and articles are questioning her expertise. Some go as far as calling her incompetent.

  What have I unleashed on her? I rub my face with my hands. "What should I do? How do I stop this? How do I stop people from hurting her? Please help me make this go away, at least for her. She deserves better. Someone better than me."

  Jason sits by my side putting his arm around me. "Let me give you a little bro advice. Get your
butt on the field and play. Show the world what an efficient job Sharon did with your leg. Your plays with the ball should shut those haters. Tell those a-holes, she put you together and not the other way. Shut those trolls for good. Fight for her honor man. Fight for her."

  "But before that, you need to do something else," Kevin says with a thoughtful face. He has something on his mind.

  At night, as I lie in my bed, I ask for forgiveness from her and God. I pray as I have never done before. "God, please show me the way to her heart."

  Chapter 49: The Confession

  Jon

  Kevin came up with the idea. I was reluctant because the mere mention of her name makes my blood boil. Forget being in the same room. I could kill her. After a lot of thought and discussion, I agreed. This is the best shot of getting to the truth. A long and hard climb, necessary to clear Sharon's name.

  "I was waiting for you to come crawling back to me once you got over your stupid crush over that good-for-nothing doctor." The words slither from her mouth.

  I smile at Naomi, raising my glass of wine to avoid saying anything. Even though I hate every moment of this evening, I need to keep up the act. I need to put on my best game face. Keep the end in mind, Jon, I keep reminding myself.

  "Tell me you missed me and I will forgive you, honey," she coos, holding the wine glass near her lips.

  What a slut.

  "How about I show you how much I missed you?" I lay out the bait. She bites it. We move to the room I have rented out in the hotel. Once inside, she is all over me. How much I hate kissing her, ugh. I avoid her lips for as long as I can.

  When she locks her lips on mine, the touch is empty and bitter. I want to puke. Instead of pushing her away, I move my mouth to the side.

  In desperation, she pulls at my shirt and pops the buttons. I start whispering filthy words in her ears, getting her into a frenzy. After having spent a few nights with her, I am aware of her mind map. She is a sucker for cussing. They trigger her hormones making her horny and lose all sense.

  Her clothes are off and she stands before me. She wriggles her finger at me, "Are you going to stand there like a statue all night or will you show me how hot you are for me?"

  God, how much I hate doing this! Ever got that creepy sensation when you see a snake slither? An anaconda is slithering over my body with her lips and fingers creeping my skin. Dazed in lust, her breaths are shallow and rapid. A sign she has lost her senses. It is time I make my next move. She opens the buckle of my belt and pulls the zipper down after popping the button of my jeans.

  "Oh, Sharon! Yes, fuck me, honey!" I bite my lip as the words come out, emphasizing Sharon's name. I peep through half-closed lids. My words trigger the desired reaction.

  "You bastard!" Naomi screams, "You are still not over that bitch!"

  My grip on her hand tightens at those words. I try to hold my nerve. If she goes a step further in insulting Sharon, I will snap her into two.

  SLAP! The sound and sting of Naomi's hand on my cheeks brings me back to reality and my real task. Naomi is a raging serpent by this time. She hisses her words out loud.

  "You and your shitty girlfriend are in big trouble. Wait till she is behind bars and your career lies in ruins."

  I bite my lip and clutch the sofa, squeezing it tight. This slimeball is testing me, but I need to hold it in for a bit longer. My smile infuriates her.

  Naomi lashes out at me, "We should have done more than fudge the records or change the samples. I should have listened to Noah, so he could get her into his bed. Would those pictures have flushed that tramp out of your head?"

  God, to what lengths will this woman go to get her way? I lick the blood trickling down from my cut lip. My hands clench into fists. I have the information for which we put this entire operation together. There is no need to put up with Naomi anymore.

  "I suggest that you leave, and never compare yourself to Sharon. You aren't worth the dirt on her shoes."

  Naomi raises her hand again, but this time, I swat it away. She goes tumbling to the floor. She gets up, cursing me, grabbing her clothes and putting them back on. "This is not the last time we meet. I will ruin you, Jon. Wait and see." Naomi slams the door to the bedroom.

  A short while later, another door slams shut, a sign that she has left. I smile staring at the mirror and button my shirt. When I move to the living area, Kevin and the detective come out from the other room where they had been hiding and recording everything. With the help of a private detective, Kevin and I set up an audio and video recording system in the room. I had a mic on me, hidden in a button on my shirt.

  "Do you think this will be enough to convince a judge? I want that woman behind bars and ruined for life," I ask Kevin.

  Kevin turns to the detective. He nods.

  "Let us see. I am sure she will put up a solid defense, but the cops will be interested and with a little interrogation, she will crack. We also have another name now. If we play our cards well, one of them will confess."

  "Okay, do everything you can to send Naomi to the gutter." I turn and walk out to the balcony. The cold breeze calms my nerves, taking away the heat and the pain.

  Kevin puts a hand on my shoulder, "You are not happy."

  I sigh. How can I be happy? This is a yard gained on the first down. Plenty of plays need to fall in place before my girl comes back in my arms. I want Sharon and will give up anything to make it happen.

  Chapter 50: Broken Arm

  Sharon

  There are five missed calls from Nora when I come out of the OR. I am worried. Before I can dial her number, my phone rings again.

  "Sharon, are you at the hospital?" Nora's voice is taut.

  "Yes. Why, what happened? Is everything all right?" Nora narrates everything on the phone. She is on her way to our center with Nate. He fell while playing football at school. His right forearm is swollen. Nate's cries echo in the background. "Bring him to the emergency. I will ask Richard to have a look. He specializes in pediatric injuries."

  I speak to Richard and alert the ER. With every minute my control over my nerves loosens. It will be difficult to keep my focus. My busy schedule today helps to keep me some semblance of calm.

  Jon will be here, the only way I can avoid him is by not meeting Nate. We haven't spoken or met since the hearing. NFL investigated the sample collection procedure. The police had become involved. They arrested a few people at the lab.

  What surprised me the most was Noah's arrest. He had worked his way to gain access to my login details through a gullible assistant in our IT department. I had a fair idea of how Noah managed his devious plan when I came to know about the assistant's name. The innocent girl was drawn into this to malign me, oblivious to Noah's designs. He got what he deserved. No practice is going to touch him. One dark chapter of my life is closed.

  The NFL withdrew the case against Jon and retracted his suspension. A criminal investigation is underway on Naomi. Jon sued her. But none of that matters. What he broke between us, he cannot fix. Not by a call, text message or a meeting. It will be best for me if we do not meet today or ever, for that matter.

  I make sure Richard fills me in once he has examined Nate. I hate myself for doing this because of the way things panned out with Jon. There is no point in letting Nate become fond of me if there is no future with Jon. However, fate has a mind of its own.

  The call from Richard comes while I am busy examining my patients. Nate is not allowing anyone to touch him. Nora is requesting my presence.

  Well, that does it for my resolve. I can't let Nate suffer because his father is a jerk. When I enter the ER, Nate is screaming with pain. Tears keep rolling down his cheeks.

  "Hey boyfriend, got yourself a nasty blow?" I try to humor him, but he turns his face away from me.

  "I don't want to talk to you. You never come to meet me. You did not come to my birthday."

  Nate's voice breaks between sobs.

  Nora tries to calm him down. I take his face in my hands
and wipe away his tears. The hurt and longing in his eyes break my heart. "I'm so sorry, Nate. I have been busy. Don't be angry with me, please. I promise to make it up to you."

  He hugs me, using his good arm. I can only sigh as I caress his hair. There is no point in letting my emotions get the better of me. I am here with a purpose. Help Nate deal with his injury.

  "Can Dr. Richard and I examine your arm?"

  Nate allows me to take his arm out of the sling. Richard examines him and we get an x-ray done. The x-ray shows a hairline fracture to the radius. Thank God, the injury is away from the growth plates. It takes a lot of convincing to give him an analgesic injection. I divert Nate's attention by asking him about how he got injured.

  The kid should be in a drama school. He narrates the entire sequence of events right from the time he entered his school. I indulge his animated talk, interjecting with my Oh’s and Ah’s. Richard puts a cast to immobilize the forearm. He prescribes analgesics and asks Nora to bring Nate back after two weeks.

  Nate is not happy. "How long will I have to wear this thing?"

  "Maybe for a month."

  His face drops at my words.

  "You can make this fun. Ask your friends and cousins to write on your cast. You can keep the cast as a trophy with the messages. Let me show you." I take out my pen and write a message, ending with a big smiley. It makes him happy. He shows it off to Nora with those adorable dimples adorning his face, reminding me of his father.

  "Will you meet me when I come here?" His innocent question brings me back to my biggest worry. It is only now that I realize Jon is not here.

  "Your father is not here?"

  "He is in Chicago, playing a match. He will be back tonight." Nora responds to my question, understanding my predicament. She assures Nate. "Don't worry, Nate. I will bring you to the check-up. I am sure Sharon will have no problem with meeting us."

  I thank her with a nod. However, Nate has other things on his mind. "Did you and Dad fight? Are you not Dad's girlfriend anymore?"