The Units
Page 40
Chapter 22
It was early, really early. The morning sun was poking through the small crack Tatum had left in the curtains. She preferred to wake up to the sun, rather than the obnoxious buzz of an alarm. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over, as she always did, to lie quietly for a moment in the spot where Jake used to lay. His smell was gone, but she would forever feel his presence.
Having satisfied her need to remember, she got out of bed and pulled her stretchiest yoga pants up and over her very pregnant belly. Her morning runs had turned into morning walks.
She pulled the curtains fully open and enjoyed the warmth of the July sun, already able to tell that it was going to be a hot one. Her hair pulled back out of her face, Tatum splashed herself with water and then quietly pulled on her runners and opened the farm's front door. Months of practice meant that the screen now closed with a gentle bump. She walked down the long lane that led out of the MacKinley's yard and down the rural roads that she'd come to know like the back of her hand. The weather brought back memories, and as the sweat descended down her face she thought about the last year. No year had ever brought her so much joy combined with so much heartache.
Walking was difficult, but the sounds of the Saskatchewan fields had become a source of solace for her, like morning meditation.
.
When Tatum returned to the farm, the rest of the family remained sleeping. She had risen and walked even earlier than usual, knowing Monday was always the day she went to have coffee with Milligan. Tatum showered and dressed and then looked in the mirror. Her previous up-town trendy appearance now replaced with the healthy glow of pregnancy and the wisdom of experience and suffering. She crossed the hall and kissed Brady gently on the forehead, being careful not to wake him. Then, she laid on the nightstand a note.
"Brady, I went to have coffee with Milligan this morning. I will see you right after work. I love you. Tate."
Never again would she allow Brady to wonder where his parent was or when she would return.
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"Good Morning Milligan," bellowed Tatum as she neared the front porch where she saw her old friend rocking in his chair and waiting anxiously for her arrival. "Morning Jennie. Morning James," she continued as she called in the front door before she took her seat.
"Morning Tatum," she heard Jennie call back from the kitchen.
Being reunited with his family had given Milligan a new perspective on life. He and Jennie had a lot of recovering to do, and they wanted to start their new life together in a new space. They’d bought a small house a couple of blocks over from Regency Apartments, as he wasn't yet ready to give up completely on his position as manager. It was a turn of the century home that had been refurbished and suited Milligan perfectly. Its best feature was the quaint front porch, perfectly suited for coffee with friends.
"So, you all ready?" Milligan asked glancing at Tatum's swollen abdomen.
"I think so. I don't know. Can you ever be completely ready?"
"How's Brady. I bet he's excited?"
"Oh yah. He asks every single day when he's going to get to meet his new brother or sister."
As had always been the case, Milligan and Tatum chatted about everything that was important to them and also about nothing at all. When the conversation started to wind down, James and Jennie appeared on the front porch, James with his lunch-kit in hand.
"Ready Buddy?" asked Tatum.
"Yath," responded James, in his still difficult to understand mumbly voice.
As she did every morning, Tatum helped James to her car for the ride to WMI.
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"Morning Lisa," Tatum called out cheerfully as the Research Unit desk clerk buzzed her and James through to the secure side of Unit Six.
James ran his awkward run toward the elevators he'd come to know so well. He knew at the bottom of the elevator was his second home, the place where he had friends and things that he liked to do. Tatum followed him, letting him lead the way. James pushed the button and the unlikely friends rode the elevator to the Treatment Center that now completely filled the bottom floor of the Unit Six building.
"Good Morning Amanda," Tatum said to her trusted assistant.
"Good morning Dr. O'Neill. Today's the big day, hey?"
Tatum nodded. She knew her assistant was referring to her meeting with the provincial directors for the mental health society.
"Cummon Tate!" called James, anxious to share his joy with his biggest supporter.
James led Tatum through the rooms of social events and activities she had organized as facilities for her day-time residents. Some of her Center participants still remained full-time residents, but Tatum's primary goal was to give them the skills so that they could stay with their families, or make other choices about how their lives would unfold. No-one in the WMI Treatment Center would ever sit alone by the window twiddling their thumbs, as long as she had anything to do with it.
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"Well, I guess it's time to go," Tatum announced to the group of patrons she was sitting with when she glanced at her watch.
"Bye Dr. O'Neill!" they all called out happily in unison.
Tatum walked outside and stopped to pause as she caught her breath in the heat. She smiled and then continued over to the Administration Unit where she would meet the team of provincial directors. She made sure that she would be the first in the board room where her WMI internship had all begun.
After making certain Marja had prepped coffee and snacks for their visitors and decaf for Tatum, she waited.
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When the provincial directors arrived, Tatum felt more calm and together than she had ever expected. The sad experience gained over the previous year had aged her in a good way.
"Dr. O'Neill?" asked the elderly man who entered the room first.
"Yes. Please come in. We've made coffee for your visit."
The directors, the elderly man and two middle-aged women, made polite small-talk while they grabbed some refreshments and they each took a seat.
"I'm sure you're wondering why we've come," started the elderly man.
Tatum nodded.
"We've come because we've heard about your work with the Treatment Center."
Tatum nodded again.
"We also, of course, heard about your bravery and smarts over the Unit Six E fiasco."
More nodding.
"Your internship is now complete, correct?"
"Yes sir. Technically, I'm not an employee here anymore. I'm just giving myself a small income from the Center's grant funds until I can find something more permanent."
"Well, we would like you to quit looking."
Tatum looked at him, unsure of exactly what he was saying.
"Pardon me?"
"We would like to offer you the Directorship of WMI."
"Like a permanent position as the Director of the Treatment Center you mean?" Tatum said hopefully.
"The Center, yes. But also everything else. We want you to run this place."
Tatum was stunned.
"The whole institution?" she said in disbelief.
"Yup. What do you think? You would, of course, get the full salary and benefits package that our previous director had."
Tatum knew he meant Dr. Fraser, and that, even without the unscrupulous padding of his salary for his work of malice, his salary had been more than generous.
"I'm not sure I'm qualified," she stated knowing full well the management side of her CV was less than stellar.
"We think you are and that's all that really matters, right?" said one of the women who had said nothing to that point. She smiled a kind smile at Tatum.
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Tatum left the meeting the new Director of WMI, official immediately. She wasn't sure what to do next, but she thought she'd start by inspecting the Director's office, a gigantic step up from the small dark rectangular janitor's closet she'd be moving out of.
She admired the large windows and the soft yellow light provided by the Saskatchewan sun that was fallin
g over her new workspace. She thought about her first day at Regency Apartments and how she'd fallen in love with the open space. She looked out the window and sat in the warmth of the cheery colour. Tatum lingered on the comfortable office couch that remained from Directors gone past, enjoying the heat of the late morning sun on her very pregnant belly. She felt the person inside her kick, and then a tremendous wave of muscle tension like she'd never experience. Tatum knew immediately what was happening and waited anxiously, just to ensure there was another. She waited for three and then picked up the phone.
"Sam?"
"Yah."
"It's time."