Sins of the Father (2 page)

“
You do
realise everyone is on set, and if you don’t come out soon they’ll
say the...” He broke off when he saw her. “Al, what’s wrong?” When
she didn’t answer he moved forward and knelt beside her, laying a
gentle hand on her arm. “Alicia?”

She looked at him then,
recognition igniting the dull light in her eyes. “It’s Jack, he’s
been in a car accident. They’re operating now.” Her voice broke at
the end – as if saying it aloud made it real.

“
Oh my God!”
He reached for her hands. “I’m here, sweetheart. Everything’s going
to be okay.” She nodded as he pulled her to her feet. “Come on,
I’ll take you to the hospital.”

He guided her delicate
frame to the sofa and coaxed her down again. “Al, I’m going to get
the car. Wait here for a few minutes.” Fighting hesitation, he
spared one final glance before hurrying out.

She heard the orders he
barked outside her trailer, but the words were muffled, as though
they were spoken under water. She wanted to believe it was all a
nightmare, even if her heart knew it wasn’t true.

When Stuart returned, she
was in the same position; her expressive face frozen in shock. It
scared him so much he wavered again, just for a moment. It reminded
him of a different time, one he didn’t like to think
about.

Instead of dwelling on
the past he manoeuvred Alicia into his car. He didn’t try to talk
to her; there was no point. He settled for what he did best –
giving instructions as if they were running through a
scene.

Alicia gazed across at
him and felt a rush of affection. He was so much more than a
director. He was her friend. She was safe in his hands both
personally and professionally.

“
Thank you.”
The fact that he was needed on set didn’t stop him from taking care
of her. She was grateful for that – grateful for him.

He glanced over at her.
He didn’t need to say anything because she’d seen the reprimand in
his eyes. She recognised it, had been seeing it in some form or
another since the day they met.

With a small smile, she
turned her attention back to the road. It was a mistake. Instead of
finding something to focus on, the scenery became a blur of colour,
forming into memories she was trying so desperately to suppress.
They came at her hard and fast, like the windscreen was nothing
more than a portal to the past.

She could see herself
clearly; the years she had spent in care, the day she managed to
flee from her prison, the time she spent with Eric, and finally the
day she met Gray. Earning her freedom and building a life with him
were some of the best years of her life.

Gray Jackson had been a
father in every sense of the word. He had taken a broken child and
given her the world. Then, just as she was beginning to heal, to
trust again, he was taken from her. It was a cruel twist of
fate.

“
You’re
thinking about them, aren’t you?” Stuart said, making the images
fade and her heartache.

She glanced at him again,
taking in the wild hair that always managed to look unruly, and the
kind brown eyes that were clouded now with worry. “Yes. It’s hard
not to.”

“
I’m sorry,
Al. I don’t know what to say to make this easier for
you.”

Tell me
it’s not happening again.
“It’s okay. You’re here, and that’s
enough.”

Gray and Eric, two of the
most important people in her life, had been killed in a car
accident. A driver, well over the limit, had forced Eric’s car from
the road. He died instantly. Gray made it as far as the hospital.
The source might have been different, but finding out about Jack’s
accident was like an echo of the past.

She looked back to the
road and felt a moment of panic. They had arrived. Riverside
Hospital stood in front of them – its bold beauty a beacon of hope.
That’s how she’d seen it in the past.

The architecture was a
combination of cold metal and warm stone. It fit her imagery of the
professionals who worked within – the sterile yet embracing nature
of all who walked the halls. A virtual wall of glass surrounding
the entrance cast a glow that reached to the far corners of the
footpath. Alicia couldn’t help comparing all the twinkling glass to
the eyes of a beast. They mocked her as she tried to close the
memories away; making her doubt she was capable of distinguishing
between past and present.

“
You have to
find a way to push through the fear, Al. It’s about Jack
now.”

She sighed and reached
out to take his hand. “I know. I just can’t believe this is
happening. I only spoke to him a few hours ago.”

“
Things can
change in an instant. But you know that too.” Stuart gave the hand
a squeeze before releasing it. He stepped out of the car and walked
around to open her door.

As she joined him, Alicia
whispered a silent prayer that it wouldn’t be the last time she
heard Jack’s voice, the last time his laugh would affect her mood
and bring a smile to her lips.

"I'm scared." It wasn’t
hard admitting it to him.

"I know, honey. But I’m
here, okay? Let’s go and find Rebecca. She needs you now.
"

Alicia worked on her
composure as they walked through the hospital. She knew Stuart was
right – falling apart wasn’t an option. It lasted only until she
saw Jack’s wife, pacing outside an empty room. That was all it took
to snap the remaining control.

She ran towards Rebecca
and threw her arms around her, almost winding them both.

"It's going to be okay.
He's tough," Alicia whispered fiercely. "We have to believe he'll
come through this."

"I can't take it, Al,
he's still in theatre. There's something wrong. I just know
it."

"No, honey, don't think
like that. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything." She tried to sound
convincing as she led Rebecca to a seat, putting a comforting arm
around her.

They were almost the same
size, yet they were different in every other way. Alicia, with her
olive skin tone and black hair was the dark to Rebecca’s light –
the milky white complexion and pale blonde hair. She had eyes the
colour of caramel. Alicia’s were a startling blue.

Stuart watched them for a
moment. He took a chair opposite, trying to push aside a feeling of
helplessness when Rebecca broke down. She sobbed into her hands,
struggling with her own vulnerability. Alicia immediately pulled
her closer, stroking her arm in a soothing gesture.

“
It’s going
to be okay, Becky, I promise everything will be okay. He’s going to
make it. He has to.”

She didn’t expect a
response or need one. There were no guarantees. It was simply
something Rebecca wanted to hear; what they both needed to believe
was true. So she sat, offering comfort and reassurance, as much for
herself as for Rebecca.

As they waited for news,
the only sound in the waiting area was Stuart’s hushed tones as he
made call after call. Even Rebecca’s quiet sobbing had ceased.
Without having something to concentrate on, she was unable to
suppress the memories. They broke through her quiet determination
until she found herself travelling back four years.

She had been waiting on
that day too, but instead of the hospital, it was her apartment.
She paced the living room floor, impatient with the wait. It didn’t
occur to her to worry. It should have. Gray disliked tardiness in
others and never arrived late for anything in his life.

She distinctly remembered
the sound of a car pulling up outside, recalled her excitement as
she hurried forward. But where she had expected Eric to come
bounding through the door, she was met by a solemn knock. It was
completely out of place, and even before she saw the two uniformed
police officers, she knew something was wrong.

"How much longer do we
have to wait?" Rebecca cried out in frustration. It brought Alicia
back to the present with a deep sense of foreboding.

She stood; glad to be
able to shake off the memory. “I’ll go find out.” Her glance moved
from Rebecca to Stuart. He still had an ear glued to the phone.
“Give me one minute.”

She went to the nurses’
station and waited to catch their attention. It didn’t take long.
She was recognised wherever she went; it was par for the course.
But the speculative glances seemed so out of place in this
environment that she felt a flush of irritation.

“
Look, forget who I am for a moment. Is there anything you
can tell me about Jack Murphy’s condition?”
Nicely done, Al. That’ll win you some
fans.

“
Perhaps I
can help with that.”

She turned towards the
voice and felt her irritation evaporate. “I’d appreciate that,
thank you, doctor. Jack’s wife is just over here.”

He motioned for her to go
ahead. “Shall we?”

Alicia surveyed his mood
as they walked towards the waiting area. He looked tired and drawn,
but also faintly optimistic.

“
How is he,
doctor?” Rebecca was on her feet the moment she saw them
approach.

“
The surgery
went well. He lost a lot of blood and there are some internal
injuries, but he’s strong.”

“
Oh, thank
God.” Rebecca hugged Alicia hard, laughing at the grunt of
surprise. “Did you hear that, Al? You were right. He’s going to be
okay.”

“
Of course he
is.” Alicia’s relief was so potent she wanted to dance Rebecca
around the room.

“
The next
twenty-four hours are critical, but I’ve every hope he’ll pull
through.”

Stuart was beside them
now. He held out a hand to the doctor. “That’s really great news.
Thank you.”

“
Yes, thank
you so much.” Rebecca made a valiant attempt to pull herself
together. “When can we see him?”

“
I’ll arrange
it as soon as I can.” He smiled kindly at her. “If you have any
questions, I’ll be back in a little while to check on
him.”

They watched him walk
away, each lost in their own thoughts. Alicia still felt the edge
of fear, but it was easier to ignore now that they had
hope.

“
I’m so glad
he’s okay, Becky,” Stuart said, leading her back to the seating
area.

“
It’s good of
you to come...to bring Al to the hospital.”

“
She needed
me so I’m here…for the both of you. It’s in my job description.” He
winked at Alicia. “The shock of it all will wear off soon enough
and she’ll be taking control.”

“
Oh, that’s
nice. Can you say Diva anyone?” Alicia said, enjoying how it felt
to laugh now they had reason to. “Seriously though, Stu, if you
need to get back I’ll call you as soon as we have news.”

He raised his eyebrows.
“See what I mean?”

“
I’m just
trying to...”

“
Relax, Al.
You’re right. I’m needed elsewhere. I’ve already started damage
control but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

Rebecca sighed. “How long
before the vultures descend?”

“
It was bound
to happen. We’ll protect you as much as we can.” Alicia squeezed
her hand in sympathy.

“
Anything you
need, Becky, anything at all.” Stuart stood and they followed suit.
“You too, Al. Call me if you need me.” He hugged them both. “And
tell Jack I said hi, okay?”

“
Done.
Thanks, Stu-pot, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Alicia
smiled when he waved the comment away.

“
Job
description, remember.”

Rebecca’s sigh was
wistful as she dropped down into her seat. “Steady, focused and
dynamic, with the heart of a lion,” she mumbled.

“
That’s one
of his better descriptions. What brought it on?” Alicia was looking
after him down the hall.

“
Just feeling
sentimental, I guess. You have to appreciate what you have,
especially when you come so close to losing...well, you know...”
She shrugged self-consciously.

“
I do, on
both counts.”

She felt a rush of
emotion when she spotted Sarah round the corner; even the sound of
her approaching footsteps was soothing. It was a sound Alicia
recognised. Her best friend had a unique personality - every part
of her was distinctive, right down to the walk.

Sarah held her gaze. The
emotion flickering in them conveyed more than her words ever
could.

“
I came as
soon as I heard.” She pulled Alicia close for a hug, leaving one
arm slung over her shoulders when she turned to Rebecca. “Becky, my
sweet, I’m so sorry about the accident.” Sarah pulled her into
their embrace; squeezing them both hard. “Is there any
news?”

“
He’s out of
surgery. We’re just waiting to see him.” Rebecca’s voice was
muffled, probably because she was tangled up in all of Sarah’s
hair. The mass of curls flowed past her shoulders and seemed as
alive as the woman herself. The colour, a deep auburn, added to the
fiery effect.

“
That’s
fantastic news. I was worried there for a while.”

Alicia
laughed. “
You
were worried.”