Failings of the Fathers: 56

Around a clearing of trees, Blair walked, her heels sticking in mud with each step, so that they had to be pulled loose.  She caught sight of Bitsy, sitting on a rock, with her sketch pad, drawing in the overcast air.  She got as close as she could, without alerting her, and then softly, "Momma?"

Bitsy looked at Blair, and didn't run or react.  She turned back to her pad and continued working.

Blair was cautious, and Ray was close behind.  Blair said, "Momma, please?  Will you come back to Mountainview with me?"

The woman ignored her, furiously marking on her sketch pad with her pencil.

"Momma?"  Blair was almost close enough to touch her, and said, "Can I see?"

Bitsy brought the pad to her chest, as if to hide it.  Blair stood back, and said, "Go ahead.  Finish."

Bitsy did.  She brought the pad down lower, continued to scribble, fiercely, until she finally stopped, and then sat, lost.

Blair said, "Oh, no," aloud, and Ray walked past her. 

Checking her, he said, "She's gone again."

Her pad was still balanced on her lap.  Blair walked over and petted her head.  She said, "Momma," with tears in her eyes, and all she could think of was Todd.  "What were you trying to do, running off that way?"

Ray handed the pad to Blair, and she stared.  It was a picture of Unforgettable, from the back.  The house, the patio, the balcony, all in perfect detail, even the snow pile.  Mixie was portrayed in the center of the drawing, posed in a strange way that made Blair feel uncomfortable to look at.  The pink basket, with its ribbons in the handle, was sitting on the table top by the glass doors.  The rest of the scene was empty and hollow, and Blair looked to Ray.  "What is this?"

"I don't know," he said.  "I believe I know what she thinks it is, but I'm not sure what it means to you or anyone else.  Probably nothing."

"I don't understand."

"She thinks there's danger, coming to get all of you."

"That's crazy, I mean, it's just her fears."

"Likely, yes."

"The poor thing.  She's been through so much.  I can't even imagine . . ."

"Your son, barely walking, abused by the man you're married to?  You probably can't imagine that."  Ray said, kicking at some rocks.

Blair was surprised, and said, "Ray, you're . . . different about this."

"I am.  I guess I've got a special vested interest.  I want Bea well.  It keeps eluding me."

"I'm sorry.  Shall we get her back to the building?"

"She won't come willingly.  I'm positive I need orderlies to help us.  She's going to be dead weight, it's the way it is."

"She comes out of it to draw things.  Is it a message, or is she just . . . I mean, is she delusional?"

"Of course," he said, "and she believes she has something important to say, which she may, but let's face it, she's not a psychic.  It's not like anything she believes is going to happen will."

Blair flashed momentarily on her daughter's birth, the tiny baby resting in Todd's hand.  "Right."

***

Sam was cold.  

It wasn't cold out, he was just cold.  

He was hiding, and he was shivering.  He wouldn't think of Ray, hauled off under the man's arm, his little feet kicking and one shoe lost.  He wouldn't think of Starr, beaten and bloody on the ground, and he wouldn't think of Mixie, lying twisted not far from Starr.  No, he'd never think of any of that.

It's so quiet.  Where's Dad?  Dad.

He couldn't make noise, he just stayed in his hiding place out of sight.

Dad, please come and find me.  Dad, come home.  God, save Starr and don't let the bad man . . . his eyes flew open wider.  HE'S GOING TO HURT RAY, he's going to hurt my baby brother . . . Mom, Mommy.  Mommy, please come home.  Where's Shaun?  Why didn't he help us?  Oh, God, please, Sister Rebecca Katherine said You listen.  Can You hear me?  God?

He heard nothing but silence for a long while.  Soon, Jewel began to cry, and her sobs echoed throughout the backyard, unanswered.

I can't help her.  I can't move.  Something is making me frozen, and I can't come out.  If he's still there, he will kill me.  I want to call Mom, but I can't, or call Dad, but I can't.  My mouth won't open.  Jack.  He'll know what to do, if he just comes home.  Jewel's crying.  The man might hear, and come back for her and me.  I don't want to go with him.  He has Ray.  No.  Mom!  Dad!

He could not open his mouth to scream.

The copter approached the house,  and Jack and Jenna eventually got out on the landing pad above where Sam was hiding.  He and Jenna went into the house.  "Hey, Sam?  Starr?"  No one answered.

Jenna said, "No one's in here."

They both descended the stairs and walked through the front door.  It was quiet at Unforgettable, and the first thing Jack noticed was that the new guy's car was gone.  Second, he noticed the weed whacker up against the house on the left side.  He said, "New groundskeeper.  He's still getting used to the place."

Jenna said, "I'm getting used to you," she said.  "And I like it, a lot," she put her face up toward him to beckon a kiss, and received it.  

He said, "Yeah, you're pretty cool.  Wait until you see Jewel," he stopped.  "Hey, that's sorta weird.  Isn't that her crying around back?  She doesn't usually cry.  It sounds like she's outside."

"Maybe she is," Jenna said.  "Maybe Starr took them outside in the back."

He took Jenna's hand, and they went back into Unforgettable.  He said, "Maybe," and led her through the kitchen to the glass doors.  His face collapsed with horror when he saw Starr, crumpled in a heap, and Mixie, lying very still.  He said, "Oh, shit, what the fuck?" and threw the glass door open.  First, he went to Starr.  He could tell she was alive, but she wasn't talking or moving, and her face was a mess of blood and bruise.  "God, Starr?  Oh, shit!" he muttered, and went to the dog, and could see he was dead; Mixie's neck was twisted in a way that could be nothing else.  He felt faint, and grabbed Jenna for support.  Then he said, "No.  My brothers.  No, Jenna, where are they?  Starr, please, wake up.  God, Jenna, she's all bloody."

Jenna pulled her phone out of her pocket.  "I can call 911."

"No, wait," he said, as Perzno came down the external staircase after disembarking the copter. Jenna swallowed, looking at Jack kneeling next to an unconscious Starr and picked the tiny, crying baby up and rocked her.  "God, please, don't let any more terrible things happen," she said.  There was Starr, so still, even with Jack's prodding.  Jenna began to cry as she cradled the youngest Manning against her heart.

Perzno, barreled toward them to Jack's side, then seeing the scene, and flew back up the staircase on the house to get to the helipad.  Jack came back to Jenna and collapsed to his knees at her side.  "What happened to her?"

"Someone beat her," she said, crying.  "My God."

At this point, tears were streaming down Jack's face, but he made no moves to control or remove them.  

"Where the Hell are my brothers?" he said, lightly stroking Starr's hair.  The copter landed behind him, and the wind from its propellers moved his hair, now back to slightly long, all about his head.  "Starr, please?" he begged.  Jenna was now holding Jewel to her, trying to stop her from crying, but nothing was working.

Without warning, Starr suddenly moved.  She didn't lift her head, she just moved one hand and rested it on Jack's knee.  She said something, very softly, and he leaned down and said, "Say it again, Starr," and struggled with all his might to listen to her.

"He took Ray and . . .  but, Sam," she whispered, and that was all she could get out, before disappearing into unconsciousness again.

He closed his eyes.  Perzno was out of the copter, and Jack, in devastation, lifted Starr in his arms.  She didn't flinch; she was not able to, and somehow, he was grateful for that.  Perzno helped him get her into the back, as he had removed the barrier between the seats, and they laid her down, carefully.  The pilot jumped back into the cab and was already on the radio, calling ahead to Llanview Hospital.  As they disappeared into the early evening sky, Jack felt a sob rack his chest, but he fought it, because he still had no idea where his brothers were.  Was she right?  Did he take Ray and maybe Sam?  Were they here, having gotten away, hiding?  He started to call both of them, and got no response.  

Jewel was crying inconsolably.  Jenna said, "Jack, she's so upset, she won't stop."

He said, "Is she hurt?"

"I checked.  There's not a mark on her, anywhere."

"She needs her bottle, she . . ." he was pacing, wildly, "I have to call my mother, oh my God."

"I'll call Blair," she said and handed the little baby to Jack and grabbed her cell.  He paced wildly with the baby in his arms, and could hear Jenna on her phone.

"Mrs. Manning, this is Jenna.  Fine, Mrs. Manning, I don't know how to say this but, can you please come home?  Now?  Something . . . something has happened."

Jenna didn't speak for a few moments, and Jack, putting screaming little Jewel back in her basket, realized his mother was asking the questions he knew she would.  What's the matter?  Are the kids all right?  Where's Jack?  What happened, Jenna?  Jenna?  Tell me!

"He's right here.  We'll explain more, when you get here, just please, you have to come," and Jenna, not even knowing why, just that she had to, hung up before she got an answer.  

Jack's cell started to ring, and he ignored it, knowing he could never tell her this over the phone.  He kicked the lounge chair over in frustration and started looking around the property for his brothers.  "Where the fuck is Shaun?"  he suddenly blurted out.  Jenna, trying to keep the baby calm, shrugged lightly.

Jack ran to the cottage and opened the door.  Shaun was on the floor, motionless.  He tried to wake him, and couldn't.  For a moment, the idea of losing Shaun, who was a caring father figure to him most of his life, pained his gut.  Then, he touched his neck and felt a pulse.  He's alive.  He took out his cell phone to call 911, and saw that his mother was calling, repeatedly, and he wasn't sure what to do.  He stared at the phone a minute and thought.  

Dad.  

He couldn't help thinking of his father; he knew he was in Europe, with Uncle Aiden and Grandpa, but he just couldn't help but want him.  He wished, hard, for him to just show up and be there, standing at Shaun's door, saying, "Come here, Son," and holding him before taking charge.  But it wasn't happening that way.

He sat, motionless, for a few moments, staring off.  He wasn't sure what to do next.  Finally, he made the choice to answer his phone.  "Mom?"

"Jack, what the Hell is going on?  Where are you and why did Jenna just call me and tell me to get home?"

He could hear the panic in her voice, and he could also tell she was in a moving vehicle.  He was thankful she wasn't driving herself.

As much as he wanted to be like his father, and handle things so his mother wouldn't have to, he couldn't.  He couldn't bring himself to talk, at first.  She repeated, "Jack?"

He swallowed, and when he spoke, his crying was evident.  "Mom?  Please, come home."

Blair was alarmed more than she was before at her son's voice.  "Jack," she softened, realizing her son was devastated. "Jack, what happened?"

"Mom," he said, again, sobbing.

"Oh, God, Jack, I'll be right there."

She'd done it.  She'd let him be a coward and not have to tell her.  She'd let him get away with it.  If he were only there . . .if he weren't so selfish to leave Starr alone. . .

Jenna showed up at the door, holding the basket with Jewel in it.  "She's asleep.  Let's look for the boys, Jack."

He just cried.  On the floor, next to Shaun, who had given him discipline with a kind heart, who substituted for Zeus when he was too busy, who cried about Jack's father's abuse, who picked him up from school when he couldn't take it, who caught him drinking. . .

Jenna put her hand on his head.  She was crying, too, and said, "Jack, let's find your brothers."

He looked at her, and realized how strong she was.  She wasn't like some wimpy girl.  She was luminous and fixed with determination on her face.  He got up, and led the way out of the cottage.  He said, "Call 911 for Shaun," and began to head toward Malcolm's cabin.

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