Quinn sat in the car and stared out the window as Chris manipulated through the early morning traffic,
�So what�s the plan today?� Quinn looked over at her and frowned,
�What do you mean?� Chris turned down the radio,
�Quinn you know I love Mac and I love you too; you can�t keep sitting in the hospital sixteen hours a day. Today, we�re going out to lunch, you need to do something.� She stared at Chris and shook her head,
�Are you crazy? My daughter is hooked up to all kinds of machines and you want me to hang out?� Chris shook her head,
�No, that�s not what I�m saying. I just don�t think it�s healthy for you. I keep watching you waiting on you to collapse from exhaustion or something. I�m just worried about you.� She sighed,
�Well don�t Chris. I�m fine.� She lay her head back and closed her eyes after turning up the radio; making it apparent that the conversation was over.
As she was about to get out of the car her cell phone began to ring and she pulled it out of her purse,
�Hello?� She could see Chris to the side of her waiting,
�Hi Quinn, it�s Kristin. Kevin�s wife.� She smiled,
�I know who you are. How are you?�
�I�m so sorry about MacKenzie. How is she doing?� The inquiry into her daughter�s health made her cry,
�She�s still not breathing on her own.�
�How�s Nick doing?� The mention of Nick only made her mad,
�Hold on a minute Kristin.� She held the phone from her mouth,
�You can go ahead, I�m going to talk to Kristin. I�ll meet you up there.� Chris nodded and got out of the car leaving Quinn inside to talk in privacy,
�Ok, I�m back. Nick is Nick.� Kristin groaned,
�I�m sure he�s having a tough time.� Quinn knew it was pointless to even begin to debate Nick�s behavior with Kristin and her point was proven with Kristin�s next statement,
�Whatever it is, I�m sure he didn�t mean it. Quinn, I love Nick to death. I adore him; he�s a good guy. A little misguided sometimes but he has a good heart and he�s genuinely a good person.� She didn�t want to talk about it with her anymore,
�I have to go Kristin, I need to see Mac.� The last thing she needed was someone validating his lack of interest when it came to being a father to her daughter.
She walked through the door that separated her from her daughter and stopped in the doorway when she saw Nick standing over her. He turned and her breath caught in her throat as he looked at her,
�Hi.� She cleared her throat and walked over to Mac�s bed,
�Morning.� She looked down and ran her finger over her leg,
�How long have you been here?� She could tell he turned and was looking at her but she couldn�t bear to face him,
�I�ve been in here for about ten minutes, I talked to the nurse. After I talked to your mom.� Her stomach dropped. There was no telling what her mother said to him and she was anxious to know,
�What? You talked to my mom?� She shook her head that could be discussed later,
�Whatever, in a minute. What did the nurse say? Did you talk to Diane?� She could see him nod his head,
�Yeah, she said her oxygen intake is getting better but they still don�t want to take her off the machine yet.� She sighed,
�How much better? What about the surgery?� It was all so sudden; it was as if she went from a healthy normal baby to a sickly baby with so many problems,
�The surgery is on hold. They don�t want to put her under with the respiratory problems. Your mom might know more, she was talking to the doctor after she talked to me.� Her mother; he talked to her mother,
�What were you talking to my mother about?� He groaned,
�The same thing your brother and dad talked to me about. I need to be a better dad to MacKenzie. Oh and your fianc�e made sure to tell me that too.� When had all of them talked to Nick? Where was she?
�Well, they have a point.� He sighed,
�Really, your family needs to get off my back. I�m trying here, it�s hard.� She was so sick of needing to give him time and understanding. Her voice raised considerably,
�Maybe if you did what you were supposed to do no one would be on your back." She pulled the blanket up to Mac�s chest and looked at Nick. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she shoved it away,
�Quinn, would you calm down.� She shook her head,
�No, I will not.� He nodded his head and she watched him look down at his feet,
�Look, um I wanted to say I�m sorry for thinking you talked to anyone. I know you wouldn�t do that.� That only infuriated her more, he thought he could just throw that in there quickly and it would be ok,
�You said you trusted me. Said you could trust me because I trusted my friends; that you never had to tell me not to talk. Now you think that I would go to the tabloids?� He shook his head,
�I know you wouldn�t do me like that.� Do him like that? Is he serious? He thought it was all about him,
�Oh my God, give me a break. Who gives a damn about you? I wasn�t going to put my daughter out there like that. She�s sick.� She began to pace back and forth in hopes of calming herself down but it wasn�t working,
�You know something, I am so sick and tired of you disrespecting me. I�ve had it.� He frowned at her and shook his head,
�What�what do you mean? I�ve never-� She let out a spiteful laugh and nodded her head,
�Of course you have. Remember Marnie? She may not have been my friend but she was with me and you messed around with her when we were in Atlanta. You messed around with someone I was hanging out with. Talking about me to your friends on the phone.� He looked confused and she rolled her eyes,
�Oh yeah, figures you would erase that from your memory. I heard you on the phone telling your friends they couldn�t get a black girl like you and you would tell them all about it. Or when we were in Marathon and both Mike and Aaron laughed at me saying how you told them about me you talked about me to them. Do you know how that made me feel?� She shook her head; she didn�t give him time to answer,
�I knew I never really meant anything to you. I know I didn�t because not once have you ever let me know I meant anything to you. Just someone you kept around for whatever reason, sex I guess. For a while, even after the time you spent that weekend with Mac and me I thought maybe�just maybe you did but I was wrong. I was fooling myself big time.� He stood and looked down and she could barely hear him as he whispered,
�You have no idea.� She stopped pacing and stared at him,
�No idea about what?� He remained silent and she asked again,
�About what Nick? I have no idea about what?� He just stood there and shook his head an she gave up,
�No Nick, I guess I don�t.� She leaned down and kissed Mac on the cheek before walking out,
�I�ll come back when you�re gone.� She walked out the door and off to find the doctor. That was it, that was the end of dreaming and hoping that he would come around and step up and be strong.
Chapter 58
Reunited
Stories