Chapter 257: Joey XI

A/N: Thankies to Jad!

 

 

Chapter 257: Joey XI—She Could be Dirty

 

            Joe had entered the room and he had seen Michele in Mike’s arms. It could be innocent enough, he supposed but something inside him told him that it wasn’t. Yes, she was recovering from knowing that her daughter had been through an ordeal, it was something that could be shattering to the security of a family. For a while last night he didn’t even think Debbie was going to recover when she heard the news. That’s how close it was in a hockey family.

            He had brought his family over today so Jana could heal from being close with his children, so that Debbie could see that everything was indeed alright and Michele would have a close friend with her. Joe wanted to see Patty again, they had lost the game this afternoon and Patrick had seemed in a worse than usual mood about it. He wanted to show his friend that he was there for them.

            Joe saw the hug. There was nothing wrong with a hug, he had given one to Michele when they had come into the house, and he had kissed her on the cheek. The one he was watching now was different. Keaner and Michele were holding onto each other, he gave her a lingering kiss on the top of her head, there was a different tone in her voice and in the way he comforted her. There was intimacy here.

            Joe frowned and thought of the angry sparks Patrick got in his eyes whenever opposing players taunted him with rumor of his wife. Michele stepped away from Mike and she had sparkling, dewy eyes, so did Mike. They exchanged, a brief, playful dialogue and Joe had seen quite enough. He cleared his throat.

            When Mike had left the room, Joe looked at Michele. Her face had initially paled and she had a frightened expression but now her chin was tilted up, her jaw set. “It’s good to be around friends,” she said in a slightly husky voice, “Especially now.”

            Joe nodded. It was innocent, more than likely. “Mike’s a good friend,” he said.

            Michele half smiled, her eyes looked sad, her haughtiness unconvincing. “An old friend,” she said, “is priceless. He may as well be Jana’s second father.”

            He had heard rumors. He was not as uninformed as some people would think him to be. He had always ignored the rumors because Michele was such a consummate housewife, and the rumors were too ludicrous for him to look at her and believe them, to look at fellow hockey players and believe them for that matter.

            “Patrick cares deeply about you,” Joe said, “And what happened. I spoke with him earlier this morning. I want you to know that, in case he’s keeping to himself.” There, that should tell her that she needn’t even glance for comfort elsewhere.

            Michele looked away for a blink and when he saw her eyes again they were half closed and with an odd expression. She half grinned and walked with a loose gait to the stairs, and she sat down on them. She leaned forward, her fingers over her bony knees, the outlines of which jutted through the flimsy material of the dress pants she was wearing. Her chin was pointed down slightly but her eyes looked up at him, large and almost predatorial looking.

            “I know, Joe,” she said in a soft voice he had never heard her use before. “Patrick’s feelings are no secret to me.”

            Joe felt his cheeks redden. She could be dirty, he thought.

            Michele sighed and batted her eyes, she seemed to be shaking off a mood and when she smiled again it was with that normal, cheerful tone he was used to. “There are some beers in the refrigerator,” she said, “Why don’t you get them for you to share with Mike. He would like some yes? And you too?”

            Debbie was close to Michele, one of her closest friends. If Michele were really as dirty as rumor purported to be, he couldn’t conceive of her craving her company. He trusted Debbie’s judgment.

            “How is he doing?” Joe asked Debbie when he grabbed the last two beers from the fridge. Debbie was at the kitchen table with Mitchell.

            “He’s fine now,” Debbie said in a tired voice, “I gave him a sugarpie and some pedialyte. Now Mitchie no more milk! It’s bad for you!”

            “But it’s so yummy,” Mitchell said with blinking eyes.

            Joe smiled and took the beers out of the kitchen.

 

            “Mrs. Sakic!” Jonathan called out from down the hallway later in the day. “Mitchell isn’t feeling well!”

            Debbie frowned and stood up from the couch. Joe watched her slim hips, felt his pulse deepen. “What’s wrong with him?” she asked.

            Jonathan popped his face into the doorway, his hair twirled askew. “Mrs. Sakic,” he said. “Mitchell is in the bathroom and it’s so unholy what’s coming out of his body. I can’t take the smell!”

            “What?!” Debbie exclaimed. “Mitchell!”

            Joe stood up and he held his hand out to Debbie. “I’ll get him this time hon,” he said. “You need to rest.” He left the room and went down the hallway to the bathroom.        Patty was standing outside of it with his arms crossed and his face pale. “The kid said he wasn’t feeling well,” Patty said with a worried face, “And he seems really sick. I couldn’t stay in there, I had Jonathan take over but the boy couldn’t take it either, he needs his mother.”

            “I can do it,” Joe said. He believed he could be with Mitchell in his time of need. He knew he had to be. He opened the bathroom door and was immediately struck with the horror of the situation, the smell, the sight of Mitchell’s desperate face, all of it. Joe grimaced and realized there were things men were never meant to do.

            “Hi daddy,” Mitchell said weakly, “I don’t feel good.”

            Joe gasped and dashed out of the bathroom. “Debbie!” he cried. “Mitchell needs you!”

            “Of course he does!” Debbie exclaimed and she pushed past him into the bathroom. Joe pulled the door shut behind him.

            “Is he sick?” Patty asked.

            Joe frowned. “He had some cheesecake this morning, he’s lactose intolerant, I guess it hit him real hard this time.”

            “Lactose intolerant?” Patty asked and Joe noticed how wide his eyes became. “Really? That bad?”

            “Yeah,” Joe said, “Even a glass of milk seems to set him off these days.”

            “Wow,” Patty said, “Heh… I need to check on Jana.”

            Patty walked briskly away and as he did, Michele passed him. Her eyebrow was lifted and she was looking at him. “Lactose intolerant?” Michele asked. “I thought Patty knew that, how odd. Poor baby, so sad.”

            The door swung open and Debbie staggered out. “I can’t!” she gasped. “It’s terrible!”

            Michele frowned. “Alright,” she said simply, “I’ll do it.”

            She disappeared into the bathroom and Joe looked at Debbie who seemed to be trembling, and her eyes were filled with tears. “Joe he must be really sick.”

            Joe rubbed her arms, “I think he just needs to empty out Debbie,” he said. “The doctor said just to keep him off milk and…”

            “No!” Debbie exclaimed. “We did! It was just this morning, how could he be so loose from just this morning? There must be something else.”

            Joe hugged Debbie to him; “something else” had a name. It was the thing Debbie feared the most that Mitchell might someday develop the condition that afflicted her. The thought had crossed his mind when he couldn’t sleep, late in the night. He couldn’t let Debbie know that.

            He kissed her forehead, “Honey, it’s just lactose intolerance, maybe he ate more cheesecake than we thought, hmm?”

            “He could have,” Debbie whispered. “But Joe I just abandoned him right now! What kind of mother am I that I can’t even be with my own…”

            “Stop it,” Joe said gently, “You’re not a bad mother,” he kissed her chin, “You’re full of love.”

            Debbie hugged him tightly.

            “Eh get a room.”

            Joe looked down and saw Jonathan grinning at them. “Get lost,” Joe said with a smile. “Or just act like you don’t see us.”

            “Jonathan,” Michele called from the bathroom, “Get in here boy.”

            Jonathan cringed but obeyed.

            Now Joe felt a little bit worried and the door opened again. Jonathan came out shirtless, he winked at them and then he was followed by Michele who was holding Mitchell who was wearing Jonathan’s shirt.

            “Here’s your boy,” she said handing over Mitchell into Debbie’s arms. Mitchell seemed pale but he was smiling and he clung onto Debbie. Michele handed Joe a plastic bag with what seemed like his clothes. “And here’s his clothes,” she said. “Burn them.”

            Joe shook his head. An hour ago he had been considering that she could be dirty. And now here she was acting the veteran mother, someone of spotless virtue and dignity.

            “What would we do without you,” Debbie said with tears in her eyes.

            Michele grinned. “Live quietly and die at a ripe old age.”