Part 3

"You feeling OK?" Tom asks.

"Of course I am. A little hungry is all."

"Me too." Tom says. "I wonder if there is any food left."

"Depending on how many of those brownies were eaten, probably not."

"We could order a pizza."

"Pizza, beer, a boy and a buzz--feels almost like being back in college."

"Sounds like fun." Tom says. "Wish I had known you in college."

"I offered to re-act my glory days with you tonight, but you had to go get all stodgy on me," Abby says, the brownies still talking.

"I meant my college days." Tom says. "But that wouldn't have worked either."

"You could have walked me to my first day of school."

"Now that hurt." Tom grimaces.

"Truth bites, huh? Good thing we're both adults now."

"I'll say." he says. "So, what do you want on your pizza?"

"Everything but pineapple and artichoke hearts. I'm starved."

"You've got it." Tom calls in the order. "They'll be here in 30 minutes."

"30 minutes? I'll die before then."

"I doubt that." Tom says. "What if I keep you preoccupied?"

"Not another game of gin rummy...."

"I was thinking on the line of strip poker."

"In the living room while we're waiting for the delivery boy? You do like to live dangerously."

"Forget that." Tom says. "What do you suggest?"

"We could go make butter."

"Funny." Tom says. "Do you want a beer? That is if my number two son left any."

"Yeah, I would. And I wasn't joking."

"Oh?"

"Sure. When I was in college, we used to do it all the time. Put cream in the blender and let 'er rip. And if you take the top off while it's going...." Abby giggles.

Tom rolls his eyes. "That stuff lasts along time."

"Butter? Well, it depends on what you do with it."

"No, Abby. I meant the effects of the brownies."

"Does not. I'm perfectly fine. Maybe just a little...floaty."

The doorbell rings. "That was a quick 30 minutes."

"Maybe it's the cops."

"Not funny." Tom says, He goes downstairs and opens the door for the pizza guy. "That was quick."

"No one usually orders pizza this late." The delivery kid says. Tom pays him and takes the pizza and beer upstairs.

"Munchies," Abby says happily. "You're such a good husband."

"Sure, you say that when I have food in hand." he jokes.

"No, it's the beer that got you the compliment. Now pass it over and no one will get hurt."

Tom hands her a cold one. "I wouldn't want to get hurt."

"That's what you say now, but the day's still young."

"Would you like a slice of pizza to go with that beer?"

"Depends what's on it."

"No pineapple or artichoke hearts."

"You're so good." Abby kisses him and takes a slice of pizza.

"Is it good?"

Abby takes another bite. "I think my tongue's numb."

"Numb?"

"Must have used it too much tonight."

"Talking?" he jokes.

"Among other things."

"The brownies?"

"Them, too."

"Wonderful."

"Yeah, you are."

Tom shakes his head and grabs a slice and pops open a can.

Abby lays her head in Tom's lap and continues eating her pizza.

"Comfy?"

"Very."

"I don't know about you, but suddenly I am sleepy."

"Well, they do say that men tire long before women do."

"Oh now who is being sexist."

"That's not sexism, that's reality."

"Oh really?"

"You're the one who wants to go to sleep, old man. I just want to go to bed."

"I can keep up with you."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Let the games begin."

Abby starts snuggling Tom, but within a minute or two falls asleep.

Tom starts to snicker then just puts his arm around her "You win." he whispers, then is soon asleep himself.

The next morning Nancy awakens to her phone ringing. "Hello."

"Hello Nancy." Tom says. "Sleep well?"

"Hi Dad, I think, I'll no more after my first cup of coffee, how bout you? Sorry I left last night but I had to get home."

"So what was your part in the wing ding last night?"

"They invited me to stay so I stayed."

"That was nice of them." Tom says. "Did they have you bring anything?"

"No I was already there, why?"

"No reason." Tom says. "Well, I'll let you get back to your coffee."

"Ok, bye Dad." They hang up.

Susan comes in. "Well, how do you feel?" Tom asks.

"Awful."

"You didn't make the brownies did you?"

"No, why?"

"You don't want to know." he says. "There's aspirin by the coffee."

"Thanks"

"My pleasure." Tom says.

While Tom is talking to the girls, Abby wakes. She goes to the bathroom and starts to rummage around, looking for aspirin. ~Maybe it was just a bad dream. I didn't really act like that, did I?~ She can't find any aspirin and the thought of waiting in line to see if there's any in the kids' bathroom is too much, so she gets back in bed and pulls the covers over her head.

Tom then takes some coffee up to Abby in their room. He finds her with the covers over her head. "Good Morning." he says quietly.

"Could you not think so loud?" Abby groans.

Tom smiles. "I brought you some coffee."

"Thanks." Abby begins to sit up, winces, and then slides back under the covers.

Tom then hands her the aspirin.

"So you're the one who hid it," Abby says, swallowing two.

"Oh boy, if Tommy could see you now." he jokes.

"You wouldn't," Abby says, very seriously.

"You're right I wouldn't." Tom says. "But is your headache worth what you did?"

"What I did? All I did was eat a brownie from a tray you were holding. How was I supposed to know you'd just stand there with drugs in your hands?"

"I tried to stop you, heck you even wanted more."

"You tried to stop me after I'd already taken a bite, and look who's talking--you're no better when you've had too much to drink. Now that's an example Tommy would love to emulate."

"I'm not the one who got drunk last night."

"No, not last night. But you're complaining that I came on to you last night? Remember who it was who was so drunk he propositioned a woman he wasn't even married to."

Tom suddenly becomes silent. "Oh."

"Oh. Morality's all fine and good until it's applied to you, isn't it?"

"OK, OK. I'm sorry." he says.

"You ought to be. Anyway, last night you were certainly willing to take advantage of the effects that brownie had on me."

"I hate to disappoint you dear, but you fell asleep on me."

"I remember that. I wasn't completely out of it, you know. But I'm not the one who suggested playing strip poker in the living room."

"I didn't mean in the living room."

"Since when do you play strip poker at all?"

"I don't." Tom confesses. "I was just trying to be hip for you."

Abby laughs. "You, hip?"

"Go ahead and laugh." he says.

"Oh, I will. If I wanted hip I would have dated David, not married you."

Tom smiles. "I think that's the nicest thing anybody ever said to me."

Abby leans over to kiss him, then winces when the movement hurts her head.

"Why don't you try and get some more sleep."

"Aren't you going to need help with all the other partiers?"

"So far only Susan has woken up."

"You sure? The others may just be hiding."

"Yeah, under the covers."

"Tell you want. I'll try to get some more sleep if you'll join me. You didn't get much sleep last night, either."

"That's the best invitation I had all morning."

"It'd better be the only invitation you've gotten all morning. Don't go getting hip on me, Tom Bradford."

"Only with you." Tom says as he crawls back under the covers.

Abby kisses him and rests her head on his shoulder. "Good night."

"Yeah, you too."

Abby snuggles closer and goes back to sleep.

A couple of hours later. There is a knock on the door.

"Tom? Tom?" Abby shakes him. "Either my headache's back with a vengeance or one of the kids wants us."

Tom groggily rolls out of bed and opens the door. Nicholas is standing there.

"Nicholas, what is it?"

"Are you sick?" he asks.

"No, what do you need." Tom asks.

"I'm going to go spend the day at Freddie Ryan, at least there they have food."

Tom sees the pizza box on the floor. "Here, eat this."

"For breakfast?" Nicholas asks.

"Why not? It has the bread and vegetables and meat." Tom says.

"Gee thanks Dad."

"My pleasure son." he says and shuts the door and crawls back into bed.

"I can't believe you did that."

"Why not?"

"Pizza for breakfast? You're going to corrupt the kid."

"My dear, before you came, we ate a lot worse."

"I never knew there was anything worse than cold pizza."

"Cold Spaghetti sandwiches."

"Ew. No wonder you were so desperate to get remarried."

"Aw, you found me out." he teases.

"Nah, I knew it all along." Abby gets out of bed. "Now that my headache's subsided, if you want me to fulfil my wifely duties..."

"Bacon and eggs sound good." he smiles.

"You know me too well. You coming downstairs, or should I serve you in bed, o lord and master?"

"I'll come down." he says. "Can't wait to see the rest of the troop's faces."

"Be kind to them, at least as far as the brownies are concerned. Except for whoever brought them, they may not have known until it was too late," Abby says, speaking from experience.

"And I doubt anyone will confess willingly that they brought them."

"They may be nuts, but stupid they're not."

Tom chuckles.

They head downstairs. On the way down Abby whispers in his ear, "I still wish I could have seen you lose some of that stodginess, for a few hours at least."

"I tried remember? The poker?" he mumbles back.

"That wouldn't have worked for hours. Once I lost two or three hands we would have been right back in bed."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

"Nope, I can't. And your attempts are always appreciated."

They go into the kitchen and find Nicholas going through the leftovers.

"Nicholas, would you like some real food for breakfast?" Abby offers.

"Waffles?" he asks.

"Son, I don't think Abby feels like making waffles today." Tom says.

"I guess I'll have cereal then." Nicholas says.

Mary comes in. "Sorry about last night Dad."

Remembering what he promised Abby. "You feeling OK?"

"Yeah, just a headache."

"From eating too many brownies?"

"Tom..." Abby warns. "Nicholas, put away the Happy Zappies--I'll make waffles. Mary, there's aspirin on my nightstand."

"Thanks Abby." She gets some aspirin and takes it. "Dad I only had one, any idea who brought them yet?"

Tom shakes his head No.

"Hmm."

Abby starts making the waffles.

"I just asked, I am not criticizing." Tom says.

"You ate the brownies we brought?" Nicholas asks.

Tom is taken aback.

"You brought them?"

Nicholas nods.

"Oh my." Mary says stunned.

"You took the words out of my mouth." Tom says.

"Do you want them back?" Mary jokes.

Tom rolls his eyes.

"Nicholas, who made those brownies?" Abby asks.

"Freddie Ryan's sister." Nicholas says nonchalantly.

"Wonderful." Tom says.

"She didn't let you lick the bowl, did she?" Abby asks.

"No, they were already made when we took them." Nicholas says. "Freddie's Mom said we could have them."

"She did?" Mary is now more stunned.

Nicholas nods.

"She did? Tom, I think we need to go have a talk with someone."

"I agree, but we don't have any more proof."

"Did I do something wrong?" Nicholas asks.

"No Nicholas." Tom says. "Abby and I will explain it to you later."

Mary is about to comment when she notices Nancy's purse on the table. "Looks like someone forgot her purse. I'd bring it to her but I don't have time today."

Mary is about to comment when she notices Nancy's purse on the table.
"Looks like someone forgot her purse. I'd bring it to her but I don't
have time today."

"I'll do it." Tom says,

"Thanks Dad."

"Not a problem."

Tom picks up the purse and starts for the car.

He drives over to Nancy and knocks on her door.

Nancy is inside looking for her purse when she hears the knock. "Coming!! Hold on!!" She answers the door. "Hi Dad, is that the first thing I've forgotten at the house since I've moved out?"

"Probably not, but that's ok. It gives me an excuse to see you."

"Come on in." She says. "Although it won't be long I have an appointment this morning."

"I won't take too much of your time, but I must say Nancy. I admire your dedication."

"Thank you but dedication to what?"

"Dedication to work, school and this place." Tom says. "I know it isn't easy."

~You don't know the half of it.~ She thinks about the therapy sessions. "Well college being out for the summer helps."

"So what are you going to do with your free time?"

"Therapy, hang out with friends and Noah." She leaves out the hypnotism part of the therapy.

"Sounds busy." Tom says and then looks at his watch. "Well, I better let you go."

"Thanks for stopping by."

"Yeah, well come home when you can." he says.

"Ok." She says.

"Bye honey." he says then leaves.

"Bye Dad." Nancy says after he's gone and then leaves for a therapy session.

After dropping Nancy's purse off. He returns home and finds Abby in the sunroom. "Hi, what are you up to?"

Abby holds up the book she's reading. "Preparing for next semester. How was Nancy?"

"She seemed ok." Tom says and then looks at the book. "You going to take classes in the summer?"

"Of course not," Abby says. "My husband promised to take me away, remember? But I figure if I can get ahead of the reading I'll have to do come fall, it'll be good. It was hard enough, working and school and this house, but when you add on doing publicity for the book, well, I have a feeling I'm going to have to give up sleeping and breathing come September."

"Well, as long as I don't suffer." he jokes.

Abby starts to get angry, but decides she isn't in the mood for a fight. "As long as you don't consider bread and water for dinner suffering, you won't."

"I see you are in a good mood, i'll leave you to your studying." Tom gets up and heads for the study.

Abby follows him. "That I'm in a good mood? My mood was fine until you made that little remark. As long as you don't suffer? You never told me how selfish you are before we got married."

"Abby, I was joking. You were the one who made the crack about sleeping."

"That was about myself. I thought you were OK with this book--with all the things I do, but every time I mention something, you just have to let me know you're not. You know, I think you're envious."

Tom laughs. "Envious? Don't make me laugh."

"Why not? One of us should be, and I'm certainly not."

"I am not envious."

"Your nose is growing."

"Abby, drop it."

"Drop it? Fine. Maybe I should just stop studying and go do some laundry or cook you a meal or something non-threatening like that."

"I am not threatened."

"I haven't seen anyone look so threatened since Elizabeth said she was going to tell everyone in school about where Tommy keeps Wendy Springer's picture."

"Abby, have you read my column today? Of course not, nobody ever reads my column."

"Obviously someone does or Elliot Randolph wouldn't keep it on page 2

"I meant in this house." Tom replies. "You might want to read it."

"I don't think the paper's still around. Tell you what. Why don't we go into the kitchen, I'll fix you a snack, and you tell me what it said."

"Fine." Tom says

They go into the kitchen and Abby starts cutting up vegetables for a salad. "So, what did you write?"

"What did you think I wrote? I wrote about my wife the author."

"You did?" Abby says, surprised.

Tom nods.

"So? What did you write?" Abby asks anxiously.

"I wrote about your book and how proud I was of you."

"Really?" Abby sits in his lap and kisses him. "Thank you."

"So now am I forgiven?"

"Was there something to forgive you for?" Abby says in between kisses.

"Hmmm...maybe I should write about you everyday."

"Nah, you'd run out of material."

"I doubt that." Tom says and kisses her.
 
Elizabeth walks in. She carefully walks out of there.

"I think one of the local dorm counselors just caught us," Abby whispers.

"Oh?" Tom says not paying attention.

Abby laughs and gives him some more reason not to pay attention to anyone but her.

"You do know how to distract me."

"Like that's so hard to do...."

"It's not hard when you are in the room."

"Well, actually," Abby whispers in his ear, and is about to say something more when they are interrupted by another kid entering the kitchen.

"I just wanted a snack," Joannie says. "But I can come back later."

"I wouldn't want to deprive your stomach." Tom says.

"No, really, it's OK," Joannie says, beating a hasty retreat.

"There goes my fatherly image." he jokes.

"I think they have some vague notion of what a man has to do to become a father in the first place," Abby says.

"Abby...." he sounds shocked. "Shall we continue this discussion upstairs?"

"Before dinner? We'll shock the kids."

"Then after dinner."

"Tell the kids it's their turn at KP, and we'll get upstairs quicker

"You're on."

Abby kisses him again.

Nicholas walks in. "What's for dinner?"

Tom sighs.

"We really need that vacation," Abby whispers in Tom's ear, and then gets off his lap. "Chicken," she says to Nicholas. "Want to help me make the salad?"

"OK." Nicholas says.

"Why don't you get everything out of the fridge? We need tomatoes and lettuce and cucumbers and carrots..."

Nicholas does this. "How come we always have salad?"

"You have a better idea?"

"No, I guess not."

A few days later. Nancy is on her way to have lunch after a therapy session, and lost in her own thoughts not paying attention to where she's walking literally bumps into Abby. "Oh no I'm sorry." She kneels down to help Abby pickup what dropped to the ground. "Are you ok?"

"Sure." Abby gets a good look at Nancy. "Are you?"

"Therapy session but I'm ok."

"Want to talk about it?" Abby says and looks at her watch. "Come on, I'll buy you lunch."

Nancy hesitates but finally says. "Ok, I'd love to."

"Where shall we go?"

"We went where I wanted to go last time let's go where you want to go."

"OK. My car's just over there," Abby points.

"Ok." They make it to her car and get in. "How's Gwendolyn been anyway?"

"She's fine as long as I don't let Tommy under her hood." Abby drives them to a nice quiet restaurant.

Nancy laughs at the comment, moments later inside the restaurant. "How have you been?"

"OK. Summer is the calm before the storm--no school, the book's waiting at the publisher's...how's your therapy going?"

"It's going all right. It's been a big help."

"Enough of a help to get you to come around the house more? We miss you, you know."

"I miss all of you too, and I'll come by more." She's about to say something more but hesitates.

"What?" Abby asks.

"Abby, does it mean that one isn't independent if they confide in one of their parents about something?"
 
"I hope not, because if it does, I'm not independent."

Nancy smiles but soon her expression turns serious. "It's about the therapy, she's been using hypnosis to find out about the nightmares."

"Has it worked? Did you find anything out yet?"

"Only that the nightmares are based on something that really happened and that the guy I'm trying to get away from in the dreams is Rick."

"He did do some awful things."

"Yeah and apparently some I can't remember yet."

"Think it has anything to do with the scars on your back?"

"I hope not."

"I still wish we knew where you got them."

"Unless I find out different I'm going to assume they're either from the accident or the earthquake."

"Fair enough."

"Besides I'm sure Dr. Max would have said something that day David and Mary rescued me from Rick, he did examine me after."

"He didn't say anything after the earthquake or the accident, either," Abby reminds her.

"Maybe he didn't think that they were serious enough to mention." Nancy tries to figure this out.

"Same applies to after you were rescued from Rick, then."

"Yeah, but what if Rick did cause them?"

"What if? You keep on like you're keeping on--get therapy, get better..."

~But I'm scared.~ "I will."

"It will be all right, Nancy," Abby assures her. "Whatever happened, it happened. Past tense. All that you have to do now is get past it.  It can't come back and hurt you any more."

"I know."

"Then don't be scared."

"I'll try." She says right before their food arrives.

Abby watches Nancy pick at her food. "I hope you're not on some crazy diet. You've lost more weight than you should already."

"I'm not on a diet, in fact Brad said I need to gain a few pounds."

"Then why are you just picking at your food?"

"I have a stomach ache."

"You're not coming down with something, are you?"

"I hope not. Maybe I can take it home and eat it later."

"OK. Have you been eating poorly a lot lately?"

"I haven't been hungry that much lately."

"Maybe you should see Dr. Max."

"Why I'm sure it will pass."

"Look, you're a model," Abby tries to find some excuse to which Nancy will listen. "Your looks are your job--you can't neglect them."

She thinks it over. "Ok I'll go and see him."

"Want me to go with you?"

"Will you worry less if you go with me and hear everything first hand?"

Abby nods.

"Yes I want you to go with me."

"Thank you. There's a phone in the back--you could call him right now."

"Ok, I'll be back in a minute." She goes to call him and soon returns. "Is today too soon?"

"Not soon enough, from the looks of you."

Nancy's about to argue with her about it but decides not to. "He wants to see me in an hour."

"Then let's finish eating and go."

"Ok," they finish eating and then go to see Dr. Max. After he's examined her. "So what's the verdict?" Nancy asks. "I think it might be nerves." Greg says.

"So what do we do about it?" Abby asks.

"She needs to relax more for one and she can take some of the pink stuff when she gets a nervous stomach."

"That's it?"

"Nancy can I talk to Abby alone for a minute?" Greg asks.

"Sure." Nancy goes to wait in the waiting room.

"Abby when it comes to nerves it can make ailments seem worse than they really are." Greg says.

"Greg, she must have lost 5 pounds in the last two weeks, and she didn't really have them to lose."

"If what I prescribed doesn't work I'll prescribe some medication and something to help put weight on."

"But that's just covering up the symptoms, right?"

"Actually the medication eases the symptoms but she will also need to relax more for it to be fully effective."

"Have you ever met a relaxed Bradford?"

"No I haven't but she has to relax."

"Any bright ideas for how to make her?"

"Her therapist would know more about that than I would."

"Her therapist only seems to be making the situation worse," Abby sighs. "But I'll try to talk to her."

"Making it worse? How?" Greg asks.

"At least she used to eat."

"I want to talk to her therapist."

Abby writes down her number. "Just tell me what you find out, OK?"

"I will."

"OK."

After Nancy and Abby leave Greg calls Nancy's therapist.

"Can I help you?" The therapist receptionist asks.

Greg asks to speak to Nancy's therapist. "I'm Nancy's doctor," he explains.

"Sure just one moment." She gets the therapist on the phone. "Dr. Maxwell?"

"Yes. Look, Nancy was just in here and I have to tell you, I didn't like what I saw."

"What do you mean?"

"She's lost a lot of weight. She's pale, listless--if I didn't know she was seeing a therapist, I'd send her right to one."

"The therapy sessions have been intense but only because we're trying to get to the bottom of something that may be very important and often it takes awhile for things to get better."

"Meanwhile, her health is suffering. There has to be a middle ground."

"If you think it's the therapy that's causing it I can decrease the sessions but it will take longer to get to the bottom of the nightmares she's having."

"No, that's no good, then. But isn't there some way to give her some closure at the end of each session so she isn't so unbalanced all the time?"

She thinks it over. "Yes it will just take more work on my part and that's not a problem at all."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem, is there anything else you need?"

"No, not right now. But I will be monitoring Nancy closely and if she loses any more weight..."

"I'm going to do my part to make sure she gets better but a lot of it will depend on her."

"Well, she's always been willing to work hard."

"But we can't have her working too hard. Before you hang up I have something I've been meaning to call you about."

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't be asking but Nancy said it was ok to ask you. Last Fall after she was rescued from Rick did you notice anything unusual when you examined her?"

"Several things, but I really don't feel comfortable discussing this without Nancy's talking to me about it first."

"Understandable, but if what you tell her has the potential to upset her I'd like to be there if it's ok."

"Yes, that would be fine."

"Thank you."

They say their goodbyes and hang up. ~I'm not going to tell Nancy anything until she gets her strength back. Her health is too precarious for that right now.~

He later calls Abby to tell her what happened.

"So where do we stand now?"

"She's going to work with us on getting Nancy's health back to par."

"Good. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Make sure she's eating regularly and bring her to me in a week so I can check on her."

"OK, I will. And Max--thank you."

"You're welcome, that's what I'm here for."

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