House Calls
Part 3
Tom takes the food inside. "Come and get it."
Meanwhile upstairs Nancy hears him and hopes he remembers she can't go
downstairs.
He leaves some of the food on the table and takes Elizabeth and Nancy's food
upstairs.
"You two hungry?"
Elizabeths nods.
"Famished."
Tom hands them their burgers.
"Thanks Dad." Elizabeth says.
"Thanks." Nancy says.
"No problem." he says. "I better go check on the others."
Abby sits by the window with her eyes closed, trying to stop the room from
spinning.
Tom is surprised not to find Abby in their room and goes looking for her.
"Abby?" he says quietly when he walks in his study. "I thought I told Mary
to help you upstairs."
"I told her to just leave me here," Abby says quietly.
"Honey,what can I do?"
"Just give me a few minutes; I'll be fine."
"Maybe we should call Hilda."
"We're going tomorrow, remember? If we can find anyone to stay with Nicholas."
"No if, I thought we decided to take him along."
"I've been thinking about that. You know how worried he gets. He thinks he's
going to lose me, too, anytime I sneeze."
"Abby, he has regular checkups.We will tell him that this one is too. You
are not backing out."
"No, I'm not," Abby agrees. "But maybe you stay here with Nicholas and I
can take a cab."
"If I didn't know better, I would say you didn't want me to go with you."
"No, that's not it at all. I just don't want to have to go bring Nicholas
back from somewhere again."
He nods in defeat. "You promise you'll tellme everything?"
Abby is a little hurt by his lack of trust. "You can call Hilda if you don't
believe me."
"Abby, thats not what I meant.............it's just Nicholas isn't the only
one who's afraid he's going to lose you." hesays quietly.
"I'll tell you everything," Abby sighs. "Could you help me upstairs?"
~Foot in mouth again.~ "Sure.."
"Thanks."
Tom helps her upstairs and gets her situated in their room.
"I'm going to take a nap now, if you think I can be left alone."
Tom just shakes his head and leaves.
Currently in the kitchen: "It's good to have you back Nicky." Mary says.
"You missed me too?"
"Of course I missed you what kind of question is that?"
He shrugs.
"Did you have fun at David's?"
"Yeah, we watch TV ate popcorn."
"David's a fun brother."
He nods.
Mary returns to eating.
"Are you OK?" Nicholas asks.
"No, I got the Sunday Night before Monday Morning blues."
"Oh."
"And there's no cure."
"I can make you a peanut butter and jelly bean sandwich.'
She smiles. "I believe that will help lots."
"OK." he smiles and makes her the sandwich
She gives him a hug and then eats the sandwich.
Tom goes to the study and grabs one of the liquor bottles. He is about
to pour himself a drink until the anger wells up inside him and he throws
the bottle against the wall.
As tired as she is, Abby has trouble falling asleep, so she curls up on Tom's
side of the bed and hugs his pillow.
Tommy rushes in and sees what has happened. "Dad, are you OK?"
"No, son I am not." not saying anymore.
After a long pause Tommy starts picking up the pieces
"Thanks Tommy." he says and leaves the study and goes back upstairs. "Abby,
I was a jerk again, I'm sorry."
"Let's just forget it, OK?"
Tom nods. "Mind if I lay with you?"
"It's your bed too."
Tom lays next to her and gently takes her hand.
Abby allows this but doesn't encourage it.
Nancy hears the bottle break and decides to brave the stairs.
Tommy sees Nancy. "Nancy get back upstairs."
"But I heard something break."
"Just a bottle."
"But I have a feeling it's more than just a broken bottle." She slowly heads
for the study.
"Nancy..it was just Dad letting off some steam."
She is stunned, "but Dad doesn't break things like that."
"He's human."
"Somebody should go in there."
"I'm cleaning it up, Dad went upstairs. Where you should be."
She sighs and heads back upstairs. Once up there she knocks on her
parents door.
"Who is it?" Tom asks.
"It's Nancy, is everything ok?" She asks.
Tom opens the door. "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
"I heard something break, Tommy told me what happened."
"Everything's fine now honey, don't worry." he says. "You need to get back
to bed."
She's about to protest but changes her mind, "Goodnight." She heads back
to her room.
"Goodnight." he says to her.
"Goodnight."
"Would you like me to order a limo instead of a cab in the morning?" Tom
asks when he comes back to bed, trying to break the coolness.
"Whatever."
~Count to ten Tom, shes just scared.~ Tom thinks. ~But hey I am too.~ he
reminds himself.
Abby extricates her hand and rolls away from Tom.
Tom gets up. "You know, you are not the only one who's scared here."
"But I am the only one being treated like a 4 year old. Do you really think
I wouldn't go to Hilda? All along I said I would keep this appointment."
"And I believe you."
"You didn't a little while ago."
"All I asked was that as soon as you found out, you call me...thats all."
"No, you also said it sounded like I was trying to back out of going."
Tom remembers the conversation. "You are right. I am sorry."
"It's OK. I ought to have expected it."
"Expected it?"
"When you're scared or upset you lash out like that."
Tom nods ~You don't know the half of it.~ he thinks of the earlier incident
in the study.
"I know that about you. It shouldn't bother me any more."
"But it does."
"Yeah."
Tom shrugs. "What can I say? I'll try to watch myself."
"Haven't you been already?"
"Yes, but i slipped."
"You're allowed to--you are human."
"Why when you say that..it sounds humiliating."
"What?" Abby says, surprised, because she meant to be conciliatory.
"Never mind...I am exhausted and don't know what I am saying."
"Maybe you should nap--even if you aren't as old as Kenny P's grandparents."
"Cute."
"Of course I'm cute. That's why you married me."
"That and a million other reasons."
"All of whom are named Bradford?" Abby teases.
"A million Bradfords? What a thought."
Abby laughs.
"We could control the city with chaos." he jokes.
"Forget the city--you could get yourself elected President of the United
States."
Tom laughs. "I can't get eight Bradfords to listen to me, how in a world
would a million?"
"They'd vote for you just to get us to move to Washington."
Tom laughs.
Abby laughs, too.
He then hugs her.
"So the fight's over?"
"I hope so."
"You're the one who started it, so you should know if it's done."
"Hmm..I think we fought enough to make up..What do you think?"
"You have a one-track mind."
"When it comes to you, of course."
Abby laughs. "And I love you for it."
"Good." he says. "Even though I can be a neandrathal sometimes?"
"Sometimes that cave man bit has its appeal."
Tom laughs."I think I still have my club in the closet."
"Later on I'll go dig it out."
Tom smiles. "Shall we try and get some sleep?"
"I certainly plan to."
"Me too." he says.
Abby kisses him. "Good night."
"Goodnight." he says and turns out the light. He lays awake most of the night.
Once her Dad is back in his room she goes to the bathroom. ~If everything
is ok then why does he look so worried?~ She covers her mouth as she
suddenly coughs and is stunned when she sees drops of blood on her hand.
She quickly cleans it up and heads back to bed. ~Ok no more going downstairs.~
"Goodnight." She says to Elizabeth before she tries to fall asleep.
"You OK? What was that noise?"
"Yeah I'm ok." She tells her what she found out.
"Dad?"
She nods. "He said everything's fine now, but I'm worried about him
and Abby."
"Me too, but worrying isn't going to help them."
"I know." She says.
"There's nothing to do except just hope for the best."
~While this family falls apart?~ "Yeah."
"Goodnight." Elizabeth says.
"Goodnight." She turns on her side and tries to go to sleep but her
aching ribs and more coughing keep her awake a few hours more before she
finally zonks out.
The next morning Nancy awakens and discovers drops of dried up blood on her
pillow case. She turns the pillow over to cover it up. ~I'll
be fine, and I can't tell them now. Let's wait to see how Abby is.
Besides I feel ok now.~ She lies to herself.
Joannie comes in to take breakfast orders. "Good morning."
"Good morning, hey you forgot us last night."
"I didn't get back until really late. I can go get dressed up now, though."
"It's not too much trouble is it?"
"For an actress to perform? Never!"
"Then you have an audience." Nancy says to her.
"Want breakfast first?"
"That's ok, I'm not hungry."
Joannie looks at the other bed. "Where's your roomie?"
"In the bathroom."
"Oh, OK. I'll just ask her before I start."
"Ok."
Joannie goes to ask Elizabeth about breakfast.
Elizabeth comes out of the bathroom holding her head "Only if its Tylenol."
"I can boost some from Abby if you want."
"No, don't disturb her." Liz says
"I could chase down Dad instead."
"OK."
While Joannie's gone. Nancy changes the pillow case and throws the
other one in the hamper and hopes that she's done with the coughing.
Joannie goes off in search of her father.
"It's open." he says from the study.
"Hey, Dad. Elizabeth wants to know if--are you OK, Dad?"
"You came down here to tell me Elizabeth ask if I was OK?" he asks confused.
"No, she wants Tylenol. I want to know why you look like you do."
"There's some in my briefcase." he says. "And what is wrong the way I look?"
"Nothing if you aren't being audited, found out you're losing your job, and
that the roof is falling in."
"I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Why not?" Joannie asks, going into Tom's briefcase for the Tylenol.
Tom shrugs. "It happenes sometimes."
"You sure?"
Tom shuts the study door. "I am worried about Abby."
"Why? What's wrong now?"
He tells her what Max has told him.
"No wonder you're worried. When will Dr. Max have the results?"
"He's phoning the results into Hilda who Abby has an appointment today with."
"And then let's hope Abby tells you."
"Joannie, she said she would."
"But do you think she will?"
"Yes." he says firmly.
"If you're sure..."
"I have no other choice but to believe her."
"You could call Dr. Max yourself."
"No." Tom says. "That wouldn't say very much about our marriage."
"If you worry about her it's not a good marriage?" Joannie scoffs.
"Joannie that was uncalled for. Trust is the basis of a good marriage and
I have to trust her."
"OK, if that's what you really think."
Tom shakes his head. "Go take the Tylenol to Elizabeth and tell her I want
her to rest today and I mean rest."
"Yes, sir."
Tom tries to get back to work but can't cause he's too worried.
Joannie takes the Tylenol upstairs to Elizabeth.
"Thanks Joannie."
You're welcome. And Dad says to rest, and he means rest."
"I've been resting." she asserts herself.
"Then keep it up."
"Easy for you to say."
"Yep."
"She's been resting." Nancy confirms.
"If it isn't the pot saying the kettle rested."
Nancy laughs but then coughs again. ~Damn not again.~ She subtly wipes
the drops of blood with a tissue when her sisters aren't looking.
While Abby is at the doctor's, Nancy goes to her parents room and calls up
Noah.
"Hi honey what do you need?" He asks.
"Can you take me to the doctor?" She whispers.
"I'll be right over." He comes over to the house and on the way to
Dr. Max's she tells him what's been going on.
"Nancy you should have told your parents."
"But they have enough to worry about right now."
"So what, I think they'd rather have an extra worry than discover you dead
in your bed."
"Don't be dramatic." She chides him.
"I'm not being dramatic I'm being realistic. You coughed up blood for
a reason it's your body's way of telling you that something is wrong."
They arrive at his office. And after the examination. Dr.
Max speaks with both of them. "What's wrong?" Noah asks.
"She overdid it yesterday, thankfully we got the rib set again." He turns
to Nancy. "Now you listen and listen good if something like this happens
again I'm admitting you till you are completely better young lady.
And your parents will find out about this that I assure you."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I had to be perfect." Nancy says and leaves the
office.
Greg sighs and shakes his head.
"Thanks Dr. Max." Noah says and goes after her.
She's silent during the drive home till they pull into her driveway.
"Thanks for taking me." She says.
"You don't have to thank me for that silly." He kisses her and after
she's out of the car he helps her to the front door.
Nancy stops there not wanting to go in and back to her bed. "Let's
runaway." She says.
"Nance."
"Come on they don't need me around here I'm just a burden to them."
"No you're not."
"Yes Noah, I am. Dad needs to concentrate on Abby right now.
And Abby
needs to take care of herself. They can't be worrying about me."
"If you leave they will worry. Let's go inside."
She sits on the front stoop. "I don't want to."
He sits down beside her. "I think I know what's going on here."
"Yeah what?"
"You're scared because Abby is sick and you're acting out."
"I am not that would be childish." She protests a little too much.
"What you're not allowed to act like a child from time to time? Are
you that strict with yourself?"
"It's also selfish." She says.
"What Nancy Bradford isn't allowed to make mistakes or to only think about
herself from time to time?"
She remains silent.
"That's a pretty high standard you set for yourself. No one should
have to handle that much pressure."
"Well life's rough."
"Nancy."
"Noah, my problems are going to have to wait. Dad and Abby need to
concentrate on each other right now."
He gets her inside, neither knowing that another family member heard them.
Tommy makes a mental note and decides to talk to his dad and Abby later.
Joannie overhears the conversation, too, and makes a beeline for Nancy's
room.
Noah's getting Nancy settled in bed when Joannie enters.
Joannie clears her throat. "I'll do that. Noah, could I speak to Nancy alone?"
"Sure, I'll go get you something to drink."
"Thanks."
Noah leaves the room.
"What's up?" Nancy asks hoping she doesn't know she was out.
"That's what I want to know--and before you act all surprised--you shouldn't
have conversations like you did where people can hear."
"Joannie, why wasn't Abby able to rest the last week?"
"Nancy, she's a big girl. If she didn't rest it's because she didn't want
to."
"She also had two kids in the hospital and another home sick in bed. One
less kid to worry about probably would have made a difference."
"You think if you took off she'd worry about you *less.*"
Nancy thinks it over and sighs. "No, but at the time I said that I
couldn't think of anything else to do."
"Maybe stop hiding things so they can get taken care of before they get out
of hand."
"Like where Noah took me today?"
"Like you probably should have gone earlier. I decided to be nice while you
were out. I did your laundry."
"Oh, so you already know."
"Yes, I do. So forget the idea of going anywhere and tell me what Dr. Max
said."
She tells her. "Thanks for doing my clothes."
"You're welcome. So--no more of this nonsense?"
"No more of this nonsense. I just didn't want to worry all of you,
I should have anyway."
"When are you going to learn? You always worry us."
"I'll work harder on it in the future."
"Good."
There's a short silence. "Noah was right about one thing, I am scared."
"Running away won't change that."
"I know it won't."
"Good."
"I'm sorry if I scared you or anything."
"Of course you scared me. That's what sisters are for."
"Still I'll make it up to you when I'm better."
"Make it up to me by not doing it again."
"Ok, I won't do it again."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I'll go tell Noah he can come back in."
"He's probably waiting outside the door."
Joannie opens the door and Noah nearly falls in.
Nancy laughs.
"Oh uh sorry Joannie." Noah says.
"It's OK. She's all yours, lover boy."
"Thank you, and thank you for talking some sense into her."
"My favorite thing to do."
He smiles and goes to see Nancy.
An hour or so later Dr. Max phones the Bradford house to see if Tom and Abby
are home yet.
"Hello?" Tom says hoping its Abby.
"Hi Tom it's Greg, there's something you should know." He tells him
everything. "Now if it happens again I'm admitting her till she's all
better."
"She did what?" Tom says can't believeing it.
"She went downstairs last night and as a result she almost caused a setback."
Tom shakes his head. ~What's next?~ "Thanks Greg. By chance you havent
heard or seen Abby today have you?"
"No I haven't, I was about to go check on that now."
"Thanks."
"Not a problem." He goes to check after hanging up with Tom.
"She's in with the doctor," Hilda's nurse, Evelyn, tells Greg when he calls."Do
you want me to patch you through?"
"Yes please."
Evelyn does this. "Hello?" Hilda says when she answers the phone.
"Hello Dr. Krauss, this is Dr. Maxwell are the results in yet?"
"Yes, but I'm not quite sure what it all means."
"Would you like me to come over and look at it?"
"Very much."
"I'll be right over." Max then calls Tom. "I'll call you as soon
as I know something. It's going to take me about fifteen minutes to
get there and a little while to look at the results which should give you
plenty of time to take care of matters there."
"Thanks Max." he hangs up and finds Nancy.
Nancy's lying in bed, Noah's gone home by then.
"Your shirt looks nice dad." Nancy says to him.
"Nancy, just what were you thinking?" Tom asks.
"Dad I can explain."
"Well?"
She sighs and begins. "I heard a glass break last night so I went downstairs
to see what it was and after I checked on you last night is when I started
coughing up blood and I didn't want to worry you and Abby so I waited till
you both left before I called Noah to take me to the hospital."
Tom sighs. "You should have told us."
"I would have but at the time I thought that I've put you through enough."
"Nancy, that is just plain silly. If you don't tell us, we can't help."
"It didn't seem silly at the time, but Joannie already talked to me about
it."
Tom hugs her. "Don't ever do that again."
She hugs him back. "I won't."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
"I promise if anything else happens I'll let you all know right away."
"Good."
"Any word on Abby yet?"
"No, but I am sure she is fine."
"I hope so."
Tom nods and notices Elizabeth still sleeping. "I'm glad she;s resting."
"Yeah me too, she's been the good one."
"Nancy, I'm not comparing."
"I know, I'm just saying something nice about my sister."
"That's nice." he smiles. "Can I get you anything?"
"Yes, I'm hungry."
"Soup?"
"Yes, and some crackers and some soda."
"OK, I'll be back."
"Thanks Dad."
Tom finds Joannie and Mary in the kitchen. "Hi Honey, are either of you busy?"
"Nope."
"What do you need?" Joannie asks.
"Can you fix Nancy some soup."
"No problem."
"Sure." Mary gets started on it. "What kind does she want?"
He shrugs. "I forgot to ask."
"Typical man," Joannie sighs.
"Joannie do you remember what her favorite is?"
"Yeah. I'll get on it."
"Thanks." Mary gets the crackers and soda ready.
Joannie makes the soup.
A little while later at the hospital. Max enters Hilda's office.
"Hi I'm Dr. Max." He tells Evelyn.
"Hi. They're waiting for you inside. Would you like some coffee to take in
with you?"
"No that's all right." Max says. "But thank you." He enters the office.
Hilda and Abby look up when he enters the room. "Thanks for coming by," Hilda
says.
"Not a problem, how are you feeling beautiful lady." He says to Abby.
"OK, I guess. I'll feel a lot better when I know what it is that's got Hilda
stumped."
"Well let me take a look." He says.
Hilda hands him the lab results. "I can see that there's been some compromising
of the liver, but I can't figure out why or what needs to be done next. The
liver's not exactly my set of organs."
"Hmm, I see it too, Abby what medications are you taking?"
"Nothing," she says, "Well, aside from you gave me, nothing."
"How much have you been taking?"
"I dunno--a couple every few hours, I guess."
"Hmm, at times was the pain so bad that you had to take extra?"
"I wanted to, but I didn't. It is prescription medicine, after all. I just
grabbed some Tylenol instead."
"How much tylenol did you take?"
"A lot. More than I should have, I guess, but it's just Tylenol, right?"
"Actually Abby, if you take too much of it it can cause damage." He
explains the dangers to her.
"Oh. I didn't know that. Could that have been what caused the results the
two of you are frowning over?"
He nods. "We don't need to hospitalise you but I would like to run
a couple of more tests."
"Hospitalize?" Abby gulps.
"Any longer and it would've been a possibility."
"So what do I do? I still hurt. What else can you give me?"
"I can give you S-adenosylmethionine, Taurine, and a Vitamin E succinate."
He explains what they are for.
"And then I can take Tylenol for the pain?"
"No, Abby I want to put you on something safer."
"OK. What?"
He writes her a prescription and hands it to her.
"Thanks. So now what?"
"I want to run the tests before I send you home."
"OK. And then when will we know more?"
"I'll have the results tomorrow morning at the latest."
"So what do I tell Tom in the meantime?"
"What I've already told you."
"That you're still doing tests?" she confirms.
"Yes, it's up to you if you want to tell him about the Tylenol."
"Thanks." Abby hesitates a moments. "Hilda said that aside from these tests
results, I can...well, go back to life as normal. The results don't
change that, do they?"
"No, but I would rest for a couple of days."
"I can try. But what I meant was--well. You know, this would be a lot easier
to ask if you weren't Tom's best friend," Abby jokes.
He smiles. "Rest for a couple of days."
"I figured you'd say that," Abby grumbles.
He smiles again. "I'll come by in the morning with the test results."
"Thanks."
"It's what I'm here for."
"Here specifically, maybe, but in general, I thought you were around to fleece
my husband at Friday night poker."
"Well that's the major thing. Oh there's something else I wanted to
tell you and Tom. I already told him."
"What?
He tells her what went on with Nancy, adding that she's all right but also
his stipulation if Nancy pulls it again.
"I'll make sure she doesn't go downstairs again until you say she can."
"Have Tom do most of that the next couple of days."
"Sure." ~Yeah, right. Who's he kidding? Childcare's my job, not Tom's.~
They get the tests run and then Abby heads back home.
After Mary and Joannie finish, they bring the food up to Nancy. They open
the door quietly, so as not to wake Elizabeth. "Room service."
Nancy smiles. "Cool, thanks you two."
Elizabeth smells food and rolls over. "Hey, where's mine?"
"I made extra," Joannie assures her. "I'll go down and get it."
"Thanks."
Joannie goes to get more food.
While they’re waiting for her to return, Nancy asks, "Why are you so quiet
Mary?"
"I don't know." Mary jokes.
Joannie finally comes back with Elizabeth's order.
"Thanks Joannie." she says. "Any word on Abby?"
Nancy listens in for her answer.
Joannie shakes her head.
"She's going to be ok." Nancy tries to convince them and herself.
"Of course she is." Mary agrees.
"Sure," Joannie chimes in. "She's tough."
"Very tough." Mary says but is still worried.
"Yeah." Liz says. ~we can't go through this again.~
Joannie starts to pace.
Sam watches her but gives up after a second. Mary paces with Joannie.
"Hey you two do you want to play a game or something?" Nancy asks.
Joannie takes a look at Mary, pacing opposite her. "I thought we already
were--pacing ping-pong."
"I think she means something her and Elizabeth can take part in." Mary jokes.
"They don't like spectator sports?" Joannie jokes.
"Doesn't look like it." Mary jokes back.
"OK, so what do you suggest?" she asks Nancy and Elizabeth.
"Poker."
"Sounds good to me." Liz replies. "I have some pennies in my bank.'
"I think I know where Dad keeps the chips."
"And I know where there's some unmarked cards."
"I didn't know we had any."
"I have them hidden so the boys can't mark them." Mary goes to get the cards.
Joannie goes to get the chips.
Soon they start playing.
When she gets out of the cab Abby takes a deep breath, then heads into the
house.
Mary is downstairs. "Hi Abby, how are you?"
"Fine. Got the green light to go on with my life."
"Oh Abby that's wonderful." Mary hugs her.
"Yep. Anything new and exciting happen while I was out?"
"Not really." Mary says not knowing herself.
"That's good."
"Especially for this house."
"Exactly. Your dad still home?"
"Yes he's in the study."
"Thanks." Abby knocks at the study doors.
"It's open." he says as he is standing and pacing.
Abby slips in and closes the door behind her. "Hi," she says as she goes
to hug Tom.
He holds her tight. not wanting to make her talk until she is ready.
"Everything's going to be all right," Abby tells him.
"Really?" he asks not out of not believeing her but needs to hear it again.
"Really. Max ran a last few tests, has some pills he wants me to take, but
in a couple of days I'm back in the game."
"Tests? Pills? What for?"
"The tests are just to clarify a thing or two--no big deal--and the pills
are to counteract all that Tylenol I've been taking. I over did it."
"Oh Abby." he hugs her. "I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for--I'll be fine. Isn't that what's important?"
"It's everything." he says.
"So--Thursday night we have a date?"
Tom smiles. "Green light?"
"Start your engines."
He kisses her. "I hate to bring this up, but its about Nancy...."
"Max told me. I'll make sure she behaves from now on."
"Good luck, I've already talked to her."
"I'll do more than just talk. If I have to, I'll sit by her bed to make sure
she stays in it."
"I know what you mean."
"As long as Nancy knows, too."
"I hate to leave, but I am needed down at the paper."
"Sure. I'll see you later."
He kisses her and smiles and sighs. "I'll hurry."
"No rush. I can handle things here."
Tom nods and leaves.
~He could have been more concerned~ Abby thinks as she removes pill bottle
after pill bottle from her purse. ~Then again, you didn't give him much cause
to be.~
Part 4