Revisiting The Past
Parts 1-2
By Kellie
Michelle sat at her desk reviewing a patient chart as she dictated notes from today's examination into her micro-cassette recorder. The window behind her desk gave her a view of the hospital roof and air conditioning units at early evening. Michelle had come to work at Chicago General shortly after finishing med school. Her biological mother, Claire, had pulled strings to get her onto the staff at the hospital. She had quickly risen through the ranks on staff due to the tireless hours she devoted to her job.
Michelle was spending another long evening working, but tonight she was going to quit early. Her brother, Rick, had come to town for a long overdue visit. They were planning to grab dinner and see a movie together, something they hadn't done since she was a teenager. Michelle was focused on the chart and her dictation when her train of thought was interrupted by a knock on her door. Michelle laid the cassette recorder on the desk and stood as she called out, "Come in."
Claire entered the office, a stack of charts in her arms. "Michelle, I really need your help reviewing these cases. If the results come out the way I hope, that new surgical procedure I developed will be ready to present at the state medical conference."
Michelle nodded as she spoke, "Put the ones you want me to read on the credenza. I'll look over them when I'm finished with my patient notes for the day."
Michelle reached over to pick up the phone and quickly began dialing a number. "Michelle, who are you calling?" Claire asked.
"I told you earlier that Rick's in town for the weekend. I need to let him know I'll be late for dinner."
"Forget dinner, as many files as we have to review, we'll be working most of the night. I'll send my secretary for some take out. Any preferences?" Claire asked.
Before Michelle could reply, Rick came in the door. "Forget work, I only come to Chicago once in a blue moon. You're all mine tonight. Claire, I'm sure you can find another colleague to work on these files with you," Rick remarked as he helped Michelle out of her lab coat. "You work too hard, let's get out of here," Rick remarked as he gave Claire a cold glare.
"Claire, I'll look over those with you next week. I'm taking the weekend off to spend some time with Rick. I'll talk with you later," Michelle said as she grabbed her purse from the desk drawer and left with Rick.
As the door closed, Claire fumed. She had gathered all this research for the purpose of minimizing Rick's time with Michelle for the weekend. Claire didn't want Rick to reveal anything he had put together about her role in the destruction of Michelle's marriage. After talking with her friend, Olivia, on the phone, Claire knew that Rick and Danny had spent quite a bit of time together commiserating over their failed marriages. "If you and Danny have figured anything out, my relationship with Michelle will be destroyed. I won't let that happen," Claire said to herself.
Rick and Michelle grabbed a cab. Michelle quickly gave the driver the address of the restaurant she wanted to take Rick to. After taking their seats in the upscale restaurant, Michelle finally asked the question that had been driving her crazy since Rick had called two days ago to say he was coming for the weekend. "Rick, what made you decide to come spend the weekend with me on the spur of the moment? I've been begging to come for eons, why now?"
"It's been too long since I spent any time torturing my little sister. After all, you've always been the best judge of my new joke material. I needed to run the latest series by you," Rick remarked.
"Rick, I know better than that. You've been running your `act' by me on the phone ever since I left Springfield. What's really wrong?"
"Michelle, I'm fine. Of course, when I'm done talking to you, you might not feel the same," Rick cryptically remarked.
"What does that mean?"
"Michelle, there's something that I've avoided discussing with you ever since you left Springfield."
"Rick, you're making me nervous. What is it?"
"Well, you left with Claire just weeks after Abby left me. Do you remember how devastated I was when Abby left?"
"Yeah, go on."
"I've only seen one person who was more of a wreck than I was." Rick paused and swallowed before saying, "Danny."
"Rick, I don't want to talk about him."
"Michelle, its time you faced the past. You packed your bags and left a note saying you were coming to Chicago with Claire no phone number, no explanation. At least Abby and I had talked, fought I knew she was leaving and I knew why. Danny was completely in the dark. He went to Millennium to work and came home to find you gone."
"Rick " Michelle said in a near whisper as tears rolled down her face.
"Michelle, the reason I'm here is that it's time for you to come home and face Danny. You've both been left hanging in limbo since you came to Chicago. You won't take his phone calls and neither one of you has done a thing about a divorce. It's apparent that you don't want salvage your marriage, so you need to do something about ending it. You need to come home and give Danny the closure you both need in order to move on."
"Rick, I can't face him not after the way I took off I can't do it," Michelle mumbled as more tears flowed down her face.
"Michelle, you can and you will. I'm not taking no for an answer," Rick said firmly as he laid two plane ticket to Springfield on the table in front of her. "Our flight leaves at midnight."
"Rick, did Danny send you to drag me back to face him?"
"No, he has no idea that I'm here."
---------------------------------------------------
Michelle tightly clutched the arm of the airplane seat. She couldn't believe that Rick had planned all of this to get her back to Springfield to face Danny. She looked out the window in silence as she listened to Rick shift around uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, he spoke, "Michelle, I think there's a few things you need to know before we get to Springfield."
Michelle rolled her eyes as she sharply replied, "Okay, Rick, what did you neglect to tell me before you got me on this plane?"
"Well, I guess I should tell you that Phillip has been living at the house with me since he and Harley weren't able to settle their differences."
"Differences Rick, he had a child with his ex-wife. I understand why Harley couldn't live with that."
"Michelle, there's someone else living there."
"Who?" Michelle asked, although she had a sneaky suspicion about the answer.
"Danny's still living in your old room."
"That's just peachy!" Michelle sarcastically replied. "I can't even go home without having to face him. Great! Stewardess."
Rick looked over at Michelle's angry face as she flagged down the stewardess. "Yes ma'am."
"Would you please me a rum cola?"
The stewardess walked back to the drink cart and returned with a can of soda, a cup of ice, and a mini bottle of rum for Michelle.
"Thank you," Michelle said as she started fixing her drink.
"Michelle, what are you doing?" Rick asked.
"What does it look like I'm having a drink," she remarked.
By the time the plane landed in Springfield, Michelle had a good buzz going. Rick led her through the terminal towards the long term parking area. "Rick, I'm not so sure this is a good idea. I think I'll catch the next flight back to Chicago."
Rick grabbed her by the arm, "Michelle."
"Rick, I'm not a child. I'm just going to go back to Chicago. I'll call a lawyer on Monday and have Danny served with divorce papers so he can move on. I can't face him"
"Michelle, you can't keep running away. You need to do this," Rick said giving her that serious look he always used when she was a teenager living under his watchful eye. Michelle knew that Rick wasn't going to let her off. "Let's go. If we leave now, we should get home before Danny gets in from closing up Millennium for the night."
Michelle followed Rick out to the car and silently got in for the ride home. When they pulled in the driveway, Michelle was relieved when Rick said, "It looks like we beat Danny home. Let's get inside."
As they entered the kitchen door, Michelle said, "Rick, I'm really beat."
"Michelle, is that your way of asking to put off seeing Danny until morning?"
Michelle ignored the question as she asked, "Okay, Phillip's living here. I assume he took over the guest room." Rick nodded affirmatively as she continued, "Well, I guess I'll crash in Dad's room since all the other bedrooms are occupied. Judging by the clean kitchen, Aunt Meta is home from her cruise."
"Yeah, she got home the day before yesterday."
"I'm going to turn in," Michelle said as she headed for the stairs. She froze in her tracks when she heard the voice that still made her heart skip a beat.
"Michelle," Danny said from the open door.