Not caring who was watching, Dar put an arm around Kerry.
She could feel her lover’s whole body shivering, and she wished there were some way, any way to change the words the doctor was forcing them to hear about her father. Even if she hated the man’s guts.
“There really is no hope, is there?” Kerry asked softly. “Not even one in a million?”
Dr. Bridges hesitated, studying his hands before he looked up and met her eyes. “Ms. Stuart, in my business, I’ve learned never to quote odds. Because human beings have the damnedest way of finding a way around them.”
Kerry blinked. “But?”
The doctor sighed. “But, Ms. Stuart, I know our limitations.
Your father is beyond them.” He patted Cynthia’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Kerry’s mother nodded numbly.
“I’ll be in my office if you want to see me,” the doctor said to Kerry. He stood up and headed out the way he’d come in.
For a few moments, they were all silent. Then all hell broke loose. Both of Kerry’s uncles stood up and faced her, their voices rising in mindless outrage in counterpoint with too few voices protesting in her defense.
Finally, Cynthia Stuart simply stood up and screamed at the top of her voice, “Silence!” It shocked everyone so much, it achieved its purpose, and silence did, indeed, fall over the waiting room.
Kerry’s uncles were squared off on one side, facing Kerry, Angie, and Dar, with Richard sort of hovering off to one side.
“Cynthia, I won’t have it,” Edgar Stuart said flatly. “My brother is lying in there dying, and I won’t have that little bitch here.” He pointed at Kerry. “She put him here.”
Kerry opened her mouth to respond.
“No.” Cynthia almost spat the word out. “Now that’s enough.” She was shaking, but clearly in control. “Is it not bad 72 Melissa Good enough we’re here for this, without this nonsense? Kerry did not put Roger anywhere.”
“What are you talking about?” Edgar yelled. “You know—”
“Enough!” Cynthia out-yelled him. “Hatred put him in that bed. I won’t have it; I won’t. Now you stop this at once, or I will have you thrown out.”
“Mother.” Kerry put a hesitant hand on her shoulder. “It’s not worth what this is costing. I’ll leave.”
“Please,” her mother turned and whispered, “hasn’t there been enough anger?”
Kerry dropped her eyes and her hand fell from Cynthia’s shoulder.
Dar stepped up behind Kerry and laid a hand on her back in silent support, gazing with quiet impassivity over Kerry’s shoulder at her mother and her uncles.
“Now, let’s all sit down,” Cynthia said shakily, “and have a moment’s peace.”
Someone had to sit first, and Kerry decided it would be her.
She took a seat against the wall as Dar settled next to her, and, reluctantly, everyone else did as well. God. Kerry was shaking inside and her head ached again. She was very conscious of Dar’s presence, almost feeling the tension radiating from her silent lover.
“What I want,” Cynthia Stuart had seated herself and was now speaking firmly, staring at the opposite wall, “what I want is for all of us to come together and support each other during this horrible trial.”
“Cyndi,” Edgar broke in.
“Edgar,” she said, “that’s enough.”
Kerry just kept quiet, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She felt chilled and welcomed the warmth as Dar put an arm across her shoulders, despite the fact that she knew if she looked up, she’d see disgust and loathing in her family’s eyes. It was so hard. She let out a breath and felt like crying.
“Mom’s right.” Angela’s voice broke the silence. “This is hard enough for all of us. Let’s not make it worse.” She reached past Dar and rubbed Kerry’s back. “Fighting gains us nothing.”
The two older men stared at her. “It gains me the satisfaction of knowing I didn’t sit by and let my brother’s memory be sullied by the likes of her,” Edgar spat. “He’d hate her being here, with that…that…”
Dar stood up. “Let’s cut to the facts. Kerry’s father’s in there dying. Kerry wants to be here.” She let the words sink in. “I’m not leaving her here to face that alone, so unless you think you can Thicker Than Water 73
physically remove either one of us, why don’t you just shut up and use your energy for something other than moving the hot air around.”
“You—”
“Heathen? Dyke? Sinner?” Dar refused to lose her temper or her acidic humor. “Save it. I’ve heard it all, and I’m not the one here making everyone sick to their stomachs.” She stared Edgar down.
“Aren’t you?” He got up and left, and Albert followed him.
Kerry lifted her head and gazed at Dar, then she slowly straightened and slumped back into the chair with a sigh as Dar resumed her seat. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly to her mother.
“Kerrison, this was God’s will, not yours,” Cynthia said.
“We’ve spent too much time railing against that. It’s time we stop and bow our heads to it and listen to His word.” She folded her hands and gazed at them.
Kerry propped her head against one hand and rubbed her temples. Her stomach was aching again, and a flash of the torment she’d gone through the night before made her shiver in pure reaction.
“Ker?” Dar leaned close, a concerned tone in her voice. “You all right?”
Kerry met Dar’s eyes. “Not really,” she murmured. “Got any ibuprofen?”
“Yeah.” Dar nodded. “Let me go grab you a drink.” She got up and squeezed Kerry’s shoulder before she walked to the door and disappeared.
Kerry exhaled heavily and closed her eyes, leaving them that way when Angie slid from her seat into the one Dar had vacated and pressed her shoulder against Kerry’s.
“Hey, sis.”
One green eye appeared. “Hey.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Angie said. “Even though I know you’re not.”
Kerry managed a faint smile. “Thanks.” She glanced at her mother, who was now whispering to her Aunt Helen. “I’m glad Dar’s here, even though I know she’s not.”
Angie smiled. “Yeah, I bet you are.” She sighed. “I’ve missed talking to you.” She patted Kerry’s shoulder. “I’ve just been so busy with Andrew.” She lowered her voice. “Brian’s coming over later with Mike. That’ll tip the scales.”
“Mmm.” Kerry closed her eyes against the throbbing. “I’ll be glad to see them.” She peeked cautiously past Angie’s shoulder.
“Bet you will too, huh?”
Angie sighed. “I was seriously considering spilling my little 74 Melissa Good secret the other day before this happened. I figured, what the hell, right?”
Kerry leaned her head against Angie’s. “What a family of rebels we turned out to be.” Her humor faded. “What are we going to do, Angie? How can we ask mom to make that choice?”
Angie’s eyes went to their mother’s face, then flicked back. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I just don’t know.”
Chapter
Six
DAR FOUND THE cafeteria and lost Kerry’s relatives with equal success. She’d spotted Al and Edgar near a bank of pay phones, busily speaking in low, angry tones. Avoiding them meant dodging into the stairwell, but that was okay too, since it was much, much cooler in there, and she appreciated the chill as she went downstairs.
She was worried about Kerry, though, and as she exited the stairs and spotted the cafeteria, she set her mind to figuring out a way to get her lover through what was turning into Hell’s own sideshow.