Sweeter Than Wine (18 page)

Sam felt an uneasiness growing, could his
grandfather have been as cruel as he first thought?

"Go on Dr. you have my full attention."

"On the other side of this story is Greta
Mertz, the nurse. Her sister was in the hospital to have her baby
too. Her sister had tried three times unsuccessfully to have a
child. Her last name was…McKay. Yes…I remember John McKay well, how
he bellowed through the hallways to take care of his wife this
time. John McKay and your grandfather were great friends. They had
done quite a bit of business together through the years of
struggling icons, and played golf regularly. Anyway, McKay's wife
was not doing well, with the fourth attempt to have a child. He
feared for her sanity in coping, as she'd brought this one to term.
Nevertheless, I knew her doctor and he told me flat out, the baby
would be a stillborn. I cringed, knowing that is the worst thing we
face as doctors who deliver."

Sam sipped the lemonade but he didn't taste
it.

"And my mother's sanity, did anyone care
about that?"

"You'll never know how much," the old
doctor's brows knitted together in a frown. "Our silence was our
sin, Sam. We lived with it every day knowing we were responsible.
We weren't unfeeling Sam, but there was more at stake than your
mother here. She was healthy she could have more children. Oh we
did it. It happened, but it changed our lives too. Especially when
we heard of your mother's outcome. I think that's when the guilt
began to grow on each of us."

"But you could have changed that if you had
wanted to! When you knew she was so bad, why didn't someone come
forth then?" Sam slammed his fist on the table and several other
older people looked at him with nothing short of terror in their
eyes. Sam felt no remorse.

"You are right. Yes you are. And that's our
biggest sin. We could have changed the entire outcome by telling
the truth, even at such a later date. Yet in doing so, we would
have ruined both mine and the other doctor's careers. In addition,
the scandal of it all would have shut the hospital down much
sooner. However, what your grandfather bestowed to the hospital was
the hospital's lifeline as we were struggling to keep the doors
open and in a community where mining and lumber camps abounded, it
was important to the entire community to stay open. Had we not had
that money, we would have closed the doors to that hospital in two
years time, leaving the community to suffer, as the nearest
hospital was two hour drive."

Sam tried to understand but he kept thinking
of his mother who suffered and his father too. What about their
lives?

"Our only reasoning about your mother at the
time was that she could have other children. It seemed logical at
the time. We knew she left in a post partum depression state, but
we figured she'd snap out of it soon. As I said she was physically
sound. You and your mother were doing fine. For all that was
involved, your grandfather paid hush money as I came to call it for
what transpired a One million dollars endowment to the hospital,
for switching the babies. It was an easy task to perform, but to
live with…not so easy. Nurse Mertz actually did the switching; I
and the other doctor signed the papers. It was to say the least a
hideous and heinous error on all our parts. The McKay's took you as
their son. Your poor mother and father are the ones that suffered.
And to this day, I must tell you, I have sweat blood and tears over
it. Finally, the truth is laid bare, as it should have been all
along. I am today, a free man. And I thank you for coming
here."

Sam sat stone still, his eyes widening at the
doctor's remarks.

"And you think admission releases you from
this horrible crime?"

"No of course not, only God can release us.
The sad part for you, son, is understanding that every one of them,
except for me, is dead. Therefore, there is no one to pay for this
tragedy we created. My days as a doctor are over as you can well
see. Nurse Mertz contracted cancer three years ago and died, I
can't say she was ever a happy woman from the moment she did what
she did. She was the only one that was paid. However, she handed
you over to Mrs. McKay that morning and spent the rest of her life
looking over her shoulder and fretting about what she had done. Oh
she paid, maybe not enough, but you don't do something that drastic
and not pay. Your grandfather died of a heart attack, with no
repentance in his soul. Your grandmother died a year later. The
doctor that delivered the stillborn, he died several years ago in a
car accident. The McKay's I'm told are dead too."

Sam nodded dully.

This was the story he'd come to hear. He'd
felt this story long before it was told. It hurt that his own
grandfather had been so cruel to his mother and father, and that
there was no restitution for the deed. It was over, and Sam felt
the enormity of the deed to his mother.

The doctor looked clear eyed at Sam, "So…I am
the only one left to tell the story, and I am as guilty as anyone.
If you want to have me arrested and drag this through the courts
you can. However, I must warn you that I too have a cancer and
probably won't live out the year. It would mean money wasted for
you."

Sam's frown compounded. Was money the only
thing this man understood? Did everything come to money?

Sam stood up, looking deeply into the
doctor's eyes he said, "Then justice has indeed been served to you
all. Good day to you sir, and thank you at least for telling
me."

"Mr. McKay," the doctor hollered as Sam was
about to leave.

"No, no sir, it is not McKay, its Sam
Douglas. I am Sam Douglas. And don't you ever forget it, as long as
you live."

The doctor nodded, a pain engrossing him as
he moved about in the chair, "For all of us, may I say I am
sincerely sorry, and completely appreciative of the chance to at
least tell you."

Sam nodded slowly.

Sam shook his head and a tear escaped his
cheek, "If only you had told my mother, it might have made such a
difference…"

Sam could not listen to the old man's pleas
for understanding any longer. He had been right, it was over, and
nothing could be done about it.

"Perhaps…some day, you'll come to forgive…,"
the old doctor said in a choked voice, his first sign of
emotion.

"Perhaps, good day sir," Sam walked away, not
wanting to look back, as another tear spilled onto his cheek.

Chapter Fourteen

Lacey put her suitcase down and glanced about
her mother's house. It seemed so hollow, and welcomed only old
memories. A tear slipped down her cheek, then another. Before long
she was lying across her bed, crying.

How could she walk away from Sam like she
did? After making love most of the night and all morning.

How could she have changed so much in such
little time?

In addition, the worst thing, how could she
have fallen so hard for a man who could not or would not
commit?

Because you're stupid Lacey!

She cried the rest of the day.

The phone rang the next morning, startling
her, it was Howard. Lacey was surprised by his call; he'd never
called her at home.

"So you're home. Well, did you enjoy your
vacation?" Howard sounded almost like he cared.

"Yes I did, thank you." She replied.

"Good, then you'll be back Monday morning,
right?" he asked.

"Of course." She frowned into the phone. What
had he expected?

"I was a little harsh on you, and worried
whether you'd be back at all." He admitted.

Lacey slumped her shoulders and propped
herself in her bed, to sip her coffee, "I had a tremendous
vacation, and have a lot to show the girls. I'll be there bright
and early."

"Perhaps you could stop by my office and show
me too?" he offered.

Now he was interested.

Great, just great. Men, she didn't need them.
She answered a few more of his noisy questions and then hung
up.

Why wasn't she elated that Howard was finally
interested? Wasn't that what she wanted just a few weeks ago? Now
he was, and she could care less.

"I'm fickle!"

She shook her head, "No I'm not. I've just
matured, as I should have done long ago. But oh the price I'm
paying for finally growing up and into my own life."

She wondered if Sam would call her. Did he
miss her?

She scolded herself for caring. Sam said his
goodbye and it was a summer fling and over. She really didn't need
a man. She could live without them. She had before.

The dullness of her life surrounded her here.
She didn't like it. It was as though nothing fit her any longer.
The house was too big, too silent, and too dull!

Somehow she had changed on this vacation, and
not just sexually, either.

Then as she was preparing a tuna salad for
supper she began to think more clearly. "I need my own place.
That's what I need. I need to get away from here. Mama is in the
past and now it's time for me to have a life of my own."

Why hadn't she thought of it before? Yes, she
didn't need to live where old memories threw her into depression.
She needed a nice new apartment, of her own.

A new place would be just the thing for the
new her!

With a plan in mind she padded to the living
room to watch TV and finish her supper.

She'd get an animal too. Yes, that was all
she needed, an animal running about the place, keeping her company,
consoling her. Sure why not, everyone else had animals, didn't
they?

***

Sam went straight to Kasie's after talking
with the doctor.

"Rosie told me you were going to talk to him.
So…how'd it go?" Kasie asked as she fixed them both a cup of coffee
and they sat at her kitchen table, late that evening.

"It was a switch, and our grandfather was at
fault, I'm afraid."

Kasie nodded slowly, seeming to drink in the
information slowly.

"I'm really sorry Sam. Not just for you and
your mother, but for us too. So many years we didn't even know each
other. But…at least we do now and maybe we can make up for some of
that lost time."

"Yeah, and everyone concerned except the
doctor I talked to is dead, so that's that, I guess. I don't want
to carry things any farther. I found out what I needed to
know."

Kasie studied him for a long moment. "And how
do you feel about that, Sam?"

"I have mixed emotions right now. Maybe
later, I will sort it all out and begin to deal with it. I feel so
bad about my mom and my father. How they suffered for no good
reason. Then again, it's over and I have my answers. I guess I
should be satisfied. I can understand now why my father didn't tell
me about it, he was almost as much to blame as anyone. Mr. McKay
that is, not my real father. From now on, John Douglas is my
father, and despite everything he and my mother were the innocent
ones in all of this. In addition, he never knew. I don't know how
so many kept quiet so long. But the kind of man our father was, I'm
sure he would have made things right, if only he'd known."

"Of course he would. He loved your mother,
perhaps more than any of his wives. I knew somehow that he couldn't
have known. From what Rosie has told me about it, dad was crazy in
love with your mother. It hurt him as badly as her. The worse part
is they were cheated. And I too was cheated, Sam, out of my
brother." Kasie smiled and put her hand on top of his. "But Sam, I
want to thank you for finding out the truth, because we, you, and I
both deserved to know."

"Well, we have each other now…" Sam smiled at
her.

"Yes we do, and we are never going to be
further from a cell phone call away from each other." Kasie
promised.

"You know, it's all been worth it
though…finding you and your wonderful family. And now I think I can
let go of the past and get on with my life too."

Kasie squeezed his hand, "I'm so glad. And
you
will
be here every Christmas, every Thanksgiving, every
holiday to celebrate and we are going to be a real family Sam."

Sam almost laughed, "It's a deal."

Kasie made a face and Sam noticed, "Something
wrong?"

"Uh…no, just a twinge…" she said as she
repositioned herself in the chair.

"A twinge? Say, where is that husband of
yours, he's usually right beside you?" Sam chuckled.

"He had to go into the office today, he and
Tanka are bidding on another contract, and he just doesn't trust
his soft hearted brother to make the deal." Kasie laughed but
grabbed her back.

"Hey, are you all right?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe we better see exactly
where my husband is, Sam, and would you call him for me." She
grunted and held her back once more.

"Sure thing," Sam didn't let on how nervous
he was. What if she went into labor? He didn't know what to do?
However, this was his sister; he had to take care of her. Perhaps
if he could help it would make up for all the lost years.

He dialed the number in the contacts on her
phone but no one answered.

"Try Tanka's number," she suggested, her face
going a little pale.

"The line was busy. I already tried."

Sam heard it before he saw it, Kasie water
had broken all over the kitchen floor. He went to steady her as she
almost sank to the floor. "Hey, we better get you to the
hospital."

"Oh I hate to ask, Sam, but would you?" Kasie
caught her back and grimaced with a pain.

"Of course, do you have a bag packed?"

"Oh yes, I'll go get it." She turned to go up
stairs but he stayed her.

"No you don't. Where is it, I'll get it?" he
insisted.

"Third door on the left upstairs, in the
closet floor." She caught her back.

"Those pains are awfully close together," Sam
noted.

"Yeah, they are…maybe we better hurry." She
cried out as the next one hit her.