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His resolve to stop crying so much went down the tubes when he read the paper while standing in the little stand. There were names under the picture. She’d married into a large family. There was his son too, looking so grown up and handsome in his tux. And her husband’s parents were there, looking like the nicest people in the world. Anyone, he figured, would be better than they had been.
Jimmy knew that he was feeling sorry for himself. He hated that about himself lately, but he was in just too much pain to care what others thought of him right now. Making his way back to the camper, he showed the picture to Lisha, and pointed out the man that Rogen had married, as well as Jamie.
“He’s a tall young man now, isn’t he?” He sat down, the breakfast that they’d had, even lite as it was, weighing heavily in his belly. Lisha ran her fingers over the children. “I wouldn’t have known either of them had it not been for you pointing them out to me.”
“I had the same trouble. I did sort of recognize Rogen, but I would never have Jamie. The man she married, it says that he’s a doctor. I’m happy for them both, aren’t you?” She nodded and got up to clean up the mess that they’d made. “Lisha, what do you want to do about this? Go see them or not?”
“I don’t know. Do you think it would be easy to get a phone number for them? Just to see if we’d be welcome? I don’t think we will be, but you never know.” He said that he could try the hospital where they were. “All right. I’ll drive the rest of the way. I wouldn’t imagine that it’s all that far, would you?”
“No. I can look it up on my phone.” He pulled out his phone and looked up the city that the newspaper said that they lived in. “Lisha, we’re less than a hundred miles from them. I’ll see if I can find a hospital near them.”
It only took him ten minutes to find out that there was just one hospital close to where they lived. And it was a huge one too. He waited until they were driving before he called the number that he had for the main offices and waited on hold for only a moment before a cheery voice asked him if she could help him.
“Yes, I’m looking for a Doctor Thatcher Robinson. Could you please see if he’ll call me back today, please?” She said if he held on one moment, she’d see if he was in the hospital. Before Jimmy could tell her that he just wanted him to call back, giving him enough time to get his heart rate lower, he was on hold again.
“Dr. Robinson, how may I help you?” He shuddered a little, and the man at the other end said his name again before talking. “Is this an emergency? Do you need an ambulance?”
“No. I’m all right. Right now anyway. Nervous, as you can imagine. Well, you might not be able to because—” He cleared his throat. “Yes, get on with it. I’m Jimmy Hall. You married my daughter recently.”
“What is it you want, Mr. Hall? If you’re thinking to disrupt their lives again, I’m telling you right now, you’re going to regret it.”
Jimmy started crying, babbling too. The man at the other end just waited until he was in more control of himself.
“I’d like to tell her and Jamie that I’m sorry.”
~*~
Thatcher went to see his parents. He had something that he wanted to talk to them about, and he thought that of all the people that he needed help from, they were his best bet. His mom was the only one home, and she was working on a crossword puzzle when he joined her in the living room. She asked him what had happened.
“Nothing. Not yet anyway. I have a dilemma. I got a call from Jimmy Hall this morning. He wants to tell Rogen how sorry he is.” His mom put the puzzle on the side table and looked worried. “I haven’t told her yet, and I told Hall that I’d get back to him. That I needed to think if I wanted her to know. He seemed to understand, but he cried a great deal.”
“Do you think that’s what he really wants? To just tell her that he was sorry? I swear to you, son, if he hurts either of them, I’m going to take him out.” Thatcher told his mom that he did believe him. “Then you let her decide. And Jamie. They’re both stronger than anyone realizes, I think. But in this, I think that they need to be made aware of him and his wants, and that they need to make that decision. But you tell Rogen that we’ll be there with them when and if they do.”
“He’s dying.” Mom asked if that were true. “I’m not sure, but I believe him on that as well. He only has a few weeks, more than likely less than that if his symptoms are right that he told me about. Hall has stage four soft tissue sarcoma.”
“Oh no. That poor man.” Thatcher waited while his mom sat there. “Why did you come to me first, Thatcher? Surely you know that you have to tell Rogen and Jamie.”
“I do. I don’t want to, but I know that I have to. She’s so happy, Mom. I don’t want her to be depressed about this. Or be guilted into seeing him. I wanted you to tell me how to word this so that she’s not thinking that I want her to see him.” She asked if he did. “Yes. I don’t know why, but it might be good for all of them if they spoke once more. He doesn’t want to be a part of her life; he told me that several times. But he just wanted to tell her that he was a horrific parent and that he was sorry.”
“That would be hard. On you as well as Rogen. Jamie, I don’t think he’ll be up for seeing them. He doesn’t think that they should be alive. They tried to kill that young man and did in fact change the course of his life by what they did.” Thatcher said that he knew that too. “Honey, in your heart, what do you want to say to her? You have to have some idea.”
“I do, but wording it might be an issue with her. She’s very bitter about them. And as I said, she’s so happy right now.” Mom told him to do it, tell her just like Jimmy had told him. “I thought that was what you’d say. I even took notes while I was talking to him. Just in case I needed to refer to them when I’m telling Rogen. I hope this goes as well as I’d like for it to, for her sake and Jamie’s. I love that kid like one of my brothers.”
“Your father and I were just discussing that this morning. I’ve adopted him in my heart, and so has he. He’s not really that slow, is he? I mean, he does have a childlike way about him, but he’s very smart. I’m betting that has to do solely with Rogen helping him.” Thatcher said that she still worked with him every day. “Good for her. All right, son. You let me know what she says after you tell her. And you make sure she knows that I’m here for her, whenever she needs me. Poor darling. To have gone through so much and still come out on the high end of the stick. You did well with finding her, Thatcher. You couldn’t have done better if I had picked her out for you myself.”
Thatcher went home after telling his mom that they’d be over soon for dinner. Jamie had taken to eating out at restaurants with Thatcher’s mom and dad almost nightly. It was good for all three of them. Jamie didn’t let them sit on their butts at home, and Jamie got to have fun.
Rogen was working when he got there. She was buried deep into something, as well as and had a headset on. He didn’t bother her with telling her he was home but watched her work. It was small wonder that she was trusted with this job. Rogen knew her shit, and she didn’t take any shit from the men and women that worked for her.
“You do see that. It’s right fucking in front of you. And as big as a barn. Again, it’s an Oldsmobile, dark blue with four bald tires. You tell me again you can’t see it and I’ll come there and shove it up your ass.” He could tell that wherever they were, there was a great deal of sand, and it was hot. “That’s it. Give the soldier a prize. Plant the tracker on the back near the gas tank. He’s still bitching about his bill.”
He could almost hear the person at the other end but was not sure what they were saying. Rogen turned just enough to see him and winked. Thatcher blew her kisses. She wrote on a sheet of paper that she was going to be there for a little while longer, and did he want to take a run afterwards. Nodding that he would, she went back to work.
“He’s coming out now. Make yourself one with the building.” He could see the people on the monitors. She had about four of them going right now. One inside the restaurant, and two on the street level of the place. It took Thatcher a moment to realize that the fourth one was inside the Pontiac that they’d planted the tracker on. “The tracker is working. I have him now. Get your ass out of the car; he’s coming. Once he leaves the area, you guys can go back to your unit. He must have slipped by me when I was looking around in the restaurant. Sorry guys.”
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She watched the car for several moments, but also the people as they walked away. One lingered, and she drew the camera closer to his face. It wasn’t anyone that he knew, but she must have. Rogen told Private Jones to get his ass in gear.
