A Father's Justice Pt. 02

"How long before we know if it works?" Ryan asked.

"We should know pretty soon after the procedure," the doctor said.

"Good," Ryan said. "Is it okay if we go up to see Sarah now?"

"By all means," Dr. Fritz said. "We'll need to get you checked in pretty soon, though, so don't take too much time."

"Got it," Ryan said. He stood, shook the doctor's hand and the two left. They went to Sarah's room and gave her the news.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said. "I was told they might be prepping us for surgery pretty soon."

"Have you talked to your mother?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, she popped in earlier and said she was going to see her lawyer," Sarah said. "Is she going for a divorce?"

"I think so," Ryan said.

"It's about damn time," she said. "Bob told me what you did to Jake," she added. "You were too easy on him from what I heard."

"Your mother said he may be paralyzed from the waist down," Ryan said.

"He still got off too easy," she said bitterly.

"Something tells me the real fun is just beginning," Ryan told her.

"You mean, there's more?" she asked. Ryan smiled and winked at her, causing her to smile. "Goody! I can't wait." After they visited for a while, Dr. Fritz came in with a couple nurses.

"Good, you're all here," the doctor said. "It's time to get you two ready. Mr. Caldwell, please go with Nurse Jacobs here and she'll get you checked in and into your room."

"Okay," Ryan said. He bent over his daughter and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Showtime," he said with a smile. She smiled back at him. "It's gonna be just fine," he said. He followed the nurse out of the room and went to a desk next to the nurse's station.

After filling out what seemed like a ream of paperwork, he was escorted into a room, handed a hospital gown and told to disrobe.

"Since we're going to need access to your pelvic region, we'll need you to strip completely," the nurse said with a somewhat evil smile. After he was ready, they inserted an IV into his arm and checked his vitals. Before long, they wheeled him out of the room and into a rather cool surgical suite. They had already given him a sedative and he was feeling the affects. Dr. Fritz looked down at him and Ryan could tell he was smiling.

"Ready?" the doctor asked.

"Git 'er done," Ryan said. They put something over his face and he fell asleep.

The next thing he knew, he was waking up in his room. It took a while for him to get his bearings but as he did, he felt the pain in his hips. The doctor warned him this would happen. A few minutes after he woke up, Dr. Fritz came into the room and looked him over.

"How are we feeling?" he asked. Ryan laughed to himself. Why do they always use "we," he asked himself.

"My hip hurts like hell," Ryan croaked.

"That's normal," Dr. Fritz said. "We'll give you something for the pain. Normally, we'd handle this on an outpatient basis, but since you're in from out of town, I'm keeping you here overnight, just to monitor your recovery."

"How's Sarah?" Ryan asked.

"I think she's going to be just fine," the doctor said. "It's too early to tell, but she seems to be responding better than we anticipated." Ryan nodded his head.

"When can I see her?" he asked.

"Oh, not until tomorrow," Dr. Fritz said. "I want the two of you to recover a bit first. Get some rest now, Mr. Caldwell. I'll check in on you later." A nurse came in, checked his vitals and gave him a pill for the pain.

"Get some rest now, Mr. Caldwell," she said. "If you get hungry, just call the kitchen and let them know what you want, okay?"

"Thanks," he said before falling asleep. He woke up a couple hours later and looked at the menu. He called the kitchen, placed his order and a worker brought his meal up to him -- meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. It was somewhat better than the TV dinners he was used to, but not by a whole lot. Still, it took the hunger away. He had just finished when he heard a knock at the door.

"Yeah," he called out. Bob and Lisa came into the room. They took positions on either side of him.

"How are you feeling?" Lisa asked.

"Sore," he said. "But okay otherwise. Doc says I'll be released tomorrow."

"Good," Bob said.

"How's Sarah?" Ryan asked. Bob nodded his head.

"She's doing better than anyone expected," he said. "They're very optimistic."

"That is good news," Ryan said. He looked at Lisa before speaking again. "How are things with you?"

"Frantic," she said. "I saw my lawyer this morning and got the divorce started. I've also started the process to split our assets. This is a community property state, so technically I'm entitled to half of all our assets. The only fly in the ointment is the prenup he made me sign, but my lawyer thinks he can get around that."

"Well then, you should be in good shape," Ryan said.

"In theory," Lisa said. "We'll see. It's not going to be an easy divorce, certainly not like ours."

"I reckon not," Ryan told her.

"I'm also getting a restraining order to keep him away from me, the house and Sarah," she said. "I don't think that'll be a problem, though."

"Have you seen Jake yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," she said. "I'm not going to see him until he's served. He's still in the hospital, probably will be for a while yet. After that, who knows. Look, I'd better get going. I have a lot to do yet. I'll be by tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," Ryan said.

"How long will you be here?" she asked.

"Don't know," he said. "Maybe another day or so. I want to make sure Sarah is gonna be okay before I go home."

"Alright," she said. "I'll see you later, then."

"See ya," he said. To his surprise, she bent over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams," she said with a smile. Before he could react, she was out the door. He glanced at Bob, and saw the questioning look on his face.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"That must've been some dinner she gave you last night," Bob said. Ryan smiled.

"Yeah, it was," he said. "But that's all it was."

"Whatever you say," Bob said. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna check on Sarah then head out. See ya tomorrow."

"Okay," Ryan said. "See ya then."

The next day, he found that his hip didn't hurt quite as bad as before, was was still sore and it was hard to walk without support. A nurse brought him a cane and he found that helped a lot. That afternoon, the doctor checked him out and released him after giving him a prescription for pain medication. A nurse brought a wheelchair in and took him to Sarah's room, where Bob was already waiting.

"Daddy!" Sarah exclaimed when she saw him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he said. "How about you? You're looking better. At least you have some color in your skin."

"I'm still pretty sore," she said, "but the doctor says I'm doing a lot better than they anticipated."

"I'm glad to hear that, princess," he said. They visited for a while longer, until Ryan noticed that Sarah looked a bit tired. He looked up at Bob.

"Mind giving me a ride back to the hotel?" he asked.

"Not at all," Bob said. They said their goodbyes and a nurse wheeled Ryan to the patient pickup area where Bob had parked.

"You going to be okay getting to your room?" Bob asked.

"I'll manage," Ryan said. "They gave me some pills and this cane, so I'll be okay."

"Alright," Bob said. "Pick you up tomorrow, say about 10:00?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. "That works. See ya then." Ryan climbed out of the RAV-4 and went to his room, using the cane for support.

...

That night as he lay on the bed in his pajamas watching television, he heard a knock on the door.

"Just a minute," he said, grabbing his cane. He limped to the door and looked through the peephole. He saw Lisa and noticed she was alone, so he opened the door. He still expected a visit from the local authorities so he looked around as she stepped inside, carrying what looked like a large picnic basket.

"I hope you don't mind my stopping by," she said. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, not yet," he said. "I was just sitting here watching a little TV."

"Why don't you get off your feet and I'll get you some dinner," she said. "You still like lasagna?"

"Love it," he said.

"Good," she said as she set the large basket down. Opening it, she pulled out a portable tray and set it on the bed across his lap. Then she pulled out a covered dish and some silverware, placing it on the tray in front of him. Then she pulled out a can of green tea.

"You have some ice?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, pointing to the bucket on the dresser. She put ice in a plastic glass and poured some tea into it.

"Thank you," he said after she set the tea on the nightstand next to him. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I've already eaten," she said.

"So, what brought this on?" he asked her.

"I remember how much you used to enjoy my lasagna, and I just thought you might appreciate it," she said.

"Well, I do," he told her. "Thanks, and it's every bit as good as I remember."

"Better than those TV dinners?" she asked with a smile.

"By a long shot," Ryan said.

"You know, those things are loaded with all kinds of crap," she said.

"Yeah, and sometimes I think the cardboard would taste better than what's inside," he told her.

"So why do you eat them?" she asked. "Don't you cook anymore? You used to cook all the time."

"Well, I had someone to cook for at the time," Ryan said. "I guess it's just laziness. I don't see the need to go to a lot of trouble when it's just me."

"Did you ever start your garage?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No," he said. "That dream died when you and Sarah left. I'm too damn old and worn out to start a business anyway."

"Nonsense," she said. "You're what, 50? That's not too old."

"When you've been through what I have these last ten years or so, it is," he said with a wistful look in his eye. "Trust me."

"But what do you live on?" she asked.

"I do just fine," he said. "I've got enough to last me the rest of my life."

"What do you do all day?" she asked.

"Mostly just sit around, drink tea," he said. "Watch the weeds grow. Look at the clouds. Do a little target practice from time to time."

"That's no way to live," she said. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe. The place could use a coat of paint," he said. "Maybe I can start on that when I get back."

"That's better than doing nothing," she said.

"Sometimes, doing nothing suits me just fine," he said.

"Mind if I sit with you and watch some television?" she asked.

"Not at all," he said, gently scooting over to give her room on the bed. She sat next to him and they watched a movie.

"I remember we used to do this all the time," she said. He nodded his head. He remembered it as well. "I loved it when you would sit and rock Sarah to sleep. She looked so innocent with her little arms around your neck. You'd take her to bed and cover her up and give her a good night kiss. I miss that."

"Yeah, me too," he said. She nuzzled close to him and put her head on his shoulders.

"Hold me? Please?" she begged. He put an arm around her and held her close. It had been years since he had done this. She felt as good as she did when they were still married. Suddenly, she burst into tears, sobbing on his shoulder. He held her close and let her cry.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping the tears from her face. "I miss this with you so bad. I can't ever remember Jake doing anything like this. I really fucked everything up for everyone, didn't I?"

"You'll get no argument from me," he said. She cried some more as he held her in silence. They watched another program in silence, Lisa's head on Ryan's shoulder. After the program ended, she sat up and looked at him.

"I have to get going before it gets too late," she said. "I've really enjoyed spending this time with you."

"I have too," he said. "And thank you again for the dinner. It was delicious."

"You're welcome," she said. "Will you do something for me, please?"

"What's that?" he asked, wary of what she might want.

"You said the other day that little Ryan needs his grandmother," she said. "He also needs his grandpa. Will you promise to be there for him? And Sarah?"

"Of course," he said, bringing a smile to her face.

"Thank you," she said. "When are you going home?"

"I'll be flying out tomorrow afternoon," he said. "Bob is picking me up in the morning and I'll say goodbye to Sarah, then I'm heading back."

"Okay," she said. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I won't," he said. She kissed him on the cheek, gathered her stuff and left.

...

The next day, he found that he wasn't quite as sore as before, but still needed the cane to get around. After breakfast, Bob came by and helped him with his gear. He checked out of the hotel and they headed to the hospital.

When they got to Sarah's room, he saw a young boy next to her bed. He knew from the photo he had seen earlier it was her child, Ryan. He looked up as they walked in.

"Ryan," Sarah said. "This is your grandpa. He's also named Ryan. Why don't you go say hello?"

"Hello, sir," the little boy said. "Are you really my grandpa?" Ryan sat and smiled as he looked at the youngster.

"Yes, I am," he said.

"What happened to your eye?" the little boy asked, pointing to Ryan's eye patch.

"Well, I lost it," Ryan said.

"Want me to help you find it?" the boy asked. "I'm real good at finding things." Ryan laughed.

"I'm sure you are," Ryan said. "But no, that's alright." He gave the boy a hug and turned to Sarah.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. "You're looking better than you did yesterday."

"Still sore and weak, but getting better," she said. "They're gonna keep me here for a few days to monitor my progress."

"That's probably wise," Ryan said. They talked for some time before Lisa came into the room. After they all got caught up, Bob looked at his watch.

"I think it's time we get you to the airport," he said. Ryan looked at his watch.

"You're right," he said. He stood and gave his daughter a hug and kissed her cheek. "You get well, now, you hear me?" he asked.

"I will, Daddy," she said. "Thank you for everything. I love you."

"I love you too, princess," Ryan said.

"Uh, Bob," Lisa said. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to take Ryan to the airport. I have a couple of things I need to talk to him about. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he said. "I'll go down and get his bag."

"Promise me you'll come visit sometime," Ryan told Sarah.

"I will, Daddy," she said. He nodded his head and walked out of the room, Lisa next to him.

"So, what do you need to talk to me about?" Ryan asked after he got in Lisa's BMW.

"I got a visit from Elmer Jenkins, the chairman of the board," she said. "It seems the feds got your dossier and someone gave him a heads-up. The board will be getting together this evening to discuss the situation. Elmer tells me the board is leaning toward putting Jake on an extended leave of absence, at least until the court case is resolved."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy," Ryan said.

"He also said they're thinking about having me fill in as interim CEO for a while, at least during the investigation and the trial, if there is one," she said.

"Congratulations," he said.

"That may be premature," she said. "But thanks anyway. After Jake and I married, he made me a vice president and put me in charge of what he called 'administrative operations.' Basically, I was the head paper-pusher. Apparently, Elmer thinks I can up to speed on what Jake was doing pretty fast, and he seems to think the company needs a Knight at the helm, at least for now."

"I wish you the best of luck," he said. "So, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know how the board works," she said. "They're going to want to know how you got that information."

"And they think you can turn on your feminine charms and get it out of me?" Ryan asked. "Maybe ply me with homemade lasagna?" She chuckled at that.

"Perhaps," she said.

"Well, that's not going to happen," he said. "I promised anonymity, and I keep my word. Besides, it's out of my hands now."

"I understand," she said. "Completely. I won't push it, promise." They pulled in front of the terminal and Lisa stopped the car. She pulled a box out of her purse and handed it to him.

"What's this?" Ryan asked.

"Just a little present," she said. "I know you don't have a phone, so I got you one. It's the latest with all the features. You can send texts, emails, take pictures, video, whatever you want. I've already got it set up with your area code and programmed it with my number, along with Bob's and Sarah's."

"Thank you," he said. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know," she said. "But you promised to stay in touch, and I think this is the best way."

"Is there an instruction book for this?" he asked.

"Of course," she said.

"Good," he told her. "That'll give me something to read on the way back." She walked with him to the check-in counter and waited for him to get his boarding pass. She stayed with him until he reached the security checkpoint.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye," he said.

"Not goodbye," she said. "Just, 'so long,' at least for now. Let me know when you get home, okay?"

"I will," he said. She kissed him on the cheek.

"It was good to see you again, Ryan," she said. "I really am sorry about everything." He nodded his head.

"I know. It was good to see you, too," he said. "Give the kids my love, will you?" She smiled.

"I will," she said before walking off. He watched her leave before getting in line for the security check.

...

A few hours later, he stood in front of his house after the cab dropped him off. Home, crap, home, he thought to himself as he looked at the old place. He could see the paint peeling off, exposing boards that had turned gray with exposure. The whole place looked... sad.

In his mind's eye, he pictured a cartoon house with a sad face, a tear falling out of one downcast eye. It reflected the way he had felt for quite some time. He felt bad about letting the old place fall into such disrepair. It had been good to him -- gave him shelter from the elements, kept him warm in the winter and relatively cool in the hot summer.

But something had changed in him over the last few days. He no longer felt the pervasive anger and hatred that had kept him company all these years. Perhaps, he thought, it was time the house reflected that.

"Maybe it's time we get you fixed up, old friend," he said to no one in particular. In his mind, the sad house-face smiled and the tear disappeared. He pulled out his phone and was surprised he had good reception. It took him a while, but he sent a text to Lisa, Sarah and Bob, letting them all know he made it home.

"Thanks for letting us know," Bob replied. Sarah sent the same message, adding, "I love you," with a happy face emoji. Lisa also thanked him for letting her know. He grabbed his cane and his duffel bag and went inside.

The next day, he began walking around the place, taking notes of everything that needed to be done. He finally realized there was no way he could do all this by himself, so he started calling contractors. Over the next few days, several had come out to look at the place and give him an estimate.

The contractor he selected wasn't the cheapest, nor was he the most expensive. But he said he could get everything Ryan wanted done, even if he had to hire subcontractors. Ryan knew it would cost him but he wasn't worried about that. He just wanted a good job done on the place.

Ryan originally wanted the place painted, but the contractor suggested he have the old wood removed and replaced with siding. That way, he said, they could also get a good look at the frame and replace whatever was needed. That sounded good to Ryan, so he gave the contractor the go-ahead, along with a check to get things started.