Amethyst Purple Pt. 04

"I don't know, Sweetheart, I'm going to go try to find her and see if I can help her. Miss Rosalyn will be staying with you while I'm gone and make sure you're up for school and get dinner.

"Why don't you try to call momma again?" Rachel asked.

"I will, but there was a real bad storm and all the power is off and none of the phones are working there so she wouldn't be able to answer anyway." Ted explained to the ten-year-olds.

"Oh." They chorused.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Joplin, MO

There were no flights available before the following day so Ted spent an anxious, sleepless night trying repeatedly to call Marti's cell phone but only hearing the same hateful recorded message that continued to repeat itself over and over. That's why it took Ted nearly twenty-four hours to arrive in what he only imagined a Middle East war zone would look like.

The trees that were still standing were devoid of most of their limbs and all of their leaves, cars and trucks were piled up like driftwood along a dried riverbed. Rubble occupied spaces where whole buildings stood only two days earlier. There were news vans from all over the country set up, bristling with antennae and radar dishes, and professionally dressed reporters holding microphones were standing in front of camera operators dressed somewhat more conservatively nearby. When he passed the hospital he was astounded when it appeared that nearly every window on the building had been blown out and there was a red helicopter lying on its side on the lawn, all four rotor blades had been sheared at the hub. His ringing cell phone startled him.

"Hello, this is Ted Kilgore."

"Ted, I'm so sorry, I just got a call from someone from the Emergency Management Agency in Missouri asking for you, I told him you were there and gave him your phone number so he'll probably be calling you soon." Rosalyn said sorrowfully.

"Thank you, Rosalyn, that must be him ringing in now. I'll call you back shortly." Ted answered dejectedly.

Ted switched to the other incoming call.

"Hello, this is Ted Kilgore."

"Mr. Kilgore, this is Millard Jinks with the Missouri Emergency Management Agency. Do you have a wife named Martha Kilgore who's visiting Joplin Missouri?"

"Yes, Mr. Jinks, I'm afraid so. Where do I need to come, I'm here near the hospital. Is she OK? Or do you need me to make an Identification? I ask the first question out of hope and the second out of reality." Ted found it difficult to swallow.

"Unfortunately, Mr Kilgore, reality is all I can offer you today." The stress in the man's voice told anyone hearing it that he'd had to give this message to too many people already and that one more might exceed his limit.

Ted followed the directions the EMA representative had provided and found himself in a dank room with three stretchers, each holding a black nylon body-sized bag with a 4"x6" card bearing the description and tentative identity of its occupant tied to the zipper . A woman dressed in hospital scrubs covered with small cartoon characters looked at the ID card then slid open the zipper of the bag on the second stretcher until the face of the woman Ted had loved since first speaking to her at a concert that he hadn't even wanted to attend was visible. He might have been able to hold his composure had she not looked like she had been beaten to death with clubs but unfortunately a violent death doesn't paint a pretty picture. Someone else might've said she was nearly unrecognizable but Ted knew Marti from every angle, the shade and texture of her hair and he had no hope that he was looking at the body of anyone other than her.

Ted gave the Missouri officials the information for the local funeral home he'd be using in Georgia then called Rosalyn back.

"Hey, Rosalyn, do you think you could see if the airline can get me on an earlier flight back? I don't need to stay here any longer."

"I'm so sorry, Ted. I'll get you on another flight back tonight if there's one available at all."

"Thank you, I know this isn't a part of your job description but I appreciate you going above and beyond."

Ted drove back to the airport and returned the rental car having never checked into his hotel.

All flights back to Atlanta had already departed before Ted made it back to the airport so he spent the night sitting at the departure gate, waiting for his flight to depart the following afternoon.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Rome, GA

Back home, Ted found Rosalyn sitting on his sofa wearing a bathrobe he didn't recognize, watching the late show on TV and drinking a glass of wine. She stood when he walked into the room and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he broke down, sobbing with his arms at his sides. She let him purge his emotions for a few minutes then stepped back.

"You need a shower. Have you eaten anything at all today?"

This question surprised him. "I haven't even thought about food since we were at the restaurant Sunday."

"I'm not surprised, you look famished. And you smell worse than that. Go get a shower and dress comfortably, I'll fix you something to eat." She commanded.

"How're the kids doing?" Ted asked.

"You don't worry about the kids tonight, they're asleep right now and you've got enough to be concerned about when you have to tell them what has happened tomorrow. Now, go shower then come back down here and eat."

Thirty minutes later, Ted came back to the living room smelling better but still looking like a zombie with no center and even less purpose.

"I can't imagine what you're feeling and honestly I hope I never do but whatever I can do to help you I'll be happy to do it." Rosalyn said earnestly.

"What do I do now?..." Ted droned.

"You live and you stay strong for those babies in there. You're all they have now and they'll need you to be reliable for them."

"They're hardly babies anymore." Ted quipped.

"As bad as you're feeling right now? They're feeling the same way and they don't have the benefit of your experience and strength, they're infants in contrast."

"I'm twice your age, how is it you're so much more wise and mature than me?" Ted asked forlornly.

"Women typically mature faster and earlier than men and I majored in Psychology." She volleyed

The pair sat in silence as Ted picked at the simple meal Rosalyn had prepared without actually eating very much.

"I guess I should call the office tomorrow to let the partners know what's happened and change my schedule for the week." Ted mused.

"I already took care of that. I took the week off too so I can help you with arrangements and with the kids." Rosalyn countered.

"I had no idea I'd be asking so much from you when I called you, thank you."

"You aren't asking anything, I'm offering. And you're welcome."

When she got tired of watching Ted chase the food around his plate with a fork she reached over and took the utensil from his fingers and cleared the plate into the garbage before placing it into the sink half-full of soapy water. She then ushered him up from the table and toward his bedroom.

"Go to bed, turn your phone and alarm off and sleep until your body wakes you up."

Ted was certain that he wouldn't sleep but he didn't account for having been awake for more than forty-eight hours, running on nothing but adrenaline and anguish. He was unconscious before the covers settled around him. Rosalyn turned his bedroom light off when she checked on him a few minutes later. He didn't wake again until after lunch the following day.

Ted was faced with the toughest job he'd ever been tasked with when he picked the kids up after school. The expressions all three wore told him they knew the truth whether they wanted to admit to themselves or not but that didn't make the burden any easier to bear.

They had a rough several months but kids are amazingly resilient and Ted knew he had to accept the new form his family had assumed. Eventually, muted sobs from different bedrooms in the dark of night and the nightmares abated and they all learned to live as a fraction of the group they comprised before Marti's last trip. Matthew grew into a typical college student (not at U.T Knoxville, to Ted's chagrin) and the twins' shared intelligence and beauty guaranteed that they were the center of attention wherever they went and were always two of the most popular and well-liked students at their high school. Ted freely admitted to anyone who'd listen that he was the most fortunate father he knew because none of his kids ever got into trouble or rebelled against him as one might expect from children who had endured the trauma of losing their mother at such impressionable ages. Part of the answer might've been the method of parenting Ted adopted. He made a point to never punish them if he was angry and he always ensured that each child knew precisely the reason for any act of discipline he meted out. The fact that while he was firm and resolute with his discipline he was fair and forgiving also went far to instill mutual respect between him and each of the kids.

Ted was exceedingly proud of the young adults his kids were growing into.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Rome, GA

"Mr. Kilgore, your O2 level is slightly below normal and your pulse rate is slightly elevated but your blood pressure isn't too bad and your blood sugar is within range. Have you ever had any of these spells before?" The paramedic asked Ted while he lay supine on the floor of the courtroom.

"Every now and then I get tired. It's happened all my life, I couldn't play as long as my friends without having to stop and rest frequently. It seems to be happening more often these days, though." Ted answered.

"Well, you need to be checked out more closely than what we can do here, we should get you to the hospital and see if the doctor can find out what's happening to you."

"Am I OK to take myself? Or do I have to ride in your golden chariot?" Ted Quipped.

"Well, I obviously don't recommend that you get behind the wheel of a car, just in case you pass out again before you get to the hospital. That would be bad."

"I can drive his stubborn tail." Kelsey interjected.

"There, see, she can drive me." Ted seconded.

"I guess your spicy attitude says you're coming around again, anyway. You'll still need to sign a waiver first, though." The medico added.

"Somebody help me up first." Ted mumbled.

Twenty minutes later Ted and Kelsey were standing beside his car in the courthouse parking lot with two differing opinions about their proper course of action.

"What do you mean you're not going to the hospital?! Your health is important, it's not something you need to be playing with!"

"I'm not playing with it, I'll call my doctor and make an appointment for a checkup."

"OK," Kelsey said, crossing her arms in defiance. "Call them now."

In acquiescence Ted found a phone number for the doctor whose office he had seen the inside of only once when he and Marti first moved to Georgia and explained what happened in the courtroom. After an appointment was scheduled for Friday morning and Ted made Kelsey a solemn promise that he wouldn't blow it off, a promise they both knew was redundant because she'd make certain that he didn't miss it, she was satisfied and they both left in their own cars.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

"Madam Foreperson, has the Jury reached a verdict?" Judge Collins asked.

"Yes, Your Honor, we have."

"Very well." Then turning his attention toward the Defense table."Will the Defendant please rise and face the Jury."

"Madam Foreperson, please read the verdict to the court."

"Regarding charge one on the affidavit, Burglary, the Jury finds the Defendant guilty. Regarding charge two on the affidavit, Financial Transaction Card Fraud, the Jury finds the Defendant guilty."

"Thank you, Madam Foreperson." The turning again toward the Defense table. "Would you like the Jury polled, Mr. Kilgore?"

"If you don't mind, Your Honor, we would appreciate that."

When Judge Collins addressed each Juror individually, one by one they verified their votes of guilty.

"The Defendant will be remanded over to the custody of the Sheriff to await a scheduled date when he shall be returned to this court for sentencing."

After the Defendant was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom Judge Collins once again faced the Jury box.

"I'd like to express the court's appreciation for your diligent service here this week and hereby discharge you from further responsibility in this term. You are excused, be sure to leave your Juror badge with the Clerk of the Court before leaving the courthouse.

Friday, June 29, 2018

"This is what we're going to do, Ted," The Doctor began. "We're going to draw blood to run some tests then I'm going to send you over to Imaging for an MRI to check your lungs and rule out any lesions on your brain."

"How long will it take to figure out what's wrong?"

"That depends on what we find. Realistically, though? Probably Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest. Let's schedule your follow up for next Friday, we should have all the results by then."

"I've lived with it this long I suppose I can wait another week." Ted answered

Friday, July 6, 2018

"Yours is a very interesting case, Ted." The Doctor began. "I'd like to get two more samples to verify my theory, though."

"I already feel like a pin cushion from all the blood you've gotten so far." Ted responded.

"These samples are non invasive, we just need to swab some sweat off your skin and then swab the inside of your cheek with a cotton swab." The Doctor responded humorously.

"So what do you think it is?" Ted queried.

"I think the mildness of your case along with your Asthma camouflaged it when you were a child which is when almost all of these cases are diagnosed. I think the Sweat Chloride and DNA tests will confirm that you have a mild form of Cystic Fibrosis. While it isn't curable it can be treated with the same inhalers you've been using for Asthma along with nutritional therapies, supplements and exercise. Here's a new prescription for a therapeutic inhaler, use it three times a day and keep your Rescue Inhaler handy for when you have an attack. Here is a list of nutritional supplements you can get over the counter that can help and I have a suggested diet that might help mitigate your symptoms."

"Thank you, Doctor. When will you get the results from these new tests?"

"They'll take a couple days, as well so you should hear from me by midweek."

"So, what's my prognosis?"

"Well, you aren't likely to be running in any marathons and I don't think you'll be looking to do so at your age anyway but it's doubtful you'll ever be able to have children, but if you manage it closely there's no reason you can't expect many more years of happy life."

"What do you mean I won't be able to have children?" Ted asked.

"Well, the way this disease works is that it causes normally thin mucus in the body to thicken and clog passage ways and ducts in your organs. One area that is usually affected most is your testes and males who have CF usually cannot provide sufficient sperm samples to cause pregnancy." The Doctor explained.

"That's interesting, I already have three children." Ted said, distractedly.

"Well, you are in the minority, statistically speaking, almost all cases of CF are diagnosed in early childhood and most don't live to adulthood. The fact that you already have indicates this is a very mild form of the disease so I suppose you fathering children shouldn't be too surprising."

Despite the Doctor's attempt at reassurance, Ted's mind raced. Suspicions that had occasionally niggled at the back of his consciousness over the years that he had suppressed into silence began to reassert themselves. Ideas he had eliminated by telling himself that they were rooted in the guilt stemming from his own unfaithfulness now had reason to be heard. All those trips out of town and the gulf that had gradually grown between Marti and himself during those years. The trips when they never even spoke on the telephone while they were apart. His attributing her behavior to extended bouts of Postpartum Depression. All these ideas, images and possibilities began to fog Ted's mind and suddenly he just wanted to be at home, in the safe, familiar surroundings of his own environment.

"Thanks, Doc. Let me know what happens next." Ted, standing and reaching for the door knob to leave the exam room.

"Here, before you go let me ask you something. I see you're facing an issue and I can guess what it is. I see you aren't wearing a wedding ring and it doesn't look like you've worn one for quite some time."

"My wife was killed in a tornado seven years ago."

"I see. How old are your children?"

"My son is twenty three, in college, and my twin daughters are seventeen, in highschool."

"I want to tell you that it doesn't matter now, that no matter what, they're your kids. You raised them to be yours and you're their father. No, you're their daddy. If you knew the truth and they weren't yours biologically there's nobody you can punish anymore and anything you might do would hurt them. They are truly innocent and deserve to live happy lives, not have to bear their parents' punishment when they had absolutely no choice in the matter. And all that is true but in light of your condition I believe it would be prudent to have the tests performed to rule out their carrying the gene that causes CF. Your son is an adult and he would have to consent and with HIPAA regulations you might not even be able to get the results if he doesn't want you to have them. You are still the Guardian of your daughters but they are riding right on the cusp of that status. If you decide to follow through with what you're considering, my recommendation is that you be sure to sit them down and make sure that they know you love them more than anyone else and that you will always be their father. And despite any temptation to do otherwise I implore you not to defame the memory of their mother. That's all they have left from her and they deserve to not have that memory besmirched."

Ted forced a smile. "Thank you, Doctor. You've given me a lot to consider. I'll talk to you next week."

He spent the weekend contemplating his new knowledge, debating whether he wanted to know the truth or not. In actuality, he was sure he already knew the truth so his debate was really did he want it confirmed or not. The one thing he was absolutely, without a doubt certain about was that he agreed with his doctor that Matthew, Rachel and Riley were HIS kids. Nothing could ever change that. What he feared most was that one or all three would want to find their biological father or would, somehow, blame him for the situation and turn away from him. A small part of his consciousness shook its head in disbelief and asserted unequivocally that he was being stupid, that the kids would never turn away from him but his doubts still lingered. Despite the potential outcome, Ted knew he couldn't conceal what he had learned and determined to sit his children down and tell them everything once he knew for certain, they were all home for summer break so he wouldn't have to wait for Matthew to come home from college when the time was right.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

"What did the tests tell you?" Ted asked the doctor.

"Well, they confirmed what I suspected, and yours is a mild case so while I can't guarantee you a long life you should still be harassing the courts for several years yet to come."

"I see." Ted responded. "I'd like to request another test or two if I may. I'd like to see how likely I am to be infertile and then I'd like to find out how to test my kids for paternity."

"Well, we can refer you to the Fertility Clinic for the first test and we can obtain samples for paternity tests here but we'll need all four of you present to draw them." The doctor allowed.