Checked Out

[Authors Note]

As someone who is trying to figure out writing stories this was one of my early attempts that I dusted off around a month ago to see if I would be happy to publish it. There are a few things mentioned in the story that I chose not to expand upon as I wanted to keep this short. I've written the story from a couple of perspectives as I wanted to try and see how the story would flow.

Many thanks to a couple of people who pre-read this and to Kite for helping me to edit this one. We're still building a rhythm as author and editor and it excites me to see how he is helping to evolve my stories.

I hope that you enjoy Checked Out.

Arthur

"Did you hear me Arthur, you just need to sign the papers, and it's all done!"

My wife, Annie, to whom I had been married for over 25 years, was talking to me. I was trying to listen, but her voice was getting further and further away the more her rant at me was going on.

It all started this afternoon when I came home from work. She was sitting at the table with a glass of wine and a determined look on her face. But, unfortunately, she only had one glass out for her, and she was drinking from that. For what was turning into a challenging conversation, she had not thought I might like or with how the conversation was going, that I might also need a drink.

I knew this would be bad as I sat down. She never asked about my day, just jumping right into letting me know that she was leaving me. Annie had found her 'soul mate', someone who made her heart sing like I never did, and I was no longer good enough for her. I was having a hard time hearing her. The problem was as she was getting louder, her voice increasing in volume. To me however, she was getting softer.

Our story was pretty typical. Annie and I had gotten together in high school and stayed together. Our daughter Sally was born about six months after we got married. She wasn't the main reason we got married, but it was on the agenda. Today, we both had good jobs; while not rich, I would say that we were upper-middle class. We had also paid the house off a few years ago and had a decent savings account.

We often said we loved each other, took regular family holidays, and while we didn't have as much sex as we did when we got together, we still averaged a couple of times a week. I had thought we loved each other profoundly and would have said we were going to grow old together, until this afternoon.

Annie was still ranting; her features were getting red as she continued to tell me what was happening. "Arthur, Arthur! Look at me! It was getting hard to concentrate, but I turned my head to her. "You need to sign these papers!" She kept pointing down at the documents in front of me. Her voice was demanding, but I was having a tough time focusing. It was like the room's light and colour faded away even though the lights were on in the kitchen.

In my head, I was upset, but my body was not responding, and the longer I didn't respond, the more furious Annie became. The last thing I can recall is Annie slapping me. I could not feel the blow. I imagined it would leave a big red mark. But again, I couldn't move, and the world kept going dark.

Sally

It had been a long day, the drive home from university was delayed as there was an accident slowing everyone down. I couldn't put my finger on it when I got home, but the house was eerily quiet. The lights were on, my dad's car was there, however, mum's was gone. When I walked into the kitchen, I threw my bag and books on the ground. Dad was sitting at the table, he wasn't moving, just staring into space. On the other side of the table sat an open bottle of mum's wine and a mostly empty wine glass. In front of dad sat a stack of papers with lots of those 'sign here' tabs.

I walked over to dad and touched his shoulder from the back, "Hey Dad!" I expected him to turn or jump, but he didn't respond. I walked around and looked him in the face, and I couldn't help but gasp. His eyes had glazed over, almost going a milky white, and it looked like there had been tears falling from his eyes earlier, but he wasn't blinking. From his mouth was a trail of drool that was starting to drip into his lap.

I felt panicked. "Dad! Dad! Come back to me dad!" I couldn't help but start crying.

After a minute, dad still wasn't responding. I knew I had to calm myself. I spoke to myself, 'Slow down, Sally, Dad needs help.' I pulled out my phone and called 000 emergency. I let them know that I couldn't get my father, Arthur Other, to respond, They asked me my details and address, and I gave them my name, Sally Other and our home address. They dispatched an ambulance, letting me know it would arrive in around ten minutes. For the next few minutes, I sat there and looked at dad and held his hand. I talked to him softly, letting him know it would be okay.

This man had given me everything growing up. He worked hard but was always at my school events, musicals and ballet. When I was first learning violin, he suffered through hour after hour of ear screeching practice, always encouraging me. Finally, he had put away enough to buy me a Hidersine violin for my sixteenth birthday, it was not the best out there, but it was better than the other practice ones I had. Five years later, I was at university studying music with a focus on strings and violin. I had two other better violins, but that one had a special place in my heart, as it was from dad.

I wasn't sure what to do while I waited. Why was dad like this? What had happened? And I had no idea where mum was. It was then that I looked down at the paperwork and the words 'Petition for Divorce' jumped out at me. What the fuck! I read the first page of the document for a couple of minutes, and my skin started crawling. For no reason that I could discern, mum wanted to divorce dad.

It seemed very likely that dad's state was due to these documents, and judging by how mum's wine was open, she had given dad the documents and walked out on him. People often wonder how emotions change so rapidly. I suppose they have never had this happen to them before. For me, I felt all compassion and desire to be in my mothers' presence die.

Not too much later, the ambulance arrived, and with my direction, they got dad on a gurney and took off to the hospital. I was following behind after locking up the house, so I started making calls as I drove. I called my grandmother, dad's mum, his sister Rhonda, his best friend and then called his manager at work and gave them a quick run down to let them know dad would be off work for a while. I told them I came home and found him unresponsive, and he was on the way to the hospital.

Everyone asked me to keep them up to date on his condition, and his manager told me he would arrange emergency leave for dad and let their boss know. I knew I was putting off the next call as I was so mad at her, but I decided I needed to call mum. The phone rang, and she picked up after a couple of rings.

"Hi Sally my darling, how was your day?"

Wow, just wow, surely my mother was not that naive to think I wouldn't know what was going on. It had been almost an hour since I walked into the house and found dad. Mum also knew my schedule was reasonably consistent, and I would have found him.

"Where are you mum?"

"I'm out and about sweetie..." she trailed off, not wanting to say anything. I could sense her hesitation.

"So, in other words, you just destroyed my father, your husband, and walked out on him without a care then?"

"Oh no darling, I tried to explain to your father about Paul and what was happening, but he wasn't responding, so I thought it better to leave and let him process how we are not going to be living with him anymore."

She was trying to talk like it was a simple thing, however, finding dad as I had, it was more than likely that she just ripped his heart out and thrown it against the wall while he was watching; if my guess was correct.

"It looks to me like you walked out on him when he needed help. Are you that heartless? Do you know what's happening now, or don't you care?" There was anger beginning to leak into my voice.

"Sweetie, don't get angry now, I know this is a bit of a shock, but your father will be fine. I will only ask for what is mine as well as some support while Paul waits to marry me."

Yep, my mother was moving into Lala land.

"Angry, you haven't seen angry yet, mother! And just so you know, I am currently following dad to the hospital, he's in an ambulance, and when I got home, he looked like he had a stroke."

"Oh Sally my, sweetie, I'm sorry to hear that, but...."

"No fucking buts mother, let me ask you, is this Paul you're running off with the same Paul from your work that you keep talking about?"

She hesitated, "Of course, darling." Paul was a man at my mothers work that she never shut up about.

"So, as I understand, he's a dozen years younger than you, and you have been having an affair with for how long?"

Again she hesitated, "Six months."

"Right, so for the last six months, you have been fucking someone from your work behind dad's back. You have been lying to dad and me, hiding your whore's affair. I had no idea you were a slut, and obviously, neither did dad, judging by the state you just abandoned him in. How in the fucking world did you think either of us was going to be happy about it?"

"Well, I suppose not at first, but once we are living with Paul, you will see we are meant to be together!"

We! She had just referred in the plural for a second time. Did she think that I was going to leave dad to move in with her and her boyfriend? I could feel myself fuming. I knew I would say something stupid if I didn't stop.

"I'm going to hang up now before I say something to you that I may not be able to take back. However, let me be absolutely clear. I WILL NOT be moving away from dad, and there is fucking no way that I coming anywhere near Paul, let alone going near his place that you and he are whoring away in!"

"Sally Other!" my mother responded, "I am your mother, and I will not be spoken to like that regardless of you being upset!"

"Then I guess we are done talking." And I hung up before she could say anything else. If she thought I was going to condone what she was doing, she had another thing coming.

She tried to call me back multiple times; then she started calling dad's phone, which was silly because if he could, I doubt he would pick up a call from her. I had dad's phone with me, so I ignored any call from her.

By the time I got to the hospital, the ambulance crew had got dad admitted, and he was in a ward under observation. Aunt Rhonda had turned up and let me know she had also gotten a handful of calls from my mother but wasn't sure what was happening other than her brother was in the hospital. When I explained what had happened, Aunt Rhonda went a deep shade of scarlet, so much so that I could almost see steam coming out of her ears.

"Sally, do you have the documents that bitch left for my brother?"

"Sure, Aunt Rhonda, here."

Aside from Rhonda being my auntie, she was also our family attorney. So for the next hour, we sat there beside dad as Rhonda read the documents and made notes, now and again swearing under her breath. Doctors and nurses periodically came in and out of the room checking on dad.

"Well, the bad news is that your mother is going to get her divorce from your father. The schedule set out here shows that this has been in motion for over two months and had to be served this week, or it would cost her a whole lot more in fees from her legal team."

I shrugged; I had gotten all the justification I cared for from my mother. I was going to make sure that she and dad separated for what she had done.

It was weird. I was never a daddy's girl, I always looked up to my mum, but her move was plain stupid. This was Paul, her 'soul mate's' doing. Regardless mum and dad were not going to survive this if the man lying in bed beside me was any indication.

"The good news is that she got a shyster of a lawyer to represent her. She's going to have to pay a lot to him just for the divorce and a lot more if it goes to court." She grinned, "While my dear brother has the best lawyer in town and is going to get the family discount!"

We smiled at each other for the first time that evening. "Also, some of the claims here where she wants 50% equity in the house and 60% of the financial assets, plus spousal maintenance and child maintenance are likely pretty much ludicrous. I am going to assume from your reaction that you're not going to live with your mother?" I shook my head in the negative.

"Good, okay. I have some initial thoughts; however, we need to see what happens with your dad over the next twenty-four hours. Your mother could already be in trouble for abandonment and mental cruelty."

The next few days flew by, the doctors were constantly checking on dad. Physically he was fine and healthy, however, he just wasn't responsive. I was able to do university study in the hospital chair by the bed, laptop and textbook in hand. Now and then, one of the family would come by to give me a break, and I would go home, sleep for a few hours, change and come back. I will admit I cried a bit at home, alone in the house.

One of the big surprises was the owner of the company that dad worked for came in to check on him. While I knew his manager, Tom, I had never met his actual boss. Tina Williams was a striking woman, voluptuous without being fat, tanned skin, dark raven hair, and with blue eyes that I could say would smoulder, causing any man alive and likely a few women to swoon.

It turns out my dad had been one of a group at his work that had been there for Tina a few years ago when she went through a messy divorce. Her cheating ex-husband tried to take her for most of their savings. And had almost gotten half her business before dad introduced her to Aunt Rhonda. Rhonda had turned the tables, saving Tina from giving any business away and ensuring that Tina got child support for their then six-year-old daughter.

Tina came by several times and was aghast when I told her the general summary of what had happened and why he was here in the hospital. She brought cards from everyone at dad's work and would sit and hold his hand and tell him stories from work while he was away. It turns out that my dad was a bit of a joker in the office, and everyone was missing his antics.

I should let you know, Dad is an accountant by trade and works for one of the financial clearing houses that help banks process payments to financial institutions. It can be tedious work, but apparently, my dad makes the workday just that little brighter for everyone.

One afternoon about two weeks later, I had just come back from a shower and a nap at home. When I walked into the ward, Rhonda and Tina were finishing a conversation. I could tell it had been a little heated; however, their ire was directed at my mother, not each other.

My mother had written a letter of demand to Tina to access all of dad's bonuses over the last few years. It didn't matter that the money had already been paid. The letter required that she receive 50% of them into a nominated bank account within thirty days, or she would be suing Tina.

"Aside from the stupidity of the claim for monies already paid. It sounds like her and her new beau are strapped for cash since I have frozen all of the joint assets while Arthur is checked out." Rhonda was saying a very predator grin on her face.

I laughed, announcing my presence. "Yes, this morning I got my first communication from mum in two weeks, a text message asking if I could give her a few thousand dollars. I have not responded as I am still pretty upset with her. I mean, she has never once enquired about dad since I told her what she did to him!"

Tina had become very defensive of my dad over the last couple of weeks. Whenever my mother was mentioned, her eyes would narrow, and her voice would jump down an octave denoting her profound dislike of Annie Other. It was almost like I could see flames appear around the edges of those smouldering eyes. I just hoped that she never had to sit in a room with my mother, I was afraid that she might burn her to a crisp. I might not like my mother much right now but she was still my mother.

"She has destroyed the most wonderful man. Sally, if it weren't for your father, I would not have my Clarice or business. So many of the office team helped me at one of the lowest times in my life, but your father spent time listening to me. He never judged my ex-husband or me; he just let me talk. No one has ever really done that without offering an opinion. He introduced me to your aunt here, making sure I was looked after. If he were a single man, I would have pursued him with everything I had after the divorce."

I shrugged and let a smile light my face. "He won't be married much longer!"

That brought about realisation, shown on their faces, Rhonda giggle and Tina smiled.

"Thanks, Sally. I needed that. I still can't believe what your mother has done to him or that she cast aside such a great guy. I need to get going to the office, but before I do."

Tina walked over to my dad and, while Rhonda and I watched, bent over and gave him a gentle but heartfelt kiss on the lips. She looked up at us and smiled. But her smiled disappeared into shock a moment later when my dad groaned.

Arthur

As I woke, I could feel soft lips on mine, just the right amount of pressure, and there was a gentle and tender intent behind them that conveyed affection that I had not felt in a long time. I could hear the beeping of a hospital room and groan as almost every muscle in my body hurt. I expected that Annie would be standing over my bed as I opened my eyes after such an affectionate kiss. But standing there was Tina, with a smile on her face.

"Tina?"

From the other side of the bed, Sally and Rhonda approached.

"It's okay daddy. You are going to be okay, you hear!"

My memories caught up to me a moment later, and I realized that Annie was leaving me or, more likely, had left me.

"What happened?"

For the next few minutes, the three of them brought me up to speed on how Sally had found me unresponsive and called an ambulance; how she found the divorce papers finding out that Annie had been cheating on me for months. I found out how Annie had threatened Tina once Rhonda locked our finances until they knew what was happening to me.

"How long?"

"Two weeks, Arthur," Rhonda replied

I looked at Tina, "Um, you kissed me?"

Tina blushed, "Yeah, sorry, I was about to head back to the office and was saying goodbye."

I smiled, "No, it is okay. I guess I'm on the market, so I think it okay!"

Over the next few hours, a litany of doctors came through checking on me. Physical checkups, blood tests, the works. Tina cancelled her visit to the office and stuck around, as did Rhonda and Sally. Among the doctors that came through to see me was a psychologist. As he prodded me, I told him how I came home and found Annie drinking alone, and she told me she was leaving me. Then, as she got more forceful, I told him how the world started to lose colour. Light and sound lost their adhesion, and I found it hard to move my body even though I was getting upset. I had the final memory of Annie slapping and yelling at me, but I couldn't understand her words.

The girls all collectively gasped at the revelation of Annie beating me while I could not respond.

"Daddy, what time do you think it was when you stopped being able to respond?"

"I would say it was around five-thirty baby. Why?"

"Because it was after seven-thirty when I got home and found you, and there was no red mark on your cheek, so I am assuming that mum must have left you there alone for quite some time.