The Last 24 Hours Ch. 04

I popped the door open, laughing. Beth's fist connected with my left temple as I leaned down and poked my head out the door. The last thing I saw before blackness claimed me was the tears streaming down Beth's face.

I don't know how long I was unconscious but as I came around I heard Beth sobbing, "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!"

I opened my eyes and looked up into her face, my head resting on her knees, and said in a voice that sounded as weak as I felt, "You could have just told me you were pissed you know?"

Beth started with a jerk dropping my head violently back onto the tiles of my front step with a solid "thwock". Stars swam in front of my eyes for a moment and I felt a moment of vertigo.

"Jesus Christ Beth, wait till the paramedics get here before you beat him up anymore!" I heard Josh exclaim with a chuckle. I also heard a siren in the distance getting closer. I was suddenly very tired.

Beth leaned over and said, "Please don't pass out again, Alex. I don't think I could take that... I just couldn't bear it."

She started to cry again and I decided that I could not bear THAT (I never could stand to see Beth cry). So I stretched out my hand and brushed the tears away and said, "Help me sit up Beth, I'm not going anywhere at the moment." Beth leaned her cheek into my hand and placed hers on top of mine.

She had never shown this depth of feeling for my touch in all the time I had known her and I wasn't sure what was going on. She had closed her eyes so I could not see what they held in them.

"Beth? Beth, look at me Sweets," I said.

Sweets had been my nickname for her ever since we first met my freshman year in college. She had spent an entire month helping me prepare for a calculus exam I was sure I was going to fail.

With her help I had aced the exam and the class. I had gotten her a box of custom made liqueur filled chocolates that had "Worlds #1 Best Friend" stamped in them. I had addressed the box "To Beth the Sweetest of the Sweets."

Corny I know but hey I was nineteen and not the most suave guy on the planet. I mean I was dating my future wife after all.

Beth looked down at me and then over at her brother. Josh nodded and Beth helped me into a sitting position. She knelt behind me and supported my back.

"Are you ok? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you..." I took her left hand in mine and intertwined our fingers.

"Shush... It's Ok I know you didn't mean it." I brought her hand up to my lips and lightly kissed it.

I felt Beth tense against my back and I started to ask what was wrong. As I turned my head I caught a glimpse of someone ducking down behind the hedge row to our left. I watched Beth as she watched the hedges. I chuckled.

"Harvey, get your ass out here! You've got Beth spooked all to hell and my nerves can't take this right now!" I screamed.

Harvey stood sheepishly and came over to us with his trademark golfer's cap in his hand. "I'm sorry I spooked Miss Beth, Alex, but I came out as they come up and she hit you. I didn't know what was going on and got scared."

Harvey had been in the Marines during the Korean War and a guest of Ho Chi Min in Vietnam. He was a little quirky but he was still a nice guy. But even as tough as he was, he was still in his late sixties and life had not been easy on him. He tended to watch everything going down on the block and if something wasn't right he'd call the cops. Our own, slightly shop worn, guardian angel.

"It's Ok; it was just bad timing on my part Harvey," I said. "I'll be alright. Beth and Josh will take care of things."

I tried to stand up and Beth tried to hold me down. The paramedics were pulling up and I didn't want them to pull out the stretcher.

"Sweets, you need to let me stand up. I need to go talk to the nice men in the ambulance," I said in a teasing tone. I smiled at Beth to let her know I wasn't mad at her.

"I am SO sorry Alex. I didn't mean to hit you," Beth started to cry.

I could see her eyes start to tear up and said, in a low tone, "I know you didn't Beth. Please don't cry. You know I can't stand that. I'm just fine."

She sniffed, fighting back tears, and helped me to stand up and brush my slacks off. We headed over and let the paramedics take a look at me. They pronounced me fit for duty as it were and told Beth and Josh to keep and eye on me for the next few hours. They didn't think I had a concussion but if I started slurring my words or getting tired rapidly they should take me to an E. R.

We went back inside to eat our unfortunately cold lunch. As Beth re-heated the chicken in the microwave Josh and I sat at my dinning room table with glasses of Ice tea in front of us.

"Well I think you need to know you have an appointment at the Lab for blood work at three o'clock this afternoon. Lisa's lawyer called on the way over and got the appointments in a rush. LISA is most insistent that the test be done immediately and that you are not the father," Josh looked truly sad as he said it.

Beth looked at me as asked "What are you going to do if the girls are yours?" She looked frightened for a moment and then covered it up with her poker face.

"I don't know for sure, Beth. The girls made it fairly clear that they hate me at the courthouse. You heard them spewing their mother's venom. You saw the tapes. They've known for four years that I might not be their father and they said nothing. In fact they were ecstatic about it. They are little carbon copies of Lisa at this point."

I shook my head, "If they aren't mine then I'll give them their wish, I'll never see them again. If they are mine I'm not sure what I'll do. I won't leave them with their mother that's the only thing I do know."

Beth sighed and took my hand across the table and gave me a supportive look. It hit me just then what Josh and Beth had said outside of the courthouse.

I looked at Beth and asked, "What did you mean you've waited fifteen years for a date with me?"

Beth blushed from the roots of her hair all the way down to her fingertips. She shook her head and hid her eyes. I had never seen Beth act like this. Beth was one of the most outspoken, forthright, and uninhibited people I had ever met.

Josh leaned over and said in a quiet, serious tone, "Tell him, Beth." Beth just shook as if sobbing silently.

I looked at my watch and saw we only had an hour before my lab appointment. "Josh you talk to your sister. I have to go to the lab. When I get back I want to talk to her and you."

Josh nodded and then said, "Hold it! You're not supposed to drive or be alone, remember?"

I stopped. I had forgotten. I thought for a minute, and said, "Ok Josh we'll do it the hard way. Beth, will you come with me? Please?"

You'd have thought I had just asked her to chop off her left hand or something. She looked like she was about to run and didn't know where to run to. Josh got up and grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet.

"The man has asked for the pleasure of your company, dear sister, and you are going to go with him if I have to tie you up and sit you in the car myself."

Josh's tone said he would not take no for an answer.

Beth gave him a very hard look and replied, "Oh really? Is that what you think?"

Josh reached into his pocket and brought out a pair of handcuffs. "As a matter of fact it is. I came prepared for this. Now you choose, with or without jewelry? And I warn you I don't have the key on me!"

I watched all of this and wondered just what the hell was going on between them. Without a word to either of them I headed towards my door. With my hand on the door I remembered, again!

"Which one of you clowns is driving me? Some maniac hit my parked car yesterday and I haven't been to the rental agency yet."

Beth and Josh both had the grace to blush and look sheepish at the reminder that they had wrecked my car. Beth stepped forward and said in a quiet voice, "I'll drive."

She stalked past me and out the door. Josh caught my arm and said, "Talk to her. You'll need to push or she won't say what she needs to. Be gentle with her but don't let her evade your questions. I'll be here when you get back and we'll talk then. Take her to someplace quiet after you leave the lab. She needs this more than you know."

I walked out to the car and got in. Beth put the silver Lexus in gear and pulled away from the curb. No matter what I said or asked she said nothing all the way to the lab.