The Road to Love

They took Ellen out on a stretcher. The police handcuffed Mark. When the second ambulance arrived, they took Kate away. The police took Roy with them. The room became empty and dark.

Jeff had just fallen asleep when his phone rang. He was startled when an ER nurse told him that Ellen had been admitted with a serious head injury and Kate had been admitted suffering from shock.

They had scheduled a CAT scan for Ellen. They might have to airlift her to the Brain Clinic at Dallas.

Jeff got up, dressed, and sped to the hospital.

When he arrived at the ER, they told him that they were waiting for Ellen's CAT scan results. Also, they said Kate had been given some tests, including a rape kit. So far, she had tested positive for Ecstasy and had a high blood-alcohol level. They found semen in her vagina and rectum. She had some rectal fissures that were bleeding. She was being treated for those injuries and shock. She would be held overnight for sure and maybe longer, depending on her response to treatment

Jeff was processing that information when a police officer approached him. The officer told him that Dr. Mark Abbot was being held in jail facing rape and assault charges.

He also said that they were holding Roy at their downtown headquarters while awaiting his transfer to Child Protective Services. Jeff told them that he was waiting to see what they found out about Ellen. Then he would go downtown and get Roy. If he couldn't go, he would get a family member to do it.

The officer said that they couldn't release Roy to anyone except CPS until the parental investigation had been completed. Jeff was about to ask what that meant when the ER nurse told him that Ellen was being transferred to Dallas by helicopter. She remained unconscious and had a deep wound on the side of her head. The CAT scan showed possible brain damage. Her condition was serious.

Jeff asked if he could accompany his daughter on the trip to the Brain Center. He was allowed to do so. He held Ellen's hand as they lifted off. He was still holding it as they landed.

Several days later, Kate woke up and realized that she was in a hospital room. She wondered about Jeff and her children. Where was everybody? She pressed the call button and a nurse responded. She asked the nurse about her family. The nurse told her that the doctor would be in shortly. "It's good to have you back with us. We've been worried about you," she smiled.

At that point, the nurse asked Kate a series of questions designed to assess her mental capacity. She was able to answer some of the questions but drew a blank on many of them. When they asked her what day it was, she thought it was Monday. They told her that it was Friday. She had lost four days of her life to a deep coma.

The next few days were spent talking to doctors and taking more tests. She kept asking when she could see her family. She was told that it would be soon. First, her attending physician had to give his permission, and then Dr. Ericsson needed to do likewise. Dr. Ericsson was a psychiatrist. The permission was granted the following Tuesday.

Hope grew in Kate's heart when she looked up and saw her husband entering her room. She had some memories about what she'd done, but she didn't know for sure how much Jeff knew. She was alert enough to be painfully aware that her actions had put her marriage in jeopardy. She needed to assure her husband that she had made a mistake that would never be repeated.

"Oh, Jeff, it's so good to see you. I want you to know how much I love you. I apologize for anything that I might have done while I was under the influence of way too much alcohol. I should have resisted those drinks. They also said I was drugged. Those things made me do some deplorable stuff that I will regret for the rest of my life. For the sake of our marriage and our children, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Kate, in the days since that horrible night, I have pieced together what happened. As each bit of information became known, I suffered more heartache and felt more emasculated. How could you do those things? Did you even think about me and your children? You mispresented everything during our phone conversation when you convinced me to send the kids to spend the night with you. You followed that with a betrayal that I, in my wildest nightmares, would never have dreamed you would ever do. I didn't believe a wife and mother that cared for her family could descend so far into hell. Maybe, if you could have foreseen the outcome, you would have avoided all of it, but when you started doing what you were doing, you didn't even consider the probable consequences. Now, you blame it all on alcohol and drugs. That presents even more questions.

"Were you inebriated when you walked to the hospitality suite with Doctor Abbot only minutes after introducing him quite soberly from the podium? Were you intoxicated when you called me and made up a story so you could stay with him all night? Were you incapacitated when you asked me to send the kids to the very location of your adultery? Are you willing to take any blame for your actions or were alcohol and drugs to blame for everything that happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure when I became too out-of-it to make rational decisions, but I'm certain that those things played a part in what I ended up doing. Of course, I have to take the blame for drinking too much, so I'm far from innocent. I'm sorry about that. I regret it with every bone in my body."

"When you called me and volunteered to entertain our kids for the night, were you actually thinking of entertaining yourself? You told me there would be absolutely no cost for that night. Do you still believe that?"

"Jeff, it depends on you now. I'm sorry for what happened and I'm putting my hopes in you. I'm relying on you being able to forgive me. If you can't do that, the cost could be our marriage. It could be everything we've worked for."

"Damnit Kate, I won't accept your inference that paying the cost depends on whether or not I forgive you for adultery. Why would you even attempt to blame this tragedy on me? I have to believe that you don't understand what has happened, Kate. If you think that the only cost could be our marriage, then you are way behind the power curve on what's at stake."

"I didn't mean to suggest that you were responsible for anything that happened, Jeff. All I meant was that you held our future in your hands. If you were to forgive me, it would be from the goodness of your heart, not because I deserve it. I'm sorry if you thought I blamed you in any way. I don't."

"How can that be, Kate? I see myself guilty of not giving you what you needed. If I had been a good husband, you wouldn't have turned to someone else for satisfaction. Several witnesses told the police that you were not even tipsy when you decided to go to that room with him. I can only surmise that you went because you needed something that I failed to provide."

"Wrong, wrong, wrong! It was all me and a horrendous long-standing fantasy that I should have dispelled long ago. You did nothing wrong and you have always performed your duties as a husband perfectly, including in bed. I mean that with all my heart."

"Let me say I find that difficult to believe, Kate. Moving on, are you aware that your children witnessed what you were doing with your lover? Did you think that you could stash them in a hospitality suite turned game room while you frolicked in the attached bedroom? Did you realize that they made a video of you committing adultery? Were you aware that your children thought you were being abused? Do you remember Ellen jumping up on the bed in an attempt to save you? Do you remember your daughter trying to pull that 'attacker' off of you? Do you recall your lover shoving your daughter to the floor? Do you know your lover caused a grievous injury to Ellen? Just what things do you remember?"

"I remember seeing Ellen's face. It was blurred and I thought it was some kind of illusion. I was not myself at the time. I was in a fog. What was happening when she tried to rescue me didn't register in my mind. I do remember lots of things that I can't believe I did. Things that will haunt me forever. I don't remember much of what occurred at the end."

"Well, let me fill you in, Kate. Let's start a timeline with the phone call I got from the ER nurse telling me that my daughter had been admitted with a severe head injury and my wife had been admitted in shock. When I went to bed that night, my primary concern was the presentation that I would be making the next morning. After that call, my primary concern was the status of my family members. I asked myself many questions. What had happened at that hotel? How could Ellen have received a head injury when they were supposed to be playing a computer game! Was Ellen's injury why Kate was in shock? Where was Roy and was he alright? So many unanswered questions.

"When I arrived at the hospital, they elaborated on Ellen's brain injury. A doctor named Mark Abbot had pushed her off a bed and caused her head to hit the sharp corner of a desk. What? I was in a quandary. What was Ellen doing on a bed? Why would a doctor push her off of it? Then came the news that they were transferring her to the Brain Center in Dallas via helicopter. I wanted to go with her, but I needed to find out where Roy was. I needed to know that someone was caring for him. I was told that he was in the care of the police. I assumed that they would get someone from the family to care for him, so I went with Ellen on the helicopter.

"While the doctors at the Brain Center were working on her, I received a call from a police officer. He gave me some additional information. He said they had charged Dr. Abbot with the attempted rape of my wife and with assault on, and endangering the life of, our daughter. If you had ever told me about that doctor, I had forgotten it. How did you end up in bed with him? I surmised that the doctor must have broken into your room and attempted to rape you. The kids must have fought with him and that's how Ellen was so severely injured. I hoped Roy was alright.

"When I got back from Dallas, I discovered all that had happened. I discovered the true cost of your unfathomable actions. Every bit of news they gave me made the picture darker. First, they had dropped the rape charge after seeing the video that Roy shot. It was apparent that the sexual encounter between you and Dr. Abbot was consensual. Are they talking about my wife? She would never do anything like that! There must be some big mistake. Then, I learned that Roy had been transferred into the care of Child Protective Services. They charged that when you engaged in adulterous sexual activities that were ultimately witnessed by your children, you proved yourself to be an unfit mother. Furthermore, they said that my act of sending our children to the place where they could witness your adultery made me an unfit father. They decided to put Roy into the foster care system. That's where he is right now."

"My God, no," screamed Kate. "That can't be true!"

"I'm just telling you what happened. I'm hoping they will reconsider about Roy. All I have left to tell you is the worst news of all. The assault charge against your lover has been changed to manslaughter!"

At that point, he stopped talking and just waited for a reaction. Kate seemed to wake up to what she was hearing. "Changed to manslaughter? Do you mean that---"

She was crying and couldn't continue.

"It means that our wonderful and innocent daughter died as a result of brain damage caused by your lover. I was there in Dallas when she took her last breath. I was holding her hand, but she didn't know it. I was by her side, but I might as well have been a thousand miles away. Our loving daughter was no longer aware of anything. Maybe it was a blessing for her, but it was hell for me. I felt so helpless. I was unable to comfort her.

"Just as I failed to be an adequate husband for you, I was unable to do my duty as a father for Ellen. After she stopped breathing, they gave me a few minutes to hold her one last time. I kissed her and whispered that we---you, me, and Roy---loved her more than anything else in the world. I thanked her for giving her life trying to save you. I told her that her actions brought an end to what she saw, so she had accomplished what she sought to do. I told her she was a hero. I hope that somehow, she could hear what I said. The one thing that I'm most thankful for is that she didn't realize that you were a willing participant in what she stopped. I hope she died thinking that she had saved you.

"If all of that isn't enough, since I was unable to give my presentation the morning after your betrayal, the company decided to close all operations at our location. So, I lost my job. Also, the hospital has terminated your employment along with that of your lover."

"Jesus, Jeff. Is there anything that I didn't destroy?"

"Well, there's only a few things left to tell you. One is that since we have both lost our jobs, we probably can't keep our house. Just think of all the families that will have no way to make their house payments now that they've lost their jobs. There will be gobs of houses on the market since the company left town. We may not be able to sell our house with so many others on the market. If we can sell it, we may not get what we owe on it.

"A few minutes ago, I talked to Child Protective Services. I guess we've lost Roy too. We could hire an attorney and fight their decision, but it's doubtful that we would win.

"Finally, we have lost our marriage. Do you think for an instant that I can forgive your infidelity and what it has cost our family?"

At that point, he noticed that Kate had become completely unresponsive. It was like she was paralyzed. All efforts to reach her failed. She had quietly slipped back into her coma. Doctor Ericsson was summoned and the nurses made Jeff leave the room.

The next day, Dr. Ericsson contacted Jeff to try to ascertain what had happened. He wanted to know what was said. When he heard the whole story, he was shocked. He told Jeff: "All that the ER people told me was that she was caught by her husband in the act of adultery. I treated her accordingly, pointing out that about half of all marriages face such a problem. I assured her that many couples get past it and continue with their marriage. I discussed counseling for both of you and tried to assure her that her marriage and family could survive.

"If I had known then what I know now, I would have recommended committing her to a facility where she could be treated aggressively. She needs to be on an around-the-clock suicide watch. Our only hope now is to convince her that all she is guilty of is adultery. Even that might be excusable due to her blood-alcohol level, especially in the presence of Ecstasy. The damage to her daughter was done by someone else. She didn't injure her daughter. Likewise, the loss of Roy to the foster care system was a gigantic mistake by a bunch of bureaucrats. For these reasons, there's still hope for her marriage. It will take some time to convince her of these things, if that's even possible. It's the only hope I have of saving her.

"I can commit her based on the strength of my diagnosis, but it would be easier if you would sign off on it. We can have her in a safe place and getting professional care much sooner if you cooperate." Jeff agreed to sign the documents.

A few days later, Kate was transferred to a mental health facility. Jeff's health plan from work covered her hospital bill. It would also cover up to 90 days of mental health treatment. The catch, of course, was that he would be officially terminated in 30 days. At that time, his health coverage would end.

He could get cobra coverage for eighteen months, but he would have to pay the premiums, which the company had fully covered during his employment. Strangely enough, if he divorced Kate, she could get 36 months of coverage. He wondered how that made any sense.

Jeff thought that he had enough problems to worry about. Fate proved him wrong. Kate began to have some physical health problems. They seemed to be stomach related. She had frequent nausea and had trouble keeping food on her stomach. They decided to return her to the hospital for evaluation.

Jeff answered the phone when the doctor called. He listened, then he yelled, "You've got to be kidding me! What else can go wrong."

The doctor had simply said, "Mr. Roberts, your wife is pregnant."

When he calmed down, Jeff asked if there was any way to test the paternity of the fetus. The doctor told him that, knowing the story of what brought Kate to the hospital originally, he expected that question. The answer was "yes," but it was somewhat risky to the fetus. In this case, it was probably appropriate to do, however, for many reasons.

They needed to do what's called an amniocentesis test. They would perform one as soon as it was prudent. To state it simply, they obtain some amniotic fluid by inserting a hollow needle into the uterus. The DNA in the fluid is then analyzed for paternity information.

Meanwhile, Jeff was having no luck finding a new job anywhere in Texas. He had one offer which would require him to work a year in Pakistan before returning to the states to work in the company's Dallas office. He was offered a good salary and better than average benefits. The health plan included pre-existing conditions. He had a week to consider the offer.

He scheduled a visit with Kate to discuss the job offer. When he met with her, she was incoherent. She didn't seem to understand him at all, let alone offer any suggestions.

He decided to refuse the job offer. In his refusal letter, he spelled out why he couldn't be out of the country for a year. There was his wife's sickness and there was his son. He was fighting to regain custody of Roy. He gave them the whole story in considerable detail.

For the first time since that awful day, something turned his way. After reading his letter, someone---some angel of mercy---decided to employ him in the Dallas office without doing the stint in Pakistan.

Jeff found an apartment in Dallas. Then he had Kate transferred to a mental facility there. It came highly recommended by his new boss. His boss also hired an attorney to help Jeff get custody of Roy.

Hiring that attorney was one of the best things he'd ever done. A month after moving into the apartment, Roy was living in Jeff's second bedroom.

CPS hadn't allowed Jeff to even visit his son while he was in foster care. Now, he and Roy were living together and Roy was enrolled in school. Things were finally turning around.

A week after Kate was admitted to the Dallas facility, Jeff and Roy visited her. It was the first time that mother and son had seen each other since that horrible evening. He didn't know if it was because of the new facility or because of seeing her son, but for some reason, Kate was nearly her old self.

The moment Kate saw Roy, she hugged him and grabbed his hand. They held hands during the entire visit. They cried together. Kate kept saying how sorry she was for her horrible mistakes. It was very apparent that Roy had at least partially forgiven his mom. Jeff couldn't go there, but he was happy to see Kate's improvement and Roy's happiness.