“I know that.You’re a good man and a better doctor.”They shook hands, and then Charles hugged him.“My life will be better from now on.I didn’t realize how tense she made me feel all the time.And while she was in jail, I felt a little more at ease because I knew that she couldn’t get to me.Isn’t that terrible to think of your own mother that way?”
“No.She brought it all on herself.”Charles agreed.He didn’t mind him repeating himself all the time.He’d been given a great blow, and he wanted to be there for him.If it took him repeating his questions to him for him to help, then that’s what he’d do.He’d answer them like he’d never heard them before, each and every time.“Have you decided what you’re going to do about a funeral?I’m to understand that she didn’t have a will made out either.”
“There was a will, but it was made when I was just a little boy.It has who was to care for me in the event that she died before I turned into an adult.But the rest is the same.She didn’t have anything unless my dad provided it to her, so she had nothing to leave.There isn’t even an insurance policy.I don’t think she planned on ever dying.Or at least she planned to outlive me.”Kahana said he was sorry about that.“Don’t be.I was lucky in that I had a wonderful wife as well as two of the best children.Charlie and Milly have made me a grandda, and Mac is married now, so there might be children fromher union.I couldn’t be more proud of the people they married either.Axel and Milly are just like my own children when it comes to them being part of my family.Yes, I’m a very lucky man.”
“Yes, you are.We had the best parents growing up.We’ve always had money, but it was never anything that we tried to shove in anyone’s face.They taught us to be appreciative of the things that we had so that if anything happened, we wouldn’t be relying on family money to make our daily bread.I think that they’re the reason that we’ve all worked so hard to become more than just a bunch of rich bastards that didn’t give a shit about their fellow man.”Charles said that he did notice that they all worked hard at something they were fond of.“Yes.I love being a doctor.I know that Axel loves being an attorney now that he’s out on his own.Same with the rest of my brothers.”
“I know that your brother Penrod is a homicide detective and that Gilman is an electrical engineer.Also, Stamos is a journalist.I don’t think I ever knew what Audon does for a living.I see him around, but I don’t know that I’ve actually seen or heard what he does.”He told him.“An artist?You don’t say.Have I seen some of his work?”
“I’m sure you have if you’ve been in the bank.That’s his mural on the walls as you get inside.Also, the mayor’s offices.He has showings all over the world that bring in people from everywhere.He’s really good and loves it.”He said he was going to have to pay more attention when he went to those places.“He’s done some of the paintings at my parents’ home, too.Those are just for them, and they hang them with pride.When I get my house finished, I’m going to have him give me a few of his pieces that I can display around for when people come over.I’m very proud of him.”
“It sounds like it.”The two of them talked about Audon while they stood in line to get a cup of tea from the vendor right outside the courthouse.Kahana had been there filing the death certificate for Hanna after her autopsy was finished.“I didn’t drink tea all that much until recently.I guess Mac drinks it with Axel, and I’ve gotten in the habit from her.I never realized how good it can be with a muffin in the morning.”
“I don’t drink too much of the caffeinated tea.It keeps me up.And as a doctor, I need to be able to sleep when I can get it in the event that I’m called out.I get those on occasion.”He told him about the baby that he’d delivered just the other day.“Beautiful little boy, and both mom and son are going home today.That’s the best part of my job, delivering babies.”
“It would be mine as well, I think.”The two of them talked about their jobs.Charles had recently retired, leaving all the business to Mac.He could still be found on job sites on occasion, but mostly he worked from home when Mac needed him.Charlie, his older boy, had his own job and didn’t want anything to do with the construction end of the business.He had a baby girl due any day now, with a son at home already.“I’m looking forward to the holidays this year.No more mom coming in at the last moment and spoiling things for us all.She would say she wasn’t coming and get our hopes all up, then she’d just show up the morning of Christmas and demand that we all cater to her.She was a nightmare.”
It didn’t take long for the two of them to talk about his own wife-to-be and the holidays.Kahana was looking forward to this year because it would be the first in his forever home.They were already looking at decorations, and it was still July.His parents always hosted Thanksgiving, and he knew that this year was going to be the biggest it’s ever been with the two new wives and their families.But Axel wanted to host Christmas, and it was all being planned.He couldn’t wait until they came around so that they could all celebrate the holidays with style.
On his rounds this morning, he was a little preoccupied with some of the questions he was being asked.Nothing really serious, but something he was going to have to give some thought to.One of the professors at the university asked if he would mind if the upcoming doctors followed him around in the mornings to get practice.He usually had them done by nine in the morning, but today, with the students, it was taking him much longer.They were asking him questions that he didn’t think or even know what he should be doing.Like, did he have a routine.
Did he?He had no idea.He just picked up the first file that the nurses laid out for him and went from there.If he had a routine, he would say that his was to depend on the staff because they were theclosest to the patients all the time and knew them much better than he did.He relied on them a great deal.
After finishing up with the students, he made his way to the office.He usually had patients to deal with there, as he was more of a general practitioner.They would come to see him there rather than go to the hospital for things.He could stitch a person up and handle the flu.Also, he was a good OBGYN, or baby doctor.
After work, he walked home.He was glad for the time between work and home.It let him unwind a good bit before tackling whatever had to be done at home.He’d forgotten that Debra wasn’t going to be at home as she was going to the jail to see her cousin about the offer she’d made him a week ago.Also, he was being remanded over to the bigger prison to await his trial date, and he wasn’t happy about that.Kahana couldn’t care less what he liked and disliked.He’d been a pain in the ass since he’d met Debra.
He was forever having someone call the house to talk to Debra.He noticed that it was stressing her out again and suggested that she have the jail stop calling her at home.It worked out for a while, then the police started calling home for her to come in and talk to him.He was getting out of hand, and he was glad that he wasn’t going to be around for much longer were they had to put up with him anymore.He slowed his steps when he noticed a car in the driveway that he didn’t know.Knowing that Debra wasn’t home made him feel better, but he still didn’t know who was at their home.
Going into the house, he was surprised to find Charlie there.He usually came over in a minivan with his family, so he didn’t know it was him until he was inside.After greeting the man with a hug and handshake, he asked him what he could do for him.The man was great to be around; he never seemed to be upset about anything.
“I told Milly that I’d come by and see you on the way home today.She and I can’t travel back home yet as she’s having contractions.She wanted to know if you would deliver our little girl for us when the time came.She doesn’t know any of the doctors around here and would feel better to have someone she knows there when it’s time.”He said he’d be honored to.“She usually has quick labors, at least she did with our son.I’m looking forward to having our daughter born so that we can be a family of four.What do you need from us so that you can do it?I have her doctor’s name and phone number.That should get you her files.”
“That’s about all I need for now.After I look over the files, I’ll be better prepared to ask questions.Did she know what sort of epidural she wants?”After getting a few questions unanswered, Charlie called his wife.Kahana was prepared as he’d ever been on a delivery after getting off the phone with the wife.“I’ll call your doctor right now and have the file faxed over to me.It’s no problem at all for me to do this for you two.”
“We were kind of nervous about this happening.I’m glad we can depend on you.”Kahana said he was happy to be able to do it.“Good.I’ll tell her it’s all going to be all right, so she doesn’t stress anymore.There is nothing wrong with Milly, but she has been nervous about this since we got here.”
After assuring him that things would be fine, the younger man went home.He was really happy to be able to do this for them and thought it was nice that they’d asked.He’d never delivered a relative’s child before and was looking forward to it.He did a little dance around the office before calling the doctor.He had nothing but good things to say about Milly and her upcoming delivery.
Chapter 5
“I told you that the money was only good for twenty-four hours, then the deal is off.I don’t care that you think you’re going to have to grease paws while in prison.I don’t even know what that means, do you?”Phil told her what he meant.“Like you’re going to be able to carry around cash all the time.And if you think that I’m going to visit you while you’re there, you’re nuttier than a fruit cake.I’m finished with you.”
Debra thought that she was handling herself quite well today.She’d not had a nap or needed one for the last several days, and she knew that she was sleeping better at night.After talking with her doctor this morning, she was feeling a great deal better about a lot of things, not just getting her cousin out of her life.He spoke again, and she had to have him repeat himself.
“Pay attention to me.I said I want you to set it up so that I have funds when I need them.I don’t want you to nickel and dime me either.You put some real money in my account so that I can get what I want when I want it.I’m not kidding you right now, Debra.I want you to take care of me.”She didn’t say anything to him but let him go on and on.“And I want that million dollars you promised me.It looks like I might be in here for a while, and I want things that I need.I’m going to have to pay someone so that I can have a cell phone to remind you daily of what you need to do for me.”
“I’m not doing anything for you.I told you three times now that the million dollars is no longer on the table.I really dodged the bullet with that one.I don’t have to pay you, and you’re still going away for a long time.”She smiled at him when he called her a cunt.“Be nice to me, or I’ll leave.Not that I plan on doing anything for you, but you will be nice to me.”
“I wish every day that I’d never had a cousin like you.”She told him that she wished the same thing about him daily.“So we’re even on that score.But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to—”
“How do you know all this about prison?I mean, as far as I know, you’ve never been behind bars, much less in prison, where you belong.How do you know that you’re going to need to grease palms or whatever you called it?Or, for that matter, having a cell phone?Maybe they have one there for you that you can use?Are you watching those prison shows that show people who are there for life?That sounds like something that you’d rely on for your information.”She snorted at him.“Next thing you’ll tell me is that you know who you’re going to be inmates with.Do they really put all of you in one bedroom so that you have no privacy?That alone would keep me from doing anything that might cause me to have to go away.I couldn’t stand not having my own things around me.”
“What are you talking about?”She shrugged at him and told him she was thinking about prison life.“Why?Are you planning on joining me?That would be a hoot.Little Miss Debra Author behind bars.You’re never one to have a little bit of fun.”
“And look where that’s gotten you, having your little bit of fun.No thanks.I’ll be a good citizen and watch myself.You go on being the jailbird.”That pissed him off, and she found his anger funny.She thought that she was dealing with him much better than she had been about a month ago.Now she knew to not let him get to her.She also knew what she had to do when he was getting to her, and even that was coming to her more easily.
While he was still going on about the money offer, she thought about the conversation she’d had with her doctor just this morning.He had actually stopped to talk to her this morning, and she was glad.She didn’t know what she would have done if he had rushed her through like he had been.He even apologized to her that he’d not been taking his time like he should have.She wondered if Kahana had said something to him or one of his nurses.She had complained a little to them about not getting her questions answered when in the office with him.
