Heart of Steel

Meeting the Senator

After dinner, Sam wheeled me into the living room so we could watch a couple Marvel movies that I either hadn't seen or couldn't remember. He was a huge comic book fan and I liked action movies, so it was a good fit. After our movies, Sam and I played cards with Gladys and Sylvia, a member of our cleaning staff who I had never met. She had actually been a friend of Gladys' that needed a job and applied for a position about a year ago. Gladys and Sylvia were both in their 50s but I really enjoyed spending time getting to know Sylvia and catching up with Gladys. She reminded me of how much I enjoyed the game Rummy, and Sam even taught us all how to play Speed.

"So, what time will the Senator arrive tomorrow?" Gladys said to Sam nonchalantly as she began to stand up from the card table in the entertainment room. I had just been observing the many old fashioned arcade games on the wall behind us. Kendrick didn't really strike me as a fun person, and yet here we were in a room the size of a swimming pool or larger filled with gaming machines, a pool table, a dart board, a ping-pong table and even a weird dancing game with giant arrows on a multi-colored platform. I supposed when you had as much money as he did you could afford to spend it on things that you wouldn't normally enjoy. Gladys' words pierced right through my sleepy musings, jolting me back to reality.

"What?! The Senator is coming home TOMORROW?" I screeched.

Sam's eyes went round in surprise as he shot Gladys a look that plainly said 'I hadn't gotten to that detail yet'.

"Um, yes. He just told us a few hours ago." Sam said apprehensively.

"And you didn't tell me because...?" I said, placing my hands on my hips as best I could with the restraining arms of the wheelchair surrounding me.

"Because I knew you would react this way." he said simply, holding his ground. Touché, Sam. I thought.

Gladys and Sylvia exchanged awkward looks, seemingly unsure of whether to get up or stay put.

"Sorry, you two." I said, glancing up at them to break the tension.

"I just don't know if I'm ready to see him again. I'm really angry with him." I said, my eyes returning to Sam's cobalt blue ones.

"I know, I know. But you're going to have to face him eventually, K. Why not now?"

Sam had deemed 'K' my nickname while I was in the hospital. Although I pretended to be annoyed by it from time to time, I really liked it. Sam had such a warm and inviting personality. I felt like I had known him my entire life. He had told me the first time we met in the hospital that he had begun working for my father 10 months ago. He was originally from Virginia but had moved to Texas with his mom when he was just a couple of years old. I, however, had lived in Leesburg all my life. When I had asked him why he chose to come back to the North, Sam simply answered that he didn't like the humidity down in Texas. He didn't seem to want to explain further, so I had left it at that.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest and rolling my eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll be here the whole time." said Sam as he patted me on the shoulder reassuringly.

"I thought you said earlier that you were off tomorrow..." I said with a puzzled expression.

He had mentioned during one of our card games that he was going to take his dog to the Dog Park and go for a run tomorrow because it was his off day.

"Well, I am. But seeing your reaction made me rethink that. I'll just switch days with Steel and work tomorrow instead." he said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

I squinted my eyes at him. I knew Sam and James both cared about me, but to come in on his day off just for moral support? That seemed kind of fishy to me.

"What's your angle?" I asked him suspiciously.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"No angle, K. Can't a guy just decide to be there for his friend?" he said.

Friend? Sam considered me a... friend? Well, that was really nice. And it felt great to have one of those. All I remembered about my old friends was hanging out and going places together. I didn't have any memories of anyone truly being there for me except for James. I stared at him for a couple more seconds before my face split into a wide grin.

"Okay, fair enough. And thanks, buddy." I said, nudging him on the arm with the knuckles on my left hand.

Sam smiled and nodded, then bid the ladies goodnight as he grabbed the handles of my wheelchair and began to steer me away from the magnificent dining room table.

"Goodnight, Miss Kasey!" Gladys and Sylvia said in unison.

"Goodnight, you two. Thanks again for dinner, Gladys!" I called over my left shoulder as I waved merrily to them.

As Sam propelled my chair through the overly decorated foyer towards the elevator on the other side, thoughts of facing Kendrick returned, bringing with them a sense of gloom and dread. All I could think about was how pompous and callused he used to be. He was never interested in my opinions or thoughts. The only person I had ever seen him show respect to was my mom. A pang of grief and longing shot through my chest upon thinking of her once more. Life without her was panning out to be really difficult at the present time.

When Sam wheeled me into my room, I immediately began to cry silently. He stopped dead in the middle of explaining how he had planned to arrive a few minutes before John brought Kendrick home from the airport the next day, noticing the tears rolling down my face.

"Kasey? Are you okay?" he asked me softly, kneeling down so that we were at the same eye level and looking at me with concern.

I let out a few audible sobs, covering my mouth with my right hand before I lowered it again to speak.

"I just don't want to be here! Not without my mom. I don't want to see Kendrick. I don't want to live in his house! I know something bad caused my accident. If it had just been a horrible coincidence, you guys wouldn't be hiding it from me! This totally sucks!"

Sam was quiet for a few minutes, allowing me to cry out my frustration. Then he took my hand and looked into my eyes.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. But you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. And you're going to get through this. I know you are."

For some unknown reason, I actually believed him. I nodded while heaving a steadying sigh.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door. It opened and a red headed woman in navy blue scrubs poked her head in.

"Ready for bed?" She said with a warm smile.

"Ah, Rosie. You're right on time." Said Sam, beaming at her. She blushed furiously before stepping cautiously into the room.

"K, this is Rosalie. She's a well trained nurses assistant. She's going to be helping you get around and get dressed and things like that until you can do it comfortably on your own."

"Hi." I said with a small smile.

She smiled back and waved at me, then chanced a glance at Sam which made her blush all over again. I wasn't sure how long they had known each other before now, but there was one thing I was sure of. They were both crushing big time.

The next day I awoke to the delicious smell of bacon and coffee. I opened my eyes to see a silver tray perched on my nightstand that held a plate full of breakfast food, a fancy looking white napkin and a white China coffee cup with a gold rim. Gladys was quietly trying to sneak out of the room, but stopped and beamed at me when she peeked back and saw me looking at her.

"Good morning Miss Kasey! Enjoy your breakfast!" She said with a friendly wave and a smile.

"Good morning Gladys! Thank you!" I called as she backed out of the enormous room. I hadn't even taken the time last night to observe that it was exactly the way I remembered it. Rosalie ambled into the room when I was about halfway through eating. She waited patiently for me to finish, then helped me to the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

By the time we had made it to the living room downstairs, Sam was calling me on my cell phone. I answered and listened as he told me he was on his way over, and that he had just gotten word that Kendrick was as well. My heart began to pound furiously in my eardrums. I willed myself to stay calm as I hung up and told Rosalie what Sam had said. She nodded, grinning when I said his name and said she would go ask Gladys to make us some tea.

When I heard the door open a few minutes later, the loud pounding returned to my ears. I took a few steadying breaths through my nose, letting them out through my mouth as my therapist had taught me. The thing that was making me the most uncomfortable was remembering how condescending Kendrick had always been. He never took me seriously and it had always made me feel insecure and unworthy. I looked up to see Sam walking into the living room with an apologetic look on his face. As I peered behind him, I could see why it was there. Apparently he and Kendrick had arrived at the same time.

"I still don't see why you felt the need to be here, Samuel." He said with his nose tilted towards the ceiling, a look of dislike on his thin pale face. He, too, looked exactly as I had remembered him. Stark white hair, perfectly combed, thin legs and arms, thick yet neatly managed eyebrows that matched his hair color exactly and those intensely blue eyes that looked just like mine, though his had several wrinkles around them.

Yepp, he's still a pompous jerk! I thought.

"Because I wanted him here." I said staring at my father with narrowed eyes.

He rolled his own and scoffed at me, placing his right hand on his hip and stopping abruptly.

"Samuel says we need to have some sort of conversation." He said in a drawling voice, examining the finger nails on his left hand as if he was extremely bored.

I glared at him, my face flushing with indignant fury.

"So, let me get this straight. Not only did you not have enough decency to come visit me in the hospital or come and tell me face to face that my MOTHER had DIED, but now that I'm back in your house you don't even have the balls to explain yourself?!" I spat at him, holding my glare the entire time.

This seemed to get his attention. Now it was his turn to grow red with fury. Sam had looked like he was going to choke when I had said the word balls, but he had quickly regained his composure.

"Are you finished acting like a child, young lady?" My father asked, narrowing his eyes at me and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I've been away on business as you very well know, and your mother died over 2 years ago. How was I to know you couldn't remember that? I don't see a need to further discuss anything-"

"Are you freaking kidding me right now?!" I screamed in outrage.

Kendrick's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Ridiculously enough, I knew that the fact that I had interrupted him made him far more furious than me raising my voice.

"There's no way you've been gone this entire time and I have it on good authority that you didn't come visit me more than one time! You shut me up in that hospital to wake up alone and confused and now you won't let your employees tell me a single thing about my accident! Do you even feel an ounce of care towards me? Be honest!"

Kendrick stared at me for a full minute before responding, seemingly trying to calm himself enough to be able to speak steadily.

"You're being ridiculous. Can't say I'm surprised. You never have been a very rational person. Always the drama-"

To my great surprise and relief, it wasn't me that cut him off this time.

"That's enough Kendrick!" Sam almost bellowed, causing both of us to jump slightly in alarm.

I was taken aback by the fact that Sam had called the Senator by his first name. I thought surely all of his minions would have been directed to call him 'Senator Wilson' or 'Sir'.

"She's hurt and confused! Don't go making her feel any worse!" Said Sam, holding his ground.

I half expected the Senator to fire him on the spot. Instead, he placed his right hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes at him in mock contemplation.

"Let's see here... Do I give a single damn about either of your opinions?"

He paused to look back and forth between us. Wonder where I get my liking for drama! I thought sarcastically.

"Oh, that's right! I don't." He said, raising his hands in the air palms up with a smug look on his stupid face.

"No one is to tell her anything. I won't change my mind about that. And anyone who tries to persuade me will be dealt with accordingly. Relay that to your colleagues, Samuel." Kendrick said as he traipsed across the room towards the foyer.

Sam and I gaped in complete shock at the nerve he had shown.

"Oh, and Samuel?" He said, spinning around and leaning on the door frame, arms draped across his chest once more.

"I mean anyone." He said with a meaningful look before turning away and gliding out of the room.