The rest of the people in the room could sense there was something going on, as a few of them had turned to look at what was happening at the card table.
Derek grabbed cards quickly, often more than one at a time, and stuffed them into his hand.
Mark tried the most soothing voice he could: “It’s okay, Derek,” he said. “You can tell me.”
Derek yelled: “Don’t want to talk about it.”
Everyone in the room was now watching them. All conversation had stopped, and the only sound was that emanating from the TV.
Howard rocked harder. He tried to get a card, but Derek was grabbing them rapidly, not letting Howard get a chance. Howard tried again, reaching forward for a card, but Derek pushed his hand away. Finally, Derek grabbed the whole deck off the table. He yelled loudly: “I won.”
Howard raised his voice: “You cheated.”
In a few rapid steps, Jake, the orderly, was across the room. He put his large hand on Mark’s shoulder: “I think we’re done.”
Mark looked up at Jake. “It’s okay,” he said. He turned back to Derek and Howard, again in an attempt at a soothing voice: “We’re okay. Aren’t we boys? Friends?”
Derek slapped his cards back down on the table. Howard, still rocking, turned his head away from Mark.
Mark felt Jake’s grip close on his shoulder.
“No,” Jake said. “We’re done. Follow me.”
Mark felt Jake pull him to his feet, almost crashing the chair Mark was sitting in.
Jake let go of Mark and lifted the tripod, still holding the camera.
Ellen stepped back as the big orderly carried her equipment toward the door.
Mark didn’t move, ashamed that he had caused so much anger within these men.
Jake stopped walking and looked back. “I’m not going to tell you again.”
“Come on, Mark. Let’s go,” Ellen said.
Mark looked at the two men. Derek was still grabbing cards. Howard had placed his hands in his lap, face turned away from Mark. Mark felt ill at what he had done. He reached forward and patted Derek on the shoulder. “I’m really sorry guys. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Derek looked away from Mark.
Mark followed Ellen toward the door, and Jake led them out of the room, still carrying Ellen’s camera.
Behind them, Bradley tried to roll his wheelchair after them, but kept his distance, as Howard and Derek sat quietly at the table.
Bradley watched intently as the reporters left. He continued to stare at the door well after they were gone.
Pamela came down the hallway toward the entrance to the nursing home.
Jake was standing at the door, watching outside as Mark and Ellen loaded their equipment into their car.
“What happened?” Pamela asked.
“Not sure,” Jake said. “It was all good for a bit, then I noticed Derek was getting a little upset. I started listening. They were asking about the Dayton hospital. That’s when Derek got angry. I cut them off and kicked them out. Howard’s agitated, too. Even Bradley seems to be upset about something.”
“The Dayton hospital?” Pamela asked. She pointed at Mark and Ellen’s car as they drove away. “They told me they were doing a story on the care we were providing. Something’s fishy.” Pamela headed back to her office, pulling her phone from her pocket.
Mark opened the bottle of pills and put it on the nightstand next to his hotel bed. He flopped down on the edge of the bed and pulled his tie loose. He checked the time on his phone, scrolled down, then hit the button. He put the phone to his ear and laid back on the bed.
“Hello, Mark,” Amanda answered.
She didn’t sound too thrilled to hear from him. “Hi, Amanda. I wanted to wish Rachel happy birthday.”
“We’re at the theater right now,” Amanda said. “The party room. She’s kind of busy.”
Mark sat up. He reached down and picked up a whiskey bottle from the floor. “It’ll just take a minute, Amanda. Come on.” Mark held the phone with his shoulder while he screwed the top off the bottle and put it to his lips.
“Take it easy, Mark,” Amanda said.
Mark knew a lecture was coming.
“It’s bad enough you miss her birthday. Now you want to interrupt her party? She’s been excited about this all day.”
“I’ll make it up to her, missing her birthday. I promise,” Mark said.
Mark took another swig, then put the whiskey bottle on the table. He picked up the pill bottle to look at the label. The prescription read: “TEMAZEPAM”.
“Don’t you dare make her another promise you aren’t going to keep,” Amanda said. “I’m getting sick of you disappointing her.”
Mark poured the pills onto the table, pushing two pills off to the side. “Jesus, Amanda. Why are you always busting my chops, lately? I’m doing the best I can.”
“Well, your best sucks,” Amanda said. “I’m the one who has to keep making excuses for you.”
Mark carved out two more pills with the edge of his palm and moved them over with the first two. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. Listen, I think I’m onto a pretty good story here. Maybe when I get back I can take a little time off and we can…”
“Here’s Rachel,” Amanda said. “Make it quick, okay?”
Mark was both delighted and heartbroken when he heard Rachel’s voice.
“Hi, Daddy,” Rachel said.
“Hi, Honey. Happy birthday,” was all Mark could think to say.
“Thanks,” Rachel said.
There was a short silence while Mark tried to organize his emotions and his thoughts. Finally: “Are you having a good party?”
“Yeah. We watched a movie, and now we’re in the party room. Lots of my friends are here.”
Mark slid two of the pills back to the pile, leaving only the two originals separated from the rest. “Wow. That sounds like fun. Have you opened your presents yet?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said. “I got some cool clothes. Johnny got me a new drawing book. It has a leather cover!”
“Johnny?” Mark asked. “Who’s Johnny?”
“Mommy’s friend,” Rachel said. “He’s real nice.”
Mark took another swig of whiskey. A big swig. “Have you opened my present yet?”
“Not yet. Mommy told me I could open it after the party.”
“Oh… okay,” Mark said. “Well, I hope you like it. You know I’m sorry I couldn’t be at your party, don’t you?”
“Go play with your friends, Honey,” Mark could hear Amanda tell Rachel over the phone.
“Bye, Daddy,” Rachel said.
“I love you, Rachel,” Mark said quickly. He could tell Rachel was already off the phone before he got the words out.
“She’s gone, Mark. I have to go, too,” Amanda said.
“Amanda, who’s Johnny?” Mark thought he heard his voice begin to crack. He gulped another slug of whiskey.
“He’s a friend, Mark. Okay?”
Mark moved two pills from the big pile back with the first two. “What kind of friend? Do I know him?”
“Oh, God. I really have to go, Mark,” Amanda said.
Mark carved two more pills away from the big pile with a shaking hand, moving them over with the other four. He had a new pile of six. “Listen, I really think we should get together when I get back. Talk things through.”
“I guess I need to talk, too, Mark,” Amanda said. “But it’s probably not what you want to talk about. I have to go.”
“Amanda,” Mark said. “Amanda?” Mark checked his phone.
CALL ENDED
Mark took a long drink from the whiskey bottle. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped the booze down.