She corrected that mis-conception when, at 4:55, she closed up her notebook and abruptly announced, that their time was up. She was back to her rigid demeanor. “That’s it for today, but before we go I need to review the protocols for the next six months.” Marcia explained the rules that Adam had set up for Kane whenever he was in the building. He agreed to each as she went down the list.
Kane was not surprised by the rigid rules. He had to do the same himself on several occasions. He could handle it. After all, he still held the trump card. The best was yet to come. He pretended to be upset with the leash that they put him on. “Is it alright if I ride down with you? It’ll save security a trip to escort me,” he said, sarcastically.
“Sure, come along,” she answered, ignoring his tone. They rode the elevator to the lobby in silence and separated at the front door.
“I’ll see you at nine tomorrow,” he said.
She did not respond.
After he left the building, Marcia walked to the Security desk to remind them about the special instructions regarding Kane. “There are to be no exceptions.”
Chapter 12
Adam came right home from the office for a meeting in his den with Milton Cavell, originally the butler to Adam II and now to Adam III. Milton joined the Hampton family in 1980 when Adam II retired the then seventy-five year old butler, Howard Simpson. Howard had been with the family for over forty years.
Milton was a true gentlemen’s gentleman, having served the social elite of the seaside community for twenty years prior to moving to Hampton Manor. Adam II had enjoyed being pampered, especially when he entered the playboy phase of his life, however, once he was stricken his son preferred to have a shift of male nurses protect and look after his father, 24/7.
When he took over the Manor, Adam Hampton III quickly took an instant dislike to having a personal attendant, preferring to organize his own wardrobe and take showers rather than baths. As a consolation, he allowed Milton to hang up his clothes, look after his laundry and turn down his bed at night. He also put Milton in charge of hiring and supervising the domestic help inside and outside the Manor. His authority was not to be questioned.
The medical staff attending to his father, however, reported directly to Adam. Milton receives reports on Adam II’s condition after each shift is over. Adam III sees copies only when there is a significant change in his father’s condition.
At breakfast, earlier in the week, Milton reported that Adam’s father seem to be responding to a new drug Arecept, his nurses reporting that he seemed to be more cognizant of his surroundings and was responding well to questions.
“You said the other day that my father was responding well to a new drug. Is it still showing promise?”
“Yes sir, he’s been on it for a week. The doctor seems pleased with the results.”
“What about side effects? These new drugs usually have a few.”
“The first two days he was constipated, had some nausea and dizzy spells, but these conditions have disappeared. They are pretty common side effects for that class of drugs. The doctor said we shouldn’t be concerned.”
“As they spoke, Bootsy and Flopsy, five year old beagles, came into the den and began rubbing up against Adam’s leg. He reached down and gave each a brief ear rubbing, settling them down. They seemed to sense when a visit to the West Wing was imminent. The dogs were allowed to accompany Adam whenever he visited his father. When Adam II was first confined, the dogs lived with him, but when he began to hallucinate and thought the dogs were trying to kill him, they were taken back to the main residence and allowed only occasional visits. Today was one of those days.
“I’ll notify the ‘wing’ that you’re on your way?”
“Thank you Milton.”
Adam was admitted to the ante-chamber with the dogs in close pursuit. While he discussed his father’s condition with John Nagel the Senior Supervisor, Bootsy and Flopsy, with tails wagging excitedly, stood impatiently at the opposite door, sniffing the smell of ozone from the ultra-violet lamps, that wafted under the door. Armed with a clipboard, John unlocked the door that opened into a buffer zone that was built between the reception area and the five other rooms on the main level of the wing. Immediately in front of them, down a long hall, were doors to the other rooms, a library, clinic, Adam II’s bedroom, gymnasium and the den.
The library was stocked with a myriad of fiction novels that are representative of his father’s broad interest in authors and genres. He has an amazing memory of what he reads; often repeating paragraphs verbatim. One wall stores volumes of technical manuals and personal notebooks on equipment and processes utilized in Hampton Industries businesses. These were moved from his den in the main residence. When his father died, Adam II had spent endless hours visiting the factories and observing the manufacturing processes. Growing up he had exhibited little interest in the business, but upon taking ownership he found himself filling notebooks with what he observed. He was suddenly fascinated by every step from the input of raw materials to the ultimate finished product ready to be distributed to the end user. He took the notebooks back to his office and spent days reviewing his copious notes about each operation until he was satisfied that each plant was functioning at optimal production. Often he revisited the plants and offered suggestions on how to improve the manufacturing flow; suggestions that were construed as orders regardless of the subtleties they were couched in. He offered the suggestions, not because he didn’t think his engineering staff was competent, he hired only engineers that were at the top of their graduating class, nor was it because he himself had superior technical skills or training. He had neither. The truth was simply that he was an autodidact with a deep love of manufacturing processes and as owner he could implement any changes that he thought would be productive and he did that many times.
The clinic was a fully equipped hospital emergency room. The nine men on the staff were all Rn’s with emergency room training and graduates of private classes on physical restraint. Turnover was rare since the salaries were well above scale and the work was not very demanding. John, the Senior Supervisor reported directly to Adam III.
Adam II’s bedroom was a carbon copy of the master suite in the main house. On each shift, one of the nurses plays the role of butler in an attempt to make his life close to what it was previously. His medications and breakfast were brought to his room. The nurses remain with him until his pills are taken. Any food that requires slicing was pre-cut since the day that he stabbed one of the nurses in the arm when he reached to remove a plate before Adam was finished. The wound was superficial, but the warning was clear. His behavior was unpredictable. Each morning clothes were laid out for him and his bath was drawn, emulating the service that Milton had provided to him for many years, the exception being that he had to use an electric shaver in place of the Gillette razors he preferred. He accepted these changes without complaint.
The gymnasium mirrored the gym at the country club that Adam frequented in the early days of the his tenure as CEO and President of Hampton Industries. In those days his powerful build was maintained by three visits weekly to the gym and weight training under the direction of the gym’s pro. Much of the muscle tone so arduously gained during those years was lost during his “playboy” period. It takes some cajoling, now, to get Adam to work out and whenever he does, he spends most of the “gym” time on the recumbent bicycle or treadmill, adamantly refusing to engage in any weight training. The last room was the den, a lavishly decorated sitting room or lounge. A circular table with four cushioned armchairs is set in a nook for Adam’s lunch and dinner. He often invited the shift “butler” to join him. He was allowed a single glass of wine with his dinner. On holidays the three man shift usually ate their holiday meal with AdamII, occasionally with the company of his son Adam III.