Collateral Damage (Read 56,466 times)

[MrsM]

I can sense that when he finds out about Shane and Kayla his resentment is gonna be even worse!!

[jwsel]

Chapters 40 and 41

Kim had spent the evening alternating between being furious at Shane for what he had said earlier and pretending everything was fine in front of Andrew and Jeannie. She had not seen Shane since the incident at the stables and suspected he was making a conscious effort to avoid her. At least he had spent some time with Andrew earlier.

Over dinner, Andrew had told her all about his new pony. Kim could not help but feel a little resentment at the way Shane spoiled Andrew. Here was Kim, barely able to make ends meet with her job at the Abuse Clinic, and Shane was pulling out ponies. How could she compete with that?

Trying to figure out a way to get her mind off Shane, Kim decided she would make a stab at doing what the ISA was paying her to do. Andrew was running around downstairs and Jeannie had just gone to sleep, so Kim made her way to Steve and Kayla's room. She knocked and waited for a response.

"Yeah, come in," Steve called from inside. Kim entered and saw him lying on top of the bed. She tried to pretend that it did not bother her when he grimaced at her. "If you're here for that mental mumbo jumbo, I'm not interested."

Kim had expected that, so she walked casually toward the bed. "It doesn't really matter to me," she said. "The ISA's paying me whether you get better or not." With a smile, she perched on the end of the bed. "I generally like to earn my pay, but if you don't want my help, so be it."

"What's this," Steve asked. "Some kind of reverse psychology?"

"Honesty."

Steve snorted. "Yeah, I buy that. The ISA's honest all of a sudden?"

"I said the ISA is paying me, not that I'm part of the ISA." Kim kept smiling softly. "There is a difference. I'd try to help even if I wasn't being paid."

"Yeah, well I'm fine. Nothing that some rest and some time with Kayla won't cure." Steve crossed his arms defiantly.

Why is Steve so much like my brothers? Kim asked herself. And Shane? They all thought they were super-strong and never needed help from anyone. "We both know that's not true, Steve. What you went through causes deep wounds. And those wounds don't heal themselves. The best you can do is help the wound heal and learn to live with the scars." She saw Steve's expression change, and could tell he was getting angry. "But . . . it's up to you to decide if you want to help those wounds heal or let them fester."

Steve had sat up and was glaring at her. "I'm going to tell you this once nicely and that's only because you're Kayla's sister; if you were anyone else, I'd throw you out of here. I don't need anyone messing with my mind. I'm going to be just fine. So take that ISA paycheck and go shopping in London or something."

Kim smiled placidly. "Okay, Steve," she said. "Just remember that if you change your mind, I'm here. All I want to do is help." She stood up and headed out of the room, thinking, That actually went better than expected.

*****************

Kayla realized that she had not returned Shane's ring when she was getting ready for bed. It was in the pocket of her jeans as she undressed. Carefully, so that Steve did not see, she turned it over in her palm and looked at the emerald.

She had been forced to think fast when Steve noticed it earlier. It was just a bit of costume jewelry had been her explanation and Steve seemed to believe that. It had been so easy to dismiss earlier, just like she had so easily dismissed her relationship with Shane.

Had it only been earlier that day that she worried about Shane no longer loving her? And then, after everything he had done for her and Stephanie -- not to mention Steve -- she had told Shane he meant nothing to her. What had Kim once said about the ring? That it was Shane's way of "giving her his heart." Now Kayla was going to have to give it back and, no matter how many times Shane said he was happy for her, she was going to have to hurt him.

"Hey, baby, what's keeping you?" Steve's voice came the bed.

Kayla sighed and stuffed the ring back in her jeans pocket. Putting it anywhere else might raise more questions. She quickly pulled on a silk chemise and turned toward her husband. He was sitting up in the bed. In an instant, whatever thoughts she had about Shane disappeared.

I'm going to sleep tonight next to the man I love more than life itself, she thought. Something she never thought would ever happen again, yet here he was. Kayla crossed the room toward the bed.

Steve was watching her every move with a look she knew far too well. "I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful," he said. As she blushed, he added, "All that time, I was thinking of this moment."

"Remember, 'no strenuous activities' for a month," Kayla cautioned.

Steve grimaced. "Aw, what do doctors know anyway? Come here."

Kayla knew better. The doctors were right, and she had seen how Steve struggled even to walk to the stables and back earlier. She had seen him after Shane helped him back to the room and listened to him grumble about "Master Donovan" for nearly an hour.

At the same time, she wanted him so badly. It had been so long for both of them. She stepped toward the bed, where Steve was waiting for her.

"That's right, Sweetness. We've got a lot of time to make up for."

Kayla reached the bed and, still standing, stood next to where Steve was sitting. He reached up and touched her cheek, almost as if he was making sure she really was there. Then he slowly ran a finger over her lips. Such a simple act, but just his touch sent a wave of pleasure through her. Kayla sat on the edge of the bed, closer to Steve, and watched his face break into a wide grin.

"Do you remember our wedding night, baby? I can't believe it's been three years. And I can't believe you're here, baby. I just can't believe it."

"I'm here, Steve," she breathed, then leaned over and their lips touched. It was not like the soft kiss of earlier; it was a kiss full of pent-up desire, hard, almost bruising. When it finished, Kayla had to gasp for breath.

In the back of her mind, she remembered something about "strenuous activity," but it was quickly forgotten as Steve reached for the straps on her chemise and began to slide them down her shoulders. Despite the earlier kiss, he now moved slowly, tentatively, as if he was rediscovering her body. She melted into his touch as he ran his hands over her now-exposed breasts.

"God, you're beautiful," Steve gasped, as his hands cupped and then caressed her. They kissed again and he came away breathing hard.

The doctors' instructions popped back into her head. Steve was weak. He needed time to recover. But what did doctors really know? Kayla thought, echoing Steve's earlier statement. His hands continued their ministrations and those thoughts disappeared. Kayla was his and she began to give in wholly to his passionate touch.

"Oh," she moaned as his lips traced their way down her neck. Her hands began their own exploration. His face, then his chest. She began sliding them down.

And stopped.

A baby's wail cut through the fog in her brain. Kayla pulled away. "Stephanie," she said, even as Steve groaned in obvious frustration. She leaned over and kissed him. "Wait here. It'll just be a few minutes."

Kayla ignored her own frustration. Stephanie came first. She pulled up her chemise and went into the adjoining room where Stephanie was standing and crying in her crib. "Had a bad dream?" she asked. Maybe. Maybe not. It might have just been waking up in a strange place. She remembered how Stephanie had struggled to adjust to Shane's house in Salem. Kayla lifted her daughter and held her until she stopped crying. She knew it would take more before Stephanie fell asleep. It was too bad that she did not bring Stephanie's music box with them; it was like magic and always seemed to put the baby to sleep right away.

Shane gave Stephanie that music box, Kayla reminded herself. She tried to set that thought and any other thoughts of Shane aside, as she focused on Stephanie. Eventually, the baby began to yawn and Kayla placed her back in the crib. Then she returned to the bedroom.

Steve was fast asleep.

Kayla walked over to the bed and looked down at him. She took in again how thin he was, and remembered the details of the medical report. Her eyes traveled to his wrists and the angry red marks there. She reached down and brushed some of his hair off his face. He did not respond to her touch at all, and she realizing that just that brief encounter had exhausted all of his strength.

She sighed. Steve needed time to recover. Desire or no, they had to wait until he was strong enough, and if that required enduring a month of frustration, Kayla would do it. She smiled down at her love. She and Steve would have a lifetime together. What was one month?

[jwsel]

Jun 7, 2012 17:14:30 GMT -5 fluffysmom said:

I love all of the tension along with Steve's frustration at being so weak and dependent.

Steve doesn't do weak and dependent very well. But I doubt any of the 80s "heroes" did.

Jun 7, 2012 21:20:21 GMT -5 MrsM said:

I can sense that when he finds out about Shane and Kayla his resentment is gonna be even worse!!

Let's just say that, in our outline, esp13 and I called the scene where Steve finds out the "Kaboom" scene. Should be fun.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. We're really enjoying them.

[jwsel]

Hopefully, people caught the previous chapters. I posted them pretty late last night.

Chapter 42

Was it day? Was it night? The blindfold made it impossible to tell and Steve could not remember how long he had been strapped down. He grunted as the needles pierced his skin over and over. Suddenly the strap across his chest loosened. He had to get away. He pushed the strap away and sat up, desperate to be rid of the pain.

"Steve!" He heard her voice calling his name. How was that possible?

"Steve! Wake up!" It was clearer now, like she was right beside him.

Steve woke with a start. He looked quickly around, seeing the dark wood walls and furniture of the bedroom in Donovan Manor. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was not in the compound any more. He was safe.

"Steve, are you all right?" Her voice was softer now, and he could hear the concern and anguish in her voice.

"I'm fine," he said, avoiding her eyes. "It was just a little bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you."

"Don't be sorry. I just need to know that you are okay," Kayla said, leaning over to turn on the beside lamp.

"I said, I'm fine. Let's just go back to sleep." Steve still refused to meet her eyes.

"You're sweating, your heart is racing, and you're breathing like you just ran a marathon. That's hardly what I would call 'fine,'" Kayla said. She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, turning his face towards hers and forcing him to meet her concerned gaze. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was just a little bad dream, Kayla. It's nothing to get all worked up about." Steve could not keep the frustration out of his voice. Why couldn't she just let it go? No, I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to remember it. I just want it to go away.

Kayla ran her hand down his face and then brushed his hair off his forehead. "I read your medical file, Steve. I know that you had nightmares in the army hospital and you're obviously still having them. I'm worried about you."

Steve knew she would not drop the subject easily so he forced a smile and tried to sound cheerful. "I know you are, baby. But there is nothing to worry about. A few bad dreams aren't going to hurt me. I'm tougher than that ol' boogeyman."

Kayla sighed. Steve could see her eyes were still filled with concern and uncertainty. Steve took the opportunity to change the subject and leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss, then another. He leaned in a third time, but Kayla pulled away.

"I know what you are trying to do, Steve. But kissing me is not going to make all of this go away."

"I don't know about that, Sweetness. Kissing you always makes all the bad things go away," Steve said, leaning in again.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" Kayla asked, her voice reflecting both love and a little exasperation.

"So you've told me many times," Steve answered with a grin. He leaned in yet again and this time she didn't pull away. Steve could feel Kayla respond and he deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers. Kayla's body relaxed against his and her arms slid around his neck pulling him closer. For a moment, he simply lost himself in the feel of her.

When they finally parted, he cupped her face in his hand and said, "Now that's the only thing I need to fix a bad dream. Well, one thing might be even better." He saw her eyes sparkle and the telltale blush creep up her cheeks.

"We'll save that for later," Kayla said, smiling now in return. She settled back down into the bed and snuggled up against him, her head lying on his chest. "For now, how about we just hold each other all night long?"

"That sounds like a dream come true," Steve said, settling in beside her, knowing that there would be little sleep for him the rest of the night.

He felt Kayla's breathing deepen and could tell she had fallen back to sleep. He thought about the kiss and remembered her promise of more to come later. Not too much later if I have anything to say about it. Steve thought to himself. Doctor's orders be damned; he was not going to wait a month to make love to his wife. He thought back to what had happened earlier in the night, or what had almost happened anyway. He had wanted nothing more than to make love to Kayla, but as much as he hated to admit it, he knew they needed to wait. He just needed a little time to get his strength back.

He also knew that when he was stronger and had more control of his life, the nightmares would go away. He didn't need to talk to Kim and he didn't need to worry Kayla. He could handle it on his own and that's exactly what he intended to do.

[DancingDays]

Oh these exasperating men. We hate that we love them so.

[fluffysmom]

I hope Steve talks to Kim or Kayla soon. He needs to deal with what happened to him.

[jwsel]

Chapter 43

Shane stepped out of the communications room into the library, and rubbed his eyes. It had been a ridiculously long day, beginning with Andrew waking him at 6 a.m. to go on an early morning ride. He had then taken the boy to Oxford for the day, before returning home to the communications room for several hours of ISA meetings that had lasted past midnight.

The reports from Tarrington on the virus were encouraging. It sounded like Dr. Manning was making significant progress and a cure was only a day or two away. The ISA Chief then discussed some other business, including asking when Shane thought he would be available for a new assignment. There was some upcoming operation in Baghdad that Tarrington wanted Shane to head. Something about an Iraqi scientist.

Just what I want to do, he thought. Head straight into a war zone. But that was the job, wasn't it, and Shane had done enough operations in the Middle East that there was some logic behind the assignment.

Unfortunately, Shane had his hands full at the moment. As he walked toward the sitting room, he tried to think over the events of the past few days. Steve was refusing to work with Kim, and from the look of him, Steve was not doing all that well. Kayla also looked exhausted, and Shane suspected the nightmares Steve had in Cyprus were continuing in England.

Shane had reported none of that to Tarrington. It had only been three days since Steve had arrived at Donovan Manor, so there was still time. But some progress had to happen soon. If the ISA suspected that Steve was not recovering well, Tarrington might insist on transferring him to a secure treatment facility. Shane was not about to let that happen.

He owed that much to Kayla -- even if she had essentially slapped him in the face the day she arrived. They had not discussed the matter since. For the most part, they had barely talked. Indeed, other than a few encounters with Steve or Kim in the same room, Shane and Kayla had not interacted at all.

Shane tried to convince himself that was simply because he had been busy with Andrew. This was, after all, Andrew's first time at Donovan Manor, and Shane wanted his son to grow up believing that this house was as much his home as any place in Salem or anywhere else he might live with Kim. This house would someday belong to him and Eve.

Eve. And then there was Eve. Shane had talked to her a day earlier and she had dropped a bombshell -- she and Frankie were moving to Africa. He planned on seeing her during a brief stop in London on their way, but it was hard for Shane to lose his little girl. Okay, Eve was hardly little, but she would always be his little girl. He remembered telling that to Kayla when Eve was missing, but then tried to shove the thought aside. It was too painful to think about that right now. That trip to the mountains had been such a turning point for Kayla and him; that was when they had first opened up to one another.

Nearing the stairs, Shane saw something move by the entrance to the sitting room. His instincts took over just as something came flying at him. Shane jumped to his left and heard a loud crash as the object smashed against into a wall. Back where the object came from, he saw the figure of a man in the shadows. Shane started to yell at it, but another object flew at him, forcing him to dive to the floor.

Jumping to his feet, Shane ran forward and tackled the man. Slamming shoulder-first into the man's midsection, Shane heard a loud grunt and they both hit the floor. The man continued to struggle and Shane felt something hard glance off his shoulder. There was another crash as the object shattered. In the darkness, Shane could not see the man's arms. However, Shane was stronger and managed to grab hold of them and pin the man to the ground. Then he turned the man over, and holding one arm in a lock behind the back, Shane pulled the man from the floor. He dragged the still-struggling man toward a lamp, but it was not where it was supposed to be. Shane then pulled the man into the foyer and found a light switch.

Damn! It was Steve. Shane spun him around so they were face-to-face, with Steve pinned against the wall. "Steve, what the blazes are you doing?"

Steve blinked a couple of times in the light. "Shane? What are you doing? I thought I heard intruders."

"There are no intruders." Shane tried to get Steve to focus on him. "You just heard me." Then something dawned on Shane. There was no way Steve could have heard him walking out of the communications room from his room upstairs. Shane asked, "Steve, how long have you been down here?"

Steve shook his head. "Not sure."

"There's no reason to worry," Shane said. "The house is safe. There are no intruders."

"No," Steve protested. "I've got to protect Kayla and Stephanie from those bastards. I know they're out there."

"So you've been down here all night? Standing guard?" Shane was beginning to understand. Steve nodded, confirming Shane's suspicions. Shane sighed and was about to speak when he heard Kayla's voice behind him.

"Shane! What are you doing to him?" she demanded to know.

"Kayla, just calm down," he said, realizing that he was still pressing Steve against the wall. Shane stepped back and let go.. "Steve was standing guard down here and mistook me for an intruder. But I think we're okay now, right Steve?"

"Standing guard?" Kayla asked in a voice that showed her confusion.

"Kay, let me handle this." Shane did not even realize Kim was with Kayla until she spoke. Kim walked over to them and looked at Steve.

"Steven." Kim spoke softly, the way she often spoke to abused children that she counseled. "Steven, I know you are worried, but the house is secure and everybody is safe. See, Kayla's right over there." She pointed at Kayla and Steve's head turned to follow where she was pointing. "You can go back upstairs now."

"You don't have to talk to me like I'm a child, Kim," Steve said, bitterly. "I'm just making sure everyone's safe."

"You're tired. You've been down here all night. Go back upstairs with Kay and Shane will keep watch the rest of the night, won't you?" She said the last part to Shane as she nodded at him.

"Uh. . . . yeah, of course," Shane said. What the hell was going on? "Keep watch. Sure. I'm . . . uh, ready, willing and able."

"Okay," Kim said. "So you can go with Kayla, Steve. She'll go with you upstairs and you can go to sleep. Everyone in the house will be safe."

Steve stepped toward Kayla. She put an arm around him and helped him toward the stairs. As they slowly began climbing them, Shane stepped over to Kim and whispered, "Would you kindly tell me what the blazes is going on?"

Kim never took her eyes off the pair climbing the stairs, but she whispered, "Once they're gone, I'll tell you."

Finally, Steve and Kayla were out of sight. Shane spun toward Kim. "What the devil was that?"

Kim raised her hands and walked toward the sitting room. Shane looked around the foyer, where he spotted the remnants of the missing lamp and some shards of porcelain. He picked up the porcelain and studied it. "This vase was a wedding gift to my parents from my great-grandparents. It's been in my family since the 18th century." He sighed. Kim wouldn't care. To her it was just an object. It wouldn't matter to her that one of Shane's ancestors had carried the vase back from China on one of the first Royal Navy expeditions to the country. With another sigh, he followed Kim into the sitting room. "So you want to explain?"

"It's called hypervigilance," Kim said. "It's what psychiatrists would call an 'aroused state.' When it occurs, the person is agitated and is on guard for perceived threats."

Shane remembered the way Steve had acted in the helicopter when they left Egypt, the way he kept looking around like he expected to be attacked. "So what does that mean going forward?"

"Well, it's one of the diagnostic factors for PTSD."

Shane probably did not want to know, but he asked anyway. "Diagnostic factors?"

"PTSD isn't something that has 'symptoms,'" Kim explained. "It's a term that is used to describe someone who exhibits a series of different symptoms. There are various categories of behaviors and experiences, and if a person manifests at least one factor in each category, we call it PTSD."

"And Steve has manifested these factors?" Shane asked.

"Pretty much." Kim seemed to be thinking aloud. "He experienced a traumatic event or abuse. From the way he responded to the doctors at your base, he seems to react with fear when confronted by reminders of the trauma. His nightmares and unwilling to discuss or remind himself about what happened satisfy two categories, and the hypervigilance you observed tonight fits the final category. That's not to say he might not show other behaviors that we haven't seen yet."

"Like?" Shane doubted he wanted to know.

She began to list various things. "Angry outbursts or dissociative states where he reenacts the traumatic event -- what we would call flashbacks. Those are the most dangerous to others. To himself, he might withdraw emotionally from people or might not do things he used to do. I mean activities he used to enjoy." She shrugged. "It's a long list of things."

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Shane asked.

"Well, I'm going to keep trying to get Steve to talk with me. That's the best therapy for PTSD we have now. As for you--"

"Me?" Shane was surprised. She was the expert.

"Yes, you. You have a night of 'guard duty' ahead of yourself." Kim smirked slightly.

"Wait a minute," Shane protested. "I thought we just said that to get Steve upstairs."

"We did," Kim said. "But what happens if he comes back down and doesn't find you here? Not only would he believe his imaginary threats are real, but he would lose trust in us for deceiving him."

"Great." Shane looked up at the ceiling in frustration. "This is just great."

Kim giggled. "Look on the bright side. It's only five hours until morning."

[MrsM]

I absolutely love this story and I can't wait for the "kaboom" chapter!

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Kim was there to help. Steve may have even more issues than anyone suspects.

[jwsel]

Chapter 44

Carrying Jeannie in her arms, Kim walked into the kitchen. Kayla was already there, feeding Stephanie who was seated in a high-chair.

"Good morning," Kim said.

Kayla turned, stopping with a spoon about two inches from Stephanie's mouth. "Hey, Kim."

She looks exhausted, Kim thought, as she studied the dark bags under Kayla's eyes. Walking over, Kim took a seat next to an old wooden table. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked her sister.

"Is it that obvious?" Kayla said.

"Yes. I'm sorry." Kim looked toward the corridor to make sure there was no sign of Steve. "More nightmares?"

Kayla nodded. "It's either nightmares or he's up pacing all night, 'standing guard.'" She looked worried. "He gets the nightmares even when he naps during the day, and I know it's eating away at him, but I don't know what to do."

Kim understood. She had used some of the time since she arrived to talk with PTSD specialists back in the U.S., and they had warned her of the strain the disorder placed on the families. "We have to get Steve to talk about what happened. The more he talks, the more he will be able to deal with the memories so they aren't so disabling. The key is to desensitize him."

"That's all he needs?" Kayla asked.

"I don't know." Kim was trying to be honest. She paused as Jeannie squirmed and lifted her daughter so that she was more solidly in Kim's lap. "It's possible that will be enough. There are some other possibilities. One of the doctors I talked with mentioned a new therapy that looks promising for this kind of trauma. It uses eye movements in a way that mimic memory. As I understand it, the patient revisits the traumatic event while the eyes are stimulated in a way that desensitizes him. I don't know the details; that would require a specialist."

Kayla looked dubious. "That sounds crazy."

"Maybe," Kim said. "But there is some theoretical basis for it. In any event, it doesn't matter if Steve isn't receptive to treatment."

With a deep sigh, Kayla looked down at the plate of baby food. "I know -- and I know you've tried. He can just be so stubborn. He thinks he's weak if he needs help."

"Of course he won't. Steve's just like Bo, Roman, Shane, and every other man we know." Kim reached over and touched her sister's hand. "You have to convince him. This isn't going to get better without help."

Kayla sat still for a few moments, before she let out a deep breath. "I'll try."

Kim decided to change the subject. "Speaking of Shane. . . . Have you told Steve?"

Looking down again, Kayla said, "I know I have to, but it's so hard. You know Steve's going to be upset, and he's already been through so much."

"But he's going to find out eventually," Kim pointed out. "You're better off getting it out of the way."

"I know." Kayla scooped up some more food and fed it to Stephanie. "I wanted to let Shane know first, just in case Steve does something crazy, but--"

"But Shane's been persona non grata since the other night." Kim understood. Shane had taken Andrew to London the day after the incident with Steve in the foyer and then had gone on a ride and picnic with the boy yesterday. And other than the time spent with Andrew, Shane had been spending most of his remaining time in the communications room. Kim knew she should be pleased that Shane was spending so much time with Andrew, but she also had the clear impression that he was trying to avoid dealing with the situation with Kayla. Looking back at her sister, Kim saw that Kayla had pulled out Shane's ring and was looking at it.

"I have to return this," Kayla said. "But if I can't even get a minute alone with Shane, how can I? Hey, what if I give it to you and you can give it back?"

Kim gave her sister a knowing look. Kayla will know what I'm thinking.

"Yeah, I guess that's not really fair." Kayla studied the ring for another few seconds and then returned it to her pocket. "I've got to do it. I just hate the idea of hurting him."

"Shane's a big boy," Kim said. "Besides, he'll pretend that everything's fine to make it easy for you."

Kayla finished the feeding, and slid the plate away from Stephanie. She picked up a towel and wiped the baby's face clean. "Of course, he will. What is it with these men that they feel they need to spare us from their real feelings? I swear they could be bleeding from a hundred wounds, barely able to stand, and they would still claim everything is fine."

Kim laughed at the image. That's so true.

Standing, Kayla lifted Stephanie out of the high-chair. "Has Shane told you anything about how the ISA rescued Steve?" When Kim shook her head, Kayla said, "See, even that's a mystery. Why won't they just tell us so we can know what they're dealing with?"

"I don't know. Shane said that the mission had to be a secret, so maybe not telling us is part of that secrecy?"

"Well screw the ISA and their secrecy," Kayla muttered. "I want to know where my husband was and how they found him. And I want to know what it took to free him." She started toward the door and said, "Sometimes I wish we'd never heard of the ISA and it never came into our lives at all."

Kim watched Kayla leave as she thought of what her sister had just said. If not for the ISA being in Kim's life, she would have never met Shane or had Andrew, and they had been two of the greatest joys of her life. Just as she could not fully regret her relationship with Cal Winters because it resulted in Jeannie, she could not regret a single minute of her life with Shane. Kim hugged Jeannie close and whispered, "Sorry, Kay, I just can't agree."

[MrsM]

I am so glad the sisters are being supportive of each other. They need it!!

[jwsel]

Chapter 45

Kayla stepped into the sitting room and located the phone on the desk. She had left Stephanie and Steve playing outside with Kim and her kids. Kayla had wanted to call Salem and get an update on Carly's work on the antidote to the virus and to find out if anybody had seen Bo. She knew that if Bo had not turned up, she was going to have to enlist Shane's help in tracking him down. Shane was not going to be happy to find out she had withheld information from him about Bo, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. It's not like he's all that happy with you now, anyway.

Kayla dialed the number for the lab and listened to the phone ring. After several moments, the call was finally answered as the voice on the other end said, "University Hospital Immunology Lab."

"Carly? It's Kayla."

"Oh. Hello Kayla." Carly's tone was cold and distant.

"I was just calling to see how the work on the antidote was coming," Kayla said, confused by Carly's tone.

"It's coming along fine." The coldness was still there.

"Good . . . uh . . . good." Maybe she's just upset at being interrupted. " Umm . . . have you happened to see Bo recently?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. He's a patient at the hospital right now. It turns out he has the virus, but I guess you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Carly's coldness had turned to anger.

Well, that explains her tone. Kayla brushed her hand through her hair, wondering how she could answer that question. "Look, Carly, I can't really explain anything right now, but I'm glad that Bo is home and that you'll have the antidote soon."

"You don't need to explain anything to me, Kayla," Carly said, her voice cold again. "But I would suggest that you call Dr. Curtis. I think he wants some explanations."

Great. Kayla knew that her switching her blood for Bo's had been discovered. "I'll do that. Look Carly, I get that you are upset with me, but please take care of Bo. He needs you right now."

Carly's voice softened slightly, "Don't worry, Kayla. I'll make sure Bo is okay."

"Thanks, Carly. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Kayla."

After she hung up the phone, Kayla considered delaying the call to Neil. It was not like she could rush back to Salem to deal with any of this now anyway. But she knew that putting it off was just delaying the inevitable. She had known the potential consequences when she had made the switch, but she had been so afraid that Bo would simply disappear if he thought Carly and his family knew he had that damn virus.

Sighing, she picked up the phone and dialed the hospital. Reaching the switchboard, she asked for the Chief of Staff and was connected through. After a short wait, she heard the familiar voice on the line.

"Kayla? Is that you?"

"Hi Neil. Umm, I just talked to Carly a few minutes ago and she suggested that I call you." Kayla braced herself for what was coming.

"I'm glad you called, Kayla." Neil's tone was professional, but friendly. "It appears that there were some irregularities with a blood test that Bo had done a few weeks ago. The preliminary investigation indicates that Bo's blood sample may have been switched with someone else's. Additionally testing indicates that the person who's blood replaced Bo's was yours."

"Look Neil, I can explain everything . . . just not right now." Kayla said, knowing Neil was not going to like that.

"Wait a minute, Kayla. Are you telling me this is true?" Neil said, the surprise clear in his voice.

"It's a long story, Neil. As soon as I get back to Salem, I promise I'll explain the whole thing." There was no way Kayla was going to go into the whole story over the phone.

There was a pause on the other end. Finally, Neil said, "Okay, when do you expect to return? We need to address this issue immediately."

If Neil did not like her earlier dodge, he really was not going to like what she was about to say next. "I'm not sure when I'll be back, Neil. It might be a few weeks."

"A few weeks!" Neil exclaimed. "I don't think you understand how serious this is. There is going to be a full investigation and board hearing. Your license could be suspended. I would think you might want to be here for that."

"I do understand that, but I just can't come home right now. I'm sorry. Is there any way you could delay the hearing until I get back? Tell the board you've suspended me pending that hearing. It's not like I would be working anyway." Kayla held her breath waiting for Neil's response.

There was another long pause on the other end. Kayla heard Neil sigh and then say, "All right, Kayla. I'll delay the board until you get back. But I have to tell you that your absence is not going to weigh in your favor. These are serious charges and you need to be prepared for what might happen."

"I know," Kayla said sincerely. "I'll face the board and the findings from the investigation when I get back. Thank you for delaying things until then."

"Don't thank me, Kayla. Just take care of whatever is so important in England and get back here soon."

They said their goodbyes, Kayla hung up the phone, and slumped against the desk. Could my life possibly get any crazier? Steve was back and she was as happy as she had ever been. But she still had not told him about Shane, Steve was battling demons she could not seem to help him with, and, now, she had probably lost her job. She would just have to deal with that last one when they went home. There was nothing she could do about it now and there was no reason to tell anybody else about her pending suspension. Steve was back and he needed peace and security so he could heal. They would deal with the job issue when it was time to return to Salem.

With that thought, she got up from the desk and headed out to rejoin her family. Steve and Stephanie were all that mattered right now. They had this time together and she was going to make the most of it.

[MrsM]

Poor Kayla.

[esp13]

It just occurred to me that we might want to clarify something. A lot of the things that happen in this story are straight from what happened in 1991. They are obviously modified because of the changes we made in the story, but they are still mostly cannon. So, for those that don't know 1991, Bo really did have the virus, Kayla really did switch her blood with Bo's duirng a blood test because he swore he would leave town if anybody found out (the anybody being Carly, really). And Kayla really did get suspended when the switch was discovered. The manner in which Carly got the cure to the virus is obviously different in this story, but much of the rest of that bit of storyline is substantially unchanged.

There will be other bits along the way that come from things that really happened during 1991. On the other hand, there are things with either changed or just kind of ignored because they would have tangentally affected our story but it wasn't worth dealing with them because they didn't have much to do with our main characters. That's the fun of being authors. You get to keep the stuff you want and dump the stuff you don't.

[jwsel]

Thanks. esp13, for providing those details. It's sometimes hard to remember what people know about this time. Please, if anyone has questions about other things happening in Salem at the time, feel free to ask.

I'll just add one little detail about the virus storyline that people may not know. When Lawrence was facing trial for rape, Kim secretly recorded him by giving him a pair of cufflinks that were bugs. (She got the bugged cufflinks from Bo.) She was going to testify to what Lawrence said -- that he had stopped taking his pills months before his wedding and that he destroyed a videotape that showed Jennifer screaming for him to stop during the rape -- but Kayla urged Kim not to testify. Kayla revealed that Bo had the virus and explained that they needed Lawrence to lead them to the cure. That left Shane without his key witness against Lawrence (Kim), who could have sent Lawrence to jail for a long time, so Shane and Jack threatened to release the tape publicly unless Lawrence pled guilty to a much lesser charge.