Chapter 26: Becoming Doctor Jessica

January 9, 1994, Chicago, Illinois

“I really should have called and postponed today’s lunch with Ailea until next month,” I said.

“You already missed three months because of me and the injury,” Jessica said.

“I know, but it’s been a crazy weekend. And we haven’t spent enough time together.”

“We have all afternoon,” she replied. “It’s OK.”

“If you’re sure. I do need to go see Matthew. He was pretty sad when Jason and Abbie left in the limo.”

Neither Jessica nor Kara objected, so I went up to the boys’ room where Matthew was playing SEGA and looking sad.

“Hi, Foo,” I said, sitting down on the throw rug next to him.

“Hi, Dad,” he sighed.

“How are you doing?”

“I’m going to miss Abbie.”

“I know. Me, too. But you can go visit her like we talked about. I talked to your mom and Abbie about it, too.”

“When?”

“Next month, if you want. They could take you to the race in Rockingham.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes. And they plan to come to the race in Michigan, too.”

“Cool! Thanks, Dad!”

“You sound happier now.”

“I’m still going to miss her.”

“And that’s OK. They promised to come visit, too.”

“Do you have time to play Sonic with me?”

“Sure!”

We played for about forty-five minutes before I had to leave for my lunch with Ailea. Matthew seemed in a much better mood when we put the controllers away and went downstairs. I kissed my wives and Michelle, bundled up against the cold, and headed out to my car. Thirty five minutes later, I knocked on the door of Sensei Ichirou’s house.

“Sensei Steve, come in!” Ailea said. “How are you?”

“Much better than I was when we spoke before Christmas.”

“Good!” she said closing the door behind me.

I removed my winter gear, and as we usually did, we went to sit at the low table where she had hot tea waiting.

“How is school?” I asked.

“Great! I was accepted to UIC!”

“Congratulations! You’ll be living at home, right?”

“Yes. I’ll be able to walk to school on nice days. You said you know lots of lawyers?”

“I do.”

“When I’m ready to get a summer intern or clerk job, will you introduce me?”

“Let’s wait until you get a bit closer. You have four years of pre-law before then!”

“True!” she said.

She finished her tea, then served lunch. While we ate she asked about the accident and about how I’d been hurt, and how that had affected my karate. I confirmed that I planned to go to Japan in June, although I didn’t say it would depend on how things were going with Jessica. When we finished eating, she invited me to come to lunch on February 13th and I accepted. Ailea walked me to the door; I bundled up, and then headed to my car for the drive home.

My wives and Michelle were waiting for me, and the four of us went to the sauna. Jessica put up the ‘Privacy Please’ sign and we basked quietly in the steam for a good twenty minutes, with Jessica to my right, Kara to my left, and Michelle on the bench in front of me. The silence continued until Jessica indicated we should head upstairs for showers. My wives and I went to the master bedroom and Michelle went to hers. After quick individual showers, we dried, dressed, and met in the ‘Indian’ room for tea.

“It was suggested at the party on Friday that I arrange for a Swedish Au Pair,” I teased.

“In your DREAMS, Tiger!” Jessica laughed.

“I found Abbie in New York,” I said with a grin.

“I’m thinking a grandmotherly type!” she replied.

“I just don’t see that going well with Jesse and Birgit,” I said. “Young women have worked very well. Not to mention younger people are more likely to be cool with our unconventional family situation.”

“What happens if you don’t find someone?” Michelle asked.

“We will,” I said. “It was just the first candidates I talked to simply didn’t seem to be a good fit. And we have our short-term plan which will work for as long as we need. I talked to Kate, the woman who operates the daycare co-op at NIKA, and she’s going to have Louisa come in full-time while the extra kids are there.”

“How do you plan to get four kids, Elyse, and Jess in your BMW?” Kara asked with a smirk.

“Carefully!” I chuckled. “In all seriousness, I talked with Elyse and we’ll take both cars. That gives us a bit of flexibility if there are any issues with the kids or schedules.”

January 14, 1994, Lincoln, Illinois

Friday was a brutally cold day in Chicago, with the thermometer outside the kitchen window showing -3°F just before Alec picked me up about a half-hour before sunrise for the drive to the Logan Correctional Center in downstate Lincoln. We made the three-hour drive mostly in silence, with only the purr of the Mercedes engine and the hum of the tires disturbing it. I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea to visit Lisa, but I’d promised Alec I’d do it for him, and truth be told, if a child of mine were in prison, I’d do my best to help them as well. I hoped I’d never have to find out what that was like.

We pulled into the parking lot of the prison just before 10:00am. Alec parked and we followed the signs to the visitors’ entrance where we showed our ID, were searched, and then asked to fill out a questionnaire. It asked mostly for basic information, including name, address, phone number, place of employment, and so on. There were two questions about having any affiliation with a gang or organized crime, for both of which I checked ‘no’. I figured if the FBI hadn’t figured out my Outfit ties at this point, they never would.

After confirming that we were both on Lisa’s visitor list, a deputy escorted us to a waiting room. Twenty minutes later, we were led into a large open room with tables and chairs. I saw Lisa in drab, gray prison garb with her hair pulled back and braided. She looked grim, and I didn’t begrudge her that feeling. The deputy led us to the table and we sat down.

“You have four hours unless the room fills,” the deputy said. “Then we can ask you to leave after two hours if people are waiting.”

“Thanks, Officer,” Alec said.

“Remember, all communication may be monitored or recorded. Do not attempt to pass any items either way.”

“Got it,” Alec replied.

The deputy moved away.

“Hi, Honey,” Alec said. “How are you?”

“I’m in this hellhole for the next forty years!” she growled. “How do you think I am?”

To be honest, that probably would have been my answer to that question. An answer of ‘good’ or ‘OK’ just didn’t seem to fit the circumstances.

“Hi, Lisa,” I said.

“Hello,” she said with a wan smile. “Thanks for coming to see me.”

“Your dad said you wanted to talk to me,” I said. “Given everything that went down, I think you might understand why I was reluctant.”

She nodded, “Yes, I do. I wanted to apologize for everything that happened between us. I’m especially sorry for what I did to Samantha, though I hear she’s doing pretty well.”

“She is,” I said. “I accept your apology and all is forgiven. I mean that. I’ve hurt some people pretty badly myself over the last fifteen or so years, so I know the value of a heartfelt apology.”

“Is there anything I can do for you, honey?” Alec asked.

“Rewind the clock about two years,” she sighed. “Otherwise? No. I have the books and the magazine subscriptions you arranged. Thanks.”

I looked at Lisa, and asked, “Why?”

She gave a small shrug, “I can’t explain it. It wasn’t ever supposed to get to that point. Things kind of took on a life of their own.”

“You don’t accidentally engage in a conspiracy to commit murder,” I countered.

“That isn’t how it went down,” she sighed. “But all the circumstantial evidence was there, and John was dead. Saying I didn’t mean for that to happen wasn’t going to have me found ‘not guilty’.”

“No, it wouldn’t. And you don’t have to answer, obviously, but all the real estate stuff? And the city officials?”

“It’s Chicago,” she said. “And it made things go MUCH faster. Obviously, the shortcut led straight to prison, though I avoided extra time for that.”

“Do you have to do the full forty years?” I asked.

“There is no ‘time off for good behavior’ for murder convictions. Only commutation or a pardon from the governor would get me out sooner. At least I’m not in maximum security.”

I nodded, “Do you want some time with your dad?”

“If you don’t mind,” she said.

“No, I don’t mind; I’ll just check with the guard and move to another table. There seem to be some empty ones.”

I did what I’d said and was given permission to sit at a table in the corner, away from Lisa and Alec. I surveyed the room and saw, for the most part, what looked like fairly typical people, albeit about half of them in prison garb. Sure, there were a few prisoners with crazy tattoos and very close-cropped hair, but for the most part, in other clothes, you’d never know they were criminals.

Alec and Lisa talked for about twenty minutes before he waved me back to say goodbye. Alec and Lisa hugged under the watchful eye of the guard and I shook hands with her. Alec signaled for the guard and we were escorted out of the room. We quickly left the building and got into Alec’s Mercedes for the drive back to Chicago.

“Thanks for coming,” he said.

“You’re welcome. It’s tough to see her in there, even knowing what happened.”

“I’d say the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, but the law sees it differently, obviously.”

“She did admit to being involved in the conspiracy and pled guilty,” I countered.

“Faced with the guy who actually did it testifying against her and the possibility of a death sentence or life in prison without parole, what would you do?”

“A reasonable point,” I said. “What happened to that guy?”

“Forty years, the same as Lisa. That was his deal. But he’s in maximum security.”

“Dumping someone off a balcony thirty floors up is pretty much the epitome of ‘violent’,” I said.

“I still don’t know where I went wrong,” he sighed. “Sure, I gave her a lot of freedom, and yes, I know she used sex to get what she wanted, but that’s a far cry from illegal real estate transactions and murder.”

“Alec,” I said firmly, “she’s an adult who made her own choices. You’re not responsible for what she did. It’s not as if you locked her in a closet or beat her or neglected her!”

“Maybe locking her in a closet wouldn’t have been such a bad idea.”

I shook my head, “You can play those ‘What if?’ games forever and not make any headway. I give my kids quite a bit of freedom with the knowledge that it might come back to bite me or them. But what’s the alternative? I’ve seen kids who were, in effect, on lockdown at home and the results of that can be pretty ugly, too.”

“So how do you know you’re doing the right thing?” he asked.

“Hell if I know,” I replied. “All I can do is do my best. What the kids do as adults is up to them. That doesn’t mean I don’t love them, support them, and help them in every way I’m able to and they’ll accept, but in the end, I can’t control what happens. And that’s true in so many areas. If I ran the universe, some things would certainly be different.”

Alec nodded, “Same here.”

January 15, 1994, Chicago, Illinois

“Good morning, Sensei!” I said walking into his office on Saturday morning and bowing.

“Welcome back!” he said. “I spoke with Doctor Barton yesterday and you’re cleared for no-contact workouts. He did suggest you take it easy and work your way back into it.”

I nodded, “I really only started running again this week. I’m at about half my previous distance.”

“Doctor Barton said you could come as many days as you could handle, but I think for now three days is sufficient.”

I nodded, “That’s what he suggested. I’ll come in on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”

“If you feel at all light-headed or winded or get a headache, I want you to step aside and sit down. Don’t wait for permission.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

“I saw Jessica come in with you.”

I nodded, “Yes. She’ll come the same days I do. We’re working on it.”

“Good. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Not at this point, thank you.”

“OK. Go line up. I’ll be out in a moment.”

I went to the training room and was greeted by Jolene, Will, and a number of lower belts. It felt good to be back. Sensei Jim asked Jolene to lead the exercises and I managed to get through all of them without feeling like I was overexerting myself. When we finished, I was assigned to work with the white and yellow belts on kata, so I took them to the smaller training room. I got through that OK and when class ended, Jessica, Kara, Michelle, and I walked home.

“How are you feeling?” Jessica asked when we sat down for lunch after our showers.

“OK. Just a bit tired, but not fatigued. It’s like I felt when I first started exercising.”

“No headaches?”

“No. I feel pretty much normal other than being out of shape from sitting on my butt for more than two months!”

“What are we doing this afternoon?” Kara asked.

“Relaxing. We’ll start Guys’ and Girls’ Nights again in two weeks.”

“So back to normal?”

“On our way to normal,” I said. “We still have a lot of work to do as a trio; and as a quartet.”

“How about a sauna?” Jessica suggested.

“You do NOT have to ask twice!” I said.

When we finished our lunches, we cleaned up, then headed to the basement for a sauna.

January 18, 1994, Chicago, Illinois

“I agree,” I said into the phone. “There is no way we’re walking or even driving to the Y this morning.”

“Are you going to work?” Gina asked.

“I don’t think so. The schools are all closed. I’m going to call the executive team now and have them call their staff and tell them to stay home. Close to half of the team takes the L and the ones who drive would mostly have to park in an open lot. With the wind chill at -55°F, walking even a short distance is dangerous! Not to mention the daycare nightmare!”

“Bo is going to drive me right to the door of the ER. Fortunately, they have underground parking at the Spurgeon Capital building. His car has a block heater, so we’re sure it’ll start.”

“That’s my big concern with getting Jess to work this morning. I need to make my calls. Based on the forecast, I doubt we’ll run tomorrow, either. I’ll call you first thing.”

We hung up and I immediately dialed Dave and Julia. Dave agreed right away, and said they’d start by calling their team leads and have them make calls as well. I thanked him, then dialed Cindi’s number and repeated the conversation.

My last call was to Kimmy who said she’d call the rest of the administrative staff for me.

“What about the phones?” she asked.

“I’m going to call Mario and let them know they have to hold down the fort for at least today, and maybe tomorrow. After yesterday’s huge earthquake, I’m not sure about California.”

“Barbara said she thought most of them would be able to make it in today when I talked to her just before I went home last night. Almost all of the damage seemed to be out in the Valley.”

“I did see last night that a freeway which collapsed when I lived in California in ‘71 collapsed again. The Santa Monica Freeway is always jammed, so that’s going to make commuting a nightmare.”

“Most of our staff live in the City or south, so they should be OK. Either way, Pittsburgh can handle things for a day if they have to. It’ll be rough, but they can do it.”

“OK. Go ahead and make the calls.”

“What about pay?”

“Everyone gets paid, including the hourly staff. It’s not as if this is their fault! The same is true for our LA office for yesterday and possibly today.”

“Thanks. Tomorrow is supposed to be nearly as bad.”

“I know. We’ll decide tonight so everyone can sleep in if we decide to close the office tomorrow.”

Just as I hung up, Birgit came into my study. She was earlier than usual, but not by much. I picked her up and carried her to the great room so I could start a fire.

“No running?” she asked, seeing I was in my pajamas.

“It’s too cold, Pumpkin. Daddy would freeze like an icicle if he went outside. There’s no school today.”

“Cuddle all day?” she giggled.

“I have to take Mommy to the hospital to work.”

“But you’ll freeze!” she protested, throwing my words back at me.

“I’ll put on warm clothes and run out to the car. They need Mommy to help anyone who gets sick.”

“Classes are canceled today,” Michelle said coming into the great room.