Chapter 5

Saturday May 24, 2003

1:15 PM

Brad stopped by to visit Tom. When he came into the house he squeezed Lisa's hand as he kissed her cheek and then went upstairs to see Tom. Lisa followed Brad upstairs to see how Tom was feeling. It was obvious from the smile on Tom's face he was glad to see Brad.

"I need to run out to the store to pick up a few things. I may as well do that now while Brad is here to keep you company," Lisa said.

"I'll be okay. I'll only have five beers while your gone," Tom joked.

"If you do, you will have to empty your own bedpan."

When Lisa left the room, Brad said, "Looks like Lisa is taking good car of you. How are you two doing? "

"We are progressing. It may take some time to get over some of what happened but I think we'll be all right," Tom said.

"I was just a little worried about Lisa. She seemed to go a bit overboard when she saw those pictures of you with that blond in Vegas. If you say things are better, I assume that she has stopped seeing that guy. Did you ever find out who he was?"

That statement threw Tom. Brad supposed that she had stopped seeing him. Lisa said that she had been with him just that one time. Tom wondered how much information he could get out of Brad without letting on how little he knew.

"Yes. That's over. Lisa won't admit to seeing him more than once but I didn't believe that. Has she said anything to you about him?"

"To me? She would never tell me anything like that. She knows I would tell you. So I guess she didn't tell you about Applebee's?"

Tom decided to not tell him that Lisa said she had been there with him.

"What about Applebee's?"

"A friend on mine at the office mentioned that he had seen Lisa with a guy he didn't know in Applebee's on the Monday after your accident."

"Really? Who told you that?"

"Sorry, buddy, I can't tell you. When this guy found out what was going on, he made me promise not to tell you about it. He didn't want to get into the middle of this mess," Brad said.

Tom could feel his anger building. Lisa had lied to him. Tom thought that he would make Lisa tell him the truth when they were alone again.

"Do you know about any other time she was out with him?"

"That was the only time I heard about," Brad said. "Don't tell her I said anything. I am still hoping you two can work things out and I don't want her hating me after this is over."

Brad tried to change the subject to sports but he could see that Tom was stuck back at Applebee's.

When they heard Lisa come back from the store, Brad said that he had better get going and he headed down the stairs. As Brad was leaving Tom heard the doorbell and then he heard Lisa talking to someone but he could not hear what they were talking about.

A half hour later Lisa came up stairs. Tom's anger was simmering. He wanted to confront Lisa about what Brad had told him but he couldn't or Lisa would know who told him about it. He would have to wait until the next day to bring it up. Tom knew it was going to be an unpleasant evening.

When Lisa entered the room, Tom asked, "Who was at the door?"

"Mrs. Bennett. She wanted to come visit you but I told her you were having a bad day and you were too tired for visitors. It's funny though. When Brad left Mrs. Bennett asked me if Brad was my cousin. Where would she have gotten an idea like that?"

It was as though a flash bulb had gone off inside Tom's head. Brad was with Lisa at Applebee's. Lisa must have told him that Mrs. Bennett would tell Tom he saw Lisa at Applebee's with another man so he was making sure that Tom didn't suspect him. Why would he do that unless he had been the one with Lisa the night of the accident?

"Mrs. Bennett thinks Tom is your cousin because when she told me she saw you at Applebee's with another man I told her he was your cousin. So I guess she recognized him from that night."

"She came over to our table and talked to me. So she should have recognized him," Lisa said.

"Maybe you can help me understand why Brad just told me that a friend of his was in Applebee's that night and saw you. According to Brad, you were with some other guy. So one of you is lying and I now know that it is Brad."

"Why would he say that?"

"Because he didn't want me to know that he was the one you were with at Ben's when I came looking for you. That's why you met me at the door so I wouldn't see him. And it was Brad you went home with. You said you stopped Brad from fucking you that night so... did you go out with him Monday to make it up to him?'

"Tom, please. Everything I told you was the truth. The only thing I left out was that it was Brad I was with that night. What I told you about Monday night was true. He was trying to help me find you. He suggested we stop for dinner and I made him take me to Applebee's because I was hoping I would run into you there."

"Brad didn't know that you told me you were with him or he would have supported your story. I never told him I knew that you had been at Applebee's with him or anyone else. Why do you think he would tell me you were there with someone else?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. I suppose he was just trying to make sure you didn't find out I was with him that night. Don't blame Brad. He was just there as a friend. It was entirely my fault. I had too much to drink and I was angry and did something stupid. Brad never tried to get me to do anything. I threw myself at him that night. I am not proud of it and I am sorry it happened but it wasn't Brad's fault," Lisa said.

Tom was still hot but he tried to keep his anger in check.

"That night you not only screwed up our marriage," Tom said, "you also destroyed a friendship of more than fifteen years."

"Why? You and Brad can still be friends. He never meant this to happen. Just let it go"

"What am I supposed to do, act like this never happened? Pretend that my so-called best friend never put his cock into my wife's cun... Never mind."

"So we have to drop Brad as a friend now?" Lisa asked.

"How can you even ask me that?"

"It's not that easy. Brad has been my friend too."

"Since when is he such a good friend of yours?"

"I see him several times a week in my office. He comes by to get a copy of the profit and loss statements and usually stays to talk for a few minutes. I enjoy talking to him," Lisa said.

"How long has this been going on?"

"It's not something that's going on. You make it sound as if we were having an affair. He's been coming by my office to pick up the reports for about six months. It's work related. Don't try to make a problem where none exists," Lisa said firmly.

"I still don't understand why you would be looking for me at Applebee's." Tom said.

"I have a picture of you with your girl friend at Applebee's," Lisa said.

"Another picture? I'm starting to see things clearer now," Tom said.

"What does that mean?"

"Just that I am starting to understand what has been going on behind my back," Tom said.

Lisa was losing patience with Tom.

"There is nothing going on behind your back," Lisa said.

"Oh, there is. I just don't know yet if you are a part of it."

"Tom, you're scaring me. You sound crazy when you talk like that."

"Maybe so but it doesn't mean I'm wrong," Tom said. "From now on no more lies, no more secrets. Okay?"

Lisa was relieved to see that Tom was ready to end this uncomfortable conversation.

"Yes."

The revelations of that afternoon caused a setback in the progress the two of them had made in repairing their relationship. There were no more surprises for the next couple of weeks and things began to improve again.

Monday June 2, 2003

9:00 AM

Lisa took Tom to the hospital for a progress check and to have the cast removed from his left arm. Dr. Jasper was pleased with the progress Tom was making. They cut the cast off his arm and removed the plaster from his chest. Then after examining Tom's leg they cut off the cast and replaced it with what they called a walking cast. Dr. Jasper told Tom he should start getting out of bed and walking around the house using crutches.

"You need to take it easy at first. No stair climbing and get back into bed as soon as you feel tired," Dr. Jasper said.

The doctor also gave Tom a vest like professional football players wear to protect their ribs if they had been injured. "You need to wear this vest anytime you are out of bed. We don't want you falling down and injuring your ribs again," Dr. Jasper said.

For Tom having his left arm free and the heavy cast on his leg replaced by a much lighter one was wonderful. He also found breathing easier and more comfortable wearing the vest.

When they got back home Tom walked into the house under his own power but he had to be carried upstairs by the off duty firemen that Lisa hired for the occasion.

Saturday June 7, 2003

1:00 PM

Tom was sitting in bed watching the Rockies game on television. They were playing the Giants and the Rockies were leading by one run in the fifth inning. When the doorbell rang, Tom sat up straight in bed and listened intently to try to identify the visitor.

It was Brad and it only took Tom a second to recognize his voice. Tom quickly turned the sound off on the television but he still could not hear what Lisa and Brad were talking about. Tom was hoping that Lisa was telling Brad to leave but then he could tell by the fading sound of their voices that Lisa and Brad had moved out of the foyer and into the kitchen or maybe to the living room.

Tom's rage built quickly. Not just because he was so angry with Brad but also because Lisa let him into the house after everything he had said to Lisa about not wanting Brad coming around.

Tom swung his legs over the side of the bed and pushed off the bed with his hands to get himself into a standing position and reached for his crutches. Tom had gotten pretty good at this maneuver over the previous few days. It allowed him to take himself to the bathroom so he didn't have to use a bedpan anymore.

Tom was still pretty weak and wasn't really steady walking on the crutches with one leg still in a cast. He moved slowly to the top of the stairs by setting the crutches in front of him and stepping forward with his right leg and then he would kind of drag the left leg up until it was even with the right. Then he would repeat the process. It was slow but he made steady progress.

From the top of the stairs he still couldn't hear them. He would have to climb down the stairs. Tom tried to step down off the top step with his right leg but he almost fell. So he tried again by lifting his stiff left leg off of the step and moving it down to the next step then Tom braced himself with the crutches and stepped down with his right foot. It was awkward and somewhat painful but Tom was able to move down the five steps to the landing where the stairs made a ninety-degree turn to the left.

Tom stopped on the landing and listened. He could now hear their voices but still not well enough to hear what they were saying. He would have to go the rest of the way down. Tom turned on the landing and without thinking he stepped off with his right leg. As he began to fall, Tom dropped the crutches and grabbed for the banister but instead of being able to stop his fall he landed against the banister with his chest and slid forward and ended falling the rest of the way down the stirs headfirst.

Lisa and Brad were sitting in the living room and she was telling him that Tom knew that he was with her the night of the accident. She told him how upset that had made Tom so in order to keep peace in the house she wanted to ask Brad to stop coming by her office, at least until Tom had time to calm down.

Brad wasn't happy with that turn of evens.

"Oh, damn it, how did he find out?" Brad asked.

Lisa was just about to tell him about Mrs. Bennett when they heard a terrible crash and a scream coming from the direction of the foyer. The two of them looked at each other for a moment as if to ask the other, 'what was that?' Then Lisa jump up and ran toward the foyer with Brad following.

Tom found himself lying face down on the floor with his stiff left leg still up on the second step. He was in a lot of pain but he didn't want to be found in that position so he managed to pull himself forward far enough that his left leg slid off the bottom two stairs allowing Tom to roll over. Tom was able to reach one of his crutches and sit up but there was no way he could stand up.

Lisa was the first to get to him.

"What happened? What were you trying to do?" she shouted in near hysterics.

Just then Brad walked into the foyer and looked down at Tom.

"I was coming downstairs to throw this scum bag out of my house."

"Why would you risk doing something so dangerous?"

"I had to. It was obvious you didn't want him to leave. I have to protect what belongs to me," Tom said and then turned to Brad and pointed his crutch at him. "I want you out of my house now."

Rather than leaving Brad looked over at Lisa to see what she would say. It was an act of defiance that wasn't lost on Tom but Lisa didn't notice.

"Brad, I think it would be better if you left now," Lisa said. "I'm sorry."

Tom was furious but he didn't say a word. He never took his eyes off Brad as he opened the door to leave. As soon as Brad was out the door, Lisa turned to Tom.

"That was really stupid. You could have seriously injured yourself. And you didn't have to speak to Brad that..."

Tom cut her off.

"You apologized to him because I threw him out of my house. Now I see that you are part of it."

"Part of what?" Lisa asked. "What is the matter with you?"

"I told you I didn't want him coming around," Tom said. "All you had to do was send him away when he came to the door but you invited him in. I guess you thought I couldn't come downstairs so the two of you could have a nice little chat and whatever else you wanted to do and I would never know."

"I asked him to come in so I could tell him that you knew he was with me that night and I asked him not to come around my office any more."

"You didn't have to invite him into my house to do that. You should have told him at the door."

"Brad is still a friend and I can't be rude to him just because you're angry with him." Lisa said.

"Angry with him? He was supposed to be my friend and then he goes and seduces my wife? I guess I shouldn't be angry because he is such a nice guy."

"Are we ever going to get past this? That was never planned, it just happened. It was more my fault than his. Brad just happened to be the one who was with me when I went off the deep end," Lisa said.

"You are right, you are at fault but Brad had a lot more to do with this than you think."

"What are you talking about?"

"How is it that Brad happened to be with you that night? Was it a coincidence that Brad just happened to be there? Or did he help you plan the who thing?"

Lisa looked down at the floor before answering.

"I asked him to meet me there that night."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to go there alone."

"But why Brad? Why not Shandra or one of your other girl friends?"

Lisa suddenly realized how this must appear to Tom.

"I know this doesn't look good. I wasn't thinking straight that night. I guess I asked Brad because he just happen to be around when I decided to go out to make you jealous."

"I heard you on the phone the Wednesday before telling someone you would meet them at Ben's. Was it Brad you were talking to?"

"Yes."

"You said it wasn't planned, that it just happened but you called Brad and told him to meet you there two days before. That doesn't sound like 'just happened ' to me. The other day you told me that Brad has been stopping by your office to visit for more that six months but you never mentioned that to me. Why?"

"His visits were usually work related. I told you he came to pick up the profit and loss report every week. I didn't think I needed to tell you about everyone who stopped by my office."

"Lisa, Brad is a design engineer. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, I know what he does," Lisa responded.

"Then can you tell me why a design engineer needs a copy of the profit and loss statement every week? There is nothing in Brad's job that would require him to have a copy of that report every week. The report was just an excuse for him to come visit you and if you can't see that then you are pretty naive."

Naive? Lisa thought. Maybe. She had never even thought to ask Brad why he needed the profit and loss report. She should have known he didn't need a copy. Maybe she just liked having him stop by and say hello.

When Lisa didn't comment Tom continued.

"I suspect now that Brad has had the hots for you for a long time. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself so he could step in and replace me in your life. And you gave him that opportunity."

Suddenly Lisa remember what Brad told her that night. Brad had said, "I have to confess that I have always had a crush on you."

Lisa realized that Tom was closer to the truth than he knew but she could never tell him. Then Lisa remembered the girl in the pictures and wondered if Tom had any real feelings for her. Would it happen again? Lisa began to get angry. Tom had been berating her for the last fifteen minutes and now she had to strike back.

"What gives you the right to attack me? After all it was your behavior that started all of this. If you hadn't been running around with that blond bitch in Vegas none of this would have happened," Lisa said. "I admit what I did was wrong but what you did was unforgivable."

"You still don't get it, do you? Well, I give up. The night of my accident I was on my way home to pack my things and leave so, as soon as I get this cast off my leg, I'll be moving out. Then you can get together with Brad anytime you want."

With all the venom she could manage, Lisa said, "I'll help you pack."

During the whole time they had been arguing Tom was sitting on the floor in tremendous pain. Now that the argument was over Tom realized that he would somehow have to get on his feet and climb back upstairs without Lisa's help. To need her help would be just another humiliation.

When Tom tried to get up, Lisa could see the pain in his face and she stepped forward to help but Tom waved her away. He was trying to push himself up against the wall with little success when he started to cough. The coughing caused terrible pains in his chest and he had a coppery taste in his mouth. Tom wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. When he took his hand away from his mouth, Lisa saw that it was smeared with blood.

"You're bleeding. Tom, your mouth is bleeding."

Tom looked at his hand and then wiped his mouth again with his other hand and it was also covered with blood. Tom let himself slip back down to the floor and Lisa ran to the phone and called 911 for an ambulance.

3:30 PM

The coughing had stopped before the ambulance arrived and Tom was awake and alert on the ride to the hospital. Lisa had wanted to ride in the ambulance with him but the paramedics wouldn't let her, which suited Tom.

Once in the emergency room it was quickly determined the Tom's fall on the stairs had caused a minor injury to the lung that had been punctured in the accident. Tom was moved to the operating room and the lung was repaired through a tiny incision in his chest.

Tom spent only an hour in the recovery room and was then rolled into a semi-private hospital room.

When Dr. Jasper came in, he found Lisa sitting in a corner of the room as far away from Tom's bed as she could be and to Dr. Jasper she looked lost. Dr. Jasper stood next to the bed and read Tom's chart.

"Can I ask what you were doing climbing stairs?" the doctor asked.

"I guess I was just getting impatient. I have been laid up for almost two months and I am getting stir-crazy," Tom replied.

"No more stair climbing until we get that cast off in two weeks," Dr. Jasper ordered.

"I learned my lesson," Tom said. "I won't try that again. How soon can I get out of here?"

"I would say that you'll be out of here by Tuesday, maybe sooner. I'll come by in the morning and check on you. I'll know better then."

During the exchange between Tom and Dr. Jasper, Lisa didn't move from her chair but she listened carefully to what the doctor told Tom. When Dr. Jasper left the room, Lisa followed him into the hall.

"How bad is it?" Lisa asked.

"His injury isn't serious and it should mend quickly but I am curious as to why he would have attempted to negotiate the stairs with a cast on his leg. That was foolish. Keep a closer watch on him and see to it that he doesn't try anything like that again."

Lisa wondered if the doctor some how knew why Tom had tried to get down the stairs. She felt now that she should have known that Tom would have recognized Brad's voice when he came into the house and that it would upset him. Why did she invite him in? Did she subconsciously want to hurt Tom? No. That couldn't be it. She loved Tom. It had to be a simple case of poor judgment.

When Lisa went back into Tom's room, she went over to the bed to try and talk to him but he was the first to speak.

"You can go home now, I'm fine. You don't have to bother coming to see me tomorrow or Monday," Tom said.

"I don't mind coming," she said, feeling hurt that he would suggest otherwise.

"I would prefer that you didn't come," Tom said and then turned to face away from Lisa.

Lisa felt the tears burning in her eyes as she turned to leave the room.

Sunday June 8, 2003

10:00 AM

Lisa sat at the kitchen counter drinking her third cup off coffee. She had spent the night alternating between crying about her crumbling marriage and getting angry at the way Tom was treating her. Part of the time she blamed herself for what happened and then she would think of the pictures of Tom and that woman and she would blame Tom. What angered her the most was that Tom didn't seem to accept any responsibility for their problems.

Lisa wanted to go to the hospital to see how Tom was doing but she knew it would just make him angry and she didn't feel like she could handle him sending her away. "If he doesn't want me there, the hell with him. I don't need this pain in my life," Lisa said to herself.

Hello Mr. Boyer, how are you feeling this morning?" Dr. Jasper asked as he came into Tom's room.

"Not too bad. My chest hurts a little but I feel okay."

Dr. Jasper checked Tom's chart and then he removed the small bandage on Tom's chest and examined the tiny incision.

"Everything looks good."

"When can I get out of here?" Tom asked.

"I'll come by in the morning and if everything still looks good I think we can send you home tomorrow. Would you like me to notify your wife?"

"I'll take care of that. Thanks," Tom said.

After Dr. Jasper left Tom called Don DeLucia at NTD. Don, who was on Tom's sales team, answered his phone on the second ring.

"NTD, Don DeLucia speaking how can I help you?"

"Don, this is Tom. I need you to do me a favor."

"Tom, good to hear from you. What do you need?"

Tom explained his situation to Don and asked him to pick him up at the hospital Monday morning.

"I'll be there. Tom, I'm really sorry about you and Lisa. I hope the two of you can work things out," Don said.

"Thanks, Don. I'll see you tomorrow."

Monday June 9, 2003

8:00 AM

Lisa was in her office trying to concentrate on work when Brad stuck his head in the door.

"How did things go after I left on Saturday?" he asked.

"Terrible. We had a big fight and then Tom started coughing up blood. They had to take him to the emergency room. Apparently when he fell down the stairs he somehow re-injured his lung. He is still in the hospital."

"How long will he be there?"

"I don't know. On Saturday the doctor told him he would be released either today or tomorrow," Lisa said.

"If he was getting out today, someone would have called you by now. So it looks like it will be tomorrow," Brad guessed.

"I wanted to apologize for the way Tom acted Saturday," Lisa said. "He was way out of line."

Even as the words were coming out of her mouth she wondered why she said it. Was she just trying to be polite or was it just her anger directed at Tom.

"Don't apologize for Tom. His behavior was understandable. If the situation were reversed, I would be plenty pissed at him. I was more concerned about the way he was treating you. He seemed to be blaming you for everything. This is, after all, his fault."

It struck Lisa odd to hear Brad put the blame on Tom.

"Well, we are all partly to blame. Tom started it but you and I should not have gone as far as we did. That was mostly my fault but you, as Tom's friend, should have shown more restraint."

Brad felt his opportunity slipping away and decided that this was the time to say something to press his advantage.

"Lisa, I haven't been completely honest with you. What happen that night in my apartment was more my doing than you know. I was so upset by what Tom had done to you and, mixed with my feelings for you, I was more than just a willing participant that night. I have no guilty feelings about what we did. My only regret was that you stopped me from going all the way."

"Why were you so upset with Tom? You told me at first that you didn't think Tom was messing around. What changed your mind? The pictures?" Lisa said.

"I'm sorry, Lisa, when I told you that I had never seen that woman, I lied. I did see her. The first time was Sunday night, the first night out there. After we finished setting up our booth at the convention center, we all went to the bar that overlooks the lagoon at Treasure Island. I saw her sitting at the bar and later I saw her talking to Tom. Then I saw them together again one other night. Tom didn't see me and I never mentioned it to him. I didn't tell you because I was hoping that it was just a onetime thing and that Tom wouldn't do it again. It's just that, when he still denied everything when you he knew you had the proof, I hated him for what he was doing to you. I'm sorry. I should have told you everything right away and I shouldn't have tried to take advantage of the situation in my apartment."

Lisa sat back and looked at Brad. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Brad had known all along that Tom had cheated on her but he didn't tell her because he hoped that Tom wouldn't do it again? He didn't want to be the one to ruin her marriage? Lisa was totally confused now. Part of her wanted to go confront Tom with this new evidence but the other part of her wasn't sure if she ever wanted to see him again.

"I know this is painful for you to hear and I am sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. If you'd like we could have dinner tonight and talk more about this."

Lisa looked at Brad and forced a smile on her face.

"I don't think that's a good idea right now. I don't think I'd be very good company. I need to think things through and decided what to do next. Let me get through this and maybe in a couple months we can talk about going out to dinner," Lisa said.

"I understand. I'll give you some space so you can deal with Tom."

"Thanks Brad, you're a good friend."

When Brad had left her office, Lisa began to wonder if she was doing the right thing. It might not be such a good idea to let Brad think that she has any interest in him beyond being a friend. She was going to have enough trouble dealing with Tom without getting involved with Brad and Lisa didn't want to lead Brad on.

10:30 AM

Don DeLucia was waiting outside the hospital as an orderly brought Tom out in a wheel chair and he helped him into the car. They drove without speaking to Tom's house. Once inside the house Tom told Don what he needed done.

"I need you to go upstairs and into the front bedroom on the right. Get two suitcases out of the walk in closet, then go into my bedroom and empty my socks and underwear into one of the bags. Then fill the other bag with some of the clothes from my closet. I'll need several pairs of pants and at least a dozen shirts. Grab my sneakers and my dress shoes too. Then in the bathroom you will find my shaving gear and tooth brush on the lift side of the room. Pack that stuff and then bring the bags down here."

Don didn't question the instructions. He just dashed up the stairs and started to work. While Don busied himself upstairs Tom got the phone book out and looked up the number for the local All Suites Hotel. There was an All Suites about two miles from the NTD offices and that is where he planned to go. He would stay there at least until he got the cast off his leg and then start looking for an apartment.

As he was closing the suitcases, Don wondered if Tom was doing the right thing, running away like this. Don didn't like going behind Tom's back but he felt it was necessary. Before carrying the suitcases downstairs, Don took a business card out of his wallet and wrote 'Call Me, ' on the back and then left the card on the bedside table next to the telephone.