Epilogue (part 2)

"Oh, he just walked in, Pat. Hold on." Julia said as John strode into the office. He nodded at his secretary and told her that he would take it in his office. Closing the door behind me he sank into his desk chair and grinned as he picked up the phone.

"Hi, Patty. Glad I didn't miss your call."

"Hi, Johnny. Got your message to call you at your office. What's up? Everything okay I hope." Patty said.

"Oh, sure. Everything is hunky dory, Pat. Couldn't be better. The sun's shining and the birdies are singing. It's a great day," John laughed.

He could hear Pat returning his laughter. "Well, aren't we in a good mood this morning. So this call is just a friendly 'how are things' kind of thing? You're not asking me to run off with you to Vegas or Reno or anything like that?" she teased.

John laughed again. "Noooo, sorry to disappoint you, kiddo. But I do have a question. Are you free tonight and if you are how about meeting at Sammy's for a burger and beer. I think my waistline can take one of his monsters."

"Sounds good, Johnny. I'm on days for a while so the timing is good. Meet you there around 7? Is that okay?"

"Sounds great, Patty. See you there then." John hung up the phone and smiled to himself as he leaned back in his chair. He had given up agonizing about how he felt about Pat O'Hara. He liked her, he liked being with her and he was just not going to worry about what the future held in store. How did the kids put it these days? Oh, yes: 'Go with the flow.' That's what he was going to do, he would 'go with the flow.'

"John, if I eat another bite I'll explode. I just don't know how you can eat that whole burger - it's big enough to feed an army," Patty laughed as she looked at her dining partner finishing the last bit of one of Sammy's monster burgers.

"Glumph, crumps, ooops. Jeez, Patty, let me swallow. Oh, boy. That was great, That, without any doubt, is the best burger in the city. That guy should be cooking at the Ritz," John laughed.

"I just don't know where you put it, Johnny. You eat like a horse and yet you don't gain any weight. I know a few women who would kill to know your secret," Pat said.

"It's no secret, sweetie. I do a lot of walking and jogging. I've been doing that for awhile now and it's gotten to be habit. It helps mentally and it's good physically. You can tell those women to get up off their duff and become active. Look at you, Pat. You're trim. Your friends could take lessons from you," John replied.

They were both startled as a huge brute of a man approached their booth and snarled, "Well, lookie at the love birds. Ain't this just cute. You fuckin' slut, so this is why you told me to take a hike, for this asshole? He pokin' you yet, slut?"

The suddenness of the guys appearance rendered John mute for a couple of moments and Pat answered before he had time to gather his wits.

"Frank, back off. I told you before, you're not welcome where I happen to be. Turn around and leave, I'm not going to tell you again," Pat snapped at him.

Godzilla started to move closer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking around he saw Sammy standing there with a baseball bat in his hands. Now Sammy even without the bat looked formidable. He stood well over 6 feet and little of it was fat.

"Get out. Get out now or I'll cave your goddamn skull in, asswipe. I told you before, stay out of my place. The next time I have to tell you that they're gonna come get you with an meat wagon. Now's your last chance. Get out," Sammy growled.

The brute stood there for a moment, gnashing his teeth. Then with a muttered curse he turned and walked away and out of the door. Sammy turned to the couple in the booth. "Sorry about that, guys. He got past me before I knew it."

"Don't worry, Sammy. Thanks for the help. It's seems that Frank just can't take no for an answer. I really think that I'll eventually have to take him in. He's probably going to continue to cause me problems," sighed Pat. She then turned to John and apologized again. "Sorry, John. Frank's a long story. I thought he was a friend, obviously not..."

John interrupted her. "Don't apologize, Pat. I fully understand, but I agree with you. This guys unbalanced and he shouldn't be underestimated. I'm more than a little worried. I think that you're in danger, Patty."

"He's right, Pat," interjected Sammy who was still standing by the booth. "That creep's gonna be a problem. Somebody's got to do somethin'."

Patty laughed softly. "My two knights in shining armor. Jeepers, guys. Don't worry so much. I know Frank. He's more bark than bite. I can take care of him. Please. I mean it, don't worry, really. I can take care of myself."

Esther Watson parked her car in the driveway and looked at the old, rambling, one story farmhouse that had been in Dr. Ben Forbes family for generations. The shake siding had aged and had acquired an attractive silvery patina. A long front porch graced the outside of the building and she saw a bald, short, rather portly older man standing by the front door waving to her. She quickly exited the car and made her way to the house.

"Esther, Esther, it's so nice to see you again. I can't tell you how happy I am that you called. To tell the truth, I wasn't sure that you would," Ben Forbes rumbled in his deep bass as he extended a hand in welcome.

Esther shook his hand and smiled. She liked Ben, he always went out of his way to make her feel welcome and comfortable, but then again, he did that with all he came into contact.

"Ben, I'm happy to see you too and I wish that this was just a social call. Bill Sagan was most insistent that I see you, it was difficult to say no to him. But I'm confused, Ben. I really do not understand why I'm here," Esther said.

"Come in, come in and let's make you comfortable first, Esther. After I get you a nice, cool drink we'll sit down and chat. That's all this is, Esther. Just a nice chat between friends," Ben said as he ushered her into the large living room.

The room was flooded with light and the furniture looked old, but well maintained and very comfortable. Ben seated Esther in a chair by the fireplace and then bustled to the kitchen and returned quickly with two tall glasses of iced tea. He handed on to her and placed a coaster on the pine table by her elbow.

Seating himself opposite her in a chair Ben took a long swallow and kept his glass between his palms. He looked at Esther affectionately. "Esther, I want you to keep an open mind about what I'm about to say. I know that you're an intelligent woman and I really think that this little chat could be very productive and very helpful to you."

Ben paused and smiled ruefully at Esther's cautious but puzzled expression. Mixed in with that puzzlement he could sense more than a bit of annoyance.

"Ben, I admit my intelligence, I'm not stupid. This is all about my marriage and why it failed. I don't need you telling me about that. I certainly know why it failed and now I'm annoyed at myself for confiding in Bill. He really shouldn't have called you about it and I'm more than a bit angry that he did."

"Yes, yes you are, but you must understand that the only reason he did call is because he cares for you as a dear friend and he had a theory about the failure of your marriage about which he needed to consult with me. I am full agreement with him for I have, many times, come into contact with patients in similar circumstances. Oh, oh, not exactly like yours, but the general outline is similar, and..."

Esther interrupted, "Ben, there's nothing complex about why my marriage failed. I was unfaithful. Oh, I may not have had intercourse, but I was unfaithful none the less. What happened never should have occurred and the fault was entirely mine. Period, end of story."

Ben waited for her outburst to end and then took another swallow of his tea. "Esther, I want you to do me a favor. You're here now so it should be a bit easier. I want you to relay to me all of the events leading to your divorce. I want you to start at the beginning until the final confrontation with your husband. I want you to start at the very beginning of your relationship with John."

Ben could see Esther struggling with his request. He knew that she didn't want to relive those events. Ben leaned forward and murmured, "Esther, please. I do have a good reason for my request."

Esther sighed wearily and with a sense of resignation sank back in her chair. Her eyes misted over and she began, starting with that eventful New Year's Eve Party. Her face was expressionless and her eyes dulled. She went through the significant events in her marriage almost by rote and showed little emotion relating the hotel lounge incident which put an end to her marriage. Esther had kept her composure during the telling of her story, but when she finished describing the final conversation she had had with her now ex-husband, she broke down and wept. Ben quickly rose and fetched a box of tissues which he offered. Snatching up a handful Esther composed herself, wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

She finally managed a weak smile, "Well, Ben. Now you know everything. What do you think, perhaps you can tell me that Jim Moriarty hypnotized me, that it really wasn't my fault?"

Ben returned her smile and waved his hand dismissively. "No, Esther, I'm not going to tell you that, but what I will tell you is that, to a degree, it was your fault, but only to a degree. Please, let me explain. Bill suspected it and I now fully concur. You know, Esther, that my specialty has been alcoholism. Now don't make faces, I'm not going to say that you're an alcoholic. We both know that you're not. But, if you think about it you will realize that your tolerance for anything alcoholic is uniquely low. Much lower than normal.

"Oh, don't misunderstand. This is not really a clinical syndrome. It's also not all that uncommon. What is a bit uncommon is your particular reaction to alcohol. Let me review some information for you."

Ben wiggled in his seat, making himself more comfortable before resuming. "In the average person a few drinks, say two or three, result in mild euphoria, feelings of warmth, emotions and behavior become exaggerated, etc, etc.

"Five or six drinks, and recognize that the number of drinks I mention is just used as examples, result in impaired motor skills, balance is affected, sight and hearing are reduced, judgement is impaired such as the ability to evaluate or respond to sexual situations."

Esther's eyes narrowed and Ben could see that she knew where he was going with this "lecture." "Wait, Esther," Ben continued. "Wait until I finish. Let's see, oh, okay. In your case, Esther, your reaction to alcohol is extreme. Symptoms are magnified perhaps tenfold. Intensification of existing mood shoots off the scale. Let's look at that last incident in the hotel lounge. You were extremely euphoric to begin with. You had just tied up a huge deal and you were bubbling over. I suspect that was the mood that allowed you to forget or minimize your caution with alcohol. You thought that a glass or two of wine wouldn't hurt. What that glass or two of wine did was let you act as if you had five or six or seven drinks. Don't forget, that was just the beginning. Those couple of glasses of wine impaired your judgement so that you continued to drink.

"The euphoria intensified dramatically, your inhibitions were almost totally repressed, and you were with a man that you had always found sexually attractive. Now, now, just think about what I'm telling you. Normally you could laugh at how you viewed him for you knew that you would never betray your husband. Unfortunately, you found yourself in a situation where your excitement and happiness about the success of your mission caused your natural caution to slip. There is where your fault lies, allowing yourself to slip. The rest became almost inevitable. Once you started to drink, you became someone else." Ben paused and gazed at Esther, noting the thoughtful look on her face.

Esther finally looked up and smiled. "Pretty good, Ben. Now this is supposed to make me feel better? Now I can say, "hey, wasn't my fault, it's the booze that made me do it."

Esther shook her head. "I can't buy it, Ben. I acknowledge that what you're saying may all be true, but it doesn't excuse my behavior. I should have been more cautious, I should never have had more than a few sips of wine. I should have never had even one glass, let alone two. I knew Jim Moriarty, I knew what he was like. I should never have let my guard down."

Esther paused and smiled ruefully. "Good try, Ben. I'm sure that you're correct in your analysis, but it doesn't help me. Those last few months were not pleasant in my house. John and I were constantly sniping at each other. The mood was lousy and I was angry with him when I left." She laughed a bit then, a soft, bitter laugh.

"I even took along that damned red underwear set. I thought that I'd show him. I won't wear it for him, but I would wear it for myself. I would wear it to make myself feel good, feel desirable. Boy, did that backfire. It just made the whole situation that much more intolerable. Maybe, if I wasn't so angry, I wouldn't have been so careless. Who knows."

"Good point, Esther. Your irritation with John was just another factor that led to what happened. Think about that," Ben shot back.

Esther just shook her head. "Anyway, that's all water under the bridge."

She stood, reached out and patted Ben on the arm. "Thanks, Ben. I do appreciate your intent. You're a good friend, but I'm now going to head home and try to get in an hour on the treadmill. Now that does make me feel better," she laughed.

Ben rose with her and taking her arm escorted her to her car. Pausing while she settled herself behind the wheel, Ben left her with these words. "Esther, it's obvious that I haven't done a very good job. You're not Wonder Woman and you have to break out of that cocoon of self loathing. It's time to face reality. You're a terrific lady and you have a lot to offer. Don't shut yourself away."

Esther smiled with her lips but didn't reply. She put the car in gear and slowly drove off, but she did see Ben standing in the driveway looking after her.

The next day at the office found Esther distracted and unable to fully concentrate on what she was doing. The conversation on Sunday with Dr. Forbes still rankled and she was irritated that she had allowed herself to entertain some hope - some hope that Ben could wave a magic wand that would dissolve some of the massive sense of guilt that was her constant companion.

She was also irritated with Bill Sagan. She had unburdened herself to him one evening in a moment of weakness and she felt that he had betrayed her. Oh, she knew that he meant no harm, but the old adage, 'the way to hell is paved with good intentions' felt very apt right now and she wanted to let him know of her irritation and extract from him a promise not to meddle.

The ringing of her phone startled her and she was abrupt with her greeting.

"Esther Watson, who is this?"

"Hi, Esther. This is Carol Berg, do you have a minute?"

"Oh, hi Carol." Esther recognized the voice as being that of Dr. Carol Berg, M.D. She had just completed her annual physical a few days ago and which this time included the dreaded colonoscopy upon which Dr. Berg had insisted.

"Esther, I need you to come in to see me today, this morning if possible."

There was a pause. Esther felt more than a twinge of anxiety. "Okay, Carol. I'll come in, but I want you to tell me why. Now, Carol. Now, on the phone."

Dr. Berg didn't reply for a moment. She absolutely hated this. "The results of the biopsy of that polyp that was removed from your colon just came in. It's malignant, Esther. You need surgery and the sooner the better."

A few days before Esther received the news that shattered her life, her ex-husband sat quietly in his office in conversation with Irene Holmes.

"No, Renee. I've really given this a lot of thought, and while I truly like Patty and feel some real affection for her, it's not love and it wouldn't be fair to her to pretend that it is."

Irene had a small smile on her face as she asked softly, "Why is that, John? Is it because you won't allow yourself to feel any kind of deep emotion? Or is perhaps it's because you still feel something for Esther?"

She steeled herself, waiting for his angry retort, but John just sat there with a pensive look on his face. He turned and gazed out the window, but his eyes didn't focus on the view. His thoughts had turned inward. He shrugged and turned back to his friend.

"Whatever the reason, I'm not going to kid myself and I certainly don't want to cause Patty any possible pain. We're friends and I'm pretty sure that she views it that way also. I'm seeing her tonight at Sammy's. I think that it's time for us to come to an understanding about our relationship."

Irene had a small frown on her face as she said, "Well, I hope that it goes just the way you think, John. Perhaps Woody and I could meet her one day soon. From your descriptions she sounds like a terrific woman."

John grinned and told her that would happen soon. He then laughed, "Renee, I know you. You're just dying to see Patty, your curiosity is driving you nuts."

Irene just grinned in return. She had to admit that John may be more than half right in his assessment.

That evening John Watson had rounded the corner on his way to Sammy's Place when he noticed that there was no light coming from the alley behind the saloon. Sammy had a small spotlight over the back door and since dusk was falling, the light should have been on. John reminded himself to let Sammy know that he probably should replace the bulb.

As he proceeded toward the front entrance he was grabbed and thrown into the alley with a force that took his breath away. Straightening, he found himself looking up at Frank, the brute who had accosted Patty in the saloon not long before. He immediately recognized that extracting himself from this situation was not going to be easy, especially when he noted the six inch blade that the brute brandished.

"Hiya, teach. We're gonna have a little fun, you and me. Know what? I'm gonna filet you, just like a fuckin' fish. I'm gonna gut you from collar to crotch, or maybe from crotch to collar. You gotta preference, teach?" He then giggled and made a feint toward John who danced out of his way.

"Not bad, teach. You move pretty good, but that ain't gonna help you. No way out here, teach. Take a look around you, this is where you gonna croak," and he giggled again.

John knew that he was in trouble. He also knew that while he was pretty good with his fists, this was a whole new ballgame. He was pretty sure that he couldn't take this gorilla on one to one and with the knife he really couldn't see a way out.

"PUT IT DOWN, FRANK. NOW." Again the voice was loud, authoritative and female. John saw Patty standing there with her gun out, pointing at Frank's back. Godzilla turned slowly and leered at her.

"Hey, Pattycakes. I'm just doin' you a favor. After I get rid of this creep we can go to your place and get down and dirty," and John felt a chill run down his spine as he heard him giggle again.

"Frank, I'm not going to tell you again. Put the knife down, put it down NOW," commanded Pat.

Frank suddenly made a move toward her with the knife. She was standing about 8 feet from him and she easily stepped back and shot him in the shoulder. She blinked in surprise as she saw him still coming for her. John then threw himself at his back and was again shocked as Frank just shrugged him off and continued toward Patty.

Patty, taking another step back, shot him again in the other shoulder and when he still kept coming at her, she, without any hesitation, emptied the gun into his chest. Frank finally stopped, sighed and sank to the ground.