Chapter 5

Even though I was closer than they were, I had the driver take them home first. As they exited the limo, Hank said, "Please come in for a few minutes. We'd like to chat with you about Kristy and ... well, things in general." I thanked and tipped the driver, and sent him on his way.

I could call a cab to get home.

"Kevin..." Hank looked so serious. I wanted to make it easier on him, but knew that the best thing to do was to wait him out. "Elizabeth and I are not wealthy. Lizzy inherited the house from her Aunt Beth, who she was named for. I retired from the tech industry owning a patent that made our lives very comfortable, but not rich like the rest of the folks who live here.

"We don't have millions to play with, but if we did, we would sink every cent into Kristy's care. Mary is a stay at home mom. It was our choice, since we could afford it, and we wanted what was best for our grandchildren. That girl has denied herself everything in order to take are of Kristy twenty-four seven.

"We are both quite concerned about your kind offer and wonderful gift. I can promise you that I will never have the kind of funds to just hand you a million dollars and say, 'Here's what we owe you. Thanks for saving our baby girl's life.' If you demand it, we will change our wills and make you the beneficiary of this house. We had hoped to give it to Mary, but we've talked, and if you demand some kind of proof of our willingness to repay you, this is what we have," he spread his arms to indicate their house, "and we will give it to you in our will."

He looked like someone waiting to be told that this whole thing was an elaborate April Fools' joke. It hurt me to think that anyone would have such a shallow opinion of me, and I wanted to deal with that first. "Mr. Clarke ... I'm dying," Elizabeth gasped when I said it that way. I blinked and looked right at her, then went on. "I'm dying, and there isn't a thing in the world that I can do about it.

"Please ... PLEASE ... let me spend a little of my money on someone that isn't dying, and will benefit from what I can do for her. The doctors are all in agreement. There are no miracle operations, or space age drugs for what's killing me, and I'm Ok with that. What I'm not Ok with is dying with a fortune in a bank, doing nobody any good, and it getting cut up and handed out to strangers after they bury me.

"Mr. Clarke. I'm an orphan. I've got, literally, no one to leave anything to. If I spend some money on Kristy, and she gets a little better, then it ... the money ... did some good, didn't it?"

I would have continued but the lights went on inside Elizabeth's head. "You're Kevin! That Kevin! The Kevin who got shot trying to save John Gray!

"He is, Hank. That's the boy who got shot in the head trying to tackle that Muslim who killed the President." She went on and on, lionizing my bravery, sacrifice, and American spirit. I sat stoically. Having that kind of attention is embarrassing, but people are people, are people, the world over. As long as I lived, that would likely keep happening.

Well, at least I knew there wouldn't be any more trying to talk me out of helping Kristy. That was something, at least.

Mary chose that moment to join us. She looked sleek and all put together in a casual blouse, and shorts. She took the seat next to her mother, and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Kristy needed to go down for a rest, after all the excitement, and Joseph needed some attention."

She wasn't apologizing, as much as stating the facts.

Hank jumped in, and said, "Honey, we need you to listen with an open mind for few minutes, and let mother and I tell you some things we learned while you were with the children."

Mary smiled indulgently, and waited.

Elizabeth couldn't ... wait that is...

"Mary, this is Kevin Townsend - THE Kevin Townsend, who was shot by the man who killed President Gray."

Like mother like daughter. I saw the lights go on in Mary's eyes, as she realized the connection. Before anyone had a chance to go back over old ground, Hank interrupted and said, "Honey. I know you remember Kevin being shot, because we were all three right here, in this room, watching the speech that night.

"Kevin tells us that he isn't expected to live very long, and since he's an orphan, he doesn't have anyone to leave his trust to when he dies. This is his choice. He wants to use his trust to help children who WILL get well, because he won't.

"I think you have to understand the person behind the gift, and accept it with grace, and maybe a prayer for a young man who really seems to want Kristy to live a long time, get well, and have a life, someday."

He stopped and left the whole weight of the decision on Mary's shoulders.

She looked deep into my eyes. I think she was trying to find the truth there. Since I had nothing to hide, I let her.