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Part 67
Jack Gage looked up from his anxious pacing as the door to his son's room opened. "Roy, did you . . . Thank god," Jack let out a sigh of relief as Roy steered Johnny into the room, "John Roderick Gage, where the hell have you been? Your brother and I were worried sick about you."
"Sorry, dad," John grinned sheepishly, "I made a new friend and we went up to the cafeteria for some real food."
"New friend?" Jack couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, "Blonde or brunette?"
"Not that kind of friend." Johnny shook his head, "His name is CB. He's Craig Brice's twin brother, although you'd never know it from the way he acts. He's as different from Craig as . .. Well," the grin returned to his face, "as Roy is from me."
"I don't know," Roy frowned slightly, "There's something strange about this whole thing. When did Brice get a twin brother? And why didn't we hear about it before this?"
"Oh, come on, Roy," Johnny rolled his eyes as he ran his hand along the edge of his bed, "you know how Brice is, he never talks about anything personal. He thinks that it gets in the way of being a perfect paramedic. Besides, CB seems like an all right kinda guy. He's not all stuck up like his brother."
Easing himself onto the bed, John turned his face in his father's direction, "So, why were you looking for me?"
"Have you forgotten about the results of the paternity test?" Jack asked, trying to keep the tension from his voice, "We were supposed to be on our way to get them when you had your latest accident."
"God, I can't believe I forgot about that." Johnny grinned wryly, "I guess I want the results to be positive so badly that I just blocked out the possibility that they weren't."
"Then it's about time we found out." Jack patted his son's arm lightly, "What do you say we go find out?"
"I say lead the way." John climbed back out the bed, "Roy, you coming?"
"Huh?" Roy looked up, startled from his silent musings, "Yeah, right, let's go."
"Wait a sec, partner," Johnny reached out for Roy, "What's wrong?"
"Who said anything was wrong?" Roy asked lightly.
"I know that tone of voice," Johnny stood his ground, "That's your 'I'm worried, but I'm keeping it to myself' voice. Roy, don't you want to know the results?"
"What? God, no, that's not it, Johnny." Roy assured him quickly, "I was thinking about Brice's supposed twin brother. I can't help feeling there's more to this CB then meets the eye."
*****
CB struggled with Mitzi as she tried to fight her way from his grip, silently cursing the fact that his crippled legs where the one aspect of Craig's sorry personality that he couldn't shed.
"LET GO OF ME!" Mitzi screamed as she twisted beneath him, "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! I'LL GET ALL OF YOU OR THIS!!!"
"Dixie," CB called out, "go get some help. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold her."
Ripping the IV out of her hand, Dixie slipped out the bed and hurried to the door, "HELP! I need some help in here."
"Dixie, what is it?" Betty stopped in the hallway, her mouth dropping open in shock as she took in the skeptical in Dixie's room, "What in heaven's name is going on in here?"
"Betty, get some orderlies, quick." Dixie tried to push Betty out of the room, "My sister's trying to kill me. Craig Brice barely showed up in time to stop her."
"I always told you that sister of yours was no good." Betty shook her head sadly as she stepped past Dixie back into the room. Picking up a bedpan, Betty brought it crashing down on the back of Mitzi's head and watched with satisfaction as Mitzi slumped, unconscious, across CB. "Hmph! That ought to teach her."
*****
jiggle
jiggle, jiggle, jiggle
tap
tap, tap
"Come on, Marco." Sharon pursed her lips and scowled at the bathroom door, "You've got to come out of there sooner or later."
"No I don't!" Marco called through the door before resuming his prayers.
"I promise to make it worth your while," Sharon purred seductively.
"Get away from me, you wicked hellspawn." Marco voice rose hysterically, "I would've never betrayed Mike like that unless you did something to me. Something evil. And I'm not going to let you do it again. Now be gone with you!"
Sharon waiting a moment more, listening for some sound coming from the bathroom that might indicate that Marco was coming out. When none came, she made her way to the phone and dialed quickly, "Mother, I did what you said, but it didn't work. Marco's locked himself in the bathroom and he won't come out. B-but . . . but . . . Mother, please, Marco's a good man, I don't want to lie to him like this. Can't we just . . . Yes, of course I love you, mother, it's just . . . I'm sorry . . ." Sharon burst into tears, "Please don't say that mother. Please. I just want to go home to Mikey. Please, mother, he's your grandson, how can you say that? Don't you care at all whether he . . . NO! Mother, please don't. Mother? Mother? Oh god, please don't hang up on me." Sharon slid slowly to the floor, sobbing as though her heart were breaking.
*****
Dr. Kent Donaldson Jr. looked up from the chart in front of him as a familiar figure approached him. "Alex, thank god, did you find anything?"
"Is there some place private we can talk?" Alex quickly scanned the hallway, "I just got confirmation on that lead I was telling you about."
"Did you find her?"
"No," Alex admitted angrily, "but I found out that you're not the first man Andrea has done this to. In 1961 she accused the captain of her high school football team of rape when he spurned her advances."
"Oh god, I don't whether to be relieved or frightened." Kent bent his head and took a deep breath.
Alex waited, fuming quietly, until Kent looked up again, "After what I learned she did to that boy, you better be afraid. Very, very afraid."
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