“Whatever happened to calling me Dad, or do you think you’re too old to show some respect?”
Kevin took in his father’s unbuttoned jeans and stained undershirt. He closed his eyes, but he couldn’t recall a time when memories of Max weren’t marred by alcohol or the older man’s self- pity. Couldn’t remember a time when his love for his parent wasn’t diluted by pain.
He faced his father once more. “Respect has to be earned,” Kevin said. So did the name Dad, but Kevin wasn’t up to the argument. His old man would never understand that it took more than the planting of the seed to make a man a father.
Kevin wasn’t sure what to do when it came to raising his own child, but he sure as hell knew what not to do, he thought, glancing at Max.
“Sit down.” His father patted the seat next to him on the couch.
Kevin shook his head. “It’s late. I should be in bed. Hell, you should be in bed.” He glanced at his watch. It was later than he thought. He hadn’t heard from Nikki before the call from Max’s landlord and he wouldn’t know till he got home if she’d checked in and was okay.
He shot a disgusted glance at his father. The emergency call that brought him here had distracted him from what was really important. Or at least more immediate. Max was important; he was just a lost cause.
“I promised your landlord you’d clean up the mess in the hall. What the hell were you thinking, smashing bottles against the wall? You woke the neighbors and...”
“I didn’t wake the damn neighbors, that was their mutt who wouldn’t shut his mouth.”
“So you figured you’d shut it for him? Ever think of picking up the phone and asking nicely?”
His father shook his head. “They don’t give me any respect either,” he muttered. “Damn young people think they’re better than me.”
Kevin rolled his eyes. For as long as he could remember, everyone thought he was better than Max Manning. “You look in the mirror lately?” He shook his head. “Never mind. You still have the janitor job in that office building downtown?”
“I’m on vacation.”
“I want you to listen good. You go grovel and make sure you still have that job. I paid your rent last week. It’s good through next month. After that I expect you to make the next payment on your own.”
Max rose from the couch, unsteady on his feet “You ungrateful... think you would have made it through the academy if it wasn’t for me and your mother?”
“Save the history, Max. You’ve got it wrong anyway.” He’d give credit to his mother for anything decent he’d made of his life, but it was no thanks to his father. Another argument he refused to have.
Max took two lunging steps forward and stopped. In the old days, Kevin knew he’d have taken a swing. But no longer. Not since the day a teenage Kevin had come home to find Max beating his mother. He’d taken his father out with one punch and the old man hadn’t touched him since. He never touched his wife again either, at least not to Kevin’s knowledge.
Ignoring him, Kevin headed for the kitchen and came up with a large green garbage bag. “Let’s go clean up. I’ll help.”
His father
grumbled loud and clear. Amazing, considering he’d thrown the tantrum that led to the mess. But working together, they got the hall cleared. The landlord would pocket most of Kevin’s cash and maybe clean the carpet with the rest. For the sake of the other tenants, that’s what Kevin hoped he’d do.
He led Max back inside. “Are you going to eat something?” Kevin asked.
“When I wake up. I need sleep.”
“That makes two of us,” Kevin muttered. “Remember what I said. Make sure you’re gainfully employed. You do that and I’ll help you out with the rent if you need it. But not if you’re out of work or the money’s going for booze.”
They’d had the same discussion before. Inevitably Kevin ended up bailing Max out of a jam, as he had tonight. But there wouldn’t be a next time. There couldn’t be. Kevin was tired of the routine and he wasn’t helping his father by aiding in his addiction. Silence followed and Kevin wondered if he’d made his point. He turned back to check on Max only to find he’d passed out on the couch. Shaking his head, Kevin headed for the door.
Half an hour later, he entered his dark house and hit the play button on the red-flickering answering machine. Within seconds, he was back in his car and headed toward the hospital emergency room.
* * *
Black hair fanned against white sheets. Nikki’s skin didn’t hold much more color than the linen. Kevin watched through a narrow pane of glass as a nurse took Nikki’s blood pressure and adjusted a belt over her abdomen. Although he told himself she was stronger than she looked, he couldn’t shake the nagging fear in his gut He tore himself away from the view and headed back to Janine in the waiting room.
Distance didn’t help. His palms were sweating and his mouth felt like he’d been chewing on cotton. Kevin hadn’t been this nervous since... hell, he’d never been this wound up. He ignored Janine sitting on the plastic hospital couch and paced the floor in the antiseptic waiting room.
According to Janine, Nikki had doubled over at work and the hospital had called her... when they were unable to reach Kevin at home first.
He wanted to slam his hand into the wall but refrained. It wouldn’t do a damn bit of good anyhow. Sorting through his tangled feelings wasn’t easy, but Kevin knew some things right off. Nikki had trusted him enough to call for him first. He should have been there when she needed him, and absent from that he should have been home to get her call. Instead he was catering to his drunken father yet again, and letting Nikki down again all in the span of one night’s time.