Chapter Three
Shannon opened her address book and found the number, dialing it with shaking hands.
“I’ve got it darling, finish up dinner will you?” Victoria Mallard picked up the phone, wondering who could be calling on the holiday evening. Donald had promised that he wouldn’t have to work tonight, but if he got a call from the hospital, he’d have to go. “Happy New Year, Mallard Residence.”
Shannon sniffled when she heard the British lady. She loved the lady’s voice. “Mrs. Victoria, it’s Shannon Kendall. I done something awful and I could use you and Dr. Donald’s help.”
It took just a moment for Victoria to place the young girl’s voice. She had given the young waitress her phone number, just in case she ever needed help, but never expected her to use it. “Darling, what happened? I thought your boyfriend was going to be home and that you and he were going to be spending the New Year together. Did he do something to hurt you?”
“Not exactly, Mrs. Victoria. I got myself in some trouble and someone is hurt and going to the hospital.” Of course the woman wouldn’t want to help. Who would? She was just a stupid high school dropout hick from West Virginia. “Was silly of me callin’ you like this on a holiday. Sorry, Mrs. Victoria. You come in next week and I’ll make you an apple caramel crumble pie special.”
"Are you hurt? What hospital are you going to? Your Jethro, he didn't hurt you, did he Dear?" Victoria was making motions at her son to stop what he was doing. She could drive over herself, but if Shannon was hurt, she wanted her son to be there to make sure that she was ok. "Donald and I will meet you there. If it's your boyfriend, you will come home with us tonight until he's gone. I won't see you hurt anymore, Darling."
“No, Ma’am. I hurt someone. My boy’s…boy. He was hurt in the bombings and I…” She started sniffling. “They hurt me and I hurt them and now it’s a big ole mess and I…”
She thrust the phone toward the woman and buried her head in her hands, sobbing.
“Hello?” Emily said into the telephone.
“What just happened to Shannon? Is she hurt? I told her that my son and I would meet her at the hospital, and it seemed to upset her.” Victoria wasn’t sure what was going on, but her young friend seemed to be honestly distressed. “She’s a good girl, but easily upset at times. I had hoped that her boyfriend coming home would help her emotions.”
“She’s young,” Emily allowed. “Shannon got some very upsetting news from Jethro this evening and she’s taken it very badly. Much as I’d like to support her, my son is injured and I think she could use the support of someone who she knows and who isn’t so distracted by circumstances. She really shouldn’t be alone. Would you be willing to sit with her for a short time?”
"Of course I will. Are you on your way to the hospital? Tell me where, and Donald and I will be there to take care of Shannon. You're quite sure she's not injured?"
“Only her spirit. I’ll look after her until you arrive.” Emily had Shannon give the name of the hospital and stood nearby as she hung up. “Would you like to go back to your home and get changed, my dear? You look very cold in that beautiful dress.”
Shannon nodded. “That would be nice. Mrs. Cora helped me learn to knit some sweaters. I have some and dungarees at home.”
"Then we'll run you home. You'll have to tell me where you live; I'm not familiar with the area. Just came in to find MacKai, then I assumed we were going home. I guess we'll be staying a little longer."
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Emily. I’m so sorry.” Shannon sat quietly, giving the woman directions. When they got to the apartment, she turned to the woman. “Will you come up with me? I can get some of Jethro’s stuff for your boy.”
"I think that's a great idea. Mac isn't going to want to stay in a hospital gown for long, so sweats and a t-shirt if you have one of Jethro's around. It will be too big, but it will still make him feel better." Emily followed Shannon up into her apartment and was impressed with how well kept it was. It wasn't the most extravagant place in the world, but it was still homey. She was sure that had more to do with the girl with her than Jethro. "You have a lovely apartment, Shannon. I never would have guessed, knowing Jethro that he'd live someplace so cute."
“Jethro doesn’t live here, Mrs. Emily. I live here all alone.” Shannon automatically put on some water for tea for the lady. “I have to put my roast in the trash. I cooked for the boys. And then I burned the milk for Mac’s hot chocolate.”
“When the water boils, Mrs. Emily, we can take you some tea along. My Mama wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t offer tea.”
“You go get ready, I’ll deal with the water and let me look at the roast. It may not be so bad off. May be able to salvage some of it at least.” Emily had assumed that Jethro had lived here, to help take care of the girl. She was going to give that young man a talking to. “I’ll make us both a tea, and if you have some to-go mugs, we’ll take it with us to the hospital. It’s going to be a long night I fear.”
“Up in the cupboard, Mrs. Emily. I got two thermoses.”
She ducked into the bedroom and pulled on jeans and a sweater and pulled her hair into a ponytail. The uncomfortable shoes were replaced with sneakers. When she was done, she took an overnight bag and put two of Jethro’s shirts in, some boxer shorts, a pair of sweatpants, and slippers he never used.
When she came out, Emily was looking at the cross stitch hanging on the wall. “My Ma made that when I was born. Shannon Marie Kendall. December 17, 1967. I was a small baby.” She stared hard at the letters. “I can read my name but not the December, but I know it of course. What kind of tea do you like, Mrs. Emily?”
“It’s beautiful Shannon, and if you give us a chance you’ll be able to read December, alabaster and any word you want to. You’ll see, Darling, the whole world is out there waiting for you to conquer it, and you just need a little assistance getting to where you can.” Whatever it took, even if it meant selling her home and coming to where this young woman was comfortable, although that may be the only option with Mac being as sick as he was, she would do. “I’m not picky, whatever it is you have is fine.”
Shannon’s lower lip trembled. “Why are you bein’ so nice when I hurt your son, Mrs. Emily?” The first thing she did when she got into the bedroom was to wash the blood from under her fingers. “I’m so bad. I’m sorry. How do I make it better?”
"I know you didn't mean to hurt Mac, but you were angry and scared. If I can make you less scared, then we're taking a step in the right direction. I have a lot of love to give, and only one son to spoil with it, so having someone to help is a wonderful thing for me. I know I'm not your mom, but I would like to be someone that you can turn to when you need help." So far, Emily hadn't seen anything inherently bad about Shannon, just a scared little girl. "You're going to have to talk to Mac, try to at least form a truce. Not tonight, but when he's feeling better. You two can't fight over Jethro, he's important to you both and you are both important to him. He shouldn't have to choose."
“When I get scared, Jethro hugs me. I miss that,” Shannon admitted. “I gotta make it up to Mac but I don’t know how. I don’t wanna fight. I just don’t wanna be all alone in the world. I’m scared, Mrs. Emily.”
“You have a family with us now Shannon, you won’t be alone. And I think I can find some appropriate young people for you to meet and hang out with. You’ll see, things will be different for you. You’ve got a lot more people then just Jethro to take care of you now.”
“Why do you wanna do this when I hurt your boy, Mrs. Emily? How good do you know Jethro? How come you wanna take care of him and me, Mrs. Emily? I don’t understand.”
“I just met Jethro, but he’s with Mac. That makes him family. You are his family, so that makes you my family as well. But as my family, I have to ask you to not ever attack Mac again. I know that you feel he stole your boy, but Jethro is an adult who made a decision. I want to help you, but you have to know that if you ever do what you did tonight again, I won’t be able to do anything more for you, Shannon. You are a good girl, but I have to put my son’s well being first and foremost.”
“I won’t hurt your boy no more, Mrs. Emily. I promise.” She solemnly crossed her fingers over her chest in a cross my heart motion. “I shouldn’t have hurt him. I was terrible.”
“I won’t argue with you there, but you’re going to turn over a new leaf. You’ll apologize to MacKai, and try to make peace with him. I know it won’t be easy, but you’re going to have to try all the same. I’ll speak to him as well; see if I can’t talk to him once things settle down for him. My son is stubborn, but he’ll understand given time.”
“What will he understand? Why I did what I did? Or why I’m dumb?” She desperately wanted to ask for a hug but didn’t know how. She’d been away from her ma for too many years to really remember what it was like to have a woman in her life.
“You’re not dumb, and I don’t want to hear you say that again. Young woman, you have a chance to turn everything around. But by continuing to put yourself down, you won’t ever move past what you are.” If they were ever going to turn this girl’s life around, Emily knew she was going to have to insist that she stop putting herself down. “From here on out, you’re just as smart as Jethro or Mac or even Keith. You might have more to learn, but nothing is going to stop you.”
Shannon couldn’t help crying. “Nobody ever believed in me like that, Mrs. Em. Nobody, not even Jethro, made me feel this worthwhile. I would love another mama. Jethro’s mama wasn’t even this nice to me.”
"I would love to be that for you, Shannon. I would never assume to take the place of your mother, but I'd be happy if you could think of me as someone your mother would approve of to help take care of you. You're still such a young girl, you should be in school and going to football games and parties on Friday nights, not working all the time to barely make ends meet. If you allow us to help, you can be that girl again. Even if you want to work you can still do that. But you need to enjoy this time, because adulthood will happen sooner then any of us would like."
Shannon looked at the older woman and stretched a hand out. “Doesn’t a mama hug her little girl? It’s been a long time since mine’s been gone, but I remember that.”
"Come here, Sweetheart." Emily opened her arms for the young girl, wrapping her up tight. "You never have to ask in our house, any one of us would always be happy to give you a hug."
Shannon rested her head on the woman’s shoulder. “Wanted a mom since I lost mine and mine wasn’t anything like you. She wasn’t kind and sweet like you and supportive like you.”
"Not all mothers are the same. Just because she wasn't sweet doesn't mean she didn't love you Shannon, just that she didn't always know how to show it." Her heart was breaking for the younger woman, but at least now, she knew that Shannon would be well taken care of. "And you'll find I'm not always this nice. I'll ground you if I have to. Just try to make sure I don't have to."
“She loved me, I know. But she didn’t want me to be better. She wanted me to be just like her, with a husband who worked in the mines and only a little education. You see things in me that nobody ever did before Mrs. Emily. Mama. What is grounding?” She’d never heard the term before.
“You’ve never been grounded before? Well, at least I don’t have to worry about you acting out I guess. If you do something wrong, like break curfew or sneak out of the house. Anytime you break a rule I guess, if I think it’s something that you need to be punished for, you might get grounded.” Although it seemed to Emily that anything she took away from the girl wouldn’t make her life any worse then it currently was. “So if you break a rule, I could take away your TV privileges, or give you extra chores to remind you not to do it again in the future.”
“I don’t know what it means even, Ma’am. My father, he had me work on the house a lot plus school and there wasn’t much time for fun. I couldn’t get into trouble cause I was working from five in the morning in the house and then I had school and then more chores. I don’t mind doing chores. I’m a very good cook. You should try my pies.”
“We’ll come up with some chores for you, and an allowance as well. And now I know what not to use if you do get in trouble. Which I’m sure you won’t. You’re a good girl, Shannon, I can tell.”
“Even though I hurt Mac so bad tonight? You got faith in me that no one, not even Jethro, has. I’m not gonna disappoint you, ma’am. I promise you that.” She shyly held out her hand. “Pinky swear it even.”
"I don't think you meant to hurt Mackai, and I'll be asking you to help out a lot in getting him better. So that may be punishment enough for you." Emily held out her pinky in the same way that Shannon was, and smiled when the young girl grasped it and shook. "I've missed that, boys don't pinky swear. I haven't done that since I was a girl myself."
“Boys can be kind of dumb, Mrs. Emily. Really quite dumb, don’t you think? Your boy bein with a boy, they must be all sorts of dumb.” She winked to make her comment less angry sounding.
“You have no idea, Shannon. Boys think they’re in charge. They aren’t, we’re in charge, and they’re silly enough to believe we’re the weaker sex.” For the first time since meeting Shannon, she felt that things might turn out okay. “And we’re smart enough to let them believe it, while doing exactly what we need to do behind the scenes. It’s the wonderful part of being a woman.”
“I got a lot to learn from you.”
~*~
Keith raced into the hospital ahead of the boys. With some wrangling, they had Mac on a gurney with a nurse taking his blood pressure. Keith breathed deeply and turned his attention to Jethro, pulling the young man into his arms.
“It will all work out, Son. Mac will get through this.” If only he believed it.
"It never should have happened. I should have known that Shannon was going to do something like this. Mac warned me, and I didn't believe him." Jet let his adopted father hold him and console him. "I didn't do enough to protect him, and now look at what's happened. I should have stopped her."
Jethro was taking so much of this on his shoulders. “You aren’t responsible for the situation and what Shannon did, my boy. The situation spun well out of your control. Mac reacted badly, Shannon reacted badly, and you’re all responsible.” He rubbed Jethro’s back in circles. “You have such a leader’s mindset, Jethro. Darn shame you aren’t an officer, Lad.”
Keith looked at the door behind which Mac was being examined. “What are your plans now?”
"Mac kept saying that, wanted me to go to officers school. Really, not all that interested. I enjoy knowing I'm smarter then my COs and living up to and surpassing expectations. Makes me look good, and I like the work I do. Don't want to be a paper pusher. So I'll stick with what I'm doing."
“Do you think you’ll stay in the Corps, Jethro? And you and Mac? Will you continue to be involved, Son?” Keith didn’t know what Jethro’s frame of mind was and didn’t want to be presumptuous.
"I'm not going to give up our relationship, not even for the Corps. I think Mac and I can be together and I can still fulfill my commitment. That's the only plan I have right now. The two of us will need to be careful, but I think we can make it work." Jet didn't mind the questions, knowing Mac's dad only had their best interests at heart. "I will do everything possible to make this relationship work. I don't want to lose him."
That eased Keith’s mind. “You didn’t hear him, Son. We were nearly mourning him. Emily may not have known but I think Mac was going to leave us, either by running or by his own hand. We’ll bring you both back to Chicago; help Mac adjust. Then, if he wants to settle down here, if you both do, your mother and I will do everything in our power to make that happen. Mac will be adrift for a time, Lad. All he’s ever wanted to do was to serve. He won’t have any chance of the other services or the guard or even law enforcement. I’d like him to go back to school, get a graduate degree. Whatever you boys want or need, we’re here, Jethro. We have savings, we’ll relocate if need be. But we have you boys and we won’t lose you.”
“I want him to do what ever it is that makes him happy, Sir. If that’s school, I’ll push him in that direction. If it’s not, then we’ll work on figuring out what it is. I’ve got several more years before I can get out, so I’ll try to be where ever he wants to be, but I’m still at Uncle Sam’s mercy to a point. But we’ll make it work.”
“You make him happy, Son. You know that, right? You two truly complete each other. And he trusts and respects you and your opinions. Between the two of us, we can offer him what he needs and he has Emily to coddle him.”
"I've got a feeling it will be a while before she lets Mac out of her sight. She's in momma bear mode, which is great because he might actually do what the doctors say if Mom's there to make him. We did a lot of relaxing in Florida, but it wasn't enough obviously."
“Jethro, we sent you to Florida. We’re responsible too. We should have kept you right nearby at home, rather than letting him drive hours and hours like he did. Emily needs to take care of Mac and you, Jethro, and I imagine Shannon too. How will you feel if she takes Shannon under her wing, Lad?”
“Mom and I talked about it a little, when we were in Chicago. She knew I took care of Shan, that she was the only family I had left.” Jethro could only hope that after tonight, Emily still felt the same way as she did before Shannon had gone nuts, knocked her down, and put Mac in the hospital. “She needs more then I can offer her, no matter how hard I try. She needs Mom to guide her and teach her that she can be more then she is right now.”
“Would she be open to spending some time with us, Son? I could get her into my school, I’m relatively sure, and I have friends who would be glad to do some one on one tutoring.”
Keith wrapped the younger man in a comforting embrace. “You will be cared for and Shannon will be too, Son. You don’t need to take all these burdens on yourself.”
“I don’t know, I brought it up to her and she seemed to think I was just passing her off. But we could talk to her again. She needs to get her diploma, she’s wicked smart but she doesn’t read well, but she can do math real good. She’s got great cooking and baking skills too. Both her mom and mine taught her everything they knew. She doesn’t even need recipes, just remembers them.” If there was anything Jethro could do to convince the Taylors to help Shannon, he’d do it. “She’d be great to help Mom out, in the kitchen and around the house too. Not saying you turn her into the hired help, but where we come from girls are taught young how to be good wives. She’ll want to help out, if you give her a chance.”
“Jethro, easy, Son. Easy. You don’t need to sell her skills to us. Remember, I’m a teacher; I’ve seen my share of good girls in bad circumstances. Let’s see what Mom has to say about it all, and we need to consider Mac as well.”
But Keith suspected it might work out.
“Mac isn’t going to like anything we come up with. Not that I blame him. She was out of control. But we still need to help her.”
“We’ll speak with him, Jethro. He’s only one of four of us and we can make him understand. Please don’t stress yourself, Son. We’ll work it out. Let me figure out the details. Makes me feel useful.”
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