EPISODE 23
" Discoveries"
The DA's Office
Alison had been questioning and pondering all that she had heard from all the witnesses in the Elizabeth Benson investigation. She knew that someone would have to break, but the inner circle of Ms Benson was tight and very secretive. Hopefully her next witness to interview would shed some light on the case.
Mr. Tobin LaCoste, a US correspondent of Ms Benson, sat in the waiting area. Alison approached him, with her hand stretched out and thanked him for coming in on such short notice. Not reaching for the gesture of the handshake, Mr. LaCoste stood to address the District Attorney.
"I am a VERY busy man. Do you realize the workload you have placed on our people, first you throw us into custody and now there are these endless questions. Either charge me or stop bothering me.”
"I am sorry for your inconvenience", Alison stated, "but serious crimes have been committed, people killed and I have a responsibility to their families and loved ones to find this woman and anyone else who was in on her plans and make them pay for what they have done. “
"And what exactly do you think she did?” LaCoste asked. At that moment the DA gestured for Mr. LaCoste to follow her down the hallway.
When the two entered the room, Alison turned to Mr. LaCoste,
"Mr. LaCoste, I do not appreciate your tone. I would like to do things in the proper way, but if you think that your position or money will influence me or even frighten me, you need to think again.”
Alison walked towards the man till she was only inches away.
"This is not your town Mr. LaCoste...when we are finished, you may return to New Orleans. Until then, sit down, shut up, and answer my questions. Do I make myself clear?" Mr. LaCoste nodded agreeing and swallowed hard at the same time.
Krebb's Ranch
Donna walked passed Margaret's room, hearing music muffled through the walls. She was thinking about time they had a chat so she knocked on the door.
"Come in" Margaret called out taking off her headphones to her radio. Donna came in quietly and smiled.
"Hello Margaret, can I have a moment with you?"
"Sure mom""What are you doing?" Donna said sitting on the bed.
"Nothing, just listening to a new cd. What do you want to talk about?" Margaret asked sitting up."I wanted to talk to you about Andrew." Donna began. Margaret cringed at the sound of the name.
"What about him?" She said looking away.
”The trial, I've had a call and it's been set for next month. I wanted to know what you were feeling"
"I don't want to talk about it Mom." Margaret said.
"I think we need too. I need to know you can do this. I want to know you're all right. " Donna said smiling.
"I'm fine"
"No, you're not. I can see it when I look at you. Don't shut me out; I'm your mother. Talk to me."
"Okay, you want to know. I hate him. I will always hate Andrew for what he did to me. And I can't even bear to think about going to Washington never mind the .."
"I'm so sorry for what he did. I should have done something, should have seen it."
"Yes, you should have. But, you didn't, you were too damn busy saving the world form global warning.”“I'm sorry, I don't know what else I can say,” Donna said her voice cracking.
“Look” Margaret said, “ I have forgiven you, I don't need to blame you. I know where the blame lies. I blame all of this on Andrew. He betrayed us both and I can see that."
"I'm to blame also Margaret."
"Mom, I forgive you. I did a long time ago."
"Mom, this something I would rather forget about. And after the trial hopefully we both can move on from it." She said standing up and going toward the window. Donna was frowned...she couldn't get to her. Margaret turned around. "How are you without daddy being around?" Margaret said, catching Donna by surprised."What?" she said turning to face her.
"I said, how are you since daddy left?"
"I'm fine"
"No you're not. Like you, I can see it mom. You miss him and you want him to come back." Margaret said. She went over to her and bent down. "Mom, like you said. You can talk to me too. I miss daddy too. But, I want to make sure you are all right. I know how you're hurting.""I don't want to talk about this with you. It is my problem." Donna said getting up.
"MOM!! That's your problem, you still think of me as a little girl. Well I'm not a little girl and I wish you would stop treating me like one." Donna stood there looking at her. "I don't just want to be your little girl. I want to be somebody you can trust and become your friend instead of being just your daughter." Donna lowered her head.
" "I'm sorry Margaret. No, you're not a little girl any more. I guess I want to look at you that way, so I know you would always be safe." Donna said. Margaret looked at her. "Want to know how I feel about your daddy leaving? I feel as if somebody has taken my heart and just destroyed it. I really thought no matter what your daddy and I went through, we would be together. But no, his stubbornness has to get in the way. He doesn't understand that I love him and don't care how he looks or what we have to face. I miss him and sometimes I just sit and think about him. What he is doing? How is doing? What is he thinking about? Is it us? Or some other life." Donna said staring straight ahead. "Sometimes I flop over in bed and think he's lying there. I cry sometimes."
"I didn't know you were hurting that much." She said going over to her. "Thank you for telling me how you feel. I am glad you can let me in and let me in to how you're feeling instead of shutting me out. And I do understand how you feel."
Donna looked at Margaret in a questioning manner.
“Lets leave it for another time. I am not too much on the hugging and sharing.” Margaret quipped
"Okay, but I hope you feel better than we can talk to each other about this, with Andrew's trial coming up we need to support each other.” Donna said
Donna hugged Margaret and for the first time in a long while felt a real warmness coming back from her daughter
Dallas Highway
As Pam drove away from the restaurant, she could feel her heart breaking. The tears she'd tried desperately to control now fell freely down her cheeks. She drove toward her house dreading the emptiness and the silence it would provide. Robotically, she picked up her cell phone and dialled.
“Hi, it's me,”
“Hi me,” the voice on the other end of the phone responded. “This is a bit of a surprise.”
“I know Brett, and I'm sorry. Things have been kinda crazy, but…I was wondering…could you come over. I could really use a friend right now,” Pam replied.
Brett was silent for a moment, “Sure Pam. Whatever you need, you know how I feel about you. I'll be there in ten minutes.”
“Thank you Brett,” she replied gratefully.
“You're welcome,” Brett said compassionately. “I'll see you soon.”
"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning."
Mexico
Ray sat alone in his room at the clinic, as always he was feeling depressed. He felt he was going stir crazy in this hospital and his progress, if that's' what you could call it was minimal. But the nurses were kind and sweet, not treating him like a cripple but a human being but there was something missing in his life. It was harder then he imagined without his family, he had to fight every minute of every day to stop himself calling Donna. The loneliness, the need for some female comfort. His thoughts went to Donna, he missed her but there was no turning back, he couldn't go back to Dallas yet, not while he was still in this damn wheelchair; he couldn't live his life being mollycoddled by Donna, having people feel sorry for him.
He looked out the window, it was a bright sunny day although that didn't help to brighten his mood, and he longed to be out there riding a horse along the plains. The door opened and his regular nurse, Lorena, appeared, in her mid to late 50's with dark features and hair, she had a determined but kind manner.
“Mr. Krebbs, here's your morning medicine” she said
“Thank you” he replied
“Look at the state of your bed” she said “I will just tidy it for you” she said
“Be my guest,” he said
He watched as she bent over the bed, his eyes wandered down to her legs that her very short dress conveniently revealed to him. Although she was in her later part of life she still had a good figure, but it was the charisma of her personally that sent Ray's thoughts to such matters. For three weeks now she had been coming into his room, being ever so nice, yet not taking any crap form him, Ray found she was the only person that he responded to, made him feel anything inside. He shifted in his chair as he felt a warm sensation take over him, a feeling that he hadn't had in months. Finally she turned to him.
“Is there anything else you need?” she asked
“How would you like to sit here and make an old man feel happy?” he smiled
She looked at him for a moment and then laughed.
“I think you are starting to feel better already. I was hoping all my lectures to you might have roused you a little. But if it is my womanly charms that works then that's okay with me.” Lorena laughed again and saucily pushed her breasts together on a mock tease at Ray.
Ray laughed at the nurses' actions and then beckoned her to sit next to him.
“Spend a few minutes talking with me then, if nothing else.” Ray said
The nurse looked hesitatingly at the door, she knew she had other patients to attend to, but this patient hadn't received any visitors all the time he had been here. He also didn't venture into the dayroom to join the others, what could it hurt sitting with him for a few minutes?
“Tell me where you're from?” she asked as she sat down on the chair beside him
“Dallas” Ray replied
“What brings you here?” she asked
“I was in an accident, I lost my legs that's how I ended up in this wheelchair” Ray replied
“But you're family…” she said, “They never visit you”
“They don't know I'm here” Ray said “After the accident, they took pity on me; kept treating me like an invalid, I couldn't live like that”
“But won't they be worried” Lorena asked
Ray closed his eyes for a second. He wasn't sure how Donna felt about him now; he had pretty much pushed her away after the accident, not able to cope with the look of pity in her eyes.
“I don't know. Maybe” he said, “But I can't go back and I can't let them know where I am!”
The room went silent for a while.
“Tell me about you” Ray said, “I don't even know your name”
The nurse looked at him; something about this stranger made her feel safe.
“My name is Lorena ” she replied “What you see is what you get, I have been nursing here for longer then I care to remember. But my children have flown the nest and so this is my life now.”
“Were you born in Mexico?” Ray asked
“No, I was born in Argentina, I come from a big family” she said “I came here to try and earn some money to send home, my father is dead and my mother was struggling to raise my younger brother and sister”
“How many brothers and sisters have you got?” Ray asked
“Eight” Lorena replied “My momma struggled to put food on the table and I was the eldest so I did what I had too. They are all grown and momma God rest her soul is now looking after us from above.”
“What about you” Lorena asked, “Have you got any brothers and sisters”
Ray thought, all his life he grew up thinking he had no family then suddenly it had been revealed that he was Jock Ewing's son and half brother to Bobby, Gary and JR, not that he wanted to admit to any relationship with JR.
“I have two half brothers” Ray said “Gary and Bobby”
“Do they live in Dallas?” Lorena asked
“Bobby does, he lives on a ranch called SouthFork but Gary lives in California” Ray said
“Are you close?”
“At times but life moves on and you get older and wrapped up in your own family.”
“I know how that feels, I so missed my brothers and sisters when I left Argentina but now after so many years they are nothing more now then a card at Christmas and a memory.
Lorena smiled and Ray realized how beautiful this woman was, her inner strength shown through the lines on her face. Her smile lit up her whole face. For the first time since the accident he was beginning to take an interest in another human being. He wanted to know more about her, wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that he would look after her and her family; that she would never have to worry about anything. Theresa caught him looking at her. She checked her watch; they had been talking for half an hour.
“I must go,” she said
“But will you come back?” Ray asked, “I would love to continue this conversation”
She leaned towards him and gently kissed his forehead “Yes” she replied “But now I must return to work”
Ray watched her walk out the room. For the first time Ray felt hope and had something to look forward to. Lorena didn't see the wheelchair; she had treated him like an equal, not someone with missing limbs that was helpless. He wanted to spend more time with her; he wanted this feeling to continue.
