| Where Rainbows End! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Seventeen |
Just as Vincent was about to continue, Kipper, Eric, Zach, and Samantha returned with the heated water, and wash clothes for Vincent to bathe with.
So as the children waited at the threshold, Kipper asked, "Hey Vincent, can we come in?"
To which, Vincent with a bit of angst, looked at Catherine, and whispered, "As soon as we are alone, we will finish our conversation..."
And because Catherine was unknowingly holding her breath, she sighed, and said, "Of course..."
So after telling the children to come in, Kipper set the pitcher down beside the basin, when Samantha noticed Catherine, and excitedly shouted, “ Hello Catherine! We missed you at our concert!”
Asking the children to talk softly, Vincent told them Peter was resting, and they should keep it down.
In trying to be compliant with Vincent's suggestion, Catherine whispered a heartfelt greeting to the children. And she tried to hide her tears as she gave them each a big hug, and then softly said, "Forgive me please. I know I was foolish not to stay. I guess I missed out uh?”
To which Eric shrugged, and then told her, “That's all right. We plan to have an emcore…ercore…wait! What did Lisa call it again?”
And because Samantha was tired of pronouncing this new word for Eric, she smugly answered, “For the tenth time, it's pronounced encore! You never pay attention!”
After being reprimanded by Samantha, Eric finished his conversation with Catherine, by saying, “That's right ENCORE! So anyway, we are going to have an ENCORE, maybe you can come to that one!”
Smiling down at Vincent, Catherine turned to the children, and said, “I won’t miss it this time, no matter what. I promise, just let me know where and when.”
To which Kipper replied, “We will Catherine, you are our best audience. It isn't the same when you aren’t here. You always cheer the loudest above everyone else!”
With a giggle Catherine replied, “Well at least I have that going for me.”
Stirring from his resting spot in the corner, Peter opened his eyes, and saw Catherine. With much relief, he warmly said, “Cathy! Hey you did get my message.”
To which Catherine with a loving hug, replied, "I came as quickly as I could."
With concern for Vincent, Zach tapped on Peter's shoulder and butted in as he asked, "Hey Dr. Peter, how long does Vincent hafta lay here?"
And then Samantha too asked, "Yeah how long? And did Vincent really lose a gallon of blood?"
But before Peter could respond, Kipper inquired, "I heard Vincent got stitches on his arm...did it hurt him much?"
Upon hearing about the stitches, Eric, curiously asked, "Stitches? On his arm? Ya mean like with a needle and thread, like sewing? Yikes! Sounds brutal! Can I see Dr. Peter?"
So in an effort to assure the children, Peter told them, "I understand you are all worried about Vincent, and I will answer all your questions, so firstly, No, Samantha, Vincent did not lose a gallon of blood, though he did lose some, but thankfully Father and I were able to stop the bleeding before he lost too much blood, and Zach, you are wondering how long he should rest...well Vincent should rest at least for a day or so. And Eric, you will have to ask Vincent if he wants to show off his stitches, but I would suggest not for a day or two, right now it is all wrapped up, and oh yes, Kipper, you asked if it hurt getting stitches? Well I am sure it was uncomfortable, but Vincent was pretty brave."
Peter then in an assuring tone, tried to finalize their visit as he told them, “Well kids, thanks for bringing the water, and you children needn't worry, Vincent is going to be fine, but he does need rest, and it should be bed time for you too isn't it?"
Well luckily just then, Laura and Brooke had come to fetch the children for bed, and as the two tunnel Nanny's peaked in, they said goodnight to Vincent and voiced good wishes to get better soon!
So as Catherine and Peter stood at the threshold, bidding the children good night, Catherine had a chance to privately ask, "Peter, will Vincent really be all right?"
To which Peter softly explained, "Vincent's injury caused an immense loss of blood. He must stay still, ideally for a few days...so yes...as long as he rests, he will be fine...”
And then upon seeing the worried look in her eyes, Peter knew he should go in more detail, so he honestly explained, "...Cathy, I think you need to understand how unique Vincent’s DNA is. There are not any known blood types that correspond with his blood. So when there is bleeding, we must be very cautious. Which is what we are doing...so try not to worry kiddo.”
As Peter noted the water and wash clothes the children had brought, he walked over to give Vincent a good wipe down, and as he walked, Catherine could see he was walking with a bit of limp, and so she asked, “What about you Peter? Are you all right?”
Waving off any concern, he admitted, “I am a bit stiff from sitting too long, that's all kiddo.”
Vincent directing his comment to Catherine, but really intending it for Peter added, “I told both Peter and Father they needn't stay, but they are insisting on taking shifts to watch over me Catherine...”
To which Peter explained, "That was because we were afraid you were gonna try to visit Cathy!"
In reply, Vincent petitioned, “Good point Peter...so now since Catherine is here, there is no longer any need for me to go anywhere. So you see, you may trust that I will remain at rest...”
Going with Vincent's lead, and because Catherine could see how tired the good doctor was, she asked, “Aren’t you flying to London tomorrow for The Medical Convention?”
Nodding, Peter conceded, “Yes but not till 11:00 a.m. I told Jacob to go on to bed and I would do the night shift. I figure I’ll be able to sleep on the plane."
Looking disapprovingly at Peter, Catherine suggested, "Well, how about if I take over, you go home and get a really good nights rest before your trip, and I promise to get Father if I need to."
Defiantly, she then informed Peter, "I am staying anyway.”
As Catherine looked at Vincent, she lovingly reiterated, “I'm not going anywhere until Vincent is back on his feet."
Pointedly, Peter finally gave in, saying, “O.K. O.K. I’ll go."
As he finished washing up Vincent's face and arms, he then added, "I must admit I do hear my bed calling out to me! First though Cathy, let me tell you a few things to watch for."
Putting a fatherly arm around her shoulders, he instructed, "If Vincent’s wound starts bleeding again, or if he seems warm or feverish, then you must call Father right away.”
Catherine nodded, saying, “I will Peter. And I do understand the seriousness of the situation. I won’t let anything happen to Vincent.”
After Peter took one last temperature, they said their good nights, and Vincent expressed his sincerest thanks for all Peter had done for him.
Nodding, Peter acknowledged Vincent's gratitude, and then said, “I don’t believe I could leave you in any better care Vincent. I will be in touch tomorrow before I leave for the airport to make sure all is well. Oh Cathy, do you need me to contact Joe for you?”
Surprised she had not even given work a second thought, she appreciatively said, “Oh yes Peter please. Tell Joe I may not be back till next week, and that the Benson file is on Gloria’s desk. She is transcribing it for me. And if you wouldn’t mind calling Jen and tell her I will be gone for a few days, but will be in touch.”
“Will do Kiddo!” As Peter gave Catherine a hug, she thanked him for everything, and wished him a safe flight.
So it wasn't even a moment or two after Peter had left, when suddenly a thought occurred to Catherine, and so bringing her hands to her face, she gasped, "Oh no!"
Upon hearing Catherine, Vincent with great concern asked, “What is it Catherine?”
To which Catherine regrettably explained, "Oh Vincent, I probably shouldn't have asked Peter to contact Jennifer!"
And without thinking twice, and without a filter, Catherine shared, “You see, Jen believes Peter is the mystery man I have been seeing, and she thinks we are having a May-December romance! She even suggested a prescription for Viagra may be in order! Can you imagine what she will think when Peter calls to tell her I may be gone for a while?”
Oh my! Catherine couldn't believe she actually shared this with Vincent, and so she said, "I didn't mean to tell you all that Vincent, I am so embarrassed!"
However because he saw a bit of humor in the whole scenerio, Vincent hid his grin, as he replied, "Don't be Catherine...and if I may say, I do understand why you regret asking Peter to place the call to your friend Jennifer...she may wonder why you didn't do so for yourself."
With a nod, Catherine was glad Vincent understood, and so she emphatically replied, "Exactly!"
So now realizing, there would be no more interruptions since the children were now gone, and Peter had left for the night, Catherine knew their moment had come. And as a silence had fallen about the chamber, Catherine, suddenly dreaded to hear what all Vincent had to say about his resolved issues with Lisa...
So as Catherine began to nervously fuss about, straightening a few things here and there, Vincent finally broke the silence by speaking her name, “Catherine?”
As Catherine turned back toward Vincent, she saw he was holding out his hand, welcoming her to come sit beside him. So as she reached out in turn, she felt his strong hand enfold hers, and she lowered herself to gingerly sit at his side, nervously waiting for Vincent to speak. So slowly he began. “I have so much to tell you.”
Sensing Catherine's angst, Vincent closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, and so softly he began, "I want you to know I have fulfilled my promise to you. I told you upon your return, things would be different for us, and I would do whatever I must do, to make it happen. I faced much with Lisa. We revealed many things, and I discovered many truths. Truths which would have changed everything for me through the years if I had known.”
Catherine could see the anguish in Vincent’s eyes, so without interrupting, intently she listened as he spoke...
to be continued...
Chapter Eighteen
So as the children waited at the threshold, Kipper asked, "Hey Vincent, can we come in?"
To which, Vincent with a bit of angst, looked at Catherine, and whispered, "As soon as we are alone, we will finish our conversation..."
And because Catherine was unknowingly holding her breath, she sighed, and said, "Of course..."
So after telling the children to come in, Kipper set the pitcher down beside the basin, when Samantha noticed Catherine, and excitedly shouted, “ Hello Catherine! We missed you at our concert!”
Asking the children to talk softly, Vincent told them Peter was resting, and they should keep it down.
In trying to be compliant with Vincent's suggestion, Catherine whispered a heartfelt greeting to the children. And she tried to hide her tears as she gave them each a big hug, and then softly said, "Forgive me please. I know I was foolish not to stay. I guess I missed out uh?”
To which Eric shrugged, and then told her, “That's all right. We plan to have an emcore…ercore…wait! What did Lisa call it again?”
And because Samantha was tired of pronouncing this new word for Eric, she smugly answered, “For the tenth time, it's pronounced encore! You never pay attention!”
After being reprimanded by Samantha, Eric finished his conversation with Catherine, by saying, “That's right ENCORE! So anyway, we are going to have an ENCORE, maybe you can come to that one!”
Smiling down at Vincent, Catherine turned to the children, and said, “I won’t miss it this time, no matter what. I promise, just let me know where and when.”
To which Kipper replied, “We will Catherine, you are our best audience. It isn't the same when you aren’t here. You always cheer the loudest above everyone else!”
With a giggle Catherine replied, “Well at least I have that going for me.”
Stirring from his resting spot in the corner, Peter opened his eyes, and saw Catherine. With much relief, he warmly said, “Cathy! Hey you did get my message.”
To which Catherine with a loving hug, replied, "I came as quickly as I could."
With concern for Vincent, Zach tapped on Peter's shoulder and butted in as he asked, "Hey Dr. Peter, how long does Vincent hafta lay here?"
And then Samantha too asked, "Yeah how long? And did Vincent really lose a gallon of blood?"
But before Peter could respond, Kipper inquired, "I heard Vincent got stitches on his arm...did it hurt him much?"
Upon hearing about the stitches, Eric, curiously asked, "Stitches? On his arm? Ya mean like with a needle and thread, like sewing? Yikes! Sounds brutal! Can I see Dr. Peter?"
So in an effort to assure the children, Peter told them, "I understand you are all worried about Vincent, and I will answer all your questions, so firstly, No, Samantha, Vincent did not lose a gallon of blood, though he did lose some, but thankfully Father and I were able to stop the bleeding before he lost too much blood, and Zach, you are wondering how long he should rest...well Vincent should rest at least for a day or so. And Eric, you will have to ask Vincent if he wants to show off his stitches, but I would suggest not for a day or two, right now it is all wrapped up, and oh yes, Kipper, you asked if it hurt getting stitches? Well I am sure it was uncomfortable, but Vincent was pretty brave."
Peter then in an assuring tone, tried to finalize their visit as he told them, “Well kids, thanks for bringing the water, and you children needn't worry, Vincent is going to be fine, but he does need rest, and it should be bed time for you too isn't it?"
Well luckily just then, Laura and Brooke had come to fetch the children for bed, and as the two tunnel Nanny's peaked in, they said goodnight to Vincent and voiced good wishes to get better soon!
So as Catherine and Peter stood at the threshold, bidding the children good night, Catherine had a chance to privately ask, "Peter, will Vincent really be all right?"
To which Peter softly explained, "Vincent's injury caused an immense loss of blood. He must stay still, ideally for a few days...so yes...as long as he rests, he will be fine...”
And then upon seeing the worried look in her eyes, Peter knew he should go in more detail, so he honestly explained, "...Cathy, I think you need to understand how unique Vincent’s DNA is. There are not any known blood types that correspond with his blood. So when there is bleeding, we must be very cautious. Which is what we are doing...so try not to worry kiddo.”
As Peter noted the water and wash clothes the children had brought, he walked over to give Vincent a good wipe down, and as he walked, Catherine could see he was walking with a bit of limp, and so she asked, “What about you Peter? Are you all right?”
Waving off any concern, he admitted, “I am a bit stiff from sitting too long, that's all kiddo.”
Vincent directing his comment to Catherine, but really intending it for Peter added, “I told both Peter and Father they needn't stay, but they are insisting on taking shifts to watch over me Catherine...”
To which Peter explained, "That was because we were afraid you were gonna try to visit Cathy!"
In reply, Vincent petitioned, “Good point Peter...so now since Catherine is here, there is no longer any need for me to go anywhere. So you see, you may trust that I will remain at rest...”
Going with Vincent's lead, and because Catherine could see how tired the good doctor was, she asked, “Aren’t you flying to London tomorrow for The Medical Convention?”
Nodding, Peter conceded, “Yes but not till 11:00 a.m. I told Jacob to go on to bed and I would do the night shift. I figure I’ll be able to sleep on the plane."
Looking disapprovingly at Peter, Catherine suggested, "Well, how about if I take over, you go home and get a really good nights rest before your trip, and I promise to get Father if I need to."
Defiantly, she then informed Peter, "I am staying anyway.”
As Catherine looked at Vincent, she lovingly reiterated, “I'm not going anywhere until Vincent is back on his feet."
Pointedly, Peter finally gave in, saying, “O.K. O.K. I’ll go."
As he finished washing up Vincent's face and arms, he then added, "I must admit I do hear my bed calling out to me! First though Cathy, let me tell you a few things to watch for."
Putting a fatherly arm around her shoulders, he instructed, "If Vincent’s wound starts bleeding again, or if he seems warm or feverish, then you must call Father right away.”
Catherine nodded, saying, “I will Peter. And I do understand the seriousness of the situation. I won’t let anything happen to Vincent.”
After Peter took one last temperature, they said their good nights, and Vincent expressed his sincerest thanks for all Peter had done for him.
Nodding, Peter acknowledged Vincent's gratitude, and then said, “I don’t believe I could leave you in any better care Vincent. I will be in touch tomorrow before I leave for the airport to make sure all is well. Oh Cathy, do you need me to contact Joe for you?”
Surprised she had not even given work a second thought, she appreciatively said, “Oh yes Peter please. Tell Joe I may not be back till next week, and that the Benson file is on Gloria’s desk. She is transcribing it for me. And if you wouldn’t mind calling Jen and tell her I will be gone for a few days, but will be in touch.”
“Will do Kiddo!” As Peter gave Catherine a hug, she thanked him for everything, and wished him a safe flight.
So it wasn't even a moment or two after Peter had left, when suddenly a thought occurred to Catherine, and so bringing her hands to her face, she gasped, "Oh no!"
Upon hearing Catherine, Vincent with great concern asked, “What is it Catherine?”
To which Catherine regrettably explained, "Oh Vincent, I probably shouldn't have asked Peter to contact Jennifer!"
And without thinking twice, and without a filter, Catherine shared, “You see, Jen believes Peter is the mystery man I have been seeing, and she thinks we are having a May-December romance! She even suggested a prescription for Viagra may be in order! Can you imagine what she will think when Peter calls to tell her I may be gone for a while?”
Oh my! Catherine couldn't believe she actually shared this with Vincent, and so she said, "I didn't mean to tell you all that Vincent, I am so embarrassed!"
However because he saw a bit of humor in the whole scenerio, Vincent hid his grin, as he replied, "Don't be Catherine...and if I may say, I do understand why you regret asking Peter to place the call to your friend Jennifer...she may wonder why you didn't do so for yourself."
With a nod, Catherine was glad Vincent understood, and so she emphatically replied, "Exactly!"
So now realizing, there would be no more interruptions since the children were now gone, and Peter had left for the night, Catherine knew their moment had come. And as a silence had fallen about the chamber, Catherine, suddenly dreaded to hear what all Vincent had to say about his resolved issues with Lisa...
So as Catherine began to nervously fuss about, straightening a few things here and there, Vincent finally broke the silence by speaking her name, “Catherine?”
As Catherine turned back toward Vincent, she saw he was holding out his hand, welcoming her to come sit beside him. So as she reached out in turn, she felt his strong hand enfold hers, and she lowered herself to gingerly sit at his side, nervously waiting for Vincent to speak. So slowly he began. “I have so much to tell you.”
Sensing Catherine's angst, Vincent closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, and so softly he began, "I want you to know I have fulfilled my promise to you. I told you upon your return, things would be different for us, and I would do whatever I must do, to make it happen. I faced much with Lisa. We revealed many things, and I discovered many truths. Truths which would have changed everything for me through the years if I had known.”
Catherine could see the anguish in Vincent’s eyes, so without interrupting, intently she listened as he spoke...
to be continued...
Chapter Eighteen
