HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN
PART 3
BY MELOIRA
All was quiet in Bay City. At least, that’s how it felt to Carl. Everything seemed so hushed, so tame. Funny. Before he’d always thought the town had had a little bustle to it. Now he knew the truth. Bay City was damn boring. Of course, he was looking at it with a somewhat prejudiced eye.
Carl continued toward Center Street, resisting the urge to turn toward the cemetery. He hadn’t been able to visit his boy before he’d left. But then he hadn’t been able to do much for himself anyway. The bullet he’d taken from Grant had rendered him quite immobile. Indeed, the doctors at BCUH had given him a poor diagnoses when they had told him he would never walk again. Carl had found himself wishing they had let him die instead of saving his worthless hide.
During his more lucid moments in the hospital, Carl had lived in dread. He’d longed for Rachel to come to him, but had also prayed she’d stay away. He’d been afraid her returning to him would have been out of pity. He could live with her hatred, but never pity. However, not showing up at all would signify it was truly over. In the end, Rachel stayed away and broke his heart. In fact, no one came to visit him. Bay City had not bothered to thank the man who had stopped Grant Harrison.
It was with mixed emotions that Carl ended his walk on Center Street. It was as he expected, nothing had changed. The hospital still waited to lend a hand, Carlino’s still sat quietly on the corner, and the police station still stood guard over them all. All was as he remembered.
And Carl realized he didn’t miss it. He didn’t miss the sleepy streets or the sleepy citizens. He didn’t miss the crowded buildings. He didn’t miss anything. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He had been the one to change for the better. Leaving had been the best choice after all.
He had made the decision to leave in a split second. One moment he was agreeing with the doctors and thinking of long term care. The next, he was deciding he’d rather walk again. With the help of John Hudson and Cindy, Carl took the necessary steps toward recovery. At first, he had considered remaining in the area, but changed his mind when the divorce papers arrived. Rachel had made it clear to him she wanted him gone from her life and he had been determined to oblige her whether he could walk or not. So, in yet another snap decision, Carl and his new found daughter had pulled up stakes and left for greener pastures.
Thank God for her Cindy. He couldn’t have made it without her. Of all the luck to find yet another long lost child. It made Carl wonder at the possibilities.
Bay City held nothing for him anymore and it filled his heart with gladness. He would never tell Cindy, but he had wanted to come back to see if he had managed to get the past out of his system. So far the votes were unanimously in his favor.
Coming out of his reverie, he took one last look around. If he wanted to get to Vicky’s early he should be getting back to the hotel. Carl turned to retrace his steps when a woman’s screams stopped him in his tracks.
"Stop that man!"
Carl heard the pounding footsteps behind him. Without thought or hesitation he whirled around and struck out at the running target. His blow hit home, rendering the man an unconscious blob at Carl’s feet. Carl bent over him to make sure he was alive and noticed the woman’s purse in the thief’s hands. More running feet came up behind him.
"Ohmigod, you stopped him! He just came out of nowhere and snatched it right out of my hands. I should have known better, but I wasn’t thinking. He did it practically in front of the precinct too. How can I ever repay you?" The now breathless woman ended her stream of nervous words. Carl knew that voice. Raising up, he answered her.
"For starters Amanda, you could welcome me back or maybe thank me. Your choice, but one or the other will suffice."
"CARL?" The surprised look on her face was priceless. "Carl! Is it really you?" Amanda reached out and placed a hand on his chest. "It really is you. For a moment I thought I might be delusional. Dear Lord you’re standing! You can walk? I thought the doctors said you’d never walk. I thought when you left, you couldn’t…but now, wow!"
"My thoughts exactly." Carl noticed her torn jacket and bloodied face. "Are you hurt Amanda?" He took out his handkerchief.
"What? Oh, he pushed me down, but I feel fine. He must be the guy they police have been after for weeks."
"Let me see that cut." Carl tilted her chin with one hand and dabbed with the other. "This is a nasty little scratch. You should have it disinfected." Carl felt her body tense. He pulled back enough to see her face and realized his mistake. In his concern, he had nearly forgotten what he was to her. Would things never change? He released her chin and backed away.
"Forgive me Amanda. Here, take this." He held the cloth out to her and she took it with a mechanical movement. Carl cleared his throat. "I trust you will be alright until the police arrive." Without another word he walked away, leaving a bewildered Amanda in his wake.
A few moments later, Carl let himself in the hotel room.
"Why didn’t you tell me?" Cindy was standing a mere ten feet away from him, arms crossed.
"I take it you read the item in the paper?" Carl removed his jacket and threw it onto the nearest chair. He suddenly felt warm. When had the air in the room become so hot?
"I read it. How do you feel?"
Carl had known she would be worried. He had contemplated not telling her, but as he was wont to think, forewarned is always forearmed.
"I, my darling, am fine."
"Really?"
"Really. I’m happy for her." Carl hoped Cindy would be satisfied with his answer. She wasn’t.
"Your ex-wife is getting remarried and you’re fine? Wait a minute, scratch that. Your soulmate, your other half is getting married to someone else and you're ‘fine’. Tell me another one pops."
"All I have ever wanted is Rachel’s happiness. If this man brings her that, then so be it. I still love her Cynthia, but I am no longer bound to her."
Cindy contemplated his words. She searched him for signs of a lie, but found he had shut himself off from her. Realizing she’d get no more from him at the moment, Cindy went back to her bedroom, slamming her door.
Carl barely noticed her leave. Reading of Rachel’s engagement had thrown him for the proverbial loop. He would always love her, but she had been the one to rid them of each other. She had made her choice then and moved on with her life. Just as he had been forced to do. He wished her luck in her marriage. God knows he hadn’t done much for her. And what did Cynthia expect? Blinding grief? Jealousy? He had never been the jealous type. Not even where Rachel was concerned.
Carl checked the time. Good Lord, he had to hurry or they’d be late. Leaving thoughts of the past behind, Carl went to ready himself for a day with the McKinnons.
"Amanda. Are you okay?"
Amanda was still standing where Carl had left her when Joe arrived.
"Earth to Amanda." Joe waved his hand in front of her face. "She must be in shock."
"Huh?" Amanda jolted to attention. "Oh, Joe. I’m okay. Is that creep still out?"
"Yeah. Whoever hit him got him good. We’ve been lookin’ for this guy for a long time. Looks like he roughed you up a bit though." He pointed to her cheek. "Are you bleeding much?"
"What?"
"That handkerchief there. Has the bleeding stopped?"
Amanda was surprised to find she was still holding Carl’s handkerchief against her face. She held it out and saw only a few drops of blood.
"Yeah. I don’t think there was much blood anyway. So, this is the purse snatcher the police have been trying to catch?"
"Just in case you’re asking as co-owner of the Herald, I am forced to say ‘No comment’. But, unofficially, I’ll just say we spent a whole lotta time trying to catch this guy. Don’t tell me you brought him down single-handed."
Amanda watched as the men in blue carted the snatcher away. Carl had certainly given the man a painful comeuppance. Her lips formed the beginning of a smile. She would have never believed she’d feel grateful to Carl Hutchins ever again.
"I didn’t. I had a little help. He just didn’t want to stick around waiting for you and your boys."
"Do you know who it was?" Joe watched her smile grow even bigger and thought he heard his sister-in-law giggle. Maybe she had a concussion after all.
"No Joe, not really. But I guess you could call him a knight in tarnished armor."
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