Double Trouble: Twenty Eight; Christmas Eve in the Hospital
 by Cariad
 
 
 

Double Trouble
~Twenty Eight~
Julia watched her father, mother, and Sam Bennett eyeing each other warily. She looked across the icy battlefield and met Johnny Hotchkiss’s eyes. He was just as nervous as she was. They both looked at Noah who shrugged and shook his head.

“Aren’t you going to thank Sam for saving our daughter?” Ivy asked Julian coldly.

“I will when it becomes clear to me that the Chief here understands that saving a life is not a license to sleep with the victim,” Julian countered.

Sam’s mouth drew into a tight line and his fingers balled into fists as he fought for control not to punch Julian in the face. He had an example to set for his son.

“Really, Julian, I expected better of you,” Ivy said sweetly, “Just because you are a cradle-robbing bastard doesn’t mean that all men in Harmony are.” She turned to Sam. “Julian may not appreciate having one of his daughters back with the living, but you, Sam, are my hero several times over now.” She stood on her toes and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek. She gave Julian a feline smile.

Sam took Ivy in his arms but looked at Julian. “Don’t force the issue, I don’t need thanks for doing my job. And I certainly don’t need thanks from Julian Crane.”

“You don’t need to stay here, Sam,” Ivy said. “You can go home and have Christmas with your children if you want.”

“The invitation is still open,” Sam whispered in her ear.

“If Holly’s feeling well.”

Sam brushed by Julian, who wore a shocked expression. “Some other time, Crane,” Sam hissed in Julian’s face before grabbing Noah and ushering his son away from the fray.

Jonathan Hotchkiss trotted down the hall to catch up. “Chief Bennett,” he called. When Sam and Noah turned, he continued, “you are a good man. I admire you, sir. They don’t teach us rich bastards how to do useful things like save people’s lives. I hope you have a good Christmas.”

Sam put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Thanks, son, but it was just part of my job. If only some other rich bastards knew there was more to life than making other people miserable,” he said pointedly. “You’re not half bad, John Hotchkiss. Have a Merry Christmas too.” Sam turned and disappeared from view, Noah in tow.

Julia’s heart turned to mush. Despite everything that Holly said, Johnny was a wonderful person! Of course, Holly slept through it all so she wouldn’t believe Julia when she said Johnny was a good person!

“So are you always this ungrateful?” Ivy was asking Julian, “or is it just a show for me?” Before Julian could open his mouth, Ivy continued. “No need to answer, I already know.”

“No need to sharpen your claws on my back,” Julian said, “It’s not good for the child.”

“Ah, you can thinking of our daughter now that your manhood is no longer threatened. Still wounded that Sam Bennett could make me feel more in one afternoon than you could in our twenty-eight years of marriage?”

“Mother, stop it!” Julia shouted. “Hate each other in private if you must, just don’t do it in public!”

“Jules?” came a weak voice from the room. “What’s all the commotion going on?”

Julia ducked her head back in her sister’s room. “Daddy got here.”

“Oh.” Holly pushed herself up on the bed. “Can I talk to him in private?” she asked.

A moment later, Julian walked in the room, his stiff posture showing his general discomfort with the hospital setting and what this distant daughter had to say to him.

“Shut the door, please, Father,” Holly said on a whisper.

Nervously, Julian obeyed. “What did you want to speak with me about, daughter?” he asked on a tentative laugh.

“Was Rebecca telling the truth when she said you killed Aunt Sheridan?”

Julian narrowly missed sitting on the chair by her bedside. “Wh-when did you hear this?” he asked, fidgeting with his cuffs.

“This afternoon, I heard Rebecca say that when you were arguing in the study.”

“That!” Julian said, thinking up a good lie. “I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now that she’s blackmailing me…”

Holly reached out a hand. “Don’t give into her blackmail if it’s not true,” she whispered. “Jules and I are going to get rid of her for you.”

Julian awkwardly patted her hand. “The evidence she has is very damning,” he said.

“But is it true?” she pleaded.

The silence stretched for a long moment.

“No,” Julian said finally. “No, it’s not true.”

Holly smiled. “That’s good to know, Father. I wouldn’t want you to end up in jail. Jules and I are too young to do anything for the company, and Aidan is just unfit.”

“Well, I don’t plan on going to jail. And don’t worry about getting rid of Rebecca. I’ve got a plan for that.”

“Father?”

“What, dear?”

“Why do you always call me ‘Ivy’?”

“Do I?”

“All the time, Father, and its not just when I’m wearing her old clothes.”

Julian rubbed his face. This child always asked the difficult questions. Ethan had been oblivious, Aidan cared for nothing except himself, and Julia smiled though it all, her eyes catching everything and taking it in stride. Holly had always been the one to ask the questions. “I guess you remind me of her,” he said after a long time.

“Do you miss her?”

“She betrayed me!”

“But do you miss her?”

“Enough of this conversation! Aren’t you tired or something?” Julian stormed to the door.

Holly sighed. “Father?”

“What now!”

“I love you, Father.”

Julian paused before he opened the door. He looked back on his eldest daughter—eldest by thirteen minutes—whose cold formality reminded him so much of his relationship with his ex-wife. “Get some rest,” he said gently.

Holly frowned but lay back into her pillow. She would have to make do. Her father was a Crane. Crane men were incapable of love.
 

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Julia watched her father venture into Holly’s room. She turned on her mother. “If you’re contesting the divorce to Daddy, why are you hooking up with Chief Bennett?”
“I don’t need this from you as well,” Ivy spat.

“Mother! I’m not accusing you! I’m just trying to make sense of it all. Holly was distraught over something. She said she saw you and Chief Bennett kissing.”

“What’s so distressing? We are two consenting adults.”

Julia looked away. “Yeah, but Holly… and I… were kind of hoping that you’d reconcile with Daddy.”

Ivy laughed. “I’m contesting the settlement not the divorce itself. I spent over twenty-five years in that house, and I’m entitled to more than a pittance!”

“Did Chief Bennett really save you life?”

A fond smile spread over Ivy’s lips. “That’s how I first met him,” she mused. “When he pulled me out of the ocean.”

“Is that what Daddy meant with that comment about sleeping with the victim?”

Ivy laughed again. “Your father doesn’t understand love. Lust he has down pat, but love is beyond him.”

Holly’s door opened.

“Your child is insufferable, Ivy,” Julian said

“Only because she’s had to live with you,” Ivy countered.

Julia rolled her eyes and snuck back in to see her sister. Holly was smiling.

“I like that sound,” Holly said.

“What sound?”

“The sound of Mama and Father arguing.”

“Harridan?” Ivy snorted from the hallway. “You’ve already called me that one once.”

“They love each other, I’m sure,” Holly said.

Julia sat on her sister’s bed. “I don’t think it’s going to work out that way, Hollis,” she said sadly.

Holly’s smile fell. “I know, but I can hope, can’t I? Perhaps I will have to stay sick and force them to visit me at the same time!”

“Perhaps we should lock them in a closet.”

“But we need to get rid of Rebecca first. I don’t trust father when he says he has a plan.”

Julia laughed. “You almost drowned, you’re in the hospital and still your little mind works churning out ideas on how to get Rebecca’s claws out of Daddy!”

“Someone has to look out for him,” Holly said. “And once I warmed up, there’s not much to do other than sit and think and stare at the white walls.”

Julia relaxed. “You know Johnny tried to save you.”

“I’m awfully glad he didn’t,” Holly replied. “I would abhor having to be grateful to him. Imagine what it would have done to his already swelled ego. No, I am glad that Chief Bennett was there. Jonathan caused the whole mess in the first place! If he hadn’t gone traipsing down the beach calling my name, forcing me to leave my refuge sooner than I intended, I probably wold not have slipped on that damned ice!”

“They’re going to let you go home for Christmas,” Julia said after she finished her latest bout of laughter.

“Lucky me,” Holly replied sarcastically. “Let’s see, we could go to Mama’s house, and watch her suck face with Chief Bennett or we could stay at the mansion and watch Rebecca suck face with Father… or Aidan. And then Theresa will probably come over, and Jonathan will find an excuse to come too. No thank you! I’m going to stay here where it’s quiet!”
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Julia and Holly passed a long and lonely night, knowing the other was not close at hand for a middle-of-the-night crisis. Christmas morning dawned warmer than it had been, the temperature hovering just around freezing, making the newly falling snow perfect for making snowballs and snowmen. Despite her earlier words, when the young doctor came to examine Holly for her release, Holly was quite anxious to get out of Harmony General.
“You’re to get plenty of rest,” the doctor cautioned with a wink. Holly knew if Julia were present, the doctor would have a difficult time continuing his rounds.

“I will, sir,” Holly replied.

Julia was hovering just outside the door, bursting with excitement, ready to take Holly’s wheelchair down to the Roadster.

“You should see the house!” Julia squealed. “Johnny sent so many flowers, they cover the foyer! You are so lucky, Hollis!”

“He feels guilty, I’m sure,” Holly replied. “You can keep them, if you want.”

“But you haven’t even seen them yet!” Julia pouted.

“If they’re from him, I don’t want them.”

“Spoilsport,” Julia huffed. “I convinced everyone to wait to open presents until you got home. Well, it was more a phone call from Grandfather Crane. He’s got some big familial announcement he wants to make.”

“When does he not?” Holly asked. “I’m sure Aidan is convinced Grandfather Crane is going to make him the Crane Heir. Has father given you the list of names yet?”

“Chuck Wilson is the youngest person on the list, and he’s Ethan’s age!”

“Wasn’t Theresa at one time supposed to be dating Chuck Wilson? Didn’t Ethan say that Chuck dumped her because she was poor?”

“Are you thinking verification?”

“When you’re in the arms of Johnny Hotchkiss, I’ll butter up Chuck.”

“He won’t be able to resist you in that red dress I bought.”

Holly groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Please don’t remind me that I have to wear that! Is there any way to sew up the slit or wear a shawl or SOMETHING?”

“Not if it’s going to work. Johnny has to believe that I’m you, until, of course, he’s wild with desire for me.”

“And once he’s wild with desire for you, I’ll be able to live happily and won’t have to worry about falling off rocks into the ocean—not that I’ll be going back there any time soon!”