Alpha Summer

Diagnosis

Hunter stormed out of the room after Caitlin had told him more then he wanted to hear. Everything became a blur as he walked out the front door and cutting through the grass. He didn't know where he was going but he knew he had to get away before he unleashed his rage. He knew his family wouldn't understand and had no other friends to go to. He made his way down to an old abandoned barn with the doors hanging on by a hinge and holes everywhere. He walked inside and sat in the rotting hay. All he could do was sit there and stare, it was late he could see the stars through the hole in the roof, but he had to talk to someone. He lifted his cell phone to his face to scroll through the numbers and landed on the pastor of the church they once attended as a family. He dialed the number and waited for the ringing to begin. 

The reverend answer his phone, you could tell he had been sleeping. "It's Hunter, I'm sorry I woke you but I need to talk to someone." He sighed and his throat begun to tighten again, threatening to begin crying as he retold him the story of what Caitlin had done, he felt betrayed and couldn't look at her, much less be around her. The pastor replied after listening to the short version of the story and said "sometimes God works in mysterious ways and she did what she did for a reason, maybe you should go back and let her tell you the rest, impatience is for fools Hunter." Hunter ended the conversation and thought some more. All the times Caitlin acted on logic, never on impulse like him. She would always tell him to make decisions rationally, never spur of the moment. Maybe there was something else but how could he go up there and demand her to tell him when he had acted so hateful just hours ago? So, instead of confronting the problem like he usually did he sat there patiently and got lost in his own thoughts. Thoughts of why she would have done this and risked so much. He couldn't come up with an explanation that made sense, unless you count insanity. He had been lucky to find her, she was patient, kind, God fearing, wonderful mother, and would put up with his rage and hectic work schedule that didn't guarantee him being home often. What more could he have asked for? Finally, he decided he needed to go talk to her and keep silent. 

Hunter reached the house and tip-toed in trying not to wake up the kids so he could have time to talk to his wife, he was ready to listen now and didn't want any interruptions. He opened the door quietly and there she stood with  her back to him singing baby Hunter a lullaby, he hair was dishelved and she was swaying back and forth. In between lyrics to rock-a-by  baby you could hear sniffles like she was crying. She turned around noticing Hunter and she couldn't even say anything to him, she was too hurt by his reaction. He walked over to her and put his hands on her hips as she swayed back and forth with the baby. He realized he hadn't slept and tiredness was washing over him, making his lids get heavier. He put his chin on her shoulder as she sang to both of the boys. Once the baby was asleep and laid down all he could do was hold her, he had her back and wasn't ready to let her go. With a big hug he picked her up and carried her to bed just so that they could pretend everything was normal for a night before getting answers once again. 

Morning came too early, with the sun brightening the room and a shril cry from the pack-n-play beside the bed. Hunter put his hand on Caitlin motioning for her to stay there, he wanted to help with little Hunter, after all he hadn't gotten to bond with him yet. He took him from his bed and swayed back and forth on his way to get a diaper to change him. He forgot what it was like to take care of a baby, he wasn't around much when Ashley was born and missed out, he looked into his sons eyes and vowed to never be gone so much, he hadn't gotten a chance to see Ashley grow up before his very eyes, he wasn't making the same mistake again. He padded down to the kitchen with the baby in the crook of his arm to make a bottle. Reading the instructions twice before attempting to make the bottle for the bundle that was piercing his eardrums with his cries. Edna walked in to rescue him. "What are you doing to my grandson, give him to grandma" she said. As soon as Edna picked him up he went quiet. "Why don't you let me handle him while you and Caitlin get some sleep, Ashley is in the living room coloring right now." He made a note to thank his mom later and went back up to the room where Caitlin was still sleeping. She looked like a princess he thought and laid back down beside her, watching her chest rise and fall as she slept. An hour had passed and they both gradually woke up, staring at each other. "I think I am ready to hear the rest of your story, I won't walk out on you again." Caitlin nodded her head, hoping he would keep his promise. 

"I arranged the kidnapping because your father needs Albert, we all need him. When I had suspected I was pregnant I went and saw Dr. Gregg. He asked me how Edward was handling his diagnosis. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, he was hesitant to tell me. I blocked the door so he couldn't get out, forcing him to tell me what he knew." She placed her hand on Hunter's arm and looked up at him while tears gathered, threatening to spill down her cheeks. "Hunter, I don't know how to tell you this but I don't think your father will. He was diagnosed with cancer, the chemotherapy isn't working like it should and they need a bone marrow donor. A brother  is normally the closet match." She pulled him closer to her and embraced him, she knew this news would be hard to her. Hunter's father was stubborn and would probably try to keep it a secret from everybody because of his pride. Hunter sat there completely in shock, unable to speak or cry. He always looked up to his dad even though he resented him at times, he couldn't lose his dad. "What if Albert isn't a match, will he even get tested?" Caitlin shook her head. "He has already been tested and is a match but your dad wouldn't accept him just walking in to his life I had to pull them together and this was the only way I knew, to save the family." He knew he loved this woman and was the strongest out of them, she never waivered and always did what was right. He felt guilty for judging her without hearing the whole story first. "I'm sorry Caitlin, sorry that I acted like a fool." Thoughts swirled in his head, he needed to talk to his dad, thank Albert for wanting to save his dad and taking good care of his family, for doing the unthinkable and risking his life for his brother. He still wondered why they hadn't spoken in so many years but now he felt like it was his duty to help continue to patch up their relationship and help his dad bite the bullet and swallow his pride. The family needed their dad, whether they realized it or not.