Plan B
Stew
Max was sitting in his lounge room with his head in his hands. He was thinking
about Steph. Again. She had barely left his thoughts since he had watched her
ride off that morning. He remembered what she'd asked him the previous
day. "There's nothing to keep me here. Is there?" Why hadn't he said
anything then? Taken a chance? "You were afraid, weren't you?" he said
to himself. "You're pathetic. She's gone now and you've lost her."
Just then Summer ran in and broke into his thoughts. "Hi, Dad. Thinking
about Steph again?"
"Er, no, why would I be?"
"'Cos you always are. I know" More gently she added, "Look Dad, I
don't want you to be lonely."
"I'm not lonely: I've got you guys."
"It's not the same, Dad. You know that."
Max looked at her. Sometimes he thought she was too perceptive for her age.
"And Mum would want you to be happy. And I do. I love you Dad."
"I love you too sweetie."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Max opened it. It was Karl. He looked
strangely distracted, almost as if he didn't know why he was there.
"Karl, what can I do for you, mate?"
"What? Oh yeah. I've just heard from Libby that Steph's been in an
accident."
"Steph . . . an accident?"
"It's not too serious: she's broken her ankle, but I felt you
should..."
Karl broke off. Summer interrupted him.
"Where is she, Dr Kennedy?"
Karl named the hospital.
"You've got to go and see her, Dad."
"Don't be silly, Summer. It's four hours away. And she wouldn't want to see
me anyway."
"Of course she would. You'll look after me, won't you, Dr Kennedy?"
Karl looked at Summer with that same distracted look. "Of course. No
problem. Take as long as you like."
Max looked at his daughter with irritation, then said to Karl,
"Actually, I have got to nip out for a couple of things, so if you could
spare half an hour ..."
"Half an hour, ten hours, it's all the same to me," said Karl.
"Just go, Dad."
*
Max watched Karl and Summer leave, picked up his keys and got into the car. His
mind was in a whirl. He drove off. He did what he usually did when he was in a
quandary:
"What shall I do, Claire?"
"You can start by keeping your eyes on the road!"
A screeching of brakes, and some choice words from an irate drive confirmed that
that was good advice.
"Claire?" He looked round.
"Eyes front, Max. I don't want you joining me just yet."
"But what are you doing here?"
"I've come to sort you out."
"Why didn't you come when I needed you most? When I first lost you? The
times when the door opened and I thought it was you, and it wasn't? When the
phone rang, and I thought it was you telling me you were going to be late? When
something funny happened and I thought 'I must tell Claire that,' only I
couldn't. When I wanted to ask your advice and you weren't there?"
"I couldn't. There are 'rules'. I hated seeing you like that. You can't
imagine." But I had to come now because it was urgent."
"Urgent?"
"Plan A wasn't working so I had to switch to Plan B."
"Plan B? So what was Plan A?"
"Summer."
"Summer?"
"Must you repeat everything I say?"
"'Everything you say!'"
"Very funny! Yes, Summer. Remember Summer saying that she heard me talking
to her and...
"...and we thought she was imagining it...
"...only she wasn't."
"So do you still talk to her?"
"Not in the same way, but she still knows what I think. That's why she's so
perceptive. So she knew you'd bought those clothes to impress Steph, she knows
that Steph likes you, she knows when you're thinking about her..."
Max blushed suddenly.
"You're not telling me she knows all my thoughts about Steph."
"Of course not! Not even I know those. I can't see everything and even if I
could, I would allow you some privacy."
Max gave a sigh of relief. Claire continued:
"When you moved here, I decided you were ready for a new love
"You decided?
"Yes, so I made a list."
"Don't I get a choice?"
"Don't you like my choice?"
Max said nothing, but gave a wry grin.
"I thought so. Anyhow, one of them thought you were boring, three of them
thought you were OK, one of them really liked you. That was Joanne, but she
wasn't your type. Then there was Steph who came along and told you off for
neglecting Summer, and I decided she was the one."
"But she hated me, and I couldn't stand her."
"Ideal!"
"Ideal?"
"You provoked strong reactions! Anyway it didn't stay hate for very long
did it?"
"No. But what about that date? That was a disaster."
"Summer told you that I approved of Steph remember, and she told you that
Steph liked you. You should have asked her for another date."
"She said she wanted to forget about it."
"She didn't mean it. Maybe at the time, but not later."
"She didn't?"
"No. Did you?"
"No. So why didn't she tell me?"
"She was going to. Twice. But each time you were with Joanne. "
"That wasn't my fault."
"Steph didn't know that. That's why she asked Alex out - he was meant to
distract her from you."
"He was doing a damn good job."
"I have to admit he had me worried. But she still wasn't over you. Remember
what she asked you the day before she left on this trip?"
"How could I forget?"
"She would have stayed you know. If you'd told her then, she wouldn't have
gone."
"I didn't know."
"Summer kept trying to tell you. But you didn't listen. And then when you
said goodbye, do you remember what you said. 'You have to take your
opportunities.' Honestly, Max. Such good advice. But did you take it?
"I know. I blew it."
"Anyway, off they went on their trip, just as friends, but I thought that
if Steph thought there was no hope for her with you, she might decide to try
again with Alex. So I arranged a little accident."
"You arranged it."
"Guilty, though she wasn't supposed to break her ankle. When she came out
of the water, she called out your name. That showed Alex he didn't have a hope,
so they split up. He's carried on his trip alone."
"He has?"
"So this time, are you going to take your advice about taking your
opportunities?"
"Yes. I have to. I can't lose her again."
"Then pull in here."
"This isn't the hospital."
"You've always had a gift for observation and stating the obvious. Remember
'Is that the Scully bathroom?' and 'It's Stephanie' ?
"You saw that? How embarrassing." Max blushed again.
"No, Max, it's a florist's. You know, where you buy flowers."
"Flowers. Yeah, right, I'll get her some flowers."
Max disappeared into the florist's and returned with 4 dozen red roses.
"Four dozen? Why four dozen?"
"One dozen for the date, a dozen for not asking her out again, a dozen for
letting her go, and a dozen for today."
"Very nice. Are you going to tell her that?"
"'Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon'"
"I must go now."
"Wait."
"You're going to see Steph. That's a new part of your life. I have no place
there."
"But there's one more thing. Boyd."
"Don't worry about Boyd. I have a Plan B for Boyd too. Leave him to me! Bye
Max. I'll love you forever."
And Max was aware that Claire had gone.
*
Max arrived at the hospital and asked to see Steph.
"Are you family?" asked the nurse.
"I'm working on it," said Max, surprising himself at his answer.
The nurse smiled and indicated to Max that he should follow her. He saw Steph
lying on a bed with her leg in plaster and he was surprised at the depth of his
feelings. The nurse went over to Steph.
"You have a visitor, Miss Scully. He's behind those flowers."
Steph looked at the flowers.
"Send him in. I could do with some company."
Max went over to her bed.
"Hi". Wow, he thought, original opening.
"Max, what are you doing here?"
He took a deep breath.
"I've come to tell you I love you, and to ask you to come home with
me."
There was a pause, and Steph looked at him. Max felt panic rising inside him. What
have I done?
"You could have told me before I left. Then I wouldn't have had this broken
ankle."
"I'm sorry. But better late than never?"
It was a question. A hopeful question.
"Of course it's not too late!"
Max bent down and gently brushed her lips with his. And suddenly, somehow, he
was aware that Claire was smiling. Then he heard Steph speaking.
"It's only my ankle that's broken, Max. The rest of me isn't that
delicate."
She locked her arms around his neck. He smiled down at her.
"I am never going to let you go again."
Then he bent and kissed her with passion.