Re: Say The Words - ch. 25 -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

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Date Posted: 06:44:01 03/26/03 Wed
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: Say The Words - ch. 25
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Say The Words - ch. 23& 24" on 06:41:25 03/26/03 Wed

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

"Can I help you?" Ezra asked, taking his turn manning the welcome desk at the administration building.

Only five more minutes, and then Daisy would be here to relieve him. Ezra was anxious to get back to work at Oakhaven. He was also curious to see whether the mystery couple would still be occupying their usual bench.

The gentleman facing him now appeared friendly enough but the medals and insignias on his jacket screamed VIP and Ezra found himself standing at attention before any commands could be issued.

"Nice place you have here�" Alexander complimented, putting Ezra slightly more at ease.

"Well, thanks�We like to think so�Mr?" Ezra paused for Alexander to introduce himself.

"Lieutenant Commander Alexander Becker, Royal Canadian Air Force, 431 Airborne Division�" Alexander informed him.

"Ezra Friedkin, Mount Horizon, Cliffhangers Division," Ezra reported with a salute. "What can I do for you, Commander?"

"I'm looking for my daughter�" Alexander began a little hesitantly.

Ezra rifled through the list of students currently attending Mount Horizon. The man looked a little old to be the father of a wayward teenager but Ezra wasn't about to tell him that�

"Do you know what group she's in?" Ezra asked, flipping the computer printouts to the "B's."

"She's supposed to be a counselor here," Alexander was beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea.

"Counselor?" Ezra was taken by surprise. "Becker�? You're Sophie's father?"

"I am�" Alexander replied succinctly.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Becker�" Ezra began shaking Alexander's hand profusely. "I mean Commander Becker�"

"Nice meeting you, too, kid�Now, could I have my hand back?" Alexander smiled, enjoying the boy's eagerness.

"Oh, sure, sorry�" Ezra fumbled, placing his hands in his pockets. "But, Sophie isn't due back from her medical leave until Monday."

"Medical leave?" Alexander's voice contained both curiosity and concern.

"Her ankle�She had surgery�Oh, maybe you didn't know�" Ezra wasn't sure if he had said something wrong.

In the brief glimpse Alexander had caught of Sophie through the restaurant window, he vaguely remembered seeing her in some sort of walking cast. But, in the furor that followed, he'd forgotten all about it.

"Right�her ankle�" Alexander repeated, wondering if he sounded convincingly knowledgeable.

"So, do you know where I can find her?" he added casually.

"Well, sure�she's at Peter's�" Suddenly, Ezra wondered if maybe he shouldn't have said that.

After all, in light of his conversations with the weird old couple at Oakhaven and Daisy's spooky tarot card readings, Ezra had been warned to be on the lookout for any possible trouble between Peter and Sophie. Maybe, he'd just unwittingly made matters worse?

Flustered, Ezra gulped, and rephrased his answer. "I mean�she might be at Peter's� Or�she might be�somewhere else�"

Alexander observed Ezra with barely contained bemusement. Not only were the boy's hands in his pockets, but now he was swaying uncomfortably from side to side�

Deciding to try a more relaxed approach, Alexander took a sweeping look around. "Think you could give me a tour of the place?" he asked.

"Well, I can't leave until�" Ezra's excuse faded as the door opened with a gust.

"Daisy, c'mon, it'll be fun�just the two of us�" David was up to his usual feeble seduction attempts as he followed Daisy into the administration building.

"In your dreams�" Daisy vetoed blithely.

"Ah, but you are in my dreams�" David replied sleazily.

"I must be having a nightmare�" Daisy retorted, entering the swinging gate beside the front desk then shutting it firmly behind her, leaving David coldly on the other side.

"You are hereby relieved," she proclaimed to Ezra.

Immediately, Daisy noticed the strange look on Ezra's face. His eyebrows were twitching wildly and his head was bobbing in spasms aimed directly toward Alexander.

"Hellllo," Daisy charmed the Commander. "May we help you?"

"Lieutenant Commander Alexander Becker, at your service, young lady," Alexander smiled at Daisy.

"I'm outta here," David exclaimed rather suddenly.

"Leaving so soon, Ace?" Daisy asked in mock disappointment.

"Guys in uniform give me the hives," David exaggerated, clearly referring to his father.

"Call me when you've secured the building�" he quipped on his way out.

"Daisy, this is Sophie's father�" Ezra strained to emphasize.

"Really? Well, how cosmically fascinating�" Daisy responded to the news with her typical aplomb.

"So, do you think maybe I could have that tour now?" Alexander asked again.

"Well, go on�" Daisy nudged Ezra. "Give him the tour� I'll meet you at Oakhaven this afternoon to discuss our�'project'."

"Huh?" Ezra didn't catch on at first. "Oh, yeah�Our 'project'�"

"Right this way, Commander Becker," Ezra enthused as Daisy watched with interest.

"I think you'll enjoy our little tour�I gave one to Peter's father when he came here," Ezra rambled nervously.

"Really�? And did he enjoy it?" Alexander asked, making polite conversation with the fidgety young man.

"Well�no�actually�he died�" Ezra explained haltingly.

Alexander was momentarily at a loss for words as he stared from Ezra to Daisy and back again. But he recovered nicely and proceeded to slap Ezra heartily on the back, noting wryly, "Then, I guess I'd better watch my step�"

Daisy shook her head and winced. It was going to be a very long day�

^^^^^^^^^^^^

"So, that's pretty much everything�Our little home sweet home�" Ezra boasted grandly.

The tour had taken a little more than an hour, from the gazebo to the obstacle course and then back to the administration building. Alexander had absorbed it all, thoroughly enjoying his inside look at the place his daughter now called home.

Naturally, Ezra had taken the opportunity to praise Sophie to the hilt. But, what student wouldn't praise his counselor to her own father, Alexander chuckled suspiciously. And yet, nonetheless, Ezra's fawning seemed to be based on honest sincerity. Alexander was noticeably impressed. Obviously, Sophie's compassion and guidance had made a difference in this young man's life and Alexander filled with pride at her accomplishments.

Sophie had found her niche here at Mount Horizon, Alexander realized, stunned by the revelation. It had taken her over thirty years and at least five circumnavigations of the globe, but she'd finally done it. She'd exorcised the demons of her childhood - demons he and Maureen had put there - and was finally allowing herself the joy of loving and being loved by others.

"I want to thank you, Ezra," Alexander shook Ezra's hand. "This has meant a great deal to me�"

"Oh, you don't have to thank me, Sir�" Ezra mumbled shyly.

Once he'd recovered from his nervousness, Ezra had actually enjoyed meeting Sophie's father. Ezra had never dreamed that the famous Commander Becker from the air show posters would turn out to be Sophie's father. Touring the grounds of Mount Horizon, Ezra had listened, fascinated by Alexander's thrilling descriptions of freeflight. His descriptions of a pigtailed little girl who practically grew up with a parachute on her back intrigued Ezra, too.

Ezra thought back to the stories Mr. Scarbrow had told about Peter's childhood�and how he hadn't spent much time with Peter as a small boy. But, Commander Becker and Sophie seemed to have been inseparable. Ezra couldn't help wondering why the Commander appeared so hesitant about seeing Sophie again if all his stories were true.

Ezra was just about to ask him when Peter appeared unexpectedly at the administration front door.

Peter looked horrible. His eyes were swollen, he hadn't shaved and he obviously hadn't slept all night.

"Peter� Kat told us you called in sick today," Ezra greeted, surprised to see him.

"You look terrible�" Ezra blurted honestly.

"What are YOU doing here?" Peter barked at Alexander, blaming the Commander for all his problems.

"Ezra's right, you look terrible," Alexander concurred, placing his hand on Peter's arm, only to have it shoved away.

"Did you talk to her?" Alexander asked with concern.

"Maybe I should go�" Ezra muttered under his breath. "I'll just get my backpack from the desk�"

Ezra knelt behind the front desk and looked at his watch. He had to be at Oakhaven in twenty minutes. But something was definitely wrong and he needed to have all of his facts straight before he spoke with the old couple.

Pretending to fumble with the zipper on his backpack, Ezra crouched lower, hoping to overhear Peter and Alexander's discussion.

"How dare you come here?" Peter seethed. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?"

Alexander found it ironic that Peter was the one asking him that, instead of Sophie. Ever since Sophie was fifteen, Alexander had been waiting for her to blame him�to let out the anger that she had to feel toward him. After all, his neglect had deprived her of something very precious - the chance to have children. Sophie had every right to blame him; and, in so many ways, Alexander needed for her to blame him - for her to hate him as much as he hated himself.

Instead, they existed in a complacent vacuum, with Sophie devotedly willing to pretend it didn't matter and Alexander equally happy to pretend it hadn't happened. No, his daughter wasn't hurt, she wasn't scarred, and she wasn't devastated. She was just ever-so-slightly "damaged" like a package in transit or a suit you bought at half-price. And the husband and family she didn't have�well, that was because his daughter was such a free spirit�such a chip off the old block�

It was such a welcome relief for Alexander to have someone finally accuse him. For there finally be someone who could hear him say�

"I'm sorry," Alexander's voice broke from the guilt of a lifetime. "I'll make it right, Peter, I promise�I'll talk to Sophie�"

"You can't," Peter snapped, refusing Alex's overture. "She's gone."

The finality of Peter's statement startled Ezra so that he dropped his backpack with a thud.

"Uh�sorry�I was just leaving�" Ezra stammered. "I'll be at Oakhaven, Peter."

Ezra paused on his way out, wanting to express his sympathies to Peter somehow. "If you need me�" was the best he could do.

Peter nodded, unable to look Ezra in the eyes. Alexander stood close by, amazed at the connection Peter and Sophie seemed to have made with these kids. Somehow they managed to share their personal lives and experiences without losing control as educators and counselors. It was an incredible display of openness and honesty that Alexander found quite moving.

"He's a good kid�" Alexander smiled after Ezra departed.

"He's come a long way," Peter sighed.

"Thanks to you�" Alexander complimented sincerely.

"And Sophie�" Peter bit his lip.

"What happened?" Alexander asked softly.

"She read me the riot act for lying to her and then stormed out of the house," Peter grimaced.

"Probably halfway to Madagascar by now," he guessed, running his hands through his hair in desperation. "I've been on the phone with the airlines all night."

"You shouldn't be here�You shouldn't let the kids see you like this�" Alexander observed Peter's haggard condition. "Why don't you let me drive you home and we'll talk?"

Too exhausted to argue, Peter reluctantly agreed to Alexander's suggestion and followed him wearily out the door.

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