Fire And Rain
PROLOGUE:
“JEANNIE WILLIAMS VS STEVE WILLIAMS.?
He read the words over and over again, searching for something new in the dull white paper before him.
“Irreconcilable Differences.?
One stroke of his pen and it would be over.
“…The defendant’s absence from the home necessitates the separation…?
Steve Williams, famous worldwide As “Stone Cold? Steve Austin, ran a massaging hand over his own
temple. How the hell did this happen?
He had always assumed his marriage was fine. Jeannie had never wanted for anything since he had hit it
big; hell, she made more than he did when they first got together. But one day, she announced that she
wanted a divorce.
They had struggled for weeks over the case; would he get to see his girls? Of course. Did she want
money? A reasonable amount, but not a ridiculous sum he couldn’t pay. In the end, the divorce was a
clean break. His wife no longer wanted to be his wife.
Why couldn’t he make his hand move? Instead, he shivered slightly in the icy weather; he noticed the bare
branches scraping the gray sky. Deep within him, he yearned for the warmth of Texas.
A sudden tugging on his knee started him from his reverie. Glancing to his side, he saw a small boy who
couldn’t be more than a year old. His little face split into a grin and his little middle fingers pointed
upward.
Steve’s reaction was a combination of disgust and egoiste. HIS daughters would never get away with
doing that; as much as he might influence those around him. He picked the little boy up and the kid
laughed. His little blue jacket was unzipped, another fact that he disliked. He sat the boy on the bench
beside him and attempted to zipper his jacket.
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing??
A sharp voice caused Steve’s fingers to jerk. The zipper jumped and caught the child’s skin, making the
boy’s eyes well with tears; something welled within Steve, but it wasn’t a tear.
He stood, turning on the woman, the child in his arms. “Maybe you should keep an eye on your kid.? He
snapped, handing the boy over.
The harsh tone of voice his hero used sent the little boy into tears. The woman clutched the child to her
greedily, rocking him, “Michael, Shush, The bad man won’t hurt you.?
“Bad man? Lady, you don’t know what a bad man is.?
“Try me.? The woman snapped. He took notice of her wardrobe then; an enormous fur coat covered her
from toe to neck. She seemed elaborately coifed and arranged for a mother out with her son.
Steve opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again. It was not worth it. They took each
other in for a long moment; she was short, and had the merry face of a chickadee. It seemed a shame to
him that she acted so abruptly. She looked quite young to be dressed as she was; in an incredibly short
skirt. She glared at him; to his embarrassment, his urge was to laugh at her. He did not indulge it.
He left her standing there in the middle of the park, one high heel hanging off of her foot as she launched
herself forward to scream bloody murder at him, in her fur coat with her wailing son yelling “Stone Cold!?
Within five hours, he signed his divorce papers. He thought little of the mother he saw in the park that day.
It was the beginning of a new era. Little did he know that she would be a part of it.
His sister made sure of it….
-two years later-
“…WAY OUT IN THE WEST HILLS/I WILL BUY YOU A NEW LIFEE…..?
Carly Roberts snapped into a sitting position, alarmed by the loud, sudden strains of Everclear filling her
bedroom. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, making out her small bedroom and the bleak sunlight. For a
moment, she thought she was back in Ferncliffe, strapped to a bed in the psychotic ward. But this new
reality had much less appeal that Ferncliffe; in Ferncliffe, Jason was there…
Her spine stiffened suddenly. Don’t think about it, Carly, she told herself. It’ll only make things worse.
Her mind drifted back to his death, anyway. She could still remember A.J.’s crazed expression as he shot
Jason point-blank in the chest. AJ would have shot her, had his gun not jammed. It took half of the Police
Department to take him out.
Carly’s devastation had been full. As much as she had wallowed in the money-lust of her instincts, she
now knew that Jason’s love had been one beyond the price of pearls and prestige. The fact that she had
been widowed at 23 didn’t truly phase her.
Then came the court battle. She defended her rights to her son on a contingency basis. Somehow, she won
total custody of her son, Michael, after the Quartermain family realized that the child simply wasn’t worth
the effort it took to secure him anymore.
Carly had won the battle, but ultimately, she had lost the war. A.J. had, of course, never put her in his will;
she had no grounds to contest the ELQ stocks in his name being split elsewhere. She thanked God that she
didn’t have to maintain the stock, really; money had become a dirty thing to her. A necessity, not a love.
She brushed a hand through her shoulder-length hair, sighing deeply. Where once she could sleep in and
be treated to breakfast in bed, now she had to get up at the crack of dawn to get to work; once she could
spend the day lavishing attention on Michael; now the boy was in daycare.
Carly had spent the months after Jason’s death in her mother’s crowded Brownstone apartment. Bobbie
was sympathetic and gentle with her, but only to a point; nevertheless, she pressured the Quartermains into
readmitting Carly to nursing school. After graduating, however, she knew that they would never give her a
job in the hospital they owned as well. Carly knew that the only chance she had to make a living for her
son was to leave town and take a position in another state. Bobbie had disliked the idea from the start, but
Carly took every last speck of pride she had and moved to Rhode Island.
Her job as a nurse paid well enough to keep she and Michael fed, clothed, and heated. The apartment she
now leased was a cramped walk-up. Still, she had ceased complaining. Death is the ultimate teacher. In
Carly’s case, it made her grateful for her life.
Michael already stood in his playpen, waiting for her to pick him up when she entered the living room. Her
morning routine set in: She changed his diaper, bathed and dressed him. Carly saved all of her own
preparations for last. She made breakfast; toast, tea, fruit and oatmeal for her, Cheerios for Michael.
Sometime during the meal, Michael would hand her a toy. When she wasn’t paying attention to him, he
would hit her on the knee. She smiled to herself; it was a reflection of her own demanding attitude.
Michael had taken Jason’s death harder than her, which is to say that instead of Catatonia, he experienced
hysterics. The child had been inconsolable for weeks. Slowly, gently, she had calmed him. But, to her
consternation, the boy had fixed his love on a new man, the same man she had seen in the park while still
married to A.J.
Steve Austin.
The man’s character reminded her of a few mobsters she had known: No prisoners, no limits, no bounds. It
was the sort of thing Jason would have loved. But she had glimpsed the crack in his shell when he had
caught Michael when she wasn’t looking. So perhaps he wasn’t so terrible a role model for Michael after
all.
After breakfast, Carly bundled Michael up and they stood at the bus stop for a few minutes. Carly was
constantly wary of strangers; Michael had been kidnapped as a young boy by an ex-boyfriend of hers.
When the bus came, she made sure to keep Michael by the window, so that anyone who wanted to harm
him would have to climb over her.
She dropped him off at daycare; where this had been a chore in the weeks prior, Michael now took to the
separation easily.
The first person Carly saw when she went on duty was Sally Cannici, her fellow nurse and a well-known
gossip. They talked lightly for a few minutes as they walked the halls, stopping in various rooms to check
on vitals.
Suddenly, the thunderous rain of footsteps announced a critical patient was being moved to their floor.
“Battle Stations.? Carly murmured. The Gurney rushed before them, swathed in EMTS and a doctor.
“What do we have?? Sally asked, her authoritative voice ringing out over the din.
“Caucasian female, 27. Self-inflicted gunshot wound with a .45 Magnum. Answers to the name of Katy
Williams…..?
“Pulse 30/40.?
“Damn! We have a bleeder here! Suction!?
“She’s in V-Tack!?
“Damnit! Chest compression!?
“Nothing.?
“Paddles!?
“Charging to 200.?
“Clear!?
“Clear!?
“No Change!?
“Charging to 400.?
“Clear!?
“Clear!?
“Pulse is back. Heart is back.?
“Bag her.?
“Damn. What kind of gun did they say again??
“A .45.?
The doctor operating on Katherine Williams whistled morbidly, “A very luck woman. It missed her aorta
by half an inch.?
Carly listened attentively to the doctor’s words as she bagged the woman, squeezing the oxygen bag as she
and the other attending nurses ran down the hallway with the attending physician to get her to the operating
room. The prep team waited for them and took over quickly.
Sally swiped at her forehead with the back of her left hand, “Did you see that exit wound?? She asked.
“Yeah,? Carly said, “That girl had a death wish.?
“I suppose she’ll be ungrateful when she finds out she survived it.?
“I would be. But I’ve never been that desperate.?
Sally shook her head and glanced at her friend, “We’ve ALL been that desperate, Carly. You know that
like no one else.?
“…As much time as you need off. Of course, we’ll pay you. When such a tragedy strikes, it’s absolutely
unavoidable.?
Steve bobbed his head to indicate to his boss that he understood. Wouldn’t the universe go into shock at
seeing Steve Austin and Vince McMahon having a civil conversation in Vince’s plush Titan Towers office?
Steve felt the duality of their universe. At the moment, Stone Cold lay folded up in a cedar chest, awaiting
withdrawal. Steve Willams agreed to Vince McMahon’s appraisal of the situation. One month should be
fine. No, the children are with their mother. He would call her on his own time.
Vince handed him his travel information and they shook hands. Steve didn’t attempt to second-guess
Vince’s sincerity. Was that true sympathy he expressed, or callow emotions faked to make his top draw
believe his aim true? Steve’s tickets had been traded in for an earlier flight, and Vince had his ring gear
shipped home. He even got a limo from the Towers to the airport. The whole way over, he drank.
Steve asked for a beer the moment he boarded the plane. A series of attentive stewardesses fed his need for
alcohol with delight. He signed autograph after autograph. Steve felt cracks forming in his smile, which
drooped more and more every second. The relief he felt when the plane made it’s final approach was
unmatched. By the time he drew Presidential attention in the lobby, he was on his way to being truly
drunk.
He raced through the airport, hailed a cab, and under the impressed eyes of his driver, said, “County
General, please.?
“So, how did Katherine Williams make out in surgery?? Carly’s aimed to sound casual, but she didn’t
succeed.
The mostly-bald, gray-haired doctor, rose his caterpillar-like white eyebrows and said, “You have an
unnaturally high interest in Ms. Williams, Mrs. Quarter…?
“..Miss Benson.? She said firmly.
“I apologize,? The doctor shuffled down the hallway beside her at an accusingly slow pace, the time being
rather late and his shift rather long. “She stopped breathing twice during surgery and went into V-Tack
once. She’s in a coma now.?
“What are her chances??
“Odds are she won’t pull through,?
Carly swallowed, “Thank you.? She said.
She and Sally traded cases; Carly ended up with the Williams case. That afternoon, she made her rounds
and took notice of the woman.
Woman?, Carly thought to herself, she’s barely older than me. She looks even younger. Katherine
Williams had Nordic features, replete with blond hair and pale skin. She seemed the living image of a
Barbie doll, Her appearance marred only by the tubes that kept her alive at the moment and the protective
wrappings on her left breast, seeped in blood.
Carly carefully changed the dressing, watching fresh blood ooze out of the wound. Carefully, she cleaned
it. The empathy she felt for Katherine felt endless. How many times in recent years could she have been
lying in this woman’s place?
As she read the woman’s vital signs and recorded them, a loud commotion rang from outside of the room.
Carly straightened her shoulders and lay the chart down. She knew that this, also, was part of her duty as a
nurse.
“…Don’t care what the sign says. She’s my sister, and she needs me!?
For only a moment did she hesitate at the size of the man yelling at Sally. Something within her shrugged
and the old, feisty Caroline emerged from the shadows of complacency. She firmly grasped the shoulder of
the man and spun him around.
“I’m sorry.? She said, in a monotone, “You’re going to have to leave.?
The man, huge, garbed in denim and almost a half-foot taller than she, glared down at her. Memories of
the park, the name splashed across his chest and hat, and her son’s favorite wrestler all converged to make
an undeniably familiar picture.
The attending, attracted from two rooms down the hall by this commotion, confirmed her realization.
“My God,? He gawked, “You’re Stone Cold Steve Austin!?
(More tomorrow!
With Love,
Missy)
Steve’s grin was a defacto version of the real article, “Hell, yeah, son, I’m Steve Austin,? He grinned
crookedly at the doctor.
“I watch Raw every week, Mr. Austin…I love it when you take a chair and hit the corporate Ministry with
a….? The doctor spoke at great length about a match he’d seen recently, acting it out a bit.
Steve’s smile thinned slightly as the story progressed. He seemed distracted by the young, blond nurse.
She stared up at him unwaveringly. She seemed familiar, form where he couldn’t place. Finally tired of
the doctor’s hero worship, Steve asked, “If I give you an autograph, will you let me see my sister??
The doctor was momentarily stunned by Steve’s offer, “No, that’s OK, Stone Cold. You can go see your
sister right now.?
Steve tipped his baseball cap, “Much obliged, Doctor,? He said, sounding like a southern gentleman. The
doctor went back to his duties, and Sally continued her rounds, but Carly stood staring at Steve with the
most direct eyes he had ever seen. They made him feel abashed, and he instantly straightened up, sobering
up slightly.
Carly yanked the door open to his sister’s room without saying a single thing. She felt a distinct anger at
this man for using his celebrity as a way to get into his sister’s room, and for verbally abusing her friend.
She watched Steve’s face droop and his eyes soften at the site of his sister.
“Katy…? His voice, roughened with emotion, sounded barely audible. Carly picked it up. She felt a bit
sorry for him. Only a bit. He eased into a nearby chair and simply looked at her.
“What is all of this shit she’s connected to?? He asked Carly.
“Machines necessary to keep her alive, Mr. Williams.?
His head was nearly flung from his shoulders as he turned his head. His horrified eyes said it all, “Alive??
“She’s in a coma.? Carly said, “I was there when she went into V-Tac..?
“What??
“Her heart stopped beating.?
“Oh my God…? He swallowed hard. He seemed to be fighting his tears. “Can I touch her??
“Carefully. If any of these devices are detatched, it could mean the difference between her living and
dying.?
Steve gave her another sharp look, then, with the utmost gentleness, he cupped his sister’s hand and stroked
her knuckles, back and forth.
“What are her chances??
“A doctor will be in to give you more information.? Carly said. Steve didn’t answer her; he bore holes into
the wall with his icy blue eyes. He suddenly turned and glared at her.
“Tell me.?
“I heard the doctors talking.?
“And…?
Carly hesitated, “I’m sorry, but they don’t believe she’ll make it.?
“You’re wrong. She will make it.? He leaned closely to her, “Come on Katy….?
He continued to speak to his sister in hushed tones. Carly, knowing that she was intruding in a private
moment, retreated from the room and returned to her rounds.
Before she went off-duty, Carly found Sally in the lounge, drinking a large cup of coffee. “Christ, who was
that guy?? Sally asked.
“Stone Cold Steve Austin,? Carly replied, “A wrestler. My son’s hero.?
“I thought he might be,? Sally mused, “Did you see the size of him? I come up to his torso.?
Carly made an acknowledging noise.
“It’s a shame about his sister.? Sally made a shooting motion with her fingers, “Post-Pardum will do that to
you.?
“Post-Padum??
“She had a baby four weeks ago,? Sally said, “I heard the doctors talking about it. The cops found a note
by her. Said she couldn’t take it anymore.?
Carly felt her hands go limp, “Damn.? Carly whispered softly. She remembered the first year after
Michael’s birth with all too much clarity.
“I know.? Sally rinsed her mug out in a nearby sink. “Do you want to go play pool with me tonight?
Fineberg and Wilson are coming.?
Carly once again, was reminded how very much alike she and Sally would have been B.J+ A.J (Before
Jason and A.J.). Sally had a tendancy to gladly slouch off her troubles with men and alchol. It was a
luxury Carly could no longer afford to indulge. Michael was her whole life.
“Not today.?
“Michael?? She asked.
“Yeah.?
“Are you sure you’re not going to check up on that Austin guy??
“Very.?
“I don’t believe you, somehow,? Sally yawned, her carmine lips making a circle, then snapping into shape,
“Have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.?
“See you.? Carly said. By now she had redressed and prepared herself to pick up Michael. But, as Sally
prophesized, she couldn’t resist making a visit to Katherine Williams’s room. Her brother sat beside her in
the bed. Carly immediately sought to protest this.
“You can’t lay in your sister’s bed, Sir.? Carly curtly told Austin.
Steve’s blue eyes snapped open, “I want to make her feel comforable,? He said.
“She’s as comfortable as possible, Mr. Williams.?
Steve climbed out of the bed and sat back down in the chair, “Don’t tell me that visitors hours are over like
the last one. I’ll give you a quarter of a million autographs if it’ll shut you up.?
Carly’s eyes crackled with anger. “I can’t be bought, Mr. Williams. I don’t care how long you stay, or
what you do.?
“You keep coming here quite frequently for someone who doesn’t care what I do.?
“I’m here to check on the well-being of your sister.?
“In civilian clothing??
Carly’s cheeks flushed, “I feel a sympathy for her. Are you satisfied??
Steve drew himself stiffly up. “My sister is a strong, brave, wonderful woman. She doesn’t need your
pity.?
Carly stomped out of the room, “Mr. Williams, I offer your sister nothing but care. You don’t know me.?
Steve once again felt abashed as he watched her leave the room.
Carly picked her son up. As always seeing him improved her mood. In two years, she knew that he would
begin school. Every moment with him seemed precious.
She took him to the park immediately after work. They spent their usual two hours on the slides, and she
pushed him on the swings. Then they went home and Carly prepared dinner. After eating, they played
with his Matchbox cars. Lastly, as she did every night, Carly read her son his favorite book, a volume
about Africa Jason had read to him nightly. Soon, his little eyes drooped and Carly lay her son in his crib.
As every night before it, this night Carly had barely enough energy to set her clock, shower and crawl into
bed before falling into a deep sleep. In her dreams, she saw the eyes of Steve Williams, accusingly
mocking her out of existence.
Go On