Fathers and Sons Author: Dee Email: dee2behere@yahoo.com Rating: PG Summary: Never ending problems between fathers and sons. Disclaimer: All the characters are taken from The Guardian with the exception of the Myers family. --+-- Nick walked into LSP and made his way through the people gathered in the bullpen. The noise level was high and the area bustled with activity. As he started towards his office he heard Lulu call his name. He stopped and turned to walk over to where Lulu was standing. "I have a case for you. He's over there, 15 year old runaway the police picked him up last night." Nick looked irritated. "Yeah, so where are his parents. Why isn't he back with them?" "His father and stepmother don't want him back. Not sure where his mother is, she apparently has a drug and alcohol problem. So, he needs a foster situation or shelter." Lulu handed Nick the file, he took it from her and turned to go to his office. "Oh Nick, your Dad called this morning and yesterday afternoon looking for you. Is everything OK?" "Yeah, everything's fine." Lulu looked concerned and then retreated to her office. Nick walked by the boy and taps him on the shoulder. "Come on with me." The boy followed Nick into his office and sat down in the chair across from Nick's desk. Nick looked briefly at the file while the boy sat silently. "So, Mike why have you ran away from home so many times?" The boy did not answer; he sat slumped in the chair with his head down. "Well, if I am going to help you, you need to talk to me." The boy still did not respond. "OK then you can wait out there until it is time for the hearing." Nick got up and walked around the desk towards the door. He put his hand on the doorknob to open the door but stopped when the boy spoke. "They don't want me. They have three other kids. My Mom dumped me there one day when I was 10. I don't think my step mom is too happy about having her husband's kid living there. I guess she's still pissed off that he had an affair with my mom before they got married. I don't want to go back there." "OK then I can try to get you into a foster home if that's what you want, if not then the Allegheny Home for Boys." "Whatever" the boy responded with a sarcastic tone. Just then Laury Solt entered. "I see you two have met. Are you all set with him Nick?" "Yeah, we have a hearing at 2pm in front of Judge Damson." She put her hand on Mike's shoulder. "Come with me Mike, I picked up some lunch for you on the way here. I'll bring him to court at 2." "Thanks Laurie" The boy got up and followed Laury out of the office. Nick closed the door behind them and went back to his desk. He checked the messages on his cell phone and jotted down some phone numbers as he listened. The last message was from his Dad. "Nick, this is at least the 5th message I have left for you, call me will you." Nick put the phone down and just sat staring into space for a few minutes before getting back to the file on his desk. --+-- Nick drove up to the house on Kelly Court in a nice section of Lancaster. As he approached the front door he took note of the well- kept Victorian home and finely trimmed lawn. He rang the doorbell and an attractive woman came to the door. "Can I help you?" "I am looking for Robert Myers." "Yes, he is out back doing some yard work." "Thank you." Nick headed for the backyard. "Mr. Myers?" The man stopped raking and looked up at Nick. A little girl stood close by him and 2 boys looked on nearby. "Yes, can I help you?" "Mr. Myers, my name is Nicholas Fallin, I am an attorney with Legal Services, and I am here to talk to you about your son Mike." "What about him?" The man now seemed agitated knowing why Nick was there. "Do you know that your son will be going to a foster home or shelter?" "Yes, I know that." "So your plan is to just throw him away." Now the man was angry." No that is not my plan, but what else can I do?" The little girl at the man's side started to get upset. "What does he mean daddy? You're throwing Mike away. He's not coming home anymore?" The man glared at Nick and pulled the little girl close to his leg. "Honey go over and play with your brothers while I talk to Mr. Fallin. Mike is OK don't worry." The little girl looked at Nick and turned to go over to her brothers. "Mr. Fallin you don't know what this family has been through. I can't have him here anymore. Mike is out of control; he's angry, he drinks and does drugs. I don't know if you have kids, Mr. Fallin, but this has to be the most difficult thing a parent can go through. I love Mike, but I love my wife and other children too and I can't let him destroy this family. I am sorry for the life that Mike has had, but I can't change that. I regret not getting involved in his life before his mother dropped him here but I cannot allow him to punish me for that for the rest of my life." The man turned to walk away and then turned back to Nick. His eyes were wet and his voice now cracked as he spoke. "Wherever he ends up, do you think I will be able to see him?" "I'll ask." Nick watched the man walk back to his other children. The little girl ran over to her dad and he picked her up and hugged her. Nick walked back to his car. --+-- Jake knocked on Burton's office door and entered. "Oh hi Jake. Have a seat. I just wanted to congratulate you on the great job you did on the Hutchenson deal. Joe Hutchenson and his stockholders were quite happy." "Thank you Burton. I worked very hard on that." Jake's face gleamed with pride. "Well, it showed." "Um, Burton, I just want to mention that even though that was supposed to be mine and Nick's, I did all the finish work. I haven't seen Nick since Monday when I passed him coming into your office. So, I just want to make sure that the resource credit is adjusted appropriately." "Oh, of course." "Well I better get back to work. Thanks again Burton." Jake left the office closing the door behind him. He strutted through the isles of Fallin + Fallin with a new found confidence. Every good day like today brings him closer to where he wants to be. After Jake left the office, Burton seemed to be lost in thought. He walked over to the window, with his hands in his pockets, he stared out at the skyline. --+-- Judge Damson's courtroom was very busy but she was not present yet. Nick sat down at the table with Mike and Laury. He leaned past Mike to Laury "Who is that?" He was referring to the two men seated at the table to the right of them. "Juvenile Police Officers." "Why are they here I thought this was a shelter hearing." Laury responded reluctantly. "It is a shelter hearing but they are hear to take custody because Mike had a positive drug screen when he was picked up." "You could have told me. This changes the whole case" "I'm sorry Nick, I just found out myself a few minutes ago." "All Rise." Judge Damson was entering the courtroom. The bailiff handed her the first file. "Michael Myers, shelter hearing." "Mr. Fallin what is your recommendation?" "Your honor, I recommend 30 days in Hope Youth Rehabilitation Center." One of police officers stood. "Your honor we are here to take custody of Michael Myers. He has been a runaway several times and when we picked him up last night he had a positive drug screen. We will be taking him to Juvenile Detention." Nick looked over at the officers and then to Judge Damson. "Your honor Michael Myers is not a criminal, he needs counseling and drug rehabilitation." "Shut up man, I'm not going to any rehab, I'm not a drug addict!" Nick put his hand out in front of Mike. "Your honor can I have a minute with my client." "Make it fast Mr. Fallin, I am running behind schedule today." Nick leaned over and spoke softly to Mike. "You don't have to many choices here. Those officers are going to take you to Juvy. Do you know what it is like to be in jail?" "No, do you? I would say it's better than some shrink picking at your brain all day. Besides you said I could go to a shelter or foster home so you lied to me!" "I didn't lie to you, I did not know you were using. That changes the whole picture." "Mr. Fallin are you ready to continue?" "Yes, Your Honor, I stand on my recommendation for drug rehabilitation." "I am going to place Michael Myers in Hope Youth Rehab for 30 days or more according to the facilities recomendations. We will review this case in 30 days. Mr. Myers I want to make it clear to you that you are under court order and if you leave the facility you will go directly to Juvenile Detention. This is your chance to turn your life around. I hope you take advantage of that. Next case." Nick picked up his briefcase and hurried out of the courtroom. One of the officers took Mike by the arm and led him out. The other officer and Laury followed. Nick was outside of the courtroom talking with Robert Myers. As the officers lead the boy through the corridor, the father and son locked gazes for a few moments but neither spoke. The officers continued to lead the boy down the corridor. Laury thanked Nick and left. Mr. Myers voice cracked as he spoke to Nick. "Do you think he'll want to see me when I am able to." "I don't know. But Mr. Myers if you care about your son know that no matter how much he pushes you away, whether he knows it or not, he needs you." Mr. Myers shook hands with Nick. "Thank you Mr. Fallin." --+-- It was late, a little past 10pm. Nick new his dad was still up because the light was on in the living room. He sat in the car for a few minutes. He had not spoken to his dad in 4 days. He had avoided him by going to Fallin + Fallin late at night to work, and not returning his phone calls. But, now he knew he needs to talk to his dad. He stepped out of the car, swallowed hard, and headed for the house. Burton was seated on the leather couch looking over some paperwork. He looked up when he heard Nick come in. Nick went over and sat on the loveseat to the left of the couch. Burton took off his glasses and placed them on the coffee table with the paperwork he was reading. For several moments neither of them spoke. "Nicholas, what is going on with you?" "Nothing, nothing is going on with me." Again there was silence. Burton looked at his son. Nick sat with his elbows on his knees and head down. "Son, if you need to go back to rehab, we can...." Nick snapped his head up and interrupted Burton. "I don't need to go back to rehab Dad. Is that why you think I went to L.A.?" "Well with your history, you shirk your responsibilities to the firm, you don't even answer my calls, what the hell do you expect me to think!" "Look Dad, I already told you I was sorry. I didn't come here to argue with you." Nick stood up to leave. "Then don't. Sit down and talk to me." Nick sat down again, but was silent for a few moments and then blurted out in a barely audible voice. "Alvin's dying." "Alvin?" Burton was shocked. "ALS, Lou Gehrigs Disease. He took me to L.A. with him for his bachelor party. He asked me to be his best man; he's marrying Victoria. I didn't know anything about the trip until the night before." "Why didn't you just tell me Nicholas?" "Alvin asked me not to tell anyone." "Why L.A." "He wanted to see some witch doctor healer there and to try to see his 15 year old son, he has only seen once." "I didn't know Alvin had a son." "Neither did I" "Well I certainly am sorry about Alvin. That is terrible news." The men were silent for a few moments. "Dad, I appreciate you setting up that retreat in hopes of the partners gaining confidence in me, and I'm sorry I blew that for you." "I know son" Nick looked at his watch. "I better go it's getting late." Nick stood to leave. "Nicholas, did he get to see his son?" "Yeah, he did." "Good, that's really good." Nick walked towards the door and turned back to his father. "I'll see you tomorrow at the office." "Will I?" "Yeah" "Good" "Good night Dad." "Good night son." Fathers and Sons-Part 2 "Good morning Jake." Burton walked around the conference room table and sat down. Jake couldn't help but wonder why Gretchen had told him that Burton wanted to meet with him in the conference room right away. "Jake, Joe Hutchenson and some of his boys are coming in this afternoon for an emergency meeting, there is a problem with the deal." "What kind of problem Burton?" "We'll discuss it as soon as Nicholas gets here." "Nick is going to be here?" Jake had an edge in his voice that made Burton take notice. Just then Nick came into the conference room. "Sorry, I got here as soon as I could." "That's OK son. Apparently there has been some developments overnight that's a deal stopper for Hutchenson." Burton took a folded newspaper and put it in front of Nick. "Take a look at that." Burton pointed out a headline on the front page of the Pittsburgh Gazette - STATE SENATOR URGED TO RESIGN: State Senator Robert Peterson is being urged to resign after a report indicates he has been collecting consult fees from companies directly effected by bills he has voted on in the past 2 years. One of those companies, Hutchenson INC.... Nick finished reading the article, passed the newspaper on to Jake and leaned back in his chair. "Hutchenson has no idea this was going on and he is not really sure who in his company was involved. Neither one of you knew anything about this did you? "No" Nick answered quickly and shook his head. "Jake?" "Uh, no" "That's good, this could bankrupt Hutchenson and we don't need any accusations of misrepresentation. He is not going to be able to go ahead with the mall construction and everyday he sits on that land he's bleeding money. This could tie up this deal for years." "Well I'll get to work on this." Nick stood up and left the room. Jake had not moved from his chair. Burton looked over his glasses at Jake. "Something else Jake?" "I um." Jake decided not to challenge Burton right now. "I'll get to work too." Jake left the conference room and headed for Nick's office. Nick was at his desk going through some law books. Jake entered and closed the door behind him. "I don't get it, I just don't get it" Nick continued looking down at his book. "Don't get what?" "You and your dad." "What are you talking about?" Nick seemed agitated. "What am I talking about! I'm talking about you blowing off the entire weekend, disappearing for days, leaving me with all the finish work on the Hutchenson deal, and here you are as if none of that ever happened!" Nick still did not lift his eyes from the book. "You know what Jake I don't have time for this crap right now." Jake leaned over Nick's desk and put his hand over the book Nick was looking at. "Let me tell you something Nick, I am sick and tired of no matter how hard I try or what I do you always manage to float to the top no matter what you do or don't do. The only reason why you're where you are is because your last name is Fallin and everyone around here knows that. If it wasn't for Burton you would be a nobody or maybe in jail or lying in some gutter and everyone around here knows that too!" Nick had not looked up at Jake or given any indication he was affected by what Jake was saying. "Could you say something you smug bastard!" Jake's face was red with anger. "Yeah, take your hand off my book." Nick responded in a low voice with no evidence of emotion. Jake took his hand off the book. He turned and charged out of the office leaving the door swinging on its hinges. Nick sat back in his chair and folded his arms in front of him. He stared off to the windows for a few seconds. He rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb to take away the sting and tried to get back to his work. Fathers and Sons-Part 3 "Did you want to see me Dad?" Nick had knocked once and entered Burton's office. He didn't like the look he saw on his father's face. "Close the door and sit down Nicholas." Nick obediently closed the door and cautiously sat down in front of his dad's desk. "Hutchenson is filing a suit against us for misrepresentation." Before Nick had a chance to respond Burton continued. "Why did you lie to me Nicholas?" "What? Lie to you about what?" Nick was on the defense now. "You told me you knew nothing about Senator Peterson working for Hutchenson's company, yet his oldest son says he told you and you didn't say anything about it presenting any problems." "He told me?" Nick was very angry now. Angry that someone would lie about what they said and angry that his father assumed that he was the one lying. "Well did he or not?" "I told you no, Dad. I met Peterson one day several months ago at Hutchenson's office, but Joe Jr. told me that he was a friend of his dads. He said nothing about money exchanging hands." "And you didn't ask right?" "No, why would I?" "Because their clients Nicholas! And that's what we do, is make sure that our clients don't get themselves into situations like this!" Nick sat back in the chair and dropped his head down. "What do you want me to do Dad?" "Nothing right now. Jake and I are meeting with Hutchenson today to try to smooth this over and get them to withdraw." "Oh you and Jake." Nick's tone was sarcastic at this point. "That's right." Burton stood up from the desk, took his jacket off the coat rack, and adjusted his tie. "Hopefully we can get us out of this mess." Burton left the office leaving Nick sitting there. After contemplating what had happened, Nick got up and headed back towards his office. He stopped and looked when he saw Jake and his dad heading out of the lobby together. Jake opened the door for Burton and looked over and saw Nick standing there. Their eyes met for a few seconds and then Jake followed Burton out. Nick sat down at his desk and tried to get into some paperwork but he just couldn't concentrate. He picked up his briefcase and headed over to LSP. --+-- Lulu greeted him when he got off the elevator. "Oh Nick can I talk to you a minute?" Nick was thinking, "What did I do now?" as he followed Lulu into her office. Lulu closed the door. "Nick I made an appointment for us tonight." "Ok, an appointment for what?" "You said that you would go to counseling with me. You're not going to back out on me are you?" "No, I said I would go." "Nick, I know you don't like these kind of things, and I don't either, but I think we need to do this. We need to figure out why we can't be together. If not for us then for our baby." "What time?" "6 pm" "Do you want me to pick you up?" "No I think we should just meet there. Here is the card with the address. I'll see you there at 6?" Nick did not answer her, he just looked at the card, put it in his pocket and turned and left. Lulu just watched him as he walked out the door. --+-- Lulu sat in the plush waiting room looking off and on at her watch. It was 6pm and Nick had not arrived. "Ms Archer, come in please." Lulu hesitantly got up and followed the receptionist into an office. A gentleman sat in a big leather chair and stood up to shake Lulu's hand. "Sit down Ms Archer." He motioned for her to sit on the comfy looking leather couch to the left of his chair. "Are you alone?" "Well, I wasn't supposed to be, Dr Martins, this is couple counseling right?" "Yes, but don't feel awkward, lots of time partners don't show. All that means is we continue with the session without them. Are you OK with that, Ms Archer?" "Yes, just please call me Louisa or Lulu, either is fine." "Ok Louisa, what brings you here?" Lulu sighed not knowing where to begin. "Well as you can see I'm about to have a baby very soon. My baby has Down syndrome and I had hoped that the baby's father, Nick, and I could work out some of the issues we have between us. I think that is going to be important for the baby don't you?" "Absolutely! What are some of those issues?" Lulu hesitated and just kind of gave a little insecure smile. "I don't even know where to begin, there is so..." Lulu was interrupted by a knock on the door. "I think your beginning just arrived." Dr Martins smiled at Lulu and she uncomfortably smiled back. Nick entered the office. Dr Martins stood up and shook hands with Nick. "Sorry I'm late." "No problem, Nick, have a seat. Louisa was just starting to tell me some of the issues the two of you are up against." Nick took a deep breath, folded his arms in front of him. "Or perhaps you would like to start?" Nick did not answer he just looked at Dr Martins. "Well I guess that's a no, so Louisa why don't you continue." --+-- "Lulu wait a minute will you." "For what Nick" Lulu's face was filled with anger and hurt as she put her key in the lock of her car. "Lulu, I am just pre-occupied tonight. It'll be better next time." "Pre-occupied with what? Obviously something more important to you than us and this child's future." "Us, I didn't think there was an "us" anymore." "There will always be an "us", Nick! We are about to bring a child into this world that will require lots of "us." Lulu turned and started to get in her car when Nick stopped her from closing the door. "Lulu, I'm sorry. I..." Lulu interrupted him, "You're sorry, sorry for what, for being an ass in there. No, you had your chance to talk and you just sat there and didn't offer anything at all. So now I don't want to talk!" She slammed the car door, started the car, and left, leaving Nick standing there. --+-- Nick sat at his kitchen table working on some papers when his dad knocked and entered. "Hey son." "Dad" Burton sat down at the table with Nick. "Things aren't looking good Nicholas. Hutchenson is really po'd about this and wants something done and if he has to continue with the lawsuit he will. I have to present their offer for settlement to the Executive Committee tomorrow morning." Nick did not make any attempt to argue with Burton, he was feeling too defeated right now to respond. He just kept his head down, as Burton continued. "They want $500,000 and your head on a plate." This made Nick look up. "What time are you meeting with the EC?" "10 am why?" "Why? Because I am going over to see that lying bastard tomorrow morning. I want Junior to tell me to my face in front of Joe Sr. that he told me anything about Peterson!" "Nicholas, you are not to go anywhere near them. That will just make things worst. Do you understand me?" Nick did not answer. He bit his lip with anger. Burton waited for an answer from his son. Finally Nick looked at Burton and quietly as he shook his head he mumbled, "Yeah." Burton got up from the table and started to leave. As he walked by Nick he patted his hand on Nick's shoulder and said, "Try to get some sleep son. I will see you tomorrow." Burton started for the door, glanced a concerned look at Nick and then left. --+-- Nick walked into Fallin + Fallin at about noon. He had several cases he needed to take care of at LSP that morning. Lulu wouldn't even look at him. He felt as if they had stepped back to months before when he went back to Rehab. He tried to get that out of his head as he entered his other world. He walked through the office towards his dad's office, he had an uncomfortable feeling that people were whispering and looking at him. Usually when he walked through the office everyone pretty much ignored him but today was different, there seemed to be a "buzz" in the atmosphere. He knocked once on his father's door and entered. His dad stood pensively looking out the window. "Hey" Nick could very plainly see something was very wrong. Nick walked over to his dad. "Dad, what's going on?" "The EC made a settlement with the Hutchensons." Burton continued to stare out the window. "Right" Nick responded reluctantly, he knew the boom was about to drop. "They agreed to settle with Hutchenson for the $500,000 dollars. Which Hutchenson accepted. "Ok" Nick knew his father was holding back. Burton sighed and then continued. "Only with the stipulation that you were fired from the firm." "Right" Nick could hardly believe what he was hearing. "I'm sorry son." Nick did not respond, he just turned and left his father's office. As he walked through Fallin + Fallin the "buzz" had now become silence. He didn't make eye contact with anyone except when he passed Jake. "Nick I'm..." Nick didn't stop he just glared at Jake and continued walking towards the front door. Jake turned and headed towards Burton's office. The door was partially open but he wasn't sure whether to go in or not. He saw a broken man staring out the window and when Burton put his hand up to wipe his eyes, Jake new he should not go in, so he turned and went back to his office. Fathers and Sons-Part 4 "Can I help you Mr. Fallin?" the receptionist tried to get Nick's attention as he walked right by her at Hutchenson and Sons, Inc. "Excuse me Mr. Fallin, you can't go in there, Mr. Fallin!" The receptionist had now left her desk and followed Nick toward Joe Junior's office. The door to the office was closed. Nick didn't bother to knock; he just opened the door and entered. Joe Jr. was seated behind his desk and two men were seated across from him. "I'm sorry, I tried to stop him." "It's Ok Cynthia." The receptionist looked concerned but turned and went back to her desk. "Gentlemen, do you think I could have a few minutes?" The two men stood up and glared at Nick on their way out the door. Nick kept his focus on Joe Jr. One of the men stopped in the doorway and looked back. "I'll leave the door open. We'll be right out here if you need us." After the men left, Nick turned and closed the door. He stood there and stared at Joe Jr. "Have a seat, Nick," Nick remained standing and staring. "What do you want, Nick?" "You will not get away with this." "Now, you wouldn't be threatening me Nick, would you?" "I know you did this to protect you own ass, but you better keep watching that ass and anyone else's that was involved in this because I'm going to bring them right down with you." Nick kept his stare on Joe Jr. Joe began to squirm. "You need to leave Nick or I'm going to call the police and have you removed and I really don't think you want that." Nick remained staring at Joe but then turned and walked out of the office. The two men were still standing outside the door. They stood in front of Nick for a few seconds and then parted to let him pass. --+-- "You're not softening up on me now are you?" Joe Hutchenson Jr. had a sarcastic tone to his voice. The two men sat across from one another in the out of the way bar and grill. They both had drinks in front of them and spoke quietly. "No, I just kind of feel bad for the old man, you know, and don't think for one minute he is going to let this go down easy." "My father called Burton today and told him if Nick came anywhere near me again, we would have him arrested. Burton was very apologetic and said he would see to it that it didn't happen again. He seemed angry about it and not to anxious to defend the "Golden Boy." "Yeah well you don't know the so called Golden Boy the way I do, somehow he always manages to climb right back up into the old man's graces, no matter what he does or doesn't do. So Burton might make sure Nick doesn't pull anything again but believe me he is not just going to let this happen. This is not over yet." "Well, I don't think we have a thing to worry about. My father believes me and that is all I care about. If he knew the truth he'd kill me then he'd fire me. I don't know anything else, I have worked in this business my entire life and I am not going to loose it now. So if we both keep our mouths shut and stick with the fact that it was Nick and not you that knew about Peterson getting paid then we both gain. I get to keep my father's respect and my job. Nick takes the fall and you get a shot at where you want to be. What a deal hah?" "Yeah well let's hope this deal doesn't kick us in the ass. Burton is a powerful man and he will do most anything to protect his boy. Believe me if he finds out that I had anything to do with this my career is over." "Well, you just need to keep your eye on the prize, that name on the door, "Jake Straka, Managing Partner". The two men chuckled and clanged their glasses together. --+-- Nick had wrapped up his last case for the day in Judge Damsen's courtroom and now was at LSP catching up on some paperwork. Everyone was gone and Nick was glad. He really did not want to see anyone or have to face Lulu. He just wanted to get the work done he needed to get done and get home. His head was pounding and his stomach was feeling like any empty hole. During the drive home he tried not to think about how different life was when alcohol and drugs dulled his senses. When he opened the door to his house he saw his dad there, sitting at the kitchen table, reading the "Law Review". "Dad, what are you doing here? It's late." "Waiting for you." Nick sat down at the table. He looked drained in every way and Burton was feeling a deep concern that only a parent can feel. "Have you eaten anything? I picked up a sandwich for you." Burton placed the wrapped sandwich in front of Nick. "Thank you, but I'm not really hungry." "Nicholas, you should not have gone over to Hutchenson's today. That was a bad move. You are not thinking straight right now." Nick did not respond; he just dropped his head down. Burton could see Nick withdrawing and new he needed to choose his words carefully. He had seen Nick do this before in difficult situations and didn't want him too retreat to far within himself. "I tried to smooth things over with Joe Sr. and he won't pursue anything as long as you stay away from them. Ok?" Nick did not respond; he just kept his head down. "Nicholas" Nick looked up at his father "Yes, Ok" "You know son I've been thinking that you should file a complaint with the board." "No, I'm not doing that Dad." "Nicholas, you have to fight this. You can't just let those guys kick you around and I can't sit around and watch it happen either." "I am just going to take a job with another firm." "Oh really, so you're not going to face this and fight? You're just going to take the easy way out and walk away." Nick was becoming defensive and his tone showed it. "I'm not taking the easy way out just the best way right now...for both of us." "For both of us? Nicholas you're my son and I'm not afraid to fight those bastards. They didn't even give you or me a chance to defend you. Somehow before the meeting even took place they were already convinced of what the outcome should be." "We won't win Dad. It will just make things worst for you." "Make things worst? I have been there so long because I wanted to get you through your probation and back to working full time, so then you could take over my place. Now that is never going to happen. How could things possibly be any worst for me at this point?" Nick did not look up at his father. He couldn't stand to see the disappointment and hurt in his eyes. They just sat in silence for a few minutes. Burton decided not to push his son anymore tonight. He tapped on the table and stood up to leave. "Well, you think about it, son." "Yeah". --+-- "Excuse me, Burton, do you have a minute?" Jake had entered Burton's office; the door was open so he didn't bother to knock. The morning sun was shining in the office window and Burton sat with his back to it looking over some papers. "Sure Jake, what's on your mind?" "What do you want me to do with Nick's open cases? I went through his office and he seems to have quite a few that are just hanging right now. His associates or his secretary don't seem to know what's up with any of them either." "You went through his office?" "Well, I am trying to do what is best for the clients Burton, so I thought I would try to organize what he had and make sure we are addressing anything necessary." "You had no right to do that. Not you or anyone else around here! I will take care of Nicholas's clients. Now, if you don't mind I have a lot of work to do." Jake knew he was being dismissed he started to leave the office but turned back to face Burton. "The partners don't want Nick around the office, he does not work here any longer and should not have access to anything here at all. I hope he realizes that. I guess they are a little nervous after what happened at Hutchenson's yesterday." Burton did not answer Jake. He put his glasses on and started working on some papers in front of him. Jake turned and left the office. --+-- Nick arrived at L.S.P. and could barely make his way through the people waiting in the bullpen. As he made his way through the office he noticed Lulu's door was closed. Alvin met him in front of his office. "Hey Nick thank God you're here. With Lulu being out of work we are backed up." "Lulu is out of work?" "You didn't know, the doctor took her out of work this morning. She is at the hospital on bed rest." Nick seemed very distressed over this news. He also could not believe Lulu didn't even call him. "Can you please take some of these files and get going on them, Nick."? "You know Alvin, I only have a few more hours to complete my probation, so I only want to take short resolve cases." "Well here take these two shelter hearings that were Lulu's. There taking place in a half hour." Nick took the files and started in on them. The courthouse was also very busy and the shelter hearings did not go off on time. Nick was anxious to get over to the hospital to check on Lulu so his patience was growing thin. When the hearings were finally over he headed over to the hospital. He asked at the Nurses Station for Lulu's room. Lulu was sleeping when he went in so he just sat down. After about 20 minutes she woke up and saw Nick sitting there. "Oh, hi, how long have you been here?" "Just a few minutes. Why didn't you call me Lulu?" "I um was going to later." Nick just shook his head. "What did the doctor say?" "Well I'm 6 weeks early so they would like to hold off even just another few weeks if the baby will wait. I guess I will be here until I deliver. I am worried about work, I thought I had a few more weeks, so there are a lot of things for Alvin to handle and I just don't know if he is up to it right now." "Well I'll help him." "Thank you, that would be good. You know I am really tired. The medication they are giving me makes me really sleepy." "Ok, then I'll let you rest." Nick stood up to leave and went over to Lulu and kissed her on the cheek. I'll stop back later. Call me if you need anything." "Nick, were you planning on telling me about what happened at work?" "What?" "I know you got fired Nick. Jake stopped by to see me today with Kate and he mentioned it. He just said he felt really bad about it. I guess he thought I already knew." Nick could feel the anger rising inside him. Jake had been there to see Lulu before he himself had seen her and felt free to discuss business with her. "I didn't want to bother you with that." "Well like I said I think he thought I already knew." "Right" Nick turned and left the room. He didn't want Lulu to see how angry he was. --+-- "Gretchen, is my dad there please. I called his office but there is no answer." "No, he hasn't come in today." "Thank you, if he does come in could you have him call me on my cell phone." "I will." Nick was concerned. His father has never missed a day of work with the exception of when he had his heart surgery. He checked out his dad's house but he wasn't there either. He headed back to LSP. "How are you doing Alvin? I took care of those 2 shelter hearings today. Do you have any others you need me to take?" "Well, I didn't think you were interested in taking anymore with your probation being over." "I told Lulu I would help you out and since I do not have a job right now, I have the time." "What do you mean you don't have a job?" "I am not at Fallin, anymore, I will be looking for a new firm." Alvin could see that as usual Nick wasn't too anxious to talk so he didn't press him for any more information. "Can you get to work on this?" Alvin threw a packet of papers down in front of Nick. "The budget for this place for the next fiscal year. I don't know how it's going to survive on what the board gives for operating costs. Donations are also down with so many people struggling themselves. Could you use your corporate talents and work some magic with those numbers. Lulu and I worked on it all last week and got nowhere, things just are not stretching as much anymore and we could have to shut down. That would be a shame to the people of this town. I had hoped I would leave this place as my legacy you know." Nick took the packet "I'll see what I can do." "Great, thanks, Nick." Nick sat down in the conference room and started working on the budget proposal. "Hey, you got a minute?' A feeling of relief came over Nick when he saw his father standing there. "Yeah, where have you been? Gretchen said you didn't go into work today." "Just doing some things. What's that you're working on?" "The budget for this place, which is not looking very good" "Alvin told me Lulu is in the hospital. Is everything Ok with the baby?" "Yeah, well it's a little early so they want her to stay there." "Do you think Alvin is up to running this place again?" "Uh, I'm not sure." "Nicholas, have you thought about what we talked about last night?" Nick just shrugged his shoulders, and slightly shook his head, unsure what to answer. "Well you've got a lot of stuff going on right now. Whatever you decide to do, I'll support your decision." Nick seemed surprised by his father's statement. "Thank you." "Just for curiosity sake Nicholas, what are the operating costs for this place?" "One million, ½ comes from state funding and the other ½ from donations." "Hmm…well, I guess I better go. I have an appointment in a few minutes. Call me if anything happens with Lulu and my little grandchild." "I will." Nick had been working on the budget for several hours when Alvin came in the conference room. "What do you think?' "This is not good, Alvin. You need more money from the State Funding Board or you need an intense campaign for donations. But you also need to increase the budget to even think about keeping this place running another year." "Nick, will you help me convince the State Funding Board tomorrow?" Nick sighed. "Come on Nick, you're my only hope right now." Nick reluctantly responded. "Yeah, Ok" "Good, thanks, the meeting is at 9 in the morning." Fathers and Sons-Part 5 The State Funding Board was already seated in the conference room when Nick arrived at LSP. Alvin's face looked quite relieved when he saw Nick get off the elevator. Barbara brought coffee and pastry to the board members and whispered "good luck" as she passed Alvin and Nick on her way out of the conference room. "Well, I guess we should get started. This is Nicholas Fallin and he has been working with me on this proposal and I am going to turn the floor over to him." Alvin turned to Nick and Nick looked rather surprised that Alvin had done this and was caught off guard. "Um, we have worked out a proposal package and we have some copies here for you to look at" Alvin passed out the copies while Nick continued. "As you know in the past, the State Funding Board has provided a ½ million dollars in funding to Legal Services of Pittsburgh. With that and donations this clinic has provided services to 5000 needy children and clients. But rising costs and lower donations is pushing the clinic into functioning on a less than acceptable budget." The woman sitting at the end of the table spoke, "Mr. Fallin, this budget layout requires more money of the Funding Board and that just is not feasible right now. We need to cut our funding by 20% at least, there is no way that we can approve an increase as it seems in these documents and we…" Alvin interrupted her "Well, this clinic won't be able to survive on less, then what will happen to the children and indigents of this city and surrounding areas that this place has serviced for the past 20 years? Or do you people even care?" "Mr. Masterson we do care, but if the money isn't there it isn't there. You'll have to find other ways to either supplement or cut your budget proposal." "We would have to lay off attorneys, and there are barely enough to go around as it is. These people are handling 10-15 cases a day for a lousy pay. None of these cases are easy. Most of them involve children who don't have a voice without us." Alvin's voice was shaking with anger. Nick took over again. "Look, so what is your bottom line here? How much can you fund?" "400,000" "You know it's kind of strange that "The Children's Project", that services half the amount of clients, got $600,000. That couldn't have anything to do with anyone that sits on the board could it?" Nick stared at the members waiting for an answer. He sat back in his chair and swiveled back and forth. "Mr. Fallin, I don't think we appreciate your accusations, and that will not get you more money." Nick stood up to indicate the meeting was over. "No, probably not today. Have a good day ladies and gentlemen." Nick opened the conference room door and the board members stood up and left the room. "You could have told me you were going to throw that punch Nick! I am not sure attacking other projects is going to get us anywhere here. This is not the corporate world; we rely on Kate Shaw to help us out at times." "Political games are political games, in the corporate world or this world and since you are at the gate of bankruptcy with this clinic, I advise you to get in the game or find another way of supporting it." "Why does that have to come into the picture? These are people's lives we're talking about not real estate." Alvin left the conference room, went to his office and slammed the door. Barbara was standing at the coffee machine and motioned to Nick with a cup of coffee. "I take it that didn't go well?" Nick just shrugged. "Well regardless of how things turn out Nick I think that was really nice of you to help out with that. Oh, how is Lulu doing? I was thinking of stopping by to see her today if she was up to company." "Yeah that would be good." Nick gave Barbara a half smile and went to Alvin's office and closed the door. "Alvin, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that, but I knew if I mentioned it to you, you would have told me not to bring it up and I think it is your only chance." Alvin sighed. "Well, I'm sorry I got angry with you. You know I came into this type of work because I wanted to make a difference and not be involved in all the political riff raff of other types of law. But somehow I guess you just can't escape it. I hate the biting and scratching to get to the front of the line, not caring who it effects or hurts, that's just not the way I chose to live. And I don't want to die knowing that all I stood for was lost because of everything I hated" Tears welled up in Alvin's eyes and he looked down. Barbara opened the door. "Alvin, Laury Solt is here with that kid she said she was taking over." "Ok, send her in." --+-- Walking through the parking lot of the hospital, Nick was wondering if Lulu even wanted him there. He wore a short sleeve black t-shirt, jeans, and a light corduroy dark gray jacket. Even though it was spring the early evening air was very cool. As he approached Lulu's room he could hear voices and laughter so he knew she had company. Barbara had mentioned that she was going to go over to see her so he thought that was the case. When he walked in the room, Barbara was there with her husband Evan. He was surprised to see that Kate and Jake were there also. Nick instantly felt uncomfortable and wished he hadn't come. Jake was the first to say anything. "Hi Nick" Nick did not answer and there was a few seconds of awkward silence. "Well, Lulu, Jake and I have to go, we have an appointment with the photographer." "Yeah we have to go too." Barbara walked over to the bed and squeezed Lulu's hand. "Call me if you need anything or if you just feel like talking, O.K." "I will, thanks for coming by Barbara, bye Evan, nice seeing you again." Nick moved over from the doorway and Barbara smiled at him as she went past. "Kate thanks for getting my stuff for me." "Oh, anything you need, I'll call you or you call me if anything O.k." "O.k., thank you again." Kate leaned over and hugged Lulu. Jake squeezed her hand and leaned over and pecked her on the cheek. "Take care Lulu" Kate smiled at Nick as she left the room, "Bye Nick" Nick smiled a slight smile back. Kate stopped in the doorway to wait for Jake. As Jake passed he touched Nick's arm and Nick instantly pulled away. "Nice to see you Nick." Kate noticed Nick's reaction and for a second looked over at Lulu before she took Jake's arm and they left. Nick went over and sat on the bed next to Lulu. "You know you could have asked me to get what you needed." "Well, it was easier for Kate to do it. Kind of a girl thing you know. So anyway, Alvin told me things didn't go well with the Funding Board today." "Well we haven't got a final answer yet." "I just worry about Alvin, that place means so much to him and I think that it's the only thing keeping him going right now. I told him today that I am not going back as the Director after the baby is born. I only want to go back part time after I have been home with her for a while. I just don't know how that is going to work financially for me." Nick was quick to respond. "Well don't worry about that, I will take care of it." "No, I do not want to have to rely on you, Nick" "I said I would take care of it. So, how are you feeling?" "Ok, I had an Ultrasound today and everything is alright. I could really see the baby moving and everything." "Oh, you had an Ultrasound today." Nick had a sarcastic tone to his voice. "Yeah, well it was a last minute thing. They still want me to stay until I deliver though. They will use the medication to stop my labor for a few more weeks and then once I get past that point they will deliver whenever I start labor again. If the baby starts to run into any trouble though they will do a C-section." Nick just shook his head. "Look, Lulu, I know that you want me out of your life, but, that is still my child." "I know that. There are just so many things between us that I can't get past and I don't know if I ever will. A child needs both parents, but not when it's not the best for them." "Lulu, I am going to be the best father I can be, regardless of what happens between you and I." "I know what you say you want but I just don't know…" Lulu stopped and put her head down. "What? You don't know what? If I'm going to be able to live up to it?" Lulu was silent for a few seconds and then spoke very quietly. "Yeah" Nick could not say anything else. He just got up and left. He rode around for a while before going home. He just couldn't get what Lulu said out of his mind and deep inside he knew she was right. How could she have any faith in him being a father when he has let everyone else in his life down and mostly himself? He got home and immediately went to bed. It was only 9:30pm but he needed to sleep and try to forget about what a screw up he is. It seemed like he had only been sleeping a short time when he was awakened by a loud knocking on the door. He got up and went down stairs rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He opened the door and saw Burton standing there. "Dad what's wrong?" "Nothing, I didn't have my key with me." "Ok, do you realize it's midnight?" "Yeah, I know what time it is. I didn't think you would be sleeping." Burton looked over his son, his hair was mussed and he wore a t-shirt, pajama pants, and bare feet. "Well, I was." "Ok, well go get dressed." "Why?" "Just go get dressed would you please." Nick could not imagine what his father was up to but he was too worn out to ask any more questions. He went upstairs, pulled on a pair of jeans, sweatshirt, and sneakers. Burton drove and Nick sat quietly. Burton glanced over at Nick before he spoke. "I got a call from Todd Stevens today. He wanted to explain to me why he hadn't hired you into his firm. He wanted to let me know that the word is around that you were fired and his other partners didn't want to even consider you. Todd and I have been friends since law school and he said if it were just him, he would have given you the chance. Someone obviously has been very anxious to get that news out on you. Apparently whoever is spreading the word, has also been letting them know the reason you were fired and your past problems" "Yeah" Burton pulled his car up to the curve in front of a brick building. The building was dark and only the streetlights lit the area. "Dad, what are we doing here?" "Come on." Burton got out of the car and walked around to the entrance door of the building. He took a key out of his jacket pocket and opened the door. An alarm started to beep. Burton switched on a light next to the door and punched some numbers into the keypad to stop the beeping. Burton walked a few steps and stopped. He put his hands in his pocket and looked around the empty building. "God it's been a long time since I walked the halls of this place... Yup, this is where it all first started, The Oliver Building. I leased a small part of this building and started Fallin and Associates. Things were different then." "Dad, are you Ok? Why are we here in the middle of the night?" "Because as of tomorrow, well actually today, we are going to own this building." "We?' "Yes, we will just need to sign the papers tomorrow before this place goes on the auction block." Nick rubbed the back of his head. "Dad, I don't even have a job right now. I don't think I am in any position to be buying real estate." "Don't worry about that. But I do need you there to sign the papers. Then we'll work out everything else." "Right, what is the everything else?" "Well son, the other night I said that you not being able to take over the firm was the worst things could be." "Right" Nick could see his dad was struggling with what he wanted to tell him. "Well it's not. It's not the worst thing. That's just money and business. I guess what I'm trying to say, son, is I want us to build something together. Something that's more than just business and making money." "I'm not quite following you dad." Burton continued. "Today, I stepped down as managing partner. I told them that they have two choices. They can buy me out completely and take my name off the door, or they can keep my name on the door and I will be "Of Council" at 25% of any of my clients and yours, since I took them over also." "Dad, if they buy you out, they could go bankrupt." "Yeah, they very well could, couldn't they? So, I assume they are going to pick the second option. We will use a portion of the money to fund our new firm. "Fallin Legal Services". It will operate as a non-profit organization so it will still have the benefit of state funding. We will take over LSP and move them to this building after some remodeling. Alvin can work there as long as his health will let him and all the other people presently employed there. And you will be the CEO, Director, whatever. I will have a lot more time on my hands, so I can help you. Although you might have to teach the old man some things about that type of law." Nick was silent. He seemed totally shocked by what his father was saying. "I know it's a lot to take in right now given the fact that I rustled you out of bed in the middle of the night." Burton chuckled. "I don't know dad. Are you sure you want to get into something like this at this point in your life? And I don't want you to do this for me." "I want to do this for both of us. And I don't see this as doing you a big favor. You're going to be working very hard and not making millions. But you should be able to draw a decent salary and like I told you I already have set up a trust fund for the baby so you won't have to worry about that. And with my mortgage paid off, my retirement funds, plus what I draw from the old firm, I should be able to remain comfortable financially." The two men stood silently for a few minutes. Nick was still trying to absorb everything, but thought back on all the times his father was so right about so many things and he trusted that this was another one of those times. "Ok, what time do we sign the papers?" "9 am at the Washington Trust Bank on Elm Street, so we better head home and get some sleep." Burton patted his hand on his son's back as they walked out. He reset the alarm and shut the light. On the way home they talked about what the building needed for remodeling and what the best plan would be to go ahead with that. They got back to Nick's house and Nick sat for a moment before opening the car door. He looked over at his dad "Dad, I am really sorry I let you down." "Well, son, sometimes things happen for a reason and I think this just might be one of those times." Nick started to get out of the car and turned again to his father, "Oh, by the way, I filed the complaint with the board. So whoever the new managing partner is should be notified within the next few days." Nick smiled a mischievous smile and got out of the car. `Goodnight, dad." "Goodnight son." Burton watched his son take out his keys and unlock the door. He thought about how much his son meant to him and that after all these years he had finally figured that out. Fathers and Sons-Part 6 Nick walked into Alvin's office and immediately could tell there was something wrong. "Alvin, you Ok?" "I just heard from the State Funding Board. They only gave us the $400,000. They claim they have to cut the budget that much, the money just isn't there and if we want to dispute that as far as how much we got compared to other agencies we would have to file an appeal. So I guess this is it, it's over and I think that is what they are hoping for so this place will have to close and then everything can go towards the Children's Project including the $400,000." "It's not over Alvin" "Yes it is Nick and maybe it's for the best. I really have been thinking that maybe I would like to do some traveling while I still can. I have been writing to my son and he would like for me to come out to visit again. So maybe it's for the best." Alvin turned away from Nick and faced the window. "It's not over Alvin." "Well are you planning on kicking in the balance to run this place?" "Something like that." Alvin was puzzled at Nick's response; he turned to look at him and waited anxiously to hear what he had to say. Nick proceeded to tell Alvin about the plan for the Fallin Legal Clinic. He told him about their purchase of the building, the remodeling plan, and the plan for LSP. When Nick finished, Alvin sat for a few minutes trying to absorb everything before he spoke. "I just don't know what to say. I never expected something like this." "You'll still be needed at the clinic Alvin, but yet you will be able to travel if you want and work as much or as little as you want." "You mean as much as I'm able to." "You know what I mean Alvin." "Yeah, I know what you mean Nick." Alvin looked at Nick with admiration for a few moments. The kind of admiration that one looks at someone when they have reached a milestone in their life and this certainly seemed that way. "So, when does this happen?" "Well the physical move could be about 6 weeks while the remodeling is completed. But the rest of the process can start right away. I think we should notify the staff so that anyone who decides they don't want to work here anymore can pursue other jobs." Alvin looked at Nick with a surprised look. "Why do you think a lot of these people are going to quit? Nick they don't exactly work right now under the very best conditions. I think they will welcome the change." "I am talking about the ones who aren't going to want to work with me." Nick turned to leave; he needed to meet some contractors at the new building with his dad to go over the renovations. "Well that will be their loss." Nick glanced back at Alvin and gave him a slight smile and left the office. Alvin turned back to the window and leaned back in his chair trying to understand what just happened. --+-- Burton and Nick met with the contractors to go over the renovation plans for the Oliver Building. Just as the meeting was finishing Nick's cell phone rang. "Excuse me a moment." "Lulu, what's wrong?" "They are going to do a C-Section. The baby is in trouble." Nick could hear the urgent voices of the nurses in the background. "We really need to get you into the O.R. now." "Lulu, I'll be right there." "Dad, I have to go to the hospital." "Ok, go, call me son Ok." "I will" Nick rushed to the hospital as quickly as he could. The traffic was heavy and not moving at all in some spots. When he reached the hospital, he ran up to the Operating Room area. He got to the desk and was told that the surgery was almost completed and the doctor should be out in a moment. After a few minutes of nervous waiting the doctor came through the double doors. "Mr. Fallin?" "Yes" The doctor put her hand out to shake hands with Nick. "Congratulations, you are the father of a beautiful little girl. She was getting into some trouble and just couldn't wait to get out." "I thought I would get here in time." "Well, emergency C-Sections are very quick, Louisa will be going to recovery in a few minutes and you can see her there. You'll be able to see the little one in the nursery too." "Ok, thank you" "Mr. Fallin, your baby does have Down Syndrome but she seems to be very healthy otherwise. She needs to stay in the incubator for a few days and have her heart and respiratory rate monitored continuously but that is just precautionary measures because of her low birth rate and Down babies have the tendencies to have difficulties in those areas. "Mr. Fallin many children are born with mild forms of Downs and grow up to live productive long happy lives." The doctor touched Nick's arm and said "Please feel free to call my office if you have any questions. I notified the pediatrician and he will be in later today." "Thank you" --+-- Nick went to the nursery first. He walked to the window and looked around to see if he could see the baby. There were several babies in the nursery but only a few were in incubators. His eyes finally saw the most beautiful baby in the nursery with a pink little cap on. There was a nurse next to her adjusting the heart machine. When the nurse moved he could see the name on the incubator "Baby Archer". Nick could not believe how beautiful she was. Her little arms and legs were flailing around and she was screaming load enough to be heard on the other side of the glass window. The nurse took a small baby bottle and rubbed it against the baby's mouth. After a few seconds the crying stopped. The nurse looked up and saw Nick standing there and smiled. Nick checked in with the recovery room nurse. She pointed over to the stretcher in the corner. As Nick approached Lulu realized he had come in. "Did you see her yet?" "Yes, I saw her through the nursery window. She is perfect." "I got to hold her for a few minutes after they cleaned her up. She is so precious." "How are you doing." "I'm Ok. I'm just a little groggy from the pain medication and I can't really feel my legs yet." "Do you want me to stay with you for a while?" "No, I'm fine." "Ok, then I'll let you rest." Nick seemed hurt that she did not want him to stay, but at this point he was not at all surprised by her reaction. Nick leaned over and kissed Lulu on the cheek. Lulu turned her head and closed her eyes. On the way out he stopped by the nursery window again. The baby, now asleep, looked so peaceful and content. Nick stood staring at her for quite a few minutes when he heard his father's voice. "Hey son." "Hey dad. I was just going to call you." "Well, I thought I would take a run down here and make sure everything was Ok." "Everything is fine. There she is. She has to be monitored and stay in the incubator for a few days but the doctor said she is doing really well." "Oh, she is a beautiful little thing." Burton just gleamed with pride looking at his first grandchild. "Congratulations son". Burton reached out and hugged his son. Nick was surprised by it but somehow it felt right. "Thank you dad." The two men just stood for a while looking through the window at the little miracle before them starting life with special challenges. . "Are you going to stay with Lulu?" "No" Nick answered very quietly. "Then how about some dinner?" "Ok" The two men walked out together, both knowing that life had now changed. --+-- The next several weeks flew by. Nick was working long hours trying to straighten out LSP before they made the move to the new building and became the Fallin Legal Clinic. Burton was mostly supervising the remodeling of the new building and still spending some time at the old firm reviewing cases and making sure his clients were being well taken care of. Nick had already made quite a few changes at LSP. All of the lawyers had decided to stay for now. Nick gave Barbara a raise and made her the Office Manager. She was working hard to clean up the old files and reorganize the present cases before the move. Alvin left for California a few weeks back and Nick had only gotten one letter from him. He wrote: "Thanks Nick for everything. I think that is a really great thing you and your dad are doing. I guess you did learn some things while you worked off your hours as much as you didn't want to admit it. I feel like I can be here with my son without feeling as if I deserted everyone and everything I worked for back there. It is a scary feeling to know my health is failing a little everyday but I am trying not to think about it and just enjoy everyday to the fullest. I don't know when I will be back, but then again I don't think you really need me there. Say Hello to everyone for me. Your friend, Alvin" After Nick read the letter he wondered if Alvin would ever really be back. --+-- Nick's case with the board against the firm had finally come up on the calendar. After the firm was served they had their chance to present their answer to the complaint. The board then decides whether the case warrants a formal hearing. The hearing was scheduled for September 1st. He was pleased that the firm apparently was not able to deliver enough damaging information to avoid a hearing. Nick walked up the steps to Lulu's house as he has done everyday for the past 8 weeks since Anne was born. He usually tried to make it there by 6pm. Anne would usually be awake for a while at that time. Lulu would do things around the house while Nick spent time with Anne or sometimes she would go out and do some errands. Lulu did not seem to have any interest in them getting to be a couple again and Nick had resided himself to that fact. He had finally faced the fact that the woman he loved did not love him, but, he was still Anne's father and nothing could change that. They would always be Anne's parents and they both needed to do what was best for Anne now. Nick had asked Lulu when he could start taking Anne out. Lulu had hesitantly responded maybe in a few weeks. But Nick was Ok with visiting with Anne at Lulu's right now. He was taking care of things financially so that took that pressure off of Lulu. Although he was not making the kind of money he used to make, he still was financially solid. He had plenty of funds and investments to fall back on if needed. Lulu hated to have to rely on him but being able to be home with Anne was the positive to that. Burton also made sure his little granddaughter had everything she could possibly need. He stopped by often to see the baby and would always remind Lulu not to be shy if she needed anything. All she had to do was ask. And Lulu knew if she asked that man to get his granddaughter the moon he would and that thought scared her. Nick had to go back to the new building after Lulu arrived back home. It was about 8:30pm and he had left after Anne fell asleep in his arms. Lulu had actually gone out with Kate for a few hours while Nick stayed with the baby. When he arrived at the Oliver building it was dark out and drizzling. Nick parked in front of the building and went it to check out the work the contractors had done on the entrance and waiting area. Burton did not like to sign off on any of the work without Nick seeing it. Nick flipped on the lights. The main check in desk was straight ahead. It was handicap accessible and kid accessible. The main waiting area was off to the left with a play area for the kids. The contractors had done a great job and Nick was pleased. The last steps would be the painters and the furniture. Nick looked around and smiled to himself. He reset the alarm and shut off the lights. As he walked to his car he thought about stopping by his dad's house. Burton had thought he would hear from Nick or he would have stopped by after he checked out the work at the new building. It was 11pm now and he figured Nick must have gotten delayed and he would just talk to him in the morning. Burton was absorbed in the news report when the phone startled him. He picked it up thinking it was most likely Nick. "Is this Burton Fallin?" It was a female voice and somehow a feeling of dread came over him. "Yes, this is" "Mr. Fallin, this is Mary Johnson at Pittsburgh General Hospital. I am calling in regards to your son Nicholas Fallin" "My God, what happened to my son, is he Ok?" "He is here in the ER and he asked me to call you. We can give you more information when you get to the hospital. Come to the Emergency Room Triage Desk." "I will be there as soon as I can." Fathers and Sons Part 7 Terrifying thoughts were racing through Burton's mind as he rushed to the Emergency Room. He tried to push those thoughts away and just kept repeating to himself "He's Ok, I know he's Ok, he has to be" Burton rushed through the automatic doors and to the triage desk. There were lots of people waiting and Burton took his place in line and tried to calm his anxieties. The hospital workers behind the desk were trying to get information on people as quickly as they could. What were probably minutes felt likes hours to Burton. He saw a woman go behind the desk and put down some paperwork. He noticed her ID badge said, "Mary Johnson, RN". "Excuse me, nurse Johnson, I'm Burton Fallin, you called me about my son." "Oh, yes, come this way." Burton followed her around the desk and through the patient area. Lots of patients were lined up in small cubicles separated by drawn curtains, some being seen by doctors and nurses, and some just lying on stretchers. They walked to the back portion of the Emergency Room where there seemed to be separate rooms. The nurse walked over to a room at the end. There were two police officers standing at the door. "Officers, this is Mr. Fallin. He is here to see his son." "Sorry, he cannot have any visitors except his lawyer." "What? What is going on here?" "Your son is under arrest, Mr.Fallin. As soon as they discharge him, he is coming with us to be arraigned." "Well I am his father and his lawyer, Burton Fallin. Now I want to know what the charges are." The officers glanced at each other and then the older officer answered. "Your son was assaulted this evening. He was not conscious when the first officers arrived on the scene. When they were looking for some identification they found drugs, cocaine and some meth. That's all we know." Burton felt sick to his stomach. "Can I go in and see him now?" The police officers moved out of the way of the door. Nurse Johnson took Burton by the arm and led him into the room. Nick was on a stretcher in a semi-sitting position. A young man had just finished putting a dressing on Nick's left hand. When Burton came in the room Nick turned his head and you could see in his face he was relieved to see Burton there. Nick's face was bruised under his left eye and jaw. There was a stitched cut next to his left eye. His bloodied shirt was unbuttoned and his left hand had a dressing that wrapped around his hand at the knuckles. The man that had put the dressing on Nick cleaned up the material he had used and left the room. "I'll leave you to talk, I will be right in the hallway doing my charting if you need anything." "Thank you" Burton could barely get the words out. He moved closer to the stretcher and touched Nick's hand. "Son, what happened?" "I'm not really sure. The last thing I remember was I came out of our building and two guys jumped me. I woke up in the rescue. That's all I remember." "What about the drugs? The cops out there told me you had drugs on you." Burton's voice was cracking. Seeing his son like this was very upsetting and the possibility that he was in trouble with drugs again just sickened him. He thought Nick was doing so much better since his last slip, but maybe he wasn't. "Dad, I don't know how those drugs got there. I did not have any drugs" Burton so wanted to believe him, but as always he had that doubt in his mind. "Did they rob you?" "I guess they must have taken my wallet. Could you call and cancel my American Express and my bank card." "I will take care of it son." The two men were silent for a few moments before Nick spoke again. "They must have taken my watch, the one you gave me from Mom. I am not even sure if my car is there or not." "I'll take care of those things. Should I call David Beldon?" "No, no." "Well then I'll see if Sadie or Clay will do it." "Come on dad, you can't call them. I don't want you to call anyone. I want you to handle it" "Nicholas, I am not a criminal attorney." "Please Dad, I can't trust anyone else right now." Nick had desperation in his voice that went right to Burton's heart. There was a long pause as the two men pondered their own thoughts. Burton spoke quietly. "Ok, son, I'll do the best I can. Let me see if I can at least get you released on bail today and that will give us some time to work on this." Nick nodded with agreement. "Thank you." "I am going to talk to the doctor and see if they are planning on keeping you in the hospital. If they are that will give me a little time. I will get over to the courthouse first thing in the morning." Again Nick nodded, put his head back and closed his eyes. Burton turned to the door, glanced back at his son and left. He stopped to speak to the police officers first. "Do you know anything about my son's personal belongings? His wallet, a watch, or his car." "When we got to the scene, he had no wallet, jewelry, or I.D., just the drugs." "How about the car, a silver BMW" The officers looked at each other and one spoke. "That was still there." "Ok, thank you" As Burton walked off the two officers exchanged glances and shook their heads. "Poor old guy, I wonder how many years he has spent getting this idiot out of trouble. Looks like the poor little rich kid syndrome to me." The other officer smirked in agreement. Burton saw the nice nurse that had brought him to Nick. "Excuse me, Mrs. Johnson, do you know how long they are planning on keeping my son?" "Well he will be here in the Observation unit for 24 hours or less depending on the doctor rounds, that is when they make the decision whether he will be admitted for further treatment or released." "Could you be sure someone calls me or they let Nick call to tell me if they are releasing him?" "Sure" Burton thanked her for all her help and turned to walk away. "Mr. Fallin" Burton turned back to the nurse. She walked closer to him and spoke very softly. "Mr. Fallin, I should not even be telling you this, but I am a parent too, and I just think I need to. I admitted Nick into the Trauma unit and started his assessment. One of the first things he told me was that he did not want to receive any narcotics because he was in recovery. In my experiences as a nurse, I thought that rather strange coming from someone who was accompanied by the police because they had drugs in his possession." "Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I appreciate that." "Well, you need to get home and get some rest." Nurse Johnson watched Burton as he walked away. --+-- Burton walked into his house and sank down on his leather couch. He stayed there for a few minutes deep in thought. Knowing he needed to believe Nick but still struggling with doubts. He knew Nick had screwed up his life again just a few months ago, cheating, drinking and then the drugs that put him back in rehab, but he was finding it hard to believe Nick would risk loosing Anne. And the information the nurse had told him. If he had the intention of taking the drugs, why would he have refused legal drugs in the hospital? He himself had just started dealing with Nick's problems head on instead of denying them. At the same time realizing how much he loved his son and that maybe the way he dealt with Nick's problems hurt him more than helped him. But he didn't have time to regret the past right now he needed to help Nick. He got up from the couch and went into his office. He called the 24- hour lines to cancel Nick's American Express and bankcard. After that was done, he started looking through his law books to develop the best strategy for Nick. He worked for hours until his eyes would not stay open any longer and he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He woke when the morning sun streamed through the window. He needed to get to the courthouse before the judges started their calendars for the day and as soon as they posted the courthouse roster to see who was hearing cases today. The woman at the desk looked up. "Burton, what can I do for you?" "Hello Joan, how are you?" Burton turned on the Fallin charm. He has known Joan for years when she worked in the corporate case filing area. "I didn't know you were working for Judge Hanley now." "Yes, I have been working here about 6 months now." "Well, he is a very lucky man." Joan laughed and her face turned pink. "Don't tell him that, Ok" Burton chuckled, "I won't let on but I would like to see the judge. If that is possible." "I'll check, can you give me an idea what this is in regards to?" "My son, Nick." "Ok, hold on a second." Joan got up from the desk and went into the judge's chamber. Burton paced the office area. After several minutes Joan emerged. "You can go in Burton." As Burton moved past her she whispered to him. "You're in luck, He is in a good mood today. Take advantage of it, it doesn't happen that often." She smiled at Burton. "Come sit down, Mr. Fallin." Burton took a deep breath and sat down in front of Judge Hanley. "Judge Hanley I am hear representing my son, Nicholas Fallin" "Representing him? I thought he completed his probation?" "He did but he is under arrest right now." "Oh no, for what?" Judge Hanley's demeanor quickly changed. "Drug possession. But let me explain what happened. Nick was assaulted last night and he is in Pittsburgh General Hospital. He was unconscious for a short time and woke up in the rescue. The police said when they were searching for his ID they found drugs in his jacket pocket. Nick tells me they he did not have drugs on him. There is a possibility that this was a set up." "Mr. Fallin, you need to face reality here. Your son is a troubled man with a substance abuse problem." "I know that Judge Hanley and I have faced reality. It took me a while but I did and besides I am not here right now as a father but as an attorney. I am asking you to have him arraigned and released on bail. That will give the police time to investigate." Judge Hanley sighed. "Second time offenders are not ordinarily granted bail but will set up an arraignment for him at the hospital under one condition that he is released on bail into your custody. Are you willing to do that Mr. Fallin?" "Yes, yes I am." "And being an attorney Mr. Fallin you know what that entails?" "Yes I do" Judge Hanley picked up the phone "Joan, could you set up an arraignment at Pittsburgh General for Nicholas Fallin. Yes, I know I am due on the bench, I am going in right now." Burton stood up to leave. "Judge, thank you, thank you very much." "I hope things work out for Nick." Burton noted a touch of compassion in the judge's voice and he left the judge's chambers with a small sense of relief that at least Nick wouldn't be waiting out his proceedings in jail. Joan smiled at Burton when he walked out into her office. "You know Burton, I really don't think Judge Hanley is the hard nose people think he is, especially when it comes to someone like Nick. I guess that is because of his own situation with his son." Burton looked curious. "Oh" "The woman that had this job before me worked for the judge for 20 years. She told me he had a son that had great potential, very smart, and up and coming attorney but had a drug and alcohol problem. One day a few years ago, I guess the kid was about 30 or so, they found him dead in his house, an overdose or something and the judge took it hard and has never been the same." Joan sighed. "Well, I will set up that arraignment as soon as possible." "Thank you for all your help Joan." "Your welcome Burton, anytime." As Burton waited in traffic to get back to the hospital, he couldn't help but think about Judge Hanley. What an awful thing to loose your son, he couldn't imagine a worst pain than that. His thoughts went back to Nick. He knew Nick would be satisfied with the fact that his wasn't going to have to be in jail, right now anyway, but he didn't know how he was going to react to the "Bail release with Custody Agreement." To be continued……….