David shook his head, having trouble understanding. “But my father-in-law, Alexander’s dad…he was in the agency, too. He wasn’t anything like this monster.”
Cam nodded his head. “Yes, and most people can learn to turn it off. It doesn’t appear Jack ever did. He couldn’t separate his CIA persona with his real persona. After a while, he became the person the CIA wanted him to be. He couldn’t separate it so he had no problem killing his wife. She was just another target in his mind. And Olivia…” He paused, trying to block out all the horrible things that she had endured over the past day. “Olivia…” he trembled. “She was just an asset. Nothing more. The minute she failed to be valuable to him, he had no problem disposing of her.”
“But he just stepped aside while she was assaulted,” David urged. “Repeatedly. I just can’t understand why any father, no matter how fucked up in the head you are, could do that.”
“I know,” Cam agreed. “But we have compassion, something this guy never had. He never saw her as his daughter. The bond that most of us have with our own parents never existed between Olivia and her father. Olivia may have felt it, but he never did. Any happy memories she may think she had with him were simply moments that he was playing the part. When push came to shove and he became desperate enough to find that evidence, he was willing to try anything. Including…”
“Fucking bastard,” David mumbled.
Cam nodded his head, all his thoughts consumed by Olivia and what kind of mental state she would be in after going through what she did those past twenty-four hours. The air was thick with silence while both men processed everything. As the plane began its final descent, Cam spoke again, “I’m not sure what we can expect when she wakes up. She’s probably going to have a lot of questions that she may not like the answers to. The most important thing is that she be surrounded by people that love her. Her family.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“CAM! THANK GOD YOU’RE here!” Alexander exclaimed when he heard the door open and glanced back to see him walk into Olivia’s hospital room. He jumped up from his chair and hugged the one person that he knew could bring her back from whatever dark place she would be in when she finally woke up.
“How is she?” Cam asked, his face awash with concern.
Alexander shrugged, fighting back the tears. “No one knows. They don’t know when she’ll wake up. She was…”
“David already told me,” Cam interrupted, knowing that it would be difficult for Alexander to talk about what happened. He walked over to the bed and stared down at Olivia’s lifeless body, fearful of what she would have to go through when she woke up. As if suffering at the hands of the man that gave her life wasn’t bad enough, she would now have to live with that every day for the rest of her existence. Cam prayed she would be strong enough to make it through. He glanced over at Alexander clutching her small hand in his own, his eyes trained lovingly on Olivia, and Cam knew that with him by her side, she could get through anything.
Sighing deeply, he turned to Alexander. “I’ll let you have some time with her. I’ll be here when she wakes up.”
Alexander shook Cam’s hand, looking him in the eyes. “Thank you for being here. For leaving your life to be here for me, and for Olivia. It seems that you’re the only one who knows how to get through to her.”
Cam simply nodded and left the room, heading straight to the men’s room and letting all the pent-up emotions wash over him as he cried for Olivia, praying that she would wake up.
~~~~~~~~~~
“MR. BURNHAM, I’M SORRY.” Dr. Hatheway made a few notes on the chart attached to Olivia’s bed as she spoke to him Saturday afternoon. “I wish I could give you more information, but I just don’t know. All her vital signs are good. But for now, it’s just a waiting game.”
“What can I do? Do you think she can hear me?” The longer she remained unconscious, the more fearful Alexander became that she was slipping further away.
“It’s hard to say. Just talk to her as if she was awake. Maybe if she keeps hearing your voice, it will give her something to fight for. She’s in there somewhere. Give her a reason to come back.” She smiled before walking toward the door. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
He thanked her and turned back to face Olivia. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. It was the worst feeling in the world, not knowing when or if she would wake up. He vowed to stay by her side until she came back to him. She needed to come back to him.
“It’s August twenty-fourth.” He sat down and grabbed her hand, toying with her ring. “Our wedding day. Well, what was supposed to be our wedding day.” He caressed her hand, marveling at how small it looked compared to his. “I just wanted to get the horrible memories of this date out of my head. I hated what the day represented.”
Alexander smiled, remembering the previous year. “Last year, when I went to Mystic to visit your grave, it was so strange. I would normally sit and tell you everything that had happened that year. That’s why I always kept a journal. In fact, nearly every day since the day we buried you, I wrote you a letter, telling you about what was going on in my life.”
He reached down and grabbed a journal from a large box. “See, this is from the year you were taken from me. I had Carter bring a few things to me. I’m willing to try anything to get you to wake up.”
Looking over at Olivia’s pale face, he opened the notebook. “This was Mom’s idea, actually. She said that maybe if I wrote to you, I could keep you alive somehow…” He trailed off, trying to hide his tears. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, willing himself to stay strong. It was getting more and more difficult with each passing minute.
“September first. Dear Olibia…” He looked up, smiling. “Oh, love, you should see how horrible my handwriting was back then. I can barely read it.” Returning his gaze to the journal in front of him, he continued, “You were put in the ground today. I never even got to say good-bye to you. It’s not fair. One day you were lying in the hospital bed. I told you to wake up. I guess you just didn’t want to listen to me. Why couldn’t you listen to me just once? Is it really that difficult?! I’m sorry, Olibia. I don’t mean to yell at you. It’s not your fault. I don’t know whose fault it is. I miss you. I got back from the funeral this afternoon and I changed into my play clothes. I ran out of the house to go and play with you and then I realized that you’re not there to play with me anymore…”