Arriving at the hospital, the whole place is quiet and they are both grateful that they are no pressmen and reporters around. Cainan helps set Neriah into her wheelchair and rolls her inside.
He opens the door and pushes her into her ward, “Well then, thanks for taking me out.”
“Should you be thanking him after everything he’s put you through today?” Shawn asks, bringing their attention to him at the corner of the room.
“Shawn!” Neriah says with surprise, “what are you doing here?”
Neriah sees a bottle of vodka in his hand, looking almost empty. Shawn has never been one for drinking. In fact, Neriah has never seen him drink since they met and she wonders if she’s the one who has driven him into it.
He moves, more of stagger to the centre of the room, still holding the vodka in full grip; “Didn’t realise I needed a reason to visit my girlfriend, besides you’re all over the internet and it’s all thanks to him.” He accuses, pointing to Cainan.
“Shawn I —” Cainan tries to speak, but he’s cut short.
“Can you do me a favour and not interrupt me when I’m talking to my girlfriend?” Snaps Shawn with a raise of his finger.
“You’re acting like a child, Shawn,” Neriah points out to him.
“Am I? He’s the one that took you out into that shit. Your face is on the internet and you’re being painted a slut, whore and called things we both know you aren’t and it’s because of him. Because he wouldn’t leave us alone.”
“And that’s reason enough to get drunk. He doesn’t leave and you get drunk! And yet you don’t think yourself acting like a child.”
He asks pathetically, staggering forward, “What else do you want from me, woman?!”
“At this point, nothing.” She rolls her wheelchair by herself further into the ward.
“I’m not the bad guy here, Neriah,” he slurs, pulling his legs towards her.
“Then stop acting like one! I’ll be dead in a month. And I don’t want to spend any moment of the rest of my life fighting. I love you, Shawn, always will, but I refuse to be the one to ruin your life.”
“I’m sorry, Neriah, it just hurts so much the things I read and I know that’s not you, but it still hurt.” He makes his way to her side and crashes down on his knee. “I couldn’t take the fact that you are also dying. It just hurts so much.” Tears run down his face and he covers it and sobs into his hands.
Neriah pulls him closer and his head lies on her legs, “It’s okay, Shawn, it is okay.”
Cainan moves closer to her before speaking. “He’s very drunk, Neriah. Let him sober up, then have your discussion with him. I’ll stay if you want me to.”
She smiles a little but shakes her head, “No, go home and rest a little, I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be going now then, take care of yourself.” He leans in and kisses her forehead and walks away.
“I will,” Neriah says, then turns her head to look at him, “promise me you won’t get into any trouble, Cainan, promise me.”
He looks back, a mischievous smirk at the corner of his mouth, “Can’t promise you that, love, but I’ll try.”
Once out of the hospital, Cainan calls Amanda, his receptionist. “Set up a meeting with the press. There are some things I want to clarify.”
“Yes sir. What time should it be scheduled?”
He glances at his wristwatch, which currently says two thirteen p.m. before saying, “I think 4:30 p.m. today, my residence. That sound like a good time.”
“Yes, sir, I’m on it.”
“Thank you.”
“There are press men inside the house. Did you know about it?” Ada asks as she opens the door and steps into the room.
“Next time, mom, try knocking first.” He pulls his T-shirt over his head and goes over to the mirror to comb it. “And to answer your question, yes, I did,” he replies with a nod.
“I’m sorry,” she says because once again her eagerness has become an invasion of his privacy. “So why did you?” she asks, her eyes squinty and suspicious.
He tosses the comb in front of the mirror and goes to his bed to pick up his jacket and wear it. “I invited them? If you were on the internet today, you would have known why. There are things I need to clarify with them about my relationship with Samantha.”
“Does one of those things involve telling them you were having a relationship with Clara even while she was married?”
Cainan remains quiet for a moment before nodding, “It’s the truth.” He says and walks towards his door.
Ada follows behind, “I’m not saying it isn’t, just think you shouldn’t expose it this way.”
“Neriah was shamed, harassed, and humiliated all because of me. She’s being called things she isn’t while the guilty one is unknown.” He says regretfully.
“I’m sorry Neriah got into all that, but what do you think will happen if the truth comes out the way you want it to?”
He signs heavily, staring at himself in the mirror and noticing how he hated what he sees. “I don’t know, mom, and honestly I don’t care.”
She's surprised at his words. “I thought you’ve changed. Was I wrong to think that?”
“I have changed, mom, that’s why the truth has to come out. What we both did was wrong and I see it now, but I will not let another take the blame for what she didn’t do.”
Giving up the argument, Ada says, “Fine, do what you think is necessary.” Before leaving his room.