CHAPTER TWELVE
At nine that night, Lincoln “Abe” Murphy walked into the patch holders’ room of their biker clubhouse and took a seat. The meeting was called to order and they went through everything until it came to the voting of the officers. Someone made a motion to keep the officers the same and it was seconded, however Burt had to ask each and every officer a question. When he got to Abe, Burt asked, “Abe, do you accept the position of Sargeant at Arms for the club to enforce the bylaws and protect your brothers to the best of your ability?”
Abe looked up, and said, “Before I answer that, can I have the floor?”
“Sure.” Burt scowled, looked at the others, then shrugged. He was just as confused as the others seemed to be.
“I want everyone here. Prospects, women, strikers. I know they’re not allowed in the room, but I have something important to say and I’m only going to say it once and I don’t want a he said, she said situation going on. This shit will be said directly from the horse’s mouth. And I’m going to need Addison’s vest.” At the look on Burt’s face, he held up his hand. “Not to keep, but there’s something on it I need.”
Burt looked around the room and when he spotted Greaser he gave a nod. Greaser had arrived before everyone else and told Burt what had happened earlier. “I’ll be right back,” Burt said, and left the room. Downstairs he went to his office, opened the safe and removed Addy’s vest and her wedding rings. Then out in the main room he whistled. When he had everyone’s attention, he said, “Special circumstances. Everyone, women, strikers and prospects to the patch room now.” He held up his hands to stop the questions. “Abe’s request.”
Once they were in and settled, Burt just pushed the vest in front of Abe, who stood and removed his own vest, then he withdrew his pocket knife and studied the front of them and began to work on them.
“Most of you have been here awhile.” He began as he worked and didn’t look up. Everyone looked around and Mary held up her left hand and pointed to her wedding rings and then at Abe. Everyone saw that he was wearing his. He never wore it, said it got in the way with his work.
“We have,” Burt said, trying to encourage him to continue talking.
“For the two years Addison and I dated, she was on almost all our runs we took. During that time they were only day runs, here and there. But after we were married for almost a year, we all took that trip for six days up to Lake George. That last day we were late leaving because Addison wasn’t around. When she showed up an hour later, I yelled at her and everyone, both men and women made snide barbs either to her face or behind her back. I never defended her, hell, I think I led the charge.” He finished with his vest and pulled Addy’s to him and continued to talk as he was bent over, and worked on it with his knife.
“I think that was the first fight we had. When we got home, I continued to ask where she was. She put her hand on my face and said trust me. I did and the subject was dropped.” He looked up and grinned. Then he folded Addy’s vest and laid it over the top of his.
“Three months later was our first wedding anniversary. This is what she gave me.” He laid the four pins he’d removed from both vests in the center of the table. “We put them on our vests. My anniversary gift to her was this patch.” He ran his hand over the ‘Property of Abe’ patch that was in the center of the back of the vest. “These four pins were her gift to me. She was late that day, because the first day we arrived at Lake George we all went down to see the sights. No one, not even me walked around with Addison. She found a vendor that did pins. She had these commissioned and picked them up that day we were leaving. The vendor was late getting there so she was late getting back.”
“What are they?” Mary asked when he remained silent.
“Addison wore a heart with an ‘A’ on it, I had a heart with an ‘L’. Next to our hearts were keys. Mine had an ‘A’ Addison’s had an ‘L’. She said that they were keys to our hearts. See.” He picked up a key and heart and inserted it and the heart actually opened. “We had pictures of each other in the heart.” He passed them around and everyone played with them. When he got them back he kept them in his clenched fist.
“Shortly after that, Addison’s business took off. That’s why she wasn’t around as much as she was in the beginning. I never really paid attention to what she’d talk about, so we kept it that she had a thing. After several months, it became a joke between us. It wasn’t until your daughters asked us to sit in on the planning of your anniversary that I actually understood what she did for a living.” He looked at Burt and Mary.
“I know you guys are talking behind my back that I’m stupid for not signing the divorce papers. But I love my wife. I married her for love, for richer or poorer and in sickness or health. Well, after today I will be by her side twenty-four seven until further notice.” Abe couldn’t handle it. He tried to keep a stiff upper lip, but he put his head on the table and burst into tears. He felt several hands on his back and arms, but no one said a word, for which he was grateful. When he finally got himself under control he looked up, blew his nose on his bandana and wiped his eyes.
“Sorry about that. But before I got here tonight, I left Addison in the hospital. At seven o’clock tomorrow morning, she’s going in to have biopsies on two masses that were found during a mammogram. One on each breast. She has to stay in the hospital until the results are in, within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If they come back cancerous, she’ll be in surgery within hours to remove the masses, and possibly the breasts. Then she’ll have to start chemo. If they come back non-cancerous, then they’ll either remove the lumps or give her medication to dissolve them. I read the doctor’s expression as he explained everything. My bet is on worst case. She’ll be having a double mastectomy and then chemo to beat the cancer.”
He looked around the table and quickly looked down at the wedding band on his hand. “What you guys don’t know about Addison is this. Her entire life, her father cheated on her mother. Openly. Her mother always took him back. But when Addison was fifteen, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and her father packed his bags, left, and divorced her mother. She told me once that she asked him why he left after he cheated on her so much. His response was that he couldn’t handle being around a broken woman. He needed someone strong because he was weak, and he needed someone to be strong for him to forgive him his sins. She lost all respect for him, and went no contact with him. Addison was her mother’s entire support system. Her mother died of breast cancer when Addison was eighteen. She never heard from her father again.
“As I said earlier, I married Addison for love. It’s time for me to step up and be there for her during this. I can’t not do this. So, Burt, to answer your earlier question, no, I can’t continue to be the Sergeant at Arms for another year. I know we can retire after being in the club for ten years. My ten-year anniversary comes in seven months. But I can’t wait that long. I’m handing in my colors.” He pushed the two vests across the table to Burt and you could hear a pin drop in that room. No one even dared breathe.
It took several times for Burt to clear his throat before he could get a coherent word out. “Normally I’d talk you out of it, but after your speech, I’ll accept these on the condition that you understand that you’re taking a break. I will accept these as long as you say you’re on a break. If you say you’re quitting the club, then I can’t accept these. But I also want you to understand that if you need anything, and I mean anything, even if it’s a gallon of milk, or a package of toilet paper, you will call one of us to help you.”
“If you need any food, your house cleaned, or someone to sit with Addy, you’ll call too,” Mary spoke up then. When Burt and Mary saw his expression, they said firmly, “If we find out you’re not asking, there will be hell to pay. My mother died of breast cancer, so I know what you’re about to go through, and you’re going to want to call on your friends every once in a while, just to get out and clear your head. Even if it’s for an hour, you’ll feel better. I’m not saying that Addy will do what my mother did, as soon as she found out she had cancer, she gave up. Addy doesn’t seem like that type of person to me.”
“She’s not. She’s going to fight me on this, but as soon as I leave here, I’m going to pack up her apartment and move her stuff back to the house.”
“Need help?” Greaser asked. “Never mind, why don’t you give us her address and key and we’ll move it for you.” He didn’t wait for a response, he held out his hand for the key, and Lincoln passed them over, along with the slip of paper with her address.
“You’re not going to like what you see.” Lincoln sighed and rubbed his face. “She lives in this one room studio. Hell, the whole thing is smaller than the bedroom we shared at the house. I stopped there on my way here to get her a couple changes of clothes. I have my own bag packed and in her truck. Could you take my truck to my house?” He passed his truck keys to his best friend. “You know the code. I’ll have to talk to you later about the business.”
“Not your problem now. We can continue as we have been. You’ve got more important things to worry about. I wish you luck and if you need anything call. And you can bet your ass I’ll be stopping by at least once a week after she’s home. I would say once a day, but I know you’re going to have to get into a routine. Once a week will be fine for now.”
“Will you call one of us to give us the results of the biopsy?” Jackson asked. “We can relay the information to everyone.”
“Since you’re my lawyer, I’ll call you.”
“Fair enough. Good luck, my friend,” Jackson said and stood beside Abe and held out his hand. When they shook, he got a man hug and a slap on the back. Every woman hugged him and kissed his cheek, while every man gave him the same type of hug Jackson had. Burt was the last one left in the room.
“You might want these.” He held out his hand and Abe saw Addison’s wedding rings in them.
“I thought she threw them away. But thank you.”
“Naw, she only threw them at you that night, but you were so drunk you didn’t realize it. I’ve had them locked in the safe with her vest since that night. Now’s the time for you to have them back.”
Abe took them and studied them. Then slipped them on his little finger on his left hand, right next to his own wedding ring that he had found in the drawer at his house when he stopped for some clothes. Maybe if he’d worn his ring, he wouldn’t be having the problems he did. “Hell, she’s lost so much weight I don’t think they’ll fit her anymore. But thank you, Burt.”
Burt gave him a hug and held him a little longer than everyone else, then he slapped him on the back and gave him a nudge. “Go be with Addy.”
A little over an hour later, Lincoln crawled into the extra wide hospital bed behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her. She only rolled over and snuggled up to him. He felt like he’d come home from a long, hard ride. “You’re here,” she whispered.
“I am, I will always be here for you,” he said, and without any words, slipped her wedding rings back on her finger, closed her hand and his over hers. Making sure she saw that he had his wedding band on. “Sh,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. It wasn’t long before they were both asleep. Early the next morning they were woken by a nurse and it seemed like things went fast after that. Lincoln felt like he was going to spin out of control when Addison was taken away for her surgery and he was directed to a waiting room. After only being there for five minutes he began to pace. He didn’t hear the door open, and turned and saw his brothers and sisters from the club standing there. Greaser walked up to him and handed him a coffee. “Deal with it,” he said, and went and sat down across the room.
Three hours later the door opened and Dr. Knight walked in. He looked around and when he spotted Lincoln in the corner he approached him. “Mr. Murphy?”
Lincoln jumped to his feet and looked at the doctor, and everyone crowded around them. “Mrs. Murphy’s in recovery. We’ve taken a biopsy of each mass on each breast. Everything went well, unfortunately at this time, it’s going to be a waiting game, until we get the results from the lab. But there is one thing that I don’t like.” He looked around at everyone and remained silent.
“They’re with me. You can say anything in front of them. If you don’t, I’ll just turn around and tell them. They’re Addison’s and my family.”
“Okay. But if we have to start chemotherapy, I’d like to do it as soon as possible. However, Mrs. Murphy has to be a certain weight before we can begin. Right now she’s five pounds under. She’s going to have to gain at least seven to ten pounds to be eligible for chemotherapy. Fifteen would be ideal, but I know that’s impossible, so until she gains seven pounds, we can’t do anything.”
“And she needs the chemo to get better faster?” Lincoln asked.
“Yes, but I have to warn you now. She’ll be sick for a long time, throwing up, weak, if not throwing up, then feeling like she wants to. Shaky, I can go over more when we get the results. You can go see her in half an hour, she should be back in her room by then.”
“How is she?”
“Sore. And she will be for a while. I had to take more than I anticipated. So she’s going to be extra sore.”
“She’s always had trouble with mammograms, Doctor. I mean after having one she’d be so bruised and sore that she couldn’t even wear a bra. Not to get personal, but during sex she never had a problem, it was only the mammograms.”
“A lot of people have that problem, but I’ll talk with Dr. King to see if he noted it in her chart.”
“Thank you,” Lincoln said, and watched the doctor. leave. He turned to his friends and frowned when they were all huddled on the other side of the room.
“Abe,” Mary spoke for the group. “Do you know what Addy’s favorite foods are? We’re going to make meals and take them to your house and bring them here to the hospital. There’s no possible way she can gain weight eating hospital food. We just need a list of what she likes and doesn’t and if she has any food allergies.”
Greaser looked at Lincoln and they both burst out laughing. “That’s easy,” Greaser said. He saw the outraged and confused looks on their faces, so he explained, “When I was going through my divorce, I practically lived at Abe and Ad’s house. One day I was really depressed, we were getting ready to watch a game and I wasn’t into it. She patted me on the knee and said she was going to make comfort foods for me. Said it got her through bad times. I didn’t think much of it, you know, thinking mac and cheese or pot pie, but not our Ad, oh no.” He laughed.
“Addison is a junk food junky.” Lincoln laughed along with Greaser. “I mean fatty junk food. Wings, nachos, pizza, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, those fried vegetables, onion rings, French fries, those types of fatty junk food. At one time we hadn’t bought groceries for the week so I told her to order take out and have it delivered. She ordered from our favorite place, but she ordered every appetizer on the menu, nothing else. Mozzarella sticks, wings, fingers, pizza rolls, onion rings. Anything fried that was bad for her she ate and loved it.”
“That’ll work while she’s in the hospital for the next couple of days, and at home, but once the chemo starts, if it does, she’s going to need different foods. You’ll have to talk with the doctor or nurses to see if she’ll have any restrictions. Does she have any food allergies?”
“No. She likes all food. But for meals, she’d cook well balanced ones, meat, potato and veggies and a salad with it. Like steak, baked potato, corn, salad, and bread. Pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad. Spaghetti, meatballs, bread, and salad. Hell, I don’t think I’ve had a salad since she left.”
“So, no allergies?”
“Just dogs and cats. Their dander, same as me.”
“Okay, we’ll get out of your hair and get together among us and come up with a plan.”
“Do you need money?” He reached for his wallet.
“Do not offend us,” Mary said sternly. “We’re friends and family. Is there anyone at her work we can contact?”
“I don’t know. I know her partner is a man named Brian, and her assistant is Beth. I know that because she showed up at the meeting for your party.” His friends left and Lincoln slowly made his way to recovery and found that Addison was still there. He was allowed in and he went up to her bed and stood there and watched her sleep. He reached up and lightly ran the back of one finger down her soft cheek. He didn’t like the dark circles beneath her eyes.
Addy slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Lincoln’s face. “Lincoln.”
“Addison.” He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly. “The procedure’s done. You’re in the recovery room. You’re going to be sore for a while.”
“I don’t feel anything.”
“That’s because you’re on pain medication. You’ll be going to your room shortly. The doctor said it’s a waiting game now. I’ve never held anything back from you, we’ve always talked about stuff. I’m not going to stop that now. I won’t coddle you, I’ll be as honest as you want me to be. I’m saying that, because the doctor mentioned that if it’s cancer and you have to have the mass removed and start chemotherapy, there may be a problem.”
“And that is?”
“You need to gain at least seven pounds before he can start any treatments.”
Addy giggled. “Not on your cooking, I’m not.”
Lincoln threw his head back and laughed. “You’re right about that. Last night at the clubhouse, I turned in my colors. I retired from the club. My time is yours now. I’m here for and with you through this. Everyone from the club was waiting with me while you were in surgery. They heard the doctor discuss your weight and wanted to know what your favorite foods were. Greaser, well, he and I let the cat out of the bag.”
“Meaning?”
“You’re a junk food junky.”
“You didn’t. Lincoln, that was our little secret. Well, ours and Greaser’s. You two swore on secrecy.”
“We did, but this is your life, Addison. All bets are off when it comes to your life. Mary’s asked me to talk to the nurse and doctor about them getting food in here to fatten you up.”
“Okay. I really could go for some wings.” She grinned at him, then moaned when she realized the pain meds were wearing off.
“Is there more?”
“Yes, last night on the way to the clubhouse, I swung by your place and packed you a bag. I grabbed t-shirts and shorts. What you sleep in. When we leave here, you’re moving back into the house with me. Greaser and the guys have your address and key and are doing it as we speak.”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“In sickness and health, Addison. I’m here for you. Now I can see you’re about to fall asleep again. Is there anyone that you want to know what’s going on? All club members men and women know.”
“Brian, he’s my partner, business partner. In voice only, not on paper. And everyone should know that I’ll be out of work for a while.”
“Would you like me to go tell them? I can do that while you’re getting settled into your room, and I can bring back some wings.” He grinned at her snort, then she moaned and he felt bad.
“Medium, extra bleu cheese.”
“No Ranch?”
“Please, you know better, Ranch dressing is for pussies. I want the good stuff, you know, with the chunks of moldy cheese. That’s the only way to eat wings.” She tried to smile, but it turned into a wince as she adjusted herself in the bed.
“Gotcha.” He smirked when she only mentioned the food, not him talking to her workers.
“Lincoln,” Addy said as he turned to leave. “Be nice to Brian.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“He was there when you didn’t answer the phone last autumn. But don’t get your panties in a twist, he’s gay.”
“Oh. Then I don’t have to beat the snot out of him for lusting after my wife?”
“Nope.” She sighed and seconds later she was asleep.
Twenty minutes later he walked in the front door of ‘Parties by Addy’ and stood in the center of the reception area.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, is Brian or Beth available?”
“One moment.” The woman jumped up and hurried down the hall.
“Brian. There’s this hunk of a man who’s asking for you.”
“Name?”
“Didn’t give one. But I think it’s Addy’s husband.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because it looks like him.” She pointed to the picture on Addy’s desk of the two of them on one of the runs.
Brian stood and rushed to the front office. “I’m Brian, how can I help you?”
“I’m Lincoln Murphy. Addison’s husband. Is there someplace we can talk? Privately?”
“Sure come on back to our office.” Brian wanted to ask so many questions, but something about Lincoln made him hold his tongue. They went into the office and the first thing Lincoln saw was a picture of the two of them on her desk.
“Addy’s not here right now, she took the day off, so I don’t know if I can help you.” Brian drew in a deep breath and held it as he said his next sentence. “I know all about the divorce, so you can’t pull anything over on me.
“I don’t intend to. Actually, Addison won’t be in for a long time. I need to tell you some things, I have Addison’s permission to do so. If you don’t believe me she gave me this to give you.” He handed a folded note.
Brian took it and read it, it was short and to the point, just like Addy herself. “Brian, Lincoln’s going to talk to you, it’s all true. I’m so sorry. Love you, Addy. P.S. Be nice to him.”
“Okay, talk.”
“Addison wanted everyone to know.”
“Okay, we’re all here today, everyone. We don’t leave to visit clients or have clients coming in for another three hours. You want to say this once, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Okay.” Brian reached for the phone on the desk and pushed several buttons and said firmly into the phone. “Important meeting, conference room. Now.” He hung up the phone and grinned. “Addy said less words are more powerful. Follow me.”
Lincoln followed him out and watched as several people, he counted fifteen, came out of offices and down the hall. They all had a cup of coffee and a pad of paper and pen in their hand.” He followed Brian in and took the offered cup of coffee from him.
“The floor is yours,” Brian said, and sat down.
“Thank you, Brian.” He looked at everyone and smiled. “I know most of you might not like me, but I’m not here to win Brownie points. My name is Lincoln Murphy, I’m Addison’s husband. I know you know we’re going through a divorce. I refuse to sign. I love my wife. However, that’s not why I’m here or what matters now. Oh, the loving her matters. But I hope you get my drift.” He looked everyone in the eye as he sipped his coffee. Finally he took a deep breath.
“Addison’s ill. She won’t be in to work for some time.” He held up his hand to ward off the questions. “Please, let me get through this. I don’t know if she shared this with anyone here, but she had her annual checkup a few weeks ago, she had to go back in for more testing. Yesterday she came to my work to ask me to accompany her to the doctor. She has a mass on each breast. We spent the night in the hospital because she had a double biopsy this morning. She came through the surgery fine.
“However, she has to stay in the hospital until the results come in, which is in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If it is cancer, they are going to remove the mass on each breast and then she’ll have to start chemo. As soon as she gains at least seven pounds. There may be a possibility that when they remove the masses, I refuse to say tumors, they may have to remove one or both breasts. We are both of the same mind that she can live without them, she can always have implants once she’s healthy. If it’s not cancer, they will still remove the masses and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Brian was the one that held up his hand. “Mr. Murphy, Addy and I have had several conversations about you in the past. She loves you deeply and desperately. Are you saying that you’re going to be by her side every step of the way if it’s cancer and she has to have chemotherapy?”
“Yes. I stand by my vows of ‘in sickness and health’. As we speak friends of mine are clearing out her room and moving her back into our house. I love her desperately. I will be there holding her hand through chemo and afterwards. I’m going to put this out there now. If at any time you need or want to see her, you are welcome. Here’s my number, and our home address, and phone.” He saw a white board and wrote that information for everyone in the room to do as they pleased with it. “Write it down, ignore it, whatever.”
“I won’t prevent you from seeing or talking to her. The only thing I ask is that you call ahead to see how she is, and whether she has to have a chemotherapy treatment that day or not. I won’t tire her out with numerous visits.” He looked around, and even said, “If there’s a problem here at work and you want to talk it over with her, go ahead, but know if you show up and I see she’s overdoing it, I will ask you to leave.
“Now I want you to know this number. This is the number of the president of the motorcycle club I just retired from and his wife Mary’s number. They are coordinating meals to bring to her at the hospital to fatten her up, and I’m thinking, but they won’t admit it, to the house. If you want in, or can think of anything else, contact them.”
“So, you won’t keep us from her? Even if it’s a phone call to check up on her?” Brian asked.
“No. As a matter of fact, if you give me your number, as soon as we get the results and we either jump for joy or punch a hole in a wall, I’ll let you know.”
Brian automatically pulled one of his cards and handed it over. “You know, she never said anything about her tests or suspecting she was sick,” Beth said.
Lincoln stayed there for over an hour answering their questions, and it felt good to be able to talk with Addison’s friends. On the way back to the hospital, he realized what she’d been talking about, not feeling accepted by the club women. He had felt that way whenever he’d encounter a worker of hers. Since talking with them, he felt a hell of a lot better, and had a gigantic dose of understanding that it was a two-way street. At the last minute he remember to swing by their favorite restaurant and order the wings for his wife.