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Crisis & Catharsis -- Part XXI “Breakfast is served!” Rachel bellowed from the kitchen. Rex covered his head with the pillow. “Does no one know how to whisper in this house?”   Rachel pushed open the door from the kitchen. “Are you coming?”   Rex threw back the pillow. “Yes, I’m coming. You could ask a little nicer.”   Rachel laughed. “You’ll feel better after you eat.” She turned to the stairs. “Matthew!”   Rex jumped. “Must you yell?”   Matthew pounded down the stairs. “Coming!”   Rex put his hands over his ears. “Enough! Does no one here realize it’s not noon yet?”   Matthew laughed and grabbed his arm. “Come on, Rex. After we’re finished with breakfast we can go outside.”   Rex shook his arm away. “Do I look like your personal playboy? Where is your father?”   Rachel chuckled as she pushed them into the kitchen. “Playboy? Careful, Rex. Bo might not like you talking to his son that way.”   Rex glared at her. “There is following orders and then there is following orders. I never signed on to keeping his kid occupied indefinitely. I’m supposed to just be the muscle.”   Rachel laughed. “You? Muscle?”   Matthew looked at him, confused. “What do you mean by that? Did my dad make you come here to play with me?”   Rachel shot Rex a warning look before turning to Matthew. “That’s not what Rex meant, Matt. Sit down and eat your breakfast.”   Rex turned his attention to the plate on the table as Matthew sat down to his bowl of Fruit Loops. Rex pointed to the plate, staring at Rachel. “What is that?”   “Breakfast,” Rachel said innocently. “You said scrambled eggs, not runny.”   Rex nodded. “Yes. And you interpreted that as blackened?”   Rachel shrugged. “Beggars can't be choosers. They’re not runny, are they?”   Rex shook his head. “Um, no. But they’re charred!”   Matthew laughed. “Rachel’s not much better at the cooking thing than my mom is.”   Rex shot him a glare. “Now you tell me.” He sat at the table, picking up the fork and picking at his ‘breakfast’ with a frown.   “So I got a little distracted while the eggs were cooking. They're perfectly edible. Go ahead, Rex. Give it a try,” Rachel cajoled.   Rex stabbed a piece of egg and made a face as he raised it toward his mouth. Matthew giggled. “Try it, Rex. I dare ya!”   Rex quickly stuffed the egg in his mouth and immediately spit it back on the plate. Matthew and Rachel doubled over laughing. Rex pointed at them. “You set me up!”   Matthew shook his head. “I never said Rachel could cook.”   Rex motioned to Matthew’s bowl. “I’ll have what he’s having.”   Rachel got up and turned to the cupboard. “You’re such a wimp. I’m going to have to tell Bo about this.”   At that moment, Bo pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen. “Tell me what?”   Matthew jumped out of his chair. “Dad! You’re here.”   Bo crouched as Matthew launched himself into his arms. “Yeah, I’m here.”   “’Bout time,” Rex muttered.   Bo looked around Matthew. “What’s that, Balsom?”   Rex stood and turned to Bo. “I said it’s about time you got here. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”   “Dad!” Matthew said excitedly. “Rex taught me to cheat at all my video games!”   Bo raised his eyebrows at Rex. “Did he now?”   Matthew nodded. “Yeah, it was cool. Wait until I show the guys how I can kick their a…”   Bo put his hand over Matthew’s mouth. “I think you know better than to use that word.” Matthew nodded and Bo removed his hand. “How would you like to come with me and get your mom at the hospital?” “Mom can come home?”   Bo nodded. “Yup. Dr. McBain is filling out the paperwork right now. She’s gonna have some breakfast and she’s coming home.”   “Thank God,” Rex said under his breath.   Bo turned to him. “You say something, Balsom?”   “I said I hope Mrs…. Uh, Ms…. Buch… Hanen is much better,” Rex stammered.   Bo frowned at him. “I thought that’s what you said.” He put Matthew down. “Why don’t you go get your shoes and your jacket and we’ll get out of here.”   Matthew ran out of the room and Bo turned to Rex. “Thanks for helping. I wasn’t sure you’d still be here but I appreciate that you stuck around to watch out for Matthew and Rachel.”   Rex smirked. “You didn’t warn me Rachel would try to poison ME with her cooking.”   Rachel laughed. “I told you to go home. It was your choice to have breakfast.”   Bo reached for his wallet. “I should compensate you for your wounded taste buds.” He pulled some bills out and held them out to Rex.   Rex shook his head. “This one is on me, Commish.”   Bo was surprised. “You’re refusing money? Balsom? Is that you?”   Rex shuffled his feet nervously, looking at the floor. “You asked me for a personal favor for your kid. That’s not business. I can't take money for that.”   Bo nodded, still surprised. “Well, thank you, Balsom. I owe you.”   Rex grinned. “Now that’s what I like. You being in my debt. It’s almost worth playing video games with your kid all night.”   Bo frowned. “You taught him to cheat?”   Rex shrugged. “In a manner of speaking. Why don’t we just say I showed him some secret shortcuts?”   Bo shook his head. “Balsom, what am I gonna do with you?”   Rex grinned. “I could use something to eat and a few more hours sleep. Your kid is an early riser.”   Bo laughed. “Don’t I know it!”   Rachel took Rex’s arm. “Come on, playboy. I’ll buy you breakfast at the diner. It’s the least I can do.”   Bo chuckled. “Playboy?”   Rachel pushed Rex out the kitchen door. “It’s a long story. Tell mom I’m glad she’s getting out. I’ll see her when she gets home.”   Bo followed them into the living room and hollered up the stairs. “Let’s go, Matt!”   Matthew flew down the stairs and came to a halt in front of Bo. “Ready!”   Bo smiled. “Then let’s get out of here.”   Matthew looked up at Bo. “Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong with mom?”   Bo took a deep breath. “Yeah, we are, buddy. But your mom and I want to talk to you about this together, so can you hold your questions until we get her out of the hospital?”   Matthew shrugged. “I can try.”   Bo tried to hide his grin. “I would appreciate it. Let’s pick up mom and we’re gonna head out to Grandpa Asa’s lodge so we can be alone and talk – just the 3 of us.”   Matthew’s eyes lit up. “Grandpa’s lodge? Wow! You never take me there. You said Grandpa smokes his cigars while he plays poker and it would damage my lungs!”   Bo couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, he does. But he’s not there right now so the air quality should be acceptable. We’ll pick up some burgers at Rodi’s on the way.”   Matthew grabbed Bo’s hand. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go get mom!”   *************** Paige pushed open the door to her office and stopped just inside the doorway, her ever-present grin frozen in place. “What are you doing here, Spencer?”   Spencer nodded toward a cup of coffee. “I know how you need a pick-me-up in the morning. Especially after yesterday.”   Paige turned to the open door. “Get out, Spencer. This is still my office. For the time being, anyway.”   Spencer smiled innocently. “Oh? Going somewhere?”   “Knock it off, Spencer. You know damn well what you did to me. Now that the Llanview PD thinks I poisoned the DA, I’m not exactly Chief of Staff material.”   Spencer shook his head. “You mean your boyfriend thinks you poisoned his ex. So much for fair and impartial. I would have thought he would believe his… What exactly were you to the Commissioner, Paige?”   Paige let the door close and walked over to Spencer. “You set me up, you bastard. And you did such a good job that there is no way for me to prove to Bo that I didn’t poison Nora.”   Spencer sneered. “You mean your word isn’t enough? Perhaps it’s best that you part if he has such little faith in you. I must say, he didn’t look too far to find your replacement. I saw him headed into Nora’s room first thing this morning. He is an early riser, isn’t he?”   Paige shook her head, walking around him and moving behind her desk. “I’m not going to let you bait me, Spencer. You got what you wanted. Bo asked me to move out. Are you happy now?”   Spencer smiled pleasantly. “Now why would I be happy about your misery, Paige? We used to be so much to each other. I would never wish you ill.”   Paige stared him down. “Why did you do it, Spencer? Why set me up?”   Spencer walked over to Paige and opened her coat, peering inside. Paige jumped back. “What the hell are you doing?”   “You wouldn’t be wearing a wire, now would you, Paige? Is this some little game you cooked up with your boy toy?”   Paige laughed sarcastically. “Bo and I are not cooking up anything anymore thanks to you. And what a tacky choice of words given your actions.”   Spencer smiled pleasantly. “My actions? I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”   Paige picked up an envelope from the desk. “I came here to turn this in. You got your wish, Spencer. I’m resigning as Chief of Staff.”   Spencer raised his eyebrows. “I never mentioned you quitting your job. What ever gave you that idea?”   “Cut the crap, Spencer. We both know what you did and we both know I can’t prove it. You must have wanted me to resign from the hospital. Why else would you make it look like I was poisoning a patient when I'm sure you had myriad ideas of how to set me up and ruin my life?”   Spencer grinned wickedly. “Not just any patient, Paige. It was your boyfriend’s ex. Delicious irony, isn't it? Perhaps it’s for the best you resign anyway. What kind of doctor can’t diagnose a simple case of Hemlock poisoning? That’s first year intern 101, Dr. Miller.”   Paige sighed with a smile. “Because I wasn’t looking for Hemlock, Dr. Truman.”   Spencer shook his head. “Tsk, tsk. A good doctor always rules out any possibility in trying to diagnose a patient. Perhaps Bo is correct in his assumption that you had no interest in ‘curing’ his ex. All the easier for you to step in as mommy to dear little Matthew.”   “Go away, Spencer. I’m going to clean out my desk and give my resignation to Viki. I can do that without your phony sympathy.”   Spencer smiled. “My sympathy is not phony. I wish you the best, Paige. I always have.”   Paige shook her head. “Just go. Since I’m still officially Chief of Staff, I can have security remove you if that’s what you prefer. While it would give me great pleasure, I'm sure you wouldn't like it.”   Spencer smirked. “You always did like to throw your authority around. Good luck to you, Dr. Miller. I hope you’ll be happy wherever you land.”   Spencer turned and left the room. Paige sat behind her desk with a lopsided smile and picked up the coffee cup Spencer had left, dropping it into the trash.   ******************** Matthew pushed open the door to Nora’s room. She was dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed. He jumped up beside her. “Mom! You’re coming home!”   Nora pulled him into her arms. “Yes, I am. I missed you so much!”   Matthew pulled back. “Mom! It’s only been one day and I saw you yesterday.”   Nora squeezed him again. “It feels much longer!”   Bo smiled as he watched from the doorway. Matthew looked back at him. “Dad and me came to pick you up and we’re going out to the lodge!”   Nora held his chin. “Dad and I…” She looked over at Bo. “The lodge?”   Bo nodded. “It’s quiet and we won’t be disturbed.”   “Dad says it’s safe because Grandpa won’t be there smoking his cigars,” Matthew chimed in.   Nora laughed. “Well, that’s one good thing.”   Matthew took her hand. “Let’s go. We’re stopping at Rodi’s for burgers first.”   Nora held back. “Isn’t it a bit early for burgers?”   Bo stepped into the room. “Would you rather something else?”   Nora shook her head. “Actually, I’m not really hungry. Dr. McBain made me eat all my breakfast to make sure I was okay to leave.”   Matthew watched her closely. “Are you?”   Nora nodded. “Yes, sweetie. I’m fine. I promise.”   “Are you gonna tell me now why you were sick?”   Nora looked at Bo before addressing Matthew. “Yes, we are. Your dad and I want to explain everything to you. You can ask as many questions as you’d like.”   Bo motioned toward the door. “But why don’t we get out of here first and then you can start with the questions later, okay?”   “Okay,” Matthew shrugged, jumping down from the bed. “Let’s go, mom. Are you ready?”   Nora nodded. “I’m ready. Dr. McBain signed me out. I’ve been waiting for you!”   Bo held the door as Matthew marched out with Nora in tow. He smiled with a wink as she passed through the door. “After you, Nora.”   She smiled back at him. “Thank you, Bo.”   TBC