Adam's Daughter (42 page)

Stephen thought briefly about asking her to go to dinner. “Well, it was easy,” he said instead. “We have the same ideas about the
Times
. We work well together.”

She let the comment
go. “Being publisher is another game.”

“You’ve made some good
moves already. You stopped Ian from selling the Seattle paper. And you’ve kept him off my back about the suburban operation. I appreciate that.”

Kellen held Stephen’s eyes for a moment then rose. “I’ve got to get back to work. I have to go over
the budget for the Seattle paper.”

“Want some help?” Stephen asked on impulse.

She smiled. “Come on upstairs at six. I’ll order in some Chinese.”

By eight, Kellen and Stephen had finished the budget work. Kellen leaned back in her chair and stretched. “Thank god, that’s done,” she said. “The cuts weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be.
”

“You really should go up there yourself to give the
staff a vote of confidence,” Stephen said. “Your father was very good about visiting the other newspapers in the chain. Ian’s never bothered. And it might help you pinpoint the problems there.”

She massaged her neck. “That’s a good idea. I’ll go as soon as someone invents a forty-eight-hour day.”

The phone rang. Kellen knew it was probably Garrett. He was still in London and usually called her between eight and nine. With a glance at Stephen, she answered the phone. She was surprised to hear Ian’s voice.

“I’ve been trying to find you,” he said. “Our little brother has gone and gotten himself in trouble.”

“Tyler? What’s wrong?”

“Who knows? Somebody called here about fifteen minutes ago and said Tyler was freaking out. That was the term he used
, freaking out. Said somebody better come and get him.”

“Why didn’t you do anything?” Kellen asked.

“I’m getting ready to go out,” Ian said. “Besides, the kid’s a brat. He slums around with those degenerates and then expects us to come bail him out when he gets in trouble. This will teach him a lesson.”

“Where is he?”

“That Fillmore dump.”

Kellen hung up and turned to Stephen
. “I’ve got to go,” she said. “Tyler’s in trouble.”

“I’ll drive you,” Stephen said.

At the Fillmore’s entrance, Kellen pushed her way through the line, Stephen close behind. Someone said that Tyler was upstairs in a bathroom. Kellen ran up the stairs and came to an abrupt stop at the door.

Tyler was crouched in the co
rner of a stall, his eyes wide with terror. He was muttering incoherently and swatting at his body frantically. A thin young man was trying to pull Tyler to his feet as a crowd watched in deadpan curiosity.

Suddenly, Tyler let out a scream. “They’re all over me! They’re all over me! Get them off!”

“What, man, what -—?” the thin young man asked.

“Kat
z! Help me! Spiders! All over me, get them off! Oh god, get them off!”

S
uddenly a burly man pushed by them and went into the stall. “What’s going on?” he demanded. He stared at Tyler, now curled into a ball, whimpering. “Hey, he looks like he’s underage.”

“Oh no,” Katz said, “he’s eighteen. He’ll be fine.”

Kellen pushed forward, shoving them aside. She took Tyler by the arms. “Tyler, it’s me, Kellen. What’s wrong?”

When he didn’t answer, Kellen looked up at the young man. “What did he take?” she demanded.

“Some acid. But I don’t know how much —-”

“You gave him drugs? He’s
thirteen!”

Kellen cradled Tyler in her arms. Suddenly, his head lolled to one side and his eyes rolled back in his head. Stephen knelt down to take Tyler’s pulse.

“Someone call an ambulance!” he shouted.

At the hospital,
the hour slipped by but Tyler remained in a light coma. At dawn, Kellen was still sitting in his room staring at Tyler, Stephen at her side.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Stephen said finally. “It’s not your fault.”

Tears began to fall silently down her face. “I should have been there for him,” she whispered. “I should have been there, but I was too busy. Now it’s too late.”

Stephen stared at Kellen, puzzled. “The doctor says he’ll be okay. It’s not too late.” Then he understood suddenly that she had lapsed into thinking about her father’s death. He pulled Kellen into his arms. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said softly.

She looked back at Tyler. “I’ll take care of him,” she said. “I promise.”

Three days later, when Tyler came out of the coma, Kellen was
still at his bedside. Slowly, his eyes focused on his surroundings and then on her. He looked lost.

“You’re in the hospital,” she said. “You took some drugs
. You’ve been here three days.”

He turned his head away and shut his eyes.
There was a long silence, broken by the clatter of a cart in the hall.

“What are you doing here?” Tyler said in a hoarse whisper.

“I’m here because I care about you, Tyler,” she said.

He
wouldn’t look at her.

“You don’t believe me, I know,” she said. “I’ve never given
you much reason to.” She reached out and took his limp hand. “I know how you feel, like we’re strangers almost. But we —-”

“Go away,” he whispered.

She waited, hoping he would turn to face her, but he didn’t. “You’re my brother,” she said. “You’re all I’ve got.” She paused. “Please, Tyler. I love you.”

Tyler squeezed his eyes shut.

“Please, give me a chance to prove it,” she said.

He still refused to turn away from the wall. But Kellen felt his fingers tighten slightly around her hand.

CHAPTER FIFTY

The overdose had frightened Tyler so much that he agreed to Kellen’s suggestion that he get counseling. And though after a month it was too early to tell if it was having a positive effect, Tyler at least had stopped hanging out in the Haight and his attendance at school had improved. But he remained wary of Kellen’s attempts at affection.

Tyler was so needy, Kellen often thought, as if he were emotionally starved. It was as if Adam’s heart had opened only for a brief time in response to Elizabeth’s light, and Kellen had basked in the reflected warmth. Tyler had not been so lucky.

The realization rekindled a protectiveness toward her half-brother that she had not felt since the day Adam first brought him home. But she also knew that she needed Tyler as much as he needed her. He was the only family she had now except for Ian. And it was suddenly very important that she not allow the fragile bond between them to break before it had a chance to grow strong.

About
six weeks after Tyler came home from the hospital, Kellen decided to throw a small dinner party. The excuse was her birthday but it was really an attempt to make Tyler feel some sense of belonging.

During the party, Kellen watched Tyler carefully. There were encouraging signs
, like when Tyler tried to talk to Stephen about rock ’n’ roll. That prompted Clark to jump up and raise his wine glass.

“A toast!” he
said. “To tomorrow, the solstice. The beginning of the Summer of Love!”

Clark sat down to
groans.

“I’m surrounded by Philistines,” he murmured. “A rhapsodic revolution is happening right here in our midst, and you all are turning a deaf ear.”

“We’re all too old,” Josh laughed.

Clark turned to Tyler. “Don’t listen to
him. Of course, your sister used to be different. She was a real free spirit.”

“I haven’t changed,” Kellen said, smiling.

“Then prove it,” Clark said. “Let’s all go to the Solstice Celebration.”

“All right!” Tyler exclaimed.

Kellen looked quickly at Tyler. The last thing she wanted was a replay of the scene at the Fillmore. Tyler had promised her he would never touch drugs again but the counselor had warned her that Tyler would try to test her authority. But he had also told her that she had to show Tyler that she trusted him.

“Okay,” she said, “but only if Stephen goes, too.”

“What? Not on your life.”

She touched his arm. “Come on, Stephen. It’ll be fun.”

He glanced at Tyler, understanding what she was doing. “All right,” he said, smiling slightly.

The room erupted in conversation. No one saw Ian and Lilith standing at the door. Finally, Kellen did. “
Hello, Lilith, Ian,” she said. “We didn’t hear you come in. Why don’t you come in and have some cake? It’s my birthday.”

Lilith’s mouth was a thin line. Ian’s stony expression turned into an affected smile. “We can’t. I’m on my way to take Mother to the airport.”

Clark, feeling no pain, smiled broadly. “Well, maybe when you get back, Ian old boy, you can join our little party. We’re going down to the Haight and celebrate the Summer of Love. Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.”

Tyler laughed
. Ian’s dark eyes surveyed the smiling faces. “No, thank you,” he said. “Good night, everyone.”

Ian
and Lilith went to the foyer. The laughter in the dining room grew louder.

“Well, that was certainly a cozy scene,” Lilith said. “When did Kellen and Tyler become so buddy-buddy?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Ian said.

“Don’t you see what’s happening?”

“Let’s go, Mother. It’s a long drive, and I’m tired.”

Lilith touched Ian’s cheek. “My poor baby...
he works so hard that he can’t see anything else going on around him.”

Ian
pushed her hand away. “See what?”

“That Kellen and Tyler are
forming an alliance. And eventually it could work against you. I mean, Tyler’s just a boy. He can’t do anything now. But when he’s twenty-one...”

Ian was silent as he pulled on his coat.

“And Kellen’s obviously a bit unstable, like her mother was,” Lilith said. “She’s capable of anything. I’m just warning you that you should watch out.”

Ian glanced back at the dining room. When he turned back to face Lilith, she was smiling.

“Maybe you should start being nicer to Tyler,” she said. “He needs the guidance of a big brother right now. And someday you might need him.”

Ian stared at her. “You amaze me sometimes.”

She went to the door. “I’m only looking out for your future. I’m your mother, after all.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

It was about four in the mo
rning when Kellen, Stephen, Clark and Tyler made their way toward Twin Peaks, the hills behind the Haight. The light was seeping over the horizon, and a cool moist fog caressed their faces as they climbed the hill. It was quiet, except for the soft thud of footsteps.

Slowly, figures began to emerge from the swirling mist, and soon the grassy hillside was dotted with people, sitting quietly in small groups, wrapped in blankets. Hundreds more were still coming
-- men carrying flags and babies, girls in shawls with flowers in their long hair.