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Post by papaof2 on Aug 15, 2017 1:29:15 GMT -6
A site where I occasionally get graphics images is trying to have a "Wordsmith Contest" but their entry handling process is geared to graphics, not text. So you folks get the short story I planned to submit. My stories don't have many cliffhangers but this story probably makes up for that. If the muse strikes, I'll extend this story but this may be all there is.
=========================
Ring! Ring!
The Caller ID tells me it's one of our daughters - the one who's not spoken with me in over a year. Haven't heard from her kids in longer than that. She probably wants to speak with her mother so I'll let it go to voicemail.
Ring! Ri…
And voicemail has it at three and a half rings. When the status light on the cordless phone starts flashing I'll know the message has ended and I'll check whether it's something to justify a cell call to my wife who's getting groceries.
The light is flashing. Pick up the phone and get the "stuttered" dial tone that indicates a message is waiting. Dial *98. Wait for the computer to answer. Enter the 7 digit "password" - a phone number we had more than 30 years ago. There's one message. Press "1" to hear it.
"Gramps! Gramps! Oh, it's your voicemail. Gramps, th-th-this is Alex. K-K-Kasey is driving the van and we're on th-th-the way to y-y-your house from Grandma G's house. P-P-Please be there!"
Kasey is driving? She's 15 and only has her learner's permit. Alexis hasn't stuttered in years so something major has happened. I'll call her back.
---
Deedleet! Deedleet!
"Kase, it's Gramps' number!"
"Answer it and ask who's calling. HE could be there!"
"Hello?"
"Alex?"
"It's Gramps!"
"Put it on the speaker. Tell him where we are and ask where we can hide the van."
"Kasey, why do you need to hide the van?"
"We’ll tell you when we get there."
"That's fine. Do you remember the lower driveway? The one where you drove the Barbie Jeep when you were about six?"
"Yes."
"When you get here, go on down to that drive and follow it as far as you're comfortable driving."
"Got it. We're at the covered bridge. Where do we turn?"
"Stay on the road you're on to the first road which crosses that road - not the T intersections on one side but the full cross street. Turn left there…"
"Wait while Alex writes it down!"
"OK. Tell me when you're ready."
"I got through the left turn."
"Stay on that road until it ends in a T intersection then turn right."
"T and turn right. Got it."
"Go about a half mile. There will be a Victorian house on the right with a horse barn behind it. Turn left and keep going until you see our house."
"Half mile. Victorian house. Horse barn. Turn left. Got it."
"I'll meet you behind the house. You want me to stay on the line until you get here?"
"You will?"
"I haven't heard a word from either of you in well over a year but you're still family. I'll be here."
"Kase, the battery thingy is red!"
"It runs down faster since Daddy hit me with …"
I have dial tone. The call dropped so her phone is dead. Daddy hit her? I need to know more as he never did more than a minor butt smack when they were much younger. I think it's time for me to be visibly armed. The .380 automatic on my belt. The scoped pellet rifle because it's the most serious looking weapon that I can quickly get - near the back door for small varmints - and I don't know how far away the girls are.
---
What's that grinding noise? Sounds like a tire rubbing on a bent fender. Did Kasey hit something on the way here? The noise is slowing so apparently so. They're turning in the driveway. Kasey seems afraid of the curve in the drive as the trees get closer to it. I'll walk out and guide her in.
"My God! What happened to you?"
"Can we go inside?"
"Yes. Then I want you two in the master bath with a camera and making pictures of all the marks on both of you."
"All the marks?"
"Yes."
"Can we get a shower and some other clothes?"
"Not until the Sheriff gets here."
"Don't call the police!"
"Why?"
"Daddy said he'd kill us if we told them!"
"Told them what?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"You think it might be easier to tell me before you tell them?"
"Can we think about it?"
"Until they get here. You two go make pictures while I call 911."
"But…"
"No buts. You came to me for help and I'll help in the best ways I can."
"But…"
Bang!
"YOU IN THERE, PAUL? ARE YOU HIDING THOSE USELESS LITTLE TRAMPS?"
"You two get in the bathtub and be quiet. The tub is steel and it's the safest place in the house."
"Yes, Gramps."
Now for some backup.
"Scott County 911. How may I help you?"
"I need the Sheriff's Office. My name is Paul Williams and I'm at 11458 County 176. My bruised and battered 13 and 15 year old granddaughters drove up in their mother's van about 3 minutes ago and there's a man I think is their father out front shooting at the house with a large caliber handgun - possibly a .357 Magnum."
"Your location is verified. Two deputies are enroute. Are you armed?"
"At the moment a scoped pellet rifle and a .380 automatic."
"Pellet rifle?"
"I don't want to kill my son-in-law but I do want to discourage him. If he enters the house, I'll use the pistol."
"Is he known for episodes like this?"
Bang!
"That's him again. Not to my knowledge. Let me get him back from the house and then ask the girls."
Pop!
"DAMN! THAT HURTS!"
"Girls, has your Daddy been to the doctor recently?"
"A couple of months ago. He said his face hurt when it was touched or it got cold."
"Is he on any medication?"
"Some kind of white tablet. I think the name on the bottle starts with 'c-a-r'."
"When did he start hitting you?"
"A couple of weeks after that."
"Sir? Are you still there?"
"Yes, I'm here. From what the girls told me, this behavior is recent. He may be on one of the prescription nerve pain medications. Their side effects can include mood swings and worse."
"Is he dangerous to other people?"
"His children are in this house and he's taking random shots at the house. I'd say he's potentially dangerous until he is off whatever medication he is on. Is there an animal control officer with a tranquilzer gun available? That might be the least damaging way of stopping him."
"Sir, are you LEO or military?"
"No, just an author with a vivid imagination."
"The deputies are two minutes away. There's an animal control unit about ten minutes from you. Can you hold out that long?"
"Yes. The house is brick and the girls are hiding in a steel bathtub."
Bang!
"I WANT THOSE LITTLE TRAMPS!"
Pop!
"MY EYE! I CAN'T SEE!"
"You shot his eye?"
"No, his forehead. It's a very vascular area and he can't see out of his left eye because of the blood running into it."
"Were you a sniper?"
"No, just very good at keeping squirrels out of the garden with head shots."
---
There are two cruisers on the left and an animal control van on the right. Dave hasn't seen either.
"SIR! PUT DOWN THE GUN!"
"NOT UNTIL I GET THOSE LITTLE TRAMPS AND TEACH THEM A LESSON!"
"SIR! PUT DOWN THE GUN!"
"NOT UNTIL THAT CRAZY OLD FART GIVES ME BACK MY KIDS!"
Bang!
Phffft!
"DAMN! THAT Stings…"
"Cliff, cuff him while he's out and check for other weapons."
"Got it, Jess."
"INSIDE THE HOUSE! ARE YOU OK?"
"I'm fine. The girls were bruised and battered when they got here."
"Are you armed, Mr. Williams?"
"Pullet rifle and .380 automatic. I'll put both on the porch by the door."
"Thank you. Do the girls need medical treatment?"
"I'd say yes but I've only seen the marks on their arms and faces. However, they both move as though they have other injuries."
"Is anyone else injured?"
"You should check at Laura Gentry's place. She's the shooter's mother and they came from her house. My daughter Sarah may also be there."
"Gentry? Is that 'The Goat Lady'?"
"Correct."
"I'll call that in. Cliff has already requested EMTs. When they get here they can also check the girls."
"Thanks. Ten years ago they would have been OK with me cleaning them up and checking their 'owies' but I doubt that 13 and 15 would be happy with their grandfather doing that."
"Do you have any proof that they were injured before they got here?"
"I sent them to the master bath with a camera just before Dave started shooting. The camera's date/time stamp should be turned on so any pictures they made will be the proof."
"Gramps, we only got a couple of pictures before you told us to get down in the tub."
"Can you show me?"
"Bath is through there."
"There's blood on the camera."
"That's my blood. Kase caught the camera when it slipped out of my hands."
"OK, Miss. Can you show me the pictures you made?"
"Turn it on here. This is 'review'. The arrows move you back and forth. This is us."
"The time of the first picture is about two minutes before we got the call. Cliff checked the van out back. The engine is still warm and there's blood on the seats and the steering wheel. Everything fits with what you told the 911 operator. We'll take him in and we'd like an interview with each of you separately. As soon after the event as possible but that siren is the EMTs. Let them check the girls and see if transport is needed. If so, do you want to ride in the ambulance or drive yourself?"
"Ride with us, Gramps?"
"I think I have the answer to my question. I'll arrange transport back when you need …"
"LET ME THROUGH! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HUSBAND?"
"Cliff, let her through before you need the EMTs."
"Go ahead, Ma'am."
"Paul, are you OK?"
"I'm fine …"
"Girls, what happened to you?"
"Gramps saved our lives!"
"Who's that in the front yard?"
"Dave."
"What?"
"Carla, I'll explain what happened here later. The EMTs want to take the girls to the hospital for further examination. I'm pretty sure that both of them have some ribs that are at least bruised and there are some places that probably need stitches or at least some butterfly bandages. They asked me to ride in the ambulance with them. You put any frozen or refrigerated food away and follow in the SUV. It's big enough for all of us to ride back in."
"What about fresh clothes for the girls?"
"Get their sizes if you don't already have a list and pick some things up on your way to the hospital."
"Will do. You should change your clothes before you go or they'll think there are three patients coming in."
"I'll go change. Love you, Mrs. Williams."
"Love you, Mr. Williams."
I won't mention anything about Sarah or Laura until I hear from the deputies. Better to have accurate bad news than the unlimited possibilities of potential bad news.
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Post by kaijafon on Aug 15, 2017 2:48:53 GMT -6
well all I can say is EXPAND IT!!!!!!!! excellent START!!!!!
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Post by spazzy on Aug 15, 2017 6:44:55 GMT -6
Wow nice start!
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Post by pbbrown0 on Aug 15, 2017 8:44:29 GMT -6
Spectacular start, Papaof2, and it's so ripe with possibilities. MOAR, please.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 15, 2017 11:17:16 GMT -6
Fine start for sure.
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 15, 2017 14:46:35 GMT -6
Glad you like like it.
Remember that this was for a "short story" competition so it doesn't have any detailed, long term planning in it. "Accidental Family" started out as a short story but I don't expect to hit the jackpot of 800 pages again :-( I have a little more written but no promises. If it's going to be more than a couple of chapters, I'll need to plan them out and keep things consistent with the first chapter.
I'm also using Word with 20 point type because the doctor won't consider fitting glasses for at least 2 more weeks. If Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech recognition software) could figure out punctuation without me saying "apostrophe" or "comma" or whatever, it might go a little faster but having to vocally add in the punctuation tends to derail my train of thought. I'm not a traditionally trained typist but my brain-finger connections work well enough to get most of the punctuation in place without thinking about it.
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Post by cutter on Aug 15, 2017 15:13:36 GMT -6
Come on Papa. My story is pushing 800 pages and was never meant to be over 500 and I'm still going. I would dearly love to see chapter 2 of this story
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Post by brucearmstrong65 on Aug 15, 2017 16:01:05 GMT -6
First story I've read in a while (my post on the General Board explains why) - and what a start! WOW!
Um, I suppose 14 hours is a little bit early to start the MOAR monster, isn't it? LOL
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 16, 2017 18:55:52 GMT -6
One more chapter. Ideas for perhaps 3 more. Lots of empty space beyond that.
Chapter 2 - Saturday afternoon
Scott General Hospital
"Mr. Williams, the Xrays show that Kasey has one broken rib and the ones to either side of it are cracked. Alexis has several bruised ribs but nothing broken."
"Thanks, Dr. Barton. What about their other injuries?"
"Lots of cuts and bruises. I had our resident plastic surgeon stitch the ones on their faces."
"I saw an ambulance come in but I've not heard anything about Sarah or Laura."
"They both have gunshot wounds. Sarah's is a clean in and out in the muscle of her left arm. That's being stitched up now. Laura's blood pressure was so low the EMTs thought there was serious internal bleeding. They started a couple of IVs and the Life Flight copter was waiting in the parking lot to take her to the Level 1 Trauma Center in the next county. I'll let you know when we hear from the Trauma Center."
"Thanks."
---
"Paul, I need to impound that van at your house so we need someone to open the gate."
"Amos, that van isn't going anywhere. I have the keys in my pocket. When the doctors are certain the girls can leave, Carla and I will take them home with us."
"You can have the younger one. The older one is going with me on charges of grand theft auto, driving without a license and leaving the scene of an accident."
"Amos Thatcher! Have you lost your mind? Those girls were escaping from someone who tried to kill them, their mother and their grandmother. Annie Thompson of the Scott County Gazette lives a couple houses away from me so she and her oldest son Bobby were out with video cameras as soon as the first shot was fired. You want to argue driving without a license against video of a man shooting at the house and two bloody children? My watch says 4PM. Did you have lunch at Joe's Pub and spend the afternoon drinking? Be honest with me - Joe has great video security."
"Well, uh, I had lunch there…"
"And you stayed. Let's get some of this incredibly bad vending machine coffee in you and see if your brain starts functioning again."
"This stuff is awful!"
"You want Annie Thompson to see you like this? You'll be front page news here and the second story on Channel 9 tonight, following the shooting at my house."
"Better get me another cup."
---
"Hello, Love."
"Hello, Mrs. Williams. You find everything the girls will need?"
"For a couple of days. When they take the yellow tape down at Laura's house, we can get the rest of what they had there. How is Laura?"
"Still waiting to hear from the Trauma Center. The EMTs suspected internal bleeding so she was Life Flighted there."
"I stopped to check on Sarah and the girls before I came looking for you. Sarah's injury is minor for a gunshot, being a clean in and out in the muscle of her left arm. She's getting stitches, antibiotics and a sling. They've all had tetanus shots in the past year or so. The girls want to see you. They're in Bay 3."
"Then we should head to the ER."
---
"Gramps!"
"I love this enthusiastic greeting but you tell me if it's OK to hug you back that hard."
"Sorry, Gramps. Hug us, but not that hard. Nana told us about Momma. How is Granny G?"
"We don't know yet. They Life Flighted her to the Trauma Center and we're waiting to hear from them."
"Trauma Center? Is she gonna die?"
"The EMTs suspected internal bleeding so the best place for her was the Trauma Center. They have the best equipment and the most experienced doctors. She's in good hands."
'You sound like an insurance commercial."
"Kasey, you sound much better than you did an hour ago."
"We know Momma is alive and gonna be OK. Granny G is getting the best care available. Daddy is in jail and can't hurt any of us. In spite of Momma and us being nasty to you about something stupid, you love us enough to risk your life to keep us safe. I love you, Gramps!"
"Me too, Gramps!"
"I might like the two of you a little bit."
---
"Mr. Williams?"
"Yes?"
"Dr. Barton has signed the releases for the girls and their mother. If you would make arrangements for payment at the checkout desk?"
"I know where it is."
"$11,000 on your credit card, Gramps? Daddy said his card had a $3,000 limit."
"Alexis, my limit is somewhat higher than $11,000. Those 'awful books' - as your mother describes what I write about the possible end of civilization as we know it - are very popular and many people buy them. Today that's a good thing, as I didn't have to sell one one of my grandchildren to pay for the trip to the hospital."
"Gramps!"
"What do they do if you don't have the money?"
"Kasey, they can arrange a payment plan of so much a month but there's always interest on monthly payments so the total cost is higher."
"If you can do that much on your credit card, why don't you and Nana have new cars?"
"Kasey, pay attention to the words you're saying. The 'credit' part of 'credit card' is what trips up a lot of people. You do NOT have cash in hand equal to the limit on the card. Using the card is a promise to pay in the future and the monthly interest on credit cards is often very high. Your Nana and I use credit cards as a convenience so we're not carrying large wads of cash. We pay off the credit card statement every month so we don't pay interest."
"So you know how much you can spend and you stop there like when you use cash?"
"Exactly, Alex."
"Do you spend $11,000 every month?"
"No. We live comfortably but we don't spend money just so we can brag about where we went or what we did. Do you remember the little Italian restaurant we go…"
"Yummy stuff, especially the pizza - and exactly what you want on it. Even your 'no tomato sauce, bacon, spinach and fresh tomato' pizza. And you were right - it's a BLT pizza."
"Is it an expensive place to eat?"
"No."
"Is the food good?"
"Yes!"
"Is the service good?"
"Yes."
"Is it a place you would brag about going?"
"Only about how good the food is."
"Do you remember where your parents went for their anniversary dinner?"
"That really expensive steak place!"
"And what did they say about it?"
"The place was fancy and there were a lot of TV and movie stars there but the food and service weren't that great - and it was almost like making another payment on Momma's car."
"Where do you get the better meal for your money?"
"The little Italian restaurant. I get it! You aren't going somewhere to impress other people; just a place that pleases you and you can eat there all month for what you'd pay for one meal at the expensive place."
"So why don't we have new cars?"
"What you have pleases you?"
"Very good. Our vehicles are paid for, as is the house and the land around us. The income we don't spend on unnecessary things becomes a cushion to fall back on when something unexpected happens…"
"Like all of us being in the Emergency Room today!"
"Correct. You passed the test on Lesson 1 of Gramps' Introductory Course in Personal Finance. I see they have your mother in a wheelchair so lets get with her. Carla, you want me to get the SUV and reset the seats?"
"Yes, Love."
"Where in the lot?"
"Row 17. Here's the ticket. You can pay…"
"As I go out."
"Dad, I'm sorry…"
"Sarah, wait until we're home. I'm just glad you're all able to go home with us. Be back in 10 minutes. Row 17 is the back of the lot."
"Mom…"
"As your Dad said, wait until we're home."
"Mrs. Williams, I almost forgot. These are the antibiotic and pain killer prescriptions for the three of them."
"I was a nurse here for 20 years and I know how bad doctors' handwriting can be. Let me verify that they're readable. 'Oxycodone, 5mg'. 'Oxycodone, 10mg'. 'Fentanyl patch'?"
"'Fentanyl? Oh my God! Someone mixed up the instructions on multiple charts. Let me get this straightened out now!"
"Nana, what's 'fentanyl'?"
"Kasey, it's a very powerful pain medication but none of you need anything that strong."
"I'm glad you're taking care of us!"
"Me too, Nana!"
"Me too, Mom."
---
"Hello, Mr. Williams."
"Hello, Mrs. Williams. The SUV is in the patient pickup area but my passengers don't seem ready to leave."
"I checked the presriptions for readability and almost gave Dr. Barton heart failure."
"How did you do that?"
"The one for Kasey was for a fentanyl patch."
"Now I understand the tornado of nurses and doctors running around in circles checking charts and prescription forms."
"Mrs. Williams? Would you verify these prescriptions?"
"Yes. Oxycodone and an antibiotic for each of them, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops for the scratch on Kasey's cornea. Looks good, Dr. Barton."
"Thank you. Could we persuade you to come back to work in a supervisoty position?"
"Thank you for the offer but I think my nursing skills will be needed at home for a while."
"I know they'll get good care."
"Load up, people. The meter maid was looking hungrily at the SUV until the head nurse chased her off."
"Mandy Brown is a great nurse but she is a 'Momma Bear' about the people under her care. After the tongue lashing Mandy delivered, I doubt that meter maid would ticket the SUV if it was parked there all night."
"We shouldn't wait to find out. Talking about the Italian restaurant made me hungry so I called in a takeout order and we can pick it up on the way home."
"What did you order, Gramps?"
"It's a surprise, Alex."
"The smells will tell us what it is."
"You'll be able to test that hypothesis in 10 minutes."
"What's a 'hypothesis'?"
"It's a dictionary word for you when we get to the house."
"Don't we get enough school stuff at our house?"
"Apparently not, as I think your vocabulary should include 'hypothesis'."
---
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Post by 9idrr on Aug 16, 2017 21:38:05 GMT -6
Sir, I am forever in your debt for your willingness to provide such wonderful stuff. We, who are not worthy, greatly appreciate the pearls you cast before swine such as we. Speakin' only for myself, of course. Good stuff.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 17, 2017 7:59:37 GMT -6
Fine update
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 18, 2017 16:52:20 GMT -6
My muse is being cooperative today - cranked out a chapter and a half plus the notes for the other half chapter in a couple of hours. Doesn't happen often :-(
Chapter 3 - Saturday evening
"Is this all of your order, Gramps? I don't see any pizza boxes!"
"I told you it was a surprise."
"No pizza is a bad surprise."
"I think you'll find some type of food that you can manage to force down."
"Gramps!"
---
"We're home. I'll help Sarah to the table and you girls can help your Nana with the food containers."
"Yes, Gramps."
"Then you can wash your hands while we set the food out."
"Yes, Gramps."
---
"I smell pepperoni pizza! But there weren't any pizza boxes."
"I told you it was a surprise. They cut the pizzas to fit in the foam 'salad' boxes so you wouldn't know what it was."
"'Pizzas' as in more than one?"
"Sausage, pepperoni and BLT. And that last one is now on their menu as 'Paul's Perfect Pizza'."
"You're famous, Gramps! They've named something for you!"
"I'd rather not be a celebrity. I don't want paparazzi hounding my every step."
"Me neither!"
"I expect Annie Thompson to want an interview about today's events but she's a neighbor and a friend so she'll call and ask who's willing to be interviewed, who's willing to be in the picture but not interviewed and who doesn't want to be included at all."
"We don't hafta?"
"No, Alex. You don't 'hafta'. I think it would be good for you to tell your story but we need to speak with a lawyer before then. I'll call Pete Davis."
"Davis, Davis and Wilson. We're on your side."
"Hello, Sherry Wilson. This is Paul Williams. Is Pete Davis available?"
"I'm sure he is for you. Let me check."
"Paul, this is Pete. I can assume this is about today's events?"
"Yes. Annie Thompson has video of the events in front of the house and I'm sure she'll call about an interview before the end of the day."
"On the bright side, you will have a sympathetic interviewer. Give me the condensed version and let me make some notes. I'll do some checking and get back to you with a list of do's and don't's."
"It started with a voicemail from my daughter's cell phone…"
---
"Paul, I understand you wanting to protect your son-in-law who may be suffering more-severe-than-expected side effects of a prescribed medication. When you set a time for the interview, call me and I'll be there to screen Annie's questions and try to keep this a balanced report of events. Have you heard how Laura Gentry is doing?"
"Laura is in the surgical ICU at the Trauma Center. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious so there's been some improvement."
"That's good to know. What about the others?"
"They've eaten and been stopped long enough to realize that they're tired and they hurt. Annie called and the interview is set for here at 11AM tomorrow."
"That's good. They'll have a little time to get over the adrenaline rushes of today."
"Kasey is getting things together - she asked for makeup to cover the black eye and the stitches so she's recovered enough to want to look good on camera tomorrow. Her nurse grandmother had to explain that makeup on the stitches could get them infected and that the bruising was evidence of what she was saying."
"That sounds like Lily after that group tried to abduct her outside the restaurant. She asked her mother for makeup when the police photographer got there. She also got the 'it's evidence' explanation. By the way, she still refers to you as 'Uncle Paul' because you were there to rescue her."
"Just taking care of her as anyone else would."
"'Anyone else' would not have had a .380 automatic in the back of his belt and taken out the attacker's shoulder and knee when he swung at you with that knife."
"Just doing what’s normal for me."
"And you had your 'normal' serendipity with you. The other three guys ran for their van just in time to be seen by a group of National Guard who were coming in to eat and driving a military Hummer. No way the van could move when they parked that three and a half ton vehicle behind it and those guys were not in shape to run as far as the soldiers could."
"See you tomorrow, Pete."
"See you at 11."
---
"Bedtime, girls."
"Nana, it's only 9. We watch the news at 10 almost every night - it's homework for school."
"You've had a much busier and more stressful day than usual. To bed."
"Gramps, do we hafta?"
"Yes. This time you 'hafta'."
"Can we sleep on the pull-out bed in the sofa in your bedroom?"
"Your mother has that so her nurse will be close by. You OK with the queen size blow-up mattress?"
"Isn't it packed away in the basement?"
"It was until about an hour ago."
"You expected us to ask to sleep in your bedroom?"
"We expected you to be upset by the events of the day and either ask before you went to bed or if a bad dream woke you."
"You're the best grandpa ever!"
"Maybe just the best one you know?"
"That too."
"Kiss us goodnight when we're in bed?"
"On your nose."
"Yes!"
---
"Paul, they're all asleep but probably won't sleep well when the pain meds wear off."
"I know, Nurse Williams. You have their meds and water on the table by our bed. You go on to bed. I'll sit in our light shielded alcove and read for a while. If one of them wakes before I turn in, I'll get the next dose of pain meds for them and you can take a turn in the wee hours of the morning because I don't wake easily at that time."
"That's how we did it for our kids when they were growing up so that's what we'll do now. I don't think either granddaughter has gotten an 'on your nose' goodnight kiss since they were 8 or 9. That was good for some giggles."
"I thought it might be. Tonight they needed to feel safe and be 'little' as long as they wanted."
"I'll go brush and floss and head to bed."
"If you're on my side of the bed, should I roll you over or switch sides?"
"Better roll me over so I'll be by the meds when one of my patients wakes me."
"Good night, Mrs. Williams."
"Good night, Mr. Williams."
---
I think that mumble is Alex.
"Alex, it's Gramps."
"Gramps? Why's it dark? Where are we? Where's Granny G?"
"Come with me over to the light."
"This is your and Nana's bedroom. Why am I here?"
"Sit by me here on the sofa…"
"Why are there stitches on my arm? Stitches? The hospital! Daddy hit us! He shot Momma and Granny G! ..."
"Alex, look at me."
"Yes, Gramps?"
"Now that I have your attention, look back where you were sleeping."
"It's the blow-up bed. Kasey's on it. Where's Momma?"
"Look at the other sofa."
"The bed is pulled out. Momma's sleeping there?"
"Yes. And you had pizza for supper…"
"And a goodnight kiss on my nose!"
"So not everything today was bad?"
"Not everything. The clock shows 1:02. Why am I awake but it's dark?"
"It's 1 in the morning. The pain meds you had after supper have worn off and all those scrapes and cuts and your bruised ribs are hurting so you woke up."
"Why are you awake?"
"Because my favorite granddaughters might need someone to take care of them."
"We're your only granddaughters."
"Therefore you must be my favorite granddaughters."
"You're silly!"
"You're smiling for the first time since you saw pizza in a salad box."
"You're sneaky, too."
"Here's your pain medication and some water."
"Does it taste bad?"
"You didn't say anything about the dose at supper."
"I guess not. I'm sleepy."
"Let's get you back in bed. I expect your sister and your mother to wake soon for the same reason you did."
"Kiss me goodnight again?"
"On your nose?"
"Un huh."
"OK, Gigglebox."
"You haven't called me Gigglebox in a long time."
"You haven't around for me to call you anything."
"I'm sorry…"
"Nothing for you to be sorry about."
"But I have my own Facebook page and gmail. I could have said 'Hi'."
"We can talk tomorrow - I guess that's later today. Goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight, Gramps."
One down and two to go. Make note of the time and dosage on the check sheet I ran off in Excel after Carla went to bed.
---
"Roll over, Love."
"Roll over?"
"You have the middle of the bed."
"Guess I was looking for your shoulder."
"It's now available."
"You goof! What about our patients?"
"Taken care of as they awakened: Alex, Kasey, Sarah. Times and dosages noted on the check sheet I made up."
"I thought about a check sheet after I was in bed. Thank you for thinking of it while you were awake enough to make it."
"You're welcome. You know not to depend on my memory of events during the night."
"Goodnight, Mr. Williams."
"Goodnight, Mrs. Williams. Was that an invitation or a promise?"
"The room's too full for it to be an invitation. It's a promise."
"And I know that you keep your promises."
---
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Post by cutter on Aug 18, 2017 17:14:22 GMT -6
Good read. Thanks a million.
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 18, 2017 18:29:37 GMT -6
I'll take much less than that. And I take PayPal ;-)
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Post by gipsy on Aug 19, 2017 7:37:47 GMT -6
Nice update
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 19, 2017 19:31:14 GMT -6
My muse seems to have taken the weekend off. I'm about 300 words in a chapter that should be 1500 to 2000 words and I'm just correcting spelling. Enjoy the chapter I completed before she left ;-)
Chapter 4 - Sunday morning
I smell bacon and other good things. Guess Carla didn't wake me to help cook because I stayed up the extra hours.
What's the status on our patients? The check sheet shows she took care of them around 6AM. The pull-out bed is empty and I only see one lump on the blow-up mattress. That's likely our usually sleepy-headed Gigglebox.
"Good morning, Alex."
"What's good about it?"
"Bacon and pancakes and a good morning kiss on your nose when you uncover your head."
"Kiss first?"
"Yes, because after you get into the pancakes a kiss might have me stuck to you for hours."
"Gramps! I'm not that messy!"
"Not now. But when you were six…"
"Don't remind me about taking me outside and using the hose to clean me off. Kiss my nose."
"You're kissed. Time to go eat or maybe help with cooking. Your Nana left her purple Crocs by the bed for you."
"Yes!"
---
"Now that everyone is here, I'll give you the schedule for today. Sarah, Kasey and Alex will get showers under my direction so none of your stitches or butterfly bandages are displaced. No mousse or hairspray on your hair. No makeup of any kind."
"But…"
"Girls, Nurse Williams has spoken. She knows best about caring for your injuries so you will do what she says."
"But we'll be on camera!"
"Kasey, you'll look like real people who survived, not models in a studio."
"Kasey, Alexis. Give it up. I've heard that tone from your grandfather enough times to know it's his final decision."
"Yes, Momma."
---
"Paul! Three coyotes at the back of the lot!"
"I'm on it."
Grab my rifle. Go out the front door so the door noise doesn't spook them. Around the house. The wind's in my favor. Over to the woodshed. I have a clean shot on two of them if I'm fast enough.
Bang!
Bang!
First one is down. Second one is slowing rapidly. Third one looked rocket-powered when he took off. Go get nitrile gloves and plastic bags while I give the second one time to bleed out. We've encountered several rabid animals in the area in the past month and I'll treat the carcasses and the top couple of inches of dirt under them as being infected.
They're added to the trench I had Doug Jeffers dig with his backhoe. Dump in the bodies and push down some dirt from the side. Doug was next door doing some septic tank work and jumped at the offer of $100 for 20 minutes work with only two minutes of travel time. $100 beats the heck out of me spending hours with a shovel.
---
"Dad! Why did you shoot those defenseless little animals? They weren't hurting anything!"
"Sarah, I'll only say this once. You've forgotten everything you learned growing up in the country. We've had a half dozen occasions of rabid coyotes attacking sheep, dogs and people in the County. I'm keeping people safe from dangerous animals. Even my tree-hugging, animals-have-rights daughter - unless you'd rather experience the very painful series of rabies shots?"
"I didn't know…"
"But you're ready to judge without knowledge. I'll use the shower in the basement to get cleaned up."
---
"Mom, he's right, isn't he?"
"Yes, Sarah. He's doing what he did when you were 8 and there were rabid wild animals in the area. This time he had someone dig the trench for him instead of doing it himself but he's still the first one out to stop a dangerous animal."
"Including Dave?"
"Your father is an excellent marksman with any firearm or air gun - he did take one of those coyotes on the run with one shot. He used the lowest powered weapon he had to keep Dave back from the house. He inflicted painful and annoying injuries but nothing truly damaging. Dave was taken down by an animal control officer using a tranquilizer gun - at your father's suggestion."
"I saw the video on the TV news and I thought Dad had…"
"You know better than that. You could also have asked your daughters as they were here and knew what happened. Again, you didn't know but you were quick to judge."
"Dad has the patience of Job, doesn't he?"
"I think the fact that you survived your teenage years is proof of that."
---
"Carla, have all of you had showers?"
"Yes, Love."
"Then I'll go turn off the backup hot water heater. No point in burning propane to heat water we won't use today."
"Backup hot water heater?"
"Yes, Kasey. When we remodeled a few years ago, we were aware that we needed more hot water than the original tank could provide when we have more than three people in the house. There were four options: a new and much larger water heater that used much more propane, a large tankless heater that needed AC power to light the burner, two small tankless heaters that didn't require power or having two small standard water heaters with one of them only turned on as needed. The two small standard heaters were 20% of the cost of the two tankless heaters."
"I understand about not wanting one that uses AC power because power was off most of the week we were here one summer - the white bucket trucks were driving down the road almost every day. But the fridge and freezer were OK and the TV. How'd you do TV without power?"
"You asked that question then and I took you out to the green building over there…"
"The powerhouse! Now I remember. It has solar panels on the roof and batteries inside on one side and a big generator on the other side and there's a big gas tank outside for the generator."
"People often remember more with a little prompting. There's an automatic changeover switch that transfers the house from the co-op powerline to the inverter that the batteries power whenever the voltage drops to the trigger level. If there's no sun or the batteries are low or power has been off more than 4 hours, the generator will start and take over the load as needed."
"But things that don't need power work all the time."
"Correct, Gigglebox."
"Gramps! Only when it's just us! I'm too old for everyone to hear that!"
"And does Snugglebunny also think that way?"
"No, Gramps. Sometime I still need to snuggle - like last night when I woke up hurting."
"Which helps more? Being held or the pain meds?"
"Being held works faster but the pain meds work longer. Having both is best. That way I can be held until the pain meds start to work."
"Nurse Williams, if you would assess the current pain levels and see if we should medicate these patients before they start their interview?"
"Excellent idea, Mr. Williams. Sarah, Kasey, and Alex upstairs for a quick medical check and to get you dressed in something other than pajamas."
"Yes, Mom."
"Yes, Nana."
---
"Hello?"
"Sadie, this is Paul Williams."
"Yes, Paul?"
"What's eating Amos? He went to Joe's Pub for lunch yesterday and was still there when the shooting at my place was reported."
"Paul, it's Darren. He was injured by an IED and will lose his left leg. Amos is just falling apart."
"There are two people who can help. Reverend Carver at the Methodist church has counseled with injured veterans and their families. The number is 555-HELP. The other person is James Caldwell. He also lost a leg to an IED…"
"But he's a animal control officer! He chases down dogs and cats!"
"And sheep and raccoons. That's what Amos and Darren both need to see. James did it so Darren can probably do it. His number is 555-2184."
"Amos told me about you pumping him full of that terrible coffee. Thank you, Paul. Should I call or should Amos?"
"You call and tell them the story then you try to get Amos to call. If he doesn't, I'm sure both James and the Reverend will find some reason they need the Sheriff at their places."
"Paul Williams, you are one sneaky guy."
"Only when needed."
---
"Nana, you and Gramps haven't done any outside chores. Do you still have animals?"
"We still have them, Kasey. Your grandfather thought all the outbuildings needed a thorough cleaning and some repairs, so he arranged to have all the coops, pens and barns at the children's home brought up to snuff and they have the animals for a month while the work is being done here."
"I didn't see anyone working yesterday or today."
"They're working Monday through Saturday. The work is hard so they need one day off each week. The workers are all in high school or just graduated and this weekend is the big Fishing Rodeo at Scott Lake. The kids have been working hard for two weeks so your grandfather told them to take Saturday off and go fishing. They'll be back at work tomorrow."
"Animals at the children's home? You never mentioned that before."
"The children's home was placed in the hands of a 'service provider' company a few years ago and had gotten more citified every year. The new management felt that children didn't need to do chores and that animals were dirty and dangerous. They finally discovered how expensive it is to feed a group of children if all the food is purchased. That company planned to close the home but some local people offered to get the farm portion back in operation if the Methodist Church would again take over running the home. The Church agreed, so the buildings were refurbished and the home has the loan of our animals and the promise of starter stock if they show they can properly care for the animals. If you want to do chores, our animals will be back in two weeks."
"I know how to feed chickens and gather eggs. I'd like to learn how to milk a cow. I don't really want anything to do with the pigs. They stink!"
"Alex, that's the smell of money."
"Huh?"
"The pigs are pastured part of the time and they eat the scraps, including the milk when we don't drink it all, so feeding them isn't expensive. They provide bacon and ham for us and fertilizer for the garden so they're the smell of money."
"But the bacon package had 'Jeffers' Butcher Shop' on it."
"Yes, because we don't process the hogs ourselves now. We take them to George Jeffers for butchering. We know how but some things we'd rather pay for than do ourselves…"
"Be glad they're not doing it, daughters. Otherwise you'd be knee deep in blood and guts out behind the barn,"
"You did it, Momma?"
"Starting with turning the crank on the sausage grinder when I was about 6."
"Yuck!"
"That's odd, Kasey. You didn't say 'Yuck' about the sausage on your plate this morning."
"That's different, Nana. It was cooked and brown and yummy!"
"But it came out of the same type grinder as the one your mother cranked."
"But…"
Knock! Knock
"Hello, Pete. Carla, would you do introductions? Annie will need help with the lighting. We'll set up by the fireplace in the TV room."
"Pete Davis, this is our daughter, Sarah Gentry, and her daughters Kasey and Alexis Gentry."
"Ladies, pleased to meet you but I would have preferred better circumstances - although I originally met Paul under similar circumstances. People in need seem to be magnets for Paul."
"Davis? You're Lily's father?"
"Yes, Mrs. Gentry."
"Momma, how do you know some kids here?"
"A newspaper clipping your Nana sent me."
"Newspaper?"
"Mrs. Williams, if you could tell the story?"
"Several years ago, Mr. Davis and his family were at the Italian restaurant we like. When they were ready to leave, it was raining. Lily had her learner's permit so she went out to bring their car closer to the door. As I'm sure Kasey will agree, driving in the parking lot is still driving."
"Un huh!"
"As Lily got outside, a group of men tried to kidnap her. Paul and I had just parked and heard Lily's scream as he opened the door. He dived out of the car, ran over to the restaurant door and knocked the knife away from Lily. The guy turned on Paul but by then Paul had his always present handgun out and put one round in the assailant's shoulder to remove the danger of the knife and one in his knee to keep him from attacking again while Paul was going after the others. They made it to their van but a group of National Guard were pulling in the lot so they parked behind the van and chased down the guys who ran from it."
"And your grandmother had the one I shot neatly bandaged before the Sheriff's Office could respond. They arrived to find four guys in zip cuffs sitting on the pavement and the restaurant owner with a DVD of security footage in his hand. Took a while to get it all sorted out but I discovered that I now had a pretty good lawyer on retainer, even if I'd never met him before."
"And you always will have one, Paul. Lily has decided that she wants to be a lawyer."
"I think she'll make a good one, Pete. She's smarter than her father and a lot easier to look at. Enough of our old tales. Pete has some instructions about the interview and he'll be there to ensure the interview is fair and that it doesn't infringe on anything the Sheriff's Office doesn't want released yet. Annie and Bobby should be ready for you now."
"Sit with me, Nana?"
"Yes, Alex."
"Sit with me, Gramps?"
"Yes, Kasey. On the big gray sofa. Your mother in the middle. You and Alex on either side of her. Your Nana beside Alex and me beside you."
---
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Post by cutter on Aug 19, 2017 23:05:48 GMT -6
I do enjoy your stories. The tone of this one reminds me of Accidental Family. Different story, same cadence.
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Post by gipsy on Aug 20, 2017 6:58:26 GMT -6
Nice update
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Post by udwe on Aug 20, 2017 22:03:50 GMT -6
I love your stories!
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Post by darkwolf on Aug 21, 2017 11:43:29 GMT -6
Okay muse get your cute butt in there and go to work or you do not get any ice cream.
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 21, 2017 14:39:14 GMT -6
I was up later than I wanted to be last night as we're in the 97% path of the eclipse. Did get up in time to get the digital camera set up and taking a picture every 30 seconds. Might have a few decent shots as the camera wants a straight line in the image for its auto-focus and there are no straight lines in an eclipse. Being up until almost 4AM was worthwhile in one sense - I completed 2 1/2 chapters - almost 5,000 words. Now my writing is a day ot two ahead of my posting. Still need to do the final editing on those chapters. Here's the next chapter.
Chapter 5 - The Interview
"Carla, Paul. I didn't know you'd be part of the interview."
"Annie, neither did we until two minutes ago. We're here for hugs and holding hands, not comments."
"I didn't expect you, Pete."
"Annie, I'm here instead of a Deputy to ensure that certain items aren't released before the investigation is completed. I thought everyone would be more comfortable with someone Paul and Carla knew than an unknown armed officer."
"Understood. You give me the usual sign if I'm in iffy territory and I'll move on to my next question."
"Will do."
---
"I'm Annie Thompson and my assistant is my son Bobby. I'm a neighbor and friend first and a reporter second. I know that people want to know more about a shooting in the neighborhood, especially when children are involved. I understand that you may find some things hard to talk about and that you may be speaking very softly. Bobby has a wireless mic for each of you. Carla will help you get them on and the wires hidden."
"You said 'wireless mic' and 'hide the wires'. That doesn't make sense."
"You're Alexis?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Alexis, that's a good question and deserves a good answer. Bobby, if you would demonstrate?"
"Yes, Mom. Alexis, it's wireless because it doesn't need a wire running to the cameras or to the muti-channel audio recorder. There's a wire because the mic is very small and the transmitter that makes it wireless is too big to hide easily so the transmitter clips on your belt or waistband or goes in a pocket. The wire between them is hidden under your shirt. Watch the sound level meter on the recorder when I speak into the mic. Test 1 2 3 4."
"I understand. It's like walkie-talkies but it only goes one way."
"You're smart! Some adults don't get that the first time."
"Bobby, let go of the mic so Carla can help Alexis with the wiring."
"Bobby?"
"Uh, uh, yes, Mom."
---
"I'm glad that's over!"
"Me too, Kase!"
"Alex, was it as bad as the interview at the Sheriff's Office?"
"No, Gramps. Deputy Jones was nice and she was patient when I started crying about something but it's a lot easier with you and Momma holding my hands."
"So maybe not all that bad?"
"I guess not, Momma. I just didn't want to talk about any of it and some of it is scary to remember. But Mrs. Thompson was very nice and Bobby's kinda cute!"
"Alex! He's my age so he's mine!"
"Girls, that's enough. I think that might be Bobby's decision, not either of yours."
"Yes, Momma."
"Girls, remember that if there's a trial foir Dave, you may be called to testify about events,"
"By myself in front of all those people?"
"Yes."
"Will the lawyers be mean to me like in the TV shows?"
"Not if they want to work in this county in the future."
---
"Carla, do we have enough leftovers to invite Annie, Bobby and Pete for lunch?"
"Yes, matchmaker husband."
"Not so much matchmaker as doing something 'normal' - having a group of kids sharing pizza."
"I like the way you think, Mr. Williams."
"I like the way you tell me that, Mrs. Williams."
---
"Annie, Pete. Can you stay for lunch? Paul bought lots of pizza last night and the girls only had one slice each before they ran down."
"Sounds good to me, Carla. You OK with pizza, Bobby?"
"As long as it's not more than three times a day."
"I think that's a 'yes'."
"Bobby, you're funny!"
"Thank, Alexis."
"Call me 'Alex'."
"OK, Alex."
"Pete?"
"Knowing where the pizza is from, I'd never say 'no'."
"Love, if you'll get them something to drink, I'll get the foil-wrapped pizza in the convection oven so it will be hot and the crust will be crisp."
"Hi, I'm Carla. I'll be your server today. If I could get your drink orders?"
"Nana, you're silly!
"Maybe, but all of you are smiling - even our 'A smile might break my face' lawyer."
"Carla, I'm glad I don't have to face you in court. I think you'd cut me and my client to ribbons."
"That's not a field that interests me."
"That's good. It means I still have a job."
---
"There are place cards with names on the table. I'm reasonably sure that Sarah has some questions for Pete. And I know that kids usually like being together and having the limited privacy of being on the other side of the table from the adults."
"You did good, Gramps."
"Thanks, Kasey."
---
"Pete, could unexpected side effects of a prescribed medication be a defense?"
"Sarah, that will depend on how much supporting evidence can be found from the pharmaceutical companies, the FDA and possibly the VA or other military records or research. It's not something I've dealt with before but I do know someone to ask. I think my permanent retainer from your Dad can be extended to cover finding the right lawyer."
"Permanent retainer?"
"How much is Lily's life worth?"
"I guess that could make for a 'Paid in Full' account."
---
"Bobby, you did more talking than eating today. That's unusual for you when there's pizza."
"Mom, I was with the nicest people ever! I think Kasey wants to own me but Alex just treated me like a normal person."
'So Alexis is now 'Alex'?"
"That's what she said for me to call her. She looked in my eyes when we were talking. She smiled when I said she was smart. When she reached for the mic she touched my burned hand and didn't lose the smile or flinch or anything! She held that hand while she unwound the mic cord from it. Mom, a girl - a really pretty girl - treated me like I was just another kid!"
"I see why you got lost when handing her the mic. Do you remember coming home from a session with Reverend Carver and telling me that what he had to say was a bunch of BS? That there would never be anyone outside the family who paid more attention to you than to your scars?"
"I remember."
"Now do you think he might have been correct?"
"Oh yeah! I can't wait to get back to work on that barn tomorrow!"
"Remember that you're there to work. Not to follow behind Alexis or Kasey with your tongue hanging out and dragging the ground."
"Mom! But I understand. And I think I like Alex more than Kasey 'cause she's not pushy. Kasey kept interrupting what Alex was saying to get my attention but Alex never did that."
"So Alexis just likes you but Kasey wants to take you away from her?"
"Maybe. I've not known enough girls to say what she wants. But Alex doesn't act like she wants to own me. She's just nice to be with."
"So you think she's pretty even with her scars?"
"What scars?"
"I'll point them out while we edit the video of the interview."
---
"Pause the playback here, Bobby."
"Frame 1217."
"Expand the image."
"OK."
"Black eye here. Scar over this eye. Stitches here and here."
"I didn't notice those before!"
"Sometimes the 'who' of a person makes a bigger impression than the 'what' of their appearance."
"The 'being nice' part overrides what my eyes saw?"
"Correct. Advance the video to about here and expand the image."
"Kasey also has stitches and stuff!"
"Someone else whose interest in you overrode what you were seeing?"
"You're right. Mom. Why didn't they cover it with makeup?"
"Two reasons. Their grandmother was a nurse and knows that makeup could infect the stitched areas so she wouldn't allow that. The bruises are also proof of the story they told."
"That was bad. Why would anyone want to hurt them? They're so nice to other people!"
"I'm sure the investigation will find the answers."
"Is there anything I can do for them?"
"Just do what they did for you - keep treating them like 'any other kid'."
"That was nice! I'll do that. Will they have scars where the stitches are, like I have scars from the burns? The physical therapy got my hand so it works but it still looks bad."
"I heard that the ER called in a plastic surgeon to do the stitches on their faces. And not all the cuts were closed with stitches - some were put together with glue."
"Glue?"
"Remember the glue that Sally got on her fingers trying to fix that broken dollhouse?"
"The superglue that sticks to everything!"
"Everything except the nail polish remover which can dissolve that glue. Doctors sometimes use a special version of that to close surgical incisions and other breaks in the skin."
"Doesn't that stuff need smooth edges to stick?"
"That's why stitches are still used for some repairs."
"Will there be scars?"
"Probably, but the plastic surgeon was called in because she knows how to minimize the scarring."
"So they'll still be pretty when it heals?"
"You thought Alexis was pretty with the stitches and bandages. Will having those things gone make her less pretty?"
"You're on that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' thing again, aren't you?"
"Isn't it true for you?"
"Considering how I remember them and how the camera remembers them, you're right. Alex will be gorgeous!"
---
"Gramps, will we have to stay here until Daddy gets out of jail?"
"Alex, that depends on a number of things. Pete Davis will look into finding a lawyer who knows about cases such as this. Your Daddy will be in court tomorrow for a judge to decide whether he should get bail…"
"Bail? I've heard of 'bailing someone out'. Is that what you're talking about?"
"Yes. 'Bail' is money posted as a guarantee that someone who is released from jail will show up for their trial. Most people deal with a bail bond company which gets a deposit of 10% or 20% of the bail amount and that company puts up the actual bail money."
"Like $10 if the bail is $100?"
"That's 10% but bail amounts are usually much more than that and the amount goes up with the seriousness of the crime and the number of criminal acts."
"Hitting me is one act and hitting Kase is another?"
"Correct. And each time it happens is another criminal act - one for Monday morning, one for Monday afternoon and so forth. Some things are more serious than others. Threatening to harm someone is assault. Hitting someone is called battery or assault and battery, depending on the local laws. Shooting someone who survives is called attempted murder or aggravated assault, again depending on local laws. Your Daddy hit you at home as well as here. That's a different state so there may be another set of charges for him there…"
"That sounds bad!"
"Come sit by me for a hug. It could be very bad. That's why Pete is consulting with a lawyer who specializes in cases like this."
"But will Daddy get out of jail?"
"That depends on whether the judge thinks Dave is a danger to other people if he's out of jail. Would you want to be living in the same house with him now?"
"Not until I've talked with him and Momma's talked with him."
"It's possible that the judge might think the same and either not give him bail or set the bail very high. Think about how the judge might see things. A man shot his own mother and his wife and tried to shoot his children. Would you allow that man back on the street?"
"Not unless someone was watching him real close."
"That's why the bail could be high - possibly $1 million or more. If someone is willing to risk that much money, they would be keeping a very close watch on that man."
"The person putting up the money loses it if the man runs away?"
"Correct."
"How long does it take before the trial starts?"
"A case this complex would take at least several months to prepare - on both sides. The Prosecutor would want a case that he or she felt would prove the person's guilt. The man's defense lawyers would want a case that they felt would prove him innocent."
"I think Daddy may be there a long time."
"We'll know tomorrow."
"But how long will we be here?"
"At least until the doctor clears your mother to drive, as I don't think she wants the hassles of flying and trying to manage luggage with her arm in a sling and she probably doesn't want to leave her car here."
"How long?"
"Probably a few weeks. Your grandmother was a nurse so that's a question she can answer much more accurately than I can. Whether Dave gets bail or not, you, Kasey and your mother would be required to be back here for the trial."
"Can I have a kiss on my nose?"
"You may."
"I said 'can' but you said 'may'. What's the difference?"
"'Can' means 'able to'. 'May' means 'having permission'. I think you're able to turn your face up for a kiss on your nose. I will give you that kiss."
"Yes, teacher. And it's OK to call me 'Gigglebox'."
"Sometimes you need to be 'little' and snuggle?"
"Un huh. You're the best grandfather ever!"
"Thank you, Gigglebox."
---
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 22, 2017 13:35:20 GMT -6
I was looking through the chapters to verify the time sequence.
Do you realize that Chapter 5 starts (11AM on Sunday) less than 24 hours after the phone call (early afternoon on Saturday) that kicked off the events? Chapter 12 (not ready for prime time and neither are most of the chapters after 5) closes out the day on Monday. This may be a long (in words) story...
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Post by catspaw65 on Aug 22, 2017 16:14:49 GMT -6
Papa, I don't think anyone is going to complain about the length of your stories. Maybe to say too short, but never too long.
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Post by papaof2 on Aug 22, 2017 21:05:32 GMT -6
Chapter 6 - First Visit
"Love, can you check on Laura via your contact at the Trauma Center?"
"I'll do that. You're thinking of taking Sarah and the girls to visit her?"
"If Laura's able to have visitors - even if it's a short visit - it would be good for her to know they're all ambulatory and good for them to see her and talk with her."
"I agree, Dr. Williams. I'll call Wanda Jeffers."
"Albemarle Trauma Center. How may I direct your call?"
"Wanda Jeffers, please."
"Thank you."
"SICU. This is Jeffers."
"Wanda, it's Carla."
"And you're checking on Laura. Visitors are limited to family only and 20 minutes every two hours. The two of you share grandchildren so I'll list you as family. You're about an hour away, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"The next visiting time will be in an hour and a half. Don't worry about the exact time as she has no other family who can come."
"We'll be there. Thanks, Wanda."
"Just doing what's best for my patient."
"Sarah?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"I checked with the Trauma Center. Laura can have limited visitors. The next time is about an hour and a half from now. The Trauma Center is about an hour away. I think Kasey and Alex would be very happy to know that their other grandmother is getting better. I'm certain she'll be happy to see all of you up and about. You tell the girls and I'll help Paul get the SUV packed."
"Exactly why do you need to pack the SUV?"
"We'll be 50 miles from home. There are thunderstorms and flash flood watches in the forecast today and we could wind up spending at least one night there."
"Oh."
"Go tell the girls."
"On my way."
"Paul, we're on for the trip. I'll get rain gear if you'll load the get home bags and a tent."
"Will do."
---
"Hi, Carla. I see you made good time today."
"Hi, Wanda. The kids were in the SUV as soon as we mentioned seeing Laura."
"For now, ignore the 'Maximum of 2 Visitors' sign. I asked Dr. Herrera and he said for Sarah to take both girls in with her."
"Thanks, Wanda."
"Sarah, you take Kasey and Alex in with you. Laura needs to know that all of you are OK."
"But the sign says '2 Visitors'."
"Special dispensation from Laura's doctor. He doesn't want her to be worried about one of them not being there."
"Makes sense. Much better than the hospitals that always enforce that rule."
"I think you'll find a lot of people who make sense in this area of the state."
"Kasey, Alexis. We can see your grandmother now. Try to keep the noise down and be gentle. It's OK to kiss her and hold her hands but don't do your usual Olympic level hugs."
"Yes, Momma."
"Granny G!"
"Alex?"
"And Kasey is behind me and Momma is behind her."
"I thought the rule was two visitors?"
"Special permission from your doctor. We're still limited to 20 minutes because we don't want to tire you."
"I don't think having you here will tire me. I feel better already because you're able to visit. Turn on the light over the bed so I can see you better."
"We don't look very good."
"Kasey, you let me be the judge of that. A plastic surgeon did your faces?"
"Yes, Granny G."
"Very neat work. Sarah, tell me about your arm."
"Clean in and out on the muscle. I may be in PT for a while but it should heal OK."
"That's good. What about Dave? No one here will tell me anything!"
"He's in the County Jail. He'll have a bail hearing in the morning. Dad has a lawyer friend who's said he'll get someone experienced to handle the legal side of things."
"Pete Davis?"
"How'd you know?"
"I know the story about Paul rescuing Lily. There aren't many lawyers who are as committed to his clients as Pete is to your Dad."
"Pete mentioned his 'permanent retainer' earlier today."
"You talked with him today?"
"The reporter that lives near Dad wanted to do a video interview this morning so Pete was there to keep an eye on the legal nuances. The reporter's name is Annie something."
"Annie Thompson. I'd guess that the interview went well as it was more like a friend checking on the family - and the girls probably noticed Bobby…"
"He's cute!"
"And he's nice to talk with."
"About as I thought…"
Knock. Knock.
"Yes, Wanda?"
"Sorry, Laura. Time's up."
"Twenty minutes is forever when you're waiting for a ride in the rain but it just evaporates here. Sarah, don't spend two hours sitting in those uncomfortable chairs. It you want to come back in later, go spend that time at Duffy's Diner. The owner goes by 'Duffy' because no one can pronounce his 15 syllable Greek name and he think's 'Duffy' sounds 'more American'. Not everything on the menu is Greek. He has every food variety from Reubens to Spumoni."
"OK, Laura. We'll see you later."
"Sarah, it's a little after 4. Laura probably suggested eating at Duffy's instead of waiting on the chairs here."
"Dad, do you know the best places to eat everywhere in the world?"
"No, just the places where I've spent a few days. Remember that your mother had cancer surgery here several years ago. I had plenty of time to explore the various cuisines."
"How far is Duffy's?"
"Walking distance on a nice day but the way the clouds are building and the wind is rising tells me to drive this time."
"I keep forgetting how closely you watch the weather."
"We live on a farm. We have animals. Part of the land is rented out to a neighbor but we still have a good sized garden. It's important to be aware of the weather. I'm concerned that the thunderstorms could produce hail which might damage what's up in the garden but it's a concern I couldn't do anything about if we were at home. I'll just make the mental note to check the garden when we get back."
"Thank you for the farming lesson, Professor Williams. Can we go eat now?"
"I don't know, Kasey? Are you able to?"
"Huh?"
"It's OK, Kase. He got me on that earlier today. I think you're able to go eat. What you're asking is permission to go eat. May we go eat, Gramps?"
"You remembered, Alex. Yes, we will go eat now. It's not a long walk but we don't want to be walking in a thunderstorm so climb in."
"Even with the step, it's a climb to get in."
---
"Wow! Look how big the chocolate cake slices are!"
"The carrot cake, too, Alex."
"Dessert is a 'maybe' after your meal."
"Yes, Momma."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Williams. Party of five?"
"Yes, Duffy."
"A booth by the window?"
"Not with today's wind and the number of items being blown about. Perhaps have your servers close the shutters?"
"I should also secure the patio?"
"Probably. Do you have enough help to do that?"
"Another person would be a big help with the some of the tables."
"Sarah, you can't move chairs or tables but would you hold the door as we bring things in?"
"Yes, Dad."
"Can we help, Gramps?"
"Yes, Alex. You and Kasey can put the chairs on the rolling rack. Just fit them in the same way as the chairs that are currently on the rack. Duffy, do you have tie-downs for the tables next to building?"
"Yes. Where the yellow ropes are."
"Girls, did you pull the straps over the chairs?"
"Yes, Gramps. It took both of us because it's really tight."
"Being tight means it will keep the chairs as one big piece that the wind can't easily pick up."
CRACK!
"That was too close for us to be outside. Everyone back inside!"
"Gramps, it's dark in here."
"The shutters are closed so there's no light from outside. I think that lightning strike knocked out the power here. We need more light than three cell phones can provide so I'll get out the little light that's almost always in my pocket…"
"That's too little to help… Hey! It's bright!"
"This is one of the rechargeable NiteCore lights. It only lasts about 45 minutes at this brightness level but that should be long enough for us to find other lighting."
"Mr. Williams, the lamps and lanterns that are decoration all work but I can't find matches or a lighter."
"I have a lighter. First let's light a couple of candles as they're easier to use with the lanterns than the lighter is."
"There's nothing to light, Nana. Just a hole."
"Alex, turn the knob in this direction to get the wick high enough to light it, then we turn it back down part way and put the chimney on the lamp. Then we can adjust the wick for a good light but not so high that it smokes."
"That's better! It's not like the overhead lights were but this gives more light than I thought it would."
"You'll appreciate the Aladdin lamp your Gramps is lighting even more."
"Wow! Can we have that in here to eat by>"
"Perhaps after Duffy has finished using it to cook by?"
"You can cook with the power off?"
"Yes. The grill, the burners and the ovens use LP gas so they will be fine. The fridges and freezers are powered by the generator Mr. Williams helped me install - but it hasn't started."
"I brought in one rain suit. I'll go check the generator."
---
"Some of the lights are back!"
"Yes, young lady. The generator only powers part of the lights but they are enough to read the menu or eat by."
"The battery on the generator is missing. Looks like someone cut the cables and took it. I took the coach battery out of the SUV and used it to start the generator. If your phone is working or you have internet service, we can check whether the auto parts store across the street has cables and a battery that will work."
"One of the servers told me their phones don't work. Thank you, Mr. Williams. I'm proud to now be an American citizen but I sometimes feel that I'm a guest in someone's home when people like you do so much for me."
"Duffy, perhaps we like having good people in our country or perhaps we're just hungry."
"I do not know about me being good people but I do know how to fix hungry. Here are menus. What would you like to drink?"
---
"Momma, I've never seen some of these words before."
"Me too, Gramps."
"Duffy has used the appropriate name for each item on the menu to give credit to the originationg country. Look at the next line in each description."
"This sounds yummy!"
"This one, too!"
"I hear excited voices from this table. You have found food that you would like to try?"
"A lot more than I can eat today! Gramps, will you bring us back here again?"
"The next time we come to see your Granny G."
"Tomorrow?"
"That depends on how much supervision the kids working on the farm buildings need. Would it be OK if your Nana brought you tomorrow?"
"Gramps!"
---
"Is everything delicious?"
"As usual, Duffy. I think the adults will need takeout boxes. The girls have slowed down a bit but I think they'll finish what they have."
"Can we get dessert?"
"And what would the pretty ladies like for dessert?"
"Chocolate cake!"
"Carrot cake!"
"Mr. Williams?"
"One slice of each and enough forks to go around."
"Cake for five coming up."
"This is so good!"
"This too! Grab a fork, Momma. Even teenagers can't eat a slice of cake this big."
"Miss, if you would sign here and the other young lady would sign here?"
"Why?"
"You worked today. I'm having you sign the check to show that you were paid for the work you did."
"I'd work any day for food like this!" "Me too!"
"Thank you, Duffy."
"No, I must thank you, Mr. Williams. You protected my place from damage. You got the generator running so I can feed and care for other people. I am in your debt."
"I'll stop at the auto parts store on our way out. I think Sammy might be willing to install the battery and cables in exchange for a meal."
"I would be pleased to exchange services with him."
"Do we run through the rain, Nana?"
"No, your ready-for-almost-everything grandfather brought in a rain suit and he will go get the SUV and bring it up to the covered drop-off area. We won't get wet."
"He's always taking care of us."
"You are correct."
---
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Post by gipsy on Aug 23, 2017 8:23:45 GMT -6
Grandpas are cool
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