Chapter 17

A crowd was by now gathered around the Turners and Jake’s attackers. Quite a few people had seen Debbie’s treatment of Ralphie Ryland and stared at her in awe. Ray Robinson ran to the gym to get Coach Nelson. Because teachers parked in front of the school and students parked in the rear, no teachers saw the altercation. Coach trotted up and surveyed the carnage. He went to the two boys on the ground. Charles Owens was lying on his side in a fetal position holding his balls. Ralph Ryland was prostrate, his face covered with blood. Coach sent Ray to call for an ambulance. Another student was dispatched to get a first aid kit.

The trainer arrived with the first aid kit and went to minister to Ralph. Coach turned to Jake and asked what happened. Jake gave him the ‘Readers Digest’ version of events. He played dumb when coach asked him why he was attacked. Coach wanted Jake to go to the hospital in the ambulance but Jake refused. Principle Skinner came up huffing and puffing. He recognized Ryland and Owens immediately. They were two dead-enders who he had suspended a couple of times for fighting and cutting class. Turner was the new kid whose father donated the busses, he hadn’t had any dealings with him but knew he had a troubled past. The Turner sisters were two of his best students, he figured they were just bystanders to the fight. Skinner sent the gawking students to class and had Angie, Debbie, and Jake report to the school nurse.

Jake decided that he needed to be injured more often when he met the school nurse. Ms. Chan was in her forties probably, but she was well-preserved. She was second generation Chinese-American. She even spoke with a southern drawl. She tried to shoo his sisters out of the room but that wasn’t going to happen, so she shrugged and told Jake to drop trou and take off his shirt. His arm had stopped tingling but his shoulder hurt like hell. When she had him raise his arm, he flinched in pain. The back of his thigh burned but didn’t hurt. Ms. Chan tsk-tsked and pulled out a heating pad. She had Jake lie down on his stomach and strapped the heating pad to his thigh.

Jake lay there and thought about the shit he had fallen into. The Welch brothers were John F. Kennedy High School’s resident hard cases. They were identical twin sociopaths. They were big, mean, and smart. Scott Hughes had briefed Jake on them when they were eyeing him in the hall one day. Jake had avoided them like the plague because he had a feeling his old self might have had some sort of relationship with them. Scott said rumor had it that they dealt drugs and were into all sorts of criminal activity. They avoided trouble because they used a group of like-minded losers from Oak Ridge as intermediaries. He was going to have to deal with this mess as soon as possible.

His ponderings were interrupted by Charles Turner’s arrival. Dad was huddled with Ms. Chan when Helen plowed through the door. She checked each of her children, then joined Charles and Ms. Chan. Their conversation lasted about five minutes and then Charles and Helen went to the office to see Principal Skinner. Angie had her color back and she and Debbie went to class after a last check on Jake. Alone with the nurse, Jake lobbed out the first seduction salvo.

“You are very pretty, Ms. Chan, and I love your accent,” he said.

“You are very fresh, Mr. Turner, are you looking for a trip to the office to go along with your injuries?” she said in a severe tone.

Ooops! “I’m sorry, Ma’am. But you can’t blame a guy for trying,” he replied, his most engaging boyish grin plastered on his face.

Her tone softened as she said, “Apology accepted, Mr. Turner. Nice try but you are barking up the wrong tree.”

The old light bulb clicked on in his head, “Well, I really apologize, Ms. Chan. Say, did my sister get you to look at her hand? I think she might of hurt it and didn’t mention anything because of me.”

“Which one? The redheaded girl was a little adrenalin pumped but she was fine when she left, the other girl seemed fine also.”

“Well I think I’m going to have Debbie come back in to get checked out just in case.”

The nurse told Jake that he had a very bad hematoma deep in his thigh that was causing the burning sensation. She recommended he have one of his parents take him to a doctor today. His shoulder seemed ok but an x-ray would be a prudent precaution. She wrote all this down for him and left so he could get dressed. Great, he thought, now I’m steering pussy to my sister. This just wasn’t his day.

Charles Turner went back to work and Helen took Jake to their family doctor. A thorough exam and an x-ray of his shoulder confirmed what Ms. Chan had said. Jake received some sort of shot in his thigh that hurt like hell and some pills to help prevent blood clots. Jake limped a little and his shoulder hurt but otherwise he was no worse for the wear. They climbed into Helen’s Mustang and headed home.

“Mom, where is Richie Collins?” he asked.

Helen cut him a look, “He’s at the Tomoka Juvenile Facility. He was taken from his mother’s custody and is a ward of the State, why?”

“I think this thing today had something to do with my past. The two bozos that attacked me were hired by a couple of guys named Welsh. I want to find out what Richie knows about them and me.”

Helen was silent for a minute or two then responded, “You brought a set of twins home named Welsh once. They were creepy. They were polite but they looked at me like they wanted me for lunch. You need to stay as far away from them as you can. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“It will only get worse if I don’t deal with them, but I will be careful, I promise.”

Helen changed tack, “Did your sisters really put those two boys in the hospital”?

“I don’t know if they put them in the hospital but they sure ruined their day. We have been doing a little self-defense training when we work out,” he explained.

Helen nodded and they rode on in silence. Her dress had ridden up her legs as she drove and Jake was looking at her thighs. She caught him looking, and, smiling, pulled her hem higher.

“I guess you are not too badly injured,” she said.

“I’m getting better by the inch,” he quipped, “if that hem gets any higher all the blood pooling in my thigh is going to relocate.”

“Well, if it’s for your health...” she said, pulling her dress higher still. “I miss your attention.”

“I thought you and dad were at it hot and heavy.”

“Your dad’s been having a few problems, and he is really focused on getting a store built in Orlando. We have hit a dry spell since Laurie got him revved up.”

They pulled in the drive before anything else could be said. Jake moved around to open her door and was rewarded with a nice flash of white lace. Jake was working on another idea as they walked to the house. There were really a lot of things to think over as he took the mandatory horizontal rest position.

Jake was lying on the couch at three o’clock when his sisters rushed in from school. They both swarmed him asking about his leg and shoulder. He reassured them and, in turn asked how they were. Angie said she was fine and happy that she could help him. She told Jake that she was so mad when she kicked that guy that she wanted to kick his balls into next week, but when he went down her anger mostly evaporated. Debbie said she didn’t get angry, she was only doing what she needed to do to protect him and then punish his attacker. Jake was amazed at the coldly efficient way she had taken care of Ralphie. He was glad she was on his side. He thanked them for pulling his ass out of the fire.

The doorbell interrupted their conversation. Angie answered it and let in a distraught Erika. Erika saw him lying on the couch and rushed to him. She dropped to her knees beside him and put her hand on his chest.

“I was so worried about you. What happened is all over school. Erik asked Coach Nelson about you for me. He told me Coach said you were fine but I still worried all day. Mama brought me over, she was worried also,” she babbled.

Helen told her to get her mom. Erika fetched Helga and the mothers went into the kitchen to chat. Erika sat by Jake on the floor holding his hand and the four teens made small talk until Helga collected Erika to go home. Helga bent over and kissed Jake, making sure he got an eyeful of her cleavage. Jake smiled his appreciation and she winked at him.

‘You could park a two and a half ton truck between those things,’ mused Jake silently.

Jake called Turner Furniture at 4:15. He asked for his dad and was passed to Gail. She asked him if he was okay and Jake told her he was fine and looking forward to their date. She asked if he wanted to reschedule it and Jake said no way. She said she’d be there at six-thirty then patched him through to Charles. Jake told his dad that he was fine and nothing was broken. His dad expressed appreciation for the call even though Helen had called him with the news from the doctor’s office. With Charles on his mind, Jake hobbled upstairs to find Debbie and make a plan.

Debbie had always been daddy’s girl, so Jake’s suggestion that she help put some lead into Charles’ pencil was well received. When Charles Turner arrived home shortly after five, a braless Debbie, hair in a pony tail, brought him the paper and snuggled into his lap in his recliner. Helen shot Jake a bemused look. Jake shrugged and grinned.

Jake got dressed and was waiting outside when Gail pulled up. He had told the folks that it would be less embarrassing to her that way. Jake slid into the seat of her 67’ AMC Rebel and complimented her on how nice she looked. Gail Martin was twenty-one and had been a cheerleader at Kennedy High. She had attended Stetson for a year but dropped out when her long time boyfriend was killed in Vietnam in 1969. Gail was about five foot five, with shoulder length dirty blonde hair. She was pretty and wholesome, but very shy. Jake had to drag conversation from her. He ogled her shapely figure as he engaged her in small talk. Jake found out that she was recovered from her fiancés death and had taken the job at Turner’s to make money for college. She hoped to start back next fall. She still lived at home to save money and Jake was her first date in over two years. She added that Jake was already her parent’s hero for getting her out of the house.

Jake gave her directions to the La Starza Restaurant, the same place he had taken Angie. He had called ahead and Walter greeted them at his station.

“Mr. Turner, how good to see you, and your lady friend is as beautiful as you said.”

That Walter was one smooth dude. Jake introduced a blushing and tongue-tied Gail and Walter showed them to an outdoor table with candles and flowers. (Never take a winning play out of the playbook was something Jake had adapted from his coach.) This night Walter laid an open menu in front of them and made some suggestions. Jake and Gail agreed to everything he recommended, he snapped his fingers, and gave their order to the waiter who rushed over. A cocktail appeared for Gail and a club soda for Jake. Jake drew Gail into conversation again. He was really starting to like this shy but determined girl. The meal was excellent and as Gail warmed to him, the conversation was even better. All too soon, it was time for Jake to disappear a fifty in Walter’s nimble fingers.

It was only nine o’clock so Gail drove Jake to her house to meet her folks. She pulled up to a well-maintained house in a quiet residential neighborhood and led him inside. Gail’s parents and twelve-year-old brother were watching television. Mrs. Martin was as quiet and shy as Gail. Her father was a different story. Bob Martin was a plumber, as the sign on the side of the van in the driveway advertised. He was about 5’9” but his demeanor made him appear taller. He had muscular arms and a firm handshake. He wore a wife beater tee-shirt that showed his tattoo of paratrooper wings on his bicep. Jake asked him which division. Bob replied he had jumped into Normandy with the 82^nd.

Over the women’s protests, Bob dragged Jake to the garage to show him the ‘51 Mercury Coupe that he had customized. After showing him the car, Bob got to the real reason for their excursion.

“Boy,” Bob said, “you seem like a smart young fella’ so I ought to only have to say this once. My daughter has had a hard time of it these last few years, and I want her to finally find some happiness. So you treat her right and we’ll get along fine. But if you hurt her, I’ll rip off your head and shit down your neck.”

Jake didn’t doubt him for a minute, “Yes, Sir, Mr. Martin.”

“Call me Bob. Now that we understand each other, how about a beer?”

Jake politely refused the beer and they made their way back to the living room. After a few minutes of polite conversation, Jake and Gail departed. It was a novel experience when Gail walked him to his door.

He kissed her lightly. She looked up at him, “You’re not out with your sister tonight, so you owe me a better kiss than that.”

If she only knew, he thought as his lips sought hers. He put his best into that kiss and Gail felt it all the way home.

At ten o’clock Jake was sitting at his desk reading when Helen popped in.

“Do you feel okay, Jacob?”

“Yes, I’m fine. You look good, hot date?”