Chapter 2

I had just awakened after being in some form of unconscious state for several months. I was so weak that I could barely hold my arms up. A monitoring nurse told me that I should begin letting people know I was alive.

The problem was that I only had a sister living in Miami who might miss me sending her e-mails. She was somewhat of a crazy person and was a little wild. She was a year younger than me and had graduated from the University of Miami. Our folks had perished in a boating accident in the Bahamas the week before her high school graduation. I was already in the Marine Corps and took off for twelve days to bury the folks and to make sure Sis would be taken care of. A crazy aunt moved into the house and helped Sis through all the various legal hassles there were.

The folks had some large life insurance policies that left the house paid for. The crazy aunt was influencing Sis, but encouraged her to go on to school. I was fulfilling my life's dream by attending several training sessions in a row. The attorney would send me a form, with an explanation of what it was for, every time I needed to sign something.''

The way our parents' will was prepared, each of us children had a trust account set up that we could access when we were twenty-one. My trust account was just gathering interest as I was busy being a Marine. Through the eight years that I had been gone, Sis finished a business degree and had moved into a South Beach apartment, leaving the crazy aunt to live in and care for the house.

There were a couple of high school friends who I e-mailed fairly often, but they were used to me being away from my base for lengthy periods of time.

One of the voicemail messages was from Sis wanting to know why I hadn't e-mailed her. Another voicemail was from my crazy aunt who wanted to remind me that the house was there for me if I were to get out of the Marines, and that she had kept it in good condition. She told me to call or e-mail her.

This was a time I was glad I had put my cell phone bill on direct withdrawal from my Naval Credit Union bank account.

It took me a few days to get some strength back. It took a week before I was strong enough to walk across the room, and then another week before I could make an entire circle around the ward. For whatever reason, a nurse was kept with me twenty-four seven throughout this time. I was told that I was considered an important person to the military, and would be continuously cared for until I was released, when I asked her or him why I had a constant nurse.

I called my Sis the second week I was awake and felt like talking. "Is that you, Chucky?"

"Yeah, it's me, Dora. I was injured and out of commission for a few months. I'm finally able to function enough to make some phone calls. How are you doing, Sis?"

"I'm fine, Bro, and have a ton of news for you. I used a lot of my trust to buy into a club here in South Beach. It's a money maker so far, but you have to be careful with entertainment clubs because they often go bust because the owners either take too much out, or they don't watch the store. This is my sixth month and the club's making money and the other two partners and I aren't taking anything but a small salary so far. We're building a good cash flow, anticipating repaying each of us our investment. I can't wait until you can come see the place. You'll love it."

"That might be sooner than you think, Dora, because I'm going to be retired because of injuries. I probably have a month or so of rehab before I'll be able to travel though. Our nutty aunt wants me to call in answer to my e-mail and said the house was in good shape, so I think I'm going to plan on living there."

"You know you could live with me here in South Beach, but you might not like sharing the apartment with three women. My roomies are my partners in the club, and you would be drooling over them all the time. They both are total foxes."

"How about I move into the house and try to acclimate to civilian life first. Do you think Aunt Connie will mind if I move back home?"

Dora said, "She'll be happy to have the company. She's changed a lot these last few years. She's no longer pencil thin, and looks good with some meat on her bones. She quit smoking and doesn't drink much anymore, and she doesn't date much according to her. I think she still makes money doing what she's always done, so don't be surprised if she still takes calls from her service. She says she doesn't bring dates to the house though. You know that she is fifteen years younger than Mom, so she isn't that much older than we are."

The Gunny – well, "Master Gunnery Sergeant", one of the Corps's top NCO ranks – from when I first came back to the States walked in while I was thinking about the situation. I told Dora; "I have a visitor so I'll call you later to let you know."

"Good, and call Aunt Connie. She'll love to hear from you."

Gunny stuck his hand out and I shook it when I closed the phone. He smiled and said, "Good, you have a firm handshake now. You're looking better too. We need to keep you eating and exercising to get you back in shape."

"I'm going to the gym for rehab later today, so I'll be getting stronger soon. The hospital is feeding me well."

Gunny told the male nurse to take a break and sat down in the chair. "We expected you to have several visitors from the various groups interested in all that money, Chuck, but that stuff has become a real political basketball. Eight more cases of money vanished by the time they shipped them back here. Then an entire Army squad assigned to guard the cash vanished with six cases of money. I doubt anyone will consider your involvement in the original discovery important any longer. Another thing is that you now have a real service connected disability that will never be questioned. You are being retired with a hundred percent disability at the rank you should have been, which was E-6, Staff Sergeant. You are also being classified as having received a combat related injury. You won't be able to live high on what you'll get, but it will keep you in food and a small apartment. You should get about twenty-five hundred a month."

"You know what? I'm actually looking forward to a change, Gunny. It's going to be almost Christmas before I can get out of here, so wait until I'm released from here to process my retirement."

The old Gunny smiled and said, "You and me, Buddy. We're going to retire about the same time. My retirement will be effective January 2^nd. My wife has found a home down in Port Charlotte, Florida, that she loves and is getting it ready for us. I'm staying in base quarters for these last couple of months and am also looking forward to a change. Thirty years is a long time, but it's been good."

"Damn, Gunny, you've had the career I wanted. You're even at the rank I eventually wanted to make. You're probably not fifty yet, so you have a lot of good years to have another career if you want it."

The man laughed, and said, "Well, I married a Marine who just retired with twenty-six years, so our combined incomes will be enough to live on. We plan on buying a boat and doing some traveling. I've been taking sailing lessons and have my Captain's license now, so we're going to be swabbies for a while."

"Sounds like you have a good plan. Enjoy, and thanks for taking care of me while I've been out of it. I'm back now, and there hopefully will be no after effects."

Gunny said, "That's what I've been afraid of. Your rehab people will watch you to make sure your motor skills come back. You're going to have to watch what you do and evaluate each of your physical changes. Use the VA for regular visits and register right away. It takes a while before you get your first checkup appointment, but you can always go for emergency care if you need it."

I had to ask, "I still don't know what happened to the men in my team or the other team that was in the other truck, and I still don't know what happened to my team's Lieutenant. Can you tell me?"

"Both teams were released and not questioned any more. You would have been released, but you were hurt so they had to make it look like you attempted to escape. It's hard to believe how this escalated so fast, but people become nuts over three quarters of a billion dollars. Your Lieutenant had a shattered bone, so might be retired by now."

I made the comment, "That whole team arrived at the same time, so they have probably rotated out by now. I'm surprised none have come to see me."

"Your team was busted up and spread to other teams. I think it was to help get rid of the suspicions they might have been involved in some of the thefts. I'm sure none of them want to be associated with you so that they don't invite surveillance."

I agreed after thinking about it a few seconds, "I can see that. Well, I'll be easy to find because I'm going to my permanent home address in Miami. I still have a sister and aunt living down there. I should be fine with what retirement money I'll get. I should be able to get a job so I can afford a car and other nice things if my mind will get sharper."

As he stood, Gunny said, "I hope it works out for you. The hospital will keep my office posted as to your condition so that we'll be ready with your separation papers. Get well and gain some weight, meanwhile."

It's amazing how just talking can wear you out. I lay back on the bed and was out of it until a new nurse woke me for lunch. Physical therapy in the gym for two hours was after lunch, and then a shower and fresh hospital scrubs. The usual afternoon snack that was full of calories, a walk around the ward, and then supper finished my day.

I called my Aunt Connie between supper and my late night snack. I said, "Hey, Aunt Connie, did Sis give you a call?" when she answered the house phone.

"She did and I've hovered over the phone since. Dora said you'll be coming home to live here now. That is so good. I'll love having you for company. I promise to not be talking all the time, but it will be good to have someone around. Could you stop saying 'Aunt' Connie and just call me Connie?"

"Ha, ha, ha, easy enough, Connie. We're going to have a lot of catching up to do."

"We sure are, Chuck. Dora said you're in the hospital. Can you have visitors? I should come visit you if you aren't coming home soon."

"You don't have to do that. I'll be out soon and we'll have days and days to catch up."

My aunt asked, "Where are you anyway?"

I looked at my nurse and asked, "Am I still at Andrews or was I moved?"

The female nurse said, "You were moved to Walter Reed in late July because we have better neurosurgeons. You're in the neurosurgery recovery suites at Walter Reed."

Aunt Connie said, "Good, I heard that. I'll be up to see you soon. You need family when you've been locked away in a hospital for very long. Your sister said you've been there since June. Why so long?"

I tried to explain my injury and the surgeries as I knew them. She didn't comment, but said she would rather that she nursed me than have me be in a hospital so far away. I assured her that I was being very well cared for, but I could tell she was aggravated about something. We finally ended the call and I noticed the battery on my phone was low, so I plugged it in.

The nurse asked if I thought I would need a sleeping pill, but I assured her I was tired enough to go right to sleep. I also told her that I probably didn't need twenty-four seven supervision any longer. She agreed, but those were the orders.

I turned the TV on and handed the remote to the nurse. I was asleep seconds later.

The next morning was the usual of doctors' inspections, followed by a psychologist who had me take a thinking quickness test. I apparently didn't score well and she asked if I had to think things over before answering sometimes. I had to admit that it did sometimes take me a few seconds to mentally find the answer to a question. She said that I might recover from it since I recognized the problem. My morning snack was a very nice jelly donut along with a glass of milk and cup of coffee.

I was given a hearing test and then taken to an office for a vision test. Everything was normal, but I did notice that it sometimes took me a second or two to define the letter on the chart. It wasn't that I couldn't see it, but I had difficulty remembering what it was. That worried me a little.

Today's lunch was real meat with potatoes and broccoli. I had a lot of drinks on my tray. There was a carton of milk, coffee, and a real malted milkshake. I would have rather had vanilla, but I sucked the chocolate shake down very fast. The rehab people came and worked me for two hours again, but had me catching and throwing a tennis ball today. I did well, didn't miss any balls, and was able to accurately throw, so those motor and decision skills were okay.

I did the after PT shower and shave, putting fresh scrubs on that actually fit pretty well. I was shocked when I came from the bathroom. My sister and aunt were sitting in two chairs waiting for me.

"What are you two doing here? I told you not to come, Connie, and you have a business to run, Dora."

Sis stood and gave me a hug, overwhelming me with her light perfume. It was the first female scent I had smelled in years. She held my hands and looked at me a long time. "You're skinny, Bro. We need to fatten you up."

"These people are trying to do it. You'll see; there will be an afternoon snack arriving here any second."

Aunt Connie got up out of her chair and came to me to envelop me in her arms. Her scent wasn't strong, but it did tantalize the senses. She gave me a gentle kiss on the lips that lingered just a second when she backed away from me. She said, "Welcome home, Chuck."

That's when I noticed both women were wearing dresses with a lot of cleavage. The former skinny Aunt Connie, who always seemed top heavy, was now filled out and it seemed her top was now larger than ever, showing a deep valley to get lost in. Checking out my sister had me equally as enthused, as she had our mom's big breasts and was showing enough of them that you wondered if some nipple pink would show.

The two sat in visitor's chairs while the nurse remained in her chair next to the bed, being vigilant while evaluating my visitors.

Dora said, "I couldn't resist when Connie said she was coming to see you. You know it's been a lot of years since we've seen each other. You were either in training or overseas while all the legal stuff was happening. Dad had everything set up, as was his way. His insurance paid for the house and there was a small trust for the annual taxes, the house upkeep and a life trust for Juanita. He left insurance money in two large trusts for us. We still receive dividends from his company's stock. They are direct deposited into our trust accounts."

Connie said, "Your parents also included me in their will, creating a trust for me if I would watch you two and take care of the house. You know how much I loved your mom and dad, so I was happy to move into your home. I love living in Pinecrest with the other rich people. Your folks and you kids never did act like you were from the top shelf. That's why you had so many friends. I'm still surprised that you left for the Marines, Chuck. I always thought you would go to college and try to follow your dad."