Chapter 6

Now I was pissed. I stayed out of the way of the doctor and the nurses. When Renee came around, I was there looking at her. Her expression changed from one of wondering what had happened to one of abject horror as she remembered.

“Easy, Mrs. O’Dell. You fainted. Please try to stay calm. I’m sorry that you have not been told about your condition. I’ve assured your husband that I will be taking care of that situation. But for now, I need to fill you in. I just explained things to your husband. First, you are pregnant. Second, you were pregnant before your rape. Third, you have gonorrhea and we have attacked it with some very powerful antibiotics. Fourth, I don’t think it has affected your baby, but you will want your OB/GYN to know about it and keep an eye on it during your pregnancy.”

“So, the baby is OK?”

“I believe so, however, that is a question better asked of your OB/GYN. If you give me the doctors name, I can let him know.”

“Her name is Dr. Donna Askew.”

“I know Dr. Askew. She’s admitted to practice at this hospital. I’ll contact her. Considering this, I want to keep you here a few more days. That will give me a chance to be sure you are OK, and it will give Dr. Askew time to see you. OK?”

“Whatever you think is best,” Renee said.

“I’ll go and call her now, you relax. Mr. O’Dell don’t let her get excited, please.”

“I won’t.”

I nodded to him before he walked out, and I took my seat next to Renee. I took her hand and looked at her. She began to tear up as I squeezed her hand.

“Not exactly the way I would have preferred you tell me that we were having a baby, lover.”

That broke the tension and Renee smiled.

“Mick, I want to go home.”

“Not yet, you just agreed with the doctor to stay for a couple more days, then we will get you out of here. Right now, I need to make a call. I have some things started and I need to check on their progress. I will be right back. OK?”

“Yes, dear.”

I pulled out my phone and walked out of the room as I hit a speed dial button.

“Wildman.”

“Recon. Any news?”

“Yeah a little.”

“Put it in the report unless it is critical I know now.”

“It isn’t.”

“Recon, the stakes just got higher. Renee has gonorrhea and is pregnant.”

“Oh shit.”

“You know me. You know what I will want.”

“Roger that.”

“I’ll call later.”

“Wildman?”

“Yeah.”

“I want these guys as bad as you. I love you and Renee, like I told you. I’ll do everything it takes to finish this.”

“Thanks. I have some other calls to make.”

“Don’t call Digger and Jack. They are right in the middle of something big.”

“Roger.”

I disconnected that call and hit another speed dial.

“Hello son.”

“Mom, news.”

“Good?”

“I hope. You ready to be a new grandma?”

“Really?”

“Yes. She was pregnant before everything happened. Mom, she’s been brutally raped and beaten. They gave her an STD. I am going after everyone involved. Mom?”

“Yes, son.”

“To the full extent.”

“I understand.”

“It’s also a good thing we moved you. The bad guys knew where Renee took the kids. They threatened to kill the kids, and their babysitter, if Renee did not go along with them. She was fixing their books and they raped her in our home during their lunch hours. I have a crew working on it now. Can you stay there? Do you have enough food?”

“We’re OK for a few days. We talked about a food order. I was waiting to hear from you before I placed it.”

“What about security and the kids?”

“The grounds are covered. I am armed. We have been having drills, so the kids are ready to react if I give out a shout. I will make sure to go to the next level of perimeter defense.”

“Mom, you are the best.”

“Yeah, not bad for an old Army broad.”

“Can I talk to the kids?”

“Of course. Let me get them, I think they are out chasing squirrels or watching the deer. Oh, I did have to talk to them about not trying to pet Bambi!”

“Oh great!”

“Let me get them.”

A few minutes passed, and I heard a voice over the phone.

“Kids leave that alone!”

“No! It is not a kitty.”

“Your dad is on the phone”

There was a distant squeal and the sound of happy children.

“Daddy!”

“Hi Jack! Have Grams put the phone on speaker, please.”

“It is!”

“Hello Jill!”

“Hi Daddy! I miss you.”

“Hi MJ!”

“Hi Dad!”

“Hi Rachel!”

“Hi Daddy”

“Hello James!”

“He is wondering where your voice is coming from, Mick.”

“James, I am on the phone.”

“Hi.”

“Jack, how is everyone getting a long?”

“Good Dad. We were playing with a little kitty.”

“Why did Grams tell you not to?”

“Because it was not a kitty. It was a skunk.” My mom was trying really hard to keep from laughing out loud at Jack.

“Oh! Kids, you have to listen to Grams. She knows all about the animals out there and she will let you know which ones you can and can’t play with. Skunks are cute, but Grams will tell you why you can’t mess with them.”

“Just like I tried to tell your Daddy. He didn’t listen either, did you Mick?”

“Nope! And I learned the hard way. You five listen to Grams. There are animals there that look cool but can really hurt you.”

“OK, Daddy,” Jill sounded skeptical.

If anyone of my kids was going to find out first hand about ‘kitty’s’, it was going to be Jill.

“Kids, would you like to talk to your mom?”

There was silence at the other end.

“Kids. Your mother has had some bad things happen to her. Some men were going to hurt you and Grams, and she protected you and got beat up. She is afraid that you don’t love her anymore because she had to leave you with Grams to protect you. You do love her, don’t you?”

“Daddy is she OK?”

“No Jill, she has broken bones and is pretty sick. I may be able to bring her to our new home in a few days.”

I heard sniffles.

“Daddy?”

“Yes Jill.”

“I want to talk to mom.”

“Me too.”

Jack was finally getting over his angry. He’s too much like his father.

“OK, I need to walk back into the hospital room. Hang on a sec.”

I walked into the room to see a despondent woman laying in the bed. I held the phone tight to my chest.

“Renee? The kids would like to talk to you. I told them that you got beat up protecting them and you were sick, but that is all. You tell them anything else you want to. Here.”

“Mick, please put it on speaker for me.”

“It already is.”

I laid the phone on the pillow next to her head.

“Hi babies.”

“Hi Mom! Are you OK?”

“I feel really sore, Jill, and I have an infection. But the doctors are taking good care of me.”

“When will you come to be with us?”

“Well, Jill, I was going to come home today, but I got some news that messed things up a little.”

“What news, mom?”

“Well, MJ, the bad news was that I had an infection that they have to give me more medicine for and will have to keep me here longer than we hoped.”

“Oh.”

“But they gave me some very good news too.”

“What good news!?”

“Jack? You love your brother and sisters, right?”

“Yes mom.”

“And Jill you and your brothers and sisters love each other, right?”

“Yes, mom.”

“Well your father and I found out today that you are going to have a new brother or sister.”

“New?”

“Yes.”

“Can we have a brother please?”

“MJ, I don’t get to choose if it will be a boy or a girl. So, we will just have to be happy with what we get.”

“Mom, maybe it will be two like Jill and me!”

“Oh my, maybe Jack, but that might make your daddy crazy!”

“Daddy? Do we make you crazy?”

“Yes, Jack. Crazy happy! Kids mom is tired, and I am going to hang up. Give Grams a big kiss from me and ask her to tell you about the skunks and me, OK?”

“Yes daddy. Bye mom! We love you.”

“I love all of you too. You too, Grams.”

“We’ll see you in a few days Renee, thank you for protecting my grandchildren. I will never be able to thank you enough. Bye.”

“Bye mom.”

I picked the phone up, took it off speaker and I walked outside the room.

“Mom make sure the supplies are enough for all of us and tell the kids about the skunks. Make sure Jill understands about the skunks. She’s like me.”

“Oh, I will, and I might tell them about you. Don’t worry about the food. I have been through a siege before. I love you, son. Bye.”

“I love you, bye.”

I disconnected the phone while I walked back into the room.

“Thank you, Mick. I needed that, but skunks?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain later.”

“This is starting to scare me. You don’t normally keep secrets from me.”

“Lover, I will clear it all up when we get home, I promise. Please trust me.”

“I do, but this is not like you,” Renee said with a note of concern in her voice.

“I have a family to protect and I don’t know who is listening. Anyone who could send a hitman to a hospital room could have just as easily bugged it. I am taking no chances with you or the kids or my mom.”

“OK. I’m not saying I understand, but I trust you with my life.”

“I don’t have to go for a while. Anything I can do for you?”

Renee took her right arm, the one without the needle in it and put it under the covers. I could see it moving between her legs under the covers. She pulled it out and presented it to me

“Taste me.”

“Not yet, lover. You still have that STD that needs to be dealt with. But I promise you that I will be spending a lot of time there when you are healed. I promise.”