Edited by Barney R with my thanks. I messed with it more, so all mistakes are mine.

Who knew getting smacked by a swinging door could be a good thing.

I am Karl Rossman, 37, and at the time of the door assault, I was 35 and never married. I had spent 15 years in the Army. I retired only because I was wounded in blue on green* incident in Afghanistan. I was given a medical discharge and an 80% disability. I walk with cane and a noticeable limp, and I have scars on both arms, my back, and both legs. Thankfully, I had my back turned when the grenade exploded so I don’t scare women and children until I take my shirt off. I am now COO of a family corporation that produces computer games that have underlying educational aspects. Our corporation is called CompEdGames Inc.

I was rushing toward the door of middle school** to pick up my niece Karen (Ka-Ka) when I was assaulted by the door I was reaching for. The door proceeded to part my hair and made the world go black. When I opened my eyes and looked up from the ground where I landed, I saw a beautiful angel holding hands with a beautiful cherub.

The angel was tearing up and trying to apologize at the same time. When I went to stand, the whole world decided that I needed a roller coaster ride.

The next thing I remember is waking up because of a rolling motion, and my niece was holding my hand and crying. I realized I was in an ambulance and wondered why Ka-Ka was with me. Then I remembered that I was supposed to be picking her up and taking her to my apartment until my sister Karen (Ka-1) was to pick her up in a few days.

Ka-1 was at a business seminar representing our company. She was the CFO, and I was the COO. Ka-Ka was the hired help. At 13, she could out type anyone I ever saw and could write programs as well or better than I could. Being an accomplished pianist probably made the typing easier, and being a genius made the programming easier. My advantage was I had a college degree that I earned while on active duty and in rehab. It helped when dealing with distributors. They would not like a 13-year-old to be smarter than they were. I know that I loved her and couldn’t have wished for a better niece.

That brings me back to the ambulance. The ride was rough, the EMTs professional, and the company holding my hand was beautiful like her mother. Ka-Ka was holding it in, I could tell. She looked scared. I reached up with her hand in mine and kissed the back of her hand, and she smiled that smile that made me the proudest uncle in this man’s army for her entire life.

When we got to the hospital, I was rushed into the ER. Ka-Ka tried to go with me. A big white-uniformed bruiser tried to physically make Ka-Ka leave saying she was too young. She shut him up by using a little of the martial arts I taught her over the years. The bruiser was soon on a table in another section of the ER getting his dislocated shoulder and bruised backside fixed. No one asked her to leave again.

The doctor and the nurse who was waiting to work on me had witnessed the brute’s downfall and they clapped when the brute hit the floor screaming out a scream that would have been the envy of many fourth grade girls. It seems he was not well-liked.

It turned out I had a minor concussion and a raccoon face. Nothing was broken, but my dignity. I stayed one night, and the floor nurses made sure that Ka-Ka had a nice set of scrubs to sleep in while in the bed next to me.

While I was waiting for the doctor to let me go the next morning, the angel came in.

“I know that we haven’t been introduced, but I wanted to make sure you were going to be OK. I normally don’t beat up people I have just met, and when I do, I don’t normally use doors as a weapon.” Then she said, “I am Kara (K-3?) Morgan, and I was the one coming out when you were going in. Your Karen (Ka-Ka) is in a lot of my daughter Kathy’s (Kat?) classes.”

I took the offered hand, and kissed the back of it and said, “Nay fair angel, you must not be from this mortal earth, your countenance exceeds the bounds of normal humans.” Then I added, “If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, and arrived when I should have; our meeting would not have been painful, for me at least. I am going to be fine; you couldn’t have scattered my brains any more than they already are, in fact, Ka-Ka says I’m more lucid and intelligent than I have ever been. I am in all of my towering glory Sir Karl Rossman, Prince of the Bruised Backside. At your command fair damsel.”

Ka-Ka punched me in the arm. “Big K, stop picking on Ms. Morgan, Kathy and I are both in the accelerated learning program, and she is my best friend. Stop teasing her; please.”

“OK, my sweet munchkin, you’re the boss.” That got me another swat.

Kara said, “Oh before I forget, I rescued your cane. I have it in my car. When I take you back to your car, you can pick it up.”

“What do you mean, you take me? I don’t want to impose.”

“It’s not an imposition; it is the least I can do seeing as I assaulted you with a door. Think about it, I wasn’t even mad at you.” Kara and Ka-Ka both laughed.

I was discharged with a prescription for painkillers and a giant headache. I asked Kara to take me to the pharmacy and to my apartment, as I was not confident enough in my ability to drive. She agreed.

Once we were at my apartment Ka-Ka and Kara decided that I needed someone to be my keeper until K-1 came home. Kara went and picked up Kathy. Kathy and KA-Ka took over Ka-Ka’s bedroom for a sleepover. Kara (s)mothered all three of us and she slept in the fourth bedroom. She cooked, made sure I was comfortable, and generally was a pain in the rear. I am a man who has done for himself and his family since I got out of basic training in the army. It bothered me that I was not able to do for myself and Ka-Ka.

It was probably a good thing they were there, as I was wobbly for two days.

When the girls were in school the next day, Kara and I got a chance to talk. She told me she had been engaged but when she got pregnant the abusive bastard took off, and she has never heard from him. She also told me her parents were dead, but they left her with a substantial trust fund, so she has never worked since Kathy was born. She also said that the bastard’s parents set up a trust fund for Kathy. She then asked what I did for a living.

I explained to her about my military pension and that my widowed sister, her daughter, and I are CompEdGames Inc. and that we were really taking off after 18 months. I told her that I designed the games, and then Kara and I programmed them. Karen took care of the books and made sure Kara and I slept enough when we were on a programming binge.

Karen got back from her trip. She laughed when she saw my face. She said I finally made an improvement in my appearance. Then she kissed me and asked if I was feeling OK. My sister should have been my mother the way she acts around me. Not to sound like I am complaining, because I loved her like she was my sister. Oh, that’s right she is.

It seems that Karen was a good friend of Kara, and conspired with her, her daughter, and Ka-Ka to put the two of us together. When all the bruises and headaches disappeared, I took Kara to dinner. We had a great time and set up a day for a second date.