Chapter 4

The afternoon was a round-robin of doctors, all asking the same questions and getting the same answers. I settled into a brainless mode of reciting rote answers that seemed to satisfy their requirements, at least until Dr. Warren.

“Enough!” he said.

His hand slammed down on the top of the desk with an explosive slap about the same time the words left his mouth.

“Jay, that is quite enough,” he said.

He moderated his tone only slightly as he looked at me.

“You need to stop describing your home life as normal. While I would agree, there is no such thing as a Norman Rockwell home, and neither is what you experienced even close to what we should consider appropriate behavior for any family.”

“Sorry? I don’t understand,” I said.

He paused a moment to collect his thoughts than started again.

“Jay, you might say, it was regular for us to have dinner at six. Or it was usual for us to have dinner at six. I want you to stop using the word normal to describe your home life. Until we can get you beyond using that word, we are simply going to plow the same ground and not make any progress.”

He took a moment, chugged some water from the bottle in front of him, and then started again.

“OK, tell me about your father.”

“I am not sure where I should start.”

“Anywhere you want.”

“OK. Well, he isn’t around a lot.”

“He travels for work?”

“I guess so. He doesn’t talk about.”

“How long is he gone?”

“Oh, it varies. At least overnight. Most of the time, it is a week or so at a time. He was gone for a month, a couple of times. Nevermore than that, I don’t think. At least, not that I can remember.”

“What does he do?”

“I ... I don’t know. I think he’s some sort of a salesman.”

He made a note on his pad and turned the questions again.

“Tell me about school.”

For the rest of the session, we talked about what subjects I liked, what I did not like, and why. By the time we finished, it was well after three.

“I wish I could tell you to go out and play baseball, Jay. Sometimes I think hospitals only make people sicker, but that is no my call. For now, you have to stay here, at least until we get you fattened back up enough that you can play a couple of innings without falling over.”

I only nodded at him.

“Tell me, when did you last play a game?”

“Sir?”

“When did you last play?”

“I don’t have time for games, sir.”

He made another note in his book.

“We need to rectify that as well.”

He picked up his bottle and swirled the water around before he put it down without drinking it.

“Come on, let’s get you back up to the ward before they miss you.”

He gathered up his items and directed me out of the room and down the hall to the elevators. We rode up to my floor and got out.

“Afternoon, Renee. Here’s our wandering soldier. Think he can have some fresh air?”

“Only if you are going to supervise him. He’s not allowed out without someone with him. And Margie isn’t back yet from where ever she’s gotten too.”

“I need the air too. Come on, Jay, let’s go for a walk.”

We took the elevator back down and walked out of the main doors of the hospital.

“There’s a path, over to the right that winds down among a small creek and then comes back up on the other side of the hospital if that suits you.”

“Lead on.”

We walked together in silence for a while until we were under the slight canopy of trees. There was a creek, and it flowed with a bit of water in the bottom of it.

“Are you and Dr. Hardwick’s daughter close?”

“We’ve been friends for years. We live next to each other, sort of. Their house is around the corner technically, but we share a fence line. We used to kick soccer balls at the fence, then later, we went different ways.”

“To hear Dr. Hardwick tell it, you are a bit closer than that.”

I might have blushed to hear him talk. I know I felt my face heat.

“Jane and I have watched baseball games together a couple of times a week. Used to be more, but I had several other tasks that kept me from that lately.”

“You have a television?”

“At home? Yes.”

“Did she come over to your place?”

“No, I would go to hers.”

“What about other nights. What did you watch?”

“Whatever my sister wanted to watch.”

“Interesting. Anything I’ve seen?”

“I really didn’t watch television that much. Her shows did not interest me very much.”

“How did you keep up with the season?”

“I have a radio, I salvaged.”

“Salvaged?”

“Yes, buying a new one was too expensive. What with the cost of food, electricity, and such.”

“Interesting. Who do you think that you will win the World Series?”

I gave my prediction, and he posited his, and we discussed the pros and cons of each team’s chance of actually making it to the playoffs, much less the World Series for the rest of our walk around the woods. I found it a challenge to walk up the slight hill at the end of the path, and by the time I got back to my room, I was exhausted, as if I had shifted an entire attic’s worth of furniture instead of taking a stroll around a building.

“Tired?”

“Yeah, oddly.”

“Well, keep eating. It’s your body telling you to rest and get better. We will chat again tomorrow, OK?”

“OK. Thanks for the walk.”

“My pleasure.”

I sat down on the couch and let the room sort of spin around me. It was the strangest feeling. Rather than sit up, I lay down and closed my eyes.

“How are you feeling, Jay?” Mrs. Wilson asked me.

“Sorry?” I asked as I struggled to a sitting position.

“No, stay,” she said. “I just wondered how you were feeling. Doctor Clifton said your walk had tired you out.”

I managed to get myself into a sitting position anyway before I answered her.

“I’m fine. I guess I am out of shape.”

“I don’t think that is the problem, but we will find out. Ah, here she comes now.”

Doctor Hardwick came through the door at that moment, took one look at me and pulled her phone out, dialed, and waited.

“I need a blood draw, please, in 4531.”

She hung up and came to sit down beside me. She took my pulse, then put her stethoscope in her ears and listened to my heart. Mrs. Wilson sat down on her chair and took out her notebook. She made a couple of notes as she waited for Doctor Hardwick to finish. I watched a nurse come in with a small fishing box full of things. She sat down next to me, picked up my arm, and pulled blood into several vials.

“Thanks, Clair,” Dr. Hardwick said as she finished up and left the room.

“Feel light-headed?”

“Yes. Don’t know why?”

“Too much exertion, not enough calories. Your body is basically consuming itself to keep you going. We will start taking blood a couple of times a day and adjusting your food to match. Let’s keep the exercise down to a minimum. I will mention it to Jake as well. His heart’s in the right place, and you needed the fresh air. I think we will keep the long walks to a minimum for a bit.”

“OK.”

“Jane asked if she could come by this evening to watch the game with you if you feel you’re up to it.”

“I would love to see her,” I said simply.

“Good, I will let her know. She will probably be by after dinner.”

“OK.”

“I am going to leave you and Mrs. Wilson to chat while I go see what tale your blood can tell.”

She tapped my leg, stood up, and left the room to us. Mrs. Wilson flipped back and forth through her notes before she looked directly at me.

“First, we still have not been able to reach your father. Do you have any idea how to reach him? Name of the company he works for? Anything?”

“No. I don’t know that he ever mentioned a company. Any information would be in his desk. Not sure where, though.”

“And you don’t know where it might be?”

“No. You know, I don’t know that I ever saw any tags on his bags when he came home, but he usually came home after I was in bed.”

“OK,” she said and made a note.

“Secondly, your mother is in serious trouble. Your sister is staying with your grandmother for the moment, but that is not a long term solution as I might have told you. I have talked to a couple of people I trust, and we are going to go ahead and try and get you emancipated. We need to discuss many things, and until your father is found, it is not a done deal, but right now, that is your best path forward. When I come back tomorrow, I will bring all the paperwork and a couple of books that will help explain to you what I am talking about so you can read up on it, then tell me if you agree or not.”

“I would hate to waste your time,” I said.

“With all that has to be done, it’s not a waste of time, don’t you worry. And it will get us in a better position if we do some upfront work now, rather than wait for all the ducks to be in the pond.”

“OK.”

“Next, school starts soon. I have talked with Doctor Hardwick, and she has already got your supplies for the new school year. Hopefully, your clothes will still fit. If not, then we will have to get you some clothes. Doctor Hardwick also says you can stay with her as long as you need to for this school year. So that’s a good thing.”

“I won’t be living at home?”

“Well, for now, let’s pretend you won’t. Remember those ducks? I hope you will live at home, but again, many things have to be decided and discussed, both with you and about you.”

“OK.”

“That’s it for now. We need to find your father, and that is our first priority. The rest of this is as we decide how to proceed. And that will depend on finding your father.”

“OK.”

At that point, the door opened and forestalled any more conversation as Doctor Preston came in with a tray full of food.

“It is dinnertime,” Mrs. Wilson said with a smile. “I will leave you to it while I go and find my own. Have a great evening, and we will talk again tomorrow, OK?”

“See you tomorrow.”

She left as Doctor Preston put the tray on the table where her notebook had just resided.

“Eat, eat, eat,” he said with a flourish. “I understand you went for a walk. How do you feel?”

“I felt tired and a bit dizzy. Doctor Hardwick took blood, listened to my heart, etc.”

“That’s to be understood. OK, eat your dinner. I understand you have a date tonight, so you will need your strength.”

He smiled at me, then left as I picked up my napkin and tried to figure out how I would eat all this food. It was considerably more than I had seen in quite some time. Maybe my birthday a couple of years ago. I looked again, then started to eat. It probably took me more than half an hour to finish all the food on the tray, and I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. I was pretty sure I would not be able to eat all of it, but I did. I sat back with a burp as I wiped my mouth.

“Anyone home?” Jane asked as she pushed open the door.

I was idly watching an evening gameshow when Jane arrived. Rather than sit on the bed, I had arranged my pillows on the couch. Jane smiled when she saw me and walked quickly across the small room. Tonight she wore jean shorts that were loose at the leg and an oversized t-shirt and sneakers. She bounced over and kissed me quickly before she dropped down onto the couch next to me.

“Mom says you went for a walk today. That’s good!”

“It was tiring. I don’t know about good.”

“You did it, that’s what’s important. A little more each day, and you will be in great shape. What did you have for dinner?”

I told her about my dinner, and we talked about the day with the doctors until it was time for the first pitch. I put the game on, and Hardwick rotated on her ass, put her head on my thigh, and settled in to watch. At the end of the first, with no score, Jane took my hand and pulled it towards her stomach. She hiked up her shirt enough for me to touch bare skin. Her eyes fluttered, and she sighed as she let go of my hand, and I moved it slowly across her warm midsection. I could feel her muscles quivering just under the skin. Her chest heaved slightly, and I could see her nipples push through the material of her shirt.

As the second inning started, she encouraged me to move my hand up her body. I slowly cupped her breast, and she gasped. I squeezed it gently, and she panted, squirmed, and gasped again. My fingers grazed her erect nipple, and she squeaked, her hand crushed mine against her breast, and I continued to flick her nipple as she held me.

“Stop, stop,” she gasped.

I let my hand go limp as she held me.

“That was intense and so unexpected. Let me get my breath back, please?”

I left my hand where it was, and her breathing calmed down.

“OK,” she said.

She let go of my hand, and I continued to squeeze her gently. She shivered under my touch. I moved my hand slowly to the other side of her chest and squeezed gently again. She sighed, then rolled her head towards my groin. My cock was hard in my pants. She moved her head back slightly, then slipped a hand over the swelling mound of my cock.

Jane rubbed the swollen shaft through my pants gently as I continued to squeeze her tits. At the end of the third, she pulled my hand gently from her shirt, looked back at the door, then sat up across my thighs. We kissed gently. Her hands played with my hair at the back of my neck as she got settled against me.

“Touch me,” she whispered between kisses.

I slid my hands back up her flanks until my thumbs slid over her nipples. She mewed into our kiss as our tongues fought back and forth between our mouths. She broke our kiss and pushed against me.

“Stop, stop,” she begged. “Jay, I want to rip your clothes off you and feel you deep inside me, but too many people could walk in without warning, and that would not be good for mom.”

I kissed her soundly, but I agreed with her. Still, it took both of us a few moments to calm down. Finally, she slipped off my lap and curled up against me.

“I can’t wait until you and I can play,” Jane said as she rubbed her hand over my chest.

“Me neither. Who would have thought you would not be kicking my ass.”