Chapter 19

"Betts and I came in the back way. We put our shoes by the door instead of putting them where they should go. I woke up. Betts was sleeping on my arm. Betts went off to bed and I went to the kitchen to get a drink. It was dark but I could see a little. I never turned on the lights. I just finished my drink when I heard a scraping noise. I heard the rollers of the patio doors. Somebody tripped over our shoes and made more noise. Leslie was under guard so I figured someone was coming to... see her. The guy carried something I saw in the movies as he climbed the steps. He fell over a bat that had fallen onto the steps. I was fearful for the safety for both everybody in the house and myself. I used another bat in self defence.

"Betts must have heard the same things. I was right behind her when she hit the guy. She took the guys gun and I had the one from the guy on the steps. I went downstairs. A guy down there pointed his gun up at me but I shot first.

"The flash of the gun or the sound alerts another guy inside. He starts shooting though the walls. I get out of the way but not far enough. I see a young man coming out of the room. The flashes of his gun allow me to know it is Tony. He runs as he fires more bullets and one hits me. My leg hurt like I got kicked by a horse. I fall but manage to fire three times and get him once in the leg."

I left lots of detail out that I would not be expected to think about yet. I would let the police drag it from me.

"Where is Betts?"

"She has been answering a lot of questions."

"The police are after answers. They can be compassionate. A parent has the right, and I will say obligation, to be with her when she is questioned. One or both of you should be there. She was victimised too by what she was forced to do."

"Your Doc is with her."

"He works for the Crown not you. Either one of you go or I will get up and go." Mom and Pop looked at each other and they both left quickly.

Leslie took her place. "Hi Wally. I don't know what I would have done without you." She started to cry. She was hurt as much as I was.

I took my arm, with hoses running into it, and touched her shoulder. "Family takes care of family."

"I am in your family?"

"I think so. Maybe I will have to call you Mom as well."

Dad looked at me wondering what this was about. The girls came over one at a time and kissed me gently as if I were still that fragile. The only ones missing were Patricia, Liza, Gail, Shirley, Erica and Betts. The guys couldn't be here as a group. Paul was here though and he hugged me and I hugged him one handed.

He asked wide eyed, "Did you really kill two assassins?"

"I protected my family Paul. That is all I did."

"Ya, but you got two."

"I'm having a bit of a problem with that. Killing, is not a nice word to me but protecting is. It also goes to show that girls are not wusses. Betts did not curl up and cry but sought to protect us."

"Ya, like the Tomma women."

Dad and Leslie as well as the rest of the people in the room were listening. "The Tomma are a warlike race. The males are big, strong and telepathic. The women are like the Amazons but stronger. They would pick up guys like Paul and me and have their way with us until we got big enough to subdue them."

Paul said, "Tell them where they are."

"Alpha Ursae Majoris. That star used to be thought of as the brightest star in the Big Dipper. Paul and I are going to fly there one day and take on a world mostly made up of women. I guess if we really want to win we will have to bring warriors like Betts."

Paul quickly added, "And the munchkins. They sure know how to fight."

"They do but you are always outnumbered."

"One day I will beat them."

Leslie was smiling now and so was Dad. They thought our talk was about our imaginations.

The talk shifted to other topics until I found that three days had passed. I had two operations on my leg so far.

The nurse came in and kicked everybody out. She took my anal temperature and then checked the dressings.

"How do you feel young man?"

"My name is Wally and I feel fine considering the drugs. The leg is not that uncomfortable."

"That's good to hear, Wally. They say you had an exciting time."

"I would have gladly missed it except for the alternatives."

"Alternatives?"

"One woman murdered then seven more to keep them quiet."

"There was a rumour that you... got two of them."

I looked at the badge on the woman's chest and said, "Melody, picture yourself in a house with your family around you. A gangster wants you to shut up permanently. Four guys come to your house at night with silenced guns. Would you get on your knees and beg? The men didn't have masks. They didn't want witnesses. Would you let your family die?"

"Put that way, I guess not."

I heard running footsteps. Betts came into the room and pulled back the drapes. Melody said, "You have to leave."

"I want her to stay. She fought for us and she has seen a lot more of my anatomy than you have."

The two girls turned red. Betts said, "I see he is now into anal sex."

I guess I turned red and two women smiled now.

I changed the subject and asked, "How was your chat with the police?"

"They were not as nice as I would like. Doctor Suffolk was giving signals all the time for the police to be nice to me. This is the fifth time we talked. He did a great job but when Mom got there they were even more sweet. Perhaps it was her screaming that did it."

"That's quite possible."

Melody soon left but only saying that the doctor would be in to see me soon. When Betts kissed me next I whispered, "Best we think there are microphones here. I don't think there are but being cautious is good."

Betts just kissed me again and then smiled. She told me everything that happened when the cops came. She blushed when she said she threatened a cop to make sure she came here with me.

"How big was he?"

"Bigger than my dad."

"Was he afraid?"

"Maybe only a little. He had lots of friends to help him if I started to get the better of him."

"What happened then?"

"They took you into the operating room right away. People were coming from all over. The police came and asked questions then more came and asked the same questions. In fact I have been asked the same questions about twenty times."

"Leslie said that Wendy is taking it hard."

"Ya, we talked on the phone a lot. That doctor friend said for them to stay away from you for a few days. I think it was more for their benefit."

"What about... Gail and her friends?"

"They figured you were sick because you let one get away."

"Well I was shot at the time."

"They took that into account." She got up from her chair and pulled down the sheet and pulled up the gown. She studied me like a robin does a worm. "Lucky this never got hurt. I'd have to rely on your lips and fingers."

"I use my nose too."

"As your girlfriend, first class, I should inspect to see if it is working right."

"I'm not going to stop you from what you think is right."

I didn't even get a smile because she bent down and sucked me up. Just as she got me hard I saw Mom coming down the hall with Pop and a doctor.

"Sweetie, company coming."

She pulled off quick and had me covered but the time they arrived. All three adults saw the mini-tent. The doctor said, "He does look healthy."

Mom said, "These two certainly make a pair."

The doctor said, "Hello Wally. My name is Doctor Stine. How are you feeling today?"

"Not bad but why were your parents so angry at you?"

"What do you mean?"

"They gave you the name Doctor. I would have given you a suitable first name and then tried to guide you into medicine. What if you were a mortician? Doctor Stine the mortician could get you into trouble."

"Well they also gave me the name Harold."

"Good. Since you gave me your first name I'll call you Doc."

"That works for me."

"Well Doc, I was bleeding a hell'va lot so I had to have nicked a major vein or artery. When do I get a chance to get out of here, not that I dislike your bedside manner?"

"That depends on how fast you heal."

"Care to give a guess?"

"About two weeks at a guess."

"How about I give you three days and I get somebody to take care of me at home? Saves OHIP some money, I don't get fresh with the nurses and I get a chance to work from my bed."

"I don't think three days are enough."

"I think two weeks is excessive."

"Last I looked, I was the one with the medical degree."

"It's my leg. You send your nurses in here to abuse my nether regions with a glass rod. I will also promise to stay in bed."

"I don't believe that for a moment. You came very close to dying. I'm very surprised that you're alive. That vein would not normally clot like that."

"I am starting puberty. Can't you guess what plugged me up?"

"That is another reason for you to stay here."

"Doc, you have my word not to use that part... for a while."

We fought for a while more and decided to see how well I healed first.

When mom was leaving she said to Betts, "We can wait downstairs for a while. How long do you need."

"It's up to him. If he gets into his mood he can stay that way forever and not give me anything."

Mom looked at me and said, "We are going to have to learn that secret. I got it good but old Bert has problems with... more than one of us."

Pop came back and said, "Old Bert? You didn't complain before."

"I'm told Wally's machinery... never fails."

"He has his age and even more stimulation on his side."

"Maybe we can stimulate you more." She turned to Betts and said, "Half hour."

She just made it.

Nadac and Rontem were not that pleased with my performance. In my defence I said, "I am twelve years old. I could have thrown knives and killed them. Spears would have worked better. I have to live on this planet for a while and I have to appear to be a person of my age. I did the work accurately. Did you see that I hit along the joints to the skull bones to make the job easier. Did you see where I placed the bullet to kill the quickest. I could have killed Tony in the room but then that would raise questions about how I did it so neatly. Look at it as an assassination where I had to make it look like an accident."

There was no response to this. Nadac said, "You still were shot and almost killed."

"Tony was shooting wild. I had to hit him where it looked like it was natural. There were no substantial walls around to cower behind. There was one more opponent than estimated."

"Your mate killed one."

"I was right behind the man. I could have shot him too."

There was no reply so I guess I made my point.

Elaine and Ashleigh came visiting later. They looked to be happy to even be in the same room as me. I wondered if that was the telepathic construct put into my mind but figured it was their way because they would have died.

They eagerly volunteered to relieve the pressure in my testicles but I got that changed to kisses instead. It was one thing to seduce a girl but this way didn't feel right. Tomorrow I may think differently. Tomorrow was also the first day of school.

That night I was awoken as the nurses brought in a boy a bit older than me. He had a broken left leg and a broken left arm. I could see the metal pins in both appendages.

I woke up early to the sound of the guy next to me breath rapidly. His lungs were filling with something. I pulled the cord then yelled. Soon nurse hurried in and looked at me.

"He can't breathe. His lungs are full."

The nurse hurried to him and then ran out. A few minutes later a cart was wheeled in and they started to suck the crap out of one lung then another. The guy never regained consciousness and the team left. I went back to sleep.

When I woke up I needed the jug. The nurse asked me if I wanted to hold it and I said, "I could but I am not shy."

"So girls do this for you a lot?"

"Never. I am just not shy."

"You seem young to have a fetish?"

"No, I just like the ladies."

"Well, you hold it anyway. I'm busy."

The guy beside me woke up a hour later when they were bringing around the food. I said, "Hi, I'm Wally."

"Bill"

"What are you in for Bill?"

"I was in a car accident."

"That's too bad."

"What about you?"

"Got a hole in my leg in the basement. I ripped a vein."

"Bummer."

We ate our meals and Bill went back to sleep. I found the pleasures of a bedpan and the clean up later. With my free time I studied. Nadac put on my internal screen the diagrams but the ideas themselves were direct as our speech.

Doctor Stine came by around eleven and checked me out. "How are you doing today Wally?"

"Not bad. I'm getting a chance to think. Your medication is wearing off and the pain is increasing but it is not something I cannot live with."

"That's good to hear. You spooked the nurse last night. It was good that you noticed."

"Thanks because he sounds bad again."

The Doc listened to my fellow patient and said, "I think you're right."

The doctor left and came back with another doctor. He was the one that called the shots. The cart came back in and the team worked behind the curtains.

The Doc didn't come back so I guess OHIP only paid for one visit per day. The police though thought it a great time to call. I shook hands with both men. They turned on a tape recorder and asked me questions. I let them do some fishing especially how they would have had time to use the information from their bugs.

The shoes and the bat on the steps were just lucky for me they figured. They wanted to know about my experience with guns and I mentioned television. When I shot the guy in the head I showed them how I held the gun. It was awkward as hell but still something a kid might do.

They asked a lot of questions about why I didn't wake up Leslie or call 911. "Leslie was asleep. What could she do if she even had time to wake up? You guys are not bad at arriving but we would have been starting to get cold by the time you arrived."

They left later without getting me angry. They were not that impolite either.

After the food trays left Leslie and Lauren came for a visit. I hugged Leslie and Lauren reluctantly came for a hug and kiss on the cheek too.

"I am glad to see you two." I then asked Leslie, "How are you really feeling?"

"I'm getting over it. This time was worse for me though."

"Have Mom and Pop been able to help?"

"They have been busy but we talk a lot on the phone. They plan on coming here at nights to visit you."

"They're nice people. They may find it better for them and for you if they visit me every other night. I expect to have a lot of visitors."

"I think you will have a lot of visitors too. Wendy wants to see you so bad she almost cries. I think she has it bad."

"I love her too."

"She may want something more permanent."

"She is my age. I want a lot of things I cannot have. Growing up is a matter of knowing what you can reach and what you should not make the effort to try for."

"I'm just warning you."

"Thanks. By the way any serious damage to the house?"

"I found that bullet holes are not that easy to fix."

"When I get out I will get some paint and plaster to fix the insides."

"Thanks Wally but it wasn't that bad. Erin wanted a hole in her ceiling too. If she got it she would not be so happy. Tell me how did you know what to do?"

"I didn't know. A bat is a good weapon I guess. I was lucky but I could have got the guy if he turned toward... the rooms. Betts figured a bat was good too and used it. The gun I guessed at. The one scary moment was when Betts ran down the steps to me. She had the gun in her hand and she could have done a lot more damage."

"So it was all blind luck and some brave young people."

I said, "Perhaps a bit of brave but scared shitless too. It was something you did or you died. Pretty good incentive."

Lauren said, "The boys heard about you when I was talking over the phone. They watch the television avidly now to catch a glimpse of you."

"Has my name been mentioned?"

"No, just a young man of twelve."

I knew the answer but I had to ask, "Did they find Tony yet?"

"Not yet. They found blood in the basement and then across the grass and then in the next property."

"What about his father?"

"There are new charges coming all the time. He's in jail now. He's too liable to run."

"He will still run."

"I said he is in jail."

"I said he will run. Put the two together. Factor in the man's wealth and viciousness."

"I'll pass the word up the line. Chances are that they will think us fools."

"So you believe me?"

"You are a bright young man. You say he will break out then that is what he will do. I'll start a pool at work and pick up a few bucks."

"You guys are as bad as teachers."

Bill woke up later and I called the nurse for him. He just needed water and a bedpan. He complained of a raw throat but I didn't say anything to him.

The girls came in after they got out of school. Gail brought all of them along with my computer, headset and cell phone. Those that suffered the most were the most affectionate. They wanted to show their appreciation but I still felt it wrong to take it this way.

Bill was awake now and I introduced him to the girls. A whisper in Betts ear had some of the girls talk to the boy a bit to brighten his day. It seemed to work very well. We stayed away from the traumatic events and talked of school and people we knew.

Apparently my seat was picked out already. My name was even on the desk. Somehow or other Doc Suffolk had managed to get a bus to collect the kids so they all went to the same school if they were in the junior grades. Teachers had been understanding so far and even nice. As predicted some of the teachers were moved to make room for others. These had to be ones that were more qualified to handle children with problems.

Betts looked at her watch and said, "Ok guys. He gets a break then the adults come. Let's say goodbye." She did it first and sucked the breath from my lungs. Her hand found me hard so I guess she was happy.

Everybody including Gail gave me a kiss that would have killed a normal mortal. Betts had to give me one more and they left.

Bill said, "Wow, those girls are so nice and so beautiful. Where did you find them?"

"Some were in my class and some were neighbours. They're very nice girls. The trick to getting them to talk to you is to show you care. It may not work with all of them but the best will catch on and be nice back to you."

"You're pretty sharp. How old are you?"

"Twelve in grade eight."

"Grade eight was never like that when I was there."

I turned on the computer and put the headset on. I excused myself and talked to the guys. Nadac used some flimflam to make the image of my lips move when I thought my words. It was quicker and a lot more secure.

I gave the guys the details that only Betts or I would know. I had to lie to them still about my abilities but Nadac was real to them as an online tutor.

I mentioned the house that the attackers had come from and probably now harboured Tony. I could not explain to the police how I knew so I had to remain quiet. The guys were going to find out what they could. They had karate after school now. Grade eight didn't have much homework and they wanted to continue the additional $500 a week pay. They also worked for Gail. She had more time to devote to them this way. They wanted arms practice but that was hard to do for kids to get. We were not far into our talk when the adults arrived and I had to sign off.

Mom and Pop came alone. I had time to say, "Thanks for coming. Leslie came here today too. She's still upset about what happened at her home. She is hurt too but differently than me."

Mom nodded and said, "We know that too. It's in her voice."

"I like your visits but Leslie needs them too. Could you split up your available time between us according to our need?"

Pop looked at me seriously, "You would rather not see us?"

"Pop, I am held together stronger than Leslie is. It's a matter of who needs your help more."

"You were through more than what anybody should ever be put through. We are worried about you and Betty. Killing another human being even if it's justified is very traumatic. I hear Betty crying at night. I don't think you are that much stronger."

"Even if I'm not, Leslie needs you two far more than I do. Most of it is just somebody to hold and tell your problems too. A family is far stronger than any one individual."

"They are more fragile too, Wally."

The police came back again. This time Bill was awake. The curtain did nothing to mute the words. When they left Bill said, "You killed two mob hit men?"

I gave him a serious look and said, "They were attacking my family. I was lucky in so many ways it shocks me."

"They had guns!"

"They didn't think they would have any resistance."

"But... they could have shot you."

"They did."

Bill just stared at me and his jaw dropped. It took a while until he recovered. "They shot you in the leg. You said... hole. I guess you didn't want to talk about it."

"I don't. I am holding up fairly well but the others are falling apart."

"I'd shit myself just looking at what happened."

"I almost did too. Let's change the topic."

"I guess... but I never talked to anybody like you before."

"Tell me about your family, Bill."

Bill's face fell. "We fight all the time."

When no more came I asked, "How did you get hurt?"

"I rode my bike and got hit by a car."

"Your fault?"

"... I guess. I swerved to miss a hole in the pavement and I guess I wasn't keeping track of traffic around me."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen and a half."

"Grade?"

"Nine. I should be in ten but I flunked."

"What about you?"

"Twelve and a few months. They put me ahead one year so I am in grade eight."

"You must like school?"

"I did before. I did what I had to do and did my homework. Dad made sure of that. My mom... well my real mom doesn't like me. Some women get crazy when they have a baby, well my mom is still that way."

"That's a bummer."

"Well school was a good thing because it kept me away from my mom. I had a few friends but not many. They were the ones that got beat up too. I'm small for my size and get picked on. Last year I learned that I had to stand up for myself or they would kill me one day. I usually lost but most of the bullies wanted to find somebody easier but not all."

I paused a while and Bill said, "I was never good at school. I guess the reason was that I never worked at it. I hated everything they taught me. Most guys don't fail a year but they flunked me."

"You hated every subject?"

"Well most of them."

"What did you do well in?"

"I like music... and art."

"I like art too."

"What do you like to draw?"

"I only just started. Mostly it is just people."

"Can you draw me?"

"Sure but you draw me. We work with each other of get better."

The nurses were nice enough to give us blank paper and some clipboards. I did not want to draw Bill in great detail. I made a caricature of him riding a bike toward a hole in the road while staring at a good looking girl. The erection I gave him was... generous.

The nurse that brought the supplies was drawn by me while I waited. She was about forty but I drew her looking younger with bigger teats and nice legs.

Bill showed me his first. He was at a disadvantage because he didn't have an arm to hold the clipboard while I did. His drawing was ok but he had a lot to learn yet. I gave him his and he laughed.

I said, "When you get your other arm back you could do better. I cheated in a way because there is a mathematical relationship between body parts." I showed him the nurse and said, "She is closer to real life but still not perfect."

"What do you mean mathematical?"

"The head has to be a fraction of the total height. It changes a bit as the person ages. There must be books about it but I learned it as I went along. A person can also be thought of as mathematical shapes. Circles are good. If you understand mathematics then art is even easier or at least it is for me."

I drew circles on the paper that matched the image in my mind. Bill saw them first and I slowly showed the image of him in bed and having all the equipment attached to him.

Bill said, "That looks great. You make it look so easy."

I drew the shapes again on a sheet of paper and called the nurse. She came in with a smile much later. It was not the same nurse. "Hi, would you give my clipboard to Bill and give me his, please."

"Sure," she paused though and looked at her co-worker and a smile came out on her face. She picked the sheet up and looked at the one underneath. She broke out in a laugh. Bill got embarrassed but still smiled.

The nurse said, "These are beautiful."

"Thanks. You can have the one of the busty nurse."

"Now this will be great right beside my computer."

"If she gets upset I would like you to take it down immediately."

She gave me a serious look and said, "I'll do that."

When Bill got the clipboard I said, "Try to use the shape to help you form the head. It's just a guide."

From memory I drew the girls when we were at the beach. I wanted them to see that they were having fun. Drawing was getting easier the more I did. It was late before I finished but I had a drawing of all of my family to keep me company tonight.

The nurses flocked in to see the drawings later and I did a few of them. I also did one of Doc Stine. He was a boy in the picture. The facial characteristics could easily be seen. He was partially clothed with a partially clad girl near him. His mother was waging a finger at him and admonishing for playing doctor before getting a licence. His erection was prominent.

The nurses took this picture and it would be posted prominently I guess. When the Doc came to see me all the nursing staff smiled at him but said nothing. I was sure he never got to see the drawing.

The Doc checked out my bandages and did some common things to let me know that he was doing something even if it was useless. "I saw the drawings of the nurses. They look amazingly lifelike. You could make a good living as an artist some day."

"Thanks doc. Art just fit in with math. It is the symmetry of some equations that are so beautiful. By plotting limits on some equations so me drawings can be made."

"What do you mean?"

I took one sheet of paper and worked out seven formulas. On another sheet I plotted out the lines of each. They did not work perfectly with each other and I had to move the origin of each graph around so the lines met where I wanted but the shape of a head came out.

"It's not perfect. The graphs have to be moved around and even inverted to make the lines meet."

"That's amazing. Where did you learn this?"

"I found it myself studying graphs. The really beautiful ones are multidimensional."

"We did some of that in school but it is hard to show even three dimensions on two dimensional paper."

"It was that way for me but it gets easier on the screen of a two dimensional computer screen. There was less to imagine and it does the graphs that much easier."

I opened my computer and opened the program that worked with Aristis mathematics. The equations were plugged in the way humans did it. The Aristis method was not the same by any means but mathematics was mathematics.

"That's amazing. Where did you get that program? I never saw the title come up."

"A friend wrote it and gave me a copy."

"Too bad, but I could get something similar I guess."

"Probably." Actually I knew that none of our programs went that far into mathematics.

The Doc left looking at the mathematics and the graphs. Bill asked, "You sound like you know a lot about math too."

"Mr Ramsey my grade seven teacher said I could do the stuff in his old grade thirteen class when we had it."

"I failed math almost every year."

"Well Bill, you are here for a while and so am I. You want to try mathematics too? When you go to class you will know a bit more."

"I like drawing better but I guess we can try."

I started giving him addition problems but placed the emphasis on being quick not right. It was a game and he started to come around until his brain got sore from thinking too much.

Doc Suffolk came in later. He had on a bit of a smile and said, "Hi Wally. How are you doing?"