Chapter 19: Medical Emergency

Jen finished her writing, stood, and stretched. Taking her bottle of water, she walked out the door. After locking the door, she walked down the driveway to the mailbox and checked the mail. She stood there flipping through the mail. Seeing a letter from her pen pal in England, she stuck it into her pocket.

She turned to start walking back up the road with the rest of the mail when she saw a brown car slowly pass by the driveway's entrance. Looking up, she looked into a face she would not have dreamt of seeing before the seventeenth. A shudder ran down her back, as the man looked her up and down. Jenny went white at his look, turned, and ran back up the driveway.

Not realizing she had dropped some of the mail, she ran into the house and up into her bedroom. Cherie heard the door open. She jumped down from the bed and ran after Jenny, following her into her bedroom before the door could close.

Joshua nursed the car along. It had started backfiring on the drive back from Carson City.

"Damn, it looks like I need a new set of wheels," he said.

As he looked around, he saw a beautiful brown haired girl of around eighteen years. Her hair hung down to her waist. She was wearing a flowered sundress with a blue belt. They made eye contact, and he saw her go white with fear. The girl then turned and ran up the driveway.

"Now that was weird," he said.

Glancing at the address on the mailbox, he saw the name, 'Thompson' on the side, along with the number. He reached over, grabbed a pad, and wrote the address down, along with the last name.

"Looks like a new slave to be trained."

Stepping on the gas, the car backfired one more time, as he pulled away from the residence.

"I wonder if Tina is back? I should run by her house to see, but I need a new car first."

Ken woke up to the phone ringing. Looking at the clock, he saw it was 6:23 pm.
Grabbing the phone he said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ken, what's happening?"

Ken sat up when he heard James' voice.

"Hey, James. I got a question for you," Ken ran his fingers through his hair and then scratched his head.

"I may have an answer for you, or maybe not," James said, with a laugh at his little joke.

Ken shook his head at James' comment. "Well, first of all, what are you doing tonight?"

"Not much ... I was going to kick back, eat some popcorn and watch last night's Stargate and Stargate Atlantis episodes that I recorded since I had to work the night shift."

"Can you come over around nine? Wait, let me put this on the speaker," Ken said. He pressed a button and hung up the phone's handset. "I believe you will really like this. I have something that I genuinely think you will like to be part of. You don't need to bring anything but your imagination, and an open mind."

"Cool, a new game?"

Shaking his head he said, "Nope! It's better, and I believe you will like it. If you don't freak out, that is," Ken dug through his dresser looking for clean clothes. Pulling them out, he set them on the bed and grabbed some socks as his stomach rumbled.

"Hey! Question. Do you have any money?"

"Yeah. I made about ninety bucks last night in tips plus my paycheck. Why?"

Ken thought for a second as to what everyone liked, and it was usually KFC on game nights, so he said, "Grab three, no, make that four buckets of KFC original recipe and the fixin's. I will pay you back when you get here."

"Ok, I'll be there around seven with the food, anything else you need me to bring?" he asked. With a laugh, he continued, "You'd better pay me back, or else. Just kidding on that my friend, I'll see you in about thirty minutes."

"No, nothing else but the food and you. I'll see you when you get here. I'm going to go take a shower."

Ken hung up the phone and gathered his clothes. Walking down the hallway, he saw his parents were up as their bed was empty. Walking by his sister's door, he heard something, but was not sure what it was. Stopping he knocked on her door.

"Jen, are you ok?"

Getting no answer, he shrugged his shoulders and headed into the bathroom. He leaned in and started the water. Stripping out of his clothes, he picked up a clean face towel and pulled the glass door open. He stepped in and started scrubbing away, washing the dirt and soreness from his body. Rinsing off, he shut the water off and reached out for the towel. Ken stepped out of the shower, and as he was drying himself off as someone knocked on the door. "I'm in here."

"Ken, have you seen Jenny?" Ken heard his mom say through the door.

"No, I haven't, Mom. I assumed she was sleeping," Ken said, and grabbed another towel to dry his hair.

"No, her bed hasn't been slept in."

Tossing the towels into the hamper, he answered her.

"She may be out in the game room. That is where I left her when I came in for a nap. I'll go out and check after I get dressed." Ken started pulling his clothes on as he continued, "By the way, Mom, James is bringing dinner for us all."

"Ok. I was going to ask everyone if sandwiches were ok. That way we do not have a mess to clean up, and it saves me cooking time. When will he be here? What is he bringing?"

Ken grabbed his hairbrush and brushed his hair into a right hand part.

"When I talked with him he said he would be here in thirty minutes. That would be around seven. He is grabbing buckets of KFC. Call the Whites and have them come over for dinner, too."

"Ok, I'll call Marie and let her know. Let me know if you find Jenny."

Ken gathered up his dirty clothes and opened the door. Giving his mom a kiss, he shut the light off but left the fan running.

"Ok, Mom, I will."

Walking past her, he went into his room and dropped the clothes in the hamper. Stopping at his dresser, he picked up his wallet and keys. He looked at the bundle of money on the table, peeled off two hundreds, and stuck them in his pocket. He then stuck the rest into his dresser. Sitting on his bed, he pulled his socks and shoes on. Then he got up and walked out of his room. He went down the stairs, and out the back door. Walking past the cars, he went over to the barn door that led up into the loft. Grabbing the doorknob, he turned it, but the door did not open. Taking his keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the deadbolt, and walked upstairs to the game room.

"Jenny, are you in here?"

Walking into the room, he saw that it was empty. The writing pad was still lying on the table along with the yearbook.

"Now where the hell is she at?"

Walking back down stairs, he headed back across the yard. As he neared the door, he saw some mail on the ground. He walked over and picked it up.

"What the hell?"

Looking around and did not see anything else out of place. Taking the mail inside, he set it down on the table. His mom stood at the counter making pots of coffee and filling thermoses.

"Mom, she is not in the barn, but I found some mail on the ground. Let me call Ted, and see if she went over there," Ken walked over to the phone as his dad came into the room.

"Hey, Son, what's up?"

Ken picked up the phone as he said to his dad, "Hi, Dad, we can't find Jenny."

"Well, Cherie is missing. Maybe Jen took her for a walk."

"That's possible," Ken said, and then slapped his forehead. "I forgot my communication chip."

Ken closed his eyes and tried to contact his sister but got no answer. Ken got worried as he opened his eyes. "She didn't answer me."

Martha moved over to her husband and took his hand. Looking at Ken, she said. "Find her, Son, you have too."

"I will, let me contact Amy," Ken closed his eyes and called Amy. 'Amy, I need your help. Jen is missing and we can't find her.'

'Hello, Captain, I am scanning for her locator beacon. I found her. She is less than forty feet from you and seems to be asleep.'

Ken thought for a second, and asked, 'Is she in the house?'

'I don't know, since I am not close enough to you. I'm using the car's sensors, and they are not as good as mine, all I can say is the distance.'

'I will walk to the back door. You tell me if it is the right direction.'

Opening his eyes, he walked the five feet to the back door.

'Wrong way turn around.'

Ken turned around and walked toward the kitchen door. Going into the dining room, he headed down the hallway towards the pantry and the spare bedroom.

Ken stepped into the empty room and Amy said. 'Stop, she is three feet to your left.'

Looking to the left all he saw was the small end table and chair in the room. 'Amy I think something is wrong with the locator she is not here. Only thing at the location you said, are a chair and table.'

'Running a diagnostic now ... No, the scan is good. She is ... wait, I believe she may be above or below you.'

Ken looked up at the ceiling.

'Of course, she is in her bedroom.'

Ken quickly moved out of the downstairs spare room and up the stairs to Jenny's room. Knocking on the door, he waited for a response. When he did not get any answer to his knock, he pushed the broken door open. Looking around the empty room, he did not see her.

'Amy she is not here ... Wait, I think I know where she is, she's in her bedroom closet.'

Walking over to the closet, he knocked on the door.

"Jen, it's me, Ken. What's wrong, Honey? Can I open the door?"

He listened and all he heard was soft crying. Opening the door, he saw Jen curled up around Cherie who was lying in her arms."

He knelt beside her. Reaching out a hand, he set it on her shoulder. The minute his hand touched her, she went ballistic, and started swinging at him. Her enhanced strength causes bruises on his arm and chest.

'Amy, I need help, she is out of control.'

Gripping both of her hands in his, he stopped her from hitting him.

'I am accessing her nanobots now ... I have control. I am activating them to calm her down. They have replicated a mild drug to calm her.'

'Thank you, Amy.'

Looking at his sister, he said, "Jenny, look at me."

She did not move. Her eyes were open and tears were running down her face.

'Amy something is wrong, really wrong, with Jen. Now she is just lying here, and not even responding. Her eyes are open, but she just stares at the wall, and cries.'

Behind Ken, his parents came into Jenny's bedroom, and saw him kneeling in her closet doorway.

'Ken, I am dispatching the shuttles now, she is in shock. I do not know what has happened but for some reason her nanobots have not kicked in. The shuttles will be there twenty-four minutes from now.'

Ken listened to Amy's suggestion, and replied, 'Negative! Wait for darkness then dispatch them. Even in the stealth mode, there is a chance they could be seen.'

Ken shook his head and smiled at Amy's words, opened his eyes, and looked back down at his sister.

"It's ok, Sis, everything will be ok."

His mom's voice called him back to the room. "Ken, is she ok?"

Reaching down to pick her up, she screamed again at his touch, so Ken backed away and let his mom into the small room.

"No, Mom, she is in shock for some reason, when the shuttle..."

The doorbell sounded and distracted him.

"I will see who that is, Mom, you stay with her. Let's go see who it is Dad, and let Mom help Jen for now."

Walking out of the room with his dad, he headed for the front door. Opening the door, he saw his friend James standing there.

"Hey, James, glad you could come," said Ken as he offered his hand to one of his best friends.

"Hi, Ken. Want to help me with the food?" asked James as he shook Kens hand.

"Sure, James."

Ken walked out the door and followed James over to his car. As he neared the car, his nose smelled the food through the closed doors of the car, which got his stomach going and his mouth wet.

James opened the passenger door and started pulling sacks of food off the seat. Handing the smaller bags to Ken, he gathered the four large bags holding the buckets of KFC. Stepping back, James gently kicked the door closed on the Geo Prism.

"So what's up, Ken?"

"I will explain when everyone gets here."

Heading back towards the house, they went through the open door and Ken's dad closed it behind them. Walking into the kitchen, they set the food down on the counter. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the money out and handed it to James.

"Here you go, James."

Pulling one of the hampers open that his mom had left on the table, he started opening the bags.

James took the money and stuffed in into his pocket.

"Thanks, Ken, that's rent money."

Watching Ken for a second, he continued what he was going to say, "So, Ken, who all is coming tonight, and why are you putting the food in baskets?"

Ken looked over at James while taking the food out of the plastic bags, and putting it in several large picnic hampers. With a mischievous smile, he said.

"You will see. Put the chicken in the big basket. As to who is coming, the gang is, and Ted and his family."

Walking over to the counter, James opened the largest basket and started placing the buckets of chicken in it.

"What's with all the baskets? I know ... I'll see. Well, whatever it is, we should have enough food. I got some of each side order."

As they finished putting the last of the food and coffee thermoses into the baskets, there was a knock at the back door.

Going over to the door, Ken opened it and looked at four of their friends. "Aaron, Matt, Kathy, Lynn! Glad you could all make it,"

"We brought cake," the two brothers said as they came in. "Hope you don't mind that we brought the girls along as well."

Looking at the bags on the counter, Matt said. "Cool! KFC."

The girls came in carrying a sheet cake. It had writing on it, which said: "Welcome Home".

Looking at the cake, Ken smiled, and said, "Thanks for the cake, you guys, and Kathy and Lynn are always welcome."

Ken went over to the girls, took the cake, and set it on the counter.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Matt reaching into one of the hampers, and said, "Matt stay out of the KFC, it's for later."

Looking at the two girls, Ken held out his arms.

"Hi, girls, how are you both doing?"

Both girls stepped into Ken's arms. They gave him a hug and a kiss on opposite cheeks. Kathy Jenson reached up and roughed his hair up.

"Did you guys have a good time? I wish we could have gone along, but caves scare me," she said.

Ken looked at eighteen-year-old Kathy. She was wearing cutoff jeans and a yellow shirt with blue whales on it. On the back of the shirt was written, 'Save the Whales, harpoon a Whaler.' Her brown hair hung just to her shoulders and her blue eyes showed mischief.