Chapter 9: The Return to Normal

The crew in the Emergency Department remembered Percy from his last visit. They treated him with extra care and respect. He was a hero in their eyes because he had stopped a serial killer and saved lives in doing so. He had risked his life and ended up in their care, or at least that's what Percy concluded was the reason for the great service. But there was one minor thing he didn't consider. Judith was with him and all the hospital staff remembered her. The nursing staff, fondly, the doctors, not so fondly.

Actually the doctor's remembered her as "That bitch, the Lawyer".

Either way Percy got great service, some because of gratitude and some through fear. Whichever the reason, Percy was thankful.

The MRI revealed he had a small fracture at the back of his head where he connected with the rock. The Doctor decided that Percy would remain in the hospital for at least a week. He was being held for observation.

Later that day, Judith showed up with a suitcase packed for a week's stay with her Percy. No one dared tell her that she wasn't allowed to move into Percy's room. No one was that brave.

Since Percy had a private room, he loved the companionship. Judith was in his bed and in his arms every night. After they were caught a couple of times by the staff, a "Do Not Disturb" sign was added to his room's door knob.

To Judith and Percy it was like a second honeymoon with an adjustable bed.

For the hospital staff it was a win, win. Judith smiled all the time for the entire week and left them alone. It was rumored that because she was there and the kitchen staff could not determine which meal was going to be hers, all the food served improved.

Percy really didn't believe that rumor, but the hospital administrator did take him aside and ask if Judith could stop by and eat there periodically?

Meanwhile back at the lodge things were being run by the kids. Todd, Tara, and Jenny worked hard at proving to Percy and Judith that they were not needed to run the day to day operations any longer. The three of them planned to have Percy and Judith spend more time with each other than on running the lodge. They all knew the two of them were in love, but refused to admit it to each other.

Little did the kids know how deeply Percy and Judith felt for each other. At night in the hospital bed as they were recovering from their love making, they talked about their futures together and when to turn the lodge over to the kids. One night Judith said, "Percy, this is the second time I almost lost you. Damn it, I won't take that chance again. You're my man and won't have you running around playing hero."

Percy looked at her and smiled and said that age old reply from a man to his woman, "Yes Dear."

She hit him with the pillow, "Don't you try and placate me! I said it because I love you."

They sunk into vigorous love making again. The duty nurse at the desk turned up her radio to drown out the noise. The nurse started smiling as she imagined what she was going to do to her husband when she got home.

(She did too! Her husband smiled for the next two days.)

Judith didn't sleep well that night. She knew that Percy would still play hero and someday he might not come home to her. She softly cried all night long.