Once Upon a Fantasy Ch. 15-16

Chapter 15 Closing the Circle

I was dripping in sweat when the P.T. hour was over. I hadn't done that much, but the effort required to spend even five minutes on the stationary bike was enough to wear me out. When I weighed myself after two weeks I had lost another ten pounds. Just as it had with my first surgery, that single fact was the motivator for me to endure the pain and keep going. Well ... that and Kim.

The physical therapy department was closed on Christmas Day and the following day as well. That didn't save me. Kim had some flexibility exercises that she insisted I do with her. My incentive was the promise held by the fact that she wore a pale green one piece suit that was too sexy to describe. Think Spandex swimming gear. Just watching her move in that outfit was enough to produce the predictable result in me.

"This is human torture, Woman," I complained. "You can't parade around in here wearing that and expect me to concentrate on these exercises."

"Should I change into a sweatshirt and shorts?" she teased.

"Yes! No! Damn! You can see for yourself what it's doing to me."

"You mean that tent in your shorts?" she giggled.

"Of course I mean that tent in my shorts. It's painful all by itself. It's like being a horny teenager all over again."

"So ... how did you solve that problem back then?" She was goading me and I knew it.

"I looked after it myself, of course."

"Well then, see how things have improved? You've got me to reward you instead. It's time for your shower so you have to strip anyway."

It only took her a few seconds to remove my t-shirt and shorts. My erection was prominent and I was expecting some relief from her.

"Come on, into the shower. If you're going to make a mess, make it in there."

"I thought you might be joining me," I said with disappointment. "Are you just going to leave me ... high and dry?"

"Oh, poor baby," she laughed. "Get moving before I change my mind."

She followed me into the shower and I got the relief I was hoping for.

On Christmas Eve day I held our traditional early-closing party for the staff. Actually, Kim and Carolyn Van Horne had made the arrangements and then Kim came to the house to get me and bring me to the store. It was fun and a relief to get back to the environment and people I knew so well. Each person had a ten dollar limit on one gift and names were drawn from a hat. A lot of CD's were bought for the occasion it appeared.

At the house, Christmas was great, just like Thanksgiving. The whole family was with us as Brandon was home and my parents came both Christmas Eve and the next day. The tree was piled with gifts and I was almost embarrassed at it. We had so much and were so blessed that I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Everyone took turns at making sure I didn't have to do anything, to the point that I felt kind of useless in a way. I couldn't wait to get further along in my rehabilitation so that I could do more things for myself. As I said earlier, I'm not a good patient.

I had told Candy about giving her mother a job at the store and I told her why. I think she was shocked that I did that, but I began to see a softening in her attitude toward Andrea begin to show. Maybe I was imagining it, but I would continue to try and get her to reconcile at least on speaking terms if I could.

"Is she really going to leave that guy?" Candy asked.

"I think she already has. She was pretty sure she couldn't live with him treating her like that. Now that she has a job and can at least stay with her sister for a while, she should be able to make it."

"Why did you do that, Dad? Why did you give her a job?"

"She was in trouble. She needed the help. I know she let us down, Candy, but I couldn't let her become abused or destitute. If she's going to get on with her life and make something of it then I thought it was proper to try and help. After all, it is Christmas."

"But ... she cheated. She did a terrible thing to us."

"I know. I won't forget that, but don't you think my life is going to be okay now?"

She knew what I was referring to.

"Yeah. Kim is a super lady. She's going to be a great mom too."

"So ... out of all this mess, something good has come of it," I suggested.

She nodded, then looking at me, smiled. She kissed me, stood, wiped a solitary tear from her eye and walked to the kitchen. I heard her pick up the phone and waited.

"Hi Mom, it's me, Candy."

I leaned back in my recliner and closed my eyes. One more good thing had happened.

They say no good deed goes unpunished. A cynical view in my opinion, but perhaps some truth to it on occasion. Kim and I were enjoying a late lunch at small bistro on Main Street. We had just finished and were walking out the door when we almost bumped into a man. It turned out to be Kurt Howell. He was looking a bit worse for wear. I could smell alcohol on him and when he recognized me he stopped and turned back to me.

I was still on crutches and Kim had been holding the door for me until I was clear and on the sidewalk. She continued to hold the door as another couple was entering the restaurant, not recognizing who I'd almost collided with.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Tyler," Howell said with a sneer. "Do you really think you're getting even with me by hiring my wife at your little store?"

He was partially slurring his words and I was anxious to get away from him. I decided not to get into a debate with him and tried to ignore him and go on my way when he grabbed the front of my coat.

"Don't run away little man. I have something to say to you," he said, weaving slightly. At that point he pushed me and I lost my balance and fell heavily to the sidewalk. The pain in my leg was instantaneous and I didn't even think about getting up until I could roll off my bad leg and onto my right side.

I didn't really see exactly what happened next, but when I looked up Kim was all over Kurt Howell, pummeling him with her fists.

"You gutless bastard! You hit a defenseless man. If I had a gun I'd shoot you," she screamed.

By this time a crowd had begun to gather and I felt a couple of arms help me onto my feet. Someone had gotten between Kurt and Kim and was keeping her from doing him further damage. He had a bloody nose and was looking very unsteady on his feet. My fiancée packed quite a punch apparently.

It took a few minutes before a police officer arrived and took our statements. There were several witnesses and the upshot was that Kurt was charged with common assault, drunk and disorderly and, to top it all off, abuse of an officer. It would appear that he might be spending New Year's in jail.

When we got home, I carefully lowered myself into my chair and gingerly massaged my newly repaired knee. I didn't think there had been any additional damage but it was sore as hell and Kim quickly brought me two of my pain pills and two towel-wrapped ice packs to help me deal with it. A half hour later I was asleep in the chair.

The pain didn't get any less and by the end of the day I knew I was going to have to see my doctor and get the knee assessed for any further damage. By the next morning, after a constantly interrupted night of sleep, the knee had swollen and my fears were confirmed. I had damaged it again in the fall.

"You're lucky, Mr. Tyler," Doctor Demby said as he examined the X-ray negatives on his computer monitor. There's no damage to the synthetic grafts or the internal sutures. There is some fluid accumulating that we can deal with and the rest is impact damage; mostly bruising. I'm sure it's painful, but it will improve given time and avoiding more falls," he smiled.

"Well, that's a relief. I had visions of more surgery and starting rehab all over again. I'm not sure I could have handled that."

"I'm sure you would have, despite what you think. No one wants to have these problems linger any longer than necessary. In the meantime, I'm going to drain the knee now. It will only take a few minutes and won't be too painful. We'll give you a local anesthetic."

He lied. It hurt like hell. On top of the pain already there from the damage done in the fall, this was just one more level of pain I could really do without.

"There," he said, "that should look after it for a while. We'll check next week and see if any further fluid is present. We may have to do this again."

"God, I hope not. I can see how people can be addicted to pain killers. I'll be popping pills for a while yet."

"Just make sure you keep to the prescribed amounts, Mr. Tyler. We don't want you addicted either. It will get better, I promise you. It just takes time."

"I keep hearing that and hoping it's true."

He smiled that typical doctor smile that says, "we know best ... trust us."

Brandon had returned to college on the 29th instead of staying over New Years. I learned from Candy that he had a steady girlfriend and he was spending New Years with her. I hoped I would get to meet her soon. She sounded like she might be someone important in his life, but it would be up to him to tell us that.

If Candy and Deb had been any closer I would have declared them sisters by birth. Kim and I got an opportunity to meet their dates for the New Years party they were attending. When the boys introduced themselves at the door, it was all Kim and I could do not to burst out laughing. They were identical twins.

Danny and Ken Ballard were easily my height and quite handsome I thought. So did Kim. They were well dressed in suits and presented themselves very politely to us. They even asked my how my leg was coming along, so the girls must have told them about my situation. At any rate, I didn't see anything that gave me cause for concern. I just hoped appearances weren't deceiving.

"Isn't that perfect?" I laughed when they left with Candy and Deb. "Identical twins for the two of them."

Kim was shaking her head. "It makes perfect sense, you know. They are inseparable, so why not team up with other inseparables?"

New Year's was a lost cause for me. Try as I might, I couldn't stay awake until midnight. I did try, but by eleven o'clock I was fading fast and Kim helped me to bed. I was out like a light. Whether she stayed up or not I didn't know until the next morning. I didn't come to until nine am New Year's Day.

New Year's Day I awoke with a fabulous blonde sleeping silently beside me. This was going to be a much better year for me and I couldn't think of a better way to welcome it than with Kim. I toyed with the idea of waking her up with some specially placed kisses, then remembered I didn't know when she had come to bed. I kissed her gently on the shoulder and slipped out from under the covers, hobbling to the bathroom.

She was still asleep when I emerged having showered and shaved. I dressed quietly in a sweat shirt, jeans and socks, and padded down to the kitchen. I had no idea if the girls were home. Their door was almost always closed whether they were in there or not. It had been their choice to share a bedroom even though Brandon's room was usually empty. It seemed I was on my own for the time being.

I made a pot of coffee, had a bowl of cereal and a banana to get me started before I took the first coffee to my office. I booted up the computer and checked the news headlines. This New Year's Eve had been on a Friday night which probably contributed to some of the mayhem. It was the usual headlines: Umpteen drunks arrested, two shootings, several car accidents, and assorted petty crimes committed.

When the phone rang I jumped and grabbed it quickly. I didn't want it to wake Kim or the girls if I could help it.

"Hello?"

"Norm, it's Rita. I'm sorry to bother you, but Andrea's in the hospital and I thought you'd want to know."

"What happened," I asked immediately.

"Kurt tried to get her to come back to his home and she refused. He hit her. I think she's got a broken jaw, if not more."

"Where did this happen, Rita?"

"Here, at my house. Andrea answered the door and before I could get there, I heard them arguing. Then he hit her and pushed her down the front steps. I tried to stop him, but he just pushed me out of the way. I ran back into the house and called 911. He must have heard me on the phone because he left her on the front lawn and took off."

"What hospital is she in?"

"Mercy General."

"Are you all right, Rita?"

"Yes. He didn't hurt me. I think he was drunk. I gave a statement to the police and told them who he was and what was going on. I don't know what happened after that."

"You did just the right thing, Rita. I'll go down to the hospital and find out what's going on. Do you want to come with me?"

"No ... I'm on my way now. I'll meet you there."

"Okay, and thanks for calling."

I hung up and wondered what I should do. Wake Kim and tell her what was going on? Just go and leave a note? Wait a while until Kim was up and explain the situation? The latter sounded like the right thing. I wasn't married to Andrea any more. I didn't have any responsibility other than as a co-parent to our daughter. On the other hand, I knew I would go.

I looked at my clock and saw it was nearing nine o'clock. I wondered again when Kim went to bed. I no sooner had the thought when I could hear someone stirring upstairs. The sound of the toilet flushing, then the shower told me it was likely Kim. I opened my office door and waited for her to appear.

She came downstairs looking fresh and rested. She was wearing a snug t-shirt and a pair of jeans that were equally form-fitting. Damn that woman was sexy. She smiled as she saw me standing in the doorway of my office and headed directly to me. I got a nice big kiss as a good morning welcome.

"Happy New Year. Who was on the phone?" she asked almost right away.

"Rita Thompson, Andrea's sister. Andrea's in the hospital. Kurt came to their house last night and tried to take Andrea with him. She refused and the upshot was he hit her ... at least once. Rita thinks he broke her jaw. She called the police and Andrea's in Mercy General. A real fun New Years Eve for them."

"Oh, Norm, that's awful. Are you going to see her? You should, you know."

I nodded. "Would you like to come too?"

"No. I think you should go on your own. I'll be fine here. I am anxious to hear what happened, though."

"Me too. I've had some breakfast, so if it's okay with you, I'll go down there now and see what's happening."

"Sure. Call me if you're going to be there for a while."

"Will do." I kissed her and limped to the hall closet for a pair of loafers and my coat and cane.

There was almost no traffic and I made the journey to the hospital in less than ten minutes. I checked in with a lightly staffed reception desk and was told Mrs. Howell was resting comfortably and had a visitor. She gave me the room number and I headed for the elevators and a quick trip to her room.

Andrea was propped up in her bed and frankly, looked like hell. Her face was swollen from her cheekbones down and I could see the signs that they had wired her jaw shut. Rita sat beside her and smiled as I arrived.

"Hi, Norm. Thank you for coming so soon," she said sincerely, giving me a hug.

I leaned over and gave Andrea a kiss on her forehead, immediately wondering if I should have done that.

The attempted smile, followed quickly by a grimace of pain told me she appreciated it.

"She can't really talk, Norm. The police have just left. I gave them a statement and they seemed satisfied with that. Apparently, Kurt is in jail pending arraignment. He'll be charged with assault at least. With his record of assaulting you and alcohol, I get the impression he's in a bunch of trouble."

"Nothing he doesn't deserve. Both of you should be able to get a restraining order against him, for what that's worth. When he's fuelled by alcohol I doubt his thinking is very good."

Andrea had been listening and watching us, her eyes flicking back and forth with our discussion. She nodded when I suggested the restraining order.

"Has anyone said how long she'll be in hospital?"

"Not long, maybe a couple of days, but she's going to be on a very limited diet for a month. They told her that it wasn't a serious fracture but had to be stable for that long."

"Well, that's something, then. Andrea," I said, addressing her, "Your job is safe. Take as long as you need to before you come to work. Don't rush it. We'll be waiting for you," I smiled.

I could see the tears forming in her eyes and she turned her head away from me. I looked at Rita and she smiled and took my hand, squeezing it.

"Thank you, Norm. You're a good man." She too had some tears.

I left then, knowing all there was to know at that point. I'd stop by when she was back at her sister's home. I'd done what I needed to do. I'd also made another snap decision. I would continue the monthly profit-share payments to her. I was pretty certain Kim wouldn't object when I told her.

I called Kim and confirmed I was on my way home.

"Our daughters are finally returning to the land of the living," she chuckled.

"Good to hear it. I'm looking forward to hearing all about their New Years Eve. I missed out on mine."

With the continuing light traffic, I was home only a few minutes later. Kim was waiting for me at the front door as I hobbled up the steps. I got a quick kiss as a welcome.

"How's Mom?" was Candy's immediate question as I entered.

"She's resting. Her jaw is broken, but not too badly. She'll be taking her meals through a straw for a month by the sounds of it."

"How could that guy do something like that to her?" she cried, tears now evident.

"He was drunk ... again ... just like he was when he pushed me. The police and the courts will deal with him."

"Can I go see her?" Candy asked.

"Of course. They may let her out tomorrow, but I know she'd be pleased that you came to visit her. She can't talk yet, but she can smile and nod a bit."

"I'll go this afternoon. Come with me, Deb?"

"Sure," she responded immediately.

In what seemed like a very short period of time, Candy had gone from not communicating at all with her mother to this. I felt good about the change and I knew Andrea would too.

It was mid January before I began to feel I was making any significant progress with my re-hab. I could walk around the house without a cane and the pain was lessening to the point I could begin to consider reducing the medication another step. I was now able to ride the stationary bike for twenty minutes at a modest level of resistance. My weight was now stable again, three pounds below my original target of two hundred.

Along with the progress my attitude also improved. Mind you, with Kim around I wasn't really inclined to get down for any length of time. She had her own ways of breaking me out of my funk. Very good ways they were, too.

Kim had returned to her outside sales role and was busy to the point where I seldom saw her during the day. She had spread her net to adjacent communities looking for opportunities. While she had yet to produce another winner like Cambridge, she had received several smaller orders and had some good prospects that looked promising. She was happy with her progress and I accepted her evaluation.

Chapter 16 Moving On

A week before the wedding, Andrea returned to work. Her jaw was tender but her spirits were good. The judge had issued the requested restraining order and Kurt Howell was warned in no uncertain terms what the consequences of violating it would be. He was facing trial for assault and, along with having pleaded guilty to assaulting me and resisting arrest, as well as the drunk and disorderly charge, he was in no position to try the court's patience. I had to hope that Andrea would be safe from him now.

Mom and Kim had been busy making the wedding arrangements. It wasn't going to be a big fancy ceremony but I got the impression that Mom was trying very hard to make this a special occasion. We would be married on February 12th, a Saturday. Valentine's Day was a Monday and that was the first day of our Caribbean cruise. We would fly to Miami on Sunday and leave from Fort Lauderdale the next day, bound for several islands in the Eastern Caribbean. I was looking forward to ten days of sun and pampered luxury, not to mention the company of Kim.