Spirits in the Material World Pt. 16

"Arrgh! You jerk! You asshole!" Stepping up to him, her right hand raised as if to slap him, she instead sat in his lap, wrapped both arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly.

Just then, Alan and Rose entered the room to hear Julie's outburst, and they were quite puzzled at her words and intense emotions directed at Tom. Then Alan saw Tom's grin and deduced his son was messing with Julie. Alan just shook his head. The apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

After a minute of lip and tongue reconnection with his girlfriend, Tom levered himself to standing. He took the clothes from Julie and headed for the bathroom to change in privacy. The thing he did not have in his pile was his shoes; they were in the patient's belongings bag and there were some reddish-brown spots on one of the shoes, a small reminder of his meeting with the ancient maple tree.

He emerged from the bathroom and had to sit on the hospital bed to put his shoes on; all the other seating areas in the room were otherwise occupied. He seemed a little stiff in his movements, Julie thought. While he was putting on his shoes, Tom engaged Alan verbally.

"So, Dad, what do we know about the accident?"

"Right now, Tom, we don't know much beyond the fact that the tree came out the winner. Let me go see if the hospital has any information to direct us." And Alan exited for the nurses' station.

"Tom, are you ok?" Rose asked. "Yeah, you seemed a little stiff, I thought," Julie chimed in.

"I had a very bad dream or memory very early this morning. Headlights coming from the right, then horrible crash and crunch sounds. I remember I was driving back from the mall and suddenly I was being pushed into the oncoming traffic lanes, then blackness. My car is dead, isn't it?"

"After being hit by the land barge from the side and front-ending into a tree, I'd say so," Alan answered from the doorway. With him was a police officer. "Rose, Julie, this officer would like to talk with Tom alone for a little bit. Would you please come with me?"

The ladies stood and gave Tom a warm hug and kiss and then followed Alan, who closed the door behind them.

"Mr. Harrison, I'm Officer Ted Hendricks with the Middleburg Police Department," the officer said, showing Tom his badge. "I'd like to get your statement about what happened yesterday evening, please. May I record this so we don't have to keep coming back?"

"Certainly, Officer Hendricks. I was driving from the Middleburg mall to my home around 5:30 pm. I was driving my 2002 Toyota Corolla on Lincoln Boulevard, on my way home from the Middleburg mall. My headlights were on, and I was in the left-hand lane of the two headed in my direction. Suddenly, I saw headlights coming at me from the right, and I tried to swerve to the left. I heard and felt a huge crunch and suddenly I was looking at oncoming traffic, then my world exploded and I blacked out. I woke up here in this room late last night or very early this morning."

"Were both of your headlights working last night before the collision?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it as I saw the two beams showing on the side of a van as I was leaving the mall."

"And what speed were you going at the time of the collision?"

"The speed limit in that area is 35 miles per hour, and I was going between 30 and 35."

"Had you been drinking or were you under the influence of anything?"

"No, sir. I'd had a couple of slices of pizza at the mall along with a Coke. I don't smoke and I very seldom drink alcohol. I've never used any illegal drugs."

"Ok, Mr. Harrison. That pretty much wraps up my questions." Officer Hendricks stopped the recording. "Now, do you have any questions I can try to answer?"

"Frankly, yes. What happened?"

"According to witnesses, you were t-boned by a Mercury Marquis and pushed into a very old maple tree. Your airbags deployed and that plus your seatbelt kept you from going through your front windshield."

"Ok, so what aren't you telling me, Officer Hendricks?"

"This is purely off the record, mind you."

"I understand. Nothing usable except for personal knowledge."

"Right. There were four young men in the Marquis and the driver got distracted with his phone and he blew through the stop sign and plowed into you. They attempted to leave the scene but were stopped by witnesses then the police. Your car is totaled, I'm afraid. The good news is that the tree will make a full recovery, hardly noticing the incident."

"Right. Merry Fucking Christmas, Tom," he muttered.

"Here's my card and the incident number is written on the back. I'd recommend working through the insurance company, and you'll need to provide them with the incident identifier. I'm glad to see you up and around, Mr. Harrison. I'm sorry for the timing of this, right before the holidays."

"There's never a good time for something like this to happen, Officer Hendricks. But I appreciate your sympathy and the off-the-record information."

Tom stood and Officer Hendricks stood as well. They shook hands, then the police officer departed the room, and Alan, Rose, and Julie came back in along with the duty nurse.

"May I now return to my home?" Tom asked the nurse.

"On the condition that you take it very easy today and tomorrow, then yes. The doctor has signed off. And while I see you are operating under your own power, hospital insurance rules require us to convey you to the door in a wheelchair. Mark?" she called out, and one of Tom's friends from school entered the room pushing a wheelchair, a broad smile across his face.

"Have a seat, Mr. Harrison," Mark grinned. "Do you have everything you brought in? Not leaving anything behind, are we?"

"Nope, got his stuff right here," Julie interjected. "Hi, Mark. I'm Julie, Tom's girlfriend."

"Good morning, Miss Julie, Mr. Harrison," Mark answered, addressing Alan who had not recognized Mark. "Shall we get going?"

"Mark Taylor, it's a pleasant surprise to see you again," Alan declared.

"Yes, let's get going, hoss," Tom directed his old friend. As they rolled down the hallway to the elevators, Tom craned his head to look at Mark. "Say, did you ever complete your Eagle rank? You were so close, and then I aged out. I think you had another six months, right?"

"Yeah, Tom, I got the merit badges and leadership parts done before I turned 18. Even got the project done in time. But I had to have my final Board of Review a month after I turned 18. So, yes, I did get my Eagle."

"I'm so happy and proud for you, brother. So, why are you an orderly here?"

"I'm working on my B.S.N., brother, and this is where I earn the money to do that. I also get to meet the weirdest and the nicest people, sometimes at the same time. Like you."

"Drive on, hoss," Tom smiled, so very pleased that his friend numbered with him in the ranks of the Eagle Scouts.

On their way home, Tom asked to ride with Alan. Alan knew what Tom wanted to see, and Rose offered to take Julie and stop by the supermarket for lunch supplies, planning on all six people for lunch. Alan took Tom to the intersection where the collision occurred. There were pieces of plastic and broken glass all around, and there was a slight scar on the trunk of the tree where Tom's car met its fate. Tom's car had been hauled off to the police impound lot. It occurred to Tom that his keys were still in the car, as were several personal items. Fortunately, his phone had been in his pocket when the collision occurred.

Tom just stood there at the edge of the side street, staring at the remnants and the tree for about five minutes. Alan just let him be. Alan knew what was likely to happen. And it did. Tom started to get angry. Not just a little miffed or peeved. This was righteous anger bordering on fury. Then he started to talk, his volume increasing with every sentence.

"What the hell were you guys thinking, messing with your phone while you were driving? What did you think you were, ten feet tall and fucking bulletproof? Didn't have a care in the world, did you? Are you that fucking special?" Tom was shouting now, and then the tears came. The one thought that seemed to override every other one was his gratitude that Julie was not with him in the passenger seat. Tom staggered to his knees at that thought. Alan quickly stepped up and hugged Tom, pulling Tom's head to his shoulder, stroking his hair.

"It's all right, Tom. You are perfectly right to be angry, furious even. Let's get you home and have some lunch. I know Julie needs time with you." Alan then led Tom back to the car and they got in. Before Alan could start it up, Tom twisted his body and grabbed Alan's right hand.

"Dad, you know what room I was in at the hospital, right?"

"Yes, son, we know that room far too well."

"While I was unconscious, I had a talk with Mom."

"Go ahead, Tom. This really doesn't surprise me anymore. What did she tell you?"

"She said that she chose Julie for me, knowing she'd bring Rose into your life. She had to find someone you could make one of your priorities because you were not keeping your promise to her."

Those words stung Alan because of their truth. He knew it could not be happenstance that the three Lawson ladies would find acceptable matches among the three Harrison men. He just never suspected that Laura had that much to do with the whole thing.

"She was right, Tom. I was not keeping my promise to her. But do you think I am now? What do you think about all of this?"

"Dad, it's all perfect how it's lining up. Look at David and Maggie. Oh. My. God. They seem to be perfect for each other. She needs to grow up some more, but so does he at times. And while I don't know Rose's needs, you seem to be immeasurably happier with her in your life and I suspect she's happier as well with you in hers. And you remember how I described Julie to you before Thanksgiving? 'Perfect'. Well, perfect for me. Yes, I think you are now keeping your promise to Mom. And I like the ring set you picked out. When are you proposing to her?"

"Sometime this week, son. Are you ok with that?"

"I'm beyond ok with that, Dad. You do what you have to in order to be happy. I know Rose will never replace Mom in your heart, but you'll just have to make more room in your heart for both women. Look at the Grinch. His heart grew and grew and grew."

"Ok, Tom. Thank you for that. Now, let's get you home."

They arrived home before the ladies completed their shopping, and Alan parked in the garage. Tom took his belongings inside and made a beeline for the living room to sit on the sofa in his customary position. He then gazed at David's painting of Laura and cried a little for his loss of her.

Which is how Julie found him. They had gotten lunch meats and bread and chips of various kinds and had pulled into the driveway only five minutes after Alan and Tom had arrived. She sat in Tom's lap and wrapped him up in her arms and tried to kiss away his tears. His sadness was starting to break her heart, and she knew he was thinking about Laura, looking at her picture the way he was. Then her lips brushed his, once, twice, and then his tongue poked out to stroke her lips and it became a French kissing free-for-all.

After a few minutes of this, Julie forced herself away and took Tom's hand. As she was leading him by the front door on their way to the kitchen, they saw David's Jeep pull into the driveway.

"Tom, go sit in the kitchen or at the dining table. I've got to help David and Mags with the clothing they've brought." And she gave Tom a little shove towards the back of the house. Opening the front door, she stepped out to help bring in the requested items. "Come on, you slugs. Lunch is just about ready."

Maggie grabbed David's free hand and would not let it go as they entered the house.