We're a Wonderful Wife Ch. 08

"You dumbshit," she muttered with a smile, and she got on the oars and began calling out her traditional encouragement; "Nhanh lên!" He swam an easy twenty-five yards, then did a lackadaisical flip turn. She spun the boat on its axis, got a little ahead of him then stood up on the stern platform and took a picture with her phone. "Nhanh lên!"

After a total of about 70 yards Don stopped swimming and waved his hand. Lanh turned the boat and eased the bow up to Don. He grabbed the bow and pulled himself up a little bit, resting on his elbows and surgery scared forearms on the fore fishing deck. Lanh scrambled forward and lay down, so they were nose to nose. After a congratulatory kiss she asked, "How was it?"

"I'm out of shape, but I felt at home, back where I belong with you at my side," his grin of accomplishment wouldn't fade as he panted for breath.

She gave him a swat on the head. "Good! Ya dumbshit, you scare crap out of me! I not find you! I think you drowned!" her English language skills still fall apart when she's upset, but they're finding that she can swear with the best of them when she's upset.

He put his hand on her cheek and gave her a kiss. How could he express what he felt as he entered the water? It was like... his legs started working properly, without his weight on them he could move his legs any way he wanted without the searing pain that comes with each step. It was like being whole again. It was like the feeling he felt when he walked into the house on the July fourth weekend, like he was really home. "It just felt good," was all he could say. His degree is in education, not poetry.

Then they found out that Don couldn't get back in the boat, he no longer had the arm strength to pull himself aboard. "Oh you dumbshit," she groaned as she tried to pull him aboard.

After trying to get him abord he eventually settled for clinging onto the bow while Lanh rowed back to shore. "You know, that's the second time you called me dumbshit," he said as they neared shore.

"No, it's the second time you heard me call you dumbshit," she corrected.

"I suppose I earned it."

"Yes, you did." It was so good to be almost normal.

Not long later both Ralph and Mai received a picture sent to their phones of Don swimming in the lake. Ralph slid into a nearby kitchen chair, shuddering, near to tears in relief. His worst nightmare is coming to an end, his boy, the high school athlete, is swimming again.

PHOTOGRAPH

Don is bending over the fender of an old GMC pickup truck, obviously working on the engine. Lanh is next to him, standing on a stepstool shining a shop light on Don's work.

Ever since he got home Don and his dad have been working on the old GMC pickup truck that's been sitting in the tractor shed for the past five years. Don had drove it when he was stationed at Grand Forks but stored it again when he went to Korea for three years, then two more years in New Mexico. Now he's done from wandering, he took off his stripes, it's time to get back to being Don Campbell, farmer.

After changing the plugs, plug wires, and the distributer cap he checked the oil and all other fluids, then he sprayed a little ether down the carburetor he turned to Lanh and said "Wanna fire her up?"

Lanh loved this truck, so many memories were in it! It was the first vehicle that she ever drove that wasn't a tractor. "Yeah baby!" She hopped in the dusty cab, cranked the seat forward, set the brake, put it in neutral, stepped on the clutch and turned the key. It cranked a few times then one at a time the cylinders started firing until all six were purring away. Don checked the timing; it was dead on. With a smile he closed the hood and said, "Let's go for a ride!"

He and his dad had cleared a path out for the truck to get out of the tractor shed, so he put his tools away then hopped in the truck. Lanh had slid over to the passenger seat and was waiting, smiling in anticipation of taking the old truck out for a run. He got in carefully, slammed the driver's door closed and suddenly everything changed. The last thing he remembered seeing was the beautiful smile on Lanh's face, then everything went dark, the passenger side of the truck was the exhaust of a jet engine pointed directly at him, it suddenly got scalding hot, he couldn't breathe, flames spewed out of the jet engine coming straight at him, the truck started collapsing around him, he felt like he was floating, he couldn't tell up from down, then the steering wheel came at him, trying to drive its way into his chest, the air was filled with shards of shattered glass, the truck started to crumple in on him like a crushed can... he couldn't breathe... everything went purple...

He remembered that he heard Lanh scream, "RALPH! CALL NINE ONE ONE!" but he didn't know why. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, the world slowly came into focus, and he was looking up at a paramedic.

"Doctor Campbell! Doctor Campbell!"

"What's going on? Why can't I move my arms?" Don started to panic, was he trapped in his own body again?

"Doctor Campbell, it's ok, you had a little fall, we want to look at you." The paramedic looked far more concerned than one would for a "Little Fall." Don felt the blood pressure cuff tightening on his arm and the pulse/ox detector on his finger.

"Why can't I move my arms?"

"Shhh! It's ok! It's ok!" Now he was looking up at Lanh, her face was creased with concern, tears in her eyes. "You're on a stretcher, we're going to transport you to Bemidji General."

"Why? I'm ok."

Now Kim-ly's face came into view. "Don, you've been in convulsions for nearly a half hour."

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

Don sat in a small room alone. He closed the blinds and turned off all the lights and sat in an uncomfortable chair, lonely. Alone. He was being held for observation and he was refusing to talk to anyone but Lanh or Tam. He even dismissed his dad. It wasn't that they wanted him to see a shrink that angered him, he just didn't want to be in a hospital. Being in a hospital took away his air force career, being in a hospital took away his daughter Sue Lin, being in a hospital robbed him of his friend and co-worker Cynthia and shattered Wendy, and one moment longer in a hospital than he wanted was eating at his soul. He wanted to get back to Lanh, he wanted to hold Arlo more. He wanted Home.

Just as he was at his lowest and angriest, a nurse named Lewis came in. Don didn't like Lewis; Lewis is short, ugly, smarmy, and self-righteous. "Why are we sitting in the dark, Mister Campbell?"

"It's Doctor. Doctor Campbell."

"Oh? We're a doctor?"

"No Lewis, I'm a doctor, you're a nurse."

"Please get in the bed Mister Campbell," Lewis was getting angry now.

"My proper term of address is Doctor."

"Mister Campbell, don't make me put you in bed."

Don sat in his chair and glared at Lewis. "You can try..."

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

Ahnjong "Annie" Nguyen arrived at Bemidji General a little past one PM the next day. Huy had received a frantic call from Lanh saying that they wouldn't let anyone in to see Don and had no estimate when he would be "safe to visit." Since the hospital is one of Huy's clients he asked Annie to look into it for him. Annie is one of the sweetest humans on the face of the earth, but she has what is commonly called a "Resting Bitch Face." When she relaxes her facial muscles, she looks mean, and she uses that to her advantage in the court room and when dealing face to face especially while taking depositions.

However today she didn't need her RBF, she really was angry. Annie loves Don and Lanh and is sick and tired of all the hell they've been put through. And Don is a blessing that anyone with twin toddlers needs, a babysitter that loves the kids and the kids love him. He can relax the most wound-up child and do it with little Arlo sleeping in his arm. He's available 24/7 and has no problem at all if date night goes all night long. He'll think nothing of it if he is tasked to watch all seven Nguyen grandchildren and he'll love every minute of it.

NOBODY fucks with MY babysitter!

Ahnjong stepped up to the reception desk and said, "I would like to see Donovan Campbell, room 430."

The reception clerk looked up Don on her terminal then sweetly said, "Mister Campbell isn't seeing visitors today."

Ahnjong opened her notebook and made note of the time and then insured her RBF was dialed up to ten. "I'm not a visitor, I'm his attorney, and it's Doctor Campbell." She laid her business card on the counter and slid it toward the clerk. "I am going to need your name and employee ID number."

The clerk, Mary Anne Jensen, reminded Annie of Don's stepmother Sandy, just a sweet lady that doesn't mean any harm. "You will have to speak to Doctor Harland, he's the one who signed the order."

"Just in case I can't get ahold of Doctor Harland, who is his supervisor?"

Marry Anne looked uncomfortable, but she spilled the beans, "that would be Doctor Erikson, he's the head of psychiatric."

"Thank you," and Annie turned and took the elevator up to the fourth floor where she went straight to room 430. Entering she found Don held to the bed in restraints. "Kinky!" she grinned snapping a picture, "Lanh will love this on date night. What did you do now?"

"I didn't do nuttin, not dis time," Don grinned. "I'm innocent I tell ya! I'm innocent!" and he rattled his wrist restraints, "Ya gotta get me outta here! Da warden's got it in for me, see?" doing his best tough guy voice. Then he looked at the door, "How did you get permission to come in here?"

"I didn't, as YOU so often tell me, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. The guard should be coming through that door any second. Am I right?" as she continued to take photographs of the room.

Don shrugged, "They don't come in here very often, actually..." he thought for a moment, "I haven't seen anyone since breakfast at seven AM." Ahnjong looked at her watch, it was one thirty in the afternoon. An orderly came through the door moments later. He was a big fellow, at least six foot five and easily three hundred pounds. He glared at Annie like he was going to eat the five foot one inch tall woman.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Mister Campbell is not seeing visitors," growled the orderly.

"That's Doctor Campbell to you," said Don. "And stand straight Mongo, your knuckles are dragging again."

"Mongo" glared at Don, but his glare returned to Annie. "I'm sorry mister... Swenson? Is that right?" she peered at his name tag. "I'm not a visitor, I'm his attorney, and if you do anything other than release Doctor Campbell or bring Doctor Erikson to me immediately, I will be spending the weekend figuring out how to resell your house and Don will be driving your truck." She handed him her business card. "Now go... shoo!"

When Mongo had left, she turned to Don, "What did you do now?"

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Don tried to shrug his shoulders. "I just wanted the night nurse to address me as doctor, and he wouldn't, so I wouldn't get out of my chair, I just held on to it. It took three of them to pick me up and put me in the bed."

"And you didn't attack or take a swing at any one of them?"

"Nope, my hands were holding the chair at all times, I was a good boy."

"Did any of them hit you?" Ahnjong noticed that his compromised left eye was starting to fill with blood. "Eww, is that what happened here?"

"They weren't very kind to me when I refused to let go of the chair. I caught an elbow or three."

Just then Doctor Erikson tapped twice on the door and entered. "How can I help you today?"

"I want to know why my client is in restraints," Annie said as she handed the doctor her business card.

"That would be... for his own safety," said the Doctor as he tried to hand Annie back her business card.

"No, keep it. Your lawyer will want to see it. Now what makes you think that my client is unsafe. Have threats been made against his life? Is the hospital going to start rotating at a high rate of speed at any moment?"

Doctor Erikson gave her a smile that is best described as "smarmy." "I prefer not to discuss a patient's prognosis in front of the patient."

"You can do it here, or you can do it in court," said Annie, "either way he's going to hear it. Which option would be more cost effective in the long run?"

Doctor Erikson's shoulders sagged in defeat. "He was acting in a delusional manner."

"How so?"

"He insists that the staff address him as Doctor." Doctor Erikson's face showed nothing but incredulity.

Annie stared at the doctor for a very long, painful minute before she softly said, "He is a doctor." Doctor Erikson's face went ashen gray in shock. "Tell him your educational certifications, Doctor Campbell," she continued.

"Bachelor's degree in Educational Science from UND where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa, master's degree in Elementary Education at Embrey Riddle University while serving in Korea, and PhD in Education from University of New Mexico at Portales," said Don staring up at the ceiling. "If it will help, I know several members of your staff that could use my expertise in language skills."

Annie whirled on Doctor Erikson. "Let me see if I got this right, you had three men wrestle a disabled veteran suffering from PTSD into a bed because your people didn't want to address him as doctor? Is that what happened?"

"Well, we..."

"And look at his eye! It was normal and healthy when we brought him in here, what did your people do to him? What other injuries will we find when we have a competent doctor and an ophthalmologist examine him?"

"Well, we..."

"I don't see anyone releasing him from his bonds," Ahnjong was on a roll. As Doctor Erikson bent to release Don, she noticed something, "Where is the nurse call button located?"

"There isn't one, this is an observation room."

"And the toilet? Is there a bathroom here?"

"No, of course not, this is an observation room."

Annie glared at Dr. Erikson and hissed, "does the term "observation room" preclude basic human function?" She grabbed the corner of Don's bedding and yanked. When the blankets were pulled back Dr. Erikson was able to see that Don's bedding and pajamas were soaked with urine. "I thought so, I will be taking my client home now. I was going to try to talk him out of suing this hospital into bankruptcy, but now... not so much."

Don looked so embarrassed, "I tried to call someone..."

PHOTOGRAPH

Don is driving a John Deere tractor, Lanh is standing next to him, half leaning against the fender, their smiles are broad as they gaze at each other, they are holding hands. Behind them is a hay wagon filled with hay, children in costumes, and their joyful mothers

The original plan was to go on a Halloween Hayride, the kids were dressed in a variety of costumes and were ready to hop on the hay wagon, but it started raining so Don and the kids were stuck in the house. Don can easily drive any tractor or ATV on the farm, but as they discovered, inside a closed vehicle he's incapable of sitting behind the steering wheel, the panic attack is just too great.

Don sat in the sitting room of "Lanh's Bunk House" the apartment he built for his bride, he sat with Arlo who was dressed in a superman onesie, resting peacefully in his arm, a burp rag on his shoulder, and a bottle of warm formula for his tiny nephew at the ready in his hand. Around him nieces and nephews of varying sizes dressed as two ghosts, a witch, a football player, Captain America, and a "cowboy girl" played a freeform game of tag.

Don had made a rule that any child that couldn't spell "it" couldn't be "it" so it was fair to tag them, but the title of "it" wouldn't transfer to the toddler. The rule worked out well, the little ones like Captain America Liam, and the ghosts Ahn, and Him-chan could play, but they couldn't be singled out because of their size. Squeals, giggles, and joyful cries of "Who's it?" and "She's it!" rang through the house even though only football player Chip, good little witch Chau, and "cowboy girl" Sophia could claim the title of "it."

Out in the dining room the Nguyen sisters, all six of them, Tam, Kim-ly, Angela, Ahnjong, and Rosa tried to console a shattered Lanh. Her hands were shaking with fear and anger and her voice was just as bad when she said "This year has been one bad thing after another... now this..." She didn't mind driving Don wherever he needed to go, it's just that she so missed riding in that old truck, his arm around her as he drove... it was almost like their very last chance to get back to normal was snatched out of their hands. "We came sooo close in that truck!" she sighed

"Close to what?" asked Ahnjong, then with the looks she received from her sisters she realized exactly what she Lanh meant. "Aaaahhh, sorry."

Lanh looked at Don through the French doors to the bunk house, he was conducting the games like a maestro conducting a rambunctious orchestra. "Is he overcompensating for losing Sue Lin?"

"Maybe," said Tam, "or maybe he's overcompensating for growing as up an only child." She patted Lanh's shoulder and gave her a motherly hug, "or maybe he just loves kids that much. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. When do you go back to Grand Forks?"

"Sunday," sniffed Lanh, it was just three days away.

"Here," said Tam and she handed Lanh several pages of handwritten notes she had taken, "Get this to his care team." It was notes from her talks with Don, something to give the military psychiatrists an idea of what Don is dealing with.

Kim-ly snatched the page and scanned it. It was all psychobabble to her, but she said, "I'm going with, I'll make sure they get it."

"I'm driving," said Rosa.

"We're going on to Denver after we drop him off," said Kim-ly, "we won't be back for two weeks."

"Cool, I'll tell Bao to pack my hiking boots..." She paused, then asked as only a mother could ask, "why is it so quiet?"

The women looked at the French doors and saw that the sitting room was empty. Tam ran to a window and saw that the rain had turned to light Halloween snow, and she saw Don leading his menagerie of costumed kids to the barn. Rosa and Kim-ly sprang up and ran to the mud room for their jackets. "He is capable of taking care of the kids," called Tam.

"I just want to go on a hayride!" called Rosa, and soon the room was empty as the sisters headed en masse to the barn to join their kids on a hayride in the snow.

PHOTOGRAPH

Don is standing next to Lanh on a stage in a gymnasium, in uniform, the gym is decorated for Christmas, the floor is covered with people looking up at him.

"Do you need help lacing up your skates old man?" sneered Lanh as she did slow lazy pirouettes in front of the bench that Don was sitting on to lace up his skates. He was going to try skating for the first time in years. Lanh beat him out to the ice because he was busy helping the kids lace up their skates and he got them to their shaky feet. Now he was pulling on figure skates because they provide superior ankle support over hockey skates.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble today doctor?"

Lanh had said "Let's go ice skating" in front of a room full of kids and suddenly they all wanted to go ice skating. Don hooked up the hay wagon to the John Deere and loaded it up with kidlets and their parents and they headed back to the pond.

"Come on Uncle Don!" called Rosa and Bao's oldest daughter Chau as she and her little sister Sophia skated past. Their Uncle Trung made sure that all of his nieces and nephews learned to skate. He and Angela were far out on the pond ice dancing to the Christmas songs blaring from the old boom box.

Don finally got up on his feet and made his way out onto the ice. The bones are all healed, it's time to get the muscles to remember what to do and the joints to stop aching. He stood and walked through the snow to the ice-covered pond, his ankles wobbling a little and stepped onto the ice for the first time in years. Lanh stopped and took his mitten covered hands and gently pulled him out to the ice. The surface was a bit grainy, but Trung had been bringing water out and spread it smooth with a squeegee until the ice was as smooth as it could get without a Zamboni.