| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted July 31, 2020 | Chapters: |
...32 33 -34- 35... 
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What happens when Cody gets to go home?
A chapter in the book Looking for Orion - 2
Back Home
by DeboraDyess
| Background A fight for survival, a struggle for faith |
Please see author notes for characters and synopsis.
Cody sank into the leather recliner he'd been in virtually every minute since his release from the hospital that morning. His mother had spent the last several hours hovering over him, anticipating every need, and had driven him quietly crazy. He finally sent her to his home office after a book. "I was in the middle of it when I left with Jack," he'd explained. "I'd like to try to finish it now. I certainly seem to have the time. You know, though, Mom ... it might be upstairs on the bookcase in my room." It was a wild goose chase; he knew exactly where he'd left the book--on the nightstand in his bedroom--but it was a move of desperation, designed to give him a little time alone.
Rachel cleared her throat from a few feet behind him. She stood leaning against the doorjamb between the kitchen and living room, arms crossed, watching him struggle. She didn't move. "Do you want me to help you now? I'd hate to impose myself on you if you've got the situation under control."
Cody tried to lower the pitcher to the shelf again. The new, insistent ache snaked around his ribs and up into the base of his skull. Tea dripped again onto the white tile and splashed onto his feet. "Yes," he managed to say in a harsh exhalation. Realizing there was no sound of movement from her direction, he tried again. "Yes, ma'am." His words were as strained as his tense muscles, and he managed to sneak a glance at her to make sure it was acceptable.
"You're sure?"
He winced against both the ache and her tone and nodded.
He leaned against the kitchen counter as she poured his drink and put the pitcher away, keenly aware of her silence and the set to her jaw and shoulders, then limped back to the living room.
"Sit," she ordered, still angry. "Abby told you when you were released from the hospital this morning that you'd have to take it easy. The nurses told you. Dr. Kreitz told you. Even Dr. Gates, who hasn't had two words to say to anyone this whole time, told you to take it easy. Now, I don't know what you think that means, Cody, but I do know what they think it means and, unless you think your medical degree trumps all of their medical degrees, you had better get on the same page." She sat on the coffee table beside him, allowing him a second for a controlled fall into the recliner before she offered his glass.
"Sorry," he muttered as he took the tea from her, lifted the drink and took a sip . He put it on the arm of the chair, holding it steady. "Cute line about the medical degree, by the way."
Her face still burned. "Now will you consider sleeping in the office? We can move the desk--"
"No, ma'am." He had never interrupted her that he could remember, not even as a teenager when he was beyond-sure everything that came out of her mouth was wrong.
She rose, raising her chin and glowering, a clear sign of her indignation.
"Mom, I haven't slept in my bed in over a month. Now that I'm home I want everything to be as normal as possible. That means me in my own bed in my own room."
"Things are not normal, Cody, and you sleeping upstairs won't make them that way."
"It'll make them closer. If that's all we can do, that's all we can do, but we're going to try."
"You're as stubborn as your father," Rachel accused.
Cody reached out and took her hand, massaging her fingers with his. "I'm as stubborn as my mother," he corrected softly. He watched the anger melt out of her face and turned the corner of his mouth up slightly. "I'll be okay. I promise."
"I just can't imagine you navigating the stairs."
Cody shrugged, trying to imagine that, himself. "I'll go slow. And if I get tired I'll sit down and rest."
"Son --"
"Mom, come on!" More frustration showed in Cody's voice than he intended. "I've had people hovering over me and taking care of me and telling me what I can and can't do for way too long. I am so tired of it. And I'm so frigging bored!"
The front door burst open with Cody's final proclamation, admitting cool fall air, Jack, Laine and Travis. "Boredom is a sure sign of a small mind, little brother," Jack boomed as he entered.
Cody saw alarm fly across his mother's fine features and felt it rise in the pit of his stomach.
"Read a book, surf the net or do what I do when I'm bored."
"Which is?" Rachel asked, her composure returned.
"He lays down on the couch and practices snoring." Laine laughed. "He's just about perfected it."
Travis hooted, letting the grownups know that he thought his mother was quite possibly the funniest human being in the whole world. Jack grinned, pretty sure his son was right.
"Who let you in?" Cody asked, irritated by the unwelcome fear beginning to dissolve in his belly.
"I used my key," Jack said, holding it up as evidence. "How do you think I got in?Plus, I brought dinner and liquid refreshments." He held a foil wrapped bundle of tamales in his other hand, which he presented for inspection. Travis followed suit, lifting a twelve pack of Dr. Pepper. "Rudy told me that Juana got up at the crack of dawn to make them as fresh as possible. They were still hot when he gave them to me on his way to work. He and Juana said they may wander over tomorrow, if you're up to company." He bent to kiss Rachel on top of the head and sat down on the couch. "You sure are grouchy for someone who just got cut loose from the hospital," he commented to Cody.
"I'm not grouchy," Cody muttered.
"He's tired," Rachel said.
"I'm not tired, either."
"Well, then, I guess Jack's right. You're just grouchy."
Travis came to his grandmother, kissed her and looked with some interest at his uncle. "Dad said you'd look different."
Cody glanced at his brother. "He did, huh?"
Travis nodded, studying Cody's face.
"And do I?"
"Yeah, you do. Is your cast heavy?"
"Yeah," Cody answered, one corner of his mouth turning up.
"Where's Mike?" Travis glanced toward the computer. His cousin was not there. He looked back to Cody.
"I finally forced them to go outside. He's in the back playing basket ball and harassing Katie."
Travis nodded. "Okay, then. Good to have you home, Uncle Cody." He gave Cody a quick, unexpected hug and started toward the French doors leading to the backyard.
"Hey," Jack stopped him. "Send your cousin in here for a minute. And you stay outside."
Travis frowned. "What am I supposed to do out there with him in here?"
"Play with Katie."
"I don't want to play with her. She's a baby." Travis made a face showing the full extent of his displeasure with his father's command.
"Well, as my dear old grand-pappy used to tell me when I was your age, too bad."
Travis started mouthing the often-heard phrase at 'my dear', keeping perfect time with his father until the end. There was a brief increase in the noise level as the door opened and closed behind the boy.
Laine watched him leave, concern scoring her forehead and narrowing her eyes. "Are they safe out there?"
"It's FBI approved," Cody answered. "The privacy fence helps, and I told Herman and Mollie to guard the kids. Nobody could get close without the dogs raising Cain, and anybody coming in through the fence, well...” He shook his head and arched his eyebrows to leave it to Laine’s imagination to envision their fate. “The cedars are a lucky break.”
“The Lehmanns will sneeze themselves to death?” Laine’s voice almost sounded light.
“No. They’re evergreens. They’ll give good cover from any of the houses around here. And the only other two-story is down the block, around a curve. There’d be no way to get a good shot into the yard from there.” He ignored the looks that crossed his mother’s and sister-in-law’s faces. “There's the FBI team up the street keeping an eye on us, just like at your house. We’re as safe here as we would be anywhere else."
Laine nodded, watching the door and absent-mindedly chewing on a perfectly manicured nail. Jack laid one reassuring hand on her shoulder, used the other to pull her hand away from her mouth, and she tried to smile.
"Laine, let's get the tamales warmed up and the sodas cold." Rachel moved from her spot, breaking the tension that was beginning to build in the room. "I have everything for a salad, and I'm hungry. Poor Michael hasn’t eaten in at least two hours. I’m surprised he’s not in there now, raiding the refrigerator. How’s Travis doing today?"Laine shot one last look at the backdoor and followed Rachel into the kitchen.
Michael entered, sweat-covered and dirty.
“What in the world are you guys doing out there?” Cody asked, surveying the condition of his eldest.
Michael grinned mischievously. “I’m teaching Katie to dig like a dog. Mollie and Herman are going crazy.”
Jack raised his eyebrows. “Dig like a dog?”
“Yeah,” Michael chuckled. “It’s pretty funny to watch.”
“Ah-ha. Come with me.” Jack took his nephew by the shoulders and steered him toward the foot of the stairs, where they sat together, out of Cody’s sight but not out of earshot.
“What’s up?” Michael eyed Jack from beneath his bangs, trying to read his expression.
“How you doing, kid?”
“Okay.”
“Yeah? And how are you really doing?” Jack leaned down a bit and looked Michael in the eyes.
“I’m really okay. A little shaky today because…” The boy shrugged. “I don’t know … I guess all the changes of Dad coming home, but I’m standing firm.”
“You’re sure? All of you being home is a big change. Got fear?”
“Some, but I’m dealing.”
“No fumbles?”
“No big ones. How about you? Any fumbles?”
“Nope. Standing firm.”
“Cool.” Michael paused. “Thanks for checking, Uncle Jack.”
Jack nodded. “That’s what we do for each other.”
“Can I go back outside then? Travis is going to get a video clip of Katie doing her dog-dig thing. It’s totally hilarious, and we’re going to win a ton of money for it. She’s taking it so seriously!” He started for the door and added, as he passed his father, “I told her you’d get her a collar if she got it down perfect before dinner.”
“A collar?” Cody asked as his son reached for the doorknob.
“Yeah. Pink with those goofy looking rhinestones on it.” The door opened and Cody caught a glimpse of Katie, hunched over the sand pile, throwing sand behind her in great handfuls, Mollie digging furiously beside her.
Synopsis:
Two years after Cody's wife is murdered in a robbery, his bother talks him into going on a long weekend camping trip. They arrive at a state park, set up camp and Jack promptly decides to take a nap. Cody grabs his camera and hikes out to find interesting shots. Instead, he stumbles across the botched assassination-attempt of a state senator.
Cody is shot by the hitmen and left for dead. Jack is able to find him and the two brothers begin a nightmarish trek out of the park. Aided by other campers, they manage to escape seconds before the assassins catch up to them.
Once in the hospital, Cody crashes. The doctor is ready to call time of death when Jack, desparate, prays for the first time in months. Without medical explanation, Cody's vitals return and he survives.
But the hitmen aren't finished. One attacks him in the hospital, introducing poison into the IV. Again, the attempt is thwarted by Jack and an FBI agent, who is assigned to the case of these evil men.
Now on the road to recovery, Cody is allowed to be home.
Characters in this chapter:
Cody McClellan: early 30s, single dad, gave up job at the PD to become an investigator.
Jack McClellan: Mid-30s, detective for the PD.
Rachel McClellan: Cody and Jack's mom
Michael and Katie McClellan: Cody's kids, 12 and 6, respectively
Laine McClellan: Jack's wife
Travis McClellan: Jack's son, 12 years old.
Abby Kitman" trauma doctor that treated Cody at the hospital
Dr. Kreitz: neurologiest
Dr. Gates: FBI agent/MD who worked at the hospital while cody was there.
And I think that's all in this chapter. Did I miss anyone? :)
Blessings, y'all!
Deb
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