Just as Robin started to breathe erratically, Laurie tightened her grip on her hand.
"He hears you, Robin…he'll stop …so let it go…let it go."
Slowly, Rick saw her breathing slow down, then the shock left her face as she focused on first her mother, then her father. At once he reached for her, and she let out a sob.
"Pop….he's going to be alright, won't he?"
"Of course, baby…shhhh, Ian'll be alright." Rick held Robin tightly in his arms as she began to weep quietly. The sound of first one car, then another caught the ears of A.J., and he rushed to the front door to let in both Rudy and a disheveled Ian Whitehorse.
"Where is she, son…" Rudy asked, then Ian almost bounded past him. "Robin! I heard her call to me…"
"See, honey…here he is." Rick pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, then released her to embrace first the old doctor, then Ian.
"You're all right…oh Ian." She sniffed, clinging to him. Gently Rudy took her arm, saying, "Honey, let me check you over for a minute. Ian, you can come too, I want to hear what happened."
Linda led the way into the guest bedroom as Rudy and Ian helped an emotional Robin out of the kitchen. As the door closed on them, Rick reached over and took Laurie's hand.
"Darlin'…you did it…you helped her through her vision…" Laurie looked at him, her expression dazed and upset.
"Rick…I saw Ian slow down, like he heard Robin….I've never had that happen before…why am I linking to her visions now?"
Worried, Rick pulled her to him. "I don't know, sweetheart….but I think we'd better find out as much as we can about your grandmother and mother. There must be some records other then what the Chief had." He stroked her hair, then cuddled her to his chest. "I don't want either of my girls sick from these premonitions."
A muffled giggle sounded from Laurie, then she raised her face to his and kissed him gently. "I love you, Rick, darling. You are my strength. I'll be okay, as long as I have you to hold and care for me." In answer he kissed her back, saying "You'll never be without me, angel. Now why don't I call Rob…maybe he can help."
"Already called him, Rick." A.J. interrupted, coming back into the kitchen. Touched, Rick helped his wife up, then threw an arm around his brother. "Thanks, A.J.. I think this calls for some fresh coffee!"
"What? No beer?" Laurie teased, then dropped a kiss on both brothers as she picked up a plate of cookies and headed for the living room.
"Ugh, not with Robin's chocolate chip bars!" A.J. grinned, then helped make a pot of coffee and followed his brother out of the kitchen.
Within an hour Rob Gamez arrived, concerned about Robin's premonition and Laurie's seeing part of it. Bringing with him a box of old books about the early days of the old Tribal Center, the tribal Chief was laying materials out when Rudy emerged from the bedroom.
"How is she, Rudy?" Rick asked, passing him a cup of coffee.
"Robin is fine, son, thanks to Missy. You did the right thing, talking her through letting go." He added, sitting down next to Laurie and taking her hand. "Now tell me what happened when you took her hand and you saw her vision."
As his wife described seeing her son-in-law driving, then coming up on a patch of black ice near Rocky Point, Rick cringed at the mental picture of what she saw.
"It like it was a fuzzy movie, except I saw Ian's face as he tried to brake before the curve, then the rocky shoulder as he was coming at it. then it stopped. I ..knew, somehow, that he heard Robin, though. I've never felt that before."
"That explains why she's recovering much better this time. Her heart rate and pulse are normal, honey." Rudy explained. "You took much of the stress of her vision, Missy. Plus, she saw things just before they happened."
At that Rob looked up from the book he was leafing through. "That explains these notes the Chief left." Instantly Rudy left the others and peered over his shoulder at the neat entries in one of Chief Joseph's journals from the last four decades.
"This is from the year your mother died, Light. He says she tried to stay close to your father, even worked at the same base he did. She had four visions about accidents happening at the base near their home. Only once did she prevent someone from getting hurt, your father. But then…" Rob looked up.
"What happened?" Laurie scarcely felt Rick take her hand.
"Your father was transferred to Miramar, Light. Chief Joseph urged him to leave your mother and you behind, he didn't want either of you to go..but…well."
"She wouldn't leave my father, Rob….I remember….she told my dad "where you go, I go." Laurie replied, a faraway look in her eyes. "I was playing on the floor, then she picked me up and said, "We're going to the sunshine, atchini". I was so happy, because she was smiling." I didn't know….she had had a premonition that she would be buried near the ocean….and the sun was shining."
Rick didn't know he had tears running down his face until he felt Laurie's fingers on his cheek. "Oh, Rick…."
"Darlin'…I never knew…" he choked, then Laurie rested her face against his. "I didn't either, love" she quietly said, "until what Rob told us, about the Chief not wanting my mother and I to go…then I had a flash of memory." Laurie pulled a Kleenex from her pocket and wiped Rick's eyes, then he took it from her hand and did the same.
"Rob….." Laurie glanced over at their friend, who unashamedly sniffed and cleared his throat. "Can I see the journal from the year Robin was born? I know my mother's sister died soon after of a infection, and that's when she and Robbie were placed with the Chief."
"Sure…it should be here….1970…71…oh, oh." Rob paused, then said in a puzzled tone, "two of the journals are missing…the ones from 1972 and ..his last one."
Something about the way he said "last one" caught Rick's attention. "Rob….his last one, you don't have to get it if you don't want to."
"Thanks, Rick…but it's okay….I looked for it a few weeks ago, but then I got busy and decided to search for it later. It's probably in the office or in his trunk."
"Well, let me know if you want me to help. In the meantime, …." Rick stopped as Ian and Robin came into the room, both looking much better. Ian immediately hugged Laurie, saying, "Thanks, Mom…for helping Robin and me…".
"You're welcome, honey….how do you feel, sweet?" Laurie stood and embraced her daughter.
"Much better, Mom…..the kids are staying over at Robbie's, can we come home with you? We can pick them up in the morning."
"Of course, baby…" Laurie smiled, smoothing her daughter's hair. "We've had a day, so…" Rick chuckled and kissed her cheek "So, let's make tracks."
Over the next week, all the Simons kept an eye on Robin, who stayed with Rick and Laurie while Ian commuted to the new "Knights" arena in Phoenix. Since school was about to start in the Phoenix school district, the Whiteclouds decided to enroll Petey, Katie and Davey there and Ian would pick them up after school and bring them home with him.
"California was nice for a year, Pop, but I really think they'll be happier where their family and friends are." Robin explained to Rick, as she fixed supper the following Friday. Laurie came into the kitchen with a bowl of eggs, Jack on her heels at that moment, and added, "And we are too, honey. It was lonesome with you and Ian and the kids over there, but it was a good experience, wasn't it?"
"Put those eggs over there, Mom." Robin asked, then answered, "It was, Mama, but …I just kept seeing our mountains, and Uncle Oscar and Uncle Rudy….and you and Pop.."
"And we missed you too, Birdie." Rick admitted. He dropped a kiss on his daughter's cheek, then broke the two women up as he filched a warm roll from a baking sheet, only have Jack snatch it from his hand and race out of the room. "Jack…bad dog…drop that right now!" he yelled, then took off after the puppy.
"Oh, honey….that's priceless…your father should know Jack considers anything in "Daddy's" hand fair game!" Laurie giggled, then a familiar voice at the front door caused Robin to turn off the stove.
"Jack…is that for me..oh, never mind." Rob Gamez came into the house and at once Jack jumped into his arms, the half-eaten dinner roll in his mouth. Rick started laughing.
"Oh, so you think you can hide with your old friend Rob, huh, Jack?" At once Jack dropped the roll and wriggled to get out of Rob's grasp. Setting him down, the tribal chief grinned as Rick sat in his chair, then ended up with a bouncing Jack in his lap.
"Sit down, Rob, can you stay for supper? Robin's making quiche." Rick asked, then was pleased at Rob's nod.
"Thanks, Rick….I love Robin's quiches. Besides, I found something today that makes me think Chief Joseph had discovered something before he died that changes a few things. I think it might also help us figure out why Robin's having visions now."