Back in Denver, Chuck Cunningham was visiting with some of his friends on the basketball team he had joined recently. He was enjoying playing for the Denver Nuggets. He made a trade with the Milwaukee team's coach to trade him to the Denver Nuggets. Chuck was making friends with Carmello Anthony and a few other players.
"Hey, Chuck, Coach wants to talk to you," Carmello said.
"Thanks," Chuck said and left his room he was staying in.
They had a game in the next few days. He took his basketball with him to see the coach.
"Yes, Coach? You wanted me," Chuck said.
"Cunningham, we got a message from Milwaukee. Your family wants you to go directly home. It's about your father," the Coach said.
"You can't be serious, Coach. What about the game with Utah?" Chuck asked.
"You need me in that game," Chuck pointed out.
"We do, but your family is more important. You can play the next game when you return from Milwaukee," the Coach told him.
"I'm not going back to Milwaukee. What's wrong with my family?" Chuck wanted to know.
"I heard your father is sick. He's in the hospital. He's ill," the Coach told Chuck, "so you should go directly to Milwaukee."
"Coach," Chuck said, "what is my dad sick with? Do you know the details?"
"I don't know the details, son. Sorry. I was told by one of your family members you were wanted home."
"How did they track me down?" Chuck asked, curious.
"A private investigator tracked you down. They hired a private investigator to deliver the news."
"What is the private investigator's name?" Chuck asked the coach.
"Somebody by the name of Chachi Arcola."
Chuck knew the name was unfamiliar to him.
"You are now on work leave, Chuck. Go directly home to be with your family for a while," the Coach told Chuck.
Chuck left the Coach's office and returned to his room. He didn't feel like talking to anymore of his friends on the team, so he stayed alone. Carmello knocked on his door.
"What did the coach tell you, Chuck?" Carmello asked.
"I'm on leave, Carmello. Coach says a private investigator tracked me down to deliver me a message about my father. I can't play the Utah game with you guys now. I know you need me for this game. I have the feeling you won't win the game because I won't be here," Chuck said, feeling a bit sad.
"If you're wanted at home, go. We'll still win. We wish you could stay and play, but if there's something going on at home, you can still go," Carmello told him.
"There is something going on back home in Milwaukee, Carmello. My dad is sick and is in the hospital. I don't know what he's sick with, but I'll find out once I get there," Chuck said.
Carmello didn't say anything else so all he could do was pat his new friend's back on the shoulder. Chuck didn't say anything else. Carmello left his new friend's room and shut the door behind himself. Chuck wanted to be alone, which Carmello sensed, so he shut the door behind himself. Chuck was planning on leaving first thing in the morning. He would leave for Milwaukee at five o'clock in the morning. He would see what the plane schedules are first once he arrived at the airport.
Richie was told from Chachi that he had found Chuck, his older brother.
"How did you do that?" Richie asked.
"That's something us private eyes do, Rich. I'm sure Chuck go the message from me about your dad," Chachi said.
"I hope so. There's no way I'm keeping my fingers crossed since he never comes home anyway," Richie said.
"I know. I just thought I would track him down and send him a message about your dad being sick," Chachi said.
Richie agreed to what Chachi said. Richie knew Joanie knew because they were husband and wife.
A week passed. Joanie came to the hospital room where Howard stayed after she finished taking the kids to school that morning.
"Hi, Daddy," Joanie said.
"Hi, sweetheart," Howard said.
Howard saw how beautiful Joanie had become for a forty – year – old woman.
"How are you feeling, Daddy?" Joanie asked.
She knew Howard wasn't going to join them for the holidays that year because his health was so bad.
"The same, sweetheart. I tried calling your mother at home last night, but I only got the answering machine," Howard told his daughter.
"Mom's staying at Fonzie's house, Dad. She said she didn't want to stay at a lonely house because of you staying at the hospital. She doesn't like the quiet and it's so lonely," Joanie said.
"I don't blame your mother," Howard said.
"I don't either," Joanie agreed.
"Did Fonzie say it was all right for your mother to stay at his place?" Howard asked.
"Yes, Daddy. She took the invitation, so she's staying there," Joanie said.
"All right, sweetheart. If there's any trouble going on at Fonzie's new place, then your mother can stay with you and Chachi," Howard said.
"Okay. I'll tell Mom you said that," Joanie said.
"Tell your mother I mean it, too," Howard said.
"I will," Joanie said.
She could tell in Howard's voice he did mean it.
"How are the children, Joanie?" Howard asked.
"Fine. I just dropped them both off at school before I came to see you," Joanie answered.
"That's good," he said.
Just then, the nurse, Cynthia, came in to give Howard his medicine for the morning. Cynthia noticed Richie wasn't there that morning but didn't bother to ask. All she did was come and go.
Joanie remembered meeting Cynthia when Howard was first admitted to the hospital when they first found out his ulcer went bad.
"Why did Cynthia give us that funny look, Daddy?" Joanie asked.
"I think she was wondering about Richard," Howard said.
"I see," Joanie said.
She knew everyone loved Richie and it would always be him and never herself. No wonder he had such a popular newspaper column and went famous.
She knew he was once a famous newspaper reporter until now. He was popular but until his last column was published he was fired and hadn't been published since then. She knew everyone loved Richie since he was a boy and she had been jealous of Richie since then. She wondered if it could be opposite for a change but no, everyone continued to love Richie until today in the two thousands. It was always Richie and Fonzie people loved but never her and Chachi for a change. She never understood why it was always her brother and his best friend.
"Is there anything you want from home, Daddy?" Joanie asked.
Howard told her what he wanted. Joanie told Howard she could get it for him.
"Thanks, sweetheart," Howard said and the two kissed.
"I'll be back later today," Joanie said.
"All right," Howard said.
He watched his daughter leave the hospital room and shut the door behind herself. Joanie took her car keys out of her purse and headed for Fonzie's new house. It was only a few blocks away from the hospital, she recalled. It didn't take her long to drive to Fonz's place.