SIX WEEKS IN THE LIFE OF…
3 weeks later
"I will say this one more time. If you are going to go outside, you are going to use the walker. Hell, you should be still using the chair, but you are entirely to stubborn for your own good."
"And I am telling you Mr. Carlin. I do not need either the walker or the chair to simply step out to the patio."
"You need them to go anywhere. 18 days of physiotherapy is not enough to get you back into shape. I should know, seeing as how I am your therapist. Well, your physiotherapist at least. God knows I'd hate the job of being any other kind of therapist to a man as obstinate as you are."
"I do not require any other kind of therapist, thank you kindly, and take umbrage at the suggestion. As for my mobility, I will concede I am not yet ready for a marathon of any kind-"
"You're not ready for a sprint. You're not ready for a stroll." He sighed. "Look. I understand you want to be done with this. Done with me. And I will not deny you are making amazing progress. So why do you want to risk falling and setting all the work back?"
"Because I abhor restrictions. I cannot abide being told I can't do something. I grant you it is a character flaw, but as it is the only one I have, I cherish it."
"Only one you have? Really?" The young man finally smiled at his impatient patient. "You must have an interesting definition of character flaw if that's the only one that fits."
"Ah my young friend, I have interesting definitions of many things when the circumstances demand it." As Ezra reached reluctantly for the walker that he had pushed away from his bed moments earlier, he allowed an apologetic look to cross his face. "I really do not set out to make your day more difficult Mr. Carson. I do appreciate the efforts you are making in my recovery, and the enormous assistance you have provided me to date. I have no doubt I would be much worse off without your healing touch."
"I keep telling you, name is Tony. And I can't take too much of the credit. You are the most determined patient I've ever had. Plus a lot of thanks goes to your friends who kept up the muscle exercises and blood flow massage therapies while you were laid up. Made life easier for both of us to have that kind of head start." He helped Ezra straighten a bit as he pulled himself to his feet, trying not to lean too much on the walker. "You keep working the way you are, and keep using this 'contraption' so you don't fall, and I'd bet a couple more weeks will see you able to set it aside, at least for short outings. Come on. Let's join your friends out back."
"A smaller group than usual today. Most have returned to work." Ezra sounded wistful as he said it.
"Guess you're looking forward to doing the same."
"I am eagerly anticipating, nay yearning for a resumption of usefulness. I appreciate the diversion of my literary pursuits and my card playing, and even my rehabilitative callisthenics, but I profoundly miss the challenge of my vocation. I fear my mind is atrophying more than these muscles ever did."
Tony looked at him, shaking his head. "How anyone could spout of that many showy words and still worry about his mind is beyond my understanding. But, if you're saying you need the stimulation of work, why not tell the others."
"Tell the others what?" Buck had come up behind them much quieter than usual, and the suddenness of his appearance almost took Ezra off his game.
"Tell the others that I am tired of relying on assistance devices to manoeuvre through the day." He looked to Tony, his eyes asking the young man to go along with the deception.
"Like we couldn't see that on our own. You complain about it every time you have to move anywhere. What about it Tony – how much longer do we have to listen to him grumble about it all."
"I do not grumble."
"Hoping he'll keep this pace up and be more mobile in a couple of weeks. I trust you guys are making sure he doesn't over do things when I'm not around."
"Watching him like a hawk."
"Like a mother hen would be more accurate. You seem to ignore that fact I am an adult, and capable of my own care."
"Course you are Ezra. Now, would you like some milk and cookies before your afternoon nap." Buck jogged out of reach. Ezra merely added this latest affront to the long list of offenses he had been tortured with by his friends. When the day came he would be at last able to act on his plans, revenge was truly going to be sweet.
One week later
"Might have known I'd find you out here."
"Relax Chris. JD helped me out, and if you check at the end of the barn you will see him still lingering in the far stall, trying to look inconspicuous, and failing."
JD poked his head out from an otherwise empty stall. "What, I'm just cleaning things up."
"Be more convincing if you had a broom in your hand. Go back in JD, I got our friend covered." JD sheepishly left his post. "And yes, I know Ezra, you don't need a keeper."
"No, but friends are always welcome. Chaucer is looking quite well Chris."
"JD looked after him like he was his own. The beast missed you though. Night I came home after you woke up, I came out here. He knew. He was restless and moving around, disturbing all the others. But not upset. Looked like he was busting with – I don't know – joy. Swear to God Ezra. He knew."
"I don't doubt it. We seem to have a connection. More than I am able to make with most people. Just another way I am more fortunate than I deserve."
"Wish you wouldn't do that. Putting yourself down that way. Why can't you get that you deserve good stuff?"
"I'm sorry Chris. I suppose one can attribute it to years of conditioning. Believe it or not, it used to be worse. Oh yes, there were times in my much younger days, when I deemed my worth to be so insignificant as to determine my departure from this life would not be noticed, let alone missed." Chris went cold inside at the connotations of the simple statement. "Fear not. I never tried to test the theory then, and no longer believe it to be true now." He smiled as he could see the tension lessen. "And I would appreciate it if you remove the murderous intentions you now harbour toward my mother from your thoughts. Doesn't take a mind-reader Chris. It's evident on your face."
"Can't say that she doesn't deserve it. She has a lot to answer for."
"Would be a waste of your time. She is who she is. I have often wondered what made her that way. Wondered how she might have turned out had she been as fortunate as I in finding the right friends along the way."
Christ grunted. "Well now you got me feeling sorry for the woman now. Never thought that could happen."
"All a matter of perspective I suppose."
"Come on Ezra. Let's head in. We have company coming." Ezra tilted his head in question as he pulled himself to his feet, leaning on the walker. "Nope – you have to wait to find out."
A few hours later they were lounging comfortably in the rec room. Vin and Buck had been involved in a more or less friendly pool game for a while, the lead going back and forth which each turn. JD sat by, cheering Buck on, while Nathan acted as Vin's rooting section. Josiah and Chris stayed neutral, and Ezra was having a bit too much trouble staying awake to take part. The sound of a car in the drive spurred Chris out of his seat, and a few moments later he escorted the new arrivals into the room.
"Ezra, I'd like to you to meet Stephen Daniels. And I doubt you'll remember her, but this is Patricia Daniels. You two have met before."
As he looked up at the woman he had a faint sensation of familiarity, but could not immediately place her. He tried to stand, but she moved forward quickly, laying a hand on his arm.
"Please, no. Don't tire yourself. No need for that." She held firm as he tried with no success to disregard her request. Her proximity gave him the opportunity to see her more closely, and his mind flashed back to that day months ago.
"Dear Lord. You, you were there."
"Yes, I was there. And I selfishly thank God that you were there too. You saved my life Mr. Standish. I have waited so long to be able to thank you for that. I was so afraid I would never have that chance, and now, I just… I can't begin…". She bit her lip, trying to reign back the emotions that suddenly overwhelmed her.
"Now, now my dear, please don't. There is no need for this. I am ever so grateful I was able to be of assistance."
"Assistance? You saved my life. More than my life." She turned to her husband and for the first time Ezra registered the infant the man was holding. She smiled as she took the bundle and sat again beside Ezra's chair.
"I would like for you to meet Jacob Ezra Daniels." She placed the baby in Ezra's arms. "You saved his life that day too. There will never be a way we can thank you for that."
If he'd had the presence of mind to look at his teammates, he would have seen 6 beaming smiles as they delighted in his reaction. Instead, all he could focus on was the tiny face that stared up at him when he gently nudged the blanket away. He stared back, for once in his life left speechless by the simple miracle that now rested on him.
"He was born the day you woke up. I think that was some kind of sign. Full circle of life." Ezra merely nodded, still mesmerized by the beautiful blue eyes staring back at him. "I hope you're OK with the names we chose Mr. Standish. Vin said Jacob was your father's name and we thought…"
"The names are wonderful. He is truly amazing. He is so – perfect." A soft chuckle from behind was recognized as coming from Buck, and Ezra chose to ignore it and the reaction he knew he was eliciting from the others. This delicate life was the only thing worthy of his attention at this point. A soft cooing and tiny burp served as the catalyst to tip his emotions over the edge, and he stopped fighting the tears that had come to his eyes.
"I cannot tell you how touched I am that you have honoured me like this."
Patricia stood up as her husband stepped forward. "Mr. Standish, it is completely the least we could be doing. I can't tell you how grateful, how indebted I am to you. I don't think I could have survived losing my wife and son, and thanks to you I'll never have to know."
The words struck Ezra, and he pulled himself out of the moment enough to look over to Chris. He smiled and nodded slightly, acknowledging Ezra's thoughts, while thinking to himself he was grateful another man had been spared the suffering he'd felt all those years ago.
"I do believe, under the circumstances, that you both might consider calling me Ezra."
"We were told you tended to be a rather 'proper' individual when it came to things like that."
"As I said, these are rather particular circumstances Mrs. Daniels." She laughed. "My apologies – Patricia, Stephen. Please, can you sit and join us for a while?"
"If we aren't intruding."
"Course not." JD leapt to his feet. "What can I get you folks?"
A few minutes later the conversation was flowing smoothly as the proud parents watched their son slumber in the arms of his doting guardian angel. A short time later Patricia stood and quietly lifted him out of the arms of the apparently sleeping man.
"We should be going. I didn't intend to tire him out so much."
"Don't worry – he did that to himself." Vin assured her. "Never knows when to stop."
"We're keeping a close watch on him." Josiah added in response to her look of concern.
"Yes," confirmed a tired voice from the chair, "they are watching me with the same intensity you no doubt focus on that young man. I do hope you will bring him by to visit again when I am feeling a little more alert."
"We could love to do that. You let us know when you're feeling stronger and we'll be here."
"If I may ask one more thing of you…?" The young mother nodded. "If at any time, for any reason, young Jacob needs anything… what I mean is if I can be off any assistance, in any way..." She smiled, guessing from his flustered look, and the affectionate amusement on the faces of his friends, that Ezra was rarely so lost for words.
"It isn't like you haven't already given us all we could ever ask of you, but I understand what you mean. We'd be thrilled to have you continue to be a part of Jacob's life." She looked up. "All of you. Stephen and I are both only children, so Jacob doesn't have any extended family."
"Sure he does." Buck grinned. "Seven uncles."
"No," Stephen corrected. "Six uncles...and one godfather?" He looked to Ezra, turning it from a statement to a question. Unable to speak past the lump in his throat, he merely nodded, once again trying to fight back the tears he could feel forming.
Patricia leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "We'll be back – promise."
Nathan saw them out as the others found excuses to wander off, leaving Ezra alone for a moment to regroup. Chris was stopped by the hand on his arm, and he looked down at his friend. No words passed, but volumes were spoken in the simple look that passed between them. Vin came back to the room a few minutes later, and gently covered the sleeping man with a quilt. "Sleep tight Pard, sweet dreams," he whispered, as he dimmed the light.
M7- M7- M7- M7- M7- M7- M7
The End - for the moment
Notes: Thank you all once again for your wonderful, and I believe, overly generous words of support and approval. Not that my Ego hasn't appreciated them! There will likely be more to come in Ezra's recovery down the line, maybe dealing with when he is ready to go back to work. But for the moment the inspirational muses have gone full circle on this one and now moved to other stories.
On that note - can anyone tell me if Nettie was widowed or a "spinster" (boy I hate that term!) on the series? Almost ready with an old west adventure, but need to do some fine point detail work.