Chapter 13

After another walk through of home station and marking the lockers that were to be moved, John went to bed and tried to sleep.

Two hours later he was walking the station again making double sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He was standing in the bay knowing that he should go back to bed but he wanted to be somewhere else.

"AAAH!" John jumped when a hand was placed on his distracted shoulder. When he turned around to see who had a hold of him, John found the friendly smile of Uncle Milton.

"Is everything alright with your new room?" John asked not sure why Elise's uncle was up at this time of night.

"Room's fine," Uncle Milton continued to smile. "I'm in the habit of pacing around till the aspirin for my arthritis kicks in for the night. Thought I heard a cattle rustler."

"Na, just me, not able to sleep," John admitted, "Thought I'd better mark the lockers that need to be moved a little better."

Uncle Milton turned his head sideways with a look that seemed to say, 'yeah and I would like to sell you the Grand Canyon.'

"Is the only reason you're here now because of those nail bangers coming later this morning?" the wise man asked.

John hung his head in thought then thrust his hands in the pockets on his robe and looked back at the man who was rapidly becoming a friend. "I should leave the hospital once in a while, I mean there's no reason for me to be at her side all of the time, and the nurses are getting sick of me asking them to tell me what they're doing all the time, but, , Yeah," John finally admitted.

Uncle Milton smiled, "you know, when my Carla had her surgery I felt the same way. I didn't stay at her side like you have Elise but only because I didn't know that I could and let the nurses buffalo me in to going home at the end of visiting hours. Never did sleep though without her next to me. It's a good thing she didn't stay in the hospital to long."

"Yeah, well me and the doctors have an understanding when it comes to Elise.' John smiled at his new family member.

"I meant what I said the other day when I said that Elise is just like our own child. I've never seen her so happy and I know that it's you who has made her that way."

"Elise told me that you and Carla took her in after her mother died. She credits you and your wife for making her such a good cook and teaching her all the native recipes that I grew up on." "I'm kind of surprised her dad let you take her considering the way he feels about, , well you know, the people from the reservation."

"He didn't." Milton responded with a bit of a surprised look on his face, "Sorry, I figured Elise would have told you. It was protective services that placed her in our home."

"Protective Services?" Johnny exclaimed. "No, I didn't know."

Milton could see the anger starting to boil inside the young man before him and he admired him all that much more, but there was some real family healing starting to take place and he wanted to make sure it continued.

"They placed her with us just after she broke her arm. I don't think it was really anything malicious or evil. It was just that her father had the dinner to run and was suddenly all alone doing it and trying to deal with his grief. He expected the older siblings to look after Elise and well, they weren't really old enough to take on that responsibility and that strong will of hers that made it possible for Elise to accomplish so much when she was older was a little hard to take when she was younger."

Uncle Milton guided John over to the sofa and motioned for him to set down before sitting on the other end facing the young man. "Elise would never tell anyone how she broke her arm, I think that was a major red flag for Protective Services, they were also concerned that her clothes were dirty and she was quite unkempt, the big alarm was that the doctors were sure the arm had been broken for over a week before anyone sot treatment and then it was a school teacher that alerted authorities who took her to the hospital to be checked out."

"I had no idea," John showed his surprise, "So you have no idea how she broke her arm?"

"Well, I have ideas, but nothing I can prove. I know that Elise and her sisters didn't see eye to eye on much of anything and she was left alone with them a lot. During the investigation Vanessa admitted to slapping her and pushing her down a few times but the doctor's claimed that those actions didn't explain the fracture. I don't really know how they do it but they said that the arm was broken by twisting it."

"They can tell a lot with x-rays," John explained then chose not to go into a lot of detail.

"My wife and I tried to keep them in contact with each other, took her to visit at least once a week, but I don't think Elise ever trusted her sisters after that. This stuff that happened after her big accident, I think she would have fought them taking control of her even if what they decided was the right thing to do. If you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Johnny nod his head and turned a crocked smile of understanding toward Milton. "I don't think they made the right choices, but I also think that there were people with ulterior motives who were giving them some bad information."

"You mean Greg?"

John just nod his head affirmatively.

"Yeah, at the time all this was happening, things didn't feel right, I suggested they get another opinion, but they'd never listen to me. That Greg though, is some piece of work; don't really know why Patricia stays with the guy."

"Well that's not for me to get involved with," John exhaled, "I'm not letting him anywhere near Elise though, Tom either."

"Good for you," Milton smiled, "I don't know what Tom's problems are I used to think he was a pretty good guy, he never was all that smart with his money thought, I think that's where he went wrong.

"Look as far as them there Nail Bangers coming when the sun finally comes up, is there any reason I can't let them in and show them where to start and the plans?"

"Well they already have a copy of the plans, we've talked over what needs to be done they just need someone to let them in and then lock up after they've gone."

"Any reason I can't do that?" Milton repeated.

"NO I guess not, that is if you don't mind." Johnny smiled with gratitude.

"Don't mind at all, ain't no way I can calm that niece of mine any better than seeing to it that you are at her side as much as possible."

John smiled then spent a few moments explaining the remodel plans to Milton before getting dressed and heading for the hospital.

He was stopped no less than four times on his way to Elise's room but he wouldn't give in to any of their suggestions that he go back home till morning. It was around three in the morning when Johnny finally got past the nurse's desk to find Elise lying awake in her bed starring at the ceiling and she gripped her blankets in both hands kneading with her weakest hand in a deliberate effort to build control in it. The handkerchief that John tied around her hand was still there as she fiddled with the knot using her thumb.

John was all the way in the room and seated on the edge of her bed before Elise looked up to see who it was that entered the room.

She looked at John then at the clock on the wall then back at John. "Did they call you?"

"NO, I couldn't sleep." John responded.

"Me either, but I don't want any more drugs." Elise stood her ground with a frightened voice.

"Eess, it's okay, no one's going to drug you against your will again, Not right now anyway," John moved to brush the side of her face in an effort to comfort her.

Elise looked into his eyes as hers started to fill but she clamped her jaw down and blinked them away.

"John," she spoke hesitantly.

"I'm right here, just tell me what's the matter." John encouraged leaning over her with his body to look more directly into her face.

"Are we really married, I mean really married?"

John sighed as he understood what she was really asking, "Yes Elise we are married in every sense of the word. Our marriage has been legalized, solemnized and consummated."

The tears started to flow and John was confused as to what to do next. "Eess, are you Okay?"

"Yeah," she nod her teary head to confirm her statement, "I, I just feel like I should remember something so, something like a wedding night in my husband's arms, how could I forget that."

John could understand her feelings but he had no words by which to respond. He just continued to caress her face as he reached with his other hand to hold hers.

"Am, was I any good in bed?" Elise asked.

John blushed and smiled, "yeah," he finally got out, "As hot as they come." Elise began to smile at his reaction.

After a moment of just looking at each other she started to cry again in earnest. "Hold me,"

John carefully cradled her in his arms as she reached around him with her arms and pulled tight against his chest. The tears flowed freely for a few minutes as John rubbed her back. Once she stopped crying he set her away from him and gently rested her head back on the pillow.

When the nurse came in to get her morning vitals at the start of her shift she found both John and Elise in the same bed. John fully clothed and on top of the covers both sleeping peacefully. When given report she had been told by the leaving nurse that Elise hadn't slept well before John's arrival but had refused medications. The nurse noted the times for therapy and chose to let the two sleep for a while longer.

It was Dr. Early who woke the two love birds when he was doing his rounds. He had been concerned by Elise's lack of sleep and as he read the report of how she finally got to sleep after John showed up early in the morning he somewhat worried about his friend's lack of sleep over a long haul. Before he even entered the room he ordered that the most comfortable style cot be placed in Elise's room for John to sleep in.

Dr. Early had performed his exam on Elise and talked with the two of them about the therapy that was to come. After he left John remembered he was supposed to ask him something and excused himself to catch him before he made it to the elevators.

"Doc," John called and Dr. Early paused to see who was calling him. Seeing John running toward him in his stocking feet brought a feeling of alarm.

"Is something wrong with Elise?" the good doctor asked.

"NO," John stopped short, "I mean nothing that you don't already know about. It's her brother-in-law, Brandon,"

"John I've explained before that I can't talk about that case without the patient's approval."

"Yeah, doc you have, but the thing is they came to me last night for advice. See Joanie's been looking for a place in Montana where Brandon can get the therapy that you and the other doctors have talked about. The only place she can find quoted her a price that was so high they'd have to sell the ranch and home to afford it, she's willing to do so but Brandon says no the price is too high. And well, something doesn't feel right with me, I don't think they're understanding everything so good and I agreed to come to a meeting with you and the other doc's to help translate for them if you know what I mean."

"I see," Dr Early studied the floor as he made a few faces. "That would explain why they haven't gotten back to us about the program."

Dr Early went on his way but stopped back a couple hours later after arranging a time with the other doctors when they could all talk.