Chapter 20

I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did.

Wait...In this story, I actually created some of them, so I do own them.

Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves.

And as for the ones I did create, who they are is up to me, so...

On Friday morning in Boston, Cody woke up and felt better than he had in a week. Of course, that was to be expected as it had been a week since he had been shot. But, finally being back in his own bed seemed to make everything better. His chest was still sore, but it was definitely tolerable. Looking over at the alarm clock, he saw it was a little past six in the morning. Even though he was supposed to be resting, his children were due to be up soon as they had to go to school. He turned and saw Bailey was still sleeping peacefully. He smiled. She needed her rest. That chair in his hospital room couldn't have been comfortable, so she was probably enjoying being back in their bed too. But, the kids had to be fed, so as gently as he could, he slipped out of bed and headed downstairs. And as soon as he began moving around the kitchen, he had company.

He was cooking some eggs and turkey bacon when he felt something familiar. Looking down, Moxie and Roxie were doing their figure eight thing through his legs again. He couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning, Ladies. I see you two really did miss me."

He just shook his head and continued cooking. At about 6:45, he had finished cooking everything he needed, and he was filling plates and setting them around the breakfast bar. A few minutes later, Ben and Annie came downstairs with their backpacks slung over their shoulders. And both were surprised to see their Dad standing there.

"Daddy? What are you doing up?"

Cody smiled. "Well, you two needed breakfast, and I usually do that, right?"

Ben paused. "But aren't you supposed to be resting and taking it easy?"

"I am. Cooking always relaxes me."

Annie laughed. "Uh huh. I don't think Mom's going to be very happy at all. She'll probably flip out when she wakes up and finds out you're not there next to her..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Oh please. You're Mom will understand. Its not like I'm an invalid. Both of my arms and my legs work, so its not like I'm confined to the bed..."

"If you say so, but I'll bet five bucks Mom freaks out..."

Cody shook his head. "Anyways, how is school going for you both? Are you enjoying the sixth grade so far?"

Ben grinned. "Yeah. All the guys are already ticked at me because the girls are flocking to me because of Home Ec..."

"Just don't let it go to your head. And be careful. I had to learn the hard way that girls seem to congregate around a guy who can cook. I didn't notice it, but your Mom did, and she wasn't happy about it all." He smiled. "She even got into a food fight because of it..."

Annie laughed. "No way!"

"Way. And it was an ego boost to know they were flirting with me, but other than that, it didn't matter. Your Mom was, still is and always will be the only woman I notice. So, remember how fun cooking is and not what it can do for you."

Upstairs, in Cody and Bailey's bedroom, Bailey stretched and let herself slowly begin to wake up. She reached over for Cody but found the other side of the bed empty. The sheet was still warm, so he had been there recently. But she looked around and couldn't find him anywhere. She then stopped and realized she smelled something. Breakfast. She frowned.

"CODY!"

Downstairs, Cody was standing there talking to his kids when all of them heard his name being bellowed. Annie and Ben looked at each other.

"Did you hear that? I think that was Aunt Cassie blowing her car horn..." Both got up and grabbed their backpacks. "Gotta go...Bye, Dad..."

As they were leaving, Bailey came marching down the stairs. Ben and Annie looked at her and noticed she didn't look happy at all. "Bye, Mom..." Annie turned to her Dad. "Good luck..." Both scurried off and out the front door.

Cody looked over at Bailey and saw her glaring at him. He swallowed and smiled. "Hey, Honey...Breakfast?"

Bailey stomped off over towards him. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Fixing the breakfast for everyone?"

Bailey shook her head. "You're supposed to be resting and taking it easy, remember? Why didn't you wake me up, and I would have done it?"

Cody smiled again. "Because you looked so peaceful, and I knew you needed your rest too. Besides, cooking helps me relax. You know that."

Bailey just glared at him again. She was about to say something when she held her tongue. "Fine. But once we've eaten, we're taking you upstairs, getting you cleaned up and your dressing changed, and then you're going right back to bed. Understand me?"

Cody paused. "I understand you, but I won't do it..."

Bailey's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

"Bails...I'll get cleaned up and let you change my dressings. But, I'm not going back to bed. I was confined in a bed for almost a week. I will rest and take it easy, but not in bed. If you want me to sit on the couch, fine. But my muscles have been inactive for over a week. I do need to be moving around to get them loose again."

Bailey just stared at him again, but ended up shaking her head and sighed. "I'm just trying to take care of you..."

Cody smiled. "I know. And I know I have a history of being a terrible patient. But, you also know me better than anyone...including myself. You saw how crazy I was getting laying in that bed all day and not being able to do anything. I'm just asking you to let me be a little bit active. You know I need to feel like I'm being productive...please don't take that away from me. Anything else you ask of me, you'll know I'll do willingly."

Bailey just looked at him. "Alright...fine. I won't confine you to bed. But if I tell you no about something else, will you listen to me?"

Cody grinned. "Don't I always?"

Bailey had to laugh. "Usually..." She paused. "I just want you back to the way you were this time last week..."

"And I will be...And there is no one I'd rather have here with me helping me get back to that than you. I'll really try to be a good patient this time."

Bailey smiled. "And I'll try to be a better nurse...Now, lets go get you cleaned up."

Cody grinned. "Sponge bath time?"

Bailey grinned back. "A loofah will have to do..."

Cody grabbed her hand. "Good enough, but I'm finally returning the favor..."

An hour later, both were cleaned up and in much better moods. Cody's dressing had been changed, and Bailey had injected him with another dose of antibiotics and steroids. It was not yet 8:30 in the morning, and both just looked at each other again.

"Its a weekday morning...What do we do? I'm used to being working by now."

Bailey shook her head. "I don't know. And I remember from college that daytime TV never appealed to us..."

Cody nodded. "I remember...And I doubt you'll let me do yard work or clean the house..."

Bailey laughed. "You got that right..."

Cody just gave her a look and grinned. "And you'd probably say no to another idea of mine too..."

Bailey grinned back. "You're right...but not because I don't want to. Once the doctor checks you out next week, try to keep me away from you..." She paused. "And I mean that. When you were in the hospital and I didn't know what was going to happen, I kept thinking back to that night in Springfield. I wanted to kick myself for saying I was too tired. That could have been the last time we could have..." She stopped and got choked up.

Cody pulled her into a hug. "But its not. You've got me around for a long, long time. We'll have plenty of opportunities, and I look forward to each and every one of them..."

Bailey looked up at him. "Me too..."

Cody smiled. "I have an idea though of what we can do..."

"Name it..."

"Why don't we get online and start working on our trip back to Hawaii next year? And when we're done, we can start looking at a place to retire too somewhere warm. We have plenty of time to find just the right place for us and find out exactly what we want..."

Bailey smiled. "I love it...and I love you."

"I love you too." He smiled. "And maybe later we can do something we haven't done since college. We'll go out for a long lunch and then hit the bookstore and see if there is anything that interests us..."

Bailey grinned. "Sounds perfect to me..."

And that's what they did. By the time their morning was over, they had a lot of information about everything they were looking for. And they had found a great deal on a three bedroom suite in an all inclusive resort for the week of their anniversary the next summer. With that done, they decided to go out and have long, leisurely lunch.

Across town, Zack was making his way over to the hockey training facility. He couldn't help but be a little nervous. That afternoon was the day his plan finally went into action. Once inside the rink, he noticed the team was still practicing. And while he was watching, someone walked up to him pulling along a bag.

"You ready for this, Zack?"

Zack turned and grinned. "You bet, Jack."

"I sure hope so. If I find anything, BC could be in a whole lot of trouble..."

Zack nodded. "I know, but better to nip this in bud now then let it blow up in our faces later on. Come on, I'll lead you down to the locker room. By the way, how's the wife?"

When the team finished their practice, they all entered the locker room, and they noticed the school's athletic director and another guy standing there waiting for them. Coach Kilmer saw them too and sighed.

"Guys, listen up!" Once he had everyone's attention. "This is the Athletic Director, Zack Martin, and this other gentleman is..." He paused. "I'm sorry, I have no idea who he is..."

Zack smiled. "This is Jack Miller. He is on the training staff of the Boston Red Sox and does some work with the Bruins as well. We're actually here to talk to you about a new athletic department regulation."

Coach Kilmer frowned. "I wasn't told of any new regulation..."

"Because its new. You see, the NCAA has been sending me all kinds of studies they've been conducting where they feel like there's been a recent epidemic of college athletes on performance enhancing drugs. As you've probably heard on ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPN3 or ESPN4 by now, last year's national champion in football at Tennessee is under suspicion of using steroids by their players"

Coach Kilmer sighed. "And this has what to do with us?"

Zack smiled. "I'm glad you asked. I was sitting around my office thinking, and I came up with what I think is a great idea. You see, everyone around the country is thinking college sports is becoming more and more scandalous and tainted. Of course, the NCAA isn't helping matters either. But, this hockey team is the only national champion BC had last year. I thought it would be great publicity for the team and the institution to show that we do things clean here..."

"What are you getting at?"

"Simple. Dr. Miller is highly respected in the sport's world. He's going to administer a drug test for everyone here using the same tests the pros use. We'll show the world just how clean BC is!"

Coach Kilmer's face went red and he frowned. "I don't think so. We only have to do tests when the NCAA says we have to do them. You should know that..."

Zack stared back at him. "Your protest is noted, Coach...But the athletes here really don't have a choice. According to the school honor code, they have to abide by all Athletic Department regulations, and this is one. Any of them refuse, and I can suspend them and revoke their scholarships. When I told the Board of Trustees my idea, they loved it..." He just glared at Coach Kilmer. "I mean...you don't have anything to hide, do you?"

To be Continued...