Monday afternoon, Joe sat in the waiting room of the Arlington hospital as he waited to have his routine vaccination completed. Joe read a magazine as he waited patiently until it was his turn to be called to see a physician. He was about half through the magazine, when he decided to look up from the magazine. His eyes caught sight of the woman that was standing in line. No, it can't be! Joe thought to himself as he took in the sight of the woman's tall and slender frame and her long brown tendrils of hair. Although he'd been home a few days by now,Joe hadn't actually contacted Amanda. He had figured on waiting just a little longer before letting Amanda and the boys know that he was back to stay; until he had at least found an apartment of his own.

As Joe debated whether or not he should get up and see if it was indeed Amanda standing in line, a man came in and stood by her and draped his arm around her shoulder. He knew then sure enough it was Amanda; because there was no mistaking who the man was-Mr. Stetson-Amanda's supervisor.

Damn it! He wasn't all that sure he was ready to face Amanda and he certainly wasn't prepared to see Mr. Stetson. The last time he saw Amanda, she'd made it painstakingly clear that there was definitely something more to her relationship with her boss. Joe pulled himself out of the chair and started towards the exit.

"King, Joe King!" A woman's voice boomed, causing Joe to stop dead in his tracks.

/

Amanda and Lee both turned around and looked towards the waiting room and sure enough Joe was standing there, his back to them as stood somewhere between the door and the waiting area.

"Joe?" Amanda questioned.

He reluctantly turned around and moved towards Amanda and Lee.

"Hi Amanda, hi Lee."

"Joe." Lee acknowledged as he could feel the muscles where he had his hand on Amanda's shoulder tighten.

"I didn't know you were back in the country." Amanda strained to keep her voice light to conceal the anger that was bubbling up inside of her. She didn't care for herself that he was there—that part of her life was most definitely over; she was looking forward to her future; but for him to be back and not let the children know; that was unforgiveable.

"I was going to…" Joe began.

"Joe King?" Came the nurse's voice again.

"Look, I have to go….when I'm done, I'll come out here and wait for you and I'll explain."

"Okay!" Amanda said.

/

Dotty rushed into the waiting area and sat down. "Can you believe it, I had the hardest time finding a parking spot and just as I found one, someone pulled in before I could, so I had to look for another one. Hey, who were you talking to anyway? It looked like Joe. I didn't know he was in town."

Lee and Amanda looked at each other and suppressed their laugh; what else could they do with her mother's ramble, but laugh?

"Yes, Mother, that was Joe and I didn't know he was back either," Amanda said as she took a seat herself; Lee in a chair next to hers.

"I wonder what he's done back here," Dotty said.

"I don't know," Amanda said lightly. "He is supposed to explain later."

Amanda didn't have to wait long to be called. "Mother, why don't you wait here?"

"Amanda, the whole point in my meeting you, was so I could hear from the doctor myself how your wound is healing." And to find out exactly just kind of wound it is and how you got it. Dotty said to herself.

"Mother!"

"Where is Lee going?" Dotty asked, seeing that Lee had gotten up himself. If he can go see the doctor now, then why couldn't she? Just what exactly were they up to?

"Well, I was just…" Lee stammered as he glanced over at Amanda.

"One of our co-workers, actually one of our supervisors was hurt from the filming equipment as well, so Lee was going to see him."

Lee looked at Amanda in puzzlement, then dawning set in that Amanda meant Dr. Smythe. He supposed, they really should go and check on him; though he was reluctant to do so... "Oh, yeah, that's right."

"Mother, how about I go in to see the doctor and then afterwards you and Lee can come in and ask any questions you have?"

"Okay, okay, I suppose I can just wait here and then I can come in when you are done, though I don't see why I have to wait."

"I don't want you to be scared by the sight of the wound."

Yeah, okay. Dotty thought to herself as she folded her arms across her chest. There most definitely is something more to this story than what she was told Sunday evening. She had the feeling that if she hadn't seen Amanda flinch and give out a grunting sound during dinner, Amanda wouldn't have said anything about the injury in the first place. Lee, hearing Amanda sigh from the pain, had glanced at Amanda and then reluctantly it appeared, got up and got her some prescribed pain pills. How in the world she had gotten hit with a piece of filming equipment was beyond her. First of all, the two of them were not supposed to be working over the weekend anyway and then to boot when she'd pressed them about the incident, the two of them stammered over the complete details; then the boys had jumped in the conversation and she never did get a straight answer.

/