It had been a couple of days since the Grumbys had last seen Donna and Ryan. The rest of their evening there had been quite informative for the both of them. As it turned out, they learned that not only did Ryan anger easily, he also was very particular about what he ate. While Donna and they were having spaghetti, Ryan had hot dogs and some cut up fruit. Donna explained that it wasn't a matter of Ryan not liking spaghetti... he had never tried it. It was more a matter of he didn't like foods that were mixed together, or so it seemed to her. She explained that she could never get him to eat a casserole or soup of any kind. Plain and basic is what he liked the best. He also had a wet napkin at the table with him, or else he would have been wandering to the bathroom every five minutes to wash his hands. Other than that, he had seemed calm the rest of the evening... except for the bathroom accident that Donna had excused herself to go take care of. She apologized as she ushered Ryan into the bathroom with an adult sized disposable undergarment in her hand. Doris teared up at the look of Donna's frustrated and embarrassed expression. She couldn't even image having to do even the most basic things for Jolani and Isaac the rest of her life. Did Donna ever get tired of it? Did she ever wonder "why her"? Did she somehow think she was being punished? Doris thought for a moment that she would most likely feel that way. Even with all the faith that she had, she was certain questions would arise in her mind. She had breathed a silent prayer for Donna, and also that God would help her and her husband have patience and understanding with Ryan.
When Donna had returned, she picked up their conversation where they had left off... just like nothing had ever happened. She showed them baby pictures of Ryan and told them about what age she began to notice that Ryan was different. She told them all about David and how they met and how much she loved him from the very beginning. She told them also about the night Ryan had paced back and forth in front of the window, waiting for David to come home. Except he never did. He had been hit head on by a little old lady who no longer could see well, and who's decision making skills and reaction time had severely declined. She recalled at the hospital how the poor old woman kept saying, "bandage that leg and give him some more aspirin... he'll be alright,". The fact of the matter was that he had died in the ambulance. The impact had punctured a lung and the whole cavity had filled with fluid. The Skipper and Doris squeezed each other's hand, trying their best not to cry. She said the wreck had happened two years ago and that she and Ryan had been on their own ever since. She explained that she hadn't talked to anyone in her family since the time they found out she was pregnant.
"They just flat out disowned me," she had said, "then, when they did meet Ryan... they didn't want to have a thing to do with us. It was by some miracle that I had met David when Ryan was six months old... we were married a few months later. It... didn't take us long to realize that we were made for each other... he even loved Ryan like he was his very own."
That heart breaking visit had been two days ago. Now, here they were again... meeting at the hospital to have the paternity test done. The Skipper was a bit apprehensive as he signed the necessary forms and watched Donna sign the necessary forms on Ryan's behalf. He remembered Donna saying that Ryan would more than likely be frightened to the point of needing to be sedated. He observed the worry and dread on Donna's face, as she sat beside Ryan in the waiting room of the Lab.
When they were finally called back, the Skipper went first. He tried to show Ryan how easy it was and how it didn't hurt him in the least. However, his demonstration hadn't registered with the boy. Upon being sat down at the little table where the Phlebotomist would do her work, he began to kick, buck, and scream. Donna tried to hold his arm still, the Skipper tried to hold his body still as the lab tech tried in vain to get a tourniquet on his arm.
"Come on now," she spoke softly,"I'm not going to hurt you."
"I told you he needed to be sedated!" Donna screamed at the tech in frustration. No matter where she went, her suggestions were never taken into consideration. Some one else always thought they knew better. The barber, the dentist, the eye doctor, the pediatrician all had to learn the hard way a few times before they ever understood that Ryan had to be treated differently than their other clientele. Tears had streamed down her face before two more nurses had been called in.
"How do you expect us to sedate him when he's this wild?" The head nurse said as she struggled to wash Ryan's arm with an alcohol pad.
"He takes it orally. Any cold medicine with a bit of Codine will do... just please... call his physician... he'll approve it," Donna begged, as she tried to calm her son.
Within minutes, the nurse came back with plastic dosage cup full of liquid. Donna took the cup from her and spoke to Ryan in a soothing voice.
"Grape juice, Ryan. Would you like some grape juice? Come on, it's good," she said calmly as she held the cup up to his lips. Ryan slurped the liquid down. He made face as he realized that he hadn't drunk grape juice. However, he was calm as his mother stood there and rubbed his shoulders. After another half hour spent in the waiting room... they had made a second attempt to get Ryan's blood... successfully this time.
...
"Abby. Abby. Abby Gilligan!" Mrs. Appleton, the first grade teacher, said as she tried to get the little girl's attention.
"Yes ma'am," Abby said, as she snapped to out of her zombie like state.
"It's your turn. Would you please spell the word 'neighbor'?"
"Sure. Neighbor. N-E-I...G-H...B-O-R? Neighbor?"
"That's exactly correct. Thank you, Abby," the teacher said. As she had moved on to give a word to Isaac Grumby to spell, her mind was still on little Abigail Gilligan. Her new medication had certainly calmed her down... but now she seemed almost aloof, barely ate her lunch, and the last couple of days had complained of a mild headache. She tried not to worry, for she knew that these behavior medications always needed a period of adjustment. Perhaps though, she should send a note home to her parents...just in case.
...
"No man," Nate said, as he spoke to one of his friend's in the lunchroom, "I decline. You had just better forget about that."
"Oh come on!" His friend Eddie had said as he rolled his eyes. "After all, it is prom. All the guys are going. You pay your share and we'll save a room for you and Jolani... it's the chance of a lifetime. You don't know what you're missing." He told Nate in a sing song voice.
"I don't think so," Nate said, feeling the pressure.
"You love Jolani, don't you?"
"Sure I do."
"It's amazing, man. Talk about an adrenaline rush!"
"I said no. "
"It will be so romantic. Judy is such a sucker for romance...and she's pretty hot, when she wants to be," Eddie said, speaking of his girlfriend and Jolani's best friend.
"No," Nate had said more bluntly this time.
"You're a real stick in the mud. You know that, Harris?"
"I guess I'll just have to be a stick in the mud. I'm saving myself for marriage. So is Jolani. I don't have to go to bed with her to prove I love her. Respecting her wishes proves that I love her."
"You're gonna be the oldest virgin in the world... that is if miss Iron Thighs doesn't beat you to it."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Nate said, getting defensive over the name Eddie had just made for Jolani.
"What I mean is she's too prissy... too pure. You're missing out on alot. Is she ever gonna loosen up?"
"I hope not. Her virtue is one of the things I love about her. For your information, it's not only her, I truly want to wait until I'm married. God willing... it will be with Jolani. Why is this so important to you anyway? What does it matter what I do? Are you so insecure because you can't say no and I can? Are you that uncomfortable with your decisions that you have to get everyone on to your bandwagon?"
Eddie seethed inside. His next comment was made out of nothing but pure spite.
"Forget it. I'll bet you couldn't get in her even if you had a crow bar." He said as he glared at Nate.
Nate had enough. Rising from the lunch table, he shoved Eddie to the ground. He wasn't sure what his next move was going to be. Then Eddie decided for him. In that moment, Eddie got back up and punched Nate in the jaw. Nate threw a punch in turn. He was sick of it. He was tired of being made fun of for dating Jolani. He was sick of being called a square, a geek, a fuddy duddy. He was tired of the names people would call Jolani as well. There was nothing wrong with them. Why couldn't people leave well enough alone? What had made him maddest of all was Eddie's last comment that had sounded more like a challenge to him than anything How dare he say such a thing! Was Eddie implying that he thought Jolani would think he was not good enough for her? Was Eddie saying that even if Jolani didn't believe what she believed or didn't have the convictions she did, she still wouldn't be interested in being intimate with him? Even in the midst of his fight with Eddie, he was shocked with his thoughts. Did he somehow wish, even in his fantasies, that Jolani would let her guard down with him a little more? The thought of it made him ashamed.
...
As Jolani came through the lunch line, she heard the ruckus coming from across the lunch room. There, in the middle of the floor, was her boyfriend and Eddie Hoi. Quickly she laid down her lunch tray at a nearby table and rushed to him. Unsuccessfully, she tried her best to pull the two boys apart.
"Nate, stop it!" She screamed, trying to get ahold of his arm. She stumbled out of the way as she tripped over one of Eddie's legs. Before too long, the school principal had come on the scene.
"That's enough! That's enough, I say!" The principal yelled as he pulled the two boys apart. Immediately, the kids who had been watching the spectacle all scattered back to their respective tables. "Come on, you two are coming with me! Jolani, you had better come along too. I know you were trying to help... but you did get yourself involved in the fight. I"m sorry, but I'm gonna have to call your father as well."
Hanging her head, she followed the principal and the two boys to the office. A lump formed in her throat. Save the time she had received a detention that year, she had never been in trouble at school. What in the world was Pop going to say?
...
Once the ordeal at the hospital had been over with, Donna and Ryan were exhausted... Donna more so for the stress, and Ryan due to the effects of the medication he had been given. The Skipper insisted that the two of them follow him to the Marina and lunch would be on him. By this time, Sam, Gilligan, and Jimmy would be on their lunch. He knew where they would be. They ate at the same place almost everyday.
"You'll like this place," the Skipper said, "they have the best cod in the world."
"I don't know," Donna said with concern, "sometimes Ryan doesn't behave well in public."
"Look at him," the Skipper said, eyeing the boy, who was staring out of his car window with his hands folded in his lap, "he's pretty mellow from that Codine. I'm sure those effects will last for awhile. Come on, how often do you get to eat where you didn't have to fix it and you didn't have to clean up afterwards? It's been a trying day for you too. Give yourself a break."
Finally, she agreed. Smiling, the Skipper got into his car and pulled out ahead of her so she could follow.
...
Sam had been sitting with Gilligan and Jimmy, enjoying a few good jokes, listening to Jimmy talk about how this Summer he was definitely going to move out of his mother's house, and looking at family pictures that Gilligan and Mary Ann had just gotten taken. His laughter ran out and he took a sip of his Dr. Pepper. Suddenly though, he stopped laughing. For approaching their table was his boss, the Skipper, a teen aged boy, and a woman... the most beautiful blonde he had ever seen ... next to Elsa that was.
"Hi everybody," the Skipper said, "may we join you?" The other three men voiced their approval, as the Skipper went to pull a seat out for Donna. Before he could, Sam had jumped up and pulled a seat out beside him. "Everyone, this is Donna and Ryan Wilson. We just got done at the hospital and Ryan over there looks like he is starving... so I thought I would treat them to lunch."
Everyone shook hands with her and told her that they were glad to meet her. When she had gotten to Sam's hand, he could have sworn that Donna had held onto his hand just a bit longer than the other two men. She smiled at him sweetly, as heat rose to her cheeks. Her blue eyes twinkled at him, and he was certain his heart had stopped for just a moment.
"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said.
"You likewise."
"So... um.. Skip says that Ryan may be his son?" Sam felt foolish. It was quite obvious that's what she thought, or else they wouldn't have all just come from the hospital for a paternity test.
"Uh huh."
"Are you from Hawaii?"
"Born and raised."
She's a living doll. He thought to himself. He had been struggling for something else to say, when he was suddenly interrupted by the head of the Marina.
"Sorry to interrupt your lunch, Sam, but Ohana Central High is on the phone. They say there has been an altercation with your son." Sam sat dumbfounded. What kind of trouble could Nate have gotten himself into. He had always been the model student. He pretty much always did what he was told. He wasn't one for breaking the rules.
"I'm sorry everyone, if you'll excuse me," he said, rising from the table.
"I hope everything's alright," the Skipper said, "do you want me to call you later?"
"Now hold on," the owner said, "Jonas, you have a call on line two."
"I do? From who?"
"You're not gonna believe this... but Ohana Central High."
