World View

Chapter 8

Most of Mike's friends joined Michelle and Holly at the hospital the day of his surgery. Most were very welcoming, but there was still an air of tension with Tom, especially after Michelle stayed with Mike until he was taken into surgery. She hadn't been able to get the wedding arranged due to the marriage license, but she was in for the long haul. She didn't care about Mike's money, power or position. She only loved him. Russ Jeter finally pulled Tom aside to talk to him.

"So, what's going on with you?" Russ asked.

"Its that woman. No one sees how she is taking advantage of Mike, other then me!" Tom said.

"Well; that woman loves him. She wants to take care of him, even if they can't have a normal marriage. He could be paralyzed. Are you prepared to help him shower, get dressed, go to the bathroom?" Russ asked.

"No, but I could help him find an aide." Tom objected.

"This is Mike we are talking about. He isn't going to go for that. Besides, he misses having a family. You don't know how hard it is to have no one. You still had your kids when everything fell apart. You found love again. Mike supported that. Are you going to deny him the same thing? Have you taken time to get to know Michelle or her kids? I had my doubts, but I went out to dinner with them last night. Met McKenna and Holly. Mike could have everything he wants. No, Michelle and her kids can't or won't replace Christine and their kids, but its fresh and new. He's happy. Really happy." Russ lectured Tom.

"She had a kid at fifteen. Who does that? Mike will hate that lack of discipline." Tom remarked.

"Mike is not as emphatic about discipline as you are. She made a mistake, but the child that resulted is not a mistake. She loves her kids, and what's more is; she has lost a child. She understands grief. Grief for a lost parent, sibling or spouse is one thing; but grief for a beloved child? It pierces into you, exhausts you, hollows you out, and Mike needs someone who understands that. No matter how happy he might be, those losses are still there. He should at least be happy with someone who understands why there will be blue days. He's lost his family, his career, and his health because of the jobs he's done." Russ said angrily.

"Its obvious who's side your on." Tom said.

"There isn't a side. You want what's best for Mike, right? So do I. So does Michelle. He needs a united front. You owe that to him for all he's done." Russ insisted. He knew he had made a point to Tom. He just chose not to argue anymore, walking away from Tom. He focused on Michelle, sitting by herself in the waiting room. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "Where'd Holly go?" Russ asked.

"To pick McKenna up from school. Its taking so long. I wonder if he's okay?" Michelle said. Unfortunately, Mike hadn't gotten his next-of-kin changed to Michelle. It was fortunately still Tom and Russ.

"I'll find out." Russ told her. He got up and walked to the nurse's station. "I am Admiral Mike Slattery's next-of-kin. I was wondering how his surgery is going?" Russ asked. Tom had approached and was listening to the nurse who was looking at the computer.

"Alright, they just finished and he is going into recovery. Just says his condition is fair. No further explanation." The nurse explained.

"What does fair usually mean?" Tom asked.

"I would say he is conscious and alert, but in some pain. Its to be expected. He won't be moved until they can get a handle on the pain." The nurse said.

"Does it say anything about the paralysis?" Russ asked.

"No, I'm sorry. The surgeon will be out shortly." The nurse said, dismissing them. Russ nodded over at Tom and walked back to Michelle who was picking at a fingernail.

"He's out of surgery and in fair condition. The surgeon will be here soon." Russ explained to Michelle. She sighed in relief.

"Mike is so different then Cody was. Gentle. I know he has his quirks. Weird sense of humor, sarcasm, even rudeness at times, but he believes in me and my kids. He was helping Peter with his schoolwork the other night. Holly and McKenna adore him. I've never been treated so well." Michelle admitted.

"Mike hides a lot under that brashness. He's a good person." Russ said.

"I married Cody when I was fifteen. I was two months along with Peter. Then Holly came, and then Maggie and McKenna. Peter doesn't even know, but his conception was due to…less then consensual sex. My parents didn't want to admit what had happened so they forced us to get married. It took me years to get the courage to divorce him. It makes me a bad person, but I was honestly glad when he died. It meant my kids would be fatherless, but I had finally escaped him. Even divorce couldn't do that." Michelle admitted. Sasha and Kara were close enough and were listening to her talk.

"And then came Mike." Russ pointed out.

"Yeah. When I was least expecting it. After breast cancer and a radical mastectomy. Mike doesn't seem to mind. Just tells me he has his own scars. He doesn't even want me to have the rebuild surgery. Is worried about infection. Cody would have hated all the scars and everything." Michelle explained.

"Mike and I talked a little about it. My mom had had the surgery and had a bad experience with the rebuild. Honestly, I think it scared him, but his mind was pretty well made up before." Sasha told her.

"He told me." Michelle said with a smile. Just then the surgeon appeared, and Sasha moved to Michelle's other side and squeezed her hand. The surgeon sat down across from Michelle, but specifically addressed Tom and Russ. Thankfully, he was a little warmer then Mike's oncologist.

"Alright, Admiral Slattery made it through the surgery. We were able to remove his left kidney, and all the cancer. We also checked the spot on his spine. Honestly, it looks like scar tissue. I removed it and I looked at the skin as well, he had some scarring in the same area. Looked like an old bullet wound. I asked him about it when he woke up. Turns out he was shot as a cop. He somehow 'forgot' it. I haven't figured that out, but he is kind of self-deprecating. Due to my poking around, he is experiencing some numbness, but that will be over in a few days. No paralysis. I really think he turned a corner." The surgeon, Dr. Matthews explained. Even Tom laughed.

"Leave it to Mike to forget about being shot." Kara remarked.

"When we asked him what his pain level was, he told us a two. I suspect he's lying or just has a high pain threshold." Dr. Matthews explained.

"Probably a little of both. He got shot several years ago and had the guy dig into the wound. Wasn't until we got back on the ship, that he admitted he needed some help." Danny joked. Michelle seemed to be enjoying hearing the stories.

"Yeah, and he got mad at me when I ordered him off the bridge the next day." Tom said.

"Remember how he was in the Med? After he was stabbed. I was shocked he stayed away from the bridge as long as he did." Kara remarked.

"Its that drive that will get the Admiral through this. A nurse will come and get you when he is ready. He's already asking for you, Michelle." Dr. Matthews said as he stood up and walked away. An hour later, after Holly and McKenna had arrived, a nurse came and got Michelle. As soon as she walked into the hospital room, Mike smiled at her.

"Hey, beautiful." Mike said.

"Hey there, handsome. Glad to see you again." Michelle said before giving Mike a kiss. She sat down next to him and watched as he fell asleep. She didn't notice Tom watching them from the window.

I know its odd that I would suddenly go from Russ's POV, but I thought it might be interesting.