Mom, Secrets And More

Chapter 33

The next morning Amanda awoke stiff and as she slowly looked around she saw Jamie was not in the room and called out, "Jamie? Where are you, Sweetheart?"

Jamie came into the room a few moments later as he looked at her commenting, "I just had to go to the bathroom, Mom...Whoa..."

Amanda asked concernedly, "What? What's the matter, Honey?"

Jamie gulped and stated, "Your eye...It's kind of black and blue. I'm so sorry I hurt you, Mom."

Amanda got up gingerly and waved it off stating, "Don't you worry about it, Sweetie. I'm okay. What time is it?"

Jamie answered, "Well, Phillip and Grandma are downstairs. I-I wanna try to go back to school today. Is it okay?"

Amanda went to his side and hugged him commenting, "Of course it is. If you feel you can, go for it, huh?"

Stroking his cheek gently she replied, "I'm gonna go to work but you just call IFF if you need me for anything, all right?"

Jamie nodded and hurriedly went to his closet to grab his clothes and responded quickly, "I'd better hurry if I wanna make the bus, though."

Amanda answered, "I could drive you so that way you could have some breakfast-"

Jamie shook his head shooing her out of his room remarking, "I ate earlier with Phillip. I'm okay, Mom."

She sighed and went downstairs greeting Dotty and Phillip stating,"He wants to go to school. Where are his books? I don't want him forgetting anything."

Phillip answered, "I've got his stuff in my bag. He'll be fine, Mom."

Amanda nodded and commented, "Thank you for helping him out today. I know you don't have the same classes but at least you can come home together as well."

Just then, the bus horn blasted and both boys hurried out amid kisses and goodbyes.

As usual they slammed the door and Dotty stated to Amanda, "We'd better check the hinges to see that none of them are loose-"

Then looking at her daughter's eye, she shook her head remarking, "We'd better get ice for that, or should we get a steak?"

Amanda groaned and responded going upstairs, "Very funny! I'm going up to get ready for work now..."

Later that morning as she arrived at the Agency giving the password to Mrs. Marston the woman asked surprisedly looking at Amanda's eye, "Trouble on the way here? You'd better let Billy know-"

But Amanda shook her head answering, "No. Just an accident at home. I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern, though."

And as Amanda entered the bullpen the steno group began to stare as well as Francine who queried with a somber look at her eye, "Are you all right? Should I get some help?"

Then Billy and Lee came out of the office. Lee, seeing Amanda's eye, immediately thundered, "What the hell happened to you?! Why didn't anybody call us-"

Amanda put her hand up, shushing him as the steno pool continued to stare and answered quickly as she gestured, "Stop! Come into the office and I'll tell you all what happened and then can we please drop it and get some work done?"

As they nodded to her she led them all into Billy's office and as she sat down, Amanda told them what happened last night, and then finished with, "It was an accident and he feels just awful about it. But I'll be fine. It only hurts when I blink at the moment..."

Lee shook his head and answered, "I'm gonna take you to see Doc McJohn. It's pretty swollen Amanda, and it'll be a lot worse later if you don't get it checked now-"

When Amanda began to protest with, "Oh, you're one to talk, Scarecrow-" Billy firmly remarked helping her out of the chair, "Scarecrow's right, Amanda. I'll let Dr. McJohn know you're on your way to see him. See you both in a while. Better safe than sorry, hmm?"

As they made their way to the infirmary Amanda commented to Lee, "It really was just an accident."

Lee asked quietly, "Did he talk about the dream at all?"

Amanda shook her head responding, "No. I guess he'll talk when he wants to. I don't wanna push him, you know?"

When they arrived at the infirmary Dr. McJohn met them at the entrance and seeing Amanda's eye quipped to Lee, "How many rounds did you two do, Scarecrow?"

As Amanda shook her head chuckling lightly Lee remarked tiredly, "Can the levity, Doc! Can you help her out here?"

They followed him back to the exam area and as she sat on the exam table, Dr. McJohn put up a hand to Lee answering, "Just relax, Lee." Then looking at Amanda he queried gently, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Amanda sighed feeling self conscious now and replied, "Jamie had a nightmare and I tried to calm him down and he hit me. It really was just an accident..."

Dr. McJohn sighed and nodded answering, "Okay... I'll have you fixed up in a jiffy here and then give you something for the pain. Should be fine once the swelling goes down. Don't worry."

Amanda shrugged gesturing to Lee and commented, "Don't tell me, tell him. I told him I'd be okay-"

Lee shook his head concernedly at Amanda,"I think this is about more than a black eye, all right? We'll talk about it later."

Amanda groaned and remarked, "Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Jamie and I are fine, Lee-"

Lee snapped stating, "No, you're not!"

Shaking his head again, he then frustratedly responded, "I'm heading back to Billy's office. Call when you want me to come get you-"

But Amanda answered quietly, "We're in the same building. I can find my way back perfectly well without you."

Lee sighed and answered, "Fine! Doc, thank you for your help. See you later..."

As he left the infirmary Dr. McJohn stated to Amanda as he put a cold compress on her eye, "You know, Billy filled me in on the Hawkins case a little. Do you think it may help you and your son to talk to Dr. Pfaff?"

Amanda swallowed hard as the pain stung and shrugged replying, " Ooh...Considering that Jamie and the rest of my family-well, except for my ex-husband, Joe- don't know what I really do here at the Agency, Dr. McJohn, it could get extremely complicated..."

But as Dr. McJohn continued to check her eye, he answered bluntly, "Mrs. King...It could get worse if you do nothing. And I'm not talking about just the eye here..."

As Amanda listened to Dr. McJohn, she sighed and stated quietly, "I know, but-"

Then as Dr. McJohn finished, he put a fatherly hand on her arm commenting, "Look...I'm merely suggesting that you think about the situation and then decide. This business is hard enough on agents without involving their families, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Especially with children..."

Then helping her off the table, he handed her some ibuprofen stating, "Take this when needed. If it gets any worse or your vision changes, we'll get you in with the eye doctor here, okay?"

Amanda nodded. "Thank you, Dr. McJohn. And I will think about what you said. Goodbye."

Amanda, getting on the elevator to return to the bullpen area shook her head and thought to herself sadly, I know my son. If he says he's fine, he is. Why is everyone making this more than what it is?

TBC