Strained Impairments

Chapter 1

Billy and Francine arrived at Galilee General Hospital after receiving word about the warehouse explosion involving Lee and Amanda!

As Billy asked the Admissions Nurse for information after showing his badge, they suddenly heard yelling from a back area, and Billy, recognizing Lee's angry voice, shook his head stating as he turned away to head towards the sound, "Never mind. Thank you..."

But the Admissions Nurse, Nora, answered stopping Billy, "Sir, I'm sorry. I can't let you back there. We have rules-"

Billy looked at Francine and then back at the nurse and commented, "I see... Let me ask you something. Would you like to take us back there, and deal with that man's temper, or stay here where it's safe?"

As Francine grinned, Nora, realizing she was fighting a losing battle, sighed and answered brusquely, "Follow me..."

When the three went back and went into the exam area, they saw Lee fighting with a Dr. Michaels and a nurse, Brooke, yelling at them, "Get away from me! I'm fine! Just let me the hell outta here-"

Billy then barked, "Pipe down, Scarecrow! The doctor just wants to help you!"

As Lee looked at everyone including Billy and Francine around him, they seemed to all be talking, but he couldn't hear them?! What the hell was going on? And where was Amanda?!

Waving Billy over to him, he grabbed his superior's arm and said loudly, "What's going on? I can't hear anything! Where's Amanda? Is she okay?"

Just then, Amanda came in with another nurse, whose name tag said Head Nurse: Linda.

Linda answered, "Alright. I need everyone out of here, except the two patients, and the doctor...Brooke, would you mind getting a change of clothes for these two? Their outfits were really messed up from their accident."

Brooke nodded, and left saying, "Sure, Linda."

Before leaving, Francine and Billy patted Lee's arm, motioning that they would be right outside, and left with Nora.

Dr. Michaels asked Linda, "Is this the other patient from the accident?"

Linda nodded stating, "Yes, Doctor. This is Amanda King, and she and Mr. Stetson here work with the two Government people waiting out there."

Dr. Michaels queried motioning to Amanda, "What's her injury?"

Linda answered gesturing, "Her neck has been bruised from the explosion, and she seems to have laryngeal trauma at the moment, but everything else is fine with her. What's his trouble?"

Dr. Michaels sighed looking at Lee, "Apart from uncooperativeness and a surly attitude? Well, the blast affected his hearing, but only his left ear has a perforation in the eardrum. It should all heal in a few weeks. He could be released, but does he have a relative or friend who could look after him?"

Amanda tapped the doctor's arm, pointing to herself, and Lee watching the charadic movement asked loudly, "What? Amanda, what are you saying?"

Amanda sighed, and quickly grabbing a piece of paper she finds on a table, motioned to Linda for a pen.

Linda handed her one from her pocket, and as Amanda wrote quickly, Lee asked again, "Doc, what's going on?"

Then Amanda tapped Lee on the arm and pointed to the note to read it.

Lee groaned as he read, "Lee, I have a throat injury, and can't talk at the moment. You apparently have a perforated eardrum, so you have a hearing loss, but you can stay at my home to recover while my family's away."

Lee then looked at the doctor and Linda, and shaking his head at Amanda, replied, "That's very nice, but I'll be fine at my place-"

As Amanda shook her head mouthing, "Stubborn mule," and left the room, returning quickly with Billy, who asked, "What's the problem, Amanda?"

Amanda took the note from Lee and handed it to Billy to read, and as he did so, he nodded without wavering and remarked, "Done. Dr. Michaels, you can release Mr. Stetson, as Mrs. King will be looking after him-"

But Lee seeing Billy's nod queried, "Wait! What? I'm not staying with her! I'm going home, Billy-"

Billy shook his head at Lee and carefully gestured to him, "You hate hospitals, but you can't hear at all right now. Amanda is hereby appointed as your listening guide for the next few weeks."

Then turning his attention to Amanda, Billy stated, "You both will be off the roster until you've both healed. That's an order. Francine and I will be going now. See you both later. Good luck, Amanda...You're going to need it."

He gave Lee a wink, and smirking, left the room, with Lee asking with a gesture, "What did he say?"

Amanda took the paper and writing Billy's order, handed the note to Lee, who, upon reading it, immediately growled through the curtain, "Aw, c'mon, Billy!"

As Lee sat there and stewed about the situation he was put in and ripped up the note, Amanda once more sighed, and grabbing another piece of paper, gave an apologetic smile to Linda and Dr. Michaels as she wrote something else and handed it to Lee a few moments later.

Shaking his head, Lee took the note, and reading it, sighed as it said:

Lee,

You can stay here in the hospital, and be awakened through the night by people checking on you here, or you can come back with me to my house, where there will be ample food prepared to your liking hopefully and you will get decent rest...Up to you, but it's a few weeks for me as well. I'm not thrilled about it either, Mister, but at least I can run errands."

Lee looked at Amanda and asked gesturing to himself, "You'll even run errands for me?"

Amanda took the note back and added a statement at the bottom, handing it back to him, which made him chuckle.

Looking at Linda and Dr. Michaels he stated gesturing, " I've got a real comedian here. She says, "Yeah, but don't push it."

Dr. Michaels and Linda chuckled also, and with a final sigh, Lee nodded and looking at Amanda stated, "Thank you for your invitation. I'll do it."

Amanda patted Lee's hand and wrote to Linda, "Where do we sign out, please?"

Linda answered going to the curtain, "I'll get the release papers for both of you now..."

As she left, Dr. Michaels asked Amanda, "Are you sure about this, Mrs. King? He doesn't seem to be the easiest person to be around."

But Amanda wrote to him, "Try working with him!"

Dr. Michaels looked at the comment and shook his head. "Well, good luck. Oh, Brooke will be here shortly with your change of clothes."

As Amanda nodded, Lee asked, "What about our clothes?"

Amanda shook her head as Brooke appeared with a bag stating, "Here you are, Mrs. King, Mr. Stetson. They're not the fanciest, but you're only going home. Don't worry about sending them back to us. They were from our donated clothing area."

Amanda nodded her thanks and reaching into the bag, pulled out what looked to be Lee's size, and handed the outfit over to him, and as he blanched, she tapped his arm gesturing a shrug as she wrote, "It's that or nothing, unless you like the hospital garb with the open back side."

Lee winced and nodded in understanding at Brooke, saying, "Thank you."

Brooke gestured to Amanda and Lee, "I'll show you where you can both change now."

On her way out, Amanda scribbled to Dr. Michaels, "If I'm not back soon, make sure Mr. Stetson doesn't try to leave on his own. He can be a bit stubborn."

Dr. Michaels, reading Amanda's message feigned surprise answering, "Really? I can't believe it, because he's been so cooperative up until now."

Amanda shook her head at his teasing as she left with Brooke. Least he has a sense of humor. I'm just glad Mother and the boys are away right now. I can't imagine what I would tell them about all this...

TBC