Strained Impairments

Chapter 3

As the cab pulled up to Amanda's house and stopped in the driveway, Amanda tapped Lee's arm, gesturing towards Francine's car with Francine beside it.

Lee asked, "What's she doing here?"

Opening the door, Lee got out, and forgetting Amanda, yelled to Francine, "What are you doing here?"

Francine came over to Lee's side, and giggled as Amanda pulling herself out of the cab, kicked Lee's left leg!

Lee yelped, "Ouch! What the-" and turning around, realized he should have helped Amanda out and swallowed stating as he reached for her, "Oh, um, sorry...Here, let me help-"

But the cab driver came around, and caught Amanda's arm and helping her out answered to Lee, "My wife would skin me alive for that mistake, Pal."

Amanda nodded her thanks to the driver, as she glared at Lee, and he remarked quickly, "Alright, I'm sorry! Geez!"

So then Lee noticed the driver getting everything out of the trunk, and fumbling in his pocket for his wallet to pay the driver the fare, sheepishly said, "Guess it's in my bag."

Looking to Francine he gestured, "Pay him, will ya? I've gotta help Amanda here..."

Francine giving a nonplussed look at Lee, sighed and paid the driver while Lee took the tank, and Amanda, while holding the fish with one hand, grabbed his luggage with the other, and they headed to the front door.

Francine, seeing the driver leave, noticed the box of aquarium items on the ground, and yelled to Lee gesturing to the box, "Hey! You forgot this stuff!"

Amanda turned to look, and nudged Lee, who grumbled to her, "What?"

Amanda pointed to where Francine was, and Lee seeing the box answered to Francine, "Well, bring it over here so we can get it inside the house!"

Francine shook her head and picking up the box to head to the front door muttered angrily, "Unbelieveable! I'm not paid nearly enough for this job! Billy's gonna hear plenty from me later! I'm his assistant, not Scarecrow's!"

Amanda sighed inwardly and putting down Lee's luggage at the front door, reached inside her purse for her house keys, and let them all in, allowing Lee in first, as he had the heaviest item.

Amanda followed them in, and taking the luggage, closed the front door, and then heard Lee ask, "Hey, Amanda? Where do you want this stuff?"

Amanda shook her head thinking, Really?! We already talked about it at your place! Sheesh!

Shaking her head irritatedly, she met Lee and Francine in the family room, and placing the bag of fish on the kitchen counter, gestured to the den, having them follow her.

Francine, putting the box on the den couch, watched Lee carefully put the tank on the floor, and asked, "You aren't just going to leave it there, are you? You have to plug it in or something, right?"

Amanda tapped Francine's shoulder and motioning her out of the room, went to the memo pad on the kitchen counter, and wrote, "He can't hear you, remember? Besides, he has to set it up, and then fill the tank with water."

As Francine saw what Amanda wrote, Lee came out a few minutes later asking, "Okay, Francine. Thanks for the help. Now what are you doing here?"

Francine, looking at both Lee and Amanda, replied, "Billy's sending a couple of our people to "lookout" for you, since you're both in a way, incapacitated, in case something happens. They should be here shortly. Anything else you need right now?"

Amanda wrote to Lee, "Are we set here, or do you need anything else? Billy's sending some men over for us."

Lee read the message and glumly realized just how hard the situation was going to be for them during their recovery period and shaking his head responded to Francine, "No, I think we're good for now...But really. Send Billy thanks for all the help. We appreciate it."

Mouthing to Francine her thanks as well, she gestured to the coffee machine, but Francine shook her head answering, "No, thank you. I'm gonna wait for Richards and Monroe outside."

Patting both Lee and Amanda's arms, Francine remarked, "Take care, you two. Feel better soon, huh?"

As Amanda walked her out and came back, she found Lee on the family room couch brooding, and tapping his shoulder, gave Lee a concerned look and mouthed, "What's wrong?"

Lee sighed and shaking his head slowly responded, "Look at us. You can't talk, and I can't hear! We would've been better off if we had stayed at the hospital."

With that, Amanda shook her head, and going to the memo pad, brought it over with her as she sat next to Lee and wrote, "We'll be okay, because I've never seen you walk away from a challenge. So let's set up the fish tank, and worry about the rest later, alright?"

Lee reading her sentence, half smiled and shrugged as he brought them both up commenting, "Ever the optimist is Amanda King. Okay, let's go..."

Lee showed Amanda how much water they needed in the tank when they were finished setting it up, and Lee plugged the cord into the wall outlet behind the tank, as Amanda released the fish and they began swimming around as the light was turned on.

Lee smiled and standing in front of the tank stated to the fish, "Men, thank Amanda here for her hospitality. Otherwise today, you would've been up the creek without a paddle."

Amanda gave a slight eye roll Lee's way as he grinned back at her questioning with a shrug, "What? I always talk to them. That way, they know who's in charge."

Amanda smirked and wrote, "Thoughts on lunch? I have cold cuts or leftover chicken from my dinner the other night."

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Amanda put up her hand as she went to see who it was at the door.

Opening it, she saw it was Francine, who gestured to the two men, "Monroe and Richards, at your service."

As Amanda nodded her thanks, Lee came to the door and standing behind Amanda stated, "Hi, Guys. Thanks, Francine. See you later."

Lee and Amanda went back inside, with Lee answering, "Chicken sounds good...Let's eat."

TBC