Chapter 14: The Third Degree

August 5, 1991 - Monday

The sun beamed into the bedroom, as Alan and Ellie continued to sleep. It was 6:29am. When it became 6:30am, the alarm clock came to life, disturbing Ellie from her sound sleep. She jumped up and hurriedly pushed the snooze button. She looked over at Alan to see if it had woken him. It hadn't. He was still fast asleep. She wanted to wake him and ask him about last night, but she knew that would be cruel. The best thing for him at this point was rest, so she left him alone and went into the bathroom to get ready for work.

About a half an hour later, she was ready to go. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and then grabbed her things and headed into the living room. She was about to open the front door, when she decided to check her portable phone for messages. She turned it on, waited for what seemed like an eternity for it to find service, and then dialed the proper number. There were four messages on her phone ... all of them from her mother. She shook her head, as she dialed her mother's number. It rang five times before someone answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom."

"Hi, honey," Patricia Sattler said on the other end of the phone.

"Did you need something, because you left quite a few messages for me."

"Why, yes of course I wanted something. Why else would I call?"

"Mom. What do you want?" Ellie said in an annoyed voice.

"Am I keeping you from something?" she asked, sensing that her daughter sounded a little rushed and preoccupied over the phone.

"No, no," she said, calming down some. "I just really didn't want to play this little phone ritual with you right now."

"What do you mean?" Now her mother was the one annoyed.

"Never mind," Ellie sighed.

"Ellie. I'm calling you to ask you a question," Patricia said, moving the conversation on.

"Okay."

"And I want a direct answer, dear."

Ellie slightly laughed into the phone.

"Okay, Mom. What is it?"

"Well, I was talking with Mr. LaVoight, a few days ago."

"And?"

"And he says that there's another young lady living there now. An Allison someone."

"I arranged it, Mom, so don't worry. No one stole the apartment from under me."

"And he said you haven't been at your apartment in quite a while."

"And?" Ellie asked, trying to figure out something to say to the obvious upcoming questions.

"So, I want to know where you've been staying."

Ellie's mother was always a right-to-the-point kind of person. Usually, Ellie admired that quality in her mother, and had basically inherited that same quality. But when the direct questions were aimed toward her, she suddenly didn't admire the quality.

"I've been staying with . . . a friend."

"Male or female friend?"

Ellie really thought about lying, but that thought quickly faded. If she lied now, when her mother eventually found out, which she inevitably would, then that would bring a whole other layer of problems. She took a very deep breathe and prepared herself for the interrogation.

"Male."

"You're living with a man?"

Ellie laughed. She might have been 24 years old, but she suddenly felt as though her mother had totally forgotten she was grown up.

"Yes, Mom. Male tends to be taken as meaning a man."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

Patricia was getting mad and Ellie could understand why, but she didn't think her mother should be intruding on her personal life like this. She decided that it would be easier on herself, and also on Alan later, if she just got to the point.

"Sorry about that. I just wasn't ready for the direct questions."

"So, are you living with a man, or aren't you?"

"Yes, I guess I am living with a man, although I haven't much thought about all of that."

"Who is he?"

"His name is Alan."

"Who is he?" Patricia repeated, somewhat annoyed by the first answer.

"He's a scientist."

"Jesus, a scientist. How old is this Alan?"

"A little older than me."

"Define little."

"Look, Mom. I really don't have time for this right now. I was on my way out the door."

"Whose door? Where are you staying?"

"I'll give you the number, so you won't worry, okay?"

"That will be a good start."

Ellie put the phone to her side and glanced at Alan's phone. She picked up the receiver to reveal the phone number, printed on the phone. She put the phone back to her mouth.

"It's . . . "

"Go on," her mother insisted.

Ellie thought about it for a minute. Why would she give Alan's personal home phone number to her mother at this point? She knew, for a fact, that her mother would use it the first chance she had. Ellie didn't want her mother harassing Alan, especially in the state he was in. He needed to stay relaxed and most importantly, free from stress. Her mother was definitely a one-way ticket to stress. She quickly thought of the phone number for the trailer at the dig site. That would be a more public number to give her, and it would be weeks before Alan would even step foot in the trailer.

"It's 406-555-8765."

"Well, thanks for that at least."

"Mom, don't act like that."

"Like what? I just want to know why you're hiding things from me."

"I am not hiding things from you."

"Who is this guy? Does this . . . Alan . . . have a last name? Or did he just give you his first name?"

"Alan Grant," Ellie answered, getting more and more irritated with her mother's reaction.

"So what kind of scientist is he?"

"He's a paleontologist, Mom."

"He works at the dig site?"

"Yes, Mom."

"What does he do there?"

Ellie was finished with the third degree. She needed to end the conversation before her mother drove her crazy.

"He's a teacher at the dig site. He's also the leader of the dig site. He's a very nice man."

"You're living with the man who runs everything? Isn't that a little immoral?"

"No."

"Are you at least getting all A's?"

She couldn't believe her mother would stoop so low as to apply that Ellie would sleep around for a good grade. She decided to let that little comment go without getting riled up.

"Mother. First of all, there is no grading system out here. And secondly, this is none of your business, quite frankly. I'll talk to you about this later, after you've had time to let the idea absorb. I really have to go now. I'm going to be late for a meeting."

"Okay, but I'll be calling you."

"Yes, I figured that."

"I know you don't want to hear this right now, but I am only looking out for your well being."

"No, you're not. You're judging me over the phone, thousands of miles away. You have no idea what is going on here."

"Well, maybe I should come there one day soon and see for myself what exactly is going on there?"

Ellie silently swore to herself, as she realized she had been more or less tricked into inviting her mother to come there.

"Maybe some time in the future. Right now, I'm really busy with getting my thesis together. Maybe when I have a break, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good-bye, Mom. I've really got to go."

"Good-bye, honey. Take care."

"I will."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom."

Ellie waited to hear the phone click on the other end, and then she hung up the receiver and quickly headed for the door.

Ellie's car approached the Grant home, after a day's work at the dig site. She slowly pulled the car into the driveway. When stopped, she grabbed some things from the passenger seat, got out, and went toward the front door. She used her key and went inside.

"Alan?" she called.

There was no answer, so she walked toward the bedroom, throwing her things on the kitchen table. She opened the bedroom door and peered inside. He was still in bed. Right where she had left him. She smiled and quietly approached the bed. As she got closer, she could hear him snoring a little bit. She couldn't recall a time when she had heard him snore, and it made her giggle for some reason. She reached her hand across the bed and gently shook him awake.

"Alan?" she whispered, "Alan? Hey, wake up, hon. You're sleeping the day away."

He stirred, but didn't awake. What she really wanted to do was to just leave him be, but she knew he probably hadn't eaten or taken his medication all day long. She shook him again.

"Wake up, time for a pain pill."

He groggily opened his eyes, yawning and stretching in the process. His vision was blurry at first, but then he was finally able to put her beautiful face in focus.

"Hey, how are you?" he whispered.

She laughed at the silly question, leaning in and helping him sit up. He winced some, causing her to stop moving him.

"Does your leg hurt?"

"A little. I have a headache."

"Well, you should. You drank half a bottle of Jack Daniels last night."

"That would explain it," he said.

"Explain what?"

"The everlasting ache in the back on my head, trying to escape through every imaginable orifice."

Ellie laughed at his word choice. He was always making her laugh.

"Well, why don't you lay back down. I'll get you something to eat. How's chicken noodle soup sound?"

"That sounds excellent," he said, as his head hit the pillow again.

She nodded and left the room for a minute, and then she returned with a glass of water and some medication. He took the two pills from her and placed them into his mouth, while she held up the glass of water to his mouth. He took a few drinks, swallowed the pills, and laid back down.

"Okay, I'll be right back," she said, as she hurried out of the room and toward the kitchen.

She was in the kitchen, pouring the hot soup into a bowl, when Alan hobbled in. His appearance surprised her.

"Wow. Look at that. You're getting very good with those things," she said, pointing to the crutches.

He smiled and hobbled to the table.

"I can't believe it's already 6:00pm."

"I was sort of surprised to see you still sleeping, myself. Did you get out of bed at all?"

"No. No, I don't think so," he said, trying to remember.

Ellie placed the small pot in the sink and then brought the bowl of soup over to Alan. She had a bowl of her own, too.

"Here you go," she whispered.

"Thanks."

He ate quickly, and when his soup was almost gone, Alan spoke.

"That was perfect. You always seem to know exactly what I need."

She smiled.

"Want some tomato juice? That's good for people with hangovers."

"Sure."

She poured him a glass of juice. When she handed it to him, the phone rang. She hurried over, answered it, said a few words, and then brought the phone over to Alan.

"It's for you. A Dr. Hilton St. Claire."

Alan perked up as he took the phone from her.

"Dr. St. Claire, how are you, sir?"

Ellie sat in a chair and listened to Alan's side of the conversation. She knew she was eavesdropping, but he didn't seem to mind, so she didn't leave the kitchen. A few minutes went by, and then he finally said his good-byes. Just by instinct, he began to stand so that he could hang up the phone. He winced slightly, as Ellie made her way to him.

"Take it easy. I'll get that for you," she said, as she pushed him back into the chair and took the phone from him.

"Thanks," he said, still wincing.

Ellie hung up the phone and sat down across from him.

"Who is Dr. St. Claire?"

"He's a colleague of mine. He was supposed to go to Mongolia in January for a dig. It was cancelled, though."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"No, it's back on now. He was calling me to tell me he was able to get the proper funding. So, I'm going to the Gobi Desert in January."

Ellie was speechless for a second or two, and then she finally said something.

"Wow," was all she could manage on such short notice.

Alan laughed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. It was cancelled back in March, so I didn't think it was important to bring up."

"I understand," she said, still trying to get used to the idea, "How long will you be gone?"

"About four weeks."

"Is it cold there in January?"

"No. It's in the mid sixties, to the low seventies."

"Wow," she said again.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Ellie laughed.

"Yeah, I've gotten used to the idea now," she said, smiling.

After reaching over the table and grabbing her hand, he smiled.

"You gonna miss me?"

She answered that question by standing up and sitting in a chair closer to him. She leaned in and quickly kissed him.

"Will you miss me?" she countered.

"Of course," he answered.

She acted like she was thinking about it.

"Yeah, I guess I'll miss you, too," she joked.

"Did I tell you that I loved you today, yet?" he asked.

"No."

"Well, I do," he said, kissing her again.

After the kiss, Ellie moved backwards a little bit.

"You're such a sap," she teased.

Alan laughed, and then nodded.

"Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just trying to be really nice to you so that you'll give me another pain pill."

Ellie shook her head.

"I don't think so, mister. Nice try, though," she said, and then she pointed toward him, "Besides, you haven't given the other pills enough time to work yet."

"You're a mean woman," he said.

"Awww, poor baby."

Alan looked as though he might pout, but then he gave up trying to get more drugs. He went back to drinking his tomato juice that was still on the table.

Ellie watched him for a second, thinking about bringing up what was said the night before, in his drunken outburst. He hadn't brought it up, though, so she figured he either didn't remember it, or he purposely didn't mention it.

"When is my next doctor's appointment? Do you know?" he asked.

She glanced toward the refrigerator, where there was a piece of paper held up with a Triceratops magnet. She couldn't quite make out the words, so she squinted.

"August 24th."

"That's a long way away, isn't it? I want this thing off," he said, pointing to the air cast.

He had been to see the doctor twice since the surgery already. The first time, he ended up with a larger ski-boot type cast that had made him really angry. The second visit, he was able to get a smaller air cast, but it still went from just below his knee to his ankle. It was just smaller in diameter. Every cast that he received was removable, though, so he had gone along with the program.

"Alan, do you want to be able to walk again with no problems?"

He rolled his eyes, getting ready for the same lecture that the doctor had given him.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Well, shut up and just do what the doctor says to do, will you?"

"Yeah, okay," he said, finally giving up.

"You drive me crazy, you know that don't you?" she asked.

"Why were you squinting?" he asked, not only dodging her question, but changing the subject, too.

"I think I need glasses."

"Then go to the doctor," he said, mocking her.

She sighed and decided to give up on him for now.