Chapter 16: Back To The Real World

August 30, 1991 - Friday

Ellie was reading the morning newspaper, when Alan limped into the kitchen. After several doctor visits and a lot of pain medication, Alan was able to rise above his injury and come out with a good bill of heath. For the most part, that is. After all he had been through, he had finally succumbed to the common cold. With every passing day, he was getting stronger and heathier, though.

"You look like you're walking a little better," she said, as she watched him hobble toward the counter.

"You think so? My leg still feels really weak, now that the cast is gone. I'm having a hard time putting weight on it."

"How's the cold?"

"Just about gone," he said.

She watched as he poured some coffee, and then he began to walk toward the table. She quickly stood up and took the hot coffee out of his hand.

"Maybe I should get that for you," she said, smiling.

"Thanks."

"So what's with the coffee? I thought you didn't like coffee?"

"Sometimes I do."

She nodded and set the coffee cup on the table. Alan sat down soon after. She was a little worried about him, as he was wincing and moving fairly slow.

"So, you're really going back to work this morning?"

"That was the plan," he answered.

"I think it's still too soon. The doctor said to wait another two weeks. Why don't you at least give it the weekend?"

"Well, it's almost been two weeks."

"It's been six days, Alan."

He laughed, as he sipped the coffee.

"Close enough. It'll be fine. Really. All I'm going to do is sit in the trailer office and look over some paperwork. I'm tired of this unwanted vacation."

Ellie could see this was getting her nowhere, so she tried an underhanded approach.

"What about "All My Children"? Won't you and Rob miss your Friday soap opera dose?" she teased.

"I'll tape it," he said, smiling.

She laughed, only because thinking about Alan messing with the VCR timer made her laugh.

"Okay. I officially give up. But if your leg doesn't heal properly because you're a dope, don't come crying to me later."

"I won't. I can see that it would do me no good," he said, coyly smiling over his coffee cup.

"That's absolutely correct," she shot back.

Alan nodded and sipped some more coffee. Ellie became very serious.

"You really should listen to the doctor. Why don't you give it at least two more days. Go back on Monday."

"I don't want to be trapped in this house anymore."

"How about I stay here with you?"

Alan thought about that for a few seconds. The idea sounded very good to him, but he knew that Ellie shouldn't miss any more days at the dig site.

"As great as that sounds . . . as your teacher, I'm going to have to insist that you go to work."

"My teacher, huh?"

"Yes."

"I'm not going to be able to change your mind, am I?" she asked, as she folded her paper up.

"No."

"Okay, well let's get a move on. I don't want to be late," Ellie said, getting up.

He slowly stood from the table with the now empty coffee cup in his hand. She took it from him and put it in the sink.

"I'll drive . . . gimpy."

"I'm not going to argue with a woman," Alan said laughing.

"Good. At least you're thinking a little bit."

They left the house and Ellie began to walk toward her car, but then she heard Alan stop walking. She turned around.

"Something wrong?"

"No, I just haven't really thought about the fact that I don't own a truck anymore," he sighed.

"You can always get another one."

"I know."

She nodded and smiled.

"Well, some of your supplies were in my car when you went on your . . . expedition. So, at least you didn't lose everything."

"That's true."

The longer they stood there, the more noticeably sad he became. Ellie thought it time to get the show on the road.

"Let's get a move on, okay?" she asked, looking at her watch, "I'm going to be late."

Alan nodded and slowly limped in the direction of her car. He reached it and she helped him get inside. She checked to make sure the extra set of crutches were in the backseat, just in case, and then went around to the driver's side and got in. She started the car and then glanced over to Alan, as she heard him whisper her name. A moment passed before he said what he had intended to say.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied.

"Thanks for letting me have my way, Ellie."

"You're welcome."

Alan leaned over, put his hand on her face and gently kissed her lips. She was still a little upset with his decision to return to work, but decided to forget all about it as he stared into her eyes. She really did love him. And he was so very handsome, especially when he was on his best behavior. She looked away from him and backed up the car.

They drove to the dig site. Alan's house was near Glasgow and it was about a forty minute drive. As they pulled up, Rob Tandy noticed that Alan was accompanying Ellie. He smiled and began to tell everyone. When it was time for Alan to get out of the car, it was surrounded by students and co-workers. He slowly made his way out of the car and from her vantage point, Ellie could tell he was having a hard time keeping up appearances. He was standing now, but it didn't look like he'd be standing very long. She reached behind the seat, grabbed the crutches, and got out of the car. She nonchalantly walked up to him and handed him the crutches. He looked extremely thankful, as he obviously didn't think about a little detail such as bringing something to help him walk.

"I didn't see you bring these," he observed.

"It's a spare set."

"Oh," he said, as he thanked her.

As he hobbled away from the car, he began to answer question after question about what had happened to him and how he was feeling. Ellie smiled and then quietly interrupted.

"I'm going to work, so I'll see you this afternoon, okay?" she whispered.

He nodded as the questions kept coming at him. She smiled and began to walk away.

"Uh, Ellie?" Rob shouted to her.

She turned around.

"Uh, Rob?" she countered.

"I thought you might want to be here for the . . . presentation," Rob said, smiling proudly, taking his arms and spreading them out and away from his body.

"What's going on, Rob?" Alan asked, looking around.

Rob gave him a look of innocence.

"Whatever do you mean?"

Alan was about to get the secret out of him somehow, as he took a step toward his friend. That's when Rob suddenly went into a grand speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to tell you about the relationship between a man and his truck."

Alan rolled his eyes and began to walk toward the trailer, while everyone else laughed. Rob was about to continue, when he noticed Alan was leaving.

"Okay, okay. Come back. I'm sorry. No more Rob speeches. I promise."

Alan turned around. He was amused by Rob, just like he always seemed to be. He let the jokester continue.

"I'll get to the point," Rob said. He lied, as he continued his speech. "A man and his truck share something sacred. Together, driving around on the rocky road of life, they become one . . . "

Alan stared at him through the first couple of words, and then he turned around again.

"Wait, wait, wait. Come back!" Rob shouted.

Alan turned to face him, a doubtful look in his eye.

"Look over there," Rob said, pointing behind Alan, and just off to the right.

There was a truck coming toward all of them. It was an old run down red Ford pickup truck. One of the workers was driving it. He got out and threw the keys to Rob, who dangled the keys in front of Alan.

"This brand new spiffy vehicle is now the property of one, Dr. Alan Grant," he said, pushing the keys into Alan's hand.

"Say again?" Was all Alan managed to ask.

Rob laughed.

"We all chipped in and bought this hunk of junk for you," Rob said, looking at Alan's dumbfounded face, "So you wouldn't have to ride around in that chick-mobile."

Everyone, including Alan and Ellie, laughed. Ellie walked next to Alan and nudged him.

"I don't know what to say, Rob," Alan finally said.

"Well, say thanks, bloke," Rob said, butchering the Australian word "bloke" on purpose.

"Thanks," Alan said, as he tossed the keys in his hands and looked around at everyone, "You guys didn't have to do this."

"Well, it sure beats hearing you whine," Rob added.

Alan smirked and then walked toward his "new" vehicle. It was the same red color that the other one had been, but it had an extended cab. He looked in the truck bed and smirked again.

"What's all of this stuff in the back, Rob?"

Rob caught up to him and peered into the back.

"Oh, that's nothing. Just mostly junk. Some old steel pipes, metal scraps, and stuff. The guy said I'd have to take care of disposing all of it. So, I figured that you could do that tomorrow or something."

Alan nodded.

"Well, thanks again."

"You're welcome," Rob said sincerely, "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, speaking of which, I'm going to get to work now."

He and Rob said their good-byes, then Alan began to walk toward his trailer. Everyone else went back to their daily routines and the dig site began to run normal once again.

The day was about half over and Alan had only left the trailer twice. He was working in the small office in the trailer right now, attempting to figure out what had happened at the dig site while he was gone. He was sitting down, with a pile of folders in his lap, when the phone rang. He reached over and picked it up.

"Hello."

"I'm looking for Ellie Sattler," a woman's voice said.

"Oh, okay. Just a second. I'll get her," he said, as he shuffled the folders and stood up.

"Wait, wait!"

Alan stopped in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"Is this Alan Grant?"

Alan had no idea who was on the other end of the phone, but he felt as though the unknown person might have a dislike for him. It was just the way the woman said his name.

"Uh, yes. Yes, it is. Can I help you with something?"

After weeks of calling, and after weeks of missing the elusive Alan Grant, the woman on the other end was finally able to find the man.

"Yes, you can. You can stop taking advantage of my daughter."

Suddenly, Alan knew who it was. The folders he was balancing, suddenly fell to the floor, with some of the papers spilling from them and floating carelessly. He cringed as he tried to figure out a way to get out of the conversation.

"Mrs. Sattler?"

"Obviously. Unless you're taking advantage of other young women students, as well."

"Mrs. Sattler, please calm down some. My intentions are not what you think."

"Are you living together?"

This woman was VERY direct.

"Well . . . yes," he stuttered.

"And you are a teacher there?"

"Well, yes."

"So, I'll say it again, sir. Stop taking advantage of my daughter."

Alan just stood there, with the phone to his ear, stunned. This woman was very outspoken. Very. Ellie had warned him about her . . . and how she had felt about the situation, but he had always assumed that he would be able to reason with her. That was a huge mistake. The entire introduction had gone sour now, and he was beginning to feel like he was on trial . . . and that the jury had already made up its mind before any evidence was presented.

"I'm not going to get into a debate over the phone, Mrs. Sattler. Did you want to talk to Ellie?"

"Obviously," Patricia said.

Alan took a breath, for he didn't want to sound like she had spooked and angered him.

"All right, just a minute."

"How old are you?"

Alan, again, stood there in disbelief. This woman was more forward than anyone he had ever met. He decided to answer the question directly.

"I'm 33."

"33!" She screamed, "33? That's almost 10 years in age difference!"

Alan began to limp toward the trailer door, desperately looking for Ellie. Initially, he didn't see her, but then he spotted her near one of the water towers. He put the phone against his chest and opened the door. Patricia's very angry voice could still be heard through the phone, as Alan yelled to Ellie.

"Ellie!"

Ellie was taking a drink of water, when she heard him yell for her. He sounded somewhat urgent, as she spun around. She hoped he hadn't hurt his leg.

"Yeah?"

He held up the phone.

"Your mother."

Ellie smirked, as she hurriedly walked toward him.

"Uh-oh," she sighed.

It was dusk and most everyone had called it a night. Alan was still waiting for Ellie to come back from the field. He had rested inside the trailer for most of the day, since his leg was hurting more than he thought it would. He heard some shuffling outside. He went to the front door and found Ellie out by his truck, putting things back in the truck bed. He limped outside to greet her.

"Hey."

Ellie turned around. Her face was covered in dust, but she still looked beautiful to Alan. He smiled at her, as she walked up to him.

"So, are we staying here? Or the house?" she asked.

"I'd rather go to the house."

"That's okay with me. Whatever works better for you," she said.

"You were right," he said looking at the ground.

"Huh?"

"I shouldn't have tried coming back to work so soon."

"Well, I think you did fine considering everything."

"You mean your mother?"

"Yeah. That would be the everything part," she sighed.

"She just doesn't know me, that's all."

"What did she say to you?"

"Nothing really," Alan lied. "She just asked for you."

"Alan," Ellie said, knowing that most definitely was not true.

"No, really. That's it. Well, that's all I care to divulge at the moment, anyway."

"Have it your way . . . for now . . . Dr. Grant," Ellie teased.

Alan shook his head and then got into the truck on the passenger side. Ellie went around to the driver's side and got in. When she was in the truck, she noticed Alan was reading something. After several minutes, he laughed and shook his head again.

"What great friends and family I have here," he said, holding up the paper. There was a box on the floor of the truck. Clearly the paper went along with it. He handed it to Ellie, still laughing. She took it from him and read it to herself:

THE BOLT-ON FRACTURE REPAIR KIT

Don't let that broken leg spoil your day on the hill!

Mountain bikers carry repair kits to meet almost every eventuality: now the Bolt-On Fracture Repair Kit gives you, the hill-walker, that same confidence! Here's what to do with that inconvenient compound fracture of tibia and fibula when you're miles from anywhere:

* Tidy up the fracture site. Pluck away any heather or grass from protruding bone ends. Wipe off excess mud. Save any loose bits of bone in a sealed container. ("Tupperware" salt or sugar containers are ideal for this purpose.)

* Gel the bone ends back in line, Attach one end of the Bolt-On Traction Device to a handy tree or rock. Fix the other end to your boot, just like a crarnpon strap! ("Step-in" fittings available on request.) Now pull! Push firmly over the fracture site with the thumbs of both hands to help realign the bones. (A little grinding and bleeding is normal at this point, but you should stop if any "spurting" occurs.)

* Check the result. Are both your legs roughly the same length? Do both your feet point in the same direction? If not, try again.

* Begin the repair. Find the battery-powered drill and the quarter-inch bit, and assemble. Check the diagram, and drill a hole in the tibia (the "shin-bone') below the level of the break. Try to use a single, smooth motion for this: some discomfort (or "pain") is likely as you penetrate the skin and bony covering, and speed will help you to avoid losing consciousness at all-important point. Now remove the drill-bit, set it aside carefully in a clean place (you will need it again!), and fit one of the threaded quarter-inch rods into the drill chuck. Screw it into the hole you have just prepared, using short, sharp bursts of drill power. (Do not force the drill at any time: this could "explode" the bone and make your repair more difficult.)

* Fit the other three rods in the same way. Add one more rod below the break and two above it, lined up neatly along the shin-bone, as shown on the diagram. If you make a mistake, don't worry: the drill has enough stored power to make at least twenty attempts!

* Add the support strut. Undo all the locking points on the Bolt-On Support Strut with the Allen key provided. Slip it over the ends of the four rods. Make one last check on leg length and foot position, and then tighten all the nuts. (There are sixteen: don't forget any!)

* Now try out your repaired leg! Walk up and down a little to get the feel of it. Inevitably, you'll find that it doesn't feel entirely "normal" to you. But don't fiddle with it just yet: take a few more paces, and you'll probably get right back into your usual walking rhythm. If you do find yourself walking in circles, or unable to lift the foot high enough to clear small obstacles, then sit down, loosen off the strut, and readjust the fracture until it feels more "comfortable".

Caution: We do not recommend using the Bolt-On for more than a single day in the hills. The rods can seriously damage bivvy-bags or down sleeping-bags if used for overnight camping. If the bone is still "bendy" after six weeks, seek the advice of your GP (Remember to take those spare bits of bone with you to the surgery!)

The box on the floor was a mock up of what the "BOLT-ON FRACTURE REPAIR KIT" looked like. She laughed out loud, as she handed the paper back to him and looked at the picture on the box.

"I wonder where they got this? It's hilarious," she said.

"Yeah, really funny, unless it actually happens to you."

"Oh, Alan, lighten up."

"I bet it was Rob."

"Yeah, probably. He's always doing silly things."

Still laughing, Ellie started the truck. She was about to put the truck in drive, when Alan saw someone approaching them from the right.

"Hold on. I think it's Rob."

"Speak of the devil," she said.

Alan smiled and rolled down the window. Rob jogged the rest of the way to them, catching up to the truck in a few seconds.

"Get my little . . . welcome back present?" He asked, snickering.

Alan reached down on the floor, grabbed the box and showed it to him. Rob noticed the look on Alan's face. It wasn't a happy look like he had hoped, causing his own happiness to fade some. The jokester was about to continue on, sure to dig himself a deeper grave, when Ellie interrupted.

"He did laugh, Rob. No matter what he might say to you."

Rob's smile snuck back on his face, as he leaned on the passenger side door.

"I knew he still had a sense of humor."

Alan finally smiled, in spite of himself. Now that he was somewhat happy, Rob took the opportunity to ask him the question he was about to ask before the joke sort of backfired.

"You two want to go get something to eat?"

Ellie was saying yes and Alan was shaking his head no, which caused Rob to laugh again.

"What a cute couple you two make," Rob commented.

"Couple?" Ellie questioned.

Rob changed the subject, as he really didn't want to go into the details of everyone knowing about the two of them. He had made the mistake of telling one person. Okay, two people. And now word had gotten around.

"Alan, Alan. Looks like the lady wants to go. And everyone knows that the male species obeys the dominate female species. So . . . how does Leon's sound?"

Alan rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Why not," he said, giving into Rob . . . and mostly Ellie.

"Good, good. Wise choice, my friend. You don't want to go around upsetting Ellie."

"Shut up, Rob," Ellie said laughing.

Rob let go of the door and held up his hands.

"Okay. I know when I'm ahead. I'll go get my truck and meet you there," he said to Ellie, as he turned around.

"Why don't you just come with us?" Alan shouted.

Rob turned around.

"Well, this way you don't have to come back here. You've had enough of this place already, haven't you?"

"Good point," Alan answered, nodding, "We'll meet you there then."

Rob nodded and turned around again, running in the direction of his vehicle. Alan and Ellie couldn't see it in the distance. It was already too dark.

"Let's go now. That'll give me a few extra minutes to get into the restaurant."

"Okay," she said, as they began to drive down on of the many dirt roads that led out of the dig site. After looking both ways, she pulled the truck out onto the two-lane highway. She noticed that Alan was very quiet.

"Everything okay?" she asked, grabbing his attention away from the darkness of the field he had been starring at.

"Yeah," he answered after a pause.

He still had the window down and he was leaning his head toward it, letting the warm air slam against his face. He was in a trance-like state, just staring out at the scenery outside, as it whizzed by in a blur. As he began to come out of the trance, he realized that he didn't have his pain pills. His pain level was increasing again, but he had left the pill bottle at the trailer. He was about to get Ellie to turn around, when he just silently decided to forget about it, since he had more at home anyway. He was momentarily dragged from his thoughts, as Ellie spoke.

"All right then."

She watched him nod. She could tell something was wrong, but she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to get it out of him. She figured talking to her mother probably drained whatever energy he had stored. Plus, he was just getting over a cold, so that was, more than likely, bringing him down some. She decided not to pry at the moment, though, leaving it for later.

After about five minutes, they pulled into the parking lot at "Leon's Family Dining". It wasn't a fancy place, but it did have good food and friendly employees. It was run by Leon's widow, Mary, and she took very good care of her customers, which was the reason Rob frequented the place.

All of the parking places near the entrance were taken.

"Want me to drop you off at the entrance?"

"No, I'll be fine. A little exercise will do me good."

She smiled, but on the inside she was worried about him. He looked totally exhausted from the day's work and he hardly even left the trailer all day.

"Alan, you look like you're ready for bed."

"I'm tired, but I'll make it."

"I'll just tell Rob we're going home when he gets here, okay? I don't want you over-extending yourself for me."

"But I'm hungry, too."

"I can make you something at home," she said, as she parked the truck. "How about a scrambled egg sandwich?"

He laughed. Alan liked the way she called the house in Glasgow . . . home. It was exactly how he felt about it, too. It was their home. But that wasn't the point at the moment, as he realized she was still staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"No, it's okay. That would disappoint Rob anyway."

He was looking at her, when he noticed her attention was diverted outside of the truck, on his side. He was about to look for himself, but someone reached through the open window and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, violently pulling him toward the door. As he hit the door, it opened, and he was dragged out and thrown to the dirt parking lot. He hit very hard, as the person who grabbed him made sure of it.

Ellie could see the silhouettes of two men on Alan's side of the truck. As she watched them drag Alan, she blindly reached to her left to open her door. She was startled as the door was forced shut again from the outside. She caught a glimpse of another man on her side, smiling as he held her door shut. She stared at that man for a second and then her attention was grabbed by the kicking and screaming happening on the passenger side of the truck. Her rage growing and growing, she began to slide across the seat and toward the still opened passenger door. When she was about to get out, she heard someone shout and then the two men kicking and screaming at Alan stopped.

"Okay, okay. Don't save all the fun for yourselves."

It was dark, but Ellie recognized the man instantly.

"Raymond," she growled under her breath.

The other men were rather large and, to her disbelief, one of those men was Greg Diamond. He looked to be the one who had grabbed Alan, throwing him to the dirt. When see caught sight of him, he had Alan by the back of his hair, holding him off the ground. She watched as he delivered a quick and final punch to his face, letting him collapse back to the dirt again. Alan groaned as he reached a hand over the side of his face.

None of the men were looking in her direction. They were all looking beyond the front of the truck, toward Raymond. Raymond made eye contact with her and smiled, walking toward the passenger side of the truck. Ellie watched him walk all the way to where Alan was and when she looked around, she noticed that the man from the driver's side door had joined the rest of them. She hurried out of the truck and got to Alan, who was just lying there in a heap. She leaned down next to him.

"Alan?" she whispered, as she watched the men close in again.

He turned on his right side, wincing as he did so. There were traces of blood trickling down the side of his face.

"What the hell happened?" he gasped.

"Raymond," was her short answer.

Alan nodded, showing her that he understood, and then he looked past her. He could see the dark silhouettes of at least three large men, coming closer to him. He was worried about his well being, but he was more concerned for Ellie at the moment.

"Ellie, get out of here. Please," he managed to say before the men were right on top of him again.

He put his arms up to protect himself as the three men began their return attacks. Ellie wasn't about to leave him there, defenseless. She jumped up and went after Greg, who was the nearest one to her. She punched him in the face, surprising him. It was enough to make him stop attacking Alan and hold his nose, as the blood poured. In a blinding rage, Greg leaped forward and ran into Ellie, pushing her into the side of the truck. The two of them struck the side of the vehicle with great speed and force, causing Ellie to hurt herself. She had no time to think about that, as Greg grabbed her by the forearm, getting ready to stop this woman so that he could get back to the prize. While trying to wrestle herself away from the ex-student, Ellie ended up turning around and facing the truck. She looked into the back and smiled, as she reached for one of the steel pipes conveniently resting in the truck bed.

Alan continued to get kicked by the other two men. He did his best to protect his injured areas, but the men would just work on whatever area he wasn't protecting at the moment. As he continued to defend himself, he could see Ellie struggling with one of the men. It angered him, just enough, to stop him from defending himself and to go into attack mode. He focused his vision on the legs of one of the men very close to him. He reached out, grabbed his leg, and pulled as hard as he could. The surprised man lost his balance and fell to the ground hard. It was a short victory, though, as the remaining man kicked him in the head. All and all, with Ellie still occupying the other man and Alan tripping another, he was mostly successful in his defense. That is, until Raymond joined in.

Raymond didn't appear drunk this time. Only very angry. He began to kick at his enemy's leg with an explosive locked-up fury. The violent kicks caused Alan to scream out in pain, as he reached down and gripped his leg tightly. After all of these weeks of healing, he had thought it would hold up a little better, but it quickly began hurting just as it did when it had first happened. After several well placed and well-timed kicks, Raymond stopped to catch his breath. Unknown to everyone, Raymond had equipped one of his boots with a small razor on the toe, inflicting more damage than anyone had realized. The other man still kicking Alan, saw that Raymond had stopped, so he followed suit.

The man Alan had tripped had gotten back up, while Ellie was successfully keeping Greg at bay. She had been swinging at the bloodied annoyance with the steel pipe repeatedly, hitting him every once in a while. She stopped when she heard Alan shout out in agony, quickly followed by Raymond's voice.

"I suggest you stop that," he said to her.

She walked toward him, with the steel pipe in hand. Her "victim" was sprawled out in the dirt, still holding his nose.

"I suggest YOU stop," she said gesturing with her weapon.

Raymond laughed.

"There are three of us left and," he said, glancing down at Alan, "really only one of you. I don't think you're going to win."

Ellie could see two very bad things about the situation. Raymond was clearly sober right now and his choice in friends was much bigger than before, in the bar. That didn't stop her from verbalizing her anger, though. She glanced down at Alan, who was reeling in pain on the ground, and then she stared back at Raymond.

"Maybe not. But I will, at the very least, knock the hell out of you with this damn pipe."

Raymond nodded to the man standing next to Alan. The man nodded back and kicked Alan in the ribs, causing him to cough and groan. He was focused on holding his injured leg and Ellie could see that he was in too much pain to protect himself anymore. Her anger began to fade to worry, as she tried to figure out what she was going to do.

As the standoff continued, headlights were seen from another vehicle in the parking lot off to the right. The headlights had flashed on very quickly, just as the mystery vehicle pulled alongside Raymond and Ellie. To Ellie, it wasn't hard to guess who it was, especially after what happened next. The driver quickly opened his door, just in time to hit the unsuspecting Raymond with it. Raymond was knocked to the ground, as the truck stopped and Rob Tandy hurried over to Ellie.

"What's going on?" he asked, very much aware of what was going on, as he glanced at Alan on the ground.

Raymond was already being helped up by his two friends closest to Alan. He brushed the dirt from his clothes, straightened out his shirt and his hair, and then spoke.

"Dr. Grant was just being taught a lesson. It's over for now," Raymond said, gesturing for his friends to get a move on.

"A lesson?" Rob asked, watching all of the men closely.

"He shouldn't start fights that he can't finish. And he shouldn't dismiss students that do nothing wrong. We were just showing him what it's like to be on the losing end of a battle."

Ellie was about to voice her opinion, but then stopped herself. She had already learned that anything she would say would most definitely be taken out on Alan, so she just bit her tongue.

It wasn't until the mention of a dismissed student, that Rob noticed Greg was there. Anger began to build inside of him, as he thought about Greg actually helping plan this little attack. And, as if right on queue, Ellie handed him the steel pipe.

One of the men went over and grabbed Greg. On the way back to Raymond, the bloodied boy kicked Alan in the head, since he hadn't had the opportunity to properly assault the intended victim. Rob took several steps forward and threw a very powerful punch into the side of Greg's head, causing him to fall down again. He was picked up, yet again, and pulled him away from Rob and Ellie.

Raymond backed off, mumbling something to the three men. With Rob there for support, Ellie went to Alan to see how he was doing. She leaned down and gently touched his shoulder. He was laying sideways, facing away from her.

"Alan?"

He didn't answer and she could see that he had a very tight grip on his right leg. His hand was in the way, so she couldn't see the blood that had begun to seep through.

"Alan, look at me."

He slowly turned his head to look at her. She had already expected him to be in agony, but when she saw his face she realized that he would probably need to go to the hospital. He was, indeed, in an extreme amount of pain, but when he caught a glimpse of Ellie's concerned face, he was determined to play his injury down.

"I'm okay. Just give me a few minutes," he said, as calmly as he could muster.

She nodded at him, happy that he was talking and making sense. Rob was next to her now and she wasn't sure how long he had been there.

"What happened to Raymond?" she asked.

"He left. The others followed him," Rob explained.

Ellie was relieved to hear that.

"Can you help me get him up?" she asked, as she glanced up at him.

"Sure," he said, leaning over.

Alan still wasn't quite ready to be mobile, though.

"I just want to catch my breath for a second, so hold on," he protested.

"You're the boss," Rob said, and then he looked at Ellie, "He may need to go to the hospital."

She was about to agree, when they were interrupted by Alan.

"Why must you talk about me like I'm not even here? I don't need to see a doctor. I'm fine."

Ellie could see that he was irritable. She knew how tough it was going to be to get him to accept the prospect of going to the hospital, but she was still worried enough to mention it.

"Okay. I'll tell you what. If you'll try getting to your feet now, Rob and I will think about not driving you straight to emergency."

Rob laughed.

"I think that may be the best offer you're going to get."

Alan laughed, too, and answered her offer by extending an arm toward her. Ellie grabbed one arm, while Rob grabbed the other. They got him to his feet fairly easily, accompanied by a few grunts and groans from Alan. The attackers had worked on his ribs very well, causing him a tremendous amount of discomfort.

"Maybe we should take him into Leon's. Take a look at his leg in the light," Rob suggested.

Alan wasn't sure about that, but he didn't continue to argue. He let them help him across the parking lot.

"We should call the police when we get inside, too," Ellie added.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" Alan asked, as they made it to the door.

Rob reached out and opened the door. Ellie kept a watchful eye on Alan as he continued to wince and groan. They helped him up the two steps and into the lobby. She finally answered his question regarding the police.

"Well, I think it's very necessary. Look at you. You can't even walk without help. That damn guy deserves a night or two in jail. And so does Greg."

"Greg was there?" Alan said, surprised.

"Yeah. He was the one who dragged you from the truck," Ellie answered.

"Guess he's still mad," Rob added.

Alan slightly laughed, wincing as he did so.

"We need to find the phone," Ellie said.

Alan felt the need to disagree, but decided to stop arguing with her. He was hurting too much to fight about it. The hostess approached them.

"Table for three?" she asked.

Rob laughed.

"Uh, no. But we do need to get my friend here to a stationary place . . . preferably a chair."

The hostess was a little flustered, but was able to figure things out when she noticed blood trickling from the mouth of the man they were holding up.

"What happened?" she asked, giving them a chair.

"It's nothing really -" Alan began to say, as Ellie and Rob sat him in the chair.

"Some men attacked him outside. One of them was Raymond, the tow truck driver," Ellie said, cutting Alan off.

"Oh, my," the hostess said, "Let me go get Mary."

The hostess left and few seconds later, Mary appeared. Mary was in her 60's, with graying hair, set in a bun. She was a very nice and kind woman, who cared about most people like they were her very own children.

"Jessie just told me what happened. Anything I can get for you? I'll call the police, that is if you want to file a report?"

Alan shook his head no, while Ellie verbally said yes. The difference in opinion confused Mary. While they were trying to clear up things, Rob noticed blood soaking through Alan's lower pant leg. He carefully pushed up the pant leg, seeing that the blood was coming from two or three fairly large holes in and around the scar where the stitches had been.

"Call the police . . . and an ambulance," he said, interrupting the difference of opinions, "this thing has opened back up. It's bleeding pretty well."

Ellie looked down and placed a hand over her mouth, showing her surprise and disbelief at just how bad it seemed to be. Mary ran off to use the phone.

Ellie pulled the truck in the driveway. When it stopped, she looked at her passenger.

"Why does it feel like we've already done this before?" she joked.

Alan looked at her and laughed. At that particular moment he was feeling no pain thanks to the drugs administered at the hospital. He opened his door first and began to get out.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ellie said, as she quickly got out and ran around the front of the truck.

He had already swung his legs around, but he waited as she instructed. She stood in front of him for a second, just staring at him. He pretty much looked like he always did, except for a wicked black eye that was sure to hurt for some time.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

She answered him by getting really close and embracing him.

"There's nothing wrong. I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She held onto him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder.

"I'm okay, Ellie," he whispered, running his hand along the small of her back.

"I know. I just want to hold you for a second," she said, still gripping him tightly.

She lifted her head to look at him again.

"Can we go in now?" he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Just a second."

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her tighter, as she leaned into him more. He was still sitting down in the truck. She began to cry on his shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered.

"I don't know."

She heard him laugh. It was very hard to explain the emotions running through her body and mind. She didn't want to sound corny, but she was just happy to be able to hold him. Who knows what would have happened if Rob hadn't shown up during that fight. They could have beaten him to an inch of his life. They could have paralyzed him. She could have lost him. She felt fortunate to be able to hold him and talk to him.

She finally let him go and began to assist him out of the truck. He saw that she was thinking about something, and then she pushed him back into the seat.

"Stay here. I'll get your crutches."

"Ellie, I can-"

She silenced him by pointing at him.

"You stay . . . I'll be right back."

He stayed put, not because he thought it was a good idea, but because he didn't want to upset her. He watched her go inside and come back out with his crutches. She handed them to him and then helped him out of the truck again. He winced as he limped toward the door, and with her assistance, he made it inside. She led him into the kitchen.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding and attempting to sit in a chair.

"How about that scrambled egg sandwich?" she asked, smiling.

"Sounds good."

She nodded and began to get out the items she needed.

"And then it's off to bed for you," she stated.

"Okay."

"You need rest," she added.

"Yes, ma'am."

She paused and looked at him.

"Uh, I mean dear. Yes, dear."

"Much better," she said.

She walked from the kitchen to take off the sweatshirt that she had borrowed from Rob's car, leaving on one of her usual tank tops. She noticed a rather large and nasty bruise on her upper arm. She didn't want Alan to see it so she began to put the sweatshirt back on.

"I didn't realize that you were hurt," Alan said, startling her.

She turned around, wishing that he hadn't seen it.

"You shouldn't be walking around," she warned, and then she looked at her arm again.

There was a major bruise that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her arm was hurting her earlier, but she didn't think much of it then. The bruise started at the tip of her shoulder and ran down almost to her elbow. She reached around, rubbing it with her other arm, trying to remember the exact circumstance that caused it.

"I'm fine," she finally said.

He walked closer, using the wall to help himself along, to get a closer look. Ellie could see that he was concerned and that the concern was turning to anger.

"It must have happened when Greg threw me against the truck. He was holding my arm really tight, trying to stop me from hitting him."

Right away, she noticed he wasn't getting any more cheerful.

"Alan, it's fine. I think I broke the kid's nose, so I was able to get even."

Alan frowned.

"Well, I'm definitely pressing charges now," he said, as he gently touched her arm.

"Those guys practically beat the hell out of you, and now you're going to press charges just because of a little bruise I ended up getting?"

"I wouldn't call it little."

Ellie laughed.

"I don't understand you sometimes. But, either way, I'm glad you've decided to press charges."

He nodded.

"I'll go to the police station tomorrow," he said, and then he added, "If I feel up to it, that is."

She assisted him back into the kitchen, encouraging him to sit back in one of the chairs. She stepped back and looked at him closely.

"You look like hell," she said, smiling.

He slightly laughed.

"I feel like hell."

"I'll take you to the police station tomorrow."

"Don't you have to work?"

"Tomorrow is Saturday. I can take a partial day off," she said, as she came closer to him. She gently touched his face very close to his black eye, "Besides, I know the boss. I don't think he'll mind very much."

Alan took her hand in his. She reached around and grabbed another chair.

"So, you and this boss guy. The two of you are close? Should I be worried?"

Sitting in the chair, she smiled and kissed his hand.

"Oh, yes. You should definitely be worried. He compares to no other man, sorry to say."

"Sounds like I should meet this guy. Maybe get rid of the competition, since I'm not ready to give you up," he joked.

Ellie closed her eyes and they kissed. It was a long kiss. When it was over, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I think it's safe to say that I'm going to have to keep both of you around, since I have no intentions of missing out on any of this."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him gently. The thought of being apart from this man in front of her was very difficult. Their days were numbered now. It was time for Alan to resume his teaching position in Colorado in about two weeks, while Ellie was heading to California to submit her thesis. They would have to settle for talking on the phone and a few visits here and there. And after that, if Ellie still followed the path she set for herself, she would hopefully be able to get an assistant teaching job by the January semester. It wouldn't be that difficult to stay away from Alan at that point, since he was due to go to Mongolia on a dig in January. She vaguely smiled as she thought about fast forwarding to next summer, when they would be together at the dig site again. She had already decided on making that a summer staple.

Alan was feeling much the same way. He sighed, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm going to miss this, too," he whispered in her ear, as he gently kissed her neck.

"We'll have the holidays to look forward to," she said, trying to make the future situation more bearable.

He lifted his head and looked at her.

"Two weeks. Two weeks and we go our separate ways," he said, caressing her hair, "It feels like it was yesterday, when I first met you on that dark highway."

"I know what you mean. But then I think of everything we've been able to do since then, and it seems like I've known you for years already," she said.

He smiled.

"Hopefully, the years are going by quick and painless," he joked.

Ellie loved his smile. It was a cute little crooked smile.

"I really do love you," she whispered.

He looked around the room and then rested his eyes back on her.

"You sure that other guy won't care?"

She laughed and playfully hit him, causing him to wince some.

"Oh, man, sorry about that," she said.

"I think I need a doctor," he suggested, pretending to be overly wounded.

She looked into his eyes. Just as he thought she might say something nice, she tricked him.

"Men are such babies," she teased.

He leaned in and kissed her again. They were interrupted by the phone ringing. Ellie sighed in disappointment, as she stood up and walked to the phone, picking it up. It was Rob. Alan listened to her talk to him for a second, and then she hung up the phone and came back over to him.

"He's going to pick me up in the morning."

"Why?"

"Because my car is still at the dig site. That way I'll be able to get it home tomorrow."

"Oh," he said, "Good thinking."

She nodded and turned toward the stove. In just a few minutes she had four scrambled egg sandwiches, ready for consumption. She sat on the chair again, handing Alan one of the plates. He was hungrier than he thought he was, as he wolfed down both sandwiches before Ellie was even finished with her first. She laughed.

"Take it easy there, cowboy. You're going to choke."

He didn't answer. He only smiled at her.