Chapter 11

So far his day had been everything Steve had imagined it would be. He woke up that morning with not one but two women hovering over him. It had pretty much gone down hill from then on. He tolerated the constant attention from both ladieswith a controlled effort he didn't know he possessed. If it hadn't been for the couple of times that Jesse and one of the orderlies had gathered him up for a walk in the corridor he would probably be restrained and gagged by now.

Curiosity was also getting the better of him. He had tried several times to get in a word and ask about where his dad and Isaiah were. It seemed rather odd that neither man had made an appearance yet. Finally, after his futile efforts to avoid the rigid schedule that the women had planned, which included the obvious activities which totally embarrassed him, he managed to get their attention long enough to ask about the absence of both men.

"Excuse me. If you are through with your current bit of torture I was wondering if you could tell me where Dad and Isaiah are this morning? I'm afraid of what theymight beup to and I would like to know what it is before my captain contacts me demanding why I'm letting the two of them run loose."

"I've only just begun to torture you so lay back and relax! I have no idea where your father is at the moment." Mrs. Grant went on with her usual bustling about the room.

Steve noticed Emma avoiding him and trying to keep herself from making eye contact by rearranging the plants and cards that he had received since he had been admitted. Steve watched her for a moment before he confronted her.

"You know where they are don't you?" Steve narrowed his eyes at her and continued to observe the way she seemed to move about nervously.

"I don't always know what my husband has planned for his day. He isn't the type to be tellin' me his every move." She continued to move about the room trying to avoid being interrogated by Steve any further.

"I think that you do know this time, however. Emma, look at me. Where are they and what are they getting into now?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're atalkin' about. Now you hush up and settle down. There ain't noreason for you to be gettin' your shorts in a twist." Once again she managed to escape having to tell Steve what it was her husband and Mark were actully doing. She hadn't liked it herself but she also knew that when her husband got an ideainto his head it wasn't going to go away until he had managed to follow through with whatever fool notion he had planned. With the doctor in on it as well she knew she would be outvoted. Emma had held her peace and began praying that both men didn't wind up in jail or worse.

Unable to get anymore out of her at the moment Steve concentrated on his efforts on avoiding the next little project that his nurse had in mind for him.

DM

Clay Aston nearly jumped from his chair when a large older man barged through the doors like a rampaging bull. He stood over 6 feet and was toting a large rifle, which, with lightening speed, he aimed at the smaller man who was cowering behind his desk.

It was all Isaiah could do to keep a straight face. He wanted so badly to laugh when he saw the look of pure panic come over Ashton's face. He figured the prissy little man was probably sittin' ina pair of wet docker's by now. He hoped in a few minutes they would be filled with a bit more once he got through with his little charade.

"Don't be movin' towards that phone 'cause that little gal out thereain't goin' to be comin' to your rescue. I got her all tied up so she won't be callin' the police."

Ashton couldn't move and the only sound that could be heard other than Isaiah were the little whimpering sounds escaping from the younger man's throat.

Finally Aston found enough of his voice to ask with difficulty, "What is it you want?"

"What makes you think I want somethin'?" Isaiah continued to tower over Aston and the glare he directed towards him was enough to make any man fear for his life.

"You recognize this here gun? The police found it in my house. They said it was the gun what shot that boy. They say I shot him. You and I know that ain't true. Don't we?" Isaiah startled Ashton so badly when he yelled at him that for a minute it looked as if he might pass out cold.

"I..I…don't know what you are talking about." Ashton sounded as if any minute he was going to break down and cry.

Isaiah took advantage of the man's fear and continued with his interrogation.

"I think you do. I think you had someone come out to my place and shoot that kid and then you waited to see if I would try and get rid of him. Next time you hire a man to do your dirty work be sure he can shoot straight."

Isaiah continued to hold the rifle on Ashton delighting at the fact that now the other man was sweating profusely.

"If the police found that gun then how did you get it back?"

It was a fair question but amazingly enough without batting an eye Isaiah replied with a shrug and a grin. "I stole it when I escaped from their jail. You see, I figure if I'm goin' to be blamed for shootin' this gun and hurtin' someone with it I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. You got your affairs in order, Mr. Ashton? I'm getting rather tired of this conversation. I reckon I'll just get on with what it was I come here for. Especially since you ain't plannin' on tellin' the truth.

Isaiah squinted his eye and made sure he had Aston in his sights. He pulled the hammer back on the gun, his finger gently went around the trigger and Clay could see the tension as Isaiah began to pull on it.

"Wait. Wait. Please. Don't shoot me. If you do you'll be wanted for murder." Ashton was pleading for his life.

"I'm an old man, Mr. Ashton. By the time I make parole I'll be dead. If I'm going to jail I'm going for a reason. Now be still so when I shoot your head off it don't mess up your hair. Course I reckon you ain't goin' to care about that anyway are you?" Isaiah gave a maniacal little laugh that seemed to be Aston's undoing.

"I did order the hit on the cop. I'll tell the police. I hired men to go to your place and shoot him. I figured he would die on the spot and since you and your wife had already kidnapped him then you'd panic and try to get rid of the body. I wanted to frame you for the murder and then I could get rid of you easily enough. Please don't kill me." By now Aston was crying like a baby and Isaiah lowered the gun.

Mark and Jim Newman walked in then and Aston realized that he had been tricked into confessing. His tears soon turned into rage. He was a man who wasn't use to losing and he had just lost big time.

"This was just a set up wasn't it? You were never going to shoot me were you?" Aston spat the words out as two uniformed officers placed him in handcuffs.

"I reckon not. It would be hard since I ain't got any ammunition in this here rifle." Isaiah smiled feeling good about his part in the charade.

"Why?" Aston looked at Mark and Captain Newman. He had never gotten this close to the police before. He had always managed to keep his hands clean.

"I knew it was you who ordered the hit on the cop. I also knew that you would walk away and avoid charges being brought against you. I couldn't let that happen. That cop you had shot was my son! Do you really think I would let you get away with it?" The words Mark spoke were filled with anger and malice. He was grateful Aston was in custody at the moment. He felt sure, however, if given an opportunity, he would probably break his Hippocratic oath and first do some major harm.

As the officers began to escort him out Ashton turned back and looked at Isaiah and with defeat evident in his voice he asked the older man. "Why didn't you just sell when I tried to buy you out? I offered you ten times what that piece of rock and dirt was worth. Why?"

Isaiah stood up straight and looked Ashton in the eye. "Because that land is ours. I guess you don't know what that means. You been takin' from folks all your life. Nobody ever gave us nothin'. We worked for every rock, tree, and weed on that place. We earned the right to live there. I wasn't about to let you or anyone else take that away from me."

No one said a word as Ashton was led from the room. Mark moved over to Isaiah and placed his hand on the man's shoulder. Finally all three men turned and walked out the door. When they were outside Isaiah handed Newman the rifle. The men talked for a second and then the Captain shook Isaiah's hand and thanked him for his help.

Once in the car Mark turned to his new friend and offered his thanks as well. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate the chance you took in there. If you hadn't agreed to do this he would have gotten away with ordering the hit on Steve."

Isaiah turned to the doctor and grinned. "Shoot, Doc. I ain't had this much fun since I got that old bobcat treed up in the hills a couple of years ago. I knew he was gonna start blubbin' like a baby. He might be needin' a clean pair of pants before they take him too far." Isaiah was laughing by this time and Mark joined in.

They had only driven a couple of blocks before Isaiah turned back to Mark and on a more serious note explained why he felt the need to go along with Mark's unorthodox plan. "You know, Doc. I owed that much to you and your boy. If we hadn't taken him to begin with this wouldn't 'ave happened. He's a good kid and he didn't deserve any of this. None of you did. I am so sorry for everythin'."

"I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason. I hope you and Emma won't blame yourselves. Some good will come from this. In fact it already has. Clayton should have been put into custody long before now for the way he has preyed on people trying to get what he wants. He went up against the wrong people this time and he finally got what he deserves. Steve wouldn't want the two of you to feel responsible either. Now I think we better go and see who is ahead. My money is on Mrs. Grant and Emma. What do you think?"

"Ain't no doubt in my mind. I done seen the way Emma gets a hold of him. She didn't give him no slack at the cabin. That Mrs. Grant seems to be cut from the same cloth as that woman of mine. I say let's go and see if we can rescue him from them two hens a hoverin' around him. I'm sure by now he's just about ready to blow a gasket." Isaiah and Mark both began laughing at the mental image of what Steve must be having to endure at the hands of the two ladies who both seemed bent on keeping him under their control.

DM

As Steve made his way slowly down the hall with Jesse and an orderly flanking him one on either side, he couldn't help but wonder what the purpose was of having to be escorted around. He suspected it was more guard duty than support. After the morning he'd had with not one but two women ordering him around he was sure Jesse knew he was ready to make a break and run for it. His tongue was sore from the constant biting he had been doing in order to keep from saying something that would just get him into more trouble than he was already in.

Each journey into the corridor had resulted in him going a little further away from his room. He and his escorts had just rounded the corner of the hall when the elevator doors opened to reveal his dad and Isaiah. When Steve saw them he broke free and made his way towards them as quickly as his weakened body would let him. He managed to reach them before his reserve energy gave out completely. Isaiah and Mark saw the way he suddenly turned white and both reacted by grabbing him before he wound up on the floor.

"Boy, what's the matter with you? You move around like that and you'll wind up on your butt for sure." Isaiah started chewing him out as he and Mark began to make their way back to his room.

Jesse and the orderly caught up in just a matter of seconds. "You want to share with me what you were thinking? You could have fallen and hurt yourself. For someone who wants to go home as bad as you do your choices aren't so well thought out." Steve's sudden sprint towards his dad had startled Jesse and fear for his friend showed in the tone that he took with him.

All four men continued to harp at the poor exhausted patient as they drug him into his room. When Emma and Mrs. Grant saw the condition that Steve was being returned to them in, they both jumped up demanding to know what happened.

"I have no idea what's gotten into him. We stepped off the elevator and Steve almost pounced on us." Mark surveyed his son's face trying to read the pain level he was experiencing from the lines that were drawn across his forehead and around his mouth.

While he was being tucked back into bed and everyone seemed to be chewing on him at the same time, Steve shut them out and concentrated on his breathing. He was trying to ride out the pain that had enveloped his body when he made his rather hasty advance towards his dad and Isaiah.

Once he thought he could speak again he quietly but firmly demanded to know where Mark and Isaiah had been all morning. "I want the truth and nothing but the truth. Where were you?"

Both men looked at each other rather sheepishly before Mark tried to calmly explain to his frustrated son about his plan to get Clay Ashton to confess to his part in the land fraud and the fact that he had ordered the hit on Steve.

"You what? Dad, how could you? Do you know what might have happened?" Steve was livid at what he had just heard. His father was notorious for his outlandish schemes but at least most of the time Steve was able to be around if things didn't go according to plan. He was furious with his dad for taking such a chance with himself and Isaiah.

"You could have both been hurt or worse killed. You can't just go around and put yourself in danger like that, Dad." He would have continued with his tantrum but Mark stopped him with his next words.

"I did what I had to. You were shot and nearly died. How can you lie there and believe for one minute that I was going to let that…that… excuse for a human being get away with it? Yes, we took a chance but not without police protection and the approval of Captain Newman and Neil Burnside. It was a well thought out plan and nothing happened except that Ashton confessed and is now going to get what he deserves." Both father and son glared at one another for several seconds. The silence was so thick it could be sliced with a knife.

Finally in a more controlled tone Mark stepped up to his son's bed and grasped Steve's hand in his own. "For almost two days I sat and watched as you struggled for each breath you took. I prayed each one wouldn't be your last. This man knows nothing but how to steal from innocent people. He has taken all his life. Not one time caring about how it affected the people he targeted. Well he tried to take from the wrong person this time. I couldn't and wouldn't let him get away with that."

Steve lay back and watched his father for a few minutes and then finally, a lot more calmly, he apologized. "I'm sorry. I know it's not easy when something happens to me, it's not easy for you when I go to work every day. I can't change that, Dad. There's been no complaints, only support and I appreciate that. It isn't easy for me, knowing that I am the cause of so much worry for you. The thing is, Dad, you put yourself on the line too many times and that drives me crazy. I try to handle it when I can be there and make sure things go as planned. But when I am stuck here and you go off and pull something like this it makes me feel helpless. I love you, Dad. If anything ever happened to you because I wasn't there to see to your safety I don't know what I would do. Please, promise me that you won't do this again without me, ok?"

"Ok. I'd ask you to promise me you won't get hurt anymore but I'm afraid that would be more than you can deliver. Trouble seems to follow you around like a shadow." Both father and son fell silent and let what hadn't been said speak to their hearts.

A tap on the door brought both men around and they realized that while they had been having their discussion everyone else had silently left the room. Jesse stuck his head in and asked if the coast was clear yet.

"Come on in. I think we've come to an understanding. I'm sorry. We never meant to chase you out." Mark apologized as the others returned to the room.

"It's ok, Dr. Sloan. We just felt like you and your son needed some privacy. Jesse took me and Isaiah on a nice tour of the floor. He even took us down in the elevator to see where that sweet Dr. Bentley works. I don't understand why she likes to work on those dead people though." The look and tone of her voice showed her shock at how her new friend spent her days.

Everyone stood and listened as Mark and Isaiah relived their morning's adventure. Eventually Mrs. Grant noticed that Steve was having some difficulty keeping his eyes open. She began to shoo everyone out of the room so that she could settle him for a much needed nap. He was so tired that he never said a word but went straight to sleep. His morning work out seemed to have exhausted him, and he was more than ready to give in to the need for rest.

It was the first thing he had done voluntarily and everyone was relieved that he had not chosen to voice his usual opinion about the nap and soon he was left alone with just Mrs. Grant keeping vigil over him. It had been a long day and Mark felt like the Tanners had been a part of enough excitement for a while. After making sure the staff would call him if they needed him for Steve, Hh took his guests back to the beach house for the evening.

A/N: I just wanted to say thank you for the well wishes for my return to health. I truly appreciate them. I'm back to my old self now and ready to wrap this story up. Yes, just one more chapter after this. Thanks again for the kind reviews and for the interest you have shown in the story. I have so much fun writing and even more fun hearing from all of you. Please have a blessed day. Belinda