Chapter 7

After he finished examining Jack, Dr. Merar closed his bag up, saying, "Well, Jack, once again I'm seeing some improvement. You have more motion in your left arm and shoulder. You can stand on the left leg for a bit even if you can't really move it much yet. And your 'no' is coming out loud and clear. Now – how about another word? Try 'yeah' if you can't say 'yes.'"

Jack took a deep breath, and said "Aye."

"Say it again," the doctor said.

"Aye," Jack said, a little stronger.

"All right," the doctor said. "We have 'no' and 'aye' for 'no' and 'yes.' Is there anything else you want to try to say, Jack?"

Jack shook his head.

"Say the word," the doctor said.

Jack actually smiled a little as he said, "No."

Jarrod and the doctor noticed something else and smiled at each other. Dr. Merar said, "Jack, that smile came from both sides of your face. You're getting some movement back on the left side. That's a good sign, Jack."

Dr. Merar looked at Jarrod and nodded to him. Jarrod chose his words carefully. "We need to talk about your family, Jack. Just listen for now. I saw Frances yesterday. She fired Jordan Williams – her lawyer – and she hasn't hired another, so I was able to talk to her. You know, Bill Bridger has left her, so she's all alone right now. You know how emotional women can get when they're going to have a baby, and with everything happening on top of it – well, you can imagine, she's only hanging on right now."

Jack closed his eyes and tried to say something. His mouth tried to form what looked like a "k" but all that would come out was "Ih – "

Jarrod thought maybe he understood. "Are you asking about your sons?"

"Aye," Jack said wearily.

"I saw them last night," Dr. Merar said. "They look healthy and well treated, but Jack – something needs to be done if they're going to stay that way."

Jack's eyes darkened. He looked at Dr. Merar.

Jarrod said, "Jack, we'd like to get the boys out here and we'd like to get Frances out here too. They'd stay in that small house we have. They wouldn't be alone. I'm not sure Frances will agree to this, though. Even if she won't come, I'm not sure she'd let the boys come, and that brings us to some very serious possibilities. Jack – your competency could be challenged if you tried to make legal decisions for your family, but the final truth is this. If it comes to Frances not being capable of caring for those boys, the sheriff is going to have to petition to take the boys away from her."

"No – " Jack moaned. "No."

"There may be no choice, Jack," Jarrod said. "It would help if you told me that I can tell them that you want them out here. Let me tell them you want to see them, the boys and Frances."

Jarrod didn't even get to finish his argument. Jack said, "Aye – aye – aye," even before Jarrod could start another sentence.

Jarrod said, "All right, Jack. The doctor and I are going to go see Frances right away. We'll do everything we can to protect your children – all of them."

Jack nodded. And then he started to fight to get some other word out. "Uh –" came out. And again, "Uh." Then, once more, "Uh- ff."

Jarrod thought he understood. "Am I to tell them you love them?"

"Aye," Jack said.

"Frances too?"

More slowly, Jack said firmly, "Aye."

Jarrod smiled. "You rest. We'll send Heath and Audra up with some breakfast – and coffee is all right, doctor?"

Jack had only been drinking water. His eyes perked up at the word "coffee."

"Not too hot," Dr. Merar said.

Jack's face smiled again.

Jarrod hustled downstairs and to the foyer, where he found Heath and Victoria talking. Whatever they were saying to one another reflected oddly in their faces. Jarrod didn't really understand or know how to ask what was going on, so he just said, "The doctor says Jack is doing better, and Jack now says he'll let Frances and the boys come see him."

Both Victoria and Heath looked very relieved. Heath said, "When I asked him about Frances and the boys, it was still 'no.' I'm glad you got him to budge."

"It was probably the doctor who got him to budge, not me," Jarrod said. Then he asked. "What's bothering you? Is something wrong?"

"No, not exactly wrong," Heath said. "It's just that with him working out there with us, and now these past few days me working with him in here, I've gotten to know the guy. I never really did before. And I like him. I just kinda feel bad for him – all this happening with his marriage and this stroke keeping him laid up – just a load of rotten luck all hitting at the same time."

"In the meantime, your help has been invaluable," Jarrod said. "You working with him has really gotten him moving along. He couldn't have come this far without you. And I thank you, Heath. Jack will be thanking you someday too, when he gets the words, and he'll get them."

Jarrod gave Heath a gentle slap on the arm and a little smile. Heath gave another nod. "If there's anything else I can do to help you get things straight for him and his family."

"I'll let you know," Jarrod said.

XXXXXXX

Jarrod rode with the doctor into town, but they got a shock as soon as they reached the door of the Main house. The sheriff was there on the porch with Mrs. Haley, and Mrs. Haley looked distressed, then relieved when she saw the doctor.

"It's Mrs. Main," Mrs. Haley said quickly. "She's gone into labor, doctor, too early. She needs you right now."

"Where are the boys?" Jarrod asked as the doctor hurried inside.

"Jack Jr., the oldest boy, he ran over to get me about half an hour ago," Mrs. Haley said. "They refused to go to school, so I sent them off into the back yard." She hurried back into the house.

"Maybe you can talk to them and tell them their father is improving," Sheriff Madden said hopefully.

Jarrod nodded. "He is improving. I'll go talk to them. The family has talked about getting Frances and the boys moved into that small house we have on the property. Obviously that isn't gonna happen today, but if Frances consents I'll take the boys out to the big house, especially if she has a rough delivery."

"Jack's agreed to see them?"

"Yes," Jarrod said, "and Frances too. Nobody expected that baby to start coming today though."

"Maybe it's a false alarm," the sheriff said.

"I hope so," Jarrod said. "You get on back to your work. I'll talk to the boys and keep an eye out here and send for you if we need you."

"Good luck," the sheriff said and left.

Jarrod let himself through the gate at the side of the house and went into the back yard. The Main boys – Jack at 11 and Randy at 8 – were tossing a ball back and forth but there was no enthusiasm behind it, and they stopped the moment they saw Jarrod approach.

Jarrod had never spent much time with the boys, so he didn't know what to expect from them when they saw him. He said, "Hello, fellas. I'm Jarrod Barkley. I work for you father."

"You're his lawyer and he's staying at your house," Jack Jr. said.

Jarrod drew closer and sat down on the edge of a table there so he'd be more eye-level with the boys. They came closer and faced him. "That's right," Jarrod said. "He got sick out at our house and we're taking care of him until he gets better."

"Is he getting better?" Jack Jr. asked.

"Yes, slowly, but he is," Jarrod said. "What has your mother told you about him?"

"That he had something attack his brain and he can't move or talk."

"Well, he's gotten a little better over the last few days. He can say some words now, and he can move a bit better. He always could move his right side but at first not his left, but even that's getting better. He shaved himself this morning and stood up for a while to do it, and he can say 'yes' and 'no' now so we know he understands what we're saying. The doctor is pleased with how he's doing."

"But he's not coming home yet," Jack Jr. said.

"No, not yet," Jarrod said, "and I know your mother is not so good this morning. She might be having her baby. We don't know yet."

"What happens to us?"

"Well, that's at least a little bit up to you," Jarrod said. "Your father wants you to come out to my house, if you want to and your mother will let you, but for now we have to stay here to see how your mother is doing."

"Is she gonna die?" Randy asked, the first thing he'd said.

Jarrod said, "I don't know how she is yet, Randy. The doctor is with her now and we'll know more in a while, but when babies are being born, it can take a while."

"And we're just supposed to wait out here?" Jack Jr. asked.

"For now," Jarrod said and stood up. "I have to wait too. Can I toss the ball with you for a while?"

Randy was holding the ball. He looked at Jack Jr., and his brother gave him a nod. Both the boys backed up, and Randy tossed the ball to Jarrod. The boys kept backing up. Jarrod threw the ball to Jack Jr., and for now, they kept at it.