Chapter 6 – Lu Lu….times 2
Months had passed, the bar was back in full swing…then the pandemic hit and it got closed down…With the funds she had been saving up to treat herself to something, or a 'rainy day', Lu was able to quietly keep the staff on half pay, while officially terminating them, so they could collect and actually live on what they made. The three felons had made enough for Ray, or 'Joe College' as Lu started to taunt, to start his classes, which were quickly converted to virtual, for which he had no available computer, so Lu purchased a cheap one off Z-bay and had his partner in crime refurbish it. The school gave him a grant for the programs he needed, and he was up and running. And since they were neither working nor going to school anymore, she managed to hornswoggle the other two both into classes as well. First both were lined up for the local trade school…but after having put three computers back together, virtually on instinct, Jason made a solid case to transition to computer courses, and Lu relented. Jacob had a lot of trouble staying focused at home, with younger siblings running around, and no real classroom atmosphere, so Lu determined it might be better for the three of them, and a few others in similar circumstances, to study together, to a degree….She sent out invitations till she had 1 person per table, safely spaced out by Sheryll, Jess Clint and Kenny upgraded the ventilation system, Hana availed her to a higher gig router…and as time went on, Lu U was born….with a squad member, or sometimes Nelson or Marilou, proctoring to make sure attention was paid where needed and that only the Non-alcoholic beverages were allowed, whatever their age. When her grandparents were on duty, and her own schoolwork done, Tali sometimes strode the 'halls', to make sure her aunt's students were keeping to their studies, and not using the time and facilities for FacePlace or SnapThat…and none of the delegates would deny…she was the most stringent of any of them!
And as though not enough change had taken place…new faces came to town….
Lu had heard about Jess's father…in miniscule bits and pieces…and never in a positive light…but couldn't recall ever meeting him…even at the graduation…or the wedding…When Tali called to tell her he had arrived at the homestead…with a girlfriend…there wasn't a doubt in her mind rough times were ahead. She had been staying back from the Skye's, both to protect her own secret issues as well as her 'elders' health. After all, hadn't been her idea to have them involved in her 'school', but when Marilou was determined on something, there was no stopping her…Lu spent as little time at the 'school' as possible, and it all seemed to work out…but now…she had to step forward…
As she drove up, Tali was running toward the car, mask on, waving excitedly. Lu smiled broadly and honked back. Jess, who knew her secret, had come to see her at her apartment…some evenings, more 'carefully' than others…And there were times where she had seen Tali 'working' at the bar, but beyond that, the distance kept with her adopted family had been hard. That was all about to change, and her family was about to get bigger…maybe….
Parking, masking, and stepping out of the car, Lu saw Tali keeping an unusual distance….This saddened her smile a little, but she couldn't deny, she was proud of the girl's poise and control.
"Can I give you a hug?" the young girl asked shyly…
"I don't know…are you safe…" the older woman answered, tapping her chin in contemplation. Even with her face covered there was no denying the smile in her eyes. Near simultaneously, Lu's arm spread as Tali ran into them, as though it had been years, not mere weeks, since they'd last seen each other.
"…and who might this be, kidnapping my granddaughter from me" an unmuffled voice came coated in saccharin from the open barn door.
"Grandpa! Grandpa…..I'd like you to meet…then again you must have…."
"Mr. LaCroix….I'm Lu Lu….I'm…a friend of your son's…." Lu jumped in before Tali could finish her thought…the girl looked back at the woman, perplexed…Had her grandad Really never met her?
"So You're Her…..the Other Woman…."
Now it was Lu's turn to be perplexed….
"The other LuLu…my daughter Louise said…."
Relief showered over Lu's well covered face. "Yes indeed…Lulu and Lu Lu…we've had a number of…unique conversations like that…." She laughed. "But like Superman and Clark Kent, we're rarely in the same place at once, so that usually makes things easier…."
"Who's Clark Kent?" Tali piped in….
"Who's…." Lu slapped her forehead… "Looks like we have some work to do…" she smiled, cautiously, realizing the older gentleman had come out to meet her, a relative stranger, barefaced…with only a short beard for face covering.
"Well, from what I understand, friends are family around here….welcome!" He stepped forward to give her a giant hug, which she stepped back from, pointing at her gaiter. "I was tested a month ago…I'm fine…." He still smiled…
"I'm happy for you…." Lu smiled back, but her eyes held only distrust. "Tal, have you shown your grandfather Eve?" she shifted.
"Seen her, we've been virtual housemates!" He laughed, pointing at the lodgings he had been residing in, upstairs in the barn.
Noting the slight distaste in his voice, and partly wishing she could have him closer to his housemate than herself right now, she retorted. "Some lovely accommodations they've got up there, no? May not be the Four Seasons, but incredibly cozier and more convenient than some hotel, what….15-20 miles away?"
He started to catch her vibe…This was no little country bimbo his son's in-laws had welcomed into their home….this girl had fire….
"They are indeed." He resigned to her argument.
"Grandpa took me to see other horses too!" Tali chimed in once more. "Show her the picture!"
The man gave her a disapproving glance…"Pleeeeeeeease…." She corrected.
Byron drew out his cell phone, making a show of wiping it off with his handkerchief, then holding it with the cloth, he hit a few buttons, then extended his arm and showed the result to the new guest…
Lu, ignoring the superfluous display, leaned in to look at the picture, smiling at Tali happily atop what appeared to be a thoroughbred stallion...but once again, her covert smile did not last for long.
"Maybe you could come with us for our next trip…."
She didn't want to explain it to Tali….let alone to this guy….but a trip anywhere near where the this horse, or the man in the picture who appeared to own him, was….was the last thing she ever wanted….
As they all walked in together, she was greeted by all the others like the family she was. There were no masks among these residents but, while keeping hers on as she often did, she felt hugs were safe enough…The girlfriend, Marie, gave her a tight, unmasked, squeeze too, much to her chagrin, and Byron's apparent amusement. Lastly Jess pulled her in close too. She tucked her head into his chest, not wanting to even slightly press for the kiss she longed for…the one her true family had now grown quite used to...Having heard of the new arrivals from Tali, and not from him, she figured if he didn't want to tell her about them…he hadn't told them…about her….
The rest of the afternoon went uneventfully…until dinner.
Clint had excused himself before the meal that night, so the sides were uneven, but Marilou, seeing how Lu wanted to distance herself from the guests, placed her on the far side, between her and Tali. As the discourse in the room had taken a sharp turn, Marilou invited Tali to 'help in the kitchen', which even Lu knew was their clue to all gracefully exit stage left. Though she had no training as police or military, outside of helping them both study for their exams, she didn't want to leave Jess without back up, even against his own father…but she knew it wasn't her place. She silently consented to slip out of sight…but not out of earshot….
Taking a cursory cruise of the kitchen upon arrival, she knew there were more than enough hands to handle what was needed. With a quiet glance to Marilou, she slipped back through the hall, just outside the door of the dining room.
Meetings….GA for Byron, with what little she knew of him, this didn't phase her in the slightest…nor the fact he was in fact Not going….but Jess…AA?….obviously it was anonymous….but how hadn't she known…..All those nights, he had sat with his hands wrapped around the Jack….the Jack he had ordered….the Jack she had given him….the Jack he….he….He had never drank….That's when she started to realize, some nights she found it on the table…virtually untouched….some nights…she had even watched as Kenny, or one of the girls had stolen and downed it…Did they know?...He would order it on the especially bad nights…but by whatever…or whoever….he hadn't slipped. She nearly teared up in relief…making a quick mental note to mock up a flattened birch beer over ice, something he downright Hated, but would look like his beverage of choice, till it ever reached his lips, the next time he placed the order….if and or when things ever got back to normal…then went back to the conversation at hand…
Something they should tell him…Oh dear heaven what now? DON'T let her be Pregnant! She was nearly younger than they were…and Byron was…well though in a lot of ways still very much a petulant child….in no way chronologically!
Married….ok, dodged that bullet…at least for now…
But when she looked at Jess' own expression….he looked worse than when he had taken that one himself….
About a week later, Lu dragged herself out of bed, achier than usual…In the time between their relationship…budding…and his father arriving, Jess had spent a few nights over the apartment, and she had spent a few in the very same room Byron now kept…without complaint. Though those times she always made sure Jess was found coming out of his own room in the morning…There was no way they were fooling Nelson and Marilou…but they weren't her main point of concern.
It was her morning to monitor the students…Dang, she didn't feel like it…Her nose had been running all night…and though she'd ratcheted up the heat, she…
Ohhhhh crap…..no way…
She went over everyone and anyone she had been around…masks everywhere…online shopping whenever she could…Zero contact with anyone outside the family….and even then, in her mind being more careful for the GP's than herself, but either case, one or both of them were close, but still masked…and Nelson always made sure they stayed planted at the homestead, what they needed came to them….Tali had been distance learning since March…and Jess and the team been tested so many times Hana swore her sinuses had never been cleaner! So it couldn't be them….it could only be….
Calm down…she told herself…her doc would get her the script…with her condition, she would be able to get tested without an issue….at least without much…of an issue
Crap! Jess was supposed to be coming home…they had a date…like they always did the first day he came home, so as to keep Byron in the dark…It was so ridiculous, she thought. He paraded his child bride for all to see, while she remained in public 'friend of the family' status…Still, she wouldn't fight Jess on it…She could see the allegedly parental presence was already doing a number on him….She longed to be nearer to him….just to have his arm around her on the sofa…but she needed to play it cool for now…After all, she had done it for years, what was another week….or twelve, the way this guy was settling in…
So, call the doc, schedule the test…she would tell Jess they had to distance because he had just come back from out of state…it was bull and she knew it….it had never stopped them before…but it was the best she could come up with for now…if she had it…she couldn't give it to him…at least if his father hadn't already….
She got Jackie to cover her shift at the school that slowly began to masquerade once again as a bar at night, and made arrangements for their dinner…she was not up for cooking…That at least he wouldn't find strange…the more she tried to get things done…the more the nightmare of possibilities stormed her woken mind. He was in the house…with Nelson and Marilou….and Tali…if he…if ANY of them!
By some miracle, she was able to slip in for a test late that afternoon. As she got home, she knew her cough had gotten worse…She wasn't really religious, but Please God, just let this be a regular cold…bronchitis…the Flu even! None of them were ever fun or easy on her, but at least she'd know what she was in for…and though the way they made her feel, she sometimes wished it…it usually wasn't deadly.
She got home, managed to straighten up a little, then dove into her closet to find something he hadn't seen her in a million times, for which she found nothing…She settled on a newer pair of jeans and a top he had once complimented (in the early days when they were both just nervous about the dating in general, so she wasn't quite sure how sincere it was, but it's what she had to go with), and closed her bedroom door on her empty apartment to get changed.
Around seven, her doorbell rang. She had given him the key years ago, but damn if he wasn't 'old fashioned'. She had to laugh…she really didn't want to get up…but she had to laugh….
She still checked the peephole. She had watched way too many horror movies in her teen years not to. The expected had arrived. Her eyes teared…she wanted to send him away, keep him safe….at the same time she just wanted to bury herself in his arms.
Deep breathe…wipe the eyes…mask on…open the door….
He had such a bright smile on his face. She couldn't help herself…She dove right in and threw his arms around her. She couldn't...wouldn't kiss him…but she couldn't bear to keep the distance any longer….
"Welcome home." She whispered, trying to hold back a sob.
Jess didn't need his FBI training to figure out something was wrong...but what...He'd been gone 3 weeks this time. Not the shortest, not the longest…what could have happened to…
Just then, she pulled away with almost more power than she had pulled him in with, and ran full tilt to the bathroom…what followed was a sneeze that could have blown a tsunami over Atlanta…
No….no way…he thought to himself, drawing his own mask out of his pocket and wrapping it around. Knowing how…and where…she hid things, he started the search. Came up zero on cold medicines…but found the medical document, with a too familiar website….
He gave her the time she needed to collect herself and come out on her own. From the paper he knew she had just had the test, and she wasn't one to sit and stew or keep silent on important stuff, usually, so it had to be recent. But how? She had always been careful in the winter. And super careful this year...He knew almost everyone she came in contact with. Even her regular delivery guys masked up with no issue before they came in the place, never mind near her. Who could have….
The question answered itself.
She stepped out of the bathroom, recovered from the coughing fit that had followed the Cat 4 sneeze, and the fatigue both had caused thereafter. She could see in his eyes, he had already figured most if not all of it out…and had he extrapolated as she had…
"I'm more worried for Nelson and Marilou, more than me…"she insisted, sensing anything in the conversation previous to that was not really worth voicing now.
"So you think it's him too..." She nodded hesitantly in response, partly fearing he'd fly out that door with her answer and get into who knows what with Byron.
"I can't make any other connections…wish I could…"
"I wish you didn't have to…but that's….my father!" He spat. He began to step around the sofa to take her back in his arms, but she warded him off.
"NO…we can't…I can't…I shouldn't have…You…you can't get sick…You're too important…to too many..." her voice faded….what if she had already infected him.
"I don't care…"
"I DO!...Think of Tali….She can't lose both of you…." That cut him to the core… "Even the threat of it…which she lives Every time you leave…would be terrifying…To have you...leave…and be right in front of her…Strong as she is, she couldn't take it…."
He couldn't argue…He had to keep his distance…He had to protect his family…But how could he leave…her...
"I'll call Marilou…tell her to kick him out….kick them both out….at least to the barn…I'll send him packing in the morning…"
"No…you can't deliver news like this over the phone….You…you have to go…" It was the last thing she wanted to say, but at least she had seen him, and against her better judgement, held him, for a short time…Now for his safety and theirs, he had to leave…. "Call her so she can make the usual preparations…early….but don't tell her till you're there…"
"And how do I explain my…early arrival…"
"Tell her I had to work late…or we had a fight…just go….you know I can't fight you on this much longer…and the longer you're here…the longer…"
…the longer they were all being exposed…..
"At least, promise me you'll…take the cold and flu precautions and meds you told me about…till we know for certain…"
She could feel the certainty he sought in her aching bones, but she agreed. The test was taken, so it wouldn't disguise anything. If it was the virus, her usual meds and herbals wouldn't help…but they couldn't hurt…
For a man generally quick and determined in his movements, his exit was slow and painful….for both of them. She closed the door behind him. She had promised to take her meds and grab another hot shower, but all she could manage was to slide out of her clothes, lift on her nightshirt, and go to bed….
Jess arrived home after a short, and unusually curt, phone call with Marilou. She and Nelson had already retired for the evening, but Byron and Marie were downstairs with Tali after what her granddaughter had called 'a night on the town'. When he walked in the door, he could see Tali smiling and innocently enjoying herself with her granddad…She had on a new, fairly…mature, LBD on...and she was back with the makeup again…He remembered when she and Angelyne had fooled around with her mother's when the girl was younger. Even then, he wasn't that comfortable with it, but it had been all in fun, and on the rare occasions they were 'serious', his wife had always been one to go sparingly with it...which it appeared was not the case at all with Marie!
Still, as much as he wanted to burst in like a bull in Barcelona, he couldn't do that to Tali. Too much was at stake. He'd have to get her upstairs, and get his father, and his fiancé, Out of the house…
Things hadn't gone that night as he had hoped…Tali was more than a bit mad, and he finally apologized to both Nelson, who had heard about his earlier behavior that night from his wife, and Marilou, for the way he had spoken to her on the phone. At least he had gotten his father out of the house, though they were still upstairs in the barn. When he explained what had gone on at LuLu's and their suspicions as to how, it explained things much more clearly, but it didn't make them any better. Tali tried grabbing for her mask and jacket, insisting that she needed to be over her aunt's house right away. Nelson firmly but gently pulled his granddaughter away from the door, trying his best to console her. Marilou just stood, dumbstruck.
"What can we do for her…the poor thing…" she responded quietly.
"I…I really don't know…she's had the test…and will need to quarantine till the results are known. I'm going to let the team know, and I'll take a few days myself to tend to her…"
"Are you sure that's safe" Nelson spoke up, hating it. He had considered Lu almost another daughter for a long time now, but having her endanger his son, his granddaughter's father, was another matter…
"It's the only option. You know she doesn't have anyone else. The team, and all of you, have jumped in to help, more than once…but that's not possible this time. I've already been, exposed, if that's the case…Clint can captain if something comes up for them…I…I can't leave her alone…especially with everything else she's got…."
"Everything else?" Tali near whispered, walking steps closer to her father. The feline's claws were scratching the top of the satchel…He fell out and told them everything he knew about her condition….and why she couldn't be left alone…especially for this…
When he got to the end of the explanation, Tali jumped forward and nearly tackled him in his chair with a hug. Then as she slowly pulled back, she glanced quietly at her grandparents, then back to her father. "Go to her…." She stated as firmly, with all the confidence she could muster. "We'll pack you some clothes for tonight, then have more ready for you in the morning."
"You heard the boss…" Nelson gently chimed in, drawing her back to him just a step, then directing her up the stairs. "Get your father's, other, go bag ready…."
Holding on to the dwindling strength she had left, she nodded and flew up to the second floor before her tears could give her away….
Returning to the apartment, Jess thought to knock, but held back. If she were asleep, as he'd hoped, he didn't want to wake her. He reached back for his keys and found the one she had given him long ago...the one 'for emergencies', he had never used…Well, now definitely suited that ideal, as far as he was concerned.
He walked in to the still lit living room. There were no bottles on the counter, and not the slightest hint of steam from the bathroom, but there she lay…bundled up under a mountain of blankets…sound asleep.
And he was back to 'camping'….
For the next two days, Lu couldn't believe her eyes. Either Angelyne had Really trained him right, or he'd picked up a trick or twenty from Marilou over the time they had spent in her home… The apartment was no less than spotless! Though she herself barely had the strength to wipe spilled tea away, she could see him through the opened door, making breakfast, coffee, or another pot of hot water for the gallons of hon-tea they were both now drinking, sometimes with the actual stuff inside that he had ordered from the herbal shop she went to…He had folded and refolded his blankets, cleaned and reorganized her cabinets…and must have vacuumed the whole place at least four times! She knew part of him was just doing it to busy himself when she was sleeping, he was never one to sit listless in front of the tube for long, he was simply as worried as she was. And for as many times as she had brought up the website and entered the code, there was no rushing the results…there were thousands of people the world over doing the self-same thing for innumerable reasons…Like them, she would just need to wait her turn.
When the doorbell rang, she heard "I'll get it"…
Like there was really another option?
As he was about to bring her tray into the room, she boomed "DOOR! We AGREED!" When she woke to find him there that morning, she was a mix of pained and relieved, but she knew from that moment, beyond her own physical weakness, there would be no kicking him out, so she insisted he could do whatever he wanted….MASKED…in the rest of the apartment, put whatever he wanted to give her on a table at the door of her bedroom, and, to semi-quote an old Happy Goldman movie, she would 'commune her little sick a$$' in there for the duration. It was a one and a half bath, so the only issue would be his showering, which they'd just have to figure out at that time...he sure enough had to be working up a sweat out there, she laughed to herself…
He put the tray on the table and backed away, leaning on the back of the sofa, watching to see if she was progressing…or getting worse…
With a long, and she wished exaggerated, sigh, she threw the covers back. Though he had kept the heat up, higher than she knew he liked, she still felt chilled as the midday air coursed over her scant wardrobe. She repeatedly tried to sit up, but it was turning out more like doing crunches. She lifted her right leg, grabbed around her thigh, and catapulted herself into the seated position, but had to slam her palm to the mattress to stabilize herself, when the dizziness that followed nearly sent her right back. Though smirking a bit at the start of her gymnastic routine, upon seeing her wobble, Jess sprung from his seat, but Lu pulled out her right palm and pressed it towards his face…
"Oh no you DON'T!"
He stepped back again, but did not regain his seat…this was not progress…
Ok, she thought to herself…she was up…now to get the tray…The mattress was blessedly firm, so there was no give when she pressed down…but there was very little take from her legs as she tried to get up…after four attempts lead to little more than a three-quarter swat, and even more dizziness that followed, she self-conceded that it was better if he came in for a few seconds to bring her the tray, than who knows how long to pick her up off the floor and tend to her concussion…
"Ok" she relented, laying back down and waving him in. "Bring it in…but then you're back out…" she insisted.
"Yes Boss" He teased, thinking if Kenny could only hear him now. He scooped up the tray, flew to the other side of the bed, and gingerly placed it in the upper portion of the bed next to her.
"Now go…." She replied, trying to be patient, as she weakly wrestled the sheets over her.
He made a singular move to…
"No you don't! You KNOW where that's been….where you shouldn't be…."
"Where you know I want to be…" he returned gently. She bowed her head. She wanted him there too…But not now…
He reached to the dresser and handed her the husband. She hadn't used it since the previous night, so she couldn't fault him, much, for laying his hands on it. He had held her for a short time afterall…well, that was her fault…she prayed she wouldn't regret it…And she wouldn't have been able to reach it herself so she could sit up and eat. She'd just have to put it on the floor next to her when she was done.
"Ok, it's in….and you're back OUT!"
Doing his best one-man Marx Brothers impersonation, he jumped in place and scampered back to the doorway. She couldn't help but smirk at that. A man she had always known to be publicly straightlaced and serious, in private, could be so sweetly silly…so powerful in his job….but so gentle with her now…when he instinctively knew, no matter how hard she tried to push him away, she needed him…
"So…what are we having…?" She opened up the packaging…and sighed. American sashimi, double ginger and No Wasabi….with enough soy sauce to near drowned the fish had they still been alive. She looked up…he just grinned slightly…He was more of a Happy Family man than sushi…but he had probably ordered the Teriyaki from Lotus, as he usually did when they went there…He'd be content…and he knew she was happy…
She tried to find things they could to, together….but at a distance…She had her laptop, and he finally managed to figure out her remote on his own, so he made them each a bag of popcorn and they watched a couple of 90's movies…He had gotten some emails, but she wouldn't let him lay a hand on her system, so he had Clint stop by on his way back to the homestead to drop on off.
When he arrived, Jess was handed 3 black boxes…
"I made the mistake of calling the house to say I'd be late…When Tali found out why, she insisted I got to the house first, then come to you…She thought you…might be bored?"
Jess looked closer at the boxes and recognized one of his daughter's favorite games…the girl was brilliant!
"Thank you Clint…" Lu called sweetly from the other room. "NOW GO!" sprang forth in a less friendly voice.
"May the odds be ever in your favor…" Jess' brother-in-law smirked.
"Yeah…thanks for that…." He half grumbled and closed the door.
A few minutes later, a confident, snarky, feminine voice called out… "G…..27…."
"You sunk my Battleship!"
Dinner had come from a local burger place they both liked. This time, Jess let her order for herself, which was good as she went for lighter fare than she usually did.
"I'm ok…" She assured him. "With all the medications and stuff, I just don't want to push my stomach too hard…"
Another cup of tea, and 2 more rounds with 'Tali's terror machines', and Lu was curling up under the blankets to 'rest a while'….
In 20 minutes, when Jess came to see about a shower, she was out. He grabbed his nightclothes and silent stepped it into the bathroom and closed the door.
Next morning went along much like the previous. Jess made Lu a full breakfast, but seeing how soundly she was sleeping, and perhaps a little better than the previous night, as she had not awakened, nor snored half as badly…he just let her be…
She did wake, just a short time before eleven, and insisted on having the breakfast he had made, that was well past it's prime at that point, for brunch. He insisted on making a new set of eggs, to which she countered that the old ones should be set on a plate on the fire escape for the local ferals to nibble at…Jess shook his head, flipped the dried up mess onto a smaller plate like a pizza, and set it out for the cats 'as instructed', then set about correcting the issue, and making himself a BLT.
Couple hours later, doorbell rang again. On his way to, Jess was already talking through it…
"Clint, your niece is a Genius….Lulu and I spent…"
The words froze in his mouth when he saw who stood before him…
"Well, she's not my niece, but I knew right off she was a smart cookie!"
"What the hell are you doing here?" Jess growled.
"Well, after you so unceremoniously demanded our exit, Marie and I found lodgings…they're practically cross county but they're ok…."
"Why are you Here…." He repeated.
"Well, we didn't leave things too nicely last time we spoke, and I wanted to clear the air…kind of a Seasonal "Airing of Grievances" if you would…"
"But why…are…you…HERE!" and with the last word, what little restraint that was left in the specially trained agent, broke. He grabbed his father by the front of his collar, lifted and pressed him against the wall beside the door, nearly knocking over Marie in the process, who was standing just a few feet away…But that didn't even cause him the slightest pause at this point…
"What the hell is going on with you…Marilou said you've been here the past two nights…You just got home…barely seen your family…Thrown OUT the other part of it…All to shack up with some broad I've barely met…though you've apparently known her for years…"
"Barely met…Damn it if I had known what it would cause I would have made sure you NEVER MET!"
Just as things were about to escalate, Lu could be heard screaming with what appeared to be exaltation from inside. Both men's attention shifted immediately. Jess outright dropped his dad and flew into the bedroom.
"What's going on?" He asked in confused excitement. Byron and Marie had followed him in, but he didn't give a rat dropping about that right now…
"I'm clean….I'm sick as a dog…the tests came back…I apparently have a sinus infection…doc says if my balance is off, it may have spread out to my ears….but the test came back….I'm clean….NO COVID!"
"WOOOO-WHOOOOO!" Jess cheered back, wrapping his arms around her and hurling her out of the bed, then spinning around in relief…
"Easssssy there cowboy! Did you not hear me talk about balance issues?" she teased. He came back to himself a little, putting her back down gently on the bed. "We should still keep distance…I'm still contagious…"
"And if you ask Isobel, I probably have about 3 months sick time stored up! I won't be leaving your side by one inch!"
That started her laughing even harder than before. She reached out and hugged him, once again burying her face in his chest. He reached his finger softly round her throat and angled in for a kiss…but she held him back…Whatever she had, it was brutal and she didn't want him to have any part of it. But still, looking into his eyes, she couldn't resist completely, and jumped up for a quick, closed mouth, peck…then ran like a woodpecker up over his nose, cross to his cheek and down his neck, till she was back at his chest….where he just kept on holding her tight.
"Will somebody Please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Byron shouted from the doorway.
"YOU…" Lulu demanded. "You keep your distance…From EVERYONE!"
"What the?" he looked to his son for an explanation.
"Lu lu's been sick…she had all the symptoms…Everyone around hers been operating safely…everyone…."
"Everyone…except me…and Marie." Jess nodded. "But we were tested Jessie…I showed you the form weeks ago…"
"And I told you that day, that's not how this works! I haven't seen you wear a mask to a single place you've gone to or a single person you've been around! Just because you Were clear, doesn't mean you Stay clear…You can catch it any time…from anyone…they may or may not show symptoms…YOU may or may not show symptoms…But if you have it, even if you can fight it…you can give it to someone else…someone who may not be that lucky!"
"I know Marylou and Nelson aren't exactly spring chickens…neither am I for that matter…but we're all strong…You…Tali….."
"Nelson went in for an angiogram two months ago…Marilou's been on medication for going on 3 years now…You don't know everything about a person's medical history by looking at them….and when you add to yourself all the places you've gone, and people you've been around…again unmasked…the risk goes up exponentially…for you and for them…"
Byron's usual devil may care attitude turned to true reticence…. "I guess I never thought of it that way….and you, young lady…"
Lu lu went through all the barbed retorts she could think of…but she was already too spent to follow up on any of them. She just pulled tighter into Jess, remaining silent, and glaring at Byron.
"Ok, new plan…Marie," he looked to his fiancé, looking for her buy in, which she gave without knowing what she was actually to purchase, "and I…will mask up from now on…anywhere we go…Just not in the car…."
"Not in the car" Jess agreed. "But yes to the house…If…When you come to visit…."
"Rea…" Byron started to complain, but realized it was a bad bet. "Ok, but if we're outside…spaced out…"
"Outside, six feet apart…fine…but you are guests in their house….you have to show…at least basic courtesy…"
"I'll probably be doing the same from now on. Once I can come over at least…" Lu lu chimed in. "After all this, I'm around more people than they are, and even if we're all 'playing it safe', why risk it?"
"Alright…if you can do it…WE can do it…" Byron responded gregariously, which just brought the sullen look on Lulu's face back to full force. "And, if I haven't said it yet, I'm sorry you're not well, but happy it's not…as serious as we thought…"
"We still don't know you didn't give it to me…" Lu grumbled vengefully.
"Are we going to go back to that again…You don't have it!" Byron defended.
Jess stepped in and expertly neutralized the situation. "Whoever gave it to her, however she got it…we can make sure now that we've been around her….no one else gets this either…"
"Please Lord!" Lu responded. Byron merely nodded his affirmation.
"Ok, so who's up for some chicken soup…I'm sure there's a place we can order from somewhere around here…" Marie chimed in. Lu just buried her face deeper into Jess's chest.
"Sounds lovely…But I think what this…young lady…needs" Jess conceded, knowing completely just how much he was pushing his luck with his use of the pet name, "is rest…Maybe in a few days we can all get together again for a nice dinner…and"
"And talk about plans for the wedding!"
This time it was Jess, who held his tongue…
"In the meantime we'll leave you two lovebirds alone to…recuperate…or whatever it is you're doing…" Byon's devilish grin slurped over both sets of eyes.
Not wanting anymore to do with any of this situation, Lu just dropped her gaze and made to get ready to slide under the covers again, leaving Jess to handle the goodbyes.
When he returned to the room, a loud, high pitched sneeze, was heard from the main hallway…
"Do you think it was her…or him….?" Lu smiled in triumph.
"Hopefully they can find themselves a nice bowl of chicken soup…" Jess grinned back, shaking his head as he caught the pillow Lu whaled in his direction.
