PN: Sorry for the wait, enjoy!

Chapter 49: The Visitors, Part 3

"Friendship! mysterious cement of the soul! Sweetener of life! and solder of society!" – Robert Blair

"The shifts of Fortune test the reliability of friends." – Cicero

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it." – Ralph Waldo Emerson


Sydney pulled into her driveway after spending a few hours out shopping and generally just bumming around. She was relaxed and content, having spent a few hours outside the safety of her home with Vaughn. She had resisted the urge to call home several times, and was proud that she had made it the whole time without doing so. She got her packages out of the car and maneuvered them towards the house, leash with Donovan attached awkwardly in hand as well. She pushed open the door and Eric and Vaughn were much as she had left them. At least they weren't still watching hockey she thought.

"Hey guys!" she said as Donovan bounded down the hall to his water dish.

"Hey!" Vaughn replied happily.

"Hey Syd," Eric added.

She looked down at the two of them, "Vaughn…Eric…were you good while mommy was gone?"

"Yes," they both answered.

"No beer?"

"No."

"No corn nuts?"

"No."

"No porn?"

They were silent. "Guys?" she said. They smiled at each other and still didn't answer. "Guys!" she said exasperatedly.

"No…no porn, honey." Vaughn finally answered.

She went to the bedroom and put away a few of the things that she had purchased. She came back out to the living room and sat down on the floor next to Eric and Donovan, who had curled up by the couch. They appeared to be watching a movie, but she couldn't tell what it was. They didn't seem to enthusiastic about it though. She waited a few minutes, seeing if the movie was any good, and then realized it wasn't.

"Hey did Tom call?" she asked no one in particular.

"No," they both answered.

"Hmm…that's odd…"

"Maybe he was just busy…" Vaughn offered.

"Yeah, but he told me he'd call right back, and the exercise thing is kind of important Vaughn."

"I know…he'll call…"

"What is this movie?" she finally asked, looking at Vaughn.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Haven't a clue."

"Then why are you watching it?"

"Cause we finished all the hockey and the porn tapes," Eric offered and received a swat from Sydney because of it.

They watched the really bad movie in silence, it was kind of engrossing, Sydney had to admit, once you got into it. They were all staring at the screen like mindless drones, when the doorbell rang. Sydney got up rather reluctantly and slowly made her way to the door, while still trying to watch what was transpiring on the screen.

She opened the door and turned, and found Dr. Tom standing in her doorway.

"Tom? Hi…what are you doing here?"

"I meant to call a long time ago, I got hung up, we had an emergency, but I didn't forget about you. I thought I'd just stop over, cause what I came up with is way too complicated to explain over the phone."

She moved out of the way so he could enter.

Vaughn looked over to the door, "Hey Tom."

"Hey Mike," he said.

Eric poked his head up over the couch, "Hey man, how's it goin?"

"Hey Eric, good…you?"

"Can't complain," he said sitting again.

"So how come you guys didn't tell me we were having a party?"

"Sorry man, it was kinda spur of the moment," Eric explained, "otherwise I totally would have called you…you could have brought the beer."

Tom smiled. "None for this one though, RIGHT?" he said as he eyed Vaughn suspiciously.

"I've been a perfect angel," he said.

Sydney added, "Really, he has…been very good."

"Ok…let's get started. I hate to interrupt you're…movie…here…wow, that's lame…" he stopped for a minute, "But strangely interesting…anyway…we need to work out this exercise."

He approached Vaughn and scooted Eric out of the way. Sydney followed, to observe for her further reference.
Tom moved the pillows so Vaughn was laying flat and then looked to Sydney, "Ok, until the shoulder is strong enough to pull on, this is what you're going to have to do…why don't you sit…"

Sydney took her place sitting on Vaughn's legs.

Eric looked over with interest, "Hey, Syd…you know we don't need any more porn tapes if you two are going to put on a show right now…should I get the video camera?"

"Eric, I'll kick your ass if you don't shut up."

"Ok, ok…just saying…you know, there's a lot of money in porn sales these days…"

Tom regrouped, "Ok…now here's how we're going to work this. We're going to use the sling to our advantage. You grip his right hand in your right hand and then grip his left with your left, so you'll be pulling him up with both of your arms crossed, it'll make it easier to pull him up. Ok, now you're probably wondering how you grip his left hand right?" Sydney nodded as she grabbed his right hand with her right. "Here's what we're going to do. See the part here where the sling and the strap connect? Yeah, I spent like a half hour figuring out how strong that connection point is, and it's pretty damn strong…strong enough that you can grab it and put pulling pressure on it. So, grab onto the actual sling, not his hand for now." Sydney complied. "Got a good grip?"

"Yeah," Sydney answered.

"Ok, now, pull him up into a sitting position." He backed away, letting Sydney do it, since he wouldn't be there to help other times; she needed to be able to accomplish it on her own.

Sydney made sure her grip wasn't going to slip then leaned forward and started pulling Vaughn up. He groaned and winced, but she got him up. She held onto him, counted to three and then eased him back down, still holding on to his hand and the sling.

"Ok, now let him rest for a minute, and then do it again…until you've completed six sets."

Sydney nodded, and helped Vaughn up and down three more times. After four, his breathing was very labored, and a slight sheen of sweat had started to form on his forehead. Pain was evident on his face. Eric was watching in concern, his brow furrowed as he watched his friend struggle.

Tom was watching closely too. Sydney was about to pull him up again, but Tom stopped her, "Ok…I think four's good for the first time…we don't want to hurt him…" He looked down at Vaughn. "You ok?"

"Great…" he croaked.

"Ok, Mike…this is what I was talking about. Now, you're probably thinking, 'all I did was sit up with help,' why am I so tired? But…just think, you haven't actually sat up in weeks…and you're injured on top of it. This is normal…you're going to get really tired…and I know it's going to bug the hell out of you, but you just gotta let it come with time, ok?"

"Yeah, that sucks Tom."

"I know…but that's how it's gotta be for now."

"Yeah, ok…"

"Sydney, just try to gauge his reaction…if one day he seems to be having a really tough time, or he's overly tired, go easy on him that day. We don't want additional injuries."

"Got it Tom."

"Ok, then I'm outta here…don't get discouraged…" he said looking at Vaughn.

Vaughn offered a weak smile as Tom walked out waving and saying goodbye. Sydney was still sitting on his legs, and after Tom left, she moved the pillows back and eased him back into them.

"You ok?" she asked Vaughn.

"Yeah…just winded…and sore…" He managed a smile.

"I'm sorry this is so hard for you Vaughn…"

"It's ok Syd…you make it much easier…and you too Eric."

Eric smiled happily.

"You boys hungry?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah," they both answered.

"Ok, what do you want?" she barely got the words out when the phone rang. She went over and picked it up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello sweetheart."

"Hey Dad," Sydney said quite surprised looking over at Vaughn, who's eyebrows peaked when he heard who it was.

"I was just wondering what you and Vaughn were doing for dinner. I mean, I'm sure you're not going out or something, I was just thinking I could…bring something over…help out…"

"Uh, sure…that'd be nice," Sydney said, the end of the sentence almost sounding like a question.

"Ok, what should I bring? What type of food?"

"Let me ask…" she put her hand over the receiver. "My dad wants to bring dinner…"

"He does?" Vaughn asked as if he couldn't have heard her correctly.

"Yeah…he wants to know what kind of food we want. Do you want him to come over, or should I tell him you're not up to it."

"No, it's ok…unless you don't want him to come over…" he turned his attention to Eric, "Are you staying for dinner?"

"Sure, " Eric shrugged.

"What kind of food?" Sydney repeated.

"I don't know," Vaughn answered. "Something not spicy – like I don't think Chinese would be a good idea at this point."

"How about Italian? You think you can handle pasta?"

"Yeah," Vaughn reasoned.

"Ok…" she moved her hand, "Dad? How about Italian?"

"Sure Sydney…what would you like?"

"Um, I'll have the pasta primavera," she looked to Vaughn, "What do you want honey?"

"Mmm…better stick with something with not too much sauce."

"What, like just buttered noodles or something?"

"Yeah, ok…"

"Buttered noodles for Vaughn, oh, and Eric's here too…"

"Certainly…"

"Eric?" She asked directing her question to him.

"Uh, I'm easy…spaghetti's fine…with meatballs."

"Ok…did you get that Dad?"

"Yeah…I've got it all…I'll see you in a little while then."

"Ok…"

"Goodbye Sydney."

"Bye Dad." She hung up and looked at Vaughn, "How weird was that?"