Chapter 9—Underhandedness
1
Callen made his way to Room 215. Again, he stood outside for a few minutes before he entered the room. He watched the nurses rebandage Anna's side. When they were finished, Callen knocked on the door, and then entered the room.
Anna smiled at him. She lay still, and waited for him to lean over to kiss her. She held onto him as best she could.
One of the nurses noticed, and chuckled as she exited the room. She knew them both from Callen's experience from some years back, and hoped they were in a better place than before.
Callen kissed her again, and then dragged the clunky chair over and sat on its arm. He held her hand.
"You okay, baby?"
"I'm okay, Callen. They just fixed my side, so it feels better now."
He pulled up her shirt so he could see. "No more Ace?"
"That shouldn't have been put on me in the first place."
"Okay." He leaned over and kissed her side. Then he put his hand on it, feeling for heat. "Seems okay."
"Because it is, Callen! It hurts, but it's okay." She moved his hand so that it was on her face. "I missed you last night."
He nodded. "We all missed you, too, Mama. I let the kids sleep with me."
Anna grinned. "How did that go?"
"It was fine. No problems out of the ordinary. Nikolai took over!"
She laughed. "What about Raisa?"
"Nothing. We'll worry about her when you get back on your feet," he replied. "The other two girls are fine. Anna, the kids stepped up when they had to. I was very proud of them last night."
2
Her eyes shone. "That is so awesome! Makes me feel good, too." She moved to hug him, and her side twinged. "Oh, oww, dammit!"
With her movement, her bells and whistles went off, and the nurses came running.
"What happened?" asked the lead nurse.
"Nothing," Anna said. "I tried to hug him!"
Callen's sharp eyes and ears caught an objection. "Please don't," he told the nurse. "We know. She is okay. In fact, is she allowed to sleep on her side?"
"Yes," said the same nurse.
"This is good to know," he replied. "Is she due for any pain meds?"
"Shortly," the nurse said. She and her team left.
"Thank you," Callen answered. "Baby, sit up some, please." He smiled mysteriously, and poked his phone. It took a moment for Kira to answer the Zoom call. He spoke to her for a few minutes, and then asked her to tell the other kids to turn on the house computer.
3
"Mama! Mama!" Nikolai cried when he saw his parents on the screen.
"Hey, my baby," Anna said to him. "Papa said you are helping him."
"Yah, Mama! Papa gived us some soup today, and we had some chicken nuggets and pizza last night," Nikolai added.
Anna laughed.
"And, Mama! Kira said we didn't have to do our homework! But Papa said we had to," he said mournfully.
"Nikolai, you know better than that," Anna said.
The little boy grinned. "I know, Mama. You come soon, Mama? I miss you."
Tears stung Anna's eyes. "I miss you, too, baby," she told him. "Let me talk to Kira now, please."
4
"Okay, Mama! Bye!" He jumped down from his chair to make room for Kira.
"Hi, Mama," the teenager said shyly.
Anna studied her child's face. "Are you okay, Kira?"
"Sort of," she replied. "Mama, I helped Papa. I watched the kids while he was visiting you."
"And what else, baby?" Anna wanted to hug her.
"Mama, I like helping, but being an adult is too hard for me!"
"You're okay, Kira. Papa told me you did a good job," Anna said. "I love you, baby."
"Guys, please. Put Raisa on," Callen said.
5
"Raisa?"
"Hi, Mama."
Anna frowned. "Raisa, are you okay?"
"Sure, Mama. I want you to come home!"
Anna shook her head. "Not yet, baby. The doctors said I have to stay for a few more days."
"No! I want you to come home!"
Callen made "cut" marks, signalling the other children to take the phone from Raisa. Anya took it.
6
"Hi, Mama!" Anya almost shrieked.
Anna laughed. "Hi, baby. Are you okay?"
"Yah! Mama, Papa let us sleep in his bed with him!"
"He did?"
"Yah! I got to sleep in the middle! It was all squishy! I was between Nikolai and Raisa."
Anna grinned. "And nobody fooled around?"
"No, Mama! Papa wouldn't let us. We had to be behaved."
Anna laughed. "I love you, baby. We'll talk later, okay?"
"Sure, Mama." Anya poked the phone off.
7
Callen poked his phone off, and put it in his pocket. Then he joined Anna in laughing.
"Thank you, my love," she said. "I really needed to see them."
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I know you did, baby. I'm glad it was so fun."
"Oh, Callen, it was very fun," Anna chirped. "Can we do more later or tomorrow?"
"Probably. It depends on whether or not they go to school."
Had she been able to, Anna would have sat bolt upright. "Grisha Callen! What did you do?"
He smirked. "Not a damn thing!" He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I need to get going," he said softly, kissing her again.
She put on her saddest face. "Already? I want you to stay."
"I know you do, baby, but Roberta and Arkady are out of town, and there is no way I will leave the kids alone for that long!"
Anna smiled slightly. "I know," she said. She put up her good arm, and he leaned over into her grip. She pulled him down until his head was resting on her chest. "Moya lyubov'," she murmured.
Callen snuggled into her, and then kissed her under her chin. Then he propped himself up so he could give her a proper kiss. "I love you, baby."
Anna kissed him with every ounce of feeling that she had. Before they broke apart, he handed her the undershirt from his pocket, and she smiled broadly, which broke the kiss.
"Thank you, my love," she said, with her eyes shining. Then she squeaked and moaned a bit, and he gently helped her turn onto her good side.
He pulled her blankets up, and covered her up to her ears. "You okay, baby?" He squatted alongside her bed so that he was face-level.
She smiled at him. "I'm very okay," she said. She leaned slightly forward, and he kissed her.
"I'll see you later, my bat baby," he said, standing up, and wishing he could stay with her. He touched her face softly, and then took his leave.
Anna unscrambled the undershirt, and then crumpled it so she could lay her face on it. She was thrilled being able to smell his scent on the shirt, and she settled down for a nap.
8
The children mobbed him when he got home.
"That was so fun, Papa!" Anya exclaimed.
"Can we do it again?" Kira wanted to know.
"Guys, let me get in the house, okay, please?" Callen cried. He made his way to the coffee table. "Come and sit on the couch. He waited until they were all assembled before he spoke again.
"Mama was very happy to talk to all of you," he said. "Even better for her was seeing you—"
"We liked seeing her, too!" said Anya.
Callen chuckled. "Yes. So did I!" he quipped.
"Hey! Papa, that's not fair!" Kira objected. Then she laughed. "I'm glad that Mama feels better."
"I am, too," her father said. "Here's the deal, guys. We're all having some lunch shortly, and then we're all going to lie down in our own beds for a little while."
"What if we don't want to?"
"Not a problem, Raisa. I already told you what you're going to do today if you mess up," said her father, "and that hasn't changed. Raisa, it's your choice, not mine."
She glowered at him. She was very confused about how she could convince him that she was the boss.
The lunch break passed without incident, and Callen was glad. He fed his children some more soup and sandwiches, and then he tucked each one into his or her bed. He kissed them all, and then went to his own room. He closed the blinds in his room, and then turned on the dim lamp. He laid down, and immediately cuddled Anna's shirt as he snuggled into his pillows. Sleep overcame him almost immediately.
9
Raisa never went to sleep. She laid on her bed for a little while, and then she got up. She very quietly exited her room, and wandered down the hall. She hesitated when she got to her father's door. Raisa was very aware that she was not allowed in his room, but she wanted to know why none of the kids were.
Surreptitiously, she opened the door, and she failed to close it behind her.
Raisa was very surprised to find the room dark. She glanced at her father who was sound asleep on his stomach. He briefly rubbed his face, and then changed direction, causing Raisa a moment of panic. But, he didn't wake up.
She thought the nightlight was silly, but she left it alone, and continued on her journey to the bathroom. She stood in the doorway and looked at everything. There was nothing magical about it. She closed the door, and turned on the light.
A regular bathroom was all she saw. It was a very pale blue with snow white curtains, and the shower curtain was decorated with snowflakes. The laundry basket was by the door, and half full. The sink had nothing on it except for a soap dispenser, and the back of the toilet had only a squat vase filled with colorful fake flowers.
Looking around, Raisa focused on the doors under the sink. She pulled them open, only to discover that one side had two packs of toilet paper, and the other side had stacks of assorted towels and washcloths. In the middle, there were two sets of peri bottles. Raisa frowned.
Then she yanked open the top drawer, and discovered her mother's makeup and perfumes. Her parents' deodorants were there as well, along with her father's shaving supplies. Not exciting at all.
She almost didn't open the bottom drawer, but changed her mind at the last minute. Raisa jerked open the drawer, and was very shocked by its contents. There were several packages of light pads, a few boxes of tampons, and in the back, there were quite a few packages of nursing pads and a trio of boxes of heavy-weight lochia pads. She did not understand why her mother had any of the items in the drawer.
On a whim, Raisa climbed up onto the sink counter. She was very curious about the medicine chest. She opened the door wide, and glanced in. There were all kinds of bottles and medicines within. Some of the bottles appeared to be from doctors, and the little girl wondered why. The bottom shelf had spare bottles of liquid soap, and the remaining shelves had the medicines, her father's aftershave, and some perfumes.
She took a uniquely-shaped bottle off the shelf and looked at it. It said Guerlain Shalimar Eau de Parfum, and it smelled like vanilla to the little girl. Then she took a sandalwood-scented black bottle of Creed's Green Irish Tweed off the shelf and opened it. She made a face, and put it back.
Raisa then took a bathroom break. She sat with a smug look on her face. She stayed for a little while, and then pulled herself together, including washing her hands. On the way out of her father's room, Raisa turned off the dim lamp, and left the door opened a crack. Then she went back to bed.
10
Anna woke up feeling rested. She had enjoyed the Zoom call with her children, and she relaxed because of it. She also loved having Callen's shirt with her. She clutched it in her faulty arm, and was not willing to part with it.
The doctor stopped by to check her arm and her side, and he was pleased with her progress.
"When can I get the staples removed?"
The doctor shook his head. "Not quite yet. Another week or two."
"Two?"
"Yes. Ms. Kolcheck, your wound is pretty deep, and it needs as much time to heal as possible while its stapled and wrapped. I do not want it to split apart."
"Oh, God, no! No! I don't either!" Anna exclaimed, grasping her side. "Doctor, do you know when I can go home, please?"
"No, but maybe by next weekend, with bedrest. You'll also have to have a Home Health Care Team tend to your wound."
She grimaced. "Doctor, is there any way my husband can tend to me, please? We both have had far more serious wounds than this."
The doctor frowned. "Would he be able to change the dressings twice a day?"
"Yes, absolutely."
He looked at the pretty woman in the bed. "May I ask how you and he have had more serious wounds?"
"Sure," she replied with a smirk. "We've both been shot more than once, and blown up occasionally."
"Excuse me? Say what?"
Anna smiled. "We are government agents," she offered by way of explanation.
"Ohhhh," he said. He shook his head, and then took his leave.
Anna lay back and laughed.
11
A change in the air temperature of his room woke Callen. He was disgruntled because the room was pitch dark. He sat up and looked around. The room was dark, and it irritated him to no end. Even the door wasn't closed properly. An intense anger coursed through his veins as he climbed down from his bed.
He opened the blinds, and then made his way to the bathroom. He sensed that someone had invaded his privacy, so he glanced around to make sure everything was in place. Then he discovered the unflushed toilet. He became ballistic. After taking several deep breaths, he was able to calm down. Then he sat on the edge of the tub until he calmed down some more.
When he was ready, he took a hasty sponge bath, and then sprinkled himself with the Irish Tweed. He knew that Anna enjoyed it on him, and he became very happy in anticipation of seeing her later in the afternoon or evening. He took great care in getting dressed, and then carefully selected one of her prettiest blouses and a black midi skirt to bring with him to the hospital; he spritzed some of the Shalimar on the blouse. On his way out, he checked the dim lamp, and then opened his blinds. Then he joined his children downstairs.
12
Kira smiled when she saw her father. She sniffed the air, too, and her smile grew. "Papa, what's going on?"
"Nothing, baby," he said, carefully placing Anna's outfit over the back of her dining room chair. "Did you guys sleep good?"
"Yes, Papa," said Anya. "I'm glad we took that nap."
He nodded. "So am I, baby. What are you fixing us for dinner?"
Anya frowned. "Us? We're fixing dinner?"
"Why not?"
"Because we don't know what to fix," Kira said.
Callen sat at his place. "Maybe fix something that tastes good?"
Kira caught the twinkle in his eyes, and suddenly realized why her mother was so attracted to him. She grabbed him by his face, and then planted a kiss on his forehead.
"Papa, you are not helpful," she said in perfect imitation of Anna.
He grinned. "Would you guys like more pizza?"
"Yes, Papa!" hollered Raisa and Nikolai.
Callen nodded. "Then we'll do that. Unless you want some McDonald's or Wendy's."
"Papa, stop that!" Anya cried, laughing at him. "Why are you so fluffy tonight?"
Both Callen and Kira laughed. "Because I feel good," he said. He stood up, and pulled some money from his wallet, and handed it to Kira. "You did a good job the other day, so I'm not worried about tonight."
"Papa, you hug Mama?" Nikolai asked, grabbing onto his father's leg.
Callen picked up his little boy. "Yes, Nikolai. I am going to hug Mama." He kissed Nikolai's cheek. Leaning his forehead against his son's, he added, "I think I'm going to kiss her, too."
Nikolai laughed and hugged his father tightly. "Okay, Papa."
"Will you help Kira tonight?"
"Yes, Papa," he said, climbing down from his father's arms.
"Good job!" Callen cried. "I'm leaving in a minute, so, I'll see you all later, or do you want me to call Uncle Sam?"
Kira looked at her siblings, all of whom shook their heads. "No, thank you, Papa," she said. "We got this."
"Thank you, baby," he replied. He went into the living room and found the remote, which he handed to Raisa. "You're in charge of tonight's movie."
She was shocked, as were her sisters. "Thank you, Papa!" she gasped.
"Remember, you're all going to school tomorrow, so nobody can stay up late."
"Oh, man," Anya said.
"Oh, man, my foot!" her father replied. Then he went to each child and hugged and kissed her or him, and then he left, carrying Anna's blouse and skirt with him.
13
"Kira, when are you ordering the pizza?" Raisa asked.
"In a little while. Why?"
"Can we watch a short movie first?"
"Sure, if you want to. I'm going to finish my homework," she replied, sitting at her place, and pulling her bag onto the table.
Anya followed suit, but both Nikolai and Raisa watched the movie she chose.
"You got a lot?" Kira asked.
"No. I don't have any. I got it done before."
Kira laughed. "So did I. What kind of pizza should we get?"
"Don't get stupid, Kira. Just get the regular kind, okay?"
The older girl smiled. "Not a problem."