Chapter 21
The two of them walked into the house with the dogs. Jack was waiting for them in the great room. "I'm supposed to let them out on Saturday," he slightly pouted.
"Good morning to you son," Aaron gently reprimanded.
"Sorry dad, good morning. Good morning grandpa," Jack smiled as Jarrod lifted him off the floor for a hug.
"Don't worry Jack," Jarrod whispered to him but loud enough for Aaron to hear. "I'll smooth it over with dad and mom so you still get your allowance."
Jack beamed at him as he threw his arms around Jarrod's neck. "Thanks grandpa. You're the best."
"But don't you have another job to do," Jarrod asked as the dogs stood in the kitchen.
Jack slid out his grandfather's arm. "Yup grandpa; come on you two," Jack said as the three raced for the laundry room.
Just then, the electricity kicked back on. "Thank you," Aaron said. "One less thing to worry about." He looked at Jarrod. "Guess I'll shave and get at it."
"No shower?" Jarrod said.
"Have you seen my wife's list for today? And one of the reasons I'm glad we're not making house payments because I won't mention our electric bill. One time with the water heater for me."
"Well at least you're going to shave. I remember the last time you let that go," Jarrod said mischievously as Aaron moved to the kitchen to get the coffee going. Aaron cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Cait sent us an email with your 'scruffy' picture. I won't tell you the caption," he smiled.
Aaron smiled as well. "Probably what she told me when I walked into the house. 'Who are you and why did you kidnap my husband'." Jarrod nodded his answer, which Aaron answered with his big smile. "Jack wasn't a fan either, believe me. Matthew on the other hand…I've got a thousand dollars of Dave's money that says the first weekend he's home from college, he'll be sporting some kind of facial hair."
Jarrod smiled broadly. "Aaron, its part of getting your independence. My first weekend home from Harvard when I was a freshman was Thanksgiving. I walked in the door with a full beard."
"And how'd that fly," Aaron gently laughed, already knowing the answer.
"Two words Aaron: Victoria Barkley," Jarrod laughed as well.
"Your Honor, I withdraw the question." They both shared a laugh as Jack walked into the kitchen, having used the bathroom.
"Aaron, you go shave; I'll get Jack some juice and something to eat." Aaron headed to the master bath.
When he finished, Cait was in the kitchen with Jack. Jarrod was in the kitchen bathroom, shaving his own stubble and brushing his teeth. Mike came down and signed his "good mornings". Aaron signed for Mike to join him and they went into the study to get Dave.
"Good morning; how do you feel?" Aaron said as he walked in.
Dave looked at him. "In need of using the bathroom."
"Shit," Aaron said.
"That's what I mean," Dave answered. Aaron helped into his running pants and grabbed some clothes from the closet. He and Mike got him into the master bathroom. Aaron helped him into a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Mike grabbed the dirty ones and threw them towards the door.
They got him positioned at the toilet, and Aaron waved Mike off. Mike looked at his dad. "Just go," Aaron mouthed. Mike left, grabbing Dave's dirty clothes and put them in his parent's laundry hamper. Aaron helped Dave down. "I'll leave you alone," he said walking out, turning on the fan in the small area that housed the toilet. "Give me a whistle when you're ready," Aaron said, grabbing the door to shut it. He stuck his head back in. "And you've flushed; twice."
"Screw you Aaron. You don't remember this feeling?"
"That Dave," Aaron smiled, "is why I'm not giving you a boat load of shit," Aaron said as he gave Dave a big ass grin. That earned him Dave's middle finger. Five minutes later, Aaron whistled at Cait to send Mike back in. By the time he got there, Aaron had Dave up off the toilet with his jogging pants in place. They helped him get to the sink to shave and brush his teeth. As Aaron held him up, Mike eased himself up onto the dual sink bathroom counter that Aaron and Cait had in their bathroom.
Mike signed to Aaron, "Dad, did something die in here?" Dave stopped shaving to flip them both off. The Hotchner men laughed loudly.
Within a half hour, the entire group was up. Dave was sitting in his usual chair at the lunch counter, enjoying a quarter of cantaloupe Cait had for him and a bowl of Wheaties, with a cup of coffee. Jack was working on his second bowl of Trix, his Saturday morning treat from Cait.
Dave just shook his head. "Jack, where do you put it?"
Jack looked at him. "In my tummy, Uncle Dave," he said. Cait and Dave shared a look. He would always be his father's son. A straight to the point Hotchner.
Jake gave Cait some loving teasing about the same breakfast two days in a row. "You're welcome to cook all of us breakfast, Jake," was her reply. They all laughed, knowing Jake's lack of cooking skills. Sean and Leslie just shook their heads at the family dynamics. As they stood or sat around Cait's kitchen, they formed their battle plan for the day, while laughing and joking with each other as only a tight-knit family would do.
When they finished, Cait looked at Aaron. Aaron whispered to Jake standing next to him. "Dave needs his dressing changed." The two of them took Dave into the study. Aaron helped him get his jogging pants off and they laid him on the bed as Cait went to the closet and grabbed her medical bag. Aaron and Jake silently left, with Aaron pulling the door shut.
Dave laid on top of the bed in his t-shirt and boxer's. Cait smiled at him. "Will you please relax? I have to take your blood pressure and report that back to Dr. Nickoli. If you don't relax, he won't like what I'll tell him."
Dave took a deep breath and exhaled. Cait grabbed his toes and rubbed his foot, sneakily checking the circulation. "Since when did you get so damn shy? You used to brag to me a bit about your conquests when we worked on your earlier books."
Dave laughed slightly. "I was just a horny man back then. What can I say? And while I knew I was never your type, I guess I was still trying to impress you." Cait just shook her head.
"Dave, I had you figured from the first time I met you. And you're right. I had already dealt with one philanderer. I knew better than to go down that road again. But hey, I'm flattered. Truly," she smiled at him. "But right now," she said rubbing his knee, "I'm Dr. Barkley, MD." She pulled her stethoscope she already had wrapped around her neck and listened to his heart. She did the usual breathing routine, checking his lungs.
Satisfied, she asked, "How's the pain?"
"It's OK." Cait noticed he was hedging a bit with his answer and looked him in the eye. "It doesn't hurt that bad. But, well…it's starting to itch around the area."
Cait rubbed his shoulder. "That's a good sign, and one that Dr. Nickoli anticipated. We'll take care of that." She gently pushed his boxer leg up towards his groin and cut the day old bandage off. "Wow Dave," Cait said, pausing slightly. Dave bored his eyes to match hers. He noticed the laughter in hers and knew he was busted.
Cait just smiled at him and looked again at the stitches. "I can see why they are starting to itch. The outside ones are already starting to heal. Your skin is a lovely Italian shade of pink on the each of those stitches."
"Cait, can you do something about that? I know I shouldn't itch, but it's really starting to bug me."
She smiled at him. "Like I said Dave, Dr. Nickoli anticipated this." She pulled out a tube of medicine from the bag that Aaron had given her when Dave first arrived. She gently applied it to the outer edges. "This also has an analgesic in it to help stop the itching. In your words, it stops the pain, therefore the sensation to itch in the area. And it also has a small aloe base to provide some comfort by slightly getting the skin softened. That's a delicate balance. Too soft, and those outer stitches could pull open," she smiled. "Dr. Nickoli is good." She could see Dave relaxing. They worked together, with Dave pulling his knee up, to get a new dressing on. Cait questioned him if it hurt to move his knee. Dave just shook his head. Cait smiled.
Cait rubbed his shoulder. "Did Aaron get you your Lipitor this morning?"
"Yes, Doctor," Dave grinned.
"Good. And Aaron said the extra pill last night worked," she laughed. "You ready for me to check that BP now?" she smiled and helped him sit on the side of the read and then started her reading.
"Thanks Cait. Bring it on." When Cait finished, he smiled at her. "And…." he questioned.
"122 over 91," she said as she wrapped her stethoscope around her neck.
Dave smiled. "What's the chance of getting a shower?"
"None; but I can get your hair washed at the sink in the kitchen. And Aaron and Matt can help you get a 'spit bath' in our bathroom." Dave just smiled.
She whistled at Aaron whom they both knew would be pacing outside of the room. Cait helped Dave get his jogging pants back on. Less than an hour later, Aaron and Matt got him into the recliner in the great room. Dave contentedly settled in and fell quietly asleep.
By 11 am, the hanging plants were back where they belonged, as well as the pool furniture. Aaron, Sean, Jake, and Mike got the garages completely cleaned. Matt was in the pool, with his mother's usual insistence of sunscreen, taking on the task of getting it clean. Jarrod had hooked the leaf catcher up to the riding lawn mower. He and Jack, riding along, got the yard cleaned up. Maggie and Leslie headed for the food market to pick up the buns and cake that Cait had ordered.
Jamaal and Lisa pulled into the driveway and the guys helped them get Lisa's things from the back of Jamaal's pick-up truck. An instinctively creative person, Lisa was in charge of getting the garage area decorated. Cait joined her in the garage. "The first thing I need is the tables," Lisa said, anticipating Cait's questions. The best friends hugged.
"That's us," Aaron said. He, Jamaal, Jake and Sean jumped into Jamaal's truck to head to their church. With the permission of the church council, they were going to borrow the long tables and folding chairs that were used in the fellowship hall. Mike got the power strip ready for his laptop and the TV screen.
As they left, Lisa winked at Cait. "I've got a project to keep your patient busy for a while."
"Bring it," Cait said. They walked into the house and headed for the great room. Dave, as usual, was growling at the TV, the remote in his hand.
As they entered, Dave said, "Well, I have some good news. The weather looks fantastic for tomorrow."
Cait rubbed his shoulder. "That's good to hear. Lisa has something to keep you busy for a while."
"Thank God. Give it to me beautiful," he smiled at Lisa.
"How do you feel Dave?" she smiled. "You look great."
"If I wasn't stuck in this damn chair, I'd be wonderful. Lisa, please, anything. Just get me busy and let me help."
Lisa laid out for him what she needed to be done. She first set in Dave's lap a number of perfectly cut squares of light weight tin foil in the red and white colors of Matt's school. She laid across the arm of the chair corresponding pre-cut ribbons. At the side of the chair, she set down a bag filled with small beads. "These will be part of the table decorations. You take a piece of the foil and grab the corners." She showed Dave. "Then you add some beads, which will serve as weights. When you get it this full, you take an opposite colored ribbon and tie it tightly shut in a bow." She did the first and showed it to Dave. "When you've finished with them, I'll attach a balloon to each one tomorrow." She set a cardboard flat on the other side of Dave's chair. "When you're done, put them in here. And Dave, that's pretty thin foil. Be gentle."
"Easy enough," Dave said. "Thank you." Cait and Lisa smiled at him and left him to the project.
Matt, having finished the pool and ran upstairs to change, stopped by Dave on his way out for the town team baseball game. "Hit a bomb for me Matt."
"Do my best Uncle Dave."
Less than five hours later, everything on Cait's list was completed. She and Aaron looked around as Sean pulled two beers out of the fridge and handed them to the two of them. Dave was sitting in a chair in the garage, compliments of the boys. Cait had his leg propped up on another chair. He glanced around. "It looks great Lisa." Sean handed him a beer as well, with Cait's blessing. The rest grabbed their own, as Sean poured Maggie and Leslie a glass of wine.
Aaron looked at Matt. "Where are you going tonight?"
"To bed dad." Aaron reached in the fridge, grabbed a beer, opened it and handed it to Matt. "Great game; two home runs?" Matt nodded as he took a swig of the beer with a smile. "You do know that your car keys belong to mom and me for the rest of the night?"
"Yes, dad," he answered. "And thanks." Aaron proudly smiled at his oldest son. Matt and Dave clinked long necks, with Dave greatly approving that Aaron and Cait were smart enough to let their son drink a beer around the house. He also highly supported their position that he would drive no more that day.
The younger boys enjoyed a soda. Jamaal and Lisa had left, as he had a banquet to go to, with their promises of "see you tomorrow in church".
They all looked around. Lisa had set up the table for the presents and a brightly decorated box with pictures of Matt on it for the cards. There was a space on the table where the video would run. The food tables were set up and had plastic table clothes taped down underneath the table top to hold them in place, as did the tables for their guests.
Alongside the walls of the garage, the coolers holding the beer, soft drinks and water were already in place, and iced down, compliments of Aaron, Jake and the boys. Jack had helped Lisa put the weights on each table that Dave had made. Sean had spent an hour craving a creative boat for the fruit salad from the rind of the huge watermelon Cait had purchased.
As Aaron wrapped his arm around Cait's shoulders, Maggie sighed. "We're there. It's just the little stuff we have to put together tomorrow."
Aaron and Cait could hear their three sons' stomach's growling. And rightly so; they all had contributed and put in a long day of hard work. "What's for supper," Mike asked. Before Cait could answer with her plan for Sean, Dave jumped in.
"The gang at Sal's should be on their way in about 20 minutes," he smiled. He stared at Cait and Aaron. "And no arguments from you two; consider it my contribution to the effort," he smiled.
It was one time they didn't argue with Dave's wallet.
Given the night and day they had, everyone was in bed by ten.
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