Chapter I7

Confused

My Dad and I sat in the plastic seats waiting for the surgeons to come out and tell us something, anything about Auri. At first I couldn't feel her thoughts and that scared me. Then I heard her talking to my mother in her head. I couldn't hear anyone but her. But, she was convinced in her mind that she was talking to my mother.

I could feel Dad's relief and his anxiety, "Dad, I heard Auri thinking. She's talking to Mom."

He narrowed his eyes, "I don't understand."

"I don't either, Dad."

"But, at least you heard her thinking. That's good. It means that she's alive."

I nodded, he was right. It meant she was alive.

Dad took a call from Uncle Jimmy while I watched for the surgeons. I could feel their anxiety and concern about Auri. The surgeon doing most of the work was cussing about a bleeder and problems with her lung collapsing. He was done and now I could hear how much he dreaded coming out to talk to my Dad.

Why is House still here? He has his son back, why doesn't he go home? He wants a word with me when I'm done here? Why? I had to put up with his crap at Hopkins, not again. I hate the son of a bitch.

The surgeon was coming; his thoughts were getting louder as he came nearer.

"Dad, the surgeon is coming and he hates your guts."

My Dad looked at me with amusement, "Wilson, I have to go. Apparently, the surgeon is on his way." He flipped his phone shut and smiled at me. The doors flew open and I could feel my Dad's amusement level increase as he saw the surgeon. He knew him. "Marty, how is she?"

"House." The surgeon stopped, sweat rings under his arms, blood on his shirt. He took his hat off and looked at me, "Is this your son?"

My Dad said nothing, but smiled warmly at me.

"He looks just like you, handsome lad. Agent Ferrell is out of surgery and in recovery." He turned to leave.

My Dad burst into anger, "That's it?" He took steps towards the surgeon's back, "I want to know what you did in there."

The surgeon thought he had the upper hand and was enjoying it, "Sorry House, Hippa laws. All I can say is that she's out of surgery and in recovery."

My Dad was going to start cussing the guy out. I stepped in, "Doctor, I know she bled a lot on the table. You lost her several times; had a hard time bringing her back and her lung collapsed. You re-inflated it, right? She's lost a lot of blood and you're very worried that she will get pneumonia Dr. Feder, my Dad knows that you drink a lot. You're sober now, but sometimes you do surgeries while you're drunk. So, please, take care of Agent Ferrell, she means a lot to us and she's going to marry my Dad."

I could tell that Dr. Fedder was shocked both by what I had said and the fact that Auri was going to marry my Dad. My Dad was even more shocked when I said that he was going to marry Auri, and he showed it. He was staring, wide-eyed, at me. They told me that my mom could read the future. I can too, but it's hard with people I'm close to. I hadn't really read the future about Auri and my Dad, but my Dad didn't know that. He couldn't tell that I was making it up.

Dad sputtered a little, "He's joking of course…about the marriage. But he's right about everything else." He smiled like a devil, "Auri is important to us and we'd be—"Dad narrowed his eyes, "grateful-- if you would let us know her prognosis."

The surgeon was really mad at me and more at my Dad. He shook his head and growled, "Ask your son."

"Marty, play nice."

The surgeon sneered, "The bullet caught her just under her arm where there was no vest, penetrating tissue, nicking the heart and hitting the lung. She's lucky to be alive; she's a real fighter. Truth is, I don't know her prognosis. The bleeders have been stopped, the lung re-inflated, but I am worried about Septicemia and Pneumonia. "

My Dad said nothing for what seemed the longest time. Then he stuck his lower lip out, "Fair enough."

The surgeon left and my Dad ruffled my hair, "Marry her? You're jerking my chain, aren't you?"

I didn't say anything, but he could read my face.

"Furey, I know what you want. But, you're Dad is too old to get into another marriage. This old dog doesn't know how to put the seat down. Auri deserves a man who will put the seat down. Do you know what I mean?"

I shook my head.

"Look, for now, we just need to work on getting Auri back home, so we can make sure she gets better."

***********************************

My Dad worked his evil magic and within two days, Auri was being transported by helicopter to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, to the delight of Dr. Martin Fedder. She was passed into the hands of someone my Dad, although he hated to it admit out loud, trusted, Dr. Robert Chase. I liked Uncle Chase, he was the coolest doctor at the hospital. He used to date Allison Cameron, but she dumped him for a guy who looked like my Dad. Uncle Chase was sad for awhile, but he started seeing a former actress who was now attending Princeton and doing really well in school, so she must have been pretty bright. She was so hot even my Dad was envious. Dad once said to me, "Chase is livin' the dream."

Uncle Chase gave me a hug, "Golly, mate, you had us all worried. I'm glad to see you're all in one piece."

"I'd be dead if it weren't for Auri. Please take good care of her. She's going to marry my Dad."

Uncle Chase's mouth dropped, "Furey, I'll try really hard to make her better for you and your Dad. Are you okay with your Dad marrying her?" He was genuinely worried. Wondering why any woman would want to marry my Dad; he was afraid that she was money hungry.

I laughed, "Auri's awesome. I love her. My Dad loves her too. That's why he's going to marry her."

Uncle Chase believed me because he had no trouble believing in my abilities. He was certain that I had inherited superhuman powers to see the future, read minds and teleport objects. He had two out of three right.

I went up to the intensive care where Auri was recuperating. I could feel her thoughts. They were very strange. She was on the Enterprise and Dad was in Dr. McCoy's uniform with a really cool future-looking cane. Auri was in the captain's chair wearing the captain's uniform. She went down to sick bay and let my Dad give her an exam. But he wasn't using a medical scanner, he was using his hands and she must have been in pain. She was moaning. My Dad was touching her where he shouldn't be, but she didn't stop him, I guess because he's a doctor. She reached up and kissed him and he kissed her back. She took his shirt off and he was trying to take hers off when I felt a huge jolt of pain come from where Auri had been shot. The image of my Dad was gone and the image of the guy shooting her and standing over her body came into view. I saw the monitor inside the room start to fluctuate wildly and the staff started to take notice. I sent visions of San Diego to her. I showed her in a wedding dress walking along Seaport Village with us, my Dad and I both in suits. I wasn't sure what to do with her in a wedding dress, so I just had her walk and walk and walk. The staff was about to adjust her medication, but the sounds from the monitor calmed and within a few minutes they were back to normal.

They wouldn't let me in to see her. I had to wait for my Dad to join me and break the rules. He came up a few minutes later and took a look at me, "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you in with Auri?"

I pointed to the sign, Children Under 16 Must Be Accompanied by an Adult.

He chuckled, "Like that applies to you. Come on."

We went inside and I wish I hadn't gotten that close. She looked really bad. Her face was sunken, purple rings around her eyes, her lips cracked. My Dad took out his scopes and stethoscopes. I touched her hand and could feel an instant connection. The monitor showed her heart beating faster.

My Dad looked at me, "Did you do that?"

I nodded, "She can feel my thoughts. We connected."

"Can you talk to her?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'll try." Auri? It's Furey, are you awake? My Dad and I want to say hi. We miss you and want you to get better to come home.

There was no response, but the heartbeat, which had gone back to normal, went up again.

Auri, I'm fine, you saved my life. My Dad and I brought you back from New York to Princeton. We're going to make sure you're taken care of. My Dad is here, can you feel him?

There was still no response, except I had a vague feeling of someone trying to make their way through a fog. She was having problems concentrating. I turned to Dad and shook my head, "She's still having problems communicating."

Dad nodded, "Let's get going. We'll come back tomorrow."

On the way home, I told Dad about my dream. He smiled to himself, "So, I had my hand up her top and on her breast giving her an exam?"

"Yeah, I guess it was an exam. You were in sick bay and she was on one of those tables with the monitors over it. But you started to lay down with her and she was in pain."

"Pain?"

"Moaning. 'Ohhhh, God…ohhhh, Dr. House."

He burst out laughing, "Do you know what a wet dream is?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe."

Dad cleared his throat, "Adolescents and men have sex dreams during the night. The dreams trigger an ejaculation. Do you know what an ejaculation is?"

"Yeah, a guy squirts semen into the woman's vagina."

He bobbed his head, "Yes and no, the man squirts semen, but he doesn't have to be inside the woman's vagina. He can play with himself and squirt, have someone jerk his willy and squirt or he can have a wet dream…wet because he ejaculates during the dream. Well, women have wet dreams too, but obviously they don't ejaculate. But they can have an orgasm."

I could feel his amusement at the idea of Auri having a wet dream, "What's an orgasm?"

"The best thing in life."

"You always say a glass of Talisker is the best thing in life."

"I lied. An orgasm is. It's the driving force in the Universe."

"What is it?"

"When two people have sex in the movies, you know how in the end they jerk and moan and look like they've been shot?"

I knew what he was talking about. We watched a lot of movies and Dad didn't do a very good job at filtering them for ratings. Uncle Jimmy wouldn't let me watch anything over PG13, but Dad was different in that respect.

"Yeah?"

"Orgasms happen when all your nerve signals have been stimulated and your body wants to ejaculate. Ejaculating feels good, so good you want to do it over and over. That's why we have such a strong desire to go out and have sex, it feels really good."

We were silent for awhile. He wanted to ask me a question, but was a little embarrassed, "So, did Auri have an orgasm?"

I thought about it, how nice it felt when Dad was touching her in the dream, "It all felt good and exciting, but I had the feeling like it wasn't finished. The dream switched to the guy shooting Auri before it felt really good."

My Dad nodded.

"Dad, can Auri come and live with us when she gets out of the hospital?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there. She may want to go home."

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I went to the hospital to see Auri every day for the next five days that she was in a coma. She did develop a fever, but Uncle Chase was right on top of it. Every day I would send her pictures of her and Dad getting married, walking around after the wedding. I'd make up stories about her being married to my Dad and living with us. We'd all be living in the Townhouse and Auri would be my new Mom. I showed us all going to Disney World together and I even made up a wedding ring for her finger. There was nothing else to do in her room, so I thought I'd make up stories for her. I didn't realize that in her condition, she was absorbing these stories like a sponge and they were seeping into who she was.

She woke up on the sixth day. Uncle Chase told my Dad that the FBI had arranged for her to be transferred to Bethesda, Maryland, to recuperate at the Naval Hospital Rehabilitation Center for the next month. I panicked.

"Dad, she's going to leave and we won't see her! You can't let her go."

He shook his head, "Furey, Auri is an adult with responsibilities. I can't make her stay."

I was so angry with him. Once again he wasn't trying, "Yes you can! You just don't want us to be happy!" I ran into her room and held her hand.

Auri tried to lift her head, but couldn't. Her face was covered with a smile and her eyes looked so kind, "Furey! Honey, how are you? Where's your Dad?" She held out a hand to pull me in to give her a kiss. I kissed her cheek, she squeezed my hand.

"He's outside. They want to send you to Bethesda, wherever that is."

She nodded, "About an hour and a half from here. But I need to get home. You have your science project to do and I need to make sure everything is spelled right."

One of my projections had been of her helping me with my science fair project, "I'll tell Dad you want to come home with us."

She chuckled, but it obviously hurt when she did, "Of course I have to go with you. I need to get home and get better. How's Moron?"

"He's at Uncle Jimmy's." In my stories that I fed her, Moron was living with the three of us.

She was surprised, "Uncle Jimmy's, why?"

"So we could come and see you whenever we wanted."

"Well, don't worry, once I'm a little better, he can come home."

I felt a little nervous about the conversation. I thought she was teasing me, playing a practical joke because of all of my projections. I was about to say something to her when my Dad came in.

She smiled brightly, "Hi, honey." Once again she held out a hand.

My Dad hesitated briefly, but then went over to her bed. She pulled him like she had pulled me, giving him a brief kiss on his lips. Dad took it in stride.

She sighed, "How long have I been out?"

"A little over ten days. You developed pneumonia. You had us worried. But you should be able to be moved out of the hospital tomorrow."

"Good, I need to get home."

"San Diego?"

She gave him a look as if she knew he was pulling her leg, "Honey, I want to go home to the townhouse. I need to help Furey with his science project and Moron needs to come home from Wilson's. We could get a nurse's assistant to come in and help. Do I really need to go to Bethesda for rehabilitation?"

My Dad thought for a second, "Not really. You could get by with a nursing assistant stopping in to help. Which reminds me, you need to get up and get moving as soon as possible to exercise your lungs and legs.

"Okay, but you go tell the doctors that I'm going home with you and Furey."

My Dad was going to say something, but he felt as if he owed Auri my life and if taking care of her at our home was what she wanted, then he'd do it. "Alright, I'll be back."

************************************

My Dad arranged for a hospital bed to be brought in and placed in the bedroom next to mine. It was on the second floor and I was worried about Auri getting up the steps. Auri was walking a few steps at a time with the aid of crutches

"Dad, will Auri be able to make it up the steps?"

He nodded, "She'll probably have to stop and start, but she should be okay. She's healing well."

I wasn't convinced, but when they brought her home from the hospital I was so excited, I could feel my heart pounding. The transport service brought her into the house in a wheelchair. The orderly stopped by the front door, put down the brakes and then gave us all a goodbye. My Dad wheeled her into the living room. She gave me the biggest hug and kiss.

"I missed you so much in that hospital."

I was so happy I gave her a big sloppy kiss, "Welcome home."

She looked around and seem puzzled, "I have only the sketchiest memory of the house."

My Dad cocked his head; he looked just as puzzled, "Well the last time you saw it the FBI was all over…"

I interrupted, "Dad! We forgot her present!"

Dad looked up, "Okay, Auri, can you walk?"

She nodded, "A little."

"You have to get up the stairs to the bedroom so save some of your energy. In the meantime, come with me."

I helped Auri get up on crutches. She needed them more to rest than to actually walk. She was still pretty weak. We walked into the dining room. Auri turned to Dad.

"You know honey, we need to paint this room. I was thinking a nice light beige with white trim."

My Dad looked at Auri with his brow wrinkled, almost as if she had just spoken in tongues. "I'll keep that in mind."

We went on through to the kitchen. Inside on the table was a cake, "Welcome Home Auri." She smiled and kissed the top of my head. She went over hugged my Dad and kissed his cheek, "It's good to be home."

My Dad gave her a rather weak smile and looked at me, eyes narrowed, as if Auri was acting strange and he knew I had something to do with it. We ate cake and then watched television. Auri made me bring her the science fair project information. We worked on it for a few minutes and then she fell asleep on the couch. My Dad covered her up with an afghan. I could feel his affection for her when he did this. I liked it when my Dad was warm and fuzzy like Uncle Jimmy. It made me love him even more.

"Do you know what's going on?" Dad asked me.

Since I really wasn't sure, I shook my head, "Not really, Dad. I'm just happy to have her here. Aren't you?"

"Furey, she's not a pet. We can't just pick her up, get her spayed and take her home. Auri eats a lot more than Moron, we can't afford her."

I pretended to sneer at my Dad, "She's housebroken Dad and she'd look real good at the foot of your bed."

Dad laughed. I could see an image of a naked Auri laying at the foot of his bed in his mind.

"Dad? You've had sex with Auri, haven't you?"

My Dad blushed! He rubbed his forehead like he does when he wants to lie to me, but can't because I'll know. "Yes, we've had sex. Why?"

"Cause you imagine her naked a lot."

"Get out of my head! I've told you before Furey, it's not polite."

I was upset with his assumption, "You were broadcasting it Dad. I didn't have to get in your head; you broadcasted a naked Auri at the bottom of your bed, curled up on the floor like Moron does at Uncle Jimmy's house."

My Dad grinned and nodded, "Okay, I'll try not to do it again. But, stay out of my head!"

"Yes, sir."

Auri slept most of the day, but when she woke up she had to go to the bathroom. Dad was at the grocery store, so I had to help her, "Furey, take me upstairs. I want a shower too."

We went upstairs, taking each step slowly and deliberately. Every three steps we stopped for Auri to catch her breath and rest. We made it after a good fifteen minutes. I was trying to steer her into the office that we used as a guest room when Grandmom came out to visit. It had her things and the medical bed in it; but, she went straight for Dad's room. When we got inside, she sat down on the bed, trying to catch her breath.

Looking into the closet and seeing only Dad's stuff she asked, "Furey, where's all my stuff?"

I panicked, "Spring Cleaning, it's in the other room. What do you need?"

"Clean panties and a nightgown."

I ran into the guest room. Grandma kept some clothes here so I pulled out some underwear and a gown from the drawers, running back to Auri. She took the panties and held them up with her nose wrinkled. She studied them as if they were a new species of animal.

"Have I lost that much weight?"

I nodded, "Quite a bit."

"Well, they'll have to do. Go get me a big trash can bag."

I didn't know what she wanted it for, but I ran down and got her a big, black trash bag from the cellar. She tore a piece out wide enough on the seams to put her head and arms through. She put the trash bag on and then went in, ran the shower, then closed the door behind her.

"I'll wait out here so if you need anything."

I heard her from in the shower, "Fine. But, so far so good."

The door opened downstairs and Dad yelled, "Furey, Auri?"

"Upstairs Dad."

I could hear him put groceries away and then he made his way up the stairs. He looked in the bathroom first and then the guest room. He finally saw me in his room. Coming down the hall, the door opened and out walked Auri in the trash bag, nothing else on. It came down her thigh, so we didn't see anything we shouldn't. But she looked funny in this trash bag and wet hair.

She smiled at my Dad who looked so confused I almost felt sorry for him. "Hi honey, I just had to get a shower and wash my hair. I didn't get my stitches wet or anything." She pulled on the trash bag proudly. "Furey, could you fetch me my slippers?"

I ran down the hall and could hear my Dad ask, "Why didn't you take a shower in the other bathroom?"

"Because I thought my shampoo was in here, but it wasn't. Did you throw it out?"

I ran back in with my grandmother's heel-less slippers. She looked at them, shook her head and went back into the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later in a long gown, down to her knees and falling off her small shoulders. The slippers were way too big, but she said nothing. She walked over and pulled the covers back on Dad's bed, slipped into the bed and pulled the covers up.

My Dad had gone downstairs when Auri had gone into the bathroom to dress. He came back up with her pill and water, looking in the guest room again, "Where the hell is she?" He came down the hall.

Auri was already asleep, tired from her trip up the stairs. Dad took one look at her lying quietly on his pillow and said nothing. I could feel that he felt the same thing I did. She was really pretty lying there, peaceful, too comfortable to wake. I could feel his affection swell up like a wave as he watched her sleep, her hand up on the pillow next to her face.

He whispered, "Come on, I'll move her later."

But Dad didn't move her. That night we took her a tray of food and sat eating with her in bed, watching television on Dad's flat screen. When she was done she went to the bathroom, came back and crawled into bed. Dad said nothing. She patted the pillow and I climbed up, put my head on her good shoulder and we watched a movie. I fell asleep and Dad had to wake me to go to my own room. I gave Auri a kiss on her cheek and went to get ready for bed. I crawled in bed and it dawned on me. This is what it would have been like if my Mom had lived.

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The next morning was Sunday and Dad rarely got up before 10 am on Sundays. I tiptoed down the hall and found Dad and Auri both on their sides, but Dad had an arm over Auri and his nose was in her hair. They were on Dad's side of the bed so I crawled up on Auri's side and lay down. They both opened their eyes and looked at me with my head on the pillow staring back. Everyone smiled at the same time. I felt this wave of love coming from them at me. Auri reached out and touched my cheek. Dad pulled away from Auri and sat up. He went to the bathroom. I was a little sad; I wished we could have all stayed like that for at least a few minutes. It made me feel safe and calm.

"Hi, Pumpkin. Did you sleep well?"

I nodded. "Auri, do you think you could play a game of chess with me?'

"Maybe later honey; you need to get out and play outside with your friends."

I winced, "There's no one around here my age. I have to go to Uncle Jimmy's to do that."

She looked puzzled, as if she should know that. "Really? Hmmm. I had forgotten that. Okay, we'll see about a game of chess. But maybe your Dad could take you out and play."

"Dad?"

She giggled, "What's so strange about that?"

"Dad doesn't go outside and play much."

My Dad came back in, grabbed some clean clothes and started to walk back to the bathroom.

Auri looked up at him, "Greg, we have to move."

My Dad stopped in his tracks, turned around and shook his head, "What? What are you talking about?'

"Furey needs kids to play with and a big back yard or at least a nearby park. This place is close to the hospital, but it's not kid friendly."

"Uh, right…I'll get right on that. I'll call the real estate agent tomorrow."

I picked up on the sarcasm in his voice, but apparently Auri didn't. It went right over her head. When Dad came out, Auri and I were sitting up in the bed playing cards. He snickered.

"You guys are pretty bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. Madam, what type of cereal would you like?" He did a slight bow to Auri.

"What do we have?"

"Frosted wheat, cocoa puffs and Kashi left over from when Mom was here."

"Frosted Wheat."

He went down and about twenty minutes later he called me down. He had a tray ready to go up to Auri with cereal, coffee and orange juice along with a pill. "Take it up Dude, and be careful."

I took it up to her, making sure I didn't spill a single drop. I gave it to her with a smile, but she was upset, looking around the bed and table. "What's wrong Auri?"

She had a frantic look in her eye, "I've lost my wedding ring! I can't find it! Did we leave it at the hospital?"

I could see how anxious she was not to have a wedding ring and I knew then that, for some reason, she had absorbed my projections as being real. She looked as if she was close to crying so I ran to my Dad's drawer. When I get bored, I look through my Dad's things. I found a box once; it had a really pretty ring in it, a diamond ring. It looked like a wedding ring to me. I grabbed it.

"It's here Auri! We had to take it off when you went into surgery."

She took a deep breath and let it out. Smiling like a kid on Christmas, she opened up the box, grabbed the ring and slipped it on her ring finger. It was slightly big, "Oh dear, I've lost so much weight that the ring is too big; I'll lose it. Honey, put it away and when I need it, I'll put it on."

I put the ring back. Dad came into the room and sat in the easy chair, his legs up on the ottoman.

"Furey, open the drapes, we need to get some light in here." Auri said.

I went over and pulled the drapes back causing everyone to squint. The room lit up and I could see Auri was looking a lot better. My Dad's room is brown and blue, kind of dark usually. He doesn't let too much light in which may account for his ill humor.

I looked around and smiled at them; we were a family.