Chapter 17

"Where's Dachel?" Young Cody asked for the third time since they left the hospital parking lot. Roy and JoAnne shared a smile as Roy kept his attention on the road and JoAnne turned to try and calm the young girl.

"She's right there in that car just ahead of us." Jo pointed and moved to make sure the child could see.

"It's not a car it's a truck," Tobes corrected.

"You're right," JoAnne conceded.

"Our mom isn't big on cars and trucks their all the same to her," Chris talked with his new friend, "Just as long as they get us where we're going."

"You shouldn't talk about your mom that way," Tobes turned a serious glare at the young DeSoto, "she might go to the spirits very fast one day and you'll be sorry you weren't nice to her."

Nobody knew just what to say after Tobias had made his statement so the only talking done the rest of the way to Johnny's apartment was to make sure Cody could keep eye contact with the truck Rachel was in.

Once they reached Johnny's apartment Roy and JoAnne worked together to help their guests out of the car first then as they helped their own children out. They then watched as Cody and Tobes ran to Rachel and threw their arms around her waist and leg. Being separated and with strangers had been traumatic to them.

Not wanting to head up to the apartment empty handed Johnny quickly pulled the rope free that was holding the tarp over the contents of the truck bed, Once the tarp was pulled back Tobes quickly climbed on the back bumper and pulled first Cody's then his and Rachel's suit cases out and set them on the ground. Rachel's suit case had been extremely problematic since it was too heavy for him but Hank managed to help him lift the bag over the tail gate by lifting from the bottom so that Tobes didn't know he was helping. Tobes then pulled the strap to his duffel bag over his head before taking hold of Rachel's suit case and trying to follow John up the stairs. John had his hands full of file boxes and was only able to glance back once or twice to make sure he was being followed. The large suit case was heavy enough that Tobes was quickly passed by everyone else who was carrying boxes and bags. Only JoAnne and her children took their time to stay behind Cody and Tobes. As the men emptied their arms and returned for the next loads they each helped Tobes up a few steps as they went down and by the time the men were back with the last of the contents of the truck the children had made their way to the apartment. It had only taken three arm loads a piece to get everything out.

While Rachel was giving John a brief description of what was in each of the boxes so he would know where he might want it placed, Cody and Tobes were going from room to room.

"Where Eess's room?" Cody asked with a worried look on her face, "I no see her special blanket."

Rachel quickly opened up one of the boxes and pulled the prized blanket from within, "It was given to her by an Indian chief after she helped set up a clinic on the reservation and helped several of those on the reservation to get their EMT 1 training to help with the needs on the reservation." Rachel explained the specialness of the blanket as she handed it to Johnny, "I think you know where this belongs."

John did know where it belonged and carried it with as much respect as he could possible manage he entered his room and laid it on the bed. Everyone there marveled and gasped at the beauty and colors that were woven into the blanket but no one except Johnny understood the great honor that had been bestowed upon Elise with its presentation.

"That not Eess's catcher." Cody stood pointing to the ceiling where an ornate decoration hung that resembled a decorated spider web. Roy knew it was one of John's most cherished possessions made by his mother before her death."

"No, that one's not Eess's dream catcher," Johnny knelt down to be at the best level to talk to the small child. As he did so he marveled at how he had started using the children's nick name for his wife. He also realized that he liked the sound of it, it was much more Elise than to call her El.

"That is my Dream Catcher. Eess was too sick to remember to bring her's with her when she came to see me this last time. Did you by any chance remember to bring it for her?" Johnny finished his thought.

Rachel smiled and scanned the stacks of boxes she managed to see the one she knew the item was in and went to get it but in bending over she became severely dizzy and collapsed to the floor.

The two paramedics jumped into action while Hank and JoAnne tried to comfort the children and keep them out of the way. The two paramedics quickly realized that the dizzy spell was a complication of the ruptured ear drum and fluid buildup within the workings of her ear. John and Roy worked together to lift her onto the sofa and Johnny positioned her with her head slightly raised using throw pillows.

"I see that bending over is not one of the things you should be doing just yet." John commented in a serious tone. Rachel just shook her head slowly and lay back to restore her equilibrium. The children were waved over to see for themselves that their care giver was going to be all right.

"We really shouldn't spend too much time unpacking anyway." Rachel spoke softly, "with Eess's way with real estate I expect you'll be moving in to a bigger place as soon as she gets out of the hospital. I know she already owns several houses and properties in the Southern California area."

John was surprised at Rachel's statement, "Why would she want to buy land out here?"

Rachel smiled at her newest brother-in-law, "I know it started when she was trying to help me and the children get settled out here after I left my husband. But I suspect you were never far from her mind as she bought up more and more. I know that she's made a lot of money in this area in the last few years using her talent to buy real estate no one else wants and turning it into real estate that is in demand. I'm sure it won't take too long before you see how she does it."

As Rachel recovered she had a few questions for John, "I need to call Tobes' school and let them know he's going to be a few days longer than we expected before he gets back, and the neighbor who's watching the house for me. I'll pay for the calls."

"Nonsense," John boldly declared, "I'll bring you the phone as soon as you're able to see your address book."

"We're all going to need to wash our clothes; do you have laundry facilities close at hand?" Rachel made her next request.

"We'll take care of that at our place," JoAnne spoke up from the back ground.

After a few phone calls were made Rachel was helped to her feet again with Roy and JoAnne steadying her upper body while Tobes and Cody steadied her lower body Rachel was guided to the DeSoto station wagon and loaded in. John managed to pick up Rachel's and the children's travel bags and followed along. After he loaded them in the back of the truck Roy slid into the passenger seat of Rachel's truck.

"We decided not to traumatize young Cody anymore." Roy gave as an answer to John yet to be asked question about why he was in the passenger seat.

Roy and John stopped on the way to pick up Pizzas and salads for everyone for lunch and met up with Hank and the rest of the bunch at Roy's house.

"We knew by how worried Cody was when she couldn't see you that it would be best just to bring you all here. We have a guest room for you to rest in while the children play together." JoAnne explained as they ate.

While they were eating the children started to get to know this man who had agreed to be their uncle better.

"Do you know how to make cars come apart to get people out of them?" Tobes asked.

"Yes I do," John answered with a smile for the children; he chose not to tell them that he had taught their aunt how to do it.

"Aunt Eess can do that too and sometimes she climbs down on ropes to get people who are hurt and puts them in a special people basket to pull them up to the road."

Hank smiled at the children's description of the equipment.

"We have lots of equipment to help us take care of people when they get hurt and our fire truck is bigger than the one where your aunt Eess lives. It looks a lot different too."

"Can we see it?" Tobes shows some cautions excitement.

"Absolutely," Hank spoke up, he was very happy to find that his crewman had at least one in-law that seemed willing if not happy to accept him. "Why don't you come by tomorrow while we're on shift and we'll give you the grand tour of the place?" Hank offered an invitation.

"A, Cap," John's tone spoke of his disapproval of that plan, "I don't think that would be such a good idea." Then he turned to Rachel. "See, no tour of the fire station would be complete without listening to the sirens and at any given time we could get a call and the PA system is really loud; much louder than the noise that got you in trouble at the hospital, I don't think that would be good on your ear at all."

Rachel sighed in understanding and appreciation of his concern for her well being, but before she could explain to the children that they would have to do that another day JoAnne spoke up with the solution.

"That's no problem. Chris and Jenny get out of school early tomorrow. I'll just drop Rachel off at the hospital so that she can visit with her sister and bring the four of them by to get a tour. I'm sure Chris and Jenny would like to see where their father works too."

"That's wonderful of you to offer," Rachel accepted, then turned to Tobias. "You could take my camera and take lots of pictures and use them for show and tell when you get back to school."

The children nodded their approval and Jenny drug Cody off to play Barbie. Rachel was guided to the guest room where she quickly fell asleep and stayed that way for hours.

Roy and JoAnne both smiled at the frequency the two children needed to check in on their guardian, never once did they wake her; they just needed to look in on her and see that she was still there.

Hank took Johnny back to his apartment where he took a quick shower and changed clothes before grabbing the box that contained information that Rachel thought Elise's Doctors would want to see and Hank took him back to the hospital where he intended to stay until reporting for duty the next morning.

When the men reported to Elise's hospital room they found Emily Stanley making notes on a paper pad in her lap, Elise was sleeping soundly.

"She had a rather nasty seizure about an hour ago," Emily reported, "She seemed to be upset by the detective from Arson investigation who came in asking about a house that was burned down that she owned. He did say that it was obviously arson."

Emily held a business card out to John, "He asked that you give him a call when you came in."

Author's Notes:

So far I don't think everyone is getting the match up's with the dysfunctional in-laws so here's a brief run down.

Tom the unscrupulous Lawyer is Rachel's estranged husband. Although they have not seen each other in years and a great effort has been made to make sure Tom has no idea where Rachel is they are still legally married. More on the reasons for this will come out in the next few chapters.

Greg the drug pusher, is Patricia's husband and hopefully the readers realize that he has romantic and controlling desires for Elise even though his is married to her sister. Not a good man by any definition. Patricia is more aware of what is going on than she will ever admit because she doesn't want to raise her children as a single parent she chooses to turn a blind eye.

Joan, or Joanie, is the wife of a man who is permanently disabled. I'll come up with a name for him when I explain how that happened but if I wrote it right the readers should understand that it was at the hands of an Indian that he received his injuries, adding to Joanie's dislike for that race of people their father has tried to alienate them against since their birth.

Vanessa the second to the oldest is sort of a mother hen to her siblings and a single parent. I hope to deal with her a little in the future and more explain their father's plan and reasons for ridding their family of the connection to the Indian reservation.

In a way I'm writing a story starting in the middle and weaving the past and the present together as the story unfolds. At least that's what I'm trying to do.

Thank you Kathey's sis