Part 5.5 – Big Shot Attorney

"Shouldn't she be awake more now?"

Kathy turned toward Perry from where she was checking the oxygen flow to the tent. She was quite pleased with Della's ability to breathe on her own whenever the nurses rolled back the plastic, and would leave instructions that it be removed entirely the next day. If Della did as well as she thought, she would have her moved from C.C.U. to a room on another floor. The C.C.U. nurses would be heartbroken, but a whole new contingency would be thrilled when they met the famous attorney.

"She'll be much more alert and have greater stamina tomorrow once she's completely weaned from the sedation," Kathy replied with doctor-like efficiency.

"When did you sedate her?" Perry asked in alarm. "I thought you weren't going to."

Kathy made a little face. "Dr. Moultrie ordered a sedative while I was off duty. I removed it from her orders after she expelled the infection. As uncomfortable as she was afterward, she wanted to be able to talk to you and Aunt Alice."

Perry shook his head with slight exasperation. "She doesn't even like to take an aspirin. She battles headaches with tea, a bath, and a nap."

"That's because aspirin upsets her stomach," Kathy said with familiar matter-of-factness. "I remember once Aunt Alice gave her two aspirins for a sunburn and she spent hours doubled over, holding her stomach and crying. We were all so scared because Della was never sick, and she never complained, not even when she stepped on a rusty nail and had to have a tetanus shot. Tetanus shots are usually worse than the original injury, but she didn't shed a single tear, not even when she couldn't use her arm for three days."

Perry rubbed his jaw tiredly. "I depend on her too much. We'd been working on one case after another for weeks, and she was always right by my side. I tried to make sure she ate and rested, but she'd get upset with me and because I'm selfish and want her with me all the time, I let her have her way. I blame myself for her pneumonia and for not insisting that she see our doctor before we left Los Angeles."

Kathy patted his arm. "It's not your fault, Perry. Della would never admit she couldn't keep up with you. She was always trying to prove to the boys she could do whatever they could, and much to their humiliation she usually did it better."

He smiled briefly, eyes still taking in the visage of Della peacefully sleeping propped up on the pile of pillows. "Maybe you could remind her brothers of that particular personality trait."

"Are they giving you a hard time about being responsible for her illness?" Kathy put her hands on her hips. "I've tried to keep quiet, but I'll be more than happy to set those two dense, overprotective clods straight. They wisely ran away earlier so I couldn't give them a piece of my mind. "

"No, this is something I'll have to handle on my own," he said with a resigned sigh. "You know, every day I deal with some of the most difficult personalities you could imagine, but I'm floundering when it comes to Della's family. They took an immediate dislike to me when we spent Thanksgiving in Michigan a couple years ago. I don't have much of a family to speak of, and her family scares the bejeebers out of me."

"Aunt Mae likes you, and I think Aunt Alice is warming up to you. Jamie and Robbie will follow her lead." Kathy tried to be reassuring.

"Alice and I are on a first name basis," he admitted. "I don't know what it was that finally pierced her armor. Could be that I cooked her dinner, or that I bought Della a house, or that I let her kill a bottle of bourbon without telling her sister."

Kathy chuckled. "Aunt Alice does like her whiskey. I'm glad you're getting along. Della will be happy too."

"I certainly am," Della croaked from her isolating tent.

Perry laughed and patted her leg. "How long have you been eavesdropping, Miss Street? You look wonderful, baby."

"You have very low standards, Mr. Mason," she retorted. "I'm a virtual skeleton, my hair is a fright, my lip has a split in it the size of the Grand Canyon, and I'm covered with greasy lotion."

"If it'll make you feel better, String Bean," Kathy said, "you'll be able to take a real shower once I send orders to have you moved out of C.C.U."

Perry's eyebrows shot up in startled surprise. "String Bean?"

Della cut him a silencing glance. "Later," she told him, more interested in what Kathy had just said than in explaining her childhood nickname. "When am I getting sprung from this joint?"

Kathy could barely contain a smile as Della's eyes burned into hers. Obviously she hadn't told Perry about her nickname, either. "I should think you'll be in a private room tomorrow night."

"I ate all my dinner tonight. Can I get out tomorrow morning?"

"Don't tell stories, Del. You did not eat all your dinner," Kathy said brusquely, tucking the plastic of the tent beneath the mattress more snugly. "I reduced the oxygen again. I'm off duty tomorrow, but I'll call Dr. Moultrie to discuss how you're doing and we'll decide then when you'll be moved."

"When will you call?"

"Patience is a virtue, Del. I'll call during noon recess. My husband has a trial tomorrow and I want to sit in the gallery and give him moral support."

Perry's attention was diverted from looking lovingly at a much healthier Della and he glanced up at Kathy. "What's that you said?"

"I said my husband is in court tomorrow. He's an attorney. I haven't seen him awake or in daylight since you carried Della into my life again, and we keep missing each other on the phone. I'm going to surprise him in court tomorrow."

Perry was grinning. "Why did I not make the connection sooner," he said, shaking his head. "Your husband is David Spencer, junior partner at Irwin, Marsh."

"That's right. How do you know that?"

His grin widened. "Because I met your husband seven months ago, Dr. Spencer. I was on my way to meet your husband and his client for a deposition when I made a wrong turn and stumbled across the house on East Carmelo Avenue."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You're the big shot Los Angeles attorney he was so nervous about meeting? The stinker never mentioned your name. I had been at the hospital for six days straight and he went up north on a fishing trip the day after the deposition. When he got back we had other things to discuss."

"Oh, you and David have to come to the house!" Della exclaimed excitedly and began to cough. Kathy made a move toward her but Della waved her away as she gained control of her breath. "Perry will cook dinner and we'll sit out on the porch and talk like we used to."

Kathy laughed. "Perry will cook? Della, you haven't learned to cook yet?"

"I've mastered salads," Della defended herself. "I figure why should I learn to cook when Perry does it so well? Plus, there are literally thousands of restaurants in Los Angeles and I'm determined to try them all."

"Don't listen to her," Perry told Kathy. "She can scramble eggs quite competently, too."

Della beamed at him. "Thank you, darling."

Kathy laughed and started for the door. "Then I'll look forward to a dinner of salad and competently scrambled eggs. I've got rounds to make and charts to update before I can go home and snuggle with my sound asleep husband."

Della turned to Perry and regarded him appraisingly once the door closed behind her old friend. "You look better than the last time I saw you," she drawled, "but you still look like hell."

"I'm going to get a complex if people keep telling me how terrible I look."

"Did you sleep at all?"

Perry made himself as comfortable as possible in the bedside chair. "I most certainly did. I'll have you know I slept almost five hours."

Della continued to look at him with a concerned expression on her face. "I'm sorry to cause you such worry," she croaked softly.

"Della, don't apologize for being sick. If anything, I should apologize to you for not being more insistent that you see Dr. Sadler before we left L.A."

"I wouldn't have gone. I knew I was sick, but I didn't want to put a damper on our weekend."

"Have you told your brothers this? Because they would like nothing better than to beat me up right now."

She coughed as she laughed. "You could take them," she assured him. "Speaking of taking them…would you take them home and make sure everyone gets a good night's sleep? They're beginning to look as tired as you."

He crossed his arms and eyed her shrewdly. "You're assuming I took your mother and Mae to the house."

"I'm not assuming anything. I know without a doubt you wouldn't allow them to stay at a hotel."

"And you're okay with it?"

"The cat's out of the bag now," she said with a shrug. "I never should have kept the true nature of our relationship from my mother, but I knew she wouldn't be as accepting as Aunt Mae."

"Mae disapproves as much as your mother, darling."

Della smiled and reached out to him. Perry unzipped the tent and took her hand. "She disapproves, but she accepts us. She's fallen prey to your charms, Mr. Mason, and as long as you continue to make me happy, Aunt Mae will be our biggest champion."

"That's a pretty tall order," he said softly teasing. "Sometimes you're hard to please."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm glad you and Mom are on speaking terms."

"She calls me by first name and everything."

"All the more reason you should take Jamie and Robbie home and spend a quiet night resting."

"I can't leave you alone," he protested.

"Yes, you can. Go home and come back at a decent hour tomorrow morning. Please, Perry."

He sighed. "You just want to be alone with Dr. Moultrie," he charged.

She laughed without coughing. "That's right. He and I have a hot date at midnight."

"Are you sure you don't want anyone to stay tonight?"

She shook her head. "I want to sleep. If anyone was here, I'd feel obligated to stay awake."

"I guess it's good that you're choosing when to sleep, but I've hardly seen you today. All right, my love, I'll do as you ask. It just so happens we have enough beds for everyone now. Martin outdid himself putting together the bedrooms today."

"I really can't wait to meet him."

"And he's dying to meet you as well. Okay, I'm going to round up Jamie and Rob and deliver your orders. Let me unzip this darn tent…" He ran the zipper up and poked his head inside. "Kiss me quick before Cynthia or Louise or whoever is your nurse tonight busts in here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Perry found Della's brothers in the cafeteria smoking and drinking coffee, heads bowed in exhaustion. They lifted their heads simultaneously and eyed him suspiciously as he approached them. Accepting their sister's edict that they all get a good night's sleep and leave her alone to sleep as well with cranky resignation, the brothers followed Perry from the hospital to the parking lot without saying much.

Jamie took the shotgun position, offering stiff complimentary comments about the Cadillac, then virtual silence fell again between the three men until Perry nosed the car through the gate and the house became visible to Robbie.

"Good grief, James," he said incredulously, "it's the Martin house, right down to the color of the siding."

Jamie Street glared at Perry Mason. "What's going on here, Mr. Mason? Why did you bring us to a house? I thought we were going to the hotel you and Della were staying at."

Perry pulled the car to a stop in front of the house and killed the engine. "Della and I weren't at a hotel. We were here. There's no need for you to get a hotel room when I have a house with four bedrooms," he replied with practical bluntness. "Well, it's Della's house. Actually, it's our house."

Jamie and Robbie Street stood almost shoulder-to-shoulder and stared at the house with mouths agape, much like their mother and aunt had done earlier that day. "Did you secretly marry our sister, Mr. Mason?" Robbie asked after a few seconds.

Perry shook his head. "No, we aren't married."

"I don't understand, then. Why do you have a house that is almost identical to the one we spent our summers at when we were kids?"

"I found it by accident," Perry admitted. "Della had spoken of the Martin house many times and when I saw this house, I knew I had to buy it for her."

Jamie leveled narrowed eyes at the attorney his sister worked for and with whom she obviously maintained an intimate personal relationship. His black eye was less swollen and already turning a garish shade of green as the purple bruising subsided. "You bought Della a house," he stated flatly.

Perry started up the steps. As his feet landed on the smooth boards of the porch, he turned to face the brothers. "I bought us a house," he corrected pointedly. "But I put it in Della's name."

Jamie and Robbie followed him up the stairs and stood behind him as he fitted the key in the lock and swung the front door inward, stepping back so that they might precede him into the house. He stood in the doorway as the brothers took in the layout and furnishings of the house, amazed and befuddled by the similarities to the Martin home.

"Is that you, Perry?" Alice Street called from the top of the stairs.

"Yes, Alice," he answered. "Della kicked us out because she said we keep her up and she wants a good night's sleep."

"Oh, Jamie and Robbie are with you!" She ran lightly down the stairs and toward her sons, who both enclosed her in affectionate bear hugs. "I can see why your sister sent you away," she observed, brushing lank hair from Robbie's forehead. "You two need a shower and something decent to eat. I'll heat up the leftovers from dinner…"

"No, Alice," Perry said firmly. "You're going back upstairs to bed. I'll fix something for Jamie and Robbie to eat, and then I'll show them to their room. We have some man-talk to finish."

"We aren't fit company for a lady," Jamie added, kissing his mother's cheek. "We'll see you in the morning, Mom."

Alice shifted her eyes from each of her son's to those of the man who in her sense of propriety should be her son-in-law. "Don't stay up too late," she cautioned, "or I'll come down and drag you upstairs myself. You may be grown men, but I'm still your mother and you'll do as I say."

The three men watched her climb back up the stairs, and Perry was struck again by how much Della favored her mother. He ushered Jamie and Robbie into the kitchen, pointing out the dining room and sun porch on the way. Both brothers came to a dead halt as they took in the cheery blue and white kitchen.

"It's uncanny," Jamie said, in awe of his surroundings.

"So I've been told." Perry indicated the table. "Sit down. We have scotch, bourbon, wine, coffee, or tea. Wait, the bourbon is gone."

Jamie grinned. "Mom got into the bourbon, eh?"

Perry smiled ruefully. "Someone could have warned me about your mother's love of bourbon," he complained good-naturedly. "Name your poison."

"Scotch," Robbie answered for both of them. "I'll tend bar if you'll make good on your promise to feed us. That hospital's food wasn't fit for human consumption."

Perry crossed to the refrigerator, opened the door and pulled out a covered casserole in which Mae had put the remains of the macaroni and cheese, a bowl containing green beans amandine, and a package of hot dogs. He pulled two frying pans from the cabinet next to the stove and dumped the lump of pasta into the larger pan with a loud 'plop'.

"We had sandwiches made with something that may have been meat and soup that wasn't much more than water that had been briefly introduced to a chicken bone. What's that you're heating up?" Jamie inquired, trying to see what Perry was doing.

"Racamoni and cheese." Perry reached down and pulled a saucepan from the cabinet, into which he poured the beans. He then quickly sliced four hot dogs down their centers and placed them in the smaller frying pan.

"Della will kill Mom for telling you that," Jamie commented. "She was a funny kid. Dad used to tell anyone who would listen about all the things she said.

"Della told me," Perry said casually as he turned on the gas beneath each pan. "It's her favorite meal."

Robbie handed Perry a stiff scotch and water before sitting down at the table. He exchanged glances with his older brother. "Did she tell you why they build houses outdoors?"

"Where else would they build them?" Perry shot back, perfectly aware that at four Della had asked her father 'Daddy, why do they build houses outdoors?'

"And do you know why cows poopie so big?" Jamie raised one eyebrow. Ah, it must be a hereditary trait of the Street's.

That question Della had asked her mother in front of their minister's wife when she was three. "Have you seen what they eat?" Perry deadpanned.

Jamie lit a cigarette, leaned back in the chair and regarded the Perry Mason contemplatively. "I can't believe she told you those things."

"Della and I talk a lot," Perry said evasively.

"But she hated it when Dad told those stories. Why would she tell you?"

Perry shrugged and broke up the lump of macaroni in the pan with a wooden spoon, his back to the brothers.

Jamie picked up the highball his brother had set in front of him and took a healthy sip. "You love my sister, don't you?"

Perry turned and met the eyes that were so much like Della's. "More than anything," he said simply.