Happy New Year!
I hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays and all the yummy foods that came with them!
So here's a new chapter to celebrate the new year. ENJOY!
Chapter Sixty-Three
Three Days Later
"Well what did you come up with?" Aaron asked Nate as he sat next to Sarah with his plate. He hadn't quite been able to make it to them so they had agreed to meet him part way. The importance of this conversation had brought them to Chickasha, or at least to one of its rib joints.
"Not as much as I'd like." Nate admitted as he looked over the paper in hand. "Amarillo has a few but I'm not really sold."
"Good, that's damn near four hours away from me." Aaron's distaste was clearly spoken; he barely saw his brother as it was.
"What else you got?" Sarah questioned as she dug her fork into some macaroni.
"There's an in-patient facility in Burkburnett that has decent reviews." Nate didn't seem enthused though.
"That's about the same drive as I'm making now. I'll just end up crossing the red river." Aaron shrugged as he lifted his pulled pork.
"Do you have any not in Texas?" Even if she was closer to that border than most of the cities in her own state she really didn't feel like crossing it.
"Clinton has a vet clinic, but I don't know if he'd qualify." Plus he wasn't sure if Eliot would appreciate going to such a place. He wasn't even sure what his standing with the military was.
"Clinton is two hours away!" Sarah protested.
"That's the drive I make every time I come to see you!" Aaron shot back.(Talk about a hypocrite)
"That's not ev-"
"HEY!" Nate shouted. He was not playing babysitter and he certainly wasn't acting as referee. "I get it, Clinton's a no." They were starting to remind him of Hardison and Parker. "What's the rating on Stillwater?"
"Eliot likes Stillwater, one of his favorite bars is over there." Aaron nodded his approval as he took a long swig from his glass.
"What! Do you plan on taking him drinking!" Sarah scoffed. "We're supposed to be judging medical centers not the local hangouts!"
"What do you got agai-"
"Come on now." Nate once again interrupted, though he did tuck away the tidbit about the bar. It could be useful later. "How about Oklahoma City?"
"NO" Sarah and Aaron shot it down so simultaneously that he didn't bother asking why.
"Isn't there any way you could stay in Lawton?" She liked Eliot being less than half an hour away, it was easy to keep tabs on him that way.
"We've exhausted our options at home." And since when had Lawton, Oklahoma become his home?
"You can always come to Edmond with me." Aaron suggested hopefully.
"You'll get Eliot in the same town as mom and dad when pigs fly." Sarah stated knowingly; she'd already tried.
"Well if you hadn't moved two hours away to nowheresville he'd have to come my way now wouldn't he." Of all the places he just didn't understand Chattanooga.
"What is up with yo-"
"Honestly!" Nate rapped his hand on the table for attention.
"If you two can't stop bickering I'm going to decide without you." If he was being honest with himself the only reason he asked for their opinions was so they could share in the guilt.
"Sorry" Sarah mumbled as she looked down to her plate.
"Yeah" Aaron offered awkwardly.
"Alright," Nate accepted authoritatively. After all he was all but old enough to be their father, though that would never be admitted. "I've been thinking about sending him to Moore."
"But?" Sarah voiced the one he hadn't said but still she heard.
"It's a private practice." He was still debating himself about it.
"Which means?" Aaron questioned as he picked at corn that was getting cold.
"Once I check him in he won't be able to check himself out. Neither will I for that matter, he'll be stuck there for six weeks until he gets transferred over to an out-patient program."
"I don't like that." Aaron spoke sternly "It sounds like a damn rehab. He hasn't done anything to deserve getting locked up like that."
"I actually like the idea." Sarah disagreed. "That way he won't be able to go against his treatment and he can't con Nate into giving in."
"I swear, if you two try sending him there I will make it my personal mission to break him out."
Creepily enough Parker had spoken almost those exact words that morning. "Alright," And he didn't doubt that they'd team up to do just that which only added to his worry of Eliot attempting to break himself out of where ever he was sent. "Moore's a negative."
"Which leaves us with?" She hoped his setting the paper to the side didn't mean they were out of options.
"Norman" Nate sighed.
"Is it a decent place?" Aaron quickly questioned. He wanted his brother helped not imprisoned.
"Around here it's probably about the best your money can buy."
"Let me guess," Sarah spoke somberly. "Our money ain't even close to buying it."
"That's not the problem." Yes it was beyond expensive but that was the least of his worries.
"Then what?" She found it safe to assume he was lying when he said medical bills weren't a problem.
"They cater more to the patient than the illness and it's got me wondering if Eliot won't try using that to his advantage." No doubt in his mind, he knew Eliot could manipulate a situation if need be.
"Ya'll have got to give me some credit." Aaron tried. "He knows he needs help and I doubt if he'll deny himself that."
"Are you really taking him to Norman?" Sarah nearly pouted. He had been so close and now he was going to be so far.
"If I can get him a bed." Buy him one would be more accurate; he highly doubted any insurance would be helping foot this bill.
"It's another private place I take it." Public ones didn't have you wait past the time it took to make room.
"Valley Springs" Nate offered to Aaron by way of explanation.
"A name like that makes you almost want to rethink it." Sarah joked.
"Don't give him any ideas." Aaron warned, he just wished there was a way to warn Nate not to let this eat at him the way he could already see it beginning to do.
"Trust me, he's going." Nate swore. As bad as he hated to say, it was the only way he knew to help Eliot at the moment.
"How long is he staying though?" Sarah sipped on her soda as she eyed Nate's untouched plate.
"I'm hoping he'll stay a few weeks but..." How ironic would it be if he said he didn't want to be away from him that long in the same sentence? "I don't know." He offered instead.
"How's he doing?" Aaron repeated a question he was positive should be warn out.
"He was alert quite a few times yesterday but he hasn't said anything yet." If you added it all up he doubted you'd reach more than twelve hours Eliot had been "awake" in three days.
"It's weird not having him talking." Sarah shared. She knew it would take time but she was kind of used to him just bouncing back; it's what he had done after a seizure.
"So he just lies there?" It sounded like they were describing a vegetable and not his brother.
"No, he tracks you. No matter where you are in the room his gaze will be on you trying to figure out what you're doing." The thought made her smile, it was just like him.
"Hardison and Parker think he just hasn't had anything important enough to say yet." Nate added as he glanced at his watch.
"Now that sounds like El." Aaron laughed, his brother's cold shoulder put blizzards to shame.
"When are you coming to see him?" Sarah questioned as she turned on the booth they were sharing.
"I'll be over there on Saturday; tell him that." He only had to go home and rearrange an entire Friday to make it happen.
"I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it." It seemed like everyone was thrilled with the current news which was why he kept his worries silent. But it didn't change the bitter truth that had been revealed in his last conversation with Torlyn. Eliot wasn't awake. Yes he was quickly approaching wakefulness but there was still the chance he could slip backward and fall deeper into his coma.
"Nate? Did you hear me?" She had turned to talk to Aaron exclusively for all of ten seconds but that was apparently more than enough time for him to get lost out in space.
"What was that?" Nate shook his head to clear it as he turned his attention to Sarah.
"I said it sounds like it's going to rain." Sarah's words were echoed by a boom of thunder.
"Ya'll should get going then." Aaron advised as he stood. Just as soon as he could he was going to call the day done and go find Ashlee.
"You be careful." She stood to hug him with the hopes of the storm staying where it was instead of following any of them home; especially since they were residents of tornado alley.
"I will." Aaron promised as he pulled away. "I'll see everybody on Saturday."
Nate offered an almost awkward wave as he too stood, Aaron disappearing out the exit seconds later.
"Shall we?" Sarah asked Nate as he tossed a little something extra for the waitress on the table.
Without a second thought Nate agreed, "Lets go."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Parker! This ain't funny!" Hardison was currently on his hands and knees searching under the couch. "They'll be back any minute now and I can't find these dang kids!" He couldn't find her for that matter. "Parker! If Nate gets here and finds out we lost 'em he's gonna have my hide!" He yelled as he crawled over to the window to check behind the curtains. "Parker I swear" He stopped to make sure they were still in the good before re-covering the window. "If ya'll went outside after promising not to I'm gonna..." He had to pause to think on that one. "Well you watch and see what I'm gonna do!"
What he swore was a noise from down bellow had him jumping up and running for the basement door. "That's it!" He shouted down the stairs. "Games over. I'm serious! Do you hear me? That's a little something called a STERN voice! Now I mean it Brian, Rebecca, you have til the count of ten to be sitting on the couch or else." Never again was he agreeing to babysit.
"One" He called as he walked back to the living room to wait. "Two" He shouted as he crossed his arms. "Three" A door slamming outside had him losing rhythm and frantically shouting, "Now don't make me get to four!"
"Hardison?" Nate opened the door to what he was sure had been yelling.
"Hey Nate!" He plastered on his biggest, brightest, fakest grin for his boss and the woman behind him. "How'd it go?"
"Just fine Hardison?" Something was suspicious here.
"Yeah" Sarah agreed. "I appreciate you guys picking up the kids so we could get that settled."
"Aw naw, it wasn't no problem. No sirree, none at all." Now only if he wasn't lying through his teeth.
"Well that's good, but where are they because I've got to get going." His eeriness was starting to unnerve her.
"Yeah Hardison," Nate spoke with amusement as he leaned up against the wall crossing his arms. "Where are they?"
"Well we was just playing hide and seek you see," Another mega watt smile accompanied that statement. "So they're hiding."
"And how long have they been doing that?" The complete lack of Parker and the worry on Hardison was answer enough.
"Forever man, forever!" Hardison sobbed dramatically. "I can't find 'em nowhere. I told Parker I didn't want to be it, I ain't good at these kinds of games, but does she listen! She's probably got 'em halfway through the history museum's air-ducts by now!" Heck yeah he was close to tears; Eliot would kill him if he ever got wind of this.
Sarah shared an 'Is he joking' look with Nate before asking, "So why didn't you just call them out?"
"I tried but either they ain't here or they ain't listening." Given the fact that it was Parker he was betting his money on the first.
"Did you say the right words?" Nate was too amused to be worried.
"I've said it all. The only thing I didn't do was beg and plead with the little mon-sweeties."
Sarah couldn't help but laugh at the attempted save. She knew her kids could be monsters at times.
With a brow raised in humor Nate amusedly shouted, "Olly, Olly Oxen Free!"
"Olly who?" Hardison questioned with confusion.
"Olly Olly Oxen Free!" Nate once more called. "Or... All ye All ye outs in free! Or... All the outs are free!"
"What!" Clearly Nate was speaking gibberish.
"It means," Sarah began explaining as the sounds of laughter began bounding down the stairs. "You give up. You shout that when you're tired of looking and that way all the players know it's game over and you're not just trying to trick them."
"That's the-" but his thought was interrupted by the shouts of, "Mommy!"
"Becca!" Sarah returned her little girl's enthusiasm as she lifted her into her arms.
"Guess what?" Brian spoke with just as much excitement.
"What?" Sarah questioned on cue.
"Miss Parker has kittens and I got to play with them!"
"Is that so?" Sarah's immediate reply was Becca nodding at near super speed. "Well than I hope you said thank-you because that was mighty nice of her."
"I did." Brian swore as he looked to Parker for confirmation.
"They did." Parker assured. She didn't understand why moms waited to jump on their kids for forgotten manners but never seemed to reward them for remembered ones.
"That's good." Sarah spoke mostly to Brian as she said, "Say good bye so we can go home and get your homework done."
"But I already did it!"
"Oh really?" Now that caught her attention. "And how about you missy?"
"Hardi helped me." Rebecca offered as an explanation.
"Thank you" Sarah offered honestly to which Hardison simply nodded.
"Come on Brian," Parker called as she grabbed their back packs. "I'll go out with you."
"Okay" Brian was right on her heels and they were out the door in no time.
"Well we'll see you guys later." Sarah bid as she placed her daughter down. "Say bye Becca."
"Bye Nay-Nay, bye Hardi"
Nate couldn't help but smirk at the nick name.
"What?" Hardison questioned defensively after the door shut.
"Who doesn't know how to play hide and seek?" He was still leaned against the wall, plenty entertained with what he had come home to.
"How the hell am I supposed to know about setting oxen free?" That was the dumbest thing he had ever heard.
"The same way a five year old does." Nate all but laughed.
"By hanging around with ancient people." Hardison jabbed. "How old are you anyways grandpa?"
That did make Nate laugh and he didn't stop even after Hardison stormed away.
There was definitely something about being a decade older than nearly everyone around him; he mostly felt sorry for them.
"Hey Nate" Parker greeted cheerfully.
"So Parker, how'd you like babysitting?" He questioned as she shut the door.
"Those kids are awesome! I told Sarah we'd do it again anytime."
"We?" He just knew he'd love this.
"Yeah, me and Hardison."
"Hey, Why don't you go tell him that." He nearly kept a straight face, her excited "Alright" as she left making it really hard, but what really got him was Hardison's shouted, "Aw hell naw" a few moments later. It had him laughing once more.
He definitely felt sorry for them.
E/N: So who else is enjoying these negative temperatures with me?
I feel like I'm about to lose a toe lol But anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I promise there's only more good stuff to come.