Chapter 9
After church on Sunday, they all enjoyed a quiet, lazy day. The ladies took off for the outlet mall. After they left, Jack looked at his dad and grandpa. "That's relaxing?"
Jarrod laughed as Aaron smiled at him. "It's a girl thing bud." Jack shook his head in disbelief.
"Don't worry Jack," Jarrod smiled. "After being married to your grandma for nearly fifty years, I still don't get it." Jack sadly shook his head as Aaron rubbed Jarrod's shoulder.
Early evening approached with Aaron and Jake enjoying a beer together as they charcoaled chicken. When dinner was finished, the entire family pitched in to make the huge fruit salad for the big Barkley Fourth of July party the next day. Less than two hours later, Maggie looked around her clean kitchen. "Having a big group around sure makes that an easy job," she smiled. Jarrod, Matt, Mike and Jack were sitting at the kitchen counter enjoying some ice cream and fresh strawberries with Jake and Aaron standing behind them, doing the same.
"The reward isn't too bad either grandma," Mike smiled.
"From what Matt has told, I just can't wait to see it all tomorrow," Lauren smiled.
"It's huge," Jack said.
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The next day, Cait and Aaron joined Jack on his morning ride with Jarrod. When they returned, Maggie and Aaron helped Cait get some laundry done while Jake took the kids for a tour of ranch that was accessible by Jarrod's truck. They all spent the afternoon in or around the pool. The Hotchner's Wednesday departure day was starting to loom on the horizon and they enjoyed the time as a family.
Around five, the group minus one were standing around in the garage. Jack smiled at Cait. "Grandma braided your hair again. I really like that," he smiled.
"So do I," Aaron smiled, kissing her.
Lauren looked at her, admiring her softly braided hair that allowed her neckline and earrings to accent her face. "You can't do that on your own Cait?"
She shook her head. "I can remove a piece of shrapnel from a human leg in emergency surgery. But working with my hair in the back, I'm all thumbs."
Lauren smiled. "Give me a call anytime you want to rock that look. I'll help you." Cait rubbed her shoulder with a large smile.
Jake walked into the house and bellowed, "Come on mom! We're waiting on you!"
"Coming," she shouted back.
When she finally walked into the garage, Jarrod was leaning up against her vehicle gazing at his watch looking more than peeved. He looked at Maggie, put his arms down, smiled and gave her a kiss. "It was worth the wait. You look beautiful as usual."
Cait poked Matt. "Take notes," she commanded, pointing at them. Lauren smiled.
"If it isn't grandpa, its dad," Matt smiled back at his mother.
"Good answer," Aaron said with a smile. "Let's get going."
Jake drove the kids over in Jarrod's truck as Jarrod pulled out of the garage driving Maggie's vehicle. Aaron was in the front seat. Their beautiful brides sat in the back. When they pulled into the ranch, Lauren shook her head in astonishment. "Oh. My. God," she stammered.
"Told ya," Jack smiled.
They all mingled with the crowd, meeting up with family members. "Caitie," Uncle Nick smiled, pulling her off the ground with his big hug.
"It's good to see you again Uncle Nick," she smiled.
Two hours later, the family reconnected up for dinner. Cait took one look at Lauren and smiled. "Barkley family overload?"
Lauren shook her head. "Oh my god; I wish I had started a cheat sheet. But it'd be three pages long by now."
Matt looked at her. "You've only meet about half of them."
"Now I've got a headache," Lauren moaned.
Aaron put his arm around her shoulder. "Do what I do." She looked at him. "Just play along in the conversation like you've know them all your life. Someone will come along and say their name." Cait pointed at the two of them with a smile. Jack was the last to blow in, hot and sweaty from playing with his cousins. Jarrod had an ice cold bottle of water waiting for his best bud.
He guzzled half of it down. "Thanks grandpa," Jack smiled, wiping his mouth. "You're the best."
They all got in line for the huge spread of food. Between traditional American fare to many Hispanic dishes, the long food line was huge. Cait poked Jack in the shoulder as he loaded up with nachos and cheese. "Add some beans to that." Jack looked at her. "So you can open the bathroom window tomorrow. Cheese doesn't help that. The beans will." Jack laughed, adding a load of beans. Cait smiled back at him.
The food line was topped off with beef brisket and pulled pork the ranch hands had cooked over open spits. Matt looked at Aaron. "I love this," he smiled.
"Hurry up and get out of the way," Aaron smiled back. Matt grabbed the BBQ sauce for his pork putting it on his sandwich and moved off.
Just as they were finishing dinner, there a murmur among a small group. Cait looked and noticed it quickly turning into a panic of an emergency. "Call 9-1-1!" someone shouted. Cait rose out of her chair, handing her plate to Maggie and started to run to the scene. Aaron shoved his plate at Mike and was right behind her.
Her Uncle Heath got there first. "Cait!" he shouted, looking for her. Noticing her, he shouted "Hurry!" Heath and Miquel got the crowd pushed back as she rushed in, with Aaron on her heels. Cait took one look at the Hispanic mother holding her young son that was starting to turn blue.
"I'm a doctor," Cait said in Spanish. "What was he eating," she asked, grabbing the boy.
"A hot dog," his mother cried back in Spanish. Cait quickly performed the Heimlich on the young boy. A small piece of hot dog shot out of his mouth. He gasped to get air. Aaron helped Cait lay him on the ground. "Take small breaths," she soothed in his language, with a smile, rubbing his chest. "You're OK."
Aaron looked at her, kneeling next to her. "Do we still need that ambulance?"
Cait nodded. "I'd prefer he get checked out."
"And miss the fireworks," the young boy asked.
Cait rubbed his chest. "Just a quick check buddy," she smiled.
Aaron pulled out his cell and dialed 9-1-1. "Hello, this Aaron Hotchner at the Barkley ranch. I'm an agent with the FBI. My wife is a board certified doctor in Virginia. We'd like the paramedics to continue to respond. But the situation is no longer critical." Aaron listened to the operator and provided more details.
"We appreciate the update Agent Hotchner," the operator said. "Do you need me to stay on the line?"
"No ma'am. Thank you for your assistance."
The ambulance pulled in ten minutes later without a siren but its lights flashing. Nick and Matt guided them to the scene as Miquel and Heath moved the crowd back. Cait and Aaron, along with the boy's parents walked him to the back of the ambulance. One of the paramedics looked at her. "You the doctor?" Cait nodded. "You can call it better than we can," he smiled.
Cait smiled back. "Can I borrow your stethoscope?" He handed it to her with a smile.
Smiling at her young patient that Aaron got sitting on the back bumper of the ambulance, she asked, "What's your name?"
"Joaquin Hernandez."
"How old are you Joaquin?"
"I'm six."
"When's your birthday?" Joaquin rattled off the date. Cait winked at the paramedic and put the stethoscope in her ears. She checked him over thoroughly and pulled the stethoscope out of her ears, handing it back to the paramedic. "I'm satisfied," she smiled. She looked at Joaquin. "How do you feel?"
"My throat is a bit sore." He rubbed his chest just above his diaphragm. "And it hurts a little there."
Cait smiled at him, rubbing his shoulder and then looked at his mother that Aaron had wrapped in his arm with his hand on the back of Joaquin's dad. "Lots of cold fluids will help his throat. Please make him drink something cold during the night on the hour, every hour for the next eight hours. And not just sips; as much as he can," she said in Spanish. Joaquin's parents nodded with a smile. "An Advil every six hours for a day or two will take care of the soreness in his ribs."
Cait looked at Joaquin, rubbing his shoulder. "You are a peeing machine later tonight," she smiled. "But that will make your throat feel better."
"Got it doc," he smiled back.
"Gracias Doctor," the mother smiled. Aaron rubbed her shoulder.
The paramedic looked at Cait. "Then I'm satisfied," he smiled. "I just need you to sign off on the paperwork." Cait nodded. "A copy of your medical license wouldn't hurt."
Mike raced up and smiled at his parents. "I sorta figured as much. Sorry for going through your purse mom. Grandma helped." Cait shook him off with her smile as Aaron rubbed his shoulder with his proud smile. The paramedics took down all the information.
Joaquin looked at Cait and the paramedics. "So I can stay for the fireworks?"
"You bet Joaquin," she smiled, rubbing his head. Joaquin reached to give her a hug. Cait pulled him off the bumper and hugged him tightly.
"Thanks doctor," he smiled at her. Aaron took him from Cait and handed him to his mother.
"Gracias," she smiled.
"De nada," Aaron smiled back.
Heath smiled at Cait. "You're sorta handy to have around." He looked at the paramedics. "Bill the run to the ranch please." They both nodded.
The night ended with the ranch hands' epic fireworks display that lit up the valley. It went on for almost an hour.
Mike looked at them after one of the best shots went off. "Got that," he smiled. He pushed a few more buttons on his phone. "And sent to Uncle Dave," he smiled.
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The entire house slept in the next morning. Aaron rolled over on his back in bed as Cait started to stir. He rubbed his forehead. "Remind me to never again drink scotch with your dad, his brothers and your brothers."
Cait softly laughed. "You did do Dave proud last night."
He looked at her. "So why don't my ribs feel like hell?'
"Because you got into bed, I rolled you up on your side and you didn't move," she smiled at him. "But my loves, for now, I'm going to pass on the morning kiss."
"As the Italian says…wise decision." Cait laughed. Her cell buzzed on the nightstand.
She pulled it off and looked at the text. "Speaking of," she smiled at Aaron. "It's from Dave."
"And," Aaron questioned.
"Mission accomplished," she read. "And tell Mike thank you for vid." Aaron smiled at her.
After the greasy breakfast of fried eggs and bacon requested by the hungover crowd, which was all the guys except for Jack, Cait looked at her family. "Get your showers done please. We're not leaving grandma with a mound of dirty towels. Tomorrow morning there will be one towel and wash cloth in each bathroom. Lauren and I shower first. You guys have it after that. Grandma will have enough to do washing sheets. And please start to get packed up. We've got an oh-dark-thirty flight tomorrow morning to get back home at a reasonable time."
"That part of coming out here stinks," Jack commented.
Cait smiled at him. "Yes it does bud."
"It sucks Jack," Aaron said.
Matt smiled at his father. "Look at you; finally stepping up to the plate." The rest roared with laughter.
Mike and Matt shared a high five. "Rock it bro," Mike smiled.
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The sun started to slip below the horizon providing a beautiful California sunset. Maggie pulled Jack into her lap as he started to eat his s'more that they were all enjoying around the fire pit. She put her arm around him. "Listen to me," she said. Jack looked at her. "I know how hard it's going to be tomorrow to walk into home and not have someone there smiling and wagging her tail, welcoming her family back home." Jack looked at her and put his head on her shoulder. Maggie pulled him closer and put her hand over his heart. "They never leave us Jack," she smiled, rubbing his chest. "Not in here; not ever. Your mom is always there. So are Beans and Mudgie." She kissed his forehead. "Please remember that through the hurt." She rubbed his chest again. "They're never gone in your heart. They are always there. We don't lose family. Our family just always grows."
"I love you grandma."
Maggie kissed his head again. "I love you too."
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The good-byes were always tough on Maggie and Jarrod when the Hotchner's left. Knowing what the family faced when they got home, they were tougher that morning as the sun just started to creep up. Jake was even up, knowing the heartache they faced. He said his good byes to them except one.
Jake held Cait close. "Hang in there big sis; I love you."
Cait kissed his cheek as Lauren said good-bye to Maggie and Jarrod. "I love you too little brother," she said, hugging him.
Jarrod bent down to look at Jack. Jack threw his arms around Jarrod's neck. "I'll honor them grandpa," Jack whispered in his ear.
"I know you will," Jarrod whispered back, giving Jack a huge hug.
Jack moved to Maggie and patted his chest. "They're in there grandma." Maggie wiped a tear as she hugged Jack.
The good-byes and hugs just about done, Cait looked at her parents and shook her head. "Thank you," she smiled. Maggie pulled her tightly to her. Aaron looked at Jarrod and shook his hand.
"The toughest part of being a mother is being strong for your family when you're hurting the most," Maggie whispered in her ear.
Cait hugged her tighter. "Thanks mom. I love you."
Jarrod pulled Cait into a hug as Aaron hugged Maggie. "Be strong my daughter, again, for your family. I'm so proud of the wife and mother you are," he said.
"Thanks daddy," she whispered.
"And then let your heart break a little with that man that loves you too much." Cait gripped him tighter and then kissed his cheek.
Cait looked at him. "I love you dad." Jarrod rubbed her cheek.
Aaron looked at the two them and smiled. "See you at Thanksgiving," he smiled. "Good luck with your season," he smiled at Jake.
Jake smiled back at him with a point. "Bro, you just keep that team of yours working. My job is easy." Aaron smiled at him.
Jarrod smiled at Aaron. "You know we'll be there son."
Jake gave Cait one final hug.
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A/N: *points* They're still in the same spot.
It is my experience, working with the general public at my job that while parents may not speak English, their children, in the school system are very bilingual.
And I know I'm waffling between Jack becoming a nearly eleven year old young man and still being a boy. I've got a nephew about the same age. One minute, he can astound me with how grown up he's getting. The next minute, he's my cuddle bud. It's that age and I'm running with my experience.