December 19th, 2001, Wednesday:
Walter sat in the waiting room of the ER with the Dineens as Paige was being examined after falling at home. Walter had blamed himself at first thinking he had pulled too hard against her and making her spin faster than she should have. They'd been practicing for the Embassy's Christmas ball, which was coming up this Saturday, with Happy, Billy and Megan.
Billy had been the first to notice the floor where Paige had tripped had a sticky residue on it which had caused the accident.
Walter hadn't really wanted them to go to the ball…well he wanted to take her, but he didn't want to have to share her time with the sons of the other dignitaries. The last three years he came to resent the intrusion into their time. Nothing anyone said to him could help persuade him that it wasn't personal or a slight against him. That it was just the nature of the diplomatic world. Cabe tried his best every time they talked over the internet, but Walter wouldn't budge.
"Mr & Mrs Dineen." The young woman walked out and greeted them. "Your daughter is back from radiology and I can take you back to her. But only two are allowed back at a time." She told them.
"Walter, will you stay with Happy? I'll come back in a few and then you can go back." Ralph asked as he clapped his hand to Walter's shoulder.
Walter nodded slowly and gave them a halfhearted smile.
As Ralph and Veronica disappeared through the door separating the waiting area from the examination rooms Walter suddenly had an idea. He looked at Happy sitting there engrossed on her laptop, working on her next generation robot for her science fair project.
Walter pulled his laptop out of his backpack and turned it on.
He casually looked around after it booted up and then went to work. He was through the hospital's network in no time. The patients' records were a snap to infiltrate and he found Paige's. A quick glance got him the code they used for her. Then he was into the radiology department. He smiled, finding the images taken of her leg. A quick examination of it had him convinced that her leg wasn't broken. It was just a sprain.
Walter closed his eyes in a moment of gratitude.
Then his eyes opened and he began carrying out his plan. He searched all the other images in radiology until he found exactly what he needed. He quickly made copies of them and then replaced Paige's images with the copies. Walter quickly covered his tracks and then shut down the laptop.
He looked about and it seemed like he had done it and he smiled.
But as time passed he sighed as guilt built up in him. And just as he was about to open his laptop again Ralph Dineen walked out of the ER. He smiled walking up to Walter.
"Okay son, go through those doors and turn right, then left. Go back four doors and she's in the room on the right." Ralph told him as he ruffled his hair.
"Thanks Dad." Walter gave him a half smile and got up and walked back to find her.
Paige grinned at Walter as he walked in the room and then frowned a bit.
"Walter, this wasn't your fault. You heard Billy, you saw how sticky that part of the floor was. Please smile." Paige told him.
Walter smiled and nodded as he reached her side and they held hands.
"Good news Paige." The handsome young Dr said as he stepped into the room. "Your leg is broken." He grinned seeing their looks like, how is this good? "The good news is that it is a clean break and it is in perfect position so we don't have to manipulate it before we put a cast on you."
"Well that is something I guess. How is this going to affect me dancing at the ball?" Paige asked.
"Sorry, you'll have to stay off your twinkle toes. I'll be back shortly to put the cast on. Well probably closer to a half hour actually." He told them and stepped back out.
"Well at least it isn't something worse. I'll go let your Father and Happy know. Do you want me to have your Father come back?" Veronica asked her.
"It is up to you Mom." Paige smiled at her.
Veronica nodded and got up. She kissed Paige's forehead and stepped out of the room.
Paige looked at Walter and saw he looked sad again. She yanked on his hand and he looked up at her. He tried to smile but she could tell something wasn't right.
"What's going on?" Paige asked.
"You're going to be mad at me." Walter told her.
"Walter, this wasn't your fault. I'm not mad at you, I'm not going to get mad at you. At least this way I don't have to dance with the other boys." Paige smiled.
Walter shook his head.
"It isn't that. I did something wrong and I'm sorry. I changed your x-rays with copies from another girl's x-rays who had a broken leg. I didn't want to share you with them. But I can't deprive you of something you really enjoy. You love dancing, so I've got to tell the truth. So you can have a good time." Walter told her.
Paige stared at him for several minutes, almost unable to believe what he admitted too.
"Are you serious? My leg isn't broken?" Paige asked in a hushed whisper.
Walter nodded.
"I can show you the x–rays if you want." Walter offered.
Paige shook her head and then grinned.
"That explains why my leg doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. Don't switch them, don't tell anyone. We'll let them just think my leg is broken. Then we can just enjoy the party together." Paige squeezed his hand happily.
"But you won't get to dance." Walter said with surprise.
December 20th, 2001, Thursday:
"Good morning Veronica." Dr Byrne said as she walked into the exam room. "How are you feeling today?"
"Good morning Dr Byrne. I'm mostly feeling really good. A bit run down. I thought it might just be the season and everything running up to the Christmas ball at the Embassy but Ralph said I should see our family Dr. But she can't see me until after the new year. I was surprised when your receptionist said you could see me today." Veronica told her.
Dr Byrne laughed.
"Well luckily I had two patients who had their babies a little early so that cleared some time for me. So have there been any other changes to your life? Diet, exercise, sleep?" Dr Byrne asked.
Veronica shook her head as she began describing her days.
Dr Byrne nodded as she listened and asked follow up questions.
"Okay, well let's draw some blood. Are you able to give a urine sample?" Dr Byrne asked.
"That I'm more than capable of." Veronica laughed.
Veronica sat waiting back in the small exam room after giving blood and a urine sample. Finally a gentle rap on the door and it opened and Dr Byrne stepped inside.
"Well sorry, it took them a little longer to process everything." Dr Byrne smiled at Veronica.
"Not a problem Dr Byrne. Is everything okay?" Veronica asked.
"Well all your numbers look really good, considering." Dr Byrne told her.
"Considering?" Veronica frowned.
"You're pregnant." Dr Byrne grinned.
"What? But, they said after Paige I'd probably never get pregnant again and now, I'm almost forty. Oh dear, how is Ralph going to take this?" Veronica said clearly in shock.
"Well, all I can say is, I know what it means when the test values are showing up this way." Dr Byrne grinned as she showed her the report.
Slowly a smile spread across Ralph's face as he sat with his wife in the family room as she told him they were pregnant. Ralph scooped his much smaller wife up in his arms and kissed her soundly as he spun around in circles.
"So you're happy?" Veronica laughed with tears.
"Hell yeah. Our family is growing again and it isn't a grandchild!" Ralph roared with laughter.
Ralph finally quit spinning and he stood there with Veronica cradled in his arms. Staring at each other. And then they kissed hard and passionately.
"When do you think it happened?" Ralph asked Veronica a bit out of breath.
"I'm guessing it was right before Thanksgiving last month." Veronica grinned.
"What's going on?" Paige asked as she stood at the doorway with Happy and Walter.
Ralph grinned at Veronica and slowly set her down to stand on her own feet.
Ralph kind of shrugged his shoulders at her, leaving it up to Veronica. Veronica sighed and turned to look at the three kids.
"I'd gone to see Dr Byrne today because of how tired I've been lately. And we found out that I'm, very early, pregnant." Veronica told them.
Paige grinned and quickly moved into the room with her cast and hugged her Mom.
"That's great Mom, Dad. Congratulations. I go from an only child to soon having three siblings." Paige grinned.
Veronica smiled as she kissed Paige's cheek.
Happy stood there unsure what she should do or even feel. She was happy for them, but she couldn't help thinking of the horror stories some of the kids told. How they thought they had found their families finally only to get sent back to the orphanage after the family found out the Mom was pregnant. It seemed like so many adults fostered or adopted because they couldn't get pregnant and as soon as they did they didn't want the foster child anymore.
Slowly Happy stepped in and slower still into Veronica's arms since Paige moved up to their Dad.
Veronica grinned and hugged her tightly to her.
"Oh my sweet little Happy. Don't you have any doubts or fears. You are my daughter and you always will be. I didn't get to choose Paige and this little one growing in me, but I got to choose you. You are as much my child as any child I could ever birth." Veronica whispered softly into her ear.
"Thank you Mom." Happy cried softly.
The SUV pulled up in front of the Embassy and the photographers began snapping pictures immediately. Slowly the detail forced everyone back several paces and then the door was opened. Walter stepped out first. He was bordering on physically being the man he would one day become. His shoulders growing broader, his hips narrowed in comparison. His jawline had tightened into more of a square and at Paige's insistence he had allowed his beard to be a bit stubbly. All of it blended with his dark curly hair and eyes making him look sharp in the tuxedo he'd been given by the Dineens.
He gave the photographers a slight smile as he turned and extended his hand towards the opening of the door. Paige's graceful hand extended out, slipping into his hand. They smiled at each other as Paige came out of the car. An agent stepped up with her crutch from the back of the SUV. Paige thanked him after posing for a few pictures and then took the crutch. With the crutch under her left arm and Walter holding her right they made their way slowly inside letting the press to continue taking pictures.
Happy emerged from the car next. She'd fought against having to wear a dress. But the Embassy's office of protocol had insisted. Finally after many arguments and disagreements they came to an agreement of a style of dress for Happy to wear. The top half almost looked like Walter's tuxedo. Except a Victorian, steampunk jacket, red paisley vest & bow tie, with a white ruffled shirt. The bottoms were slacks with a wispy material wrapped around like a skirt.
Happy hated having to parade for the cameras but she'd promised her parents and stood there like Paige had demonstrated time and again. Every year it felt like she was having teeth pulled to go through this. But it was the one event of the Embassy she couldn't miss. And because her parents always gave her so much leeway she felt it was the right thing to do.
Finally she moved on into the building even as an agent brought a wheelchair around as Billy emerged from the SUV. Billy was quite nervous as he got out. The flashing bulbs and the chatter of the many people talking and calling out amped him up even more.
Billy nervously reached in and Megan took his hand. She slid over closer to the door and then, with Happy's leg braces, she was able to stand up and transfer to the wheelchair. After moving Megan further from the SUV Billy stopped and stepped up beside her and then squatted down to pose with Megan.
The SUV pulled away and the next one pulled up and Ralph Dineen emerged followed by his wife. They enjoyed posing for the photographers with plenty of romantic kisses before they turned and waited.
Slowly Sean stepped out. Sean looked very handsome in his tuxedo. His hair slicked back with wax and his stubble beard adorning his face. He sighed as he stood nearly like a statue while he let the photographers take some pictures. His eyebrow rose after the fifth or sixth flash of light and he turned and reached out his hand.
Louise smiled as she reached out and joined hands and then came out of the SUV. She looked stunning in the ball gown. Now standing with Louise, Sean showed some life and shared a chaste kiss before joining Ralph and Veronica and walked on into the Embassy.
They found Walter and Paige sitting on the sidelines even as Billy and Megan were on the dance floor. Megan was in her wheelchair dancing the best she could as Billy danced facing her right side.
As the music changed and grew slower Walter stood and reached out his hand. Paige smiled and took his hand and stood up. She hopped out using Walter as her crutch until he turned to face her. With her left arm firmly around Walter's neck he took her right hand in his and his left arm around her waist. They slowly moved and turned as the music played.
With the slower pace Megan felt safe enough to stand and danced slowly with Billy helping to support her.
Ralph stepped up to the young couple and they paused in their dance.
"You two be careful, we don't want to have to take off for the ER again." Ralph smiled.
"Well, just so you know Dad. My leg isn't actually broken." Paige told her Dad.
Ralph stood there puzzled at first and then his eyes opened wider as he looked at Walter. He grinned and laughed hard as he shook his finger at him before he nodded and walked over to the orchestra conductor and spoke softly with him for a few minutes and he nodded. Most of the rest of the evening were slow songs, allowing for Paige and Megan to enjoy the time dancing a bit more.
As the various guests were starting to leave the party Billy helped Megan back into her wheelchair but then instead of turning her around to leave he knelt down in front of her on one knee. Several photographers were already taking pictures. He pulled a small box out of his pocket as Louise and Veronica both gasped in surprise. Sean and Ralph both stood there with silly grins on their faces as they remembered back a few weeks ago.
"I'm doing this out of respect for both of you. I believe Megan has the right to decide herself who to marry but I want to honor you as two of the most important men in her life and ask you to bless this." Billy asked both men for their blessing. At first his words had angered Sean, but then he realized he still wanted his blessing but he was being respectful of his daughter's autonomy. They both gave him their blessing with little fuss.
"Megan, we've known each other our whole lives. I don't know what the future holds for us. But these past few months have been my happiests and I know I don't want to face any of it without being your partner, your lover, your husband. Whether you have another five or seventy years, I don't care, I just want however many there are to be spent together with me. As my partner, my lover, my wife. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?" Billy asked her.
Megan had tears slipping out of her eyes as she thought of what all of it meant. She swallowed hard.
"Are you sure? I'm only going to get worse." Megan told him slowly.
"I'm not under any delusion Megan. All of our lives are on a timer and we don't know when that timer is set to stop. I need you beside me." Billy told her.
"Yes." Megan told him to a roar of applause.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! And here we find ourselves at the end of 2001 and a pause in the story. You are now free to remove your seatbelts and move about as you deem necessary. Remember that no medical expenses will be reimbursed. hehe 2002 will only be a few chapters, 2003 is still growing. Just finished chapter 53. Lady Knight has a couple of more chapters and then I'll start posting Quantum Slip. After that, I'm not sure.
Railman - Yep...I'm not sure what it will take for Ralph to relax his guard around the subject of Toby.
Lucy - So much is headed your way in this story! lol
2LawDog - Thank you! Glad you are enjoying it!
Susan - Ralph says that makes two of you on the topic of Toby! LOL
RiseOfDespair - *ugh* There is that name again! Bad RoD! lol
To the Adventure! -Tim