As his sister, Agent Todd had Megan go with them to the hospital while directing the nurse to call their parents. Megan stood just outside of the room where Walter was sitting after getting back from imaging. She was still in shock over what her brother had done. She watched as he allowed Paige not only to touch him, but to hold his broken hand. She watched amazed at him, allowing her to touch his face and run her fingers through his hair.
"Megan?" Louise cried out as they entered the back rooms of the ER.
"Momma, Poppa!" Megan cried out in relief as she ran to meet them. She threw her arms around them both and cried, happy to give all the concern and worry to them.
"It's okay girl, we're here now. Where's your deartháir?" Sean asked gently.
Megan pointed to the room and Sean moved on by as Louise held their daughter.
"Saints preserve me." Sean uttered in shock as he saw his boy lying in bed looking like something the cat refused to drag home. "Who did this to you boy?" Sean demanded as he turned angry.
"Momma, you won't believe Walter. He's letting her touch him. He even hugged her back, Momma." Megan told her Mother as Louise tried to move forward with her to see what was going on but a man who had been standing by the nurse's station ran into the room first.
"Sir, I'm agent Todd, I'm part of Ms Dineen's protective detail. I understand this is upsetting but I need to ask you to try and remain calm. If you'll step out here with me I'll explain to you what we know so far." Agent Todd told him as he moved in front of Sean keeping both Walter and Paige behind him and away from Sean.
"You trying to keep me from my boy?" Sean demanded.
"No sir, but you are, understandably, a little upset and your son doesn't need the extra drama and pressure right now. So please, step outside of the room with me." Agent Todd told him while gesturing.
Louise moved on into the room after they left and she started crying seeing Walter lying there so beat up.
"My baby." Louise said as she moved up and wrapped her arms around Walter's head.
Paige had instantly stepped back to give her room and Walter reluctantly let go of her hand but she saw Walter flinch from Louise's arms.
"It was Thomas and Conner, Momma. They were picking on Paige here when Walter walked up on them. Thomas slapped her and Walter attacked them. He beat the daylights out of them both." Megan told her Mom proudly.
"He what? He's never stood up to them before." Louise said softly looking at her son.
"I couldn't let them hurt her Mother, she's precious to me." Walter told her.
Louise smiled at him.
"Of course you couldn't Walter. My sweet boy." Louise kissed his cheek.
Sean listened to everything agent Todd told him that they knew shaking his head the whole time.
"Walter has never stood up to all of the bullying. He's always just taken whatever they dished out and kept going. What's all wrong with my boy?" Sean asked while trying to calm down.
"I had just advised my supervisor, but according to the x-rays he has six broken bones in his right hand, a bruised metatarsal in his left. He's got three cracked ribs on the left and two on the right. Thankfully no damage to his skull. He'll need surgery on his right hand though." Agent Todd told him.
"So Thomas and Conner did this huh?" Sean asked even as he worried over how he'd pay for the bill. Their fall harvest had just been enough and would see them to the shearing season of the sheep.
Agent Todd nodded.
"A couple of my men stayed behind to interview everyone. Most of the students were just observers. Two of them helped Conner pull his beaten and unconscious brother out of there. Then Conner told the principal, blaming Walter for everything." Agent Todd explained.
"I swear those two boys. They aren't worth the gunpowder to get rid of them. How am I going to pay for this." Sean sighed.
"Oh no sir, this happened in the defense of Ms. Dineen, the Embassy will take care of this. They have the best Orthopedic surgeon on her way to take charge of your son's care. You just focus on your family sir." Agent Todd explained.
"Just who is this Ms Dineen? And why is the Embassy involved?" Sean asked as he tried to decide if he was insulted or relieved that the cost was going to be taken care of.
"The young lady in your son's room. She's the daughter of the US Ambassador's right hand man." Agent Todd told him.
"Thank you." Sean nodded finally and reached out his hand. Agent Todd nodded as he shook his hand before Sean turned and walked into the room where he saw his wife greeting the young woman.
"I'm really sorry Mrs. O'Brien I didn't want Walter to get hurt." Paige was telling Louise.
"We don't blame you girl, so you put that out of your mind." Sean told her as he stepped up and smiled at his son. "You did good boy, I'm proud of you. I was never big on you allowing them to push you around but you showed them the real man inside of you." Sean clapped his hand to Walter's foot.
Walter half smiled but looked at Paige. Megan watched as his hand twitched and Paige seemed to either understand or saw it and reached out and took his broken hand gently back into hers.
Agent Todd looked up as a door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Dineen moved into the ER. He held up his hand and they both hurried over.
"Where is she? Where's our girl? Is she okay?" Veronica demanded as they got closer to him.
"I'm in here Mom." Paige said as she stood smiling at Walter.
Veronica rushed past the two men and on into the room while agent Todd brought Mr. Dineen up on what had happened.
Walter reluctantly let go of her hand as Paige stepped out from beside the bed and hugged her Mother.
"Are you okay baby?" Veronica asked as she hugged and kissed her.
"Thanks to Walter I'm fine Mom. This is Walter's parents. Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien. This is Walter's sister Megan and of course this is Walter." Paige smiled pointing proudly to Walter lying there and Veronica had to close her eyes for a moment.
"Oh Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien I am so sorry this happened to your boy. I'm Veronica and I'm sure my husband Ralph will come in here in a moment." Veronica said as she opened her eyes and turned to face Walter's parents.
"Thank you Veronica, I'm Louise and this is my husband Sean." Louise greeted her before she reached a hand out.
"We're just happy he's going to be okay and was able to protect your daughter. We're sorry she was treated so badly. And on her first day to boot." Sean said while smiling at Paige, he frowned for a second and reached out and touched her cheek. "Looks like you'll have a slight bruise, girl."
Paige nodded as her hand came up and touched her cheek even as her Mom took a closer look at it.
"Paige, first, are you okay?" Ralph asked as he stepped into the room. He blanched seeing Walter lying there.
"I'm okay thanks to Walter Daddy." Paige told him.
"What were you thinking, child? You have your panic button for a reason. You should have used it long before it came to a point that he needed to protect you." Ralph said gruffly.
"Leave her alone." Walter almost yelled seeing Paige turn her head as her cheeks flushed.
Sean stepped up quickly between Ralph and Paige.
"Mr. Dineen, I understand your anger but my boy is right. You need to calm down. Your girl has done been bullied once by strangers today, she doesn't need to be bullied by her own Father." Sean told the much larger man.
Ralph looked down at Sean and slowly nodded his head.
"You're right. Sorry pumpkin." Ralph said as he reached over and pulled her in and hugged her tightly. "Now who are these boys that did this?"
"Some local punks that the school lets get by with too much because they are their best athletes." Megan said before anyone else could say something nicer. "Thomas is their star footballer and Thomas and Conner are undefeated on their wrestling team."
"Well then I congratulate you Mr. O'Brien, to take on two boys like that and win. Maybe we need to teach you not to lead with your face though." Ralph smiled.
Walter laid there for a moment as everyone else stared at Ralph like he was insane and then Walter broke out laughing.
"Has Walter got brain damage?" Megan whispered to her Mother.
"Daddy, that wasn't very nice." Paige slapped his arm.
Walter's thoughts returned to the present as his hug with Paige continued.
"Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien, I want to extend not only the US Security Council's but my own apologies over this." Cabe started as they stood outside the O'Brien home.
Louise looked back and smiled as she saw Walter and Paige hugging.
"It was clear to me at the beginning that nothing else was going on here. But my superiors were scared at how easily Walter had infiltrated what they thought was one of the securiest systems. While what he accessed wasn't classified or anything like that, it was how he was able to do it that was the problem. Like any government the US systems are constantly under attack by criminals and rogue nations seeking information and power. And Walter waltzed through that system like it was an open door." Cabe explained.
"So what happens now?" Sean asked as he looked back and saw Paige take Walter's hand and lead him on into the house.
"Well I've got a lot of reports to fill out but I will be stressing that this was just a fluke. That Walter got lucky. But I know that isn't the case. Walter is gifted, beyond what we see in the world. Talking to him is like having a chess game with a grandmaster. I can see Walter thinking circles around me." Cabe explained. "If it is okay with you I'd like to stop by periodically and check up on Walter. I think your boy is beyond special."
Louise looked at Sean and half shrugged.
"I don't suppose there is any problem with that. But don't come back here like before. Your men scared us." Sean told him.
Cabe nodded.
"I can promise you I'll only come back like I am here now." Cabe told them before shaking Sean's hand and climbed back into the SUV and they left.
"Please tell me you didn't do this so you won't have to take me to the Christmas ball this weekend." Paige asked Walter as they moved into the dining room.
Walter smiled and shook his head.
"That wouldn't be very efficient, Paige. And after all the lessons Megan and you have been giving me on how to dance, it would be a waste of our time." Walter told her before he began filling his plate. "Thank you for calling your Dad for me." Walter leaned over and kissed her cheek as she sat there smiling at him.
"He was really upset when I told him what happened. He was shocked it involved you but he said they weren't authorized to even approach you, let alone do what they did. But when I saw those helicopters flying low over our house and I saw them land over here I knew something wasn't right so I called Dad and then ran over as quick as I could but they'd already taken you." Paige told him as she reached out and tucked some curls of hair behind his ear.
With her arm stretched out towards him it brought back memories of a few days after he was released from the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Dineen invited his family over for dinner. Paige was showing Walter around when he saw the chessboard set up in the den and he stepped over and stared at the progress of the game from the white side.
"Checkmate in six moves." Walter said as Paige tucked a curl behind his ear.
Ralph Dineen stepped around the corner just before and heard his words.
"Do you play Walter?" Ralph asked.
Walter looked back and shook his head.
"No one will play me." Walter said sadly.
"You think if you were playing white against me you could beat me in six moves?" Ralph asked, coming to stand next to him looking at the board.
"Depending on your next move, five moves." Walter told him.
Ralph grinned.
"Okay, that's a challenge I have to see then, sit down." Ralph told him while gesturing to the chair.
Walter sat down and watched Ralph sit down on the black side. Ralph reached down and unbuttoned his jacket and looked at the board before he reached up and moved his knight.
"Check." Ralph said.
Walter smiled.
"Five moves." Walter told him and moved his rook and took his knight.
Paige stood there grinning holding Walter's left hand and watching.
Walter made his last move before he looked up at Ralph. And Ralph sat there shaking his head trying to replay the last five moves before he reached over and tipped his king over.
"I surrender Walter, you are an amazing young man." Ralph told him as he reached across the board and Walter smiled and shook his hand with his right hand in the bright green cast.
"Thank you sir, you're not bad." Walter told him.
Ralph chuckled.
"Don't you dare patronize me Walter. I might as well be playing checkers compared to you." Ralph said with a grin. "How about another game before dinner?"
Walter looked at Paige first and she nodded so he smiled and nodded to Ralph.
"I'll be white this time." Ralph told him, spinning the board around.
Ralph walked into the dining room laughing with Walter walking slightly behind him holding Paige's hand.
"Sean, Louise I've got a favor to ask you." Ralph told them as he stopped at his chair and put his hands on top of it. "Would you please let me sponsor Walter in the upcoming chess tournament in Dublin? It is the first week of January. I'll take care of everything. It takes place over five days. Since school is out that week we won't have to worry about his school work. But from the reports I get it sounds like Walter could probably test out of secondary school."
"Chess tournament?" Louise said as she looked at Sean.
"I didn't know you liked chess, boy." Sean said.
"He is absolutely brilliant at it. He has got a keen analytical mind and probability talent. I'm no master at the game but I can hold my own against most people. Walter had me in checkmate six times in a row, from start to finish, in less than twenty moves each time." Ralph told them excitedly.
"Less than ten." Walter corrected.
"Walter." Louise said sharply even as Ralph laughed and waved his hand back and forth.
"No, no, Walter's right. He beat me in less than ten moves each time. I was just trying to save face." Ralph told them.
"Well, I suppose it is okay. I can pick up his chores on those days." Sean said while rubbing his chin.
"Oh no, I don't want you working harder Sean. I'll have one of the guys come over and help out. Whatever you normally have Walter do, he'll take care of it for you. And since I'm going to the school board over those two bullies, I'm going to bring up my disappointment that they don't have a chess club at that school. Walter's gifts need to be cultivated." Ralph told them.
Greetings! So glad the four of you are enjoying the story! Hope this finds you well!
Railman - hehe Thank you! I hope the story without the who ha continues to entertain you then! lol
Lucy - Thank you! Boy I sure hope he isn't lurking around some dark branch of the story! lol
Susan - hehe Thank you! Hopefully the story continues to be a source of enjoyment!
Margaret - I'm glad the story is appealing to you!
To the Adventure! -Tim