Walter sat watching the wardrobe person going through the trailer of clothes they brought with them just in case none of his clothes matched with the look the photographer wanted to capture. He couldn't believe he had let Paige talk him into doing the photoshoot and interview with Tiger Beat magazine. Megan wasn't any help. She kept encouraging him to do it as well.
Of all his clothes the only thing the photographer agreed to shoot him in was the tuxedo his Uncle Tobin had gotten him for the Embassy ball. He did shoot some frames of Walter in his Sunday clothes when she brought them out and showed them to him. Paige had been with him the whole time and watched as they had him in the first outfit in the barn with a pitchfork tossing hay around. He was shocked by the sheer amount of pictures they took for each outfit.
"I feel like a fool." Walter said for about the thirtieth time since they started taking pictures.
"Walter, I know you aren't comfortable with this. But it is a good thing. Remember what Daddy said, it would get your name out there and since you are wanting to do humanitarian work it will showcase you in a way that will inspire people to invest in your company when you're ready." Paige reminded him even as she stood up. She walked over and kissed him. "And it really pleases me, you want me happy right?"
"There's nothing I want more." Walter nodded.
The photographer caught them kissing in one shot he took with a polaroid camera to set up the next set. They were unaware as they thought he was still changing cameras. He was examining the picture and smiled.
"Hey kids. I'm not sure if they would want pictures of the two of you together, but I got this one test picture I just shot. Do you mind both posing for some mild romantic shots? Hand holdings, arms wrapped around each other, maybe some soft kisses, things like that?" The photographer asked. "Even if Tiger doesn't want them, I know I could find a news source that would be interested in them."
Paige looked at Walter.
"I'm okay with it if you are. And if they use them it will let anyone who looks at them know that you are mine." Paige said with a grin.
Walter sighed.
"How did I lose so much autonomy with you?" Walter asked with a grin.
"You're just lucky I guess." Paige told him with a grin.
To ease them into it the photographer took them up to the school and got pictures of the two of them together on the playground equipment. They poised Paige sitting kind of sideways on Walter's lap, hugging him tightly as they swung back and forth on a swing.
Next the photographer jumped on the opportunity and got them in a number of playful and semi romantic positions and situations inside the barn once they were both more comfortable in front of the camera. In one series Walter was half buried in a haystack and Paige leaping from the loft down into it beside Walter had them both laughing and enjoying the time. He got them in shots lying on the makeshift hay bale bed in Walter's loft. Paige standing looking out to the north through the window of the loft with Walter topless behind her and his arms wrapped around her waist.
Megan had been happy to lend Paige a few of her old tops that the photographer approved of so she wasn't in the same outfit for each shot. She watched the whole time but didn't really see how potentially risque the shots he was directing them in were. She especially loved the shot of Walter lying on his back, his shirt unbuttoned, parted a few inches all the way down to his belt line and Paige half atop of him. Her hand slipped inside of his shirt and her lips pressed gently against the bare skin of his chest.
Walter drew a line as the photographer suggested that Paige could take her clothes off and lie under the sheets with her bare shoulders showing above and her bare legs below with Walter leaning over her kissing her neck and his hand under the sheet on her stomach.
Megan agreed and said that was too much and so the photographer suggested that maybe they could take some pictures in Walter's bedroom. They all seemed okay with that and took them into the house.
Louise had put her foot down when she came up and found them posing the young couple on Walter's actual bed. While she didn't see a real problem with it since they were dressed at that time, she knew her husband, and she knew that with the spectacle created by the Christmas ball photographs they didn't need to give people more ammunition.
By the time the photographs were all taken they'd posed for more than twice as many pictures together than Walter had posed solo. But Walter hadn't really noticed. His attention had been on Paige the whole time.
"I can't wait to see the pictures, those were awesome looking poses they put you in!" Megan just grinned at the young couple as the people from the magazine drove away.
Walter blushed as Paige just grinned and Louise shook her head.
"You know what Mr. Dineen told us, we're supposed to be looking out for them to make sure nothing happens that could cause problems girl, what were you thinking?" Louise asked.
Megan just grinned and started walking away when her legs just gave out and she fell to the floor.
"Megan!" Louise yelled and ran over and dropped to her knees as Walter and Paige hurried over.
"Are you okay deirfiúr?" Walter asked as he got down and helped her to roll over.
"I think so, I don't know what happened, my legs just went to sleep." Megan said as she looked into Walter's eyes as fear mounted in her as she thought back to Walter's prediction about MS.
"Go get your Father." Louise told Walter.
Walter turned and ran out the door and out to the field Sean had their herd of sheep in that week.
"Father!" Walter yelled. "Something's wrong with Megan!" He yelled as Sean looked over. Sean was running before he even realized it. He was quickly outrunning Walter even as his heart seemed to have stopped.
Louise and Paige had gotten Megan up on the sofa by the time Sean ran into the house.
"What happened?" Sean demanded out of breath.
"I don't know Daddy, my legs just went to sleep." Megan told him worriedly.
"Have you called for Doc Johnson?" Sean asked Louise.
Louise nodded.
"He's on his way." Louise told him as she wrapped her arms around Sean.
Paige looked back and saw Walter hanging back by the door, he was taking short steps, not exactly in a circle but something close to it as he was not really going anywhere. His head was down even as his hand had a firm grip on a handful of hair. She walked over while softly repeating his name.
"Walter, Walter, look at me Walter. It is okay Walter, look at me Walter." Paige said over and over until she got next to him and then Walter looked up at her. She could see the distress in his eyes. "Walter, take my hand." Paige told him.
Walter slowly released his hair since she held out her opposite hand and took her hand in his. She smiled and pulled gently and he stepped closer. She kissed his lips tenderly.
"It's okay Walter. Come on over and sit with Megan, she needs you physically right now." Paige told him.
Walter just nodded but didn't move. Paige smiled and pulled as she stepped towards Megan and Walter slowly walked along with her. As they reached the couch Paige pointed at the spot to Megan's left and Walter nodded and slowly sat next to Megan.
"Thank you Walter." Megan said softly while smiling softly to Paige as she reached over and took his right hand in her left.
"Do you need anything girl? Some water or anything?" Sean asked as his nerves seemed to be itching him.
"I think I'm okay Daddy." Megan told him.
Paige seemed to understand what Sean needed.
"If there is any made, I think Walter and I would like some lemonade, do you mind if I go get some Mr. O'Brien? Maybe Megan might like some too." Paige asked while nodding to Megan.
Megan caught her meaning and nodded.
"Actually some lemonade does sound good Daddy." Megan told him.
"We can do that." Sean said and moved off for the kitchen even as Louise walked after him.
The simple task seemed to help Sean deal with his feelings and he was a bit calmer when Doc Johnson got there.
Doc Johnson and Sean got Megan moved up to her bedroom. Walter stood just outside her door and felt so helpless seeing the fear on her face. Doc Johnson saw her look and looked back and saw Walter. He stood up and stepped over and closed the door leaving Walter feeling powerless.
Walter's head dropped and he considered hurting himself again but remembered his promise to Paige. Paige stood there rubbing the back of his left hand while humming softly into his ear. Slowly his dark thoughts retreated and his free hand came up and wrapped around Paige and pulled her tightly into his chest. He wasn't sure where he'd be without her right now.
Sean paced back and forth in the hallway and then finally the door opened and Doc Johnson stepped out with Louise.
"Walter, if you want to speak with your sister you can go in now. Sorry I closed the door on you but I needed her to relax." Doc Johnson told him.
Walter just nodded even as he walked into her room with Paige.
"Sean, I think we have to acknowledge that Walter's right. All of the other tests have come back normal, the only thing left is doing MRI imaging to see if there is inflammation, liaisons or scar tissue forming on her nervous system. But with Louise's permission I went ahead and started her on Betaseron. It is used for relapsing-remitting MS but the side effects aren't bad, so even if she has the other kind it isn't a big risk to use. I've given her the vial and needles, she'll need an injection each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'll get my office to call and get her scheduled for the MRI as soon as it can be done, so we might have to get her to the facility tomorrow. I'm really sorry I didn't want to believe it was MS." Doc Johnson told him as he grabbed Sean's arm.
Sean nodded as he inhaled deeply, clearing his nasal passages.
"Okay, so what do we do if it is this other kind?" Sean asked finally.
"Let's go talk downstairs." Doc Johnson looked into the bedroom.
"How are you feeling?" Walter asked, trying to be brave.
Megan smiled.
"I'm scared. It is okay if you are too Walter. We're human, we're not immortals. Can you believe this? The one dance I got to go to just over a month ago, might be the only one I ever get to go to. Or at least dance at." Megan tried to smile.
"I hate this." Walter said sadly.
"I know. But Walter, you aren't responsible for this. It was going to happen whether you realized I had it or not. No one blames you if that's what you think." Megan told him as Paige nodded.
"But why did it have to happen so early in your life? Why couldn't you get to enjoy more of it first?" Walter mumbled.
"I don't know Walter, could you imagine Father Flanner's face at Sunday mass if I went in and announced in a loud voice I wanted to register a complaint to the manager over life's treatment of me?" Megan laughed.
Walter chuckled.
"He'd be powerful mad for sure." Walter smiled.
"Hey pumpkin, how'd the photoshoot go?" Ralph asked as Paige got home.
"Hey Daddy, umm, it went pretty good I think. Though it looks like Megan had her first big attack by the MS. She fell in their front room." Paige told him.
"Oh no, is she okay?" Veronica asked as she stood up.
"Well she didn't get hurt in the fall thankfully. Doc Johnson started her on betaseron, just in case. He's going to try and get her in for the MRI tomorrow to try and confirm it is MS and maybe what kind it is." Paige told them. She hadn't gotten the feeling back in her legs when I left. Walter could have used me being there a bit longer but I knew you expected me home." Paige told them hoping they'd tell her to go back over.
"Maybe we should take dinner over there for them, Ralph." Veronica suggested.
"That's not a bad idea. I'm sure Louise could use a break from doing something while worrying about her little girl. I'll call over." Ralph told them as he got up and went to his den.
"Sean, Ralph Dineen. Hey buddy, Paige just came in and told us what happened. Tell your pretty wife not to stress, we're going to bring dinner over tonight okay? And I'll call and find out from Doc Johnson who he wants to do the MRI and I'll call and make sure they get her in as soon as possible." Ralph told him. "Sean, you and your family are our family, do not worry about things like that. We'll be over in about an hour with dinner." Ralph told him. "Well, no, I don't think that would be a problem at all, if the four of you are up to company we can stay and eat with you no problem." Ralph agreed. "Alright Sean, we'll be over in about an hour." Ralph told him before he hung up.
As they pulled up out front of the O'Brien home Ralph saw Sean out by the barn. He picked up the large basket and they walked up and knocked on the door and Walter was there almost instantly and into Paige's arms causing Ralph and Veronica to just smile.
"Walter Patrick O'Brien, who taught you to be that rude?" Louise scolded him. "Get out of their way and let them in the house." Louise shook her head as they moved to the side and Ralph and Veronica moved inside while Walter and Paige stood on the porch.
"We're so sorry this happened today Louise, we surely were counting on a miracle that it would be a long time if ever. How are you holding up?" Veronica asked.
"It is for sure overwhelming. Thank you for this." Louise told her.
"Oh course. Think nothing of it. Whatever we can do to help Louise." Veronica told her as they hugged.
"I'm going to go talk to Sean." Ralph said after setting the basket on the dining table.
"You want to talk about it Sean?" Ralph asked as he stepped into the barn and saw him standing there wringing a piece of cloth in his hands.
Sean looked back and shook his head.
"I'm not even sure how to speak it to be honest with you Ralph." Sean told him.
"Well we can go down to the lake and scream at the sky for a bit if it will help then. The Lord has big shoulders. He can take it." Ralph told him sympathetically.
Sean gave him a little smile.
"Aye, that He does." Sean nodded.
Greetings! Hope this finds you all well! This segment will run until chapter 19 and then I'll switch to another story. Not sure which at this point.
Railman - Indeed, Walter has so much on him last chapter and here we are with more stuff piling on! lol
Lucy - Yeah, Volkov made it easy not to have any sympathy for him. hehe
Pearliegirl - Hope you are still as excited to see this story. lol I just finished writing chapter 39 today. The next segment will be a longer run, chapter 20 through 40+. That will encompass most of the year 2001.
Marie Mac - Well thank you, I hope your 2022 is going well! I know old age all too well. lol Not sure what I thought it would be like, but this isn't it. Thankfully lots of writing going on!
Susan - Yeah, felt so horrible for poor Walter last chapter. But he seemed to recover in this chapter only to have more stress over the MS. Seems lots of us can't find it in us to feel sorry for Volkov...Couldn't have happened to a better person. lol
Heleen - Thank you! I'm glad you really like. "Real" Scorpion stories are awesome, but as a writer, these divergent stories really thrill me.
Dean - Thank you. I purposely stayed away from writing how good or bad they kissed. Sure I described what their hands/lips & tongue did, but my goal was to leave how "practiced" they were to the reader, so if you think they were kissing with experience, that was all in your head. lol My main goal was to describe how Walter felt as this was a completely different experience for him. Sure I could have thrown in a lot of tags of "nervous" or "bumbling" or other things, but that chapter was already huge. 3908 words in that chapter, which is 1408 more than my normal goal for how many words to put into a chapter. So any other tags would have just inflated the word count to an unnecessary amount.
Beryl - Thank you!
Margaret - I'd agree, seeing the symptoms would be pretty devastating.
To the Adventure! -Tim