After breakfast Matty went to what was going to be his new room. He saw his new books on the bookshelf. He also noticed that Jamie had taken some of his posters down off the walls. The artistic photos that Jamie must have taken were still there. Matty would have to tell his dad to tell Jamie to keep those photos up.

He went to grab Harry Potter but then decided it would be more fun to read that one with Jamie while he was still home. He noticed Sky Chief Rides Again was still on the nightstand next to Jamie's bed, so he picked it up and started reading it. He was just getting to a good part when his mom came in the room with Doctor McJohn.

Matty put down his book. "Hello young man. It's nice to see you again. I am sorry about all the trouble the agency put you through. But was I not right when I said the next person that comes to see you was a little nicer?" Matty smiled at him and nodded yes. "Take your shirt off son."

His mother came over and helped him with his shirt. Then he took out a stethoscope and listened to his heart and lungs. Then he checked out his fingers and his arm. "Any numbness or tingling?" He asked Matty and he nodded no. "That's good. Does this hurt?" Matty winced as he pushed on his fingers. "Ok. Sorry about that son. I am going to prescribe you some pain medication. Now I am going to check your ears out. After that I'll take some blood, and I'll need to take a urine sample."

The doctor checked his ears and took the blood and Matty left the room to fill up the cup. He came back in, and his mother was saying, "Ok so you will call me tomorrow morning with the details on getting the x-rays."

"Yes. You should also take him to an audiologist. I'll get some recommendations for you. His right ear I am not sure they will be able to do anything with. But his left ear, I think it's possible he has a little bit of hearing left in. But only very loud noises. Am I right son?"

Matty handed him the cup with his sample in it and nodded yes. "That's what I thought. It is not my specialty. You will want to talk more with the audiologist. But I think it could be possible that they may be able to restore at least partial hearing in that ear. As for him not being able to speak. His throat and vocal cords look fine to me. Walt is coming later too, right?"
His mom nodded yes. "He should be here around noonish. Told me that if he was going to do a house call on a Sunday. I had to feed him." Doctor McJohn laughed. "Sounds like Walt. I think helping Matty getting his voice back will be something he can help with." His mom smiled at the doctor "Well thank you so much Doctor. I really appreciate you coming over." Doctor McJohn smiled back at her. "It's no trouble at all. Was a very easy patient. Thank God he takes after you in that department." His mom laughed. "I'll walk you out. I have some cookies for you too. Doctor Pfaff should not be the only doctor that gets fed for making a house call."

Matty was alone in the room. He was still shirtless though. He needed help putting it back on. He grabbed his shirt and went in the hallway. He went down the stairs and peered from the stairs into the kitchen and living room. His mom was still talking to the doctor in the kitchen. His grandmother was on the couch reading. He didn't really want his grandmother to see the scars on his back yet.

So Matty crept quietly to the basement door. Went down. Hopefully his father was awake by now. He came in to see his father eating a piece of bacon. His dad grinned when he saw him.

"Hey kid, good you can help me eat this. I don't want to get in any more trouble with your grandmother. I can't believe you told her I don't feed you breakfast? " Matty laughed. His dad just smiled. "C'mere I'll help you with the shirt." His dad helped him with the shirt and Matty got on the other side of the bed and started helping his father eat the breakfast.

"How did it go with Doc McJohn? Are you alright?" Matty nodded yes. "I have to get some x-rays at the hospital, and he gave me a prescription for pain medicine. There's another doctor coming at lunchtime. Told mom she had to feed him for him to make a house call." His dad laughed a little. "Yeah, that sounds like Pfaff."

His mother came in the room. "You are down here. I just wanted to let you fellas know that I have to run to the store real quick. Phillip and Jamie ate all the ice cream last night. I'll just buy Doctor Pfaff the fudge pops he likes. Going to get Matty's prescription filled too. And Lee don't worry I won't tell mother that you are making Matty eat your breakfast. Did you really not feed him any?"

"Of course I fed him. The kid has jokes." He put his arm around Matty and tickled him a little bit when he said that. His mom smiled lovingly at his father. "I'll see you fellas later. Mother is upstairs if you need anything. Be good. And Matty that's not directed at you."

His dad was smiling. "It will be nice to see Pfaff again. Your mom picked the right doctor to shrink your head. He is good with kids. He helped Phillip & Jamie when you were taken.

Especially Phillip, he was with youwhen you were taken. You and he were playing basketball in the driveway. I mean it wasn't real basketball.. He would just let you bounce the ball and then he would pick you up so you could make the baskets. You two would do that all the time.

A white van pulled up and the Karbala men came out. They grabbed you. Phillip tackled the man that grabbed you. Tried to get you away. But another man came up behind Phillip and stabbed him. Jamie saw Phillip get stabbed from the window. He had gone upstairs to find out what the commotion was about. Jamie called 911 and he went and sat with Phillip until the ambulance came. That was a rough day kid.

Phillip is a tough kid though. He pulled through. First thing he asked about was you when he woke up. He was ready to jump up out of his hospital bed and help me search for you. But the guilt of what happened was tearing him up. It wasn't his fault. He should be able to play basketball in his own driveway. He blamed himself for you getting taken. Then he was having nightmares like you do kid.

Pfaff helped Phillip through that. He helped Jamie and your mom too. Tried to help me. But I didn't want help then. The only person that I even really let help me then was your mother. She was the only person that could get through to me. That was a dark time. I don't know how she put up with me." He ran his hands through his hair.

Matty tapped on his dad, "Mom really loves you dad. I can tell by the way she looks at you. Can you tell Phillip when he gets home that I don't even think you two are going to make it the full two weeks? " His dad looked at him, "Very funny kid. You know how much I love your mom. She means everything to me. But I screwed up big time. I should have at the very least checked on the home front. Your Uncle Joe when he came to see me at the hospital the other night. He told me some things about that time how awful it was for her. I don't ever want to hurt her like that again."

Matty decided to just drop it for now. It was making his brain hurt. That logic made no sense. Wouldn't they be just as upset if something happened to either one of them now? Wouldn't it be better to just give in and be happy? But he was just a kid what did he know?

Notes:

Next Chapter - Doctor Pfaff comes to the house

As for Phillip's betting pool. Here is what the characters have chosen so far.

Matty - Week 1
Phillip - Week 2
Jamie - Week 3
Dotty - Week 4 (she picked last, she really wanted week 2 or 3)