8- New beginnings… chapter 8
Walter awoke stretched out on the sofa, sat up gingerly to see Lynn curled up on the chair. How can that possibly be comfortable to sleep he wondered. Saw the coffee table was moved and chessboard set up. He managed to get up to hit the bathroom- drinking all that water with the medicine, and big bowl of soup- all that liquid needed to go somewhere. Coming out of the bathroom, he looked at Lynn again and figured since 'Lynn the Tyrant' was asleep he could probably get downstairs and be there whether she liked it or not and headed for the door.
"Boy, you sure are a sly one, Walter." Lynn said opening her eyes. "For an incredibly intelligent man, explain to me what part of 'no going down stairs without help' do you not understand?"
"You actually expect me to remain up here until 100% healed? I will go stir crazy and possibly do more damage to myself."
"Then you will stay up here even longer, huh?" Lynn said sitting up and stretching. "You can always do the Rapunzel routine. You are lucky, when your hair grows out the scars won't be visible- you should let it grow out longer- such lovely curls you have," she laughed. "Time for your drugs, I will get them, have a seat on the sofa."
She got the antibiotics and bottle of water and handed them to him. "Back in a minute," she said and went downstairs then returned with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, box of cotton balls, and box of sterile bandaging. "I want to check your stitches for any sign of infection with your head being on pillows, sofa arm, and gods only know what, so sit up and let me take the gauze off and check."
Standing behind the sofa. "Put your head back," she said and started to remove the gauze. "Wow, you really got gouged big time. Wonder if getting hit with your super laptop put any of the computer code in your head," she murmured as she unwrapped the bandage. "You and that laptop were inseparable, maybe you have some imbedded in your skull, now, so you really are one with it," she chuckled.
"I am glad you are enjoying yourself at my expense," Walter said. "I think it is a good thing you never aspired to be a nurse… or did you and got booted from the medical field for lack of empathy with the patients."
"You have any idea how much you are risking yourself? Here I am, your better health and welfare, not to mention you brain case in MY hands and you get snotty with me. Hold still, want to put some peroxide on these stitches." She leaned over to get the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls and applied to one set of stitches. "Yeah, you are lucky all the scarring will be covered up once your lovely curls grow out. You will have to let the back grow a little long- to your collar or this one will be visible." She continued to babble away while tending to the stitches. "Nothing wrong with hair a little long these days." She said finishing up and getting the sterile bandage to wrap his head again. "These days with so many men shaving their heads- ugh, look like lightbulbs and they like to run their fingers through long hair what makes them think women don't like the same? There you are, fresh and ready to go out on the town. Top hat will fit a bit funny, though."
She gathered up the boxes and peroxide to put on the counter with the pill bottles. "We will have to check those stitches every day- just in case. So, what is so important you needed to sneak downstairs? You have a pressing need to do math on the whiteboard, commune with your servers, sit at the command desk at the center of the universe?"
"I did have a job to do. A security job for one of Richard's data centers that is still vulnerable until I get my program in place. This medical crap interferes with getting that job done." Walter explained. "Matter of fact that laptop of mine really needs to be replaced, you have no idea how powerful it was as I customized it- really not another like it."
"So, I can't go to a store for you and pick one up?"
"If I can get downstairs and on my desktop, I can order a custom replacement, have it express delivered, and do the rest of its customization here," Walter said. "So getting downstairs would be a very excellent way to spend my day and get the ball rolling."
"Ok, OK, let's go downstairs. I will give you a hand down the steps and get you situated at your command center, plus time for you to get some more chicken soup into you- did you like the biscuits?"
"Yes, was excellent, look forward to it- down stairs."
"Gods you have a one track mind." She said. "Let's go."
Once getting Walter situated at his desk, he got on-line and spent some time ordering the custom laptop to replace his old one that is in an evidence box in pieces at the local police station. He had it ordered and when ready express delivery to the garage. He then brought up the security program and made the alteration necessary and got an external hard drive and loaded it to bag up and box for transport when he could get to Thomas Stone and the data facility he managed.
"How computer literate are you, Lynn?" Walter called.
Coming from the kitchen with a bowl of chicken vegetable soup and biscuits on a plate she said, "That is one hell of a personal question to ask a woman, buddy."
Walter laughed holding his side, "I would like to know if you can tend to this download and changeover, if not, would you be willing to take me to the data facility and get me in and out so I can get the job done."
"Tell you what," Lynn said. "I will take you if on the way we stop off at a pharmacy and I get you a cane and you use it, plus I give you a hand. Deal?"
"Deal. Bring down that sorry excuse of a laptop upstairs so I can dump some stuff in it and make it somewhat useful and we can head out before too late in the afternoon."
Lynn looked at Walter. "You really are one funny man."
"What now?"
"You are so focused on getting the job done- you expect to walk out of here dressed like that? Sweat pants, t-shirt, bare feet?" She shook her head. "Bad enough looking like the mummy…. partially, anyway. Maybe get some decent clothes on? Just jeans and t-shirt- got any sandals easy on and off? I know, got any robes like Lawrence of Arabia that's even easier- GANDALF, got a staff?"
Walter sat there looking at her. "Gods you are bizarre. Just give me a hand upstairs so I can get dressed."
"Geeze, first you want nothing but to go downstairs, now you want to go upstairs and men claim women can't make up their mind. Ever think of putting in an escalator?" she mumbled helping him up the stairs to sit on the sofa listening to him grunt getting jeans on, a button shirt and sandals.
"This will have to do, the job is more important than how I am dressed, anyway. Grab that laptop so I can load some stuff in it, I will message Stone and let him know we are on the way. Have your badge?" Walter said. "I can load the laptop while you pull the car out- nice drive in the convertible- I feel better already."
"Everybody feels better in a Monza convertible on a nice, sunny day." Lynn said heading to the rollup door to get the car out. "Seeeeeee the U-S-A in your Chev-ro-let, America is asking you to call, Drive your Chevrolet through the USA, America's the greatest land of allllll " she sang as she got the car out.
They took off for the data center popping in a pharmacy on the way for a cane.
"You are looking good with your melon all wrapped in bandages and sporting a cane," Lynn snickered, "Wonder if people seeing you think I beat on you."
Pulling into the visitor parking at the data center and getting out to help Walter she said, "Maybe they won't be too sure about letting you near their servers." Lynn said walking to the gate of the data facility. "Looking at you I feel like I should be blowing a fife and drape an American flag over your shoulder."
"Gods, what a fantasy world you have between your ears." Walter said. "Have you any idea of reality or are you always dreaming up such weirdness? That you are an engineer is a never ending source of wonder."
"Tell me, Walter, how different is it to you and your brain case full of code and mathematics?" Lynn asked. "Look at the difference between us and tell me, is one really better than the other?"
Walter stopped in his tracks and looked at her with a frown. Lynn almost bopped into him and rocked back on her heels. "What's wrong, Walter?" She looked at him, "Walter… you OK?" She put a hand on his arm, "Walter, what's wrong?"
Walter cocked his head and stared at her his frown deepening.
"Walter, are you OK?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine… I am always fine," he said and continued to the gate leaving her standing there so she had to trot to catch up giving him a quizzical look.
Reaching the gate they showed their badges and asked for Mr. Stone. Thomas Stone came out to escort them into the server facility.
"I was a bit surprised to hear from you. We heard about your being assaulted so did not expect to see you for a while- still looking a bit worse for the wear- sure you are up to this?"
"Yes, the computer will be doing all the work." Walter said. "Should not be but an hour and well worth getting the job done to protect the facility."
Entering the server room, Walter sat down at the work table with a sigh, sat for a moment then got the programmed hard drive and plugged it in to start the transfer. He pulled out the little laptop and plugged it in and started to monitor the system. Lynn and Thomas stood to watch him. "Can I get you anything?"
"Some coffee would be a life saver." Walter said and sat back while the transfer was in progress.
Lynn sat down and kept an eye on him. "You seem tired, Walter. Coming to the realization you should be home taking it easy?"
"No."
"Something I said upset you?"
"No."
"Come on, Walter, you didn't just shut down your system out there without cause." Lynn said. "Some nerve was hit, and I apologize, I never meant to say anything to hurt your feelings."
Walter looked at her. "Feelings?" He smirked, "I have none. Drop it and let me get the job done. I want to get back to the garage and stretch out."
She sat back and watched him do his job. A cafeteria worker came in with a carafe of coffee and a couple cups and left. Walter poured himself a cup and watched the transfer in silence. Once transfer was completed, he called Stone and said since there was one shift at this facility he was going to shut down and do a restart with his system and security if the shift has left.
"Yes, everyone but security, you two, and I have left for the day, so do as necessary."
Walter keyed in the command and waited while the system restarted, he pulled the laptop closer and monitored while everything came on line. He checked a few sections, then disconnected the hard drive, his laptop and, using the table for leverage rose to leave. "All ready and done. Shall we head to the garage?" He grabbed the cane and started for the door, she got up to join him and they left the facility for the garage, driving in silence.
Pulling up to the garage, she opened up the passenger side door for him, he coded in the security, unlocked the door and entered. She followed to open the rollup door to pull the Monza in, shut everything up and reset the security. Walter was sitting at his desk sending a message to Thomas Stone at the data facility that monitoring the system was needed and to contact him should any problems arise.
"Would you like some soup?"
"No, thank you. Would like to go upstairs to lay down."
"After you." And Lynn followed him up the stairs in case he needed a hand, took out his medicine and bottle of water and handed them to him and went back downstairs.
She nuked herself a bowl of soup, and sat at his desk with her laptop, looking through her mail, checking a couple news sites. Tomorrow was Wednesday, her Monday workweek start, so she figured the tending to Walter had come to an end- he obviously was no longer tolerant of her presence, the fun gone. Oh well. She had gotten a bunch of canned soups so he will have something to eat for a while, anyway, and he can always have stuff delivered. She got up and stretched out on the sofa- will be good to get home and shower and relax in the morning.
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Lynn woke up early, she went upstairs to find Walter sitting on the sofa. "Good morning," she said and got him his medicine and water, brought over the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls and bandage to check his stitches. "Put your head back, please." And she removed the bandage, applied some hydrogen peroxide to a couple of the stitched sites and rebandaged.
"There you are. The stitches are scabbed so should be good to go. You need anything before I leave?"
"No." he turned to her, "thanks for everything, I really do appreciate you help."
"Don't forget to take your medicine, use the cane, be careful on the steps, and for safety change your security code." She said, went downstairs, opened up, pulled the car out, closed up, set the security, got behind the wheel and left for home.
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