All Aboard Andi's Dream

©

2024 Duleigh Lawrence-Townshend. All rights reserved. The author asserts the right to be identified as the author of this story for all portions. All characters are original. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This story or any part thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review or commentary.

All Aboard Andi's Dream

Chapter 20

All Aboard Andi's Dream

Doctor Lucero Reyes stepped into room number 425 without looking up from his clipboard. "Congratulations! Your DNA test came back and the federal database says that you are Lieutenant Colonel Paul L. Jarecki United States Air Force, retired." Lucero finally looked up from the clipboard and saw Wonka laying on the bed with Paul. Wonka was panting happily as Paul gently petted the chocolate lab. "Uh, where did the dog come from?"

Paul hugged Wonka tighter to his side and said, "him? We've been pals for a long time, haven't we, buddy?" Paul rubbed Wonka's head, but Wonka glared at Doctor Reyes. Wonka decided that nobody was going to separate him from Paul again and he glared like the young resident like he was a threatening porterhouse, and if he made the wrong move, Doctor Reyes was going to find out what Wonka can do to a porterhouse.

"Well, he can't..."

"Wonka is a trained, registered support animal and he's my protector. This dog took a bullet for me," said Paul with stern authority. "He stays, or I go. That is your choice, doctor."

"What is going on out here?" demanded Andi, as she stepped out of Paul's bathroom. She was wearing her VA lab coat with Doctor Adrianna Roberts embroidered over her pocket, which contained pens, a thermometer, and an otoscope (that small flashlight/magnifier for inspecting ears, nose, mouth). She had her stethoscope around her neck, but she also was carrying Danny, who was now wearing a fresh diaper. She handed Danny to Paul and whirled on the young doctor. "I asked you a question, doctor." Andi's years of teaching students, interns, and residents were kicking in.

"I was telling Mister Jarecki that the dog..."

"That's DOCTOR Jarecki, if you don't mind. He and I have earned the title. And you? I'll try to keep an open mind." She snatched the clipboard out of Doctor Reyes's hands and reviewed it. It was Paul's DNA report from the FBI. She took her pen and after several loud clicks, she circled where it said in his military profile "Doctor of Cardiological Sciences," and handed the clipboard back. "The dog stays."

"But hospital policy..."

"If he was blind, would you force him to tie up his service dog outside of the hospital?"

"No, but..."

"Then why can't a soldier with PTSD keep his service dog?"

"Ma'am, it's hospital policy..." started Doctor Reyes.

"That is: 'DOCTOR, it's hospital policy,'" snapped Andi. "Or aren't my achievements as a pulmonologist equal to yours because I'm just a woman?"

Doctor Reyes looked like he was just punched in the nose. His eyes were open wide in shock and his jaw moved up and down, but nothing came out. "I asked you a question, Doctor Reyes!" she snapped with that tone of voice that brought back Lucero's terror of failure that marked his undergrad years.

Just then, an older doctor in a lab coat that covered his three-piece suit entered. "Doctor Roberts, I see you met our resident Doctor Reyes. Your opinion?"

"Doctor Armondo!" said Andi in shock. It truly was Doctor Sinclair Armondo, her administrator at Colorado University! He's the man that gave her so much time off until she resigned her position to marry Paul. "So good to see you again, sir. This is a bit of a shock!"

Doctor Armondo shrugged and said, "Last May, we had three feet of wet, heavy snow in Denver, and my snowblower wouldn't start. I said 'Enough!' and I took the offered position down here." His name tag read Hospital Administrator. "So, what do you think of our newest resident, Doctor Reyes?"

"Doctor Reyes and I were just becoming acquainted. I'll work up a professional opinion for you, Doctor," said Andi.

Doctor Sinclair Armondo stepped up to Paul's bed and gently petted Wonka's head. Wonka lowered his head and rested with the contented smile that Labrador Retrievers are famous for. He obviously realized that Doctor Armondo was on his side.

Doctor Armondo took a flashlight and checked Paul's pupil reaction and muttered, "much better. And that's quite a dog you have here, Doctor Jarecki." He ran a finger over Wonka's support animal vest. It came from the Save-A-Vet foundation, a nonprofit that retrains military and police dogs to be support dogs for veterans. "You're a veteran too, boy?"

"He was a drug dog for the Buffalo PD, whose handler died. Doctor Jarecki's sister-in-law heard about Wonka and paired them together, and now Wonka is Doctor Jarecki's assistant," said Andi.

"I still don't know if I will forgive Doctor Jarecki for stealing one of my best doctors in Colorado," Doctor Armondo said with a playful smile at Andi. Then, turning back to Paul, he held his stethoscope up. "May I, doctor?"

"By all means, sir."

Doctor Armondo listened to Paul's heart. "Good! So much better than last night when we first met." Then he listen to Danny's heart. The tiny boy actually smiled as the stethoscope touched his chest. "When was he born?"

"November, at the height of a lake effect blizzard," said Paul. "He's the first baby I ever delivered," he added with pride.

"Ah... you never forget your first... and you get to keep him! Bonus! You and Doctor Roberts do good work, Doctor Jarecki." Then he turned back to Andi and said, "Doctor Jarecki is looking much better. But what about Doctor Reyes? Forget professional opinion, Doctor Roberts. What is your personal impression of Doctor Reyes?"

"Brash, cock sure, arrogant. He'd make a good surgeon with that attitude. As for a medical resident, he could use work on patient relationships, especially with veterans with PTSD," said Andi.

"Sadly, we could all use that, Doctor Roberts. Doctor Jarecki, Wonka, thank you both for your service." As Dr. Armondo left, he patted Dr. Reyes on the shoulder and quietly said, "The dog stays."

"Doctor Armondo," said Reyes, and he followed the hospital administrator out into the hallway. "Doctor Armondo, the dog!"

Sinclair Armondo looked down at Lucero Reyes and said, "Doctor Reyes, what is it that has you so worked up about that dog? Is it the dog? Or is it that Doctor Roberts gave you a spanking in front of a patient?"

"Who does she think she is?"

"She's your patient's wife, which can carry more weight than just being the patient. We are not just treating a drug addict here; we are treating an entire family. Doctor Jarecki was held captive for two weeks and his kidnappers injected him with various and sundry opiates to keep him quiet. Thank God they used opiates because the fellow who pulled him out of the swamp where he was left to drown was carrying NARCAN."

Lucero Reyes nodded. Narcan is a miracle, but it only works on overdoses of opiate drugs. "I wasn't briefed on any of this!" said Doctor Reyes. "I was off when he came in last night. All I was told was that he had overdosed, was probably addicted and his identity just came back from the DOD."

"Doctor Reyes, you're a resident. You're still learning. You need to interview every patient and learn the things that you weren't briefed. Do you think that drug overdose and drowning was the entire story? You could have assumed that was a suicide, and that would have led you off in the entirely wrong direction. He was kidnapped, which means you have a whole new kettle of fish to deal with. You must discover everything because the charge nurse is only going to give you enough information to get you pointed in the right direction, but not enough to plan out a treatment. That's why I assigned Doctor Jarecki to you. He's smart, so pay attention to him, but also to Doctor Roberts. She was one of my best teaching doctors back in Colorado."

In Paul's room, Paul was gazing fondly at his son, who lay cradled in his arm. Wonka leaned across Paul and licked Danny's foot, causing the tiny boy to squeal and kick. "When did Wonka start tasting children and when did Danny start squeaking?" asked Paul.

"Just now," said Andi. "I've never seen this before. Wonka has done nothing since he was shot. He barely ate most days."

"My poor old buddy," said Paul and he patted a cheerful dog. "It's time for me to take care of you from now on, buddy. Maybe let you chase a chicken or two."

"You let him chase chickens?"

"It keeps the chickens on their toes." Paul looked around to see if anyone was listening, then whispered, "He just chases them. He doesn't know what to do when he catches one. One peck and he's done." Andi laughed heartily, joined by a squeal from Danny who chimed in for no reason other than it felt good to squeal.

"Excuse me, Doctor Jarecki, Doctor Roberts," said Doctor Reyes. "I should apologize. I was not aware of your situation and I failed to gather the correct information to prepare a method of treatment."

"Yes, you did. But I see you took Doctor Armondo's advice and returned for a second try," said Andi.

"I uh... I didn't..."

"Don't worry, he did the same thing to me when I was a resident at Colorado University," said Andi. "He was head of Pulmonary."

"So I'm not alone," said Doctor Reyes.

"Oh no," said Andi. "When a doctor has been admitted, he sends in every intern and resident in the hospital for abuse. It's called Training. Right Doctor Armondo?"

"Dead on," chuckled the hospital administrator from the doorway where he was observing Doctor Reyes. He turned and left, knowing that Doctor Reyes was in good hands.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" asked Doctor Reyes.

Paul sighed deeply. He knows for a fact that Andi will not help him unless he starts to talk about Frank Rosetti. The problem is that Paul doesn't clearly remember what happened. He remembers that nasty old mini-van. It was so decrepit that he felt unclean just being in it. Just the thought of being in that wreck made him want to walk into his dealership and lock himself in a new car and let the scent of a new car purge the memories of that old piece of shit Mopar.

"We had just come back from a party, and I helped Andi and Danny get in the house. I went back outside to put the van in the garage when I was jumped. I remember seeing four guys. Three jumped me and one just stood in my garage watching while the other three pulled a canvas bag over my head, then someone shot Wonka and they stuffed me in a minivan. I remember thinking that the one that was just watching was Oliver Linwood, but he's been in prison since the fifteenth."

"Then what happened?"

Paul pondered for a moment, but finally said, "I tried to escape. I almost choked a man to death, but a guy with a Russian accent stuck a needle into my neck and it knocked me out. When I recovered, I found that I was in the sleeper cab of a semi. John would have loved it. He always wanted to know what was in a sleeper. They had a microwave and a tv and an upper bunk like a Pullman Sleeper."

"Then what?"

"They would let me out to relieve myself, eat, drink, then we'd go back, and I'd get drugged again. I remember I couldn't breathe. I..." All he could remember of that was Melony yelling at him to fight, then it got easier to breathe, "then I woke up here."

"How are you feeling right now?" asked Doctor Reyes.

"Awful. Nausea, stomach cramps, tremors, chills... I'm restless and agitated. I'm in withdrawal, aren't I?"

Reyes nodded and said, "Yes, you are." There was no way to word this to make it any prettier than it was, and being a doctor, Paul knew. He merely wanted confirmation.

Paul winced. After two weeks of being shot up with different substances, his body wanted more. Paul knew he was getting different concoctions of drugs. He could tell the difference by the way that it made him feel. He remembered one that was almost a burning sensation. He was sure that was morphine because he's heard that description from patients. Another made him warm and dreamy. That must be heroin. Paul felt like he became a walking encyclopedia of opiates. "How long is this going to last?" he asked.

"That is hard to say, but since you weren't a long-term addict, we don't expect it to go past three days."

"Thanks," moaned Paul.

"We can give you methadone, which will help with the cravings."

"I don't have cravings for heroin," said Paul. "If anything, I'm craving steak, a nice big baked potato with butter and sour cream. I want a taco salad in a crunchy bowl, and a cake, that green pistachio cake Andi makes for the girls."

"Have-Summore Cake," said Andi. Nana Olsen taught her to make that years ago. It's made with pistachio pudding and has whipped cream frosting. If she didn't keep an eye on Paul and the twins, they'd eat the whole thing in one sitting.

"Yeah, that stuff," said Paul. "I'm hangry."

"Sadly, your sleep schedule is going to be disrupted also," said Dr. Reyes. "The best thing I can suggest is something like Tylenol PM to help restore the sleep cycle." He turned to Andi and said, "Did I miss anything, Doctor Roberts?"

"I would suggest a pulmonary workup. He inhaled half a swamp. I'm worried about damage to his vascular system and a potential for infection from the swamp water."

"Will do," said Dr. Reyes, and he went to the small computer terminal in the room and ordered a full cardio-vascular work up. "You're going to be busy tomorrow."

"He's going to be busy today, too. The girls will be out of school soon and we're going to do a family zoom call," said Andi.

<><><><><>֍<><><><><>

Sandy and Madeline were pinging off the walls all day in school. Their papa was coming home! They still had a police escort because Miss Julissa wasn't sure that all the bad guys were locked up. They sailed through math and for some reason, their policeman was surprised at that. Julissa Tanaka didn't give him a heads up that they were advanced students in a highly advanced class.

At the beginning of class, the teacher opened with simple exercises "to wake up our math minds" and they went around the room, one child after another. The teacher held up a flash card with a quick equation on it like 7-3= and the child that was next would shout out "Four!" then on to the next child. They went around the classroom twice and it was lightning fast. The last card was for everyone. A larger card showed 3+8(4-2)-7= and Skip immediately came up with 15, but Madeline jumped up as all her classmates were writing out their calculations and shouted, "Twelve!"

"Very good, Madeline, but we raise our hands in class."

"Sorry," said a blushing little blond, and she eased back into her chair.

Skip realized he forgot the order of operations or PEDMAS. PEDMAS means Parenthesis, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction and they must be done in that order to get the right answer. Instead of starting with 3+8 Madeline started with 4-2 then multiplied that with 8, added the 3 and subtracted 7. Detective Skip Morris, with a master's degree in criminal justice, was taken to school by a six-year-old.

And that was just the beginning and Skip completely lost track of what was being taught. Luckily, he was being paid to look out the windows and monitor the classroom door. After class, they headed out into the hallway. "You actually understood that math?" Detective Skip Morris asked as they tugged him along to their next class. Math was his best subject in school, and he didn't understand most of what the teacher was teaching. It had something to do with numerical relationships in differing numerical bases.

"Uh huh," said Sandy. "Calculations in base eight."

"Octal mathematics," fumed Madeline. "It's baby math." She was angry that they wouldn't let them advance more than 3 grades to a math class that fit their capabilities.

The twins tugged their escort faster into their English class, where they had completed

Charlotte's Web

and were starting a new book. The first reader was a nervous looking young boy. He looked to be twice as old as the twins, which was normal. Being preemies, they were roughly the size of a four-year-old, and this being a second grade English class, he was almost eight. He stood up and began to read. "Chapter One: An Unexpected Party. In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..."

The Hobbit

? Skip realized he read that as an eighth grader in middle school, this was second grade! The teacher saw the shocked look on his face and chuckled. He wondered if Julissa had been startled when they read Charlotte's Web. He followed the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (the kids thought it was a cool name) three paragraphs at a time. The kids read out loud until the dwarves took over Bilbo's home, at which point the class ended. It was time for lunch and the detective had a desire to re-read

There and Back Again

.

After class was over, the twins dashed off, almost losing their police escort. It was pizza day at the cafeteria, and Yi allowed them to have school pizza for lunch. The sound was a cacophony of youthful voices as they competed to out-shout each other. The lines for the cafeteria kitchen were long, so Skip could tell that pizza was the favored lunch. He didn't see any child carrying a sack lunch from home. There was so much going on in front of him it was hard to keep an eye on the twins and keep an eye out for a threat to the twins at the same time.

Sandy and Madeline held court in the cafeteria. Skip was told by Julissa that Andi was worried about the twins socializing because they were so close to each other, but here they were, queen regents in a court room of adoring jesters. They were surrounded by laughing children that were their age, but quite often, a much older student would edge into the crowd seated around the twins and ask a question or thank them for help with their schoolwork.

Skip was overwhelmed by the constant movement, the noise, and the smell, that unforgettable smell of school cafeteria pizza, orange slices, and milk.

"Come on!" demanded the twins, and they headed for the cafeteria door. At the door, they stopped and whirled around and Sandy demanded, "Did you take your tray and dishes back?"

"I didn't have lunch," said Skip.

"You should always have lunch!" demanded Madeline. "It's healthy."

"I'll remember that tomorrow," said Skip as they led him to their last portion of the day, kindergarten. He walked up to the teacher and said, "Hi, I'm Detective Skip Morris. I am on Sandy and Madeline's protection detail."

"Angela Zimmerman," said the kindergarten teacher with a smile as she shook the large young man's hand. "I hope we won't have a repeat of the other day."

"We don't think so. Doctor Jarecki has been freed and is recovering in a Jacksonville hospital."

"That's incredible!"

"Sandy and Madeline will be talking to him on Zoom after class."

"They must be excited."

Skip chuckled. "They always seem excited to me."

"True, you just have to figure out what they're excited about." She then clapped her hands, "Ok kiddos, let's settle down. Sandy? Madeline? Would you like to introduce your guest?"

Sandy and Madeline stood on either side of the detective and Madeline said, "This is our detective. He gets to shoot someone with his phaser if they're bad guys."

Suddenly, all the kids in the classroom started shaking and chanting "bbbbbbbbbbb." Skip looked over at Mrs. Zimmerman, who just shook her head.