JAKE'S REWARD (Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining)
AUTHORS NOTE: This is my very first attempt at writing and has taken quite awhile for me to put my thoughts into words. I have, while in the process of writing this story, written one short story that has already been posted. I always have had a rather vivid imagination and a romantic at heart. As such, I hope you all enjoy my work.
It's a story about a mans' life, a cloud of troubles that overshadows it, and the sliver lining that he finds. It is completely fictional and was written purely for the enjoyment of other viewers. It combines original ideas, which form the plot. All characters within this story are fictional regardless of the fact that they may portrait real people. The places, establishments, and different locale are real and were found during my background research.
As usual, if you are not eighteen then you need to exit from this site etc., etc., etc.
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"Jake."
"Jake honey, I need some help here."
"
JAKE, WHERE ARE YOU? I need your help!"
As I was brought back to the here and now, I said "I'm coming AJ, sorry about that but I was just reminiscing about the past couple of years and how some of the past events have been a blessing in disguise. Now what's the matter?"
"Shit, I just lost control of my bladder and peed all over myself. I'm so embarrassed but I need you to help me to clean this mess up. I can't bend over any more, I'm such a fat ugly cow" AJ said as she burst into tears.
"Now, now my love, I think you are the most beautiful woman in the whole world. Don't you know that pregnant women have this special glow about them that makes them absolutely gorgeous?" As I walked from the master bedroom into the master bathroom I saw a pool of fluid on the floor and looked at her saturated clothes. Being unable to discern the distinct odor of urine, I asked, "AJ are you having any contractions?"
AJ responded rather testily, "Yes, for the last four hours and I'm very miserable!"
"Well sweetheart, I have some good news for you," as I tried unsuccessfully not to chuckle at her predicament.
"What is it Jake? I don't find this situation very funny at all!"
"Well my love, you didn't loose control of your bladder and pee yourself. Your membranes ruptured."
"What do you mean Jake?"
"AJ, your water broke and you are in full fledged labor. It's time to go to the hospital and have our baby."
"OH! Thank God! What a relief to know that I didn't pee myself. I still need help cleaning up and getting ready to go to the hospital, if you please."
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I guess I should pause here and give you some background. My name is Jacob M. McAllister. "Jake" to my friends. AJ is my wife, the former Angelique Jeanette Chamberlain. Heir, president, and CEO of the very old and prestigious law firm of "Chamberlain, Rooney, Ashcroft, and Marshall.
To begin with, professionally, I am a CRNA working in the Washington, DC area (for those of you who do not know what a CRNA is, well I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist β an RN who administers all types of anesthesia for all types of surgeries).
I grew up as an only child with loving parents. Dad was an Investment Banker and Mom was a Registered Nurse (from whom I got my interest in the medical field and where I use my
SPECIAL GIFT
).
Growing up I was, according to my parents, very precocious and extremely inquisitive. This resulted in me being very independent and adventuresome, exploring all through out our home; the kitchen, the den, the living room, the bedrooms, anywhere I could get to. Consequently, my mother was constantly dragging me away from and out of places and situations that a young child shouldn't be in. One day, during the summer, when I was around 6 years old, while Mom was distracted by a phone call, I decided to go exploring.
A couple of weeks before, I was out helping Dad wash the cars one weekend. I kept spraying Dad with the hose every so often as I rinsed the cars off, all the while giggling and laughing as only a 6 year old can. Dad felt obliged to return the favor and spray me so by the time the cars were finished both of us were drenched and laughing to beat the band. Anyway, while Dad and I were washing the cars, I noticed a big gray metal box on the wall of the garage and thought, "that looks interesting."
Having escaped Mom's ever-present watchful eye, I managed a fast get away to the garage, where there was a treasure trove of things to explore and play with. The first thing I saw was the watering hose and remembering the fun I had with Dad, I chose to play with that right off the bat. I was having a great time spraying the floor, Mom's car out in the driveway, the walls and windows when I again noticed the big gray box on the wall.
My interest in the hose and water was immediately lost. Standing there in a pool of water, looking up at that box, I thought to myself, "What is in that box and how do I get it open?" I started looking all over the garage for something to reach the box so I could open it. Eventually, I found a long straight piece of wire lying on the floor behind Dad's workbench. I was ecstatic when I found out it reached.
So there I was standing in the water for several minutes, poking at the front of the box with this wire when all of a sudden the door suddenly pops open. I just stood there looking up in awe at what I saw there β all those switches waiting to be played with. I even noticed a black hole to be explored, if I could ever get up there. Eventually, I realized that I still had the wire and that it would reach, so I started to play with the switches. Little did I know just how much danger I was in! After poking at the switches, I stuck the wire in the black hole. Boy, was that a shocking experience (sorry, I know it's a bad pun but it just sort of slipped out).
The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital with Mom and Dad next to me and a splitting headache as I lay in bed. Apparently, what had happened was that as I stuck the wire into the black hole, I hit the ground bar in the circuit breaker box. With me standing in water, well I was just a great conductor. The force of the shock was such that it sent me flying across the garage into the opposite wall, which stopped my flight but not before I put a huge hole in the wallboard, as well as shorting out the electrical system for the whole house. In retrospect, my hitting the wall is really what saved me as my heart had stopped. When I hit the wall, it was like someone giving me a cardiac thump to jump-start my stalled heart.
When I finally woke up, it was two weeks later and even after that amount of time, I still hurt all over. Mom and Dad were ecstatic that I had come out of my coma and wasn't brain dead. After another week of observation I was discharged into my parents care.
Boy, if I thought Mom was protective before this mishap, I was greatly mistaken. The only time I wasn't out of her sight was when I was either in school, with Dad, the baby sitter (who watched me like a hawk per Mom's orders), or tucked in bed for the night.
It wasn't until about 15 months later that my gift started to manifest itself. One Friday I was at the playground at school with some of my friends. We were playing a simple game of Tag. Billy was chasing after Duncan when he slipped in the dirt and went into sliding into the chain link fence. His elbow took the brunt of the crash and stopped his forward momentum. Needless to say, he really got hurt. I was the first one to get to him and his arm really looked funny shaped.
"Duncan to go get some help," I yelled as I proceeded to help Billy.
Sitting him up, I said "Billy I'm going to move your arm." As soon as I grabbed the injured arm, I felt this electric shock run from him to me. It only lasted a couple of seconds and Billy didn't notice because he was in so much pain but I did. Shortly there after three things occurred; 1) help had arrived in the form of a teacher, 2) Billy's pain lessened dramatically and his arm looked normal again, and 3) I was overcome with a tremendous fatigue.
Well Billy went into the nurse to be checked and as it turned out that it was only a bruise. The rest of us went back inside to get ready to go home. By the time I reached home, I was extremely pale and nauseated. I just made it to the downstairs bathroom before I threw up. Well, Mom hustled me upstairs and into bed before I knew what was what. I really didn't care, as I was just plain exhausted. I slept for an hour or so when I awoke to find Mom watching over me.
"Jake dear, what happened and are you feeling any better?"