I'm giving up on calling these chapters epilogues as there are just things that happened I want to tell, but the main story line has concluded. This is still wrapping up loose threads and filling in details, some answering questions from emails and feed back. Again, all the names have been changed to protect the innocent, as well as the guilty. And again, thanks to my awesome editor, Tangentjoker for his fine work in correcting typos and grammar. He can probably be recognized by the large red circle on his forehead from beating his head against the wall and screaming from seeing some of my mistakes over and over and over again.... That said, if you have not read the previous chapters you will probably be lost, and have no idea about the zombie apocalypse. If you just want the dirty parts, skip over a few pages and look for the bit about Marvin the robot.
Thanks again for reading, and all feed back is welcome. I try to respond as much as my schedule allows, and there should be another chapter in a week or so.
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Donna, Ron and Allison were the first to come to the room in the ER after Dr. Riley left. As my clothes were mostly cut from me, and what wasn't was soaked with sweat, I asked them to run home and get something for me to wear out of there when I was discharged. I expected that to be at any minute. Donna ran through my list of problems: an inner ear infection, anxiety, dehydration and low blood sugar with them. A plan was developed. Rather than go out to a restaurant, which I did not feel up to anyway, Ron would get take out and meet us back at the campus house while Donna and Allison would bring me a change of clothes.
All scolded me for not taking better care of myself. It was pointed out that several times people had asked if I felt okay that morning, and several times I had waved off their concerns. Mainly, though, they repeated what Brent had said. That they loved me and wanted me to get well. And that my first priority, ahead of my friends, family, school, and even my husband, was to take care of myself. Allison added that once I was all better I could get back to worrying about everyone and everything else.
I asked if Sarah could stay and all protested except Brent. It was finally settled that if anything did go wrong it would be good for Brent to have someone there to help him. And that I wouldn't have to take care of the Brat anyway, as Brent volunteered to. I really did want to spend more time with my sis, as we would both be starting school back and having her around just made me feel more like a part of a normal family. She really wasn't much bother anyway and we shared a mutual interest in reading. So it was finally agreed that she could spend the night.
Next, Sarah, or as she was acting at the time, Princess Bratface, Kevin, Reg and Carolyn came back.
"Are you getting out today?" Brat asked.
"Yes, and you're spending the night, too. But I'm going to be resting so you just plan to read to me, okay? And listen to Brent about bedtime and such. No arguing. Understand?"
"Sure! But no promises on bedtime! I am 12, ya know!" she stated with authority.
Brat crawled onto the bed beside me and curled up in my arm. We had spent so much of the last several weeks like this in a hospital bed that it felt natural now. Which was really depressing when I thought about it.
"So, Reg, thank you so much. You probably saved my life today."
"Yeah. Thanks, Reg. You, well, I can't ever thank you enough," Brent added, his eyes glistening.
"Oh, don't worry about it. That's what I do in my real job. And Ms. Donna was there, too. You were in good hands either way. I need you to remember though, more women die from seizures every year than breast cancer. Best way to thank me is to listen to your doctor and don't let it happen again. You gotta take care of yourself, Jessie."
"I know. He's already bitched at me. No more stress, drink fluids, eat every now and then and if I feel bad tell someone. Trust me, I'm good on all that now. One scare is enough. But, hey, I thought you worked for your father," I said.
"Oh, I do. We all do. Kevin warehouses and delivers when he's not at school, and Carolyn does sales when she's home. I'm a paramedic with the fire department 4 on and 8 off. I just work at the store during the weeks I'm not at the fire department. The city pays better," he grinned.
"How did you know I taught Carolyn to drive a stick?"
"What?" Kevin asked with incredulity in his voice. "She's been driving the delivery truck since she was 15. Hell, she drives a stick better than I do, and anytime I'm not at class I'm in that truck. I think Mom and Dad's greatest disappointment was that she decided to be an engineer rather than follow in Danica Patrick's footsteps."
I looked at Carolyn who smirked back at me.
"You lyin' little bit..." I got out before she interrupted.
"Hey! It was the only way I could get you to go to breakfast that day!"
"What are you two talking about?" Reg asked.
"Oh, last fall, I was at Jessie's dorm, when... well, when she was all mopey faced. The only way I could get her to get her sorry butt up and go to breakfast was if I agreed for her to teach me how to drive a stick. So I let her give me a driving lesson. You should have seen the look on her face, Brent, when I was dumping the clutch and killing the motor. And then I ground down enough clutch to, well, to the point I bet that parking lot still smells like somebody locked up the brakes on a semi coming off a mountain there. It was hysterical! And all the while she's saying, 'You can get this Carolyn. You're doing great!' It was all I could do to keep a straight face!"
"Well, if I had known," I got out before Carolyn again spoke over me.
"Yeah, if you had known you would have just laid there and starved. I bet if you had known the car I borrowed to get there was a straight you would have really felt dumb, too," she grinned.
I could not be mad. I had been punked, and it had been for my own good. Still, with everyone giggling at me I had to say something.