Alpine Affairs - The Aftermath
It's been a while on this one. I actually wrote the first two parts (Wives and Husbands) years ago, but never could figure out the rest of the story. The Wives and the first part of The Party are based on a story I was assured was factual; the rest is my imagination. The Aftermath was hardest; Christy has redeeming social value, and I know in real life they reconciled a while later, but how the hell did she get caught up in what she did? This part and the next address that question and others my mind raised, in perhaps too many pages.
But the next part, The End, also includes pages and pages of gratuitous, descriptive sex, so be aware and prepared to scroll to or past, as you prefer.
Also, the first nine Word pages are written in the straight ahead style of the other parts, but the tenor changes after they are separated. Nothing new here that other loving wives authors haven't addressed, but the analyses and conclusions may differ. Anyway, gratuitous sex descriptions, a touch of mild masochism, swingers, toys/masturbation, and some minor FF (mis)conduct before the story ends.
Comments are welcome, rants aren't. Hope you have fun; by this point, all characters and conduct are fictitious, even though some of the original characters were based on the tale I was told by the real 'Will'.
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Knowing Gene, Tom, Greg, and Rob needed to fly back sometime today, Will got a rental brought to the hospital. He would stay until Dr. Martinez, the neurologist, psychologist, and whatever other specialists had rendered a decision on Christy's current situation and future, meaning until at least Wednesday.
His friends, including John, showed up at the hospital just before he left to get a room. He updated them on his wife's condition, accepted their concern and well wishes, and offered to take them to the airport. John was headed that way, so they hitched a ride with him after asking Will to keep Gene informed.
He got a room at the Highland Inn, which was across the street from the SRSU entrance. He intended to do some personal investigating tomorrow, after his early session with Christy. He ate at the hotel restaurant, visited the bar/dance area, and had fruitful conversations about his wife and her friends with some of the regulars. They were popular, but knowing smiles stayed on faces too long.
At 6:45 am he had a cup of coffee in each hand, standing by the nurses' station. Neither Veronica nor Sammi were on duty; a new nurse took him into Christy's room with instructions to take a seat and be prepared for her to awaken any minute now. The awakening started only seconds later, but it took five minutes of trying to look around, falling back asleep, and reawakening for her to see Will and weakly extend a hand toward him.
She was still confused; slow to respond, weepy, and quick to become anxious, sometimes panicky. When she asked, "Why am I here, and why do I hurt so bad?" Will knew nothing had changed overnight. He was kind, patient and loving while she wept, shook in fear, and asked the same questions time and again.
He successfully distracted her by talking about the kids, his mother keeping them, the big rain that cancelled the rodeo, and flying out in the company plane. Not for long, however; she wanted to know why he didn't come to see her when he got here, why she was in a hospital, and if she was hurting so bad because she had been in a wreck. He went over everything again, telling her, as the doctor ordered, that she had been injured Saturday and was experiencing loss of memory due to the injury.
Will was never so glad to see a doctor as when Martinez arrived with his entourage at nine am. After speaking briefly with Christy, he informed Will that he was needed at the nurses' station. Will kissed Christy on the forehead, pulled his hand loose from hers, and left to the sound of her sobbing.
Doctor Marsha Fieldstone was a clinical psychologist who flew weekly to Big Bend Regional Medical Center from an affiliated hospital in Midland. She was 40ish, 'handsome' in a big-boned, mannish way, and Will could tell when they were introduced that she didn't like him. Since they just met, he found that confusing and tried to win her over during their 'conference' in one of the meeting rooms.
He was good with all kinds of people from all walks of life, but it appeared not with clinical psychologists. Or at least, not with this one.
Although she had only the outline provided by Dr. Martinez of what went on Saturday, she seemed to have already determined that Christy was a completely blameless victim. She had also determined that Christy's husband was too stupid to understand that simple fact; and, therefore, he was part of the problem, not the solution. Will kept his cool, determined to develop at least a working relationship with this haughty bitch, for his wife's sake.
Dr. Fieldstone was alternately antagonistic and dismissive, even though he was simply providing the information she requested about what he actually saw. When she began explaining the effect of rape on a female 'in layman's terms' that were actually closer to third-grade remedial reading terms, he realized his strategy wasn't going to work.
"So, you've determined she was raped?" he asked.
"Of course! They gave her date rape drugs and raped her - that should be clear, even to you!" she replied arrogantly.
"Lady, I've got a BS from the University of Texas AT AUSTIN, a MS from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and a JD from UNC Raleigh. Those degrees compare very favorably with your PhD from Northeast Ohio State University Medical Branch, so stop treating me like I'm a damn high school dropout!" he warned.
She was taken aback, but only momentarily. As soon as she recovered, she started explaining that his degrees were not in medicine or psychology, so she had to 'make the complex simple enough for him to understand'. He was explaining that he doubted she knew shit from Shinola when Dr. Martinez came in, heard his colorful language and saw his demeanor; he suggested both follow him to his office.
Martinez took his time, detouring by the coffee pot, inviting them to join him in eating a pastry from the cafeteria, and generally killing time so Will could cool off. By the time they got to the office, Will's temper was under control, but Fieldstone's arrogance was not. Martinez saw Will's temper rising again while the bitch prattled on about her expertise in rapes committed by men using date rape drugs, and tried to cut him off before he interrupted her.
"Wait, DOCTOR! You keep saying 'date rape drugs', and 'rape committed by the man a woman is in a relationship with'. You are aware that your patient is MARRIED, to ME, and therefore should not be on a 'date' nor be involved in a 'relationship' with the rapists, aren't you?"
"Mr. Thomson, that is a very 19
th
century attitude," she replied prissily. "Given your attitude, it appears that you may not be aware that women today are fully in control of their reproductive rights and all the parts of their bodies. Women reserve the right to choose their sexual partners without regard to 'marriage', which is merely an outdated institution men use to subjugate women!"
"FUCK YOU, YOU DEMENTED YANKEE BITCH! You are NOT coming anywhere near my wife! Is that clear Martinez? If she comes near Christy, I will sue your asses into oblivion!"
Will stood up, stormed out of the room, and walked up the hill to the campus for his meeting with the Dean of the College of Education. He calmed down along the way, so that meeting began with reminiscing about the good old days when they were undergrads at UT. It ended with the Dean giving him a letter allowing faculty and staff to provide him with any information he needs, due to his wife's incapacitation and Will having power of attorney over her affairs while she is incapacitated. That letter would prove invaluable in coming to understand the roots of the Christy's fall.
When Will returned to his rented SUV at the hospital, he found the sheriff lounging beside it. "Will, I know that Yankee bitch got on your last nerve, but now that you've calmed down, can I ask a favor of you? Can you let her examine and interview your wife? She doesn't have to treat her, but Doctor Martinez and I need her professional opinion on your wife's state and on what caused it, and Martinez needs guidance for potential treatment options.
"I know, Will, I know - she is one arrogant feminazi of a Yankee bitch, but she's actually pretty good at her job, and we need the information. Can you allow that, please?"
"As long as I don't have to be in the room with her ever again, okay. But if she starts that shit with me again, you are gonna need a new counselor, comprende jefe?"
The sheriff grinned at Will in return, "Entiendo, compadre. Just let her do this for Doctor Martinez and me. It will help our case and her treatment, and the lonely desert grave option remains."
"I have a bad feeling about that, Sheriff, but with you and Martinez vouching for her, I'll stay away until she's finished with the evaluation. Someone needs to call me when she's out of the way, and there better not have been any indoctrination disguised as 'therapy' when I get there!"
Will returned to the campus, found Christy's two teachers, and waited for them to dismiss their classes for lunch. The classes were only a few doors apart, so he was able to ask if he could meet with both of them in one of the offices.
He showed them the letter, explained that Christy was hospitalized and would likely remain in the hospital for an extended period of time, and inquired about options related to gaining class credit. Unfortunately, there weren't any; each class was four hours long and compacted to fit into a four week semester, so missing a class was like missing four in a normal semester. Even though she had an A in each course, missing more than three days would mean she would automatically fail.
