Remember this is fantasy, so rich and powerful men and elected officials may act in sexually indiscreet and immoral/amoral manners. For those who suggested such hijinks would cause an American Revolution... American politicians have a long history of 'sexual indiscretion', beginning with several of the founding father, continuing to the turn of the century (Ma! Ma! Where's my Pa? Gone to the White House, Ha! Ha! Ha!), through the men know by their initials in the 40s-60s, and two more recent presidents.
I would provide a list of lesser lights - mere congresspersons, judges, studio executives, billionaires, etcetera, but that would take pages! Don't believe me: search it, and then consider the hypocrisy of segregationist Strom Thurmond, the guest lists of Jeffrey Epstein, and peruse the Wikipedia section devoted to sex scandals involving elected officials. As scandalous and odious as we've already seen, and as jaded as we've become, I strongly doubt another sex scandal would be much more disruptive than, say, Harvey Weinstein and his co-conspirators. Sex, sedition, and treason, yes, but not just sex. We're too jaded.
Be forewarned. This little tale takes a couple of turns you may not appreciate if the previous chapters bothered you.
****
They slept so long they ordered supper in the room. It was standard room service fare, but it served its purpose, while giving them the opportunity to discuss and consider Jack's revised plan to revive April. Janice was enthusiastic, believing it raised their odds significantly, so they called Donnie. He was helping his wife clean up the kitchen while the children played outside and was happy for the distraction.
Donnie put them on speaker, and it was Donna who took the concept and ran with it. She and Janice were bouncing ideas off each other at a dizzying pace, growing ever more enthusiastic. The social media and social skills of the women were more advanced, relatively, but they only seemed to generate possibilities, not plans.
After maybe eight minutes and a hundred bright ideas, Jack tried to rein them in so they could actually plan instead of brainstorm. Donna quickly told him to talk to Donnie on Janice's phone so they would continue without silly interruptions.
"Reminds me of announcing you're engaged to her girlfriends and never getting another word in until after the wedding," Jack observed when his friend and attorney picked up.
Donnie laughed, admitted their ideas sounded good to him, and then suggested they treat it like wedding planning and leave it to the girls so they could talk business. Their conversation diverged to ranch problems that weren't being addressed while he and Carl were in San Antonio, and to the need of his Segundo at the business for directions ASAP, and on a daily basis.
After they arrived at potential solutions for business and ranch issues, Jack asked, "So what was the immediate aftermath in Cowtown, in Austin, and on the East Coast? And how did the attack get played to the media."
"As you've been told, as soon as the gangsters started singing the feds appeared, read transcripts of the interrogations, and took over the case. They whisked the punks out of here for parts unknown, and tried feeding the media a line of BS about a drug cartel. Unfortunately for them, the local press had photos and video of some of the gangsters, and none looked or sounded like Mexicans or Central Americans.
"Maybe they got a little prompting, maybe not, but the media soon began airing anonymous concerns about another cover up. A cover up at the behest of the same men and women who first tried to make martyrs of the Machiavellian cockroaches who were killed just south of here by someone of character and courage, and stealth.
"That forced the hand of the players in Austin, and the media now have the story the Sheriff and the Rangers want them to have. You'll find that story an interesting mix when you hear it all, but I'll provide highlights.
"You are mentioned, it being an attack on your ranch and all, but the heroes, or, I should say, heroines, of the media story are Janice and April!
"Although no direct accusations are made and no names named, the essence of the revised story is that it wasn't a drug cartel that carried out the attack. Rather, it was another attempt to recapture April and Janice by the remaining members of the sex cartel that enslaved them, or their successors.
"It's a helluva story, alright. The heroines survived capture, abuse, slavery, and torture to protect you from the evil intentions of corrupt and vile men, and then escaped and returned home. When the gangsters came to kill you and recapture them, they took up arms and fought gallantly alongside you and law enforcement. Like I say, it's a helluva story!
"Their pictures are all over TV, newspapers, magazines, and the internet. Yours are too, but you're not a beautiful and heroically brave woman who endured every woman's nightmare, fought your way back home, and had to take up arms to save yourselves and your beloved husband/brother.
"What I'm saying is, they are front and center in the story and you're nothing more than a footnote... which I'm sure is fine with you. Understand, I'm only giving you the highlights, but try turning on your TV for an hour, or, better yet, checking the news sites on the internet, and you'll see what I mean.
"To increase the suspense and hunger for updates, the hospital won't let anyone near April, so the media are searching frantically for you and your sister.
"And, Jack - as your friend and lawyer, I strongly advise you to carefully consider your public response when it comes to questions about your relationship with your heroic sister and wife, unless you want to become the center of a shitstorm about misogynistic and egoistic males that will pale 'Me Too'."
****
Forewarned and forearmed, Janice and Jack quickly checked out of the hotel and checked into an older, cheaper one on Loop 1604 that catered to truckers and travelers looking for a bed, not a resort. It was stuck back off the road between UTSA and the La Cantera shopping center, with parking for trucks and trailers out back, where their pickup blended in.
They used fictitious credentials from Janice's old life that she had retained "just in case." 'Ann Taylor' had a New York address, and her traveling companion was simply listed as John Taylor.
After they were settled in, Jack called the unit where April was housed and asked if there had been any changes in her condition. The shift nurse, Nancy Jenkins, told them April had become quite agitated after watching a news show that detailed her troubles after she left Texas. When the hospital administrator informed her about the number of news vehicles reporting live from outside the hospital, and the number of requests for interviews she had received, however, she retreated back into her shell.
The nurse also let them know that the hospital had to add security personnel to keep reporters from sneaking into the wing where April was a patient. That spurred Jack to ask how the hospital would feel about transferring her to BAMC's Level 1 Trauma Center for increased security. Nurse Jenkins enthusiastically assured him she would approach her superiors with the idea and call them back.
Less than an hour later, she did call back, with an administrator sharing the line. April's doctors were concerned about the dangers of transport, but confident in the care she would receive at BAMC. The hospital administration would be happy to arrange the transfer, as Fort Sam was far better prepared for the media onslaught than they were. Assuming, of course, proper transport was available.
As it was all happening on Jack's dime and insurance, his approval was the first step, but they still had to convince the patient.
Janice suggested they tell April the move would put her in the same hospital as Carl and provide a better buffer against the press. The nurse asked for a few minutes to make the proposal; ten minutes later, she relayed that April actually showed a spark while consider the choice to move, but settled back into her melancholy almost immediately after.
Nurse Jenkins also warned that her memory of events and people was spotty, and that wasn't unusual after the kinds of trauma she suffered, which included a concussion not immediately treated due to her life-threatening injuries. That was news to Jack and Janice, so they pressed the nurse and administrator for more information, but they could only describe what was on her chart.
The transfer occurred in the dead of night, around 2 am, using an ambulance designed specifically to transport patients with cervical and spinal injuries. Janice got the news after breakfast via a phone call from their new favorite Nurse. She wished them luck, and then asked that they forget her name; her job was on the line if others learned of her beyond-the-call-of-duty assistance... and privacy violations.
Reassured no one would hear it from them, she recanted and asked that updates be provided from time to time, to which Janice agreed.
****
They wrote their loving notes, went flower shopping, and then to BAMC. They were told Carl was being allowed to awaken on his own timeline, and they expected that to happen sometime today. They agreed to call Jack if it happened, and he and Janice agree to return immediately when it did. They left a bouquet and made their way to the Spine Center.
They identified themselves to the staff and were required to provide documentation of their identity, and of Jack's relationship with the patient. When queried, they found nothing to show that April had denied visitation, but, as she was currently engaged in testing and evaluation, she would not be available for several hours - most likely until early- to mid-afternoon.
"So, do we stay, or go through the long, drawn-out processes of checking out and back into the base?" his sister asked.
"Let's go look for a place to stay that's closer but offers at least a degree of privacy. We can get our things from the room, check out, and maybe do a little shopping for Carl and April, since neither has any clothes to change into."
