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From: Lazlo Zalezac <lzalezac@yahoo.com>
X-ASSTR-Original-Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 18:50:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: {ASSM} John Carter III 09 (mf mmf ffm ff mm sci-fi)
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 23:10:05 -0500
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<1st attachment, "Crossroad09.txt" begin>
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by
sexually explicit material or are under the age of 18, stop reading
now. This material cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes
without the consent of the author.
John Carter
By
Lazlo Zalezak
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezak, 2003
Part 3: Robes of Acumen
Chapter 9
Ling lounged on the sofa in the informal living room using the
remote control for the television to flip through channels. John
watched, but she flipped so fast that he couldn't even tell what was
on any individual channel. She'd pause occasionally to watch five
seconds of some channel and then return to flipping at her original
pace. Since John and Ed weren't particularly interested in the
television, they weren't bothered by her actions.
John got up and went to the mini-refrigerator to refill his iced-tea.
Ed watched him for a minute. He noticed the small mannerisms
that suggested John was bothered by something, but that he was
trying to hide it. Ed finally asked, "What's the matter?"
John turned to Ed; about to answer that nothing was the matter
when he saw that Ed would persist. He frowned, "I don't like that
Beth went to Los Angeles for that medical conference."
Ed examined John carefully, "Why?"
John shook his head, "I have a feeling that something bad is going
to happen there."
"So let's go there and join her," suggested Ling as she settled on a
television station at last. She turned her attention to John for the
moment.
John walked to the intercom and pressed the button connecting him
to Cathy's office. When Cathy answered he stated, "Cathy, arrange
a jet to take us to LA."
Cathy acknowledged the request. John turned to face the others in
the room. He asked, "Who wants to go?"
Ling answered, "I'll go. Ed should stay here so that someone will
be home when Kelly gets off work."
Ed argued, "Hold it, I'll watch his back for him."
Ling asked, "Who has the black belt? Whose job has been
bodyguard? I should be the one that goes."
The two of them started to debate which one would be the better
one to go. John had a sudden vision of the Gods and Goddesses
looking at him with sadness in their eyes. As he realized the
message they were conveying to him, John dropped to his knees
screaming, "No!"
Both of the shut up immediately and looked to John. They didn't
know if he was upset with them for their debate or if something
else was the matter. John stated, "It's not fair. She was going to be
a mother!"
Ed and Ling quickly moved to John's side. They helped him to the
couch. Ed asked, "John, what happened?"
"She's dead. Beth is dead." John replied. Knowing that she was in a
better place, the shock of the news quickly passed. Now he had to
deal with the fact that he would never get a chance to talk to her
again. He knew there would come times when he would
experience something only to think to himself that she would love
to hear about it.
Ed raced over to the intercom and buzzed the garage. Bob
responded with a quick greeting. Ed got straight to the point. "Bob,
get one of the cars and go to the hospital. We need you to pick up
Kelly and drive her home. Just tell her that her presence at the
house is needed."
Ed returned to sit by Ling. John's message began to sink in. Beth
was dead. He would no longer be able to share his life with her.
Suddenly, a huge hole opened in his heart. He looked up to see the
tears streaming down Ling's face and knew he was not alone in
this.
Official notification that Beth had been killed in Los Angeles came
before Kelly returned home. Ed and Ling had gotten themselves
under a little better control, but Kelly could tell as soon as she
entered the house that something was wrong. She moved to the
informal living room as a sense of dread settled upon her. She
froze when she saw the looks on the faces of her husbands and
wife. She asked, "What is it?"
The three of them got off the couch and move to Kelly. John and
Ed put an arm around her as Ling moved in to hug her. John stated,
"I'm sorry Kelly. Beth was killed in LA about an hour ago."
Kelly's legs collapsed out from under her. The two men carried her
over to the couch and set her down. They joined her on the couch
as Ling sat on the coffee table facing Kelly. Ling looked at John
accusingly, "How can you accept this so calmly?"
John sighed, "It is simple, I have died and know that it is not a bad
thing. I am sad because I will not get to share my love with her and
she with me."
Ling and Kelly looked at each other realizing that John had stated
exactly how they were feeling. They were feeling the loss for
themselves and less about what Beth's death would mean to her.
Kelly replied, "I feel so guilty because I'm thinking about myself."
John stated, "Don't feel that way. She is fine now. We are the ones
left behind to continue without them. It is natural that we think of
our loss."
Cathy came into the room, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Beth's father
is on the telephone and he wants to talk to you."
John turned on the speakerphone. "Hello, Dr. Hayes. You're on the
speakerphone here and the whole family is gathered."
"I'm so sorry. We were at lunch and a car lost control. I couldn't do
anything," he said. His voice broke as the sound of him crying
came across the telephone. He sobbed, "Oh, God, I'm so sorry."
John stated, "We understand there was nothing you could do.
You've done nothing that requires an apology. Where are you?"
"I'm in the hospital in LA."
"Are you alright?" John looked over at Ed. Ed understood what
John intended him to do. Ed stood and went to the door.
"I've got a broken leg and a fractured disk."
John asked, "Where's Mrs. Hayes?"
"She's at home. I called her and let her know."
Ed nodded and went to find Cathy. John stated, "Ed is arranging
for a charter jet to be sent to the airport to pick her up. We'll be
flying in as well."
Dr. Hayes sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I couldn't do a thing for her. The
car came out of nowhere and that was it."
Kelly stated, "You know that you should just rest right now, Dr.
Hayes. You'll be able to deal with things better after you've
rested."
John added, "We will be there soon. Get some rest."
The conversation continued for another several minutes. Most of it
was Dr. Hayes apologizing for his daughters death. He felt guilty
because he lived rather than her. The father had watched the
daughter die.
The Carter Clan arrived at the airport within an hour of the official
telephone call. They waited to take off until they were sure that
Beth's mother had boarded the jet they had arranged for her. They
left in time to land within ten minutes of her arrival in LA. They
made excellent time and the trip itself was uneventful.
At the LA airport, they waited for Mrs. Hayes to land. The four
were very tense, as they had no idea of what state of mind she
would be in when she landed. Ed stated that she was very upset on
the telephone when he talked to her. When the jet taxied to the
hanger, the four went out to greet her. The door of the jet opened
and after a minute, she stepped out. She smiled at them, "I could
get used to traveling like that!"
The ground crew swarmed around the jet removing her luggage
and taking it to the limousine that waited for them. John laughed in
relief that she wasn't upset. He stated, "Yes, ma'am. It's very easy
to get used to flying all by yourself in a charter jet."
He helped her off the last step of the stairs down from the jet. As
they walked, John told her, "We've reserved the penthouse suite of
a hotel that is one block away from the hospital your husband is a
patient. We want you to stay with us."
Beth's mother looked surprised, "You are too kind."
Ling looked at her, "Beth was our wife and that makes you
family."
Kelly continued, "There is nothing more important than taking care
of family. You will never need worry as long as any of us are
alive."
Ed stated, "As soon as your husband is able to travel, we will
transport him to our place. We have a doctor lined up and the best
facilities in the entire state."
John added, "We can build a separate house for you if you don't
feel comfortable in our home. Perhaps you and Dr. Hayes might
want to retire there."
Beth's mother cried, "Beth loved you all so much and I know why.
You really do take care of each other and those around you."
They got into the limousine. The drive to the hotel was filled with
conversation and talk of future possibilities. Once there, John
picked up the keys to the penthouse suite. They were immediately
shown to their suite with the luggage being brought up by the
bellhop in a separate elevator. The penthouse was huge, with four
bedrooms, large living room, spa, dining room, an office, and a
built-in bar. John stated, "Okay, everyone. Pick a room. I'm
claiming the office."
Beth's mother looked shocked, "That's okay, I'll sleep on the
couch."
Kelly laughed, "Putting John in a bedroom is a waste of a bed. He
sleeps on his sleeping bag. The office is perfect for him."
Ling added, "The only time he sleeps in a bed is when he's
sleeping with someone. More often than not, he still ends up on the
floor."
Mrs. Hayes turned to John, "Do you mean you can afford all of
this, but you sleep on floor?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She went into a room shaking her head in wonder. The more she
learned about these people, the more she was amazed. They could
walk into a suite like this and keep their heads. They continued to
be themselves regardless of the situation. Her walk around the
bedroom was interrupted by the bellhop bringing her luggage. She
looked for some money to give him, but he told her that it had all
been taken care of already.
John stood at the door and stated, "You might want to take about
fifteen minutes to freshen up. We'll go over to the hospital when
everyone is ready."
She answered, "Okay."
The telephone to the room rang. John answered it while everyone
else was freshening up. The front desk told him that a Juan Ortiz
was there to speak with him. Before John had a chance to respond
the woman added that he claimed to have been a member of the
John Carter Rescue Squad. John told her to send him up.
John opened the door and waved Juan into the room. Juan was
dressed in a suit and tie. He looked very sharp. As Juan approached
the room, John stated, "Juan, it is so good to see you."
Juan smiled broadly, "John Carter, you look magnificent."
John asked, "What are you doing here?"
Juan answered, "When I heard about Beth's accident, I knew that
you would be coming to town. I had to come and give my
condolences."
John returned a thankful smile and said, "Thank you, Juan. I
appreciate it. Now tell, what's going on with you? You really look
great."
Juan beamed as he answered, "After that day, I took a really good
look at my life. When I looked into going into a medical related
field, I found that my criminal record was a major problem. To
make a long story short, I ended going to school and majoring in
journalism. I now own a small English/Spanish newspaper. I run
lots of articles on helping yourself to get out of poverty."
Beth's mother came out of the room. Juan saw her and approached
her. He said, "Senora, you must be Beth's mother."
Mrs. Hayes looked at him in surprise as she replied, "Yes, I am."
Juan smiled. He said, "I'm Juan Ortiz. Your daughter was an angel.
I only knew her one day and she changed my life completely. I am
so sorry to hear about her death. If there is anything that I can do
for you, please let me know."
"Oh, thank you."
John called out, "Ed! Kelly! Come here, you'll never guess who's
here."
Ed came out of his room and looked Juan. He shook hands with
Juan, stating, "Juan, how are you doing?"
Kelly entered the room and rushed over to Juan giving him a hug.
"Oh, Juan. You look so sharp."
Juan burst out in a smile. He was amazed that these wonderful
people remembered him from one day that had happened years
ago. Juan answered them, "I am doing well. I'm so sad to see you
again under these circumstances."
Kelly hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."
Juan blushed. "So, I have come from the hospital. Dr. Hayes is
doing well. The staff told me that doctors make the worst patients
and he's no exception."
Mrs. Hayes laughed on hearing that assessment. She knew that
things were going to be okay. Juan fidgeted for a moment and then
pulled an envelope out of his suit pocket. He handed it to Mrs.
Hayes stating, "I have written an obituary for Beth. I would like
your permission to print it in my newspaper. I've made a deal with
the larger newspapers to run it also, if you approve."
Mrs. Hayes sat down on a couch and read the contents of the
envelope. As she read, tears started to stream down her cheeks.
When she finished reading it, she looked up at Juan. With a catch
in her throat, she stated, "It's so beautiful. You have my
permission. You are a very talented and kind young man."
Juan frowned as he replied, "I do my best. It is hard to do less than
that once your life has been touched by an angel."
John put an arm around Juan. "Juan, it is so great to see you. I hope
that you will join us for dinner tonight."
Juan shook his head, "John, I won't join you for dinner tonight.
You have traveled far today and will be tired. I don't want to
intrude. I just wanted a chance to welcome you back to Los
Angeles."
Ed stated, "Your consideration is really appreciated, but you
wouldn't be intruding."
The telephone rang again. John answered it while Juan said his
good-byes to everyone. The woman at the front desk explained that
there was a Mrs. Dawn Ericson wanting to talk to Ed or Kelly.
Before John had a chance to answer, she added that they had
rescued her from a life of slavery. John looked over at Ed and
Kelly before telling the woman to send her up.
John turned back to everyone in time to tell Juan goodbye. After
Juan left, he told Ed and Kelly that a Mrs. Dawn Ericson was on
her way up to say hello to them. At their blank looks, he added that
they had rescued her from slavery. It took them a minute to
remember that she had been one of the adult women that had been
rescued.
John opened the door and waited for the elevator to arrive. When it
did, a very attractive woman stepped out. She saw John waving her
over and headed in his direction. He stated, "Hello, I'm John
Carter. You must be Mrs. Dawn Ericson."
She smiled at him, "It's an honor to finally meet you, John. They
told me that you were the one that single-handedly brought down
the whole gang. I didn't get a chance to meet you that day."
John made his usual self-depreciating gesture. "There were a lot of
people involved. I was just one of many."
"Well, thank you anyway."
"Come in. Kelly and Ed are waiting for you."
Dawn stepped into the room and spotted Kelly first. She ran to her
and hugged her tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you."
She turned and saw Ed. She ran to him saying, "Ed, you are still as
handsome as ever."
Kelly smiled and stated, "Keep saying things like that to him and
he's liable to believe you."
Dawn stepped away. "I'm so sorry about Beth. When I heard, I
knew you would be coming here. I called every hotel looking for
you. I just had to give you my condolences."
Mrs. Hayes asked, "How did you know my daughter?"
Dawn answered, "Several years ago I was abducted. They were
going to turn me into a sex slave and sell me to some sick pervert.
When I was rescued, Ed came into the room and untied all of us.
Kelly came in and checked us out to make sure that we were
uninjured. Beth was working feverishly to tend to the wounded.
She was amazing and I'll never forget any of them for their heroic
action."
"I never knew that."
Ed stated, "John was seriously wounded in that raid. Beth had him
stabilized, but she couldn't do much in the middle of nowhere.
John died in the hospital. He was dead for four minutes before he
came back to life."
Kelly added, "Ed was shot in the leg, Beth patched it up very
nicely."
"I didn't know he had died saving us," Dawn said with a surprised
expression. She looked at John. "You really are some kind of
hero."
Nobody had noticed that Ling had been standing there hearing all
of this. She knew that they had done some dangerous things, but
they very seldom talked about it. She had always been bothered by
their scars. To her, there was something scary and dangerous about
people with scars. She realized that each of them had faced death
several times while she had always been protected from it. In a
way, it made her feel insignificant to them all.
Dawn noticed Ling for the first time. She turned to her and said,
"Hello, I'm Dawn."
John stated, "Please excuse my manners. Dawn, this is our newest
wife Ling. Ling, this is Dawn. I guess you heard her story already."
Dawn smiled at Ling. She stated, "You are one lucky woman to get
these three. I'm so sorry about your loss."
Ling answered, "I know I'm the luckiest woman in the world."
Dawn turned around. She said, "Well, I had better get going.
Please, call me if you need anything. I'm a great baby-sitter if you
need one."
John laughed and replied, "Thank you very much for your offer.
Take care of yourself."
Dawn breezed out of the room and to the elevator. John closed the
door after her and turned to his family. He suggested, "We had
better get out of here now, before someone else shows up."
The whole group nodded their agreement. In just a couple of
minutes they had gathered their gear and left the penthouse. The
elevator took another minute to arrive. While they were waiting,
John stated, "It's hard to maintain a low profile around here, isn't
it?"
The elevator arrived and they got on it. As everyone got in, they
went into elevator mode where each person looked in a different
direction, Ed looked around with a mischievous grin. He fondled
Ling on the bottom. She spun around and was about to call him a
pervert when she realized who had done it. Kelly had noticed the
action and burst out laughing. She stated, "You should know better
than to get on an elevator with strange men, Ling."
Ling giggled, "I had no choice. They followed me on."
Mrs. Hayes was laughing at the childish behavior. It was hard to
believe at times that they had been together as long as they had.
They kept making her think they were newlyweds with their
frequent teasing and touching. She wondered what had happened
in her marriage that they had forgotten how to do that.
When the elevator reached the lobby, the group exited. They were
met by the manager, "Excuse me, John Carter. I didn't realize who
you were. Is there anything we can do to make your stay more
comfortable?"
John smiled, "Well, you can make sure that there is always a
pitcher of iced tea ready for us. We go through a lot of that."
The manager was surprised by the simple request. He had expected
John to ask for exercise equipment or some other major thing. He
smoothly answered, "Of course. I'll see that is taken care of right
now. Can I do anything else for you?"
John looked around at the others. They all shrugged their
shoulders. He turned back to the manager and answered, "I guess
not."
"Excellent sir." For a very wealthy group, they made very little
demand on the staff of the hotel.
The group moved to the lobby doors. The limousine was waiting
for them. They climbed into it and watched the scenery as it drove
the one block to the hospital. Their arrival brought more attention.
One of the doctors came out and met them as they entered the
hospital. He stated, "I'm Dr. Edwards. I was on staff the day of the
earthquake. I never got a chance to thank you and your group for
the terrific assistance that you provided that day. Dr. Beth Hayes
literally saved at least fifty lives that day with her excellent
medical skills and prioritizing the patients for arrival here. I'm so
sorry to hear about her death."
John pushed Ling up to the front to deal with the doctor. Ling
glanced at the others and stated, "Thank you very much for your
praise of Beth and for your condolences. I fear we are here to see
Dr. Hayes, the elder."
Dr. Edwards grimaced, "Oh, he's doing fine."
Mrs. Hayes spoke up for the first time, "As his wife, I have a
suggestion. You might have a couple of the staff talk about Beth in
front of him. Let him know what she did and how she would have
acted as a patient. I'm sure that he'll do his best to set a good
example."
Dr. Edwards looked at her out of the corner of his eye with a smile,
"May I ask why you recommend this particular action?"
"He's my patient when he gets out of here. I want him used to
being good before I get him." She was used to dealing with her
husband when he was sick. It was not fun.
Dr. Edwards laughed aloud. "I'd tell my wife this story, but I'm
afraid she'll use it on me next time I'm sick."
The whole group laughed and headed towards the room where Dr.
Hayes was a patient. As they neared the room, they could hear the
buzzer at the nurses station. Kelly rolled her eyes. She said, "What
do you want to bet that it is coming from his room? Doctors learn
how to use that buzzer so fast, it makes the head spin."
John stopped Ling for a minute and whispered something in her
ear. She smiled and walked over to the nurses station. She was
going to arrange for some back up for them, but she needed some
information first and the nurses would be able to provide it.
She stayed there while the rest of the group went into Dr. Hayes'
room. Dr. Hayes was ready to explode at the nurse until he realized
that it was the Carter Clan and his wife. Kelly walked directly to
him and took his pulse. She looked at him, "You look like shit.
You aren't getting enough sleep. Didn't I tell you to get some rest?"
He looked at her in shock. Ed laughed as he said, "Oh no! It's the
dreaded Nurse Kelly. Watch out Dr. Hayes."
Dr. Hayes stuttered, "I can't sleep in this room."
"Bullshit. You can't sleep because you're too busy acting like an
ass. Leave those nurses alone and let them do their jobs."
"I can't believe that my daughter was married to you. You're
mean."
Kelly laughed aloud. "I was the one with the nice bedside manner.
She'd have ordered a couple of dozen blood tests a day for a patient
that acted like you."
Mrs. Hayes giggled. Dr. Hayes noticed, "Come on, dear. Are you
going to let her talk to me like that?"
"You bet. We heard about what a sweet and wonderful patient you
were before we even got in the hospital."
Dr. Hayes snorted, "Oh come on!"
Ed stated, "It's true."
Dr. Hayes looked at Ed and remembered the time he had
challenged Ed's truth sense. He quieted down very quickly. Ling
entered the room with a smile. "Everything is arranged."
John nodded. "Good. When will the nurse get here?"
Ling smiled as she said, "She's already here."
A very large woman entered the room behind Ling and looked
around. To say that she was physically ugly would be an
understatement. She was at least three hundred and twenty pounds
with a mole on her face with hair growing out of it. She looked
over at Dr. Hayes and snorted, "This is the patient?"
Ling stated, "yes, it is, Nurse Emma."
Nurse Emma patted her new patient on the cheek. Her smile scared
him. He knew this kind of nurse, usually using one for his more
obnoxious patients. His terror increased when she stated, "We'll
get along perfectly, won't we?"
Kelly said, "If you're real good, maybe we'll find someone nice
who'll give you your sponge baths."
Kelly grabbed Mrs. Hayes by the arm and led her out of the room.
John watched her leave, realizing that Kelly was about to give her
a lesson in bathing a man in the hospital. Dr. Hayes was about to
learn something about healthcare that he probably didn't know
existed.
After staying with Dr. Hayes for several hours, the group decided
it was time to leave. As John headed towards the door, Ling asked,
"Do you mind if I stay here for a little while?"
John looked at Ling curiously for a minute. He smiled, "Go ahead.
We'll send the limousine back for you."
Ling winked, "Great. I'll be there in about thirty minutes."
<1st attachment end>
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