If anyone reading this story discovers a typo or other error, please let me know. You can send an email to: barnold@ralabs.com. Please let me know where you saw the story and what the error was. I'll attempt to get it corrected.

This is a work of fiction, with a few real life experiences added in. All of the characters in this story are fictional, and any resemblance to anyone else living or dead is probably a coincidence. Please notify me if you are archiving this and the other chapters of the story on a web site. Permission specifically granted to Sapphire's Place and Crystal's Story Site to archive this. If you intend to publish this story in magazine or book (paper or electronic) format, please contact me for arrangements. Additional information on this story may be found at: http://www.ralabs.com/zapped/ .

This chapter contains a section on Jen's fictional guest appearance on the TV show "The West Wing". Since I'll never be able to do that myself for real this is as close as I'll ever come. By the way, if you've missed seeing "The West Wing" on the NBC television network I recommend that you be sure to catch it. I think the first two seasons of the show are now available on DVD.

I didn't have the time to send this chapter out for Lynn Jennings excellent editing aid so any errors left behind are mine!

 

Zapped!

Chapter 16 – "Down Time"

by Bob Arnold

© 2004 by Robert Arnold – All rights reserved.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

From the previous chapter of Zapped! –

The first sizzling notes of the opening of Xanadu by Olivia Newton-John blasted out of the speakers as eight female dancers joined me on stage. Each was dressed in a similar outfit to mine so we looked like the nine muses of mythological fame. The audience went wild as we danced.

About halfway through the number I sensed something was wrong. The stage felt all wrong like it was the deck of a slowly rolling ship. Moments after I sensed it, the stage took a big jerk to the side knocking everyone over. Someone in the band yelled out "EARTHQUAKE!" as the dancers and I fought to stand up.

The stage was shaking so badly that I barely got to my feet before being thrown back down again. I wound up on my back this time and heard someone scream. I looked at the source of the scream and followed to where she was pointing. The lighting support structure above us was swaying back and forth. I watched in horror as bolts started to break and metal started to tear apart.

A lighting beam was breaking loose from its mounts directly above me. Explosions sent a shower of glass everywhere as the lamps in the lights popped. I had just enough time to cover my face with my arms before the lights went out and my world turned to black.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

And now Chapter 16 -

The world slowly resolved itself out of a whirl of muted colors and shapes and a roar of beeps and whirring sounds. I managed to look around enough to recognize that the place I was in was most likely a hospital room somewhere. The room started to spin all on its own. One thought popped up just before I passed out. "Oh, damn."

When I woke up again someone was holding my right hand lightly and stroking my hair. I blinked my eyes a few times to try to clear my vision as a face started to form in front of me.

"Tammy, go get the Doctor. She's finally coming out of it."

"Okay, Adam." I heard a door open then close.

"Don't try to move, Jen. You've taken quite a beating. Here, sip some of this." I felt a straw poke between my dry lips. I took a few sips of cold water before the straw disappeared. "Not too much now. Gotta be careful."

I tried to swallow a big lump at the back of my throat. "Adam, what…" My voice sounded a lot like an old bullfrog croaking in a swamp. I felt a finger over my lips.

"SHUSH! Now let me fill you in. First, that was an earthquake we were in. You're in a hospital in Las Vegas, Jen. Most of the ones in Los Angles have some kind of damage. You were airlifted out with a plane full of patients a few hours after the quake. You've been out nearly three days."

"Tammy and I followed as soon as the road was open. Jen, you were hurt badly when that lighting beam fell on you. The lights kept the beam from falling completely on you. You have several cracked ribs and your left arm is broken. Glass from the lights cut quite a gash in your scalp. You also have lots of cuts over most of your body including your legs, nothing too big though. Except for the cut on the top of your head and the surgery on your arm, the doctors say that they'll all heal without scars. You've lost quite a bit of your hair where they had to shave it off to sew you up. You have a cast from your wrist all the way to just below your shoulder on your left arm, Jen. It was broken in two spots and needed some metal plates and screws to fix it. Don't try to move it."

"Wayne?"

"Wayne and everyone else survived, Jen. Just some cuts and scrapes from the glass and falling debris from the roof. The crowd got out all right too. There were over twenty-five thousand people in the place. It's ironic that you're the one that got hurt the worst."

I tried to take a deep breath to say more but the pain in my chest made me pass out again.

When I woke up this time it looked like I was in a different hospital room. The window shades were wide open and from what little I could see there was snow blowing around outside. I was propped up in bed with my arm in a sling around my neck. It was painful to move my right arm because of the cracked ribs but I managed to raise it enough to feel a large turban-like bandage wrapped around my head. As I looked around the room I noticed a figure sleeping in a chair across the room. On closer examination I realized who it was.

"Barb? BARB!" The figure in the chair jerked awake.

"JEN! You're awake! How long have you been awake?"

"How long have YOU been staying here? And just where is 'here' anyway? Last time I was awake I was in Las Vegas."

"You're back in Syracuse now. The doctors needed the bed in Vegas so we got you on a medical airlift flight. They decided that keeping you under was probably better during the flight because of those ribs and that busted wing of yours."

I took in a breath a little too deeply and felt a stabbing pain as my ribs complained. "I think they were right" was as much as I could get out through clenched teeth.

"Want me to get a nurse with some pain medication, Jen?"

I managed to nod my head yes while I forced myself to take very shallow breaths for a while. A nurse came scurrying in a few minutes later with a little pill in a paper cup. She had me swallow it with a few sips of water. I closed my eyes and let the tiny pill work its miracle on my aching body.

Barb was back in the chair watching me when I opened my eyes again. "Better now?"

"Yup." My voice was still raspy and it hurt to swallow. "What did they do, shove a truck tire down my throat?"

"Nope, feeding tube. They took it out a few hours ago when they decided to let you wake up. Are you feeling hungry?"

"Not really, just thirsty more than anything else. Can I get some water or maybe a soda or better yet a mug of Chocolate Overload?"

"I'm not certain about the Overload but you can have all the water you want. You don't have to get out of bed to get rid of that you know." Barb pointed to a tube that snuck out from under the sheet that covered me to a large plastic bag type thing hung on the lower rail of the bed.

"So THAT'S what I feel down there. Bet that's gonna hurt when it has to come out."

"I know from experience it does. So you haven't asked the question yet."

"Question? THE question? Like when are they gonna let me outta here?"

"That's the one, Jen. And the answer is as soon as you're up and about and can reasonably take care of yourself with a bit of help here and there."

"And how long will that take?'

"It all depends on you."

"Then let's get started. I wanna go home!"

I was right; it hurt like hell when that damned tube finally came out. Then they made me drink several large cups of water to make sure that when I finally did pee that my urine was clear of any signs of bleeding. That process took several hours and several humiliating sessions using that damned bedpan.

The next step was to get me back on solid food and get up and moving around under my own power. I had a meal of what passed for boiled chicken and rice. Not very tasty but it served the purpose of getting my stomach used to something solid.

Late in the afternoon I had some help in trying to stand up and take a few steps. I managed to stay conscious but it was quite an effort due to the pain from my ribs and arm. On a more positive note, the cuts on my head and elsewhere were nearly healed thanks to my weird metabolism and its increased healing abilities. My hair was starting to grow back in with some very light fuzz just starting to show. There was a strip of hair missing nearly six inches long and about two inches wide where they had to cut it off to stitch up the wound. There was no way to cover the missing hair with my remaining hair no matter what style Barb and I tried so I simply left the bandage on.

I spent a few days in the hospital before I finally passed the tests to go home.

Sunday, March 16, 2003

 

"You all set, Jen?"

"I think so, Tammy. Thanks for coming to pick me up on a Sunday. Was the network mad that I missed another show?"

"Just like the time you were out with the flu, they weren't happy but there isn't much they can do about it. It's only been a week since that beam fell on you. Besides, it's not like you can run a long microphone cable into your hospital room."

"Well, actually you can…"

Tammy tossed her hands in the air and stomped around the room. "Don't go there, Jen. Just DON'T go there. You need more rest to get better and completely heal. Maybe, just MAYBE, if you behave yourself you might be able to go back on the air live next weekend.' She wound up beside the bed waggling her finger in my face. "Don't push it or I'll bring you back here so fast your wheelchair is going to leave burn-out tracks on the floor."

"I got the picture, Tammy. I promise I won't overdo it. I hope you and Barb are going to cut me some slack though. I'll have a raging case of cabin fever if I sit around the house for more than a couple of days."

"We'll see, Jen. Oh, did you want to sneak out the side into the parking garage or do you want to run the gauntlet of reporters outside the front door?"

I sighed as deeply as my sore ribs would allow and shook my head. "Won't they ever leave me alone? All the press briefings that the doctors had to give and they're still after any news they can get about me."

Tammy smiled then shrugged her shoulders. "Better you than me. You're the celebrity around here."

"Use the front door, Tammy. Let's get this over with and give them their pound of flesh."

"Okay, Jen."

I transferred from sitting on the bed to the wheelchair that Tammy held. It was a good thing too because the pain from the cracked ribs and my arm was still something of a problem if I tried to stay on my feet for too long. As we made it through the front door of the hospital the reporters descended like a flock of vultures. A couple of dozen microphones got shoved in my face as the TV lights nearly blinded me. Tammy stopped pushing the chair to let the cameras settle into position around me.

"Okay folks, one question at a time please."

I pointed to the first reporter on my left.

"Jennifer, how far have you come with your recovery?"

"Pretty good actually. The cuts and bruises are healing nicely. The bigger problem is the cracked ribs and the breaks in my left arm." Tammy pulled my parka aside to reveal the huge plaster cast still on my arm. There was an audible gasp from the reporters. "I have a couple of steel plates and a few screws in there to help hold things together. It's gonna be fun going through airport metal detectors when the cast comes off."

I pointed to the next reporter in line.

"How is this going to effect your various commitments?

"I hope to go back on the air with the radio show next weekend. Other than that everything is on hold at the moment."

The next reporter in line spoke up.

"There's a rumor going around in the tabloids that, during this hospital stay, you had an abortion. Any truth to that?"

"WHAT? Who came up with that worthless piece of pure fiction?" The reporter passed me a page torn out of the National Tattler. The page was printed with a yellow background that matched perfectly the color of its journalism values. It was dated during the time I was in the hospital in Las Vegas.

"The article says that you freaked out when you learned you were pregnant and then decided to hide the abortion while you were recovering from your injuries in the earthquake." Pictures of me walking out of the hospital supported between Barb and the doctor when I had the flu was a prominent part of the article.

"Let me state this for the record. Since the accident that changed me I have never been pregnant nor do I want to become pregnant. Someday I'd love to become a mommy but right now I want to enjoy the life I've been given and having a baby isn't in my plans."

"Does this mean that you're seeing someone? Can you tell us who it is?"

"My personal life is just that, PERSONAL. I ask that the press and electronic media respect that and leave me alone when I'm not performing or making public appearances. Would any of you want your private lives spread all over the news?"

A chorus of quiet "no's" echoed through the crowd of reporters.

"Then I've made my case for some peace and quiet. As for this," I tapped the article with my finger, "I'll have my lawyer contact them. They had better be able to prove their allegations beyond any reasonable doubt if they want to remain in business. Otherwise they may be history."

I motioned for Tammy to move on. The reporters streamed behind us still yelling questions. I ignored them as Tammy hurried toward the parking garage. Thankfully the hospital security staff blocked the press from following us into the garage.

Barb was waiting with the van and it was toasty warm inside. It took a bit of help from Tammy to boost me into the passenger side front seat then she folded the chair and stuffed it in the back of the van. "I had them set up the rental of a chair for you. You may need it now and then for the next couple of weeks as you're mending, Jen." She hopped in the middle seat of the van and pulled the sliding passenger side door closed. "Okay, Barb. Lets get outta here. I'll watch for anyone tailing us."

I was shocked. "Why would anyone want to tail the van?"

Barb grunted. "To find out where you live, Jen."

"Doesn't matter, Barb. The business phone number is listed in the book with the address of my house. Anyone can look it up."

"Well, that's gotta change. If things keep going at this rate you're gonna have to move to a gated estate or something and tighten up your security."

"I hope not. I don't want to live in a prison."

"Prison? What the hell are you talking about, Jen?"

"Barb, what's a prison?"

"A place that has gates and a security system and surveillance and guards."

"Well, if I moved to another location what would I have?"

"Gates and a security system and surveillance and guards."

"But it looks like a house right?"

"Right."

"I rest my case."

"But…"

"Barb, I really don't want to live like that. Why can't people just leave me alone?"

"You're becoming famous, Jen. It comes with the territory."

We rode in silence back to my house. Sure enough, a couple of news vans were parked across the street with cameras at the ready to grab pictures of whatever they could see.

Barb glanced over at them and just smiled. "Watch this, Jen." She punched a button on a remote control that wasn't mounted in the van when I left the previous week. The garage door opened by itself and Barb pulled the van neatly inside as the door slid closed behind us. The windows on the doors and walls of the garage had been covered with black paper from the inside and much of the junk had been cleared to give a clear and wide walkway into the house. A ramp had been installed over the steps to accommodate the use of a wheelchair.

"You guys didn't need to do this!"

"But we did, Jen. It's for your own good even if you don't know the full reasons yet. Trust us, you NEED this. You'll find out more when you meet with Rebecca Stewart."

"That's the private investigator you hired on the bank account stuff?"

"One and the same. Look, you might see a few things we did that will be un-done in a little while. Don't get worried about it, okay?"

"Look, I trust you two. If you say I need to do this then I'm not going to argue about it. I've been out of action for a bit over a week and I'm certain there are things that you know about right now that I don't. Umm… did I make any sense there? I'm getting tired again." A big yawn escaped my lips as they wheeled me into the house.

The place didn't look much different than it did before except for when I took a closer look at the windows and doors. It looked like extra locks and security sensors had been added and I thought I saw a surveillance camera or two in the corners of a few rooms.

Another twinge of pain told me that I had probably reached the limit of my "up time" for the moment. That was the time I could remain vertical before the pain from the ribs and my arm became too much to deal with. Barb and Tammy must have seen the look on my face because they turned down the covers on the bed then helped me out of the chair into the bed. I stayed vertical long enough for them to take off my shoes and wriggle out of my jeans. They removed the tank top that I wore home since the cast wouldn't fit through the sleeve of a normal blouse. That left me sitting there in my bra, panties and the cast on my left arm.

It was a bit of a battle but I managed to get my feet up onto the bed by myself despite offers of help. I reasoned that I was going to have to do it myself eventually so the sooner I started the faster I was going to be able to function on my own.

A twinge of pain from the cracked ribs made me scowl. "Pain again, Jen?"

I managed to nod as the pain continued.

"Okay, be right back." Barb re-appeared a few moments later with a small cup containing a pill and a large glass of ice water. "You're a couple of hours over-due for one of these anyway."

My left arm was useless so I tried to reach with my right arm to get the glass of water. That action plus trying to reach a little further than I should have made the ribs complain in another burst of pain. I winced as I took hold of the glass of water. Seeing my distress Barb held up the little cup with the pill in it and dumped it into my open mouth. I downed the pill down with a few gulps of water then tried to hand the glass back with nearly the same result as before.

"That looks like it really hurts, Jen."

"Imagine a mule kicking you in the chest and hitting both boobs directly on the nipples and you're real close."

"Oh my…"

"I'd like to get a little more rest now if I can. What time is it anyway?"

"It's about ten thirty, Jen."

"Thanks, Barb. Is it possible for me to get something tasty for lunch? That glop they've been giving me in the hospital had the same taste as the cafeteria food did in school. Absolutely NO taste at all."

"So what would you like?"

"I've been getting this urge for beef lo-mein and a nice big bowl of hot and sour soup from my favorite Chinese place down the block. Is that possible, Barb?"

"I don't see why not. In fact it's a great idea!"

Tammy's hand shot up. "I'll go pick it up provided we all get take-out. There's a copy of the menu from that place in the kitchen."

"Sounds like we have a lunch plan then. Get a quart of the soup and the largest size of lo-mein for me please? I want some leftovers for my supper. Hot and sour soup always makes me feel better when I'm feeling bad. Don't know why but it does. And I'm buying for both of you too."

After a chorus of thank you's, they filed out of the room leaving me in peace and quiet. For the first time in over a week and a half I was back in my own bed in my own bedroom. It didn't take long for sleep to overwhelm me.

The clock read about twelve thirty when Barb gently shook my shoulder. "Jen… Jen?

"Is it time for lunch already? I'm starving."

"Yup. Things are ready. Do you want to eat in here or in the kitchen."

"In the kitchen I think. I need to get back to some degree of normal, Barb."

"Okay. Let me get you a robe. You can't go in just your bra and panties."

Barb disappeared into the bathroom and came out holding a huge terrycloth bathrobe. It looked a bit old and worn.

"Is that one of my old robes from before?"

"Yup. I found it in a box in the basement along with your old parka. I thought that with that cast on your arm that they'd come in handy so I got them out and washed them. Think you can stand up?"

"I hope so. I'm not that bad off." I gingerly stood up as Barb helped me put on the robe. It seemed to be several sizes too big to properly fit me now but it did let my cast slide into the sleeve without trouble. When it was buttoned it looked like I was wearing a tent.

"Well, at least I'm covered. Let's eat!" I started to hobble out of the bedroom but Barb stopped me and pointed toward the wheelchair. I gave in and took a seat. Barb wheeled me toward the aroma of several Chinese dishes in the kitchen.

Everyone had selected something different and Tammy had gotten the large size of everything. We tried some of each other's selections and I found that I liked the spicy shrimp that Barb had as well as the veggie dish that Tammy ordered. Tammy and Barb tried the hot and sour soup but I was the only one that had more than just a taste.

Barb was wheeling me back to the bedroom when the private line started ringing. I snagged the phone before she could grab it.

"Hello?

"Jennifer? It's Wayne Zachary!"

"WAYNE! Are you all right? How's your family? How's the band, how much…"

"WHOA there woman! Don't talk in run-on sentences! Calm down, okay?"

I started to take a deep breath and got a rude reminder that my ribs weren't quite ready to do that yet. "Okay, sorry, Wayne. I've been sort of out of things the past week or so. Can you fill me in on what happened?"

"I'll do better than that. Want to come on the show on Monday night? It'll be our first night back live since the quake."

"Sorry, Wayne. I can't travel yet. It might be weeks before I can hit the road again. I've got a cast from my wrist almost to my shoulder on my left arm and taking a deep breath is an adventure in pain."

"Well, you don't have to come to us. We'll come to you."

"HUH?"

"I talked to the network's local affiliate and they'll do a live satellite remote from your house if you give the word. The video my crew shot that night has been on every network on the planet. The whole world saw that lighting boom fall on you. Everyone is waiting to see you again, Jennifer. They want to see that you're going to be all right. We've been snowed under with email and letters asking about you."

"It isn't up to me, Wayne. I have some folks here helping me to recover and I have to respect their input on this. Can I give you a call back in an hour or so?"

"Okay, Jen. I'll call you back in an hour."

"Thanks, Wayne. Talk to you shortly."

The line clicked then went dead so I put the phone back down. "Okay you two. I need to talk to you in my bedroom now."

Barb, and Tammy followed me into the bedroom then waited while I made a little side trip into the bathroom then got back into bed again.

"Okay. You heard only one side of that phone conversation. The side you didn't hear was Wayne Zachary asking me to appear on Around Midnight tomorrow night. He suggested a live satellite interview from the house. What do you think about the idea?"

"Well, medically you can do it. Sitting on the couch or a chair in the living room isn't much different from sitting in the bed but I have to tell you that if it looks like you're pushing yourself too hard I'll throw everyone out of the house even if it's in the middle of the interview. Is that understood?"

"Understood, Barb. Now how about you Tammy?"

Barb and Tammy looked at each other for a few seconds. "Jen, I know you well enough to know that if you really wanted to do this there's little hope of stopping you. Just take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

"Okay, then we're in agreement that I can do the remote tomorrow night as long as there are a few limits in place."

After Barb and Tammy nodded in final agreement I shooed them out of the bedroom. I stayed awake just long enough to take the return phone call from Wayne Zachary and tell him that I would be able to do the live remote from my home tomorrow evening. He promised to call again tomorrow during the day to make the final arrangements.

Just moments after I put the phone down I was asleep again.

Monday, March 17, 2003

 

I have to admit that I have little recollection of what happened after that last phone call from Wayne Zachary yesterday. I remember being roused from a deep sleep to finish the rest of the leftover Chinese from lunch. I also remember an incredible craving for milk. I must have guzzled nearly a gallon of it with supper before drifting off to sleep again.

The same thing happened at breakfast this morning. I almost drowned myself with milk along with my normal breakfast. The only thing I can think of is that my body craved the calcium in the milk to help repair my broken arm and cracked ribs. I had noticed a reduction in the pain as I took in a deep breath this morning and the general pain from my arm was much less as well.

Except for a short phone call from Wayne around noontime, I slept most of the day until just two hours before the remote was supposed to begin.

"Are you ready for this, Jen?"

"No, Barb, I'm not really but I promised I'd do it."

"Well, time to get you ready. What do you want to wear?"

"Let's keep it simple, huh? I know I can't get into a blouse with this cast. How about a sleeveless dress? That should take care of the cast problem."

"What about your hair?"

"I can't put a wig on, the scar still hurts a little too much when something presses on it. How about we just lightly bandage it?"

"You sure?"

"Yup. The world has seen the extent of my injuries already. I remember Wayne saying that the video the crew following me around shot has been on just about every TV network there is. I don't see much of a reason to try to hide it."

Barb helped me get ready as the satellite truck crew prepared my living room for the remote. I managed to walk into the living room as the crew was putting the finishing touches on preparations.

They had connected a video feed to my rear screen projection TV and it was displaying a high definition picture of the Around Midnight studio in Los Angeles. When I asked what it was I was told that it was the same feed from California that the network in New York City would be using to send the show out to the rest of the network. It would minimize the delay in picture and sound between California and New York. During the actual remote with Wayne I would be wearing a small earphone linked to the studio via a normal telephone call. That would further reduce the delay in sound so that my responses to Wayne would seem instantaneous to viewers instead of being delayed for almost a second due to being relayed through several satellite hops.

I settled into a comfortable position on the couch and let the crew get me all wired up for the remote. The wire from the earpiece ran down behind the couch out of sight while the cord for the small lapel microphone snaked down between my breasts under my dress and exited out the bottom. Since I wouldn't be standing for the interview the cables were quite well hidden. A picture of what the camera in front of me saw popped up on the big screen and I took a few moments to make some last minute adjustments to my hair. Someone from the crew did a touch-up on my makeup since a few spots gleamed too brightly in the extra television lights.

I heard a few clicks then a telephone dial tone followed by some dialing tones on the earpiece and adjusted its volume using a knob on a small box beside me on the couch. A few moments later I heard a voice then the picture on my TV changed to a shot of Wayne.

"Hello, Jennifer?"

"Hi Wayne! All set out there?"

"That, my dear, was supposed to me MY line!

"How's the picture and sound?"

"Everything looks great. By the way, you're in high-def tonight too. It's the first time we're tried a live remote in the format so there might be some glitches here and there."

"Okay, Wayne. I'll just roll with whatever happens. The video here from the studio looks great too."

"We're about five minutes away from starting, Jennifer. We're going to take a live shot of you during the show intro so be ready for that and give us a big smile and a wave, okay?"

"I'll be ready, Wayne."

"Great! You're going to hear the director's audio on the feedback loop so you'll know when they're going to come to you. See you in a few minutes! Gotta go get ready myself."

"Thanks, Wayne. See you in a few."

The picture on the big screen changed back to a shot of the studio as I settled back onto the couch. I watched the folks in California scurrying around making last moment adjustments to the set and the lighting as the studio band tuned up.

The interview went fine except for when Wayne replayed the video of the end of my performance. I was barely able to watch as the lighting beam fell on me sending a shower of glass fragments and sparks everywhere. I felt numb as I watched the rescue crews pry the beam off me and load me onto a stretcher for the trip to the hospital. My hair and costume were blood stained, the red of the blood in stark contrast to the snowy white of the costume even in the eerie glow of the camera's single floodlight in the darkness. Pools of blood remained on the stage where I had been trapped. From my short stint on an ambulance crew I learned how to handle the things I saw but nothing ever prepared me to see things like that happening to me. My mind had blocked out the incident completely. The only thing I remembered immediately afterwards was the brief period that I woke up in the hospital in Las Vegas.

I managed to retain my composure until Barb and Tammy got me back to my bedroom. As I sat on the edge of the bed the dam broke and my tears flowed freely for the first time after the accident on stage. They managed to get me ready for bed as I cried myself to sleep.

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

 

For the first time in days my chest didn't hurt when I took a deep breath. There were a few twinges and aches here and there as I stretched out the kinks from a very sound night's sleep. Unlike the previous few mornings, this morning I was fully awake and felt no need to return to bed again after completing my morning visit to the bathroom.

Even my spirits were lifted a little this morning after watching the events that happened in Las Vegas and having a good cry about it last night. As soon as the healing process was complete I felt I was ready to put what happened to me behind me and move on with my life.

I managed to make it into the kitchen by myself to find Barb preparing breakfast. "You know you don't have to do that. I think I'm good enough to take care of myself now."

"Not with that busted flipper you can't."

"I'd like to try."

"We'll see. You have an appointment with your doctor tomorrow. We'll find out how well you're really doing. Until then I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Jen."

"I can't think of anyone else other than you or Tammy that I'd rather have around to care for me."

"Not even Adam?"

"Well, that's a bit different, Barb. I don't think I'm quite up to taking care of Adam." A wicked grin spread across my face at the thought of taking care of Adam in a certain way.

"JEN! You naughty girl!"

I giggled then shrugged. "It's this body that makes me do it! Unless it's something unique to me, women can have raging hormones too."

"I'll have to take your word for it, hon, mine are sort of at a fixed level."

Breakfast was a plate filled with hash browns, three strips of bacon, an egg and toast with orange marmalade. I still had a craving for milk, just not as bad as the past day or two. I guess my body still needed the extra calcium to make the needed repairs on the bones in my arm.

The rest of the morning was taken up with phone calls trying to re-arrange my broken schedule. I had to leave most of my commitments in the air because I didn't know just how long I would be out of action. I promised everyone a full report after my visit to the doctor tomorrow.

The most interesting call was the one I made to Mark at MouseWorld.

"Hi, Mark! I'm still alive!"

"JENNIFER! We were so worried about you! Did you get the flowers?"

"If you mean half a room full, yes I did. They're gorgeous."

"The guys on the job site wanted to be sure I told you that it just isn't the same around there without you. They want you to hurry back as soon as you're able, Jen."

"I'll know more after a doctor visit tomorrow, Mark. Tell the guys I'll be back as soon as the doctor says its okay. I miss that bunch too!"

We sent the next thirty minutes or so talking about the various projects I was involved in and how my injuries might alter the schedule. Since I didn't yet know how soon the doctor was going to let me get back to work we just left things on hold, almost everything that is.

"So what about the movie project, Mark? Is Donovan's Reef still a go?"

"I'm afraid not, Jen, and not because of your injuries either. Some market research told us that people might not accept the movie without John Wayne."

"I wondered about that myself. The Duke and Lee Marvin were perfect casting for those roles. I couldn't think of anyone else around today that I'd even begin to consider for those parts."

"I agree. We talked about remakes of some musicals like Hello Dolly or maybe Singin' in the Rain but we came up with the same problem you did. There's just no way to remake those and do them justice."

"So I guess I can just concentrate on the attraction opening huh?" My heart dropped into my toes at the news. I was really hoping for the experience of filming a movie.

"Well, maybe, maybe not."

"Huh?

"In what I can only attribute to the bizarre nature of this business, the producers of that space sci-fi show we used to carry on the network shopped it around to other networks. They actually got a nibble!"

"So how does that involve me?"

"They want to do the two single hours that would have introduced your character as a made-for-TV movie, Jen. If that gets good ratings they want to pick up the show that you would have done for us."

"But I thought you guys killed it."

"We did, Jen. The show was produced here at our Orlando studios though and the producers want to continue here. To move production somewhere else would be impossibly expensive. Just moving or rebuilding the sets alone would cost more than a million dollars. MouseWorld just views it as a simple production deal. We do it all the time. Business is business."

"Well that's quite a development. How soon are they going to start shooting?"

"That depends on when you're available, Jen. They would have started last week."

"Tell them I'm interested and that I'll know more after tomorrow about when I'll be available again, Mark."

"Thanks. I'll pass the word along. Is there anything else we haven't covered?"

"Nothing I can think of right now, Mark. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye!"

"Bye, Jen."

I settled back in the chair at my desk. The movie deal for Donovan's Reef was history but the possibility of a two-hour made-for-TV movie then a series replaced it. The movie and TV show would almost certainly be shot in Orlando. With the play out of the way I could stay in Orlando until the attraction opened and the movie was completed. After that I'd have to wait and see if the deal for the TV show became a reality. The down side was that I'd have to move away from all my friends in central New York and especially Adam. I might be gone for as long as six months, maybe more. What was that going to do to our relationship? Equally important was the question of Tammy and Barb. Would either of them come with me to Orlando or were their ties to central New York too strong?

Barb roused me out of my stupor when she yelled from the next room. "Jen, Henry Talbot from the drive-in on line two!"

"Thanks, Barb!" I pushed the button for line two. "HENRY! How are you doing?"

"Much better now, thanks! You and Barb have been a great help in getting this place ready to open again in a couple of weeks. I could never have done it without you."

I was about to ask Henry what kind of stuff he'd been smoking when Barb ducked into the office with a big manila folder marked drive-in. In it were a bunch of receipts for the repairs and notes from Henry on the advancements that had been made.

"Jen, I wanted to invite both of you up tomorrow if you're up to it. The crew will be here to start replacing the screen. That's the last step before we can open up again for the summer in late April. They'll be here around one in the afternoon."

"Barb and I will be there, Henry."

"Gotta go, Jen. The crew is here to do the final setup of the new snack bar equipment. See you tomorrow!" I put the phone back on the cradle.

I looked up to see Barb leaning against the doorjamb. "Barb…"

"Did I do it right?"

"Yup. Thanks for covering my tail on that. I just plain forgot about my promise to Henry."

"No problem, Jen."

"So wanna go up to the drive-in tomorrow afternoon and see them put up the new screen?"

"Sounds good to me. You do need to get out of here a little while and the ride will do you good. We can go up after your appointment in the morning. I'll even make up some picnic stuff to take along. You better dress warm too. It's probably going to be a little chilly up there tomorrow."

"How am I gonna dress warm with this thing on my arm? I can't fit it into any normal coat I own."

"Hmm… maybe we can get a smaller cast put on that arm depending on how well you're healing. You've come a long way in just a few days, Jen."

"Yup. It's this weird metabolism I have. I've been craving milk for the past few days. It seems to have helped my ribs."

"Well, whatever the reason, I think we'll ask the Doctor about that cast anyway. Now it's almost time to close up for the day. Is there anything you need before I go?"

"Nothing I can think of, Barb. Go ahead and get moving. I'll be fine tonight."

"See you tomorrow, Jen."

I watched as she shut down the office and left for the day. With nothing else to do I decided to have a very light supper then get into bed early. When I opened the fridge I found that Barb had already prepared a plate for me with a sandwich, a few pickle slices and some chips. I managed to get the plate, a glass and a quart of milk into the living room. I settled onto the couch then used the remote to turn the big screen TV to my favorite evening news show.

I fell asleep on the couch waking up only when the television started to blare static when the station signed off for maintenance. After I managed to shut the TV off using the remote I staggered to the bedroom and literally fell into bed.

Wednesday, March 19, 2003

 

The doctor's office visit went much better than I hoped it would. The x-rays showed my ribs were completely healed. The breaks in my arm were well on the way to healing and the doctor decided that the large cast was no longer needed. I did have to wear a removable plastic cast that fastened with Velcro straps but the huge plaster monstrosity was gone. The gash on top of my head was completely healed with just a light white scar showing. My hair was growing back in where they had to cut it to close up the wound. Although it wasn't quite as long as the rest of my hair it was getting easier to hide the scar. It wasn't difficult to hide it when I was out since I usually wore a knit pullover cap to keep my head warm in the cold upstate New York wind.

Barb drove us up to the drive-in theater and we watched the screen crew take down the old damaged screen then start to put up the framework for the replacement screen. The new steelwork bolted to the old anchors set deep into the frozen ground. The new screen was designed to replace the old one without needing any changes to the pilings that anchored it. When the wind hits something as big as an outdoor movie screen it puts a lot of pressure on it. The steel beams seemed positively huge compared to the old ones that had been taken down and cut up for scrap.

They bolted the last of the beams into place as the lake effect snow started to fall again. Barb and I decided that it was time to head home and try to beat any blast of snow that could make driving hazardous.

We made it back to my house without any accidents then I told Barb to head on home. I spent the rest of the afternoon puttering around the house and tending to the servers now that I could type better with the cast gone. When suppertime arrived I found myself eating in the living room again watching the evening news.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch after the news again because I woke up a few hours later to the crashing sound of glass and a cold blast of air from the sliding door that led out to the patio in the back of the house. As I started to investigate what caused the glass to break I felt an arm snake around my neck and squeeze tightly.

A deep male voice rumbled in my ear. "Stay still, bitch, and you MIGHT live a little longer."

"What do you want? I don't have any money in the house."

"What do I want? I want YOU!"

I felt the man behind me shift his weight slightly. Moments later I felt something hit the back of my head giving me a great deal of pain as the world went black.

I woke up again when a sharp burst of pain invaded my consciousness. Another sharp burst of pain from a second backhand across my face followed the first.

"WAKE UP, BITCH!"

My eyes leaped open to see a heavyset man standing over me. I was lying on my bed, tied down by ripped sheets to the bedposts. Both my hands and feet were tied so I couldn't move an inch.

"What do you want?"

"Want? I don't WANT anything. I'm just doin' a job."

"What job?"

"Well, ain't you a nosey little bitch? Somebody wants you dead and they're payin' me to take care of it. Jus' another day's work to me."

"Aren't you afraid of leaving something that can be used to trace this back to you?"

"Nope." He held up a red five gallon can marked GASOLINE. "There won't be enough of you or this house left to worry about it, cunt. But before I get to work I think I'm gonna have a little fun with you." He used a knife to cut off my clothes down to my underwear then started to cut them off too.

"How much are you getting paid? I can give you a better deal. How does a million dollars sound?"

"You said you ain't got no money in the house. Now you're tellin' me you got a million stashed around here somewhere?"

"It's not here but I can get it for you if you let me live."

"Too late, babe. You've already seen my face. I don't leave witnesses."

"So you've done this before?"

"Remember that body that washed up in Onondaga Lake? How about that body they found along the railroad tracks? Made that one look like the bitch walked inta that train." A scowl crossed his face. "Enougha this shit. You're mine…" His knife cut the strap holding my bra together then he pulled it off leaving my breasts exposed. "Nice pair of tits ya got there. Are they real? Let's find out…"

With one hand on my stomach he moved the hand with the knife closer and closer to my breasts. As I felt the sharp point of the knife poke my left breast I heard a sharp cracking sound in the room. The man dropped the knife then slumped on top of me.

"We got him, Jen. You're safe now." I looked up to see that Barb and Rebecca Stewart were in the room. Rebecca was holding what was left of a chair from the kitchen in her hands.

As they rolled the man off of me my last bit of mental discipline vanished and I broke down in tears sobbing beyond any meager effort I made to control it. Barb freed my hands and feet then held me tightly as the sobbing continued. She stroked my hair as I continued to release my fear. "You're safe now, Jen, We got him. Go ahead and let it all out."

Within a few minutes I heard several sirens nearing the house then stopping out in front. I realized that the only thing I was wearing was my panties. "Umm… I need to get something on, Barb."

She handed me a bathrobe. "You need to stay like that. The police are going to want the details."

"Thanks, Barb. Did you and Rebecca get everything?"

"Nope. We lost the camera here in the bedroom but the camera in the living room and the sound in here still worked. We got enough to put him away just with that. He implicated himself in two crimes the police suspected he was involved with. He isn't going anywhere except the crossbar hotel for many, many years. No way he's gonna get off on this one either."

I just nodded then watched as the police cuffed the still unconscious man and hauled him out of my bedroom. The questions from the investigators went on for over an hour as I relived each and every moment of the attack. Rebecca and Barb stood by to help comfort me then they too were grilled as copies of the videotape were handed over to the investigation team. Rebecca also handed over a thick folder packed with paper. I was tempted to ask what was in the folder but got shushed by Barb before I could ask.

After what seemed like an eternity the police left and the house quieted down. It was well after three AM as I wandered into the bathroom to relieve myself. Barb came into the bedroom as I was trying to climb back into bed again.

"Come on, Jen. You aren't going to stay here tonight."

"WHY?"

"Well, the patio door is broken and the place is getting colder. You've had quite a shock and I don't think you should be here for a few days. Now come on."

"Where are we going at this time of night?"

"We're going to a place I rented for you. Somewhere safe and away from the memories of this place for a little while. Now no more questions. I'll help you get dressed."

The look on Barb's face told me that I had better not mess with her plans so I gave in and got dressed enough to go out into the garage to get into the van. As we passed thru the living room I noticed that a sheet of plywood was tacked over the broken patio door. It did very little to keep the cold out but at least the wind wasn't able to create a snowdrift in my living room.

Rebecca had the van warmed up just outside the garage door. I shivered as the cold wind lashed around my legs and invaded the arms of my parka. Fortunately it took only a few seconds to get into the cozy warm van so the shock wasn't too great. Barb had me get comfy in the second row seat with the back of the seat reclined to almost a sleeping position. She handed me a cup of what looked like hot chocolate and told me drink it all. The warm liquid gave my tummy a nice feeling. The van was toasty warm and the steady drone of the engine and heater fan must have overloaded my tired mind because my eyelids fluttered a few times just before the world faded out.

Thursday, March 20, 2003

 

The room was warm and the sound of my favorite oldies music station floated over to me from a radio on the small table beside the bed. I was covered by at least two huge comforters as I lay naked between the silky smooth sheets. The delightful smell of bacon and hash browns with lots of onion and a touch of garlic wafted into the room. I pried my eyes open trying to figure out exactly where I was.

This was a room I'd never seen before with thick curtains over the huge windows on the far wall of the room. A table and several chairs were in the far corner of the room and a door led off to what looked like a huge bathroom. The walls were painted in a muted green color while the furnishings were in various shades of brown. I blinked my eyes several times taking in the opulence of the huge bedroom.

A gentle knock on the door brought me out of the mental overload. I checked that I was covered up then told whoever was knocking to come in. Tammy's face poked around the door as it opened.

"Oh, good! You're finally awake! Are you hungry, Jen?"

"Maybe. Where am I anyway?"

"You're in a rental house that Barb arranged when they learned that someone was going to try to kill you. It's out in the country south of Syracuse in the hills. This place sits on about two hundred acres of land almost half a mile off the road. You really have to know that it's here to find it. It's nestled on a hillside in the middle of a huge stand of pine trees."

"Oh, great. A prison. Just what I always wanted."

"Jen, STOP THAT!" there are NO FENCES anywhere and the ONLY security around here is an enhanced alarm system that protects the house while the owners are away. Barb and I would never do that to you, Jen. We've talked quite a bit about that. I do have to admit that the place sits on some pretty rugged land though. If someone wanted to get in here they'd have to work very hard at it."

The pressure in my lower regions was increasing at an alarming rate. "Okay. So it's not a prison. Well, warden, can you tell me where my robe is? I gotta go pee so bad…"

"Oh, sorry, Jen. It's on the foot of the bed. What kind of eggs do you want for breakfast? Then I'll leave you alone for a while."

"How about a couple of eggs done sunny side up? And can you hold things till I'm out in the kitchen? I feel like I could use a bath."

"I'll hold things for an hour. After that I'm coming to get you out of that tub. By the way, you'll find the jets in there adjusted for proper effect. I suggest you use them. You need to relax, Jen." Tammy winked at me with a large grin on her face then left pulling the door closed behind her.

Tammy was right. I did feel an urge that demanded attention. Giving in to demands of the body I now called home I padded quietly into the bathroom after grabbing the robe off the bed. The room was positively huge with a shower/tub combination in one corner and what looked like a hot tub in another corner. The normal tub didn't appear to have any water jets so I turned my interest toward the slightly steaming hot tub. One seat in the tub appeared to have several more jets than the others so I got in and got comfy there. Off to my right was a waterproof control panel. I pressed the menu button until I came to an item titled with my name. I pressed the button that started the program and settled back as the jets started to pulsate.

Tammy had done a wonderful job of adjusting the jets and creating the program that finally drove me over the top into a stream of orgasms. I stopped counting after the first three and lost myself in the waves of ecstasy that rolled over my body. Unlike the program in the tub at home, this one gently ramped the activity down at the end leaving me floating on a cloud of pleasure that lasted quite a while. It was almost at the end of my hour when I was able to regain control of my legs enough to haul myself out of the hot tub and rinse off in the warm water of the shower.

There were no towels anywhere in the room and I thought that rather strange until I noticed a glassed-in corner of the room. I stepped into the glass booth and pressed a button marked "Drier" on the back wall. Powerful flows of warm air hit me from all sides driving any remaining moisture off my smooth skin. As I stood there a small arm swung up from the wall between my legs sending a warm jet of air up between my legs to dry my sensitive parts. The feeling was quite pleasant and I stood there rocking gently back and forth letting the air tease me to the edge of another orgasm.

The timer ran out so I grabbed the robe and wrapped it around me before I padded back into the bedroom. I couldn't find any slippers so I followed my nose toward the kitchen. The house was absolutely huge and quite a sight to see. My bedroom was at one end of the place and I passed thru the cavernous living room on my way toward the kitchen. The home appeared to be constructed of logs since they peeked out here and there between finished sheetrock walls.

The kitchen was nearly at the other end of the house. When I walked in Tammy was sitting at the huge kitchen table watching a thirty-two-inch television on the counter. The morning news was trumpeting the breakup of a crime ring that had taken millions of dollars from the city and county governments on the pretense of running a homeless shelter. The two people at the heart of the scam were now in custody in the county lockup.

"Was that a result of last night, Tammy?"

"Yup. The guy they caught in your house was hired by the two scammers to kill you and implicate you in the plot as a ruse for them to escape. They had one of your old bank accounts re-activated and filtered the money thru it. You know about that, right?" I nodded in agreement. "Thanks to Rebecca Stewart the police have everything they need to put those two away for good and keep you out of any involvement with it."

"I can't say I'm happy about what happened last night but I'm delighted that I don't have to get even deeper into this mess." A shiver ran up my spine as the events of last might came flooding back into my brain. I slumped down into a chair at the table.

Tammy looked more than a little worried. "You doing okay, Jen? And DON'T try to bullshit me either."

"No, I'm not all that great. I just remembered everything from last night. I relived it all over again in a flash. It's gonna take me a while, Tammy but I'll be fine."

"Want a sedative? The doctor did prescribe something if you need it."

"Maybe later if things get worse but right now I have to try to deal with this head-on, Tammy. Thanks for caring about me though." I reached over and hugger her tightly. "Now how about some breakfast?"

"Okay, boss. Coming right up."

In just a few minutes Tam my put a plate with eggs, bacon and hash browns on the table in front of me. "Dig in while it's hot, Jen. Hash browns are nasty when they get cold."

We ate while the TV droned on and on about the scam. I managed to get control of the remote and selected an old movie on one of the other channels. Apparently we were still close enough to the city to get cable.

Breakfast filled me right up. I tried to help Tammy clean up but got shooed away to the bedroom again with an admonishment to get some more rest. I found the remote for the large screen projection TV in the bedroom and fell asleep to the old movie I had started to watch in the kitchen.

A gentle shaking of my shoulder woke me up several hours later. Barb was standing beside the bed smiling at me.

"Oh, hi, Barb. What's up?"

"You are now. Feel like some supper?"

"I missed lunch?"

"Well, Tammy DID try to wake you but you were sound asleep. The doctors said that sleep was the best thing for you right now."

"Umm… okay. Where's Tammy?"

"Gone home. I'm here for the night. Now come on and get something to eat."

"All right, Barb. Let me hit the bathroom and I'll be out in a few minutes."

A few minutes later I walked into the kitchen to see Barb seated at the table. She had prepared a roast chicken with baked potatoes and dressing with a large bowl of cranberry sauce and another bowl of a mix of peas and carrot chunks sitting beside the chicken.

We talked as we ate. "So, Barb, how did I get here? The last thing I remember is leaving the house and you giving me a cup of hot chocolate. Then I wake up here in bed in the nude."

"You were so out of it the sedative I slipped into the coco completely knocked you out. Rebecca and I carried you in then I got you all set for bed. I hope you don't mind, Jen, but you really were a basket case last night."

"I should be completely pissed at you but I'm not. I'm just glad that all of you were there to help me when I needed it. And believe me I DID need it!"

"I've got another little surprise for you too. Adam is coming over tonight. You better finish eating then go get dressed. He should be here in an hour or so."

"Adam? Coming here? By the way, just where is HERE anyway?"

"I thought Tammy told you." She sighed then continued. "You're in a rental house south of the city in the hills. I'll show you the place after Adam leaves or maybe in the morning depending on just how long he stays. Tammy and I decided that the best place for you was out of your house for a while after what happened there. You can stay here as long as you want to, Jen. If you like the place you can even buy it outright."

"Thanks, Barb. I do feel a bit more at ease here than I might be at the other house. Too many bad memories are still fresh in my mind. This place doesn't have any memories attached to it for me though so I feel safe here. I'll take a look around later. Right now I want to get ready for Adam."

Not knowing what Adam wanted to see me about really stressed me out. Had he been told everything that happened to me or was this just a visit to find out how I was doing? I had way too many questions without answers for me to feel excited that he was coming.

When I got back to my bedroom I discovered that Tammy and Barb had moved a pretty good selection of my wardrobe into the closet. I found a pale yellow satin blouse and a nice pair of jeans along with a bra and panty set that matched the color of the blouse almost perfectly. After I dressed I took a few minutes to brush out my hair. The tangles in it were a real pain but I managed to get them all worked out without pulling too many hairs out of my head. It didn't help much that my left arm was still rather stiff and sore and nearly useless for much of anything. I had just settled down on the huge sofa in the living room and turned the large screen TV to a movie when Barb announced that Adam had arrived. He bounded across the living room and gathered me up off the couch to give me a huge kiss and hug then gently placed me back on the couch again before sitting down beside me.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you a few days ago Jennifer. If I'd known nothing would have kept me away."

"That's just why we couldn't tell anyone, Adam. It had to look like everything was normal to make sure they attempted to do whatever they had planned. You COULDN'T have been there."

"I know but it's so damned frustrating anyway. Are you okay now?" He leaned over to me putting his arm around my shoulder then pulled me close.

"I am now, love. I am now. Just snuggle with me for a while, okay?"

He gently kissed me on the forehead then picked up the remote to turn up the volume on the TV. The movie was created from two of the Space Quest episodes that had run as a part of the series and some newly shot footage. It tied up several loose ends from the regular series and hinted at the introduction of a new space ship and characters at the end. It was plain to me that the producers were trying to keep the franchise alive until they were able to shoot the new show's pilot episode with me as the new ship's Captain.

"So when do you begin shooting the new show, Jen?"

"Well, things kind of got messed up, Adam. With the accident in California and now this latest little setback I'm not certain that it's still a go or not. If it's still on my to-do list then I suspect that it'll be while I'm rehearsing for the opening of the attraction in Orlando. I'm not certain how much free time I'm going to have for a while after I settle in there. There's an album to record and the rehearsals for the opening too."

The smile on his face turned into a frown. "If I make time to come and see you in Orlando are you going to be able to make time for me?"

"I've already told them that the weekends are my own. Other than the radio show on Saturday morning I won't have anything going on. This body of mine lets me do a lot of things my old body never could but…"

"I know! I love some of the things this body can do to me!" He reached over and tweaked a nipple.

"STOP THAT!" I pushed his hand away. "But keep that thought in mind for later love! As I was going to say, I can do so much more but at the cost of needing more rest to recover. I could go a few days without sleep before and not eat for a day or more. Now I get all run down if I don't take proper care of myself. It's sort of like driving an old Chevy that runs forever with only a bit of maintenance here and there and then owning a Ferrari that needs constant attention to keep it in top shape. I've got a Ferrari type body and I need to take better care of it."

"Well, I love the way your body handles now." He pulled me close and planted the most mind-blowing kiss imaginable on my eager lips. His hands roamed freely over my body hitting all the spots that really got my motor running.

It took several seconds for me to recover. "You know, love, if you took a leave of absence from work you can come to Orlando and stay there until I'm done."

"You know I can't do that, Jen. My job is important to me and you know it."

"At least let me help you get to Orlando every weekend then. It's not a problem for me to set something up."

"I TOLD you that I wanted to take care of that myself, Jen. I thought you of all people would realize how important it is for me to do things myself."

I turned away in disgust. "You and that damned male pride of yours!"

The rest of our conversation degenerated into a major screaming match with the exchanges getting more and more hurtful to each other. The end result was Adam saying that Hell would freeze over before he visited a selfish bitch like me anywhere and me crying myself to sleep on the living room couch after he stormed out of the house.

Friday, March 21, 2003

 

Dear Diary,

I wish I could tell you that I felt better when I woke up this morning but I'd be telling an awful lie. I felt like the whole world had crashed down around me when memories of the fight I had with Adam came flooding back as I woke up. On top of that, I slept on the couch lying on my left arm. The scars hurt like hell and I was very stiff from staying in an uncomfortable position all night long.

Someone was making noises in the kitchen and the most marvelous smells were drifting out to tickle my nose. In spite of my Great Blue Funk I followed my nose to the kitchen. A plump woman in her fifties with shoulder length brown hair looked up at me from stirring the contents of a pan on the stove.

"Have yourself a seat, duckie. I'll be right with you! Do you prefer coffee or tea in the morning?" Her British accent was unmistakable.

"Umm… coffee, please. I'm confused. Why isn't Barb or Tammy here?"

"They have their own lives to get on with you know. Tammy has tests she has to take and Barb went over to your house to take care of things at the office."

"Then just WHO are YOU?"

"The housekeeper. I'm normally around when the present owners of this place are in town. Gertrude Millstown is the name but you can call me Gertie, luv. Barb asked me to come back for a while and take care of you. Hope you like potato pancakes and bangers. My favorite breakfast, that."

"Bangers?"

"Sausages, luv, sausages. Here's your coffee. The rest'll be ready in a minute or so. Drink up!"

The coffee was dark and smelled awfully strong. A sip told me that my nose was right but it was just what I needed to jar me out of the funk I was in. I sipped at the steaming mug of coffee until she put a plate full to nearly overflowing with goodies in front of me.

"Gertie, I can't eat all of this!"

"Just tuck in and enjoy, hon. Don't worry about finishing all of it. Any leftovers I can save for later or give to my cat."

"Cat? I didn't see a cat around here."

"She's still at home. Didn't want to bring her around unless I asked first. Some people are allergic to them."

"Well, bring her any time you like. I love cats!" I scooped a forkful of the pancakes into my mouth and chomped on them smiling all the time. "There are GREAT! I don't think I've had them before."

"Probably not like these anyway. Try the bangers."

I speared a piece of the sausage and popped it into my mouth. The flavors exploded like a firecracker going off as I chewed and swallowed "Fantastic, Gertie, simply fantastic. Where can I get these when you're not around?"

"London."

"What? You had them imported?"

"No, made 'em myself, dearie. Can't get decent bangers on this side of the pond ya know."

"Then I guess I'll just have to enjoy them while you're here. What other surprises do you have in store for me, Gertie?"

"Well, Barb did ask me to give you the grand tour of this place. Let me know when you're ready and we'll get to it."

"Right after I finish this wonderful breakfast. How's that?"

"Sounds good to me. I'll clean up while you finish up." Gertie bustled back to the stove to start the cleanup.

I have to admit that I was able to eat most of what Gertie put on the plate. My stomach was full and complained that I had eaten a bit too much but I pushed that aside as I downed the last of the coffee. As I scurried off to the bedroom to get dressed Gertie was loading the last of the dishes including my plate into the dishwasher.

The tour went beyond my expectations. The place turned out to be more of a rustic log mansion than a log cabin. It turned out that the logs were there only for decoration. The outside was covered in logs sawed in half and applied to the conventional stud and plywood construction to give the place a rustic look. The treatment carried thru inside the place with smaller logs applied in strategic locations to give an impression of walls constructed entirely of logs without the actual maintenance headaches of a real log cabin.

The rest of the house was as magnificent as the kitchen, living room and my bathroom, those three rooms being the ones I was most familiar with. The temperatures outside had warmed up into the upper thirty's and much of the snow had melted leaving great brown patches on the lawn. The place was positively huge from the outside. Since I had been rather out of it when I arrived it was only now that I had the chance to see the large four-car garage attached to the house along with several outbuildings and what looked to be a large pool or pond in the back yard nestled next to a large rock outcropping in the hillside. Gertie told me that is was a natural pond that was on the property when the house was built. It was fed by a spring coming out of the rock wall next to it. The spring was also used for the house water supply after being run thru a small treatment plant in the basement. The spring was tested several times a year and the water could be consumed directly with no fear of any illness or side effects. The treatment plant simply built up a reserve supply of water in storage tanks for those times that water use in the house might outpace what the spring could naturally supply.

As I warmed up again on the huge couch in the living room with a cup of Chocolate Overload I realized that I had fallen in love with the place. I called Gertie into the living room and motioned for her to sit down beside me. Much to my surprise she also had a mug of Chocolate Overload after watching me make my own a few minutes earlier. She smiled as she sipped at the steaming cup. "Well, there's one good thing I learned from one of you Yanks." She lifted her mug in appreciation.

"Hey! We're not ALL stuck up and arrogant as hell you know."

"True. I didn't know quite what to make of you before I met you this morning. From what I've seen of you on the telly, you could have been one of those stuck-up nose-in-the-air types. I'm glad to know you aren't a bit like that at all."

"Thanks… I think. I've got some questions for you, Gertie. You up to answering them for me?"

"I'll do my best." She kicked off her shoes then tucked her feet up under her legs. I tossed her a pillow to cover them since the floor seemed to be a bit cold. In fact, I followed her example to get my own feet warm.

"So tell me, why are the previous owners selling a beautiful place like this?"

"They're ready to retire and they both want to stop doing the snowbird routine. They decided to move permanently to Florida when he retires in a few more months. He's president of a large business here in the area. His sons run it mostly now though."

"Don't his sons want this place?"

"Not really. They're city boys and don't have a taste for quiet country living. Seems they'd rather be just minutes away from the action in the city."

"Ah, yes. The foolishness and shortsighted nature of being young." I took a long sip from my mug.

"I almost forgot how old you really are inside of that body. I have to agree with you. I expect that they'll run the family business into the ground to get as much money out if it as they can then sell it off to get the last little bit before it dies. Such a waste."

"Well, there isn't anything I can do about that but I'm thinking of buying this place, Gertie. Anything behind the scenes about this house I should really know?"

"Nothing more than you know already, Miss. I don't believe in holding things back with whomever I'm working for or with. You know already about the cold floors in wintertime." She pointed to our feet.

"True. One more question, Gertie, and please call me Jen or Jennifer. You don't have to be so formal when it's just us here."

She smiled then nodded her head in agreement. "All right, Jennifer. What's the question?"

"Would you like to stay on here as housekeeper if the deal goes through? You'll have the same pay and benefits as before. They might even be a bit better since I don't know at the moment what they are."

She thought for a minute or two as she sipped from her mug. "I suppose I could. The current owners have staff at their place in Florida already. I was going to go back to England but there's really not much back there for me right now after my husband passed away ten years ago. My son and daughter come for a visit from time to time and they stay in the guest rooms here. Is that all right with you?"

"Of course it is, Gertie. I'd be delighted to meet them."

"Well, then I guess you have a housekeeper!" She held out her hand. I decided to toss caution out the door and give her a big hug that she eagerly returned.

"Great! Now that that's all settled I'm going to call Barb and tell her to start the purchase paperwork on this place. Now, Missus Millstown, what's on the menu for supper? Something nice and hearty I hope to warm us both up inside after getting chilled to the bone. You'll eat at the table with me, okay? And I'm NOT taking no as an answer."

Her smile positively lit up the room. "How about bangers and mash with a nice chunky veggie stew and some real fresh baked English bread?"

"Gertie, I'll give anything that those magic hands of yours make for breakfast, lunch and supper. The easiest way to my heart is thru my tummy." We clinked our mugs together then sat for a few minutes in silence as we finished the hot chocolate.

Monday, March 31, 2003

 

Who would have thought that a week ago I would have gotten a phone call from the folks that produce the West Wing? It was an offer for a guest spot on a show that was starting production this week. Being a huge fan of the show I couldn't turn down the chance to be part of it especially since the part was written with me in mind.

It took a bit of doing but I arranged a small delay with the MouseWorld folks so I could do the show. The way I was feeling I still wasn't ready to start rehearsing the dance numbers and the singing I'd need to do for the TV special. I've been in Los Angeles for almost a week now doing rehearsals with the West Wing cast for those few segments that I would appear in.

The title of this show was "Thirty Seven Hours". It was about an earthquake hitting along the New Madrid fault line in the Midwest. My role was as a computer networking person called into the West Wing to fix a network jack on Charlie's computer. It got very interesting from there.

I arrived at the studio on the morning of the shoot dressed in what I thought the script should have called for. I had on a well-worn set of blue jeans that hugged my bottom and thighs and a loose fitting pastel pink short-sleeved cotton work shirt. My hair was in my usual ponytail style with a simple pink scrunchie holding it in place. I had even packed my leather belt with the huge pouches for tools and supplies in my baggage when I left for California. A few heads turned as I walked onto the set.

The director seemed a bit distressed until I explained why my outfit was appropriate instead of the thousand-dollar clothes the script called for. When you crawl around under desks and in basements for a living you don't want to wear expensive clothes because they always get ruined quickly. Real networking people would just laugh themselves silly if I appeared in the tailored outfit they wanted me to wear. I must have made my point because they even changed a few lines in the script.

While standing around amid all the cast members and extras I realized just how out of place I would really look in the sea of high-priced clothes and magnificent coiffures. My character was one of those people that lurk in the background that you never usually see unless there's a problem and then they're around only long enough to fix the trouble then leave. That wasn't going to happen this time.

A bell rang then the stage got quiet a few seconds before the director called for action.

All I had to work with was the description of this opening scene in the script. "The camera picks up a blond woman wearing her hair in a pony tail and a heavy tool belt around her waist. She carries a heavy toolbox while she works her way thru the office space stopping at closets periodically and peering inside at the equipment located in them. In general, the office space in the West Wing is in the evening mode. People are seen here and there still working while the maintenance crews take care of the cleaning and repair activities. The offices are a maze of light and dark areas. The woman carefully works her way toward an area just outside the Oval Office. A young man is working at his desk trying to log into his desktop computer. He looks up to see the woman standing in the doorway."

"Hi Charlie! Got a broken network jack? I got a call sheet here." I waved the work order sheet in the air.

"Yup. I hit it with my briefcase. Can you fix it?"

I walked over to Charlie's desk taking off the tool belt after sitting the toolbox down beside the desk. "Sure, don't I always? This is the third time in as many months. Let me in there and I'll have it fixed in a few minutes."

Charlie looked slightly annoyed. "I wouldn't keep breaking it if you'd move the darn thing."

"Charlie, you know this is the ONLY spot along this wall where I can put the jack without a wire showing. They never designed the White House for a network when they built it so many years ago."

"But it's under my desk. Can't you at least move it over a few inches even if some wire shows under there?"

"I think I can manage that. It's gonna cost you though."

"Cost me? Cost me what?"

"Oh, just a cup of tea with a little cream and sugar, that's all. I've been here since six in the morning."

"Great! That I can handle. Be right back."

Charlie left to get the tea while I crawled under the desk. I waited there patiently for my next lines making occasional sounds like I was actually working on a broken jack.

The script called for the President to open the Oval Office door and look around expecting to find Charlie. When he heard me making a noise under the desk he walked over and peered over the desk at my backside. "Well, who do we have here?"

I acted startled and started to back out from under the desk. Even though it wasn't planned I decided to fake hitting my head on the underside of the desk drawer as I pulled out making a huge noise as the whole desk shook from the impact. "OW! CHARLIE! Don't scare me like…" I looked up to see the President standing there smiling at me. "Sorry, Mr. President. I'm Jennifer Stevens with the White House service staff. I can come back if you need the privacy. I'm just fixing a broken network jack under Charlie's desk." I stood there rubbing my "sore" head and trying to regain my composure.

He looked over my faded jeans and plain cotton short-sleeved work shirt. "You're dressed a little out of character for a White House staffer aren't you?"

"Not really, Sir. I'm a wire rat. My job involves going into the basement and other less maintained areas to run new network wires or fix other problems. I've ruined a few rather expensive outfits by catching them on nails or the sharp edges under some desks. At least if I rip these clothes doing my job it isn't quite so costly."

"Why would they send such a lovely young lady on a job like that?"

"It's what I do, Mr. President. I also maintain the telephone system too." I picked up a butt-in set from the tool belt bumping my head on the desk again as I straightened back up. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the President visibly wince as I rubbed my head. "Occupational hazard, Sir. I guess it helps to have a thick skull."

"Ah, I see. That's fine, carry on." As he turned to leave the President noticed the jagged white scar on my left forearm then looked up to see the divot in my hair where it had been cut off to let the doctors sew up my real-life injuries. "Those are nasty scars. If you don't mind my asking how did you get them?"

"I don't mind at all, Sir. I was working with the Community Theater group a few weeks ago when a light fell and hit me. It was my fault really. I was up on the ladder trying to adjust the light and I wasn't quite watching what I was doing. Unfortunately there wasn't any safety chain in place either. There is now though. I put it there myself."

A look of deep concern flashed across his face. "Are you accident prone?"

"No, just nervous, Sir. Someone like me doesn't get up here much when people are here, especially when you're around, Mr. President."

"And just why is that?"

"Unless there's an emergency people usually don't want to be interrupted by someone fussing around with their computer, telephone or network connection. I tend to do things like this on the off hours."

Charlie returned with my cup of tea. "Mr. President! I thought you left for the Residence for the night!"

"I did but I left some paperwork behind. Jennifer, you're always welcome around here any time. Charlie, I'm headed back to the residence. Can you get me the paperwork on…"

At that instant the beeper on my belt started to make the most awful racket imaginable.

"Sorry, Mr. President." I snatched the beeper off my belt and hit the silence button then turned as white as a sheet when I read the message.

The President turned toward me. "What's wrong, Jennifer?"

"Oh God, I hope this is wrong." I held up the pager for the President to read. The message said "Earthquake – Magnitude 8.9 – New Madrid Fault".

"How come I haven't heard about this?"

"Mr. President, I have my home computer system set up to alert me of natural disasters and emergencies like this. I'm a member of an Amateur Radio Emergency Service group. If it's true this happened just a few moments ago, Sir."

I turned toward Charlie. "Charlie, is there another computer I can use for a few minutes?"

"Never mind, Charlie. Follow me. Jennifer."

I hesitated as I was led into the Oval Office and pointed toward a computer that sat off on one side of the room. Charlie and the President watched as I called up a web site with the latest earthquake data. It confirmed what the pager had already told me.

The president turned to Charlie. "Charlie, get the list. Get me FEMA first and then run down the list. I want EVERYONE in on this. Get C.J. and Leo back here now. Then get me the Governors in those states surrounding the quake area. They're going to need all the help they can get."

Charlie nodded. "I'm on it, Sir." He hustled out of the room.

"Do you need me for anything else, Mr. President?"

"Can you get any more information on what's going on out there?"

"Maybe. Let me connect to my Amateur Radio station and see if anyone is on the air from that area. Emergency communications nets should be starting up by now."

"You can do that from here?"

"Yes. I have a completely remote controlled ham station at my family's home in upstate New York. I can use it from right here if that's okay with you, Sir."

"Do it. Get me any information you can."

I started typing and kept it up for a few seconds as the camera did a close-up of my hands flying over the keyboard. Then the director yelled, "CUT". After a few seconds the stage erupted in applause and I started to turn a brilliant shade of pink as everyone raved about my performance especially the improvised head banging on the drawer.

After another take as insurance we moved on to my next scene. The first scene was the one that would be used at the opening of the show to set the stage for everything that followed. This scene would take place just after the commercial break was over and in the story timeline be just minutes after the first scene.

Once again the director yelled for action as the stage grew quiet.

The President had drawn up a chair alongside mine at the computer table and was listening intensely to the reports starting to trickle in from ham operators in the damaged area. The phone he moved onto the computer table started to ring.

"Yes? Ok, Charlie, thanks!" He punched a button on the phone. "John? We've got a problem!… Oh, well who is this then?… I see. Get over here right away after alerting your teams. How long before you have any communications into and out of the area?… I know it depends on the damage. HOW LONG?… WHAT? That long?.. Look, just do it. And you better find your boss. I don't care where he went on vacation. FIND HIM!" The President literally slammed the phone down on the hook.

"DAMN. Nearly a day before FEMA can set up communications in the area depending on the damage. Jennifer, how long can you keep this going?"

"For as long as it takes, Mr. President."

"Well, until FEMA gets their act together you're the official voice of the White House as far as emergency communications into and out of the area are concerned. Is there anything you need?"

"Yes, have the FCC declare a national communications emergency. I'll co-ordinate with them the ham radio frequencies we need to have cleared. Now tell me what kind of information you most need, Sir."

"Damage assessments, injury reports, what is the extent of this thing? We're working blind right now and we need to get a better picture of the situation out there. Find anyone in authority; we need a name and a way to contact them. Whatever kinds of information you can get we need."

"I'm on it, Sir." I turned back to the computer and started talking quietly into the microphone attached to it. Moments later the director yelled "CUT!" again and I slumped back in the chair.

Most of the rest of my scenes had me in the background while other cast members battled the bureaucracy to get the area the help it so desperately needed. My last scene took place at the very end of the show.

The president walked quietly into the Oval Office in the wee hours of the morning. "How's it going Jennifer?"

"Things are much better, Mr. President. Looks like FEMA has their network up and running now so the activity here is starting to fall off."

"That's great. So are you about ready to wrap things up?"

"Well I do have some more traffic to handle, Sir."

"Let FEMA handle it."

"But I…"

"I said let FEMA handle it. Jennifer, how long have you been at this?"

"I don't know, Sir. I sort of lost track of the time."

"Thirty Seven hours, Jennifer. Thirty-seven hours! As your Commander in Chief I'm ordering you to stand down."

"But Mr. President… I…"

"I said STAND DOWN! Are you disregarding a Presidential order, Miss Stevens?"

I looked rather upset for a moment. "No, Mr. President. Let me sign out of the emergency network though. It's proper protocol."

I turned toward the computer and talked in a low voice as a few of the President's aids came in to take care of some paperwork or some other business. When I turned around again after shutting down the remote ham station I found the President sitting on the couch. He motioned for me to come over and sit beside him.

"Do you realize just how much you helped with what you did?"

The script called for me to appear to be very tired and unable to keep my eyes open. "It was just in the line of duty, Sir." (YAWN) " Nothing out of the ordinary, I can assure you." I yawned again. "I've done things just like that in other emergencies."

The President turned to someone that came into the office to sign some more paperwork. "Well, young lady, I'm going to give you a Presidential citation for services over and above the call of duty for your efforts. What do you think of that?"

The President looked over at me to find me sound asleep slumped over on the couch. Charlie walked into the room a few moments later.

"Would you like for me to arrange for a room for her for the night, Mr. President?"

"You know, Charlie, for those thirty seven hours she was the main link for any communications into or out of that area. I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't jumped in and helped. Did she even get any sleep?"

"None that I'm aware of, Mr. President. I brought her some food and a few sodas but she never slept. The staff office said she was here for over twelve hours before the emergency started too. Somewhere in the chaos she even found a few minutes to fix my network connection just after this whole thing started. She said I was going to need it."

"Two days. She went over two days without sleep or even a few moments rest. No, Charlie. Leave her right here. She's earned it. She'll have something to tell her kids and grandchildren about when she has some."

The President leaned over and gently kissed me on the forehead before taking off my running shoes and lifting my legs onto the couch. Then he took off his coat and gently placed it over me before leaving the Oval Office with Charlie. The script called for a final overhead shot of me curled up under the President's coat on the couch as the picture faded to black.

I stayed still for nearly a minute until the director yelled "CUT" again and the stage bell sounded. Everyone on the stage erupted in applause as I turned a brilliant crimson from all the attention. My day of shooting on the set of the West Wing was over.

Thursday, April 3, 2003

 

I stayed another two days watching as filming continued on the set. It was a fascinating experience, one that I hoped would continue on my own series some day.

As I boarded the flight from LAX back to Syracuse someone on the flight staff recognized me and took me to the first class section despite my protests that my ticket was for coach class seating. The service was excellent and I felt quite honored at all the attention the staff was giving to me along with all the other things they take care of on an average flight. I retrieved a few pictures from my purse and signed one for each of the staff including the pilots. Other than some bumpy air over the Rockies the flight went without incident and touched down right on time in Syracuse.

Barb met me at the airport with my van and took me back to the new house south of the city. By now the previous owners had agreed to the deal and all that was needed was my final signatures on the paperwork. That was the main reason why I had returned to Syracuse instead of flying directly to Orlando.

Barb had secured a moving crew to get most of my things moved to the new house. Between Barb and Gertie everything had been stashed away. About the only thing remaining at the old house was my computer lab and Internet servers. For the moment they would remain there until I returned from Orlando after the TV special was completed. There was really no rush to get out of the old house since I owned it.

Monday, April 7, 2003

 

I stayed in Syracuse just long enough to complete the deal for the house and settle things well enough to move to Orlando for the nearly three months it would take to complete my work there.

Over the weekend I made a trip to the old house to check on the servers. The house was almost totally empty of personal items except for a few things in the computer room. As I entered the living room the memories of my last night in the house came flooding back making me shiver in fear. The person I was would have just shrugged it off and moved on with his life. The person I am now had a far different set of values and attitudes to deal with. I could no longer just brush off such an experience. It shook me to my very core at just how much I had changed without my even realizing it.

I spent only as much time as was necessary for me to take care of the servers. Anything else I needed to do I would do via remote access from Orlando. Barb would arrange for a new T1 line to be installed in the new house and have the lab moved when the new circuit and computer lab room in the house was ready.

Tammy had arranged to accompany me for the duration of my trip with the blessing of her professors. She would have to keep up her work in spite of the time she spent with me and I had to promise her mom that I would keep an eye on the excited girl. Barb dropped us off at the private hanger where the MouseWorld jet was waiting.

As I write this on my notebook, the plane has leveled out at around thirty five thousand feet headed almost directly to Orlando. Tammy is almost ready to explode from excitement and I'm growing more confused and concerned with each passing mile.

Adam is out of my life for God only knows how long, I'll be busy with recording an album, shooting a made for TV movie and rehearsals for the special for almost three solid months with only the weekends as a break in an otherwise hectic schedule. Thousands of people were counting on me from the crew building the attraction to the producers and crew of the TV movie to nearly the entire crew at MouseWorld.

I must have been staring at the notebook screen for quite a while since I flinched a bit as a hand gently shook my shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt you Miss Stevens. We're coming into Orlando now. We'll be landing in about fifteen minutes."

"Oh, thanks. I'll have this finished and shut down in a minute or two." The pilot smiled then returned to the flight deck.

So there it is, Dear Diary. What the HELL have I gotten myself into anyway?

I've got to go for a while. I need to shut this notebook off for safety while we're landing. More later…

 

<<<<< To be continued in Chapter 17 of Zapped! >>>>>

  

  

  

*********************************************
© 2004 by Bob Arnold. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of StorySite and the copyright holder.