By Beej

Part 5:

Shannon looked over at Jake. He’d noticed a subtle change in his friend from the minute the wheels touched the tarmac at Coffs Airport. It was as if a weight had lifted from him. He joked as Kevin lifted him out of the plane, returning to do the same for Shannon, then decided to race him into the terminal. Luckily it was a quiet time and the place was nearly empty. Even luckier was the fact that everyone knew him at the airport, and were happy to see a smile on his face as he raced through to the security area, stopping inches short of the desk.

"G’Day, Jake," the security guard laughed. "Good to see ya, mate. How ya going?"

"Good, thanks, Tim. This is Shannon. He’s up to see the farm for the first time. Poor bugger has never been up this end of the state before."

"G’Day, Shannon. You’re going to love it up there. Have a good trip."

The little group waved to Tim as they went through the barrier into the arrival area. They looked around for Sam and spotted him out the front with his partner, Will. They had brought two cars to pick everyone up. Kevin decided to go with Will, taking the wheelchairs and the luggage, giving the others more room to travel with Sam. They were soon settled for the drive up to Clouds Creek, and Shannon didn’t take his eyes off the scenery for the entire trip.

Emily was in front of the main house waiting to greet them, and smiled when she saw the lead car pull up in the paved parking area. It used to be gravel, but had been paved over for Jake’s chair. She watched as Kevin got out of the passenger seat. He looked up and waved at her as he reached in the back for the chairs. She hadn’t been told that Shannon was coming up as well, so wondered why Jake needed an extra chair.

All was revealed when the second car pulled up and Kevin pushed the chairs closer. Jake swung out of the back into his chair, then the front passenger door opened and Shannon did the same.

"Hello, everyone. Shannon, I didn’t know you were coming. What a lovely surprise. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

"G’Day, Dr. Mitchell. I’m sure I will. What a beautiful place you have here. I can see why Jake speaks with such passion about it."

"He doesn’t get up here enough as far as I’m concerned. Hello, Aaron. How are you, darling?"

Jake reached up from his chair to give his grandmother a hug and a kiss. "Hello, Emily. Better now I’m here. Doc Khan says I can do my therapy up here rather than at the North Shore. I just have to go down there for regular updates with him."

"I’m glad to hear it, darling. I’m not the only one who misses you when you’re away."

Just then the sound of frantic yapping was heard and a little dog came bounding round the side of the house, jumping up onto Jake’s lap and licking his face franticly.

"G’Day, Muffin. How ya going, girl?" Jake managed to say in between licks.

Shannon laughed at his friend. "Didn’t see you for a small dog person, mate."

"I’m not usually, but how can you not like this little scruff. Wanna follow me to see my real best friend?"

Jake started to wheel around the side of the house, with Muffin settling down on his lap for the ride. They neared a large heavy wire enclosure and Shannon gasped when he saw just what was inside.

"Mate, is that a wolf?"

"Sure is. His name’s Lupo. I’ve had him since he was a tiny ball of fluff. Come in and meet him."

"What, inside?"

"Yeah. Don’t worry, he’ll only eat ya if I give him the command," Jake laughed at his suddenly nervous friend as he moved towards the gate to the enclosure.

Shannon followed, worrying more about Muffin now than himself. He was sure she was about to become dinner for the wolf. He was surprised to see her jump off Jake’s lap and rush up to Lupo and beginning to nip at his feet. Waiting for the bloodbath, he held his breath, but was soon relieved to see Lupo roll over on his back and start licking Muffin.

"They love each other, mate," Jake said over his shoulder. "Lupo found Muffin out in the bush and carried her home in his mouth. She was about 5 weeks old and had been tossed out of a car. They’ve been buddies ever since."

They all went into the house to get settled, and Emily made a cuppa and some sandwiches to keep them going until the evening meal. When they’d finished, Sam took them out in the jeep so that Jake could show Shannon the farm.

"Mate, I can’t believe that you ever want to leave this to stay in Sydney."

"Believe me, if I could do all my work from here I would. I’ve got an office with a direct link to the Sydney office, but there are some things a CEO has to do in person, so I have to wear my city face a lot more than I want to.

A week had gone by and everything was going well. The therapist from the hospital was more than pleased with Jake’s progress and told him that she would be going back to Sydney in the next couple of days. Even with all the hard work in the gym every day, Jake was happy and relaxed. He and Shannon spent a lot of time in the pool in the afternoons. It was part of his therapy, but more often than not it ended up with everyone in there just having fun. Jake never had any problems sleeping.

He woke up early as usual, and was surprised to find Angie’s side of the bed empty. He sat up and looked around the room just as she made her way out of the bathroom. She didn’t look too hot.

"You okay, Angel?"

"Not really, Luv. I think dinner must have disagreed with me," she replied remembering the seafood restaurant they visited in Grafton the night before.

"Come back to bed and I’ll get you something."

"Thanks, darling. A cup of green tea would go down a treat."

Jake got into his chair and wheeled out to the kitchen to make the tea. As soon as he’d gone, Angie got her cell out and dialed a Sydney number. After chatting for a few minutes she closed the phone and smiled.

She was still smiling when Jake came back in with a tray. "You look a bit brighter, Luv. Feeling better?"

"Loads. Thanks for the tea."

Jake got back into bed and held Angie’s free hand as she sipped her tea. He was still worried about her even though she seemed to be okay now.

"Should I call Doc. Williamson?"

Angie put her cup down before turning to reply. "No need, AJ. I’ve spoken to Drew."

"Why call him in Sydney about a stomach upset up here?"

"Jake, I went to see him before we headed up and he ran a few tests…"

"You mean you were feeling crook before we came up?  Why didn’t you say anything?"

Angie held both Jake’s hands and looked lovingly into his eyes. "I’m not crook, darling, anything but." She stopped to take a deep breath. "Jake…we’re having a baby!"

"What? How? When?"

Angie giggled at Jake, who was looking like a roo in the headlights. She picked up his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I don’t think I need to tell you how, darling; you’re pretty good at the how."

"I mean, how far along are you?"

When Angie told him almost to the second how far along she was he gave her an old fashioned look. "Come on, Luv, no-one can be that accurate."

"They could if their husband had been in hospital and was granted a weekend home pass and happened to feel all romantic."

Jake smiled at the memory of the first time he had been able to make love with his wife since being in his wheelchair. "Really?"

"Yes, darling, really. We made a baby. I’m so proud of you."

Jake didn’t reply. He was too busy gazing into Angie’s eyes, ignoring the tears of joy that were coursing down his face. He finally whispered, "We’re gonna have a baby!" before hugging Angie and kissing her. He then let out a whoop of joy and shouted at the top of his lungs.

Seconds later they heard footsteps running down the hall, and a frantic knocking at the door. They called *come in* together and the door flew open. Kevin bounded in, expecting to find Jake sprawled out on the floor.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Couldn’t be better, mate. We’ll meet you in the kitchen for brekkie."

"Okay, Jake," Kevin replied, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him.

After a sensual shower, Jake and Angie thought they should make an appearance for breakfast. By the time they made it to the kitchen Sam and Will were at the stove and Emily was coming through the back door with fresh eggs. Shannon and Kevin were chatting over a cup of coffee. They all looked round as Angie pushed Jake towards the table and pulled up a chair next to him. They were smiling and giggling at each other all through breakfast and managed to eat their meal without letting go of each other's hand.

When the table was cleared nobody got up. Instead they all turned to face the still giggling pair at the end of the table. Emily looked at her grandson and smiled. "Aaron, do you want to let the rest of the family in on the joke?"

Jake actually blushed before speaking. "It’s no joke, Emily. It’s as serious as a heart attack." He gripped tightly onto Angie’s hands before looking round the expectant faces and continuing. "Sit down, Gran…"

Emily looked worried as Jake never called her ‘Gran’ unless something was wrong.

"It’s okay," he assured her as she sat down next to Sam. "Everyone, Angie made me a VERY happy man this morning."

Sam was about to make a rude remark when Will kicked him under the table.

"We’re going to have a baby!"

There was silence for a few seconds and then all hell broke loose. The kitchen was filled with cheering and whistling. Emily rushed round to hug and kiss the happy couple, Sam and Will hugged each other before hugging Jake and Angie, Kevin was smiling from ear to ear, and Shannon was crying. It was a happy day at the farm that day.

Jake was in the pool, hanging onto Kevin, stretched out in the water and trying to concentrate. He’d been all over the place in the days since Angie had given him the news and Kevin was doing his best to get his therapy back on track. He was due to travel down to Sydney in a couple of weeks for a check with Dr. Khan and wanted to be able to show a good improvement. Angie came to sit by the side of the pool and Kevin put Jake through his paces. He was trying to get Jake to kick his legs.

Angie could see that the moisture on Jake’s face wasn’t all from the pool. He was sweating as he tried hard to move his legs. He hadn’t seen her come out and sit in one of the recliners as he was facing away from her. She quietly watched as he concentrated on Kevin’s voice. His left leg twitched. It wasn’t strong, but it was a kick. Angie cheered at the sight, and Jake sank under the surface as he tried to turn and see who was there. Spluttering, he bobbed back up again, and when he saw Angie he grinned.

"We did it," he said to Kevin, swimming over to hug his friend.

"No, mate, you did it. Keep this up and you’ll be doing laps for Dr. Khan when we go down."

Jake made his way over to the edge of the pool, got himself out of the water and sat next to Angie, kissing her soundly while Kevin called for them to get a room.

Back in their room, Angie dried Jake after he’d showered the pool water off. After he was dressed in his sweats she knelt down in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "Jake, would it be okay if I stay up here when you and Kev fly down to Sydney? I think I should stay off planes until the sickness eases up a bit."

"I was thinking the same, Luv. I’m sorry you’re suffering. I thought it was morning sickness, not most of the day sickness."

"Well, at least I don’t get it every day, but it’s worse when I travel. I was going to go into Grafton with Emily, but I think I’ll just hang around the farm until you get back."

"It will only be a few days, Angel. I’ll call you every day."

"Shannon…phone," Jake called, holding out his cell for his friend to take.

Shannon spoke for a few minutes before handing the phone back to Jake. He had gone pale and looked worried.

"What’s up, mate?"

"I have to go to Sydney. They have a court date for Dad. Can I come down with you and Kev?"

"Of course you can, mate. Do you want me to go with you?"

"I can’t ask you to stay down there longer than you need to, not with Angie getting the morning chunders."

"No worries. I’ll speak to her about it."

"Speak to whom about what?" Angie asked as she came into the den.

"Hey, gorgeous. Shan just had a call from the police. He’s coming down to Sydney with me and Kev…got a court date."

"Oh, are you going to be with him for moral support?"

Jake smiled at his wife before answering. "That’s what I was going to speak with you about. I’ve already offered, but he doesn’t think I should stay down there longer than I need to."

"Oh, Shannon, there’s no way we’re going to let you go through this on your own. I’ll be fine up here. I have Sam, Will and Emily to look after me. Two doctors and the loveliest uncle anyone could ask for. I’ll be fine. Just keep in touch so that we don’t worry about you."

Jake went to the courthouse with Shannon. His friend was shaking and he was trying to keep him calm. He was going to be called up first, and Jake was hoping the defence would be gentle with him. He was on the stand all day, but when the judge adjourned he was told that he wouldn’t need to attend the rest of the trial, although he was asked to let the court officials know where he was going to be. He’d not looked at his father all day, but as he left the stand he caught the glare his father gave him and a shiver went down his spine. Jake took him and Kevin out for a meal and they spent the evening trying to take his mind off the hard day he’d had.

Jake was due at the Royal North Shore and for once in his life he was running late. Shannon was going to go along, too, but at the last minute he had a call regarding his house, so told Jake he would meet up with him later.

Dr. Khan was pleased to see Jake again. Kevin had been calling him every week with a progress report and he was happy to hear about the movement he was getting in his legs. He examined them and noted the muscles were becoming nice and strong again. He put him through his paces in the pool, and Jake managed to do a couple of lengths, using his legs as much as he could. Dr. Khan smiled as Jake hauled himself out of the water and sat on the edge of the pool.

"Jake, that’s fantastic! Your legs are getting nice and strong. There’s one more thing I want to see before I let you go. Meet me in the treatment room when you’re dry and dressed."

Shannon arrived just as Jake was heading for the treatment room. He was smiling from ear to ear. His house was sold. He’d signed the paperwork and had shown the removalist everything he intended on keeping in storage. It wasn’t a lot, mainly things that reminded him of his mum. The cheque had been deposited into his bank account, and he was ready to start again…on his own.

Jake was pleased for his friend and was smiling at how animated Shannon had become when talking about his future. The smile left his face when they wheeled into the treatment room. In front of them were a set of bars. Jake knew what they were for, to help people relearn how to walk. Surely they didn’t expect him to use them today?

Dr. Khan smiled at the look on his face. "Don’t worry, Jake. I’m not expecting miracles here, but seeing how strong your legs are becoming, I just want to see if they can take your weight yet, then I can revise your therapy program."

Jake nodded slowly. "Okay, Ash. I’ll take your word for it. Just don’t laugh when I fall flat on my face."

He wheeled round to the end of the bars and stopped his chair right at the beginning of the ‘run’.  He applied the brakes and looked up at Ash and Kevin. "Okay, what next?"

Ash and Kevin stood either side of Jake to help him get out of the chair. He reached up and took hold of the ends of the bars and allowed them to hold him under his arms to take his weight. He felt dizzy and began to wobble.

"Want to sit back down, Jake?"

"No, we’ve got this far. Just give it a second for the room to stop spinning and I’ll be right."

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before nodding that he was good to go again. He took a tighter hold of the bars and locked out his elbows. His arms were now taking the entire weight of his body. Ash and Kevin helped him to line up his lower body so that he was completely upright.

"Loosen up your grip a bit, Jake. See if your legs can take the weight."

Jake did as he was told and realised that his legs weren’t going to buckle after all. He smiled at everyone in the room. "Hey, I’m standing!" he exclaimed.

"You sure are", Ash Khan replied, wiping a tear from his eye. "I think you can sit back down now, Jake. Today has gone much better than I could have hoped. Oh, hang on…do you think you can stay upright for a bit longer?"

Jake nodded as Ash opened a drawer in the desk and removing a Polaroid camera. "Let me take a couple of shots, one for me and one for you to take back to Angie."

Jake stood still while Ash took the pictures, and then looked down at his feet willing them to move. His right leg began to shake and he shifted his weight onto his left leg before lifting up his right foot. He managed to get it about an inch off the ground before willing it to move forward. He moved it about two inches before putting it down again. A loud cheer came from Shannon. Ash and Kevin stood with their mouths open watching as Jake sank back into his chair.

"Doc, did I just do what I think I did?"

"You sure did, Jake. It was only a couple of inches, but it’s a damned fine start."

"Baby steps, doc…baby steps."

As soon as they got back to the wharf, Jake was on the phone to arrange the flight back up to the farm. He needed to be with Angie as soon as possible to give her the good news.

ON TO ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

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