In Sickness and In Health

A Jake Mitchell Story

(sequel to "To Have and To Hold")

by

Beej

The lift door opened silently and a lone figure stepped out, slowly walking towards the ornate reception desk. He stood quietly watching the attractive lady behind the desk as she studied the papers in front of her.

He waited about 30 seconds before clearing his throat and smiled at her expression when she looked up at him. “Oh my God...Jake? Is that really you?”

“G’day, Rox. You look like a roo in the headlights.”

Luckily, Roxanne had known Jake long enough to understand some of his Aussieisms, and giggled at him. “It’s just been such a long time, Jake. I thought you’d retired.”

“Aw, fair go, luv. I’ve only been on my honeymoon.”

“Jake, you got married the end of March. It’s now just past Independence Day.”

“Hey, that’s one of the perks of owning a company with such efficient staff. No-one realises that you’re gone. Anyway, the honeymoon was only two months. I’ve been working up on the farm for about three weeks, and got back to the office the middle of June,” Jake grinned.

“Oh, Jake, we knew, and we all missed you, even if we usually only get to speak to you on the phone.”

“Thanks, Rox. Is the old man alone?”

“He’s only with Alex. Shall I buzz him?”

“No, luv. I’ll just poke my head round the door. You couldn’t rustle up a cuppa could you?”

“Coming up, Jake.”

Jake walked over to Mike’s office door and gently knocked. Hearing Mike call “come”, he opened the door and stepped into the office. Mike and Alex were elbow deep in paperwork.

“Having fun, children?”

“Jake!!” Alex exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and rushing over to Jake. Flinging her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek and smiled.

“Now that’s the kind of welcome I like,” Jake giggled, kissing Alex in return and giving her a hug. As soon as she let go of him he was wrapped up in another bear hug, this time from Mike.

“Jake, it’s good to see you, man. Married life seems to suit you, my friend. You should have done it years ago.”

“Better late than never, mate. It’s your turn next.”

Mike snorted at that remark. He was between women again and there was no prospect of a date, let alone a solid relationship.

Just then, Roxanne came in with a tray full of steaming mugs, and they all adjourned to the sofas by the picture windows to enjoy the view over the lake while they chatted.

“So, anything interesting happen while I’ve been away?” Jake asked innocently, knowing that Mike had some news for him.

Mike cleared his throat and shifted in his seat before answering.

“Now Jake, I know we’re partners and that we always discuss things, but you were incognito, and it was an opportunity that couldn’t be turned ignored.”

Jake tilted his head for Mike to continue.

“The floor above us became vacant...I mean the entire floor! I had the legal team go over everything, and it worked out a better deal to buy rather than lease.”

“You bought the floor?”

“Well, yeah. After all, we own this floor, and we own the 12^th floor in Sydney. Hell, we own the entire building in London!”

“Point taken. Explain to me why we need another floor here, though. I didn’t know you had it in mind to expand.”

“Ah, well, here’s the juice. We’re fitting it out as a fitness and medical centre, not only for us, but for all the other companies in the building, and in the business district if they want to avail themselves of our services.”

“I take it we won’t be offering this service out of the goodness of our hearts,” Jake said with a smile.

“Hell no. There will be corporate memberships on offer along with individual memberships. The fitness centre is almost ready to open. We have most of the equipment installed, and will be interviewing staff next week.”

“Looks like I got here just in time to join in the fun, then. How about the medical centre?”

“We’re still fitting that out, and we need to work out if we want a full medical team, or maybe have a qualified nurse plus some first aiders, and have a doctor on retainer. Want to go have a look round?”

“Thought you’d never ask, mate.”

They finished their drinks and headed out of the office, telling the receptionist to hold all calls until they got back.

“She’s new,” Jake remarked.

“Yes, her name’s Star, and she’s proving to be very good. A bit shy, but she’s slowly coming out of her shell.”

“Great, you can introduce me when we get back.”

Jake was very impressed with the layout of the fitness centre. It had a gym, sauna, hot tubs and massage area, and there was even room for a small beauty salon for the ladies to get their hair and nails done.

“I guess we’ll find you up here rather than in the office when you’re in town now then, Jake.” Alex stated.

“Bloody hell, no, luv. I hate working out. Never go near a gym unless it’s a medical necessity.”

“You’re joking! You mean that ripped body is all natural?”

Jake blushed furiously as Mike answered, “He’s telling the truth, Alex. The last time he was anywhere near any exercise equipment was rehab after the car crash, and he hated every second of it.”

“Moving swiftly on...show me the medical centre, mate.”

Mike picked up Jake’s hint to change the subject, and they moved to the next half of the floor where work was well under way to equip a state of the art medical facility.

“I’m thinking that it won’t only be a run of the mill doctor’s office. There will be alternative medicine, relaxation rooms, and aroma therapy. Everything needed to combat the stress of the daily office grind.”

“Not bad, Mike. Will there be membership for this as well, or will we be offering monthly billing?”

I was thinking membership for the relaxation and aroma therapy, and then any medical costs will be billed either to the individual, or to their company. Quite a few of our business neighbours have asked about signing up already. I thought we might also off a 'drop in' service.”

“Sounds like a winner. Good onya, mate. Glad to see you’ve kept yourself busy while I’ve been...keeping myself busy.”

They all laughed at Jake’s last remark and they headed back to the lift and their offices. As they walked back to the reception area, Star looked up shyly, wondering who the handsome man with the scarred face was.

“Star, I’d like to introduce you to your other boss. This is Aaron Mitchell, CEO and the “A” of A&M.”

“Hello, Mr. Mitchell,” Star said hesitantly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“G’Day, Star. Good to meet you, too. Please, call me Jake.”

“Yes, sir...sorry, Jake.”

“Only my olds and some clients call me Aaron. Tell you what, Luv. It’s almost lunchtime. Care to share a bite to eat with me and we can get to know one another? There’s a good Chinese just around the corner.”

A look of panic flashed across Star’s face. Jake noticed and tried to put her at ease. “We can get take out if you like and use the rec room here, if you’d feel more comfortable.”

“No, it’s alright, Jake...I’d be honoured to have lunch with you.”

“Okie dokie,” Jake replied, rubbing his hands together like a gleeful schoolboy. “Rox, can you man the desk while I take the lovely Star out to lunch? She may be a bit late back, but hey, she’s with the boss so that’s okay.”

Roxanne grinned and nodded, giving Star a hug as she helped her on with her jacket, whispering for her not to be nervous and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as she gently pushed her towards Jake and the lift.

As they walked out into the street, Jake turned to Star and asked if Chinese was really okay with her. She nodded quickly, afraid to open her mouth. Jake smiled and placed his hand on her back to steer her in the right direction. Star shivered at his touch, but suddenly felt very safe with this man.

As they sat and studied their menus, Jake looked over and asked, “If there’s nothing you really hate, would you mind if I ordered?” Star nodded her agreement, and Jake smiled as the waitress came over. She smiled back in recognition and Jake asked for his usual, ordering a mineral water for himself, and after checking with Star, an orange juice for her.

“Do you drink, Star?”

“Not in the middle of the day, especially a work day. Do you?”

“No, luv. I’m allergic to alcohol.”

“Really? I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s no loss. There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks I can enjoy. Don’t need to get drunk to have a good time,” he added, winking. Star giggled, suddenly relaxing completely. She felt like she’d known her boss for years rather than having only just met him.

Over the course of the meal she told Jake all about her life, being the youngest child, and only daughter amongst 6 brothers. She was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. Her parents and brothers were all gospel singers, and although she had a beautiful singing voice, felt like she needed more in her life, so she went to college, got a business degree and moved to Chicago. She was 24, and this was her first job. She enjoyed it very much, but without sounding disloyal, she said she didn’t want to be a receptionist for the rest of her career.

Jake was impressed, and he loved the way her deep brown eyes sparkled when she talked about something important to her. He loved the way she forgot her natural shyness with him, and laughed when she turned the tables on him and asked him all about his life.

“I can tell by your accent that you aren’t a native of our shores, Jake. Are you an Australian?”

“Not quite, luv. I was born in New Zealand, moved to Australia when I was a nipper. My dad has a Kiwi mum and an Aussie dad. My mother’s side of the family are pure New Zealand.”

Star noticed a coldness in Jake’s tone when he mentioned his mother, but she stayed quiet, loving the sound of his voice.

“My grandparents brought me up...long story, too boring for lunchtime chat...and when my grandfather died, he left the property to me, rather than to Gran or my uncle. It’s a working farm in a place called Cloud’s Creek, a small place about 8 hours drive north of Sydney. My Gran and my Uncle both live there. Gran is a doctor. She still does a few shifts at Grafton Hospital every week despite us telling her it’s more than time she began taking things easy. My Uncle runs the farm for me when I’m not around. I have a place in Sydney as well to be close to the office. It’s on a wharf, a marina one side, and a naval base the other. About a 10 minute walk from Sydney Harbour.”

Star gasped, “It sounds beautiful, Jake. I’ve always wanted to travel, and Australia is on top of my list.”

“No worries, we’ll get you an exchange to the office down there for a couple of months, and then on the way back maybe you’d like a stint in the London office as well?”

“That sounds like a dream come true. Do you treat all the staff the same way?”

“Yes, luv. It’s fair dinkum, not a chat up line. Ask Rox and Alex. They’ve both done it.”

“But I’m only the receptionist, and what does 'Fair Dinkum' mean?”

“Yeah, for the moment, but you have ambition, and you never know what we might be able to offer you in the future. It’s good to go through all the departments to see if something grabs you more than what you’re doing right now. Fair Dinkum means 'true, honest or real'. I guess it's an Aussie way of saying I'm not talking bullshit.”

Star blushed and looked down at her plate. “I never expected to find such a good employer, especially my first one.”

“We aim to please, Star. Now, eat up and let’s get out of here.”

“Yes, boss...I guess it’s time to go back to work.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I suppose a trip on the lake is out of the question?”

“It would be nice, but I don’t think even the boss can get away with a 4 hour lunch break.”

“Slave driver...you’ll go far. Come on then, take me back to work.” Jake gave Star his hand and allowed her to drag him back to the office. When they stepped out of the lift, they were both giggling like school kids, and Mike, Alex and Roxanne smiled indulgently at them. It looked like lunch with Jake was all that was needed to bring Star out of her shell.

                                                                        ~

Star sat back down behind the reception desk and watched Jake follow Mike into his office. Before they shut the door, Jake turned and winked at Star which made her sigh. Rox looked at her with a smile.

“So, young Star, what do you think of your other boss?”

“He’s wonderful. So down to earth. Not like a boss at all, and what a wonderful voice.”

“So, would you like membership to the Jake Mitchell fan club?”

Star laughed. “He told me all about his wedding. I think he only has eyes for one lady.”

“You’re so right, Star, and when you eventually meet Angie, you’ll see why. It doesn’t stop us mooning over him, though. And being married hasn’t stopped him being a big flirt. It’s just his Kiwi charm.”

“Roxanne...he told me that he would be happy to arrange for me to go to the Sydney office for a couple of months and then maybe to the London office as well.”

“That’s right. We’ve all done it. It’s good to meet people we might otherwise only speak to over the phone, and we get to see how the other offices do the job. Everyone is great in the Sydney office, and to begin with you’ll find it difficult to get anything done as there’s a great view over the harbour from there. But you won’t have to wait until we get you over there to meet one of the staff. You’ve spoken to Jenny quite a lot, haven’t you? Well, you can be sure that if Jake’s over here for anything longer than a few days that Jenny will be on her way as well.”

“Now, she’s his PA isn’t she?” She sounds English on the phone.”

“You’re very good at accents, Star. Yes, Jenny has lived in Sydney for years, but she’s never lost her accent. She’s more like his big sister than his assistant. I think you’ll like her when you meet her. She’s like Jake; she’ll make you feel at ease right away.”

“Oh, Rox, I’m sorry that it’s taking me a while to settle, I’ve always been the quiet one in the family. Jake made me feel so at home. It felt like we’d known each other for ages, and I seem to have more confidence already.”

“It’s a gift he has. Jenny is just the same, so is his wife, Angie. I think you’ll love it here, Star. Both Mike and Jake treat all their staff like family. I sincerely hope that you decide to stay with us long term, rather than use us as a starting block.”

“Well, I don’t want to stay behind the desk for the rest of my career, but Jake said I’ll be able to rotate around the departments to see where I’m best suited.”

“That’s true. I started as a messenger when the office was in New York, and now I’m office manager. Alex was a secretary and is now Mike’s P.A. so the door is open to opportunity.”

“Even for a young black girl from Roanoke, Virginia,” Star whispered, smiling.

“Star, Jake and Mike will both tell you that race, colour, creed, sexual orientation all mean nothing to them when they look for new staff. Mike took you on because of your degree and because he could see the personality that was hiding behind your shyness. They probably wouldn’t even notice your colour. Jake is from mixed parentage.”

“Yes, he told me, his grandfather was Australian and his grandmother is from New Zealand,” Star replied grinning.

Roxanne tried not to choke on her coffee when she laughed in reply. “It’s more than that, Star. His paternal grandmother and his mother both have Maori blood in them, so he’s about 3/4 Maori and 1/4 Australian.”

“That would explain it then,” Star mused.

“Explain what?”

“His wonderful eyes.”

“Oh, you noticed. They are to die for, aren’t they? And those lashes! I’d kill for lashes like that.”

Just then Mike’s office door opened so they tried to stop their giggles. They were relieved to see it was only Alex and not the men. She looked at them with a raised eyebrow until Roxanne told her whom they had been discussing, ending by letting her know that Star was the newest member of the Jake Mitchell fan club. Alex came over and gave Star a big hug, whispering “Welcome to the family” in her ear. Star smiled...life was good.

Three days later, as Roxanne predicted, Jenny arrived for the duration of Jake’s stay, however long that would turn out to be. She and Star hit it off right away and both Jenny and Alex spent a couple of hours each morning explaining the duties of a P.A. to Star. They both hoped that she wouldn’t decide to leave A&M and try for a post with a rival company, and she put their minds to rest on that score. It looked like Star was there to stay, and she promised that she wasn’t after their jobs, either, but wanted to learn about every aspect of working in the company. Jenny was very impressed with the young receptionist and made a mental note to speak with Jake about her.

                                                                        ~

The Fitness Centre was up and running, and most of the companies in the building were making use of it both during the lunch period and before and after office hours. Mike was basking in the glory if its initial success, which amused Jake no end.

“You thinking of leaving the security business then, Mikey?”

“Hell no, life would be too boring if we were 9 to 5 businessmen, wouldn’t it, my friend? It’s a nice little money earner, though, isn’t it, and you never know, it might bring in some other business when more companies get to hear about who’s running it.”

“You just keep thinking, Mike. It’s what you’re good at,” laughed Jake in his best Sundance Kid impression. “We still need to get the medical centre open, though. You should start advertising for a full time nurse, especially as you’re thinking of making it a drop in centre.”

“Yeah, I thought we’d put some feelers out this week in some of the agencies, then hopefully we can start interviews next week at the latest. I want to do them while you’re still in town.”

“For sure, why should you have all the fun?” Jake winked.

“Don’t let Angie find out.”

“Hey, I’m married, not dead, and my little angel might have a few tips for us, being a nurse and all.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, on to more important things. Are you and Jenny up for dinner out tonight?”

“Are you paying, slick?”

“On this occasion, I think I just might be.”

“Well then, I think you’re on, mate.”

They ended up at Joe’s Stone Crab and Jake felt right at home there as it reminded him of Kingsley’s on the wharf. The meal was superb, and Mike was on form and a wonderful host. He’d invited Alex to make up the numbers, and both the girls were enjoying the attention the men were giving them.

All through the meal, Jake kept getting the feeling that they were being watched. He excused himself to use the men’s room and on the way back to the table, scanned the room, but saw nothing to pique his interest. He rejoined the party in time for desert, concentrating on his Peppermint Ice Cream with Hot Fudge.

Meanwhile, at a table not too far from them, a party of six was watching them.

“OMG, I was right!  It IS them. It’s my ex-bosses. Will, can we leave please. I’ll be so embarrassed if they see me here.”

“Bella, honey, you have as much right to be here as they do. You did nothing wrong, babe. They fired you for no reason. I’ll go have a word with them.”

“Oh please, don’t. I’ll just die if you make a scene. Just let me go to the rest room and then we can leave quietly.”

Will waited for Bella to leave the table and then got up and headed towards Mike’s table. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he was going to do something. Jake was just about to propose a toast to the ladies and raised his glass of Evian water as Will reached the table. He made to walk by and jogged Jake’s chair just as he held his glass up. Water tipped all over him and he looked round.

“Careful, mate.”

“Or what?”

“Hey, calm down. I’m not looking for trouble, I’m just asking you to be careful not to knock the seat.”

“You wanna take it outside?”

Jake sighed and went to get up when Jenny put her hand on his arm.”

“Don’t start anything, please.”

“Don’t worry, luv. I’ll just have a quiet word with him. Maybe he’s had a bit too much to drink and needs a bit of fresh air.”

“Just be careful.”

Jake followed Will out of the restaurant, ready to talk when Will swung round and grabbed him by the throat, pushing him up against the wall.

“I don’t much like you,” Will growled into Jake’s face.

“Get the fuck away from me or I’ll give you reason,” Jake hissed in reply.

Before anything else could happen, Mike and the manager stormed through the doors and pulled Will away telling him to leave before the police were called. He straightened his tie, squared his shoulders, and stormed off, meeting up with the rest of his friends who had left by the rear entrance.

“What was all that about?” Mike asked.

“No idea, mate. Maybe he didn’t like my accent,” Jake smiled. “Let’s go finish our coffee in peace."

The rest of their evening went off without a hitch, and they were soon heading home, the little encounter all but forgotten. Unbeknown to them, across town Will was sitting scheming...

                                                                                    ~

A week later, Mike and Jake were up to their eyes in applications for the nurse’s position in the Health Centre. They had already sorted through once until they had a very long short list of 50, but needed to get it down even more before they started the interviews. Mike looked up to see Jake massaging his temples.

“You okay, Jake?”

“Yeah...no...bit of a headache, that’s all.”

“Got your meds?”

“In the car.”

“Jake, when are you going to admit you need to keep some in the fridge up here? Shall I send someone down to get them?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll go, the walk might do me good. Won’t be long. Don’t feel you have to wait for me.”

“You wish. Don’t worry, I’ll leave a pile for you.”

Jake grinned at his friend and left the office, heading for the parking area. He sat in the passenger seat and got his medication out of the cool box. He injected himself, got out of the car, and had just locked it when he sensed movement behind him. He turned, but he wasn’t fast enough. Pain exploded in his brain and he felt something warm gushing down the side of his head. He was grabbed by both arms, swung round and thrown back against his car. His eyes were fixed on the broken bottle that was headed for his neck. The last thing he heard before his world went black was a woman screaming...

“WILL...NO!!!”

Will turned as Jake dropped, landing slumped against the car door. He saw Bella staring in horror at his handiwork.

“What have you done? Is this why you called me over here?” she screamed.

“Baby, I told you I was going to make them pay for what they did to you.”

“You idiot! He’s not the one who fired me. He tried to stop it happening.”

“Shit! Let me think for a minute. Okay, here’s the plan. Bring the car over, we’ll drive him across town and drop him outside a hospital. By the time they find out who he is, we’ll be well away.”

Bella brought the car over and the men bundled Jake into the back. Within minutes, they were out of the car park and headed across town.

                                                                        ~

Jenny and Alex came back from the Fitness Centre wondering if the boys would notice they were late. They looked over at Mike’s office and noticed the door was open. Alex stuck her head inside and saw Mike alone, scanning an application form.

“Where’s Jake?”

“He had a headache coming on and nipped down to the car to get his meds.”

“It must have been a bad one for him to volunteer to take them,” Jenny remarked. “How long has he been gone?”

“Only a few minutes,” Mike replied, glancing at his watch. “Shit! He’s been gone half an hour.”

“I’m going down to check. He might be feeling bad,” Jenny remarked, heading for the lift.

“Hold up, Jen. I’ll come too,” Mike called after her.

They saw the car but no Jake.

“Maybe he decided to go and get something for lunch while he was down here?”

“Not possible, Jen. He left his jacket upstairs and his wallet is in there, he only picked up the car keys.” As Mike was speaking he was looking around the underground parking area, leaving Jenny to walk towards the car.

“MIKE!”

“What is it, Jen?”

“I think there’s blood on the car!”

Mike ran over and checked where Jenny was pointing. There was blood on the edge of the car roof, and on closer inspection, they found more near the base of the passenger door.

“Jen, go up to street level and call the cops!”

Fifteen minutes later the police and the crime scene unit were on site. After a quick check, the officers left the CSU boys to do their work and went up to the office with Mike and Jenny. Sitting in Mike’s office, they asked for details of what had happened. Mike explained that Jake had gone to the car to get his migraine medication, and hadn’t returned. He then told the officers that when they went to check, they found the blood and called it in. Mike also explained that Jake had no ID on him as his wallet was in the office. They gave the officers all Jake’s details, along with a photograph, and showed them out.

Jenny was close to tears, as were Alex, Roxanne and Star. Mike told them not to worry as Jake couldn’t be too far, and the police would circulate his picture around the area. He took them into his office, sat them down, then went and made them a nice hot drink. There would be no work done that afternoon.

He got all the men in the office on the case, and put the word out to his security teams in the local hospitals, thanking the almighty that he had taken the contracts for uniformed security guards the previous year. Pictures were all well and good, but he had men who knew Jake and could check all the emergency rooms a lot faster than the police could.

                                                                        ~

Pretoria O’Connor was livid. This was the worst thing she had seen since she became a nurse back in her native Ireland. People back home were always moaning about the National Health Service, but at least if you were an emergency you were treated, whether you had money and identification or not. She looked down on her patient.

Yes, they had eventually dealt with his injuries, but they only gave the basic care to keep him alive, all because he had no ID on him and they couldn’t find out who he was, or if he had insurance. It was five hours since they had sewn him up, and no doctor had been in to see him. It was almost as if he had been wheeled into a back room and forgotten.

She should have been off duty over three hours ago, but there was no way she was going to leave him alone. She would do what she could to care for him, if it cost her job in the process. She left him for a few minutes to filch some supplies.

While she was away, one of the A&M security staff was doing the rounds of the corridors and happened to look in through the door she had left open. Joe stopped and stared. He couldn’t believe his eyes,  that looked like his boss laying there. He hadn’t been with A&M all that long, but he’d seen Jake on the induction video that new security staff were shown, and was pretty sure the silent figure was the same man. He radioed the control room to speak with his supervisor.

“Paul,  it’s Joe upon the fifth floor. You won’t believe this, but there’s a guy laying in a room up here who is the double of Jake Mitchell.”

“Joe, get right back there now.  We had a call from Mike to check the ER’s. Jake went missing earlier today. I’ll get word to him to get over here right now.”

“Will do.”

By the time he got back to the room, Pretoria had returned. She smiled at Joe as he came through the door.

“Hi, Joe, can I help you?”

“Hey, Tori. I hope so. Can you tell me who this patient is?”

“Sorry, no, I can’t”

“Aw, come on. Please don’t do the patient confidentiality thing on me. This is kind of important.”                       

“I’m not, Joe. The reason I can’t tell you is that no-one knows who he is. He was dumped at the back entrance about five hours ago. He was unconscious and had no identification on him. It’s assumed that he was mugged.”

“I think I might know who he is. I’ve got someone coming over to take a look at him. We’d better tell somebody.”

“Wait...let’s not tell anyone until your friend has taken a look. Management are on an economy drive. They don’t want to have anything to do with him because they think they aren’t going to get paid, so it’s best to let them forget about him for the moment, in case they decide to throw him out.”

“Hey, they wouldn’t do that, would they?”

“Times are tough, Joe. There’s no such thing as charity in this place.”

Mike arrived like a hurricane. His first stop was the security control room to pick up Paul, who directed him to the fifth floor. Joe was waiting for them outside the room and was almost bowled over by Mike as he passed.

“Jake!” he said softly as he approached the bed. “My God, what happened to you?” He turned and spotted Pretoria. “Is he going to be okay?”

“It’s difficult to say. They only did the minimum to stop him bleeding out before they realised he had no ID and they couldn’t be sure he had insurance. It seems that as this is a small hospital, they are having to account for every penny right now, and can’t take on ‘charity’ cases.”

Mike laughed bitterly. “That’s a joke. If they knew who he was they’d be falling over themselves to look after him. Paul, make arrangements for a medivac chopper to come pick him up.”

Paul went off to do as instructed and Mike turned once again to Pretoria.

“I’ll get him somewhere safe within the hour. Thanks for looking after him, Miss...”

“Pretoria O’Connor.”

“What a lovely name.”

“My friends call me Tori,” she smiled. “Now, can I ask who you are?”

“Sorry, of course you can. I’m Mike Taylor, and this is my partner, Jake Mitchell. Now I think it’s time to let the management know I’m here. Would you do the honours for me?”

“I’ll call them now.”

Ten minutes later the hospital senior management came striding down the corridor and into Jake’s room, glaring at Tori.

“Why is this man still here?”

“Don’t worry, he won’t be here much longer. You can probably hear the chopper heading for the roof right now.”

“Mr. Taylor. What are you doing here? This isn’t a security matter is it?”

“It is now. This man, whom you don’t want to treat, him being without an identity, so in your eyes, obviously without insurance, happens to be my partner, and CEO of the company. So, even if he had no insurance, which he has in spades, he would be able to pay for any treatment in cash, which he also has in spades.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Taylor. We’ll move him right away.”

“Too little too late, my friend. I’m moving him myself...to another hospital. If you’d be so kind as to loan me the use of a gurney, I’ll take him up to the chopper right now.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Why, thank you kindly, Tori.”

“Nurse O’Connor, that’s not part of your duties.”

“I think you’ll find I’ve been on my own time for about 4 hours now, so what I do has nothing to do with the hospital,” she replied, turning towards the door.

They were soon in the chopper and on their way. Mike looked over at Tori, a worried expression on his face.

“Are you going to be in trouble over this?”

“I don’t care if I am. I’ve lost any respect for that place the way they put money above patient welfare. The way they treated your partner was just the last straw. I’ve got a feeling I won’t be going back there.”

“Really? Once we get Jake settled, do you think we can have a chat. I just might have a proposition for you.”

Tori looked at Mike with interest and nodded her agreement.

They were soon at Northwest Memorial Hospital and Jake was rushed to the OR for emergency surgery on his neck injury. Mike took Tori for coffee and a talk.

“Tori, my company is opening a Medical drop in Centre and we’re currently looking for staff. Would you consider a position as our nurse?”

Tori thought for a moment before answering. She looked Mike straight in the eyes and replied, “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“That I go through the interview system with the rest of the candidates, even if that means waiting for your partner to be fit enough to take part. I assume you were going to interview together?”

“Yes, we were. We were going through the applications when all this happened. Will you come to my office tomorrow and fill out a form?”

“I’d be glad to.”

Mike gave her his business card, and one of his best smiles, then told her to head off home as he would be okay on his own. He suggested she needed to be fresh and alert when they met the next day. She laughed and gave his shoulder a squeeze goodnight, and was gone.                

Two hours later, Mike was told by the surgeon that Jake was in recovery.

“How did it go, Doctor?”

“The head wound was sewn up quite well to begin with. So we left that alone. The neck wound was more worrying. His larynx has been nicked by the glass and there could be problems with his voice once everything inside has healed up. It’s a case of wait and see right now, I’m afraid. The good news however, is that he’s going to be okay. We managed to get some blood into him, and he’s stable now.”

“Can I go see him?”

“Yes, of course. He probably won’t wake up until tomorrow, but feel free to stay as long as you can. I met a detective on the way up here, but I told him there was no use him hanging around for now and he should come back after lunch tomorrow.”

“Doc, you’re a star. At least that will give us a few hours of peace. I appreciate it.

                                                                                *

Jake was confused. His head ached and it was almost impossible for him to swallow. Slowly he cracked open one eye and looked around the dimly lit room. He didn't recognise where he was. Hearing movement beside him, he tried to focus on what was suddenly in front of his face. In large letters on a pad were the words:

DO NOT TRY TO SPEAK!!

                                                                               
He followed the hand that was holding the sign, up the arm and across until he could see a face. Mike! He opened his mouth only to see Mike point at the sign.

“Don't try and say anything, Buddy. You've got some damage to your throat. I can get you a pad and pen, and you can write anything you need to ask when you're feeling more awake. For the time being, you're safe in the hospital, and as long as you do exactly what the doc orders, he says you should be able to get outta here in a couple of days.”

Jake smiled weakly, and even though he fought valiantly to stay awake, he was soon sleeping peacefully again. Jenny arrived shortly after to give Mike a break. He left to get some sleep, promising to return in the morning. Jenny kissed Jake on the forehead before settling down in the chair by his bed to read the book she took out of her bag.

                                                                        ~

Jake’s head was still throbbing and it was still painful to swallow. At least he remembered where he was. He moved his head slowly until a figure came into view. Jenny was sitting smiling at him.

“Hi, sleepy head. Remember, you mustn’t try to speak. Your throat has been damaged.”

Jake raised a hand slowly to his neck and felt the dressing on his throat. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened to him, wincing  as pain shot through his head when he tried to lift it from the pillow.

“You got a crack on the head, too, Jake. Try not to move much, and I’ll see if I can find the doctor. If he offers some pain meds, please take them just this once,” Jenny said, smiling down at her boss as she rose to leave the room.

Before she made it to the door, it opened and Mike stuck his head in. Seeing Jake was awake, he bounded over to the bed, kissing Jenny on the cheek as he passed.

“Hey, partner. Hope you’re up to writing, or it’s gonna be a pretty one-sided conversation,” he grinned, pulling a pad and pen out of his pocket and finding the mechanism to raise Jake’s bed a little.

“How do you feel?”

*Rough* Jake wrote.

“Promise to stay calm when I tell you something?”

*Shoot*

“I called Angie, and she should be here any time soon.”

Jake sighed, *Ta, mate*

“Really? You’re not going to ram my head through the dry wall?”

*No strength*

“Lucky me. Seriously, you’re not angry?”

*Not this time*

The pen fell from Jake’s hand as he lay back against the pillow and closed his eyes. Just then, the door opened and Jenny walked in, followed by the doctor.

“Morning, doc. He was awake and chatting a couple of minutes ago,” Mike announced, holding up the pad. “I think I wore him out though.”

“Good morning, Mr. Taylor. I’ll use the opportunity to have a quick look at his wounds then.”

The doctor peeled back the dressing over the head wound and nodded in satisfaction. “That looks good and clean. Now let’s take a look at the neck wound.”

Putting on some medical gloves, he slowly peeled away the dressing on Jake’s neck to reveal an ugly gash, livid red and slightly swollen. He swabbed the wound and redressed it. As he placed his hand on Jake’s forehead and felt the warmth there, Jake opened his eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Mitchell. I’m Doctor Parks. I had to carry out a bit of work on your throat. How are you feeling?”

Jake lifted up the pen and wrote *Hot*.

“Yes, you’re running a bit of a fever from the feel of you. Now, I’ve been warned that you aren’t too keen on medication, but I think we need to give you some antibiotics to clear up the slight infection. It’s nothing to worry about, most likely from the bottle.”

*Bottle?*

“Yes, sorry, I guess you don’t remember what happened. You were hit by a bottle, and then the low life went for your throat with the remains. Now it’s actually not as bad as it sounds, although I want you to refrain from trying to talk, even in a whisper, until I give you the okay. Is that clear?”

*Yes, doc*

“Good man. I was told I was going to have problems with you,” he said, laughing at Jenny and Mike. “But, if you do what I say, and the medication does its job, I think that you will only be our guest for a couple of days.”

That brought a tired smile from Jake. “However,” Doctor Parks continued, “Once you leave here, I want to make it clear that you need to take things easy for the next week or so until I see you again to remove the sutures, then we can see about trying out your vocal chords. Okay?”

Jake nodded and held out his hand, writing *deal* on the pad with his left hand. Doctor Parks shook on the agreement, smiled at everyone in the room, and left, promising to return in a few hours to check on Jake.

True to his word, Jake behaved, took his meds, and in a couple of days the infection cleared up, the fever broke, and his discharge was arranged. Angie arrived in time to help him get ready to leave, an emergency at the hospital at home having delayed her flight out for just over a day. She was soon fussing over him in the company apartment, knowing full well she had a harder job than the hospital staff as once he was out of there, he would try to insist on getting back to work.

Mike gave it a day before heading round to see him. He wasn’t alone. The police came too. Jake still couldn’t remember anything apart from locking the car door and feeling that he wasn’t alone in the parking garage. The interview was short, although it felt like a lifetime for Jake, having to write down his answers. The detectives wished him a speedy recovery, leaving their card for him to contact them if he remembered anything.

Jenny made them all a hot drink and Jake sighed as he leaned against Angie on the sofa and sipped his steaming mug of tea. He smiled at Jenny and gave her the thumbs up. When they finished, Mike broached the subject of the interviews for the drop in centre. He offered to put them on hold, but Jake insisted that they go through all the applications the following day, and make arrangements for the interviews to commence the day after he went to see Doctor Parks. Mike smiled, knowing that Jake must be feeling better, and happy in the knowledge that sorting the candidates wouldn’t be too taxing for him. They would have to wait and see how he was for the actual interviews.

They managed to whittle the pile down to 15 candidates and Mike smiled when Jake approved Pretoria’s application. Jenny made notes to invite the 15 for initial interviews the following week, and Mike turned to Jake, a question on his lips.

“How do you want to work the interviews, Jake? You may not be speaking by then, and even if you are, you’re not going to want to chat all day long for however long it takes.”

Jake took the pad and wrote one word...*Angie*

Mike looked at them both, “Angie?” he asked.

“Yes, me. Jake and I ‘discussed’ it last night. I can sit in on the interviews. Jake can write down anything he wants to ask, and as your resident “medical expert”, I can ask questions on his behalf. As long as you introduce me to the candidates and explain the situation, I’m sure it will be fine. Also, Jake won’t get over tired that way.”

“Sounds like a plan. Jenny and Alex will get the ball rolling tomorrow and we’ll see how we go from there.”

                                                                        ~

The following Monday saw Jake and Angie at the hospital. Angie knew Jake was worried, and was trying to keep his fears from her. When would he learn that he was an open book to her? She held his hand tightly as they waited for Doctor Parks to arrive. Jake would be glad to get the stitches out as they were pulling like mad, and he hadn’t been able to shave around them properly.

The door opened, and in strode the doctor, a broad smile on his face. He sat down behind his desk and grinned at them.

“Good morning to you both. I can see you’re dying to be rid of those little suckers. Shall I do that before we have a chat?”

Jake nodded enthusiastically as he took a seat by the bright light, watching Doctor Parks put his gloves on. It didn’t take too long before all the stitches were out and the itching stopped almost immediately.

“Feel better now,” he asked Jake, grinning at the thumbs up he got in reply. “Okay, take a seat back with your wife and I’ll go over a few things with you. The x-ray and scans we took of your throat all look good. There doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage to your vocal chords. This doesn’t mean you can go out on the lake and scream your head off though.”

Jake and Angie grinned at that remark.

“You may need voice therapy to get you chatting at a normal volume again. I can recommend someone here, or if you want to go back home, I know of a good man in Sydney. Until then, I think it would be a good idea if you keep from trying to talk at any volume. Will that be a problem for your work?”

Jake picked up his pad. *Hell no. Mike can do some work for a change*.

The doctor laughed at that and stood up to shake Jake’s hand.

“It’s been a pleasure, Jake. Sorry we had to meet under such circumstances. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to contact me.” He saw the gratitude in Jake’s eyes, and before he could stop himself, he embraced Jake warmly and slapped him on the back, then turned to Angie and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Look me up before you leave for Australia, and if I don’t see you before, have a Happy Christmas.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Angie replied, kissing him on the cheek before grasping Jake’s hand and heading out of the office and away from the hospital as quickly as she could.

                                                                        ~

They were halfway through the second day of interviews, having a 15 minute break before the next candidate was due, when there was a commotion outside the conference room door. It burst open and a girl flew in, closely followed by Star.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Mike demanded, rising quickly from his seat.

“I’m sorry, Mike, Jake...I tried to stop her...”

Jake raised his hand to let Star know everything was okay, and motioned her to leave the room with a smile.

“You have five seconds to get out of here before I call the cops,” Mike spat.

Jake placed his hand on Mike’s arm and motioned him to return to his seat. Glancing at the girl, he pointed to the seat at the far end of the conference table. He looked at Angie and wrote on his pad.

“What do you want, Bella?” Angie relayed Jake’s question.

“I’m sorry for bursting in like this, Mr. Mitchell. I had to speak to you. I’m too scared to go to the police.”

Mike glared at her, but admitted to himself that his interest was piqued. “Go on,” he hissed.

“I know who attacked you, and why. I was too late to stop it. I’m so terribly sorry,” she sobbed. “It was my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend. He saw you one night in a restaurant, he took you outside if you remember.”

Jake nodded slowly, remembering the night in question when the man he thought was drunk knocked into him and demanded he go outside.

“Mr. Mitchell, he blamed you for the fact that I lost my job here, and decided to get even. He said it was on my behalf, but I think it’s because he could no longer say he was dating a member of staff in the most prestigious firm in Chicago.

“He called me to meet him in the parking garage downstairs. I had no idea what he was planning. When I got here, he’d already smashed the bottle over your head and two of his friends were holding you up. I think he was going to kill you, but my scream stopped him and

the glass didn’t cut your throat as deeply as he wanted.

“I told him that you had tried to get my job back for me, and that’s when he partially came to his senses. He dumped you in the back of my car and we drove to the hospital the other side of town. He threw you out at the back entry and drove away. Please, tell me what I can do to make it right.”

*Tell the police everything you know* Jake wrote.

“He’ll kill me!”

“No he won’t. We’ll look after you.”

Bella, Jake and Angie looked at Mike in surprise. That’s the last thing they imagined he would say.

“I’m the one he should have come after, not Jake. I owe you both. Bella, I was harsh when I fired you, especially right before Christmas, but I made the rules and was upholding them the way I thought was right. I guess it’s too late to say sorry, to both of you.”

*No worries* Jake wrote.

“That’s okay, Mr. Taylor. I’m fine. I just hope you are, Mr. Mitchell.”

Jake held up his pad...*Jake*.

“Sorry...Jake. In the long run, it was a blessing in disguise. I found another position, something I really enjoy, graphic design. Not that Will was impressed. He thought it was beneath me.”

Angie looked over at what Jake was writing and placed her hand on his. “Jake says you’re too good for him, and I agree. I’m Angie by the way, Jake’s wife.”

“Oh cool, you got married. I’m happy for you, but this is neither the time nor the place for chat. I have to do the right thing by you and report this, don’t I? Can I call the police from here?”

“It looks like our next interview will be running a bit late, I’ll take you to my office and we’ll call from there. Would you like us to stay with you when they arrive?”

“I’ll be okay, I think. Can I hang around after they go to pick Will up?”

“Of course. I’ll let Alex and Roxanne know why you’re here. They’ll look after you. When we’ve finished for the afternoon, we’ll make arrangements for your safety. Don’t worry.”

Mike waited with Bella until the police arrived, and then returned to the conference room.

“She didn’t have to do that, did she?”

*I told you all along she was a good kid*

“Okay, I stand corrected. Now, shall we get on?”

Jake was more than ready to go home by the time the last interview was over. He was tired, and his head was sore. He desperately wanted to have a long soak in a hot tub and go to bed. Angie kissed Mike and pulled Jake from the office and down to the car. Before too long they were back in the apartment and Jake got his wish, sinking slowly into the steaming tub. When he’d finished his soak, he wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep, which is just what he did. Angie found him there later, a blissfully peaceful look on his face. She closed the drapes and turned down the light, slipped out of her clothes, and joined the love of her life in slumber.

The following days passed quickly as Mike and Jake worked their way through the notes made for each candidate, until they finally had a short-list of five for a second interview. Once again, Mike was pleased to see that Pretoria was in the final selection.

They scheduled all five appointments for middle of the week, telling themselves that would give them a chance to decide who was successful. They could get the letters out by the end of the week, allowing Jake, Angie and Jenny to head home at the weekend. Jake was sure that Mike would be able to welcome the new addition to the firm without too much help, and he just wanted to get back to Sydney.

                                                          ~

With the final interviews over, and the position filled (Mike was mentally jumping for joy when Jake decided that Tori was the best candidate), there was no reason for Jake to stay in Chicago any longer, so Mike made the arrangements for the company jet to pick up Jake, Angie and Jenny. Before leaving, they made the rounds of the office to say goodbye, Jake hugging the girls while Angie acted as his voice. After a short stop at LAX, they were soon headed out over the Pacific. As usual, Jake slept for the entire flight, even through their brief stop at Honolulu when the relief crew took over, and waking only when the jet started its descent into Kingsford-Smith airport.

Jake smiled as soon as he stepped down from the plane, He was glad to be home again, and couldn’t wait to get into the city. He needed to sleep in his own bed again, lulled by the gentle creaks and bumps of the boats in the marina. He would have preferred to head on up to the farm, but the speech therapist was based at the Sydney Hospital, so that’s where Jake would have to stay for the time being.

                                                                        ~

Mike winced and pressed his hand against his abdomen. If it got any worse he just might have to go into the drop in centre and get Tori to check him out. Despite his discomfort he smiled to himself at that thought. Maybe he would just wait until they got home for her to look him over. Things were going well, the fitness centre was always busy, and he was pleased to see that the medical centre was fast becoming a success, too. Tori was working as the only full-time nurse, but there was now enough  work for Mike to take on two part-time nurses, and he’d made arrangements with his own doctor that their practise would be on a retainer for any cases the nurses couldn’t deal with.

It didn’t seem possible that the clinic had been open almost four months now, or that he and Tori had managed to keep their blossoming relationship under wraps. Mike felt a little guilty when he realised he was breaking his own rule regarding colleagues forming attachments, but one of Tori’s brilliant smiles soon pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. After all, he reasoned to himself, she wasn’t actually working in his office, and wasn’t even on the same floor.

Another twinge brought him out of his reverie, and he jumped when his private line started ringing. Thinking he must change the tone to something less shrill, he picked up the call.

“Michael Taylor.”

“G’Day mate, how ya going?” came a soft enquiry.

“Jake! Man, it’s good to hear your voice.”

“Ta, mate. Not too much volume control as yet, but at least now you have no excuse to chat up my female staff…or my wife, for that matter.”

Mike laughed at the obvious humour in Jake’s voice. It had been a long and frustrating few months for Jake, working with the therapist 5 mornings a week for the past 14 weeks.

“So, how’s the presentation coming along?”

“Almost there, Jake. It’s going to be strange doing this one solo though.”

“Hey, you’re more than qualified to do it.”

Yeah, but you’re much more at ease with public speaking.”

“Not right now, I’m not. Tell you what, though, when you’ve got everything ready we’ll set up a conference call and you can use us as a dry run.”

“Sounds like a plan. Appreciate it, Jake.”

                                                                        ~

Jake’s door flew open and Jenny rushed in.

“Jake, Alex just called.”

“Righto, are they ready for the conference call?” Jake replied, wondering why a call from Chicago had Jenny in as close to a flap as he’d ever seen her.

“No, Jake. It’s Mike…he’s in hospital!”

“Shit. What happened?”

“Ruptured appendix. Alex said they are operating now…”

“And…”

“Sorry, Jake. Alex asked is there any way you can get over there for the presentation next week? Even if Mike is out of hospital by then, there’s no way he’ll be up to it.”

Jake leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I guess I don’t have any choice, do I? Can you get the flight arranged? I need to call Angie.”

~

“How is he? Jake asked as he lowered himself into the seat next to Alex in the visitor's lounge.

“He's in ICU, Jake. They said something about an infection. Tori is trying to find out what she can.”

“Tori? Oh yeah, our nurse. Coming in handy, isn't she.”

“She can certainly get more information out of them than they've been willing to give me. They won't let me see him, either…I'm not family.”

“I'll see what I can do. I've got power of attorney over his medical matters. I'll get us both in, don't worry.”

“Thanks, Jake. Until I see him for myself, I won't rest.”

Jake went off to find the doctor in charge, and after a short discussion, both he and Alex were shown to Mike. Tori was sitting by his bed holding his hand. She quickly let go when she saw Jake enter the room.

“Pretoria, isn't it?” Jake asked, holding out his hand.

“Most people call me Tori,” she replied, shaking the proffered hand.

“Well, Pretoria, thanks for watching out for my friend. Why don't you take a break?”

Knowing a dismissal when she heard one, Tori got up to leave, hugging Alex and telling her she'd see her later.

“Is it the usual practise for staff to sit holding their boss' hand?”

“She's just worried, Jake. Like the rest of us. If it was me, you wouldn't turn a hair.”

“Yeah, Love, the difference being you've known him quite a bit longer than our nurse has.”

“Don't worry, Jake. I'm sure there's nothing untoward going on.”

“I hope not,” Jake mused, subconsciously rubbing the scar on his throat.

Alex went over to the bed, kissed Mike on the cheek, sat down, and took a firm hold of his hand, smiling up at Jake as she did so. Jake went to the other side of the bed, leant over and touched his forehead to Mike's, whispering something in Maori that Alex didn't quite hear. Looking over to Alex, he grinned as he sat down.

“Don't worry, I was just telling him the ancestors are watching over him. You never know, it might help.”

They spent the next few hours sitting quietly watching Mike sleep. He was a little restless, due to the fever brought on by the infection, but Jake was relieved that he didn't look as bad as he'd envisioned. Alex finally looked over at Jake just at the right time to catch him trying to stifle a yawn.

“Jake, you really don't need to stay here all night. You must be worn out. Why don't I take you out of here and get you a bite to eat, then you can get some well deserved sleep.”

“I'm fine, I slept...”

“No arguments. Don't tell me you slept on the flight, either. I'll bet you were sitting there worrying about Mike for the entire time.”

“Okay, you win. Take me to the apartment.”

“No, I think I'll take you home with me. That way we can keep an eye on you and make sure you get some sleep.”

“I don't want to put you both out, I'll be fine on my own.”

“Hey, it's not often I get to boss around my CEO. Do what you're told for once. You're not putting us out. I'll just make a quick call and we can go.”

Jake dropped off to sleep in the car and woke with a start when Alex poked him in the ribs as she pulled into her garage.

“Come on, sleepy. Let's get you inside before you wake the neighbourhood with your snoring.”

“I DO NOT snore,” Jake protested good humouredly.

“I know, got your attention though, didn't I?” Alex laughed, grabbing  Jake's bag from the back seat and pulling him gently into the house.

“We're here.”

“I'm in the kitchen, bring him through.”

Roxanne looked up from a bubbling pot on the stove and smiled at her boss. “Hey, Jake, you hungry?”

“G'Day, Rox. I could eat,” Jake replied, hugging Roxanne and giving her a kiss. “You settling in okay?”

“Yeah, it couldn't be better. We can't thank you and Mike enough for getting us the house. Alex is a great house mate and it's a lovely neighbourhood.”

It was the least we could do, Rox. When your place burnt down we knew Alex was more than happy to take you in, but her apartment was way too small. I could say we were thinking about the firm when we did it. Alex's place is ideal for a company   apartment, so it was a good swap.”

Both girls snorted with laughter knowing that they came off best in the deal as their new house was much more valuable than Alex's apartment. They chose not to argue, though, as they knew Jake would have a good answer for anything they might throw at him, and truth be told, they couldn't be happier in their new home. There was more than enough space for them to have complete privacy if they needed it, but more often than not, they found themselves curling up on the sofa in the main lounge room at the end of the day, eating together and watching TV.

They sat Jake down at the table in the large kitchen. It was cosier than setting up the dining room, especially at that time of night. Alex got some orange juice from the fridge and set it down in front of Jake while Rox dished up a huge dish of pasta marinara.

“That looks great, Luv. I didn't realise just how hungry I was.”

Jake tucked in to the meal in front of him, but before he'd taken more than three or four forkfuls, the girls noticed he was fading fast.

“Come on Jake, let's get you up before you end up wearing your pasta.”

They led him to the guest suite and guided him to the bathroom. While he had a quick wash and cleaned his teeth, Alex rummaged about for a pair of sweat pants she thought she had in one of the drawers, knocked on the door and handed them through to Jake. He came out wearing them and his vest top, yawning fit to burst, looking down at the sweats.

“Not a bad fit. I won't ask who they belong to.”

Roxanne grinned at Alex, who was blushing furiously, and turned down the bedclothes. Jake crawled in and was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. The girls tucked him in, kissed his forehead goodnight, and crept out, closing the door as quietly as they could.

~

Mike wasn't a good patient, and within a day of his infection clearing up he was begging every nurse and doctor he saw to let him go home. Jake smiled, knowing exactly what Mike was going through.  He went to find Mike's doctor to run an idea past him. Before too long, he was back by Mike's bed, smiling down at him.

“Okay, here's the plan. If we can find someone to look after you, the Doc says you can go home tomorrow. You have to promise not to do anything except rest, though.”

“Hey, I can handle that. Anything to get me out of here.”

“Righto, now all we need to do is find you a Florence Nightingale and we're set.”

“Maybe Tori would be willing to take a shift? After all, she's already on the payroll, and we have the clinic covered with the part-time staff. Could you ask her for me, Jake?”

Just then the door opened and Jake turned to see Tori look in.

“No need, mate. Here she is, you can ask her yourself. Come in, Pretoria.”

“Hi, Tori, good news. The Doc says I can break out of here tomorrow as long as I can get someone to look after me. We were wondering if you wouldn't mind working in a different location for a few days until I'm up and around again?”

“I'd be glad to, Mike, if you both think I can be spared from the clinic.”

“Yeah, we think the others can cope. It's not going to be forever, after all. I'm feeling so much better and once I get home, I'll be better yet.”

The following day found Mike back in his apartment with Tori as his full time nurse. They enjoyed the fact that they could be alone together  without worrying that anyone from the office would find out. With Jake in town, Mike was feeling even more guilty about breaking his own rules, but he was being led by his heart and not his head. He decided that he would bite the bullet and tell Jake before he headed back to Sydney. Maybe he would take pity on him in his weakened state.

~~~~~~

Jake was homesick. He'd only been in Chicago for three weeks, but it was spring in Australia and he wanted to get up to the farm for a few weeks before it got too hot. He had decided to take Star back with him and wanted to show her the farm, but wasn't sure how well she would manage a full blown Aussie summer unless she had a chance to acclimatise first. She was doing very well and he hoped that she would do just as well in the Sydney office. Everyone was looking forward to meeting her, although they had no idea it would be this soon. Jake had high hopes for her advancement.

Alex brought him in a steaming mug of tea. That was something else he was missing. The tea in the US just wasn't the same as back home. He took the mug from her, smiling absently as he turned to look out of the window across to the lake.

“It won't be long now, Jake.”

“Until what, Luv?”

“Until you can go home.”

“That obvious, is it?”

“You're like an open book, Hon.”

“Don't get me wrong, Alex. You know I love it over here, but without the old man ragging me all the time, it just isn't the same. Now that I've done Mike's presentation there doesn't seem a lot for me to do.”

“You could always go up to the fitness centre,” Alex replied, poking her tongue out at him.

“I'd rather have my fingernails pulled out,” Jake giggled. “I'll be right, Luv. Mike's coming back to work in a couple of days so I'll make arrangements to head home. I've already got Jim and the crew on standby.”

“Well, you know we'll all miss you when you go back. You're always a little ray of sunshine.”

“You trying to make me blush, Alex?”

Alex didn't answer, but walked up to him, took his now empty mug and kissed him on the cheek before smiling and walking out of the office. Jake grinned to himself before spotting the pile of papers on the desk.  Sighing, he headed over to try and make a dent in them.

~~~~~~

Mike had been back a couple of days, but every time Jake went to his office to speak to him, he was always missing. Jake was due to head home and needed to make sure Mike was up to speed before he headed out to the airport later in the day. He went out to the reception area where Alex and Roxanne were chatting quietly with Star.

“Hey, ladies. Have any of you seen Mike?”

“Not for a while,” Star answered, not able to say any more as the phone began to ring. Alex and Roxanne looked uncomfortably at Jake but said nothing. They both had a good idea what was going on between Mike and Tori, but the last person they wanted to find out was Jake.

“Okay, that leaves you two gorgeous girls. Have you seen the old man? He's been very elusive since he's been back.”

“Umm... I haven't seen him for a while, have you, Rox?”

“Alex, don't ever take up poker. Now, would you like to tell me where he is? I need to speak to him before I head out.”

“I'm sorry, Jake. The last time I saw him, he was heading upstairs.”

“Well, why didn't you say so? There's no reason why he shouldn't go up there. It's his baby, after all. I'll head on up.”

As they watched Jake step into the lift, Roxanne went to pick up the phone. Alex put her hand out to stop her. “No, don't warn him. This has gone on long enough and Jake deserves to find out.”

“Is something wrong?” Star asked.

“Mike's broken one of his own rules, Honey, and Jake might be about to find out.”

Jake entered the fitness centre and looked around for Mike. It was pretty quiet in there as it was still about an hour before lunch. The place was deserted apart from the two personal trainers. Jake asked them if Mike was around and they answered that they hadn't seen him all morning. He headed off towards the drop-in clinic. Maybe he was checking in with Tori about something? He pushed the main doors open to be greeted by one of the part time nurses, who told him she'd seen Mike earlier but wasn't sure if he was still around. Jake headed towards the consulting rooms. All but one of them had open doors and he could see that they were empty. He reached out to open the one closed door. He knew there was no doctor on duty that morning so walked right in. The two occupants were too engrossed in what they were doing to hear the door open, but they jumped apart when it slammed shut.

“Well, isn't this just too cosy? I see you're taking care of the boss in sickness AND in health,” Jake sneered at Tori.

“Jake, I can explain,” Mike began.

“Oh, you can explain, can you? I seem to remember that you compiled a list of rules when we started the business. Wasn't one of them to do with not having a relationship with your colleagues?”

“Jake, you don't understand...”

“Oh, I think I do understand. You fired Bella because you thought she was breaking your rule,” Jake hissed walking up to Mike and pushing him against the desk.

“Jake, please calm down.”

“Stay out of this, Pretoria.”

“Jake, I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. I couldn't help myself. We fell in love.”

“Rules, Mike, you're always saying we have to stick by the rules,” Jake whispered, pointing to his throat. “I got THIS because of your bloody rules!”

He took a step back getting out of Mike's face. Mike breathed a sigh of relief, knowing what Jake was capable of when his blood was up. Then out of the blue he saw stars as Jake landed a perfect left hook sending him flying across the desk.

“YOU FUCK!” Jake snarled before storming out the door. Not wanting to wait for the lift, he barrelled through the stairwell door and rushed down, taking them three steps at a time. He slammed through the door on the next floor down, making the girls jump. They could hear him muttering to himself as he walked towards the reception desk.

“Hypocritical fucker...thinking with his prick...” He looked up to see three pairs of eyes staring at him in shock. “Get your coat, Star, we're outta here.”

“Jake, what should we tell Mike?”

“Tell him to go fuck himself. I don't give a shit. I'm taking Star back to Sydney with me. If he doesn't like it, tough shit.”

“Jake, I don't have anything packed for a trip,” Star stuttered.

“You got a passport, Luv?”

“Yes, it's at my apartment.”

“Okie dokie then, I'll swing by there on the way to the airport. Anything you need on the flight can be bought at the airport, and everything else can be bought when we get to Sydney, okay?”

Star nodded mutely, in total shock about what was going on. As they waited for the lift doors to open, Jake turned back to Alex and Roxanne.

“Give Jim a call at the airport. Let him know we're on our way so he can get the flight plan filed. We should be there in about an hour at the most. I'll call you when I can, Alex. I'm sorry for my outburst just now, but I've got a feeling you know why.”

“Talk to him, Jake.”

“I can't right now, I can't be anywhere near him.”

Just then the lift arrived and they stepped in and were gone leaving Alex and Roxanne looking at each other in shock. The stairwell door burst open again and Mike rushed in, blood streaming from a split lip and a broken nose.

“MIKE! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'll be fine. I guess I just got what I deserved. Where is he?”

“He's gone, and he's taken Star with him. He said he'd call.”

“Shit...I've really done it this time, haven't I,” Mike sighed, sinking down onto the sofa. “I don't think he's going to forgive me for this for a long time, if ever.”

“He will, Mike. You've been through too much together over the years for your friendship to end like this. Give him time to cool down. He has a nice long flight to think things over and I'll bet the first thing he does when he gets home is call you, if he doesn't do it from LAX.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. Now, let me call Tori to come down and take a look at you.”

After Tori had patched up Mike's face, he sat in his office staring at the phone. No call came from LA and he eventually gave up and went home. He set his alarm to wake him when the jet was due to land in Sydney, but spent the entire night awake staring at the ceiling. The alarm went off, but the phone stayed silent.

~~~~~~

Jake was having a rough flight. Star sat silently across from him watching him rubbing his temple as he gazed blindly out of the window.

“Jake, are you okay?”

“I'm fine.”

“Hey, I saw that film too...Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional.”

Jake looked over and smiled. “Yeah, that's me. No, I really am fine. Just got a bit of a headache is all.”

“Have you got your meds?”

“Man, they've trained you well, haven't they. I think there's some in the cool box back in the galley. I'll go take a look.”

As he stood to go aft, he suddenly went as white as a sheet, groaned and doubled up, stumbling to the small on board toilet and struggling to open the door. Star jumped up to help him and they made it just in time. Jake fell to his knees and emptied his stomach down the pan, finally falling back sweating and moaning.”

Star went forward and spoke to Jim, who sent Will, the copilot, back with her. Between them, they managed to get Jake back to his seat, and Star went to retrieve his meds, shuddering at the thought that he was too far gone to administer it himself, and wondering if she had the fortitude to stick a needle into her boss. Thankfully she didn't have to find out as Will held out his hand for the syringe.

“I'll do it, Luv,” he said. “From the look on your face I'd say you've never had to inject anyone before.”

Star shook her head and handed it over thankfully. Will grinned as he saw the relief wash over her face.

“Don't worry, once this kicks in, he'll be fine. I should think he'll sleep most of the way home. When I get back up front, I'll dim the lights just in case he does wake up. It will be too painful for him if I leave them at this level.”

“You're used to doing this for him, aren't you?”

“Well, I've been with him a few times when he's been laid low on a flight. It doesn't happen too often, though. He's usually a fantastic passenger, falls asleep on wheels up and doesn't wake until we start our descent. When he first started getting migraines they were very regular, but now it's usually when he's stressed or upset.”

“I think he's both right now. From what I understand, he and Mike had a misunderstanding.”

“That would do it. They are closer than brothers, so when they have a blue it hits them pretty hard.”

“A blue?”

“A fight, luv. Hey, if you're gonna spend time down home, you have to get to learn the lingo,” Will smiled gently.

“Oh, I will. There will be plenty of people to help me, I'm sure.”

“Too right, Luv. Anyway, it looks like the meds are kicking in. If the attack isn't too bad, that should be the only shot he needs. If he starts waking up and seems to be in pain, come get me and I'll give him another one.”

“Okay, Will. Thank you so much for coming back to help.”

“It was my pleasure. I'll be back later to fix some tucker. If you're awake maybe you'll join us up front for dinner. It's a bit cramped, but I think you'll enjoy the view.”

“Thanks, I'll look forward to it.”

Jake was still fast asleep when Will came back into the cabin to get something to eat, and true to his word, he took Star back up front with him. There wasn't much room, but there was a fold down seat behind Jim and she sat there looking out of the window.

“Where are we?” she asked Jim, peering over his shoulder.

“We're getting close to the Hawaiian Islands. We land there for refuelling, and we have a relief flight crew there.”

“Oh, you mean you're leaving the plane?”

“No, Star, we're going to be passengers for the rest of the journey to Sydney. If we'd been flying from LAX direct we could have made the entire trip, but coming from Chicago ate up our flying hours, so we have to take a break. We could stop overnight in Honolulu, but as Jake is crook, we called ahead for backup so that we can carry on and get him home.”

“How long before we get to Hawaii?”

“We'll start our descent as soon as we finish eating. Will's going to come back with you and help get Jake strapped in, and then you can either sit with him or come back up front and watch the landing with us.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful, but will Jake be okay lying down for landing?”

“No worries. We have a special rig we can use. Sometimes we have to fly people around who have to be kept flat so we had a harness made to fit on the seats we have Jake laying across. He'll be snug as a bug, and probably won't even know we've landed.”

Jim was right, and Jake slept through the landing, refuelling and take off, and didn't begin to stir until they were taxiing towards the executive hangar at Kingsford-Smith. Jenny had advised the airport officials that the flight was due in with a sick passenger, and the customs and immigration officers were waiting on the tarmac to check everyone's papers. Within 15 minutes of landing, they had Jake in the back of the car and were headed into the city.

Jenny and Angie were at the apartment when security buzzed them to let them know the car had arrived. They were waiting at the door as the lift slowly made its way up from the underground wharf parking. They were relieved to see Jake was walking, even though he needed support, and stepped aside to let Darren lead him in and up the stairs to the master bedroom, offering to settle him in while the girls went into the kitchen to make hot drinks.

“Well, Star, I bet this isn't the way you thought you were going to get here,” Jenny remarked.

“It certainly isn't. Jake just told me to get my passport and follow him. I didn't even have time to pack.”

“Lord, he must have been steaming. I think a phone call is in order, then.”

Jenny went out on the balcony with her cell phone, leaving Star in the kitchen with Angie.

“Mrs. Mitchell. I'm so sorry to turn up out of the blue like this. I know I wasn't due to come down here until the new year.”

“Don't worry, Star. I'm glad you were with Jake on the flight. Believe it or not, even though he was out of it for most of the time, he'll have known you were there looking after him, and I thank you on his behalf. I'm really glad you're here. We didn't really get much time to get to know each other in Chicago, did we? I'm looking forward to being able to spend some time with you now you're here, and please call me Angie.”

“Okay, it's all arranged,” Jenny said, bouncing back in from the balcony. “The girls will be here as soon as they can persuade Davey to take over reception, and then if Star isn't too tired, they're taking over shopping duties.”

“Um, Jenny, I don't have any Australian money. We left so fast I didn't have time...”

“You don't need any money, Star,” Jenny interrupted, handing over a plastic card. Star took the card and stared at it in surprise.

“It has my name on it,” she gasped.

“It certainly does. It's your company charge card for use while you're in Sydney. We ordered it when we got back four months ago. You can use it for cash at the ATM as well as for purchases, and don't worry, Jake hasn't had a limit put on it. He wanted you to enjoy yourself while you're with us.”

Star sank down into the nearest chair in shock. She thought the best she could hope for was an advance in her salary to allow her to buy the essentials she needed until pay day.

“We'd love you to stay with us here tonight, Star, and then tomorrow we can sort something else out.”

“Thank you,  Angie, that's very kind. It will give me a chance to get a room arranged.”

“Don't be silly, Star. You won't need a hotel. You'll be staying in one of our company properties. We have quite a nice one bedroom apartment here on the wharf if you don't mind living close to the boss. Actually we have two. They are both empty right now so you can chose the east side or the west side.”

“Which would you suggest?”

“Well. We're on the west side here, but if you want to have some distance from Jake you could go the other side of the building. However, the east side looks out over Garden Island, and although it sounds pretty, it's actually the navy dockyard. Come with me to the balcony and you'll see the view you'll have to put up with if you chose the west side apartment.”

They all stepped out onto the balcony, and Star gasped.

“Okay, if you look to the left you can see the board walk. There are restaurants all along there which we'll show you later. You can see the main road from here and across the other side of the road is The Bells pub. The marina right below us is private so there isn't a lot of noisy boat traffic, and actually it can aid sleep at night when you can hear the boats gently rocking against their moorings. If you look to the right you can see out to the harbour, and that stone building on the little island is Fort Dennison. You can see the top of the harbour bridge through the trees as well from here and the green area up on the rise is the Domain and beyond that we have the Botanical gardens. Later on this evening you'll be able to see the bats.”

“Bats?”

“Yes, we have a colony of fruit bats living in the gardens, and every evening at sun down you can sit on the balcony and watch as they leave their roosts to search for food. It's quite spectacular. We can take a walk through the gardens tomorrow and you can see, and hear, them roosting. They are pretty loud to say the least.”

“Gosh, it's nothing like Chicago, that's for sure. There's so much for me to take in.”

Just then the security phone buzzed and Angie went to check the video screen. It was Dee and Sandi so she buzzed them in. Before she knew what was happening, Star had been whisked out of the apartment and Angie and Jenny could see the three girls walking along the board walk to the taxis waiting outside the hotel entrance. They both giggled and went back into the lounge room.

“Poor lamb is going to be shattered by the time those two let her come home. I hope she doesn't flake out on them.”

“I think she's too excited for that to happen, but I'll bet she sleeps well tonight. Talking of sleep, I'll just pop up to see how Jake is. Darren hasn't come down yet.”

Angie ran upstairs and slowly opened the bedroom door. Jake was sitting on the side of the bed, his head resting on Darren's shoulder. Darren was stripped to the waist and seemed to be wearing a pair of Jake's sweats. He looked round at Angie and grinned.

“He insisted that he needed a shower before getting into bed. His legs decided it wasn't a good idea so I went in to hold him up. Got kinda soaked so I snagged a pair of his sweats. I'm just finishing getting him dressed for bed, then I'll borrow a tee and make myself decent.”

“Oh, Dazza, you're a mate. Thanks for your help. Let's get him into bed and then you can come down for a cuppa and I'll get your stuff dried.”

Jenny laughed when she saw Darren come down the stairs clutching a bunch of sodden clothing. Angie explained what had happened as she herded him in the direction of the laundry room. Jen made herself useful in the kitchen, putting the kettle on ready for a hot drink. She was soon joined by the others, and they took advantage of the afternoon sunshine by taking their drinks onto the balcony.

“It will be a while before your gear is dry, Daz. Why not stay for dinner? Jen's staying.”

“Ta, Angie. On one condition though. We order in, and it's my shout.”

“Deal! We'll wait a bit and see if the girls feed Star before they bring her back.”

The next couple of hours were spent sitting quietly watching the boats bobbing at their moorings, and the odd water taxi darting in and out of the marina. The sun was sinking behind the harbour bridge before the security phone played its annoying tune. Angie rushed to answer it for fear it might wake Jake up. It was the girls. She buzzed the security door open and stood out on the walkway watching them make their way to the lift. They were laughing and chatting as they got closer. As the lift door opened on the fourth floor, she raised a finger to her lips, warning them to keep the noise down. Looking suitably contrite, they followed her into the apartment and took Star's purchases into the downstairs guest room.

Darren stood open mouthed watching them. “How did they all fit into the taxi with that mountain of bags? It looks like they bought up everything in Sydney!”

“Don't worry your head about that, Daz. It's a girl thing. Good job I didn't get the other room ready, I don't think they would have made it up the stairs with all that lot. Fingers crossed they don't persuade Star to unpack everything or it will take forever to move her to the other flat in the morning.”

Sandi and Dee came out of the guest room, quietly closing the door behind them. They smiled at the three enquiring faces.

“She's out for the count. She sat on the bed to take her shoes off and the next thing we knew, she was fast asleep amongst her shopping. We got her comfy and covered her up. I don't think you'll see her again tonight.”

“Thanks, Sandi. We're ordering dinner in. Would you both like to stay?”

“We won't, if that's okay. It's Friday night and The Cross is calling. We need to get home and get our glad rags on.”

Darren walked them down to the roadway and waited with them for a taxi. Warning them to be careful, and telling them to have a good time, he waved as the taxi headed away. He turned back to the board walk and entered the Chinese restaurant to order dinner. When he got back to the apartment he told the girls dinner would be 30 minutes, giving Angie time to check on both Jake and Star. She found them both sleeping peacefully, and rejoined the others.

After an enjoyable meal, and once more dressed in his own clothes, Darren offered to take Jenny home, promising that they would both be back the next day to see how Jake was doing, and help move Star into her temporary home on the wharf. Angie wandered around tidying up the dinner things, set the dish washer, and slowly climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. She quietly got ready for bed in the bathroom, kissed Jake on the forehead, and snuggling next to him, was soon asleep.

Saturday promised to be another glorious late spring day. The sun was already quite high in the cloudless cobalt blue sky when Star crept out of her room. She was greeted with a cheery “Morning, Hon,” from Angie, who was busy in the kitchen.

“Good morning, Angie. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Oh thanks, Luv. Could you get the table ready? Brekkie won't be long. We can eat in here or out on the balcony. You chose.”

Star glanced towards the open patio doors and smiled, heading towards the balcony with the place mats and silverware in her hands. As she set the places, she called softly to Angie. “How's Jake this morning. Will he be up to eating?”

“I think he'll manage some tea and toast. He's feeling a bit more human. I left him heading for the shower.”

As they sat out on the balcony chatting over a cuppa, they heard the bedroom door close and looked round to watch Jake walk gingerly down the stairs, looking up and smiling when he felt their eyes on him. He kissed Angie, then walked round the table to place a kiss on top of Star's head. “Morning, Star,” he whispered, taking his seat at the small patio table.

“Good morning, Jake. How are you feeling this morning?”

Jake smiled before answering, “Fragile would be a good word. Fragile and starving,” he added seeing Angie walking back from the kitchen with a loaded tray.

“Hungry, darling?”

“I think I could eat,” Jake replied, reaching for a slice of toast.

As they chatted over their breakfast, Star began to realise that she was really in Sydney and it wasn't just a dream. She was about to reveal her thoughts when the security phone sang out. Jake got up to answer it, muttering about changing the tune, and snagging a piece of Star's bacon as he passed. “Hey!” she protested, laughing along with Angie. Jake winked at them and headed to the phone. He buzzed the security door open and went to the apartment door to await their visitor. Minutes later, Jenny came through the door, hugging Jake and kissing him on the cheek.

“You look better than yesterday.”

“I feel better, thanks. Did you come round for brekkie?”

“No, I came to help Star move her stuff. Darren was going to come too, but he got a call from his folks this morning and had to sort out some family matters with them. I won't say no to a cuppa, though.”

“The girls are out on the balcony. Go join them while I put the kettle on.”

By the time he'd made a fresh pot of tea, there were girlie giggles coming from the balcony and he wondered for a second if it was safe to join them.

It didn't take long to get Star settled into the apartment. She was surprised that it was on the same walkway as the two-floor one that Jake and Angie lived in, even though this was a single floor. Jake explained how the apartments were laid out before asking her if she was hungry. She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see it was 3:00. She found herself getting steered to the door and into the lift. They walked the short distance to the tall glass security doors and waited for them to slide open. Turning right, they walked down the steps that led out to the marina, then turned left to head for the board walk and the restaurants. Not being dressed for Otto's, they opted for Kingsleys, and spent the next couple of hours enjoying a succulent steak meal. Star leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I'm full to overflowing,” she stated.

“I know just the thing for that,”  Jake remarked, asking for the bill. “You up for a little stroll?”

“I think I can manage that, as long as you go slow. A full stomach and heat doesn't add up to speed.”

Jake giggled as he held his hands out to help both women up. Wrapping his arm around Angie's waist, they headed off towards the row of cream painted apartments the other side of the marina. Star noticed the long line of steps and groaned. Angie giggled as Jake led them both around the side of the buildings to a lift. Taking it to the flat roof area, they walked through the landscaped roof gardens until they got to another set of steps to the road. They crossed and walked through the ornate Woolloomooloo Gate entrance to the Botanical gardens. As they walked down the slope, Star couldn't help but notice the noise coming from the trees near the pond.

“What's that noise?”

“It's the bats. Remember we told you about them, and how noisy they could get?”

They got to a shaded area just above the shop and cafe and Star noticed how soiled the pathway was. Looking up, she gasped. Above her, the trees were alive with chattering fruit bats.

“Oh my Lord, they are the most beautiful things I've ever seen. There are dozens of them.”

“More like hundreds, or even thousands. Later this evening, we'll sit on the balcony and you can watch them leave their roosts for the feeding grounds.”

“Oh, Jake, Angie...this is beautiful. I can't thank you enough for showing it to me.”

“Get used to it, Luv. If you walk to work, you'll be passing this way every day while you're here. Come on, there's a lot more to see.”

They walked slowly past the cafe, Jake getting waves from the waitresses, and headed past the pond and down to the harbour wall. Turning left, they walked towards the main harbour, smiling as Star gasped at her first view of the Opera House and bridge. Five minutes later, she was running up the steps to the front of the Opera House, and Jake was taking pictures of her with the camera Angie had thought to bring. They would mail them to the girls back in Chicago when they got to the office.

They were soon at Circular Quay  and Star was amazed at the colour of the water. She had never seen such a deep green sea. Jake urged her on past the ferry terminal and before long they were standing outside an impressive office building. They walked in  past the security desk, towards the row of lifts, and Jake pressed the button for the 12^th floor. They stepped out and Jake proudly showed Star the Sydney office of A&M Services.

For some reason, she thought it would be a carbon copy of the Chicago office, but no, this was totally different, and stunning. When she followed Jake into his office she stood and stared. The entire outer wall was a picture window, with views out over the harbour.

“How do you ever manage to get any work done with a view like that?”

“That's what I have Jenny for,” Jake replied. “She's good at cracking the whip and keeping me focussed. Anyway, let's continue the tour. I thought it would be better for you to find your way around without having to stop every five seconds to get introduced to everyone. We have the entire floor, like in Chicago, but as you can see, we don't have the same layout. They copied the New York design when they relocated. I wanted us to look different down here.”

“It's beautiful, Jake. I think I'm going to enjoy meeting everyone on Monday.”

“Oh, you won't be starting work on Monday. We've organised a little trip for you before we chain you to a desk.”

“Jake wants you to come up to the farm with us for a while and meet the family,” Angie explained. “We're heading off tomorrow. We need to get you back to the wharf so that you can have an early night as we'll be leaving bright and early since Jake wants to drive up.”

Everyone in Cloud’s Creek loved Star, and they were sad to see her leave the day Jake said it was time to get back to Sydney and finally put her to work. In truth, she was excited. Not only was she going to meet everyone in the Sydney office, but hopefully learn even more than she had already in Chicago. The most exciting thing, though, was the thought of spending Christmas and New Year in that wonderful city. She’d heard so much about it from everyone and had never imagined she would be lucky enough to take part in it herself.

The weeks flew by and before she knew it, Christmas was just around the corner. Angie and Jake invited her to stay with them for the holiday. She thought it was kind of funny as they were both in wharf apartments anyway, but they said there was no way they were going to let her spend her first Aussie Christmas all alone. She momentarily wondered what they meant by ‘first’, but let it go as there seemed to be a lot to do. High on the list was decorating the office. She couldn’t get her head around the fact that it was almost 40 degrees outside and the girls were merrily trimming a tree in reception.

“Blows your mind a bit, doesn’t it,” a voice spoke softly behind her. She jumped, having not heard Jake come out of his office. She turned to face him.

“It certainly is a bit strange. It’s roasting outside. I’m used to snow at Christmas, not heat haze.”

“Would you rather I arranged for you to go home for the holidays, Star?”

“Oh no, Jake, I must sound very ungrateful. I’m loving every minute of the experience. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Jake smiled with relief. “Good oh. Why don’t we leave the girls playing with the tree. I think it’s time we went Christmas shopping. If there’s anything you still need to get for your family, we can get it today,  then go back to the apartment and wrap everything up. I can arrange for Jim to fly it over.”

“Jake! I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that…” she stopped as Jake held his hand up. Realising that it was something he would most likely do for any of his staff, she smiled shyly and accepted his offer. She was secretly looking forward to skipping out of the office with the boss to Christmas shop, and wondered how many of her college friends would be able to do the same thing back home.

Four hours later, a pile of packages, closely followed by Star and Jake, fell through the door of Jake’s apartment. Angie looked up and giggled at the sight. She knew Jake was trying to make sure Star didn’t get homesick. They both wanted her to enjoy a traditional Aussie Christmas, but he'd still send her home in an instant if that’s what she really wanted. Angie stood up to help untangle her husband from all the designer bags, then turned round to try and find Star behind all the boxes.

“Have you left anything for everyone else in Sydney?”

“Just about, luv. Now the big question is are we ever going to get this all wrapped up ready to send off with Jim?”

“Oh, when is he flying out?” Star asked, a worried look on her face.

“Whenever I tell him to, Star. Don’t worry,” laughed Jake.

Angie went to put the kettle on, and after a refreshing cup of tea, they all got down to business, asking Star what she would like them to wrap for her. She sorted things into small piles, and put a label on each pile with a name on it, so that things wouldn’t get mixed up.

“As long as we wrap one pile at a time, I can put the tags on and Aunt Lettie won’t get Uncle John’s things by mistake,” she grinned.

Angie watched as Star grabbed hold of about six large bags and took them into the guest room, telling them that they were for the people in the office so she could do them later. When she came back out, she saw Angie sitting back watching Jake with a smile on her face. He was really enjoying wrapping, and was very good at it.

“I always let him do any gift wrapping, Star. I usually just write the tags. So, if you get them out we can start writing.”

“Oh, help. I got the gift wrap and the ribbon, but I think I forgot the tags!”

“Don’t worry. Come and take a look at these. They might be okay for you.”

Angie led Star into the dining room and opening a drawer, pulled out a large cardboard box. Star looked inside and smiled. “They’re beautiful.”

“You’ve met Carol from the café in the gardens?” Star nodded. “Her daughter makes these and we always get way more than we need. These are left over from last year, and the other unopened box in the draw are the ones Jake got from her for this year.”

“They are certainly nothing like the folks back home would have ever seen. What exquisite work.”

“Rosie is a fantastic artist. You’re bound to bump into her one day in the gardens. She’s often found working there painting the plants. We’ll introduce you to her the next time we see her.”

With Jake and Angie’s help what would have been a monumental wrapping session was finished in just over an hour. Jake got two large cartons from the garage and packed everything up ready for Jim to pick up and take to the airport.

“They’ll be in Chicago at the end of the week, and Alex will courier them across to Virginia for you,” Jake assured Star. “Now, let’s go eat.”

Christmas Eve started bright and sunny though Star wondered why she was being rushed through her breakfast. She had already been told that the office was now closed until the second week in January, and thought they might be taking it easy today. Angie and Jake hustled her out of the door and they were soon walking towards The Domain.

“Where are we going, Jake?”

“You’ll see,” he smiled back at her.

She soon saw a great crowd of laughing, smiling people, and thought she spotted Jenny, Dee and Sandi as well as some of the men from the office. Darren was there with his parents as well.

“Welcome to the Domain Carol Service,” Darren said, kissing Star on the cheek and introducing her to his folks. “We do this every Christmas Eve. What do you think?”

“It’s wonderful. I’ve never sung carols outside in the sunshine before. What an experience.”

“Just wait until tomorrow morning. I’ll bet Jake has something else new in store for you,” Darren grinned.

Sure enough, the next morning there was no Christmas Day lay in. Jake had Star up bright and early, and they were in the car before breakfast.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re off to get Christmas lunch,” Jake replied.

It didn’t take long to reach their destination. Looking out of the car window, it seemed to Star that the whole of Sydney had the same idea.

“Wow, now this is what I call a crowd,” she remarked as they made their way to the entrance of the Sydney Fish Market. “We could be spending our entire Christmas Day here.”

Just then she heard someone call Jake’s name and looked over to where a stall holder was beckoning them. He handed Jake three over-stuffed bags which Jake quickly paid for, and before she knew it, they were back in the car and headed home.

“So, what’s in the bags?”

“Fish,” Jake laughed.

“Well, DUH…I think even I worked that out,” Star giggled.

“You’ll see soon enough, young lady.”

They got back to the apartment and Jake stuffed the bags into the fridge. Angie had breakfast waiting for them out on the balcony, and Star noticed there was an extra place set. Just then the security phone chirped, and Jake smiled as he pressed the button to release the glass security door downstairs. He opened the front door and welcomed Jenny in.

“Merry Christmas, Luv,” he whispered, giving Jenny a kiss and a hug. “Brekkie is ready, and you’re just in time for the great debate.”

“Oh lord. Do we have to go through this every year? I know, we’ll let Star decide as it’s her first Sydney Christmas.”

“Good thinking,” Angie and Jake said in unison.

“Decide what, “Star asked, looking a little worried.

“Where we’re having Christmas lunch.”

“Oh. I thought we were eating here.”

“No, mate. That’s not the way things work. You have a choice of two locations. The park, or the beach.”

“Oh, how wonderful. Um, would you all be disappointed if I chose the park?”

“Not at all luv, I’d rather not get sand in me tucker. The park it is. We haven’t taken you Centennial Park yet have we? It’s quite civilised out there. They have BBQs already set up and all we need to take is charcoal and food.”

“And my camera, please.”

“Ah, want to take pics of the monkeys eating, “Jake giggled. “No worries, luv. Of course you can take your camera. We’ll take the bikes too, as there are some nice cycle tracks around the park. We’ll need it after stuffing ourselves stupid. Let me make a quick call, then we can enjoy brekkie.”

Star was pleased to see Darren and his parents and David and his partner already setting things up when they arrived at the BBQ area of the park. She then realised why they hadn’t packed any charcoal in the car, and why Jake had brought so much food. The men gathered round the brick BBQ while the women set the picnic tables. They were lucky to have a place under the shade of a giant tree. Star was relieved as it was certainly the hottest Christmas Day she had ever  experienced.

They had a wonderful time. The food was wonderful, the company even better.  Just as she felt herself dropping off to sleep, Jake nudged her arm.

“Ready for that bike ride?”

“Oh, yes, I think that’s just what I need,” Star replied, stifling a yawn.

“It’s a bit cooler now, and we can stay under the trees. There’s a nice cycle track that goes past the duck pond. I think you’ll like it down there.”

“You got a spare bike, Jake?” Darren enquired.

“It just might be your lucky day, mate. We brought four, so if Jin doesn’t want to come, you can use the one I brought for her.”

“Ripper!” Darren grinned.

Jake and Angie let Darren and Star go on ahead and grinned at each other watching how animated Star became when Dazza was around.

“Love’s young dream,” Angie whispered.

“You think so?”

“I know so. Come on then, mister. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Jake laughed as Angie shot off down the cycle path, enjoying the rear view of his wife as she peddled off into the distance. He soon caught up with her and they cycled slowly, hand in hand, enjoying the wonderful day.

New Years Eve! Star could hardly contain herself. She’d even spent a few days watching the men rigging up the fireworks across the bridge, and this morning, the fire barges were being towed into place ready for the show later on. She was amazed when Angie told her that there would be two displays, one at 9:00 pm for the children who were too young to stay up until midnight, and then the grand display, set to music, at midnight. She told Star that it usually lasted between ten and fifteen minutes, and was worth every second. Jake had a surprise in store for her as well. He had managed to arrange for one of the firm’s clients to make space on his cruiser for them, so they were going to watch the main display from the harbour and not amongst the million others who would be vying for the best spot along the shore.

January 2^nd found Angie rushing around packing for her trip up country. She was rota'd for the next outback clinic and would be  gone for just over a week. She was flying up later that day and would join the RFDS flight the following morning. Jake was going to miss her, but had the annual grudge cricket match to look forward to. He was taking Star along to see something he told her was infinitely better than baseball, which he likened to the girls game of rounders. He knew Jenny would be there too, but as the office was closed until the following Monday, he didn't think many of the others would bother to turn up since they were all most likely still away after the Christmas break.

Wednesday found Jake alone in the office. He might have given the staff the extra time off, but there were things he really needed to get done, and as it was all paperwork, an empty office was ideal. The phones were all switched to their message service, so he didn't expect any interruptions. Even kidnappers seemed to like a Christmas break. He was elbow deep in papers when he heard the lift stop and the doors open. He looked up towards his open office door, straight into the face of Mike.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled.

“I thought the place would be empty.”

“So it would be safe for you to make an appearance? Well, sorry to disappoint you. Now, what do you want?”

“I came to talk to you, Jake.”

“Ever heard of the phone?”

“Yeah, right. And let you hang up on me like you've been doing for weeks? We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Can I stay at one of the apartments?”

Jake opened his desk draw and threw a set of keys at Mike. He then turned his attention back to the papers on his desk and ignored Mike, who sighed and turned back towards the lift, deciding to see if Jenny was at home.

“Mike! What a wonderful surprise, come in please.”

“Hey Jenny. A belated Happy New Year to you. Can Tori come in too?”

“Of course she can. Where is she?”

Mike turned to the parked car outside Jenny's place and beckoned to the passenger. Tori stepped out and made her way cautiously to the front door. Jenny greeted her warmly and ushered them both inside.

“Do you have somewhere to stay?”

“Yeah, the big guy threw some keys at me. Looks like I have the east side apartment. I'm guessing Star has the good one.”

“You saw Jake? Wow, that's brave of you. You're still not the flavour of the month you know.”

“Yeah, I have a strip of frostbite down one side from the glare he gave me at the office.”

“He's at the office? Oh lord, and I bet you thought it was safe to sneak in and pick up the keys from his desk. He wouldn't be there, but Angie had to go off on the outback clinic run this week, so he must have decided to catch up on some paperwork while it was quiet over there.”

“He wasn't pleased to see me, Jen. I think this bridge is going to be very difficult to mend.”

“Tell you what. Why don't you both come to the cricket match on Saturday. Jake's playing. He's in good form so I think his team will win, so he'll be in a good mood after, and he won't start a scene in front of everyone. Maybe you can tell him what you need to on neutral ground.”

“Jen, that's a good idea, and until then, we'll keep a low profile. I think we can avoid each other for a couple of days.”

“Good thinking, Batman,” Jenny giggled in reply.

~

Mike was on his feet before the bowler was half way through his run up and had vaulted over the barrier heading towards the wicket as the ball left the bowler's arm. He had a sick feeling. He had almost reached Jake when the ball made contact with his skull. He crumpled, unconscious before he hit the ground. Mike kneeled beside his friend, looking up and calling for medical assistance. He rolled Jake into the recovery position, checking to make sure his airway was clear, then sat guard over him until help arrived. Luckily there was always an ambulance on standby at the ground, and there was more than one doctor watching the match.

Jake was gently lifted onto the stretcher and rushed to the waiting ambulance. It didn’t take too long to reach the Royal Prince Albert, which was the nearest hospital from the ground. Scans were made and the earlier gash to his cheek was properly sewn up as they checked the results of the scan on the computer. Luckily there was no skull fracture, and brain activity seemed to be normal. Jake was moved an observation room with Mike by his side. Until they could get hold of Angie, Mike had power of attorney over Jake’s medical care, as Jake did for Mike, so the doctors allowed him to stay. It was getting late by the time the door quietly opened and Angie crept in.

“Mike! What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Angie, that’s just what Action Man said when he saw me, only without the colourful additions of course.”

Mike got up to hug Angie as she asked, “How long have you been in town?”

“We got here on Wednesday.”

“We?”

“Yeah, Tori’s here too.”

“Ah. I bet that was interesting. I’ve been at the bush clinic and haven’t spoken to Jake since Monday Night.”

She went over to the bed and took hold of Jake’s hand. “How’s he doing?”

“The doc said there’s no brain damage, and no fracture. He hasn’t woken up since it happened though, which is a worry.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“I think I can,” a voice said behind her. Angie turned to see Tori standing next to Mike.

“Mike still doesn’t understand cricket. It was the last over before tea and Jake was on 89. I think they were determined to stop him getting his hundred, and were equally determined to get him out before the tea interval. The first ball was a bouncer, but Jake managed to get underneath it and hit it for 6. Their bowler looked distraught, but their team manager looked livid.”

“I’ll bet,” Angie answered. “It’s always a grudge match.”

“The second delivery was a no ball, but it struck Jake in the ribs and took him down. He got his second wind and said he was fine. The third delivery went for two runs, putting him on97, with four balls to go. The bowler looked over to the club house and got some kind of signal from his manager. He delivered another bouncer, which was yet another no ball. This one struck the guard on Jake’s helmet and spun him around.”

“Yeah,” Mike interrupted. The next thing we saw was Jake tearing at his helmet and there was blood everywhere. The ball hit the guard so hard it buckled and tore into his cheek. The team medic went to sort him out. I think he wanted him off, but Jake told him to strip it until the end of the over.”

“His helmet was wrecked,” Tori continued. “He said he would be okay without as there were only a few more balls to go, remembering the two extra to cover the no balls. The next two deliveries gave him no runs at all. Now there were just two balls to go and the next delivery was short. Jake judged it just right, coming up the wicket to meet it. He hit it for another six. The crowd erupted as he acknowledged their applause at passing his century. The bowler was beside himself. One ball left, he had to try to get him out.”

“That’s when I thought something was wrong, “Mike said. “I saw the look between him and his manager and felt I had to get to Jake. The ball never hit the ground. He was aiming at Jake. I got to him just as he hit the ground. He was out for the count and already bruising up.”

Angie turned back to Jake to look at the bruise which covered most of the right side of his face.

“Thanks for watching over him, guys. You look all in, why don’t you go get some rest? I’ll stay here with Jake.”

Mike nodded and gave Angie a kiss and a hug before wrapping his arm around Tori’s waist and leading her out the door. Asking Angie to call him if Jake woke up during the night, he winked at her and was gone.

Angie sat holding Jake’s hand and stroking the hair away from his forehead. He was a little warm, and restless, but when the doctor came in to check on him a bit later, he wasn’t too worried, saying that sleep was probably the best thing for him right now.

“I'm not sure if I should go see him, Tori. Even when he's less than 100% he's more than a match for me, only don't tell him I admitted that.”

“Oh, Michael. I think you're safe while he's in hospital. I don't think he'll do anything to you, if only for the fact he's going to have the mother of a headache.”

“You're right,” Mike smiled. “I'm being a bit of a coward aren't I? He's my best friend as well as my partner. I'm hoping even he can't hate me forever.”

“He doesn't hate you, my love. He's bitterly disappointed with you though.”

“Disappointed?”

“Yes. Not so much by you breaking your own rule, but because you tried to hide our relationship from him. I don't really know him at all, but I'm thinking if you'd gone to him and told him, maybe he would have let rip at you, but then it would have blown over. In his eyes, we've both been underhand and devious. I'm thinking he's a little old fashioned in some ways, and is very honourable, am I right?”

“As always, my sweet,” Mike replied, kissing Tori gently. “Jake would forgive me almost anything as long as I'm upfront about it. I played this wrong and risked losing the thing I hold as dear as my love for you...his friendship.”

“Well, now's a good time to sort things out. He's due home in a couple of days. Why don't you go and see him today on neutral ground? I'll come with you, but wait outside.”

“Sounds like a plan. We'll stop on the way and pick up something for him.”

Angie was sitting quietly holding Jake's hand when there was a quiet knock on the door. They both turned to watch it open and  saw Mike pop his head through the gap. Angie smiled and signalled him to come in. He was carrying a carton of fresh orange juice and a bag of Pineapple Lumpies. Jake pushed himself up into a sitting position and smiled at Mike.

“G'Day, Mike. What're you doing here?”

“I've been here for a week now, don't you remember?”

“'Fraid not, mate. Everything's a bit fuzzy right now.”

“Jake can't even remember the cricket match, let alone the hits he took at the wicket,” Angie informed Mike. “The doctor said that in time he might remember, but the knock on the head might have erased it altogether.”

“How much have you forgotten, Jake?”

“Well, I obviously don't remember you coming over. I don't remember Star coming over either, but she tells me she's been here since before Christmas. I remember going over to Chicago, well, I seem to remember getting on the flight, but that's about it.”

Mike let out a little sigh of relief, which Angie noticed but didn't remark on, and handed over his gifts to Jake. Angie rolled her eyes when she saw the sweets. She tried to keep them away from Jake as much as possible as she knew he was addicted to them, but on this occasion she thought she'd make an exception.

Jake was soon back at the apartment, on strict instructions not to go anywhere near the office. He was feeling too woolly-brained to think about anything more than sitting on the sofa, so there was no chance of him trying to get to work. Mike had offered to stay, but Jake told him if he spent too much time away from Chicago now, he wouldn't be able to take the time in March to come back down for the anniversary party. He insisted that Jenny was quite capable of keeping the office ticking over, and David and Darren were both in need of admin experience. Mike laughed and agreed.

The following day, Mike was back on the sofa opposite Jake, while Tori was in the kitchen with Angie, biting her nails with worry.

“Tori, Jake isn't really the monster you think he is.”

“You didn't see him when he found Mike and me together.”

“Hon, I've known him  since I was about five years old. I've seen most of his moods, and I've actually been on the receiving end of his temper before now.”

“Oh, watching you together, I would think you never have a cross word.”

“I'll admit that it's quite rare, thank goodness. Jake has the power to crush me with a look, but I'm lucky that he doesn't feel the need to unleash that power. He let rip at Mike, but once he got home and calmed down, he regretted it. Unfortunately, they are both as stubborn as each other.”

“So, you think everything's okay out there?”

“Of course. We'll give them a few more minutes, then take the drinks in and see how they're going.”

When they went through to the lounge room with the tray of hot drinks, the boys were no longer on the sofas, but had moved out onto the balcony. Mike was leaning over pointing to a rather flashy boat.

“That's a new one,” he remarked. “I'm sure I'd have noticed that one last time I was here.”

“Yeah, belongs to a bloke on the ground floor. Flash bastard, always flaunting his wealth in our  faces at any residents' meetings.”

“Not to worry, Jake. I'll hazard a guess that you're worth double.”

“At least,” Jake replied, trying to keep a straight face. “I don't think he'd speak to me if he saw my bank balance. He hates anyone with more money than him.”

“Better not tell him about the boxes at the ANZ stadium and the SCG then,” Angie giggled. “So, are you boys okay?”

“Yeah, we're good. I was telling Jake about Tori and me. I've been eating humble pie about breaking one of the company rules.”

“Are you okay with that, Jake?” Angie asked.

“I guess. Not much I can do about it realistically, is there? I'm just pleased that you two didn't try to hide it from me. That I couldn't forgive.”

Tori walked to Jake and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, boss.” Then went to Mike and held his hand. “We won't stay too long, we've a flight to catch tomorrow.”

They finished their coffee and got up to leave, promising to stop by on the way to the airport in the morning to say goodbye. Angie saw them out and joined Jake on the balcony.

“Have you really forgotten all about your trip to Chicago?”

“No, luv. The only thing I can't remember now is the cricket match.”

“Then why...”

“Mike looked so worried when he came to see me at the hospital, I thought it was kinder all round to make out I couldn't remember our blue. I dare say when he gets back he'll tell the girls not to let on the next time I see them.”

“Oh, Jake. Have I told you what a sweet man you are?”

“I try, luv...I try,” he smiled, hugging his wife close.

BACK TO LIBRISCROWE

ON TO HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, THE SEQUEL TO THIS STORY