By Atonia and Jo

 

Jo writing Maximus, Caroline, Bud, Marie, Sid, Zack, Hope, Cort, Daisy, Lachlan, Ben

 

Atonia writing Terry, Dee, Alex, Linda, Jack, Tarwyn, John, Bethany, Dino, Max, Sophia

 

 

PART 18:

 

Linda handed Alex a beer. “You probably shouldn’t be drinking that the day before surgery.”

 

“Linda love, I’m at the point where nothing can possibly hurt anything. I can’t have anything after midnight. This is midday.”

 

“Maria is cooking up a big lunch. You need to eat lots.”

 

“I will.”

 

Linda knew Alex’s pain was about more than he could bear. It wasn’t his back so much that

hurt as his legs, across his hips. She was afraid of nerve damage. He’d been hurt so badly and

it just seemed like he was never going to get over it.

 

“Can I get you anything else?”

 

“An ashtray.”

 

“I thought you’d quit. You told Dr. Canfield you quit smoking.”

 

“I had to quit because I couldn’t get out of the damn bed and go outside the hospital. I didn’t

lie to him. I wasn’t smoking at the time.”

 

She brought him an ashtray.

 

“I’ll tell you one thing, Linda, if this doesn’t fix my problem I’m looking at somebody else to work on me. I’ve had it…I’ve just…had it.”

 

“If this doesn’t fix your problem, I’ll find the most celebrated, experienced, specialist in the world and you’ll see him.”

 

“I know, I’m a pain in the ass right now. I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t you be sorry about anything.” She still blamed herself for his condition. If only she hadn’t taken him to Dallas…if only.

 

 

 

“Linda,” He took a drink from his bottle and turned it around in his hands, “if something happens tomorrow…if I come out of this…ah…paralyzed or something, don’t think you have

to take care of me for the rest of my life…okay. I mean, I wouldn’t want you to be tied to…somebody like that. Ah…Linda, come here.”

 

She was crying and went to him and sat with him while he held her. “Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

 

“Just…don’t you ever…not ever say something like that to me again. You’re going to walk out of that hospital under your own steam. I would never leave you if Dr. Canfield cut your legs off…so…don’t even go there with me.”

 

“I won’t, I promise I won’t. Say…something smells good. What are we having?”

 

“Tamales. Alex, I love you.”

 

“I love you more, Linda. We’ll get through this thing.” He hugged her and kissed her.

 

 

Ben had a lot of big pieces of furniture in a jumble in the middle of the living room, accompanied by stacks of boxes.  He was staring at the mound, still trying to decide what he wanted to put where, when Maximus knocked at the door.  Looking in the room, the General grinned, “Thought maybe you could use a hand lugging couches and tables around.”

 

“Hey, there, Gen’rul.  Yeah, I been tryin’ to think where to put what.  Ain’t never had a house before, you know, an’ I just ain’t sure what I like.  Them there delivery fellers got tired of me not decidin’ and just left it all where you see it.”

 

“It is hard, Benjamin, when there is so much all at once.  I myself have never had to deal with that.  But an extra pair of hands might come in handy so if you want a couch here…or there…just let me know and I will pick up one end.”

 

Maximus spent several hours at Ben’s and as they worked together, told him what he knew of Zack.

 

“Now that there’s mighty strange, mighty strange, that ol’ Zack talks like he done come from Australia.”

 

“Cort said Canfield explained that since Sid had taken from Zack all his memories, all that

made him Zack, that he is left with what Russell was at the time.  It is truly a difficult concept and I plan to go into the city tomorrow with Cort to see for myself.”

 

“Good thing the man been told he has a lotta brothers,” Ben grinned.

 

 

Jack pulled on his boots, “I don’t see that I could contribute, Tarwyn. We seem to be comfortable enough as things are.”

 

“Jack, we have empty rooms and the stuff I had was bought for an apartment in Dallas. I just wanted you to be at home with what we do with the house.”

 

“I am at home if you’re in it, darling,” he smiled and tied his hair back. “I’m for the barn.”

 

Tarwyn made a face at him. “I may hire a decorator.”

 

“Do what you will.” He bent and kissed her and was out the back door.

 

He was no help at all. She leafed through the home decorating magazine again and sighed. Time to get off her duff and do it. How did one go about decorating for an eighteenth century sea captain? It had to be comfortable so all that formal furniture from his time period was out. She’d seen how he burrowed into her sofa.

 

She walked through the house, not a drapery to be found at any windows. Yes…it was time she did something.

 

 

Maximus and Cort were surprised when they came to the hospital the following morning to

hear that Alex was in surgery.  They found Linda in the waiting room and stopped by.

 

“Linda,” Maximus greeted, holding out both hands to her as he crossed the room.  “We have only just heard.  Is there any news?”

 

“Maximus, he’s made it through, that’s all I know.”

 

They waited with her until Dr. Canfield came to let them know Alex was out of surgery and in recovery.  “When he’s ready to leave there, I’ll have him taken up to the 6th floor.  Might as well have him and Zack close together.  He did just fine, Linda.  Give him a little while and he’ll be good as new.”

 

“Thanks, Dr. Canfield. He’ll be so pleased.”

 

Since Alex was now safely through surgery, Cort and Maximus continued on up to the 6th floor.  “In here,” Cort pointed out.  It was the same room Lachlan had been in.

 

Zack was lying in bed with his eyes closed, just thinking. 

 

“Zack, it’s Cort.  I’ve brought another of your brothers.  He was with me when we found you.”

 

“Hello, Zachary.  I am Maximus and though circumstances are not the best, I am most pleased that you have recovered enough to awaken.”

 

Zack looked up at the man with close-cropped black hair.  He had an entirely different accent and way of speaking from either Cort or Bud.”

 

“You…you’re different.”

 

“I am, indeed,” Maximus smiled.  “I was not raised in America as Cort was, but in Spain.”

 

“You…you don’t sound Spanish.”

 

Yes, you are correct there.  I grew up in western Spain but, um, the man in charge of my manner of speech spoke with an English accent.”

 

“You…Cort…where?”

 

“Arizona.  The third brother who also found you is from Arizona as well.  His name is Ben an’ you’ll meet him soon.  How are you doing today?”

 

“Better…some.  Hard to say words but am try…trying.”  He was fascinated by Maximus.  “You…what…?”

 

Cort smiled and answered, “He was a general.  That’s what you’re pickin’ up on, Zack.”

 

“Gen…general?”

 

 

 

“Yes, but not for a while.  Now I am a farmer.  I believe I have always been a farmer in my heart.”

 

“Bud?”

 

“Bud was a cop.  He’ll probably be comin’ around sometime today again, too.  He’s from California.”

 

 

“Par…parents?”

 

 

“Um, well, we have the same father, Zack,” Cort tried to explain.  “Different mothers so I guess that makes us half-brothers but we, um, we all look very much like, um, Dad.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Near New York City, Zack.  FBI.”

 

“Me…FBI?”

 

“Yes, that was your job.  Last assignment had, um, somethin’ to do with the Japanese mafia.”

 

“They…they hurt me?”

 

“I do not believe that was the case,” Maximus said.  “The last I heard you had successfully brought that mission to its conclusion.”  He looked at Cort. This was getting very complicated

so he decided to try and switch away from Zack himself.

 

“You will have company soon.  Our brother Alex has had back surgery this morning and will

be coming up here as soon as he is out of recovery.”

 

Zack looked at Cort.  “You…mentioned him.  He close in age…right?”

 

“Very close, yes.”

 

“It’s okay with me,” Linda told the orderlies. “Dr. Canfield asked me earlier.” She was

standing outside of Zack’s room and had come up with Alex, who was still out of it. He’d come

to in recovery and promptly gone back to sleep.

 

He was wheeled into Zack’s room. Linda came in with him. “Hey Maximus, Cort. Looks like you’ve got a roomie, Zack.” She moved over beside his bed. “I’m Linda Calhoun.”

 

“Is…he all right?” Zack asked.

 

Cort smiled.  It was good for Zack to be concerned about someone else.

 

“He’s going to be fine, Zack. Thanks for asking about him. He had ruptured disk in his back

and it was causing him a lot of pain in his legs. He’s going to be walking around again soon.”

 

“Hurt?  How hurt?”

 

Linda looked at Maximus and Cort. Should she tell him Alex was beaten?

 

“He was attacked by two thugs that beat him pretty badly. That happened a while back and

he’s only been out of the hospital for less than a week. I guess moving around and trying to

walk triggered the disk. He’s a tough guy, like you, Zack. Just like Alex, you’ll come out of

this too.”

 

“Linda…wife?”

 

 

 

“No, not yet, Zack, but someday…someday it will happen. I love him very much.” Linda looked up at Cort and although Cort was tanned, Zack still looked very much like him and Alex. It

was only the beard and a matter of months that separated them.

 

It seemed like Zack wanted to find out about his brothers now, so he looked at Cort.
“Wife?”

 

“Yes,” Cort smiled.  “Daisy…from Arizona.  I’ll bring her in tomorrow to meet you if you’d like.”

 

“Yes.  Bring her.  You, Bud?  Wife?”

 

At that propitious moment Marie popped her head in the door.  A co-worker had told her Bud was there.

 

“Come on in, Marie, and meet our brother Zack.”

 

Marie was in scrubs and Zack asked, “Marie is a nurse?”

 

“Yes, I’m a nurse, Zack, and I’m really glad to see you doing so well.”

 

“Married to Bud?”

 

“Soon, Zack.  Very soon.”

 

“Good.”  Then his brow creased.  “Me…married?”

 

Maximus looked quickly at Cort and Bud.  “No, Zack.  You are not married.”

 

“Ah,” he sighed.  “Good.  No wife to not remember.”

 

“No wife, yes,” Maximus said, “but many brothers.”

 

“You, Max…Maxi…name hard to say.”

 

“No, I am not married at the moment, but like Bud, will be very soon.”

 

“Really?”  Bud hadn’t heard that before.

 

“Yes, after I thought I had lost my Caroline a second time, I was grieved that I had not made

her my wife.  It is not right that I have not done so.”

 

Zack had no idea what that meant, but it was clear enough that this particular older brother was getting married soon.  “Family…bigger.”

 

“Yes, Zack, the family has been growing much of late.  It is a good thing, a large family, and

you are a part of it.”

 

“Can…can’t imagine.”

 

“Give yourself time and you will,” Maximus smiled, “and…” he stopped because Alex began to stir.

 

“Lin..”

 

“I’m here, Alex. You’re all done now. You’ve got a roommate.”

 

“You.” His lids fluttered open.

 

“Not me, not this time. You’re in Zack’s room.”

 

His eyes came fully open and he turned his head. “Hey, Z…Zack, I’m Alex.”

 

“Alex…like me.  Hurt…bed.”

 

“Yeah, I guess so…hurt and in bed. I’m hoping my pain time is about over. How are ya feeling?”

 

“Better.  Many brothers.  Family.  Is nice.  You from Arizona?”

 

Alex had noticed his accent. “No, I’m from Southern California. Born in Westchester, New

York but grew up in Los Angeles.” Born in? Oh well, that’s what he knew about himself. “You’re part of a big family all right but don’t worry, they’d all do anything for you. We’re

a close bunch. Linda, can you raise my bed up a little? It’s hard looking through the rails. I

feel like a little kid in a cot.”

 

“See you better now,” Zack said.  “Look like me…much…but no beard.”

 

“Yeah, you and Cort and me must have had the same barber. Mine’s a little shorter in the back though. If I grew a beard we’d be twins.” Alex grinned and then thought he’d better watch his mouth. He didn’t know how much the poor guy could handle.

 

Linda handed him a water glass with a bent straw. He got the message.

 

“Well, Zack,” Cort said, “since you’ve got Alex here for company the rest of the day, I think

I’ll be getting’ back home.  We just bought a lot more land an’ I haven’t even laid eyes on most of it yet.  I’ll see you again soon, though.  You just rest and get better.  You, too, Alex.  Glad

the surgery went fine.”

 

“Thanks, Cort. Not much else I can do in here,” Alex answered.

 

“I shall be leaving with Cort,” Maximus spoke up.  “I, too, have land that needs my attention and there are decisions waiting to be made about livestock and fencing.”

 

“I’m going, too,” Bud added.  “Marie and I’ve just bought a house and we’re still looking for things to furnish it with.”

 

“I don’t get off for a while yet, Bud.”  Marie looked from one to the other of the men in bed.  “I’ll be checking in on the both of you throughout the day.  Alex, don’t forget you’ve just had surgery and you need to rest today, too.”

 

 

Linda spent the day at the hospital and around six o’clock Dr. Canfield came in to check on his patients. He got Alex up in his hospital gown and let him walk around the room.

 

“Hey, Doc, I think you fixed me.” Alex couldn’t believe he could walk without pain. The little soreness in his back was nothing. “Look at me standing up straight. Zack, you shoulda seen

me.  I was bent over like an old man. All I needed was a cane to complete the picture.” He walked over to Zack’s bedside. “You’ll be up soon, too.”

 

“Is true…Doctor?”

 

“I would say so, Zack.  You’re healing well and if your readouts remain good the next day or

so, you may be able to leave, too.”

 

Zack didn’t say anything but he wondered just where he could go if he left.  He had no idea at

all about that. 

 

It was lights out in the hospital and Linda reluctantly went home. Alex had Zack for company and they seemed to get on good. She thought about Zack a lot on the drive back to the ranch. Where would he go once he was released?

 

Alex kept up most of the conversation. He told Zack about being a reporter and said he’d get him a newspaper because his work was running in serial form right now. He had to be careful and keep everything in the here and now. He had no idea what Zack would think if he told him when he was born. It became clear that Zack didn’t know anything but what he was learning from his brothers. It was hard for him to imagine being in a state like that.

 

 

By nine o’clock Monday morning a wheel chair had been brought into the room for Alex.

Linda was taking care of some paperwork at the nurses station. Alex was being released. She came into the room and found him already up and dressed.

 

“Look at you.” She kissed him and stepped back to see him standing upright. She stashed a bag in the little closet. “Zack, I’ve brought you some clothes for when you get released. You and

Alex are about the same size.”

 

“Hope the next time I see you, Zack, you’re standing up looking me straight in the eye. Good luck, brother. I’m sure you’ll have a few visitors today.”

 

“I’m glad you were here for a while,” Zack said, able to speak much more smoothly today. 

“No, that doesn’t sound right.  I don’t mean I’m glad you needed to be here, but it was good having your company.  And, Linda, thank you for the clothes. Cort explained I didn’t have

any.  I wasn’t sure what I would do about that so your kindness is really nice.”

 

“I know John’s coming, he called me last night to check on you. I told him you and Zack were getting acquainted and he’s anxious to come visit.”

 

Zack smiled, “I may need a chart to keep all these blokes in order,” not noticing he’d said ‘blokes’ as it just came naturally to him to use the Aussie word.

 

Alex wanted to drive home and Linda put a stop to that. “You just take it one step at a time, honey. You’ve stepped out of the hospital now, so don’t push your luck.”

 

 

Zack was able to sit up now when the head of his bed was raised.  He still had a pain in his chest from where his sternum had been cracked and his head still hurt a bit from the concussion.  His muscles were sore and achy from lots of deep bruising, but the main thing he was bothered by was the fact he couldn’t use his left hand at all.  He was propped up after Alex had gone, looking down at all the wrappings that held all four of his fingers together, and wearing a bit of a frown on his face when a man opened the door and glanced in.  Zack had looked in the mirror enough to know what he himself looked like and though this man was a little older, he too had more of a beard and his hair was even longer than his own. 

 

 

 

“Hey there, Zack. Good to see you awake and sitting up a little. I’m John and this is my wife, Bethany. She’s just coming in to work and wanted to stop by for a second.”

 

“John, yes. Alex told me about you.  Lawman like me.  They say I am FBI but I don’t remember.  Hello, Bethany.  Are you a nurse here like Bud’s Marie?”

 

 

 

“Hi, Zack. I’m a lab tech, the one that looks at the blood samples they take. I’m glad you’re feeling better. I gotta run.” She kissed John. “If there’s anything you want that I can do, let me know, Zack. I have access to the snack machines,” she smiled.

 

After Bethany left, John turned to Zack. “We got married on Friday and postponed the honeymoon for awhile. We’ve just moved into a new house. Seems like a lot happened all at

once. Yeah, I used to be a sheriff in a small town in Alaska. Me and Bud have got a private investigations business goin’. When you get better, maybe you might think about joining us.”

 

“There is a lot to think about, John.  I’m not even sure right now what skills I may have or

what I’m good at…what I can do.  Everything’s just a big blank.  I really appreciate the suggestion, though.  It seems to be a good thing I have so many brothers.  All of you have been treating me so well and I don’t even know if I do or don’t deserve that.”  He smiled up at John, who was still standing.  “You’re a long way from Alaska, John.  How did you end up in Texas?  Did you come because you had family here?”

 

“Ah, no, I came, um, because Terry and Bud needed me. There used to be a company called NanoCorp and that’s where we were all employed. I was in charge of security. The company, um, blew up, really went sky high. So we were kinda rolling around, unemployed and Bud and

I decided to put our skills to work.”

 

John felt sorry for Zack. Gosh, there was so much the man didn’t know. And, how would he handle the truth when it came out, ‘cause it would eventually. It seemed they were trying to

ease him into this new life before the biggie was revealed.

 

 

 

After John left Zack took a long nap and when he woke Cort was sitting in a chair, thumbing through a magazine.  Something in Zack was pleased that he could look at his visitor and know his name.

 

“Cort, good to see you.”

 

Cort set the magazine aside.  “Got somethin’ I want to run past you, Zack, see what you think.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Daisy an’ I’ve had a long talk about this and what we were thinkin’ is that when you are up

to gettin’ out of here, maybe you might like to come an’ stay with us for as long as you need.  We’ve got a big ol’ white house with plenty of bedrooms an’ lots of land around it.  You’ve

met Maximus already an’ he an’ Caroline live just over the hill.  Then there’s Ben who’s only, um, fairly newly arrived out this way an’ he’s bought himself a house an’ land just over, oh, about three hills.  That way you’d have three brothers around an’ time to get used to us an’ a place you’d be welcome to hang your hat…not that you probably have a hat.”

 

 

 

“I don’t have one.  Linda brought me some of Alex’s clothes to wear when I can get out of this hospital gown.”  He paused, looking seriously at Cort.  “You sure Daisy wouldn’t mind?  I’d hate to impose.”

 

“You can’t impose, Zack.  You’re my brother an’ that makes you family.  Family’s got to stick together.”

 

“I think that’s new to me, Cort.  By the way, is your name Cort Grant?”

 

“Um, no, it’s Wells, Zack.  The man who, um, fathered all of us, didn’t actually marry our mothers.  That’s why we all have, um, our mother’s last name.”

 

“None of us have his?  What was it, anyway?”

 

“Um, well, it was…Crowe.”

 

“Do you know him?”

 

“I’ve really, um, never met him…well, not like a guy meets his father anyway.  He, um, moves around a lot.”  He looked toward the door.  “I’ll tell you what, Zack. Daisy is actually here.  Marie was on a break an’ she stopped to have a cup of coffee with her.  I think it would be a good thing if you saw for yourself how she feels about havin’ you come stay with us.  I’ll be

right back.”

 

While Cort was gone, Zack thought hard about what he had just told him.  He didn’t know

their father personally and all the brothers had different last names. That seemed really odd somehow, but all of them looked so much like him that he’d settled into the fact they were, indeed, his brothers.  There was no other explanation for their appearance other than that and they certainly treated him and each other like family.

 

 

 

When the door opened again, a beautiful blonde woman preceded Cort into the room, a wide smile lighting her face.

 

“Hello, Zack.  I’m Daisy, one of your sisters-in-law.” 

 

“Uh…hello, Daisy.  Cort says you don’t mind…”

 

“I do not mind isn’t quite good enough, Zack.  I positively want is better.  We’ve got about four bedrooms you can have your pick of, in fact.  I’m really hoping you’ll say yes and come stay

with us.”  Cort had spoken with her at some length about his own time of amnesia and how lost and alone he felt and she truly wanted to make sure Zack felt as little lost as possible.

 

“You really mean that.”  It wasn’t a question but an observation.

 

“I do.  Cort does.  It’s just the two of us in a very big house.”

 

“I…I don’t have any other place to go.”

 

“We know that, Zack,” Cort said.  “So the best thing for you is to come stay with family who want you.”

 

Zack felt a little choked up and couldn’t speak for a minute.  Daisy went up to the bed and

rested a hand on his right shoulder.  “You are family, Zack, and that means a lot.”

 

“Means everythin’,” Cort added.

 

Canfield came in the door then and instantly noted Zack’s emotional expression.  “Are you all right?”

 

“I…I’m fine,” he managed.  “Cort and Daisy here have just invited me to come and stay at their place when you let me out of here.”

 

Canfield looked at Cort and smiled.  “A very good idea.  I’m glad you came up with it.”  He studied Zack’s chart and looked at the monitors.  “You’re doing really well.  I’d like for you

to try getting out of bed a little.”

 

“Now?”

 

“Yes, now.  Daisy, would you mind stepping out in the hall a moment?  A man in a hospital gown’s got a lot of trouble maintaining his dignity.”

 

Daisy smiled.  “I’ll be in the little lounge down the hall.”

 

Canfield removed all the wiring connecting Zack to the monitors, but left in the IV, so the IV pole had to be placed closed to where Zack would be trying to stand.  Cort moved close to offer support just in case.  Canfield pulled back the covers and helped Zack swing his legs off the side of the bed, slipping on a pair of hospital slippers.  Cort could see fading bruises all down the fronts of Zack’s legs.

 

“Easy does it now,” Canfield said, taking hold of one of Zack’s elbows.  “Just stand still for a moment and let your body adjust to being upright.”

 

Zack swayed a little and blinked his eyes, but stayed on his feet.  He sucked in a big gulp of air and then tried a step.  His legs hurt a lot but he went about five steps out and then five back to the bed, Canfield still holding his elbow and Cort hovering nearby.

 

“Excellent,” Canfield pronounced, helping him sit on the edge of the bed.  “That’s a great beginning.  We’ll be getting you up every once in a while now so you can build your strength back up.  But don’t you go trying to get out of bed on your own.  You’ve got enough bruising already and don’t need to make more by falling over onto the floor.”

 

Zack nodded that he understood and settled back onto his pillows.  Canfield then lowered the bed flat.  “You rest now, young man.”

 

Zack closed his eyes, exhausted by his little excursion.  It wasn’t just that he had injuries that were still healing but the whole thing, unknown to anybody, was that those were his first steps

in a completely human body.

 

John stopped by the little gallery next to his office. A painting in the window caught his eye.

“All right if I bring this cup in?” He had a tall cup of coffee from a nearby coffee shop.

 

“Just don’t spill anything,” Mazie smiled. She was a permanent employee of the shop and an artist herself. Her pottery was on display. “What brings you in here this morning, John?”

 

“That little painting in the window.” It was a cabin in the snow painted the year before up in

the hill country. “Kinda reminds me of a house I once owned up in Alaska.”

 

 

“That’s just come in. Orson Bremmer painted that. That’s his cabin.”

 

“I wonder how he could part with it?”

 

“I don’t know. Artists sometimes finish something, hang on to awhile and then let it go for something else they’ve done. Are you interested in purchasing it?”

 

John took a breath. Why not? Bethany had brought all her things to the house and he didn’t have anything other than his clothes and a few books. The painting meant something to him. “Yes, I think so. Wrap it up, Mazie.”

 

He carried the wrapped painting next door to his office. Bud was reading the paper.

 

“Hiya, Bud. I see business is booming already today.”

 

“Beating ‘em off with a broom handle,” Bud said, tipping the top of the newspaper down enough to see John.  “What you got there?”

 

“Something that caught my eye.’ John carefully unwrapped the painting and looked at Bud.

 

“Brrr! Looks cold to an LA guy like me but I guess you’re sorta used to that.  Somebody’s home,” he said, looking closer.  “Light’s on.”

 

“Yeah,” John grinned. “I needed to bring a little of me into the house. Bethany’s got it looking good, though.”

 

“You’re getting your new place all fixed up and I need to get going on mine.  Sure is nice, though, isn’t it…having a house instead of an apartment.  I guess it’s nice.  Haven’t spent the night in mine yet.  Still can’t believe I have it and there’s no mortgage.”

 

“That makes it really nice not having a house payment to make each month. Yep, I think our money worries are over. Whether we do much here ain’t gonna matter in the long run. Just something to do, you know.”

 

 

“I guess that’s true, John, but I can’t be a house husband, you know.  I have to feel like I’m earning my keep even if I don’t really need to earn it.  Maybe we need to change our ad.  We

can afford a bigger, nicer one now.  Maybe attract some interesting cases.”

 

“That’s a good idea, Bud, in fact we could get some kinda professional to design an ad for us.

I’m like you, I gotta keep busy at something. We don’t seem to be doing very good promoting our business. Other than hanging out a shingle, I don’t know what else to do.”

 

 

Maximus had worked more later that afternoon with Ben on his driving, this time getting him out on a two lane road with a few other cars on it.   Ben was such a competent man, though,

that he was progressing rapidly and not the sort to get flustered by interaction with other vehicles. 

 

“Terry will be returning tomorrow,” Maximus commented, “and among the things we shall ask of him will be a license for you.”

 

“Be good to see him again.  Seems like he done been gone a long time.”

 

“That is probably because so much has happened while he has been away.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll tell you, Gen’rul, being out in this here world sure ain’t dull.  Somethin’ always

goin’ on.”

 

 

That night Ben woke from another dream and lay there in bed wondering about it.  There was  field in it again and a woman in blue jeans with her back turned to him.  This time, though, the wind was not blowing and the field was filled with yellow and red flowers.  The sun was shining on her but the horizon she was walking toward was all hazy and blurred.  It might be a line of hills.  He couldn’t tell.  There were several blurry white things at the base of whatever it was and he thought maybe she was going toward them.  But who was she and why had he dreamed

of her a second time? 

 

 

 

 

CONTINUED AS: TO EVERYTHING A SEASON

 

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