The Old House (Haunted Series Book 16) (12 page)

Doctor Walters looked at the files in front of him.  The initial X-rays taken at the small hospital in Wisconsin didn’t jive with what the MRIs had illuminated.  Cid Garrett, Ted Martin, and Burt Hicks had gone through a remarkable healing in the short few weeks since their initial injuries.  He picked up Cid’s file and studied the evidence of a liver perforation but found nothing that could have caused it.  The rib closest to the injury looked like there was a fracture repairing, but he found no way to explain how it may have been involved.

Mia sat across from him, waiting for him to answer her questions, or ask her a few.

“You said you found Cid prone on the ground.”

“He was lying with Audrey on top of him.  They had fallen thirty feet, possibly hitting an iron beam on the way down.  He used his body to shield her.  Or that was what I was told.  I wasn’t there at the time.”

“Now Burt…”

“Mike Dupree performed first aid on him.  He applied a soft cast made up of folded blue jeans.  I, with the help of Audrey, realigned the leg and splinted it with something more substantial before evacuating him.”

“And then a mobile cast was fashioned for him.  Who did that again?”

“Cid fashioned it first on the computer before building it.”

“I’m going to heavily suggest he patent the cast,” Walters said.  “It’s lightweight and seems to have aided in the quick healing.”

“Burt’s always healed quite quickly,” Mia reminded him.

“Now your husband…”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here.  You see, I want to take him and Brian on vacation, and I want to make sure he’s ready.”

“Ted’s a lucky guy.”

“Yes, the rebar could have nicked the femoral artery.”

“That’s not what I meant, but that was fortunate.  Mia, his blood is free of infection, and the wound has stopped draining, so I’d say, as long as he doesn’t spend his days in fetid water, then he’s good to go.”

Mia rose to leave.

“Not so fast.  Mia, it’s been a while since I looked you over medically.”

“I’m fine, aside from rampaging hormones…”

“Hormones are messengers, Mia.  They are sent by your brain to fix something.  How are you feeling?”

“I’m off the rails, mentally.  I’m fighting for my marriage while trying to keep things normal for Brian.  I was hoping getting away from it all would help to calm me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you and Ted were having problems.”

“For the most part, we’ve been able to sort through the initial problems, but they’ve left open wounds that not even you can heal.”

“Mia, I’m not a marriage counselor, and I’ve never been married, but I watched my parents go through hell and come out stronger.  My father was a prisoner of war in Nam.  When he came home, Mom didn’t know who he was anymore, but she dug in her heels and got to know who he had become, burying who he used to be.  Am I making any sense?”

Mia nodded.  “You’re saying I should give up what we were and learn to appreciate what we are now.”

“Yes, but you need to take a few moments to mourn the past before you’ll be able to put it behind you, and when you do, you have to do it without regrets.”

“You are a very wise man.”

“When you get everything sorted, I would like you to come back in and let me in on how that tattoo you have on your wrist moves.”

“I’ll do more than that.  When I’m ready, I’ll show you all it can do.  You may be sorry you asked,” Mia said.

“I may be.  Good luck, Mia.  I’m rooting for you and Ted.  I’ve never met two crazier people.  You both deserve the other.”

Mia giggled.  “I hope he thinks so too.”

~

“While the three of you are gone, Murphy and I are going to work on a few things that need to be done.  I need to paint.  Brian came too soon, so his room is still just primer,” Cid said, putting a hot mug in front of him.

Ted looked over at him.  “Please keep track of your time.  We can afford to pay you.”

“You can pay for the supplies.  I’m just earning my board,” Cid said, his eyes twinkling.

“I think you’re looking forward to having the farm to yourself,” Ted said.

“Maggie, Jake and Murphy are here.  I’m hardly alone,” he said.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes.  I am looking forward to thinking about me for a change.  Selfish bachelor time.  I may even have a wild party,” he threatened.

Ted laughed.

“How about you? Are you looking forward to being without your gadgets?”

“That’s going to be tough.  But I understand why Mia wants this.  She wants both of us to concentrate and get to know each other again.”

“I think it’s a wise move on her part.”

“She really is wonderful, isn’t she?” Ted said.

Cid felt a rush of hope move through him.  “She’s too good for the likes of you.”

“Nah, I think I’m her best fit.  We fit quite nicely….”

Cid put his hands over his ears.  “Stop.”

Ted laughed and raised his mug.  “Here’s to Superman and his kryptonite.”

“And here’s to Batman, who has been given another chance. May he realize that by giving, he receives so much more than he would if he just took.”

“Wise words.”

Murphy moved out of the kitchen hall where he’d been listening to the two techs.  He wasn’t happy with Mia’s moratorium on him following them to the cabin on Wolf’s Head Lake.  She said she needed to fly solo for a while, and he would respect that, no matter how much he would worry about her while she was gone.  She had new secrets to impart to Ted, things that he and Audrey already knew about.  He prayed that Ted would realize, like he did, that Mia may change physically, but under it all, she was still the Mia that both of them loved.

~

Mia met Audrey at the mall as she promised.  Audrey was excited to show her what she had found.  She drew Mia into a store with a lot of very flexible mannequins, wearing soft clothing, displayed in the windows.  Mia could appreciate the colors but was puzzled as to why Audrey was so excited.

She followed Audrey around the store as her friend scooped up this and that, holding them up to Mia to judge the colors on her.  She followed Mia into an overly large dressing room and ordered her to strip.

Mia, who rarely let nudity embarrass her, was beet red.

“Come on, put this on and this,” Audrey said, handing Mia a bra that opened in the front.  Mia put it on, and then Audrey pulled a tank over Mia’s head.

“I feel like I’m a three-year-old,” Mia complained.

“Trust me,” Audrey said, handing her the yoga pants.

“Okay, now what?” Mia asked, expecting Audrey to hand her something else.

“Do it.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Audrey tapped her two wrists together.

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Mia peeled the edge of her glove away and did as she was told.  And as the tats appeared, Audrey stepped away so Mia could see her back in the three-way mirror behind her.  She looked like a confused Goth for a moment.  But when the wings moved out of her, she smiled.  “Oh my!”

“See, you don’t have to be naked to fly,” Audrey said, jumping up and down.

Mia extended the wings as far as the room would allow.  She smiled as Audrey touched one of the wings tenderly.

“Even in just the bra, you look fierce.  Perhaps you would like darker, stronger colors?” Audrey asked.

“No, it’s perfect.  Do you mind?”

“No, please go ahead.”

Mia brought her wings back in and waited until all was settled before hugging her friend.

“They have dresses with backs like this, swimsuits and pajamas.  I’m pretty sure though, the pants Ralph made would be fine.  That way you could hold stuff.  You can’t hold stuff in these pants,” Audrey said, snapping the waistband.

This caused Mia to laugh.  “Okay.  I guess I can afford a few things, even at these prices,” she said, her eyes opening wide as she checked out the sales ticket.

“Um, don’t get mad, but I may have found a way for you to get everything you need for nothing.”

“We aren’t shoplifting,” Mia said sternly.

Audrey shook her head.  “It will just cost you a few minutes and your dignity.  Follow my lead.”

Mia followed Audrey out into the store where the manager greeted them.  “You look fabulous.  I think you look better in those clothes than in these,” she said, unrolling the Ice Queen poster.  “If you let us take pictures of you in our clothes for our ad, then you can have everything you wear in the pictures for free, plus the normal modeling fee, of course.”

“When?” Mia asked, thinking about her hairy legs.

“Tomorrow on the beach, just north of Navy Pier.  We’ll bring the clothes, swimsuits, etc.  You bring, well, yourself.”

Mia turned to Audrey who said, “I had Alan look at the contract.  Mia, it’s a good opportunity, and it’s a good company.  They donate a lot of their proceeds to ‘developing world’ charities.”

“Let me ask Ted.”

Audrey handed her the phone.

Ted flushed red, listening to Mia on the phone.  “Why are you asking me?”

“You’re my husband, you dolt.”

“What are you modeling?”

“Yoga and exercise clothes.  I’ll make some money.  We can use money.”

“Audrey’s checked them out?”

“Yes.”

“It’s fine with me.  Mia…” he paused.

“Yes.”

“Thanks for asking. It means a lot,” he said, putting down the phone.  He looked over at Cid who was grinning from ear to ear.  “Did you know about this?”

“Know about what?”

“Mia just asked my permission for her to model some yoga stuff.”

“Dude, she asked you.  Evidently someone learned something from the past.”

Ted blushed.  “I guess it’s my turn to do the same,” he said, printing
return to
sender
on the unopened snail mail that had arrived that morning from Beth. Jake and Cid had blocked her from sending anything digitally.  He had gotten a new personal phone number, and her phone number had been blocked on the PEEPs system. How long could he avoid doing this?  Beth had decided to use the US postal system to get in contact with him.  Before she showed up on his doorstep, it was time for him to man up and take care of Beth Bouvier.

~

Angelo watched from his perch while Mia took direction from the photographer.  He looked at the way she moved, and she seemed more graceful than he remembered.  He had been alerted by Audrey McCarthy’s seemingly innocent questions about whether he had to be naked to transform, and could he fly with a racerback tee on?  He told her that unless he was going to totally transform into a bird or was traveling to the aerie, and as long as the clothes didn’t impede the wings, he could be clothed.

This peaked his interest.  He had his little spies follow Mia and Audrey from the latter’s apartment into the city and over to the beach in the wee hours of the morning.

Mia was different, but how far had her transformation come?  He knew not to push her.  When Mia needed his help, she would ask for it.  As long as Sariel wasn’t in the picture, Angelo would be patient to wait.  Mia would come to him.  He was certain of it.

~

Alan watched Mia emerge from the water over and over again.  He knew her well enough to know that she was at the edge of her good manners.  It had been an exhausting morning, with her being poked and prodded until she was doing yoga poses that she had never done before.  Audrey was looking after Mia like a stage mother.  He had her back legally and had insisted on receiving half the promised fee in advance.  He knew how slow accounting departments of advertising concerns could be.  He wanted to make sure that Mia left this beach with money in her pocket.

Mia brightened when she saw Alan.  She waved, and when she was chastised by the photographer, she flipped him the bird.  Yes, Mia had reached her limit.  Alan walked over and tapped the producer’s shoulder.

“Ms. Martin agreed to four hours of modeling, and you are pushing five right now.  I suggest you wrap up or you’re going to fall into the overtime clause, and that will cut your profits in half,” he warned.

Audrey watched as the producer called a halt to the session.  She was thankful that Alan had stopped by.  Alan, who had long given up on Audrey romantically, greeted her in a cool business manner while he embraced Mia warmly.

“You were marvelous,” he said after Audrey excused herself to go over and speak with the producer.

“I expect I’m going to be hurting in places I’ve never hurt before,” she said.  “Do you have time to have lunch with Audrey and me?  My treat?”

“Actually, I was hoping to take you to dinner later if you’re still in the city.”