The nurse on duty looked up and smiled as James Harper, Junior and his new friend/in-law Henry Jenkins, Senior approached the Nurses' Station at Moon Lake General Hospital's Intensive Care Unit.
"How are you gentlemen doing this afternoon?" she asked.
"About as well as can be expected, under the circumstances," replied James, as Henry just nodded his head in agreement. "How are my parents?"
"Doing fine, but Doctor Tachibana did ask me to page him so the two of you could talk before you went in to see them," said the nurse, while picking up the phone.
"Is everything alright?" asked James, as Henry saw the young man start to tense up.
"He just needs to talk to you in person about some things that shouldn't be discussed over the phone is all," the nurse reassured him, as she finished calling Tachibana's beeper.
"Why don't you gentlemen have a seat, and Doctor Tachibana will be right with you," suggested the nurse, indicating a row of empty chairs against one wall.
Henry and James sat down.
"Geez," said James, slumping into the plastic frame. "What now?"
"You heard the nurse. It's just formalities," said Henry, as he spotted Doctor Tachibana approach.
"Is everything all right?" James asked, jumping up to meet him before Tora Tachibana could even say 'hello'.
"Let's talk in here," suggested Tora, indicating an empty room across from them.
"Now then," began Doctor Tachibana, closing the door behind him. "First off, we're keeping your father on a mild sedative not only in hopes of aiding his recovery efforts, but to give our staff and your mother a bit of a break too."
"What have they done now?" moaned James, fearing the worse.
"It's him more than her," began Tachibana, to which James replied, "Naturally."
"The few times he's been fully conscious and at least somewhat coherent, your father's been belligerent to the staff and your mother at every opportunity," revealed Tora. "He thinks we're framing Dieter Wilhelm, and swears he'll testify in court to that fact. Claims the woman who confronted him in front of the church can't be his daughter Jennifer, because no daughter would ever dishonor her father or her family the way that harlot has, and he keeps ordering your mother around."
"Great. What does he want now?" wondered James Junior.
"When they get back to Alabama, everyone is supposed to be disowned. All your worldly goods either sold or destroyed, and their will changed to give everything to their local church instead of whatever his offspring and her would have originally inherited upon his passing," announced Tora.
"And how has my mother been taking all of this?"
"From what I've personally seen and the staff has reported, all her responses have either been, Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear. or You know best, dear."
"So does this mean she's switched her dependency from me back to him again?" asked James.
"I doubt it. Psychology isn't my field of expertise, but from what I have seen, it seems to me that your mother is just bowing to whatever authority figure is available at any given moment between the Harper men," surmised Tora.
"So, if my dad was more alert and active, he could try to get her to stop Jennifer's emancipation efforts of John and Janice tomorrow," realized James Junior.
"I'm afraid so. I've already talked to Doctor Frances Twist about this, and she's agreed to meet with both of them individually, but she prefers to do so under medical supervision, especially in regards to your father, in case he has another heart event from all the emotional stress and anxiety," explained Tora.
"When?" asked James.
"Maybe you could take your mother home to the Jenkins, at least for dinner. She's refused every offer of the motel room or any other convenience except for using the facilities in your father's hospital room. Then, while you're gone, Doctor Twist could visit with him. She's already here on another, unrelated matter*; but is willing to help out when she can."
"I appreciate that," said James, then turned to face his new friend. "Do you mind if..."
"Not at all, but I'm not sure how she's going to react because dinner is to be in celebration of the newlyweds coming back from their brief honeymoon**," pointed out Henry Jenkins.
"One problem at a time," said James, before thanking Henry for his continued hospitality.
"Hey. We're family now, and family looks out for each other," he said, before taking out his cellphone and texting his wife.
BRINGING MRS. HARPER HOME FOR DINNER. NO FUR! indicating that everyone should be in their normal, human forms while she was there.
"There is one other thing," began Doctor Tachibana, a bit hesitantly.
"Do I dare ask?" said James, looking at him.
"I want to wait until your father's had more rest to run the tests again to be sure, but your father might need at least one of his heart valves replaced. The man definitely needs an angioplasty, where we insert a balloon to help reopen some of his arteries," explained Doctor Tachibana. "But the problem is that, since we've established contact with his medical insurance provider, they're balking about everything and insisting that we transport James Harper, Senior back to Alabama as soon as it's safe to do so, so they can evaluate the situation for themselves."
"How long..." began James Junior.
"I would at least like to do the angioplasty as soon as possible, to help alleviate your father's condition. Even if I'm right about him needing the replacement valve, there is no way to know for sure how long he has if it isn't done, but of course the sooner the better. His insurer hasn't threatened any payment stops yet, but they're wanting him home immediately, but I've already explained to them his condition and that, even without the angioplasty, the soonest we could risk medical transport is Tuesday. Yet right now, I'm not even sure he'd survive the journey!" admitted Doctor Tachibana.
James Harper, Junior felt like the entire universe had just been dropped on top of his head as the headache that was forming since the start of this conversation suddenly grew worse.
"Would the angioplasty help increase those transportation odds?"
"Yes," replied Tachibana.
"Then do it," requested James.
"In a heartbeat, but I can't. According to the insurance representative we talked to, with your father incapacitated, only your mother is authorized to allow anything," revealed Tora.
James sighed, and started massaging his temples.
The other men in the room gave him the time and respect he needed to collect himself.
Then James Harper, Junior said, "I'd like two aspirin, if you're allowed to dispense me any. Then I need to have a heart to heart talk with my mother. No pun intended."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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*Acting as Emergency Birthing Coach for Jade Dymixious in concurrent episodes of Moon Lake, Tad.
**Jennifer Harper marrying Henry's younger son Harry.—tmw.