idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part eight six

The twins and Charlie sat on the chairs outside of the ER, anxiously waiting on news of Rick's condition. The twins looked disheveled, trying to make sense of what went down this evening.

"Deshaun, Rick was out for a long time. I know Carl had to make it look good...but, this way?"

Deshaun shook his head. "He was probably just caught up in the moment. After all, he really wanted to get to the truth of the matter, don't you think?"

"Or, maybe, maybe he was with them all along." Dejuan could not shake it. His brother had been injured after all.

"Cawl loves Wick." Charlie said quickly.

The two looked at Charlie.

"Charlie? How do you know?"

"Charlie knows. Carl huwt Wick, like you huwt Chwis. To keep others from huwting them more." Charlie affirmed his own statement by nodding his own head vigorously. Then added, "Cawl is probably not good at it, like De...de..."

"Deshaun." The man finished for him. "I think you are probably right."

Jenny got off the elevator. She read Carl's message and then shook her head.

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"No way. Why didn't you leave with Rick?"

"No opportunity. Is Rick all right?"

"Going to check on him now."

"I am afraid I got carried away."

"Huh?"

"I hit Rick over the head with a vase."

Jenny shook her head.

"You did what?"

"I don't stutter text, you read it right."

"How come?"

"Had to get the truth out of my uncles."

"And did you?"

"Most of it."

"Are you all right?"

"Don't feel like talking much right now. We are going to a cemetary in the morning... what ever that means."

"When can you get away?"

Carl typed in NEVER.... but then changed his mind.

"Sometime, probably."

"Mr. Nice Guy, remember that there is a nice girl waiting for you."

Carl read it and touched his phone, taking his finger over the words as if to help imprint the very words in his mind.

Jenny waited for a response. Then added, "I mean it. I love you. Don't do anything stupid."

He smiled and texted back.

"When have I ever done anything stupid?"

He laughed when he saw, "Hummmmmnnn, let me count. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 .... to infinity? But it makes me love you even more. Will contact you when I find out how Rick is doing."

She entered the ER waiting room surprised to find the twins and Charlie there. They appeared exhausted and sleepy.

---

Carl laid his phone down when he heard a knock at his door. He was too tired to get up, so he pulled himself to the side of the bed and said, "Come in."

When no one entered, Carl wearily got up and opened the door.

There stood his Uncle Christopher.

"Hi, Carl." The poor man looked down at the ground and would not make eye contact with Carl.

"Come in and have a seat, Uncle Chris. Is something wrong?" Carl had never shared more than two or three words at a time with this particular Uncle. Looking back, he had failed to notice just how different Chris was.

Chris did as he was instructed.

"I...I am .... sorry about your friend."

"Which one??"

"Charlie, of course."

"Oh, I thought you were talking about Rick."

"Rick? That guy?"

Carl narrowed his eyes.

"Uncle Chris, Rick and Charlie are my family."

"Family? I have never understood what that was." Chris got up suddenly. "I have said what I wanted to say."

"Uncle Chris, can you tell me how the four of you grew up?"

Christopher gave Carl a quick peak in his eyes.

"You don't want to know."

"Sit down, I will ask the maid for that tea you like. I want to know. Uncle Chris, I cannot help you guys unless I do."

"Is that right?"

"Isn't that the real reason why you are here?"

Chris sat back down in the chair. He stared at the floor boards, remembering... and in a monotone voice, he unfolded his story.

---

Scott got out of the cab and went inside the Lansing Memorial ER. He pulled out his phone and Dejuan felt the vibration. He excused himself from Rick's room and headed downstairs, after he texted Scott. Wait right there. I will find you.

---

In an office in Washington, the assistant chief of the Computer Crimes division listened intently to the replay of the recording sent to him by Scott. He picked up the phone and contacted his superior's secretary.

"The is the assistant Chief. It the boss in?"

"He is still here, but getting ready to go home."

"Please ask him to give me a few minutes. I will be right up."

The man took the disk out of the computer and headed to the old man's office. God help us, if he really is in cohoots with these people.

---

Rick forced his eyes open. The man with the jackhammer inside his head was apparently working over time.

"God, my head." He forced himself to focus and found himself surrounded by Jenny at his side with Charlie beside her. The twins were leaning against the wall, and that wierd FBI agent sipping on coffee looking out the window of his room.

"Wick!!!! Wick is awake." Charlie squealed excitedly.

Rick raised his hand. "Please, buddy, keep it down. Whisper, Okay?"

"Okay." Charlie looked apologetic. "Sowwy."

Rick grimaced into a slight grin. "It's Okay, bud. Where am I? What happened."

Dejuan came forward then, "That SOB of a cousin of yours knocked you out. We brought you to Lansing Memorial." He stated, angrily.

Charlie went "Shuusshhh"

Rick held up his hand in a calming motion. "I am sure he had his reasons. Where is that guy now?"

"He is still at the mansion." Deshaun said evenly.

"We were lucky to get you and Charlie out."

Rick tried to sit up.

"Stop that. This is a hospital bed you know." Jenny reached over and pressed a button raising the head of the bed up.

"Thanks." He swallowed. "Any word on Lynn?"

"She woke up, but is still tubed." She paused thinking to herself, I am even starting to talk like medical people. "Still on the breathing machine. They plan to remove the tube tomorrow."

"Good, that is a relief. I need to see her." He struggled to get up but the room felt like it was spinning around him. He fell back into bed, making the pain in his head worse.

"Enough of that, Mr. Fox. You are on bedrest. Which means, bucko, you can't get out of bed." She pointed to the urinal and bedpan within reach of his bed. "Get it?" she stated with a wicked smile.

Rick nodded stifling a laugh, quickly because it hurt too much.

"I had the weirdest dream about keys and lockets and bears....I ..." He paused as he pieced it together. "Steve Hauser's daughter. What ever became of that."

"Ah, that," Dejuan stated quietly. "Mystery solved. Steve left a message in some flowers that will be delivered to her mother's grave tomorrow. Millie and Oscar are taking her to the cemetery tomorrow."

Jenny froze. "Cemetery?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Carl sent me a text message saying that they had to go to the cemetary tomorrow."

Deshaun checked his watch. It was already midnight.

"You mean today." Then he looked at Charlie. "Charlie, did anyone ask you about Katie Hauser when you were at the Matthews' house today?"

Charlie thought and thought. So much had happened.

"Yes."

"What... I mean what did you say exactly."

"That Katie was trying to find out what her father left her."

"Damn." Dejuan stated. Seeing Charlie flinch, he added. "It is okay. You were not there when we figured out the puzzle. So you were not the one who told them." He looked at his brother, as he walked over to the other side of the bed.

"Rick, get better. We have to go and get ready for tomorrow." Deshaun stated quickly, as he gave Rick's shoulder a squeeze. "It will be okay, bro. Just get better."

"I know what you are going to do, and I am going with you." Rick took a deep breath and tried once again, struggling to sit on the side of the bed.

"Like hell you will." Deshaun stated. "You would only get in the way in that condition. Rest. We will update you in the morning."

Rick grabbed Deshaun's hand. "Carl. Promise me you will get Carl out of there."

Dejuan narrowed his eyes. "Rick, we aren't sure of him. We don't know what side he is on."

Jenny caught her breath at that and gulped.

"He is on my side. He wants the Matthews to be known for toys... nothing else."

"We will do what we can. But it is women and children first... okay? Millie and Katie will be there. Understand?"

Rick nodded, and then drifted off unable to help himself or the ones he loved.

---

The assistant chief stood in front of the old man. Shoving down his misgivings, he cleared his throat and proceeded to discuss the night's proceedings of the case he had called, Scott's great adventure.

"Sir, how well do you know John Matthews?"

"Him? He is just an old college friend. He used to date my sister, god save her soul. Such a troubled child, he tried everything he could to save her... but she still..." The man stopped midsentence and looked up at the assistant chief. "Why? Why would you ask that?"

"Well, sir, I have a recording you need to listen to. It is from one of my operatives, Scott Townsend."

"Ah, isn't he the one he asked for emergency leave?"

"Well, that was his cover story. He has been on assignment the last couple of weeks." Hoping that lightning would not strike him.

"Really? Sure. Did he find out something incriminating about the Matthews?"

"Listen to this for yourself." As the man walked around and placed the disc into the laptop, he went back around and sat down, watching the face of the man in question. Then a sudden thought came to mind. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, what was your sister's name?"

"Ah,er, Melanie. Why do you ask?"

The man sighed and looked at his boss. "This is going to be rough. But listen, please."

to be continued............