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From: "Night Hawk" <nighthawk2000@sympatico.ca>
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Subject: {ASSM} Once More With Feelings - Chapter 13 {Night Hawk} (ff rom SciFi)
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Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 05:10:05 -0400
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I realize that many of you grab a copy of this story from a
newsgroup and read it in plain text format.
However, if you have the time, follow one of the links below
and do us both a favor...

Read this chapter as it was written!
Either on line as HTML or download it.
Available in both PDF and DOC files at:
http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Night_Hawk/www/
To download the PDF and Doc versions,follow the above link to
the News page where there is a link to the stories in PDF and
Doc formats.
or look for "The Night Hawk" at http://storiesonline.net/


"Once More With Feelings"
=========================

A new story by Night Hawk

Copyright 2004 by Night Hawk

Chapter 13:  A Present for Wendy
________________________________


At quarter to eleven, two friendly familiar faces showed up in
my room. 

"How do you feel, Patti?" asked Linda.

"Just a little sore, but nothing worse," I said.

"We'll be in shortly," said Julie.  "The ward is nearly empty
because of the weekend, so let us do our rounds and then we'll
both be back."

The candy striper who had sat with me since Einstein left was
clearly pleased to be able to move on to something else.  I
hadn't been much company for her, as my thoughts had been
elsewhere.

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

"What were you guys doing at the school on Saturday?" I asked
Linda and Julie when they came back.

"Shall we show her now?" Julie said, "Or wait till tomorrow?"

"Maybe we should make her wait since she obviously doesn't
appreciate the extra effort we put in," said Linda.

"Ah, come on you guys!"

They both laughed and Julie explained that since it was obvious
that I wanted something special for Wendy's birthday, the two of
them had gone shopping for just the right thing.

Linda took a package from her pocket.  It looked like a pretty
fancy jewelry store box to me.

"Ready?" she asked.

I nodded, and she opened the box to display a beautiful gold
heart pendant on a fine gold chain.  The heart had a tiny heart-
shaped cutout on the left side.

"Oh, Linda, it's beautiful!"

"And this is for Wendy to give to the one she loves," said
Julie, drawing another box from her pocket and opening it to
show me a matching necklace with a very tiny heart pendant on
it.  "This way the missing piece of her heart will always be
with the one she loves.  You can let her decide."

"Oh, this is way too cool!" I said.  "But it must have cost a
small fortune.  I tried to tell you how much I could afford."

"We know," said Julie, "but we also know how you feel about
this girl.  If we hadn't been sure before, what we saw today
told us how she feels about you.  Guess our intuition was pretty
accurate eh, Linda?"

"Very much," Linda replied.  "So we figured that you deserved
at least this much from us."

I thanked them profusely and after promising they would have it
gift wrapped before morning we got down to some serious talking.

I told them that Patrick had been in earlier in the evening and
thanked them for letting us use them as messengers.

"We talked with him for some time," said Julie, "and it's kind
of funny, but he seems to have the same kind of selective memory
loss that you do.  It's interesting nobody noticed it when he
was still in the hospital.  Must have been all that police
business that distracted everybody."

"Yeah," said Linda.  "He seems to be fooling a lot of people,
but not in a bad way.  His mom and dad are happy with him and he
managed to change schools as well.  It's almost like you guys
had planned to change everything so you wouldn't have anybody
from your past around.  Like people who might notice small
changes?"

They were uncomfortably close to the truth although my changing
school was by accident and not by choice.  I tried to shrug it
off and said they read too much Sci-Fi, but clearly they weren't
buying it.

They weren't badgering me or anything like that, but they
clearly had an idea of what was going on.  I had to decide how
much I could trust them.

"Okay," I said.  "Ask me a question.  I will answer it as
truthfully as possible, on condition that you don't ask me how I
know.  And I should warn you that I don't know a lot about this
time period."

"This time period?" Linda asked.

"Yep.  Remember that I'm only 14."

Julie's eyes narrowed and she pulled Linda aside.  For a few
minutes they whispered quietly then came back to my bed.

"Okay," said Julie.  "We won't ask how you know, but we finally
settled on a question that will confirm our suspicions."

I took a deep breath and said, "Fire away."

"Do the Beatles ever reunite?" asked Linda.

I chuckled.  These girls were much smarter than even I had
given them credit for.  I thought about it for a couple of
moments, trying to decide how much information I should give
them.

"No," I said.  "The Beatles were a musical phenomenon that will
never be repeated.  The Beatles are finished, though all four of
them will continue with solo careers.  At various times
they will join in groups of two or three to add to each other's
singles but as a group the Beatles are done."

As they mulled that over, I realized that if I had told them
about the death of John Lennon in 1980 at the hands of a crazed
assassin they might try to prevent it.  At least I could answer
this question without compromising the time line as I knew it.

"Does Patrick have the same knowledge?" Linda asked.

Hmm. a second question, but not about the future.  I thought
about how far on a limb these girls had gone for me and
Einstein, and told them, "Well, more or less.  After all, he's a
boy and I'm a girl."

"And you two have never met before?" Julie asked.

Tough one, though the honest answer was easy.  "No," I said. 
"Prior to waking up in this hospital, I can honestly say we had
never met before."  Which was true in the strictest sense of the
word.  I knew the body and life of Patrick because I had been
him, but I had never met Patricia until I became her.

"This is Twilight Zone stuff," Linda said.  "It's hard to
understand.  We're looking forward to the full story when you
two are ready."

"So," I said, changing the subject, "I hear that you shocked
Patrick when you asked him if he was able to 'relieve' himself."

Julie laughed.  "The look on his face was priceless when he
eventually figured out what we were talking about!"

"He's a good kid," Linda added.  "Cute and sweet.  We offered
to set him up with someone if he had a need that self loving
couldn't satisfy, but he seemed pretty cool with it.  I thought
he might be queer."

"I thought he might be as well," I said, "but from what he told
me tonight, that doesn't seem to be the case.  By the way,
Linda. thanks for the condoms.  I'm not sure when he will need
them, but as he said, better to be prepared than to be caught
short."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Despite the fact that I was stuck on liquids, and had a neck
that hurt like hell, we had a great night.  I don't think we
finished talking until three in the morning when I must have
dozed off.

Neither Linda nor Julie broached the subject of the future
again that night, and instead we talked about our plans for the
future.  Julie wanted to go back to school and become a doctor. 
She wasn't sure whether she wanted to specialize in pediatrics
or become an obstetrician.  I suggested that she concentrate her
studies towards infertility and alternate methods of conception.

Okay. so I was already playing with fire, but Julie would just
be finishing medical school when artificial insemination became
an accepted method for reproduction.

Linda wanted to continue working for a few more years and then
have a baby.  I asked if she had picked a father out yet, which
caused her to laugh.

"Not yet," she said putting her arm around Julie.  "Why?  Do
you know of any good candidates?"

I smiled at them.  "I think you'll find Patrick would be
willing, and he won't try to interfere with the way you two want
to raise your child."

Both of them thought that was a great idea, but it raised an
obvious question.  How did I know, could I know, that Patrick
would be agreeable?

"Let's just say that I can speak for Patrick and he can speak
for me." I said.  "Besides, nobody knows him better than I do!"

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

I woke up late Sunday morning, regretting that I had fallen
asleep on my two friends.  There was an envelope on the bedside
stand addressed to me and I opened it to find a note from Linda
and Julie.

 Dear Patti,
 You looked so peaceful sleeping we thought we would
 leave you alone.  We left the two packages wrapped at 
 the nurse's station for safe keeping and to avoid questions.
 When you want them, just ask one of the nurses for them.
 Love,
 L&J

That was so sweet of them.  I hoped that Wendy would be allowed
to come and visit today so I could give her the present.

Doctor Mallard came by just before lunch and asked how I was
doing.  Since I could now tell him details about my current
life, it didn't take long for him to wish me the best and move
on to other patients.

It was the visit after lunch from the neurologist that made me
realize that no matter how invincible I felt, I could still be
hurt.  He insisted on getting me wheeled back down to X-ray for
another series of pictures.  The swelling had gone down
considerably thanks to the quick response from Linda and Julie
at the school, and the ice packs they had kept on my neck most
of the night, but I was shocked at the bruise I saw in the
mirror.  The entire side of my neck was purple-black from the
force of the blow.

It was after one o'clock before he came back with several
sheets of film in his hands.

"You were incredibly lucky, young lady," he said to me.  "I've
seen injuries like this cause paralysis," he looked at me
soberly, then concluded, "Or worse."

I told him that I was thankful to be alive and that indeed I
must have been lucky.

"If it was up to me," he said, "the man would be charged with
attempted murder!"

I could see that he was quite upset, but I just bit my lip
knowing that since I hadn't died, there was no police officer in
the world that would attempt to arrest a priest.  It just wasn't
done, especially when the priest had probably already been
whisked away to one of the church's rehab monasteries.

He checked the film once more as if trying to verify for his
own peace of mind that I didn't have any chipped bones.  Finally
he said he wanted me to come back in a month for more X-rays and
then six months after that.

He did a visual and physical inspection of my neck once more,
and then wished me good health and luck.

He had only been gone five minutes when Mike and Ann walked in.

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Ann looked gray with worry, and Mike didn't look much better.

"Mom, what's the matter?" I exclaimed.

"We've been here since noon," she replied, "but we were told
that you weren't allowed any visitors until the specialist
authorized it."

"Ah, Mom." I said, "I really wish I didn't cause you so much
grief.  I'm trying my best to make you both proud of me and all
I seem to be doing is making you come to the hospital."

"We are proud of you, Patti," Mike said.  "We were worried
about you not having any friends and then your memory loss, but
now you seem to have more friends than ever and you've matured
so much."

"Does this mean I can start dating?" I said with a laugh.

Ann laughed as well, finally breaking the tension.  She knew I
would never be allowed to date while at St. Ursula's but
reminded me that while makeup was one thing, dating would still
have to wait.

I smiled at both of them.  "Don't you worry about me dating," I
said.  "I've got plans for my future and boys would only get in
the way!"

They told me they were just on their way to visit me when an
ambulance screamed by them.  When they saw it in the parking lot
a few minutes later, they became worried.   Predictably, Ann had
figured that out of 600 girls it had to be me the ambulance was
for.  They didn't even have a chance to get into the school when
Linda, Julie, and Wendy came rushing out with the paramedics, me
on the gurney.  Wendy had told them briefly where I was headed
and something about a head injury.  Mike and Ann had rushed back
to their car as the ambulance roared away.  Julie had dashed off
to her car as soon as I was in the ambulance and it became a
three vehicle race to the hospital.  Sister Elizabeth Ann and
Father Ed arrived minutes later.

"Wow," was all I could say.  "That's two rides in an ambulance
and I wasn't awake for either of them."

"Let's make this one the last one, okay sweetheart?" Ann said.

I gave her a hug and promised I would do my best.

We didn't mention Father Roberto at all, and I certainly wasn't
going to bring up the subject.  I didn't want Dad to go looking
for him.  We talked about their jobs and how things were going
at home without me there to pester them

Mom did say that things had improved at work since she had
confronted Belinda.

"I just told her that if I needed to take time off to visit my
sick daughter, I would take time off!"  She laughed and
continued, "Her jaw nearly hit the floor!"

She patted my hand fondly.  "I have you to thank for that,
dear.  Since we had that little talk, I've been noticing things
at the shop."

You go, Mom! I thought, but just made an enquiring sound. 
"Like?"

"Well, like Margery does as little as possible.  She seems to
spend the day either smoking out the back or chatting on the
telephone.  Belinda doesn't know half the stock, and she's
supposed to be in charge!  I think the only reason either of
them has a job is because they're related to Wilma and she's
away so often."

"So, are you going to stay there, Mom?"

"I think so for the moment, dear.  I like the job and since
Belinda and I had our little chat, things have settled down a
lot.  Although."  she trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"Mom?"

"Never mind, dear," she said, patting my hand.

I looked at Mike.  He in his turn looked questioningly at his
wife, who gave a little shrug, then returned his attention to
me.  "Please don't say anything to anybody, Patti.  Your Mom
thinks either one or both of them might be tickling the till."

"Oooo!  Mom, you have to tell someone!"

She looked uncomfortable.  "It's only a feeling, dear, and if
Wilma and her accountant don't see anything wrong, I don't see
that it would do any good to bring it up.  After all, Belinda is
Wilma's husband's cousin's sister-in-law."

I didn't like it, but let the subject drop and we spoke of
happier things.  "Have you rented out my room yet, Mom?"

She turned to Mike.  "What a good idea!  Darling, how much do
you think we could get for it?"

He pretended to consider it for a moment.  "I don't know.  How
about thirty dollars a week?"

"Awww, Dad!"

It was a fun visit and though I didn't have old memories to
rely on, I was making some great new ones with them.

"Oh," said Mike, "we nearly forgot with all the commotion."

"What's that, Daddy?"

"You tell her, Ann," he said.  "After all it was your idea."

"Mom?"

"Well, I think you've forgotten this, but for nearly a year
you've been asking if you could have your ears pierced," she
said.

"Hounded is more like it," said Mike smiling.

Ann elbowed him and continued.  "Seeing how your new friend
didn't have earrings either, we thought." she stopped and gave
Mike a look.

"That the two of you might like to have matching pairs," said
Mike and pulled a box out of his jacket pocket.  Inside the box
were two identical sets of matching pearls on gold studs.

"I called your principal earlier this week to see if it was
okay for you girls to have earrings," Ann said.  "The school
rule is as long as they are studs and are dainty and ladylike
they have no problems.  But while you can have them, you need to
see the school nurse about the actual piercing."

It felt rather strange to me to actually be thinking of how
nice it would be to have pierced ears.  It was not something I
had gone for as a male when it first became fashionable,
although I did get a tattoo to prove my machismo when I was
running with the gang, and eventually regretted it.  I'd have to
remember to tell Einstein not to bother getting one!

I gave both Mom and Dad a big hug and kiss, thanking them for
being so generous and thoughtful.  "I'm sure that Wendy will
love this as much as I do!"

They stayed and visited until nearly four o'clock.  Dad asked
me if I wanted a TV again, and thanking him for the thought, I
declined.  I told them that between the nurses and the tests, I
would rather rest and hopefully get back to school on Monday. 

"Let's hope next weekend we see you at school," Mike said. 

We exchanged more hugs and for a second, as Mike's eyes looked
at the bruise on my neck I saw that anger again, but he brushed
it away and said, "Be good, Patti-cake."

"I love you guys!" I said as they headed out the door.

To be continued.

__________________________


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