It Cannot Get Any Worse
Mom's Home
Cassandra was confused. She sat down on the porch and asked everyone who walked by, “Can you please tell me what is going on?” A young black policewoman sat down next to her, and said, “Tell me who you are, and I will see what I can tell you. But first, how are you involved in all of this?”
Cassandra and Cjersti had a long quiet chat. Cjersti made Cassandra feel at ease, as if she had known her all her life. By the end of their conversation, Cassandra was in tears, and officer Chapman was holding a flash drive she had taken from her pocket and was turning it over and over staring at it thoughtfully.
Q and Danny were also sitting on the porch, it was a big porch and they were too far away to listen to Officer Chapman and the lady who arrived a few minutes ago wearing a tunic. They still tried to listen, there was nothing else to do except watch, listen and worry about Dad.
Officer Chapman suddenly jumped up, put the flash drive in her pocket and asked the lady on the porch if she would come to the station and talk with some people there. She told Q they needed to leave right away as she needed to get the lady to the station right now, plus Officer Chapman had to work the next day and needed some sleep. She said she would come by and check on them the next evening. She seemed really excited about the porch lady and pulled her to the police car at a run. When she tried to leave, reporters mobbed her car and the other police officers had to push them away.
A young officer stood near the end of the porch looking uncomfortable. Eventually Danny and Q recognized him as a guy who once dated their sister just after high school. It was hard to believe he was a cop already.
After what seemed like a few minutes but had to be an hour or more, Dr. Brosnan called and said they were at the hospital. Dad was doing well and was well guarded. He said it was nearly impossible to get through the wall of reporters outside the hospital in any event. Visitors would be allowed tomorrow.
Mom came home from the library. She was angry that the bridge was stuck open and it took her nearly an hour to get home. She cornered Quentin and Danny and asked them what was going on. She had a long day and no one had put the garbage out. Terrence's friend’s cars were all over the driveway and she had to walk up to the house. Terrence had promised they would all be gone by the time she got home. She was frustrated about the police all over the place. One of Terrence's friends must have hurt themselves with an axe again. The house was a mess, and what the hell happened to the front door? Why do you have a band aid in your elbow? Where the heck is your father? Why is there blood in the pool?
Quentin filled her in as best he could. Mom was incredulous. "You two stay here until I call you." She went to the young police officer and said "Chris, you will take me to my husband - right now!" The officer looked nervous uncomfortable and said something about his boss and he was not sure. Mom grabbed his arm and pushed him to the car and virtually shoved him into the driver's seat scolding him the entire way. Then she got in the other side, and the car left. Q wondered if she would be able to get in to see Dad, but he pitied anyone who tried to stop her.
Quentin and Danny were interviewed by different police officers six times each. They got pretty sick of telling the same story over and over. The cops would not believe Q when he claimed the pull up weight had saved his life until he went and lugged the bent weight plate up from the basement. One of the cops asked whether he could go show it to the reporters. Q did not care. The cops also did not understand what an atlatl was. Q had to demonstrate it to them. The reporters seemed to like that and took a lot of pictures. The cops seemed to disbelieve the whole story about the guy Q hit because they never found anyone with a giant arrow stuck in his neck. Q was sure he had seen the dart hit him in the neck and come out the other side. There was no way that guy was not in a hospital somewhere.
Saachi Brosnan was being wonderful. She helped clean up the mess of the house and called a handyman to fix the front door. She called someone from church who brought a casserole dinner for Q and Danny. Then more people from church brought casseroles and Saachi dished them out for the cops and reporters. Saachi cleaned up the house some more and got some Motrin for Danny.
Saachi told the SCA people they had to go home once they had all been interviewed by the policemen, and she made most of the cops leave too – at least out to the ends of the porch or in the driveway. She chased every one of them out of the house yelling "Get out get out get out, leave them alone. Have some respect." Then She told them to make themselves useful and get rid of the reporters clustered on the road. She even put chlorine shock in the pool to help get the blood out so Mom would not have to deal with it. Q did not understand why Saachi was doing all this, she could have taken her Dad's Vette home, or even walked. He was glad she was here though, he was not up to dealing with all this, and Danny could barely walk. Danny was hiding it but Q could tell Danny's legs were causing him a lot of pain. He certainly was not up for dealing with anything.
Cassandra and Cjersti had a long quiet chat. Cjersti made Cassandra feel at ease, as if she had known her all her life. By the end of their conversation, Cassandra was in tears, and officer Chapman was holding a flash drive she had taken from her pocket and was turning it over and over staring at it thoughtfully.
Q and Danny were also sitting on the porch, it was a big porch and they were too far away to listen to Officer Chapman and the lady who arrived a few minutes ago wearing a tunic. They still tried to listen, there was nothing else to do except watch, listen and worry about Dad.
Officer Chapman suddenly jumped up, put the flash drive in her pocket and asked the lady on the porch if she would come to the station and talk with some people there. She told Q they needed to leave right away as she needed to get the lady to the station right now, plus Officer Chapman had to work the next day and needed some sleep. She said she would come by and check on them the next evening. She seemed really excited about the porch lady and pulled her to the police car at a run. When she tried to leave, reporters mobbed her car and the other police officers had to push them away.
A young officer stood near the end of the porch looking uncomfortable. Eventually Danny and Q recognized him as a guy who once dated their sister just after high school. It was hard to believe he was a cop already.
After what seemed like a few minutes but had to be an hour or more, Dr. Brosnan called and said they were at the hospital. Dad was doing well and was well guarded. He said it was nearly impossible to get through the wall of reporters outside the hospital in any event. Visitors would be allowed tomorrow.
Mom came home from the library. She was angry that the bridge was stuck open and it took her nearly an hour to get home. She cornered Quentin and Danny and asked them what was going on. She had a long day and no one had put the garbage out. Terrence's friend’s cars were all over the driveway and she had to walk up to the house. Terrence had promised they would all be gone by the time she got home. She was frustrated about the police all over the place. One of Terrence's friends must have hurt themselves with an axe again. The house was a mess, and what the hell happened to the front door? Why do you have a band aid in your elbow? Where the heck is your father? Why is there blood in the pool?
Quentin filled her in as best he could. Mom was incredulous. "You two stay here until I call you." She went to the young police officer and said "Chris, you will take me to my husband - right now!" The officer looked nervous uncomfortable and said something about his boss and he was not sure. Mom grabbed his arm and pushed him to the car and virtually shoved him into the driver's seat scolding him the entire way. Then she got in the other side, and the car left. Q wondered if she would be able to get in to see Dad, but he pitied anyone who tried to stop her.
Quentin and Danny were interviewed by different police officers six times each. They got pretty sick of telling the same story over and over. The cops would not believe Q when he claimed the pull up weight had saved his life until he went and lugged the bent weight plate up from the basement. One of the cops asked whether he could go show it to the reporters. Q did not care. The cops also did not understand what an atlatl was. Q had to demonstrate it to them. The reporters seemed to like that and took a lot of pictures. The cops seemed to disbelieve the whole story about the guy Q hit because they never found anyone with a giant arrow stuck in his neck. Q was sure he had seen the dart hit him in the neck and come out the other side. There was no way that guy was not in a hospital somewhere.
Saachi Brosnan was being wonderful. She helped clean up the mess of the house and called a handyman to fix the front door. She called someone from church who brought a casserole dinner for Q and Danny. Then more people from church brought casseroles and Saachi dished them out for the cops and reporters. Saachi cleaned up the house some more and got some Motrin for Danny.
Saachi told the SCA people they had to go home once they had all been interviewed by the policemen, and she made most of the cops leave too – at least out to the ends of the porch or in the driveway. She chased every one of them out of the house yelling "Get out get out get out, leave them alone. Have some respect." Then She told them to make themselves useful and get rid of the reporters clustered on the road. She even put chlorine shock in the pool to help get the blood out so Mom would not have to deal with it. Q did not understand why Saachi was doing all this, she could have taken her Dad's Vette home, or even walked. He was glad she was here though, he was not up to dealing with all this, and Danny could barely walk. Danny was hiding it but Q could tell Danny's legs were causing him a lot of pain. He certainly was not up for dealing with anything.