Voices of Conflict

Chapter 8

The slow squeak of the hinges of the bedroom door echoed across the quiet room.

The light from the hall spilled across the threshold illuminating the doorway.

Charlie looked over and silhouetted in the light from the hall he could see his son. "Chris are you sick?"

"I couldn't sleep." came the soft response.

Chloe raised up on her elbow so she could see over her husband. "What's the matter son?"

"I can't stop thinking about something that happened today at Uncle Gary's."

Charlie smiled at the pet name his kids had given his Paramedic partner. "What happened son?" He asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Come on over here and tell me what's bothering you."

Chris padded slowly over to his father and stood in front of his with his eyes downcast. "Um you know when we were playing ball and the ball rolled into the woods beside the barn?" He waited for his dad to answer.

"Well I wasn't there at the time, but why don't you tell me what happened. Come here and sit next to me and tell your mom and me the whole story."

Chris leaned against his parent's bed and Charlie draped his arm around his son. Chloe lay back on her pillow and waited to hear her son's explanation.

"Well ya see the ball rolled into the trees. I was closest so I ran after it. When I got there to get it I thought I heard something." He paused.

"Heard something?" Chloe asked. "Like what?"

"I dunno. It sounded like an animal...I guess." Chris shrugged his small shoulders.

"Son there are all kinds of animals in those woods behind your Uncle Gary's house. You know that. We've seen raccoons, squirrels, snakes, and even thought we heard a bear once...remember?"

"Yes sir, but it sounded big, and Dad it smelled." Chris looked at his dad with wide eyes. "It smelled funny."

"Funny how son?"

"Well like you but different." Chris looked up proud of his explanation.

"Like your father but different,. What does that mean?" She chuckled at her son's explanation.

"Well...you know dad uses that stuff after he shaves. It smells good. I smelled something like that only it didn't smell as good."

"Aftershave?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah and remember Uncle Gary thought he heard someone in the woods when he was in the hammock. I just can't stop thinkin' what if there really was someone out there?" Chris had finally gotten to the worry that kept him awake.

"Son," Charlie pulled his son close and hugged him. "I know you love your Uncle Gary a whole lot. I also know that his is injured and you worry about him, but I promise you he can take care of himself. He probably had a dream out there in the hammock that made him think someone hid in the woods watching him. You need to go back to bed now and let the adults worry about stuff like that. Okay?"

"Well okay dad, but what if someone really wanted to hide out in those woods and hurt Uncle Gary?" Chris looked at his dad for a sign that he understood.

"I don't think anyone would want to hurt your Uncle. I'll tell you what. It's just a little after midnight. As soon as I think he will be awake in the morning I will give him a call and make sure he and Miss Gail are okay. Would that help you to get back to sleep?"

"Yeah dad, that would be great!" Chris hugged his father and turned to leave the room. "Sorry I woke you and mom up."

"It's okay Chris. We're here for you. We love you very much," Chloe told him.

Chris ran around the bed and gave his mother a kiss. "Thanks mom, I love you too." Then he slipped from the room closing the door on the way back to his room satisfied that his dad would take care of the problem. After all his dad could do anything.

Charlie got up from the side of the bed. "I'll just go make sure he turned out the lights and got back in the bed."

"Okay," Chloe yawned. "Good night."

Charlie checked on his son and daughter and went to the kitchen for a drink before returning to his bed.

Slowly sliding under the covers so as not to wake Chloe he settled once again into his bed to try to get some sleep, but sleep would not come.

Charlie tossed and turned for a long time the things his son had said running through his mind over and over mixed in with Gary's upset that caused him to tumble from the hammock. Could there be something to all of this? Charlie hadn't wanted to worry his young son about it. He thought he had assured his son that Gary could take care of himself. He hoped he had. Now if only he could be that sure.

At the ranch Gail stirred on the couch. She slowly opened her eyes squinting in the light from the lamp on the sofa table. She could see two figures across the room. She recognized Gary who sat slumped in the wheelchair, but had no idea who the other man could be.

"What happened?" She whispered as she tried to sit up.

"Well pretty lady you fell and hit your head," Jimmy got up and moved toward the couch.

"Don' tou...touch h..her." Gary slurred.

Jimmy grabbed his hair and jerked his head back. "You keep quiet Fireboy." Then he pushed Gary's head forward causing him to sag in the chair.

"Ahhh...don'...hurs."

"Gary!" Dixie tried to get up from the couch.

Jimmy moved over and pushed her back down. "You stay put."

'This is getting too complicated Jimmy. They are getting restless already. You need to go ahead and take care of that man. Have the broad take off his bandages so he can see you and you can tell him what he did.'

"I'm running this show." Jimmy said his eyes darting up and from side to side as if he looked for the people speaking inside his head.

Gail noticed his odd behavior. She realized that he must be speaking to what he perceived as voices in his own mind, maybe multiple personalities or Schizophrenia, "Why don't you let me help him? He's injured. I can see something is very wrong with him."

"He's just very relaxed from his medication. No need for you to worry your pretty little head with that one."

Gail's mind raced...medication? Gary's taking antibiotics and pain meds...did he give Gary something. Could he have given Gary some of his own anti-psychotic medication or tranquilizers? If he did that would explain his lethargy. She had to find a way to get the man to trust her, so she could find out what he'd given Gary. She watched Jimmy as he reached over and grabbed his beer from the coffee table and drained the bottle.

'She likes him Jimmy. She doesn't like you. She's not like Amber.'

"Shut up...don't talk about her. She could be like my Amber. I'll be the one to decide that not you." Jimmy clearly under the influence of the several empty beer bottles that littered the coffee table talked to thin air.

"Can you tell me what medication he is on?" Gail hoped to get some information to help Gary who she now suspected had been drugged. Mixed with the antibiotics and pain medication he already had in his system he could be in real trouble.