Day 244: Conclusions

Jake ordered Becky away with the baby and not to come back until she heard three shots.  She complied, but was scared.  She took food and weapons.  She wanted to take it but thought, in case it was lucky, it could protect Jake more.  Jack watched them sadly.  He positioned his men in strategic parts of the boat.  Fritz with his training went on one side of the boat to watch out for the Enemy to sneak on that way.  Nora led another team on the other side.  Scully was well enough to help.  She insisted on fighting as well and got a weapon.  Roger was happy to grab anything sharp for the cannons as extra ammo.

Jake was prepared for him this time and bombed the ship as much as he could.  The Enemy swung aboard.  Men made a circle around Jake to protect him.  They all fought valiantly and showed their strengths.  Allison hit with a frying pan in the galley, and Mimosa went to rescue her once.  She proved to live up to her name.  The Enemy searched as hard as he could for it, while fighting off Jake's crew.  He had taken off his hat so no one would recognize him.  Scully fought towards Nora and asked her the question then left her again to rescue Jake by running in the way, being stabbed in the arm. Meanwhile, Becky could hear the shots in the distance but was too afraid to look back.  The baby was crying but only because he had lost his new toy in his blanket.

Scully was losing strength soon and Nora helped him.  The Enemy searched Jake's cabin, opening drawers.  Jake saw him there and ran after him. They fought, and in the process, the Enemy found it in a hollowed part underneath the drawer of the dresser. Jake struggled to get it back.  The fight took them outside, near the ship's edge. It got knocked over the side.  After watching it splash down, the Enemy was furious. Jake fought, but his sword was knocked out of his hand.  She came to his rescue and stabbed the Enemy right in the heart.  He fell dead over the side of the ship with it.

When the few left of the Enemy's men saw he was dead, they jumped over the side of the ship.  Jake sailed away from them and fired three shots.  They decided to leave it be.  It belonged down there.  All were safely reunited, and Scully gave Nora a token he had saved since the Cabinet.  Jake gathered all dead: enemies, friends, and the one who died from wounds, and gave them a seaman's funeral.  The enemies were dumped at the other side of the ship.  The next day he performed another ceremony. They sailed to France one last time for final reconciliation then sailed home.  She lived in a house near Jake.

Day 243: Hunts

Some of the language of this is vague because I do not want to spoil surprises when the story does get written.

The doctor bandaged up everyone.  Scully was delusional since he had lost blood and was in pain.  Nora was ordered to keep an eye on him and force him to relax.  The woman was happy to be with Jake but was very tired.  He gave her some food, and then all of them rested while they sailed away towards Ireland.  The next day, she was feeling better and Jake introduced her to everyone.  In turn, she told them the whole story.  She respectfully told him to sail away to a city in England.  Jake told Pitzel to listen to her.  Scully also talked to Jake about Nora when he was feeling better.

She led them to a deserted town, with little evidence that others had been in it since she had been there.  Through a waterfall, there was evidence of a little home, and some jewels were encased in the walls.  Baby got a new toy.  She led them through a secret place to where there were weapons and affects.  She let Jake lead the expedition in Ireland because she wanted to see what he would have done.

He had two choices to search in, a clock tower or an old castle.  They went to an old castle in the center of the little town.  Muggins explored the kitchen.  Jake tried to get hints but with no success.  Then he thought like her.  He went to the throne room and found it hidden in the floorboards under the king's throne.  Everyone looked at it on the ship. They were going back to drop off Fritz when the Enemy was seen in the distance.  No one could tell whose ship it was at first.  They had to wait until he drew closer, but Jake knew.

Day 242: Frenchman's Rock

A part of a story I'll be posting on Fan Fiction someday.  It's a summarized version, used as notes to help me remember the plot.

They arrived at the Cabinet by night.  Jake took a group of about 18 men with him, including his coterie.  Becky demanded to come because she was one of his best fighters now and she wanted to be there when they found her.  Allison stayed with the baby.  They rowed silently to the island shore and crept along the side of bushes as they saw a group of men partying by a beach bonfire.  They crept through various men on guard and others who were working until they got to a cluster of buildings off the beach.  It was the store room, a supplies room, then they came across a huge building guarded by four men at each entrance and two on the other two sides.  Some of the men went through it while others stood guard.  It was a series of caged pits, each with a makeshift bed.  Jake and his men searched the dark pits with torches until Nipperkin found her.  She was emaciated and sounded hoarse.  She recognized Jake instantly.  He gave her some water and pulled her out of there.

Now the group had to slip away as quietly as possible.  Scully carried her frail figure as they back-tracked the way they came.  The captain had discovered their boat though and ordered his men to search the island until the intruders were caught.  Jake stopped in the forest and discussed the certainty that they would have to fight.  He sent Mimosa, Muggins, Scully, and a few other men to the shore to locate their boat.  Jake hid the woman in the forest and protected her.  When the captain and his men began to overpower Scully and the rest, Jake sent the rest of his forces down to help.

Men were wounded and some died.  Scully bravely fought to protect his group of men, despite being shot in the abdomen and stabbed in the arm.  He also had a gunpowder burn on his hand from the beach battle. Jake stepped out of the forest and hollered out to the captain to come get him. He came, and the two began to sword fight.  This made the enemy pirate furious, and he ran towards Jake, but Nora, Scully, Jake, and Becky shot at him from where they were.  No one knows who killed him for sure.  Jake's crew made it with her to the shore, where one of the crew made managed to secure a boat, and they sailed back to the ship to repair their wounds and mourn their five dead.

Day 240: Conclusion of Simon's Story

Two hours later, Doctor Sullivan joined Dave, Alvin, and Theodore in the waiting room.  Dave was so anxious he wasn’t sure whether to sit or stand.

“Is everything okay, Doctor?  How did it go?”

“The surgery went well, Mr. Seville.  I feel fairly confident it was a success, although I wouldn’t count on that fact until Simon wakes up.”

Dave violently shook his hand.  “Thank you, Dr. Sullivan, thank you so much!  It's a miracle!”

“May we see him?” Theodore asked with big eyes.

“Yes, the drugs should wear off in about ten minutes.  He should be awake then.”

“You boys go ahead.  I’m going to call Miss Miller and tell her to come over.”

Alvin grabbed Theodore’s hand.  “Come on, I remember the way.”

“No running, Alvin!” Dave called over his shoulder.

Alvin pretended he hadn’t heard. 

The doctor had underestimated when Simon would wake up.  The chipmunk stirred his head to the chirping of a robin outside and opened his eyes to a white room and a blurry bright light.  All he could see were funny shapes.  His memory was just as fuzzy as his vision.  The pungent scent in the air reminded him of a hospital.  The sheets on his bed felt crisp and thin, like what a hospital would have.  Simon groped along the sides of his bed for his glasses, hitting his hand into the bed railing.  Feeling the smooth plastic from his glasses frames, he put them on his face, and the room came into focus. 

He was alone in one of those private hospital rooms.  Simon swallowed and felt his dry throat.  He decided to get some water from the bathroom sink.  He started to swing his legs over the side when he realized he could bend his legs, and feel that he was touching his legs, and feel the ground underneath him, and feel that he was walking.  Simon was walking, and he could feel it all.

Day 239

Dr. Sullivan reviewed Simon’s X-rays with Dave and the Chipmunks and explained the procedure that would be done in the operation.  He hoped that by operating on Simon, he could personally see what could be causing Simon’s nerve problem and fix it. 

“Now that I’ve explained the surgery and risks involved, are you sure you want to go through with this?”

“I’m sure, Dr. Sullivan,” Simon responded gravely.  “This could be my only chance.”

“Great.  I’ll go tell the nurses to prep for surgery.”  He gave Dave some paperwork to sign and showed them the waiting room where they could stay until Simon’s surgery was over.

“Bye, Simon,” Theodore said with a hug.

“Bye, Theodore.”

Alvin walked up next.  “Take care, little brother.  I better see you walking out of bed.”

Simon couldn’t help but smile.  “Thanks, I’ll see what I can do.”

“We’ll be waiting for you,” Dave said, kissing Simon’s forehead.

Simon waved at them all until he saw them leave the hall and a nurse take their place.

Alvin had enough foresight to grab his Nintendo, a deck of cards, and his magazine collection that featured articles of himself.  These kept him preoccupied for an hour or so.  When he wasn’t playing cards with Alvin or reading the magazines provided by the hospital, Theodore was eating.  It didn’t take him long before he ate all the snacks he brought plus two more from the snack machine. 

“I eat when I’m nervous,” Theodore meekly explained after Alvin had asked him about it.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about.  Simon will be fine.”  Alvin tried to make himself sound more confident than he felt.

Day 238

Should be Day 244.

One day, Dave burst into the living room, scaring the playing cards right out of Theodore’s hands.

“Burglars!!”

Alvin chuckled.  “That’s the sorriest looking burglar I ever saw!”

“It’s only Dave, Theodore,” Simon handed his brother two of the cards he had dropped.  “What is it, Dave?”

“You’ll never guess what happened at work today.  I got a call back from a specialist on the East Coast that I had called a few weeks ago.  The doctor said he looked at your X-rays and file and thinks there’s a good chance he could fix you!”

“Are you serious?!  That’s awesome!” Alvin jumped up and clapped Simon on the back. 

“Does that mean we have to take an airplane trip?” Theodore asked.

“No, the doctor offered to come to us.  He wants to do the operation as soon as possible.  I scheduled a consultation with him on Thursday at 9:00 a.m., but there’s a good chance you’ll get the surgery done that day.  What do you say to that, Simon?”

“I say…I can’t wait to walk again!”

 

On the day of the appointment, Simon was up early.  He couldn’t sleep from anticipation and worry.  Of course he was excited that the operation might be successful, but there was also a chance it could cause even more damage and ruin any hope he had left.  He had finally come to the conclusion that he couldn’t get his hopes up too high, and whatever the outcome, he would be alright.  He had proved that he could live a fairly normal life in his wheelchair and still do the things he loved most: spend time with his family and friends, read, and invent.  This gave him comfort.

  

When it came time to go, Dave lifted Simon into the front seat, and Theodore folded up the wheelchair and managed to put it in the trunk without getting crushed by it.  Alvin and Theodore talked to Simon about what songs they would sing in their upcoming concert, trying to distract all of them from thinking about the operation.

When they had arrived and found the room they needed to be in, the group took a look at their surroundings.  It was all white, with a painting of a tree on the wall, and smelled like rubbing alcohol and medicine.  The doctor walked in after they had been waiting fifteen minutes.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Sullivan.  It’s nice to finally meet you all in person.”  He went around and shook everyone’s hand.  When he got to Simon, he said, “I’m going to do my best to help you.”

Simon smiled his gratitude.  He couldn’t ask for anything more.

Day 237

Simon didn’t realize how much he had missed inventing until he picked up one of his tools the next day.  It was the satisfaction of being able to create whatever his heart desired that he loved about inventing, along with the thrilling journey of trial and error until he succeeded.  Jeanette handed him the tools he needed, helped him brainstorm, fetched equipment he needed from the shelves or basement, and helped him test out his first invention: a special handle that would help him pick up objects from a distance so he wouldn’t have to keep asking someone to get them for him.  It had a few kinks that needed worked out, but by the end of the second day, Simon was satisfied with it.

Simon also used his imagination to help him in doing chores around the house.  He often sat on cushions in his wheelchair so he could reach the sink to do dishes.  A motor on the back of his chair gave him enough propulsion to move with the vacuum cleaner.  To help him carry things on the chair instead of in his lap, Dave bought Simon a saddle bag with several pockets that Simon attached to the side of his chair.  He enjoyed creating all the inventions, and doing things around the house was getting easier.

Once summer came along, the Chipettes came over to visit more.  Jeanette urged him to join them outside, and instead of walking longingly on the porch, she and Eleanor found a way to adapt their game of catch so Simon could play too.  He found that he could golf soon when the six set up a mini golf set on their lawn after Dave mowed it.  On nights when his brothers did things Simon didn’t care to participate in, such as going to a late night party or a kids’ movie, Simon looked through Jeanette’s telescope or read with her, just as he used to do.

Day 236: Overcoming Fears

Should be Day 243.

When Dave asked why he wasn’t inventing, Simon would shrug and respond, “I don’t feel like it right now.  I have other priorities.”

Dave knew there was something more to the story, but he couldn’t get it out of the chipmunk.  The next time Jeanette came over to study, Dave took her aside.

“Has Simon mentioned any experiments that he’s working on lately?”

“Come to think of it, no, I haven’t.”

“That’s what I feared.  I think Simon is avoiding working on any inventions because of the accident.  I don’t suppose you could talk to him, could you?  I think he would listen to you.”

“I’m not sure how much better I would be, but I’ll give it a try.”

“Thanks, Jeanette,” Dave smiled.

“Where did you go?” Simon asked her once she had sat back down at the dining room table.

“I-uh, went to call Miss Miller about something.”

“I see,” and he returned to reading.

Jeanette nibbled on her fingernail as she tried to think of a tactful way to bring this topic up.  After a minute she started, “I haven’t heard you mention any experiments recently.  Do you have any new ideas?”

“Oh,” he blushed, “I’ve actually decided to take a break from inventing for a while.”

“How come?  You’re so talented!”

“I wouldn’t go far as to say that.”

Jeanette touched his arm.  “Simon, you’ve won the science fair three years in a row, and your inventions are a great success.  Look at the sock sorter you invented for Dave.”

“Yes, but that was before…this.” He looked down at the wheelchair.  “It’s just…what if I make another mistake and make myself worse?  Living in this wheelchair is bad enough, not able to do all the things I used to do.  My life has changed enough already.  I don’t want it any worse.”

“I can understand that.  But, you can’t let your fears get in the way of what you love to do.”

Simon was about to argue that he was not scared but knew it was no use trying to cover it up from Jeanette.  She was too smart.

 

He took a deep breath.  “Alright, I guess I can give it another try.  Only, would you mind helping me for the first few days, just until I can invent on my own again?”

Jeanette squeezed his hand.  “I’d love to.”

Day 235

Should be Day 239.

Once they were at school, Simon had to wait until everyone was off the bus before he could get off.  The Chipettes and Simon’s brothers walked slowly next to Simon, so they could maintain the same pace as him.

“It’s a good thing your locker is on the bottom row,” Eleanor remarked.

“Yes, it is.  Otherwise, I’d need to add another thing to my “Help Simon With” list.”

Jeanette put her hand on his shoulder.  “Try not to let it get you down, Simon.”

“It’s not.”

“Good.”

In class, the teachers were overjoyed to see Simon again.  They had removed his desk in the fron row so he could wheel right into its space.  Being around positive supportive adults and stimulating educational facts, Simon almost felt like his own self again.  The teachers treated him just like they would any other student, proving that even though he was in a wheelchair, his brain was still the same.

 

For the next few weeks, Simon adjusted to living in a wheelchair fairly well.  He ate at the breakfast nook, since it was the perfect height for his chair.  He got used to maneuvering around with his chair and even pushed himself to go pretty fast.  The people at school soon got used to seeing him there, and it was much less awkward for him.

Dave was relieved to see that Simon was adjusting to living in a wheelchair, but he still worried that his son might never be able to walk again.  He’d constantly ask Simon if he tried moving his legs that day or if he felt any changes.  Simon would reply, “No, but there’s always tomorrow.”  He couldn’t help but be proud of his son’s bravery and optimism.  There was just one worry in Dave’s mind now.  Simon wouldn’t go near his science equipment, not even after Dave had brought some of it up from the lab.