Chapter Eight #2
Piaget met them part way on her return from the house, wrapped a blanket around them.
He wanted to ask how FedEx was. She slipped herself under his other arm and helped to tug him along.
“I laid out clothes in Michael’s room for both of you.
It is a good thing all of you are close enough in size that you can share from the same wardrobe. ”
Noah and Max would be borrowing his clothes.
He far preferred it when Ann borrowed them.
He sighed. He really needed to stop thinking like this.
A particularly hard shiver shuddered through him, and he was grateful when they entered the house.
It was blessedly hot inside. Max and Piaget led him to his room, making him sit on the bed. “FedEx.”
Michael was surprised that the word had come out right. He tried again. “FedEx.”
“It is okay Michael. We will both get changed and will feel brand new in just a moment,” Max assured him, disregarding the odd word that he had said. To Max it was one of those words that was substituted for something Michael wanted to say, best ignored.
“I am going to get some gauze and tape for his knee,” Piaget slipped away, and Michael realized that his knee did sting. He looked down to see it dripping blood down his leg.
“FedEx,” Michael repeated and motioned toward the door.
Max looked at him in incomprehension and Michael felt a flash of frustration. How did one mime a dog without looking like a complete idiot?
“Michael let’s get changed into dry warm clothes. Then we can work out whatever it is you are saying,” Max pulled off his own shirt and grabbed a towel. Michael sighed and followed suit.
Piaget came into the room and knelt in front of him. She had a couple pads of gauze, tape, and scissors. She used a towel to remove some of the blood and Michael winced. “Sorry.”
“How bad is it? Does he need stitches?” Max asked, he leaned over to have a look.
Michael wanted to remind them that he was right here, listening to them. Just because he didn’t talk much did not mean that he was not fully cognizant of the situation.
“No, it is just scraped pretty badly,” Piaget pressed the pads against his knee and set to securing them with the tape.
Max handed Michael a dry sweatshirt. “I think your clothes look better on me.”
Michael snorted. He pulled on the hoodie over the dry tee that he now donned.
Finished with his knee, Piaget gathered her supplies. “That was a very brave thing you did today. Thank you, Michael.”
Michael shook his head and jerked a thumb to Max.
“Yes, I would have done what you did but we both know you are the faster runner and better swimmer, even if you are an old man,” Max said. “We all saw that wave. I would not have made it on time.”
He shrugged. “FedEx. Barking.”
Max put a hand on his shoulder, “Let’s finish getting changed and then we will check on the dog.”
Piaget left them to it and within a few minutes, Max was directing Michael along the hall to the living room.
Michael felt drained but needed to check on FedEx.
He gave both Evan and Ethan a hug, received one from Elle who was still wiping tears and then sat down on the rug by FedEx.
Noah was roughing up the boxer mix with a fluffy towel in front of the fireplace.
FedEx rolled onto her back to get a belly rub, none the worse for the adventure.
Spotting Michael, she wriggled over and licked his hand happily.
Michael shook his head and petted the dog, the worry in his chest easing.
“I guess she is going to be fine,” said Noah. “Does the mutt have a name?”
“FedEx,” repeated Michael. He wondered if they would finally understand or just not get it. He pointed to the dog. “FedEx.”
Max began laughing. “Did you seriously name the dog FedEx?”
Michael gave a sheepish smile and nodded. It was about time they figured it out.
“That thing with the commercial? That was about the dog!” Max sat and wiped his eyes, still chuckling. “That FedEx commercial. Remember, he kept pointing from the television to the dog?”
“Why would you name a dog FedEx?” Noah looked at him incredulously.
Michael sighed. There was no way he was going to be able to explain that.
Max slapped Noah on the back. “Hey, it is all good. At least we now know the dog is name.”
“FedEx gets a full turkey dinner today. No bones,” Elle sniffed.
Michael turned and had a look at the kitchen.
Nothing smelled burnt. He would not have been surprised if another pan had been destroyed while they were outside.
With luck the pans would be okay and FenLei would not be angry.
He was not sure if he would survive another tongue lashing from the little housekeeper.
Elle and Piaget continued to finish the meal. FedEx got up and started trailing the boys around.
“I just don’t understand how he got out of the house,” Noah said as he watched Ethan babble and chase a ball. “All the doors and windows are shut with the cold outside and he hasn’t figured out how to open knobs yet.”
Michael used a chair to help himself stand.
His knee was really smarting now, and the ankle was slightly swollen.
Limping, he went to the back door and grimaced at the newly installed doggie door.
He had a feeling that was the escape hatch.
Noah followed him. “Well, I will be. Perfect for dogs and toddlers.”
Michael motioned to an old sea chest that was full of books. He pointed to the door and raised an eyebrow.
“Max, help me move this,” Noah called to his brother.
Michael gave his arm a small shove and gestured as if to ask why? He went to the sea chest ready to grab a handle, but Max nudged him good naturedly out of the way. “Stand aside old man. You have got a hurt leg. Go sit down and wait for dinner. You have done enough heroics today.”
Old man? Was this some sort of nickname from Max?
Michael was not sure he liked it. He was not that old.
He watched Noah and Max set the chest in front of the doggie door, preventing any further escapes for the day.
Max wrapped an arm around Michael’s shoulders.
“Come on. The recliner is comfortable. I will get you some ice for the knee.”
Michael was beginning to feel that they were coddling him just a little too much.
After all, his head was completely healed.
However, he was tired. He settled into the recliner and a moment later, FedEx joined him, snuggling in at the side in her usual spot.
Max came with a bag of ice wrapped in a towel and put it on Michael’s knee.
Michael sat up and put it on his ankle then leaned down in the chair.
“Why didn’t you say something?” asked Max with a frown. He sat on a nearby chair and took the ice away to examine the swollen ankle.
Michael rolled his eyes, petting a happily panting FedEx.
“Well, excuse me Mr. Attitude. What did that nurse call you? Cranky pants?” Max poked at the ankle and Michael twitched. “It’s not broken.”
Michael already knew that. He expected in a couple of days the swelling would go down. Someday, when Max was injured, he planned on poking him back. Hard.
“The swelling will probably go down in a couple of days,” Max placed the ice back on it.
“Hmmn,” Michael agreed with only a little sarcasm.
“Max, why don’t you leave your brother alone?” asked Piaget.
Michael silently agreed and closed his eyes.
“I have six years of brotherly love to make up for,” complained Max. “I have to bother him. It is in the rules.”
“It is true,” Noah deadpanned. “It is in the rules.”
“Come here and carve this turkey,” said Elle. Michael could hear the laughter in her voice. He was glad. It meant that she had gotten over the scare that Ethan had given them all.
They gathered at the table and Michael stayed in his chair. It was comfortable. It was his favorite chair. His dog was here. Maybe Max was right, and he was becoming an old man, he thought drowsily.
“What about Michael?” asked Elle.
“I will bring him a plate,” replied Piaget.
They gathered round, putting the boys in highchairs and doling out the food.
By the time Piaget came to the recliner, plate in hand, Michael was asleep.
FedEx lifted an eyelid to look at her and then snuggled back to sleep with her master. Soon the dog was snoring softly.
∞
FenLei stepped into the kitchen. Immediately, she knew that someone had been busy. She put away the groceries and saw leftovers from a Thanksgiving dinner in the fridge. This was why she had been given the weekend off. Hmmmn. Good thing she had come back early.
She spied two highchairs. There was a toy on the couch and Michael was sleeping with the dog in his usual chair, a throw blanket tossed over them both.
FedEx watched her but didn’t leave her master is side.
FenLei opened a cupboard. Her pans had been rearranged.
They were all there and looked clean and okay, but FenLei knew someone had been cooking.
She padded softly to the guest rooms and had a peek.
Four adults and two sweet little babies.
No Ann. Stifling a disappointed sigh, she went to the deck and pulled out her cell phone.
A stream of Vietnamese later and her nephew would bring the extra groceries she needed.
She started in the kitchen, banging a pan firmly onto the stove.
Michael jerked, startled by the sudden noise.
Perfect. She proceeded to start the coffee pot and get breakfast for two going, all the while keeping an eye on her boss without appearing to.
He yawned, stretched then got up to let the dog out.
He waited for FedEx to come back and let her in.
Within moments he joined her in the kitchen, going straight for the fresh coffee.
“You in big trouble, Mr. Michael.”
He looked at her in surprise. Taking his coffee, he sat on a stool and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain further.