Chapter 27

As Jordan came to in her hospital room, she looked around for a familiar face.  Davina was at her side in an instant.  “Hey beautiful”, she said with a sad smile.

Jordan smiled weakly.  “Hey gorgeous.  Where the fuck am I and why do I feel numb below my waist?”

“You had to have a titanium rod put in your left calf to stabilize it.  Those animals shattered your fibula.  You’re numb below the waist because they’ve put in an epidural to make the first little bit of the healing process as painless as possible.”

“If you’re here, where are the kids?  Are Jake and Delilah taking care of them?”

“No.  Mom and Dad overruled Jake and took the kids to Israel for the time being.  This way I can take care of you until you’re healed and not have to worry about them and they don’t have to see you broken like this.”

Jordan reached up and scratched her head, wincing from the crack on the head she took when the jack ass from the mall cracked pistol whipped her.  “So, Mom and Dad have Levi and Jazz, you’re here, and I have a titanium rod in my leg.  What else is new?”

“They thought they were going to have to wire your jaw shut, you’re in a cast all the way up to your hip, and that pain in your head is thankfully only bruising.  You don’t have a fracture in your skull and your brain’s not bleeding.  Jake’s been in personally to look at the X-Rays, MRI and CT scans.  You’re going to be in some pain for a while and that rod’s never going to come out of your leg.  You may end up having to undergo physical therapy.  They’re still not sure.”

“It all depends on how this all heals and how hard I work to get back on my feet.”

“Exactly.  They may recommend that you do it anyway so that you can get back on your feet all that much quicker.”

Jordan nodded.  “How bad is the rest of the damage?”

“You have a few broken ribs and Jake had to put you on oxygen because your breathing was so labored that you weren’t getting enough.”

“Did he seriously cut my eyes open?”

“From what he says.  He said that there was so much blood built up behind your eyelids from the abuse that he had to relieve the pressure.  Good thing is that you’re going to be just fine.”

“Leave it to Jake.  He was always the one keeping me out of trouble.  I just wish this time I would have listened to him.  I wouldn’t be in the predicament I’m in now had I just listened.”

“To everything there is a purpose, Jordan.  I’m sure your parents would say that were they sitting here with you.”

“I still wonder what all the dreams and shit were about and why no one’s throwing a fit.”

“It could be that you have a higher purpose, love.”

“Maybe, all I know is that the bastard responsible for my current condition is going to pay.  Mark my words, I’m going to hunt that son of a bitch down and kill him in the most horrific way I can imagine.”

“And knowing your imagination, it will be rather nasty”, Davina said.  She was just trying to pacify Jordan.  She had no idea that Jordan meant every word she was saying. 

“You don’t believe me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The tone in your voice.  You only take that tone when you don’t believe me and you’re trying to pacify me, or you don’t know what to say.”

“I do believe you, Jord.  I know you well enough by now to know that you’re dead serious.”

“You’ll see just how damn serious I am when I disappear for several hours and come home covered in that bastard’s blood.”

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Once they were finally back in Jerusalem, Levi and Jasmine went to bed for the night.  The five hour layover in Tokyo and having to run from one plane to the other in New Delhi took a lot out of the kids.  They settled into the guest room and passed out.

David sat out on the back patio with his pipe and a lighter.  It had been a hell of a trip and he wanted to relax.  He sat and looked out over the horizon as he took a slow drive off the pipe.  When his wife came out to join him he offered it to her.  “Are you gonna hit this?”

“You know better than that, David”, she laughed.  “Munchies are bad news for a diabetic.”

He shrugged.  “Just thought I’d offer.”  He took the lighter and lit the contents of the pipe again as he pulled the smoke into his lungs.  “I’m so glad I can smoke this stuff over here or I’d be one mad mother fucker.”

Brie laughed.  “I’m glad you have your herb too because I don’t really want to have to deal with you if you can’t smoke.”

“Am I that insufferable?”

“You can be.”

He smiled and it was obvious in his expression that he was starting to feel the effects of the plant in his pipe.  “Nah, I’m not that bad.  And at least it’s just herb and not something worse.”

“David, you and I are too old for worse.  You know that.”

“I’m not old, I’m well seasoned.”

“I know that.  I’m the one that taught you that.  But, you and I both know that at our ages starting something harder would be pointless.”  She sighed.  “So, to change the topic, were you serious about taking Levi on his first dive?”

“Yep.  I’ll take him down if he can behave himself.  I’m going to call Joe to see if there’s a class for young divers before I take him down though.  I can teach him how to dive safely, but I’d rather he learn from a certified instructor.”

“You really shouldn’t cave so easily.”

“He’s our grandson.  Remember that promise we make each of the grandkids when they’re born that we’re going to spoil the hell out of them?  This is one way to do so.”

“Well, if you’re going to take Levi diving we need to find something for Jasmine and me to do while you two are in the Med.”

“She seems to like history.  You can take her to the museum there in Tel Aviv.”

“Or I could take her shopping.  That child seems to be growing like a weed and she’s going to need clothes that she can wear out here.  I don’t think any of her clothes really fit her anymore and they fit her a month ago.”

“Whatever you think is best, baby.”  He hit the pipe again.  On his exhale he continued.  “If she needs clothes, then get her some clothes.  When Levi and I come up from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea we’ll come find you at the mall.”

She laughed.  “Waxing poetic because of the THC in your system, love?”

He laughed back.  “So it seems.  Wow, I’m high.”

“I see that.  How many bowls have you smoked?”

“Just the one.”

“Then maybe you should stop after you finish it.”

He took a deep hit off the piped and put it back where it belonged.  “Sounds like a plan.  And, I’m hungry now.”  He laughed.

“You want me to make you something to snack on?”

“Would you please?  I’ve got a severe case of the munchies.”

“We’re going to have to stock up on food again if you’re going to smoke regularly.”

“We’re going to have to stock up anyway because we have a nine year old boy and a four year old girl in the house for the time being.”  David stood up.  “Come on.  Let’s check on the grandkids, get me something to much on and go to bed for a little while.”

She smiled softly.  “Let’s do that.  I’m starting to get tired.”  She wrapped an arm around his waist and led him inside.

---------------

Morbus had dismissed the men for the day.  Only three stayed behind on the course were Skyler, Jacob and Jeremiah.  After hearing about the condition Jordan had been in when Jake got her out of the warehouse, Skyler had withdrawn a little.  Jacob asked Kaylian about what was going on and she explained that it was what he did when reality had set in after Jona had been born.  It was now about protecting the family- even though the only one of the Draiman kids that he was related to was Jeremiah.

Jake figured that if Skyler was going to push himself to be at his peak top protect everyone then Jake needed to do the same.  He had a family to protect.  His wife and children needed him to be strong.  Jeremiah’s thinking was the same.

Jeremiah could see that Jona was worried about him.  She could see that something was different about her husband after rescuing his sister.  This wasn’t the ‘Miah she knew.  But, Jona wasn’t going to pick at it too much.  She was just going to do whatever she could to be supportive and take care of her man and children.  Little Matthew, however, was going to push.  “Daddy, what is the problem?  What changed you?”

Jeremiah looked at his five year old son with a question.  “What are you talking about, big boy?  What do you mean what changed me?”

“You’re not the same as you were a couple days ago.  You’re more serious now and you don’t come in when Uncle Jay and everyone else comes in.  You, Uncle Jake, and Grampa Skyler stay out until after right before dinner.”

Jeremiah nodded.  “Mattie, I just want to be sure that I’m strong enough to take care of you and your Mama and baby sister.  The other night, we had to go get Aunt Jordan.  She was in trouble and me, and Grampa Skyler, and all of your uncles had to go rescue her.  I’m still recovering from having to go out and do that, son.  I’ll be okay soon.”

“Dad, I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you this, but you’re not a very good liar.”

“Matthew Ryan Draiman”, Jona said in shock.  “You don’t talk to your Dad that way.”

“Well it’s true.  He’s not a good liar, Mama.”

“Matthew, my reasons for staying out after Mr. Morbus lets everyone go are my own.  You don’t need to worry about it.  What you need to do is remember that you’re a child.  Let me and Mama worry about the grown up stuff, ok?” Jeremiah admonished his son.

“Yes Dad.”

“Good boy.  Now, go play with your cousins.”

Matthew ran off. Jona looked at her husband.  “Is everything alright, ‘Miah?”

He sank into the love seat where he sat with her as she tended to their newborn daughter.  “I’m just worried.  What if the shaman is wrong?  What if Jordan acting the way she did and sneaking off isn’t going to lead to her keeping World War 3 from happening?”

“‘Miah, love, you can’t worry about ‘What if’.  What you have to do is focus on what’s going on now.  I know you’ll take care of us and you know I’ll take care of you and our kids.  No matter what, I’m here for you.”

He smiled and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.  “What would I do without you, Jona?” he asked her softly.

“You’d be a hot mess”, she giggled.

“You don’t mind me doing the extra training, do you?”

She thought about it.  “No, not really.  I mean, you were hot before you guys started getting up and doing regular training sessions.  You’ve become ripped since you’ve started doing it.  I kinda like it.”

He laughed.  “Too bad you can’t enjoy it right now”, he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Soon, my dear.  Very, very soon.  And you’ll be very lucky if I let you walk the next morning.”

“I’ll be sure to let Morbus know that if I don’t show up for training one morning that it’s because my wife decided to wear me the fuck out.”

“No need, baby.  I’ll tell the zany bastard myself.”  She leaned in and kissed him.

“You go right on ahead and do that, baby.  I’m going to laugh my ass off when you do.”

---------------

“Ms. Draiman?” a voice said from near the hospital room door.

Davina stood and went to the door.  “I’m her wife.  Can I help you?”

“My name is Thomas Carter.  I’m an acquaintance.  I just wanted to bring her flowers.”

“She’s in the shower at the moment.  How did you know she was here?”

“I’d really rather not divulge my sources.”

Davina nodded.  “Not a problem.  I hope that Jordan recognizes you.”  She heard the water in the bathroom shut off.  “Let me go tell her you’re here.”  She knocked on the door before opening it.  “Baby, you have a visitor.  Says his name is Thomas Carter.”

“Carter.  Sounds familiar.  What does he look like?”

“He’s tallish.  Between Jake’s height and Jeremiah’s.  Dark hair and eyes, a narrow nose.”

Jordan nodded.  “Yeah, I remember him.  He was one of the goons that beat the hell out of me, but he was the only one that seemed like he didn’t want to hurt me.  He even apologized to me before hand as he checked my injuries.”

“He brought flowers.”

“Nice of him.  I’ll hear him out in a minute.  Let me get dressed.”

“Do you need my help to get your pajama pants on?”

“Please.  I can’t get them on over the cast on my own.  This shit sucks, by the way.”

“I’m sure that getting the hell beaten out of you feels that way.  I’m interested to hear what the man has to say.”

“Yeah, me too.  But, unless he’s come with a way for me to get the mother fucker truly responsible for my condition, I don’t want to hear it.”