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Chapter Three-Hundred-Forty-Four



“Hey Anna how are you feeling?” Doctor Johnson questioned as he entered his favorite patient’s room. Anna who was sitting in the seat of her window looked up at him and her entire face lit up in a smile.


“Better now,” she told him causing Doctor Johnson to grin. “What is this Doctor Woodrow guy that keeps coming in to check on me? Why haven’t you been in here for the past couple of days?” Doctor Johnson observed the disappointed look in her eyes and instantly had the desire to make it go away. He went over and sat next to her pulling his knees to his chest.


“Well…they have this crazy idea that I am getting too close to you,” he informed her acting like it’s the craziest news he’s ever heard of. Anna laughed.


“Now where would they get an idea like that?” she asked sarcastically. Doctor Johnson shrugged.


“You’ve got me there. Those doctors work a little too much sometimes you know? It makes them think silly things. They could use a serious vacation.” Anna smiled at him some but otherwise didn’t say a word. She looked out the window in attempt to hide her blush.


“So they’ve given me another doctor then, is that it?”


“Pretty much yeah. But, they’re crazy if they think that’s going to keep me away.” Anna managed a peek at her overly sweet doctor then and she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before resting her chin on her knees. “Doctor Woodrow is good though. If you have to have any other doctor then me I would recommend him. You are in good hands.”


“Well as long as you say he’s good, then I guess I can’t argue with that.”


“But anyway, your very good Doctor Woodrow has given me permission to take you out today.” Anna raised her eyebrow.


“Really? But I’m not supposed to leave Ramsey…”


“You wont be going very far,” Doctor Johnson insisted. “But I think you could use some sun.” Anna raised her eyebrow.


“So where are we going?”


“For me to know and you to find out,” Doctor Johnson told her mysteriously as he got to his feet. He offered her his hand and she smiled at him some and took it allowing him to help her up and he led her out of her room and down the hall. They walked through the hospital until suddenly they came to a stop in front of some doors. Doctor Johnson pushed one open and held it for her allowing her to go through first. When she stepped through them she found herself outside where there were several other patients sitting around enjoying the sun. Doctor Johnson took hold of her hand again and began to lead her out toward the lake.


“You weren’t kidding when you said we weren’t going very far,” Anna laughed and Doctor Johnson smirked.


“This is the best I can do for now” He told her while squeezing her hand gently. “But I promise you that as soon as you are better I will really take you out. Maybe you your daughter and I can go see a movie and have ice cream your first day out.”


“She would like that” Anna told him with a small smile on her face. “She really adores you. Mom says she hasn’t stopped talking about how special you made spending New Years in the hospital.”


“I’m glad I could help” Doctor Johnson replied as he led her across the bridge to the other side of the lake where Anna discovered a blanket set up and a picnic basket. “This is where I like to sit sometimes when work becomes too much or I just need to get away,” he informed as he brought her over to the blanket and she sat down.


“Its nice” Anna replied as Doctor Johnson joined her. “This side of the lake is a gorgeous view…with the trees surrounding it and stuff, it must be really peaceful.”


“Yeah it is. The peacefulness comes in handy when I’m dealing with the traumatic stuff.”


“Well I’m glad to see that you find some place to escape to when you need it. Brandon tells me you never leave this place unless he literally drags you from it.”


“He had to carry me out most days when you were in a coma” Doctor Johnson admitted while staring out at the lake.


“That’s crazy Steven…do I even want to hear what would’ve happened if I didn’t wake up?”


“Probably not.”


“You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”


“You don’t understand…”


“Yeah I d—“


“—No you don’t! You don’t know what it’s like to lose somebody Anna! I will never forgive myself for losing Kayline. Not ever. If I lost you as well…” Doctor Johnson shook his head at the thought and looked away as his eyes clouded up with tears. Anna took hold of his hand and gently squeezed it as she sat there looking at him in silence for a couple of moments.


“Well you didn’t,” she told him softly.


“Because God finally took pity on me that’s why.”


“No because you aren’t an inexperienced teenager anymore, you are a brilliant doctor and from what I keep hearing from pretty much everybody who knows you, you’ve done some pretty amazing things.” Doctor Johnson shrugged.


“I don’t know how amazing I am when I couldn’t even save my own baby sister.”


She still thinks you are pretty amazing.”


“Says you. How do I know you weren’t just dreaming it?”


“How would I dream your sister up when I didn’t even know her before I got in that car accident Steven?”


“I don’t know,” Steven whispered knowing full well that she didn’t just dream it up.


“I was standing in a backyard – I’m assuming your old home in Oklahoma? There were all kinds of beautiful flowers – Roses, Daisies, and flowers of blue pink and orange…they were gorgeous. And there was a tree house that I climbed up into and there was a little girl playing make believe tea party” Anna explained, moving in front of Doctor Johnson and looking him directly in the eyes with so much kindness in her own. Doctor Johnson couldn’t help but smile a little at the memory.


“Mom grew those flowers herself…they meant a lot to her.” Anna gently took his hands into hers and laced their fingers together.


“You can sit here and blame yourself for what happened for the rest of your life Steve but what good is that going to do? What do you hope to accomplish by that? It’s not going to bring her back no matter how much you want it.”


“It should’ve been me instead of her.”


“Do you really believe that?”


“Yeah I do.”


“If it were you instead who would’ve been here to help me when I got in that car accident?” Anna asked, slowly understanding the meaning behind Kaylee’s words god has his reasons. If Kayline didn’t die, Doctor Johnson probably wouldn’t have been driven to become a doctor, and if he didn’t become a doctor, Anna wouldn’t be alive right now. Well, she might have been by some other doctor…maybe. But it was Docotor Johnson who brought her in and worked on her, it was Doctor Johnson who sat at her side through the whole thing and refused to leave her if he could help it. It’s Doctor Johnson who still remains by her side even after they’ve given her a new doctor because he for some unexplainable reason feels drawn to her. “And what about all of the patients before me that you’ve given a second chance at life? Like Ashley for example. If you weren’t alive who else would’ve done it?” Doctor Johnson shrugged his shoulders. “Everything in life happens for a reason honey,” she went on. “Sometimes those things that happen aren’t fair and you don’t understand them but they’re all going to make perfect sense some day so you just need to take life as it comes at you.” Like getting in a car accident in front of a hospital. Not cool, but hey, if there’s a gorgeous doctor waiting for me when I wake up who am I to complain?


“I don’t know how to let her go,” Doctor Johnson admitted softly. Anna reached up and gently wiped away his tears.


“You can start by accepting she is gone and no matter how hard you work yourself she is never coming back,” she told him gently. “The first step to recovery is acceptance.”


“Okay…then what?”


“Then once you’ve done that…you can go home tonight at a regular time that a regular person goes home at and sleep in your own bed – I recommend 9 hours tops.”


“I wont be able to do it,” Doctor Johnson insisted while shaking his head. “I don’t even know what sleep is anymore.”


“All the more reason for you to try…hasn’t anybody ever told you that’s not good for you doctor?”
“My body is used to not sleeping.”


“Won’t you try it?” Anna asked. “Please? For me? It would mean a lot to me if I knew you at least tried.” Doctor Johnson looked into her eyes and when he saw how much she cares about him he caved.


“And what if it doesn’t work when I go home tonight and try?”


“Then you call me up on the phone and we’ll fall asleep together. One way or another I’m going to get you to sleep tonight. If you haven’t caught on yet…I’m pretty stubborn.”


“How about I forget the trying part and just go straight to calling you instead?” Anna laughed.


“You are something else.”


“Is that a good thing or a bad?” Doctor Johnson wanted to know as he rested his forehead against hers.


“Definitely a good thing.”


“Good.”


“Sooo what did you bring us for lunch?” she asked after a couple of moments when the butterflies she was trying so hard to ignore became too much and she looked toward the picnic basket. Anything to avoid those eyes that she can’t seem to keep herself from getting lost in.


“I have to admit that Brandon the incredible cook helped me put this together,” Doctor Johnson replied while reaching over to the basket and pulling it into his lap. “While I am busy being the doctor in the family he was given the art gene. He can pretty much make anything he sets his mind to.”


“So what do you live off of when he is at school?” Anna asked amusedly as she watched him pull Tupperware and such out of the basket.


“Orphanage food, or TV Dinners” Doctor Johnson admitted sheepishly. Anna laughed.


“Sounds delicious.”

“The Orphanage food…very much so. The TV dinners however can get pretty boring after awhile. But apparently Brandon says he’s changing his every other weekend visits to every weekend because he insists I need taking care of. So he says he’s going to start cooking big meals so I will have left overs to keep me fed for the week.”


“That’s nice of him to take care of his big brother like that,” Anna told him as he opened up the Tupperware bowls to reveal goulash in one and some bread in the other. He also pulled out some butter that he was keeping cold inside the picnic basket.


“Ohhh, Goulash, my favorite.”


“This is one of my favorites of Bran’s too,” Doctor Johnson informed with a small smile. “Mom taught him how to make it before she died. It’s a good thing she did too, because it was one of the family favorites.” Anna nodded in response as she reached for a plate and began to fix it for herself and Doctor Johnson did the same afterwards.



~*~*~*~*~*~



“He shoots, and he scores!” Brian cheered as he lifted Josh up in the air toward the basketball hoop allowing him to make a slam dunk and Josh threw his hands up in the air and yelled out in victory while Dakota giggled.


“Me next Uncle Brian, me next!”


“No me, you already hads a turn Kota!” Elenore insisted as she danced around eagerly. Brian opened his mouth to intervene when he was suddenly interrupted.


“Actually ladies, If you wouldn’t mind I would like a word with Uncle Brian right now” Riley told them gently. Brian whirled around at the sound of his fiancée’s voice and found her standing behind him with Chris at her side and she doesn’t look very pleased in the least bit.


“Awww…” Dakota and Elenore whined in amusement causing Brian to smirk despite the scary look on Riley’s face.


“I know, I know ladies but don’t worry – there’s enough Uncle Brian to go around,” he promised, flashing them his charming smile causing both girls to giggle.


“Enough Uncle Brian to go around huh?” Riley asked.


“That’s right.”


“Well that’s a relief since there doesn’t seem to be enough Daddy Brian to go around these days,” She replied while reaching out and grabbing hold of his hand and pulling him away from the children.


“What is that supposed to mean?” Brian wanted to know when they were out of earshot of the children.


“Chris has come to me with a very interesting story, Brian.”


“What story?”


“He tells me that he tried to tell you Josh threw sand at him and you didn’t listen to him. That you took Josh’s word over his.”


“I didn’t really take Josh’s word over his…” Brian replied looking rather sheepish. “I just…sort of let him blindside me is all…”


“Of course you did.”


“What is that supposed to mean?”


“You tend to favor Josh over Chris, that is what that is supposed to mean.”


“I do not!” Brian insisted looking appalled that Riley would accuse him of such a thing.


“Yes you do Brian and you know it! It’s a Josh has been your son longer and you’ve loved him longer kind of thing therefore he tends to get a tad bit more attention from you then Chris does! Especially since Josh has his problem with sharing. And if you would pay attention you would remember that you have two sons now and one happens to be feeling very hurt and left out!”


“Yeah, well, what about you?” Brian snapped.


“What about me?!”


“If you are going to stand there and blame me for spending more time with Josh then maybe you should take a step back and look at the way you are with our boys!”


“I’ve been doing just fine thank-you very much! For the first time ever things are doing just fine!”


“Yeah with Chris! What about Josh huh? I don’t see you spending any time with Josh.”


“I’ve tried spending time with Josh and you know that! He wants nothing to do with me! Chris is the only one who will go near me and talk to me and accept that I am going to be apart of the family!”


“So you are just going to give up is that it?”


“I don’t know what else I can do Brian!” Riley practically yelled as tears threatened to fill up in her eyes. She has tried her very hardest with Josh and Brian has seen that. So why in the world is he giving her such a hard time? “It’s not my fault he doesn’t want to come near me! I love that kid very much and I’ve jumped through hoop after hoop to try and earn his love but nothing I do works! Maybe if you spent more time with Chris instead of sending him my way so you can have Josh I could try and spend more time with him! But he hides behind you because he knows you will help him do it!”


“Whatever Riley.”


“Whatever Riley? Is that all you can come up with to say? Of course it is because you know I am right and you’ve run out of excuses!” Brian looked away from her and Riley let the tears fall from her eyes.


“Weren’t you the one who told me that we were going to work on bringing us together as a family before our baby gets here? All I see is you dividing us up. You and Josh, and me and Chris and that is not okay with me. Let me know when you are done being an asshole” She told him while turning around and walking away. Brian heaved a sigh of frustration and ran his fingers through his hair as he started to turn toward the kids when Riley suddenly turned to say one more thing. Brian looked at her with a raised eyebrow.


“I’m calling your mother by the way!” She announced and with that she went inside the building. Brian flinched as the door slammed behind her and he looked toward Brooke and his bandmates and found them all staring at him curiously. What in the world did Choirboy do to make Riley do something as cruel as threaten to tell his mother? Brian turned away from them and went back to Josh, Chris, and the girls and he gently took Josh’s hand and pulled him away from the other three. He knelt down and looked him in the eyes seriously and Josh stared at him back innocently.


“You’ve made me look like a very bad father today if what Chris told Riley is true Joshua.”


“Well, he didn’t. Chris was just lying because he couldn’t stand the fact that I was bringing Ellie everywhere we went.” Brian narrowed his eyes.


“Joshua Lee…”


“Yes?”


“Why did you throw sand at your brother? And I want the truth – no cute stuff is going to save you this time.”


“I didn’t!”


“How can you look me in the eyes and lie to me Josh? You know better,” Brian lectured.


“I’m NOT lying!”


“Didn’t you just ask me earlier today if I could start taking you to church?”


“Yeah…” Josh answered softly and he looked away not being able to meet Brian’s eyes anymore.


“Do you think I’m going to take you to church with you telling lies like this?”


“But Brian, I really want to go!”


“Then start telling me the truth that’s all I am asking for.” Josh looked down at his feet. “Why did you throw sand at Chris?”


“Because…”


“Because why?” Brian demanded lightly and he gently grabbed hold of Josh’s chin and made him look him in the eyes.


“Because he doesn’t appreciate you.”


“Is that any reason to throw sand at people?”


“I was just protecting you.”


“As good as your intentions were Josh it is not okay to throw sand at people” Brian insisted forcing himself to stay strong.


“And its not okay for Chris to not appreciate you either!”


“It is not up to you to make sure Chris appreciates me, that’s my job and I have not been doing it very well.”


“Are you gonna punish him?” Josh asked hopefully.


“No but I am definitely going to punish you.”


“But I was protecting you!”


“In a way that will not be tolerated. Again it is not okay to throw sand at your brother and most importantly, it is not okay for you to lie to me either. You are going to be punished for it.” Josh crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.


“How would you like it if Chris threw sand at you just because you don’t spend enough time with Riley?”


“That’s different, I don’t trust Riley!”


“And he doesn’t trust me very well either. You both have equal amount of problems that doesn’t mean you need to throw sand at each other. That is not how we solve things in this family.”


“We aren’t a family. You are my family and Riley is Chris’s. Right? Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to go?” Brian sighed heavily as Riley’s words just got thrown into his face – again, but this time from his son’s mouth. Some example he turned out to be.


“That is the kind of example I’ve been showing you lately and Joshua I am terribly sorry for that,” Brian told him softly. “I’ve been handing Chris over to Riley and spending so much time with you because I’ve been trying to keep you from feeling left out and really all it’s done is hurt Chris and Riley.”


“I like our alone time.”


“I like our alone time too buddy but Riley and Chris need me as much as you do. We’re a family, the four of us and I need to go back to treating us like one.”


“Can’t it just be the three of us? You, me and Chris?”


“You already know the answer to that kiddo.” Josh scowled at him and Brian wrapped his arms around him and pulled him near. “Riley loves you very much and she is trying her very hardest to win you over. Its not fair that you keep avoiding her so while I am trying to win Chris over what I want to see happen is for you to spend some time with Riley and get to know her. Capeesh?”


“I don’t want to.”


“Well I don’t care if you don’t want to, I’m your father and you are going to do as I say.” Josh looked away from Brian stubbornly. “Speaking of doing as I say, right now I want you to go sit on that bench over there from now until dinner. For lying to me and throwing sand you’ve lost the rest of your playtime.”


“But—“


“-March young man! I would send you up to your room, but seeing as how you don’t have a room here anymore the bench will do just fine. And if you don’t stay on that bench like you are told I will make you sit out after dinner as well.” Josh let out a low growl and he turned and stalked off toward the bench. Brian shook his head as he sat there watching him until he was seated on the bench and then he looked at the other kids.


“Elenore Richardson get your little behind over here this instant.” Elenore’s hands flew to her bottom at those words.


“My little behind doesn’t want to get over there this instant.”


“You had better get over here, or I will call Kevin over and if he hears about this he will take you straight home.” Elenore scowled, as she remembers Kevin’s threat quite clearly. He had told her if she misbehaved in the slightest bit he would take her home and make her sit in her room for the rest of the night. Not wanting to go home where she would be way too far from her Joshy, she went on over to Brian like she was told, her hands covering her bottom protectively – as if any of the grownups around here would spank her. But she can’t take any chances; her bottom still hurts from her last spanking.


“Yes Brian?” she asked softly.


“Remember when you accused Chris of lying to me earlier?” Elenore nodded quietly.


“Do you want to explain to me why you lied to me?”


“Not really…”


“Well you are going to. Start explaining.”


“I hads to protect Joshy like he would protects me.”


“I should’ve expected as much,” Brian told her while shaking his head.


“Do I tolerate lying Elenore?”


“No…” Elenore answered softly. “You don’ts like it at all.”


“So what do you think I have to do about this?” Elenore shrugged quietly. “I think I’m gonna have to make you go sit on a bench as well until dinner.”


“But I don’ts want to…”


“Would you rather go home?”


“No…”


“Then I think you know what you should do to keep that from happening.” Elenore angrily turned and headed for Josh when Brian cleared his throat. She stopped and looked at him curiously.


“Other bench miss.”


“Buts—“


“-Now.”


“That’s NOT fair!” Elenore shouted while storming off in the direction of the other bench and sitting down. She flinched and shifted so she was lying down instead.


“Oh I think it’s very fair.” When she was settled on the bench Brian looked at Chris and his face softened some.


“Hey Chris…why don’t you come with me and we’ll go find Riley hmm?”


“I guess so…” Chris replied softly, and Brian looked in the direction of the other grownups and he called Howie over so he could keep watch and make sure Trouble Maker number one and Trouble Maker number two stay where they put. As soon as Howie agreed to do so, Brian led Chris toward the building and Dakota ran off to find her sister, who was currently hiding from her.