The Unknown

Darts

"Loser cleans the winner's room, including the bathroom, and washes and cleans his car." Mike knows he comes out a winner either way. Shane's military background has made him a total neat freak. He's beyond OCD when it comes to cleanliness. His car is spotless and his room is hospital clean. Ironic, as Mike's the surgeon and a bit of a slob. You can literally bounce a quarter off Shane's impeccably made bed on any given day.

"You're on." That last glass of Boddingtons has definitely clouded Shane's faculties.

Mike easily wipes the floor with Shane. Not a difficult feat, considering Shane can't even walk a straight line at this point. Beyond thrilled he won't have to clean this week, Mike starts making a list of chores for Shane on the cab ride back to the Center.

The next day

Mike and Shane, now sober after ten hours of sleep, are taking the girls out for breakfast on one of the last days of summer. It's a tradition that began the summer before the girls started kindergarten and has continued every year since.

Shane's pov

As Mike and Rick retrieve Mike's car from Sheffield pub, I head over to the girls' room to round them up for breakfast.

"Hold on," Stacey shouts, hearing me knocking.

When she opens the door, I'm appalled by the state of their room. I slowly enter with my mouth agape, taking in the mess that surrounds me.

"Girls, when's the last time you cleaned this room?"

I can't believe they've let it get this bad. There are clothes, food wrappers, papers and miscellaneous rubbish covering not only the floor but their beds as well. Seeing all this clutter gives me anxiety.

"I don't know. Who cares anyway?" Lisa replies dismissively.

"Yeah, it's our room, don't worry about it," Stacey chimes in, as she's tossing clothes aside, apparently searching for something in the sea of waste formerly known as their floor.

"I CARE!" I shout, slamming their door and simultaneously garnering their attention. "When we get back from breakfast, the four of you are going to clean this mess until it's spotless." I try to ease my stress by rubbing my forehead. "Do I even want to know the current state of your bathroom?"

"I'm pretty sure it's in the same state we reside in. I don't think it's geographically beyond the borderline." Ah Julie, ever the smartass.

"The four of you SIT DOWN, NOW!" I point to Carrie's bed as it's the only one they could all possibly find an empty spot to occupy.

"Hold on, I can't find my headphones." Stacey is still fruitlessly rummaging through the debris.

I pull her up by the back of her shirt and physically deposit her on Carrie's bed.

"That wasn't a suggestion, Stacey, and when I tell you to do something, you best do it immediately. Understand?" I'm quickly losing my patience.

"Geez relax, Shane. You wildin,' bruh."

"I don't know if you're even speaking English right now, Stacey, but I do know you better curb your attitude before you find yourself in a very uncomfortable position. Am I clear?" Stacey should know by my tone and body language, I'm not fooling around.

"Yeah, yeah, it's Gucci."

Stacey continues to push me closer to my limit.

"STACEY MARIE!" I narrow my eyes as I give her a very cold, unforgiving look.

Recognizing she's dangerously close to taking things too far and sleeping on her stomach tonight, Stacey swallows hard and says, "Yes sir, I understand."

With a scowl still on my face and my hands on my hips, I continue lecturing the girls, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted..." I give Stacey another warning glance before continuing. "When we get back from breakfast, you are cleaning this place from top to bottom AND you are going to clean Mike's bedroom, bathroom, and car inside and out." Two birds one stone, I think to myself.

"Mike has a list of chores you'll need to finish as well. Let me make this clear. Everything better be completed to my specifications or you will not enjoy the consequences, girls, because I will employ one of my former CO's favorite punishments."

Having their undivided attention, the girls look at me expectantly.

"Running, long and hard. Long distances at a hard pace."

The girls' eyes widen as they look at me in shock.

"I do not like the sound of that, gov'nor," Stacey says sadly, in a rather exaggerated British accent.

I shake my head and laugh, "Just get ready to go to breakfast. We leave in five."

Later that day

After a nice breakfast out, Shane heads to church to speak to Pastor Doug while Mike gets the girls started on their cleaning detail and list of chores.

It takes the girls the better part of four hours to get everything done, at which time Mike critiques the cleanliness of his car while Shane judges the girls' room.

Mike circles his car a few times and checks out both the front and back seats.

Carrie bites her lip as she hears him vocalize his displeasure, "Hmmmm," while eyeing the streaks left on the passenger side back window and the straw wrappers left under the driver's side floor mat.

"Oh, come on! You have got to be kidding us with this." Lisa cannot believe Shane is literally doing a white glove check on their dusting efforts.

He makes a point of running his gloved finger across their bookshelves, picture frames, desks, baseboards and bed frames.

"Tsk tsk." Shane examines the gray smudges left on his fingertips from the areas the girls missed.

After conferring with each other, the two guardians come to a consensus on the girls' cleaning and sanitation skills.

"You did a good job, girls. Shane and I are proud of the effort you put forth." Mike smiles warmly before raining on their parade, "However, you did overlook a few spots in my car and in your room."

"So get your sneakers on, girls, 'cause it's time to start runnin',"  Shane says, with a sly grin on his face.

"Uggghhhh," the girls all moan in response.

"Two laps around the perimeter of the grounds, ladies. Let's go."

The girls reluctantly put their shoes on and follow Shane and Mike outside, whining and complaining the entire way.

"Finish in thirty minutes or less and you're done. Anyone taking longer gets to run another two laps. Your time starts now, ladies. GO!" Shane pretends to start the stopwatch he's holding in his right hand.

The girls start jogging at a decent pace, their grumblings fading as they get further away.

"You're not going to time them?" Mike asks, seeing as Shane has yet to activate the timer.

"No," Shane laughs. "I never had any intention of timing them. I'm just bein' an arse."