CHAPTER FOUR
Happy Meetings & Hospitals
Thank you Elly for coming up with the most interesting meeting for Becky and Charles.
Thank you Becky, Fahmida, and Desiree for marrying the guys at a moment's notice ;)
Thank you Becky for being an incredible beta. I am dedicating this chapter to all of you!! You are an amazing group of girls!! <3 you!!
Kota's POV:
It was nice knowing my dear friends were coming in. Charles, Jihoon, Christopher, Raven, and I shared a close bond due the events from fifteen years ago. Having them here made me feel whole again. Not that my family didn't do the same, but there was just something different shared between us.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. Phoenix was signing to me. "Will Aiden be coming with them?"
I signed a quick "Yes," back to him. He smiled happily as we continued driving. If he was happy now, he was going to be super excited with the news he was about to hear once we reached the Sergeant Jasper.
Aiden was the oldest child in the Jacobs clan. Christopher and Desiree Jacobs. He and Desiree had met not long after we came home from the war. They had met during training. She had been in the same training group. Poor Christopher, always the perfect gentleman. He refused to let anyone else pass him, but Desiree. Once they had both reached the top of the rope wall, he asked her out...in front of everyone, then she pushed him off of the wall. They have two children now, Aiden, age fourteen, and Katherine, who was eight.
Charles and Becky had a more interesting meeting. Everyone had returned home to Louisville. Charles had been taking a walk through Cherokee Park and had heard someone screaming. He had told us many times over that he had looked up, and seen a skydiver coming in hot. Well he had taken off after the person who seemed to have crashed in the woods. When he arrived, he said the most beautiful angel had fallen from the sky. However, she had claws and wanted down... now. Once cut down, she had tried to walk off. He had followed her. They had walked for hours. Finally she turned around and told him, "Either you tell me a way out of this dang place, or you need to at least buy me dinner." So Charles did both. They now have a twelve year old son named Ricci, who not only seems to share his father's eidetic memory, but also his mother's wit and humor...even the ill temper she lets out at times.
I didn't know this at the time, but apparently when we had set up the ninja games, Jihoon had ran through club Mynt, stopping on the large green chair inside. He told us later that a real cute girl had write her phone number on his arm. He kept that phone number, eventually got up the nerve to call her before he left Charleston. He found out her name was Fahmida. They were a perfect match. Fifteen years and three children later, they are still going strong.
All three of the guys had wanted to join the Academy. Charles and Jihoon had already known each other, when they met Christopher, it was like the brother they had never known. The guys were already our extended family, their wives just added to the love, and the children? There wasn't any asking.
I pulled into the Sergeant Jasper and glanced at my sleeping son. He looked so much like Gabriel. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Breathe out. Okay. I tapped Phoenix on the arm.
He started signing, even with his eyes closed, "I'm awake." With that, he stretched and yawned. Once his eyes were opened, he saw that Alyosha was here waiting with his uncles, aunts, and cousins. I was quickly forgotten as he jumped out of the car.
Phoenix ran and jumped into his Uncle Charles's waiting arms, who swung him around in a circle before setting him down. His other two uncles did the same, and he gave each of his aunts and youngest cousins a light hug and kiss. Then Alyosha, Aiden, Ricci, and he were high fiving and talking and signing a mile a minute.
I took my time walking over to my old friends. Ji's and Fahmida's three year old twins, Ji-Yong and Nabi, ran over to me. "Uncle Kota!" I picked them both up and squeezed them in a tight hug.
"I missed you two so much. You've gotten so big!" I told them.
Ji-Yong replied. "We're three now." He said, putting two fingers up.
Nabi took one of her arms from my neck and fixed her brother's fingers to where they were correct. "Now we're three." She smiled at her correctness.
"Yes you are." I sat both of them down and looked at my two remaining nine year old nieces; Suhayla Yun Kwon, and Katherine Linn Jacobs. "Do I get hugs from you two, or are you too old for that stuff now?" They smiled at each other then ran at me. God, how I missed family. The girls released me, but kept ahold of my hands as I walked closer to their parents. "Thank you for coming in. Phoenix was a little sad about you guys not being there for his birthday, but he understood. So, what's this exciting news? Are we getting another new bundle for the family to fawn over?"
The six adults laughed loudly before Charles finally put his hands out. "No, no. Nothing like that. Although, I would not be unhappy with another one, if Becky wouldn't mind."
"Well, don't put me on the spot. I'm the damsel in distress who gets caught in trees. You are the one who makes the babies," Becky smiled.
Charles put an arm around his wife, and continued talking. "Tell you what, Kota, let's visit everyone and go back to the house. We'll tell you there."
"Fair enough." I looked at the building, and then the boys who were joking around with each other. "I assume, since Alyosha is here, that Raven is already inside."
Ji was the first to reply. "Yeah. As soon as he got here, he hit on our wives, kissed them, and went inside. Typical Raven."
I chuckled, and started walking. The two older girls let go of me so that I could carry the twins. Upon entering, we were greeted by two of the soldiers whose lives we'd saved. They never missed a visit from any of us. Boris and Afanasiy (Afa-na-see) said hello and shook everyone's hand.
"Your family, grow big, yes?" Boris asked.
Charles answered back in Russian, "They have gotten bigger, yes. How is your family?"
I left them to chat, and moved further in the building to look for Raven and the boys. I knew exactly where I would find them. Instead of taking the elevator, I climbed the steps to the third floor, and turned to the right. The boys were in various states of sitting and standing around an older woman who was in a wheelchair. She couldn't speak, couldn't walk, but she could sign. It was like drawing a moth to the flame. She 'spoke' of the days of old. There wasn't a filter on her language either. What always worried me was when she spoke of the dead. She swore that Gabriel had an extremely strong bond with Sang, but the bond was growing with Phoenix. I had brushed it off. She only mentioned it a few more times, saying that the time was coming when Phoenix would need his father and that he would be there. I humored the woman every time though. She was sweet, and lovable. I just didn't believe in ghosts or the boogey man. Wherever Gabriel was, he was probably driving whatever deity it was nuts trying to dress him/her to impress.
Phoenix looked up and started signing, "Dad! Guess what? Miss Nika says my dad is becoming clearer. I should be able to hear him soon."
The other two boys sauntered over. Alyosha addressed me, "Sup, Mr. Lee."
Mr. Lee? Since when have I been Mr. Lee to him? Only Owen got by with that, and very rarely anymore. I cleared my throat. "Mr. Ravenstahl? How may I assist you?" Add the thousand yard stare.
"Uh, Uncle K. I was just joking. I'm sorry." He walked over and gave me a hug. I patted his back. "You know, image and all. Izvini, (sorry)." Alyosha stated.
"Apology accepted." Aiden stood in front of me, patiently awaiting his orders. He was very quiet around adults. His brother, Ricci, on the other hand, was very sociable, intelligent, a member of MENSA, and well, everyone loved him. They both had incredible qualities, and both would be strong members of the Academy one day if they did so chose. Aiden gave me a small wave before chasing down the hall to his friends, while Ricci stopped in front of me.
"Hi, Uncle Kota. I've been meaning to ask you a few questions. I could have called, but I felt that talking in person would be more pleasant. Do you mind?" Ricci gestured that we begin walking.
"Absolutely. What's on your mind?"
"I'm concerned about joining the Academy. I know that you struggled with my Aunt Sang joining because you felt she would be vulnerable because she was female. Had you ever thought that the nine of you, at the time, due to your ages were vulnerable as well?"
I stopped. Had I ever thought about that? No. We were guys. We protected each other. After the things we went through with our parents, we felt we had been through the worst. The jobs we did made us feel strong. The girls were put in situations that would make them vulnerable.
"Uncle Kota? I can see by your state of silence that your train of thought has wavered. I suppose you are assessing the actions of long ago and seeing how the other shoe fits." Ricci stood in front of me with one arm crossed, and the other placed under his chin. He was wearing a suit and tie. A perfect mix of all the best Academy members.
I bent down to where I was more on his level. "Ricci, you just made me realize something that I had never thought of. For that, I will forever be grateful. I know this won't go to your head, but someday, if you ever do decide to enter the Academy, you will be the greatest leader they will have ever seen, if you choose to lead. If you don't go into the Academy, you will still be so incredible. Beyond belief." His eyes got wide, and shiny, then he rushed into my arms.
I was definitely feeling the love today. I was so happy that the Academy had fallen into my life. It was those little moment that reminded me why we had our family, and why it had grown. Even the people here at the Sergeant Jasper were part of that family. Ricci walked with me as we finished the rounds. I finally found everyone else at the top floor.
"Kota. You're walking slow today. Our children will soon be able to outrun us." Raven was standing with the Jacobs Clan, minus Ricci.
"Nah. That is something they only wish they could do, Raven." The older kids, and even some of the younger ones, did sets with us, and ran every day. We maintained our regimen. For forty year old men and women, we still outpaced the older kids who were used to us.
We made small talk as we took the stairs back down, saying good-bye to Boris and Afanasiy on our way out. It had been a good visit. The boys insisted on riding with Raven. That was fine. I drove in silence back to the house thinking about what Ricci had told me. Had I really placed a double standard toward Sang, and my sister? I mean, Jessica was aware of the Academy now, not fully aware, but aware. Would she have been interested in joining? Could we have avoided a lot of headache if I would have just said yes to Sang joining in the first place?
As soon as I reached the house, I parked the car and ran right inside to find Sang. I was stopped by our six year old, Alexander. "Papa Kota. Howsh are you chewday?"
"I am so sorry, Alexander. I will come back and talk to you, but I really don't have time right now."
He gave me a perplexed look, then held out his hand. "Can I shee your watsch, Daddy?"
"Uh, okay." I took it off and handed it to Alexander.
He tinkered with it for a moment, then handed it back to me. It was set two hours back. "Now you have shome time."
Getting down on one knee, and placing a hand on his tiny shoulder, "You're right, Alexander. I do have time. I apologize for being in a rush, what is it you need?
"Doshter Evil ish in pain. Mommy ish upshtairsh wit her. They're cwying."
I picked Alexander up and ran up the stairs with him. "Sang" Where was everyone?
"In Emily's room." Sang yelled out.
"What's wrong?" Emily was curled up in a ball, tears pouring out of her beautiful blue eyes. Her hair was matted to her forehead.
"I keep telling Mommy it's appendicitis. Call my daddy now! Owww!" She screamed.
I pulled the phone out and dialed Sean. "I'm in with a patient. Is this an emergency?"
"Definitely. Doctor Ev- I mean, Emily says it's appendicitis. She's holding the right spot, fever, sweating. She's curled up in a ball and screaming," I relayed the information.
"Daddy, there was blood in my pee-pee too. Ow. Make it stop." Emily was shivering.
"I heard her. Call the ambulance, I will meet them at the emergency room. Take care of her, Kota." I heard the click as Sean hung up.
"Sang, call the ambulance. I am going with her per Sean's instructions. The Jacob's clan will be here any minute. "Emily, honey. I am going to have to pick you up. It's going to hurt. Talk to me." I bundled her up in her favorite blanket that was covered in little Frankenstein monsters, and began the process of picking her up.
"It started hurting...yesterday. I thought it... was where I fell before... bed, ow ow ow ow ow. When I woke... ow Daddy... up this morning and...ow this hurts Daddy."
"I know, pumpkin pie. Keep talking." She was getting slightly greener the more I moved.
"Iwenttothepottythismorningandtherewasbloodithoughtmaybemymonthlyhadstarted... ow ow ow ow! Then the pain got worse. I took... my temperature. Ow... it was 103.6. I had Alexander get Mommy. Then... you... came... home... I'm gonna puke!"
Thankfully I had gotten us outside. I bent down so she hit the Gardenias. Unfortunately, she also passed out. She was on fire. I sat down on the steps and unwrapped the Emily sized burrito to check the area. When I lifted her shirt, it was swollen. "Shit." 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Right as the other vehicles were pulling in, the ambulance pulled up out front.
I relayed all the information Emily had given me. Once she was on the gurney, I signed to Phoenix what was going on, and that I was sure Mom was calling everyone already but to have everyone assemble and wait, unless they were on jobs that they couldn't be pulled off. Right now, I had to leave in the ambulance to meet Sean.
Ji-Yong means Dragon, Nabi means Butterfly.
Suhayla means smooth in Arabic (if my oldest had been a girl, that is what his name would have been instead of Mohammed), and Yun means Melody.