Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes - 42. Chapter 42 S2

Chapter 42 – The Long Road Back

I didn’t sleep as well as usual, since I was so worried about doing something that might injure Devin further. It’s because we weren’t sleeping as we normally would, with one of us spooned up behind the other, I was afraid I might try to do that unconsciously during the night and accidentally knock him out of bed. Even though I was worried about doing something like that, I still somehow managed to get enough sleep.

As soon as we were both awake, I helped Devin get dressed first, and then I got dressed as well. When we were both presentable, I helped him walk down the stairs so he wouldn’t fall. We found Ma and Pa having a cup of coffee as they waited for us to join them. After we both said good morning to them, Devin asked a question.

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Yes, we slept fine, what about the two of you?” Pa replied.

“I slept great,” Devin answered.

“What about you, Mac? You don’t look as if you slept very well.”

“It took me a while to fall asleep, but I’m fine. I just need to run over to the dining hall and pick up our breakfast, but I have an errand to run first.”

“Ok, then we’ll stay with Devin until you get back.”

I made a quick trip to the dog park and explained the situation to Preston and told him I wouldn’t be there for a while. I explained that I didn’t know when I’d return again, because I planned on being there for my roommate until he was healed, and Preston said he understood. I thanked him and headed over to the dining hall to pick up our breakfast.

When I arrived there I showed both of our Ram cards to them and then asked the staff if they’d be able put our meals in takeout containers. I also explained the reason why I needed them to do this, and even showed them the photo on my phone that I’d taken of Devin wearing his shoulder immobilizer. After hearing our story and looking at the photo, they informed me they had Styrofoam containers for that purpose, so I told them what to put in each one.

“Would you also be able to place our meals in plastic containers in the future, if I bring a couple of those with me at each meal time? Styrofoam is bad for the environment.”

“We can do that as well, as long as the containers you give us are clean,” the person in charge responded.

“It’s not a problem and I’ll wash them myself.”

I then took the meals back to the house for Devin and me to eat, and while we were chowing down, his parents went out to have breakfast as well.

“I think my mom wants to stay here until I’m completely healed,” Devin stated while making a frown.

“I wondered if that might happen. Does Pa know that she wants to do that?”

“I think so, but I’m not sure.”

“Ok, I’ll try to get him alone later and see what he thinks about that idea, but I agree it would probably be better if you weren’t alone while I was in class.”

“I’ll be fine, but she’ll drive me fucking nuts if she stays here, because she’ll constantly be hovering over me and I won’t be able to do any studying. I appreciate that she cares so much, but she’s always trying to do everything for me, even if I don’t need her help.”

“Ok, I’ll tell Pa that, but I’ve got one other errand to run this morning and I won’t be able to talk to Pa until later.”

“Ok, but make sure you do it by tonight.”

When we finished eating and his parents had returned, I drove over to the campus security office and explained the current situation to them, while also showing them the photo of Devin. They gave me a temporary handicap sticker that I could hang from the rearview mirror so I could park close to the dining hall or any other locations where we needed to go. Once that was taken care of, I drove over to speak with Devin’s faculty advisor.

After explaining the situation to him, he pulled out Devin’s file and looked at his schedule. Once he’d studied it briefly, he told me what he could do to help.

“I’ll have to change a couple of Devin’s classes that require him to use manual manipulation, and then I’ll enroll him in more theoretically oriented classes for this semester. I’ll also arrange for you to return any of the materials that Devin has already purchased for those classes so you can exchange them for the materials required for the new courses. All you’ll have to do is take the items that you are exchanging to the campus bookstore and I’ll have the other materials ready for you to pick up. Devin will be able to take the classes he’s dropping in the fall and it won’t affect anything. He’ll still be on track to graduate the following year.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

“Will Devin be able to attend his classes in person during this semester?”

“I’m not sure, but there will probably be at least part of the semester when it won’t be possible. The doctor said he’ll have to wait until he can function without the shoulder immobilizer first, and that could take up to twelve weeks. The doctor doesn’t want Devin to risk having an accident that might damage his shoulder further, so is this going to be a problem?”

“No. In that case I’ll ask each of Devin’s professors to send a video of each of their lectures to Devin’s phone. I’ll also ask them to type the course name and date of the class on the subject line so Devin will be able to keep them organized.”

“That will be very helpful.”

“As far as any exams are concerned, the university has an alternative testing site where professors can upload their exams behind a pay wall, but Devin won’t have to pay anything. It’s just to keep the exam secure and ensure that other students can’t view the exam before they take it. Devin will be sent a special code to use when taking an exam and it will arrive in his student email. He’ll be given the same amount of time to complete the exam as his classmates have.”

“But shouldn’t he be given a little longer to take the exams, since he’ll only be using one arm?”

“Yes, I suppose that would only be fair, so I’ll work something out with his professors where that is concerned.”

“Thank you very much for doing this and I’ll tell Devin everything that you told me.”

“Just remember that Devin will have to do this on the honor system and he must promise that he won’t look up the answers in his textbooks.”

“That’s not a problem and I’m certain Devin will agree to it.”

“I’ll take both you and Devin at your word for this then, since Devin has already proven to be a very capable student and doesn’t need to cheat. When Devin finishes an exam, he’ll merely need to close it, but tell him to make certain that he wants to do that, because he won’t be able to reopen it once it’s closed. The professors will then let him know his grade, once the exam has been graded.”

“I’m sure that will be fine and I’ll make certain to give him your warning. Thank you again for your help.”

I then called Pa and he put his phone on speaker so I could explain all of this to him, Ma, and Devin at the same time. When I finished, they all thanked me taking care of this, and then I added one more thing before I headed to my class.

“Devin, just get the things you’ll be returning to the bookstore ready and I’ll pick them up when I return to the house with our lunches. And then I’ll exchange them for the other items you’ll need after I go to my class.”

“Ok, I’ll have my mom and dad help me do that.”

Seeing that was taken care of, I attended the class I had before lunchtime, and then I went to the dining hall to get our meals. I had to let the dining hall put our lunches in Styrofoam containers again, but I wanted to avoid doing that with our supper.

After I took our meals back to the house, I ate quickly and then I collected the items that I had to return for Devin. Once I put those things in the SUV, I then went to my next class before making a quick trip to the campus bookstore.

Devin’s advisor had made sure that the items Devin needed would be waiting for me at the counter. All I had to do was wait for the staff to figured out what the items I was returning had cost, compared to the total price of the new items. Once that was figured out, they gave me a small refund, and then I returned to the house to give Devin the new materials, and while I was there, I spoke to Pa.

“I have to run to the store so I can pick up some plastic containers for the dining hall to put our meals in from now on, because I hate using Styrofoam. They’re bad for the environment. Would you like to go with me when I do this?”

“Sure, I’ll be happy to go with you.”

He wanted to drive, so I told him where to go, and after he started the SUV, he asked a question.

“I take it that you wanted to speak with me alone.”

“Yes, I do, and it’s not so you’ll pay for the things I’m planning to buy either. You’ve already given me more than enough money to take care of that. It’s just that Devin mentioned earlier that he thinks Ma wants to stay here and take care of him until he’s totally healed, and he thinks it would be a really bad idea.”

“Yes, she’s hinted the same thing to me as well. She thinks she should stay here so Devin isn’t left alone while you’re going to your classes.”

“That’s just what Devin thought, and he told me that she’ll end up driving him crazy and he won’t be able to concentrate on his studies.”

“He thinks she’ll be that bad?”

“Yes, he does. He says she hovers over him and tries to do everything for him, even if he doesn’t need her help. She doesn’t even want him to pick up or open one of his textbooks by himself, which makes it very hard for him to study and concentrate on what he’s doing.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that as well, but I didn’t realize it bothered Devin so much. In that case, I guess it’s up to me to convince her that we should go home and that you and Devin will be able to take care of everything after we’re gone.”

“Thank you and I’m sure Devin will appreciate hearing this as well.”

Once we reached the store, I purchased half a dozen individual plastic food containers that were separated into three compartments and also had lids. Even though I told him it wasn’t necessary, Pa insisted on paying for these items, and I thanked him for doing it. During the ride back, I talked to him about something else.

“Pa, I’ve been thinking about the problem of the animal blood mixing with Devin’s blood and realized that it’s possible that you, Gramps, and Pops will probably have the same condition. For that reason, I think it might be a good idea if all of you take your wives’ names when you get married in the future, so you don’t immediately appear to all be related. That way, if you guys start getting injured and your doctors notice the same problem in your blood as well, they won’t have a reason to become suspicious about why this only happens in one family. I’m sure I’ll have the same problem, so it might be best if Devin and I keep our surnames to avoid having the same problem in the future.”

Pa pulled over to the side of the road and stopped so we could finish this conversation and he wouldn’t have to split his attention between driving and concentrating on what I was saying.

“You’re a very bright young man and you’ve just pointed out some very real possibilities. I agree with your thinking and I’ll talk with my dad and granddad about this as well. I guess we’ve been fortunate this hasn’t cropped sooner, and the advances in medical science will only exacerbate the problem. I believe I’ll be able to convince them that we should stop tempting fate and do as you suggest.”

“That’s exactly what I thought.”

“And since no one expects that a man would take his wife’s name, it would be unlikely that they’d investigate what our names were before we were married. With that in mind, it would definitely be wise for all of us to start doing as you suggest in the future, to keep this from becoming a problem. I agree that if we all had the same surname and the same type of abnormality in our blood, it would definitely set off red flags. It would also give doctors and the government a way to identify and track skinwalkers from the rest of the population. If that were to happen, then it could prove to be fatal for our family, especially if those involved got the wrong idea about who we are.”

“Yes, and we’d all still be able to hang around with each other, but we’d just be good friends, not relatives. Gramps and Pops would even be able to look younger longer, since they won’t have to be known as your grandfather and great uncle. I was also thinking that we might even need to have a doctor in the family, eventually, who could treat us whenever we’re sick or injured, as well as for regular checkups. That way, he could help to shield us from those possibilities in the future.”

“That’s another great suggestion, so maybe you and Devin can talk one of your sons into becoming an M.D., since you are both capable of fathering a son that will also be a skinwalker. I’m certainly glad that you’re on our side and you’re thinking about various ways to protect our family from these problems. I’m sure that Devin, my dad, and granddad will all feel the same way when we discuss these ideas with them.”

“Thanks, but I don’t want you guys making a big deal about this. I’m only doing it to protect my future family.”

“I know,” he said as he reached over and tousled my hair before he continued the trip back.

When we finally arrived back at the house, I took the containers inside so I could wash them. That way I’d have the two I’d need for our supper and would only have to wash those two after we ate, so I’d have all the containers I’d need for the next day. When Ma saw what I was doing, she insisted on doing it for me, so I relented, since it seemed important to her that she do this task for us. As soon as she finished, I took two of the containers so I could pick up our supper.

When I returned to the house, Ma and Pa left to get something to eat, and while Devin and I were eating together, I told him the good news.

“Your dad said he’ll convince your mom to go home with him, and he’ll also tell her that we’ll be able to take care of everything after they leave.”

I expected Devin to beam at the news, but he only gave me a weak smile. I also thought he was looking strangely at me, so I decided to ask what was wrong.

“What’s up? I thought you’d be happy when I told you this.”

“I am, but I feel bad that you have to do all of this extra work just because of me.”

“I’ve already gone to the campus security office and picked up a handicap parking sticker, and I’ve met with your faculty advisor about arranging things for you, exchanged your textbooks, and purchased the containers for our meals. Each of those tasks was just a one-time occurrence and the rest won’t take me much longer to do than before. The biggest difference will be that we’ll be eating our meals at the house now, instead of at the dining hall.”

“So, you’re not upset that you’ll have to do all of these things for me and that you’ll have to pick up all of our meals and bring them back here until I’m healed?”

“Hell no! What gave you that idea?”

“It was something my mom pointed out while you were gone.”

“She only did it to convince you to let her stay. I’m telling you it’s not a problem, and I’m sure you’d do the same thing for me.”

“Of course I would, but I hate feeling like I’m being a burden, pain in the ass, and causing you extra work. I can’t wait until I can go back to doing everything normally again.”

“That will happen soon enough and I’ll survive until then.”

“Maybe I’ll be able to do it even sooner, if I’m healing as rapidly as the doctor says.”

“Even if that’s true, you’ll also be required to attend physical therapy sessions until you get back the full use of that arm again.”

“Don’t worry about it, because it will happen sooner than you think. I didn’t want to mention this while my mom and dad were here, but I’ve been concentrating on the injured area and doing some partial transitioning to help those areas heal faster.”

“Is that why the doctor noticed you were healing so quickly?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t dare say anything until now, so please don’t tell my parents about this. I’m only doing something similar to what we do when we partially transition our arms to make one or both stronger, and I’m hoping to cut my healing time down to a couple of weeks.”

“You can’t do it that fast, because you don’t want the doctor or his colleagues to get suspicious about your amazing healing powers. If that happens, then the doctors might want to run more tests on you or examine you more closely. Your doctor is already confused about the animal blood mixing with your blood, and I’m sure you don’t want him noticing anything else that might arouse his suspicion.”

“I know, but I can’t stand being like this and unable to transition.”

“Like I said, just don’t push it. It probably wouldn’t be good if you heal too quickly, because the doctor said it would take a minimum of six weeks for your shoulder to heal, so I don’t think you should do it any faster than that. If you do, the doctor might wonder how you’re healing so quickly and start looking into some of your other bodily functions. He also said it might take up to six months before you’ll have full use of your arm again, so I don’t think you should push that process any faster than three or four months. You’ll still be doing well enough to spend spring break with me and my family, and you’ll also be able to go to Missouri again.”

“Ok, I promise that I won’t rush it any faster than that, but I can’t very well undue what I’ve already done, or that will definitely look odd. It’s just going to be difficult to wait as long as you want me to.”

“It’s better than waiting as long as the doctor said it would take, but you’ve got to do this so you don’t raise any more red flags. The animal blood mixing with your blood was tough enough to explain, and I’m not sure the doctor is convinced about the explanation you gave him either. And if he or his colleagues get suspicious about you, they might want to check out Pa and Gramps as well.”

“Damn, I never thought about that.”

“So think about it now, suck it up, and do this for me and your family, because I don’t want people looking at any of us too closely. I think the rest of us will have similar globules in our blood and I don’t want us to become a freak show with tons of doctors poking around and studying us more closely.”

“Yeah, ok. That makes sense, so I promise to do my best to not rush things more than I’ve already done.”

Ma and Pa were gone longer than we expected, so I assumed it meant that Pa was talking to Ma about what I’d mentioned to him earlier. I believe my suspicions were confirmed when they returned to the house, because Ma didn’t look very happy. Neither Devin nor I said anything about the sour expression on her face, and later Pa explained the situation to us.

“If you boys are all set and prepared to handle things from here on out, my wife and I will be leaving in the morning and returning home.”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Devin quickly responded, “but we both really appreciate everything you’ve done for us since you’ve been here.”

“Yes, you’ve been a big help, but I’m convinced we can handle things from now on,” I concurred.

“I still don’t think Devin should be left alone during the day,” Ma snapped.

“Don’t worry, Mom, cuz I’ll be fine,” Devin replied. “Mac won’t be gone that often or for very long, because he doesn’t have each of his classes every day. He has three classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and only two classes on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s not like it was when we were in high school and had to take every class every day.”

“I still think I should stay longer,” Ma continued.

“They’ll be fine and we have to get back to our jobs. If we’re gone too much longer, then we might not have jobs when we return.”

“But you’re self employed.”

“Yes, as a C.P.A. and I have clients to take care of. I’m sure the phone in my office is probably overflowing with voicemails, since my clients are trying to get their records straightened out for tax season. We were here while things were up in the air with Devin, but the doctor said Devin is healing faster than normal and Mac has proven that he can take care of Devin as well as we can, so it’s time for us to leave.”

“I don’t agree, but since you’re all against me, I’ll pack my things and we’ll leave in the morning.”

“Mom, we all love you and we’re not against you,” Devin said. “Mac and I both appreciate everything you’ve done while you’ve been here, but we’re men now, not little boys, and we’re quite capable of taking care of things from here on out.”

“Ok and I hope you’re right about that. Like I said, your father and I will be leaving first thing in the morning.”

She immediately left the room and headed upstairs to the bedroom they were using, and we heard the door slam shut after she went inside.

“Damn, I didn’t want to upset her,” Devin said.

“Don’t worry. She’ll calm down and be fine after we get on the road,” Pa said. “We may even be gone by the time you boys wake up in the morning, since I feel it will be easier on all of us if we don’t have to go through this again. I’ll call you tomorrow night and let you know how things are going.”

“Thanks, we appreciate that and we’ll say goodbye to you now,” Devin stated. “You can tell Mom we said goodbye as well, and please have a safe trip home.”

“That goes without saying, because we can’t afford to have any more of our family laid up for a while.”

“Gee, thanks, Dad. There’s nothing like kicking a guy when he’s down.”

“I wasn’t doing that. I was only agreeing that we’ll be sure to have a safe trip back home.”

After Pa went up to the bedroom they were using, I looked at Devin and spoke.

“I guess I didn’t realize your dad was a C.P.A. I knew he had his own business, in addition to working with Gramps and Pops in the family business.”

“Yes, he works in the family business, but only part time. He takes care of the books, files their taxes, and helping out with other things when needed, such as when Gramps and Pops go away on a job. It’s just that he has other clients as well.”

“Where’s his office?”

“He has an office in the same building as the family business, but it’s separate from the family business so he can meet with his other clients there. It’s close enough that he can keep in touch with Gramps and Pops, while still having privacy when working with his other clients.”

“Ah, ok. I’m learning more about your family all the time.”

Now that we’d cleared that up, we went upstairs and I helped Devin get ready for bed before I did the same thing. I slept a little better this time and didn’t worry as much about hurting him, and it’s a good thing too, because we were both prematurely awakened the next morning.

I think we both jumped and said something like, “What the fuck?” when someone slammed a door around 6:00. Then the same person stomped around for a while before clomping down the stairs. We just looked at each other, because we knew who it was.

“My mom seems to be on a rampage and I think she wants me to give in.”

A second later my phone rang, and I saw it was Pa calling, so I put my phone on speaker. “Good morning,” we both said while keeping our voices low.

“I’m in the bathroom, because I came back to use the toilet before we leave. I just wanted to apologize, because I know she must have awakened both of you.”

Now we could hear her yelling at Pa. “What’s taking you so long?”

“I’m coming dear,” he yelled back before continuing. “Stay in your room, because if you come downstairs she’ll try to talk Devin into changing his mind and letting her stay.”

“Ok, we will,” we both agreed and then he ended the call and we heard the toilet flush.

“Well, I guess that answers how my mom is taking this,” Devin said as we heard their SUV drive away.

Now that they had gone, we got out of bed, got dressed, and I helped Devin go downstairs. I then put all six of the food containers in a bag and took them with me as I drove to the dining hall to pick up our breakfast. If I did it this way, then I’d have the other containers with me when I went to pick up lunch and supper as well.

I had decided to do it this way, because I was also driving the SUV when I went to my classes so I wouldn’t leave Devin alone any longer than necessary. There were handicap parking spaces near most of the buildings where I had my classes, so I just parked in one of those spots when I went to a class. However, on several occasions I was confronted by an angry student who noticed that I wasn’t disabled.

Each time that happened, I attempted to explain the situation to that person and I’d even show them the photo of Devin. “I’m only parking here so I don’t leave my roommate alone any longer than I have to. There are a lot of things he still isn’t able to do on his own, so this allows me to get back to him sooner, since we live off campus.”

Most of the students understood and apologized for their less than kind comments, but there were others that didn’t want to listen to what I had to say.

“I’m taking down the license number on your SUV and report you to campus security.”

“Fine, do that, because they’re the one that gave me the handicap sticker you see hanging from the rearview mirror.”

I’m convinced the officers taking those complaints got tired of trying to convince those people as they attempted to explain the same thing I had. I never received any repercussions from campus security relating to any of the complaints, if those people actually made them.

Devin and I soon fell into a new routine and it was working out better than I hoped. I hated that I had to leave him alone while I was in class, so I made sure that he kept his phone in the immobilizer, since he wore sweatpants most of the time and they didn’t have pockets. It was the most logical place for him to keep the phone in case he had a problem, and I kept my phone on vibrate in case he texted me while I was in class, since I didn’t want to disturb anyone else.

Fortunately, Devin never had any emergencies, and before long it was time to drive Devin to his next doctor’s appointment, which also included another MRI. This was so the doctor could evaluate how his shoulder was healing, and I held my breath when we met with the doctor after he’d viewed the results.

“I’m totally amazed by you’re healing powers! The jagged ends of your clavicle are beginning to graft together and the two plates I used on your fractured scapula are allowing the fracture there to begin mending as well. There’s still a considerable ways to go, however, so I want to see you again in another week, and I’ll schedule you to have an MRI an hour before your appointment with me.”

“You mean I can’t take this thing off yet?”

“No! You are healing nicely, but you’re still a long way from being able to do without the shoulder immobilizer.”

“Maybe next time then?”

“I suppose it might be possible, considering your healing ability, although I doubt it, I want to be certain that the fractures have completely healed first, before you’ll be able to do without it. I want to examine your next MRI first, to learn how much more you’ve healed, and then I’ll determine where we’ll go from there.”

When we returned to the house, Devin was mildly upset that he still had to wear the immobilizer for at least one more week.

“I hope the doctor lets me get rid of this contraption the next time I see him. I know that I told you I wouldn’t transition that area any more than I already had, but can’t I just do a little more so he’ll let me take this damn thing off?”

“No, not yet. It will only be three weeks since since that branch fell on you when you go to your next appointment, and that’s still too soon fpr you to be totally healed. The doctor told you it would take six to twelve weeks before that happened and I don’t want you to arouse any suspicion about why you’re healing so fast.”

“Ok, then I’ll be good and not rush it, but I hate wearing this thing.”

“I know, but you’ll survive,” I teased, and then deciding to change the subject I added, “How are you doing with your classwork?”

“I’m doing great and my professors are being very accommodating. They send me the videos of their lectures and I get to watch them while lounging around in my sweats. What can be better than that?”

“I’m glad you’re handling this so well. What about the tests you have to take.”

“My professors are putting those behind a pay wall and they even allow me extra time to take them, since I only have one hand to use.”

“I’m happy it’s working for you, and if the doctor allows you to get rid of the shoulder immobilizer on your next visit, then you will have to start attending physical therapy sessions. I wonder how many times a week you’ll have to do that?”

“I have no idea, but I don’t think I’ll need too many sessions.”

“Just don’t push it and let the doctor and the therapist decide when you don’t need the sessions any longer. Don’t try to talk them into rushing it and just do whatever they say.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever they tell me.”