Volume II

by Ronnie Coleinger

  Chapter 14 – Jill Takes Naomi Home to The Empress

  Trish and Monica had no more than left when someone spoke to Trish from behind her chair and she realized that Jill had come to visit. Jill sat down with Naomi and said, “Where did Monica and Trish head out to tonight? They probably both are planning to get laid if they can find the right man.” Naomi giggled as she said, “Well Trish did not use those words, but that was definitely their plans.” Jill said, “How are you feeling, are you very sore.” Naomi said, “The incision burns like a fire when I quit taking the pain pills, but I worry about taking to many of them. I am trying to tough out the pain as best I can.” Jill said, “Where are the pain pills you were given to take.” Naomi said they were on the kitchen counter. When Jill returned, she called The Empress and talked to Fred about the morphine, and Fred said, “That is some tough medicine to deal with. Naomi will be sleeping most of the time while taking it. I will teleport three medicines to you for Naomi to take that definitely will kill the pain, not put her to sleep, and will allow her to function much easier. They will also not upset her stomach like the morphine capsules. I will send instructions with the pills.”

  Jill sat down with Naomi and told her that her father would send her some medicines that would kill the pain and keep her comfortable. Jill said, “With the drugs available today, there is no sense being miserable after surgery.” Jill said, “So have you eaten this evening?” Naomi said she had a wonderful supper, and then told Jill about little James falling down the stairs from the loft. Jill soon discovered that Naomi needed someone to talk to tonight and said, “Would you mind if I played mother and spent the night here with you and helped you when you asked?” Naomi giggled and said, “You can stay and help me even when I forget to ask. I would love your company tonight.” Naomi said, “I do need to get a shower, so I think I will do that before this morphine I took two hours ago wears off. Jill you could stay near the door to the bathroom in case I need your help.”

  Jill watched Naomi get her sore body up off the chair and walk into the bathroom. She left the door open, stripped down. Jill said, “Look around the edges of the staples to see if there is any redness that looks like infection.” Naomi spoke back to Jill over the sound of the running water in the shower, “Nope, I am good to go,” and stepped into the warm shower. When she was dry and back into her robe, she walked out into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee with Jill. As she walked to the counter with the coffee, she quickly sat the cup down on the counter and said, “Okay then, I will only fill the cup half full next time.” Then she laughed at herself and said, “How can one little cut be so damn sore?” Jill said, “Under that tiny cut is a lot of stitches and mesh woven into your stomach muscles. Your belly has every right to be sore for a few days.”

  As they drank their coffee, Naomi said, “When will twenty four hours be up so I could teleport home to The Empress? I love his house very much but I would feel more comfortable walking in the growing gardens and being in my own home while I heal this belly. I also feel like I might be hindering Trish and Monica’s vacation and I prefer to allow Trish to look for her mate while she is here on Quantum, with as little interference as possible.” Jill said, “Let me talk to Doctor Tom about all this. I will get back to you in a few minutes.” Jill stepped out onto the back porch and talked to the doctor through The Empress’s travel computer. Then she returned and sat back down beside Naomi. Jill looked at Naomi and said, “The doctor said you can teleport now if you have had no bleeding around the staples and no diarrhea or vomiting in the last six hours.” Naomi said, “Then I am good. I have had no stomach problems at all except for being very hungry at supper time tonight.” Jill said, “I will send Trish a carefully worded message stating that I could not stand to be without you tonight, and the doctor said we could teleport to The Empress. I do not want her to think she shirked her duty to you or anything.” Naomi said, “I have been loved, hugged, and fed very well by Trish and Monica today. They left nothing for me to want, other than my own bed, and maybe another hug from my father and mother.” Jill turned to Naomi, and Naomi realized Jill had a huge smile on her face, and had heard and understood her words.

  Jill poked her head into James bedroom and saw the babysitter reading to him. The babysitter looked up at Jill and smiled and then quietly stood up and walked out into the living room to talk with Jill, whom she did not know. Jill introduced herself and explained that Naomi was going with her for tonight. Jill said, “I have left a message with Monica and Trish explaining everything, so they both already understand.” The babysitter said, “I will lock the doors if no one else is going to be here with me.” Jill said, “I will check all the windows and the doors before I leave. The house will be secure, and if anything should happen, just press the red button on any of the security alarms that are located in each room. You will have every neighbor on the block here with you in an instant. Press the yellow button if you need to open a door, the green button resets the alarm. Trish and Monica will be warned by their travel watches that the alarm is set so they will not set it off when they enter the house later.”

  Jill took her Misenall tablet and waited the allotted five minutes. Then she stepped into the dining area with Naomi, held Naomi’s hand, put Naomi’s bag between her legs and pressed the green button on her travel watch. As they stabilized in the ready room of The Empress, Fred walked in from the kitchen to meet them. As soon as Naomi could talk to him, he carefully held her close and seemed not to be able to let her go. He picked up Naomi’s bag, kissed Jill and said, “Thanks for bringing Naomi home, I have missed her terribly.” Fred walked with Naomi to her room and put her bag on a chair so she could easily reach the contents. Naomi said, “Father, Jill, you need to walk with me to the kitchen if you wish to talk to me; because the next thing I am going to do is make hot chocolate with colored marshmallows.” Fred put his right arm around Jill as they walked to the kitchen behind Naomi; Jill put her left hand behind Fred and slid the tips of her fingers into his back pocket. While they were still in the hallway, Fred turned Jill around, drew her into his arms and kissed her. Jill put her hands on the back of Fred’s neck and pulled him up close to her. Naomi, stuck her head out of the kitchen and said, “I can fend for myself if you two need some quiet time under the covers.”

  As Jill watched, Fred’s cheeks turned red. Fred took Jill’s hand and entered the kitchen. Naomi looked at them and said, “You two were telling secrets in the hallway, I could tell. You both look like you were caught making love on your father’s living room rug.” Fred walked over to Naomi and said, “You seem to understand the feeling of being caught on your parent’s living room rug. Is there a story there that you need to confess my child.” Jill saw Naomi’s cheeks blush in her father’s arms, but she recovered and said, “No Father, I was discussing you and Jill, and was making no reference to myself.” Fred got a hot cup of coffee from the food replicator and sat down at the table. Jill helped Naomi with the hot chocolate and they both sat down across from him. As they talked, Naomi said, “I kind of hope I get a little sister, but I would still love a brother.” Jill put her hand on Naomi’s and said, “Naomi, try not to fall in love with this child in my belly to soon. My genetics say that I may miscarry a few times before carrying a child to term. I do not want your heart broken if that should happen.” Naomi said, “I will talk to my God often and ask if he can help this tiny child overcome the odds.” Jill smiled at Naomi and said, “Thank you Naomi, your love warms my heart.”

  As they talked at the kitchen table, the computer spoke to Jill’s mind and said, “Trish, Monica and James are teleporting into the ready room.” Jill spoke aloud and said, “Thanks computer.” Fred looked at her, and then realized that the computer had spoken to Jill’s mind and he missed half of the conversation. As the three stabilized in the ready room, James ran to Fred and was quickly picked up and hugged. Trish said, “We could not stay away, we all sat and talked about Naomi and finally decided to just come and tell her g
oodnight.” Naomi slid down the table and made room for their guests. James made his rounds hugging. He walked around the table to Naomi and waited for Naomi to move herself around where he could crawl up on the seat beside her. Then he carefully wrapped his arms around her neck and said, “I missed you when I woke up.” Naomi felt the tears begin to leak from her eyes but quickly wiped them so he would not see, then kissed James on the cheek. Fred took Trish into the hallway and asked if he could ask James to stay here on The Empress with him and Jill tonight, if she did not mind. Trish looked into Fred’s eyes and said, “I would not mind at all. Are you alright Fred?” Trish put her hand on Fred’s cheek and waited for him to answer her. He finally smiled and said, “I am fine but James seems to be like a miracle drug for Naomi. She perks up every time his name is mentioned tonight.” Trish said, “You may ask him to stay with you and I will come back and pick him up when you are tired of his antics.” Fred said, “Thanks.”

  When they walked back into the kitchen Fred said, “James would you like to stay here with us tonight and help me grow the trees and vegetables?” James eyes lit up and he immediately said he would grow trees. Trish said, “Well, I seem to have lost a child for the night, but there is a gentleman waiting at Monica’s house that seems anxious for my return.” Fred leaned across the table and put his hands over his daughter’s ears. Naomi said, “Father, stop that, I will miss hearing some of the intimate details of Trish’s story.” Jill asked the gentleman’s name and Trish said, Sidney. Fred stood up, took James hand and said, “James, we should leave before these ladies embarrass us with their stories of male exploitation and seduction.” James grabbed his crotch with one hand, pounded his chest with the fist of his other hand and said, “Male, not afraid,” then turned and followed Fred down the hallway. The girls instantly looked at Naomi who now had her head buried in her hands on the tabletop as they laughed. Trish said, “So young lady, I take it that you are responsible for that bit of my son’s education.” Naomi tried to defend herself but finally said, “I am afraid I may have messed up with that bit of male training.” The computer spoke and said, “Naomi, I would be glad to replay the entire sequence on the monitors if you wish.” Naomi quickly said, “Computer, no, Trish would paddle James and then use that same paddle on my butt.” Trish stepped around the table and hugged Naomi, then said, “Try to be careful what you teach James, he is not old enough to understand that it may be funny here on The Empress, but others may not get the joke.” Trish kissed Naomi on the forehead and said, “Sleep tight.” Monica said her goodbyes, and then the girls stepped into the ready room and were gone.

  Within about five seconds, Jill’s travel watch chirped twice, then twice again. Jill read the message from Trish that said, “I will order more Misenall for James. There are only two tables left. I put one on the shelf in front of the radio closet. I have the other one. I will have more teleported to the ready room in the morning. Good night.”

  Chapter 15 – James Visits a Horse Ranch

  In the Earth year 20,996 AD, James turned sixteen years old. He had met a retired professor from the college where Fred had attended who owned a horse ranch on planet Earth in the North American state of Wyoming. He invited James to come to Wyoming and spend four month’s with him. The professor asked James to attend a work retreat that the ranch sponsored every year for gifted teenagers who needed to experience something more than the normal routine of their daily lives. Trish was excited about James having the opportunity to live and work with people his own age. James Mother realized that her son needed to learn a few skills interacting and socializing with others, especially women. James was always shy around girls even though he lived with many, and Trish figured a barracks crowed with six females and six males his own age would certainly provide James the skills he required to interact with others. James was perfectly capable of dealing with his male peers, but dealing with a pissed off female in the same barracks as he was living, might jar James into trying to understand that the people around him also had feelings.

  The ranch expected their guests to help with the daily chores on the farm. Trish giggled to herself as she thought of James mucking out a pig barn or horse stall. He had lived a sheltered life on The Empress, and a little hard work out in the fresh air of Wyoming might just be good for him. The owner had told Trish that James would be working in the fields baling hay one day and then working in the kitchens preparing meals for the hands the next. The owner said that his ranch hands always made certain the teenagers had a different task every day. The women were not exempt from the field or barn work, and the men were not exempt from kitchen and housework. The owner confessed to Trish that because of the physical demands of the fieldwork, the women often received a little help with lifting bales of hay and the like, but they still worked very hard. The owner expected the women to teach the males how to set tables and prepare meals, and he expected the men to teach the women how to clean a stable or help stack bales of hay in the lofts of the barns. The idea was to produce eight friends that could work together as a team to get their assigned workload accomplished no matter how difficult those tasks seemed. He said that after about two days working together the men and women would be teaming up to lift bales of hay because they were too sore to lift them alone. He said, “That is what we are trying to accomplish here, teamwork. Get everyone to work together to accomplish the mission without any weak links or injuries.”

  He told Trish that he and the ranch hands settled conflicts immediately, and no teenager ever went to bed angry. If someone could not learn quickly to get along with the others and settle their differences as friends should, they went home with little or no further discussion. The owner said that James would come home a different man; one full of confidence is his own self worth and a respect for the people around him. The owner said, “I have one request of you Trish. Send your teenage boy here with protection in case he discovers that the bodies he sweats with in the fields like to sweat with him in his bunk. We try to keep the males and female from too many intimate moments, but it does happen, so talk to him if you would about diseases and pregnancy. Some of the ladies here are not Earth born and can become pregnant.” Trish promised she would prepare James for this retreat very carefully.

  As James packed his duffle bag and prepared to teleport down to the planet, he sat down on the edge of the bed beside his mother and asked her if she would provide him with condoms to take with him. Trish said, “Yes, I was just sitting here deciding how to discuss that very issue. Son, I will return in a moment and we will talk.” Trish headed off to the inventory control locker. While she was gone, Jill stepped into his room and said, “Have a great time on the ranch James. I would love to take your place on that horse ranch.” When Trish returned, she placed a small cloth bag into James duffle bag. Is there anything else you need to take with you that your female Mother has not thought about providing her male son?” James smiled and said, “You have done well Mother, I will see you in four months. I will send you messages often and keep you updated on the number of pregnancies I have created.” Trish swatted James on the butt as he walked past her. James carried his duffle bag to the ready room and waited for his travel watch to beep. When it did, he winked at his mother, pressed the green button on his travel watch and was gone. Trish sat on James bed and hoped James would enjoy his vacation. She felt like crying but decided she was acting like the Mother of a six-year-old boy instead of a grown young man that would soon take a wife and live his own life. Trish smiled to herself as she thought about a tiny Grandchild running around The Empress giggling and calling her grandma.

  It was two weeks later, when Jill yelled Trish’s name so loud that Trish stumbled from her bed and ran down the hallway towards the ready room. Trish was certain that Jill was either severely injured or very ill. When Trish got to Jill, Jill had her hand over her mouth and said, “I did not mean to scare you Trish, I thought you were already up. I have some wonderful news to tell you.” Trish looked very angry but so
on yawned, stepped back into the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. She looked at Jill, smiled and said, “I am now ready for your wonderful news my wild eyed friend.” Jill said, “Sorry for all the yelling and excitement but I have discovered my own universe.” Trish looked at Jill and said, “And just how did you accomplish that task, cousin?” Jill never answered Trish’s question directly, but said, “The IFTT just credited my find to The Empress. Trish imagine it, The Empress will appear on the cover of every scientific journal in the cosmos. We are the founders of Universe Number Sixty-Seven. We are famous.” Trish yawned again and said, “Can we retire on some deserted beach, I am very tired, and SICK.” Trish went running from the kitchen and barely made it to the bathroom in the ready room. Jill quickly went to Trish and asked, “Are you going to be okay?” Trish said, “Not if I keep puking like this.” Then Jill heard the tiny screams of Shelley coming from the room she shared with her husband Fred. Jill stepped into her room, picked up Shelley, wrapped her in a tiny pink blanket and carried her back to the bathroom where Trish was now leaning against the wall trying to get her stomach under control. Trish said, “Jill, I don’t remember you being this ill with Shelley. I certainly was not this ill with James, why am I so damn sick with this child? I think I am going to visit Doctor Tom and make sure this child is one, and not a litter. I may even have a school of goldfish swimming around down there the way my stomach feels the last few days.” Jill giggled and said, “We will go visit Doctor Tom this afternoon if Fred, Naomi, or Trevor can watch Shelley for a couple hours. I hate giving Shelly Misenall for time travel sickness, but she is ill for hours if I don’t. I would rather leave her home and not put her through the misery.