Dark as Daylight Ch. 21B

"Manolo, you are a dirty old man."

"It is in my Spanish genes. I can't help myself. I must procreate, just like the two of you. You do know it is 13 years, and 5 months since the twins were born, don't you?"

Jemma screamed, "Someone kill him!"

"Why dear; he was only making a statement of fact, don't you?"

"Stay in your bed old man."

"The birth rate in Spain is down. Why don't you return to your homeland and offer your services to reverse that little problem?"

"I won't go on vacation, until you are well, or dead. I prefer the first one, but that is up to you."

"Alright, here goes, it doesn't count unless my head clears the pillow."

"Kaynie, watch her blood pressure, and the dials on the dialysis machine. I will handle everything else."

"Yes Doctor."

It had been nearly 4 weeks since she had been home, and 5 ½ weeks since the operation. She was sure she could do it. She tensed her stomach muscles, pressed her arms against the bed, and stretched out her legs. Her head started to move and every alarm in the room screamed.

Braverman yelled, "Jemma stop! Stop! Whatever you're doing, stop and relax your body.. Blood pressure, Kaynie?"

"193/120 and rising. 205/ 125"

"Oh shit, Jemma, Jemma, can you hear me? Relax, stop and breathe. Open your eyes, and breathe! Can you hear me, Jemma?"

This went on for over 2 minutes, with junior looking from the bottom of his mothers' bed, and senior watching everything,play-by-play on the huge screens on the opposing walls, waiting to see if his wife's pride had finally taken her away from him. He would die tonight if it had.

Finally he heard, "Stop yelling at me. Why are you yelling at me? I'm okay. I feel stupid, but I am okay. How badly did I injure myself? How far back did I set my progress?"

"To be honest with you I thought you had a stroke. You were out of it for more than two minutes; totally unresponsive. I'm just happy that you still with us. Blood pressure?"

"I don't know why doctor, but it's dropping like a stone. 162/94."

"That is both good and bad news, Jemma. It shows us that the heart in your chest is healing at a much faster rate than anyone anticipated. Normal humans at those levels are in big trouble, but your heart, even with the thin wall in back, was able to withstand the strain of what you just put it through. I can't wait to tell Matti. The new 'Pulmonary Artery' may have just saved your life. I am

"If you are finished playing games, mom, your ice cream is here. It is Vanilla, because you are not allowed nuts. I do not want any back talk from you."going to make arrangements at the hospital to see what is going on inside your chest."

"That sounds painful."

"It won't hurt me one bit. You will be under anesthesia. You won't know what hit you."

LUNCH ARRIVES

William heard a loud noise in the hall and assumed lunch had finally arrived. Jason handed him a 2 ounce cup

Vanilla ice cream.

"What the Hell is this?"

"IT's what the doctor ordered for your mother."

As planned ten seconds later his cell phone rang and he ignored it. Ten seconds after that it rang again.

William senior said. "It might be important."

He asnwereed the phone saying, "Zabo." He listened for a few seconds a nd, "I will be there in 15 minutes."

"Dad, don'tlet her do anything stupid while I am gone. Mom if do anything stupid, I am coming after you to kill you a thousand times more. Do You Understand?"

Jemma looked at her eldest son and meekly said,"Yes."

William kissed her exposed toe, hugged his father, and said good by to both.

When they got into the car Jim asked, "Where to Boss?"

"Let's go to Carmines' for lunch."

"What is the emergency?

"There is no emergency. I needed something to calm my mother down, and that was it."

"You are dead when she finds out about this."

"I am not going to tell her, you aren't and neither is anyone else, are you guys?"

After a litany of 'NO'S' was shouted from the front seat the Limoousine road smoothly over the Williamsburg Bridge, eastbound towards Brooklyn, and Carmine's.

Jemma said, "I will accept the vanilla ice cream for now."

The 2-ounce cup of ice cream was handed to the doctor, and a face splitting smile was on Kaynie face.

As the nurse adjusted Jemma's bedding and got her ready to eat, Manolo handed her the cup of Ice Cream and a small silver spoon. The alarms in the room activated once more, but not before the good doctor received 2 ounces of vanilla ice cream full in the face.

William senior was laughing hysterically, as Jemma yelled as loud as she could, "Is this some kind of a joke? Where is he? Get him back in here so I can kill him properly."

Manolo said, "Kaynie, I am going to give her 10 mcg's of Fently. I want to put her out until tomorrow, but I don't want to hurt her progress. Keep a close watch on her for the next 4 hours. Don't give her any tranquilizers or depressants. Call me at home if anything out of the ordinary happens. Okay?"

"Certainly, doctor. Do you want to put it on her skin or inject it?"

"We will go the safe way, I will rub it onto her backside."

"Mr. Zabo might object."

"Let him be angry. I just got a face full of ice cream thanks to his wife."

"Was it as good as advertised?"

"The part that dripped into my throat, from my nose, was excellent. It is not on my diet but I am going to have to stop at one of their stores."

"If you remember, would you bring me a half gallon of Butter Pecan Ice Cream, and I will pay you when I see you again."

"Consider it done, Kaynie. I am going to stop on my way home."

"Thank you."

"Jemma, I am going to rub a very potent medication onto your bottom. Leave it alone. You will not know it was there in 5 minutes, but if you get it on your fingers while it is drying and put it in your mouth, William will be a widower in the morning. Do we understand each other?"

"Why can you touch it?"

"I am special."

"Fuck off, Manolo."

"I will, 30 minutes after I put this medicine on your ass and your eyes begin to close."

"You are an ass, doctor."

"I am about to grab yours, patient."

"Ready Kaynie?"

"Yes doctor."

"I think I will put gloves on for this procedure."

"My ass is clean."

"I am happy to hear that Jemma."

"Okay, let's roll her over a little. I am uncovering the 10 mcg. Tube, and dispensing 2 mcg. onto Mrs. Zabo's right glute. I am now rubbing it in on an area approximately 10 square inches. The area in nearly dry now. Okay, we can let her down now, slowly, and straighten the bed clothes as we do it.

Okay, Kaynie, you can finish up with Mrs. Zabo. I will put the remainder of the Fenty back into the locked medical unit and log it in. I will wash up and be back in a moment."

"Yes doctor."

"Did you enjoy grabbing my ass, Manolo?"

"Not one bit, Jemma. You've lost so much weight your ass is just bones. I like my women with a little meat on them. Will you work on that for me, please?"

"I will work on it, but not for you, you bastard. I have promised myself to one man many years ago and only he gets to fool around with it."

"Thank you dear, now calm down and go to sleep. If you disobey me, just remember how close you are to 15 years."

The Fently hit her blood stream, and then her Central Nervous System, and she began to mumble. She heard William talking about their next child and she was determined to put an end to it. As she went deeper into sleep she challenged her husband, which she knew was not a wise thing to do. However, the medicine gave her the courage to speak her mind.

"I swear, William, if you get me pregnant, after I terminate the pregnancy, which you know will devastate me. I will tie you to our bed and proceed to emasculate you, down past your root. I will make sure there is no way for that magical organ of yours to regenerate and cause me or any other woman to carry another Zabo child."

She watched him, expecting him to acquiesce on this one point, especially with the threat of bodily harm attached to it. He did not do what she thought he should do.

Instead of moving to the furthest corner of the room and shivering with fear, William Zabo Senior turned the table on his opponent, and took the high ground. He moved from his comfortable chair at the end of his bed, straightened himself to his full height of 6'1", and stared down at her. With his mane of white hair, steel blue eyes, perfect teeth, and tailored bedroom ensemble, Jemma's' face froze in anxiety. She feared what he might do, and she knew that he was capable doing anything to her at this moment of time. In years past, he could calmly walk over to the heart-lung machine, turn off the alarm and then the machine. He would stand over her and watch her die, because she threatened him, and he did not take threats lightly.

"Don't do anything rash, please, William."

"Are you going to obey me Jemma?"

"I always have, and I always will, my love."

"You just lied to me wife. You know I hate it when you lie to me."

"William, I always obey you in matters of trust, love, finance, nearly everything under God's Sun, and on his 'Green Earth' I Obey You."

"Nicely done, wife. You have brought God into our bedroom in an effort to avoid a well-deserved punishment. You argue with a doctor, whom I placed over you, to care for your every need. He understands that his life is forfeit if you die and an error in your care is traced back to him. Everyone who cares for you is under the same edict Jemma. Everyone, Jemma, and you have a fit worthy of a four-year old child. Do you know what I am thinking of doing to you, Jemma? Do you have any idea how angry you have made me and our son?"

"Please William, have mercy on me. Don't kill me for this one transgression. I will do better, I swear it."

"Kill you, what fun would I get out of that? Turn off one switch and you are gone. Oh no wife, I am going to watch you waddle around through 2 more children: One next Christmas, and we will discuss the timing of the last of our brood."

She was sound asleep when the blood pressure alarm went off again.

William took his cannister of ice water, dumped it on clean towels at the end of his bed and began ministering to Jemma. The first towel went on her face. The next 2 went under her arms.

He looked at her and said, "Baby, you are not going to like this."

The 3 remaining towels were ice cold and soaking wet. He lifted the blankets, sheets, and her night gown. He did not spread he legs, thinking that it would keep the cold water and towels closer to his intended target area.

"Here goes, baby."

Unceremoniously, the 3 towels left his grip, and landed between Jemma's thighs and lower abdomen.

He walked away expecting her to scream, shout or anything in that realm. He was incredulous when she moaned.

"Jemma, you are the 'Devil's Daughter.'

Someone in the room said in return, "She is not 'The Devils' child. We protect her from all evil, even you William Zabo. She had to convince us you were worthy of her. We refused her permission to continue to consort with the likes of you. She has changed you for the better, hasn't she, Zabo? You didn't realize you could live a life without crime in it."

"Yes, she has. What do I call you?"

"She will not believe you when you say to her that we continue to watch over her, because we died many years ago saving her from a fire at her home. I am Toby and she is Sarah."

"She has another big fight coming up soon; will both of you be there?

"Tell her to think about us as she enters the operating room. We will be hiding just above all the lights."

"Okay, I will do what you ask. I don't want to lose her for any reason."

Sarah said, "Climb into bed with her Zabo, she is more comfortable with you at her side."

"I'd like that, but where the heck is there room?"

"You will figure it out. You have done well by our little girl all these years. Don't let us down now."

Suddenly, William had a thought.

"I am asleep. This is a dream. I am already in bed with Jemma, right?"

Toby said, "It's your dream, why should we screw it up?"

To be continued

THE END