Serpent's Trail

"I'll see if she's up for a visitor," the nurse said and walked briskly away.

A few moments later, the nurse returned, smiling widely. She directed Mike to the fourth floor, the south wing.

"Left when you get out the elevator," she instructed.

"They cut up my shoe get it off," was the first thing the woman said when Mike entered the room. "Guess none of them figured out how to untie a knot?"

"When I brought you in, that was the first thing I asked them," Mike smiled, looking into her clear green eyes. "They weren't sure, but they thought there might be a doctor knew how do a knot."

"Tell me what happened? I'm just jogging along, then, nothing," the woman said.

"Woman had one of them ankle biters on one of those goofy zip line leashes," Mike said, taking a chair. "You came along and Frou-Frou, or Snookums, or whatever the little bitch's name is charged you. You got all tangled up and down you went."

Looking at the blonde as they chatted, Mike couldn't help but get the feeling he had seen her before. He even mentioned that to her. She studied his face for a long moment, then shook her head.

"I was going Connelly," she offered.

"Oh yeah? What you studying?" he asked.

"Education; want to be a teacher," she said.

"Maybe that's where I know you; did pick Toni up there a few times," Mike shrugged.

"Um, by the way, you got a name?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh! Mike. Mike Morrison," he said.

"Precious Cruz," she said "Yeah, yeah, I know, I don't look Mexican."

"So, Precious, anyone you need to call?" he asked and her beautiful face clouded over.

"I uh, no, I uh," she stammered, looking away.

"Mother? Father?" he pressed.

"Mom died last, ovarian cancer," she said. "Dad said 'you ain't my kid, either fuck or get out,'" Precious said.

"Oh," Mike said.

He looked at his watch and decided he only had another two hours of sunlight left to work in. He told Precious he'd be back and stood. She smiled sadly and lowered her bed again.

Even in the shapeless hospital gown, when she lay back, Mike could see her large breasts jutting skyward. And he remembered where he had seen her before.

"Oxbow Lake," he said.

"Huh?" Precious asked, pausing the bed's momentum.

"That's where I've seen you before. On the beach at Oxbow Lake," Mike explained.

Precious immediately moved to make sure her gown's hem was covering her crotch. She blushed hotly.

"No, no, you were there, sunbathing," Mike said. "Beautiful girl, in a beautiful green bikini, but looking about as sad as I felt."

"What you got feel sad about?" Precious asked.

Mike took the seat again. Precious raised the bed again and looked at him.

"I uh, I was happily married. Had two kids, boy and girl, wanted name him Russell, after my old man, God, my old man was the greatest, you hear?" Mike said. "Either that, or Bertrand; that was my Mom's dad. Give him a piece of wood? He'd take out his pocket knife, and in minutes, you had a car. Or a frog, or a boat."

"So, what did you name him?" Precious asked softly, taking his hand into hers.

"Rhonda, that was my wife, Rhonda decided on Mike Jr. Called him 'Mickey,'" Mike said

"That's a good name," Precious smiled. "I like that name."

"Yeah, yeah, it's a pretty good name, I mean, I was named after my dad's brother. Died in 'Nam," Mike agreed.

"And your little girl?" Precious asked.

"Audrey," Mike said.

"Oh! I love that name!" Precious enthused.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, yeah, it was my mom's name, Audrey Nicole McAllister Morrison," Mike said. "But once again, Rhonda decided on something else. Michelle. Michelle Cristina Morrison. Said it was cute. Michael and Michelle."

"You see them a lot?" she asked.

"Been a few months now," Mike admitted. "They're up in Raquel Falls; they got a swimming pool and a boogie board and what do they need with their dad, huh?"

Mike stayed until an orderly brought her dinner into the room. Mike surprised them both when he leaned over and gently kissed Precious on her lips.

The next morning, Mike was completing what would be the main load bearing wall in the bank's main lobby. His pocket vibrated and chimed out 'Back In Black' by AC/DC.

"Michael?" a soft voice asked.

"Uh huh," Mike agreed, wiping the sweat from his face.

It was just after ten o'clock and already the Texas sun was broiling. Mike walked over to the cooler and grabbed a paper cup.

"Michael, they're discharging me today," Precious said.

"Be there, they at least going feed you lunch?" Mike asked, sweeping his eyes around the site, trying to locate Joe.

"No; they already got me out in the hall," she admitted.

"Oh for crying out loud, really?" Mike spat. "Be there as soon as I can."

Joe shrugged his shoulders when Mike informed him he had a bit of an emergency.

At the hospital, an orderly wheeled Precious to the curb. Mike lifted the girl and put her into his truck then helped her buckle up.

"Okay, where am I taking you?" he asked.

"Home," she said.

She gave him directions to the Spanish Arms Apartments. Then she remembered; her car was still at Kennedy Park.

Mike shrugged off her apologies and drove to Kennedy Park. She pointed out the 2005 Volkswagen Beetle and slapped his arm when he mocked the tiny car.

"Shut up! It's cute!" she defended, laughing.

He made a sound like a wasp humming and buzzing as he parked next to the vehicle. Then he came around and helped her out of his truck.

"Uh, thing's not a stick, huh?" Mike asked.

"Well, yeah," Precious said.

Mike looked at the plaster boot on her leg. She looked down, then realized, she'd find driving her car extremely difficult.

"Okay; your apartment's not that far; I'll drop you off, then drive it over there," Mike decided.

"Oh Michael, that's too much," Precious argued.

"Precious, you can't drive like that," Mike said. "And we can't leave it here."

Pulling up to the Spanish Arms again, Mike saw a new problem. Precious lived on the third floor.

"Precious, aw shit; they didn't give you any crutches?" Mike asked.

"Huh? No! They didn't," Precious realized.

"Honey, how are you going get up and down them stairs?" Mike asked.

"I don't know," Precious said and burst into tears.

"Okay, come on, get your key out," Mike ordered.

He carried her up to her apartment. Then he left her in the dank, sweltering apartment. He drove to Burns & Burns Supermarket and grabbed a few boxes.

"What, what are those for?" Precious asked when she managed to hobble to the door and open it for Mike.

"Pack clothes, toothbrush, whatever you need for the next couple of weeks," Mike ordered. "You're staying with me. At least, until you can get around on your own."

Precious was about to argue. Then she thought about it for a moment. Just hopping from couch to door had been a struggle. How was she going to hop from couch, or bed to door, out the door, and down to the ground floor of her apartment building?

"I assume your apartment is on the ground floor?" she asked as he carried the boxes into her bedroom.

"Yours will be," Mike assured her as he looked around the neat, orderly bedroom. "Listen, give me the keys to your beetle bug and I'll be back, okay?"

"Oh?" Precious teased. "Don't want help me pack?"

"No, I've seen enough of women's' drawers last me a lifetime," Mike smiled.

Again, he surprised Precious by leaning forward and giving her a light kiss on her lips. Then he left the apartment.

Mike drove down to a gas station and rented a hitch and harness. Then he drove to the park and affixed the hitch to the car's front end.

"Unbelievable," Mike smiled as he drove away.

The truck acted like it felt nothing. The truck pulled the small car as if it wasn't even there.

"Okay, think I'm ready," Precious said.

"Okay," Mike said and hefted her into his arms. He carried her down to the truck. Then he trotted back up the stairs and got the boxes.

"All right, anything else?" he asked her before he picked her up to put her into his truck.

"Nope," she smiled, then surprised him with a kiss, directly on his lips. "Thank you, Michael."

"Thank you," Mike smiled and jogged back upstairs to make sure he locked her apartment securely.

"So, said my apartment's on the ground? How many apart..." Precious asked.

"Yeah, well, your bedroom is. It's a three story house but other than to paint it? Change the carpets? I've not been on the third floor," Mike said as he turned onto Roberts Drive.

"O. M. G; I come through here at Christmas time!" Precious said, looking around the affluent neighborhood.

"Christmas?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, a lot of these houses? They really go all out with all the lights and stuff," Precious explained.

"Like Clark Griswold?" Mike asked.

"Who?" Precious asked.

"Griswold? Christmas Vacation?" Mike asked.

She shook her head, then goggled when he pulled up to his house. She was still trying to peer up into the third story windows, craning her head way back when he helped her down from the truck.

"Five windows up there; you need something in each window," Precious said.

"Hmm?" Mike asked as he closed the truck door.

"When you do your Christmas lights; need something in each window," Precious said, holding out her arms, ready for him to pick her up again

He jogged and unlocked, then opened the door of the house. Then he ran back and scooped her up.

"Aw, carrying me across the thresh hold," she quipped.

"Precious, when I carry you across the thresh hold, I would hope you at least would have on a nice dress, definitely better shoes," Mike smiled.

"Huh? What's wrong with fiberglass?" Precious asked, waggling the heavy cast. "All the models are wearing them."

"Uh huh, puts the 'Ugh' in 'Ugly,'" Mike declared and put her onto the couch.

"Ooh, love this couch," Precious said. "This where I'm staying?"

"No, I'll carry you to the bedroom after I get your stuff in," Mike said.

Mike made quick work of lugging her boxes into the house. Then he scooped her off of the couch and carried her to her bedroom.

"Yep, you're a man," Precious quipped, looking around at the austere furniture.

Mike chuckled as he lay her onto the bed. She did not let go of him when he moved to straighten up.

"Thank you, Michael," she said softly and kissed him on his lips.

"Welcome," Mike said. "Oh! You uh, you don't need the potty, huh? It's right across the hall here."

"Mind reader? Or are my eyes starting to turn yellow?" Precious said.

Mike scooped her up again and carried her to the small, simple bathroom. She smiled as he sat her on the commode, then quickly exited the room and firmly shut the door.

"Holler when you're done," he yelled through the door.

Mike located several more pillows throughout his house and lugged an old tube television into the room. He then cooked her a can of soup and used an old, slightly rusted cookie sheet as a tray for her. He then drove to a Rent-All and rented some aluminum crutches for Precious.

This began five weeks of cohabitation. The first few mornings, Precious lightly complained about being awakened before sunrise for their breakfast. The third morning, Mike found Precious waiting, wide awake, arms outstretched, waiting for him to carry her to the kitchen.

"You got them crutches," Mike said on the fourth morning as he scooped her up into his arms.

"But I like when you carry me," she whispered into his ear.

When she whispered into his ear, Mike could smell her toothpaste. He realized, Precious had awakened, hobbled across the hall to her bathroom, brushed her teeth, then hobbled back to the bedroom and waited for him. He smiled at her and she returned his smile.

"Honestly?" he said. "I like when I carry you too."

Joe did complain when Mike had to take off for Precious's doctor visits. He also complained when Mike had to leave to take Precious to physical therapy. Theresa White, a lawyer one of his co-workers recommended to Mike helped Precious sue Mary Bookhammer, the owner of Dawson, the Yorkie that had tripped Precious. But it had taken time away from the latest Scandurro project to go to Theresa White's office.

"Hey, Mike? We all got other stuff do; can't schedule this shit for after work?" Joe complained the next time Mike asked for an early afternoon.

"All the way out in lowridge," Mike tried to explain.

"Make up your mind, huh? More important have a job? Or whatever this shit is?" Joe spat.

Mike did not answer. He also did not remind Joe of his early afternoon. The next morning, Joe screamed at Mike, in front of the other employees. Mike smiled, nodded, and walked off the job site.

"Hey! You're home early," Precious said as she looked up from the text book.

"Uh huh," Mike grumbled.

"Oh! I don't have an appointment, do I?" Precious asked, alarmed.

"Huh? No, no, got run off the job," Mike said.

"Oh Michael, what happened?" Precious asked, patting the cushion next to her.

Mike sat next to her on the couch and told her. He told her of the mild animosity that had been forged when he was dating Joe's daughter, the girl he'd been with the night Precious had been injured.

The animosity had not gone away, even though Mike was no longer dating Toni. But it had been compounded by Mike's frequent needs for time off.

"Oh, Michael! Oh, Honey, why didn't you say something? I would have gotten one of my friends take me," Precious whined.

"But I wanted take you," Mike admitted.

"Why?" Precious asked, green eyes peering into his brown eyes.

"I uh, well, you know," Mike stammered.

"Michael? I'm not going say it first. I need hear you say it," Precious admitted, taking his large hand into her small hand.

"Say it," she husked, face millimeters from his.

"Because I'm in love with you," he admitted.

"And I'm in love with you, Michael Arthur Morrison," Precious whispered, then kissed Michael on his lips.

Now 'unemployed,' Mike bought up more homes that had fallen victim to the recent collapse of the housing market, did the repairs and renovations needed, and continued to make money. The benefit of being his own boss was he had the time and availability to take Precious to doctor's appointments, physical therapy appointments, and for little outings and excursions.

On one such excursions, to The Hog's Head, a BBQ restaurant that Precious loved, Mike found out his true status.

"Hey, Presh," a muscular young man said, slight sneer on his face.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Barry," Precious said, voice fairly flat.

"So, this your dad?" Barry said, trying to sit next to Precious on the bench.

Precious used her hand to prevent Barry from taking the seat.

"Uh, no, this is my fiancé, Michael Morrison. Michael? This is Barry. I used to date him," Precious said.

"Your what?" Barry laughed, a mocking laugh.

"My fiancé. See, Barry, oh hey Allison, what up, girl? See, I found out; there's a HUGE difference between men and little boys," Precious smiled sweetly.

"Hey, Precious; Barry, the ribs are here, huh?" Allison said.

Barry glared hotly at Mike, jostled the table hard with his hip and turned and walked back to another table.

"Your uh, your fiancé?" Mike asked as the waitress brought them their brisket platters.

"Oh? You didn't know?" Precious smiled.

She squirted some 'Texas Heat' barbecue sauce onto her brisket. That was followed with a generous squeeze of 'Texas Sweet' sauce. She stirred the two sauces together with her index finger, then held out her dripping finger.

"Want get married day after Christmas, you hear?" she asked as Mike sucked the sauce from her finger.

"Gives me about a month find the perfect ring," Mike agreed.

Precious smiled in triumph. She smiled wider when Mike squirted the two sauces onto his own plate of brisket.

"Gives me time get this thing off; can you two step?" Precious asked.

"And gives me time get some dancing lessons," Mike said.

Brandon Wright of the Fellowship Nondenominational Church in Sweet Oak, Texas performed the wedding ceremony. The handsome man was gregarious, loud, jubilant as he performed the ceremony. His love of God, his love of the Word of God, his love of preaching would never be in question.

Mike had learned how to do a Texas Two-step and had learned Texas Swing as well. The Fellowship Hall, which was attached to the church reverberated with the whoops and cheers as the DJ kept the dancers on the floor. The Hog's Head BBQ provided the meal and the guests became miserable, but smiling widely as they gorged on the meal.

Toni Tonacetti did congratulate Michael, congratulate Precious, then locked herself in a stall of the ladies room and sobbed.

Emmanuel Wright, Brandon's twenty three year old son stood outside of the bathroom. When Toni finally emerged, the handsome young man offered the blonde girl a handkerchief.

"Sometimes, seeing someone else happy can be a little hard," he quietly offered.

Toni said nothing, just dabbed at some fresh tears with the soft cloth.

"When my cousin Amelia got married? Wanted punch the guy she was marrying," the young man admitted.

"Oh yeah?" Toni smiled slightly.

"Yeah, but Dad, and sanity intervened," Emmanuel smiled. "Guy's a nose tackle for the Connelly Cougars."

"Ouch," Toni agreed.

"Know what? I haven't seen you out there on that dance floor yet," Emmanuel said. "Legs aren't broken, huh?"

"No," Toni giggled now.

"Then, what you waiting on? Let's go," Emmanuel said and grabbed her hand.

Nine months and two days after The Reverend Brandon Wright said they were husband and wife, Mike Morrison found himself at Lowridge's hospital again, for the birth of Bertrand Michael and Russell Michael Morrison. Precious sobbed, screamed, wailed, gasped and cried through the five hour delivery. In between gasps, grunts and other sounds, she held onto Michael's hand and declared her undying love for him, her knight in shining armor.

Seventeen months later, Toni Wright and her husband Emmanuel Wright were two doors down, having their first child at the same time Precious was having their daughter, Audrey Ann Morrison.

COILED FOR STRIKING

"I cannot believe," Mike grumbled as they stepped off the airplane in Benhurst, Colorado.

"Knew Texas would finally get tired of your ugly face," Lyle Curtis, Mike's former boss announced as he hugged the man.

"Hey! Hey, man, how you doing?" Mike laughed happily, hugging Lyle. "What are you doing here? How you been?"

"Less hair, more gut, about the same. You?" Lyle laughed.

"I'm good, I'm good. Lyle Curtis, want you meet my family.

"Honey, I'm sure, whatever incriminating evidence he's got on you? Statute of limitations has run out huh?" Lyle joked when he met Precious Morrison.

"Huh?" Precious asked.

"He thinks I'm blackmailing you," Mike explained.

"No kidding? Bertrand and Russell? I knew them," Lyle said as he shook the hands of the twins.

"I'm Audrey, I'm four," Audrey said, holding out her hand for the big man.

"And ain't scared of nothing neither," Mike stated.

"Now, know you booked a suite at the Hilton; Lizzy? My daughter's the manager there," Lyle said as the family grabbed their three suitcases from the carousel. "But you're staying at my house, hear?"

"Mr. Curtis, you sure?" Precious asked.

"Mr. Curtis? MR. CURTIS?" Lyle asked. "Precious, by the way, what's your real name? Kind of feel funny calling another man's wife 'precious,' the name's Lyle, hear?"

"That is my name," Precious said, not offended.

"Oh. Well, suits you," Lyle said.

After the family was situated; Mike and Precious in the guest room, Audrey in the old room of Lyle's daughter, and the twins on the pull out sofa bed in the 'man cave,' Mike took a deep breath.

"I'll go check on the boys," Precious said.

"What? They just..." Mike asked, pulling his cell phone out of his shirt pocket.