Frederica began working quickly to get the room ready for the doctor to operate. She found every light she could find and as soon as Jill closed her eyes and fell asleep, she began lighting the lights. The doctor said they were all set, and within twenty minutes, he had all the bone fragments removed, and the ends of the broken bone aligned. He considered a few moments, then asked the computer for Jill’s vitals and the time she had been asleep, and then decided to install the bone splice. Frederica quickly boiled more water on the stove, placed the plate and screws into the boiling water and watched the clock for eight minutes. Then the doctor stepped into the kitchen, he removed the parts with tongs, placed them on a sterile towel and cooled them with alcohol and saline solution. When they were ready, the doctor put the components into place, drilled the holes and put in the screws. The time was now forty-five minutes and the doctor wanted Jill out from under the anesthesia quickly.
He stopped the IV medicine dripping into Jill’s arm and began suturing her leg while Jill began to wake. When he was certain she was okay and awake, he gave her small amounts of morphine to keep her pain level in check until he she was fully awake and talking to him. As the doctor finished the last suture, Frederica suddenly ran into Jill’s bathroom and was sick to her stomach. When she returned, she said, “Sorry about that, I have a weak stomach.” The doctor smiled and said, “For a lady with a weak stomach, you have done very well my friend, and I appreciate your help.”
As the doctor began packing up his instruments, he said, “Frederica, you can get out of here for awhile and settle your stomach. I can handle things until you feel better. You look a little white my friend.” Frederica walked to the ready room and spoke to the computer, “Computer, have you told Trish about Jill’s injuries as of yet?” The computer said, “No, I feel that Trish will panic if anyone but Jill tells her about what has gone on here today.” Frederica said, “I am going to ask you to do me a favor and lie to Trish if she happens to call. Tell her Jill is talking with a customer and will call her back, can you tell a lie for me this one time.” The computer said, “To protect Trish, I can lie as you have requested and I believe this response from you and I is appropriate in this situation.” Frederica said, “Thank you.”
When Jill woke, the doctor helped her to the rolling chair, moved her into the bathroom and helped her transfer to the toilet. He stayed just outside the door until Jill called him, and then put her back in bed. When the doctor had Jill’s leg elevated, Frederica asked Jill if she would like to make the call to Trish, so Trish would not panic over the injury. Jill said, “I really should be the one to talk to her or she will certainly go ballistic.”
The computer aimed a camera at Jill, and turned the monitor towards her so she could see Trish. Then the computer made the call. Monica was the one who answered the computers call. When Trish came to the radio, the computer said, “Hi Trish, I have a call from Jill if you have time to talk to her.” Everyone in the room heard the squeal of Trish’s voice and heard her say, “Hello Jill, James and I have missed you.” Then the computer turned on Jill’s camera, microphone and monitor. Everyone in the room heard Trish say, “Jill did you hurt your leg?” Jill talked to Trish for a couple minutes and then began the lengthy explanation of the day’s events. When Jill had completed the telling to Trish, Trish said, “Frederica my wonderful friend, thank you for all you did to help Jill. I owe you a big one.”
**************
Three days later, Trish and James were teleported back to The Empress. Trish immediately placed James into Jill’s arms and let her cry over him. Then Trish walked into the cargo bay and began unpacking a box she had sent to The Empress before she teleported. When Frederica and the doctor walked out into the cargo bay to check on Trish, Frederica held her hands over her mouth and began to giggle. Trish had found a small wheelchair, and now had it assembled. Trish pushed the chair into Jill’s room and moved it up close to Jill’s bed. It only took Jill about one minute and she had carefully transferred herself into the chair. She wheeled herself out into the cargo bay and practiced rolling herself around. Then she rolled up to Trish, held out her hands and pulled Trish down where she could hug her.
Jill had worried and fretted to the doctor about how she was going to be able to run this business lying on her back in her bed. The doctor smiled at Jill, kneeled down in front of her and explained that she needed to take care to prevent serious swelling of her leg, and what signs of infection to watch for.
Jill leaned down close to him, asked the doctor if he was married. When he said no, Jill planted a kiss on the man’s lips that would make him smile for days. The doctor stood up and said, “You are very welcome Jill.” Jill looked into his eyes and said, “Do you have to leave so soon, I have more swollen places that need attention.” The doctor heard Trish stifle a laugh, and then the doctor said, “I really should get back to my other patients before I decide to spend the rest of my life tending to the needs of this beautiful woman sitting in front of me.” Then he said, “Computer, I think you should teleport me down to Quantum right now before I get myself into trouble. Computer if you would be so kind.” The doctor was gone in the twinkle of an eye.
Jill could not let James out of her hands. She fed him a bottle, then burped him, changed his diapers, and put him into bed. He only giggled and played a few minutes, and then he fell sound asleep. Jill used the bathroom and then rolled herself to the bed, got her foot up on a pillow so it was above her heart as the cute doctor had explained to her and covered herself with a blanket. Trish and Frederica walked into the room to talk to Jill, and she said, “Trish, I do not want to become addicted to this pain medicine, but this leg hurts like hell right now. Is there any of that morphine left.” Trish checked the supplies the doctor had left and she said, “There is quite a bit of it with a note warning to only use the morphine twice per day, preferably when you lie down in an attempt to sleep. Jill said, “I probably will fall asleep after I take it, but I think today I will use the morphine. When it is time for more medicine, I would like to just stick to the pills and put the rest of the morphine in the disposer.”
Frederica said, “Jill, you will not get addicted the morphine if you only use it when you really need it for a couple of days.” Trish opened the syringe, found an alcohol pad and injected the painkiller. Jill said, “Both of you like sticking needles in me.” Trish said, “I am glad it is you Jill and not me, I would certainly cry like a baby over the needles.” Jill smiled at Frederica, but said nothing. As the girls sat and talked about the events of the last few weeks and their vacation, Jill slipped into dreamland. Trish asked Frederica what she would like for supper tonight. Frederica said, “I guess I had not considered what I was going to fix for us, do you have any suggestions.” Trish said, “I have some beef steaks, potatoes, and vegetables that I purchased before I teleported here, Would you and Jill enjoy some vittles from the planet Quantum for supper?” Frederica said, “Careful, you will make Jill cry again if you put such delicious food in front of her. We have lived out of the food replicator for the last month, and just the sound of fresh food makes my mouth water. May I help you prepare supper tonight?” Trish said, “Yes, but you must talk to me about Jill’s migraines so I know what to watch for and how to help her before she becomes a screaming lunatic.”
Frederica sat down at the kitchen counter, peeled potatoes and prepared carrots while she talked to Trish about migraines. Trish looked at Frederica and said, “I have realized for months that Jill has slowly become more and more irritable and depressed. She has temper tantrums over the slightest little things and she no longer sits and reads like she used to.” Then Frederica explained that she had asked the doctor to send her four extra packages of the prepared medicine and that she hid them in the locked drawer beside the radio that was marked, security and weapons. Trish looked at Frederica for an explanation for locking up the medicine. Frederica said, “I do not ever want Jill to be without that medicine ever again, and the four locked up packages ar
e to insure she is never without if we happen to forget to reorder. I realize she is not a child, but she forgets just as you or I might do, and to be without that medicine puts Jill’s life in jeopardy. It also puts you and James in a position of unintentionally injury during one of Jill’s outbursts. She would never harm anyone normally, but she does throw things and will strike back if you try to restrain her while she is suffering with the migraine attacks or the resulting dreams. She threatened to force the computer to eject her into open space, and that scared me.”
Trish got a very worried look on her face and then asked, “Computer, we need to talk for a moment about the welfare of Jill during one of her migraine attacks. Could she override your programming and force you to eject her into open space as she threatened?” The computer said, “Trish, I am afraid that she could in fact do that if she wished, she is the skipper, the prime programmer, and I answer to all of her commands whenever she overrides my programming.” Trish thought a moment and said, “Would it be possible to require approval of a third member of The Empress’s crew to any of Jill’s requests, if she was demanding an action on your part that would cause her injury or death?” The computer said, “Yes, I could write an algorithm into the program so that Jill’s override could still occur, but a third positive entry from you would be required before the action could occur.” “Computer, would you write that program and install it in your memory now, please?” Trish, I will need a password that only you could know, to allow or deny Jill the right to complete her destructive mission that she embarked upon. Trish walked into the control room and typed a password on the keyboard. The computer chirped three times. Then Trish said, “Computer would this program modification benefit from having another person that could take my place if I was unable to fulfill my obligation to your programming.” The computer said that it could default to another person in case of Trish’s death, or incapacitation. Trish said, “Frederica will you please type a password into the keyboard in the control room?” Frederica said she would do it, and stepped inside and did as Trish had asked. The computer told Trish that her request was complete.
Then the computer said, “Frederica, Jill is trying to get up and use the bathroom, but she is still under the influence of the morphine and is struggling to get into the wheelchair.” Both Trish and Frederica quickly stepped into Jill’s room and helped her with her task. When the girls had Jill back into her bed, she closed her eyes and immediately fell back asleep. Trish spoke to the computer, “Computer, are Jill’s vital signs within normal limits, or have we given her too much morphine.” The computer told Trish that the dosage was a little high, but Jill’s body functions were well within normal limits. Frederica said, “Computer, can you search your files and locate documentation that explains what a human female, weighing one-hundred and twenty-four pounds should normally receive for one injection of morphine and the dosage over a twenty-four hour time frame?” The computer spit out the information and Frederica checked the package the doctor had sent to them. Frederica said, “The dosage in each syringe is within the parameters that the computer just stated, but I think we should not inject her with the full dosage next time, maybe half would be more reasonable for a test.” Trish said, “Putting some food into her belly before the morphine might also help a little.” Trish asked the computer to watch over Jill and to notify them if Jill did not wake on her own within thirty minutes.
The girls returned to preparing supper, and Frederica had put a pot of coffee on the cook top to perk. As the coffee finished perking, Jill wheeled herself into the kitchen and said, “You two were not planning to eat supper without me were you?” Trish said, “No, but the way you were sleeping we considered putting your food into the food processor and putting it into one of James bottles for you to suck on.” Jill rolled up to the cook top and said, “You will not puree my beefsteak in the food processor or I will beat you both senseless with a broom handle.” Trish put her hand on Jill’s shoulder and said, “Are you feeling a little grumpy today, my friend?” Jill smiled and said, “I am fine, but please don’t damage that wonderful steak, I am starving.” Jill rubbed Trish’s arm, hoping she had not made Trish angry over the harsh words she had spoken.
The girls were very quiet and Jill said, “I am sorry if I made you both mad at me, I did not mean to.” Frederica kneeled down in front of Jill and said, “You have not angered anyone, our minds were just other places for a moment. Please stay here in the kitchen with us and be part of our conversations. We both have worried to death about you the last few weeks. With the migraines, the horrible nightmares, and then the fall in the inventory locker bay, you seem to fill every second of our waking thoughts.” Jill sat and listened to the girls for a few minutes, then said, “I need to find a chair that I can put my leg up in and try putting some ice on it.” Trish said, “I can help you with that very easily.” Trish stepped into her bedroom, then came dragging a recliner behind her down the hall and then pulled it into the kitchen. She placed it beside the doorway into the hallway and said, “Your chair has arrived, my lady.” Trish helped Jill into the recliner and Frederica was right there with a towel wrapped around a plastic bag of ice cubes. Frederica put her hand under the ice, walked into the bathroom, got a second towel and placed it on Jill’s leg before placing the cold bag of ice on it. Frederica said, “If it feels to cold or not cold enough, holler and we can adjust the number of towels between the ice and your leg.” Jill said, “I hope to have the swelling in this leg under control in a few days so I am not so much a bother around here.”
Trish leaned over, kissed Jill directly on the lips and said, “I will tell you when you become a bother, and those words will never leave my lips my friend. When I needed you while I had that horrible flu, and while I struggled with my pregnancy, you looked after me, cooked for me, bathed me and washed my stinking clothes; you are no bother compared to what I have put you through.” When supper was ready, Jill said she would sit at the table and Frederica said, “How about if I put a small tray beside your chair and let you leave that leg elevated, you have not complained about the cold and the swelling is definitely much better.” Jill agreed, and they moved Jill’s chair close to the table and served supper. When they had finished eating, Trish got the pain medications the doctor had left for them, and they worked up a schedule. Jill did not want to fall asleep every time she took pain medications, and these pills might be the answer.
After Jill had taken the medicine she said, “I need to take a bath. I am going to fill the tub, keep my bad leg outside on a stool, but put the rest of me into some water with lots of soap.” Frederica said, “We were hoping you would wash sometime today, and then began to laugh.” Frederica said, “When you are ready to move into the tub, please call one of us, so we can help you during the moves in and out, please.” Jill smiled and said, “Deal, I am much too sore to refuse a little help.”
When Jill took off her robe and was ready to get into the tub, she realized that the cut on her inner thigh was very red and looked infected. Jill spoke to the computer and asked if the inventory locker contained any antibiotic salve and a 50mm by 100 mm adhesive bandage? The computer said, “Jill, both items you requested are in the inventory locker.” Jill said, “Computer would you direct Trish or Frederica to the items we discussed and have them bring them to me? Thanks.” Within five minutes, Frederica stepped into Jill’s room, knocked, and spoke to Jill. When she stepped into the bathroom, Jill had fallen asleep in the tub. Frederica giggled and looked at Jill a moment to insure that Jill was safe sleeping where she sat, and then decided she was obviously not cold, her injured leg seemed properly supported, and Jill looked to be in no danger of slipping under the water.
Frederica sat down on the floor and leaned back against the bathroom wall. As she sat there, thinking about what all Jill had been through this week, she felt warm tears drip off her chin. As she sat, Trish stepped into the bathroom and quietly spoke to Frederica. As the girls whispered to each other, Jill woke and said, �
�I am glad I did not drown while I slept in this tub of water. I am afraid my God would not accept me into his home after the words I have spoken to him and my friends this week.” Trish rubbed Jill’s shoulder and said, “I think a few kind words might be in order to your God later today to explain your words, but I suspect he already knows what you went through recently.”
Chapter 8 – Establishing the Growing Gardens
James was now toddling around The Empress as if he owned the place. He was now getting into everything, and child friendly The Empress certainly was not. Trish and Jill were constantly rearranging furniture and putting locks on drawers and cabinets, but there always seemed to be something forgotten that could injure a child. James had already discovered the bottom drawer in the ready room, pulled all the schematics for the electronic equipment out onto the floor and had chewed on two of the manuals until the corner of the pages resembled oatmeal instead of flat paper. This little adventure had only taken him about four or five minutes. The girls vowed they would not ever leave James unattended for that length of time ever again. Finally, Jill had had enough of James inquisitive nature, and discussed rearranging the physical layout of The Empress just a little. They decided to install a locking door that would separate the living area of the vessel from the ready room and the control area. Trish watched as Jill reconfigured The Empress on the monitor, and then when she and Jill were both happy with the changes, the computer moved the walls and put the new door in place.
Volume II Page 8
