ALIEN VIGILANTE AIRCRAFT

Beek had been keeping up with Frank’s care and was not happy. These earthlings didn’t use common sense when it came to their patients. Back home on Zuppo, Frank would have already been released. Beek decided it was time for him to act. Frank’s medication was only sedating him. It wasn’t treating his brain’s issues. Beek inserted the necessary medicine into the IV. It would take a few hours, but Frank would wake up. Kelly wasn’t giving up. He was going to have his father transferred to the hospital’s rehab center. No one was unplugging his dad. Kelly came by to tell this to his body. With a look of astonishment, Kelly saw his father sitting up and drinking coffee. “Dad!” Frank was surprised by Kelly’s reaction. He didn’t know that he’d been unconscious for more than one hundred days. “What?” “You’re awake.” Again, Frank didn’t know anything about his accident. He woke up and asked for some coffee. “How long was I out?” Kelly, still looking at him with wide eyes replied, “Three and a half months.” Frank had no knowledge what was happening or what had happened to him. “Didn’t anyone tell you that I woke up?” Actually, the doctors had just removed Frank’s tubes. He was drinking his first coffee in months. “How’s mom?” Kelly didn’t hesitate to give the bad news to his dad. “I guess you haven’t been told, but you’re divorced. She’s fine though.” Frank couldn’t believe it. His wife had left him. Everything was okay before. “Divorced?” “Yes. She’s moved to New York State with her family. I’ve been making the calls on your care.” This was too much for Frank to handle. Without thinking, he got out of bed and collapsed. With a stupid look on his face, he looked up at Kelly for a hand up. Frank wasn’t much help, but they were able to get him into a chair. “Where are my legs?” Kelly didn’t know where to begin. He was not really ready for this conversation. “What do you remember?” Frank had a blank expression. “Nothing.” “Okay dad, you were flying a Raptor when your power shut off. You guided your jet away from a residential area, but when you ejected, you were too close to the ground. Your chute opened and you hit the ground hard. Your seat rolled a hundred meters. Your legs were ripped off. A nurse passing by was the first person on the scene. She tied off your legs to stop your blood loss. A chopper brought you in. You’ve been on life support ever since. Just now, the doctors were wanting to unplug you, but I said no. We have exceeded the number of days you can stay here, so I was going to have them move you to a rehab center.” Kelly was exasperated. He felt like he was letting his father down. Tears began rolling down Kelly’s face. He couldn’t believe his father was near death and now they were just talking. Sitting in a chair, Frank’s brain started thinking about what was next. “Okay. I’m awake now and I can decide what’s next. Thanks for all that you’ve done, Kelly.” Frank had lost fifty pounds during his 100-day-stay. Kelly worked at a golf pro shop and attended Georgetown University, part time. Every other day, he would come and visit his dad for a few hours. He was very tired and was ready for Frank to take over his own affairs. “Dad. You look good. I’m really tired. I need to go home and check on things.” Again, Frank was beginning to figure out a course of action. “Thanks. You said I’m single? What about the house and stuff?” Still not feeling comfortable telling his dad about the breakup, Kelly told him briefly, “It’s all locked up. Mom took her stuff. I don’t think the Air Force thought you were going to recover. They retired you at the rank of full colonel. Right now, it’s a medical retirement, but that won’t change.” Frank would be able to go forward from here. “Alright. I need to think about a lot of stuff. I’ll be in touch. Do I have a phone?” Kelly hadn’t done anything about a phone or the home. He was just thinking about his father’s care. “No. It didn’t survive the crash. But, I’ll get you one tomorrow.” Frank saw a very tired son and knew he was ready for some relief. “No. I’ll take care of it. Thanks. Go and see your wife.” Frank was now totally free to figure out what was next. Now, Frank had to figure out how to get back into his bed. That was the answer. He needed to check out of the hospital and get into his bed at home. Just then, his answer walked into the room. Leroy was six feet five inches tall and weighed two hundred sixty pounds. Recently, he had retired from the Air Force and was working as a medical technician in the hospital. He wasn’t happy with his job, but it was a job. “Colonel, what are you doing out of bed?” “And you are?” “Leroy, sir. I used to be in the squadron, but I just retired.” “I think I remember seeing you around the hangar.” The Colonel was a rising star. He was the squadron commander of an F-22 unit at Langley. Then he crashed. Now he was Leroy’s patient. “Come on sir, let’s get you back into bed.” Frank saw a way to get things moving and Leroy was the answer. “Leroy, could you get a couple of days off?” “Why, sir?” Leroy had no clue as to what the commander might want. “I’m going to need some help getting situated back into my home. I’m willing to pay you say, seven hundred a day for a few days.” “When do I start?” “You can start by doing what we need to do to get me released.” With that, Leroy gathered the release papers. The staff was not happy that the Colonel was leaving without the doctor signing off. Leroy rolled the Colonel on out of the hospital and to his car. Leroy drove a yellow caddy, so he had plenty of room for his passenger. Frank didn’t have any clothes, but he had his watch and wallet. Kelly had left him the keys to his home, so Leroy drove him home. Leroy had borrowed a wheelchair and a couple of masks from the hospital. After Frank crashed, the nation had a pandemic begin. A virus from China was killing people and it had now reached the United States in full force. Every face had to be covered for now. Now at home, Frank was wiped out. “Leroy, take a two-hour break and then we can get going again.” Leroy picked Frank up out of the chair and placed him on his bed. Frank was out like a light. Later when Leroy returned, he helped get Frank dressed. No legs but he still wanted his jeans. They were cut and taped for now. Frank wanted to go in his own car, but Leroy refused. “We’ll stay in my car.” Google showed Frank where he could get a handicap van. Leroy parked his caddy on the dealership’s lot. Next, they visited AT&T and picked up a new Samsung. He still had the same number and account. Next, they took the van to an electric cart store. Again, Google showed them where. Frank could drive the van if they turned the front driver’s seat so Frank could hop in. The van had four captains chairs and all swiveled. The gas and brake pedals were located on the steering wheel. For now, Frank drove, heading back to the dealership to pick up Leroy’s caddy and then home to 114 Alamo Ct . Frank would be needing a lot of new gadgets for around the house. Having no legs really complicated life. Reggie from next door saw the strange new van and wondered what was happening. The van door came open and the lift came out with Frank on for a ride. Reggie just watched in disbelief. Leroy parked his caddy next to the van. Next, they created a shopping list and Frank asked Leroy if he could handle everything. Leroy smiled and took off in his caddy. Reggie never said anything. He just followed Frank into the house. “What do you need Frank?” “I need some Jack and coke zero.” Then Frank pointed to where things were, and Reggie poured two. The two men toasted by clicking their glasses and then silently sipped their drinks.