Restoration in the River

Nobody Told Me

"Were you two having a secret rendezvous out there?" Charlotte asked.

"That and I bet they'd also be discussing what to do with me!" Julian growled, eyeing his brother and Emmaline with disgust.

It was like his mood had changed within a split moment.

"Oh so now I'm getting it on with your brother am I?" Emmaline asked. 

"Wouldn't put it past you, Doctor!" He growled.

"Hey! Cut that out, Jules!" Sean came to Emmaline's defence. "You know the only woman for me is my Charlotte!"

"You have no right to scold me like a little boy and talk about me behind my back!" Julian growled.

Emmaline had seen this many times, "So we have no right to care about you and worry about you and talk about how we're going to help you?" She asked him. "Julian, do you really think I would go behind your back having finally been able to get to know you and get it on with your brother? Sean is a very handsome guy..."

"Well thank you, doctor!" He said with a smile.

"But in all honesty, he could be the most perfect man in the world..."

"HA!" Charlotte piped up, with a mischevious grin on her face and nothing but love and devotion for her longtime partner "you are so funny Emmaline!"  

Emmaline grinned at Charlotte, she was so young and so pretty, and had such a wonderful personality "Next time I'm in the Big Apple, I'll be sure to look you up! Girls day out Charlotte?"

"Hell, YES!" Charlotte's eyes lit up excitedly "When are you coming back to New York??" 

"You know who brought that grandfather clock, Charlotte?" Julian said, "It was Emmaline!" 

"Well, remember the shooting? Near The Dakota?" Charlotte asked.

"Five females, all best friends, paying tribute to John, they make the trip every year, to visit Strawberry Fields, to all lay one red rose on the Imagine Moasic and to look lovingly up at the beautiful Dakota," Emmaline told them all. "I was in the coffee shop when the child screamed for any emergency service workers"

"You wanted to go there remember?" Sean asked Charlotte, the reality hitting him hard. "You could have been shot! I couldn't bear it if you were shot! Not after what happened to Dad!"   

"Did any die, Emmaline?" Charlotte asked, quietly, shock clearly written over her face as she chewed on her beautiful looking nails.

"Two dead at the scene, one died later in hospital. The other two were released just after Christmas" Emmaline told them, truthfully.

"And the gunman?" Julian asked, swallowing hard "you could have been shot, Emmaline!"

She shook her head, as he reached for her hand. "He had already been arrested and was already taken into custody for questioning. He did not know the ladies, he was just having a 'shocker' and decided to kill three innocent people and injure a further two!"

"People like that need a fucking bullet themselves, honest to God!" Sean growled, getting angry.

"I agree Sean, I agree!" Emmaline said. "The world would be a better place!" 

"Emmaline?" Julian piped up.

"Yes, Jules?"

"I want to apologise for the way I acted and treated you before, that's not me...my Dad yes, but not me!" He said. 

"Dad could be an asshole..." Sean backed him up.

"I have heard boys, but let's not talk about John, let's talk about us, about Jules..."

"Well, my main concern is, will this keep happening, Emmaline? Will I constantly be in and out of hospital, operation after operation?" He asked, quite upset. He wasn't even trying to hold his tears back.

"I will keep an eye on your wound to make sure, but if it was cleaned out properly this time, it should heal naturally with no infection setting in."

"So...it wasn't cleaned out properly? And that caused the infection?" Timothy asked.

"Yes, you see when a hippo bites, the power of the psi and the teeth combined puncture and rip through whatever type of skin and flesh, and the tissue and flesh and even muscle dies quite quickly. That flesh, skin,  muscle all need to be cleaned out so new may regrow" she tried to explain without using too much doctor's language and terms. "Easy to understand, all dead tissue, skin and muscle need to be removed for new regrowth! It's not rocket science!"

"Do you have faith that this time, they did their job?" He asked her. "I know you're not a surgeon but you are a doctor, Emmaline!"

"Only time will tell, won't it Julian?" She answered him with a question.

"So does the same thing happen when I get discharged from here? Take it easy till the wound heals again?" He asked. "Nothing too strenuous?" 

"That's basically it, but you did tell me you had seven thousand letters to sign for the new boxset coming out, right?"   

"Oh God Jules!" Sean swore, clearly in shock.

"I think it will be good for him to pass the time!" Emmaline agreed, then she pointed her finger at the older Lennon. "But with not overdoing it!" 

"That's what I'm afraid of!" Sean said, nodding.

"Doctors orders when he is told to stop! I can assure you, Sean!" Emmaline said. 

"So after our time here in California, what happens then? Am I well enough to return home to Lake Como? Do I need a carer? Do I need to stay here longer than I had originally planned?" He fired questions at her.

"Don't get yourself worked up, Jules" She soothed him. "Take each day as it comes, and if worse comes to worse I will stay with you till we get your wound fully healed, all right?"  

His face lit up with a smile "does that mean you'll come to Lake Como with me OR I can come to Brisbane to stay with you?"

She smiled in return and said "whatever you wish Julian, it's up to you! I have travelled the world and Lake Como is one of my favourite relaxation spots! I was even thinking of calling The Wesley back home in Brisbane and telling them, that I will not be returning mid-January! I have far more important matters on my mind!" 

 His smile possibly got even bigger.