The McClane Apocalypse Book Three (20 page)

Sue brushes past her, and Hannah stops her
sister. "Sue? Is Reagan still…"

"I'm here, Hannie. Whatcha' need?" Reagan
asks.

Her beloved sister sets her hand on Hannah's
shoulder for a brief second.

"Um," Hannah pauses to find Reagan's hand.
She nearly drags her back the hall to her own bedroom where Hannah
goes straight to the bathroom. "Just a minute. I'll be out…
oooh."

"Hannah? Are you ok?" Reagan asks from
beyond the partially closed door.

"No, I don't think so," Hannah answers her
as the enormous tears fill her eyes again. This is so embarrassing…
and painful.

"What's wrong?" Reagan asks.

Hannah can tell that that her sister has
come into the bathroom. Hannah is bearing down and tearing up so
much that she doesn't even care if her sister sees her on the
toilet.

"Oh, Hannah. What is it, hon'?" Reagan
asks.

She is squatted right beside Hannah. She
finally stands and flushes. Then she moves around Reagan to wash
her hands.

"I don't know, Reagan. It just hurts like…
horrible when I pee, and I keep feeling like I have to go. But when
I do, it's like nothing hardly. I mean it really hurts, and I
really feel like I'm going to… pee my pants," Hannah says with a
great deal of mortification.

"Oh, that's nothing to be embarrassed about.
Sounds like a UTI or a bladder infection, something of that nature.
They're quite common. Wait here. I'll go get some antibiotics and a
cup for you to give me a sample, but it sounds like a bladder
infection. I'll bring you a little something for the pain. You just
wait here for me so you can keep using the restroom, and I'll tell
everyone that you are just under the weather," Reagan offers.

"Thanks. This is so embarrassing," Hannah
answers. Reagan's manner is kind and gentle. Perhaps she should
tell John to fake an injury so her sister will be nicer to him, the
poor guy.

Ten minutes later, her sister has properly
diagnosed the urine sample that Hannah is able to give her after
going to the bathroom two more times. She also takes her
temperature and declares that Hannah is fever free, and according
to Reagan, it's a good thing because it signifies that it is highly
unlikely that the infection has spread to her kidneys.

"The stick shows a minor presence of
bacterial infection, not too high, but enough to cause your
symptoms. I don't have a lab to grow a culture and be more
thorough. But if I was to just make a quick guess, I would say that
this is just a minor UTI or bladder infection like I initially
diagnosed. They aren't usually a big deal and clear up fairly
quickly," Reagan monologues.

Hannah's pretty sure that her darling sister
is mostly talking to herself because she buzzes about the room
doing who knows what.

"What can I do?" Hannah asks her brilliant
sister.

"Just take it easy today and probably
tomorrow. It will take a few hours for the antibiotics to kick in.
I'm giving you a low dose of painkiller for the discomfort, too. By
tomorrow you'll feel better, but just stay on the antibiotics for
the three full days anyways. Sometimes you can treat these types of
infections homeopathically, but since we have the antibiotics and I
don't like seeing you in pain…"

Reagan ruffles the hair on Hannah's
head.

"…you're getting the antibodies, kiddo."

"Thanks, Reagan. What would we do without
you?" Hannah declares and holds her sister's hand and is surprised
when Reagan doesn't pull away.

"I just can't figure how you got this. We
eat so healthy around here. It's crazy. Sometimes I have heard of
patients who consume too many tomato based products or just
tomatoes themselves or oranges, anything acidic, causing a bladder
infection or urinary tract infection. But it's not like we're
eating ten damn oranges a day!" Reagan exclaims.

This is how her brain works. She can't just
treat something without knowing every minute detail of the problem
or figuring it out. If Hannah wasn't so miserable, she'd probably
laugh.

"It's just weird. I can't put my finger on
it. Bladder infections used to be called the honeymoon sickness
because women who weren't used to sexual activity or who didn't
know about going pee after sex would get these and end up in an
E.R. on their honeymoons. Here, take these," Reagan says with a
disbelieving chuff.

She hands Hannah pills and a glass of water
to wash them down.

"Um," Hannah says nervously as her face
flames. "Hm." Oh God, that's what had caused this infection. Why
hadn't Kelly told her any of that stuff? Perhaps he didn't know,
either. He'd never want to see her get hurt. He doesn't even like
her going in any of the barns without him, so she highly doubts
that he knows the pee-after-sex rule.

"What?" Reagan asks straightforwardly as
usual.

"Um, it's just that… you know about what you
said…," Hannah searches for the right way to tell her sister.

"What? Just spit it out, Hannah," Reagan
asks more impatiently this time.

They are sitting on Hannah's bed
together.

"Well, don't get mad. Reagan, I mean it.
Don't get mad. And you have to promise not to tell Grams or
Grandpa. Ohhh, or anyone," Hannah frets, her brows pinching
together of their own volition at her distress.

"I won't. Ok, I promise," Reagan assures
her. "What's going on, Hannie?"

"Oh, goodness. Don't call me 'Hannie' right
now, ok?"

"Ok, just tell me what's wrong," Reagan
implores.

Her sister squeezes her hand
reassuringly.

"I think I might have honeymoon syndrome,"
Hannah finally blurts. Reagan is unnaturally silent.

"Honeymoon
sickness
," Reagan
corrects. "What do you mean, Hannah? I just explained to you what
honeymoon sickness is."

"I know and I'm telling you that
that
is what's wrong," Hannah explains it to her genius sister more
clearly.

"What do you mean? Like sex?"

"Shh, don't talk so loudly. Yes, like… sex,"
Hannah says with a great deal of humiliation as her cheeks burn
with embarrassment.

"What?" Reagan nearly screams.

"Reagan, quiet! You'll wake Grandpa," Hannah
warns under her breath. That is the last thing she and Kelly need.
If anybody finds out about them, it could be detrimental. But
Grandpa discovering her amoral conduct would be particularly
devastating. She's not sure she could handle him being disappointed
in her.

"Who?" Reagan asks with deadly fury in her
voice.

"What do you mean who? You are so unaware
sometimes, Reagan. For being a brilliant doctor, sis, you sure can
be pretty lost when it comes to people. I'm talking about Kelly, of
course!" Hannah says in a rush. "I love him. And he loves me and
it's so wonderful, Reagan. I am crazy about him. He's so special
and tender. We love each other very much, and he makes me so happy.
We just don't want anyone to know just yet. When things settle down
and the visitors leave, that will be a better time. We're just
waiting until they leave. "

There is no answer. No response from her
sister who is downright terrifyingly protective of her sometimes.
Hannah's having a flashback to the feed mill scene in town when
they were younger and her sister had punched a boy twice her size
for teasing Hannah for being blind.

"Don't say anything to anyone. You
promised," Hannah reminds her. Reagan slips her hand from Hannah's
grip.

"What? Oh yeah, right. I remember. I won't
tell anyone. Does anyone else know?" Reagan's voice has become
deadpan.

Hannah prays that it is just because she is
still processing.

"No!" Hannah whispers dubiously. Is her
sister crazy?

"Ok," Reagan says calmly. "You just lie down
and rest, Hannie. I've got to get back to the med shed, ok? That
woman is sicker today. I'll make an excuse to everyone for you.
I'll bring you some dinner later tonight. Take it easy unless you
start to feel better, then you can come out and join everyone. But
I don't want you to overdo it today. Promise?"

"Sure, sis," Hannah accommodates her, and
Reagan insists on making her lie down on her bed. Then her loving
sister bends and kisses her forehead tenderly, touches her hair and
moves away.

A few minutes after Reagan leaves her
bedroom, Hannah realizes that her sister had not even asked
anything about Kelly or their relationship or the sex for goodness
sake! Neither of them had ever done it before, so she should have
wanted a first-hand accounting or some small snippet of detail.
But, no, she'd just left so calmly. She'd also not told Hannah
whether or not she could resume sexual activity anytime soon,
either.

"You fucker!" Reagan screams like a
banshee.

She comes at a full tilt run and jumps onto
Kelly's back before he can get himself all the way erect.

They were working on the wagon wheel he,
Derek and Kelly, and Kelly was bent over tightening a bolt. She
must have stalked up on them before she started the running assault
because John had not heard or seen her until the yell. Now John's
friend has a lunatic on his back who is trying to punch him and rip
out his hair.

"Jesus!" Kelly screeches.

He tries to dislodge her from his back
without hurting her.

"Reagan, what the hell?" Derek yells, as
well.

She and Kelly whirl around two complete
turns before John is able to grab her by the waist and yank her off
of his friend. But she immediately jerks free and jumps at Kelly
again from the front. She manages to land a solid punch to his
massive square jaw. John knows that it hurt her hand more than
Kelly's large jaw.

"Ow, fuck!"

Her expletive leaves nothing to the
imagination as she shakes her hand and holds her tiny wrist with
the other.

"Are you ok?" Kelly asks in a strange turn
of fate.

The concerned look on his friend's face is
almost comical for having just been punched by the very person he's
trying to console. Kelly even reaches for her only to have Reagan
shove with both hands at his chest. It doesn't move him even an
inch.

"Fuck off," she yells at him. "Ouch!"

The shove has obviously re-strained her
small, injured wrist. John knows she's hurting because she shakes
her hand vigorously trying to get away from the pain.

"Reagan, calm the hell down. What's wrong?"
Derek shouts at her.

John tries to hold her back as she lunges
for Kelly again, though the guy is worried for her.

"He knows what's wrong! How could you? You
bastard!" Reagan shouts in an accusatory tone.

John regards his friend who is starting to
look like he's figured out what is going on between them. She is
struggling to be free as John holds her around the waist again.

"Let me go, John," she screeches.

"Not until you calm down," John says firmly
as she wiggles and twists. She's harder to hold onto than he
would've thought.

"What the hell is going on, Reagan?" Derek
asks again.

"Stay out of it, Derek!" Reagan bellows at
his brother.

She wriggles her skinny body free of John's
grasp but doesn't lunge at Kelly again.

"You stay the fuck away from her, or I'll
kill you. Do you hear me? You came into our home, and
you
did this. You disrespected my grandparents and my sister by doing
this. She's sick. Did you know that, tough guy?" Reagan
accuses.

Kelly is stunned. His eyes bulge, and he
shakes his head.

"Wait, what do you mean she's sick? What's
wrong with her?" Kelly asks with obvious worry.

He runs a hand through his shaggy hair and
then the beard, which could also use a trim.

"Don't worry about it! I took care of her,
which is more than I can say for you. She's sick and it's your
fault and that's all you need to know about it. Just stay away from
her!"

"I… I can't, Reagan. Trust me I tried, but I
can't," he admits with a tinge of defeat. "I'm sorry. I'll make
this right. It's just that everything has been crazy around here
lately. I wasn't going to… I mean… shit."

Kelly is about as ineloquent as a man can
be, and he looks freaked out, stressed out and about to come
unglued. But he's not arguing with Reagan or getting pissed at her
for the assault. As a matter of fact, he looks surprisingly
understanding of her.

"Is this about Hannah?" Derek asks
stupidly.

"Ya' think?" John asks. He wants to laugh
and almost does, but he's afraid the tigress will attack him next.
Derek sneers at John who just shakes his head at his clueless
brother and laughs once.

"Stay the fuck away from her, Kelly. I swear
to God!" Reagan hints at future attacks.

"Reagan, you don't understand," Kelly tries
to explain.

Reagan won't hear any of what he has to say.
She walks closer to him and sticks her index finger closer to his
center chest area.

"Stay away from her or you'll force my hand,
and I think we both know what that means," Reagan threatens with
lethal intent.

"That's why I wanted to leave, but she
didn't want me to, Reagan. I mean it. It just didn't happen the way
I thought it would."

"Well I'm telling you how it's gonna end,"
she hisses and gets closer to him.

It must be so frustrating to be so short.
With Kelly in his combat boots that make him an inch taller than
his six five stature, Reagan only comes to the bottom of his chest.
John notices that she gets on her tiptoes. Poor kid.

"No," Kelly says nonthreateningly.

"What did you just say?"

Oh boy, this isn't getting any better. Her
small fists clench at her sides, and he decides he'd better step
closer to her lest she attack Kelly again.

"Reagan, I'm in love with her, ok?"

Kelly actually sighs and then looks
nervously from Derek to John as if he's embarrassed.