Miss Cindy, Aviatrix

Cindy ran and hugged him, she looked up at him, "Honey, one of them is yours and the other is Tommy's."

A tear ran down his cheek, "I don't want to know. Not now, maybe someday." Then he quickly looked at Cindy, "Are you going to tell Tommy?"

"I don't know what the legal ramification of this are, but it would give the child a claim to his estate when Tommy dies. That is my only thought in favor of telling him."

John stared at her for a second, then he said, "I don't believe he is entitled to know more than I do. Tell him what you told me or nothing at all. Do you talk to him?"

"Yes, I have talked to him once; he called and begged me to listen to him. He wanted to apologize for what he did. He begged me to forgive him. He wanted to know if he could see the babies. He says he is going to leave everything to them in his will. John slowly turned as she spoke; he looked at Anna and walked out the door.

"Wait Sweetie, John, please come back. JOHN! JOHN!" Her hands flew to her face, "Oh! Dear God, what did I say, what have I done?"

Anna stared at her, tears flooded from Anna's eyes as she buried her face in her hands and softly sobbed for a moment, then she looked up at Cindy, "I think you just killed that sweet man, sniffle, I saw his bright blue eyes turn dull. The life left them. He believes you still love Tommy and want to be with him. He thinks he now has nothing. I think he has lost his will to live, he will do like his father did when he lost his wife. He'll just, sob, fade away."

Cindy stared at Anna, her mouth hanging open. Then she shrieked, "NO! I do love him, and only him. Call Mike and have him get that helicopter with the infrared scanner and night vision equipment. It will be dark soon and we will find him." She dropped in a heap on the floor, sobbing her heart out.

Forty five minutes later they heard the old Huey helicopter pass overhead then began a search pattern around the area. Cindy ran to the study/office and turned on the aircraft communications radio. She picked up the microphone and said, "Murphy Helicopter this is Murphy 2, do you read me? Over."

"Murphy Chopper 604 reads you 5 by 5 Murphy 2, over."

"Roger Chopper 604, Try looking along the road and trail heading towards the lake. Over."

A few minutes later the radio clicked and Cindy heard, "Murphy 2, chopper 604, we have a person in sight sitting alongside of the road, He has his shirt pulled up over his head so we can't identify him. He hasn't moved at all. We are landing near him now. Our observer is getting out to check him out. 604 out."

"Roger, Chopper 604, keep Murph 2 advised please, over."

"Murph 2, Chopper 604, We have subject aboard, we are heading for Monroe Regional Hospital, 'Buster', Subject is in bad shape, unresponsive, soft pulse, all exposed skin areas badly swollen from bug bites. Eyes swollen completely shut. We have positive ID now, it is Murphy 1. The mosquitoes are unbelievable out here. The observer says you can't breathe without getting a nose and mouth full of them. Over."

"Murph 2, Roger, out."

Cindy gritted her teeth, "Anna you take care of the kids, I'm going to John."

Mike's voice came over the speaker on the desk, "Miz Cindy, I have another Chopper being pre-flighted now, it is about ready to go and will pick you up in front of the house."

"Right Mike, I'm ready, tell them to hurry."

When the chopper was airborne Cindy put on a headset and told the pilot to contact Murph 604. The other chopper replied and was advised that Murphy 2 was aboard and that a status report was requested.

"Chopper 611 this is 604, Murphy 1 is now slightly responsive. He seems to be trying to talk but is very weak and is incoherent. The hospital has been advised and has a team standing by in emergency to handle him, as soon as he is clear we will depart so 611 can land. 604 out."

"604, Roger, we are a few minutes behind you. 611, Out."

By the time 611 landed John had disappeared into the emergency room. Cindy was shown to the cubicle where he lay on a gurney. There were already IVs in both arms and a canula in his nose. His eyes were swollen but were open to thin slits. Tears flowed down Cindy's cheeks. A nurse handed her a box of tissues and whispered that she could hold his hand. She took his left hand in both of hers. His head turned slightly towards her. She tried to smile and thought she saw one of his eyes wink. "Can you hear me, John?" she softly whispered. His head nodded slightly. She said, "You are wrong, I have never lied to you, I love you, and only you. I told Tommy that if he ever got near me again I would kill him, I meant it too!" John squeezed her hands.

She saw his lips moving and placed her ear close to his lips. She faintly heard, "I love you too."

A doctor came to her and asked her to follow him. When they were outside he told her the he thought John would be able to go home the next morning. "We are treating the affected areas with a topical salve and the swelling is going down rapidly. I have never seen anybody with so many bites. The helicopter crewmen had to be treated too. When I first saw one of them his hands were covered with blood. He said the blood on the palms of his hands was from wiping the mosquitoes off of your husband and the blood on the back of his hands was from where he swatted them there. He said when he first saw your husband's back he thought he had on a black sweater. It was mosquitoes. He is still coughing up the ones he breathed in. We figure your husband would have been killed, drained of blood, in another hour or so."

Cindy said, "Do you think he will be alright to go home so early?"

"There is a chance he could be infected by a mosquito carried disease but we are continuously testing for that. There have been no reports of anything like that in the area."

"I am worried to death about him, we have only been married a year and a half and we have twin babies. They often refuse to nurse if he isn't there beside them. They love it when he holds them. God I am so scared. I don't think I can make it without him."

"Mrs. Murphy your husband is in great physical condition, he should be back on his feet quickly if you can make him rest for a couple of days so he can regain his strength. Spending one second longer in a hospital than is absolutely essential, in his weakened condition, is not a smart thing to do."

Cindy awoke with a start; she saw John in the hospital bed and realized she was holding his hand. She looked carefully at him and saw that much of the swelling had gone from his face. She wanted to kiss his sweet lips but was afraid she would awaken him. Then she saw his eyes slowly open and look directly at her. His eyes twinkled and a smile formed on his lips. He said in a strong clear voice, "Cindy, I love you with all my heart. Will you forgive me for being such a silly fool?"
"Oh yes, I have forgiven you, I have nothing to forgive you for except for not hearing me out about my conversation with Tommy. I made it clear to him that I never wanted to see his face again. I told him I would never reveal which child was his and that I would never permit him to see them. I also told him that you had taught me to shoot the new pistol you bought for me. I informed him that I now have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and I am armed at all times. I also told him that I intend to kill him on sight. I cannot take a chance with an unstable psychopath like him. There, that's of my chest, I desperately need to kiss my husband now." She was wearing her hair down around her shoulders and when she leaned over to kiss him they were surrounded by a cloud of silky golden hair. Having Cindy kiss him like that was one of his favorite things in the world. It always gave him an instant erection. This time was no exception. They heard a giggle and when Cindy stood up, Anna and a nurse were standing looking at John's groin area.

Cindy gasped when she saw the tent made by John's rampant cock. She looked at the two women and smiled sweetly, "Works every time."

Anna grinned, "I'm impressed." The Nurse said, "Lord yes! Me too!" John pulled a pillow from behind his head and put it on his lap. The ladies all smiled gently at him.

The nurse said, "I think that proves he is ready to go home."

Anna said, "I took the liberty of moving everybody from the ranch to the condo. So the twins are only minutes away from here. The Limo from O'Brien Foods is waiting outside. I fed the babies just before I left. They finally nursed after being cranky all night. Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien are with them and that's when they started to nurse. I think they thought your folks were you and Mr. John. I brought Mike to the condo to help out."

Cindy looked at Anna, "I have noticed that Mike helps out at the ranch a lot these days, is there something I should know? Would that have something to do with you getting rid of your 'Rotation'?"

Anna looked down at her feet, then she looked Cindy in the eyes, "Miss Cindy, Mike is very helpful at the ranch and with the babies taking up so much of our time I thought it would be nice to have his assistance in town too!"

Cindy reached for Anna's hand and held it firmly, "Anna, Honey, you know I love you, you have been my best friend for years, I tell you everything. I guess you don't feel that way about me." A tear ran down her cheek. Cindy dropped Anna's hand and turned towards John who raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.

Anna cried, "Oh! Honey, you know I love you too! You have been so busy with the twins I didn't want to bother you with my life. Mike and I have been together for months now. It is perfect for us and we are to the point where we want to be together as much as we can. And yes, Mike has replaced the 'Rotation'. He doesn't even know about it."

Cindy smiled, "OH Anna I am so happy for you. Rotation? What Rotation, I don't know what you are talking about, right John?"

John looked at Anna, then at Cindy. "Anna, I think you are wrong, I know Mike like a brother, tell him everything, if he loves you it won't bother him, if he finds out later it will hurt him far more. Mike is a very honest truthful guy. He will not understand why you didn't tell him. You didn't do anything at all that was wrong anyway. You just dated different guys on a rotating schedule. You are both very lucky to have found each other, both of you are great people."

When they were all in the Limo headed for the Condo Cindy said, "Anna, are you guys talking about getting married?"

"Yes, Mike has suggested it but I won't go along with it. Mike wants kids and I can't give them to him."

"Listen girl, I know you had a hysterectomy many years ago because of a bike accident and they told you that you couldn't have kids. They can do wonderful things now. I'll get you an appointment with my doctor; she'll give you the straight story."

"Isn't she very expensive?"

"Honey, you are on the O'Brien Foods Health Insurance plan just like I am. It won't cost you a cent out of pocket. I think they can now implant an embryo in different places. All you need is an egg and some sperm. I'll donate an egg or I'm sure your sister would give you one."

"Yeah! Sis would give me a dozen, she has five kids now and is talking about getting fixed."

When they were all settled in the condo and John was seated in the family room with a cooing baby in each arm. Cindy laid down the law. "You WILL rest, get plenty of sleep and eat good meals until you get your strength back. Understand?"

"That sounds good if you will be next to me."

"My love, I will probably be holding your hand while you sleep, no fooling around though!"

"What? Honey, I need you."

"My love, I think your mind is writing checks your body can't cash."

"I can if you help."

Mr. O'Brien grinned, "Daughter, I think your husband is requesting that you fulfill your wifely duties. Take him to bed, Honey, you'll be back in a couple of minutes." He winked at John.

John quickly agreed, "He's right, you'll be back in a jiffy."

Cindy smiled lovingly at her husband, "You? In a jiffy? Never happen my sweet love, an hour is a quickie for you. I love it."

Cindy led John to their bedroom and helped him get his clothes off. She could tell that he was still weak and helped him in the bed nude. She covered him and lay beside him and gently caressed his cheek and his upper chest. He watched her through half closed eyes, "Please don't leave me Cindy."

"I won't leave you my love, I promise. When you open your eyes I will be here."

Cindy watched John sleep, filled with her love for him, she dozed off herself and then woke with a start. John was still asleep. Cindy got up and went to the bathroom to relieve herself. When she returned she watched John sleep for a few minutes then hurried to the family room. Her mother and father were still there and she told them she was going to go back and nap with John. They told her they understood; after all she had been awake most of the night at the hospital. She slipped back in bed with John. She was just dropping off to sleep when he said, "You promised, but you weren't here."

"Oh, Sweetie, I just ran to see if everything was OK with the babies. I was only gone a minute."

He smiled, "Honey, I know exactly how long you were gone. I woke up when you stopped touching me. I'll be alright by myself, but you look like you are sleepy too."

"You are right. I am a little sleepy."

"Of course you are, I know you held my hand all night long except for twice when you used the bathroom. I woke up when you put my hand down. I can't tell you how wonderful it was for me to have you there. I love you. Now snuggle up to me and go back to sleep."

They slept for several hours and woke up refreshed. Both of them were feeling much better. Cindy's mom and dad had gone home and Anna and Mike were holding the twins. The babies were happy and fussed about being given to their parents. Then they realized who was taking them and both of them wanted John to hold them. When he had one in each arm they were happy again. John looked at Cindy, "You are not jealous because they both want me to hold them?"

"Hell NO! I know who the best cuddler is too! I love it when you hold me. Wait until they get hungry. Then see who they want."

John turned to Cindy, "Honey, would you take a short walk with me?"

Cindy looked at Anna and Mike and said, "Can you watch them for a few more minutes?"

Mike grinned, "Miz Cindy, you an' da Bossman done yo' part, we kin handle it from heah."

John took Cindy's hand and led her outside, the sun was still bright and it was hot outside. John said, "I wanted to tell you what happened last night, I think I owe you an explanation. I was upset because I felt you hid talking to Tommy from me. I felt betrayed and was very frightened that you might want to go back to him. I wanted to walk a while and think things over. I walked down towards the lake and it started getting dark so I turned around. I had made up my mind by then to talk to you and clarify things. It is not in your character to cheat in any way. If you want Tommy you will tell me up front. Right? It was dusk and the bugs suddenly just swarmed over me, they were in my eyes, nose, and mouth. It was terrible, I tried to run but I couldn't get away from them. I tripped over something and fell down. I couldn't open my eyes, I pulled my T-shirt up over my head and my back felt as if someone had thrown acid all over it. I could tell I was getting weaker and managed to get to my feet and with my hands over my eyes I could see a little between my fingers. I kept going until my legs wouldn't hold me up, I knew I was dying and I prayed for you and our babies. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. Mike told me you were responsible for the search starting out and in the right direction. You saved me. Thank you. I love you so much Cindy. I can't possibly tell you how much I love you."

Cindy threw her arms around his neck, "Oh Darling, you are my life, I feel the same way about you. Let's head back; I would go crazy if the mosquitoes hit me that way."

"Don't worry; the bugs will be further down by that swampy slew, beside the road to the lake. They won't come out 'til just before dark. Still, I think I wanna go home too.'

"Me too; John, Dear, please ask me if there is something that you need to know. I may not have all the answers, but I will truthfully tell you everything I know."

"I'll do that from now on, but I really and truly hope it won't be necessary."

"I do too my dear hubby. There can be no doubts between us."

"Above all must be the constant reminder that everything we do has some sort of effect on those two babies. When we are unhappy, they are unhappy, they sense when things are not right. Mike told me that they were terribly upset when we were at the hospital. He said he noticed them react to how the adults in the room felt. He said that little Megan seemed to react first and Sean duplicated what she felt a few seconds later."

Cindy looked at John, "When you first meet Mike you think he is just a dumb hick red-neck. But really he is very sharp. I have noticed he runs your ranch and the flight school effortlessly. He has everything under control. Anna said she accidentally screwed up our household computer and couldn't figure out how to fix it. Mike walked over and showed her how to fix it in seconds."

John laughed, "Mike was born and raised near the ranch. He came to work for me as a caretaker the day I bought the place. The only buildings were this house and an old barn. He was a student at the University of Florida and lived in a shack near this property. I moved him into this place and he worked at whatever needed to be done around here and finished with a degree in business administration. He was second in his class. I paid him to go ahead and get his masters. I wanted him to go for a doctorate but he said he had had enough school to last a lifetime. I don't really do a thing around here, Mike runs the place. He learned to fly after I started the flight school. He was actually the first graduate."

"You make it sound as if you don't do a thing around here."

"On a day to day basis that's true, but I do all the deals with buying and selling aircraft. We are constantly upgrading our fleet and getting rid of the ones that no longer meet our needs. There is a chance that we may be selling the whole flight school, and most of the land. It is far from being a done deal. I need to go over the whole deal with you and get your input."

"My input? Hey, it's your business. I have nothing to do with it."

"Wrong Sweetie, the week after we were married I had my attorney legally transfer half of the ownership in this company to your name."

Cindy stared at John, she shook her head, "I didn't think that was necessary, I thought we automatically owned half of what the other owned."

"No. What you owned, free and clear before the marriage, remains your private property."

"You don't own half of O'Brien Foods?"

"No, babe, it is all yours."

"Not for long, Sweetie."

"Why, are you going to sell it?"

"I can do no less than you did, for the same reasons."

"The way I see it neither of us is deeply involved in our businesses. We were both smart enough to hire and train good people who can run the show with only a little directional guidance from us, I am not eager to sell but I have to consider any good offer. "I have an offer of $40,000,000.00 for my Flight School, it's aircraft, and associated businesses plus 600 acres of property, including this house and all the other buildings except our cabins on the lake. That is a very tempting offer. What do you think?"

"Wow, Honey, that sounds great, but what about Mike?"

"Mike can just about name his own salary if he stays on as manager. He knows he will always have a job with me."