LEFT BEHIND - THE SEQUEL, PART FIVE

Next morning, Rachel found Carl awake when she went to check on him.

"Good morning," she said, "How are you feeling?"

"Rachel? What are you doing here?"

"I spent the night." said Rachel, "I stopped by to bring you some Thanksgiving cheer, and found you sick. The boys and I put you to bed; don't you remember?"

"I thought that was a dream." said Carl.

"No, I'm really here." said Rachel. "I'm staying until you're better. Someone has to look after the children."

"You mean - you will?"

"You needn't sound so surprised. It's been a while since I had small children of my own, but it's like riding a bicycle; you never forget how."

"How are the boys?"

"Michael and Franklin are still staying in bed. Steven and Kirkland are holding a contest to see who can blow his nose the loudest. My money is on Kirkland; he sounds like a lovesick moose."

"I may enter that contest myself." said Carl, blowing his nose.

Rachel stuck a thermometer in his mouth. "Chew on this while I get you some breakfast."

While Rachel was in the kitchen, Steven and Kirkland invaded Carl's room.

"Grandpa Carl!"

"Hello, My Hearts." said Carl weakly.

"What are you two doing in here?" said Rachel, coming in with a tray, "Your grandfather is too sick for visitors right now."

"Is Grandpa gonna die, like Mommy and Daddy and - everybody?" said Kirkland.

"Of course not!" said Rachel, "But he needs peace and quiet."

"I dreamed about Mom last night." said Steven.

"So did I!" said Kirkland, "We were in the playground in Lassiter, where Mommy grew up."

"Hey, that's my dream!" Steven protested.

"Perhaps you lads shared a dream." said Carl, "It's been known to happen."

"Okay, You Two, go upstairs and try and keep your little brothers amused."

"Yes, Grandma. C'mon, Kirk."

"I myself dreamed of Ryan last night." said Carl, "If it was a dream; it seemed very real."

"That's nice." said Rachel, taking the thermometer out of his mouth. "Hmm. Still above normal, but a lot lower than yesterday. I think you'll live."

"If I do, it will be thanks to you, Rachel." said Carl, sitting up.

"Now - juice, aspirins -" Carl drank eagerly, "A fresh box of tissues – petroleum jelly - put that on your nose every time you blow it, and it won't get red and raw; do you have a sore throat?"

"It is a trifle sore." Carl admitted.

"Put a little Mentholatum up your nose; the menthol fumes will soothe your throat." said Rachel, "Toast, coffee, and a cup of Frankie's herb tea. You'd better drink that first."

Carl made a face at the taste. "To think I've been forcing this muck on those innocent children."

"Never mind the taste; Frankie swears it will work." said Rachel. "Do you want some honey in it?"

"Please."

"Next time." Rachel promised. "Well, I'll be back later for the tray." Carl grasped her hand.

"Can't you stay and chat while I eat?"

"Michael and Franklin are still pretty sick, and there's a pile of laundry to do."

"I understand." said Carl, releasing her hand.

****

That evening, Gabe and Lorna ran into Grant at the Harbour Club.

"What's this I hear about you violating a court order?" said Gabe, "You know perfectly well that you are not supposed to go anywhere near Kirkland Harrison."

"Kirkland is the most important person in my life!" said Grant, "He has been, from the say he was born. A piece of paper can't change that. As far as I'm concerned, he's still my son!"

"No, he's your nephew, and the courts have decided that he should have nothing to do with you."

"If you had a son, you'd understand!" said Grant.

Gabe winced at that, but his voice remained calm. "If you approach the boy again, you'll find yourself behind bars."

"Gabe - we're friends!"

"Our old friendship doesn't give you license to flout the law." Gabe declared, "For friendship's sake, I'm letting you get away with it - just this one time."

"He won't listen," Lorna said, as Gabe held her chair, "Grant thinks he can do whatever he wants, and get away with it."

" One of these days, he's going to learn differently."

"Grant never learns." said Lorna, "If he really loved that kid, he'd leave town, and give him a chance to grow up clean."

"Some might wonder just how clean the boy will grow up, under Carl Hutchins' influence." said Gabe. "He has quite a criminal history."

"Carl is a complicated man." Lorna said, "He can be ruthless, but he can also be very kind."

At Gabe's quizzical look, she explained, "Carl and I go back a long way; I was a teenaged runaway, living on the streets, when he found me, and took me under his wing. If it hadn't been for him - well, never mind."

***

By the next day, Michael and Franklin were feeling well enough to want to get out of bed. Rachel allowed them downstairs, on condition that they stayed on the couch and kept warm. Carl decided to join them. "Frankie's cold remedy has worked wonders." he said, "I'm not cured, but the symptoms have definitely abated."

He sat on the couch, with a Twin on either side, looking at the TV Guide. "Soap operas, talk shows - dozens of channels, and nothing worth watching!"

"We could watch a video." said Steven, "How about SON OF RAMBO?"

"Too many explosions." said Carl. He looked though the family's collection of videos. "Here's one worth watching: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in THE GAY DIVORCEE."

"If they remade it, they'd have to change the title." Rachel remarked, bringing in the popcorn.

"How could they remake it?" said Carl, "There will never be another Fred Astaire."

"Or another Ginger Rogers," said Rachel, "He may have been a better dancer, but she did it backwards, in high heels!"

Carl put the tape into the vcr. "You lads are in for a treat."

"But - it's in black and white!" Kirkland protested, as the opening credits rolled.

"Many fine films are."

As the film unfolded, with its silly plot (Ginger mistakes Fred for the man she hired to help her get a divorce, by posing as her lover) and its wonderful dancing, the children - even the Twins - were enthralled.

Then came 'Night and Day', arguably the most romantic musical number ever filmed; Fred and Ginger are alone in a ballroom, at night; in the distance, an orchestra plays; Fred sings:

"Night and day, you are the one/ Only you, beneath the moon and under the sun/Whether near to me or far/ It's no matter, Darling, where you are/ I think of you - Day and Night!" Then, they dance!

"Wow!" said Rachel, as the number ended, and Ginger gazed up at Fred with a stunned look, "He's seduced her without even undoing a button!"

"What's 'seduced'?" Kirkland wondered.

"Never you mind," said Carl. "Shall we watch that again?" He rewound the tape.

"Night and Day!" Fred sang, "Under the hide of me/ There's a oh-such-a-burning yearning/ Burning inside of me/ And its torment won't be through/ Til you let me spend my life making love to you/ Day and Night/ Night and Day!"

"Shall we dance?" said Carl, as Fred and Ginger began to dance again.

"I haven't danced like this in - far too long!"

"Shall we dip?" said Carl, with a roguish grin. (Note to Teresa: I wrote this scene before I read your latest chapter of Finders Keepers.)

They finished the dance with Rachel bent so far back over Carl's strong arm that her hair brushed the carpet. The children applauded as they straightened up.

"You dance as good as they do in the movie." said Steven.

"Thank you, Lad, but Nobody dances that well." said Carl.

"Let's watch the rest of it." said Rachel.

By the time the movie ended, Steven and Kirkland had decided that they wanted dancing lessons; Michael and Franklin had fallen asleep.

To be continued.