I woke up in a hospital bed attached to many wires and tubes, surrounded by curtains. I could hear murmuring but couldn't make out anything. The curtain pulled aside to reveal the tear-streaked face of June. She saw my eyes open and gasped and left to quickly return with a nurse. The nurse did a once over with the pulse and blood pressure cuff then used a flashlight on my eyes. June just stared at me not speaking but looking anxiously at the nurse. She entered some notes on a clipboard then vanished. June held my hand not saying anything. I was kind of dumb struck, still confused.
A doctor came in and repeated the flashing light treatment then started feeling around on me. Can you feel this, can you feel this he kept asking. When I didn't answer him, he asked "Can you hear me."
"Yes." I said weakly. "I hear you."
"Tell me if you feel me when I put pressure on different places." The doctor said.
We went through the probing again with me saying yes to all his probes. I could feel bandages on my head and asked. "What's with the bandages?"
Then before he could answer my mind cleared and a tried to sit up and almost yelled, "Where's Sunshine? Is she Okay? Is Sunshine all right?"
The doctor put his hand on my chest and forced me to lay back. "Hold on there, don't be moving around."
"Tell me. Is Sunshine Okay?" I begged.
June took my hand, "Sunshine is in surgery. She suffered some really bad cuts and head injuries."
I closed my eyes while instant tears squeezed out from under my eyelids. "I'm sorry June. I'm sorry I didn't take care of her. Oh please God please take care of Sunshine."
June's voice was shakier than before. "It wasn't your fault Chuck. They said she should recover. We just have to wait."
The doctor finally spoke up, "You both were very lucky to have made it. Your car was flipped end over end then rolled over with the impact of the other vehicle. You both suffered head injuries. You have some stitches and will probably have some black eyes. Sunshine has some really bad cuts and a serious head injury as well. So far it doesn't appear you have a concussion. You may have a couple of cracked ribs but we'll know more when you're x-rayed. Right now, just stay still for a while. Have a sip of water and relax. I would prefer to not give you anything for pain right now till I'm certain there is no concussion. I'll be back in a little while. If there is anything new about your Sunshine, I'll come tell you right away."
June still had my hand in a death grip. "I'm so glad you woke up. Sunshine wasn't knocked out like you were. She was holding you when they got you two out of the car. Thank God you both had your seat belts on. Now that you are back with us, I can worry about my Sunshine now."
I was still in shock thinking back on the accident. I tried to remember what else had happened but couldn't remember anything past the sound and feel of the hit, just a floating sensation.
The curtain pulled back and the nurse came in followed by a policeman. "Mr. Johnson, this is deputy Carnahan. He would like to talk with you a minute."
I nodded and the deputy came close to the bed. "Mr. Johnson, I have a couple of questions for you."
"Okay."
"Can you tell me what happened?" The deputy asked.
"I heard sirens so I pulled over to the curb. A pickup truck came around the corner sliding right toward me. I tried to pull out of the way but he hit us and that's all I remember." I said shaking my head.
The deputy nodded, "That's what a couple of witnesses reported. When you gunned it, you kept from being t-boned by the truck but it gave the impact momentum to flip you. If you had been hit squarely, you'd both be dead. I was the one following the truck. If catching that guy had not been so important, I wouldn't have chased him in town. Guess catching him is a moot point now. He's dead."
"Wasn't he wearing a seatbelt?" I asked.
The deputy gave me a grim look, "That's not what killed him. When his truck hit your car, it flipped him around and he hit the curb breaking off a front wheel. He came out of the truck shooting. Another deputy that came up while I was still trying to stop from hitting anyone, shot him."
I was stunned but wanted to know, "What was he running from, do you know?"
"Yeah, we know. He had just shot his wife and the guy who had been his business partner. We started chasing him when we saw him driving away from two people lying on the sidewalk. When he shot out the windshield on the first patrol car chasing him, that made us want to catch him real bad." The deputy said all this while acting uncomfortable about what was happening.
"Listen," the deputy continued, "I wouldn't normally say this, but you should get an attorney, someone from the city, someone tough. This guy has, or at least had, a bunch of money. If you don't do something like that, you're going to get stiffed by his estate. You'll be getting what your own insurance company will give and that's it. You and the girl especially are going to need some long-term care and it should be taken care of by who did it. Is she your wife?"
June who had been listening intently spoke up, "No, but they are going together. She's my daughter. Thank you for speaking up."
About that moment, we could hear a very loud Agnes somewhere near. She was demanding that she see her Granddaughter or me that instant. Hearing her, June left quickly to quiet her Mother.
"Hope your girl will be okay. We were able to flip your little car over so there wasn't pressure on the two of you. The paramedic put all kinds of collars on the both of you to keep you from moving around when we pulled the car over. They were very careful. I know she's hurt pretty bad. All of us around here will be thinking some good thoughts for you all. Sounds like I should leave. I may need to come back for a statement tomorrow. Good luck." With that the deputy patted my hand, nodded toward me with a worried half smile and left.
As he left, Agnes, June and a nurse came through the curtain. "Chuck, you okay? Jesus, you're all trussed up with gadgets and bandages." She came to me and wanted to hug me but couldn't figure out how to so she just took my hand and held it. "The nurse said they were done with Sunshine and would have her in recovery. The doc who worked on her should be in here soon so we should know more."
The nurse checked me out, made some notations on her clipboard then told Agnes and June that I was going to be moved to a room.
A short time later I was in a double room with the other bed empty. It was large enough to have some chairs in it for visitors. I was kind of groggy so was lying back in a semi-upright position while Agnes and June were talking. A doctor still in operating room scrubs and a facemask dangling like a beard came in.
"Mrs. Johnson? Sunshine's Mother?" He asked. June raised her head indicating she was Sunshine's Mom.
"I'm Dr. Wilson. Sunshine is resting peacefully." The doctor began. "She received a very bad head injury. She was lucky in that she doesn't have a skull fracture but she was hit very hard and I'm sure has a serious concussion. Her head cuts were all within the hairline so should not show after her hair grows back. The cut on her arm required several stitches and will leave a scar. Her forearm is broken but because of the cut, we can't put her arm in a hard cast so will have to immobilize it with a removable soft cast while the cut heals. Now the part that could be bad but we won't know till later is while we were checking her reflexes and eyes, we noticed she might have some vision problem. Her eyes were refractive but seemed to have trouble focusing."
"She's blind." June said. "Since she was less than two years old, she's been blind."
"I don't think she's totally blind." Said the doctor. "We'll get a specialist in here to work with her but I'm sure she's not totally blind. What caused the blindness?"
"She was hit be a car and had a head injury. She just never did see again." June said.
The doc gave the chart he was holding a long look, made a few more notations then said, "We'll have to see about that. Even though she was unconscious she was registering sight." He looked thoughtfully at the chart for a moment. "We are going to keep her sedated and sleeping for tonight. We are also keeping her in intensive care so we can monitor her. She may be a little confused in the morning due to the concussion. We won't know how bad a concussion it is until she does wake up. Tomorrow morning I'll have an oculist and neurologist have a look at her."
When the doc left, June and Agnes were both by my bed arranging my gown, tucking the sheet around me, pulling the pillow up under my head. Just fussing over me.
"Both of you. Go get something to eat then go get some rest. I'm going to be fine but will probably sleep continuously till morning. I don't even know where we are. How far is the hospital from home or the camp?" I asked.
"I'm not leaving my baby here alone. They won't let me in to be with her so I'm staying right here." June said.
"Ditto for me to." Said Agnes. "You're family so we're worried for you too. Is there anyone we need to call or advise that you're in the hospital?"
"I should probably tell my Dad, but I'm going to be out of here pretty quick so maybe I shouldn't scare him. He's sort of touchy about car accidents and hospitals. It's only been about four years since he lost Mom." I said.
"You better tell him. If he hears about what happened, or reads it in the papers, he's going to be really scared." Agnes said.
"Okay, you win, you're right." I said shifting around. "Hand me the phone so I can call him. Oh yeah, you didn't tell me where I am, where this hospital is."
"Greenville County General." June said. "About ten miles from the camp."
"You're kidding, Greenville?" I questioned.
"Why would I kid?" Asked June.
"When we drove here, I really didn't think about it but Greenville is where two of my sisters live and work. As a matter of fact, they work in a hospital there. Is there another hospital here?" I asked with surprise.
"No, this is the only one I know of." June said this as Agnes disappeared out the door.
Agnes came back in with the nurse who had been with me when they first put me in the room. "Okay Chuckie, ask the nurse about your sister."
"Sisters, plural Aggy. Ma'am do you know Sonya and Susan Johnson?" I asked.
"The twins?" She asked with a broad smile. "Everyone knows the twins. They are both good nurses. How do you know them?"
"They're my sisters." I said.
"Oh my god. Let me go get them. I'll be right back." And she was gone.
"You haven't talked about your family Chuck. We didn't know you had sisters." June said.
"Four of them. There is another set of twins, Joey and Joy but they are still in college back in the city." I said.
Two very attractive girls came bursting into the room. About five foot seven, both slender with unknown builds due to the hospital clothes they were wearing, both had their hair in ponytails but both had soft identical beautiful faces with concerned looks.
Perfectly synchronized as if from one voice, "Chuck, what happened. What's going on?"
"Looks like I'm in the hospital." I said always marveling at their ability to do almost everything together, in sync.
Sonya grabbed the chart at the end of the bed while Susan started taking my pulse. Sonya whipped her stethoscope off her neck and started probing my chest. Susan finished counting my pulse and reached for the blood pressure cuff. Sonya said breath deep while she was checking. Susan pumped up the cuff then Sonya said to lean forward. She pulled me up and told me to breathe deep again, then was listening to my back. They didn't say anything else. Didn't see anything else, just me. They both then attacked the bandages on my head. Cutting and lifting them, then just as quickly re-taping them.
The nurse who had gone to get them said, "You know guys, we did take care of him. There are other people here who do that for a living."
Sonya and Susan swiveled their head towards the nurse then simultaneously said, "He's our brother, we'll take care of him."
They were both back to me pulling the sheet away from me and then touched and poked every part of me from my toes to my nose. They even lifted my dick and balls to look between my legs. I think they handled my dick a little longer than necessary, especially the part where they exchanged it from one to the other before laying it back on my thigh. They straightened out the gown, pulled the sheet back up then stood back and looked at me.
Sonya said, "You're going to be sore for a few days but looks like everything is going to be fine. You may have a slight concussion but we won't know that till tomorrow."
Then it was Susan's turn. "Were you in that accident over by Hanley? I heard there was a guy killed there and a couple that came in here. The girl was hurt pretty bad. Was that you?"
"That was me." I said.
From both "How is she?"
I explained to them everything I knew and was going to introduce June and Agnes who were mesmerized by the twins, just watching them but Sonya asked the nurse who the doctor was that was handling the girl and left. Susan turned to the nurse and June and Agnes and said. "Chuck could probably use some quiet. You folks need to leave." Then to the nurse she said, "Sonya and I will take care of Chuck. We'll have someone cover for us down stairs. We're not busy down there anyway."
"Hold on Susie." I said. "I want you to meet to very important people to me." Pointing to Agnes I said, "This is Agnes Mathews, Agnes my sister Susan."
I pointed to June and began, "This is June Johnson and..."
Before I could say anything else Susan gasped, "You got married? You got married and didn't even tell us? How could you do that?"
Susan glared at June who was now shaking her head and smirking. Not a smile, just a 'I'm getting away with something' smirk.
"She's kind of old for you isn't she Chuck?" Susan asked with almost a catty sound.
"Enough Susan. That is June's name, June Johnson. So far no relation." I said.
Susan looked seriously at me with a frown then at June, "Whaddya mean so far?"
"Look here Susie, I do have a life. You know I bought a house. Well June is my next door neighbor. Agnes is her Mother. June's daughter, Sunshine was with me when we had the accident. Sunshine and I are good friends, actually a lot more than very good friends. So be cool. These two ladies are special to me too. Relax. They are trying to take care of me too."
"Chuck? You actually have a girlfriend and stop calling me Susie?" Susan asked questioningly.
"Nothing official from Chuckie boy yet." Said Agnes with her sinister chuckle. "But Sunshine seems to be reeling him in."
"They have become very close lately." June said with a serious tone.
Sonya came back to the room with an authoritative look. "I talked to Jake, Dr. Wilson, and he said the girl is in pretty good shape. Shouldn't have any lingering problems after she heals. He said something about her having a sight issue that will be looked at in the morning."
She turned to Susan and said, "I have our shift taken care of and told the head nurse that we would be tied up with Chuck till he is discharged and may be after that for a few days. We have plenty of vacation. I called Dad and he is on his way and is going to bring Joey and Joy with him."
She turned to June and Agnes and started, "What are all these people doing in..."
"Sonny! Stop!" I said. "I just went through this with Susie."
Simultaneously they said "Stop calling me." Then each said, "Sonny" and "Susie."
"Okay, okay. Listen for a second. This is Agnes Mathews, Sunshine's Grandmother and this is June Johnson, my next door neighbor and Sunshine's Mother." As I said this I laid my head back on the pillow and rolled my eyes.
Susie spoke to Sonya, "He has a girlfriend. Sunshine is his girlfriend. Can you believe it?"
"No way. Chuckie? Girlfriend? Riiight." Sonya said.
"What's so funny about Chuck having a girl friend?" Agnes asked.
"Chuck?" Sonya said. Then Susan began, "The world's most nerdy nerd?" Then Sonya, "The guy who was a great baseball player, a star football player, the only black belt nerd in school?" Then Susan, "The guy that threw up for a week because he had to answer the best looking girl in school about whether he would go to the prom with her? That guy?" Then simultaneously, "Chuck? Our Chuck? Probably the only over twenty five virgin in the state?" And then they busted out laughing.
"Jesus, let it alone will ya." I begged.
"He doesn't seem that shy or backward." June added.
"I'm not." I said defensively. "They have always been on me because I didn't chase every skirt around. I was always too busy to do some of the stuff other guys were doing. Since I was trying for good grades, I was a nerd. Even sports didn't get me off the hook as I didn't go to all the parties with some floozy. Having these two as sisters didn't help either, as I compared the girls at school with them and the others kept coming up lacking. Guys were lurking around these two and the two younger ones like bees to honey. Wait till you see the other two, you'll see."
Susan piped in. "We tried to fix him up with hot chicks all the time. Girls were always drooling after Mr. Jock here, but nooooo, he wouldn't tumble. Just choke up and go back to his sports and books."
"I can't wait to meet this babe who has Chuckie's eye. She's gotta be really fine." Sonya said.
"Look guys," I said. "Could you all go get something to eat. Just go somewhere else to talk about me and make fun of me. I'm going to take a nap. I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to be fine."
"We'll leave you for right now but Dad and the girls will be here any minute and they will want to make sure you're still with us. So rest a bit and we'll be back." Susan said while herding everyone out.
Sonya hung back, "Chuck, you can have water and we can get you something to eat. Are you hungry?"
"That would be great Sonny, anything. I could eat half dozen hamburgers and a couple bowls of chili if you have them." I asked.
"I'll bring you some healthy stuff, Brother of mine." She leaned over, kissed me square on the mouth, smiled and left with, "We've missed you Chuck. We talk about you every day. Glad we have you with us just unhappy you had to get hurt for us to take care of you."
About two seconds after Sonya left, the nurse came in with some food. The tray had a large salad with pieces of chicken in it, a bowl of soup, some fruit and two cartons of milk. She told me that if I needed anything to push the button on the TV remote.
I turned on the TV and ate. The news was on and there was a lengthy piece about the accident. The guy that died was very prominent in the community.
I was lying back relaxing with a full tummy when Dad came in with the two beauties known as Joey and Joy, following them were Agnes and June with Susan and Sonya. Joey and Joy rushed the bed and tried to hug me, kissing my cheeks from each side. The girls were wearing halters containing swinging breasts on top with cute knit shorts with the word "Choice" written across the seat.
"Take it easy on him girls." Susan said.
Then in perfect sync Joey and Joy said, "We will. We just need to hug him to let him know we love him."
Dad came over and took my hand. "The girls said you were doing pretty good and were going to be fine. That's good to know. You had me worried when Sonya called. The J's were at home when she called and insisted we leave that instant. You have us all here son. Now what are you gonna do with us."
He smiled and looked around. "I've met the two ladies here and compliment you on your taste in women. These are two fine looking women. I hear you even have a girlfriend that is here too. You'll have to tell me more."
"Dad," I said. "Look around, there are six women in here so don't give them anything to gossip or talk about. We'll never hear the end of it. Did Agnes and June fill you in on who they are."
"Yes they did. Um ah," Dad stuttered almost staring at Agnes. "I think you and I should have a private chat though when we get a chance." He said.
Sonya spoke up. "No reason you can't talk in front of us. Susan and I are his nurses, Joey and Joy are almost through nursing school and the other two ladies are intimate friends with Chuck. So there shouldn't be any secrets around here."
"Sonny, sometimes guys need to talk about stuff privately, okay? Some of us like to have privacy." I said.
"That's all Chuck talks about is his privacy. You'd think he lived in a fish bowl." Agnes weighed in grinning.
"He did as a kid." Dad said. "With four younger sisters he never had a minute's privacy. They followed him around like puppies. He was amazingly patient."
"Now Dad." Came from four voices at once.
"You wouldn't believe what he put up with. If he brushed his teeth, they brushed their teeth, if he tried to shut the door to the bathroom they would holler and cry. They'd even stand there and watch him pee. If he took a shower, they climbed in with him. I'm not sure when or if they ever did finally quit taking showers together but there was always a crowd around him. Privacy? Chuck? He's never had any till he left home."
There were four red faces on my sisters.
"Then you shouldn't have had so much trouble at camp Chuck, you were used to being nude with women." Agnes said.
"They're my sisters Aggy." I said indignantly.
"What camp?" Came the four voices.
I rolled my eyes, laying my head back. "Agnes has a home at a naturist camp. I went to the camp with Agnes, June and Sunshine." I said.
"Wow! You're a nudie cutie." Came the synchronized voices of Joey and Joy.
"Mr. Nerd? A nudist?" From Susan.
Sonya just smiled and said, "I'm coming out there with you Bro. Can't wait to see that gorgeous body of yours again."
"See what I mean." Dad said. "Chuck's never had much privacy. I've always known these girls bug him to death. I also knew he would always take care of them."
Agnes, June and Dad were sitting in three of the four chairs in the room while all four girls were sitting on the bed with me. It was pretty crowded considering. The youngest were closest, while the nurse duo were closer to my feet. All four had their hand on me. The nurses each had a leg, while the kids each had an arm.
Joey spoke up, "I'm coming out to that camp with you. I love to be naked. Dad always makes me put on clothes."
Joy added speaking to June and Agnes, "Dad gets embarrassed cause we have always walked around naked all the time. Mom used to do the same and he never said anything to her."
"Not true." Dad said. "Your Mom was a bad influence. I told her constantly to put clothes on. The only one in the family to ever listen to me and keep his clothes on was Chuck. Poor guy never had a chance with you four hanging onto him all the time."
"You girls are all welcome to come visit me out there. I have a pretty good-sized cabin and should have enough room for you all. How about you Mr. Johnson, would you come out too." Asked Agnes while checking out Dad pretty thoroughly.
"Um, I ah, I um, probably not. I, um, would be pretty uncomfortable there I think." Dad said looking red faced. "Mr. Johnson was my Father by the way, I'm Fred, okay?"
"Okay Fred, Chuck was nervous at first too, but he got over it." Agnes said.
"It is very peaceful and beautiful. It is a great place to relax." June added.
"Aw come on Dad," Susan said. "It'll give you a chance to see us without being embarrassed. We've never teased you and we won't do you like we do Chuck. Besides, here are two very nice ladies that are inviting you. You could use some more lady friends."
Sonya in way of explaining, "When Mom died, all her friends just seemed to ignore him. Usually women hang around a widower like vultures but not Dad. His only friends are guys he works with." Then to Dad she said, "You know Dad, you and Chuck could use some visiting together; that would be a good place."
"We'll see." Dad said shaking his head. Probably resolved that it be would be happening anyway. With the four girls ganging up on you, there is no chance.
Susan spoke up, "Okay everyone. Chuck needs his rest. I'm taking first shift then Sonya will relieve me later. You all either go home or whereever so Chuck can sleep."
Agnes said. "I'm going back to the camp, if any of you want to spend the night there, you are welcome."
"We'll go on home. The girls have classes tomorrow and I should go into work. It's not far. I'll call tomorrow." Dad said.
Joey spoke up, "Dad, give Mrs. Mathews your cell number so she can call you."
"Oh yeah, that would work." He said getting his cell phone from his pocket.
Joy rolled her eyes, "Mrs. Mathews, Mrs. Johnson, give Dad your numbers so he can call you. Joey and I will get the numbers from him."
Joy was watching Dad fumble around trying to enter the first number then just took the phone from him and punched in the numbers. She turned to her big sisters and had them write the numbers down. She gave the phone back to Dad then came to me. "I love you Chuck. Get well." She gave me a sweet kiss then stood up so Joey could follow. Joey gave me an on the lips un-brotherly kiss that would curl the toes of a non-relative. (Did it to me too but I'm not admitting to anything.)
Dad shook my hand and smiled then took the younger twins with them and left.
Agnes and June were standing. June said, "I'm staying right here. Um, if it's alright, I'll just sit with Chuck too. I'm not leaving Sunshine here alone."
Susan said. "You stay with me. We'll take care of Chuck together. I'll keep checking on your daughter for you."
Agnes gave me a sweet kiss and said, "Glad you're okay Chuck. I've become very fond of you. Would like to keep you around."
She left and the two ladies remaining were standing next to me.
"How do you tell them apart Chuck?" June asked.
"He's the only one who can." Susan said. "Dad never has been able to. Mom couldn't even do it with the twins or us. We don't have any distinguishing characteristics or markings. There is absolutely no difference between the four of us. She knew who the younger ones were because they were smaller. She always said only one of us was born and the other twin was a Xerox. When we were tiny and up to about five, we wore colored wristbands. When we took them off, even Mom was lost. When we all dress alike and put our hair up alike, we look like four carbon copies of Mom in her younger pictures. But Chuck has always been able to tell who's who. He's the only one."
"I don't know. It's easy. They are each different to me. Each one seems to be who they are." I shrugged.
Susan started fiddling with the I.V. and shot something into it. Did all the checks then wrote the information on the chart.
"Okay Bro, lay back and get some rest. We're going for coffee, then we'll be back. I expect you to be asleep when we get back." Susan said this laying over me giving me a hug then an un-sisterly kiss complete with tongue."
She lifted up, grinned and winked at me while I lay there rolling my eyes at her rather demonstrative kiss.
"I love to tease him. If he weren't my brother, I'd crawl in that bed with him." Susan said.
June just grinned. "Know what you mean Susan. But, he isn't my brother." So June gave me an equally luscious kiss.
They left with a parting, "We'll be back."