“Where's Marissa?” Gael asked as they sat down to supper.

“Upstairs”, Irene replied. “She said she was tired.” Marissa hadn't wanted to tell her mother that she wasn't feeling well so as to not worry her.

“She knows the rule”, he stated irritably as he got up and walked to the bottom of the stairs “Rissa! It's suppertime!” The rule he was referring to was that everyone came to the table at suppertime unless they were sick, injured or attending to a farm animal in need. And they all had to eat *something*, even if just a little. He returned to his place at the table to wait for his tardy offspring. They heard the sound of a toilet flushing, then of running water.

“Way to go, Dad - interrupt someone at a sacred time”, Terry teased, which caused a round of laughter to erupt from the table. Patsy, sitting next to him, tousled his hair. They heard the sound of the elevator and a moment later, Marissa appeared and took her place.

“Are you all right, honey?” Irene asked, concernedly.

“Yes, Mama, just a little tired.” It was partly true - she *was* tired.

“That is normal for someone in your situation, Marissa”, Gideon told her, not wanting to mention her cancer at the dinner table. “But you look a little pale. Are you sure it's not something else?”

Marissa gave him a weak smile. “I'm okay, Dr...er, Gideon.” She was so used to calling him Dr Maynard, it was hard to get used to not doing it.

Gael said the blessing and they dug in. Marissa wasn't hungry but she put a little on her plate. She knew the house rule about having something. Adults were not exempt. She wasn't as “okay” as she was pretending to be. Her pain was pretty bad, she was sure she was going to pass a stone, but she didn't want to ruin anyone's holiday weekend.

When she was told she wasn't needed for clean-up, Marissa headed upstairs after telling Gael she'd be down in a bit for the jam session. She lay down for a few minutes but then her stomach committed mutiny and she went to the bathroom to throw up.

Downstairs, her demeanour had not escaped her family or their guests. “I'm going up to check on Rissa”, Gael told Irene. “I don't think she is 'okay' at all. She only turns coffee down when she's sick.” Marissa had not wanted her usual after-dinner cup of java.

“Let me go, Gael”, Gideon offered. “I'd like to take a look at her, if she will let me.” He went up and checked the bedrooms, but Marissa wasn't in any of them. The door to one of the bathrooms was closed. He knocked on it.

“I'll be out in a couple minutes”, she called out.

“Marissa, it's Gideon. Are you all right?” He was sure he heard the sound of retching. Then the toilet flushing and water being run. The door opened and Marissa appeared. She didn't look good to him at all. “Come lie down”, he said as he guided her to her room.

“That's your room, Gideon. I'm down the hall.”

“You can lie down in here for a bit.” She lay on the bed and Gideon sat down beside her. “What's going on?” he asked.

“It's just my kidney stones, I think I'm going to pass one.” He noticed beads of sweat on her forehead.

“I want to take your temperature to make sure you aren't sick.” Gideon opened his suitcase and took out a thermometer he'd brought with him. He never went anywhere without the basic medical tools.

“It's just some pain, I'll be fine.”

“You let me be the judge of that. Open up.” Marissa obediently opened her mouth and he placed the thermometer under her tongue. When it beeped, Gideon looked at the reading. “No fever. Good. Now I'm going to take your blood pressure.” He reached for his stethoscope and cuff. When he had the reading, he said “It's a bit high, but not unexpected, given you are in pain.”

“Then why did you take it?” Marissa was genuinely puzzled and the oncologist could see it in her expression.

“To make sure it's not too high, silly”, he teased. “Please sit up so I can listen to your lungs.”

“You don't need to fuss over me, I'm fine.”

“Rissa, you do as he asks”, Gael said from the bedroom doorway. Marissa jumped - figuratively speaking.

“How long have you been there, Daddy?” she asked.

“Long enough to see you giving your doctor a hard time”, Gael replied as he entered the room.

“This is not a 'hard time', Gael”, the doctor told him. “I have patients far more difficult than Marissa is being. She's in pain and pain makes people irritable.” He listened to her lungs and heart. “I think it is what she says it is - pain from the stones. She doesn't have a fever, her lungs are clear and her heart is fine, too. Marissa, when did you last take your pain meds?”

Marissa thought a moment. “This morning after breakfast.”

“You need to take some now. Where are they?”

“Downstairs in a locked box in my office”, Gael said. “We keep all medication locked up so the children can't get into it. I'll go get it.” He came back with the vial of pills and a glass of water. Gideon took the pills and shook two into Marissa's hand. She swallowed them down with a drink of water.

“Give me twenty minutes or so and I'll be ready to jam”, she said to her father.

“No jamming tonight, Rissa.”

“It's okay, Daddy. I'll be okay once the pills start working. I'll be sitting on a stool playing my guitar and singing. It's no big deal.”

Gael looked at Gideon, who said “Your father is right, Marissa. I want you to rest.”

“The authority has spoken, baby. I bet the rest of the family would agree, too. We can jam tomorrow if you are feeling better.” He went back downstairs with the vial of pills. Gideon sat for a bit with Marissa.

“There's something I wanted to tell you, but I haven't had a chance to yet.”

“What is it, Gideon?” Marissa looked at him warily.

“Oh, it's nothing to do with your health, dear”, he reassured her. “It's about Braxton.”

“What about him?” Marissa's heart jumped. Did he have good news for her?

Gideon put a hand on her leg in support. “I tried to find him, I thought it would be beneficial for you if he was able to visit you in hospital after your surgery.” He saw the hopeful look on her face and hated that he would have to disappoint her, but he felt she had a right to know he'd tried to find her friend. “I didn't want to call Logan as I know a couple people have tried that way. Yes, Brent called me and told me of his attempt - he hasn't heard from him at all. So, I called the American Psychological Association. I got a bit of info from them, but not much. Braxton isn't practising these days, he's teaching at a university, but they wouldn't say which one. I asked if they could call him and give him a message to call me, but the woman I spoke to said they aren't a secretarial service. I did try the universities in Colorado but he's not at any of them. I can't find him on the internet either. I'm so sorry, Marissa. I did try.”

Marissa was dismayed but not surprised. She was touched that her oncologist had done that for her. “It's okay, Gideon”, she reassured him.”Thank you for trying, that means a lot to me.” She fought to keep the tears back.

“I just wish I'd been successful, dear. But don't be discouraged. If it's meant to be for you to meet up with him again, it will happen. I don't believe for a second that he wants nothing to do with you.”

“I have a hard time with that, too, Gideon. Did I tell you about the night out we had?”

“You mentioned it, but only in passing. I take it you had a good time?”

“I did. Go open my closet door.” Gideon gave her a perplexed look. “Just do it. Please.” He did as she asked. “See the red dress?”

“Yes.”

“Take it out. Braxton bought that for me to wear, as I didn't have any clothes at his place that were suitable for a classy restaurant. He got everything I needed to wear with it, except undergarments which I already had.” She went on to tell him about Braxton's mother telling him to give her the shawl she'd made and showed him the earrings and necklace set. She also told him about their trip to “make out point”, but asked him to not tell her family about that part of their night out. “Daddy would be out for blood, he still thinks I'm a little girl”, she giggled.

“Marissa, as a man, I will say that we men do not do that for someone who doesn't mean anything to us. Braxton obviously thinks a lot of you or he wouldn't have done it. Like I said, I don't believe for a minute that he wants nothing to do with you. Unfortunately, we've run out of options in trying to find him, and you need to concentrate on your health right now. But don't give up. Your father loves you very much, he's just trying to keep you from getting hurt. Your parents told me about you being born so prematurely and that you weren't expected to survive. After what you've been through with the Cartel, he's even more protective. I'd hate to be any member of that organization if he ever meets up with them. Some day, when you have your own children, you'll understand.

“I'm going to go downstairs and let you rest. Please try to sleep for a bit, then you can come down for awhile before bedtime, if you like.” He gave her a hug and put the blanket at the end of the bed over her.

Downstairs, he sought Gael out. They went to the office to talk. “Is my daughter all right?” Gael was worried about Marissa.

“She's fine, Gael. She just needs some rest. I can't wait to get that kidney out of her, that will put an end to the stones. Though it will be the beginning of another battle. By the way, I'd like to talk to you about our sleeping arrangements.”

“Are they unsatisfactory?” Gael asked. “Whatever you need, we will try and accommodate you.”

“There is nothing wrong with them”, Gideon reassured him, “but I'd like to check on Marissa a couple times through the night. I don't want to wake the others in the room she's going to be in. Could a bed be brought into her room for her?”

Gael thought a moment. “You and Paula need your privacy. Tell you what. Marissa can sleep in her bed and Irene and I will sleep down here on the sofa bed. You and Paula can have our room.”

“Oh, no, I don't want to put you out of your room!”

“It's not a problem. We are the first to get up anyway, so nobody will be waking us when they come downstairs. Besides, I want what's best for Marissa and if what's best for her is for her doctor to be close by during the night, then that's what will happen. I'm sure Irene will agree, but if she doesn't, the plan is subject to modification.”

After a while, Marissa came down in the elevator, carrying her guitar in it's case. Gael and Irene were happy to see her using the lift, as she had been reluctant to when she'd come home from rehab, but they were not thrilled with her bringing her guitar down. “Baby, I told you - no jamming tonight”, Gael said to her.

“I know, Daddy. I'm just going to play a bit here in the living room, if nobody minds.”

“Only if Gideon says you can.”

“Daddy, he's not on duty this weekend, he's here as our guest. And he can't practise in Canada anyway”, she said defiantly. Marissa didn't usually defy her parents, but she did not like being ordered around like a child and especially in front of company.

“I'm the head of this household, Rissa, and I say he can practise on my property.”

Gideon didn't want to see a fight develop, so he stepped in. “She can play for a bit, but not too long. And, Marissa, I never stop being your doctor, even when I'm a guest in your home. You have a major operation coming up in less than a week. I just want to be sure you are as healthy as you can be for it. If I didn't care, I wouldn't say anything.”

Marissa felt guilty at hearing that. “I'm, sorry, Gideon. I just don't know how much time I have left here at home, I want to make the best of it.”

“I understand, dear. Play for a while, just not too long, okay?” Marissa sat down by the fire and played a few songs until Gideon told her she had to stop for the night.

“Rissa, your mother is going to help with morning milking, so you sleep in and get a good rest tonight”, Gael said when she'd finished. Sundays were Bill's day off.

“I can do it, Daddy. Mama doesn't like milking.”

“It's not my favourite chore”, Irene said “but you need to rest, so I will do it.”

“Rissa, if you are up to it, and Gideon says you can, you can help with evening milking.” Marissa sighed. She knew when not to push it with her father and this was one of those times.

Gideon checked on her a couple times during the night, as he said he would do. At 2am, he brought her pain pills in and had her take two. Gael had got the vial for him from the office when they went to bed. He said he could keep it with him for the night so he wouldn't have to go downstairs to get it when it was time for Marissa to take her medication. “I'm sorry you had to witness that tonight”, she apologized to her oncologist.

“Nothing to be sorry for, my dear. “I know you think your dad is a bit heavy handed, but he loves you and he's worried about you. Just like I would be with Caitlin if she was in your shoes. Now, back to sleep. If you feel up to it after breakfast, I'd like to see Charlie, if you will let me.”

“Of course I will! I'll take you to his pasture. You can feed him an apple, he loves them.”

The next day, they did just that. Marissa took Gideon to Charlie's pasture and showed him how to feed pieces of apple to the steer. Gideon couldn't believe how gentle the large bovine was. “Has he always been like this?” he asked her.

“Pretty much. I hand raised him, that's probably a big reason why he's such a pussy cat. I had my own place at the time, and any time he'd see me outside, he would jump the fence to be with me. He'd follow me around like a puppy. Good thing for him that he was like that. If he wasn't, we wouldn't have bonded so well and he'd have ended up in my freezer!”

After Charlie had eaten all the apple pieces, Marissa opened the gate and he walked out. She sat down on the grass and he lay down beside her. She lay up against him. “Come on down, Gideon”, she invited.

“Not for long, Marissa”, he replied as he sat down on the ground. “It's dry but cool. I don't want you getting a chill.”

“I'm fine, Gideon. Give Charlie some ear scratches. He loves those!” She showed him how to scratch the bovine behind his ear.

“What are the calves in his pasture? Those must be his babies your dad refers to.”

“Yes, they are heifers that will either be sold or go into the herd to replace aging cows.”

“What happens to the males?”

“They are sold to farmers who raise them for meat. We keep only the ones we will raise for our own freezers.”

“You hear so much about 'factory farms' that have thousands of dairy cows and to think that this small farm supports your family and Bill's!”

“Bill's wife is a lawyer so his income is contributing but not supporting his family. We also raise crops to sell, as well as to feed our livestock - we don't buy cattle feed at all, we raise it. And, in the winter when there is so much less to do, Daddy builds furniture to sell.”

“Like tables?”

“Yes, and dressers and cabinets. He has to turn down work, he's so in demand. He could go full time with that, but he loves farming, so he never would. He's teaching Stan the trade, so he can supplement his income as well.”

“And you like it here on the farm, too.” Gideon could see how relaxed Marissa was on the homestead.

“I do. I love it here. I can't do as much as I used to be able to do, but I do what I can.”

“You do very well, Marissa. What you've been through would break a lot of people. But you've persevered.” Gideon was truly impressed.

“Oh, I've had my moments, believe me, Gideon. There have been times I wanted to die. I even had to see a therapist in Seattle.” She shuddered. Just the thought of Dr Lambert and her complicity in the Cartel made her skin crawl.

“I know, but a lot of that had to do with your depression over being a drug mule. Look at you now. You got through it and found the courage to leave. And now you are helping the police in trying to catch these people.”

“I just hope it doesn't bite me on the butt.” Marissa was still worried about the Cartel coming after her family, though so far it hadn't.

“Worry about that if and when it happens. Hey, have you started packing for Denver yet?”

“No, I need to start that after lunch.” The plan was for Marissa to fly to Denver Tuesday with the Maynards so that she could attend a pre-op clinic Wednesday. Her parents would fly down Thursday. “Speaking of which, we'd better get back to the house, it's almost noon.” Right on cue, the sound of an old cow bell ringing could be heard.

“What is that?”

“It's the lunch bell. Mama rings it to call us all in if we're still outside when the meal is ready. Let's go, I'll put Charlie back in the pasture.”

After lunch, Marissa helped clear the table, then wiped it down before going upstairs to lie down for a bit. She couldn't believe how tired she was these days. Gideon had told her it was likely the tumour causing it.

The rest of the weekend went smoothly. The Brennans had their jam session Sunday afternoon, which was enjoyed by the Maynards. Sunday was a day of rest on the farm. They only did what they had to do - namely feeding the livestock and milking.

Marissa took Caitlin for another ride Monday morning and in the afternoon, she took Gideon to see Charlie again. Gideon was fascinated by the steer that Marissa had bonded so closely with. While they were visiting with the bovine, his phone rang. It was the hospital. There had been a scheduling error and they were bumping Marissa's surgery to the next Friday. He was not happy about it but nothing he said would sway the scheduling supervisor. He vowed that heads would roll when he got back to Denver.

“Don't worry about it, Gideon. Mistakes happen”, she told him. “It will be all right.”

The oncologist was not appeased. “You need that surgery, Marissa. It should have been a year ago.”

“I know, but others need their operations, too. Come on, give Charlie some more ear scratches. It's relaxing and he's getting a bit agitated.” The steer was acting restless.

“Why is he agitated?” Even though he was told Charlie was a pussy cat, Gideon did not want to see the behemoth bovine in a bad mood.

“He senses something wrong. He's very protective of me.” She turned to the steer. “It's okay, Charlie. Gideon is looking out for me just like you are. It's okay.” She petted him and told him it's okay a few more times. It had a soothing effect on him and he settled down.

“That's amazing!” Gideon exclaimed.

“He's learned that the phrase 'it's okay' means that everything is fine.”

“How did anyone manage to kidnap you from your place with Charlie around?”

“They almost didn't. He got to the vehicle just as it was pulling away from the house. He chased us down the road a few miles but he was too slow for a van. Everyone for miles around knew he was mine, so when he was found on the road, they called Mama and Daddy when they couldn't reach me. Daddy and Bill went and got him. Poor Charlie, they say he pined for me for a long time.”

Gideon was having Marissa take her pain medication every six hours even if she felt she didn't need it. She was doing much better, but still in some discomfort. She'd passed two stones and he thought she would pass at least one more in the near future. Brent Evans came for Thanksgiving dinner and Gideon was able to get a few moments with him to discuss her pain control. He gave Brent his recommendation for a stronger medication should Marissa need it before going to Denver for surgery.

The Thanksgiving meal was enjoyed by all. Irene and the girls had cooked two 25lb turkeys, a few vegetables, salads - including jellied - stuffing, and, of course, gravy, pickles and cranberry sauce. They had their choice of pumpkin or apple pie topped with whipped cream or ice cream for dessert. “How can you eat your own animals?” Caitlin asked upon learning that they'd raised and slaughtered the turkeys.

“We don't get attached to them”, Irene replied. “Their lot in life is to be food for us. They have a good life here on the farm, they are well taken care of and not abused. We slaughter them as humanely as possible. This goes for all the livestock - chickens, turkeys, geese and cattle. We have found that it helps a lot to not name them and not get attached. Some have learned easier than others. I won't name names.”

“She's referring to me”, Marissa said. “And how I got attached to Charlie and couldn't send him to the abattoir.”

“And your father”, her mother pointed out. “He has a tendency to name the milking cows, then sulks when they have to be shipped.”

“Guilty as charged”, Gael admitted. “But at least I do ship them when it's time.” He looked at Marissa.

“What can I say?” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Her parents laughed.

“I am glad you got so attached to him”, Irene said. “It helped a lot having him here when you were gone and we didn't know where you were.”

“It's good that you can banter like this”, Paula remarked. “And not hurt anyone's feelings in doing so.”

“You should see us when we really get going”, Terry told her. “You'd swear WWIII was about to break out if you didn't know that we were just joshing.”

Tuesday morning was soon upon them and the Maynards said their goodbyes as they got ready to leave. Gael and Marissa drove them to the airport in Edmonton. Gideon was concerned about Marissa making the trip, but she assured him she was all right. He insisted on her taking her wheelchair with them so she would not have to walk around the airport. Her parents had kept the chair when she disappeared - Irene was convinced she would come back home.

Marisa promised her oncologist that she would take it easy for the week and listen to her body when it told her to rest. “I want you in as good shape as you can be when you come to Denver next week”, he told her. “You'll handle the surgery better if you are.” He gave her a big hug and thanked her and Gael for the great weekend they'd had.

“You are welcome back any time”, Gael said. “We'd love to have you again.”

-------------------------

A couple days later, a security company came out to install cameras in the laneway and at the front and back doors of the house, as well as a locking gate at the road. The family had passes to open it and it could be opened from inside the house as well. There was an intercom system for guests to announce their arrival. The Brennans had decided to take out a loan to get the system installed since there was a good possibility the Cartel would send operatives out to harm them. Marissa insisted on using some of the money she'd saved up for veterinary school to help since she felt it was her fault that the system was needed.

Three days later, Gael was awoken at 3am by an alert on his phone. He looked at the app and it was showing four people walking up the laneway, each with a rifle in his/her hands.