Trent: The Babymaker
Chapter Sixteen
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SHOOTING LEAVES TEEN IN CRITICAL CONDITION
8:06 p.m. PST, December 4, 2010
Seattle, Wa (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer) — Police have arrested a Renton woman after invading her employer's home and shooting a 15-year-old boy Saturday evening.
The shooting occurred around 5:20 p.m. in the upscale Regents Park neighborhood where the victim lives with his parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Patterson. Police responded to a 9-1-1 call placed by Mrs. Patterson.
The assailant has been identified as 22-year-old Pamela Ann Keller of Renton, an oral hygienist who worked at Dr. Patterson's dental clinic. According to police, Keller broke into the Patterson home to confront her employer with whom she had been having an affair. After a heated argument, Keller produced a small caliber pistol and threatened to kill 34-year-old Susan Patterson when the teenage boy intervened.
The victim, who's name is being withheld by police, was struck in the chest by a single bullet. He was transported by ambulance to University Medical Center and is reported in critical condition.
Susan Patterson is one month pregnant with the couple's second child. The Patterson's will issue a statement sometime tomorrow according to a family spokesman.
The suspect is being held without bail pending further investigation. Formal charges are expected Monday morning.--------------------------------------------------------
TEEN HERO IN COMA, SHOOTER CHARGED
SEATTLE, Wa. (KGTV) Dec.6 2010 — A teenage boy who saved his pregnant mother is reported in a coma following surgery.
Trent Patterson, 15, of Seattle is reported in stable condition following surgery to remove a bullet that perforated his left lung. A spokesman for University Medical Center told reporters that during the procedure Patterson lapsed into a coma.
A statement issued by the Patterson family early Sunday morning described the dramatic events saying: "It's clear that Trent's selfless action saved the life of his mother and the unborn child she carries." The boy's parents remain at his side following questioning by detectives.
The shooting, which occurred late Saturday afternoon, resulted from an encounter between Dr. David Patterson, 35, and his alleged mistress, Pamela Ann Keller, 22, in the Patterson home. Keller stated to police that the two became romantically involved the previous June soon after she was hired by Dr. Patterson.
Keller moved to Seattle from Spokane in 2007 to attend the University of Washington and is a licensed oral hygienist. She has no prior criminal convictions.
Charges against Keller have been filed by the King County District Attorney's Office for felony assault with a deadly weapon and 2 counts of attempted murder. If convicted, the charges carry a maximum sentence of life behind bars. Keller's arraignment hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon.--------------------------------------------------------
PATTERSON DENIES AFFAIR
UPI/Seattle Wa. Dec.9 2010 — The father of a teenage boy who was shot saving his mother has denied romantic involvement with the suspect.
Dr. David Patterson, appearing with his wife at the University Medical Center, has denied any personal relationship with Pamela Ann Keller, the 22-year-old woman who shot his son. In a prepared statement, Dr. Patterson described Keller as a "disturbed" and "emotionally unstable" employee who attacked his family after Patterson fired her.
"Pamela Keller exhibited drug seeking behavior which made her continued employment an unacceptable risk to patients and co-workers," Dr. Patterson said. Although unable to provide specific details, Patterson stated that he and his staff are fully cooperating with investigators. He was unable to confirm speculation that Keller used her position to acquire prescription narcotics which she later sold on the nearby UW campus.
Susan Patterson, speaking publicly for the first time, called allegations of an extra-marital affair "ludicrous" and "insensitive" to the tragedy which nearly cost the life of her son. "My husband is completely innocent," she said. "I have never doubted his love or devotion. David's only concern has always been the well-being of his family, friends, and patients."
Mrs. Patterson, who is pregnant with their second child, also stated: "My husband and I are very grateful for the love and support of our community, and we ask all of you to join us in our prayers for the recovery of our son."
The Patterson's 15-year-old son, Trent, remains in a coma following surgery to remove the bullet from his lungs.
Keller's defense attorney, Elizabeth Carpenter, has filed a motion of Diminished Mental Capacity on behalf of her client. A trial date has not been set pending the outcome of psychiatric evaluation later this month.--------------------------------------------------------
SHE WAS SUCH A NICE GIRL
SEATTLE, Wa. (KGTV) Dec.21 2010 — Neighbors have described 22-year-old Pamela Ann Keller as a quiet, friendly girl who seemed incapable of the crimes with which she's been charged.
"She was such a nice girl," said Mrs. Pearl Nolan, Keller's landlady at the Pineway Apartment complex in Renton. "She kept to herself and always paid her rent on time. I couldn't imagine Pamela hurting anyone."
Apartment residents have reported that Keller had a number of male friends and visitors, but there was never any reason to be suspicious.
"I'd see her bring home two or three different guys a week," Martin Reid told reporters. "But it's a singles apartment, you know? So I never thought much about it."
The 29-year-old Reid, who lives in the apartment next door to Keller's, admitted that he went on several dates with her after moving in last October.
"We went out maybe three times right after I moved in. She liked to party. We had sex all three times," Reid said. "She never mentioned a boyfriend or anything like that."
Police detectives have been piecing together the life of Keller who shot and critically injured 15-year-old Trent Patterson last December. So far, according to an unnamed source close to the investigation, the emerging picture is one of reckless drug abuse and wanton sexual behavior.
Keller has insisted that her attack on the Patterson family followed a 6-month affair with Dr. David Patterson. The allegations have been repeatedly denied and the Pattersons insist that it's merely a ploy to generate public sympathy prior to going to trial.
"David has been a wonderful husband and father and it's unfortunate that someone would try to hurt him this way," Susan Patterson said. "Hasn't she [Keller] done enough damage?"
Erica Perron, 24, a receptionist at Patterson's dental clinic and former co-worker of Keller's, has said: "There's no way anything was going on between Dr. Patterson and Pamela. We see each other every day and I would have noticed something."
At the time of the shooting Dr. Patterson employed nine people at his clinic, six of which were female, including Keller.
"It's ridiculous," said Dr. Julianne Sterns, an oral surgeon and Dr. Patterson's business partner. "I've known David since college and the idea that he would ever cheat on his wife is obscene."
Dr. Sterns went on to say that she had several discussions regarding Keller's employment over the months leading up to the shooting, but was unable to be specific. "It's all in my deposition," she said. "I can only hope that Pamela will get the help she needs."
Trent Patterson remains in a coma at University Medical Center.--------------------------------------------------------
COMATOSE HERO TURNS SIXTEEN
SEATTLE, Wa. (KING) Jan.12 2011 — Family and friends of shooting victim Trent Patterson gathered at University Medical Center yesterday to celebrate his 16th birthday.
The boy was critically injured last December when Pamela Ann Keller attacked his pregnant mother in their Seattle home. He has remained in a coma for the past 39 days, but UMC Chief of Staff, Dr. Edward Sing, reports that Trent's condition is stable.
"His physical condition is excellent," Dr. Sing told reporters. "He is being monitored around the clock and tests confirm that Trent's brain is active and shows no sign of deterioration. He could wake up any time."
The neurologist overseeing Trent's treatment, Dr. Avi Hirsch, admitted that there are concerns. "The longer a patient remains in a coma, the greater the risk. After a month or so, the brain often progresses towards a persistent vegetative state. We haven't seen that yet with Trent, but it is something we're watching closely."
Among those who visited Trent's bedside were Seattle Mayor Glenda Chan and Police Chief Thomas Gilcrest who presented him with a medal for bravery. Reading from the citation, Ms. Chan praised the boy for his courage. "Without regard for his own safety, Trent placed himself in the line of fire. His sacrifice has set an example for all of us to follow."
Susan Patterson accepted the award on behalf of her son and requested the public make donations to cancer research in lieu of gifts. "We've received so many cards and flowers, stuffed animals, and -- I know Trent can hear your prayers and wishes, but I think he would join me in asking that you turn your generosity into hope for others. If you'd like to give him something, please make a donation in Trent's name to cancer research. It really is the best gift he could ask for right now. Thank you."
Attorneys for the Patterson family have set up a charitable fund to direct donations and gifts to the appropriate agencies.
"It's really amazing," Trent's friend and classmate, 15-year-old Molly Carpenter, told reporters. "People sent so much stuff for Christmas and now his birthday. Trent wouldn't know what to think. He's so sweet, all the attention would probably embarrass him."
Molly is the daughter of Elizabeth Carpenter, the defense attorney representing Pamela Ann Keller, while her father, Daniel Carpenter, is preparing a civil liability suit on behalf of the Patterson family. The couple has been married for 17 years.
Fifth District Judge Shirley O'Brien has made a ruling that the separate criminal and civil cases will not pose a conflict of interest for the attorneys.--------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Sixteen
I saw a bright light. Blinding. I couldn't even open my eyes, I had to squint and blink a whole bunch of times. My toes itched. Fuck. Pam shot me! A tunnel of light. Was that heaven? I wanted to call Molly first, just to say goodbye. I wanted a peanut butter sandwich too. What?
Did they have fluorescent lights in heaven?
"Trent? Oh my God! You're awake!"
I turned my head and saw my mom. She looked tired, like she'd just woken up, but she was smiling too, as if she'd never smiled before in her life.
"Hi Mom," I said, but nothing came out, so I said it again. Louder. "Hi."
Of course, she had to kiss me and hug me, and I didn't mind. I tried to lift my arms, but they felt incredibly heavy. I thought they were strapped down at first. After a moment or two I was able to hug her back though, and that was nice. She smelled good.
"I'll get the doctor," she said, blinking her eyes. Mom had started crying, but instead of wiping her cheeks, she wiped mine. I'd started crying too.
"Wait...Are you okay?" I asked, kind of croaking the words. "How's the baby?"
"I'm wonderful," she breathed, hugging me again. "Oh, I missed you, Trent."
"I was right here," I said. "Where's Dad?"
"He's outside," Mom replied. "Sleeping on the couch."
"Really?" I frowned, remembering that maybe he'd cheated on my mom, except it all seemed like a dream now. Molly's house was real, definitely, but after that...I remember being so happy walking home. That felt like a dream too.
"He was up all night with you," she explained, wiping her blue eyes. Smiling. Jeeze! She looked beautiful like that. "We've been taking turns."
"Taking turns?" I smiled back at her, not understanding what that meant.
I looked around and my neck felt stiff. My whole body felt like a pretzel, except I could see myself stretched out beneath my old quilted comforter. There was a lot of stuff from my bedroom. Pictures of my friends, my family. The poster of Darth Maul I'd had since second grade when I'd really loved Star Wars. It was taped to the wall, but I knew I wasn't in my room. There were wires stuck to me and a machine beeping softly. There were a lot of flowers and a dozen stuffed animals and...
"Molly," I sighed, seeing the porcelain ice skater sitting on top of a cabinet near my bed. She was still mad at me though, but not really. She'd been teasing me.
"I'll be right back," Mom said. "Don't go anywhere."
I smiled at her giggle. Wow! I'd missed that. Mom didn't laugh very often, but when she did it felt like the whole world stopped just for her. The machine beeped a little faster too, jumping from 66 to 81, but I didn't need a bunch of wires to tell me that my heart was working just fine. I could feel it. I'd never seen my mom so happy before.
"Trent?" Dad looked ready to fall down and I lifted my hand, waving at him. "Oh! Thank God!"
He practically pulled me off the bed, he hugged me so tight. I felt the stubble of his unshaven cheeks on my face. My dad was shaking and I put my arms around his back, and I'd never seen him cry before. He didn't say anything at first. Neither did I, and Mom sat on my bed, watching us and smiling and wiping her flushed cheeks.
"I'm so sorry," Dad whispered, kissing my hair. "I'm sorry, Trent. I'm sorry."
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"What?" I stared at the doctor. He looked like someone's grandfather, being old and thin and mostly bald. He wore a bow tie "I was in a coma? For how long?"
"Fifty-three days," he replied. "But don't worry, everything seems to be fine. We're going to run a few tests to make sure, but all indications are that you're perfectly healthy."
My mom looked ready to cry again and I'd noticed she liked to bite her fingernails while Dr. Hirsch talked. She'd never done that before. But I'd never been in a coma before either. She stood by the windows with her arms crossed, looking nervous and happy all at once. Dad sat in a chair next to her, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and neither of them seemed able to look at anything else but me.
"There's been some minor atrophy of your muscles," the doctor continued. "You've lost some weight too, but with physical therapy and a good diet, you'll be back to your old self in no time."
"When can we take him home?" Dad asked.
"In a couple days," Dr. Hirsch said. "We'll run our tests, as I mentioned, and keep an eye on him. A coma is caused by low metabolism in the brain and so we need to give it a little time to wake up."
"Trent?" Molly stood in the open doorway with her sapphire eyes big as saucers.
"The good news is that you can have all the visitors you want," Dr. Hirsch told me with a chuckle. "I'll check in on you later."
He had to get out of the way quickly, because Molly was running towards the bed and the room wasn't all that big.
"I knew you'd wake up!" She fell on me, sorta, and I felt like Popeye on spinach as my arms went around her. I suddenly didn't feel very tired at all.
She kissed me!
Right on the mouth too. In front of my parents and everything. And just a couple hours ago she'd been mad at me, except it only seemed like a couple hours. I felt like I'd taken a nap, but it had been almost two months for everyone else.
She looked great too, even better than I remembered and I did have a sweet ache in my stomach like maybe I hadn't seen her in a long time. Perhaps my heart knew what my brain didn't, you know? She wore a sweater and a long skirt, like a rum colored grandma skirt that would have looked silly on most girls her age, but Molly made it look good. Kinda casual, kinda dressy, and she had a bunch of bangles and rings and earrings like a gypsy with her black hair all over.
She was in a whole other league compared to other girls.
"That's weird," I said, smiling into Molly's face as she leaned over me. Our noses were touching and her lips were naturally red and moist. I could still feel them on mine.
"What?" she asked, blinking her wet eyes.
"You're beautiful even when you're not mad," I told her, and she giggled and kissed me and cried all at the same time.
"He's awake," someone said from behind Molly. A man, and I thought he was talking to my parents, but apparently he wasn't.
"You scared me to death!" Molly whispered. "God! I am mad at you!"
"I'm sorry I didn't call you," I said, looking over her shoulder to see the guy. "Who's that?"
"Just now. Molly's hugging him..." he said talking on a celphone. "That's right...You might want to talk to the DA...I love you too. Bye."
"Huh?" She turned her head. "Oh. That's my dad."
"Oh." I felt my face warming and glanced at my parents. They were watching, smiling as we were still hugging each other.
"Say cheese!" a girl said, and I hadn't even realized Shannon was there, but I recognized her. I frowned because she'd gotten me in a lot of trouble. "Trent! Smile, this is for Facebook!"
"Leave him alone," Molly said. "He just woke up!"
"We gotta tweet this," Shannon said, taking another picture with her phone. "It's so awesome."
"She's got ten thousand people following you on Twitter," Molly told me with a shrug.
My mom and dad kind of looked at each other. They weren't much for the internet unless it involved work and I hated that Facebook Twitter stuff.
"Following me?" I thought she had to be joking.
"More like fifteen thousand now," Shannon said. "Hey!"
"Go to the cafeteria," her dad said, pulling her by the arm. "Here's some money. You can toot there all you want."
"It's tweet, not toot," she snorted, and gave me a wave. "Bye, Trent. I'm glad you're okay."
"Daddy? Trent's awake," Molly said, as if the man didn't know already.
"So I see," he said, stepping closer. "That's good news. Real good news."
He was a handsome man, about the same age as my dad, or a little older maybe. He wore a nice suit anyway and he had friendly eyes. They were brown, not sapphire like his daughter's, but I could see the resemblance anyway. They had the same chin and jaw maybe, and I was glad he wasn't angry because Molly had kissed me. Our first kiss! And then our second. I wondered if I wasn't still in a coma and just dreaming about her. Everything seemed so strange.
"I'm going to talk to your mom and dad for a minute, okay?" he said, inviting my parents out of the room with a small jerk of his head.
"We'll be right outside," Mom said, following Dad with some reluctance.
"Don't worry," Molly said. "I'll keep him company."
We had a lot to talk about, or she did anyway. There isn't much to say about being in a coma. It's a lot like sleeping and if I'd had any dreams, I didn't remember them. Actually, it's more like a time machine, except it only goes in one direction.
"Everybody loves me?" I grinned at her. "What's that mean?"
"You're on the news every night," Molly said.
She'd been jumping from one subject to another at random. Back and forth as new thoughts would fill her head. It made me kind of dizzy.
"Like King News, the first thing they say is how many days you've been in a coma," she told me with a giggle. "Like..." she lowered her voice, "...It's day fifty and Trent Patterson remains in a coma."
"No way!" I grinned at her. "Really?"
"I swear," she said. "Oh! And the mayor was here. She gave you a medal, did you see it?"
"A medal for what?"
"For being brave!" Molly said, getting off the bed. "It's right here. See?"
She'd picked up a black box, like the kind jewelry comes in, and snapped it open. There really was a medal inside and she sat on the bed so we could look at it together.
"You saved your mom," she sighed. "That's so cool."
"I got shot," I said. "It was an accident. I didn't even know what I was doing."
"Yeah, but you did it anyway," Molly said, looking into my eyes and biting her bottom lip.
We were going to kiss again. I could feel it.
"I love you, Trent," she whispered.
"I love you too," I replied, and this time she gave me a real kiss. Her tongue teased my lips and slipped between them.
I might have worried about having some serious morning breath after sleeping for so long, but Molly didn't seem to care, so I didn't either. I tickled her tongue with mine and rubbed her back. She wore a light brown sweater, angora maybe, and the soft texture felt amazing. She smelled like perfume too. The expensive kind. Gucci. That's what it was and I couldn't think of it before, but now I knew. She tasted sweet, like peppermint, and I was glad they'd disconnected that stupid heart monitor because I probably would have broken it right then.
We made out for five minutes and the only reason we stopped was because our parents were back.
"Do you feel like getting out of bed?" Mr. Carpenter wondered, smiling like he already knew the answer.
"I'll see if I can track down a wheelchair," Dad said.
"What's going on?" Molly asked, echoing my thoughts exactly.
Two nurses were already coming into the room, one of them pushing a wheelchair. My dad just rubbed his jaw.
"I feel pretty good," I decided, and it would be nice to get out of bed.
"Why don't you guys give us a little privacy," one of the nurses said, a young black man. "We'll take care of Trent."
"Oh!" I hadn't realized there was a catheter shoved inside my you-know-what. I couldn't see it, the nurse hadn't yanked the comforter off me or anything, but I saw the tube and the bag hanging from the bottom of my bed.
"We need to clean ourselves up a little too," Mom said, speaking to me, but looking at my dad.
"I'll be right outside," Molly told me.
"I'll stay out of your way," Mr. Carpenter told the nurses, and he didn't seem to be going anywhere. It made me wonder what the deal was, you know?
Maybe he wanted to talk to me about kissing Molly. It would suck to wake up from a coma and be in trouble first thing. I hadn't even gotten out of bed yet!
"In about fifteen minutes," he said, "there's going to be a lot of reporters talking to you."
"There is?" I winced as the other nurse, the older, grey haired woman nurse, pulled the catheter out of my penis. That was kind of embarrassing, but I didn't look at her or her hands and that made it better.
"First Dr. Sing is going to talk about what a great hospital he has. Doctor Hirsch is going to explain why you woke up and tell everyone what a wonderful patient you've been."
"Okay." I shrugged and smiled, not understanding a word of this.
"And then the reporters are going to start asking questions. A lot of them," Mr. Carpenter said. "They're going to ask how you're feeling, what you want to do now that you're awake, whether or not you saw Jesus..."
"What?" I laughed and he grinned.
"It's possible," he said. "But don't underestimate them. What I want you to do is keep your answers simple. If they ask about anything before you were shot, tell them you don't remember. Okay? You're not going to talk about anything except what's going on right now."
"Uhhh...Why?" I asked, making a face as the two nurses basically gave me a sponge bath. "I mean, what are you telling me this for? Shouldn't my mom and dad..."
"Because I'm your lawyer," Mr. Carpenter said. "I'm representing you and your family in the upcoming liability suit."
"The what?" I blinked at him.
"We can talk about it later," he said. "The important thing is that we avoid saying anything in the press that might hurt us later."
"Like what?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Like if a reporter asks you why Pamela Keller intended to shoot your mother..." He stared at me. "What would you say?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know what you'd say or..."
"I don't know why she wanted to hurt my mom," I lied, and believe me, I could take a hint. That's exactly what the man wanted to hear.
"Good." Mr. Carpenter nodded, walking towards a tall, metal wardrobe painted cheery yellow.
He didn't have to worry about me. I wasn't going to say a word to anyone about my dad cheating on my mom. Not until I had a chance to figure it all out, anyway. At least they weren't divorced. Mom hadn't treated him like a leper, and that had to mean something. It could be that I'd misunderstood what was going on, and I hoped I did, but I seriously doubted it. Pam had been pretty convincing talking about all the things Dad had promised her.
"You can wear this," Mr. Carpenter said, holding one of my old blankets.
It had teddy bears on it and Mom must have brought half my bedroom to the hospital. I smiled when I saw it. I hadn't used that blanket since I'd been eight years old probably. I was dressed in a fresh hospital gown and in the wheelchair before it occurred to me that the blanket over my legs made me look like a little kid. I guess that's what Mr. Carpenter wanted though.
"They're going to try and surprise you," he said, "but I'll be right there if you get into trouble."
"Okay." I nodded. He made it sound like I was Custer off to meet the indians. It made me pretty nervous, as you can imagine, but I hadn't quite grasped how popular my case had become. I guess nothing much ever happens in Seattle.
"One more thing," Mr. Carpenter said, leaning down as he pushed me out of the room. "We're going to need a little man-to-man soon. Molly likes you a lot."
"Uh...Okay." I turned my head to see him smiling, so that made me feel somewhat better, but not as much as seeing my mom and dad waiting for me. And Molly.
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After the two doctors were through talking, Mr. Carpenter told the reporters I'd take a few, brief questions. He hadn't been kidding either. There must have been about two dozen people there, even more than that if one counted all the cameramen. Every TV station from Portland to Vancouver must have sent a camera crew and more were coming in, looking unhappy and a bit out of breath.
"Trent!" They all shouted at once and I winced beneath the bright lights. Mr. Carpenter pointed at someone.
"Trent, how do you feel?" a man asked me, and all of a sudden the small auditorium fell completely silent.
"I feel pretty good," I said into the microphone Mr. Carpenter held for me. "I'm kinda hungry."
That made most of them laugh, at least politely, and Mom rubbed my shoulders. She and Dad were standing right behind me.
"How does it feel to be a hero?" a woman asked, getting the question in just ahead of a half-dozen others.
"I don't know." I shrugged. "I guess I'll have to find one and ask him."
That seemed like a really stupid answer to me, and I kicked myself for being a smart-ass, but everybody laughed for real that time.
"What do you want to say to Pamela Keller, the woman who shot you?" a Chinese looking woman wondered, and she looked familiar. She was kinda hot too.
"That's not something Trent wants to talk about today," Mr. Carpenter told her, getting some groans and dirty looks. "Yeah...Question, Tom?" He pointed at a reporter.
"What do you plan to do now that you're awake, Trent?"
"Ummm...I want to go back to school," I said. "And, uh...I really want to learn how to ice skate."
I grinned at Molly and she rolled her eyes, but wow! What a smile!
"My girlfriend's going to teach me," I said, kind of pointing at her.
"How about a picture of you two together?" someone suggested.
"Give her a kiss!" someone else said, and Molly looked pretty self-conscious the way she blushed, but her dad seemed to think it was a good idea.
He was probably happy nobody could ask anymore questions while Molly posed with me and I kissed her cheek for the cameras. There were more questions shouted out, but I didn't answer any of them. A woman asked me if I'd known my dad was having an affair, which seemed pretty rude. Someone else wanted to know what it felt like to get shot. They were dumb questions, but I was just some kid who'd been in a coma. It all seemed pretty dumb to me.
"Now I'd like to read a prepared statement for the Patterson family," Mr. Carpenter said, and it turned out to be a short one.
Basically he read a thank you note to the hospital and the doctors and nurses. He talked about how much support the people of Seattle had given me and my parents. He hoped that now that I was awake, the press would respect my privacy and not climb the tree outside my bedroom and take pictures of me in my underwear...Well, he didn't say that, exactly. But he should have, just to liven it up a little.
I was just glad it was over with.
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I was back in my hospital bed and it's surprising how tiring just getting in and out of bed could be. Rolling around in the wheelchair hadn't been too bad, but I really wanted to walk. That would have to wait for the next day, however, when I saw a physical therapist. My muscles were definitely weak after two months with no exercise. I had sort of a diaper rash too, but I don't want to talk about that.
"Why do you have to go?" I asked, frowning at Molly. "Stay here, we're getting some pizza."
"You need to spend some time with your mom and dad," she said, smiling and playing with my hair. "I'll come back tomorrow after school. Okay?"
"You can call me," I said, glancing at the phone. "I think."
"Okay." She nodded. "I'll call you after I take my bath."
"Yeah?" I grinned and we were whispering.
"Maybe I'll call you while I'm in my bath," Molly said, teasing me with her eyes.
I had my first erection since I'd gotten shot right then. Or the first one I could remember. I wondered if I'd had any wet dreams? That would be embarrassing!
"Ready to go, Molly?" Mr. Carpenter asked. He'd been speaking to my mom, as Dad had already left to get the pizza.
"Just a second," she sighed, taking a deep breath. "He likes you," she told me, meaning her dad.
"Well, yeah," I said with a grin. "I was like the perfect boyfriend. I couldn't even try to kiss you."
"Shut-up!" she said, pursing her lips. "I kissed you anyway, remember?"
"I'm never gonna forget," I promised.
"Molly?" Her dad sounded impatient.
"I'd better go," she said, and we wanted to kiss, but didn't. "You're still taking me to the prom. Don't forget!"
"That's why I woke up early," I said. "So I can take some dancing lessons."
"Heh!" She stuck her tongue out at me. "Bye, Mrs. Patterson."
"Bye, Molly," Mom replied, giving her a genuine smile. "We'll see you tomorrow."
Mr. Carpenter gave me a friendly wave and then they were gone, Mom closing the door behind them.
"I like your new girlfriend," she told me, reaching up to remove the clip in her hair. My mom had made herself pretty for the press conference and now she wanted to relax.
"Really?" I asked, wanting to believe her. "I finally found a girl you approve of?"
"Yes," she said with a soft laugh. "Molly's been here almost everyday. She's been a real comfort to us."
"Oh." I hadn't expected Mom to say anything like that. In fact, I hadn't really expected her to like Molly at all.
"I was so worried about you," she said, sitting on my bed and leaning over me.
She stroked my hair and searched my face with her deep blue eyes, but I didn't know what she was looking for. Maybe nothing at all.
"If anything had happened to you, Trent. If you'd..." She winced, unable to say the word. "I wouldn't have been able to live with that."
"I'm okay, Mom."
"I know." She kissed my forehead. "You're back, safe and sound."
She kissed my nose. She kissed my cheeks.
"You were right here the whole time," she whispered, her eyes growing wet. "But I missed you. Every day, I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," I replied, feel my heart stammer as she kissed my mouth.
My mom's soft lips lingered on mine and I found my hand touching her hip. She'd lost weight, I realized, and Mom hadn't been anything but slender anyway. I squeezed her through the dress she wore, a bright sundress to announce her happy mood. She'd been wearing black when I'd woken up, as if mourning me, but not anymore. She'd looked radiant in front of the reporters and now wept with happiness as her tongue teased mine.
Molly had made my cock hard and it hadn't gone soft, not at all. Mom found it as I let her inside my mouth completely. We were kissing the way a mother and son shouldn't, but I couldn't help it. My hand went to the small of her back and I pulled her closer as she massaged my swollen penis through the comforter. I reached for her breasts, cupping the left and feeling the lace of her bra beneath the yellow cotton. I chased her tongue between her lips and explored my mother's mouth. I loved her so much.
"That's enough," she decided, suddenly and without warning.
"What?" I drank cool air into my lungs. We'd been making out for five minutes probably.
"I need to freshen up," she told me, and I had no idea how she could just stop like that. It confused me, but at the same time I wondered what the heck we were doing.
Molly. I loved Molly, not my mom, not like that. The wires had gotten crossed, that's all. I'd been thinking about my girlfriend and worrying about my mom, and she was right. We weren't supposed to be kissing like that. I hadn't even tried to stop her. I just wanted my mom to hold me, you know? I wanted to comfort her. I'd been sick and she'd been right there with me, but now I was better. We were both confused, except I'd wanted to make love to her.
And she had my baby in her tummy, I hadn't forgotten that.
Maybe my mom was psychic. Two minutes after she went into the bathroom to wash her face, Dad showed up with the pizza. I'd had some hospital food earlier, but I was starving. Nothing had ever smelled as good as that pizza. The only bad thing was that I had a stomach the size of a pea. I had two bites and I felt full.
"Mmmm..." Mom made a face and rubbed her stomach after eating half a slice.
"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting up on pillows with the hospital bed adjusted to something more like a chair. Those things are definitely comfortable.
"Indigestion," she said. "It's the baby. If I eat anything that isn't bland..."
"Your mom was pretty sick for awhile there," Dad said. He smiled at her. "It's a little better now. Right?"
"A little," she agreed, but she gave him a cool look. "Why don't you go home, Dave. I'll stay with Trent tonight."
"I don't mind," he protested., looking at me "I'm so glad you're with us again."
"Yeah." I nodded. "Me too, Dad."
"I mind," Mom snapped. "Go home. I want to be alone with my son."
"Uhhh..." he cleared his throat and I looked away, feeling embarrassed for him.
Things were not as well as they'd seemed, but I hadn't seriously believed they were. I'd heard what Pamela had said. My dad had promised to leave my mom and take her away? It sounded ridiculous and if I hadn't heard it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. Mom had heard her as well, and looked down the barrel of the gun that had shot me. My dad's mistress had put me in a fucking coma. They'd taken out part of my lung and I'd almost died, although nobody had used those exact words in front of me. They didn't have to, I'd seen it in my mom's eyes.
In my dad's too, and that's why I felt bad for him. Mom hadn't forgiven him and in all honesty, I really hadn't thought about it enough to start blaming him. I was just happy to be awake, you know?
"I'll come by in the morning," Dad told me, giving me a hug. He didn't want to let me go, but we could both feel Mom's eyes on us.
"I love you, Dad."
Mom walked him to the door and didn't refuse his kiss on the cheek. So they weren't hopeless, I thought. Mom hadn't divorced him or even kicked him out of the house, she just wasn't playing lovey-dovey. At least, not in private. They'd looked happy together in front of the doctors and especially the press, but Mom was a practical woman anyway. She wasn't of a type to follow her heart blindly, not in love or anger. I'd learned that early on in my life and I suppose I took after my dad, although I'd never thought about it before. He really was the romantic one in their relationship and my mom owned him because of it.
Maybe.
I was just starting to glean some undiscovered truth. Like a big secret that had been there all along and not really a secret at all. When I looked at my parents, was I looking at me and Molly twenty years in the future? That was too much concept for me. Too big an idea and I didn't want to think about it. I didn't even know what it meant! But I did feel a lot of sympathy for my dad as Mom closed the door behind him.
"Do you know what the nice thing is about a private room?" she asked. "The door has a lock."
She smiled at me and turned the bolt with a loud snick.
"Of course..." she sighed, walking towards me. "The nurses have a key, but they're polite enough to knock. Can you unzip me?"
"Sure." I swallowed hard as she offered me the back of her dress. The dress had a small, delicate zipper and I pulled it downward slowly.
"We've been practically living here for the last two months," Mom said, looking around the room. "Your father's been reading to you every night."
"He has?" I watched as she slipped her dress off her shoulders, letting the yellow cotton fall down her body.
She stood in a white bra and matching panties, definitely thinner than I remembered, but I noted a small bulge in her tummy. Or just a lump, really, and if she'd been her normal self it wouldn't have been noticeable at all. I'd forgotten for a moment that she was three months pregnant by then, or close to it. Eleven weeks? I tried to count, but I wasn't even sure what day it was. January something. Twenty-sixth? And my birthday had been on the twelfth, which meant I was sixteen. I'd forgotten all about that.
"I missed my birthday," I said, dumbly. "Oh, man! I missed Christmas too."
"No you didn't," Mom said, taking my hand in hers. "Everything's waiting for you, Trent."
She stood next to my bed and pulled my palm to her pale stomach, down low under her belly button and just above the waistband of her panty. I felt her soft and warm as she moved my palm around in a gentle circle. I licked my lips, both of us looking at that magical place. Her womb was inside there, cradled around a tiny fetus that I'd helped make. I realized the small bulge I'd imagined to be our baby had been only my imagination. Mom wasn't showing yet and I could feel nothing but her.
"Sometimes I think it's moving around," she said. "I had an ultra-sound last week. The doctor couldn't tell me what it is yet."
"What do you want it to be?" I wondered, lifting my eyes to see her smiling.
"A girl, I think." She offered me a small shrug. "Boys are too much trouble."
"Sorry," I sighed, because recent events for me were two months old and I kept forgetting that.
"For what?" she asked with a curious look. Mom found the remote for the bed and started lowering it back down.
"I don't know, um...Jules? Her mom?" I replied. "All that stuff."
"Oh, we don't have to worry about that," she said, letting go of my hand as I had to shift my body and get comfortable. "Carol's pregnant. You don't owe her a thing anymore."
"She is?" I lifted my head as Mom fixed my pillows. "You mean, I did it?"
"Well, it takes two to tango," she reminded me.
She opened the closet, that metal wardrobe standing against the wall, and reached behind her to unsnap her bra. Skinny or not, my mom still had an awesome body. I tried not to stare as her breasts were exposed. She had hard nipples, pinkish-brown cones pushing out and up as if pointing the way to heaven.
Mom caught me looking and smiled, but she wasn't surprised at all. Everything she did was deliberate, I knew that. If the twins were a random act of nature waiting to happen, she was exactly the opposite. Angie and Stacy lied to get what they wanted, or just for the sheer joy of being agents of chaos, I wasn't sure. But my mom? She didn't have to lie. She could get what she wanted with the truth and I admired that, I think, but I still felt manipulated.
I'd solved so many problems on that one crazy day. I'd broken up with Bambi. Busted the twins. I'd made up with Molly, and that hadn't been easy! And I'd even managed to knock up Mrs. Collins as it turns out, and that had been kind of easy. Fun too, actually. I hadn't solved the problem of my mom though. Not even close and obviously, being in a coma hadn't helped. At least she was putting on some pajamas, except she'd decided to take off her panties first.
"I think half of my closet's here," she said, teasing me with a giggle as she pushed her panties down her legs. I took an involuntary breath when I saw her thin, blonde bush.
"Maybe we shouldn't..." I started saying, only to find her eyes staring into mine.
"Shouldn't what?" she asked, innocently. "I've spent the night here plenty of times. Nobody will think twice about it."
"Oh." I nodded, watching as she pulled a pair of pink pajama bottoms up her thighs and over her pert, round butt. She made getting dressed look sexy.
"That's why I bought these," Mom said, meaning her pajamas.
She put the top on, like a shirt, but with only three large buttons to hold it closed. She only buttoned the one in the middle. Mom glanced at her watch and removed it, along with her earrings and a diamond tennis bracelet she'd worn for the press. She unlocked the door, which I didn't understand, and found a hairbrush in her purse.
"Nurse Haley does her rounds at 8:30," Mom said, sitting beside me. She started brushing her hair and it shimmered like gold.
She looked beautiful to me, as I've probably said a thousand times, but it's true. I wished it wasn't. Molly was supposed to call me and she's the girl I loved. I mean, I loved my mom, but not like that. The biggest mistake I'd ever made had been having sex with her. I must have been crazy. First, for thinking I could get away with it, and second, for thinking it wouldn't change anything. Sex changes everything, but I didn't know why. It's pretty stupid if you stop and think about it, but maybe that's just what people are -- Stupid.
Or teenage boys, anyway.
My mom wasn't stupid, so what had changed for her? That's what I didn't get. Every other girl I could understand, even Bambi, but not Mom. Did I dare ask her about it? Did I dare not to? What if she got angry, or worse, what if I hurt her somehow? I'd made myself a promise to be faithful to Molly. Kinda. I'd definitely decided that I wouldn't have more than one girlfriend at a time. So I had to break up with my mom? I almost wished I'd never woken up.
"I love Molly," I said, feeling like I was entering a minefield. In the dark, wearing a blindfold, with big clown shoes on my feet.
"I know you do," she said, patiently brushing her hair. "I think she's in love with you, too."
"Do you still love Dad?" I wondered, because I was genuinely curious.
"I'll always love your dad," she said, turning her head far enough to see my eyes. "He just has to earn it all over again."
"Okay." I nodded.
"He hurt you, Trent," Mom said. "He hurt our family when he started fucking that little whore."
I blinked at her words, which were very cool, very deliberate, and completely exposed the hatred beneath them. She could forgive her husband, maybe, but Mom wasn't ever going to forgive Pamela. I got that clear enough and I regretted asking about dad. I really wanted her feeling...motherly. Or maybe that was motherly, like a bear protecting its cub, but still not what I wanted from her.
"So if you love Dad, and you know how me and Molly feel about each other," I said, determined to try, "then, um...maybe we shouldn't..."
rap-rap-rap ... "Are we awake in here?" A thin black woman smiled around the door. "Oh! There he is...Trent!"
She wasn't alone, a doctor and two more nurses were right behind her. The night shift had heard the good news, of course, and after babysitting me for two months, they wanted to introduce themselves. Mom beamed happily all the while, making the introductions as they all hugged me. Even the doctor, who told me to call him Dr. Jim because he was really a pediatrician, but had the duty every Wednesday night. Or something. I felt a little overwhelmed and Mom sat there in her pink pajamas enjoying the attention her son was getting. Everybody loved me, Molly hadn't been kidding about that.
"I saw you on the TV," Nurse Haley said. "I almost fainted, right there in the kitchen."
"I knew you could do it," Dr. Jim told me. "Let me listen to your lungs real quick. We'll get your blood pressure and temperature. Right?"
"Yes Doctor," Nurse Lawler replied. She was young and kind of cute, I thought, and she liked to smile at me. She had short black hair and green eyes.
"Where's Mr. Patterson tonight?" the third nurse, one of those chubby, uber-friendly girls, asked my mom.
"Oh, I gave him the night off," Mom replied with a smile. "You won't mind if I spend the night with Trent, will you? Now that he's awake?"
"What? No!" Nurse Haley waved a hand at her. "Of course not. Don't you go anywhere, Susan. The boy needs his mother."
My mom smiled at that expected answer, waiting patiently while the doctor and nurses fussed over me for another five minutes. Once they were satisfied, Mom locked the door again, turning out all the lights except the one in the bathroom. She closed that door most of the way, leaving a sliver of light to illuminate the room, which was plenty. I could see her well enough as she undid the one button holding her pajama top closed.
"For the money we're paying, you'd think they'd have a bigger bed," she sighed, getting into it, beneath the comforter and sheets to lay beside me.
I thought about trying to talk to her again. I really wanted to, if only to understand why she wanted to have sex with me, but it was too late for that. Mom didn't give me a chance to protest, and she had to know I wasn't entirely comfortable with what we were doing. I'd tried to bring up the subject twice and there wasn't going to be a third time, not with her tongue wriggling between my lips and her hand massaging my cock through my hospital gown.
Thoughts of Molly filled my head, but only briefly. I felt guilty and told myself this wasn't really cheating on her. My mom didn't count, right? Nothing could possibly happen between us. I mean, other than sex. We couldn't get married or even date, so she couldn't come between Molly and me.
"I haven't had sex since the day it happened," Mom whispered, licking her lips and guiding my hand to her left breast.
"Me neither," I joked, but it was the truth and my cock had grown stiff immediately.
She pulled the thin cotton gown upward and held my naked erection while we kissed again. Her breast filled my hand, falling into it as she lay on her side facing me. I was on my back, with my head turned, trying to push away the guilt of making out with my own mother. Her fingers felt wonderful wrapped around my thick shaft, pumping me slowly up and down to coax precum from the tip. She played with my balls and I squeezed her breast, rubbing my thumb around her distended nipple.
"We shouldn't do this," I said, unable to help myself. No matter how good it felt, I really did want to turn over a new leaf, but Mom didn't seem to be convinced.
"No," she sighed, kissing my ear and tugging on my aching penis. "You don't get to say no, Trent. You made the decision for both of us. A long time ago, remember?"
She kissed me again and I moaned into her mouth as she let my cock go. She began to remove her pajama bottoms, reaching down to push them off her hips as she squirmed, still kissing me awkwardly. Mom wanted to be on top, which was really the only way for us to do it. I doubt I'd have had the stamina to fuck her any other way. I'd done a little walking earlier, to and from the bathroom with a nurse's help, and that had been difficult enough.
"But what about Dad and Molly?" I wondered, closing my eyes against the desire growing deep in my gut. I wanted her, I really did.
"This is special," she whispered, straddling my hips with her knees. "They'll never know, I promise."
She hadn't explained anything and I stopped caring as I felt her pussy opening around my cock. She let me hold it, guiding myself inside her, and that made me her accomplice. More than just returning her kisses or petting her beautiful body, she'd held herself above me, waiting and knowing I wouldn't refuse. I rubbed my cockhead around her buttery vulva and stretched the small, tight mouth of her sex with something like a whimper of submission. I'd been in a coma for 53 days, and eight hours after waking up, I was fucking my mother.
I held her hips as she rocked my cock, riding me with her arms stiff and her downward pointing tits grazing my chest. They swayed like pale pendulums in the dim light, sexy and hypnotic, but it was her face I watched most closely. Mom kept her eyes on mine the entire time, smiling as I stretched her pussy, wincing as my cock found the soft bottom, She seemed smaller inside than I remembered, hot and snug, wonderfully moist as she began a slow, deliberate grind that made her gasp.
"Ohhh..." she sighed, nodding her head. "You're going to make me cum."
"It feels good," I agreed, feeling her pelvis pressed against mine.
She had every inch of my cock inside her and the circular motion gave way to a quick jerking as she found her orgasm, the first of several. I forgot everything else. She lowered her body to mine, kissing me while she came, and I hugged my mother tightly. I rubbed her back beneath the pajama top she still wore and slid my hands downward to find her naked ass. I pulled her against my cock, wanting to lift my hips and really fuck her, but I could only lay there and it didn't matter. I couldn't hold myself back.
My cock pulsed eagerly with a distinctly uncomfortable mix of pleasure and pain. It felt much like the very first orgasm of my life, actually. After saving up my sperm for nearly two months, there was a lot of it trying to get out all at once. Mom could feel it. She squirmed in my arms and tightened her thighs, tensing the soft muscles wrapped around my spurting cock. I must have been right there, my cockhead kissing the entrance to her pregnant womb, and I thought about the baby while we kissed. It was right there, inside her soft tummy as it pressed against my stomach, and that only made me cum that much harder.
"Feel better?" Mom teased me, breathing the words across my face as she lay on top of me.
"Yeah," I said, smiling and catching my breath. "That was amazing."
"Hmmm...Like us," she sighed. "Nobody else will ever understand."
"I know," I agreed, but I didn't understand any of this.
"Do you?" she asked, surprising me. I'd been lying and she'd caught me.
"You're my mom," I replied, cautiously. "I love you."
"Trent." She smiled and kissed me. "I know you do. We don't have any choice, do we?"
I just looked at her. My cock was still inside her body, bathing in our combined orgasm, joining us in the most intimate, forbidden way imaginable. I never understood her and I knew this had to be wrong, but...It only felt wrong because of Molly. My mother was warm, so generous with her eyes and lips, giving me every part of her. I didn't love her that way, but my cock wasn't going soft and I was pushing her off me, and she knew me entirely too well.
"I'm not keeping you," she whispered. "I'm only loving you."
"Alright." I nodded as she began to move once more. I knew I'd just made a deal, but was it with my mom, I wondered, or with the devil?