A Family Destroyed Ch. 02

"I see, you're on percocet 10/325. That's a very high dose are you sure you need to be on it?" Campbell asked not looking up from the medical file she printed out.

"She's joking with me right?" Simon asked looking over at his sister. The paper gown crinkling as he moved.

"No, Mr. Winters I am..." the doctor said finally looking up from the file. When she read that most of the calf muscle had been removed she thought the military was pulling one over her. The wheels popped over the grout as Dr. Campbell scouted towards him. "Can you rotate your foot for me?" she asked placing the heel of his foot in the palm of her hand. Her eyes watching the movement of what remained of his muscles. Seeing the ligaments moving underneath the skin. "Can you wiggle your toes for me?" she asked watching those five little piggies moved about. "So Mr. Winters any relation to our nurse here?" she asked to keep his mind occupied as she examined his leg more closely.

"He's my little brother," Amy said softly. She couldn't believe her brother was living with that. "So much pain. Why didn't he ever contact us about it? Why did he have to stay away for so long?" she asked herself.

"Oh?! You must be proud of him then? It must be nice having your brother around?

"I wouldn't know, this is the first time I've seen him in six years," Amy said with a pointed look.

"That's not good, you shouldn't be estranged from your own family," the doctor said in a tsk tsk voice, "Especially, with your leg in such a state. It must be hard for you standing on this leg."

"Yes," Simon nodding, "Sometimes I can feel my calf twitching, but then I remember I don't have much of one anymore," he chuckled darkly.

"I understand," the doctor said. Glancing up as Simon winced painfully as her fingers skimmed over a exposed nerve cluster. "Sorry. How many percocet do you take in day?"

"Six, sometimes eight given the pain," Simon said, feeling his sister's eyes on him.

"Hmm... I'm going to write you a script for a nerve blocker. Hopefully, it will decrease your need for the percocet and help ease the pain when the pain medication wears off," Dr. Campbell said, pulling her prescription pad from her coat packet. Flipping through his file making sure she gave him the correct amount. "Now Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxer, yet works really well as a nerve blocker. Strictly follow it's instructions, it's very easy to overdose on it, alright?" she said ripping the two prescriptions from the pad. "Amy, if you be so kind as to run this over to the pharmacy next door."

"Sure thing," Amy said with a nod. Looking back at her brother as she left the room.

"Well, Mr. Winters if the Methocarbamol doesn't work, or if you experience any side effects please don't hesitate to come back in. Just ask for me any time and I'll make sure your seen as quickly as possible," Dr. Campbell said patting his arm. "I'll leave you be while you get dressed."

"Simon?" Amy said sticking her head into the room. Watching his t-shirt cascading down his back before reaching for his cane.

"Yeah?"

"I have your medication," Amy said, walking up behind him placing the bag in front of him. "Are you here for grandma's funeral?"

"Yes," Simon said somberly. His body stilled, his muscles tensed as his sister's arms wrapped around him.

"Please, just let me hold you for a bit," Amy whispered burying her face into his back. Her mind was in a confused state of flux. It couldn't decided on to silently cry for the lost of their grandmother, or to salivate as her hands rested on his hard muscles. "Are you going to be there for the wake, or just the funeral?"

"Both," Simon said patting her hand.

Amy's eyes darted about knowing that Simon wasn't leaving town for a week. She wondered if she could get him to stay permanently to try and fix their relationship. If she could then maybe she could get to him to see her in a new light.

"Okay, if you like I can pick you up and drive you to it? I really don't want you driving on those pills," Amy said hugging him close.

"Alright," Simon said, popping two pills into his mouth. He knew he could drive on straight percocet, yet the new drug he would have to wait and see how the two interacted.

"Good. Now I have a few hours left of work, how about I take you out for dinner? When I'm done that is," Amy said, her hands brushing lightly along his shoulders. "I'll take that as a yes," she giggled as his stomach rumbled. "I'll walk you to your car," Amy said not taking no for an answer.

"Simon, what's this?" Amy asked as she picked up the brown envelop that sat on the passenger seat.

"Just something grandmas lawyer gave to me," Simon said offhandedly.

"But why?"

"Umm..." Simon said scratching his chin, "Grandma, told her to give it to me at the end of her video will." He didn't know how they would take the news that she had left him everything. He wasn't that sadistic.

"What?!" Amy asked sliding into his car. "When was this?! Why weren't we informed?"

Sighing loudly as he rubbed his forehead, "I don't know why you weren't informed of the reading, Amy. All I know, I got a call three days ago about grandma's death, and to met her lawyer this morning."

"And how long have you been in town?" Amy asked tempted to open the envelop.

"Since Monday night."

"What?!" Amy's head snapped towards him. "Are you telling me," she said taking a deep breath, "That you have been in town for two whole days, and you don't bother to come by and say hello?" Amy threw the envelop in his face as he nodded. Slamming his car door shut. "You're a fucking asshole!" she yelled at him as she stomped towards the entrance of the clinic. "Two fucking days and not a peep! Fuck you Simon!"

Looking down at the envelop as it laid in his lap. Breaking the seal, tilting the it upwards spilling the contents into his hand. Simon arched an eyebrow as a pair of keys, and a CDR-DVD that greeted him. He knew what the keys were for, yet the DVD perplexed him. Looking into his rearview mirror as he sat at the exit to the clinic's parking lot. Simon saw his sister standing behind the glass door chewing on her nail. Thinking it better that he just leave. Simon sped down the road to the motel. He needed to check out and gather his things. He wasn't about to disobey his grandmother's wish.

Pulling into the driveway of his grandmother's... his new house. Simon had to get use to calling it that. He was going to be spending a lot of time within that house. The Art Deco columns sported a new fresh coat of white paint. The greyish-black asphalt shingle looked new as he looked to the roof and the wrapping around porch roof. The fragrance of his grandmother's flower garden drifted on the breeze as Simon stepped onto the porch. A sad smile graced his lips knowing nothing had changed since the last time he was there.

The front door softly closed behind him. His cane thumped along the hardwood floor as he surveyed the living room. The pharmacy bag bumping against his leg as he walked to the kitchen. His hand ran over the cabinet doors remembering his youth. Running in and out of the house being chased by his older sister. His grandmother's voice yelling at them to not run through her house. The birthday parties they all had once shared. The Christmas dinners that brought everyone to her house. Then he heard the soft weeping from down the hall.

"Amy is that you?" Simon's froze in his tracks at the sound of his mother's voice. "Baby, I know you're worried, but I'm alright..." Pamela's mouth hung agape, her eyes widening, her tissue falling from her hand as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen. "Simon?!" she asked skeptically unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. "Baby?! Is that truly you standing there?" Pamela asked her voice quivering, her lip trembled, as she looked upon the man that stood in her mother's kitchen.

"Yeah," Simon said, setting down the pharmacy bag and envelope on the counter.

Tentatively, his mother took a step then another, her left hand ran along the counter while her right reached out. Poking his arm a few times, "Oh Simon!" Pamela cried out wrapping her son in a hug. "Oh, my sweet boy your finally home," she said crying happily as she stroked his hair.

"Hello mother," Simon said patting her back.

"Let me have a look at you," Pamela said, wiping away the tears from her eyes. Her hands ran down his face she always knew he would be a handsome man. To his shoulders noting the strength he carried. Down his arms feeling the honed muscles underneath her hands. "Son, why do you need a cane?" Pamela turned her head as she heard her phone ringing from the living room. "Don't you go anywhere! I want to know everything just let me answer this."

"Mom! You won't believe who showed up at the clinic!"

"Let me guess Simon," Pamela said, watching as her son headed towards the door.

"How did you know?"

"Because I'm looking at your brother right now," Pamela said, watching as Simon limped to his car.

"What?! Where are you?"

"At your grandmother's house," Pamela said plainly.

"Okay, keep him there, we need to have a talk with him about grandma's will."

"What? I thought she didn't have one!"

"Apparently, she did Mom, and Simon was the only one at the reading or told about it."

"Alright," Pamela said, watching how her son balanced on one leg.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Simon," Pamela called out as she stood on the steps of the porch, "Do you need help?"

"I wouldn't mind a hand," Simon said, setting the duffle bag onto the driveway. Placing the hat box on top of it then looping the strap of his laptop case over his head.

"I'll take this in then," Pamela said, bending down taking the hat box into her arm and grabbing hold of the straps of the bag. "Simon, while I'm glad you're here, why aren't you staying with us? You know we have room. I haven't changed your room since you left. I... always thought you'd come back," she said choking back a sob.

"Because Grandma left me her house," Simon said jingling the keys, "How do you think I got in?"

"She didn't!" Pamela gasped her mother knew how much she loved that house. Even Robert wanted it for himself if or when their parents passed on. "What else did my mother leave you?!" Pamela asked with bitterness in her voice.

Pinching his nose, Simon knew he would eventually have to answer that question. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, but later, right now I want to know why you're not using your left leg properly," Pamela said, her eyes going wide as Simon reached into his car pulling out his uniform. "Simon, you didn't?!"

"I did."

"But why?! Why the military!" Pamela said concerned about how ignored her son had become.

"Do you really want me to me to answer that?" Simon asked sighing to himself when he felt the drugs finally kicking in.

"No. No, I guess not," Pamela said her cheeks blushing. "You don't mind if I stay in mom's room until the funeral?"

"No," Simon said walking towards the door.

"Thank you Simon," Pamela said following after her son.

"She was your mom, Mom. Even I'm not that cold hearted," Simon said, as he draping his uniform across the back of the couch. Placing his laptop on the cushion. "Does this place have Internet?"

"You're kidding right? This is your grandmother we're talking about," Pamela chuckled.

"Right," Simon said creaking a smile.

"You always had a beautiful smile Simon," Pamela said sweetly, yet her eyes wouldn't leave his leg.

"I'm assuming she doesn't have cable either?" Simon asked surfing the net for the best cable and Internet packages. He needed the high end GB speeds for his work and a little for his entertainment.

"No," Pamela said biting her lip looking to the clock.

"Hello," Simon said, as he called one of the local cable companies. "Yes, I need cable and Internet install here. Yes, your highest data rate," he said walking down the hall. Peering into each room wondering which he was going to use. "Also I'll need your best high speed wireless router installed as well, and five outlets. Do I want digital cable? Hmm, sure why not, but only two boxes alright," Simon said, making up his mind on which room he be using. The one that over looked his grandmother's flower garden. "Yes, tomorrow afternoon will be fine," he said after giving the cable company the address.

"So already making changes to the house?" Pamela asked standing at the end of the hall.

"Need it for work," Simon said sliding his phone into his pocket. Walking into the room checking the bedding, while slight musty it wasn't going to stop him.

"Simon?" Pamela watched as her son winced painfully as he lowered himself onto the bed.

"Yeah," Simon said, rubbing his leg urging the pills to work faster.

"Would you like if we brought your old TV here, and place in this room?"

"Yeah, at least until I can pack up my apartment."

"Baby," Pamela said moving over to the bed. Lowering herself onto bed beside Simon. "Is there anything I can get you," she said placing her hand over his, "I can see you're in pain. There must be something I can do?"

"A new calf would be nice," Simon muttered.

"What?!"

"Nothing. I'm just waiting for the meds to kick in..." The front door squeaked as it opened.

"Mom!" Amy said looking around. Her eyes falling on the items on the couch. Wondering why they were there and not at their place where she thought he should be staying.

"Back here Amy!"

"You know..." Amy began to say, yet her anger melted away instantly when she saw the pain in his eyes.

"What is it Amy," Simon said in a tired sigh.

"I got some ointment that will help," Amy said, keeping what she was really going to say in the back of her mind.

"Oh?"

"It has a numbing agent in it. It help some until your pills fully kick in," Amy said, watching how his hand rubbed up and down his leg.

"Alright," Simon said, eager for anything that would dull the pain if for a short time.

"Give me one second," Amy said dashing back to the living room, "Can you roll up your pants leg high enough, or do you..." Amy smirked as Simon quickly rolled up his pants leg. Amy glanced over as their mother gasped in horror.

"Not a pretty sight is it Mom?" Simon asked glancing over at her.

"Oh baby!" Pamela's arms flew around his neck. Pulling Simon face first into her bosom. Instantly, Simon was aware his mother wasn't wearing a bra. "I don't care! You're home! That's all that maters now," Pamela said stroking his hair.

"You should feel the effects soon," Amy said, rubbing the cream into his skin. Smiling up at him as she saw his nod. "I'll leave the tube here in case you need it," she said, placing it on the nightstand.

"Now have you eaten yet?" Pamela asked watching Amy wiping her hands clean with a few Kleenexes.

"No."

"You know you're suppose to take your pills with food," Amy said disapprovingly.

"You didn't stop me earlier?"

"That's because I thought you have eaten," Amy said crossing her arms.

"Well, we can fix that," Pamela said, her hands slapping her thighs. "Amy, run home and get Simon's old TV, and the DVD player and a few movies. We have a lot to catch up on," she said resting her hand on Simon's leg.

"So... how have you been?" Pamela asked working feverishly chopping potatoes.

"Alright I guess," Samuel said, eyeing his cane on top of the refrigerator his mother had snatched from him once she had dragged him into the kitchen.

"How have you been, young man?" Pamela asked sternly waving the knife pointedly as she turned towards him. She knew that phrase all to well.

"It's been a rough couple of years," Simon sighed.

"Why?" Pamela asked scooping up the potatoes and dropping them into the pot.

"Took awhile to rehabilitate, and time to find a company that understood my needs after I got done with technical school," Simon said, spinning his glass around on the table. While he had no problem limping the few feet to the frig to get his cane. It was getting by his mother who had a very sharp knife in her hand.

"I'm sorry to hear that Simon. I do hope you found one that understands your... condition," Pamela said, placing the hammer steaks into the frying pan. "So, Simon, is there a girlfriend, fiancée, or wife I should know about? If so do I have a grandchild?" she asked seeing movement out of the corner of her eye. She could see Amy just hiding behind the corner.

"No," Simon said plainly.

"No what?! That I don't need to know, or no you don't have any of the above mentioned?"

"The second one." Pamela had to kept herself from smiling as Amy sent a prayer of thanks.

"So, now that we have time, why don't you tell me why Mom left you this house?" Pamela asked drying her hands.

"Also why were you the only one that was informed of grandma's will? And what was in it?" Amy asked entering the kitchen.

"How would I know why she left me the house," Simon lied.

"Simon, sweetheart. you're a very bad lair," Pamela smirked, "Now the truth, if you would please," she said seating down across from him.

"To bring me home," Simon said, hanging his head in defeat.

"And what did the will say?" Amy asked sitting down beside her mother.

"Grandma, left everything to me," Simon said trying not to take pleasure in their shocked looks.

"Everything?!" Pamela asked in shock disbelief. "Does that include the lake house, the mountain house as well?" she asked having spent a lot of time there she knew how grand it was during her divorce. She just couldn't believe her mother would write her own children out of her own will.

"I do think that includes everything, Mom," Simon said sarcastically, "I'll know for certain when the lawyer brings me the deed and the list of her holdings."

"Wait! Mom, just wouldn't leave this all to you if she didn't have some plan. So what was it?"

"I have to stay here for five years," Simon said sighing heavily at their excited expressions. He was going keep the rest to himself. He didn't want them to know about the money, at least not yet.

"What about mom's accounts? Surely, she would will that to her children?!" Pamela asked she has known for sometime about her mother's wealth. Where and how she got it her mother would never tell her. It was only because she took care of her mother's bills that she even knew about it.

"Umm," Simon said scratching the back of his head.

"No! She didn't!" Pamela said, her hand shot to her mouth. "Oh, Robbie, isn't going to like this, not one bit," she said greeting up from her seat.

"Not my problem," Simon said shrugging his shoulders.

"He's still upset at you for showing his wife that tape," Pamela said flipping the steaks, stirring the potatoes as they boiled away.

"It's not fault he got caught cheating on his wife with his own sister," Simon said without a hint remorse for his actions.

"But did you have to tell Mom?" Pamela asked placing the fork down before turning around. "You know what kind of chaos you caused?! Robert had to move away to save his marriage. Mom and Dad were never the same. Even if they lived in the same house they weren't really married anymore. You know all that stress was the cause of his heart attack."

"And," Simon said glancing over at his mother, "Did you think there wouldn't be any consequences? All of you had ample time to either stop or divulge everything. You all chose to keep it a secret. Either one of you could have told me the truth about Melody. Without me wasting two years on that bitch."

"Umm..." Amy said sharing a glance with Pamela.

"What?!" Simon asked in an annoyed sigh.

"You're not going to like this," Amy said, squirming in her seat as Simon's eyes flicked over to her. "Dad... umm married Melody," she whispered bowing her head. Quickly looking up, as Simon belted out a side splitting chuckle.