From: magsrose@comcast.net   
      
   By MagsRose   
   See chapter 1 for headers   
      
      
   hapter 6   
      
   Frohike was too tired that night to have the talk with Emma that he   
   had discussed with Langly. It would wait until morning. He made sure   
   she took her medication, tucked her in and dropped into his own bed.   
      
   Frohike didn't hear a sound all night. Maybe he was too tired or maybe   
   Emma just had a quiet night. He woke up slowly the next day relishing   
   the freedom to stay in bed. He could see that it was already light out   
   but it was Saturday and Emma didn't have school so he didn't have to   
   get up right away. He rolled over to look at the clock. It said 6:03   
   AM. It was much too early to get up on a Saturday. Emma usually slept   
   in until 8 or so on the weekend. Gratefully he rolled over and fell   
   back to sleep.   
      
   When he woke up the next time, he could tell that it was really late.   
   The sun had to be overhead. He looked at the clock. It said 8:24 AM.   
   That little brat! She must have reset his clock. He got up, showered,   
   and got dressed and went looking for his recalcitrant daughter.   
      
   She was reading in the living room looking rather pleased with   
   herself. "Did you sleep well?" She asked him when he came down the stairs.   
      
   "A little too well. My clock seems to have reset it self so that it's   
   three hours slow."   
      
   "Wow, I wonder how that happened. Maybe the power went out during the   
   night."   
      
   "And only affected my clock. How strange."   
      
   "Yes, that's really weird."   
      
      
   "Seriously, Emma, don't do it again."   
      
      
   "But you were just so tired and it's Saturday. You needed to sleep in   
   and I knew you would get up unless you thought it was too early."   
      
   "I would still like the option to decide for myself when I want to get   
   up."   
      
   "Okay, I won't do it again."   
      
   "Medication?" Frohike nagged.   
      
   "Taken."   
      
   "All of it?"   
      
   Big sigh from Emma, "Yes, all of it."   
      
   Ah, one of the many joys of being a parent. At least she hadn't   
   favored him with the eye roll that time.   
      
   Frohike made himself some breakfast, heck, he might as well call it   
   lunch. Emma came to sit in the kitchen with him while he ate. She   
   brought her book with her. He leaned across the table and tipped the   
   book up so that he could see the cover. "What are you reading?"   
      
   "Island of the Blue Dolphin," Emma held up the book so he could see it   
   better.   
      
   "What's it about?"   
      
   "This girl is left on an island by herself and has to gather all her   
   food and everything that she'll need to survive."   
      
   "Why is she left there?"   
      
   "Trappers come and kill most of her people. The rest are taken off to   
   go live somewhere else but her brother misses the boat. She dives in   
   the water and swims back to the island to be with him. He dies though   
   so she's left by herself."   
      
   "Are you reading it for school?"   
      
   "No, I just like it. I've read if before. It's supposed to be a true   
   story."   
      
   "Does she ever get off the island?"   
      
   "I don't know if I should tell you," Emma teased. "You'll have to read   
   the book to find out."   
      
   He snatched the book out of her hands. "Thanks, I think I will."   
      
   "Hey, I wasn't done with it."   
      
   "But you know how it ends and you won't tell me."   
      
   "Okay. Yes, she gets off the island but it's like 20 years later or   
   something."   
      
   "Thanks, now I don't need to read it." He gave her back the book.   
      
   "It really is a good book." Emma insisted.   
      
   "I know. I've seen the movie."   
      
   "There's a movie? Then why'd you ask how it ended?"   
      
   "Movies and books they're based on aren't always the same. People want   
   a happy Hollywood ending. They don't like their favorite characters   
   being killed off."   
      
   "I'd like to see the movie. Is it out on video?"   
      
   "It's pretty old but we can check."   
      
      
      
   After he had cleaned up from lunch, Frohike decided it was time to   
   have the talk that he, in many ways, had been dreading but knew was   
   necessary. Emma was still reading her book in the kitchen. He didn't   
   want the table between them so he asked her to come with him to the   
   living room. He had her sit on the couch and he sat on the coffee   
   table facing her. She looked as nervous as he felt.   
      
   "Is this a family meeting?" Emma asked.   
      
   That sounded about right to Frohike. "I guess you could call it that."   
      
   "Did I do something?"   
      
   "Well, let me get to that."   
      
   Emma had learned long ago that it was best to just let the adult talk.   
   If you start confessing too soon, you often confess to something no   
   one knows anything about. So, she waited.   
      
   "First of all, I need to know if there are any other medical problems   
   that I should be aware of."   
      
   "No, not that I can think of. Oh, wait. I sprained my ankle once. Does   
   that count?"   
      
   "No, I'm more interested in recurring problems, like the asthma."   
      
   "I can't think of anything but if I do I'll tell you."   
      
   "I'd appreciate that. I don't like surprises that require quick trips   
   to the doctor. Next, you know that my work is rather unusual. You've   
   seen the inside of the VW bus. There is a lot of equipment there and   
   in the warehouse that could be dangerous to you if you didn't know how   
   to use it correctly.   
      
   There are even some chemicals and electronics that could hurt you. I   
   want to be very clear about this; you cannot touch anything that you   
   don't fully understand how to use unless one of the guys or I are with   
   you. And there are some things you will not be allowed to use or touch   
   at all."   
      
   "All right."   
      
   "Yesterday, when you were up in the kitchen at the warehouse, you did   
   a little exploring." He waited for her to acknowledge this.   
      
   "Yes."   
      
   "You went into my room and went through some boxes in my closet."   
      
   "Yes." How did he know? She had been so careful.   
      
   "What did you find?"   
      
   "Some pictures."   
      
   "Was that what you were looking for?"   
      
   "Kind of." She didn't mean to be vague so she tried again. "I was just   
   looking through your things to find out more about you. I was curious."   
      
   "Why didn't you ask?"   
      
      
   "I thought you would say no."   
      
      
   "Emma, you won't know if you don't ask."   
      
   "Okay."   
      
   "Did you see what you wanted in the photos?"   
      
   "No."   
      
   "What would you like to see?"   
      
   "Pictures of my grandma and grandpa. Maybe my uncle."   
      
   "Oh, honey, I don't have any pictures of them."   
      
   "None at all?" she asked wistfully.   
      
   "I'm sorry, baby. I used to have some but I've moved around a lot over   
   the years. Things get lost in the shuffle."   
      
   "What about your brother? Maybe he has some."   
      
   "I don't even know how to get in touch with him. I told you this before."   
      
   "I know. It's just that I've never had much family. I just wanted to   
   see what they looked like."   
      
   Frohike ran his hand down the side of her face. He wished he could   
   help her with this. He had taken so many pictures over the years and   
   he didn't have any of the people his daughter wanted most to see.   
      
   "Maybe you can help me." Frohike knew it was pointless to continue on   
   the other track. "I have looked through the whole house trying to find   
   one thing. Pretty much the same thing you were looking for in my   
   closet. Somewhere there have got to be baby pictures of you. I haven't   
   been able to find them. You said that all your mother's personal stuff   
   had been put into storage. Would your baby pictures be there?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)