THE DANGERS OF A GUN
Disclaimer : Are they mine? Last time I looked they were not. Oh well I’ll keep hoping.
It was a Sunny Saturday afternoon, a warm summer day, and Alex was glad that Megan was over to play. She was his best friend, had been since he had moved to England just before he turned two. Now he was 4, and she was five, and the two of them were in his room trying to think up a good adventure.
“We could go climbing trees,” she suggested.
“No thats too boring we did that yesterday,” he said to her. She sighed.
“We could go dig up worms,” she tried. He shook his head.
“Well we need to think of something to do before I have to go home,” she pointed out. That was true.
“Let’s go outside.” They ran downstairs, and in the Parlor, Alex’s dad was cleaning one of his guns.
“Wow,” Megan said walking over to Rick.
“Wow is right. You two need to go outside and play,” he instructed, not liking them to be anywhere near his weapons. He was getting ready to sell his old gun at the gun show, and that is why he had it out. That gave Alex an idea, and he grabbed Megan and pulled her with him back upstairs. He led her down the hall to his parents room, and they went in shutting the door.
“Alex we aren’t supposed to be in here,” she said, knowing that for a fact.
“Well its not big deal,” he said, and went over to the chair where his dads pants were. He pulled out the keys to the drunk on the Buford, and they ran back downstairs, going out the back door, and around to the car.
“Go watch for my dad,” Alex told her. Knowing what he was about to do, she almost said no, but she didn’t want Alex to think that she was a sissy, so she did what he wanted. While Megan stood watch. Alex got the trunk open and found one of his dad’s small revolvers. He shut the trunk back up, and yelled at her. She followed him down into the woods, no one knowing that they had a gun.
Once Rick had both the guns cleaned that he wanted to sell in the gun show, he went up to his room to get dressed for the occasion. He wore a pair of slacks, a nice shirt, and of coarse his gun attire, something he did not go without. He went over to the chair where his slacks were that he had warn all day yesterday, and reached in to get the keys, but didn’t find them there. That caused him to frown. He knew he had put them there, and Evelyn was at the Museum, and Jonathan in bed. Suddenly his blood ran cold. He ran back down stairs into the hall, and got his spare set of trunk keys out. Once he had that, he ran out to his car and opened the trunk. He breathed a sigh of relief as he didn’t notice anything missing, then as he was about to shut the trunk he heard a gunshot. He opened the trunk again, and upon a second look found that his revolver was gone, and that left two children with his weapon. He ran as fast as he could down to the woods, and prayed that he would find them before either of them got hurt with the gun. There had been a time when Alex was 2, and had gotten his gun, That time had been bad enough, this time his son knew better, and Rick would make sure he never even wanted to look a another gun.
Deep in the woods Alex had fired the first shot. The bullet had bounced off a few branches and then gone in the dirt. Now Megan wanted her turn.
“It’s not proper for a girl to shoot a gun,” Alex told her.
“I’ll not proper you.” She knocked him down, and the gun fell out of his hand.
“Get off me,” he told her as she finally pinned him down, and grabbed a hand full of his hair.
“Not till you apologize for telling me I’m proper,” she said.
“Okay okay your just as tough as me now get off.” She did and he shook his head.
“Your a wimp,” Megan said as she picked up the gun.
“How do you get it to go off it won’t work,” She told him trying to make it go off.
“You have to set it stupid,” Alex told her. Again she knocked him to the ground, and this time didn’t get off of him when he asked her. She gave him the gun still sitting on him.
“Well I bet you don’t even know how to make it work,” she said. That was a big insult to Alex, who was always out to be just like his daddy. Alex pointed the gun right at her.
“If it did work you would have a hole in your head, and I would see you didn’t have any brain in your head.” She punched him hard and he started to cry.
“Oh stop Alex it didn’t hurt that bad.”
“It did so. Get off of me I hate you.” She got off of him.
“Well I hate you. You don’t even know how to make that gun work your stupid Alex,” She yelled. She started to walk away and Alex pulled back the hammer and pointed it up and it went off. Megan jumped.
“I told you I could make it work,” he told her. She ran back
“Show me how please?” Now she was all nice to him. She always was that way when she wanted something, but she was still Alex’s best friend, so he showed her how it worked.
“Now just point it at something.” Megan pointed it at the ground and shot.
“Wow it lifted up the dirt,” She said impressed. Alex got the gun cocked again.
“Hey you got more than me It’s my turn,” Megan said to him grabbing at the gun. She pulled at the barrel, pointing it down, and Alex pulled back and the gun went off. Megan started to scream.
“Whats wrong?” She fell down screaming, and Alex was confused.
“What? You have to shut up and tell me whats wrong.
“My foot,” she screamed.
It had seemed like forever since he had heard the last shot go off, and Rick was to afraid to shout for them. He knew they would run, and anything that would startle them would make them that much more careless with the gun. He began to head back toward the house, when he heard a shot go off, and Megan or Alex start to scream. He had never experienced terror like he had at that moment. He followed the screams further into the woods to a clearing, and found Alex yelling at Megan to stop screaming.
“Dad she got hurt.” He was crying, and Rick was angry, but his concern was for Megan at the moment. He came over and knelt by them.
“Alex can you be a big boy for daddy, and go up and call Doctor Brown, or have Marie to do so?” He said calmly. Alex nodded and left. Rick took Megan into his arms
“Shh I need to know where you got hurt honey,” he said rocking her
“Mm..mmm my foot,” she said sobbing. She had her face burried against him, and he saw there was a lot of blood coming out of her foot. She still had on her little dress boot, and he knew he would need to wrap something around her foot to help stop the bleeding. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around her foot pulling it tight which caused more screaming. He lifted her into his arms and ran for his house.
It was the end of another day at the museum, and Evelyn was just heading home when her phone wrang. She picked it up.
“This is Evelyn O’Connell,” she said.
“Evie you need to come to St. Mary’s Hospital,” Rick said.
“Rick, whats wrong?”
“Alex and Megan got into my guns, and Megan is in surgery now.” She nearly dropped the phone.
“Where is Alex?”
“With Jonathan at the house. I phoned her father and he is on his way.” She had never heard so much fear in his voice.
“I’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone, grabbed her purse, and ran out of the museum to her car, and drove the short distance to the hospital. When she arrived, she went up to the surgery waiting room, Only finding Rick there pacing.
“Rick?” He looked up and she came into his arms.
“SHh,” she said feeling him shake.
“Evelyn I’ve never been so angry as I was to day with Alex.” She led him over to a couch and they sat down.
“What happened?” He told her about his guns, how he had been cleaning them, and how Megan had looked interested in seeing them. Then about finding his keys gone, and all the way to this part, where they were now.
“Alex knows better,” she said.
“I know I have to make him realize that this is serious.” They would have said more, but Mr. Richardson ran in.
“Where is my baby girl?” Rick stood.
“They still have her in surgery.” He said trying to calm the man.
“I’m holding you responsible Mr. O’Connell. Where were you when they were playing with your guns?” Rick really didn’t have an answer for that, but Evelyn wasn’t going to let this man blame her husband.
“Where were you when Megan and Alex were at your home jumping off of the roof?” she asked.
“We can sit here and blame one another all we want, but that won’t help Megan nor will it help Alex,” she said softly. He knew she had a point and backed off. The waiting seemed endless. Finally, a doctor came out, and addressed all of them.
“Megan is one lucky little girl, She will have to walk on crutches for a while, then use a cane, but with proper rest and treatment she will be back to herself in no time.” Mr.: Richardson turned to the O’Connells.
“I’m sorry I became cross with you. Megan is my only little girl, and I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost her.” They were understanding, and once he had gone back to see her, Rick and Evie went home to deal with their son.
While his parents were at the hospital with Megan, Alex was supposed to be in his room waiting for their return. Now instead of that, he had a big bag, and was putting all of his fathers guns into it. They were too dangerous, so he had decided to put them all in the bottom of the pond out by Megan’s house. It was getting dark, but he didn’t care. Once he had gotten all he could take, he pulled the bag along in the yard and into the woods. It took him a long time to get there almost 20 Minutes as apposed to 10. Once he was there he walked out on to the wood dock her father had made, and opened his bag. He took the first gun, which was an old Elephant gun, and threw that in. Then he threw in the rest. Once his bag was empty he left for home.
Back at the house, Evie, and Rick arrived at the house, and Rick found the trunk open with most of the guns missing.
“He is toast,” Rick said, about the same time Alex appeared out of the woods. His face had scrapes on it from thorn bushes but he didn’t seem to care.
“Alex?” Evelyn asked.
“Mum guns are bad.” He told them walking over to them. He put the bag down.
“I killed Megan. She is never going to see me again. I will go to jail and have to hang like you did when you were in Cairo,” Alex said terror in his little voice. Rick dropped down on his knees and pulled Alex into his arms.
“No buddy. Megan got hurt, but she will be better. You didn’t kill her, and you won’t go to jail, and hang.” He was going to have to talk to Jonathan about filling Alex’s head with those times. Right now Alex was too young to hear about then.
“I made her scream.” He started to cry then, truly afraid, and Rick rocked him.
“Shhh.” Evelyn knelt in front of them despite being in a skirt and rubbed his back.
“Alex what did you do with Daddy’s other guns?” she asked.
“Put them in the pond cause they hurt people,” came his shaky reply. Rick stood holding his son close. He closed his trunk and they went inside. In Alex’s room Evelyn got a bath ready for her son. Rick had settled on the bed.
“Alex what you did today is was very wrong, and very dangerous. I think you finally understand why I don’t want you in my guns.” Alex nodded.
“The fact that you got in to them, and knew better means you need to be punished, and If I ever catch you any where near them again, I will use my belt instead of my hand.” Alex was laid over his fathers lap and got his backside smacked hard five times. His cries filled the room, and in the bathroom Evie had to wipe away her own tears. She herself had punished Alex by spanking, and while it was very rare they did that, when they did it wasn’t ever anything either of them wanted to do. In a moment, Alex walked in rubbing his bottom crying. After she helped him out of his cloths she put him in the bath and washed him. He rubbed at his eyes, still crying.
“Mum may I play with my ships?” he asked.
“No Alex not tonight. Your going to bed after your clean.”
“But its daylight out?” he said in a watery voice.
“Yes it is but you did something today that was very very dangerous, and your being punished for it.” He sniffed.
“Daddy already put owies on my bottom.” She nodded and rinsed the soap off of his hair.
“I know he did, but you are still going to go to bed.” He cried again, but it wasn’t going to work to soften her heart. Once he was dried off, and in his pajama’s, he climbed in his bed, and Rick pulled the blankets over him. He smoothed the tears away from his cheeks and gave him kisses there.
“I love you Alex.” he said. He stood, and after Evelyn gave him good night kisses they left him. Alex cried hard for quiet some time. He wasn’t tired, and he wanted to get out of bed, but fear of getting more owie’s on his bottom kept him in his bed. He had Paddy to play with, his warn bear that had been his friend for as long as he could remember.
“They got really mad at me Paddy. He sniffed and his bottom lip stuck out. He had said he was sorry, or maybe he didn’t and thats why they were so mad.
“Maybe we should go say we’re sorry.” He told his bear. He was about to get up when Evelyn came with his dinner. Alex sat up and she set it down on his bed.
“Mum are you mad because I forgot to say sorry?” he asked.
“Baby it’s not about whether or not you are sorry. You hurt Megan, and you took daddys guns when you knew he has always told you not to.” He took a bite of bread.
“But it was an accident,” he said trying to make her see. He ate more of his food until he emptied his plate.
“Mum may I go potty?” she smiled.
“Yes honey, if you need to go potty you may get out of bed for that.” He did so, and when he returned she tucked him back in bed.
“Will you tell me a story?” He really didn’t want to be alone.
“Not tonight baby.” She gave him another kiss and left him. Alex sighed and rolled on his tummy. Try as he might he couldn’t get to sleep. It was only 7pm, and he usually didn’t go to bed until past 10pm. He sat up.
“I can’t sleep paddy.” He got out of bed, and put on his slippers, and went out of his room, and down the stairs where both of his parents were sitting in the parlor. Rick looked up, and put down his paper.
“Alex you need to go back to bed.” Rick said, softly.
“But I’m not tired dad, and I’m thirsty.” He tried.
“Alex you just finished with your dinner. Back up to bed,” Evelyn told him. He stood there, stubborn just like his mum.
“But how do I go to sleep?” he wined.
“Alex you have until Ten to get up to your room,” Rick said standing. He began to count, and Alex run up the stairs crying. They heard the door shut, and his cries escalate, and both of them stayed put. It was hard not to go to him, not to read to him, but this was his punishment.
In his room, Alex cried, but no one came, and that irritated the four year old little boy. He finally cried until there were no more tears or cries to come. Then he wiped his face in his pillow, and sat up.
“They are being mean to me,” he said to his bear.
“I bet Uncle John will be nice to us.” He got out of bed and tiptoed to his door. Carefully he began to open it, then heard his parents voices, and footfall. He ran to his bathroom and flushed the toilet, then as he was going back to bed they came in.
“I had to go to the potty,” he defended.
“Thats okay baby,” Evie reminded, and they helped him back in to his bed.
“Daddy?” Rick sat on the edge of his bed.
“What buddy?” Rick responded.
“I’m sorry I got in to your guns,” he said snuggling with his bear.
“Thank you for telling me that,” Rick said, and kissed his forehead, then his nose, and last of all, his lips.
“Sleep well buddy,” he said. Alex nodded and faked a yawn. Once mum had gotten in her kisses he rolled on his tummy.
“Mum please rub my back.” He said.
“Baby not tonight.” They left him and he sniffed.
“Paddy lets go see Uncle John.” Alex waited for what he though was a long time, when really it had only been five minutes since they left him. He opened his door and snuck out shutting it back. Carefully he tiptoed out of the hall and down through the Library, through the door which led to his Uncles part of the house, and ran until he got to Jonathan’s room. The door there was open, and it was light. He heard the bath running, and went to the door.
“ Uncle John?” He said. In the bath with Jonathan was a lovely lady from the club, and Jonathan hushed her moans by placing a hand over her mouth.
“Partner Now is a really bad time for you to be in here,” he managed. He was in the middle of making love to Jossetta, and if Alex came in, he would be in more trouble than his nephew had been on this day.
“But they are being mean to me.” He said sadly, resting his head against the door.
“Are you going to be mean too?” he asked near tears. Jonathan heard the sadness in his voice, and though he hated it, he really wasn’t in the mood to give up a night with Jossetta.
“Alex I think your supposed to be in bed aren’t you. He heard his nephew start to cry, then the cry faded as he left the room. Jonathan closed his eyes. Tomorrow, or when ever he got ungrounded they would do something special for him. With that he resumed having Sex with the lovely lady in his arms.
In the kitchen, Alex had pulled a chair up to the counter, and gotten out three cookies from the cookie jar. Tears were still flowing down his cheeks as he walked back upstairs to his room. He got back in bed, and ate his three cookies, then lay down trying to go to sleep but he couldn’t. Mum and dad always helped him go to sleep, and he wasn’t used to going to bed on his own. He got out of bed and pulled his blanket off, got his pillow and went over the Rocking chair. He climbed in, and put the blanket around him as best he could. He was too little to really make it rock good enough, but he had to try. Usually mum or dad would sit, and hold him, reading him a story while they rocked him. When the story was finished, he would get in bed, and one of them would rub his back until he was almost asleep. That was what he was used to. It wasn’t comfortable this way, and he tried all he could try to get himself to sleep, but it wouldn’ work.
“Come on paddy we need mum.” He took his bear down the hall to his parents room, where he found the door open slightly. He hesitated, then went inside. It was dark, but not so dark that he couldn’t find his way to their bed. He went to his mum’s side, and pulled on the back of her gown. Evelyn came awake almost instantly.
“Alex?” she asked.
“I can’t go to sleep mum I tried I did. I rocked in the chair. I laid in my bed and told paddy about the princess. But I can’t sleep.” Evie eased away from her husbands arms, and stood. She hadn’t thought about the fact that Alex wasn’t used to being totally on his own to go to sleep, and that was something they needed to work on but gradually. She led him back to his room and settled in the Rocking Chair, and lifted him onto her lap.
“Mum can I go see Megan tomorrow?” he asked.
“I think that would be a good idea.” He nodded and closed his eyes as she began the story of the Little Egyptian Princess.
The next day early, Mr. Richardson phoned, saying that he had to be out of town, and that Nanny Catherine was ill, and asked if Megan could stay with the O’Connells. It had been Rick who answered and part of him wanted to say no, but he didn’t. Before Alex or Evelyn woke up, Rick left the house, and went the short distance to the Richardson Estate, where Mr. Richardson, and Megan waited.
“Be good for the O’Connells” he told his daughter.
“I will father.” She gave him a hug, then let Mr. O’Connell carry her to his car. Once Rick had all of her things in his trunk They left for home.
“How is your foot?” He asked noticing that she was gritting her teeth.
“It hurts me when It’s not propped up.”
“Well we will take good care of you.” She smiled.
When they arrived at the Manor. Rick lifted her out, and as he entered Evelyn came to the door, surprised to see Megan just one day after her accident.
“My daddy had to go out of town, and Nanny is sick.” she told Evelyn as Rick carried her upstairs.
“You will be all right here with us,” Evie said. He took her into their room and put her on the freshly made bed, and Evie go pillows and they propped her foot up.
“Did Alex get in trouble?” she asked.
“Mmm hmm,” Evelyn said. Rick settled next to her.
“That was very dangerous for you two to do that,” Rick told her.
“I know. Daddy said it was his fault, but I told him that It was both our faults.” At that moment Alex walked in.
“Megan.” He ran over and Evelyn put him in bed next to her.
“I need to take my medicine so it won’t hurt so bad.” She told them. Evie went into the bathroom, and got a glass of water, and Rick got the pill she had to take and broke it into little pieces. It was hard for Megan to take them but in a moment she had.
“What do you want to do?” Alex asked her, thrilled that she was here with him.
“We could make up stories.” Alex nodded.
“One time there was a Giant who lived up in the sky.” Megan giggled.
“Thats not a Alex story.” He nodded.
“Daddy you tell us a story.” Alex said appointing Rick to do so. He didn’t mind and both he and Evelyn made up stories for the children. Both Megan and Alex fell asleep, and things for a short while returned to normal. Life as it always did changed, and as always everday brought new adventure for the O’Connells