The Infected Educator By Darkman Jim woke up with an awful headache. His nose was stuffy, his head just pounded, drilling into his mind the message that he already understood... He felt lousy! "I...I've got to give the kids their final today. I can't be sick!" He rose to an upright position and opened his weary eyes. The bright light of the day almost blinded him and increased the power of the headache. The bags under his eyes were thick, black and round. His body ached all over and he stiffly walked to the bathroom. He looked at his pale image in the mirror, took out the thermometer and stuck it behind his white encrusted tongue. The numbers slowly ran higher. "If it gets over 103, I'm calling in sick!" he thought to himself. The timer dinged, indicated that the number was ready to read. "101," he read out-loud. "Guess I better go to work. It's only one test. At least I don't have to teach..." and with that he sneezed a powerful one right onto the mirror. "OK. I needed to clean the mirror anyway." After eating a little breakfast, and downing great multitudes of ibuprofen, supplements, and distilled water, he went off to school. He had on his usual tweed jacket, a bit rumpled, adding to his haggard appearance, his tie was skewed to the left and his hair was tousled in a frantic attempt to comb it before he had to leave. The car didn't want to start that morning, it sputtered and spat at him in defiance. He talked to his car in a loving way, trying to coax her to start for him. Inside, he was cursing the bucket of bolts up one side and down the other. His car finally started and he sped away, already a little late. When he finally got to school, someone had taken his parking space. It was an out of state license plate. "They must not have known any better," he thought. "What else could go wrong?" As he was gathering his books and papers for class, Miss Richards came up to him. She was tall, about 5' 10", with long brown hair, sad puppy brown eyes, and a cute little nose that just matched her thin face. She was wearing a ribbon in her hair, a blue blazer, white blouse and blue pumps. A tickle was already well entrenched in his nose. His head leaned back a bit and his breath came in short staggered puffs. He tried desperately to hold back the big sneeze, to no avail. The tickle won out and he sneezed all over her. "Jim, you look terrible!" said Miss Richards in a soothing motherly tone. She put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Jim felt even worse. He secretly had a crush on her, but never had the fortitude to ask her. "I'll manage some how." He sneezed again, this time covering his mouth to stifle it. "She is so pretty," he thought. His face curling into a stupid smile. Miss Richards' voice snapped him back to reality. "Jim... Jim!" "Oh, sorry." Jim said. "Must have been somewhere else..." "Where you should be is in BED!" said Miss Richards. "Right after I administer my... my..." The sneeze built anew and carried through his lungs. He turned away, his rumpled blazer now wet and shining in the sun with the release. "...test. Yes, the test. Must go. Thanks." He slowly moved away carrying his pile of books and papers, stumbling as he went. Patty Richards stood, arms folded, shaking her head. "He must learn to take care of himself. Pity, he is rather cute." Jim staggered into the classroom, just before the bell. He walked over and tossed the books and papers on his desk. He drew his hand to his mouth in anticipation of what was coming next. Just at that point, one of his students came up to him and asked if he was feeling all right. The spell was broken, the urge was gone, at least for the moment. He turned to her and said, "No. I feel terrible... I must have the flu... I'm going to deliver the test and get out of here!" The female student sat back down at her seat. Amid the noise and ruckus of the classroom, students shuffling around, talking, and moving papers, one sound called the class to attention, the sound of Mr. White sneezing. The big bold sneezes just kept coming, his body almost bending in half with the force of each one. Every two sneezes or so he gained another breath. The rapid attack continued for another 10 minutes. With sneeze after sneeze after sneeze, Jim couldn't teach or administer the test. He waved at the class to dismiss them, when he had a few precious seconds between rounds. The class disappeared in a short cloud of dust and a roar. The same female student strolled up to his desk, just as he finally finished and sunk low in his chair. Almost gasping for breath and wheezing, he asked the female student what he could do for her. She placed her hand on his forehead, feeling his temperature through her skin. The skin felt very warm and moist. She told him the obvious, "You have a fever, you should go home..." "Ok..." he said in labored breathing. The girl turned to leave. All at once, she looked back at him and thanked him for dismissing the class. "Don't get too comfortable... We will reschedule the test for next week." Jim said. The student smiled and left the room. Alone with his thoughts, Jim chastised himself for losing control of his class and for the cursed virus running rampant through his body. On his way out, he stopped at the principal's office and explained all that happened. "Jim! JIM! Why didn't you stay home? Call in sick? We could have covered for you... That's what substitutes are for." Jim nodded as another sneeze gripped him. This one was bigger than all the others. It echoed down the hall and threatened to rattle the window. He slowly recovered, sniffed and turned to leave. Looking up at the principal, Jim didn't say a word, the expression of apology and dejection, sickness and frustration on his face said it all. Jim pushed the door open and exited the building. Jim made it home without a hitch. His bed greeted him with loving arms. It felt so good to crawl beneath the sheets and blankets and just let everything go. Jim drifted off to sleep a tall glass of distilled water waiting above his head. Part II: Back to School Jim felt so much better, after last week's episode. He couldn't even administer the mid-term exam! Now he is feeling MUCH BETTER! He bounded out of bed and wolfed down his breakfast, hurriedly finishing his morning routine and almost charging out the door without his topcoat. Jim was in a great rush to get to school. Not only was he running late, as usual, but he had an appointment to keep. The determination showed clear on his face. "You, Piece of Junk WILL START!" The engine sputtered and choked, coughed and spit at him. "Confound this Thing!" he sputtered at his not-so- faithful car. "What can I expect from a '84 Lynx anyway." He thought to himself. Jim breathed a sign of relief when the car finally ignited its fuel and he tore off down the road, leaving tire marks in his dirt driveway. "Oops. Landlord's not going to like that." His face blushed, like a little boy who was caught doing something he shouldn't have. With a sheepish grin, he rounded the corner and sped towards the school. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, birds were quibbling about their territories, and the sky was a deep cobalt blue. Still it was quite chilly for that time of year. The school looked about the same as it always did as he pulled into his parking space. The door opened with a crack and a squeak. As he was gathering his things for class, the light from the sun put a tickle in his nose. As he stood up from his car, the sneeze hit. It wasn't as hard as some he had, especially the previous week, but there was an unusual quality to it. He raised his hand to cover his mouth just as Patricia Richards strolled up. Jim tried to speak just at the end, but he coughed instead as some saliva tried to enter his windpipe. Patty teased him, "I thought you were over your cold... Guess I was wrong." She crossed her arms and turned her head. Jim finished his coughing spell, sneezed a couple more times, regained his composure and tried to speak. His face reddened with embarrassment "NNo. No! It... It's not like that at all. I I'm better now. " Patty turned her head back to Jim and gave him a quirky smile, ever so slightly curling her lipstick covered lips. The redness in his face began to drain, restoring his natural color. He cleared his throat and made his way to class turning every few paces to look at Patty, to see if she was still watching him. She was watching him, but he was unaware of her gazes. Patty chuckled to herself as she hurried to get to class. With the sounding of the bell, class began, and Mr. White was ready. His students were very happy to have him back, especially one particular female student. The period was over before it began, it seemed. The students were all very attentive and seemed to care about not only what he was teaching but about him personally as well. Sally Stiethem walked up to his desk after class was dismissed. Sally was the caring student that took Mr. White's temperature and sent him home. "I'm glad you are feeling better Mr. White." said Sally, the sunshine dancing in her eyes. "Thank you Sally. I am." "Are we still on for this afternoon?" Sally inquired. "Of course. I'm always willing to help a student." said Mr. White. As she was walking out of the classroom, he couldn't help but notice the tightness of her jeans and the way she walked in them. "How could she get into those? How can she walk..." He shook his head and discarded the thoughts. Mr. White leaned back in his chair and relaxed before his next class. School was over and Jim was tired, his first day back after a long week with his flu. He rubbed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He suddenly noticed a tickle in his nose. Just as Sally walked in, he sneezed a powerful one. Recoiling in surprise, Sally asked if he was all right. Jim raised his head with his fist still attached to his mouth and his eyes closed. Recovered from the sneeze, his eyes opened and his fist dropped to Sally's smiling face. Jim cleared his throat and greeted her. "What can I do for you Sally?" he said as he sighed, rubbed his forehead and unconsciously straightened the part in his hair. Sally set her books down and began a lengthy tale of love and betrayal. It read like a daytime soap, with more triangles than a geometry problem. Frustrated by this emotional load thrust upon him and the fatigue from along day, Jim's tone turned bitter. "I'd like to help you, but I'm tired and unless you want help with school work, I'm asking you to leave. I'm sorry Sally." Sally picked up her books and slammed them down on the table, her face wet with tears of rage. She ran out of the room. "OH DEAR!" "SALLY! SALLY!" Jim called after her. He found her just around the corner, down the hall. Between sobs, Sally managed to glare at Mr. White. He put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I'm sorry Sally, I'm just tired. It's my first day back and all and I..." Sally looked up, smiled and kissed him right on the mouth, and in one fluid motion, she picked up her books from the floor and ducked out the door. Jim, still in shock over what happened, wiped his lips with his sleeve and commented "Strange girl. Must have a talk with her... maybe with her mother too..." Part III Jim got into his car and drove off his mind still reeling about what just happened. "What do I do now?" he asked himself. "How do I deal with this situation?" He had never experienced anything like this in all his years of teaching. Still he knew he must do something. Jim had to report the incident, but what if it was completely innocent? He didn"t want to get Sally in trouble, but he didn't want to lose his contract either. While he was still engaged in thought, he pulled into his driveway. Upon approaching the door, still wrestling with the dilemma, he thought, "There must be some other teachers that have had similar experiences. Perhaps one of them could help me." He resolved to talk to Pat in the morning. She might be able to give him some help or at least some advice on how to handle the situation. After dinner, Jim finished grading the day's papers and sat down to a mindless evening of watching TV. The next day arrived and Jim embraced the promise of it. His car started right up on the first try, he even made it to work on time. "This is going to be a good day!" he thought to himself. As he searched the campus for Pat, his mind wandered. "Maybe I should ask her out for coffee to discuss this situation further? Hmm. That might not be a bad idea." As he pondered that thought for a minute, he saw Pat rounding the corner. "Patricia! Oh Patricia" he called out. At that point she stopped, and turned around. Her eyes stared past him as her breaths became broken into short spasms. Her nostrils flared with each staggered breath she took. She brought her hand to her mouth just as the sneeze burst forth in a high pitched sound. Jim cautiously approached her as she sneezed again and still again, each time with a high pitched ending to it. "Are you alright?" asked Jim. As she raised her head from the final burst, he learned the awful truth. Her once blue eyes were now bloodshot and red. Her face had no color save a tinge of gray and her beet red nose. She blew her nose hard and cracked a greeting to Jim. "OH! You look horrible!" Jim said aghast. "I mus haf caught your bugg." Pat managed to squeak out just before she sneezed again onto her arm. Her once fair form now doubled over with the force. Her body wracked with pain. "You'd better go home! It can wait... That is, what I needed to talk to you about. It can wait. Until you're better that is...Um." She nodded to him as she turned to leave. Blowing her nose and sneezing all the way to her car. Jim made sure she made it there before he headed for the office. "Now what do I do?" Jim questioned himself. His steps slowed as he reached the Vice-Principal's office. He gently turned the knob. "Bob? Are you here?" Bob Mulligen stood up from his paperwork and invited Jim in. "What can I do for you Jim?" asked Bob. Jim came through the door and sat down. "This couldn"t wait. Even if I am late for class, it just can't wait." Jim checked his watch. He still had five minutes and breathed a sign of relief. Bob leaned back in his chair turned his head and sneezed. It had caught him by surprise. He raised his fist to his mouth to catch it. He sneezed again and still again into his fist. "Oh excuse Me!" exclaimed Bob. His moustache now wet from his sneezing fit. Bob wiped his face with his hand. "I hope you aren't coming down with this virus that I had. It certainly is not pleasant at all." inquired Jim. "Oh no. I'm fine." Said Bob. "The main reason I came in today was to report a strange occurrence. I didn't know what else to do." Jim wiped his damp forehead with his hand as Bob sneezed again. "Yesterday, a student, Um, concerned with my well being I trust, asked for some help after school. I am feeling much better thank you." Bob sneezed again and sniffed. "Excuse me Jim, I need a tissue." Bob stood up, proceeded to the bathroom and promptly threw-up. "Ok. Um, Uh, We can discuss this later." Hurriedly and shaken, Jim tiptoed out of the office. Bob finished cleaning up in the bathroom and stepped out into an empty room. Looking around for Jim, Bob wondered if he thought he was sick. Truth was, his wife was pregnant and he was experiencing sympathy morning sickness. Plus his allergies were acting up that day. "Jim? Jim? Oh well. I'll talk to him later." Bob went back to the work on his desk and sneezed again. Jim was really in a fix now. He walked to class, and closed the door just in time to hear the bell ring. Its deafening sound pierced the halls announcing to all that the period had begun. He closed the door behind him. It echoed down the empty hall. The finality of the sound struck him. Part IV Class ended as it began, with the deafening sound of the bell. The students gathered their bits of knowledge, shuffling papers, dragging chairs across the floor. The sounds of chaos before the room emptied seemed to exhasterbate the already tense teacher. Jim could feel his blood pressure rising. He knew he had to do something! At least class was a temporary diversion to his already inflamed problems. In one week he had been sick, a student come on to him and everyone around him it seemed couldn't render assistance or give him advise because they were sick too. Patty just went home with a terrible cold and now the vice principal was ill. What was he supposed to do? He questioned himself as he wandered down the empty hall. Nearly expecting someone to stop him and ask him for a pass, he stumbled into the library. He had to take a break and this was his free period. The librarian was short, stocky middle aged woman. Jim sat down at one of the tables and she went over to him. The pain in his eyes was very evident to the librarian. She had a degree in psychology but never went anywhere with it. She sat down in the seat next to him and asked what was wrong. Jim, not wanting to be rude alluded to his problems. He knew he didn't have the right to mention EVERYTHING to her or to anyone else. But he was about to burst if you didn't say SOMETHING. In third person, and an outright lie, he explained how worried he was about his "friend" who had this problem with a student; how the student had come on to this person and all the authorities and friends couldn't help this poor wretched soul. Jim poured out his soul to the librarian and afterwards he felt better. "What can I tell my friend?" asked Jim. Marcia, the librarian, listened to his whole spiel and did not believe a word. She saw right through his meager attempt at falsehood and cut right to the quick. "You need to tell your umfriend that he should go to the principal and tell him what is going on with him or her. Heum or she (she cleared her throat) needs to confront the person responsible AND contact the parents of this student." Jim blinked his eyes and rubbed his forehead. That made a lot of sense to him, but he was dumbfounded at the accuracy of this librarian. "How did she know? I didn't tell her anything." Jim thought to himself. "Alright, I'll do it!" Jim said in a strong loud voice banging his fist on the table. "I'll tell my um, friend" Embarrassed by the loud noise, Jim's face flushed into a distinct red. The principal's office was just across the hall from the library. Jim picked up his briefcase and headed in that direction. The librarian sat down again, crossed her legs, leaned over the table placing her head in her hands and smiled. She knew she had done some good that day. Jim stumbled over to the principal's office and quietly knocked on the door. "Who is it?" asked the secretary from behind the door. At that point, Jim noticed the janitor pushing his wide broom down the hall, whistling as he went. The tune was unfamiliar to Jim, but the cloud of dust the flowed behind the broom was. The cloud went billowing up into the air and into Jim's fragile nose. At first he sniffed, hoping he might avert the inevitable. The irritation was growing and before he could announce himself to the secretary, Jim grabbed the handkerchief from his back pocked and sneezed hard in it. The force nearly knocking his head into the door as he opened it. "Ah, Jim. How are you?" Gladis, the principal's secretary inquired. He sneezed four more times into his handkerchief before he could answer, "Just fine." Taken by surprise and embarrassed, Jim took a seat and tried mercifully to hold back his massive sneezes. The principal, hearing the noise, stepped out of his office and into the room. "Jim, glad to see you." He stretched out his hand tentatively to shake Jim's. "I thought you were feeling better?" The principal asked. Jim sneezed several more times before he could answer. "I am. It's just the dust from the janitor walking down the hall." Each one building, his mouth opening ever wider only to be cut short in the release by the hanky. "So, What can I do for you Jim?" asked the principal. "I'm having a problem with a student." Jim said weakly, his voice trailing off. "Well come into my office and we'll talk about it." said the principal. He opened the door for Jim and he cautiously stepped inside. The door closed behind him. Gladis was quite curious about why he was here, but knew that the new principal had an open door policy with all the teachers. The last man at this post had died suddenly of a heart attack and even before that a teacher had a seizure in class and died shortly after from a brain aneurysm. With that kind of history, a open door policy is best. Gladis went back to her meaningless paperwork. Jim sat down in the vinyl seat still clutching his briefcase. "Jim, relax. You've got to learn to relax." Jim's eyes darted around the room. It was sparsely furnished. Two vinyl chairs, and big oak desk and real leather seat behind the desk. It looked like a throne and the principal, the king over all he surveyed which added more tension to Jim's already inflated blood pressure. Sweat beaded on Jim's brow. He hadn't sweat like this since his recent ailment. "Would you like a drink?" The principal offered and Jim flatly refused. "Now you said you were having problems with a student?" the principal inquired. "Yes" Jim said as he wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. "A student last week or maybe it was... Anyway" The principal, trying to follow his broken speech patterns finally understood. "I'm glad you came to me with this. I want to get it resolved as much as you. I know that if we work together on this that" Jim broke in, "I was so very nervous about speaking with you on this issue thatI guess I was worried that I might be fired or something" Jim continued the story, recounting all events that lead him to this point. The principal tried to put Jim at ease and assured him that nothing would happen to his job. The matter would be settled through the usual channels. Talking with the girl first, the if that didn't resolve the problem, then speaking with her parents, then the school board, and so on. Jim was so relieved. He shook hands with the principal saying "Thank you Sir." and walked out the door. The principal sat down in his chair, a queer look on his face. The face distorted into anger and then violent rage. Part V Patty had just arrived at home. She felt horrible. It was a good thing that Jim had escorted her to her car. Deep down inside she loved him. But didn't have the heart to tell him she was engaged. John Braggart, her fiance, was tall with brown eyes, strapping shoulders and auburn hair. It was an unusual combination of traits. He worked for a logging company so he was gone a good portion of the fall and spring. They used to spend nights together by the fire. As it crackled, she would tell him her hopes and dreams, of having a family and living in a log cabin up in the mountains. Her thoughts snapped back to reality as another sneezing fit grabbed hold. The usually very feminine sneezes were replaced by large, wet, uncontrollable blasts from her nasal passages, each one forcing her forward and propelling her back. Her nostrils flared letting in deep gulps of air only to be sneezed out again. The tickle, firmly entrenched in her nose sternly controlled her every move walking up the porch to her house. One more step, one more sneeze, one more step, one more sneeze. Digging in her pockets for her keys, she was helpless against the fit, as the sneezes caught once again. She managed to get into the house and close the door. All she wa nted now was a hot bath and a long nap. She put down her keys and tore into a new tissue box. Patty took out four tissues, wiped her nose and blew. She blew so hard that blood flowed on to the tissue. It took several minutes for it to stop. She managed to draw herself a bath. The steam rising into her sore, red nose; the heat from the water almost stinging her pale delicate skin all gave soothing comfort to her tired body. She snuggled down and drank in the warmth and pleasure of the bath. The bubbles tic kled her ears and she giggled like a little girl. It reminded her of the comfort she felt as a child. Even as an adult, she still felt the need to pamper herself from time to time, especially when she wasn't feeling up to par. She wondered when she would see her future husband. He wasn't due back for a couple of months. Her thoughts wandered. She wondered what it would be like to be married. Would it be magical? Would it be glorious? Or would it be another statistic? Another entry in a police log for domestic violence? Her musings were stopped by a tickle in her nose. It began on the left side and slowly crept up, gathering strength. As Patty realized what was about to happen, she got up, out of the nice warm tub. Standing there, dripping wet, she sneezed hard and heavy. She caught a look at herself in the mirror a split second before the release. It seemed strange, that image that stared back at her in those brief moments before the sneeze. She had seen the look dozens of times on others, but to see it full on her own face was another story. Patty finally crawled into bed. The covers invited her. It seemed as if the bed would talk, calling her, beckoning her, to come. The warmth of her body soon replaced the chill of the sheets. Sleep came quickly, but did not stay long. She awoke to the sound of music. Her clock radio was going off. She rose with a start to find the time to be 6:00 PM. "I guess I never turned it off. But why is it going off now?" The song playing was " Tempted by the Fruit of Another." It was an old clock radio, that she had since high school. It did not know the difference between AM and PM. Just then, she heard a knock at the door. "Who could that be? I' m not in any condition to have guests." Sometimes a few of her students would come over after school to be tutored, or watch movies or just do their homework until their parents picked them up after work. The knock sounded again. Quickly, she put on her robe and stumbled to the door. Peeking through the hole, she saw Jim with some bags. He was looking all around, almost seemed anxious about something. Slowly and cautiously she opened the door. Jim smiled. "I brought you some food and some supplements. It's terrible to be sick, especially to be sick alone without anyone to take care of you." She smiled weakly and invited him in. He set the bags on the table, still looking very anxious. "Ahh. Can I use your bathroom?" he asked quickly. "Sure." she said in reply and pointing in the direction of the rest room. Jim quickly proceeded down the hall and into the bathroom. "Oh! My bra and panties!" she cried, remembering she had left them in the bathroom. A short time later, he immerged looking much relieved. Patty was not sure if it was her fever or if she was blushing when Jim came out. "Don't worry. I closed my eyes while I was in there." he said. She chuckled at his joke. "Not to worry, I didn't see anything." he said as he unpacked his cargo. She counted two cans of chicken noodle soup, a gallon of distilled water and various herbs and supplements. She sat down at the kitchen table, stunned by his generosity. Jim soon found a mug and her microwave. He opened the can of soup, after carefully rinsing the top of it. He nearly cut himself on the razor sharp top. As he sucked his wound, he continued prepar ing. He dumped the entire contents into the mug and added a little water. After microwaving on high for a minute, he tested it to see how hot it was. He found some crackers in the cupboard and served her a small dinner. "I'm sorry I can't stay. I do hope you feel better soon." Jim smiled at her. As he looked over at her, he noticed a sneeze was ready to explode. She stifled it in her robe as he handed her a tissue. After that, he left her to finish her dinner in peace. After a hot meal, she was ready to go back to bed. She took a few of the pills Jim had left for her and went to bed. The next morning she felt a bit better. She might just call in sick today though, just to have a day to herself. After a short breakfast, she phoned the principal and advised him of her absence. The rest of her day was spent drinking distilled water and resting. She caught a couple movies on TV and continued convalescing. That evening there was a knock at the door around 6:00 PM. Half expecting to see John standing there, Patty swung the door open wide. It hit the doorstop with a thud. "Oh my prince has returned. He heard of my illness and has come for me." she thought. Jim was dressed in his usual rumpled suit, standing with two bags in his hands. She let him in, a little disappointed, but happy to see him anyway. "I just stopped by to see if you needed anything. I don't have your phone number, so I couldn't call you and..." Jim said interrupted by her sneeze. He saw her face suspended in that ever so common expression. In a moment the urge was gone and he resumed his monologue. "School is going well. Your kids don't like the substitute they have. I suspect that children never do. Like a substitute I mean. They are complaining of her breath. It smells like succotash to them. Very unpleasant." Finished Jim. "I can imagine. I hope to be back tomorrow thou...oh...uh." her sentence trailed off into another sneeze. She took out a tissue and caught the next. "Are you stayig for didder?" she asked stuffily. "I'd love to." he replied with a smile." He promptly took out two boxes of chicken, mashed potatoes and beans from the bags and divided the food between them. "Oh no! Not so much for be." she said. "Well, you know what they say- Feed and cold and starve a fever." He paused for a few moments then began eating. She was very hungry and picked up a leg and devoured it. Very unladylike for her, but Jim didn't take notice. After they had both finished eating, Jim took the plastic ware and the paper plates and threw them away. While she hated Jim to see her in this condition, she was grateful for the company and the food. Jim left shortly after. Regaining her strength, she thought about grading the stack of papers filling her briefcase. Instead, she popped in a movie and went to bed early. The next day, still blowing her nose and sneezing, she returned to school and made sure to thank Jim for his kindness. Life can be funny. The very person we ignore or take little notice of can be the one to come to our aid when we need it most. Part VI Jim woke up early, just before his alarm sounded, and sneezed. "Oh No! Not again!" He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. The sun was shining brightly. It's beams were penetrating the blinds and allowing the rays to illuminate his otherwise darkened interior room. After a bit of breakfast, he was off to school and the inevitable confrontation with the student that had kissed him. Now that he had talked to the principal about it, he needed to confront the student in question. He cringed at the mere thought of it. Needless to say, he did not do confrontation well. Jim arrived at school just about his usual time. He glanced at his watch. "Good. I still have five minutes left. I'll speak with her after class. I wish I didn't have to do this." He looked up at the sky and raised his arms. "Couldn't there be any other way?" he yelled at the sky. Just as he started moving again, a sneeze crept up and exploded in a hard, wet blast. A female student walked by and smiled at him. As another student walked by, she said, "Bless you!" and rounded the corner. "Yes. Ah, Thank you. Thank you." He said once again deep in thought. The hour passed quickly, too quickly for Jim. He wished the period could prolong itself. He hoped for some sort of temporal anomaly to throw him back to the point before all this happened. The stress showed full on his face as the bell rang. "Sally? Ah, Sally, Um...Could you come here a moment please?" Sally was just gathering up her books to leave. She turned at the sound of her name. Not really knowing what this was all about; she walked over to his desk. "Ah. Now Sally, we both know what happened here a couple of weeks ago." He began stammering as he attempted to muddle through. "You...You...You kissed me...and...and...I feel it was inappropriate for you t-to do that. What do you have to say for yourself?" Mr. White said, his face growing stern and cold and his arms folding, protecting himself. She did not answer and turned her back towards him. "Well?" he said firmly. "If we cannot come to an agreement here and now, I will be forced to take this up with your father. Now, is that what you want? Hmmm?" he said, his voice now growing shaky. Sally wheeled around in anger and frustration. "But...You already told him!!" she whimpered. Now she was starting to cry. "My father is *your* principal." she blurted out. Taken aback by the news, Mr. White stepped back. "What...What did you say? Your Father is the Principal here?" Jim could hardly believe it. "And you should know He already punished meeeeee." she sobbed. The tears were now clearly rolling down her cheeks. Her face was red and her nose was running. Mr. White offered her a tissue from his desk and invited her to sit down. "Now. What's this all about?" asked Mr. White. "I...I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to be mysterious. I know it was wrong but... I...I just wanted you to like me." she cried. Looking up at him with tear stained, reddened face and those desperate blue eyes nearly made Jim forget what had happened between them. "There, there." he said, trying to console her. In his mind, a voice was saying, "She's playing you like a violin, Jim. Don't listen to her! Don't play into her trap!" Suddenly, realizing what he was doing, Jim stood up. "I...I demand an apology. What you did was wrong and you just can't cover it up and expect it to go away," his cross tone softened "Despite what you've been through." he said. "OK. I'm sorry. It was wrong to kiss you and it was wrong to hide it, we should have talked about it after class the next day." she explained. Jim, scratching his head, said "Yes...That's right." Jim was feeling a bit more confident now, happy this confrontation was over. "You better run along to class. Off you go." he said, motioning with his finger towards the door. Sally left the room, closing the door behind her. Jim was happy that was over. Still, he had a question in his mind over what had just transpired. "I wonder. I wonder if she just played me for a fool." He raised his hand to his lips, took a deep breath and sneezed into it. "I wonder..." Part VII The next day, Jim arrived early and confirmed Sally's story with the principal. It checked out. Still, he wondered what kind of a girl she was and what sort of relationship Sally had with her father. With that bothersome event passed, he could get on with some more important matters. Patty had returned to school some days ago and Jim was eager to see how she was doing. Patty had her color back and was still sneezing, while grading papers as Jim came in. "How are you feeling Patricia?" he asked politely. "Much better." she replied. "Thanks." Patty said with a smile. "I was hoping we could maybe get together some night this week. I mean, since you are feeling better and all." Jim asked sheepishly. He felt like a schoolboy asking a girl, quite a bit taller than him, to play with him at recess. He still remembered that day. His feet shuffled a little while he formed the words to ask her out. "I'm sorry Jim, I can't. Someone is coming into town tonight and I need to meet them at the airport. If it was any other time..." she said apologetically. "Well, alright then. I guess we can make it another time. Yes, quite alright." Jim responded obviously dejected. After working up all his courage to ask Patty out, his hopes were dashed against the rocks of circumstances. He turned and left her presence. Patty felt awful, but she knew her fiancee was coming in tonight and she had to be there. Still, she saw the pain in Jim's eyes as he walked away, it hurt her to see him leave with his hopes dashed. "I really should tell him I'm getting married." she thought to herself, as she packed up to go home. She looked at her watch. "Good, I still have time to eat, get dressed and meet John at the airport. After a sparse meal, Patty changed her clothes. She never could eat when she was very nervous or excited. It made her stomach do flip-flops and she was afraid of meeting John again and suddenly getting sick on him. That would not be the way to greet her long lost love. Time was closing fast, Patty only had half an hour to get to the airport on time. Quickly, she made a phone call to the airport. The flight was on time and will disembark at Gate 12. Patty jumped in her car and took off. The traffic was fairly light for that time of night, but she was in the other lane. There were still a few tie-ups on the other lanes across from her. She took the proper exit and neglected to stop at the red light. A traffic cop did not fail to notice her negligent behavior and pulled her over. Here Patty sat, feeling like a complete idiot. As usual, the cop took forever before he came over and asked for her license and registration. "Ma'am, do you know why I pulled you over?" the officer asked. "Yes..." she said, angry with herself. "I ran that light back there and now I'm going to be late to pick my fiancee at the airport." she continued. The officer took her materials and casually walked back to his cruiser. "Oh NO! Those unpaid parking tickets!" she said out-loud, but not so loud that the cop would hear, she hoped. The officer soon returned. He leaned over and rested his arms on her open window. This was the first time, she had seen his face. He was in his early thirties with a brown moustache and green eyes. His hair was short, brown and slicked back revealing the beginnings of a receding hairline. "Are you aware your license has expired?" he asked. "You also have a few unpaid parking tickets. To your credit, you do not have any priors. So given that you need to pick up your friend at the airport, I'll let you go without arresting you. I will need to ticket you for driving with an expired license. You will have 30 days to renew your license, pay your parking tickets and pay your traffic fine or be subject to arrest." Patty knew it wouldn't do any good to tell him how she never had time to do those things, or how she had been sick, etc. Even though she thought he was cute, that didn't mean she could try to weasel her way out of it. She nodded in agreement. The cop soon returned with her license, registration and tickets for her to sign. "Ma'am, if you are caught again after the thirty days, you will be arrested. Do you understand and agree to these conditions?" he said. Patty agreed and signed the forms. Looking at his watch, the officer said, "Don't add a speeding ticket to your list now." Not very amused, Patty started the car and drove off. The airport was crowded. People were hurrying here and there. Some were coming and others were going. In the maze of people, Patty made her way to the monitor and found his flight. It had already landed. "Drat!" she cursed. Nearly running to the baggage claim, she fought her way thorough the ever-changing sea of people. A space opened up in front of her, and she would slip into it. Another to the side and she would take it. Never able to see where or how she had come from, the opportunities were swallowed up and others took their places in the human maze. Finally, she made it to the right baggage claim. There was John, standing there waiting for his bags to come through. He was taller than she remembered, but that was along time ago. She crept up behind him, trying to be as stealthy as possible, and threw her hands across his eyes. "Guess who?" she asked playfully. Trying not to spoil her fun, he said, "I don't know? Eleanor Rosevelt?" Patty spun him around and kissed him full on the lips. It had been a long time since she was kissed and she intended to make the most out of it. It took some time to get home, but Patty was elated to see John again. It had been 6 months since they parted, but John seemed distant. Maybe it was just the long trip? He must be tired. I'll give him a couple of days to recoup. Soon, they arrived in the driveway and got out of the car. The night was long and getting longer. Patty stifled a yawn as she closed the door. John hadn't said a word since they met in baggage claim. He carried his things into the house and sat down on the couch to watch TV. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothin'" he said as he flipped on a game. Patty was beside herself. She didn't know if she had done something wrong or if he was angry with her or what! She went into the bathroom, shut the door tight and cried. Soon a knock came on the door. "Go AWAY! " the voice came from the other side of the door between sobs. John knocked harder. "I said I don't want to see you, go away!" Patty said. "Ah Honey, I've got to use the can?" Those were to first words they had all night. She opened the door and let him in. Her eyes were red and puffy and she had a tissue drying her eyes and daubing her nose. Patty looked up at him with a red, tear streaked face and sniffed. John looked down at her "What's wrong?" he said in a very even tone. "Whaat's Wrong? What's Wrong. " she raised her hands in frustration. "I don't understand. What did I do? You haven't said two words to me all night and you just got back after a long, I mean LONG 6 months. I expected a little something. I did, after all, pick you up at the airport. I didn't *have* to do that you know." she said through her tears. "I'm sorry honey." he began. "It's been a long trip, and I just want to relax. I'll try to pay more attention to you while I'm here. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to use these facilities." he finished, his voice trailing off. Patty blew her nose and left the room. John finished the operation and flushed. "Did you wash your hands?" came Patty's voice from the closed door. "Yes." he replied, complaining all the way to the sink. John was not used to living with a woman even for a short time, but her better get used to it, if he was going to marry her. John wiped his hands on her towel and came out of the bathroom. Peeling off his shirt, he declared he was going to bed. Patty pointed towards the guestroom and he walked slowly in the direction of her finger. This was the first time, in many months that Patty had a good look at a bare-chested male. His abdominal muscles were quite defined, as were his biceps. She noticed the tightness of his bottom and how his jeans hugged it and held it in. He didn't have much hair on his chest or his back, which Patty found attractive. At the door, he turned to look at her and then at his butt and smiled. "Good night." he said, closing the door behind him. Patty giggled, like a little girl as she realized she was caught red handed. Her hand covered you mouth as if to catch the giggles as they flowed out. Part VIII: The Final Episode The next morning, Patty awoke to the smell of bacon, eggs, coffee and pancakes cooking. The smell wafted in from the kitchen. Patty put on her robe, yawned and stepped out of her room. John was busily cooking a hearty breakfast. "Good Morning Honey." he said cheerily. "Oh. Morning." she said yawning again. "Ah, Excuse me. You are up early." she said. "I get up everyday early. I'm the cook up at the station, you know." he said. "Oh." she said as she poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table. Patty wasn't used to eating such a big breakfast, but managed to eat most of it. Feeling like a stuffed animal, Patty rose from the table and thanked John for making breakfast. He quickly finished his food and started on the dishes. It was a real treat for her. "I could get used to this." she said on her way back to the bedroom. He looked up and smiled. Patty, after getting dressed, noticed John was nearly finished with the dishes. "Unfortunately, I have school today John. I'm sure you can find something to amuse yourself. I'll be back around 3:30ish" said Patty. "Ok. I may catch a movie or a game or something." said John. "Thanks. We can do something tomorrow for sure." Patty said as she went out the door. John finished up the dishes and sat down to the TV. Later in the day, he did go to a baseball game. Patty, meantime, had class to teach, but her mind kept wandering. She felt bad that she was stuck in class while John was free to do whatever. At least, all she would be doing is giving chapter tests. Patty longed to be with him, to be caressed by him and lovingly kissed. "Ms. Richards? Ms. Richards? The bell rang and we are all done with our tests. You must have been asleep." said a student. "Oh, I'm sorry! I had a big breakfast, which I'm not used to and…Go. Go ahead. Thanks for waking me up." said Patty flailing her arms as if she was trying to fly. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you snore." said the student smiling, on his way out. Patty stretched and prepared for the next onslaught of tests. The rest of the day was uneventful. She couldn't wait to get home, hoping John might make dinner for her. After a long day at work it would be nice to have someone to come home to. Her aspirations were demolished upon her arrival to an empty house. John left a note saying he went to the game and would be back after it. Patty sighed and tossed her briefcase into the living room. Just then, John was knocking on the door. "Hi Honey, I'm home. What's for dinner?" he said half kidding. Patty took a deep breath and blew it through her air-bloated cheeks. "I'm only kidding Hon. Get a grip!" he said. "Ok. Ok." he said, sensing her frustration, "we'll go out tonight or have take out or something." "You order then." she said as she lay on the couch and put her feet on the coffee table, her trench coat still on. "I'm too tired." she confessed. He perused the menus on the refrigerator and made a selection for both of them. Soon he was calling in the order and heading out to get it. "My treat." he said, closing the door behind him. A short time later, they were feasting on Chinese food and watching a movie John had rented on the way. It was a very enjoyable evening. After dinner, John reached over across the couch and kissed Patty hard. Finishing the bite she still had in her mouth. "Mmm. No John, not tonight, I'm too tired." John resisted the urge he so strongly felt. "But honey, it's been so long." he insisted. "No, I can't. Maybe tomorrow night I'll feel like it, right now, I just want to snuggle." she responded. They cuddled on the couch as only couples in love can do. Both went to bed later than usual yet still unfulfilled. The promise of a new day brought revived hope. Today was Saturday. Patty woke up to the now familiar smells of breakfast cooking. They ate together and he did the dishes again. By the time, she had finished getting ready, he was done. "What shall we do today?" she asked. "I was hoping we could go shopping." she suggested. "Oh, Shopping." he said flustered. "Why can't we go to a baseball game or something." he said. "I don't want to go to a baseball game." said Patty. "I need to get some new clothes. Now you can come with me or you can stay here." she said firmly. He reluctantly agreed. After a busy day of shopping, John even found a couple of good bargains on some flannel shirts. Now that the summer clothes are in, he could get a great deal on the fall and winter clothes that he would need for logging. Both had tried on new shorts, tee shirts and Patty had examined a few dresses for evening. She bought a pair of shoes and a new purse to go with them. All in all, it had been a productive day. She still worried about the adjustments they both would need to make in order to make a marriage work. She knew it would take time. That night, she decided to cook for him. Patty knew a great chicken recipe and prepared it with love. Much to his surprise, she used too much pepper and sneezed seven times. "Bless you. I never heard you sneeze before Patty. It's weird." he said. "Why do you say it's weird?" asked Patty, almost hurt. "It just makes a funny sound and everyone has their own unique sound and number of sneezes. Some have singles or doubles or triples or more. I always thought it was weird." he said. "Oh?" she replied. "I've even seen some nuts on the Internet talking about it. They have a fetish for it. That's Bizarre!" he commented. "Given all the fetishes out there, this one seems almost normal." she retorted. "Yeah, I guess you're right. How's dinner coming?" he asked trying to change the subject. "It's coming." she said. Patty had never really thought about sneezing as a fetish, but the idea intrigued her. Maybe she could find out more about it in the library at school. She didn't have a computer at home and didn't have time to learn how to use one. The school library has a connection to the Internet and is used by students all day long. During her free period might be a good idea. Dinner was finally ready and they sat down and ate it. After dinner and the dishes, they sat on the couch together. Their eyes met and their bodies entwined in a loving embrace. Their pupils dilated, as the love they felt for one another became much more apparent. They held each other tighter and tighter and kissed harder and richer. Both began to feel the strong base urges rising up into their consciousness' John began moving his hands up and down her back in a rhythmic motion. He could have mesmerized her with a mere touch, a mere look. Her body began to melt and the moans of pleasure began emanating from her lips. John began moving his hand lower and lower, as if seeking out that magic spot that would guarantee his own pleasure and hers. "No- John, What are you doing? No not there-" she said beginning to get angry. "John, I said NO." she said, raising her voice. "Stop IT!" she screamed. Finally in desperation, Patty raised her hand and slapped John across the face! The impact left a fat red blemish on his fair cheek. John, stunned by the blow recoiled in shock and confusion. "I thought you wanted this?" he said. "I do, but not before we're married. I want a real honeymoon." she said. John, still clutching his red face, and bruised ego stood up. "I don't believe you did that!" he said. "Where I come from women just don't do that." he said, his voice building in anger. "So what do they do?" she asked sarcastically. With that he struck her across the face with the back of his hand. "They don't talk back! That's what." John said cuttingly, his anger spent. "Then this relationship is OVER!" said Patty, stripping the ring off her finger and shoving it into his hand. "Fine!" he said. "I'll just leave! Good Bye forever!" he said as he picked up his things and stormed out the door. Patty sat down in a blubbering heap on the couch. She knew it was the end for them. If he was going to be abusive to her, she wasn't going to tolerate that, nor would she tolerate sex before marriage. She had witnessed the cycle of abuse with her mother. She knew that cycle started the first time a man learns to take his anger out by hitting a woman. The tears of pain, and anguish flowed full and free. The cries of hurt came in uncontrollable bursts as the emotions washed out of her. Patty looked up at the clock and sniffled. It was 11:00 PM. She had been crying for over three hours! After a long, hot shower, Patty went to bed. Morning came to a weary woman. The end of a relationship is very much like death. It is more the death of a relationship and follows the same stages. Still, the breaking up is even harder than death because you can see the person again and again. With the passing of time, the hurt gets easier to deal with, from an all-encompassing feeling that consumes every waking moment of consciousness to a much more tolerable, even functional level. Finally, even though the hurt is still there it can be healed. The balm of time heals emotional trauma and if allowed, forgiveness and peace can finally come to a tortured soul. We must forgive those who have harmed us and release the pain we carry inside, but Patty was not ready for that. Even through her tears and pain, one thought still haunted her. The one man she knew that didn't ask for anything in return. What he gave he gave willingly. That man was Jim. Still, she knew it would take a long time to get over John and it wouldn't be good to jump back into the relationship pool so quickly. Some months later, Jim found out about the whole situation and asked Patty how she was doing. Two weeks later, they were dating. One year later, wedding bells were sounding. Jim was standing at the altar petrified. Patty was starting her long trek down the aisle. The wedding had been flawless thus far. Jim observed her coming with anticipation. He glanced out into the congregation to see John sitting there a changed man. He was dressed in a three-piece suit and looked quite stunning. John looked back at Patty, who was almost to her mark. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony." said the priest. "If anyone had just cause why these two should not be joined, let him speak now or forever hold his peace." Jim froze. His eyes turned to John's position then back to Patty. He noticed her eyes were focused on John as well. John suddenly came to the realization that they were both staring at him. The silence was deafening and the fear, strong. John looked up at them, raised his hand and waved them on. He had no intention of stopping this wedding. The couple breathed a collective sigh of relief. Jim looked a little closer at John's hand and noticed a ring on it. Jim nudged Patty. Then she saw the ring also. The priest continued to drone on. They looked at each other and acknowledged their gaze. Both knew that something had happened to John, but they didn't know what. Nor could they stop the wedding to find out. "Do you Patricia taking this man to be your wedded husband?" said the priest. Patty turned to her love and said "I do." "Do you James take this woman to be your wife...?" Jim didn't answer at first. Instead his head raised back as he drew in a staggered breath. "I.. I..." Jim began. The congregation didn't understand why he wasn't answering the question put to him. His eyes grew to narrow slits and his mouth opened wide. His hand reached into his back pocket to grab his handkerchief. With the linen raised to his lips and nose, he let out a large, powerful, wet sneeze; the force of which sent his body folding in half. "I ahh. Do... yes I do." Jim finally said, sniffling. "I do." said Jim. The End.