Chapter 10 - Chapter 10

During the meal after returning home:

"How was your day, honey?" Bob asked while serving potatoes to Gabe.

"Good, there wasn't much to do during my shift. We didn't have many patients in the emergency room. There was a boy who went fishing with his father, and the hook got stuck in his lip," she said while trying to show where on the lip. "Also, Mr. Johnson came back for his sponge bath. It's amazing how quickly his body hair grows," Mom continued.

"Great, now we have to hear about Dad's insects and Mr. Johnson's body hair," Gabe said disgustedly, putting down his utensils on his plate.

"By the way, Dr. House finally accepted a patient," Mom said, ignoring Gabe's comment as she served food on her plate.

"Oh, really, dear?" Bob said. "What's so special about this patient that the awful Dr. House finally accepted him?" he continued.

"No one knows for sure. Rumor has it among the nurses that she's related to someone at the hospital, but I think it's because of the challenge. Everyone says House is a medical genius, but it seems he only cares about special cases," Mom said.

"So, he won't see anyone unless he finds the case interesting," I said, now more annoyed with this Dr. House.

"What happened to her, Mom?" Teddy asked suddenly intrigued.

Pausing for a moment, Mom stayed silent.

"Well, according to the head nurse, a month ago, she had a seizure in front of his entire class. She was a teacher, and during one of her classes, the children said she started speaking strangely, then she wrote on the board to call the nurse and passed out," Mom said, trying to add suspense to her words.

"That's awful. Why could that have happened?" Teddy said, scared.

"Brain tumor," I blurted out without thinking, still angry with Dr. House.

Everyone at the table fell silent and looked at me.

"Yes, that's what they thought, but they ran tests, and there's no visible tumor. Besides, she's still young, only 29 years old," Mom said, eyeing me suspiciously. "How do you know it could be cancer, PJ?" she asked, surprised and intrigued.

"I read it in a book," I quickly lied.

"A book?" Mom said. "Why would you read a book about that?"

"He's been studying to become a doctor. Sometimes, he practice 'suturing' fruits in our room," Gabe quickly chimed in.

Bob and Mom seemed surprised.

"Well, since my head injury, I've been thinking about studying more about the brain, and in one of the chapters of this book, it mentions symptoms of a brain tumor that sound like what you described," I lied again.

"Oh, PJ, you don't have to study medicine if you're worried. We can take you to the hospital if you need it," Mom said with concern on her face.

"Actually, I'm not just studying because of fear. I mean, sure, that's how it started, but after reading a few books on the subject, I find myself developing an interest in medicine. I've been thinking about becoming a doctor," I said resolutely. I had been waiting for the right moment to tell my family, and now seemed like the best time.

Once again, my words seemed to leave everyone speechless.

"PJ, a doctor?" Bob finally broke the silence. "I never thought I'd hear that," Mom added.

"Yeah, I've been considering it. I've improved a lot in my studies, and I'm studying every day. I might even get a sports scholarship, so I thought, why not become a doctor?" I said, looking at them, waiting for their reactions.

"That's true. When PJ explains my assignments, he does it better than the teacher. I find it easier to understand things I hadn't fully grasped in class. I didn't know you'd been studying so much," Teddy said.

"Whatever you want to study, we'll support you, right, Bob?" Mom said.

"Yes," Bob replied as he chewed his food.

After dinner, as was the routine, Gabe and I went outside to play ball.

"We were playing in the yard, throwing the ball around, and my friends said I'm the best," Gabe said proudly as he threw the ball. "Yeah, you've improved a lot these days. If you keep it up, by the time you get to high school, schools will fight for you," I replied, throwing the ball back to him.

We continued playing for a while until Sheldon came out from the Cooper's house and approached us. "Good afternoon, PJ, Gabe," he greeted us.

"Hi, Sheldon. Good afternoon to you too," I replied. "Robot," Gabe added with a slight nod.

"Do you know why my mother wants me to invite Tam to dinner tomorrow?" Sheldon asked, intrigued, as he stood beside our game.

"Well, Sheldon, it's natural for a mother to be concerned about her child, so she probably wants to meet your new friend," I replied while continuing to play with Gabe.

"No, she probably wants to know if this 'Tam' is real. It might just be a robot hallucination," Gabe said, mocking.

"It's unlikely for a robot to experience hallucinations, and for your information, Tam is my friend, and he is real. I met him in the school library. He's interested in rocket reading, not just children's comics," Sheldon said proudly.

"As I said, robot," Gabe said with a sigh as he threw the ball back.

Interrupting their argument, I said, "So, Sheldon, are you going to invite Tam to dinner tomorrow?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, in fact, that's why I came. My mom asked me to invite you to dinner at our place tomorrow, as Tam and apparently you are my only friends," Sheldon said.

"Alright, I'll be there," I said, trying to ignore a snicker that escaped from my brother.

After nodding, Sheldon stood there for a few more seconds, watching us play. When he noticed his interest, I brought the ball closer to him and asked, "Do you want to throw it?"

"No, thanks. It's dirty," Sheldon said, stepping away from the ball. "If there's nothing else, I've completed my task for my mom. See you tomorrow at school, PJ, Gabe," he said, bidding us farewell.

"Goodbye, robot," Gabe said, "So, the best friend of a nine-year-old who's undoubtedly smarter than you," Gabe added, teasingly.

"Yes, he doesn't have any friends and he's your age, Gabe. How would you feel if nobody wanted to talk to you?" I asked him seriously as he threw the ball.

Gabe seemed to be thinking about my question while throwing the ball back to me.

We continued playing without speaking for several more minutes until Gabe got tired, and we went back inside the house.

After wiping off the sweat, I joined my family for dinner, where I told my parents about Sheldon's invitation to dinner at the Cooper's house tomorrow and headed to my room to study a bit more.

Gabe was practicing with one of his guitars. "You're right," he suddenly said, stopping his playing.

"In what? I mean, I'm always right, but I'd like to know in what case this time," I said, teasingly.

"About the robot... Sheldon. I'd feel bad if nobody wanted to talk to me," he said, lowering his head slightly.

"Gabe, it's not wrong to not like someone, but making fun of someone who's different from you isn't right. Sheldon is very smart when it comes to numbers and anything related to studying, but because of his intelligence, he finds it difficult to make friends. You, on the other hand, already have many friends in elementary school, even the chubby kid with the chickens is your friend now. I'm not asking you to be his best friend, but I am asking you not to treat him worse than he deserves," I said, smiling when Gabe nodded. "Now, continue playing that thing you were doing a moment ago. I like it," I added.

"Really?" he asked excitedly. "Yes, did you write it? It's good," I asked.

"No, it's just a chord progression shown in the book. It's the first time I've practiced it," he said, still excited.

"Well, whatever it is, it's nice. Keep going," I said.

The next day went on as usual. I woke up before my alarm, ran a few miles, had a light breakfast, and Bob dropped me off at school.

The first two periods were normal, and Sheldon and I competed with each other to answer questions. I tried to answer as many questions as possible while helping more classmates. It seemed like word had spread, and now almost everyone asked me for help when they needed it, and I was happy to provide that help.

During lunchtime in the cafeteria, Sheldon and Tam approached the table where my friends and I were sitting.

"Hello, Sheldon, Tam," I greeted them. "Hello, PJ Duncan, my friend," Tam said, half-shouting and puffing out his chest.

"Why are you here, Sheldon?" Georgie asked, annoyed.

"I don't think that's any of your business, but if you really want to know, Tam here wanted to come and say hi to PJ," Sheldon explained calmly, making my friends (except Georgie) laugh.

"Oh, Cooper genius is quite funny," Brock said, giving Sheldon a thumbs-up. Suddenly, Sheldon wrinkled his nose and covered it, looking disgusted. "Now that Tam has achieved his goal, we're leaving. See you at my house for dinner, PJ," he said as he turned around to leave quickly.

Tam stood for a moment beside our table, looking between Sheldon and the empty seat next to Brock. After a few moments, he made up his mind and followed Sheldon to an empty table.

"I can't believe you're friends with him. I thought you and I were friends," Georgie said, annoyed.

"We are friends, Georgie. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm also friends with Sheldon and apparently with Tam," I replied. "Tam?" Georgie asked, intrigued.

"The guy who was with your brother, idiot," Alan said.

"What a strange name 'Tam'," said Brock, emphasizing the boy's name.

"Anyway, you can be Sheldon's friend if you want, but he won't sit with us. If you want, you can sit with him and that Dam, I don't care," said Georgie grumbling, arms crossed.

"Calm down, Georgie. He even doesn't want to sit here; he's bothered by Brock's smell," I joked with my good friend.

"It's better that way," he said, still annoyed.

David and Alan started teasing Georgie about his little brother, and occasionally, Brock threw in his own joke, only to resume discussing something else with me.

At an interesting point in my conversation with Brock about movies that I haven't seen yet, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around in my seat, I saw Regina again, with her two friends behind her.

"Hi, PJ from Colorado," Regina said with a smile. "Hello, Regina, Gretchen, Karen. How are you?" I greeted all three friends.

Karen started chatting with David, Georgie, and Brock, who immediately engaged with her as they arrived.

Gretchen, on the other hand, approached Alan to chat.

"Alright, PJ, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the movies tomorrow. They're showing 'Ghost,'" said Regina while playing with her hair.

"Sure", 'Ghost'? Is it about ghosts? I had never heard of a movie called 'Ghost'; I know about the 'Ghostbusters,' but I don't think it's that movie.

"Alright, see you there tomorrow," said Regina happily as she dragged her two friends back to their table.

"Well, then we're going to the movies tomorrow," I told my friends.

"No, no, Superstar, she was inviting you alone; it's a date," Alan said mockingly.

"Are you sure? I mean, we're going to watch a movie about ghosts. I don't understand how that can be a date," I replied thoughtfully. "Besides, her friends are going too."

"For someone so smart at school, you sure are clueless with women. She's definitely asking you out, buddy. Gretchen and Karen won't be there because they'll be at Gretchen's house," Alan said a little exasperated.

"Yeah, buddy, it's definitely a date. Regina George, the hottest girl of our generation, is asking you out. I don't know what she sees in you," Brock said with jealousy. "Sure, you're tall, you smell good, you're the quarterback, and you're smart, but apart from that, I don't know," he continued.

"Thanks mate," I said, grateful for the compliments.

"Forget what I said, PJ. You can stay at this table as long as you want, as long as you keep attracting pretty girls," Georgie said, chewing his food unpleasantly.

"I agree," said David and Brock simultaneously.

Ignoring their nonsense, I continued eating until I remembered something Alan had said earlier.

"By the way, how do you know where Gretchen will be?" I said, now teasing my friend.

"Reasons," he replied, not giving it much importance.

Noticing that something might be going on, my other friends started interrogating the usually calm one in our group.

Exasperated by the situation, Alan thanked me without really saying anything, and I just smiled at him.

The day continued without many incidents.

During practice, Mr. Cooper made us run through our plays to see how well-polished they were.

In the locker room, Mr. Cooper asked for everyone's attention.

"As you know, next week is the first game of the season. I want you all to be prepared to give it your all. Stick to what we've trained for, get plenty of rest, and as long as you play as you've been doing during this season's practices, we can go far," he said with pride in his voice.

"Now, go to the showers; some of you smell bad, especially you, Brock. For the love of God, use deodorant," Mr. Cooper said as he entered his office with Coach Wilkins.

Today, Mr. Cooper drove me home again. As I got out of his car and was about to say goodbye to Georgie, Mr. Cooper stopped me. "PJ, one moment, please," he said, returning to where I was.

"Yes, Coach?" I asked.

"Here at home, you don't need to call me Coach, PJ. I just wanted to thank you for what you're doing for my two sons. I appreciate it a lot," Mr. Cooper said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't have to thank me; both of them are good friends of mine," I replied.

"I know Georgie is a good friend of yours; you've been helping him with his schoolwork. In fact, all the teachers say that. But I want to thank you especially for Sheldon," he said, glancing suspiciously at his house. "Between you and me, Mary was very worried about Sheldon, and so was I. I'm just glad Sheldon has a friend like you, you know, someone normal," he said, almost whispering.

"Again, Mr. Cooper, you don't have to thank me. Sheldon and Georgie are my friends," I said with a smile.

"You're a good kid. I'm glad to have you as the quarterback. You're a good leader too. Well, see you at dinner, son," he said as he went back to his house.

Leaving my things at home, I went to my room to change. Gabe was sitting at my desk, writing in a notebook, but he got distracted when I entered the room.

"Hey, PJ, didn't see you come in. How was practice?" Gabe asked, quickly closing his notebook and moving to his side of the room.

"It was good, thanks. What do you have there?" I asked, pointing at the notebook he was trying to hide among his comics.

"Oh, it's just homework; I finished it already, nothing to worry about," Gabe said hastily.

Ignoring his strange behavior, I finished getting dressed and headed to the kitchen, where Mom was making herself a fruit bowl.

"Hi, Mom, sorry for not saying hello when I got home," I greeted her while grabbing a glass of water.

"Hi, PJ, don't worry. I see you've changed already. Are you going to the Coopers' now?" Mom asked as she sliced an apple.

"Yes, in a few moments," I replied, looking at her strangely as she added hot sauce and peanut butter to her fruit.

"Have you told Dad about the pregnancy yet?" I asked.

"No, why do you ask? Do you think he suspects something?" she said, concerned, while eating her strange mix of foods.

"I don't know, but if he doesn't suspect anything, he might start to," I said, pointing at her plate.

Surprised, Mom looked at her food.

"No, your dad doesn't know yet," she said sadly.

"Mom," I said, patting her back. "The longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell him," I continued.

"Yeah, I know, PJ. I just can't do it yet," she said as she took her plate and left the kitchen.

On my way to the Coopers',

I saw Tam walking in the family's garden.

"Hey, Tam, how's it going?" I said as I approached.

"Oh, PJ Duncan, good evening," said Tam, offering his hand for a handshake. "You know, you can just call me PJ; you don't have to use my last name every time. We're friends, so drop the formality," I replied as I bumped fists with his hand.

Seeing his hand, Tam stood still for a moment. I decided to leave him with his thoughts and went to the Coopers' front knock the door, with the boy joining me.

From inside the house, we heard Mrs. Cooper shout, "They're here, everybody stay calm! Just a normal day," even though she was the only one screaming. "Can I eat in front of the TV?" I heard Missy ask her mother. "No, you can eat in front of Sheldon's friends," her mother scolded. "Aw, fudge," Missy responded. "I know what 'fudge' means, and you're right on the edge, young lady," Mrs. Cooper scolded again.

I noticed that Tam jumped with each interaction of the Cooper women, so I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Calm down, they're just a regular family, well, an American family," which didn't seem to calm him.

Immediately after, the door to the Cooper's house opened, with Mrs. Cooper elegantly dressed, and Missy standing behind her with her arms crossed.

"Welcome," Mrs. Cooper said with a smile at Tam. "Oh, hi, PJ, I didn't know you were coming too. This dinner won't be so boring after all," said Missy as she uncrossed her arms and let me in.

"Hi, Missy, good evening, Mrs. Cooper, you look radiant today," I said as I entered the house.

"Oh, good evening, PJ. A true gentleman as always," said Mrs. Cooper.

"And do I look pretty, PJ?" Missy asked while twirling her pink dress.

"Like a princess, Missy," I said, smiling at the little girl.

With a smile, Tam followed behind me and greeted everyone as Mrs. Cooper led us to the kitchen.

"This is Tam, Sheldon's friend," she said, introducing the new boy. "I'll be right back; I'm going to get the dinner," she continued, giving a big smile to her youngest son and his new friend as she left the dining room.

At the Cooper's dining table, Mr. Cooper and Georgie were already seated, along with Sheldon.

"And I am PJ Duncan, but I think everyone already knows that," I joked as I took a seat next to Georgie, who greeted me with a light punch on the shoulder, which I returned.

"Good evening, Mr. Cooper," I greeted after taking a seat. "PJ," Mr. Cooper replied in kind.

"Duh, of course, we know. We've been neighbors for almost two weeks," Missy said as she took a seat next to me.

Laughing at Missy's comment, I noticed the sudden silence at the table.

Everyone had awkward smiles, looking at each other, except for Sheldon, who remained undisturbed, staring fixedly at the empty plate in front of him.

Until Mr. Cooper decided to break the silence, "So, uh..." he said, trying to remember something, "Tam," he blurted out, recalling the boy's name. "What kind of name is that?" he asked shamelessly.

"Vietnamese, sir," Tam replied with a friendly smile. "Sure. You know, I spent a little time over there. Army," Mr. Cooper said with pride.

No one said anything again, so I decided to break the silence. "Well, thanks for your service, sir," I said, smiling at Mr. Cooper, who winked at me in good spirits.

Suddenly, remembering something, "Your mom's name isn't Kim-Lee, is it?" Mr. Cooper asked with seriousness.

"No, sir," Tam replied.

"Good! Good. I mean, you know it's a small country, so..." Mr. Cooper said with an awkward smile. "Mary, how's that food coming?" he continued, trying to forget the uncomfortable moment.

"Almost," Mrs. Cooper replied from the kitchen.

Georgie seemed to be thinking, "So, Vietnam, like in Rambo?" he asked Tam. "Yes," Tam replied, laughing a little, "that's a cool movie," Georgie affirmed excitedly. "Yes," Tam repeated, "are you in it?" Georgie asked, now very excited. "No," Tam replied dryly, disappointing Georgie.

"Why would you think you know his mom?" Sheldon asked suddenly, making me unintentionally burst out laughing, which I tried to stifle by taking a sip of water, only to choke a little.

Mr. Cooper just looked at me with annoyance on his face, but he couldn't say anything as Mrs. Cooper suddenly appeared with a large plate of meat. "Alright, Tam, I decided I was going to make you a real Texas dinner. Barbecued chicken and brisket," she said.

"Thank you," Tam replied with a big smile.

"Well, I figured you were probably tired of stuff wiggling around on your plate," Mrs. Cooper said shamelessly as she sat at the table.

Once again, a quick laugh escaped me, "what?" Mrs. Cooper asked, and I lied, "oh, nothing, just remembered something Mr. Cooper said," with horror on his face, Mr. Cooper quickly interrupted me, saying, "okay, Mary, why don't you say grace? Tam must be hungry," saying it half with a smile for his wife and half with annoyance for me.

"Okay, let's say grace," Mrs. Cooper said, taking Missy and her husband's hands. "Now, Tam, when I say 'Jesus,' feel free to say the word 'Buddha' in your head," Mrs. Cooper confidently said, assuming Tam was Buddhist. "I'm actually Catholic," Tam said with a smile. "Oh! Well, that's too bad," Mrs. Cooper said as she closed her eyes to give grace.

The Coopers closed their eyes as Mrs. Cooper said her grace, "Thank you, God, for this food." While the Coopers had their eyes closed, Tam exchanged glances with me, shrugging and giving him a little encouragement.

"And thank you so much for Sheldon's new friend," she continued, "Amen," everyone at the Cooper's table separated their hands and started serving themselves.

"Everything looks great, Mrs. Cooper," I said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Oh, thank you so much, PJ," she replied as she took another bite.

After a few minutes of only hearing the sound of forks and knives against plates, Mrs. Cooper said, "So, Tam, tell us about your family. What brings y'all to Texas?"

"Well, after the American war-" he was interrupted again, this time by Mr. Cooper, "you mean the Vietnam War," "we call it the American war," Tam quickly replied, explaining to Mr. Cooper.

"Anyway, after the war, my father was sent to a reeducation camp because he fought on the wrong side," said Tam cryptically.

"You mean our side," Mr. Cooper joked.

"I was trying to be nice," Tam said sharply.

"So, for many years, my mother, my sisters, and I were very poor and very often didn't have much to eat," Tam continued, making everyone at the table feel guilty for some reason.

"Then, when he was released," he was interrupted again, this time by Georgie, "What'd they teach him at the reeducation camp?" he asked intrigued, "how to be a communist," Tam replied.

"Cool, like Rambo," Georgie said excitedly.

Ignoring Georgie's affirmation, Tam continued, "When he was released, we escaped on a small boat and spent many weeks at sea dodging Cambodian pirates until we reached Thailand."

Seeing an opportunity to lighten the situation, Mrs. Cooper quickly said, "Oh, that's supposed to be a beautiful country."

"Lovely beaches," Mr. Cooper affirmed.

"I wouldn't know," Tam cut him off, "We were forced to live in a refugee camp, where the only thing we had to eat were pigeons and rats."

"Ha!" Georgie said, "That's a job for hot sauce," confirming.

Apparently intrigued by what Georgie said, Tam looked at him curiously, while calmly continuing to eat from his plate.

Ignoring Georgie's comment once again, Tam continued, "Finally, we were allowed to come to the United States and start over in Galveston," he said, "my father saved money and bought his own shrimp boat."

With a big smile, Mrs. Cooper said, "there's a happy ending, when the going gets tough, America provides."

Thinking the story was over, everyone continued with their dinner.

"It did," said Tam, cutting the recent good spirits short, "until the Ku Klux Klan burned our boat and chased us away."

"You gonna put a good spin on that one?" Mr. Cooper asked his wife.

"So we came to Medford and opened up a convenience store," Tam continued, "my parents work 16 hours a day, seven days a week for very little money," Tam finished with his head down.

"Well, that was depressing," Sheldon said as he continued with his dinner.

"Yeah, definitely depressing," I confirmed, "the American dream works for some, I suppose."

The next day, after my morning routine, I saw Sheldon and Tam in the Cooper's garage. "Hey, Sheldon, Tam, good morning. What are you guys doing here?" I said as I approached the two, who had a miniature rocket in their hands.

"Good morning to you too. We're investigating why this rocket didn't launch," I heard Sheldon say while working with the rocket's wires.

"Probably the fuel," I said as I approached their work table.

Surprised, Sheldon turned on his stool and said, "Do you know anything about rockets?"

"Absolutely nothing," I replied with a smile.

"You smell like sweat," Sheldon said as he continued working with the rocket's cables.

"Yes, sorry, I just got back from exercising. I usually do it earlier, but since it's Saturday, I gave myself a bit more time to sleep," I replied.

"It's good that you exercise your body, but until you're clean, please—" Sheldon was interrupted as the rocket suddenly launched.

Broken glass and the sound of a car alarm were enough for Sheldon to shout, "Sorry!"

"I don't know what happened; I was trying to calibrate the ignition wires, and suddenly it went off," Sheldon said nervously about what had just happened.

"Sheldon Cooper," Mr. Cooper said angrily, accompanied by his wife, as they entered the garage, "these people want to talk to you," he continued, stepping aside for two people dressed in FBI uniforms.

"Hello, kids, I'm Agent Gabe Gallo, and this is my partner Aaron Hotchner," said the older of the two, "which one of you is Sheldon Lee Cooper?" he asked seriously.

"Me," Sheldon said as he slowly raised his hand.

"If you could come with us, we have some questions for you," said Agent Gabe, guiding Sheldon inside the house.

"Kids, you can go; we'll just talk a little with your friend Sheldon," the agent said again as he bid farewell with a slight nod.

"Goodbye, PJ, Pam," Mr. Cooper said as he hurriedly followed his wife, who had gone inside with the agents.

Tam and I were left alone in the garage, looking incredulously at what had just happened. "My name is Tam," the boy corrected, although Mr. Cooper was no longer there to hear it.

"Well, Tam, I think it's time we leave here," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay," Tam said, still surprised by what had just happened.

Tam seemed to be contemplating whether or not to say something, and as we left the Cooper's garage, he gathered the courage and turned to me, "PJ, would you like to do something today?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tam. I'm actually going out with Regina; we're going to the movies," I said apologetically.

"With Regina George?" Tam asked, surprised. "She's the hottest girl of our generation. Your reputation precedes you, PJ Duncan, my friend," Tam said with a smile as he walked away down the sidewalk.

"Okay... goodbye, Tam," I said, puzzled by the boy's behavior, but he was already too far away to hear me.

When I got back home, I took a shower to clean the dirt and sweat from my morning exercise.

It was still early, so I spent some time reading in the living room. As the time to go out with Regina approached, I approached Bob, who was also in the living room on his armchair.

"Dad, can you take me to the cinema? I'm going with Regina," I asked.

Bob, who was reading his insect magazine, froze for a moment and then asked in surprise, "Do you have a date?"

"I think it's just a social outing, you know, to get to know each other, but my friends think Regina invited me on a date," I replied.

"Wait, she invited you?" Bob said, increasingly surprised as he stood up.

"Well, yes," I said, feeling a little embarrassed by his reaction.

With a snort and puffing his chest with pride, Bob said, "It's the genes, the Duncans always triumphing. Let's go quickly. You're lucky your mom is on duty right now, and I have time to take you," he said as he left the house with the car keys in hand.

On the way to the cinema in the horrible yellow truck, Bob said, "You're almost old enough to drive, PJ."

"Yeah, a few more months, and I'll be 16," I replied with a slight nod.

"You need to start practicing and studying for the test. Next weekend, I'll take you to practice," Bob affirmed as he continued driving.

I already knew how to drive, even though in my past life, I didn't have my own car. To be a paramedic, you need a driver's license. I still remember the questions they asked in the exam; I hope they haven't changed completely.

"We're here, PJ. I don't know what kind of outing this is, but I want you to remember that you always have to respect a lady. I won your mother's heart by being a true gentleman, and that's what I want you to be a gentleman," he said seriously as he stopped me from getting out of the car. "Take this," he said, handing me a twenty-dollar bill. "You pay for everything, ah! and I'll pick you up in about two hours. Have fun," he continued, patting me on the back as I exited the car.

I stood outside the cinema in the ticket line, watching Bob drive away in his horrible truck.

Some time passed while I waited. Then, on the main street, an incredibly luxurious car stopped in front of the cinema. The back door opened, and Regina, looking incredibly well-groomed, stepped out of the car. She immediately spotted me, waved with a big gesture, and a wide smile, and approached me.

With a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Regina said, "PJ, hi, you look... good," while she looked me up and down. I hadn't specifically prepared myself for the outing; I was just wearing my regular clothes.

"That's not true; I feel underdressed. Just look at you; you look incredible," I said, smiling at her.

"Thank you," Regina said, playing with her hair.

We continued talking, mainly Regina, as the line started moving. When we reached the ticket counter, I said with a smile to the young worker selling the tickets, "Two tickets for Ghost," paying for them, and we entered the cinema.

"Do you want something from the snack stand? Popcorn, for example," I asked while guiding her towards the stand.

"No, thanks. Popcorn has too many calories, but water would be perfect," she said, taking my arm and leading me to the stand.

With our purchases in hand, we headed to the theater, where I noticed that only couples were cuddled up in the seats. It probably wasn't a ghost movie as I had thought.

Regina continued talking about middle school until the movie started.

In the end, the movie wasn't what I had expected. Twenty minutes into the movie, there was a clay modeling scene that was far too erotic for what it was supposed to be. Regina, who had been quiet the whole time, started caressing my arm, which caused an immediate reaction in my body. The scene in the movie, along with the cool touch of Regina's delicate hand, made my mouth dry. I quickly cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, trying to hide the issue that was arising in my pants. Damn teenage hormones.

In an attempt to distract myself from the movie and Regina's touch, I started imagining various ailments in imaginary people in my head. I recalled the patient my mom talked about; if it wasn't cancer, the altered mental state and inability to speak could be symptoms of a brain injury, an aneurysm*, stroke*, or some other ischemic syndrome*. It could also be Wernicke's encephalopathy*, but without knowing the blood thiamine levels, I couldn't say for sure.

What they need is a contrast MRI.

I kept thinking about different fictional patients, and before I knew it, time had passed.

"PJ," Regina suddenly woke me from my thoughts, speaking with force in my ear. I turned to her with intrigue; she seemed upset.

"Yes, I suppose you where somewhere else. The movie has ended," She said.

"Well that was a good movie" I said lying as I stood up and stretched a bit. I really didn't know what had happened in the middle of the movie.

"Yeah," Regina said without getting up, still with a forced smile and a curt tone.

"Are you okay? Is there something bothering you?" I asked, worried that I had messed up, that I hadn't been a gentleman as Bob had advised.

"No, nothing," she said as she stood up and gathered her things to leave the theater. I followed her outside, feeling much calmer now, she said she was ok.

Outside the cinema, I saw her luxury car waiting on the main street. I walked with her to the car and opened the door, trying to be a better gentleman than before.

Before getting in, Regina paused and asked, "PJ, are you... gay?" looking carefully around.

Surprised by the question, I remained silent for a moment, then quickly replied, "No, no, what makes you say that?"

"Well, I tried several times during the movie to get your attention, but nothing worked," she said, not looking me in the eye. "I took the initiative and asked you out first, but it didn't work," she continued, disappointment evident in her voice. "Regina-" I began, trying to get her to stop. "I like you, PJ, but I don't think you feel the same way," she interrupted, shutting the car door in my face before I could finish what I was about to say. A few moments later, the car accelerated away.

Surprised by her confession, I stood frozen in place until a honk from Bob woke me from my trance. He had arrived in the horrible truck and opened the door with a big smile.

"There's Romeo! How did it go, son?" he asked as I got in the car.

"I think I messed up," I said after a moment.

Bob lost his smile and started driving down the street. "Were you disrespectful? Did you try anything inappropriate?" he asked seriously as he drove.

"What? No, not at all. On the contrary, I was very distracted during the movie and didn't give her the attention she deserved. I think she hates me now," I said, feeling embarrassed.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Bob said, "That's good. I raised you well not to be a bad guy." Then he started laughing. "My son, a real heartbreaker. Don't worry; she doesn't hate you. Your mom got angry with me like that several times. What you need to do is give her a gift, maybe take her out to dinner and give her a bouquet of flowers. That should make her forgive you," Bob said as he gave my shoulder a small pat. "Well, at least it worked for your old man," he continued, driving home.

When we arrived at the house, it was already night, not too late but dark outside. In the Cooper's yard, I could see Georgie throwing firecrackers on the roof of his house. When I got out of the car, I told Bob that I would go to the Cooper's to talk to Georgie, and he gave me permission. I approached my friend.

"Hey, what's up?" I said, giving him a little tap on the shoulder followed by a high-five. "Nothing much, Meemaw is watching over us," Georgie replied, offering me some of his firecrackers.

In medical school, they showed us the risks of playing with these types of firecrackers, like missing fingers in the pictures or sometimes just burned stumps. I definitely wouldn't play with fireworks. "No, thanks. Who's Meemaw?" I asked after declining the firecrackers. "Oh, it's my grandma, my mom's mom. My parents went out to dinner after dealing with the feds because of my idiot brother," Georgie said as he threw another firecracker on the roof.

"Speaking of wich, what happened with those FBI agents? Why were they looking for Sheldon?" I asked.

"I don't know. They wouldn't let me listen. Sheldon is playing inside with Meemaw. You can ask him yourself," Georgie said as he threw another firecracker.

Entering through the backyard gate, I found Sheldon and an elderly woman playing cards and coins at the table. "Good evening," I said, surprising the woman, who had her back to me.

"Oh, hi, PJ. We're playing Draw Poker," Sheldon said cheerfully as he showed me his cards.

"Oh, Moonpie, you're losing at Draw Poker. Who are you? Surely not one of my grandsons," the woman interrogated me after speaking with Sheldon.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm PJ Duncan, Georgie and Sheldon's friend, also their neighbor, and we go to school together," I introduced myself to the woman.

"Oh, the brother of the boy with the guitar. Forget about that ma'am stuff; it makes me feel old—" the woman said, but Sheldon interrupted, "but you are old." "It's a good thing I love you," she said, offended by the boy's comment.

"Then I'll call you Meemaw too, if you don't mind," I said to the woman as I approached the table. "By the way, is Gabe here?" I asked.

"Oh, no, no. You call her Constance. I call her Meemaw. You have your own Meemaw," Sheldon quickly interjected.

"Well, that's not nice to say to your friend, Moonpie. He can call me Meemaw if he wants. A friend of yours is like a grandson to me too," Meemaw said with a big smile. "Now why don't you sit and play, PJ. Oh, your brother is with Missy; they're having a little concert," Meemaw said with a smile as she pointed to the chair next to her.

"I see. I actually came to ask Sheldon about the FBI agents who were looking for him today," I said as I sat in the offered chair.

"Oh, yes. Agent Gallo and Agent Hotchner. They were just concerned because I called some mines in Canada a while ago to ask for uranium. Remember, I had problems getting my scale rocket to take off? I thought that with uranium, I could solve those problems," Sheldon said calmly as Meemaw dealt the cards.

"And you won't do it again, right? Now, PJ, do you know how to play Draw Poker?" Meemaw asked when she finished dealing.

"Not exactly, but I see we each have five cards. I suppose the best hand wins," I replied.

"Correct," Meemaw said with a smug smile. "I see you know what you're talking about. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, kid," Meemaw said, tilting her head challengingly. "I'd play with Georgie, but that boy can't remember the rules," she continued, looking at her cards with a poker face.

With a big smile, Sheldon said, "I bet a nickel," sliding his coin across the table.

Using a nearby mirror, Meemaw said, "Hang on a minute, Moonpie," placing the mirror in front of Sheldon's face. "Look at your cards, and then look in the mirror." "Hey, I'm smiling," Sheldon said happily.

"Yeah, and what does that tell me about your cards?" Meemaw asked with a hint of mockery in her tone.

"That I like them," Sheldon deduced with intrigue.

"Attaboy. Now, look at my face. Tell me what you see," Meemaw prompted as she looked at her cards.

"You're unhappy," Sheldon deduced. "Which means...?" Meemaw prodded.

"You don't have good cards," Sheldon concluded with pride.

"Right, so I'm going to see your nickel and raise you a quarter," Meemaw said as she dragged the coins to the center of the table.

Before Sheldon could say anything, I quickly interrupted, "Well, I'll call the nickel and the quarter and bet everything you have there, Meemaw," I said as I counted the coins on the table and pulled out my bill, which amounted to thirteen dollars and some change.

Meemaw looked surprised, as if she had forgotten I was there.

Sheldon looked at his only coin on the table. "All in?" he asked, a little worried. "You can fold," I said with a bit of swagger.

"No, I have good cards; Meemaw has bad cards, but I don't know if you have good cards. Okay, all in," Sheldon said as he pushed his last coin across the table.

Meemaw raised an eyebrow and engaged in a staring contest. I tried not to change my expression at all. After a few seconds, she made up her mind. "Okay, all in," she said, dragging all her coins to the center of the table.

"Nines and fives," Sheldon said proudly as he put his cards on the table.

"Mmh, that's too bad," Meemaw said, putting on a fake look of annoyance. "Three queens. You lose!" she said after a moment, with a big smile of excitement as she revealed her cards.

Meemaw began to drag the coins back to her side of the table until I stopped her.

"Well, Meemaw, three queens is a great hand,"

I said as I put my hand on the table. "But unfortunately, it doesn't beat... four aces!" Shocked by my hand, Meemaw didn't stop me as I pulled the coins and my bill to my side of the table.

"What? But you didn't look happy," Sheldon said, unable to believe it.

"I made you think I was unhappy," said Meemaw with a drooping expression. "But that's lying. You lied to your Moon pie," said Sheldon, disappointed.

"I bluffed my Moon pie, although it didn't serve any purpose. We have to take you to a casino, kid. You have good luck," Meemaw said, pointing at me with one hand while collecting the cards with the other.

"Do people know about this?" Sheldon asked as he took his grandmother's mirror.

"Sheldon," Meemaw said calmly, "what's on a person's face is not always what's in their heart." "Well, this changes everything," Sheldon said incredulously. "How do you know who to trust?"

"You don't; that's what makes life interesting," Meemaw said with a sad smile. "Yes, you never know, but the best you can do is hope for the best in people and prepare for the worst," I said while counting my money.

"Yes, that's true," Meemaw said with a smile.

"Mom, we're home!" Mrs. Cooper suddenly shouted.

"In here!" Meemaw replied from the table.

Mrs. Cooper entered the kitchen, followed by Mr. Cooper, who leaned against the door frame. Mrs. Cooper was surprised to see Sheldon and asked, "What's he doing up?" pointing at Sheldon. "Good evening, PJ," she greeted me when she noticed my presence.

"Good evening, Mrs. Cooper, Mr. Cooper," I greeted them both.

"Well, he was losing to me until Mr. Aces here arrived," Meemaw said, pointing at me.

Mrs. Cooper looked surprised and seemed about to say something, but suddenly one of Georgie's firecrackers exploded, surprising everyone and annoying Mr. Cooper.

"What the hell is that?" he asked, heading to the backyard door.

"I sent Georgie on a beer run, and tipped him with firecrackers," Mrs. Cooper explained while shuffling her deck of cards.

"Oh, Mom," Mrs. Cooper said with disappointment.

"Was I supposed to stiff him?" Meemaw asked defiantly.

From the Cooper's dining room, Missy followed by Gabe came running into the kitchen. "I ate so much candy!" Missy exclaimed, holding a notebook in her hand.

"Not me, but she has my notebook," Gabe said, chasing after Missy.

"Let's go, Gabe. Get your things; it's getting late," I called out to my brother as I left the kitchen behind Missy.

"Okay, PJ, coming!" Gabe shouted back from a distance.

Mrs. Cooper gave Meemaw a grateful but forced smile, staring at her intently.

"Okay," Meemaw said, standing up. "They are all yours," she continued as she left the kitchen.

"I'm leaving too. Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, Sheldon," I said as I said goodbye and followed Meemaw out.

"Gabe, let's go!" I yelled from the Cooper's front door, and he responded with a shout that he was coming.

"I wasn't lying, kid. We really have to take you to a casino. How old are you?" Meemaw asked as she waited for Gabe outside.

"I'm turning sixteen, Meemaw. I'm not old enough to enter casinos yet," I replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. I was going to Las Vegas in a few weeks to bet on Tyson's fight. Hopefully, the odds won't be too skewed in his favor, even though he's the obvious winner. A friend of mine said the odds might be 30 to 1. Can you believe that?" Meemaw said as she was leaving.

Something didn't add up. We were in mid-August, and if I remembered correctly, the only Tyson fight in 1990 in my previous life had taken place in February. That fight was crucial for the time, and Tyson was undefeated until he was beaten by another fighter, i remember my roomate talking about this.

"Wait, Meemaw, who is Tyson fighting against?" I asked quickly as I stopped her.

"Don't you know? He's fighting against Douglas. It's the biggest boxing event of the year. Even when Rocky came out, boxing wasn't as important," Meemaw said with intrigue.

This was my chance. If things were the same as in my world, Tyson would lose, and any bet placed on Douglas would multiply by at least thirty.

"When is this fight?" I asked her, "It's in a few weeks. Why? Do you want to place a bet?" Meemaw asked, showing interest in my sudden curiosity.

"Yes, I'd like to bet. Could you do it for me?" I asked.

"Sure, I'm going to Vegas anyway, but what's in it for me?" she asked, a bit greedy.

"Well, how about I give you 10% of whatever I win, if I win anything?" I suggested.

"That's not much, Mr. Aces and much less if you bet on the clear winner. I want something else," Meemaw said as if it were obvious.

"Oh, but I won't be betting on Tyson. I want to bet on Douglas. And if I win, that 10% will be much more than what I originally bet," I said, correcting her.

"What?" she asked incredulously at my statement.

"Yes, I want to bet on Douglas. I'm not sure if he can win, but I like those odds. If I bet ten dollars, I could win 300. Sounds good to me," I said confidently.

"Well, kid, I won't tell you what to do with your money. It's up to you," she said as she took out a notebook and pen from her purse. "Tell me, how much do you want to bet?" she asked, moistening the pen's tip with her tongue.

"Oh, I don't have all the money I want to bet yet. Let's discuss it a few days before you leave for Vegas. I want to save up more money," I said as I turned my head towards the Cooper's house, where Gabe was leaving through the front door with his guitar in a case on his back.

"Wait, you want to bet all your money?" Mrs. Cooper said, impressed. "That's not a very smart move, Mr. Aces," she continued, shaking her head.

"Oh, don't worry, Meemaw. I'm only fifteen. How much money could I possibly get?" I said with a smile as I headed toward Gabe, saying my goodbyes to Meemaw.

"Why were you talking to, Missy's grandmother?" Gabe asked as we walked home.

"Oh, nothing, just about the card game she taught me," I replied as I gave him a half-hug.

"Okay..." he said, thinking for a moment. "Do you think you could teach me the game sometime?" he continued after a pause.

Chuckling a bit at his request, I opened the front door of our house. "Sure, I'll teach you later. What do you have there?" I said, changing the subject, asking about the notebook he was holding.

Embarrassed, he quickly hid the notebook and said, "Nothing," as he rushed inside the house towards our room.

In the main living room, Bob and Mom were watching TV. "Hi, PJ, what's going on with your brother?" Mom asked from the couch.

"I don't know, Mom," I said as I greeted her.

As I continued my way to my room, Mom suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, that's right. Your dad told me you had a date. How did it go?" she said as she ran up next to me.

"Not very well, I think he's mad at me, but Dad gave me some advice," I said. "Well, if you want my..." she was about to say, but I interrupted her. "Speaking of Dad, have you told him yet?" I asked quickly changing the subject.

Surprised, Mom quickly turned her head to where Bob was watching TV to see if he had overheard. Seeing that he hadn't, she relaxed a bit and turned her face back to me.

"No, not yet," she said with a complicated expression.

"Mom, you can't keep putting it off like this. I know, how about tomorrow I'll prepare a special dinner for you both, and during the meal, you can tell him. Dad said it's the best way to ask for forgiveness, but this time you won't be asking for forgiveness; instead, you'll be giving him some great news," I said, smiling because my strategy had worked. Mom forgot what we were talking about before.

"That's a great idea, PJ," Mom said happily, "but do you think you can handle making dinner? Maybe we can go shopping tomorrow to get the ingredients," she said.

"Yes, let's do that. You and I will go shopping, and then you can take Dad out of the house for a few hours. Teddy, Gabe, and I will prepare everything, and I'll serve as the waiter. What do you think?" I said calmly.

"Perfect," Mom said with a big smile and teary eyes.

"Okay," I said as I continued my way, but Mom stopped me again with a tight hug. "Thank you so much for all your help, PJ. You're a great son; I don't know what I did to deserve you," Mom said, then released me. "Go to bed now," she said, wiping her tears as she walked back to the living room.

Standing there for a moment, I chuckled at the happiness. "No, I don't know what I did to deserve you all," I said in a whisper before going back to my room.

I slowly opened the door to my room since Gabe was playing his guitar.

[Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles]

"Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo. Here comes the sun, and I say it's all right," Gabe sang as he played his guitar, facing away from the door.

"Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter," he continued but paused at that part to write it down.

"Lonely winter," he murmured, concentrating as he wrote.

"That's good; you wrote it," I said.

Startled, Gabe jumped in his place, dropping the notebook and pen he was using.

"Yeah, no, maybe, do you like it?" he asked a bit nervously.

"Yes, I like it. Who are you writing it for?" I said as I approached the notebook and took a quick look.

There were many lyrics; some pages were just a bunch of words written with some words circled in red. Other pages had titled songs, and many were crossed out, except for the last used page.

"'Here Comes the Sun,' good title, and I like the chords," I said as I handed him the notebook without letting go. "Don't be ashamed to do what you like doing, especially with me; I support you, little brother," I said, winking at him and then releasing the notebook.

"Keep going; I want to hear what you have," I said as I headed to my closet.

Gabe continued to sing and play some of his songs. Most of them were quite good; he had a talent for writing. He stumbled a bit with hand positions on the guitar, but he always managed to adjust and make the songs sound good.

"How do you do it?" I asked. "Do what?" he replied as he wrote something else in the notebook. "Write music," I clarified.

Putting the notebook aside along with the guitar, he sat up straight and said, "I don't really know. I learn the chords, and the lyrics of the songs just come to me as I play. When I perform the song, I might make some changes if I come up with something."

I didn't think writing songs could be that easy, but Gabe definitely had talent for it.

"How about if we tell Dad later to enroll you in more music classes so you can learn faster and not just on your own?" I asked from my bed, already prepared to sleep.

"I don't know, do you think it's really worth it?" he asked somewhat worried.

"I'll tell you what, you can try a few classes. If you don't like them, you can quit and continue on your own," I encouraged him.

"Alright, but I don't think Dad will want to pay for the classes," he said as he tidied up his things and prepared to sleep.

"I could get a part-time job. I'll help you pay for them, don't worry about it. Just pay me back with a fancy car once you're famous and really rich. For now, just enjoy what you love," I joked as I turned off the table lamp.

"Goodnight, Gabe," I said as I turned around to sleep.

"Goodnight, PJ. Thanks," Gabe replied weakly.

I slept very well.

The next day, I woke up a bit later than usual but still early. I got ready for my daily exercises and left the house.

Outside the Cooper's house, the Cooper kids were there along with Mrs. Cooper and Meemaw, it looked like they were going to church.

"Good morning," I greeted as I jogged past them.

"Good morning, PJ," Mrs. Cooper responded happily, along with Missy and Sheldon.

"Mr. Aces," Meemaw said, nodding at me.

Returning from my daily exercises, I entered the kitchen where, as always, Mom was waiting with a glass of water. "Good morning, PJ," she said. "Get ready to go shopping," she added, looking behind me cautiously and winking.

"Yes, Mom. I'll just take a quick shower and get dressed to go," I said as I left the kitchen with a banana in hand.

I got ready for shopping by taking a quick shower and dressing up for the outing. Mom and I went shopping and returned after a few hours. We quickly put away the groceries in the kitchen and went to the living room, where Bob and the kids were watching television.

I decided to sit with Teddy, Gabe, and Bob in the living room, so Mom thought it would be a good time to leave.

"Well, kids, your dad and I are going to check out some curtains. We won't be back for a few hours. If you're going to do something special, do it now," she said, giving me a wink and dragging Bob out of the house.

Surprised by the sudden plans, Bob exclaimed, "Check out curtains? But we already have good curtains!"

Taking the remote from the coffee table, I turned off the TV, ignoring the kids' protests, and said, "Alright, chipmunks, we're going to prepare a special dinner for our parents because they deserve it. Teddy, you'll set the table and prepare the house. Mom and I bought a few candles; put them around the living room and dining area. Gabe, you'll help me in the kitchen," I said authoritatively, not expecting any objections. I picked up Gabe around his waist and carried him like a sack under my arm.

"Let's go," I said as we walked into the kitchen. "Don't make me carry you too, Teddy!" I shouted from the kitchen door.

Putting Gabe back on the floor inside the kitchen, we got to work. It wouldn't be a fancy dinner because none of us really knew how to cook. I had some ideas about certain dishes, but everything would be trial and error.

With Gabe's help in cutting and taste-testing the dishes I prepared, we finished the dinner a few hours later. The house was elegantly decorated; Teddy had placed candles in strategic spots that I lit up along with a well-chosen tablecloth. It felt like a completely different home.

After taking a bath, I dressed up and prepared for my parents' dinner. I served the kids a portion of the food I made so they could eat before dinner and not bother Bob and Mom.

I explained to the kids what we were going to do, from the moment our parents arrived until the final moment when Mom would tell Dad something – I didn't reveal what it was, of course.

We sat on the couch, waiting for our parents to arrive. Several minutes later, we heard the car parking outside. I positioned myself behind the door with the lights off, along with my siblings, and we waited for them to enter.

"Kids, we're home!" Bob shouted as he entered the house. We turned on the lights, and my siblings and I jumped out from behind the door, yelling, "Surprise!" as we showed them the decorated house.

"What's all this?" Bob asked, happily surprised. "Well, we thought, why not do something special for you two, so we prepared a dinner," I said, hugging my two siblings on each side and smiling at our parents who had just entered.

"Wow, this is amazing! Thank you, kids, I had no idea," Mom said, clearly feigning surprise, winking at me.

"Yes, that's why it's a surprise," Gabe pointed out.

"Come on in, don't just stand there at the door," I said, ushering them in.

"Allow me to take your coats," Gabe said, even though they didn't have coats to give him.

"Right this way, please," Teddy said, leading them to the table. "Table for two," she said as she pulled out Bob's chair, and Gabe did the same for Mom.

"Thank you very much, waiter," Mom said, giving Gabe a kiss on the forehead before taking her seat.

"You're welcome," Gabe replied, wiping off the kiss from his forehead and going to the kitchen.

"Excuse me," Teddy said as he went with Gabe.

"In a moment, we'll bring you the appetizers. May I serve your drinks, sir?" I said, pretending to be a waiter from an elegant restaurant.

"Please, kind gentleman," Bob said elegantly.

Uncorking a beer, I placed it in front of his plate, and I used the water jug on the table to pour a glass for Mom.

"Pardon me," I said as I went back to the kitchen.

The dinner went smoothly, and we let our parents talk for a while, listening to the music Mom had chosen on our shopping trip.

When I brought out dessert, Mom gave me the secret signal we had agreed upon, and I left them alone, going back to the kitchen with the kids.

"Well, chipmunks, it looks like we did it," I said as I sat down at the kitchen table, feeling tired. Teddy and Gabe celebrated, which made me smile. "I want to tell you something," I said seriously, making them stop their celebration and pay attention. "It may seem like what's going to happen next will make Mom or Dad pay less attention to you, but I want you to know that if you ever feel like no one is listening, I will. Okay? No matter what it is, if you need a listening ear, I'll be there for you. I'm your older brother, and you can always ask me for anything," I continued with a big smile.

Teddy and Gabe looked at each other, somewhat puzzled, and said at the same time,

"Okay... What do you mean, PJ?" Teddy asked afterward, "What's going to happen or-" she continued, but a scream interrupted her. "What!" Bob seemed to have received the news.

Immediately after Bob's scream, we heard banging on the front door. "Amy, please, George is having a heart attack!" we heard Mrs. Cooper shouting.

Quickly, the kids and I rushed out of the kitchen to the living room where Bob and Mom were at the door with the very agitated Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Cooper, who was holding his chest in pain.

I hurried to Mom's medicine cabinet and took out a box of aspirin, grabbing one and bringing it to the adults.

"Mr. Cooper, chew this, it's an aspirin," I said as I handed it to him.

"Alright, PJ, take care of your siblings. Your dad and I will take Mary and George to the hospital," Mom said in a rush as Bob helped Mr. Cooper walk to his awful-looking yellow truck.

"Kids, you can go to our house; my mom will be there," Mrs. Cooper said as she got into the ugly yellow truck.

With Bob driving and Mom next to Mr. Cooper, trying to keep Mrs. Cooper calm, they quickly left for the hospital.

Comforting my nervous siblings, I led them to the Cooper's house after locking our home. We entered through the backyard gate, where Missy and Sheldon were sitting at the kitchen table. Sheldon was reading a book, while Missy looked worriedly at a basket of eggs.

"Oh, hi Sheldon, Missy, are you okay?" I asked as I entered.

"Hi PJ, yes, we haven't had dinner yet, and Mom quickly left with Dad," Sheldon said, continuing to read.

Teddy sat down next to Missy and hugged her, trying to comfort the youngest girl.

Gabe also took a seat, grabbing an egg from the basket. "And these eggs?" he asked, slightly moving away from Teddy's comforting embrace Missy said, "They were a gift from Billy Sparks."

"More like from Matilda Sparks. I highly doubt Billy can lay eggs," Gabe joked, putting the egg back in the basket.

"Yeah, I don't think Billy can lay eggs either," I said, ruffling my brother's hair. "Okay, let's have dinner. By the way, where's Georgie?" I asked, remembering the oldest of the Cooper kids.

"I don't know," Missy said nonchalantly, talking to Teddy.

"Don't worry, Meemaw is here! Everything is under control," Meemaw announced as she entered the house through the front door.

"We haven't had dinner yet," Sheldon immediately told Meemaw as she came into the kitchen.

"Really?" Meemaw asked, sounding annoyed. "I don't feel like cooking," she continued with a hint of frustration.

Relieved that I didn't have to cook, I took a seat next to Gabe.

"You're new. I know Mr. Aces and the Rockstar, but not you. Who are you?" Meemaw asked, pointing at Teddy.

"It's Teddy, my best friend," Missy said, hugging Teddy tightly.

"Oh... okay," Meemaw said as she walked into the kitchen.

"PJ, do you think it's mathematically advisable to believe in God?" Sheldon suddenly asked, setting aside his book.

"Well, Sheldon, you're the one good with numbers, although there was a French mathematician who believed it was better to believe in God and have Him not exist than to not believe in Him and have Him exist," I replied.

"Yeah, Blaise Pascal. I was just reading about that, but I don't know if that makes it mathematically necessary for me to believe in God," Sheldon said, pondering.

"If you have to believe in God for a mathematical reason, then you're not really believing in God, but in mathematics. Beliefs are important, yes, just like the lack of beliefs, Sheldon. You shouldn't believe in God just because it's convenient, and you can't stop believing in Him just because it's no longer convenient. People choose to believe out of faith. If you don't have that faith, you shouldn't force yourself to get it. I believe you should believe in what you want," I said.

"I understand, I think," Sheldon said.

"Mr. Aces, Rockstar, and pretty girl, do you want dinner too?" Meemaw asked from the kitchen.

"No, thanks, Meemaw. We already had dinner," I replied on behalf of all of us.

A few moments later, Meemaw came in with plates for her two grandkids and herself.

"Your dad had a little chest pain. Don't worry," Meemaw said as they started eating.

A few moments later, Missy asked, "Is Daddy gonna be okay?" looking to Teddy for comfort.

"Oh, yeah," Meemaw brushed it off, "Your Pop-Pop used to have little chest pains all the time," she continued with a small joke.

"Didn't he die of a heart attack?" Sheldon asked.

"Well, for insurance purposes, yes," Meemaw joked, leaving everyone except me puzzled.

"Missy, I'm sure your dad is going to be fine. Before they left, I gave him an aspirin, and if the chest pain was really a heart attack symptom, your dad was well enough to make it to the hospital. I'm over ninety percent sure your dad is going to be okay," I said, noticing the puzzled looks around the table, and added, "or at least that's what the books say," eliciting a relieved sigh from Sheldon.

"Do you want to study medicine, Mr. Aces?" Meemaw asked as she chewed her food.

"Yes, Meemaw, I want to be a doctor someday," I replied with a smile.

From the entrance we had used earlier, Georgie walked in.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" he asked when he saw all of us seated.

"Dad's in the hospital," Missy quickly said.

"What?" Georgie repeated, surprised. "Why is Dad in the hospital?" he asked Meemaw.

Meemaw and Sheldon simultaneously answered, overlapping their responses. "He's gonna be fine," said Meemaw, "He had chest pains," replied Sheldon.

"He's gonna be fine," Meemaw said again after Sheldon didn't speak at the same time as her.

"What are we doing? Why aren't we going to the hospital?" Georgie quickly demanded, concerned.

"Nobody's going anywhere," Meemaw said firmly. "We're just gonna stay calm, have a nice dinner, and wait for your mama to call and tell us what's what," she continued, not backing down.

"I'm not hungry," Georgie said angrily as he left the kitchen.

"What did you mean by 'insurance purposes'?" Sheldon asked, intrigued.

"Just eat," his grandmother ordered.

Getting up from my seat, I said, "I'll go check on him," and followed Georgie to where he had gone.

Sitting on the couch in the living room with his arms crossed, Georgie was watching TV. Taking a seat next to him, I didn't say anything, and we watched TV together.

Several minutes later, his siblings and mine joined us, and we continued watching TV while Meemaw searched through the Cooper's fridge, taking out a bottle of rosé wine.

Suddenly, the phone at the house rang, and Meemaw answered it. The Cooper kids gathered around, waiting for news. After a few moments, Meemaw hung up and looked at her audience. The three Cooper kids waited for her response.

"What'd she say?" Sheldon asked.

"The doctors are doing some tests, but, dollars to donuts, your daddy's just got a bad case of gas," Meemaw said, downplaying the situation.

"What do you think, PJ?" Sheldon asked, turning from his seat, causing everyone to focus on me.

"Well..." I said, looking at Meemaw, who was gesturing with her hands and her face. "There's a possibility it could be gastric reflux. The pain it causes in the esophagus, in an extreme case, can be mistaken for a heart attack," I continued, watching as Meemaw signaled her gratitude.

"Y'all three go get ready for bed," Meemaw told the younger kids in the house.

"I don't want to stay around here," Georgie said angrily. "I want to go to the hospital and see Dad," he continued, demanding his grandmother.

"Well, I want to be in Las Vegas and see Willie Nelson, but that ain't gonna happen either," Meemaw mocked Georgie.

"This is stupid," Georgie said angrily as he left the room.

"You know what's stupid?" Meemaw asked him. "I got to drink pink wine!" receiving the slamming of a door in response.

Gabe and Teddy went to bed with Sheldon and Missy, respectively.

I stayed in the living room on the couch, still watching TV and thinking about Mr. Cooper and how my father died in my previous life. Several times throughout the night, the house phone rang, and Meemaw, who was in the backyard, quickly entered to answer it.

"Everything alright?" I asked the last time she came in.

"Yes, Mr. Aces. Try to get some sleep. It's going to be a long night," Meemaw said as she left the house again.

An hour later, Georgie, along with the other kids, emerged in front of me from the television.

"We're going to see my dad, and they want to come. Are you coming?" Georgie asked, pointing to my siblings.

Seeing my hesitation, Teddy said, "What if it were dad, PJ? Let's go."

"Alright, let's go," I said as I got up.

Georgie, Sheldon, and Missy went to grab Meemaw's car keys, while Gabe, Teddy, and I waited in front of the house.

When Georgie and Missy, without Sheldon, arrived a few moments later, Georgie seemed like he wanted to drive. So, I stood in front of him and reached out my hand. "I'm the oldest; I'll drive," I said firmly, using my age to assert myself, as I was one year older than most of my peers and friends due to my birthdate.

"Just for a few months," Georgie said, reluctant to hand over the keys. "Doesn't matter; I'm the oldest, and I'll drive," I said seriously.

"Alright," Georgie gave in, handing me the keys.

We all got into the car, with Georgie and me in the front. I started the car. "Can we put on some traveling music?" Missy asked. "Sure," I replied, turning on the radio. "Thanks," Missy said.

"You know what you're doing, PJ?" Teddy asked, a bit worried. "Yeah, don't worry; I've practiced a few times with Dad," I lied to reassure them.

Sheldon, for some reason, was wearing Georgie's football helmet and had a bunch of pillows with him as he got into the car. "I'm coming with you," he said as he settled in.

"Alright, let's go. Everyone buckle up, please," I said as I drove out of Meemaw's garage.

During the drive to the hospital, Georgie, who was in the passenger seat, said in surprise, "You really can drive. I thought you were lying."

"Yeah, PJ, you drive really well," Missy said, moving her head to the rhythm of the music.

"Really well. Now, I feel like my practice was useless," Sheldon said, throwing his pillow into the trunk. "But I'll keep the helmet, just in case," he added.

Chuckling a bit at his antics, I continued driving.

We spent several minutes on the road. Unfortunately, Meemaw's cassette had only two songs, so the kids quickly got bored. "Admit it, PJ, we're lost," Gabe said anxiously.

"We're not lost!" I replied, a bit annoyed at having to repeat myself several times.

"Why don't we just ask for directions?" Sheldon suggested.

"Because we're kids in a car, genius," Georgie snapped. "Even PJ, despite being older, still doesn't have his license," he continued.

A few moments later, we heard a siren behind us. Recognizing the type of siren, I didn't get flustered and kept driving.

"Oh no, we're going to jail!" Sheldon said worriedly.

"PJ and Georgie are going to jail," Missy said, "I'm saying I was kidnapped," she added quickly.

"That's a good plan," Teddy acknowledged.

"We were kidnapped," Sheldon concluded.

Chuckling a bit at the kids, I said, "No one is going to jail; it's just a sign that we are on the right track."

"Why, though?" Georgie asked.

"It's an ambulance," I replied with a calm smile, pulling over slightly to let the emergency vehicle pass.

"Oh, thank God," Georgie said in relief.

Following the ambulance, the kids relaxed a lot.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I parked the car and handed the keys to Georgie. Without hesitation, Georgie took the keys and rushed with everyone else to the emergency room.

Inside the hospital, we saw Mrs. Cooper sitting beside Meemaw, Mom, and Bob.

"Mom!" Sheldon and Missy shouted as soon as they spotted their mother, running quickly to her side.

Gabe and Teddy also approached their parents, while Georgie and I stood still under Meemaw's furious gaze.

"I lost the little rascals in the hall," she said while giving us a furious smile.

"I want to see Dad," George said, ignoring his grandmother.

"Me too," Sheldon and Missy said at the same time.

"The doctors are with him now," Mom said, trying to calm the kids.

"I'll take you in a bit," Mrs. Cooper said. "Why are they here?" she asked her mother, pointing to the two kids.

"I think it's obvious," Meemaw said. "They love their daddy," she continued with a laugh.

"No, I get that," Mrs. Cooper said. "Why aren't they home in bed?"

"Well," Meemaw said, looking angrily at Georgie and me, "nobody could sleep, and I couldn't leave the Duncan kids unattended," she continued with a fake smile, as the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you for that, Mrs. Tucker," Mom said, hugging Gabe and Teddy.

Approaching Mom, I hugged her, "You did very well in bringing that aspirin. Good thinking. Where did you learn that?" I asked.

"In a book," I half-lied, "Did you tell Dad?" I asked.

"Yes, he was very surprised, but with George's attack, we had more immediate things to think about. I think he has digested the news now," she said, pointing to Bob, who was sitting reading a pamphlet about childbirth at the hospital.

Stepping away from Mom's hug, I said, "Well, I'm going to the bathroom. Does anyone need something? Is anyone hungry?" I asked everyone, receiving negative responses, and then left.

Upon entering the bathroom, all the stalls were occupied, so I left to find another one. The next room from the emergency room was the hospitalization room.

As I exited the bathroom, I noticed a patient who looked very ill through one of the windows. Feeling sorry for her, I stood there for a few seconds, watching.

"We know what she has," a voice suddenly said behind me. Turning quickly, I found a grumpy man with a cane in his hand.

"I'm glad," I said, genuinely happy, looking out of the window again.

"Yes, it's a shame we won't treat her," the man said, standing next to me.

"What!" I asked, surprised. "Why would you say that? Isn't she your family?" I asked, a little annoyed.

"Oh, no, not at all. I'm her doctor," he said. "I thought she was your relative, so you must be one of her kindergarten students," he said sarcastically.

"Kindergarten teacher, brain tumor," I blurted out without thinking. "Ah, you know the case. What's your name, young man?" the doctor asked, taken aback, grabbing my arm.

"PJ Duncan," I said, pulling my arm away from his grasp.

"Duncan, Duncan," he said, trying to remember something. "Ah, yes, the pregnant nurse. Your mother told you about the case," the doctor deduced.

"Ah, you must be Doctor House," I recognized who he was.

"I see my reputation precedes me, and no, it's not a brain tumor," he said, turning around to leave.

"Then it's an aneurysm*, stroke*, or some other ischemic syndrome*," I said again without thinking.

Pausing in his stride, Dr. House turned in place with a look of confusion on his face.

"Why would you say that?" he asked.

"If it's not a tumor, my first thought would be an injury, but that's something the patient would reveal," I said without thinking.

"Everybody lies," House replied sharply.

His sharp response snapped me out of my trance. His question reminded me of my teachers in my past life, so I responded without thinking.

"Forget what I said, they've already figured it out, don't mind me," I said as I turned to leave quickly.

"Hold on there, or I'll report your mother," House said from his position, making me stop. "What do you want?" I asked, annoyed by the threat.

"You're interesting. Quick question: a completely healthy man takes good care of himself, is orange in color, has no symptoms. What could it be?" he said, standing in front of me.

I hesitated to answer, and this seemed to disappoint House. With a sigh, he turned in his place and prepared to leave. "I thought you'd be more interesting, kid," he said as he walked away.

"Carrots and multivitamins, in excess," I replied, feeling challenged by his tone.

Stopping in his tracks without turning, House said, "Explain."

"Excess carrots make them yellow, and niacin or vitamin B make them red. One plus one," I said. "Isn't that right?" I asked, somewhat proud to see him turn.

"Okay, I retract it. You're somewhat interesting, smart kid. Let's play a little," he said, taking a seat in front of the room and offering me the other free spot.

"It may or may not be one of those three things. What else could it be?" he asked with closed eyes and a smug smile.

Taking it as a challenge, I responded quickly.

"I thought of Wernicke's encephalopathy*, but without knowing the blood thiamine level, I couldn't reach any conclusion," I said.

"Alright, the tests for blood thiamine level* came back normal, but there can be confusions, so run the tests again," he said, straightening up and opening his eyes. "Now what?"

"Perform a Contrast MRI*," I quickly replied.

"During the Contrast MRI, she had an allergic reaction. Oh no, she was about to die," he said sarcastically. "What are you going to do now?" he asked, trying to intimidate me.

"Look for environmental or genetic causes that trigger an inflammatory response," I replied, showing him that his intimidation doesn't work.

"They give her a dose of steroids. Why?" House asked.

The question caught me off guard. "I don't know," I replied, thinking of possible reasons. House was about to say something when it hit me. "Wait, got it. To try to check if it's cerebral vasculitis*, but it doesn't make sense, especially for someone her age," I said, a bit annoyed.

Chuckling for some reason, House said, "Yes, it's strange that someone her age has cerebral vasculitis, but it's also strange for it to be a tumor. Sometimes, you have to test to see if your theory works," he said sarcastically.

"So, it's cerebral vasculitis, then?" I asked.

"Do you think it's that?" he said, pointing towards the room.

"No, it doesn't make sense. She looks bad," I replied.

"Yeah, she initially responded well to treatment, but then she lost his vision for a moment, and subsequent tests only showed intermittent altered mental status," said House as he swung his cane back and forth.

Remembering something, House said, "They have a parrot in her classroom. Is that the cause or not?"

"Obviously not. If there are little kids in the classroom, I doubt they have good hygiene around the bird, at least not more than the teacher," I responded.

With a small smile, House said, "Good. We entered her house, and there was nothing among her clothes that could explain her symptoms. Her refrigerator had everything, all within the expiration date. Even one of the doctors ate a ham sandwich from there. There were no strange plants, no neighbors with animals, not a single rat dropping," said House. "After that, we figured out what it is," he said, leaning on his cane, asking a silent question.

Thinking about everything he had just said, I realized a clue.

"Is she Jewish?" I asked.

With an even bigger smile, Dr. House said, "Everybody lies. We thought so initially, but now we know she's not. So, what does she have?"

"Neurocysticercosis*," I said with a bit of joy as House nodded.

"Well done, kid. You arrived at the same conclusion as I did, but as I said, unfortunately, we can't treat it," he said as he stood up.

"What?" I raised my voice a bit. "Why not?" I asked again.

"I'd like to treat it, really, but I lost her trust. She doesn't want any more intrusive tests," he said as he walked away slowly.

Frustrated with the doctor's conclusion, I stared at the patient until it hit me. "His thigh," I said.

House stopped abruptly. "What?" he asked.

"Yes, if you do X-rays test on his thigh, you will find the neurocysticercosis parasites. Those parasites like muscles," I said. "And X-rays are not intrusive at all," I concluded.

Turning around and looking at me intently, House remained silent for a moment. "Forget what I said before. You're the most interesting kid I've ever met. We'll meet again, and you possibly saved a life, kid. Congratulations," he said as he entered the patient room.

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Glosary

Aneurysm*: An abnormal swelling or bulge in the wall of a blood vessel, such as an artery.

Stroke*: A loss of blood flow to part of the brain.

Ischemic Syndrome*: Vision-threatening condition associated with severe carotid artery occlusive disease.

Wernicke's encephalopathy*: Acute neurological condition characterized by a clinical triad of ophthalmoparesis with nystagmus, ataxia, and confusion.

Thiamine level: Vitamin B1, the normal level is 2.5-7.5 μg/dL, or 74-222 nmol/L.

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Author Thoughts:

Chapter a bit short (Overused joke), it was almost 14k words of history, wow.

I'm not American, and I'm definitely not a doctor.

Sorry for not posting these days; I was writing this chapter, which turned out longer than usual as a special celebration for (drumroll) reaching the tenth chapter. Thanks for reading all these chapters. There's still a long way to go for this novel and, therefore, to improve my writing skills. Thank you for bearing with the errors I make, but above all, thank you so much for your power stones (I need many more, MOREEE!).

Now, I need to clarify a few things:

1. I know the Mike Tyson and Douglas fight happened on February 11, 1990, not in August-September, i got the bet parley in internet i dont know if its accurate. But I thought that in the United States, like in Mexico, the school year starts in two dates, January and August. However, it seems that, according to the internet, the school year in the United States only starts in August.

2. Not all interactions in the House story will be as I wrote them here; it was just a first approach. I would like to know what you thought of it; it was like a little duel in which House was clearly leading.

3. I will try to make the relationship with Regina as realistic as possible. Remember that they are in their first year of high school, so it's not a full-fledged romance just yet. It has hints of becoming one, but we'll see how it develops.

4. As I explained before, the Duncan family serves only as a base to work on. Many things will change in their personalities and future goals in this story; Gabe has talent for music.

5. The idea of writing song fragments I got from the novel by Alittlepiggy33 (if you ever read this, know that I really like your story; I'm a big fan). Together, we'll imagine that the songs Gabe "writes" are his own creations. I'm not a musician, and I don't know how to write songs, so I apologize if it bothers anyone.

6. The FBI agents are just a nod to other series; in Young Sheldon, the agents don't really matter, so I decided to add them as an Easter egg.

7. I also know that in the first episode of Dr House, he said that he leaves at 5, let's ignore that and think all together that he stayed in the hospital all night.

I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll fix them immediately.

Thank you so much for reading. Please leave a review, it encourages me to keep writing.

PS: The update schedule might be a bit spaced out, as I'm still writing, and don't expect chapters shorter than 2-3k words. Happy return to school for those going back to classes.

PS2: I saw the movie facing the giants, such a bad movie, If you think it's a good movie I apologize, mainly because you haven't seen a really good movie in your life. If you have any recommendations for a good football movie, I would greatly appreciate it.

Edit: On the recommendation of a friend of mine, I added (in tv shows) to the title, because he says that Daily Drama is simply not flashy enough, if you entered the novel for that reason, leave a comment :D. And those who have been here with me, tell me what you think of the change, in my opinion the title is still Daily Drama, but if it's more striking like that, then I'll leave it like that.