“Probably not, what do you want to know?”

“Anything?”

“Almost.”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“A Lesbian?”

“No.”

“If you say so I believe you but they’re saying on TV that you lived with one.  Is that true?”

“I lived with her for eleven days.  I didn’t know she was a lesbian when I moved in and when she made an advance I went to my room, locked the door and I moved out the next morning.   I really hurt her.  I feel bad about it.  I wrote her a letter of apology.”

“Then why are they saying that?”

“Because someone is jealous of me or her and told the press half of the truth.  Maybe it made them feel important.”

“Why don’t you tell them the truth?”  Jaci was always the one to do things by the direct route.

“They probably will not believe me.”

They went on to other things and the morning wore on.  The three women were taken to PT.  Jaci got on her crutches and walked.  They told her to put some weight on her right leg, she complied, it felt tender but she was able to start adjusting to the stiff knee.  It was weird to feel pressure on the front of her leg when she put pressure on the pylon.  Judi got to taking a few steps and working out on the crutches.  She was still shaky when they left but she had advanced quite a bit.  Mitzi was able to take a few steps at the bars, supporting most of her weight in her hands and they gave her a walker to use to get from the bed to the wheelchair.  

Back in the room all three of the gals were exhausted.  They slept till nearly noon.  Sandra was still on duty at noon when the news came on the TV.  When she was awake Jaci watched every report.  Her desire for information seemed insatiable.  Sandra was helping her back from the bathroom as a new special report aired.  Sandra looked up to see a face on the TV.  It was Joyce from 911!  “Oh God,” she exclaimed before she thought.  “Oh, no, what else can go wrong?”  She wondered to herself.  “Was Joyce the one who put out the report?  Was it revenge for refusing to be her lover?  Might she allege a relationship that never existed?” 

She first considered shutting off the program but realized it would only delay the inevitable and create doubt.  Instead she helped Jaci back to bed and they stopped to watch.

The First Family: Chapter 1 – Introduction

The First Family 22: Sandra is Attacked in the Press

The First Family 24: Support for Sandra Comes From an Unexpected Corner