"Still out like a light," Chuck answered, still holding the dishtowel tightly to Adam's stomach area. They had removed Adam's shirt so they could easily get to his wound. "I can't believe that this could happen! I mean everyone tells you it can happen, I have just never saw it happen."

"Well, most people don't expect their best friend to come plowing through their door like it was a barn hollerin' at the top of his lungs," Jason said out of nervousness. He was just turning onto the last road to go into town. Instead of going to the hospital, he was going to Dr. Ackerman's office in town. He was the county doctor that had an office in the middle of Emerald Beach. He was even known to be the town vet from time to time before the new vet came to town four years ago. He even delivered half the babies in the county, including Adam, who came too soon for Carl to make it to the hospital. So Jason knew his brother would be in good hands.

Chuck started to chuckle at Jason's comment. Jason flashed him a stern look from the rear view mirror. "Sorry, you just sounded like your mother does sometimes with her old accent," Chuck said looking at the towel and making sure he still had pressure on the cut. Adam began to stir. His eyes fluttered open barely. Then he looked directly up at his best friend. "Hey Adam, it is about time you came back around."

Adam gave him a weird look and then glanced around at his surroundings. "Where are we going?"

"You are going to Doc Ackerman. You cut yourself and then passed out," Chuck replied. Adam still looked pale, but seemed to be doing fine otherwise. Adam looked down as Chuck lifted the towel to show Adam the cut.

Adam turned a funny shade of green and then announced, "I don't feel so well Chuck."

"Just hold on, we are not too far," Jason called out. "Are you in pain?"

"It just stings, that is all. I would say that it is just a cut. Nothing to go to Doc Ackerman's over," Adam mumbled.

"No, you are going to have that checked," Jason insisted. And that is just what he did.

After Doc Ackerman's nurse named Abby, had the boys put Adam in one of the three rooms, Jason asked Chuck to tell them what he had came over to tell them.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that! I have big news!" Chuck announced with a beaming smile.

Both of the Kramer brothers looked at him with a look to spill it.

"I had to come in here earlier for a check up," Chuck started out.

"You mean a diet check," Adam cut in. Chuck made a face at him, but continued.

"I was sitting back here minding my business," Chuck started again, but was interrupted.

"Messing with Doc Ackerman's instruments," Adam quipped again, still lying flat on his back to avoid becoming sick.

"Do you mind!" Chuck finally said. Adam made a face and Chuck spoke again. "As I was saying, I was just SITTING in the room when I heard some voices in the next room. I overheard a conversation. At first there were just two voices, a man and woman's. They were talking about having a baby and what they were going to do once the baby was born."

The boys just stared at him. "So," Jason finally said.

Chuck fired back, "What do you mean by so? I get it, you think that all this means nothing, well you are wrong my dear friends. Doc came in and told them that things seemed to be looking just fine that she was three months pregnant with a baby girl. I had to peek to see who was going to have a girl and that is when I saw them. I cracked the door open and I saw them!"

"Who?" Jason was now paying attention. Chuck smiled really big and it was then that all three boys smiled and laughed at each other.

"Christine and Nathan!" Adam said with a low voice and shaking his head. "So this means that Doc Ackerman has her records, not the hospital."

"Exactly!" Chuck said with a grin.

"So we just need to find them in here and we can find out a lot. So do you think that Nathan is the father?" Jason asked, his eyes really wide with excitement.

"I don't know, but they were talking about getting support checks and living off them somewhere upstate," Chuck replied. "Christine laughed before the Doc came in that she was destined for a life of luxury with her one true love."

Jason just made a face while Adam looked at Chuck like he was crazy. Then Jason whispered, "So it seems like we have a little night creeping to do guys."

"You mean break in here?" Adam looked as his brother. He saw the bloody gauze that Abby laid on his stomach and laid his head back down. The sight of blood never made him feel funny, but now it did. Even though the bleeding had stopped for the most part, it still stung like a million bees stinging him at once.

Jason smiled. But Chuck quickly interrupted the nonverbal answer.

"Nope, I have it covered!" Chuck exclaimed with a mischievous grin. Adam and Jason flashed a look of concern between them. Chuck spotted the look. "Trust me."

Within two minutes, the gray haired doctor walked in with a smile. He inquired about Adam's recovery as he examined the wound. Chuck slipped out the door quietly to get a drink of water.

"I am sure glad that you are doing well. You had me worried when I spoke to your father a little while back. Do you like Dr. Coykendall?" Doc Ackerman asked. Doc Ackerman was the small town doctor who was over retirement age, but was a source of medical help for people who did not necessarily need to go to the big hospital a couple of hours away. If it was a problem that he was not able to handle due to lack of equipment, he always referred them to the hospital.

"He is great. He really keeps an eye on things," Jason spoke up.

"That is good. I have just heard of him. I have never had a chance to meet him formally yet. But I am going to tell you Adam Kramer, we all thought you was a goner," Doc Ackerman said, peering at Adam above his bifocal glasses. Adam just smiled at him. He did not like being reminded of the accident, but it did make him think about how far he had come. His memory skills were improving, but his coordination was still off.

"Well, young man, it looks like you are going to need a few stitches. Let me go and get Abby to help me out here," the doctor said, turning towards the door.

"Was the cut that deep?" Adam asked in amazement.

"Not really, but I would rather see it stitched," the doctor replied.

"Otherwise he is all right?" Jason asked, recalling seeing his brother on the floor. He hoped that he did not have another seizure. Adam had never been squeamish about the sight of blood and it concerned him.

"Oh, he is just fine. Just fainted, that is all. No harm done," Doc Ackerman said with a grin. Adam just shook his head as Jason snickered.

After five minutes, the doctor and his older nurse were at work. When the process was through, Adam had a total of 21 stitches. They gave him strict orders to keep it dry, clean and to take it easy. Jason and Adam walked out the front door of the office to see Chuck leaning up against the Trans Am. He opened the door for Adam, who got into the backseat so he could stretch out. Jason and Chuck jumped into the front seats and started for the Kramer house. Chuck just kept looking at the brothers with a smile on his face.

"Okay Chuck, what did you do?" Adam asked before they even had a chance to go a block.

"I knew that you were going to get stitched and Doc always asked for ol' Abby's assistance so I just offered to man the phones for her," Chuck said. "Let us just be thankful that we live in a small town with a doctor who hates computers. His files are all on paper. So I copied a certain file."

The boys were excited. "Where is it?" Jason asked, not noticing any papers.

"Under the seat," Chuck replied. "I think that for this I deserve a lot of favors."

"You are getting good Chuck. I would have thought that she would have been going to the hospital for her check ups since Doc Ackerman does not have all of the fancy equipment," Adam said with a smile. He was proud of his best friend. Chuck had the proof that they needed, but would it be enough to save his reputation.

"According to her files, she did go to a hospital, but one in Palm Springs. That is the one that Doc Ackerman got her tests results from, not St. Mary's," Chuck explained. "She is going to have a girl and the baby is three months along, making it impossible for Adam to be the father. She would only be a month along if that if it could have been Adam."

"I think Nathan is the father," Jason spoke up.

"I don't think so Jas," Adam answered. Then he made a face. "They are brother and sister! That would be ... just plain... GROSS!"

"Ah, yes it would be if they were REAL siblings. They are not even technically related anymore unless her stepfather adopted her at some time. But they are not blood related," Jason argued.

"That still would be gross," Chuck said with a disgusted look on his face. "But Jason has a point. It is a possible. Christine is twisted enough."

"I just don't think he is the father," Adam still argued. By then, they had made it back to the Kramer household. Jason cleaned up the mess in the kitchen while Chuck and Adam looked through the papers. Christine's file was not that long, about 10 pages in all. Adam read the doctors' comments aloud, using his finger as a placeholder so Jason could hear the information. Jason was good at picking things apart. After putting the spaghetti pasta on to boil, Jason jointed them at the dining room table.

"Upon being questioned about the conception date, the patient commented that the father would not be involved in any way. The date given aligns with the ultrasound results putting the fetus around three months and progressing normally. I asked about the father's family medical history and the patient said that she did not know much except that the father was of an older age and had high blood pressure. She also reported that the father was of high intelligence. She expressed concern for confidentiality, like she was protecting the father. No more information was gathered during the appointment and the patient was released to her guardian, her older brother. Since I have suspicions of some type of abuse to a minor, I am going to make an anonymous report to Children's Services of Palm Springs through my supervisor."

The boys were quiet for a minute. "You really don't think..." Adam finally broke the silence.

"It is possible," Chuck said. "But it seems that she came from Palm Springs. Also I spotted something else that is weird. Her father works for an Internet company, right?"

"Yeah," Adam answered. "He works for Unicom."

"Well, his insurance is not what is paying for her doctor's visits. It is paid by check by someone who is living in Palm Springs."

"Does it list his name?" Jason asked, putting the last touches on the spaghetti.