In the last chapter Ohmie learns of his grandfather’s involvement of their battle. The President awards Ohmie the Medal of Freedom and the family learns of The Pledged.

Paul Santos, Mom’s boss, came out to see us… me. And my medal. I was in bed that day, a kinda bad one. Paul's head nod to Dad said that he wanted a private word. What Paul didn’t know was that Dad and I were a team. Mom too. But Dad and I, well… Dad later told me that Paul warned him of Dad's supervisor, J.R. Sullivan. He didn’t say it to Dad, but like Dad said, we can see the big picture. Dad’s supervisor was Pledged. The next rung up was not. Dad’s immediate boss was not happy about what we had done to Dortch, who BTW (by-the-way for those just entering textland), was a paraplegic now, but wouldn’t be for long. I guess it was a race who would croak first, him or me. I really wanted to win that one. Along with seeing Nurse May again, I now had two goals. The first one was set for this afternoon. I had an appointment with Dr. Hamilton who had a report on the blood work. And Nurse May would be there.

When we got to the office, Nurse May was waiting. She had her smile on, the one reserved for me, was the way my imagination went. From around the back of the receptionist counter came someone who nearly killed me dead. I looked at her and then Mom. I guess my filters took a little walk, because I could feel my eyes widen to their fullest and my mouth make the word WOW! Mom and Nurse May both burst out laughing in a friendly kind of way.

Who came from behind the reception counter was the most beautiful person, besides Mom, that I’d ever seen in my life, and that counts TV and movies. “Hi Ohmie, I’m May.” She held out her hand, unafraid to take mine. (Some people shy from sick people.)

She’d done this part before. “Yeah.” Nodding toward her older sister, she explained. “My sister is Olivia May. I’m Jessica May. We both like it, so…”

“You’re beautiful!” I said, unable to say anything else, she had to be my age, maybe a bit older.

She blushed and giggled a little. Nurse May and Mom laughed again.

“My older sister told me about you, that you are both a genius and cute. I begged her to let me meet you.”

I looked to Nurse May. She seemed okay with conceding her place in my heart. “I’m really glad you did.”

“You won the Congressional Medal of Freedom?”

That was supposed to be a secret. I have no idea how the news got to Nurse May. I was certain, though, that she didn’t know that I killed people to get it.

“Uh, yeah. It’s at home in a box. To tell the truth, I’m better about my violin than I am about that.”

May turned to her older sister, “You didn’t tell me!”

“I didn’t know!” Nurse May said.

Beautiful May said that she was learning the guitar. “Cords are easy. Three finger picking is a bit tougher. Could I hear you play?”

I looked at Mom. “I’m not getting in the way of romance,” she said.

“Mo-om!”

Beautiful May blushed.

Somewhere a whole bunch of jocks at her school were probably crying their eyes out, wishing they could play a violin and were dying of cancer.

Mom and the two Mays set up a date while I was with Dr. Hamilton. Since we quit treatment, he wanted a minute with me, alone, before Mom joined us. He was cool. He didn’t say it, but I think he would do it the same way as I was, stop treatment. He wanted to know if I wanted any happy pills, but I told him I was plenty happy.

We got a McDonalds’ burger, fries, and Coke on the way home, I was so happy. I couldn’t finish them, but they were good, the fries especially.

When we got home, Dad was in his office with the door closed, thinking still. I know what he was thinking about—Grandpa. I wish I’d gotten the happy pills for him.

By suppertime, we were all feeling better. I was, Mom and Grandma were because I was, and Dad was. He acted like I imagine Rodin’s The Thinker would act if he were to ever have a Eureka event. I’d get Dad to lay out his plan after supper. We were a team.

“We know Sullivan is Pledged,” Dad started out. We also know that Bell, his boss, is not. They know that we were the ones with the data that burned Dortch, and that the data was encrypted. Not just encrypted, but in code. Remember Dutch. So, we, you and I, found Sullivan’s name on the list.”

I continued the line, “Tell him that we haven’t found his account yet, but we will. You think he’ll try to do what Dortch couldn’t?”

“No, Ohmie. We’re safe. But we’ll give him the opportunity to retire. He has his thirty in. Adam Bell knows that Sullivan put me out to dry, gave Dortch a free hand. We’ll also tie Sullivan to Dortch’s assassins, that he knew about then. That carries life imprisonment. Bell will threaten a military tribunal since it happened overseas.”

“Oh, man! He’s really in trouble, isn’t he?”

“He will be as soon as we frame him up.”

Dad didn’t care what the data showed. We were going to get him – another day at the office.

“But Grandpa?” I asked.

“Part of the deal. Sullivan avoids prison by busting out your grandfather. Grandpa has to resign. I can’t make him abdicate, or renounce, but he has to step down. Your grandmother is prepared to divorce him if he doesn’t.”

“She might anyway,” I said to Dad’s nodding.

As soon as we let Mom know about potential risks, which she could very well figure out for herself, we, meaning Dad, was good to go.

Myself, I spent time practicing my violin, getting ready for May’s and Mme Benoir’s visits. May on Saturday, and Mom would pick up Mme Benoir from the airport on Monday. I was having the best time of my life. Until I overheard Mom and Dad talking.

“Sam,” Mom was saying. “Are you sure, really sure?

I didn’t see them I just heard them. Mom was still speaking. “Before Ohmie came along, he used to call you Ohmie.”

Dad cleared his throat. “Yes. But America, Virgie. It could have been the death of you, me, and Ohmie. But worse. He doesn’t care if he destroys America in his misguided attempt to save an America that most Americans don’t want.”