Aftercare: General's Daughter, Book 4 (12 page)

“Well, they aren’t going to, so stop whining. Get this out of
your system before the children come home, please. They are excited to see
their uncle, not an old asshole.”

“How much do you want to bet the little one will ask for a
present within the first two minutes?”

“That’s because you’ve always brought her something. Did you?”

“Of course. A new belly button ring. It says ‘brat’ on it.”

“And you wonder why she’s spoiled. I need to warn you,
though, this assignment really took a toll on her. She’s got that hard ass look
right now.”

“The post-kill?”

“Yeah. Scott? When did we turn our sweet little baby into a
weapon?”

“It’s in her blood, just like the service is in ours. You were
the freak, going doctor and all. The rest of us designed weapons and knew how
to use them.”

“I never would have gone into martial arts or the service if
it wasn’t for you.”

“Yet, you are so natural being part of it. You would never
have made it as a country doctor. And straight hospital work drove you insane.”

“You’re right. I just sometimes feel like we robbed them of
their childhood along the way.”

“Joe, hear me out. They would have still gone and done
something we wouldn’t have approved of like FBI or DEA. Facing danger is part
of their make-up. We gave them the tools out of necessity, but they made the
choices. I’m very proud of how they turned out. No matter what occupation they
chose, both have become extraordinary young people.”

The phone rang. Dr. Quimby sighed after answering it. “Your
extraordinary young people have decided to swim home. The other two are on
their way here. I guess I’m making dinner tonight.”

“You’ll make someone a good wife one day, old friend,” Scott
teased, closing his eyes.

“We’re home,” Rich announced, walking in forty minutes later.

“I’m in the kitchen,” Dr. Quimby said.

Jen hugged him hello, kissed his cheek and snatched a piece
of cucumber from the salad he was making. “Need any help?” she asked.

“You two can set the table if you want. Let’s eat outside.”

“Whatcha making?” Rich asked, nosing around the stove.

Dr. Quimby popped the back of his hand with a spoon. “Out of
here. Scott’s in the hot tub. Go say hello. He’s grumpy, so beware.”

“Welcome home, Scott,” Rich said, walking outside.

“Hello, Dad #2, how was your trip?” Jen asked, leaning over
to kiss his cheek. He grabbed her arm and yanked her into the tub with him.

“I really need to teach you some basic moves, Miss Jennifer,”
Scott announced, dunking her again.

“I can’t believe you did that.” She emerged, hair plastered
to her face.

Rich pulled her out. “Go get dried off and stay away from
him. Did you see me go anywhere near him? There’s a reason.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

Rich set the outside table as Scott complained about his
trip.

Dr. Quimby shook his head, bringing stuff outside. “Wonderful.
Scrooge has a new set of ears to listen to him complain twice as much. Rich,
feel free to tell him to shut his yap.”

“Sorry, Doc, but he scares me.”

“Chicken-shit.” Dr. Quimby grinned.

Rich’s eyes twinkled. “Self-preservation,” he mimicked the
man’s regular response to the comment.

“I’m back. Do you guys have a minute? I need to talk to you,”
Jen said, sitting away from Scott’s reach.

“Sure, let me turn down the stove. I’ll be right back.”

“Do you want me to stay?” Rich asked.

“I might need my big brother, so yes,” she whispered.

“Okay, Jennifer, what’s going on?” Dr. Quimby asked, sitting
on the lounger.

Slowly, she confessed the happenings from their trip and Rich’s
findings in her room. Afraid to see their expressions, she faced the floor and
told them about her time with Rich and promise to completely cease all the
activity.

“Richard?” Dr. Quimby asked, “Would you care to add anything?”

“No sir, she was quite accurate. Trust me, gentlemen, I was
not lenient. Michael and Sam know about it as well. We just felt it would be
good for her to inform you since she is part of this family. And, except for
special assignments, we don’t keep secrets.” Rich smiled.

“Good jab, boy. Remind me to kick your ass for that when I
get out. Jennifer? Do you feel you were adequately disciplined?” Scott asked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, my dear. It’s time we get some rules here,” Dr. Quimby
said, tapping her knee. “You know how my kids, including Rich, answer us. It’s
respectful and we believe we deserve that respect. So yes or no sir, for now
on, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. Now, I’m not convinced that Rich’s time with you
was adequate punishment for this. If you were my daughter, you would be
grounded for at least a month, plus you literally would not be sitting for the
following three or four days. This was a strapping offense. Richard, compared
to what you delivered to Samantha, how was Jen?”

“Not as bad. It was her first experience. I reached the
desired response and stopped. “

Jen gulped. Not as bad? Her poor friend.

“In addition, I suspect your son took a little time to
improve her condition,” Scott added with a frown.

“Yes, I believe you are correct. Jennifer? What would you
like us to do with this confession?”

“I, well, I just wanted to be honest with you guys, that’s
all.”

“Are you okay with that? Do we need to step in and provide
parental support?”

“No,” she answered quietly. Dr. Quimby crossed his arms,
saying nothing. She wet her lips. “No, sir.”

“All right, if you feel you’ve learned your lesson and paid
your dues, then it’s done,” Dr. Quimby said softly. Jen stared at the ground,
then looked at Rich helplessly.

“If you still feel guilty then you need to either deal with
it or be dealt with,” he said gently.

Jen tried not to start crying. “I’m so sorry. I feel like I’ve
deceived you two. I don’t want you to think badly of me.”

“I don’t understand why you’re crying. If you’ve paid the
price then there is no reason to feel guilt,” Scott said, pulling himself out
of the water.

“I don’t want to be punished again,” she said tearfully.

“But?” Scott probed. Rich eyed him, admiring the man’s
technique. Lots of practice.

“But if you two are really taking the position of my dads,
then you should also punish me. I want what Sam has with this family, good and
bad,” she confessed, crying again.

“Fine. Then you can deal with me,” Scott said. “Go into my
room and wait for me.”

“Now? But—”

“There is no time like the present. Move it,” Scott said
gruffly.

“Yes, sir,” she whispered, leaving quickly.

“You sure you want to handle this?” Dr. Quimby asked,
wrinkling his brow.

 
Scott dried off
slowly. “I’m better with instilling fear than you are. This is serious. Rich, truth.
If Samantha had done this, what would she deserve?”

“I promised her that I would use a cane on her if I ever
caught her DUIing again.”

“Man after my own heart. Joe forbade me to use the cane on
them. Pussy.”

“My grandfather caned me once and he broke skin. I wouldn’t
subject my children to that. I have enough problem with Mike using a switch.”

“Sometimes it’s better to be that hard than for them to hurt
themselves,” Rich said gently.

“Don’t you ever use a cane on my daughter. I mean it.” His
eyes were dark.

“I don’t think I will ever have to. But if I do, I promise it
would be well deserved. And I also promise to not break skin,” Rich said, his
hand on the man’s shoulder, meeting the glare with compassion.

“I’m going down to the dock,” Dr. Quimby said abruptly.

Scott snapped a towel at him. “Good idea. You need to clear
your head. Rich, finish setting the table. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Scott?” Rich held the man’s arm. “I really did lay it into
her. She had no experience with this.”

“She doesn’t need experience. And I know the limits when it
comes to stuff like this. Chill.” Scott smiled, patting the boy’s hand. Towel
around his neck, he walked into his bedroom where Jen was sitting on the edge
of his big bed. Excusing himself, he went into the bathroom to change into dry
clothes. Jen trembled, hearing him move quietly in the other room. He came out
in a snug muscle shirt and shorts. Though not as broad as Dr. Quimby, he was
still muscular and well cut. She didn’t know which frightened her the most, his
outer strength or the inner strength.

Scott sat on a straight chair across from Jen, looking into her
eyes. “Jennifer, when I am talking to you, you are to look at me, not the
floor. What you did could have cost you everything you are working so hard for.
Do you realize that if I had known about this, I would have been obligated to
remove your clearance?”

“No, sir, I didn’t. I’m so sorry.”

“But you did know that using and selling is against the law,
right? You don’t have a prescription for it, do you?”

“No, sir. It was purely recreational.”

“And you knew that if you got busted in school, you would
lose your scholarship and your enrollment, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How much money did you make selling the shit?”

“About $200 a week.”

“How long have you been selling?”

“About two months, maybe three.”

“Ten or twelve weeks?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, what Rich gave you was for using. My time with you
will be for selling. I consider that a more serious crime then an occasional
high, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir. I’m really so sorry.”

“Yes, well, so am I. I do admire the courage it took to come
to us with this, and the honesty you showed in admitting you deserved more. That
brought you up a notch in our respect for you.”

“It did?”

“You sound surprised. We value truth and trust. Nothing you
could ever do would be so bad that coming to us with the truth won’t fix it. You
will also be on restriction for two weeks. You are to stay here in the guest
room downstairs. We will have chores for you to do and you will learn how to
make coffee properly. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.” She saw his smile. He really wasn’t angry!

“Do you like living in the dorms?”

“Not really, Scott. It’s loud and cramped and lonely. I just
can’t afford my own place yet. Heck, I’d rather live here, even for two weeks.”

“I’m beginning to think we are running a Board and Care. First,
Rich becomes a permanent fixture and now we’re not going to be able to get rid
of you. Humph,” he grunted.

Jen smiled. “Do you mean it? I can really stay here? Oh,
thank you, Scott!” She hugged him tightly as he nodded.

“Thank me when we’re done here. Rules. No squirming, kicking,
pinching or fighting. Doing so will result in five strokes of my hairbrush and
a start over. This isn’t a lesson in how to take pain; it’s a lesson in how to
obey when it seems impossible. You will position yourself across my knee, hands
on the floor and stay there. Your britches will be coming down, so you might as
well drop them now,” he stated firmly, placing his heavy wood brush within
reach.

Jen trembled, blushing with embarrassment as she unzipped her
pants and stepped out of them. She silently positioned herself as instructed,
gripping the carpet as he adjusted his legs to give himself full access to her
pale bottom. He hooked his finger in the band of her panties and slipped them
down to her ankles. Her bottom jiggled as he positioned his knee again. Michael
was one lucky young man, he thought, admiring the saucy, plump globes.

“Two hundred to start with my hand.”

“Two hundred! You are going to kill me!” Jen exclaimed.

Scott tsked, patting her bottom. “I could easily double that
if you like.”

“No, sir. Two hundred,” Jen whimpered. She clenched her
muscles, waiting, but Scott continued to talk about being responsible and
thinking of her future. He finally asked if she was ready, knowing the delay
made his victim eager to get it over with. The first spank landed and she
yelped. He smacked as hard as Rich. She started kicking at only five and he
picked up the hairbrush. The five strokes across her sit spots left her crying.

“Let’s try this again.”

Jen lost count as to how many times he started over. She was
finally able to stay still for the entire session because she was too tired to
fight anymore. He stood her up and sent her into the corner, instructing her
that she was to keep her hands on top of her head and not try to rub. A tissue
was handed to her, but she was afraid to bring her arms down to use it.

“You can blow your nose. That’s why I gave it to you,” Scott
said gently. Her chubby bottom was dark red with bruising outlined in the shape
of the brush. He really needed to get Michael one of those for this girl. Rich,
too. He had her stand for twenty minutes.

“Jennifer, come here.” Scott held her close, kissing the top
of her head. “We aren’t done. If you need to use the bathroom, go do so, then
come back.”

“I don’t need to go.” She sniffed sadly.

Scott pointed to his work desk, which sat next to the western
window. Reaching into the top drawer, he removed his ruler. “Over the desk and
hold the edges. You are not to budge or I get the strap. Trust me, you don’t
want to feel that today. Ten strokes for the number of weeks you’ve been
selling. Is that time accurate?”

“Yes, sir, Scott. I’m sorrrrrry.” She started crying again.

He squatted to look at her face. “Consequences of choice. Think
twice before letting yourself down like this again.” His voice was gentle and
Jen was able to see his softness. It was proof that he really, truly cared. The
ruler fell quickly across her bottom, each stroke exact and punctuated. He
spared nothing with his delivery and her skin showed it. No, the poor girl
would not be sitting at work tomorrow. Jen sobbed into the desk, her fingers
white with gripping the edge. The punishment ended quickly and Scott sat on his
small couch to wait for when she felt up to leaving her position.