DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by sexually explicit 
material or are under the age of 18, stop reading now. This material cannot be 
reproduced for commercial purposes without the consent of the author.

JC: Ed Biggers
Part 2: Equilibrant
Chapter 1
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004

Decisions. Hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions are made each and every day 
by every person. Shall I sleep five minutes more or not?  What shall I eat for 
breakfast, lunch, and dinner? What route shall I take to work? What lane should I 
be in now? Most of these are minor decisions, of little consequence in the grand 
scheme of things. That is, the majority of decisions can be made without concern 
for consequence, right or wrong. Cheerios or Cornflakes, today? Cheerios or 
Cornflakes, tomorrow? 

Yet, even a decision with no consequence 999 times out of a 1000 can suddenly 
become major. Today, Cheerios. Oops, I choked on a Cheerio. Even then, it is 
impossible to know what would have happened had a different decision been 
taken. If not Cheerios, would I have choked on the Sugar Pops? We can not know.

So many decisions are made each day. Most decisions are made without sufficient 
information to know if the choice taken is the best one. A paucity of information 
is the norm and not the exception. Shall I be an engineer? On what basis of fact 
can such a decision be made. The current state of the field? The hoped for state of 
the field? It might be good for five years and then horrible thereafter. It might be 
bad for a few years and then wonderful for the rest of ones life. It is a guess and 
we make the best guess that we can.

With so many decisions, it is amazing how few choices that we make lead to 
negative consequences from which we can't recover. Perhaps one choice that we 
make out of a hundred thousand has long term consequences. Yet, the majority of 
choices made do not led to a negative consequence. If they did, most people 
would be crippled or dead by the time they reached twenty. By twenty, almost 
seven-five chances to make a life debilitating decision will have occurred. The kid 
that runs into the street, jumps off the roof, or eats food that doesn't smell quite 
right has made decisions with the potential for crippling consequences, but those 
negative consequences seldom materialize. Yet, sometimes they do.

Once, twice, three, or more times in our life, we will make the wrong choice when 
faced with a decision that changes our lives forever. It is inevitable that it will 
happen.  Should a person abuse themselves emotionally for having made the 
wrong decision? Should one berate oneself for not being perfect or not knowing 
everything? One can, but perhaps that is compounding the bad decision with 
another.

Ed waited for John to put his hiking notebooks in the library to find out where 
John had encountered the Gods and Goddesses. The entry for the encounter with 
the Goddess described in great detail the path that John took to meet her. It did 
not identify any specific day that Ed could tell and he was tempted to go 
immediately after reading the entry. However, the entry for the encounter with the 
God explicitly mentioned Midsummer's Day. He knew then when he was to go 
meet the Gods and Goddesses.

He prepared the family for his absence by telling them that he was going on a 
rock hunting expedition as part of his school work. When asked how long he 
would be gone, he had answered that it depended on how long it took them to 
collect a reasonable quantity of samples. The fact was, he didn't know how long 
he would be gone. 

He felt bad telling a lie to everyone, but he believed that wouldn't hurt the family. 
The wedding was two weeks away and he should have been there to help with the 
arrangements. He was sure that the women would understand what he did and 
why he did it when he returned home. The fear was that John would be hurt by 
what might have been a betrayal. 

Ed had planned this trip with great attention to detail. To make his excuse more 
easily accepted, he had packed all of his rock collecting gear in the back of his 
pickup truck. Since he didn't want to leave the gear there, he had stopped by the 
university and unpacked it. The directions given in John's journal required a GPS 
to locate the campsite for Midsummer's Eve, so he had purchased one. The one 
surprise in executing his plans was that none of the cats would go with him. 

It was with great deliberation and determination that he followed the route that 
John had described in his first journal. Rather then cover the entire route, he 
searched for the location of John's campsite the night before. Spending the night 
under the stars was nothing new for Ed. As he lay on his bedroll watching the 
stars, he was surprised to see a shooting star cross the night sky. It was very large 
and lit up as it split into two and merged back again into one.

Ed didn't mind camping, but he detested hiking. Cowboy boots weren't exactly 
made for long distance hiking and he couldn't stand the feel of lace-up hiking 
boots on his feet. When the sun rose on the morning of Midsummer's day, Ed 
gathered together his possessions and started down the trail described in the 
journal. 

He knew he had reached the right place when the feel of the land suddenly 
changed. Looking around at his surroundings, he expected to see a man or a 
woman step into view at the edge of the woods. After taking a few steps forward, 
true to his expectations, a man stepped out from behind a tree. It was not the bear-
like man that John had described in his journal. This man was exceptionally obese 
with breasts larger than most women and a small cock that was almost hidden by 
a roll of fat. His face had huge jowls, a double chin, 
hooked nose, and large flapping ears. The one feature that stood out from the rest 
was the lips. They bulged out obscenely, flapping as he moved.

The man gestured Ed to follow. Ed obeyed reluctantly, knowing what was going 
to happen next, he walked with steps that reflected his dread that he was going to 
be raped by this monster. The idea repelled him, but he would do it to protect 
John. His stomach twisted at the thought of touching the man, but he followed as 
close as possible.

They came to an empty clearing. The grotesque man came to a stop and turned to 
face Ed. Braced himself for an attack that didn't come, Ed eyed the man trying to 
make sense of the situation. The man said, "Ed Biggers, the God and the Goddess 
would not come. They have given John all of the protection that he requires."

The idea that John had all the protection that he required didn't jive with the 
situations that Ed had seen. He replied, "John has died twice. Fat lot of good their 
protection has served him. He needs me to help protect him. I demand to see one 
of them!"

His challenge was met by laughter that conveyed great derision. The man 
challenged, "You demand? A mere mortal demand of us?"

Ed stubbornly replied, "Yes. I demand."

Instead of responding, the man held up a golden medallion and tossed it a few feet 
away. Ed's eyes tracked the medallion, recognizing it for what it was. Laughing, 
the fat man said, "If you survive long enough to get it, I will give you a gift that 
can help John."

Thinking that he could out race the man, Ed dove for the medal thinking that he 
would get it with no problem. His progress was interrupted when the man grabbed 
him in midair. Using every trick he knew, Ed fought without restraint. Almost 
toying with him, the man ripped off Ed's clothes as if they were made of paper 
and threw Ed to the ground. Ed scrambled in the direction of the medallion 
concentrating entirely on reaching it. His efforts were halted when the fat man 
jumped on him. 

Ed's cock had grown erect almost immediately, despite his attempt to will it 
down. Staring incredulously, Ed's eyes grew huge in wonder as the man slowly 
turned into a woman. As the tremendously fat woman lowered herself on him, he 
continued to struggle to reach the medallion. When she started to rock herself on 
his cock, he used her motion to help move him towards the medallion. Although 
the medallion was now only five feet away, his progress towards it could be 
measured in tenths of an inch. 

When he moved too far forward, the fat lady would bend his cock back so hard 
that Ed was sure that it would break. Accepting the pain and keeping focused on 
his goal, he continued to inch towards the medallion. When she adjusted her 
position, he would start to move toward the medallion again. In an attempt to stop 
him, she leaned forward and jammed a breast in his mouth. He struggled to 
breathe around the monster breast. Even as he struggled to breathe, he continued 
to work his way towards the medallion.

Ed was shocked as the woman started to come. As she came, her cunt squeezed 
his cock. She squeezed so hard on his cock that Ed screamed out in pain. Even as 
he imagined his cock being cut off by her cunt muscles, Ed still worked to reach 
the medallion. She continued to ride him and Ed knew she would continue until 
he came. Unsure if that would be good or bad, the only thing that he knew was 
that he needed to reach the medallion.

As Ed continued to struggle to reach the medallion, she came several more times. 
Each time it felt like she was going to rip his cock out by the roots. Suddenly, he 
came and it was unlike anything that he had ever experienced. The contractions of 
his ejaculation were so close together and long that it felt like he was pissing in 
her rather than coming.

She lifted herself off his cock and moved so that her cunt was over his mouth. 
Taking advantage of her movement, Ed took the opportunity to move even closer 
to the medallion. His forward progress was halted when she lowered herself on 
his face. Huge globs of cum dripped out of her cunt. Closing his mouth and 
turning his head to the side, he attempted to escape having to swallow his own 
come.

She reached back and yanked his cock producing a scream that was cut off when 
her cunt forced its way onto his mouth. Cum drained into his mouth and he had to 
swallow or drown in it. He swallowed and then tried to breathe as more cum filled 
his mouth. Throughout, he continued to try to move his way towards the 
medallion. She came, her cum flooded his mouth as her legs locked around his 
head cutting off his breath and keeping him from moving. Not for the first time, 
he wondered if this was how he was going to die. Desperately, he swallowed and 
swallowed the never-ending stream of cum.

Finally, the flood abated and he could breath. His relief was short lived. The huge 
grotesquely fat woman started to rock back and forth on his face. Her cunt seemed 
like steel wool, scrapping layers of skin off his face. He used her motion to move 
forward again. 

The situation seemed to become dire when the cunt started turning into a cock, 
forcing itself into his mouth. As it continued to grow, Ed bit into it with no effect. 
The creature above him had returned to being the fat disgusting man. Unable to 
prevent the assault, the man was now fucking his mouth with a monster cock. Ed 
used the motion to move closer to the medallion. Each thrust in, he slid along the 
ground in the direction he desired. He would scoot forward when the man 
withdrew. The medallion was now only two feet away from his outstretched hand. 

The action continued until the man came. It was a massive explosion of cum that 
nearly drowned Ed. He coughed as cum entered his lungs and he retched as cum 
poured into his stomach. Unable to breathe with the head of monster cock filling 
his throat, Ed continued to struggle closer to the medallion. When the cock 
suddenly left his mouth, he scrambled in a mad dash towards the medallion.

He was within inches of reaching it when the man's hands grabbed him and spun 
him in the air. Landing on his hands and knees, Ed started to crawl towards the 
medallion. His progress was stopped when hands grabbed his hips. It felt like a 
fist was pressed against his asshole. He screamed when he was entered in one 
massive thrust that pushed the entire cock into his ass. Timing his forward 
movements with the thrusts into his ass, he struggled to hold his gain when the 
man pulled him back onto his cock. 

Again, his forward progress could be measured in tenths of an inch. The man 
reached around and grabbed Ed's cock. With a tight grip that brought tears to Ed's 
eyes, the man started masturbating him in time with his thrusts. As Ed struggled 
to move forward, one thought continued to race through his mind, 'I must survive 
this to protect my family.' 

The thrusts became harder and faster as the man approached his orgasm. The pain 
was intense. It felt like his insides were tearing from the brutality of the intrusion 
and his cock was going to be pulled off. Despite the pain, he continued to 
struggle. 

When the man came, he finished with an extremely forceful thrust forward. Ed 
saw his chance and threw himself forward, flattening himself on the ground. The 
man followed him to the ground as he continued to press his cock into Ed's ass. 
Exhausted and in pain beyond endurance, Ed reached out and closed his hand 
around the medallion.

Everything stopped. As Ed raised himself to stand on wobbly legs, the man took 
the medallion from Ed's hand. With a care and gentleness that had not been 
present throughout the ordeal, the fat man placed it around his neck. He said, "I 
am the Two-sided One. You have done well, Ed Biggers. It is time for you to 
rest."

Ed woke and looked around the clearing. The normal feel of the outdoors had 
returned. His clothes were new and he felt healthy and energetic. After taking a 
reading on the GPS, he headed towards the highway. His progress was amazingly 
quick and it wasn't long before he reached the highway. Turning in the 
appropriate direction, he headed towards town where his truck was parked.

He stopped at the restaurant in town that he had read about in John's journal. The 
description of the owners was so flattering, that he wondered what they were like. 
Stepping into the restaurant, he paused to look in the mirror. At first, his normal 
face looked back at him, but at second glance he realized that his eyes were now 
gray. Ed approached the counter and sat down.

An elderly woman stood behind the counter and examined Ed for a minute. She 
asked, "Are you Ed?"

Ed nodded in surprise that she would know who he was. He asked, "Are you 
Martha?"

She smiled at Ed and answered, "Yes, I am. John called."

"Uh oh." Ed knew he had been caught in his lie and he felt guilty for having lied 
to John, but he knew that John would have stopped him from coming. Still not 
knowing how the Two-Sided One had blessed him, he didn't know how he could 
protect John. He was confident that he had been given a gift that would help 
protect John.

Martha laughed at the expression on his face. It was just like a little boy caught 
with his hand in a cookie jar. She added, "Right. He said to get something to eat, 
go to the next town and stop at the camping supply store, and then get home."

Wondering what kind of reception he was going to get when he reached home, Ed 
asked, "Was he mad?"

Martha answered, "He was polite."

"You're avoiding the question." Her voice, which had sounded sweet to his ear, 
had just adopted a slightly tinny sound. Rubbing his ear, he listened to her more 
carefully.

She smiled at him and then said, "Yes, I am. Now, what can I get for you?"

Her voice had returned to the sweet sound. Looking at the menu for a minute, Ed 
spotted something he didn't get to eat very often. It was the daily special and if he 
had figured the elapsed time correctly, they would be serving it. He said, "I'd love 
some meatloaf."

Martha frowned at Ed as she corrected him, "That was yesterday's special."

Ed realized that he had lost two days and recovered his composure. He said, "Oh, 
right. I'll have a burger, fries, and chocolate milk shake."

Martha laughed at his choice and how he was so much like John. She said, "The 
teenager special. Always a good choice."

She called the order to the back and turned to the counter to prepare the 
milkshake. While she was distracted, Ed lifted the medallion and looked at what 
was on it. The picture on the first side of the medallion looked like a cock. The 
writing above the picture said, 'To Find.' While under the picture were the words, 
'A Truth.' Flipping the medallion over, he examined the picture of a vagina with 
writing above the picture. It said, 'A Lie.' The writing below the picture said, 'To 
Find.' 

He mouthed the words to himself, 'To Find A Truth, A Lie To Find.' He thought 
about it a moment and realized that it could be in the stated in the other order, 'A 
Lie To Find, To Find A Truth.' 

When Martha set the milkshake in front of Ed, he slid the medallion under his 
shirt, unwilling for some reason to allow anyone else to see it. He took a sip of the 
milkshake and smiled at the outstanding flavor. He looked up at Martha and 
asked, "Is this made with homemade ice cream?"

Martha shook her head and answered, "I'm afraid not. There's a small ice cream 
shop nearby. They make their own ice cream. We buy it from them."

"It's good. If I had known, I would have ordered a banana split instead of a burger 
and fries."

Martha, with a laugh, teased, "You're just a little boy at heart, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged," answered Ed as he realized that in many ways he was getting 
the years lost as a teenager back. 

"John did a good job of picking a husband."

Ed looked surprised at her knowledge about his pending marriage and her easy 
acceptance of it. He replied, "Thanks."

Martha noticed his surprise and, in explanation, said, "We're coming to the 
wedding."

That explained much about her knowledge of the marriage. For a moment, he had 
forgotten that they were friends of Johns. "Oh. Sorry, John has invited so many 
people that I don't even know who's coming. He's got people coming in from all 
over the country."

Martha understood how it was that Ed might not know that they were invited. 
John made friends easily and he remembered them all. She smiled at him and 
said, "Well, we were probably just names on a list to you. It's quite 
understandable."

George brought out the burger and fries. They smelled good and Ed's stomach 
rumbled in response. Hearing the rumble, George laughed and said, "Can't use 
praise from you as a measure of quality. You're too hungry. Anything would taste 
good to you."

Holding the very large burger in both hands, Ed took a bite of it. In response to 
the delicious taste, he made appreciative noises and gestured with the burger. 
George smiled and headed into the kitchen. In record time, Ed finished the burger 
and fries while Martha watched with pleasure. When Ed finished the milkshake, 
he sat back and said, "I can understand why John likes this place so much, there's 
great food and great company in nice surroundings."

Martha smiled at the compliment and said, "Thank you. Now you had better get 
out of here. I'm sure that John's very worried about you."

"Thanks." Ed settled his bill and left the restaurant. Soon he was driving down the 
road headed towards the next town. 

The Sheriff had been surprised when John had called him to ask a favor since 
John seemed the most self-sufficient man he had ever met. The call had arrived 
the same day as he had mailed his RSVP to the wedding invitation in which he 
had accepted that he would attend. He smiled at the news that one of the 
prospective grooms had run away and was thought to be in the area. After 
promising to look for Ed's truck, it took him less than half an hour to find it. 
Calling John back with the news, John had asked him to send Ed on his way home 
if he saw him.

Sitting in his car near the school, the Sheriff had spotted Ed driving down the 
road. Wondering what kind of man this Ed Biggers was, he pulled out of the 
parking lot and turned on his cherries. It didn't take Ed long to pull over and roll 
down his window. By the time the Sheriff reached the car, he had his 
identification out to hand to the Sheriff. Smiling, the Sheriff asked, "Ed Biggers?"

"Yes sir," replied Ed curious about what he had done wrong.

The Sheriff looked at Ed for a minute. The look on his face was one that he didn't 
see very often. Usually when he pulled someone over they knew they were guilty 
of something. This guy was truly bewildered. Then as a large smile broke across 
his face, he said, "John says to get your ass home."

Ed stared at the Sheriff in shock. He asked, "Huh?"

The Sheriff looked at Ed and said, "Look, follow me to the store. Go in and do 
your business. Then get out of here. John's called half the people in this town 
looking for you."

Ed shook his head as he realized that John had really spread the word about him. 
He said, "I guess it is nice to have someone worry about you, but this is 
approaching ridiculous."

The Sheriff replied, "I take it Martha already told you."

"Yes, sir."

Shaking his head at how many people John must have called in the area, the 
Sheriff said, "Okay, follow me and I'll take you to the store."

The Sheriff turned and headed to his car before Ed could even answer. Heading 
directly to the store, the Sheriff occasionally looked in his mirror to make sure 
that Ed was following. He pulled into the parking lot of the Sporting Goods Store 
and watched as Ed parked his car. He rolled down his window and called out, 
"Remember, after you are done here, go home. I'd hate to have to arrest you."

The look on Ed's face was priceless. He'd see him in ten days and explain his 
amusement then. Driving off, he headed to the office to let John know that the had 
sent him on his way home.

Catherine waited by the counter to meet the next servant of the Gods and 
Goddesses. It amazed her that the store was always empty when someone came 
out of the clearing. This was the first time that she actually had an idea who was 
coming. John had called and said that believed that his future husband had gone to 
the clearing. It had amused her when he had asked her to send him home.

 A man entered the store and looked around. Once he spotted her, he asked, "Are 
you Catherine?"

Nodding, she looked at Ed carefully for a minute. This was an unusual servant in 
the sense that he looked like a cowboy. Usually they had hippie looking types, 
free spirits, and adventurers coming out of the clearing. Ed added, "John Carter 
told me to come here."

It was necessary to follow the forms despite the fact that she could sense the 
power emanating off him. She asked, "You've been to the woods?"

"Yes."

"May I see your Medallion?" The first question often prevented the need for the 
second question. Since he admitted to being in the woods, all that was necessary 
was for him to demonstrate that he had been to the clearing by showing his 
medallion.

Ed nodded his willingness to comply with her request and pulled it out from under 
his shirt. After glancing at it, she then walked off to an area in the back where she 
stored her most recent creations. This had been the oddest item that she had ever 
worked on, suggesting a mystical purpose that she didn't quite understand. She 
came back with a polished mahogany box. Opening it up, she held it out for him 
to look at and said, "This is a crystal ball."

Ed looked at it. Inside was a crystal ball mounted in a beautiful silver stand. The 
entire thing was a beautiful work of art. He uttered in an awed voice, "It's 
beautiful."

Catherine smiled to herself at the compliment. She always was complimented by 
the servants, but she had never come to accept it as a matter of expectation. She 
answered, "Thank you. It is yours."

"How much?" asked Ed wondering how he could ever afford such a beautiful 
looking piece of art.

"No charge, it is how I serve the God."

Ed looked at her with understanding. He didn't know what her ordeal had been, 
but he couldn't imagine that it was a great deal of fun. He looked at the crystal 
ball and, "You do the God great honor with the quality of your work."

Catherine smiled as she stated, "Thank you again. Now John called and said you 
were to get home."

Ed groaned, said his good byes, and took the box with the crystal ball to his truck. 
After the number of people that had told him to get home, he dreaded the long 
drive. It was late in the day and would be very late by the time he arrived at home. 
He hoped that he would be able to sneak into the house without causing a scene. 
Of course, odds were that John would know when to expect him.

John watched for Ed from the parapet on top of the family house, wondering if Ed 
was going to chicken out and stay the night in his house. He decided that it would 
depend on the degree to which Ed had been changed. It was his hope that the 
changes were simple, but he feared that Ed had approached the Gods and 
Goddesses in a less than friendly manner. There was no telling how they would 
make him pay for presumption.

He saw the pickup turn into the street and knew Ed would be home in a few 
minutes. In the hope of greeting Ed before he had a chance to sneak into the 
house, John headed to the stairwell. It took him a minute to get down the stairs. 
Racing to the front door, he opened it just as Ed pulled up. John waited for Ed 
looking to see what changes had occurred. 

Sauntering in a relaxed manner that belied his nervousness, Ed asked, "Were you 
worried about me?"

John denied it by saying, "Not really."

John's reply had a sour taste that struck Ed with a taste of irritation. He grimaced 
as he said, "That's not true. You were really worried about me."

John looked at Ed in surprise that his worries had been so evident. He answered, 
"True. I wondered if you were going to live through it. I was convinced you were 
going there to challenge them."

The tone of John's words sounded sweet to his ears. At that moment, Ed realized 
that he could distinguish between lies and truth. He groaned, "I've just become a 
human lie detector."

Beth and Kelly entered the room. They examined Ed searching for any physical 
differences such as they had seen when John got his second medallion. Kelly 
noticed his eyes and said, "You're eyes are gray now."

Even without waiting for Ed to reply, Kelly asked, "Why did you do it?"

Even as Kelly was speaking, Beth asked, "What happened to you there?"

John answered, "He will not tell you what happened. He decided to do it the night 
they tried to assassinate me."

Ed nodded his head at John's perceptive conclusion. He said, "You're right John. 
As always."

John said with laugh, "Not as always. I'm wrong quite often."

John's words had the sweetness of truth and it made Ed wonder when he had been 
wrong. He asked, "So when were you wrong?"

John answered, "Oh, I expected Beth to go there."

Beth flushed and asked, "How did you know I was planning on doing that?"

Ed stared at Beth in wonder as her response was an admission that she had 
planned to do what he had done. He asked, "Why would you do it?"

Beth answered, "I lost a lover and went crazy.  I'm not going to stand by and lose 
another one. I was planning to go this time, but you guys scheduled the wedding 
for this week. So I decided I would go this winter."

Shaking his head that his plans had failed, John said, "That's why I argued for the 
date that I did. I was planning to keep everyone busy. I have to admit that Ed 
surprised me. He's always covered my back and has done a great job at it."

Ed frowned at the suggestion that he had done a great job. He countered, "Right, 
one time you get shot and killed. Another time, you have to wrestle with a 
professional assassin in the middle of the night. Both times, I'm not there."

Beth added, "And I'm a doctor that could do nothing but patch you up."

With a hurt look on her face, Kelly asked, "Were you going to take me along with 
you?"

Beth sheepishly answered, "I thought about it, but decided not to do it."

"You bitch, don't you think I worry about him too?" Her feelings were hurt that 
Beth would do that without her.

Beth answered, "I know you worry about him too. I was afraid of what would 
happen to you there."

Ed emphatically said, "Neither of you will go there. You have no idea what it is 
like."

Knowing that neither he nor Ed would want to discuss what it was like, John felt a 
need to change the subject. He said, "Ed, you need some tender loving care 
tonight. Don't you?"

As far as Ed was concerned, the sex that followed was one of the best sessions 
that the four of them had together. He knew the reason for that. They had all come 
together to support him in what they thought might be a difficult transformation. 
It hadn't been that difficult, but it was so nice to know that they cared.

Ed woke, naked on the floor of the playroom, finding himself alone with Kelly. 
John and Beth were early risers. If given the chance, Kelly would sleep late, but 
once she was awake she was alert. Mornings for Ed were a struggle. Even though 
he could function, it was as though everything was a fog. His mental processes 
were slow and his coordination almost non-existent. Staring at Kelly for several 
minutes, an idea was slowly forming. If he left, she would be alone in sleeping on 
the floor. That wouldn't be very nice.

Shaking Kelly gently to wake her, he yawned with a barely suppressed roar. The 
yawn was more effective in waking her than his shaking. Kelly rolled over and 
looked at him cheerfully as she said, "Good morning."

He mumbled, "Morning. Any idea where we get coffee in this place?"

Laughing at the amazing morning Ed, Kelly grabbed his hand and led him out of 
the playroom. As they walked, she said, "We've been using the second kitchen for 
breakfast around here. There should be some coffee made already."

Stumbling behind Kelly, the idea that a fresh cup of coffee was just a few steps 
distant finally registered. He mumbled, "Good."

She poured him a cup of coffee and watched as he drank it. With each sip, he sat 
up straighter and moved better. After the first refill, he said, "I used to think that I 
was so slow in the mornings because I was hung over. After not drinking for so 
long, I know that isn't the reason."

Kelly realized that this was the first time in a long time that Ed had talked about 
his days drinking and the change that occurred since he quit drinking. It was 
interesting that his less than alert morning manner was one of the things that 
hadn't changed. She said, "I guess that just means that you aren't a morning 
person."