She used the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Just thinking about it made her mouth water. That was also a good sign. She placed a K-cup in the slot and pushed the button. Coffee instantly brewed into her cup and the aroma filled the room.
While she waited, she turned on the television in the kitchen. She thumbed through the channels but didn’t find anything that caught her interest. She was usually at work around this time, so she wasn’t even sure what was on TV. After several more clicks, she turned it off and decided that she’d grade the papers from Wednesday’s class before Ben arrived home. She wasn’t allowed to be working on school papers when he was home.
An hour later, she was finished with the school papers and made another cup of coffee. She had to watch how much caffeine she drank now that she was carrying. Most mothers would give up the coffee, but her doctor said that two a day wouldn’t hurt the baby or its development.
Kaitlyn needed to get a couple of red pens from the office that they had in the house. She stood and walked to the den. Ben had bought an elegant cherry desk that sat in the center of the room. She sometimes worked in the office, and it was where they kept the office supplies that they used. Ben had bookcases built along the wall for Kaitlyn to place all her favorite novels that she loved to read. Some she had read several times by authors like Liane Moriarty, Heather Gudenkauf, Nicholas Sparks, and Kristin Hannah. She was even able to get a couple of them signed by the authors themselves when they came to town on their book tours.
She walked over to the desk and went to open the bottom drawer, and nearly fell on her ass. The drawer was locked. They had never locked this drawer before. She tried again, thinking that it was just probably stuck, but it was for sure locked and she was confused as to why Ben would have locked the drawer because she hadn’t done it. Of course, she hadn’t gone into the desk in… Well, she couldn’t remember the last time she needed some supplies for work.
There would only be one reason the drawer was locked. Ben was hiding something from her, but why was he allowed to keep things from her, when she couldn’t keep a fucking thing from him? Well, of course, she did keep secrets from him, but that was only because he punished her for doing things he didn’t approve of. Things that were stupid and no one should get abused for. She began to get angry. “Damn him,” she mumbled into the room. “Why did he have to be like this with me?” She had once loved Ben and was thrilled to have married him, but not now. Now, she wished for any guy but him. She wanted Adam back in her life. He knew her. He loved her. He treated her with more kindness than anyone ever had. And he never, ever hit her!
She pulled out the chair and sat down, searching the desk with her eyes, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She opened the drawer in the center of the desk, hunting for the key to unlock it. There wasn’t one. She had sworn that a set of keys had come with the desk. She looked down at the drawer to her left. It had a key lock on the front of the drawer, so she wasn’t mistaken about there being keys.
She started opening the drawers on the right side of the desk. She started with the top drawer that held their joint checkbook first. She moved it aside and rummaged toward the back of the drawer, finding nothing helpful.
She moved to the second drawer that was used for filing their bills. Nothing looked different to her. She thumbed through the files, reading the name of each one. They were mostly folders for utility bills. She moved each one forward and checked between them. There was nothing hidden, but why was her mind thinking that there would be? Why would she think that Ben would be hiding something from her at all? Ben never kept secrets from her, did he? For one measly second, she almost believed that Ben would never keep secrets from her and she laughed at herself for even thinking such a thing.
She closed the drawer and swiveled the chair to the other side and opened the top drawer. Nothing seemed to be out of place or missing. She tried the bottom drawer again, but it still didn’t budge. Had he taken the key with him just in case she would need to go into the drawer? But there still remained the question as to why the drawer was locked to begin with.
Kaitlyn marched into the kitchen and opened the drawer that held a few tools and grabbed a flat head screwdriver. She inserted the screwdriver into the key hole as gently as possible without damaging or breaking the lock. She knew Ben would know and he would hurt her. She turned it slowly to the right. She heard something click and withdrew the screwdriver. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her heart beat fast and hard. She couldn’t think straight. Her only response was to react because she was afraid of what she might find in the locked drawer. Every scenario played over and over in her mind. Why was it that when we are in a situation that it had to be something horrifyingly bad?
She grabbed the knob and pulled, the drawer rolled open. Inside were several plastic containers that Kaitlyn used to organize her supplies, or did Ben make her do it? He had always been picky with things being precise. She took the containers out and placed them on top of the desk until there was only a thick manila envelope remaining at the bottom of the drawer.
She felt warmer suddenly as the temperature in her body rose, making her feel hot and dizzy at the same time. She took the envelope out and plopped down in the chair. To her it looked like any other manila envelope, but this one had the words Adam Tucker written on it. Knots twisted in her stomach with fear and confusion. She searched her mind, thinking of what could be inside. Adam? Why would there be an envelope with her ex-lover’s name on it from nine years ago? She swallowed down the bile rising in her throat as she lifted the flap.
14
Two Days after the Accident
Leah reached over and shut off the alarm blaring beside her. She had worked late last night and was scheduled to return to work at 8 a.m. this morning. The hospital was short on nurses due to vacations and a couple of women on maternity leave, but she didn’t mind the extra hours.
She sat up, turned, placing her badly needed half-painted toes on the cold wood floor of her bedroom. She sat stretching her arms above her head and bending her back. God, it felt good to stimulate the muscles before starting her day.
She straightened and stood, trudging to the bathroom and then went into the kitchen for her morning coffee. The first taste of coffee was always the best. It felt as if it awakened every part of the body, making it feel new again—something she needed these days from working so many hours. Her mind was wrapped around her one patient that didn’t even have a chance to live life again—might never get to drink his favorite beverage or eat his favorite meal. She wanted desperately to find his family because she refused to believe he didn’t have someone out there wondering where he was and if he were okay.
She walked over to the sliding glass door and opened it wide. Sunshine poured onto her brown sugar skin, making her feel warm all over. The vitamin D soaking into her face made her feel alive. This was the thing she enjoyed the most every morning besides her coffee: waking up and feeling the warm sun against her skin, although she knew winter was right around the corner and there wouldn’t be as much sun for days or weeks at a time.
She stepped out onto the patio of her apartment and rested against the railing. Her dark brown eyes traced over the lake that surrounded the building she lived in. The ducks were already splashing in the water, dunking their heads down into the water and back up again. What she would give to have that kind of life. No worries of going to work and paying bills every month. Just float around on the water and have fun with the other ducks. She laughed at herself for thinking of such a silly thing as being a duck. But she on occasion wondered about things like that—life between animals and humans.
She finished her first cup of coffee, went back inside for a refill, and then got ready for work. She was looking forward to seeing her patient today, hoping that by some miracle he opened his eyes and was awake. She tried to remember the doctor’s warning about not getting too close to any of the patients, especially those that will not recove
r, but she couldn’t help herself. There was just something about him that intrigued her. Maybe it was her loneliness for a man in her life? She laughed out loud to herself. She was saying this after thinking of the brain-dead patient? “You do need to get out and get a life,” she said as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. “You’re starting to lose your mind, girl.” She laughed again.
Although it sounded strange, she needed—no, she wanted—to find out more about him. She wanted his family to at least say goodbye to him. She ached to know his name. To know if he had any children that he was leaving behind. Was he married or divorced? Some people still wore their wedding ring even though they weren’t together with their spouse, not wanting to let go of the past or the love they felt for someone. Divorce wasn’t always something both people wanted. She knew that from her best friend who had just recently split from her husband. They’d been together almost seven years and then one night he said that he didn’t love her anymore and left. Leah had to console her friend for weeks before she accepted her husband leaving her. Maybe that’s why she didn’t date much. Love these days, just didn’t last like it used to.
Leah headed back into the kitchen, washed out her coffee cup and placed it in the strainer to dry. She grabbed her things and went out the door, closing it behind her. She took the stairs not because there wasn’t an elevator—there was—but because she enjoyed the exercise. Granted, she was on her feet all day long, but being active was who she was. It kept her feeling young, not that she was old. Twenty-seven was young. She still had time to settle down and have children, one day. At least, she thought to herself like she did when it came to families, I won’t do what my real mom did. If I get pregnant, I’d keep the baby, with or without a man to help. Leah didn’t know why her biological mother had given her up; she just assumed she didn’t want her.
Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the hospital and parked her car. When she exited the elevator on the fifth floor, she walked to the nurse’s station and clocked in on the computer. She went to the cabinet that held all the patients’ charts but didn’t see her patient’s chart anywhere. She walked back to the nurse’s station and looked there, but still she couldn’t find it. Dread washed over her as she thought of the worst. Had they decided to withdraw care for him and didn’t bother to tell her? Not that they had to call her and ask for her permission. How could they do that to her when she was his nurse? She hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye, just like when her father died. She hadn’t had any time to find John Doe’s family. Anger swept over her as she thought of Dr. Amal. He had done this, she was sure of it, and she’d let him know what she thought of him the next time she saw him.
Maybe she was overreacting, and her patient was still in his room. She should have checked there before assuming there was something wrong. Was the doctor in with the patient? She quickly walked to the room he was in yesterday, but when she got there, someone else was in his bed. She looked at the whiteboard and saw the name William Browne. She walked closer to the bed. Nope, it definitely wasn’t her brain-dead patient. She left the room in search of the head nurse. She poked her head into every room, but it wasn’t until she got to the last room on the left that she saw her.
“Excuse me, Melissa,” she whispered. “Do you know what happened to my patient in room four?”
“Oh, he was moved to the second floor. We needed the room for, you know.” She put her hand to the side of her mouth and whispered, “People that will get better and need us.” She gave a half-smile and then went back to whatever she was doing.
Leah stepped out of the room and rested against the wall in the hall. “The second floor?” Leah mumbled to herself. She’d never see him again now that they had moved him. She would have to find time to go see him on her breaks. “This is unbelievable! My patient deserves this room more than any other sick or critical person in here,” she stammered.
She’d just have to keep busy. That’s what she had to do. She glanced at her watch. She had two and a half hours before her first break. She slowly walked back to the nurse’s station to find her schedule for today and who she would be taking care of.
At ten-thirty, Leah quickly made her way to the elevator and rode down to the second floor. She had looked on the computer to find the room number that he was in. No, he wasn’t her patient anymore, but she couldn’t stop thinking that way. He was still her patient and she’d visit with him until… Well, until she found his family. Hopefully by then Sergeant Miles would have found out who he was, and she could contact his family.
She arrived at his door that was left partly open and went inside. She took several steps and saw him lying there still unresponsive. The breathing tube was still attached and the ventilator moving up and down.
She let out a breath, relieving the stress of this morning’s fatigue. She moved closer and stood next to his bed. She could hear the hospital sounds drifting in through the open door. She felt nervous that someone would find her here and tell her to leave, but no one came, and she was thankful for that.
She placed her hand on his and squeezed, praying that he would open his eyes and ask her where she’d been and that he was waiting for her. She laughed at herself for thinking such a thing. He was brain-dead and for him to wake up would be an absolute miracle.
She spent the next five minutes talking to him as if he were there with her and they had been friends forever. She talked about her mom and a little about work, but mostly, she just stared at him, wishing and hoping that he’d open his eyes, but he didn’t. She left the room, but not before she told him that she’d be back on her lunch break to see him again.
The moment Leah exited the elevator on the fifth floor her cell phone buzzed. She stopped and looked at the number. She didn’t know who it belonged to, but then remembered that she’d given the police officer her number. She stepped over to the wall, away from doctors and nurses walking past her, and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Sergeant Miles. You came to talk to me yesterday about the man with no identification?”
“Yes,” Leah replied, waiting for him to continue.
“I’m afraid I haven’t been able to get anything from the ring or off the partial shirt you brought in,” he said.
“I see. Is there anything else you can do? Anything I can get for you?” Leah wanted to stay hopeful that there was something, anything Sergeant Miles could do to find the man’s family.
“Well,” he paused. “I can send someone over to do a dental or get fingerprints. But again, if his DNA isn’t in the system then there’s no way to get you the information you need. I’m sorry.”
Leah’s shoulders drooped. “I understand,” she replied. “With the breathing tube, I don’t think a dental can be done. What do I need to do? I mean, is there anything, something I can get you?”
“I can start with the fingerprints, but I can’t make any promises that it’ll work. I’m assuming your hospital doesn’t have the Biometric Identification System that most hospitals have?”
Leah had heard about the new identification for patients, but Sergeant Miles was correct. Franklin Hospital was a fairly large facility, but after it had been built, the hospital didn’t have any more money to buy that kind of equipment. “No,” she replied. She knew that if they had such a thing, she wouldn’t have gone to the police station for help. “Thank you for all that you’ve done. I will see if there’s something else we can do,” she said and ended the call. She didn’t want to give up on her patient but felt both hopeless and defeated.
15
Kaitlyn woke with a start, her neck kinked from the awkward position she’d fallen asleep in. On and off throughout the night she had slept either in the lobby or at the side of the bed in the chair beside Ben.
She rubbed the back of her neck and looked over at Ben, who was still unconscious. All she wanted was for him to wake up. She needed to know if he were the same Ben from yesterday. Some would question why she stayed. They di
dn’t have any children together. Well, scratch that. With all that had been going on in the past week, it had slipped her mind just now that she was indeed pregnant with his child. She wasn’t sure why she stayed. Could she actually love him? No, that she knew wasn’t why. Maybe at one time. Yes, of course when they had dated and the first few months of their marriage, but now? No, there wasn’t an ounce of love inside her for him. Counselors and therapists would say that she stayed because she was accustomed to the abuse. She was a battered wife, controlled by his threats and anger. A familiarity that became part of her everyday life. She couldn’t deny that at times she did wish him dead. She couldn’t lie and say it hadn’t crossed her mind.
She scanned the room, something she hadn’t done the night before because she was more concerned with the well-being of this man she called her husband. This man who was supposed to love her and protect her, not abuse her.
She wondered if it was still night? She stood, stretching her back and legs, then walked over to the window. She turned the long white stick hanging down; light instantly poured in through the open slots.
It was definitely not night. She’d slept on and off through the night, exhausted by everything that had happened in just one day. She turned back around and viewed the room. Plain white walls surrounded her, with a whiteboard listing patient information, the name of the nurse on call, and tests that were done and still needed to be completed.
She looked out through the narrow window on the door of the room and saw a bathroom in the far corner of the ICU and walked in that direction. She would freshen up and then find the cafeteria to get some much-needed caffeine in her system.
After using the restroom, she came back into the room and grabbed her purse from the back of the chair. She asked the nurse behind the counter where the cafeteria was located and gave her cell number just in case Ben should wake up.
The Accident Page 8