NECESSARY MEASURES

by Alexander, Hannah

  “It is personal.” Tony’s voice rose steadily and cut more sharply with each word. “I want to feel the personal responsibility to stop this monster before he hurts or kills someone else and now is the time to prepare for a strike, immediately after the shock of Oakley Brisco’s death. I want the pleasure of catching this guy myself. I can’t take the chance that I’ll be tied up in some hospital with strangers trying to play God with my eyes. I can’t take the chance that I’ll come to depend on a source of vision that might or might not let me down at a crucial point.” He turned his face toward Archer. “Can’t you understand what I mean?”

  “Are you allowing a need for personal revenge to cloud your judgment?”

  “No!” Tony hit the desk with his fist, scattering a stack of papers. “I’m the one who gathered the facts and drew the conclusion that Royce’s mind is failing. I found the evidence that he’s tweaking more and more often. What makes me sick is that one child has already died and others are in extreme danger.” Anger deepened in Tony’s face. “Now is the time to strike, not next month.”

  “No one is disagreeing with you about the danger, Tony,” Archer said. “But the danger I’m worried about is permanent loss of your sight. That’s important. You have a whole future to do what you’re doing now and you’ll be able to perform better when you can see how—”

  “Arch, listen to me.” Tony over-pronounced his words, as if trying to explain to someone who was hard-of-hearing. “The drug has taken over this monster’s life and he’s taking more chances out of desperation to find a high that is no longer there. His natural endorphins are shot because the drug has forced them into his system too many times.”

  “I know.”

  “He’s in a continually depressed state and the spiral downward is going to kill him this time.” Tony’s voice deepened. “No one had the foresight to report that to me. I expected it to be obvious to anyone with the same set of facts. I had to figure it out for myself. How can I trust anyone else to do my job? It’s my calling. I have to do whatever is necessary to stop this animal.”

  Caryn stood up and paced the length of the room again, combing her fingers through the short strands of sparrow brown hair. “I can’t take this any longer.”

  “But it isn’t going to be that much longer,” Tony said. “We’re in a crucial period that could affect the whole future of this town.”

  “No. Stop it.” Caryn held her hands up in front of her as if in an automatic gesture to protect herself. “You accuse the doctors of wanting to play God with your eyes but you’re doing the same thing with your job. You can’t take the responsibility of the whole police force on your shoulders because it’s landing on my shoulders, too. I can’t keep carrying it.”

  “I never asked you to—”

  “Yes! You did, Tony. You asked me to assist you. I work beside you every day. I’ve put everything else in my life on hold so I could be your guide while you preside over this task force but I can’t keep doing it!” She rubbed her hands across her face. “It’s all you ever talk about, all you ever think about. It consumes you and it’s consuming our marriage!” Her eyes filled with horror as she caught the echoing impact of her words.

  Silence hit the room like an oppressive wall.

  Tony closed his unseeing eyes and pain etched itself across the lines of his worry-lined features. “You don’t understand.” His voice was a hoarse whisper. “I’m doing what I’ve been called to do. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I’ve seen how much worse things can get and I can’t let it happen. Not here. Not in our town.”

  Archer reached across the desk and laid a hand on Tony’s thickly muscled arm. “At least pray about it.”

  “I’ll pray about it,” Tony said. “I’ve been praying and I will continue to pray. But unless God tells me to stop I’m with this thing to the end.”

  ***

  Lauren was returning to the ER after a break late Tuesday afternoon when she rounded a corner in the hallway and nearly collided with a redheaded spitfire. Gina Drake’s short hair was disheveled, her face blazing, fists bunched at her sides.

  “The man has no soul,” she muttered as she passed Lauren.

  Lauren turned and followed her. “Gina? What’s wrong?”

  “I’ve never seen anyone treat staff with such callous indifference.”

  “What man are you—”

  “If I could afford to move I’d quit this job so fast—”

  “Hold it. Gina, what’s—”

  “He doesn’t have an ounce of intelligence.” Gina stopped and turned so abruptly that Lauren had to scramble to keep from slamming into her from behind. Tears of temper filled her eyes. “I don’t know if I can go back in there and face him without punching him in his stupid face.”

  “Whose face? Who are you going to punch? Did you and Todd have a—”

  “No, not Todd!” Those copper eyes flashed. “Could you possibly for once leave Todd’s name out of a conversation? My problem isn’t Todd, it’s that... that... Mitchell Caine. I refuse to call him Doctor when I don’t have to.”

  “What did he do?” Gina was obviously in the middle of one of her mood swings and the best thing to do was to get out of her way. It occasionally happened when her blood sugar dropped. “Have you eaten?”

  Gina scowled at her.

  “Sorry Gina. I have to ask.”

  “I’ll eat in a minute—didn’t get a chance earlier. Would you listen to me?”

  “Of course. Go ahead.”

  “For some reason Caine’s all bent out of shape about the way his clinic is receiving test results. Every chance he gets he comes barreling into the hospital to complain about whichever tech or therapist or director has offended him in the past hour.”

  “Has he said anything to you?”

  “Not yet but our director’s about to quit over it. If Sarah goes the whole department will be a mess. Fiona told me one of the lab techs already walked off the job. It’ll get worse if Mitchell Caine keeps throwing his weight around.”

  Lauren groaned. Even though Dr. Caine wasn’t on duty today, she’d seen him in the ER at least three times.

  Gina took Lauren’s arm and drew her to a small meeting room and closed the door. “Something happened to him yesterday. Oakley’s death affected him. Didn’t you see him? He was shaking during that code. Todd told me later that he overheard Caine shouting and cursing in the office after they took Oakley’s body away.”

  “I heard.” It had concerned Lauren too.

  “I think something snapped in him.”

  Lauren frowned. “Isn’t it the same thing that’s snapped in all of us since Oakley died?”

  “You know what time he does his hospital rounds? Todd’s seen him coming in at eleven at night.”

  Lauren checked her watch. A few minutes left of her break and she was still worried about Gina’s blood sugar. “How about a snack before I go back to work?”

  “No, I’ll be fine.” Gina dabbed at the moisture on her forehead. “I’ve got a late break coming up.”

  “Good, then I’ll walk you there. You don’t look that—”

  “I’m meeting Todd, okay? We’re going to eat together in a few minutes. He didn’t get off for his lunch break at the usual time.”

  Lauren couldn’t hide her disappointment and she could tell from Gina’s expression that it was obvious.

  “Would you just give him a chance, Lauren? I know he’s got some problems but I think they’re going to get worked out.” Gina avoided looking Lauren in the eyes. “He’s so thoughtful. He brought dinner for the kids and me last night and he was careful to make sure we got enough to eat. Do you know how good it feels to have somebody take care of you like that?”

  “I know it feels good,” Lauren said softly. “It might even feel right but—”

  Gina raised a hand to silence her. “If you’re my friend you’ll be happy for me. I can’t remember how many times Todd has told me that our friendship has had nothing
to do with the breakup of his marriage. That would have happened anyway because his wife has some habits he just can’t stand to live with any longer.”

  “Everybody has habits.”

  “I don’t think it would take too much for us to develop a deeper relationship.” Gina looked down at her hands as she folded them in her lap.

  “Oh Gina!” The cry of alarm sounded from Lauren’s lips almost before she realized she was speaking her thoughts. “Honey, that isn’t for you.”

  Gina looked up at her sharply.

  Lauren lowered her voice. “I know you feel it’s none of my business—”

  “It isn’t,” Gina snapped.

  “Please just listen for a moment.” Lauren reached out but Gina snatched her arm away. “You can’t possibly realize what you’re getting into.” She knew she was pushing past the boundaries of their friendship but she had to try.

  “Don’t you think you’re being a little melodramatic?” Gina stood up and took a few steps away with her back to Lauren. “It isn’t as if we’re virgins.”

  “You are to God.”

  Gina snorted.

  “When you became a Christian you were washed clean. You became a child of God. He wants his children to remain physically pure. The kind of union you’re talking about is intended for marriage,” Lauren said softly. “It’s a physical covenant.”

  “I’m different from you. It’s like when you’ve had that kind of a relationship with a guy you need to have it again.”

  “Don’t you think I’ve been tempted? But Gina, this relationship is causing other people pain. Children. Wife. Parents.”

  “Stop.” Gina said. “I’ve had it with the guilt.”

  “I’m not trying to do that to you. I’m a friend warning you not to step in front of a bus.”

  “I want to see Todd. He makes me feel better about myself than anyone else ever has. He wants the real me, not what I can do for him.”

  “Once upon a time he wanted the woman he’s divorcing. How do you know he won’t leave you and your kids just as he’s leaving his own family right now? I couldn’t bear to see you get your heart broken again. Levi and Cody—”

  Gina held her hands in front of her face. “Stop it, Lauren. Leave me alone!” She swung away and stalked from the room.

  Lauren sighed. She’d risked their friendship for honesty and it looked as if she’d lost.

  Chapter 20

  Archer pulled into the church parking lot and saw Jessica’s Outback. For an instant he considered driving on by. After all, the florist’s van was parked there and he recognized the car that belonged to the church pianist. They were making last-minute plans for the wedding and he wasn’t sure he wanted to face Jessica right now, not with the doubts that had ebbed and flowed in his mind since yesterday. If he drove on through the lot no one would know he’d been here.

  The temptation shocked him. He parked immediately. He met the florist coming out of the building and saw Jessica pulling on her coat just inside the foyer.

  Her beautiful face filled with joy when she saw him. “Sweetheart! I was just getting ready to go find you at the hospital.” She rushed up to him and kissed him. She looked more closely at him. “I thought you’d be...busy.” Her joy morphed into concern. “Archer, what’s wrong?”

  He suppressed a grimace. One reason he loved her so much was because she saw deep into his heart and accepted him as he was. That very same insight, however, was what had tempted him to avoid her.

  She leaned close and put a hand on his arm. “Sweetheart? What is it?”

  He shoved his fists into the pockets of his simulated-leather bomber jacket. “How about a walk around the neighborhood? I need to work off some excess energy.”

  She studied his eyes for another few seconds then linked her arm through his. “Let’s go.”

  They strolled along the tree-lined sidewalk for nearly a block without speaking. How could he bring up the subject that disturbed him most without damaging months of progress? And how could he even think about—

  “It must be bad,” she said at last.

  He shouldn’t say anything.

  “You might as well spill it, Pierce. We’re in this together from here on out.”

  He swallowed and kept walking.

  Her steps slowed. “Archer?” Fear trickled through her voice.

  He pulled his hands from his pockets and turned to look at her. “I’ve been doing a lot of praying. Suddenly it seems as if those prayers are bouncing back in my face.”

  She nodded. “Me too.”

  He waited for her to continue but she didn’t. Finally he swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Oakley Brisco’s funeral is Thursday. They’re already finished with the autopsy and the meth overdose was confirmed. My telephone hasn’t been silent all day. Kids are hurting, parents are terrified. I have to be honest, Jessica, after losing Hardy last week I haven’t been functioning at my best. After yesterday’s tragedy I find myself wondering about some things.”

  She turned her frowning attention on him then her eyes widened and she caught her breath. “You’re wondering about the wedding.”

  He swallowed again.

  “You’re wondering how we can have a celebration when everyone else is grieving.”

  He nodded. “And yet we can’t call off the wedding. No way.”

  She tucked her hand inside the crook of his elbow and tugged him forward. “But you’re feeling guilty?”

  “I think it’s only natural.”

  “I don’t think Hardy would want you to cancel our wedding because of his death. In fact, isn’t his family attending?”

  “Yes. All of them are.”

  They walked another moment in silence before Jessica cleared her throat. “We can serve God better together than separately.”

  It was exactly the thought that had come to him again and again these past twenty-four hours. He felt a stirring of warm comfort.

  “And maybe we could add a song of memorial to the service, as close as you and Hardy were. I mean, he was going to be an usher. Heather has a beautiful one in her repertoire.”

  He bit his lip. The answer settled into place as if it had come straight from God. Archer had choked up more this past week than he had in the past year and his vision blurred once more.

  “Do you know how much I love you?” he whispered.

  “Yes. So tell me what else is on your mind. There’s something more bothering you.”

  And so he told her about Tony. And she listened. And their shoes scuffed the few remaining leaves on the sidewalk as they continued to walk.

  “Tony has made his own decision,” he said after a complete explanation. “And he won’t listen to Caryn or me or anyone else.”

  “He obviously has good reasons.”

  “But we’re talking about his eyesight, Jess.”

  “Though I don’t agree with his decision and can identify with Caryn’s frustration, I respect his stance.”

  A brief whisper of irritation streaked through Archer’s mind and he allowed silence to fall between them. Jessica hadn’t been friends with him since childhood. Of course, he hadn’t exactly been best friends with Tony all that time either.

  Jessica strolled beside Archer, for once in blissful ignorance of his chaotic thoughts, easily matching her stride with his. “I can’t imagine how rough this must be on Caryn. I don’t think it would be easy to be married to everyone’s hero. Look at the price she’s paying.”

  “I keep wondering about the price he’s paying,” Archer said. “And I’ve been asking myself if I would do the same thing.”

  “You already do, sweetheart.” She hugged his arm. “You live your life for Dogwood Springs Baptist Church. For the patients at the hospital.”

  “Working overtime in an overheated church office isn’t the same as being blasted by a booby trap set by a dangerous drug dealer or rushing to the rescue of a fellow worker and getting caught in an explosion the way Hardy did.”

  She slowe
d her steps and looked at him. “You fight in the trenches right along with them. You put your heart on the line.”

  “No, I think I’ve always straggled along behind both of them. Hardy’s always been a hero. Tony’s the best at anything he does. Nothing’s changed in twenty-five years. At nine, Tony had all his Scripture verses memorized before anyone else in Sunday school class. He was the valedictorian of our class. And now he’s willing to sacrifice a very precious opportunity for renewed wholeness in order to catch the bad guy. I just feel helpless because I couldn’t convince him otherwise.”

  “You sound irritated with him.”

  “Wouldn’t you be irritated with a good friend who’s throwing away his chance to regain his sight?” He cleared his throat. There was more but he didn’t want to discuss it right now. He changed the subject. “Is your dress finished?”

  “I had my last fitting today. It looks great. And the rest of the tuxes are at the shop. They’re the wrong color but if they can’t get the right color we’ll have to go with them.”

  “You’re going to be the most beautiful bride who ever walked down an aisle.” And every day he grew more eager for their wedding day and every hour he had more trouble keeping her out of his thoughts.

  “Thank you, Archer.” She unlinked her arm from his and slowed her pace then caught his hand with hers. “Okay, what else?”

  He shortened his steps to match hers. “Hmm?”

  Her hair glowed in the dappled sunlight. “The last time we spoke, you were planning to visit the hospital this afternoon. What else has upset you? There wasn’t another death was there?”

  “No.”

  Jessica squeezed his hand. “Pastoral or patient confidentiality?”

  He would never get accustomed to her on-target insight. “Neither.” He strolled a few more seconds in silence. “Something happened at the hospital today that must have upset me more than I’d realized.”

  Jessica waited.

  “I had a run-in with Mitchell Caine. He thinks I’m proselytizing in the ER.”

  “Are you?”

  “I didn’t think I was. I know I’m not supposed to tell people what denomination I pastor but in a town this size it’s kind of difficult to keep that a secret. Actually, the chaplain call program might be in danger if Grant doesn’t come back soon.”