by Kylie Walker
“How long?” Chloe barely recognized her own voice as she squeaked out the question.
“I wish I could give you an exact time Miss Green. The truth is that it varies a lot from one patient to the next. It will depend on how quickly he heals and what other complications might arise. Typically it’s anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before the swelling in the brain subsides enough to bring them out of the coma.”
“Can we see him?” Kevin asked.
“Yes, but one at a time,” the doctor said. He looked less clinical and more human suddenly as he said, “I’m truly sorry that I don’t have better news for you right now…but we will keep you updated with any changes.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Chloe took a deep breath. Hearing he was “stable” was better than when he was “critical,” but the truth was she didn’t feel any better now than she had before. It still sounded like he was in trouble. She thought about Jesse again and anger boiled up inside of her. She wanted to shout…drop to her knees and have a tantrum like a toddler, kicking and screaming. She wanted to vent…let it out and make room inside of her for something besides grief and anger. She didn’t do any of those things. She stood silently and swallowed the bile that kept rising in her throat and waited again. This time, for someone to tell her that she could see him. She needed to see him…
“Go ahead Dad,” Jake told Kevin. “You can go first.” Kevin looked at Chloe. He tried to form a smile but his lips seemed too heavy to lift and it never made it to his eyes.
“I won’t be long,” he told her. She did her best to smile back at him and nodded. She and Jake both watched him go and then Chloe walked slowly over to the window.
“You’re Sarah’s sister?” Jake’s voice carried across the quiet room and landed in Chloe’s ears like a foreign object. It took her several seconds to process his words and when she did, she turned around and said, “Yes. I’m her twin. I only found out recently.”
Jake raised an eyebrow, but thankfully let it go there, for now. He went over to the little coffee pot in the corner and poured himself a Styrofoam cupful.
“Do you want some coffee?” he asked her.
“No thank you,” she said. She didn’t think that she could keep anything down. Her stomach felt like it was full of acid and that acid was welling up into her throat and burning her chest. Chloe turned back to the window, raised the shade and stared out on the city. She watched the people and cars down on the street coming and going and she marveled at how life could just continue on while a life as precious as Derek’s hung in the balance.
When it was Chloe’s turn to see Derek, she entered the glass-walled room with trepidation. She stood near the door and looked at him. His chest moved up and down with the steady rise and fall of the oxygen being forced into his body by the tube that went into his mouth and down his throat. His head was bandaged and both of his eyes were swollen and purple. He had an IV in his right hand and a steady drip of fluids and medications ran through it. Multicolored wires came out of the white and blue gown he wore and snaked up to a machine that beeped rhythmically and displayed his heart rate. A blood pressure cuff adorned one arm and every so often it would fill with air and make clacking noises as it made its measurement and then relaxed. The numbers would show up in neon white against the green screen of the monitor above him.
Chloe sucked in a breath to steady herself, smelling the pungent scent of antiseptic in her nose as she did. On trembling legs she went to the edge of the bed. She slid her small hand into his big one hating the fact that his was limp and cold. She took another shaky breath and said, “I’m so sorry, Derek. I’m going to make sure that he pays for doing this to you.” She could feel hot tears running silently down her cheeks. “If I could trade places with you, I would. This is my fight…not yours. I never should have gotten you involved. I shouldn’t have gotten Trevor involved…and Samantha…and now your family is suffering as well…I’m so sorry. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that he never hurts anyone I care about, ever again.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead…it was the only place on his poor beautiful face that wasn’t scraped, cut, bruised or swollen.
CHAPTER TWO
Chloe, Kevin and Jake were all reluctant to leave the hospital. They let one person at a time in to see him every few hours and they each took their turns all day. Chloe spent her time with him after that first visit just talking to him about everything.
“I called Trevor and Samantha today. Trevor is being discharged from the hospital this evening and Samantha says he’s doing really well. They both send their love and they’ll be here as soon as Trevor is able to make the drive. You’re in every one’s thoughts, it seems. Your poor father is going to have to hire an assistant just to field all of the calls from concerned friends, co-workers and clients. He’s been on the phone all day when he wasn’t in here with you. He loves you so much, Derek, and so does your brother.
Speaking of your brother, he is not too sure about me. He seems suspicious of me and I suppose I can’t blame him, especially since I’m suspicious of practically everyone I meet. He’s been very polite and appropriate about it though. Your father definitely did a great job raising the two of you. I also called Lexi and Roxi. I knew they would both be worried about me if I didn’t make it back home today. Lexi’s big bouncer man is going to stay with her, so I don’t have to worry. They both send their love to you. Roxi said to “man up” and get out of here soon.” She laughed at that through the tears that clung to the edges of her eyes. She looked at the clock then and realized that her time was up. It was Jake’s turn to come in. Chloe stood up and kissed him, this time just very lightly on the lips. She felt the tears threatening to spill over again, but she fought them back. “Get better Derek, quickly. We all need you.”
She hated leaving him. Each time she did, she worried that something would happen and it would be the last time she got to see him. The three of them rotated visiting until around eight p.m. when the nurse came to speak to them.
“Visiting hours are over now, but you can come back at eight a.m. tomorrow. I’ll keep a good eye on him tonight and call you if there are any changes. You should all go home and get some rest.”
When Chloe looked at Kevin and Jake’s faces, she could see the same fear in their eyes that she felt…the fear of not being here if Derek needed them.
“Chloe, you’ll come with us,” Kevin said as if it had all been decided.
“Oh no, I really don’t want to leave…”
With sadness in his eyes Kevin said, “He’s stable sweetheart. The nurse has all of our numbers and they’ll call if there are any changes in his condition. It’s been an exhausting 24 hours and you didn’t get any sleep last night. You have to rest or you’ll get sick and then you won’t be any good to him at all.”
“Okay, but I can get a hotel room…” Chloe could see the way Jake was looking at her in her peripheral vision. He didn’t trust her and his suspicions, coupled with her guilt made her a nervous wreck.
“Nonsense, I have eight bedrooms. There is no reason at all for you to stay in a hotel. I’m going to call for the car.”
Chloe nodded. She didn’t have the energy to argue with him. She was horribly reluctant to leave Derek, but she knew that Kevin was right…there was nothing she could do here tonight.
The three of them barely spoke on the ride to the mansion each of them wrapped tightly in their own thoughts…their own private fears gnawing at their insides. As they approached a set of wrought iron gates Chloe could see the mansion looming proudly atop a small rise in the expansive grounds laden with green grass and tall leafy trees. The car came to a cobblestone roundabout with a fountain at the center, drove around it and stopped near the massive oak doors. The house was a Victorian built out of mostly red bricks. Huge windows surrounded the lower level and a small white balcony railing surrounded the upper one. It was the most beautiful home Chloe had ever seen up close and the sight of it gave her a dee
per sense of not belonging here. Sarah would have easily fit in here…but not Chloe. She glanced at Jake again as they entered the grand foyer and she thought she could see there on his face that he thought the same thing.
“Chloe, I know that you’re tired…but there are some things I would really like to talk to you about before we retire for the night,” Kevin said.
“Of course,” she said. In reality, she was in no mood to talk about any of it. She wanted to climb into bed, alone and finally cry the tears she’d been biting back most of the day. She followed Kevin into a large sitting room and Jake trailed behind. Kevin offered her a seat on a plush tan sofa. She sank down into it and realized just how tired she was when she did.
Kevin and Jake sat in chairs opposite her and Kevin said, “You and I both had the same thought at the hospital in Albany…but we didn’t have time to discuss it. You think Jesse had something to do with this?”
“Jesse who?” Jake asked.
Neither Chloe nor Kevin acknowledged him as Chloe nodded and said, “I’d be willing to bet on it. Derek wouldn’t have been speeding. I’m sure he took great care of his car and his brakes didn’t just fail. Jesse is a disgusting coward and this would be exactly the type of thing he would do.”
“Who is Jesse?”
Kevin finally looked at his older son and said, “Jesse Donovan.”
“Vince Donovan’s son? That arrogant punk? I thought he was in prison or something. What the hell does he have to do with Derek?”
“Just a second Jake. I’ll explain what I can,” Kevin told him. “Chloe, has Jesse contacted you at all? Have you seen him?”
“No, but I feel him. I feel like I’m being watched. I know that he’s lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to get me alone. He had to get Derek out of the way first, but he wasn’t man enough to do that face to face.”
“Damn it! I would appreciate it if someone told me what the hell is going on? Why didn’t I know that Sarah had a sister and most especially, why didn’t I know that Derek was dating her?”
Chloe looked up at Jake who had jumped to his feet. He looked like he was seething with frustration. “I only just found out for sure that Sarah was my sister. Derek and I began dating before that. Jesse Donovan is my ex-boyfriend. He tried to kill me two years ago. He only recently got out of prison.”
“You’re the girl he cut with the knife and nearly beat to death?” As soon as he said the words, Jake looked like he realized just how bluntly he’d said it.
“Yes,” Chloe shuddered.
“And you got involved with Derek knowing that this maniac was getting out of prison soon?” His tone was a little bit softer but it was obvious he had to try hard to keep it in check.
“Yes, I knew Jesse was getting out soon. Getting involved with Derek was entirely separate from that.”
“Maybe it was supposed to be but obviously it didn’t turn out that way. What the hell were you thinking?”
“Jake…” Kevin tried to interrupt.
Jake’s voice became high pitched once again as he said, “No Dad! Do you really believe it’s a coincidence that she’s dating Derek and she just happens to be his dead wife’s twin and just happens to start dating him right before Jesse gets out? I think that’s a little too much coincidence to swallow. Maybe, she was looking for a big strong man to protect her from the psychopath. Maybe she knowingly put Derek in harm’s way!”
“That’s enough, Jake!” Kevin shut him down. He looked like he was past the point of exhaustion. Chloe was grateful to him for standing up for her, but again she felt bad for being the source of the man’s troubles.
With her voice as steady as possible she gave Jake the edited version of things. “I met Derek because someone he worked with saw me and took a photo because he thought I looked so much like Sarah. Derek found me and we got to know each other. From there, Derek and I figured out that I was taken from the Whitemore’s at birth and illegally adopted. I didn’t go looking for him and I never intended to “drag” anyone else into my mess.”
“This is Jesse Donovan’s doing, Jake…not Chloe’s,” Kevin told her. “Your brother cares very much about her and he knew full well the dangers of getting involved with her. He’s had me hiring security to watch her around the clock…”
“Why wasn’t I told about any of this?”
Chloe got the feeling that being left out of the loop was partially what Jake was so upset about.
“Derek wanted to keep it as simple as possible. He hoped that Jesse would tire of the game at first…then he hurt Chloe’s friend. He beat her up so badly that it’s a miracle she’s still alive. We have security watching her…but it’s obvious that Jesse is not going to give up, and Derek knew that he wasn’t going to give up. You know your brother, even if Chloe had tried to send him away at that point, he wouldn’t have gone.”
Jake ran a trembling hand through his hair and sighed heavily. Chloe could tell that he wasn’t completely convinced that this wasn’t all her fault…but that was okay, because neither was she.
“I hate this,” he said in a choked voice.
“So do I,” Kevin said. “We all do, Jake. But, what we have to do now…for your brother, is stick together. He’s going to need us all to be strong and united.”
Jake nodded, Chloe hated being the subject of their conversation when she was sitting right there, but for tonight, any and all fight was gone out of her. Jake looked like he felt the same way. “Chloe, do you plan on returning home tomorrow?”
“No! I can’t leave him and be three hours away. I’ll get a room close to the hospital…” As she was saying it, she was calculating the cost in her head. If she was still working, it wouldn’t have even been an issue, but she was living off of her savings now and she knew that they weren’t going to last forever. In this case however, she didn’t care. She would stay close to Derek no matter what she had to do.
“Nonsense,” Kevin told her once again. “We’re all tired tonight, but in the morning we’ll discuss it further and figure something out. Meanwhile, Jake…perhaps you could take a ride with her to Rhode Island tomorrow to pick up some of her things.”
“That won’t be necessary…” Chloe started.
Kevin was obviously not used to being disagreed with. “It’s settled,” he said, without consent from Jake or Chloe either one. “I’ll have the car take you to the hospital so that you can see Derek and then to Rhode Island so that you can get what you need. I won’t feel comfortable with you going unless Jake is with you.”
Jake had his jaw set in a grim line, but when Kevin looked at him and said, “Is that okay with you?”
Jake nodded. Then he said, “I’m going to turn in. Please wake me up if there is any news from the hospital.”
“Of course,” Kevin said. “Get some rest, son.”
When Jake left the room Kevin looked back at Chloe and said, “Please forgive him. This is all a lot for him to take in, especially at a time like this.”
“I understand,” Chloe said. “I feel so bad for bringing this on your family.”
Kevin stood up and Chloe did too. He took her hand in his and said, “I’m going to say this one more time Chloe and I hope that you’ll hear me. No one is blaming you for any of this and if they do, they’ll have me to deal with. Jesse Donovan is a psychopath and if he did this, we are going to do whatever it takes to make sure he ends up back behind bars where he belongs. We’re also going to make sure that you’re safe.” Chloe nodded, but nothing was going to convince her that she hadn’t inadvertently brought this on. “Get some rest,” Kevin told her. “Things will look better in the morning. Derek is strong. He’s going to fight to get back to us, I’m sure of it.”
CHAPTER THREE
When Chloe went up to her room, Kevin went up too but he stopped and knocked on Jake’s door.
“How are you holding up, son?”
Jake shrugged, “I guess as well as I can be. I just feel frustrated as hell. I want to do something. This s
itting around and waiting is what is going to kill me.”
Kevin nodded. “I know. I feel the same way. We’re fixers and we want to set everything right…it’s why we do what we do. But as badly as it hurts, we can’t fix this. All we can do is support him in whatever way we can.”
“You’re talking about Chloe?”
“Yes, she’s a part of supporting him. He really does care a lot about her. I suspect that he’s falling in love with her.”
“Don’t you think that’s…strange? Aren’t you worried that this is about him looking to replace Sarah?”
“At first I was worried,” Kevin said, “But when you see them together you know that this is much more than that. Chloe and Sarah are very different and I trust Derek enough to believe that a pretty face…even one identical to Sarah’s wouldn’t be enough for him if the woman that went along with it wasn’t a deserving soul. I don’t want Chloe to be alone. Even a hotel room in New York won’t be safe for her as long as Jesse is out there. I spoke to Vince this afternoon. The police have already been to see him, so he knows that Jesse is a suspect in this. He’s not admitting that he believes that, but he did tell me if he spoke to him, he was going to encourage him to turn himself in.”
“Is Vince supporting him? Where is he getting the money to travel from New York to Rhode Island and live in the meantime?”
“I asked him about that and he denies that he’s helping him…but when I asked if his wife was giving Jesse money, he changed the subject. I’m willing to bet that she’s funneling him whatever he needs. Allie Donovan has never been able to admit that her boy was anything less than perfect. Even now I would be willing to bet she’d argue his innocence to the death. I’d also be willing to be that Vince will do all in his power to save the boy, just to keep her happy.”
“That’s probably a lot of the problem,” Jake said. “Jesse’s a psychopath because he’s never had to deal with any consequences of his actions.”