Welcome To Corbin's Bend

by Thianna D

  Karen, Jerry discovered, was also the nurse who'd been assigned to Elly. After she'd checked her records, she admitted Elly had been a bit restless last evening until they gave her some pain medication at 10 PM. She'd slept comfortably after that. "Her blood pressure and oxygen levels are normal. Her hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBCs are still on the low side, but considering—"

  "How low?"

  Karen checked her screen again and read off the numbers to him. All of them registered below normal, but none was critical, so he let out a breath of relief.

  "Her wound is draining well, though her abdomen is still swollen. She said she fell. Do you know what happened?"

  "I don't have the details, yet. I was hoping she might have told one of you."

  She shook her head. "No. She keeps saying the accident was her fault, but she repeatedly asks if we've heard anything about Muffin. Is that her daughter?"

  "Not in a literal sense. Muffin is her poodle."

  "Ahh." Karen nodded and made a note.

  "When she's more awake, I'll let her know Muffin's condition."

  "Was the dog hurt, too?"

  "Unfortunately. Whatever happened, both of them were injured. Thanks for answering my questions."

  Jerry started to walk back to Elly's bedside when Karen asked, "Are you Jerry Douglas?" He stopped and turned. "Yes, I am. Why?"

  "She asked about you, too. I think she'll be relieved you're back."

  He nodded. "Do you have a notation in your records regarding Arthur Benson?"

  "Her husband?"

  "Only in a legal sense."

  She smiled. "We've been told it would be in our patient's best interests not to let him visit her quite yet. Is he responsible?"

  "Between you and me, yes he is, even if it was an accident, which I don't think it was."

  "I understand," Karen replied. "We'll do our best, Dr. Douglas. Thank you."

  "Thank you," he echoed back, and he meant it sincerely.

  As Jerry reclaimed his chair, he noted Elly's coloring did appear better, which pleased him. The bandage across the front of her head stood out in stark contrast against her hair and the slight blush staining her cheeks. The rest of her was covered in sheets and blankets, though her wrists had fresh wrappings. Whoever viewed those marks might well have understood their significance, and he'd lay odds Karen had been the one to change Elly's bandages.

  When Elly opened her eyes, she smiled at him. "Hi."

  "Hi yourself. How are you feeling?"

  "Fine. A little groggy still. How's Muffin?"

  "Better than you. She sustained a few broken ribs, too, but none of them required surgery. All the same, I've got her on an IV, firmly wrapped and sedated so she'll rest more easily."

  "Thank you. I'm sorry about collapsing in your office yesterday."

  "I'd like to talk some more about that, if you're willing."

  When her face instantly wrinkled with dismay, he knew it was too soon. They'd need to have the conversation before she left the hospital, but grilling her while she lay in intensive care was hardly necessary. He patted her hand. "Forget I said anything. We'll talk when you're better."

  She toyed with her covers. "I'm not sure I'll want to discuss it then, either."

  "We'll see. Is there someone we should call for you, like your mother or father?"

  "No. I don't want them here."

  "Okay." Something in her tone told him she had good reasons why she'd rather not have her parents visit, but he'd need to uncover those later, too. "How about siblings? Do you have any brothers or sisters we might contact for you?"

  "I've got a sister, but she's married with kids. Besides, she already hates Arthur, so seeing me like this would destroy her."

  "I believe she'd be more upset to learn you didn't call her when you needed her, Elly."

  "No. I don't want her here, either. Besides, I'll probably get out of the hospital tomorrow."

  "Sweetie, you need to get out of the ICU first. I think you're going to be a guest of Denver Memorial for the next few days at least." When her eyes started to mist over, he quickly changed the subject. "In the meantime, why don't I tell you about the stray cat Bethany Angel brought in yesterday morning and how one of our student vet interns ended up wearing the hissing animal as a sharp-clawed hat?"

  Jerry returned home around 9 PM, to find his answering machine blinking. Figuring the person would have called his cell if the message had been urgent; he took care of Jack's needs first before he checked out his borders in the clinic. Muffin was awake and wagging her tail, so he opened her cage to give her head a pat and check her bindings.

  "Good girl. Jenny did an excellent job of wrapping you up tight, didn't she?" Muffin licked his hand in agreement. "Yes, you're doing much better. I'd say we could remove your IV and give you some soft food to try. What do you think?"

  Muffin gave a tiny bark and Jerry laughed.

  "You're a smart one, aren't you?" He stopped the drip and carefully unwound the bandage holding in her IV. "I'll bet you'd like a drink of water, too, wouldn't you?" Another lick, but she held perfectly still while he withdrew the tiny catheter.

  After putting pressure on the site for a second, he removed the gauze and checked for bleeding. Looked good. "There you go, little one. Let me get this out of your way, then I'll want to change your pad, since you've been a good girl and peed. After that, we'll look into getting you some water and a snack. Once you've eaten, I'll try putting you down to see if you want to do some other good girl business in our exclusive inside turf stop." Muffin's little tail beat a rapid tattoo against her cage. "Yeah, you like that idea, don't you?"

  Muffin lapped up the water he gave her and gobbled down the two ounces of moist food he offered. When she was done, she looked at him expectantly.

  "No more food for now. Okay, come here, little one, and let's go for a quick stroll." He lifted her out of the cage with care in order not to disturb her sore ribs, then set her down in the inside park they had for convalescing dogs. She gave the area a couple of sniffs and promptly did her business.

  No visible blood in the stool, but he'd check a sample chemically to make sure. When she sat down and gazed up at him with her big brown eyes, he grinned down at her.

  "I'm tempted to bring you back into the house with me, but I'm afraid Jack might give a playful nudge and hurt you, so I think it's best we leave you here for the night." He knew he was imagining the disappointment he saw in the animal's expression, but he'd swear she could understand every word he said. Or at least enough of them.

  Chuckling, he picked her up and put her back in her cage, giving her fluffy ears a gentle rub. "Your mommy is going to be pleased to hear you're so much better. She's been terribly worried about you." The poodle gave his nose a lick that time, so after one final pat on the head, he closed the cage door. "Sleep well, little one, and I'll check on you in the morning."

  After running a quick test for hidden blood in Muffin's stool sample, which came out negative, he washed his hands, then looked in on his two other guests. Assured they were both fine, he turned the lights to low, flipped on the baby monitors and left the area. However, he still left his door into the clinic open, just in case.

  Animals all taken care of, he put some leftovers in the microwave and checked his answering machine for the message.

  "Douglas, this is Arthur Benson. I hear you took my wife to the hospital yesterday and went back to visit today. For some unknown reason the administrators think seeing me could upset her."

  No shit, Jerry thought, tempted to erase the message, but continued to listen.

  "I was hoping you might put in a good word for me. I'm worried, and I'd like to check on her. Give me a call when you get this message. Thanks."

  Arthur repeated his home number, which Jerry already knew by heart, and the message ended. Jerry stared at his machine as if it had grown legs and teeth, then turned on his heel and strode back to eat his dinner.

  He'd just sat down at his small kitche
n table when the phone rang. Tempted to let the answering machine pick up, he hesitated, then tossed his napkin next to his fork and went over to grab the wireless receiver he kept in the kitchen. The Benson home number. Still debating if the action was wise, Jerry pressed the talk button.

  "This is Dr. Douglas."

  "Douglas. Good. I'm glad I caught you. Did you get my earlier message?"

  "I'm having dinner, Benson; it's been a long day. How may I help you?"

  "Ahh. Now I understand. You suspect I deliberately beat my wife, don't you?"

  "No. I don't suspect it at all."

  Benson remained silent for a moment. "Did you say something to the hospital staff?"

  "I've said many things to the staff, was there something in particular you wanted to know?"

  "Did you tell them I abuse her?"

  "Not directly. No."

  "Then why won't they let me speak to her? Why are they refusing to let me see her?"

  "Why did you leave your wife to bleed to death on Friday?"

  "I didn't realize she was hurt when I left."

  "No? So what? Did you think her writhing and groaning on the floor was merely a ruse to gain more of your loving attention?"

  "Is that what she told you?" he inquired, his voice cool and brittle.

  "She didn't have to, Benson. Her injuries spoke for themselves."

  "You're interfering, Douglas. I have a legal right to be with my wife, to talk to her."

  "And you have an inalienable right to go to hell, too. I don't need to say which path I'd help you on."

  "I'll sue you for defamation of character."

  "You'd have to prove I defamed you first, and I sincerely doubt you'd seek that sort of publicity. The news coverage alone would be very messy."

  "You don't know me."

  "Ahh, I believe I know you better than you realize. I have to go, but would you like to know why I think you're a Grade A bastard?"

  "Since you are clearly salivating to tell me, please do."

  "Because you're only concerned about your image. We've spoken for five minutes and not once did you ask me how your wife was doing. Good night." Believing he handled himself admirably well, Jerry hung up.

  Chapter 8

  The next day Elly's surgeon upgraded her condition from intensive care to a regular room, so they wheeled her up in a wheelchair around 4 PM. Prior to her move, she'd been taken downstairs in her bed for another CT scan of her brain and abdomen. She'd been required to drink several ounces of contrast fluid, which meant they had to remove her catheter, since they needed a full bladder for the test. Jerry stepped out of the area to give her some privacy while the catheter was removed, but returned and sat with her while she swallowed down the large container of liquid and waited for the nurse and technician to come get her. They didn't put a new catheter in, so once she got back to the ICU, the first thing she did was tell the nurse she needed to pee. Then she blushed because she'd said "pee" in front of him.

  "Trust me, sweetheart, I've seen and heard much worse than that." Smiling, he stepped out of the room again while the nurse helped Elly into the bathroom and back into bed.

  Still limited to a clear liquid diet, she was allowed broth and flavored gelatin for lunch along with a beverage. She offered no complaint. In fact, he didn't think she minded not being able to eat. Her tummy probably still hurt enough the thought of food made her a little nauseated.

  They spoke of inconsequential things throughout the day, though he gently tried a few times to steer her into discussing the incident that brought her to the hospital, but she'd change the subject whenever he made the attempt.

  He didn't press.

  Not long after she was settled in her new room, Dr. Pendergast, the surgeon who'd operated on her spleen, came in to go over the results of her CT scan. Jerry didn't want to leave, but Elly had a right to discuss her care with her doctor without a stranger listening in, even when he was the stranger in question. However, when he rose to depart, she said, "Don't go."

  He frowned, but resumed his seat.

  Pendergast informed Elly her scans looked good. No sign of bleeding in either her abdomen or her head. Then he paused. "Now I need to ask you about the bruising we noticed on your wrists and buttocks." He turned to Jerry, who gave a nod to indicate he understood which bruises the doctor meant.

  "Legally, I must ask. Did your husband cause your injuries?"

  Elly swallowed and glanced at Jerry. "Would you explain Corbin's Bend to him?"

  Jerry wanted to object, since he suspected the activities of Corbin's Bend had little to do with the punishment Arthur had inflicted on his wife, but Elly gave him such a plaintive look, he relented.

  Careful to use non-judgmental words, he explained how Corbin's Bend was a community that catered to individuals who had an interest in domestic discipline. When Pendergast blinked, Jerry added, "Couples who practice DD often employ corporal punishment, which can include spanking, caning and whipping, but it is not considered abuse."

  "What is it, if not abuse?" the doctor asked, clearly unfamiliar with the concept.

  "A way to preserve marital harmony through spousal discipline. I can send you some literature if you like, but most partners in DD do not resort to the levels of severity Mrs. Benson experienced."

  "I see." He turned back to Elly. "I'm not sure what sort of sex games you and your husband practice, Mrs. Benson, but I should caution you the marks and bruises you sustained on your bottom were not minor by any means. Normally when I observe injuries like yours, I contact the police, no questions asked.

  Jerry wondered what had held the doctor back.

  "However, I received a call from Dr. Marcus Devon who advised me to speak with you first about the marks on your posterior. He understood my concern, but asked me to hold off involving law enforcement until we had a chance to talk. If I still felt human services should be involved after our discussion, he requested I also call…." He pulled a notepad from his pocket. "A Mr. Brent Carmichael. Do either of you know Mr. Carmichael?"

  Elly nodded and Jerry said, "He's the founder of Corbin's Bend and a good friend of ours."

  "You two are brother and sister, right?" the doctor inquired.

  Jerry clamped his mouth shut, but Elly said, "Yes. He's my older brother who takes excellent care of me when my husband's away."

  Pendergast frowned. "Are you aware your husband has been asking to visit you, Mrs. Benson? We've told him you're limited to only one guest until you're out of the ICU, because we were advised seeing him might upset you deeply, which was something we couldn't afford to do."

  Elly glanced over at Jerry, who met her gaze evenly.

  "We had an argument," she confessed, "but it was only a simple misunderstanding. However, I was terribly upset afterward. Then I fell…."

  "You fell?"

  She nodded. "I was carrying my dog when I was overcome by a wave of dizziness, lost my balance and collapsed on our coffee table."

  "And that's how you hit your head?"

  "Yes."

  "All right. Except a mere fall, or even a total collapse, wouldn't explain your fractured ribs, the tear in your spleen, or your miscarriage."

  "My what?" she asked, her expression suddenly pale.

  "You had a miscarriage. Didn't you know?"

  She shook her head, and the tears started to fall.

  "I'm sorry. Were you aware you were pregnant when you fell?"

  She shook her head again, but reached for a tissue. "No." Then she slid down and buried her face in her hands.

  Jerry glanced at the doctor. "Maybe I should talk to her alone for a while."

  The surgeon nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her, but I thought Dr. Jamison had already been here to discuss the D&C he performed due to her miscarriage." He regarded Elly for a moment. "I can tell you two are close, even if I doubt you're siblings. She relies on your advice and judgment, Dr. Douglas, but after everything she's been through, I really think she needs to speak with a p
rofessional. We have a resident psychologist on staff. I'd like to recommend he visit with Mrs. Benson."

  Jerry cast a glance at Elly's huddled form and accepted she would probably benefit from talking to someone who wasn't emotionally involved with her. However, given her fondness for doctors, he suspected she'd resist the idea. Perhaps after she got out of the hospital and settled, they could set her up with one of the therapists at Corbin's Bend. "I appreciate the advice, doctor, but I think introducing her to another stranger right now would do more harm than good. We'll look into having her visit a psychologist once she gets home."

  "I understand. If you change your mind, just tell her nurse." Dr. Pendergast extended his hand. "Give her my apologies, Dr. Douglas. Again, I regret upsetting her."

  The moment the doctor left, Jerry moved over to hold Elly's hand. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

  "Did you already know?" she asked blinking over at him.

  "Yes. I spoke with Dr. Jamison yesterday, after he did your D&C."

  She swallowed. "Did he…? Am I…? Will I…?" Tears filled her eyes as she waited for him to answer the question she feared putting into words.

  He placed his forehead against hers. "Elly, if you want children in the future, you will still be able to have them. Does that help?"

  With a nod, she gripped his neck and sobbed. His gut clenched as he held and reassured her. He wanted to press her back and kiss her, but brothers didn't take those sorts of liberties. Besides, she was still married, and until he could convince her to admit what Arthur did was abuse, all he could do was wrap his arms around her and offer his shoulder.

  After a few minutes, she stopped crying and apologized.

  He titled her chin up. "Elly, you don't need to apologize for anything. Understand?"

  She gave him a watery smile. "Yes, sir."

  With a shake of his head, he returned to his seat as a volunteer came in with the dinner menu to ask Elly what she'd like.

  Dr. Jamison made his visit to check on Elly at around five, though his stay was understandably short. Like Jerry, he reassured Elly she would still be able to have children, which only brought tears to her eyes again. Assuring her everything was fine, he left rather than upset her with any more questions. At six o'clock, Brent called to check in.