He squeezed her hand. “I don’t know. I guess you’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so.” Dani squeezed back. “I didn’t mean to invite you to my pity party.”
“Yeah, well, cancel that shit, then.”
“You’re right. I probably need to.” Dani needed to change the subject not just for her, but for Rick too. “How are things with Sandra?”
Rick’s eyes widened a little bit. “Uhm, good so far. Look, you don’t have to change—”
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay, well, I’m gonna change it again.”
“I don’t want you worried about me.”
“I can’t help that. It is what it is. Besides, this is about you, not you and Becca.” Rick shrugged.
Dani sighed. “Fine. I’m scared. It’s like I’ve become my evil twin or something. Maybe this is who I am now.”
“Bullshit. I don’t believe that.”
“But I don’t know how to be anyone else.”
“God, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but remember how Becca used to be? If she can do it…” Rick watched her carefully as if expecting her to blow up at the mention of Becca’s name.
Yes, Dani recalled quite a bit. There had been no in between with Becca—she was either happy or pissed. It was rather strange having this conversation after the last one she had with Becca. She wasn’t sure what to feel at the moment, so she went with what she knew. “You’re talking like she’s your hero or something.”
Rick stared at her, and Dani looked away as embarrassment and shame washed over her. “Sorry.”
“Yeah, apology accepted, but you know what I’m tryin’ to say.”
Too bad Becca hadn’t started all that while they were together. Dani quickly stepped away from that line of thinking. It wouldn’t do her any good. “Yes, I do.”
“Look, trust me when I say I’m not tryin’ to push you guys together, but who else do you know who’s been through shit like that?”
For a moment, Dani stiffened and stared at him. Did he know something? When he didn’t say anything else, something like relief settled over her. “I don’t know about that.” She wasn’t ready to go that deep with Becca. At least, she didn’t think so, and if she was, it would be kind of hard since Dani had been ignoring Becca for the past couple days.
“Yeah, me either, but I guess it’s somethin’ to think about.” Rick pulled her into a one-arm hug. “I know I said it earlier, but you really do look exhausted.”
No, she was closer to bone weary and debilitated. Dani leaned into him, grateful that she had someone so solid to fall back on.
Even though she had a lot on her plate, Dani had to brush it all aside in order to be the doctor, the person her patients needed her to be. She had rounds, so, somehow, she laughed, she reassured, and she was present in the moment for them just as she’d always been. At least that hadn’t changed. Despite the heavy news she was going to have to relay soon, Dani smiled as she knocked on the doorjamb to Jacob’s room. They both looked toward her as she walked in. Jacob blinked at her sleepily. Sheri nodded.
“He just woke up.”
“Then I have great timing.”
“Most definitely. Even though it’s his last, he’s not looking forward to the next treatment. I can understand that, but I’ve been trying to give him a pep talk.”
“That stuff they put in me makes me so tired.” Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from her.
Dani looked down at him. “Remember what I told you about that?”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah.”
“What did I say?”
He finally met her gaze. “The medicine kills the bad stuff and some of the good stuff. That’s why I get so tired.”
“The whole thing sucks, I know, but you’ve come this far. I know you have a lot left in you. You’re not the type of kid to give up, are you?”
He smiled slightly. “Nope.”
Dani bent down and whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?”
Jacob’s smile widened as he glanced between his mother and Dani.
Sheri rolled her eyes, but she tried and failed not to grin.
“You’re sick, so you’re allowed to complain, but adults do it way more even for something small like a splinter.”
Sheri snorted.
“Doc D, that was corny.” Jacob laughed.
Dani chuckled. “I know, right?”
Jacob’s eyes widened. “Ma, you almost let me forget. Can I show her?”
“Yeah, baby. Hold on.” Sheri smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes.
Quietly, Dani stepped back and waited.
“My dad was bald. Ma said I look like him more than ever now that I am too.”
Sheri retrieved her cell from her bag. After punching a few buttons, she gave it to her son. It only took him a few seconds to find what he wanted. He held up the phone. “See?”
Dani looked at the picture of father and son. “Yes, you do.”
Jacob’s smile was so big and radiant. “I don’t care if it ever grows back. Can I take the medicine today?”
The resilience of children sometimes left her breathless, and this time was no exception. “No…but keep that attitude.”
“I will.”
She believed him too. “Is it okay if I hug you?”
He nodded, and his smile didn’t dim one bit. Dani held him loosely, but Jacob had no such compunction. He squeezed her hard.
“I’m sorry if I’m being corny again,” Dani said as she pulled away.
“It’s okay. Ma’s like that sometimes too.”
Sheri put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and tear-filled, but they were also bright.
Day after day, Dani bore witness to kids getting through some of the most horrible things and still smiling even if the prognosis wasn’t good. If they could do that, she could try to put a foot forward a millimeter or two. Although it took several minutes for Dani to work up a full head of steam, she did her best to not let it dissipate. “I hear you and Dr. Luft get along really well.”
“Yeah, she’s funny, but she’s scared of Ma.” Jacob rolled his eyes.
Dani glanced at Sheri. “Scared or not, what do you think?”
“She looks like she’s twelve. That’s what I think.” Sheri shrugged.
“Yes, she does. Jacob only has one more treatment left. I think he needs as much consistent support as we can all give him. So, I’m going to include Dr. Luft during my additional rounds from now on.” Dani paused. “If that’s okay.”
Sheri stared at her and then gave her a slow nod. “If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll deal with it.”
“Startin’ tomorrow?” Jacob asked. He was practically bouncing.
“Yes, starting tomorrow.”
Minutes later, Dani left Jacob’s room and headed to see her next patient. If Dani could bottle the sense of peace, confidence, and the all-around general high she got at the hospital and take it everywhere, her life would be golden. Inevitably, as she walked, Dani’s thoughts strayed to Becca, and there was nothing she could do that staunch the tide.
Their situation was truly ironic. Was there a time when Becca had felt this out of sorts and pent up? Maybe she really was the beacon of change that Rick had suggested. Dani had seen it, felt it, tasted it for herself. So far, Becca had been the one to reach out, leaving herself open and vulnerable. Dani wasn’t sure if she could do that. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to. Right now, her only goal was to make it through the day with the little light she’d found intact.
Rebecca glanced up and away from her computer as Alvin stopped at her desk, snatching a pastry out of the box. Expecting him to move on, she was surprised when he hovered. “What are you workin’ on?” he asked.
“Dorset case.” They didn’t have anything new, but
it sure as hell couldn’t hurt to comb over everything in case a piece of information was missed.
Alvin sighed.
She really wasn’t in the mood for him today, but she did her best to shake her attitude loose. The baggage didn’t belong to him. “What?”
He shrugged. “You know my view on that. Once we figured out the kid wasn’t in danger…”
“Shane. His name is Shane.”
“Yeah, I know that, but he’s with his father.” Alvin took a bite out of a not-so-fresh cake donut.
“Who is an abuser and a stalker.” Rebecca spun around in her chair to look at him. She felt Emmet’s and Mark’s gazes on them too.
“But he never did anything to hurt the kid…Shane.”
“So in your mind that makes it okay?” She glared at him.
He glared right back. “All I’m saying is that there’s a reason the GBI and other agencies don’t get involved in stuff like this. Hell, it’s even hard to get a judge on board.”
“I know that,” Rebecca practically growled. Alvin’s school of thinking wasn’t unusual. That didn’t mean she had to accept it. “But that kid is scared, and he’s not where he wants to be. That much we know. All in all, I guess it’s a good thing it’s not your case, then.”
Alvin nodded. “Yeah, but it won’t be yours for much longer either. Benz is only gonna give you so much leeway.” His tone was matter of fact and so was his expression.
She knew this already. Rebecca glanced at Mark and could see that he did as well. “Thanks for the PSA.” Alvin just had to be that guy. The one who could look at a puzzle piece and tell it wouldn’t fit and had to inform everybody else, even as they tried to wiggle it in. Rebecca could appreciate that guy at times, but not today.
He finished his donut and walked back to his desk.
There were a couple other cases she’d been working. Rebecca pulled them up. She’d go back to the Dorset case with fresher eyes in a bit. Minutes ticked by, but they seemed to drag on forever. Rebecca kept glancing at the clock on her computer. She was teetering toward distracted, and as a result, she reached for her cell phone.
No response from Dani. Rebecca wasn’t surprised. It had been a couple days. When she’d first realized she was being ignored, Rebecca racked her brain, going through their conversations to see if she’d said something to scare her away. It hadn’t taken long for her to realize she couldn’t think that way. So, she kept texting anyway despite her own growing belligerence, and every time she hit send, Rebecca left herself dangling and vulnerable, which wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. But one of them had to. Why not her?
Rebecca was by no means fearless in this. The possibility of the whole situation tanking was very real, and despite the little shards of pain she experienced when Dani ignored her or said something less than stellar, Rebecca pushed on and forward with the hope that, in the end, it would all be worth it. With all that in mind, she penned her next text.
Wanna kno y I became a cop? At first I didn’t even know y, but I figured out I needed discipline and direction, something u had plenty of. Started to go into military but didn’t want to end up overseas somewhere. Goin to the academy helped me get my house in order.
Not waiting for a reply she knew she wasn’t going to get, Rebecca put her phone away. She offered Dani these little tidbits to give her a chance to get to know her as she was now in the hope that eventually Dani would do the same.
Her cell phone rang and Rebecca’s heart jumped to her throat. It settled a bit when she saw it was Gwen Dorset. “Is everythin’ okay?”
“He called me.” Gwen was out of breath. A horn blared in the background.
“Who called you?” Rebecca sat up as a sinking feeling settled in her guts. “Gwen, where are you?”
“That motherfucking ex-husband of mine called. Who do you think? It wasn’t from his phone. I almost didn’t answer.”
“Okay, tell me everythin’, includin’ where you are.”
“He wants to be a family again. He said if I came to him, he’d do right by me and Shane.”
Rebecca stood and snapped her fingers in Mark’s direction. She mouthed the word ‘trace.’ “I know you wanna believe him.”
“I’m not stupid! He’s not going to stop until somebody does it for him.”
Mark twirled his finger in the air, encouraging Rebecca to extend the call. She set the phone down and put it on speaker. “Listen to me. You have every right to be upset, but the best way to help Shane is for you to be thinkin’ clearly.”
“I am! I won’t go back to him. I won’t, but what kind of life would Shane have if he’s scared all the time, thinking his dad is gonna snatch him?”
“Gwen, all you have to do is give us his location and this all ends.”
“No, it doesn’t. You’re not going to do anything to him.”
“He committed a crime.”
“You and your partner told me that nobody cares because he’s with his father. Probation won’t be enough to keep him away. I’ll take care of him myself.”
“Then who is Shane gonna have left when you’re arrested?”
Gwen went silent for a few seconds. “He has family.” She was crying. “People who love him. They’ll treat him right. They’ll raise him right.”
“That’s your job.” Rebecca said the first thing that came to mind.
“This is my job too.”
The line went dead.
“Gwen?” Rebecca asked just to be sure. “Shit.” She looked at Mark.
“We got it. She didn’t turn her phone off, so we’ll be able to get a better fix on her final location.”
“She wants us there,” Alvin chimed in.
Rebecca agreed. Maybe she’d have a second chance to talk her or the ex-husband down. “Call for backup.”
When Rebecca and Mark arrived on the scene, blue lights flashed and bounced off each other, giving the late afternoon an eerie glow. Neighbors stood on their porches watching. A few were even bold enough to move to the edge of their lawns. Rebecca parked and jumped out of the car, not waiting for Mark. Even though it was on a lanyard around her neck, she held up her badge for the other police to see.
Rebecca stopped and cursed under her breath as one of the uniformed officers wrapped a blanket around Shane’s shoulders. She grabbed the closest cop. “What’s goin’ on?”
“She brought the kid out and went back in. He was barely awake.”
“Who’s in charge?”
The officer pointed toward the police cars and the cops standing to the side. “Ask for Sergeant Pike.”
“You should call her.”
Rebecca turned to look at Mark. “That’s the plan. I wanna let Pike know what I’m doin’ first.”
Mark nodded. “Lead the way.”
Less than a minute later, Rebecca dialed Gwen’s number. She was no hostage negotiator, but they were willing to give her a shot based on prior knowledge. She only had one chance because this had become a probable hostage situation.
“Yes?” Gwen answered on the second ring.
“Shane is safe, but he’s scared.” Rebecca hadn’t talked to the boy, but she wasn’t above using him for leverage.
“Help! She has a gun. This bitch is crazy!” a man yelled in the background.
Rebecca closed her eyes. This had just gone from a probable hostage situation to a bonafide one. “Gwen, this is serious. Your son is gonna read about all this on the Internet one day. Is this what you want him to know about you? About his father? How do you think that’ll affect him?”
She paused and took a deep breath. “This might not be the same, but my mom died when I was pretty young. I don’t really remember her, but I know one day she was here and then she was gone. I have…had family, and nobody wanted me. My great aunt took me in, and she did her best. I’m forever grateful for it, but when it
came down to it, she wasn’t my mother.”
Gwen sobbed. “I—” She screamed. There was another loud cry and the line disconnected.
“Dammit! I think he went after her.”
A single gunshot resonated.
Rebecca redialed Gwen’s number.
“Move in from the back!” Pike barked.
“H-hello?”
“Wait! I got her on the phone!” Rebecca yelled.
“Stand down,” Pike ordered.
“Gwen, are you okay?”
“Yes, it was an accident. The gun went off—”
“Is he alive?” Rebecca swallowed.
“Yes, it hit him in the leg.”
Thank God. “Gwen—”
“I’m coming out.”
Rebecca wanted to shout for joy. While the whole thing hadn’t worked out ideally, no one died, and that was the most important thing. “Okay, good. I’ll let ’em know.” She ended the call and turned to Pike. “She’s comin’ out. Paramedics need to go in. He’s hurt but alive.”
Pike nodded.
Someone put a hand on Rebecca’s shoulder. She looked up to see Mark. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.
Less than a minute later, Gwen came out of the house with her hands held high.
Rebecca stared up at her special patch of ceiling. Dead to the world, Peyton was cuddled up next to her on the other side of the pillow.
Too wired to sleep, Rebecca thought it best to at least lie down and rest even though she left the bedside lamp on. There was still no word from Dani. She swallowed down the little pinprick of pain and reached for her phone anyway.
You’re a doctor and u help ppl. U get them well and even save their lives. Another reason I became a cop was I wanted 2 know what that felt like. I wanted 2 have an impact on lives, a good impact. For a while u were my purpose. U were everything to me. It took me a long time to realize that expectin that from somebody wasn’t right. I’m sorry I did it 2 you. I have purpose now. It’s bigger than me. Is that what it feels like for u?
Drawing the Line Page 19