by J. G. Sumner
Josh was speechless. Peyton’s sincerity and the tenderness of the moment left him with moisture in his eyes. Peyton was perhaps the one person who was supportive of their relationship.
“Thanks, Peyton. You’re a really great friend to both of us.”
Peyton smiled and walked out of the room.
Josh only had a couple of minutes to peruse Laney’s labs. Normally it would be enough time but he was alarmed by his findings and needed to dig deeper to find what he had feared to be true.
“Good morning, Dr. Stone.” Laney’s parents stood behind him with Peyton by their side. Herb leaned in to shake Josh’s hand.
“Good morning. How was your night?”
“It was okay. More importantly, how was Laney’s night?”
“She did pretty well. Her vital signs have been stable and she looks good.”
“That’s great! So when can we get our daughter transferred home?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening right away. I was just reviewing her labs. Her kidney function levels are creeping up and her urine output has decreased.”
“So, what does that mean?” Eileen knotted her hands.
“When someone loses a lot of blood, like Laney did, their kidneys can sometimes be compromised. Meaning they don’t get a lot of blood flow or perfusion. This can result in the kidneys not functioning well or even stop working altogether. I’m going to try and give her some more fluids and a medication that will hopefully jump start them.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” Pools of water formed in Eileen’s eyes.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. There are different things we can do, including dialysis. But like I said, we aren’t there yet.”
Eileen looked alarmed. “Dialysis? Isn’t that permanent?”
“No, it can be temporary. It can be supportive just until the kidneys wake up and start doing their job. It only becomes permanent if the kidneys completely fail.”
“Could that happen to Laney?”
“I don’t foresee it. She was resuscitated pretty quickly. I think they are just in shock.”
“Okay, we trust you, Doctor. How long will the medication take to work?”
“We’ll give it through the IV. It should take effect almost immediately. We’ll have a better idea by the end of the day how her body responds to the medication.”
“That sounds good. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for our little girl.” Herb walked to Laney’s bedside and brushed his fingers through her hair.
Eileen turned to Peyton. “You’re Laney’s closest friend. She talks about you all the time. Has she mentioned anything about letters she might’ve been receiving?”
Peyton’s eyes darted to Josh and then back to Eileen. “What type of letters?”
“We found one on her doorstep this morning. It was just a folded up sheet of paper. It was odd. We were just wondering if she had received others.”
“What…what did it say?”
“Oh, I can’t remember the exact words. Herb, do you?”
“Yeah, it was something like: ‘Roses are red, Violets are blue, you knew bad things would happen to you.’”
Peyton’s mouth dropped, and she glanced again at Josh.
“We weren’t even sure it was meant for Laney. We figured someone got the wrong apartment.” Eileen looked at Peyton waiting for an answer.
Again, Peyton looked at Josh.
“You two seem to be having a silent conversation. Is there something you’re not telling us?” Eileen crossed her arms and looked from Josh to Peyton.
Josh was quick to respond. “Mrs. Pearson, do you have the note with you?”
“No, I left it back at her apartment.”
“Would you mind bringing it in?”
“Why, what’s going on?” Eileen placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.
Peyton nodded for Josh to continue. He hesitated as the various scenarios played through his mind. Another letter. This meant the shooter wasn’t the one writing the letters…or maybe he had an accomplice. At any rate, there was still a crazy person on the loose. Eileen and Peyton stared at him. Eileen tapped her foot on the floor, becoming more impatient by the second.
“Mrs. Pearson, Laney has been receiving notes for a few weeks now. Over time, they’ve become more threatening in nature. Police are involved, and there’s an ongoing investigation. We thought the person who was writing the letters was also the person who shot her. Now that you’ve found a new letter…Well, it would suggest there’s someone else out there doing this.”
Eileen waved her arms frantically. “Oh my God! She’s never mentioned any of this to us. Peyton, were you aware of it?”
“Yes, actually, I was. She was at my apartment when the detective took her report. She’s been pretty scared.”
“Why didn’t she tell us? This is so unlike her.”
Peyton paused before she spoke. “Mrs. Pearson, she was afraid how you would react. She thought you would make her come home.”
Eileen looked at Herb. Both of their faces contained looks of utter shock and dismay. Herb was the first to speak. “I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe Laney is so against Missouri that she wouldn’t confide in us. It makes me wonder what else is going on in our little girl’s life she isn’t telling us. We used to be so close.”
“Peyton, please tell me she’s been staying with you during this ordeal. Please tell me she hasn’t been alone.”
Laney’s parents had put Peyton in the hot seat. She looked to Josh for assistance. He cleared his throat. “Mrs. Pearson, your daughter and I recently began dating. She’s been staying with me. I’ve been keeping her safe.”
Eileen’s jaw dropped. She looked from Peyton to Herb, and then back to Josh. Not sure what more to say, Josh waited for Herb and Eileen to process what they had just heard.
“Well, I think I can speak for Eileen when I say that we’re experiencing some information overload. How long exactly have you been dating our daughter?”
“I guess it would be about a month now.”
“And, you didn’t think to inform us of that when we first met you?”
“Mr. Pearson, I’m as surprised as you are that Laney didn’t share our relationship with you. However, I felt she had kept the information from you for a reason. So, I was respecting her wishes.”
Herb looked at Eileen, who still stood wide-eyed and speechless. “I think we’re going to need some time to process all of this information. Dr. Stone, do you have the name of the detective who is running this case?”
Josh pulled his wallet out of his pocket and located the business card he’d been given. He handed it to Herb. “His name is Detective Neal. He works for the San Diego Police. He can fill you in on what’s been going on and I’m sure he would like to collect the letter you found today for evidence.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it. Now, if you don’t mind, I think we’d like some time alone with our daughter.”
“Of course. If you need anything, just let Peyton know and she can get a hold of me.”
“Thank you. We appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“Just so you know, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Laney. I’m going to order the medication I told you about. I’ll check back later so see how she’s responding.” Josh extended his hand to Herb who instead made eye contact with Josh.
“Thank you, Dr. Stone.” Herb dismissed Josh.
Josh pulled his hand back. “Please, call me Josh.” Herb nodded. Laney’s parents had turned cold as ice. Josh took the hint and exited the room as quickly as he could with Peyton in tow.
Once he got to the nurses’ station, Josh turned to Peyton. She placed one arm on her hip and the other pointed to Laney’s room. “What was that?”
“You felt it too?”
“Yes, when you told them you were dating Laney, they got frigid. It was like they shut down. They’ve always been way overprotective of her, but they’ve never
acted like that. I’m not sure what to think.”
“Maybe it was just too much to process, you know, learning about the stalker and everything.”
“I guess. They did act a little weird.”
Peyton peered toward Laney’s room. “Dr. Stone, what’s going on with Laney?”
“You’ve got to knock off calling me Dr. Stone. We’re friends now and a team.” Josh rested his chin in his hand. “I think she may be going into acute renal failure. I’m ordering a Bumex drip and an albumin drip.”
“Oh my gosh. Poor Laney. I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can be the one who cares for her.”
Josh looked up from the computer. “You have to. Just like I have to. She’s best with you, and you know she wouldn’t want anyone else as her nurse. She’s been very adamant about who can care for her if she ever ended up in the hospital.”
“I know, but I’ll be second-guessing everything I do. I can’t help it. I’m going to be concerned about making the right decision.”
“I know. I feel the same way. You and I both are both good at what we do. We have to have confidence in that. Don’t second-guess yourself. Laney wouldn’t let you.”
“I know, but she’s my best friend. It’s so hard. I can’t bear to see her lying defenseless. She deserves better. She’s one of the best people I know.”
“That’s exactly why you need to stay strong for her. She can’t do this without you by her side.”
Peyton paused and stared at Josh. “You love her, don’t you?”
“More than you know.”
“I believe in you. You’ll get her through this. I’m not sure what brought the two of you together, but I’m glad it did.”
“I believe that too. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.” Having Laney in his life was as much a part of him as breathing. He needed her.
“I know that now. At first, I thought you were just another doctor looking for a fling with a nurse…but I can see there’s more.”
“Thank you, Peyton. Your support means a lot.” Josh finished typing. “Pharmacy should be sending up the drips in a few minutes. Please keep an eye out for them. Also, I have ordered serial BUN and creatinines. They need to be completed every four hours.”
“No problem.”
“Thank you. I’ve got to do rounds now. Give me a call if anything changes with her. I want to know right away.”
As Josh was getting up from his chair, Rebecca, Skyler’s mom, rushed toward him. She looked lovely in a sundress with a floral print that swayed as she walked. It made her look very elegant.
With Skyler improving every day, Rebecca’s features had grown softer. As she got closer, he noticed the furrow of her brow. A jolt rushed through his body and butterflies developed in his stomach. Something’s wrong with Skyler. Josh stood up in his chair ready to run to the young man’s bedside.
“Dr. Stone, I heard about Laney. Is she okay?”
Josh took a deep breath before he inquired. “Is something wrong with Skyler?
“No, he’s fine. I rushed over here because Stephen told me about Laney. How’s she doing?”
Josh chastised himself for forgetting that Rebecca and the police officer investigating Skyler’s case had been dating.
“She’s hanging in there.” Josh stared into Laney’s room not willing to elaborate further.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Unfortunately, not at this time.”
“Oh my gosh. It’s so horrible anyone would do this to her. She’s our guardian angel. How could someone try and take her away from us so quickly?” Rebecca’s voice cracked and she hugged herself.
“The man who did this to her obviously had some issues. For now, we just need to get her through this.”
“Can I see her?”
Josh looked into Laney’s room. “I don’t think now is a good time. Her parents are with her, and I think they need some time alone.”
“Dr. Stone, if there is anything I can do, please let me know. She did so much for Skyler and me. I need to repay her somehow.”
“I’m sure in a few days she’d love a visit from you. She really did feel a connection with the two of you, and I know she would love to see Skyler up and walking.”
“Will do. I’ll keep her in my prayers. God answered them for me before. Hopefully, he’ll listen again.” Rebecca wrapped her arms around Josh.
He clenched his jaw attempting to fight off the tears threatening to invade his eyes. As Rebecca pulled away, Josh found the strength to compose himself. “Listen, I have to get back to work. I’ll be by a little later to check on Skyler. If everything looks good, we can get him out of here.”
Rebecca smiled. “I know he’s looking forward to going home. I’ll let him know you’ll be by shortly.” She turned and started to walk away but looked back at Josh. “Again, if there is anything at all you need, let me know.”
Josh smiled and relayed his gratitude before taking off in the opposite direction.
Chapter 11
Jillian
Jillian woke up late in the morning. Josh had been gone for several hours and the house was quiet. She had the day off leaving it open to a million possibilities.
Josh had the night off. Jillian had planning to do if she was going to keep Josh distracted while Laney was in the hospital. She thought about ways in which she could help to occupy his time. As usual, she came back to doing something with Duke. Duke was always his weakness. There was no way Josh would turn down time with the dog…unless it was for time with Laney. With any luck, Laney’s parents would be at the hospital giving Josh time to get some much-needed rest and relaxation.
What should they do? She could offer to go on a walk, but it wouldn’t be a long enough distraction. The perfect idea popped into her head—a drive-in movie. They could take Duke. It would be a couple of hours of good distraction time. Best of all, it would be just the three of them. A new drive-in had recently opened in the San Diego area. This was perfect! Jillian got on the computer and searched for the address. As luck would have it, she found it almost immediately. Full Moon Drive-In located in Pacific Beach adjacent to the middle school and the community park. Apparently, this was the last week they were open as they were shutting it down.
The location was perfect. They could let Duke walk for a bit and then enjoy a nice movie in a setting that neither of them had experienced before.
She scrolled down the screen to see what shows they had playing. They didn’t have a huge selection, only three choices: The Lone Ranger, Turbo, or a Star Wars movie. Naturally, she chose the lighthearted one. She looked for the show times for Turbo. One started at eight-thirty. It would give Josh enough time, even if he got delayed, to get changed and ready. Perfect.
Jillian located her phone in her purse. If she gave Josh a heads-up, he might avoid making unplanned stops on his way home. As she dialed, she kept her fingers crossed he would agree to go.
They normally didn’t spend this much time together. Their relationship was on shaky ground at times, this being one of them. It was mostly her fault because she hadn’t been very nice as of late. She tried to tell herself it was because she didn’t like him gone so much, and she was tired of his long hours. Deep down, Jillian was jealous of the amount of time Josh spent pining over Laney. It often left him distracted and inattentive. And really, Jillian just didn’t like him spending time with anyone else. He was hers and always would be.
With the exception of her medical condition, Jillian never pictured herself a needy person. She had grown accustomed to Josh being there for her. He was her rock. She was not ready for that to change in the least. Unfortunately, the way she’d been coping pushed Josh even further away. It was time to reel him back in. It was time to put on the charm.
Jillian placed the phone to her ear after she had dialed Josh’s number. The ringing reverberated through the earpiece. Josh always answered her call. It was a very rare occasion when his phone went to voice mail. It was usu
ally only when he was in surgery or knee-deep in taking care of one of his patients. As per usual, Josh answered the phone on the third ring. “Hey, Jilly. What’s going on?”
“Not a lot. I wanted to see how your day was going.”
“I’m hanging in there. I had some issues with Laney’s parents earlier. I’ll tell you later. Other than that, my day is going pretty smoothly. What’ve you been up to?”
“Funny you should ask. I have the day off, and I was hoping we could hang out with Duke again tonight.”
“I don’t know. I want to spend some time with Laney.”
“What about her parents? Are they still there?”
“Yeah, and they don’t seem very happy to find out we’ve been dating.”
“Wow! How did that happen?”
“That’s the part I’ll tell you later.”
“You probably don’t want to intrude on their time with Laney. It might make things worse.”
“I guess. But, I think I have the right to be here as well.”
Jillian had to get Josh away from Laney and the hospital. “Yeah, you could always just give them a little more time with her and go in early tomorrow, like you did today. Besides, I have plans for us tonight.”
“Oh? What sort of plans?”
Jillian filled Josh in on the events of the evening.
“All right. I’ll try to make it happen. It sounds like it will be a good time. I’ll give you a call later when I’ve got a better pulse on what’s going on. I can’t promise anything, though. It depends on how Laney does today and how receptive her parents are to me staying here with her.”
Jillian was disappointed. “Okay. You know, I could use a little attention too. It helps to have you around.”
“I hear what you’re saying. I’ve got to go round on another patient before I check on Laney. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Awesome, Josh! I can’t wait!” Jillian jumped up and down clapping her hands. “This is going to be so much fun!”
Weighing in at a hundred and twenty pounds, Duke looked like a baby with his big brown eyes peering up and commanding attention. “Duke, Daddy is coming home. We’re going to have a great time.” Jillian grabbed a piece of salmon from the fridge and tossed it Duke’s way. He sniffed the odorous meat briefly before swallowing it whole.