by J. G. Sumner
Eileen gasped, holding her hand over her chest before she continued to assault him with visual daggers.
“That’s enough, young man.” Herb stepped in front of Eileen. He rested his hands on her shoulders and rubbed her arms up and down. “I thought we agreed to hold off transferring her. We need to take a step back. Let’s see how the day plays out and go from there.”
“So now you’re taking his side? Are you going to let him talk to me that way? Can’t you see what’s going on here? It’s his fault she almost died again last night! If it wasn’t for his crazy ex-girlfriends, she wouldn’t have had people pounding on her chest. You think it’s okay to leave our daughter here for bait? I don’t think so, Herb!”
“You’ve got to calm down. Let’s take one step at a time and focus on getting Laney off the ventilator.”
“I agree with Mr. Pearson. I think we should just see how the day progresses. I’d be more than happy to facilitate a transfer to the university hospital for me to care for Laney if that’s what everyone agrees is best. I can also continue with the transfer to St. Louis. We don’t need to make that decision now. I do think we should have security around the clock though.” Dr. Russell looked at Josh who was frozen in place, unable to take his eyes off Eileen.
“Excuse me. Am I interrupting?”
Detective Neal stood in the doorway surveying the room.
“No, please. Come in.” Herb approached him and shook his hand.
“Good. I came as soon as I heard your voice message. Can you tell me a little bit about what happened?”
Josh still had his eyes trained on Eileen.
“Dr. Stone?”
“Mmm hmm.” Josh shifted his gaze to the hand that squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Detective. What did you say?”
“What happened?”
Josh directed his attention to the Detective and gave him a synopsis of the event that occurred earlier. Detective Neal wrote the details on a pad of paper. When Josh finished speaking, the detective completed his notes and looked around the room. “Things have definitely changed. I now consider this an attempted murder investigation.”
As if in slow motion, Eileen collapsed onto the floor. Tears flowed from her eyes and sobs erupted from her chest. Herb bent down to help Eileen up in a chair. “Not my daughter! Why Laney?”
“Shhh. It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out. She’ll be fine.”
“Oh God, why is this happening?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Pearson, I’m going to provide an officer for around-the-clock coverage of Miss Pearson’s room. I can assure you, nothing else will happen while she’s here.”
Herb broke his attention from Eileen momentarily. “Thank you, Detective.”
“I need to try and collect some evidence from the ventilator. Is this the one that was unplugged?”
Josh turned his head away from the scene unfolding between Herb and Eileen. “No. It was removed from service.”
“I’d like to see it. Can you show me where it is?”
“I could show you the room where it should be. I couldn’t tell you which ventilator it is. I’ll have to get the respiratory therapist to do that. I’ll have the nurse call him.”
***
The respiratory therapist met Josh and Detective Neal in the equipment room. They walked to a ventilator with a sign that said ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ taped to it.
“That’s it. I haven’t had a chance to do anything with it. It hasn’t been cleaned or anything.”
“Good. I’d like to take some fingerprints and samples if at all possible.”
“Sure, help yourself.”
“This will probably take me a bit of time. If you gentlemen have anything else to do, I can let myself out when I’m finished.” Detective Neal donned a pair of latex gloves.
“Umm, I’m really not allowed to leave you here alone. It’s against hospital policy. I have some charting to do. I can just hang out while you’re working with the machine.”
Josh was relieved. “Thanks, Dan. Detective, if you need anything else, I’ll be in Laney’s room.”
“I don’t have any other questions right now. An officer should be here soon. When I’m done here, I’ll go back to the station and run the fingerprints through the system. I hope to have some news for you by the end of the day.”
Finding out who had tried to hurt Laney was a Catch-22. Josh wanted desperately for the person to be identified so the madness would stop. He was also afraid it was someone he knew. What would he do? How would he react?
“Thank you.” Josh opened the door and exited back to the ICU.
Chapter 31
Laney
Familiar faces stared at her. Laney’s mom and dad had tears in their eyes. Her mom had her mouth covered with one hand while her dad gently squeezed Eileen’s shoulders. Why were they crying? Laney reached out to touch them. Stunned that her hand actually moved, she looked at her arm like it was someone else’s. Eileen rushed to Laney’s side and took hold of her hand.
“Oh, Laney. You’re awake. My sweet girl is awake!”
Unsure if she was still in a dream, Laney surveyed the room. Peyton stood behind Herb and Eileen. The smile on her face was like sunshine on a stormy day.
A slight tug on her hand made Laney look toward Josh’s face. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. His eyes were so stormy. Teardrops fell like rain. Laney dropped her mom’s hand and used it to pull Josh closer. An electric current surged through her body as he grew near. His warmth brought life into every cell in her body. Her body screamed for his touch and him to envelop her. Josh leaned in and embrace her. The smell of his cologne caused her insides to tingle. Laney tried to lean into him but was pulled back by the tube in her mouth. Panic surged through her body.
“Baby, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re going to be fine. I won’t let anything else happen to you. Just try to relax. We’ll get that tube out soon.” Josh brushed her hair off her forehead and placed a trail of kisses down to her nose.
Laney suddenly had trouble breathing. She felt as if she were suffocating and couldn’t get enough air. The tube was like breathing through a straw. Her eyes widened as her body thrashed, hungry for its next breath.
“You’ve got to calm down. Close your eyes and take some slow deep breaths. You know the drill. You know what you have to do to get that tube out. I promise you’re getting enough air.” Josh placed his hand on the side of Laney’s face and brushed his thumb back and forth against her cheek, relaxing her until she breathed normally.
How had she gotten here? Clearly, she wasn’t in a dream. This was real. She could reach out and touch Josh, and her parents were next to her. What was going on? Visions of being shot flashed through her mind. Scott lying on the trauma table. The look of horror on Josh’s face when she collapsed to the floor. Tears rolling down his cheeks when she professed her love to him. Oh my God. Scott shot me. It wasn’t just a dream.
Laney’s pulse quickened. The monitor next to her bed alarmed. Once again, panic surged through her veins.
“You’re okay.” Josh rubbed her arm. “Shhh. Take some deep breaths. We’ll get you through this. Your heart can’t handle it if you’re all worked up. I want you off this damn thing as soon as possible.” Laney nodded, as her eyes met Josh’s. The connection was so powerful. Time seemed to stand still and everything else ceased to exist. He was her lifeline.
“Laney, honey, everything’s going to be okay,” Eileen repeated. We’re taking care of everything. As soon as we can, we’re bringing you home.” Laney could hear her mom speaking but was unable to break her linkage with Josh.
“Let’s not worry about that now. She needs to find her bearings and focus on getting better.” Herb squeezed Eileen’s shoulders.
“Well, well. I see our number one patient has finally opened her eyes.”
Laney slowly shifted her gaze from Josh to peer at the unfamiliar person who had entered the room. Laney didn’t recognize the older gentleman in the lab coat. H
er eyes found their way down to his nametag. Dr. Russell. Hmmm. I don’t know who that is.
“How’s she doing? How has her breathing been?”
Josh smiled warmly. “She’s been breathing very well on the CPAP. Now that she’s awake, I think she might be able to fly.” Josh reconnected with Laney’s eyes. “Take some deep breaths for us.”
Laney forced herself to obey. Her chest recoiled in pain with every inhale she took.
“You’re right. I think she looks pretty good. Laney, what do you think? Are you ready to get that tube out?”
Laney slowly nodded, never taking her eyes off Josh.
“Great! Peyton, how about we help her.”
Peyton grabbed a syringe from her pocket. She handed it to Dr. Russell who proceeded to deflate the air from the breathing tube. “I want you to take a deep breath and exhale.”
Laney knew the drill. She had performed the same routine countless times with her own patients. She obeyed then exhaled slowly as Dr. Russell removed the tube. Laney instantly started coughing.
“That’s it. Get all of that stuff out. Keep taking those deep breaths.” Dr. Russell was very encouraging and seemed pretty good at what he did. He stuck a suction device in her mouth to help get rid of all the extra phlegm from the tube.
“Who aaarree you?” Laney coughed again.
“Oh, my apologies.” Dr. Russell faltered a bit and his cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. “My name is Dr. Russell. Dr. Stone asked me to consult on your case. I’m a trauma surgeon from the university hospital.”
Laney nodded. A million questions zipped through her head. Her throat was on fire causing her to refrain from asking. Peyton approached with a cup of ice chips. Peyton had read her mind. The coolness from the ice would soothe the fire in her throat. Laney took a few pieces in her mouth and let them melt. It felt like heaven.
Laney directed her attention back to Josh. “What are my injuries?” Her voice was unfamiliar. It was raspy and sounded like someone who had been smoking three packs of cigarettes a day for twenty years.
“We don’t need to talk about this now. You just need to try and relax and get some rest. There will be plenty of time to talk later.”
Laney swallowed hard wishing she had more ice chips. “I need to know now.”
Josh looked toward Laney’s parents who returned his look with blank stares. Laney watched the non-verbal communication between her parents and Josh and wondered what was going on.
“You were shot four times, twice in the abdomen, once in your right lung, and once in your left ventricle. The wounds to your abdomen were not serious and are healing just fine. We had to remove the lower lobe of your right lung. Dr. George was able to repair your heart. Everything seems to be healing well. You haven’t had any signs of infection. You’re going to make a full recovery.”
Laney put her hand on her chest, tracing the incision line with her finger. It wasn’t just an incision line, it was a zipper. The scar would never go away. Laney closed her eyes as she processed the information. Scott had shot her. He was finally true to his word and tried to kill her. Why did I ever get involved with him? Laney balled her hand into a fist and hit the bed.
Josh grabbed her hand. “Don’t. It’s not your fault.”
Laney opened her eyes to see the concern on Josh’s face. Moments before, he’d look like Adonis. He was beautiful with blue eyes, the stubble on his face, and his hair unkempt. But now the stress was apparent. His eyes were bloodshot, fine lines had formed around his them, and the stubble wasn’t just a sexy feature, he’d been too worried to shave. Her heart warmed at the love and devotion Josh had for her.
“There were no complications?”
“Umm, well…” Josh looked down unable to maintain eye contact.
“Josh, please.”
“Your kidneys went into failure. We had you on CRRT for a few days. They have recovered well, and we were able to take you off the dialysis this morning.”
Laney nodded. Relief washed over her body. While it was a big deal that her kidneys failed, in the grand scheme of things, she was lucky there wasn’t anything else, especially since she had been shot in the heart.
“Is that it?” Laney was pushing herself and shouldn’t be talking. Having a tube shoved between her vocal chords for who knows how many days was making them retaliate every time she tried to speak.
Josh nodded. “That’s it. Relatively speaking, you’ve had pretty good results. The best doctors are working on you. Dr. Russell has been a tremendous help. He’s one of the best trauma surgeons around.” Josh turned and looked up at Dr. Russell and nodded at him.
“I know how much Josh and your parents have missed you. I’m sure they want to continue to hear your voice, but you need to take a little break. You’ve been through quite an ordeal. I’ll check back on you a little later. I’ve got to go round on some other patients. You’re in good hands. I expect you won’t have any problems from here on out.”
“Thanks for all you’ve done.” Josh shook Dr. Russell’s hand before he left.
Laney couldn’t take her eyes off Josh. She didn’t want to. She took his hand and kissed it. The feel of his skin against her lips was like heaven. It was comforting and soothing. Laney closed her eyes attempting to drift off. Josh’s phone rang. Laney opened her eyes as Josh was studying the caller ID.
“Sorry. I have to take this. I’ll be right back.” Josh bent over and kissed her forehead then stepped out of the room. The look of concern on his face told her the call was important. Laney looked to her parents for answers but only saw her mom visually assaulting Josh.
Why is she glaring at him? Just then, it hit Laney that she had never told her parents about Josh. Really, why would she? They hadn’t been dating for very long. There was no point bringing her parents into the situation until she knew for sure it was going to be a serious relationship. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she and Josh had gone past that point. It had quickly become serious. For a fleeting moment, she felt a twinge of guilt for not updating them on her relationship status.
Laney followed her mom’s gaze to Josh entering the room. She already knew he was coming back. She could feel him. She always knew when he was close. The hair on her skin rose with the electric connection between them.
Josh kissed Laney on the cheek. She closed her eyes reveling in the warmth of his touch and never wanting him to go.
“I have to take my sister to the doctor. I don’t want to leave you, but this is important, too. I’ll be back as soon as I can and fill you in on the details.”
What was going on with Josh’s sister? Laney only had one brief interaction with Jillian. Brother and sister hadn’t appeared to be especially close. If Josh was leaving her side to take Jillian to the doctor, something big must be going on. Laney’s eyes followed Josh until she could no longer see him.
“Sweetie, how’re you feeling?”
Laney shifted her gaze from the empty spot Josh occupied to her mother. Eileen placed her hand on Laney’s. Her mom looked genuinely concerned, if not downright frightened. Laney forced a smile and nodded. It had been so long since she’d seen her parents, and she was worried how they were handling everything.
“About as well as can be expected, I guess.”
“Good. Now that Josh isn’t here, we have something to talk to you about.”
“Maybe this isn’t a good time. Laney should rest.”
Laney had seen this pattern of behavior for years. When her dad tried to redirect her mom, it meant only one thing: trouble was looming.
“Of course it is. We may not get another chance to have her alone.”
Laney glanced at Peyton who rolled her eyes. Uh-oh, this won’t be good. God knows what had been going on while she was sedated. Laney knew one thing for sure; she needed to brace herself for what was coming next.
“As you know, you’ve been very sick. The doctors say you won’t be able to go back to work for a while. You’ll need some extensive rehab
ilitation to get your heart back in shape and feel as strong as you did before the accident.”
Laney nodded. She was experienced enough to know that people with heart surgery generally had at least six weeks of rehab.
“Well, your father and I think it would be best if you came home with us. They have a great cardiac facility in St. Louis and in Cape Girardeau. You could get the best care there, and you wouldn’t have to worry about work or the person who has been leaving you those awful notes.”
Ah crap! There it was. Laney tried to recollect how many times they’d had this conversation in the past. The topic always ending in an argument. And the letters…Geez, her parents were the last ones who needed to know about the letters. Who told them?
“We didn’t know how long you would be in the hospital. We have movers at your apartment packing up your stuff. We weren’t sure if we should put it in storage here or ship it home.”
“YOU DID WHAT?” Laney flew up in bed and forced out the closest thing to a yell she could muster. Forget saving her vocal chords. What in the world possessed her parents to think it was okay to intrude on her life like that? How dare they do this?
“See? Now she’s getting worked up. I told you this wasn’t the time.” Herb reached for Laney in an attempt to calm her.
“There wasn’t a better time. She was going to get worked up no matter what.” Eileen looked back at Laney. “Now, don’t be upset, sweetie. We talked to the manager of your apartment and he understands the situation. He said it would be no problem if you moved out by the end of the month.”