Green Stone Ring

by Staible, Karleen

  “Okay, good, thanks for the quick work. I’ll talk to you later.” He walked over to the two men.

  The reverend stood and shook Franco’s hand. “I’m sorry I’m late. I had to take care of some important business.”

  “Please wait here for a moment,” the reverend said. “I’ll let them know we are ready.”

  “I had to make sure the press didn’t get a hold of the news,” Franco started. “I don’t want anyone to know about Gini or where she is. The paparazzi will have a field day with this, and the hospital will constantly be bombarded with reporters. That won’t be good for Gini or Dr. Young.”

  “You think they’d do that?”

  “Yes, Gini is a celebrity in her own right. She’s very well revered and respected. What did I read about you two in the Globe, the ‘Power People of Boston’? I have my people out there checking it out. So far, they don’t even have Gini on the injury list, and they have reported all the victims are in Boston hospitals. Hopefully, it will stay that way. Anyway, she’s here under Virginia Legotti, and she isn’t known publicly by that name. But I guarantee you, if the press gets a hold of this, they’ll find out who she is.”

  The reverend walked back into the room. “If you will follow me.”

  He introduced Ric and Franco to the funeral director.

  “Please be seated,” Mr. Thompson said. “First we need some paperwork signed to release the babies’ bodies from the hospital.” He put a piece of paper in front of Ric and one in front of Franco.

  Ric picked up the release form; Jennifer Virginia Santini. He looked at Franco. Franco’s release was for Jason Thomas Legotti.

  “I think there has been some mistake,” Ric said. “The babies were twins with the same mother. They would have the same last name.”

  “Oh, dear,” the director said taking back the papers. “There must have been some clerical error at the hospital. I’ll have my assistant take care of this. But since you’re here we can take care of the funeral arrangements, and we’ll get the paperwork straightened out if that’s okay with both of you?”

  “Yes,” Franco said, “that will be fine.” Ric agreed.

  They were told of the different types of services and shown the caskets. Ric and Franco decided the babies should be buried together in one coffin. They picked the top-of-the-line white with brass trims. There would be a small memorial service in the hospital chapel at Ric’s request. At least Gini would be in the same building even though she couldn’t attend.

  “How much?” Franco asked as he pulled his checkbook out of the front pocket of his coat. Ric let Franco take the reins. He seemed insistent on being in charge. And Ric knew, in the end, it would be determined that Franco was the father.

  Ric’s phone vibrated just as Franco signed the check. It was a voicemail from Dr. Nelson.

  “Here you go,” Franco said. Then Franco’s phone buzzed.

  They each had a message that the test results were ready and to please come to Dr. Nelson’s office.

  “Dr. Nelson,” Karen said. “Both Mr. Santini and Mr. Legotti are here to see you.”

  Linda smiled. Why didn’t that surprise her? She went to the waiting room door. “Which one wants to be first?”

  “You might as well tell us together,” Franco said. He stood up, and Ric followed.

  Once they were all in her office, she sat behind her desk. “It’s probably best you are both here together. We have a very unusual case here. Ric, you’re the father of Jennifer and, Franco, you’re Jason’s father.” She handed each the paperwork for the DNA test.

  “The funeral director’s papers were right,” Ric said quietly.

  “You’ve seen the paperwork?”

  “At the funeral home making arrangements this morning.”

  “I didn’t know you had an appointment this morning. I wanted to tell you the results first.”

  Franco sat, stunned. “How can this be? How could she have both of our children at the same time?”

  “The medical term is superfetation. She was already pregnant with Jason when a month later she ovulated and became pregnant with Jennifer. It’s a rare occurrence. Gini’s ovulation has always been very irregular. I was concerned that Jennifer was so much smaller than Jason. Now, I know why.”

  “This is unbelievable,” Franco said still staring at the paper. “I had a son. Gini and I had a son.” He looked at Ric. “I was sure those babies were yours. We tried so many times. I just figured I was the one keeping us from being parents. I just knew they were yours.”

  Ric felt a wonderful warmth inside. He had felt such a connection with Jennifer when he held her in his arms, his daughter. He had kissed her and seen her sweet dimples. He was so glad he had met her; so glad he had the chance to hold her. If only Gini could have held her children. It wasn’t fair.

  When the two men left Dr. Nelson’s office, they went to the coffee shop. They decided they would still bury the two babies together with both of their names on the headstone.

  “Ric, is the offer for me to stay at the condo still on the table?”

  “Please, go stay there. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I went over and took all my things out of your place. I don’t think I can go back there again. There are just too many memories, too many.”

  Ric looked at his watch. It was eleven fifty-eight. “Oh, good, I can go visit Gini. Have you been in to see her today?”

  Franco was reading something on his phone. “I haven’t made it up there this morning. Listen, Ric, I need to make a call.” Franco got up and walked out of the coffee shop.

  Chapter 18 – New Haven Medical Center

  Debbie put all the supplies together to bathe Gini. She held up Gini’s hand. Her nails were jagged and cracked, with soil and blood under and around the edges. She lowered her hand to the bed and carefully unwrapped the bandage from Gini’s head. A long section of dark curly hair fell to her shoulder from under the bandage.

  “I don’t know why if they are going to cut the hair off, why they don’t get it all,” Debbie said out loud as if in a conversation with her. “I think they must have been in a great hurry to save your life. You’re going to get the full Debbie Pierce beauty treatment special today.”

  She went to the tall rolling table, looked through the drawers until she found a razor. Both the handle and the blade were sealed in sterile packaging. She took out the two pieces and attached the blade. She soaped a cloth and then rubbed the suds all around the section of hair and shaved it off; the long curls lay in her hand.

  “You must have had a beautiful head of hair. Don’t worry, baby, the hair will grow back.” Her voice was soft and caring.

  Debbie continued to examine the rest of Gini’s head. She looked at the surgery incisions. Everything looked good. She could see where the skull bone had been removed. Probably later, a custom helmet would be placed on Gini’s head. She carefully put on new bandages.

  Next, she sterilized nail clippers, scissors, and a nail file, then cut and shaped each nail, removing any debris from underneath. Gini’s knuckles were bruised and scraped.

  “You poor child, you took a real beating. But I don’t want you to worry. You’re in a good, safe place now. Nothing will hurt you here.”

  “Do you need any help?” Lisa said coming into the room. “I’ve been watching you on the monitor doing your beauty program.”

  She looked at Lisa. “She’s so young. I hate it when they are so young and have such horrible things happen to them. She probably had a wonderful life. Now, look at her. It’s a real shame.”

  Debbie stood up after finishing Gini’s last nail. “I’m going to bathe her, and then you can help me change the sheets.”

  “Okay.”

  If anything ever happened to Lisa and she needed medical care, she wanted Debbie to be the one. She was the best nurse Lisa had ever known. Not only was she very knowledgeable about medical and nursing procedures, she was also kind and gentle and caring to each of her patients.

  Suddenl
y, there was a noise from one of the machines and a gurgling sound. Debbie looked at Lisa. “She’s trying to breathe on her own.”

  Debbie gently put her hand on the side of Gini’s head. “Oh, baby, you fight, that’s right, you fight for your life.”

  Robert took the business card Ric had given him for Catherine and laid it on his desk.

  “Ms. White, I’m Dr. Robert Young from New Haven Medical Center outside of Boston.”

  “Dr. Young. Are you one of Virginia Anderson’s doctors?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, let me get my information.” There was silence for a few minutes. “I’m looking at Virginia’s list of the doctors she’s working with in Massachusetts, and I don’t seem to find your name. Can you tell me more about your contact with her?”

  “Ms. White, I’m afraid I’m calling with some bad news.”

  “Oh,” she said with concern.

  “I understand Mrs. Legotti works for you.”

  “Yes…” she said slowly. “Mrs. Legotti!”

  “Virginia was critically injured in an accident yesterday. She sustained a serious brain trauma. I need to know what insurance company you use.”

  “Gini was hurt?”

  “Yes, ma’am. She was hit by a motorcycle and, as a result, has severe brain damage.”

  “A motorcycle! Gini was on a motorcycle? I’m sorry, sir, but Gini’s pregnant. I doubt that she was riding on a motorcycle.” Catherine was getting perturbed and wondering if this was a crank call. “Who did you say you were again?”

  “My name is Dr. Robert Young,” he said slowly. “I am a neurosurgeon at New Haven Medical Center. Mrs. Legotti was brought here by ambulance yesterday after she was hit by the motorcycle. She was standing on a street corner. I know this is hard to hear, but I promise you this is the truth. Mrs. Legotti has severe brain damage. I need to know the name of her insurance company.”

  There was dead silence for a few minutes. Robert didn’t say anything so Catherine could absorb what he’d just told her.

  “That’s why I can’t get a hold of her,” she said in a quiet voice. “Does Ric Santini know?”

  “Yes. He has been with her here at the hospital, as well as her husband, Franco Legotti.”

  “Let me get you the information,” she said with a shaky voice. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “It’s too early to tell.”

  “How about the babies?”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. White, they didn’t make it.”

  “No,” Catherine said again in a quiet voice, “I’m so sorry for both Ric and Gini. I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.”

  After Robert gathered all the insurance information and was done talking to Catherine, he called Cindy.

  “Oh, that’s just terrible,” Cindy said. “I know Franco is devastated. They have wanted to have children for so long. Please give my love to both Gini and Franco. I’m sorry I won’t be able to fly out and visit her. My husband had a massive heart attack and is in very poor health. And, well… it’s just difficult for me to get away.”

  Doctor Young could tell Cindy was tired and was sure she didn’t grasp the full magnitude of Gini’s injury. Perhaps it was just as well if she was dealing with a gravely ill husband. She certainly had more than she could handle already.

  “Thank you for calling me, Doctor. I’ll try to call Gini.”

  “She’s not able to talk, but I’ll tell both of them of your love and concern.”

  Franco went back to the hotel and gathered his things. He had called his office assistant and instructed him to go to his apartment and pack a bag for Franco. He just needed the essentials for now until he went back to New York or could buy what he needed when he had time. He asked him to have the bag couriered to the hotel. It had arrived while he was at the mortuary.

  Ric arrived at the ICU a little after noon.

  “Mr. Santini,” Lisa said.

  “Is it okay for me to see Gini now?”

  “Yes, Debbie’s just finishing up Mrs. Legotti’s bath.”

  Ric signed in and walked toward Gini’s room. Debbie closed a linen bag and walked to the door; it opened. She looked at him and then her watch.

  “It’s in the p.m.,” he said, smiling.

  Debbie stepped to the side so he could come in the room. She walked back to the station.

  “Can you believe he is here for the second time?” Lisa said. “And Mr. Legotti, her husband, not once.”

  “I don’t know; he just rubs me the wrong way. I think it’s because he’s too nice, like a fake nice or something. I don’t know.” Debbie shook her head and took the linens to the laundry drop.

  “Sweet Gins.” He pulled the rolling stool over to the bed then kissed her hand. He could see her nails were cleaned and shaped.

  “Gini, we had a daughter. Jennifer was our daughter. It’s a crazy story, but your children had different fathers. It doesn’t matter, though; Jason will always be my son just like Jennifer was mine. I love you.” He sighed and kept rubbing her hand on his lips.

  The door swished, and Debbie walked back in the room. She took the electronic tablet and started typing in information.

  “Mrs. Legotti tried—” She stopped abruptly, remembering she couldn’t discuss Gini’s condition with anyone except Franco.

  “What?” He looked up at her. “What was that, Ms. Pierce?”

  “Please, call me Debbie. I think I’m going to see a lot of you. So please call me Debbie.”

  “Okay,” he said in a pleasant tone. “And me, Ric. You’re right you are going to see a lot of me. As much as you will let me be with Gini, I’ll be with her. I love her very much. I want to be by her side all the time. We will get through this together. We will.” His voice was more stern and serious.

  He looked at Debbie with concern when one of the machines made a noise.

  She smiled. “Mr. Santini, I mean, Ric, that’s Mrs. Legotti fighting for her life.”

  “Is that noise a good thing?”

  “I’m sorry I can’t talk to you about her condition, but that’s a good noise.”

  Ric took a deep breath. “Debbie, I think you will get a better response out of her if you address her as Gini. She has never gone by Mrs. Legotti. She never took her husband’s name professionally. I don’t know that she would even respond if you called her by that name. Call her Gini.”

  “Good to know. I’ll note that on her chart.”

  At twelve-thirty, Dr. Young arrived at the ICU. “Has Mr. Legotti been here?”

  “No, sir, I would have paged you.”

  Ric looked up and saw the doctor, and then looked at his watch. He’d been there longer than fifteen minutes. He kissed Gini on the cheek and left the room.

  “See you in the morning,” Ric said as he left.

  “I think they should give Mr. Legotti’s time to Mr. Santini,” Lisa said. “He isn’t using his time to see her.”

  Dr. Young walked into Gini’s room. He picked up her chart and started reading what Debbie had written.

  She entered the room. “What do you think? Our girl here is trying to breathe.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, she’s done it twice while I was in the room.”

  The doctor went to Gini and examined her. The machine made the noise. He looked up at a screen and then at Debbie. “Well, I guess I’ll put off the tracheotomy for a while.” He was visually pleased. “We’ll see if she can do it on her own. We just might have a miracle patient here.”

  He put his hand on Gini’s arm and gently rubbed it. “Prove me wrong. I love being proved wrong.”

  Franco pulled the car up out of the hotel parking. He was looking right at the hospital. He should visit Gini, he thought, but he knew Dr. Young was probably going to press him to end her life. He just couldn’t face that decision. First, he would get settled back in the condo and then he would visit. Yes, that’s what he’d do. And he would return Dr. Young’s calls.

  Ric left the ICU floor.
Now, what was he going to do? He didn’t want to go home and sit alone. He would have to think too much about what had happened. He leaned up against the wall.

  Dr. Nelson walked up beside him. “Are you okay?”

  “I can’t see Gini again until tomorrow. I wish I could be with her all the time.”

  “I think Dr. Young is being cautious since you and Franco could cause trouble, both of you wanting to be with her. His first concern is his patient. I know you are both civil men, but he doesn’t know you.”

  “I appreciate his concern, but I just want to be with her. Linda, we’re having a memorial service for the babies tomorrow at eleven in the chapel downstairs. I would like for you to come. I know Gini thinks a lot of you, as do I, and she would want you to be there.”

  “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll plan to attend. Are you doing okay, really?”

  “Yes, I am. I just don’t know what to do with myself.”

  She patted him on the shoulder.

  Carol was surprised when she saw Ric walk in the door. “What are you doing here?”

  “I have to work. I just can’t sit and let my mind think about things, all the things I could have done to prevent this.”

  She hugged him. “I’m so sorry, Ric. Tell me what I can do to help you.”

  “Are the drawings here?”

  “They’re on your desk.”

  Franco pulled into the parking space next to Gini’s car. He walked in the front door and set down his suitcase and computer bag. There were two large boxes leaning up against the wall in the dining room. He went over and looked at them, two cribs. Howard must have brought them up when they were delivered.

  Gini had done a lot to the condo. It looked nice. He remembered when they found the walk-in bar at the flea market in Salem. She was so excited, he couldn’t say no. She had it refinished, and it looked good in the living room, just like she said it would. He walked over behind the counter and found a bottle of whiskey. He didn’t get a glass, just opened the bottle and started drinking.

  Carrying the bottle, he went over to the two large windows and looked at the view. He took a swig, then moved over to the fireplace, opened the cloisonné box; the green stone ring lay on the white satin cloth. He shook his head and then walked to the back of the house. His breath was taken away when he walked into the small bedroom Gini had made into the nursery. The walls were painted and decorated. He looked at the two hot-air balloons with the babies’ names on them. He leaned up against the wall, laying his forehead on his arm. He took another swig. He wandered toward the master bedroom. He stood in the doorway for a long time. Another man had slept in his bed. Another man had made love with his wife. He tipped the bottle up and drank two long drinks. His best friend in the world had stolen his wife.