by Laura DeLuca
“More trolls.” Elisa called back as she peered over her visor. “I should’ve guessed as much. Just keep your helmet on until we get inside and you’ll be fine. No one will recognize you.”
Lainey nodded, which wasn’t easy to do with the heavy getup weighing her down. As they grew closer, she noticed in addition to the reporters, there were slews of either well-meaning or obsessive fans. She had to squint to make out the words, but some of them carried homemade signs that read “Get Well Andy” or “We Love You Andy”. It was the one that declared “Andy & Catherine Forever” that made Lainey want to jump back on the motorcycle and speed away. However, Elisa was already charging toward the front doors, which meant Lainey didn’t have time to reconsider. She really didn’t want to back out anyway. All she needed was to see for herself that Drew was all right. Everything else could get sorted out later.
“Keep your cool,” Elisa advised as they neared the doors. “Don’t even look in their direction.”
Following Elisa’s lead, Lainey pushed her way through the throngs of reporters. Most of them appeared bored with their assignment and didn’t pay much attention to the people coming in and out of the rotating doors. Lainey and Elisa were able to slip past them without detection. Inside the lobby, there wasn’t nearly as much pandemonium. People casually sipped their coffee in the visitor’s snack shop while others perused the bouquets at the flower stand next store. A bouncy young candy striper wheeled a new mother out toward the exit while the proud daddy carried a tiny infant strapped into a carrier, almost hidden by its winter snowsuit.
I really believed that would be Drew and I someday, Lainey thought to herself.
And who says it still can’t be? Another inner voice argued.
Lainey turned away from the happy family. She couldn’t let her mind stray in that direction. It wasn’t the time to get silly and sentimental. Instead, Lainey followed Elisa up to the main desk where an older woman with short gray hair curled into a tight perm peered at them over the rim of her glasses.
“Can I help you?”
Elisa yanked off her helmet and shook out her short black hair. “We need a visitor’s pass,” she stated bluntly, then added as an afterthought, “and a room number.”
“Please.” Lainey removed her own headgear, though she doubted her hair fell into place as nicely as Elisa’s had.
The receptionist squinted in Lainey’s direction. “What’s the name of the patient?”
“Andrew DiPalma.”
The woman typed, waited about twenty seconds, and then shot Lainey a dirty look. “There’s no one admitted here by that name.”
Lainey swallowed hard. “It ... ummm ... may also be under Andy Palmer.”
Lainey knew she’d made a mistake before she even finished the sentence. The receptionist stopped mid-stroke of the keyboard. She gave a dry laugh which held no revelry. “So you want to see Andy Palmer, huh? You and every other girl under thirty in the tri-state area.” She snorted loudly. “I’m afraid he’s not accepting groupies ... I mean visitors at this time.”
“You don’t understand, lady.” Elisa ticked her thumb in Lainey’s direction. “This is his girlfriend. He would want to see her. Call him and you’ll see.”
The clerk lifted a gray eyebrow. “With all these wrinkles you can’t possibly think I was born yesterday.”
“But it’s true!” Elisa insisted. “Don’t you read the tabloids? Her picture’s all over them.”
Another huff of disgust as the clerk drummed her fingers along the counter. “Listen, girls. Mr. Palmer’s significant other was escorted upstairs several hours ago, along with his agent and a few large individuals I assume were bodyguards. And believe you me, even without that entourage she was much more the Hollywood type than you two could ever hope to be. So please, go on and skedaddle yourselves out of here before I have to call security for the tenth time today.”
Elisa’s face turned beet-red. “Now, you listen here, you old battleax—”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Lainey interrupted. She grabbed Elisa’s arm before she could jump over the counter and get them both arrested. “Sorry to have wasted your time.”
“What is wrong with you?” Elisa demanded as Lainey dragged her away. “I was just about to put that old hag in her place.”
“I think that crone is you in fifty years.” Lainey forced her friend to take a seat in the coffee shop. “And if that’s the case, we both know pissing her off isn’t going to accomplish anything.”
“Oh no. I will never get a bad perm or use a word like skedaddle no matter how old I get. So don’t go there with me.” Elisa crossed her arms, pouting as she leaned into her chair. “Now stop changing the subject. I thought you wanted to see Drew.”
Lainey flinched. “Don’t you think if he wanted to see me he would’ve added me to the VIP list?”
Elisa considered that for a moment. “Shit. Now I want to find him even more just so I can kick his ass.”
Lainey rolled her eyes. “Because that will fix everything.”
Elisa sniffed. “At least it wouldn’t be a wasted trip.”
Shaking her head, Lainey swung her purse over her shoulder. “I’m going to get us some coffee. It’ll give me a second to clear my head. Try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone.”
Placing the helmet down on the table, Lainey proceeded to the take-out line where a handful of patrons waited to order. A few of them wore fancy suits that made her wonder if they were part of the news crew, but if they were, they paid her little heed. As she studied the menu, she considered her options. Given the circumstances, she should’ve realized they weren’t going to simply usher them right up to Drew’s room. It was possible he was so drugged up he was unable to let anyone know what his wishes were. On the other hand, if Catherine Beaumont had really flown in from Los Angeles to be with him, did Lainey have any place there at all?
“Two small coffees, please.”
Lainey thanked the man behind the counter when he handed her the two Styrofoam cups, but her mind still worked in overdrive. Again, she was struck by the desperate need to know, one way or another. Maybe they could snoop around without being noticed. The thousands of times she’d come to this hospital when her grandmother was ill, no one had once questioned her presence or asked for her visitor’s pass. The lady at the front desk had specifically mentioned Catherine was escorted upstairs. The hospital had only three stories, so that meant Drew had to be on either the second or third floor. If they eliminated certain wings, like maternity and pediatrics, that would narrow their search even further. With bodyguards lurking outside the door, the room should stand out. Of course, sneaking past them could prove to be another problem.
Elisa was leery when Lainey shared her thoughts. “Forget the guards. How do you expect to get past grumpy-mc-bitch-a lot? She hasn’t stopped eying us since we sat down.”
Lainey sipped her coffee. It wasn’t fresh and needed more sugar, but drinking it was better than admitting Elisa was right. Besides, maybe the caffeine jolt would help her think. It wasn’t like she was coming up with any brilliant ideas on her own. In fact, her head was still having a frantic argument with itself about whether she should be there at all.
“Lainey, dear, is that you?”
Lainey turned to the sound of her name, half convinced either she’d heard wrong or someone was addressing another Lainey. Even worse, she had a second of sheer panic where she thought the paparazzi had tracked her down again. Her mouth hit the floor when she saw the familiar wrinkled face waving from the doorway.
“Blanche?” Lainey’s gaze roamed along her attire, a pink frock overtop a pair of white pants, the standard uniform for the older volunteers who’d outgrown the pinstripes. “I had no idea you worked here.”
Blanche steered a rolling cart of paperback books and old magazines right up to their table and shrugged. “Have to do something with all the time I have on my hands. Half the patients up in geriatrics are old friends anyway, so I get to pay t
hem a social call and do my part all at the same time. What about you girls? Shouldn’t you be at work? I hope everything’s all right.”
As Blanche waited for her reply with a concerned expression, Lainey realized she might have found her ticket into see Drew. Feeling an odd combination of anxiety and relief, Lainey shook her head. “No, Blanche. Things aren’t all right. I really need your help.”
“Of course I’ll help if I can, dear.” Blanche patted her hand before parking the magazines in the corner. “What do you need?”
“I need you to sneak me into see Drew.”
“Drew!” Blanche gasped and raised a pale hand to her lips. “Is your young man ill?”
“He was in a car accident,” Elisa offered after taking a gulp of her coffee.
“Oh my.” Blanche tsked. “There was another accident today too. Some actor from Hollywood named Randy something or other. It’s been a circus in here all day because of him. It’s no wonder you’re having trouble getting in to see Drew. In most cases, they’re only letting family members past the front desk.”
Lainey put her head in her hands. Obviously, her older friend hadn’t made the connection. “Oh, Blanche, Drew and Andy are the same person.”
Fifteen minutes later, Lainey had recapped every terrible event of the last twenty-four hours. Blanche listened intently as she sipped a black coffee, stopping once or twice to ask a pertinent question. By the time Lainey wrapped up the story, Blanche was not only onboard with sneaking Lainey into Drew’s room, she was excited to have a role to play in the Hollywood scandal. She even devised a plan of action far better than any half-baked scheme Lainey could’ve come up with. Tossing their empty cups in the nearest trash bin, Lainey and Elisa followed Blanche and her magazine cart to the rear of the hospital where the volunteers camped out in between rounds. Inside the break room, there were a few sofas, vending machines, and a television currently tuned into an afternoon soap opera.
“We have a few new recruits,” Blanche explained to another woman who raised a curious eye at the newcomers. The volunteer, who was so ancient she made Blanche seem in her prime, nodded in approval.
“Nice to have some young blood around here for a change.”
“Yes it is,” Blanche agreed, and then added as an apparent afterthought. “Betty, would you mind taking my route with the magazines. The geriatric wing was expecting my visit, but I’m in charge of training the new girls today.”
“Of course, Blanche.” Betty pulled herself from the chair, very slowly. “I know how testy those old fogies get if they don’t have their reading material.”
Betty gave Elisa and Lainey an encouraging smile before taking the reins. Blanche waited until her co-worker wheeled the cart away before opening the closet and rooting through a box on the floor. In spite of her advanced age, she had no trouble bending over or getting back up without assistance, completing the task before Lainey even had time to race across the room and offer a hand. Blanche emerged from the closet with a pair of jumpers she held up victoriously, complete with white stretchy pants. The outfits were exact duplicates of Blanche’s attire.
“I’d expect you skinny minnies would both fit in a size small, wouldn’t you say?” With an impish grin, she handed a jumper to each of the girls.
“You don’t actually expect me to wear this, do you?” Elisa complained. “It’s pink.”
“Its standard issue,” Blanche replied calmly. “And the only way you’ll be able to move freely around the hospital. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, but they have the guards on high alert because of the reporters out front.”
“Ugh, I’m really starting to hate those people.” Elisa grunted as she accepted the clothes. “I swear I’ll never flip through one of those rags ever again. Not even while I’m standing in line at the grocery store.”
“Thank you, Blanche.” Lainey ignored Elisa’s colorful language as she headed into the bathroom to change. “I hope this won’t jeopardize your place here. I’d feel terrible if you lost your job because of me.”
“Don’t be silly,” Blanche assured her. “I work for free and they’re too short staffed on volunteers to even consider giving me the sack, even if we do get caught. Of course, that doesn’t mean this is going to be easy. Even with the uniform, I daresay you’ll have trouble getting past that French vixen. She talks down to everyone like she’s the queen of England and we’re all her lowly peasants. But...” Blanche grinned and rubbed her hands together. “It might be high time for a revolt. I have to say, I can’t imagine how a sweet boy like Drew got involved with a woman like that at all, no matter what their relationship.”
That was something Lainey definitely didn’t want to think about. Luckily, Elisa resurfaced, tugging on the jumper to try to keep it up and twisting her face in distaste as she studied her reflection in the mirror. Even the size small was baggy on Elisa’s thin frame. While Blanche helped her button up the back, Lainey got into her own frock. Once they were both dressed, they blended in fairly easily. She just hoped no one would pay attention to their footwear. Neither Lainey’s sheepskins nor Elisa’s metal-tipped combat boots complimented the outfit very well, but the plain white sneakers everyone else wore didn’t come with the uniform.
“Okay, girls,” Blanche instructed as they set back out onto the main floor of the hospital. “Stay with me and don’t say anything until we get closer to the room. We can’t draw attention to ourselves with a lot of chatter.”
Nodding, Lainey and Elisa inched around the corner leading to the main lobby. Blanche guided them right past the receptionist. In spite of her earlier threats to call security, the worker allowed them to pass by unnoticed. After a brief elevator ride, they found themselves on the second floor. The busy medics at the nurse’s station paid even less attention to them than the folks downstairs. Along the way, Lainey peered in every open door, hoping for a glimpse of Drew. She found only sleeping strangers attached to beeping monitors and IVs. They kept moving silently forward, never wavering until they stopped at a linen closet a few paces away from a large private room at the end of the hallway—definitely a luxury. Lainey remembered her grandmother always had a roommate. One time a man even snuck in from another room and climbed into her bed.
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Elisa asked.
“Oh yes,” Blanche promised. “All everyone’s talked about all day is how this Randy fellow was cooped up in room 3B.”
Even without her reassurances, the answer was pretty obvious. Blanche may have gotten his name wrong, but who else but Andy Palmer would have a pair of burly men in suits standing with their arms crossed outside the door? Even though there were no windows to peek through, Lainey had no doubt they were in exactly the right place. She studied the foreboding guards, wondering how she’d ever sneak past them. She actually leapt back in surprise when a heavyweight man in a suspender suit stormed out of the room, grumbling under his breath as he brushed past them without so much as an excuse me.
“Jerk.” Elisa called to his back.
Lainey punched her in the arm. “Way to keep from drawing attention to us.”
“See, what did I tell you?” Blanche gestured to the man’s retreating form. “That’s one of those nasty folks who flew in from Los Angeles. He’s been giving the staff grief all day, demanding specialists when our own doctors are just as qualified, I’m sure. Not that’s he’s succeeded, mind you, but he prattles on about everyone else’s incompetence when what he should be concerned about is his own ignorance.”
Lainey didn’t care nearly as much about the rude man as she did about what his presence signified. Her heart began to race when she realized this was it—it was now or never. Being so close to Drew, she was suddenly terrified of what condition she might find him in. Not to mention what to expect from his Hollywood companions if they discovered her and guessed who she was. Even though she’d always felt comfortable with him before, she now worried she was about to meet a stranger—a very famous stranger.
&n
bsp; “Don’t you dare wimp out on me now,” Elisa warned, reading her expression. “Do I need to remind you I’m wearing pink for you?”
“Okay, okay.” Lainey took a deep calming breath and turned to Blanche. “What do I do now?”
Blanche was already busy pulling a stack of clean towels down from one of the shelves. She also grabbed a pitcher, which she thrust into Elisa’s hands. “Can you go fill this up for me, dear? The ice machine is down the hall and the water dispenser is to the left of the refrigerator in the snack room.”
“Do I have a choice?” Elisa accepted the carafe with a snort and huffed the whole way down the hall, stopping twice to pull up the strap of the uniform that kept falling down. While they waited, Blanche handed Lainey the towels and filled her in on the rest of the plan.
“This should get you past the guards,” Blanche assured her. “Volunteers go in and out of the rooms all day long, dropping things off. You can waltz right on in, like you belong there, because you know what Lainey, you do—much more so than that red-haired hell-cat. I know you’re feeling doubts after all this hullabaloo, but if that boy didn’t love you, he wouldn’t have hung around town all this time. He wouldn’t have given this old fart his rental house just to make you happy, and he certainly wouldn’t have made that big donation to the Red Cross.”
Those were words Lainey really needed to hear. Even though she sniffed and rubbed a finger under her eye, it renewed her confidence. “I—I didn’t think anyone else knew about that.”