by John Stewart
Almost surprised by her direct and unfazed reply, he managed an apology mixed with a thank you and ran for the nearest elevator. When he arrived at the ward, he saw Simon Meadowcroft, pacing the corridor while anxiously rubbing the back of his head.
“Mike! She’s up there,” said Simon, gesturing further up the corridor towards Rebecca’s room with a look of genuine sorrow in his eyes.
Mike took a deep breath and walked in as calmly as he could. What he saw took the air from his lungs. Rebecca was on a large bed with machines either side of her. There were tubes everywhere and her head was almost completely covered in bandages. Two nurses were circling her bed, constantly taking readings as if they were waiting for something to happen. He stood at the end of the bed for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a few seconds. One of the nurses asked him to move aside before advising him to contact any family members Rebecca had. The statement was like a slap in the face and his trance-like state came abruptly to an end.
“What happened to her? Where’s the doctor? Why isn’t she being seen to by someone?” The questions seemed to fall from his mouth without a breath, as another nurse walked in and approached him.
“Mike, is it?”
He nodded silently with his eyes fixed on Rebecca.
“Mike, we spoke on the phone earlier. I’m Claire, take a seat over here.” She ushered him to a chair by the window. “Now, the doctor will be able to tell you more soon, but from what we know, Miss Hollister appears to have received a substantial blow to the back of the head which has led to a swelling of the brain. We have to wait and see if the swelling reduces before we can carry out any more tests.”
“How long will that take?” Mike asked as he wiped away a stream of tears from his left eye.
Claire reached behind him and grabbed a box of tissues.
“We don’t know. I’m afraid she has slipped into a coma. We just have no way of telling when she’ll wake up, but you should prepare yourself for the possibility that she may not. I’m sorry,” she said, placing a sympathetic hand on Mike’s shoulder as she stood up and left the room.
The news left Mike numb. Looking at Rebecca, he let his thoughts drift to the happier times they spent together, but his reminiscence was cut short as he remembered Simon was waiting down the corridor. He wiped the tears from his face, stood up and walked out with definite purpose in his stride. Down the busy corridor, Simon was still pacing nervously. Mike grabbed him and pinned him up against a hand lotion dispenser.
“What happened?” Mike shouted, unable to control his anger. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
Simon held his hands up showing no resistance to Mike’s aggression. “I just left her for a few minutes to go to the shop, when I got back the front door was open and she was out cold on the living room floor.” As he spoke, Mike’s grip tightened. “I swear Mike, I called the ambulance as soon as I found her, she was bleeding everywhere. I gave the doctor your number as soon as we arrived, I thought they’d get you here sooner. Please, Mike!” Choking as he struggled to speak.
Mike released his grip. “How the hell did someone get into your apartment?” he asked in a calmer tone.
“I wish I knew, I closed the door as I left. Whoever it was must have been let in, or maybe picked the lock.”
“Or had a key? Does anyone have a spare set?” Mike quizzed, feeling his investigator’s brain kick into action.
“No, nobody! I hardly know anyone in the building these days. It’s got to be connected to the cases. I’ll head back and see if anything was taken from the files.”
Mike thought for a second and then turned towards Rebecca’s door.
“Do whatever you think, I’m staying here with Becca. I want nothing more to do with those cases.”
Simon seemed surprised by Mike’s reaction.
“But Mike, this could be directly linked. Don’t you want to find who’s responsible?”
Mike frowned. “I’m responsible. I should have never asked her to get involved in more shit like this. You go. Just let me know if you find someone. I’d like five minutes with the bastard.”
“Okay Mike, I’ll be in touch soon,” Simon said, turning to leave. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, removing a phone from his pocket. “Rebecca’s phone. It was on the floor with the battery out when I found her. She must have dropped it. You might need it for contacting her family.”
Mike took the phone without thanking him and pressed the power button. The phone was password protected and unbeknownst to him, the face of Rebecca’s attacker was just a few button presses away. Unfortunately, Mike didn’t have her password and the picture she had taken in Simon’s bedroom remained locked inside.
Chapter 9
The following days passed by in a haze with visitors and well-wishers streaming in and out of the hospital room. Rebecca’s older brother arrived from Dublin as soon as he could get over. Mark Hollister was the polar opposite of his sister. He never had any time for Mike when Rebecca started seeing him as a teenager and when he heard they had rekindled their relationship, he wasn’t at all pleased. The fact that Mike had been in the Garda Síochána only added to Mark’s dislike for him, but when he arrived at the hospital ward to see his only sister strapped up to wires and machines, his reaction was calm, even pleasant.
Mike greeted him in the reception area expecting a curt shoulder slap, but instead he received a warm hug, Mark even asked how he was holding up. He sat with Mike by Rebecca’s bedside all that day and night. The next morning, he went downstairs to the cafeteria and got himself and Mike some breakfast. Mike hadn’t eaten properly since Rebecca’s attack and his ragged appearance was starting to show it. They ate the hot food and spent the morning talking about what was happening in their respective lives. Mike opted to bend the facts regarding how Rebecca was injured and said she had hit her head on a coffee table while working a case. He knew Mark would eventually have to hear about what happened, but remembered his volatile nature and didn’t want him making a scene in the hospital. Unfortunately, his efforts were to no avail as later that day Mark spoke to one of the nurses and found out all about Rebecca’s attack. He stormed out of the hospital and Mike didn’t see him until the next evening when he burst in the door reeking of alcohol.
“You did this Wesley! You lied to me. My sister was attacked and you lied to me.”
Mike had dealt with Mark’s drunken abuse once before and knew just how to handle him. “Mark, take a seat or you’ll be removed by security.”
“Go fuck yourself Wesley! I’m going nowhere. She’s my sister and you’re only the prick that got her into this mess. I should have you removed!” Mark shouted, moving closer to Mike.
Outside the room, a night nurse heard the commotion and immediately called for security. They arrived in just as Mike had stood from his chair, ready to kick Rebecca’s drunken brother out himself.
Mark was forcibly expelled from the hospital kicking and screaming as Rebecca lay silently in the hospital bed surrounded by beeping machines, monitoring her body’s vitals. Over the next few days, her brain swelling had reduced, which enabled the doctors to perform a myriad of tests on her. Mark returned with a sober apology the day before flying back home. After that, Mike became a permanent fixture by her bedside, talking to her every chance he could about the daily news events and what they would do once she woke up. He didn’t know if she could hear him or if she ever would wake up, but it was all he could do to keep himself from punching the walls.
He only left Rebecca’s side at the doctors’ insistence so they could perform their tests on her seemingly lifeless body. The tests were becoming more frequent and despite Mike’s constant inquiries, they seemed to be yielding no positive results. It was on one such day, he decided that rather than wait in the canteen for another nine-hour stretch, he would go back to their apartment and take care of some overdue domestic duties.
***
He hadn’t been home for almost two weeks and when he arrived, he w
as greeted with an overflowing post box. Marbled through the assortment of bills and junk mail, he saw some ‘Get well soon,’ cards from friends back home who were unable to visit for various reasons. Simon had dropped Rebecca’s laptop and notes into the hospital the week earlier and after a long shower, Mike decided to take a look. Firstly, he just went online to pay some utilities he had been neglecting, then he saw her audio recorder in the bottom of her bag. He hesitated for a moment before taking it out, looking up at the clock and remembering the doctor’s instructions.
“Take a day and get some perspective.” Was how the doctor put it. The real message was ‘Get out of our hair,’ and Mike was very much aware of it. Taking out the recorder, his mind found itself wondering what, if anything, she had found out the day she was attacked. He pressed play on the first file from that day and took out the notes as it began to play. As she was working alone that day, Rebecca made a note of everything she thought relevant. Hearing her voice caught him off guard, he hadn’t expected it, but as she spoke, he felt himself choke up. He stopped the playback for a minute to regain his composure and remind himself that she was not gone yet.
He took a breath, restarted the recording and listened as Rebecca walked him through the case of Kimberly Barnes. The dictation ran over five hours in total and by the time he had gotten through it all, Mike had a clear picture in his mind of what had befallen the thirty-one-year-old murder victim. Both Mike and Rebecca suspected that Simon felt these cases were connected and it was easy to see why. There were stark similarities with the Kimberly Barnes case and the murder of Clarissa Briggs, but neither case appeared to have any connection with the earlier killing of Pierce Renshaw. Despite the apparent connection between the Briggs and Barns cases, so far, any links could be construed as purely coincidental and Mike struggled to see how anything in the case could have led to Rebecca being attacked.
He sat back in his chair and noticed how late it had become. The temptation of his own bed was almost overwhelming, but thinking of Rebecca alone in the hospital quickly reordered his priorities and he decided to head back to the hospital with some fresh clothes and wash gear for his continuing vigil. This time, he opted to drive rather than take another cab. It was the first time he had taken the car out since Ray Phillips had kindly driven it back from Simon’s apartment after Rebecca’s attack. As much as Mike appreciated his co-worker’s considerate gesture, Ray’s taller frame led to Mike having to spend a few minutes readjusting the driver seat and mirrors, a chore that reminded him of sharing a patrol car with his old Garda workmate, Gregory Walsh. The memory brought a brief smile to his face as he pulled out of the car park.
By the time he navigated the London traffic and arrived back at the hospital, Mike felt somewhat refreshed and even took an extra minute to get himself a coffee before heading upstairs to Rebecca’s room. He walked down the corridor with his vending machine caffeine fix in one hand and a shoulder bag full of fresh clothes in the other, both of which he dropped as he entered the room and looked at the nurse standing over Rebecca’s empty bed. She was gone.
Chapter 10
Seeing Mike standing in the doorway with a look of pure devastation, Claire Swindon quickly realised what was going through his head and rushed over to him.
“Oh, no, Mike, it’s not what it looks like. Rebecca briefly regained consciousness a few hours ago and was moved to the recovery ward.”
Mike felt his heart jumping in his chest.
“Why wasn’t I contacted? Where is she? Is she okay?”
“I’m sorry Mike, we tried several times to contact you, she was calling out for you before she had to be sedated.” He took out his phone and saw the battery was dead as Claire continued. “Dr. Palmer is with her now, I’ll walk you up and he can explain her condition.”
She led Mike out the door and through several busy wards before coming to Rebecca’s new room. Claire knocked on the door and inside a heavy-set man called out.
“Come in,” said Dr. Richard Palmer as he marked off items on a clipboard he was holding.
Claire opened the door and ushered Mike inside.
“Doctor, this is Miss Hollister’s partner, Mike Wesley. He’s been with her since her admission.”
“Ah, Mr. Wesley, good to meet you. We’ve had a bit of a breakthrough today,” said the bearded man in an upbeat tone.
“I was told to give you guys some space for more tests, so I went home for a few hours to get some supplies. My bloody phone is dead, is she okay?”
“I see, well the good news is Miss Hollister regained consciousness at approximately 4.30 this afternoon. She seemed lucid and repeatedly asked for you.” Mike’s eyes lit-up on hearing the welcome news and Dr. Palmer continued with a lesser enthused tone. “Now, unfortunately, she became disorientated and had to be sedated for her own safety while we removed some of her monitoring equipment.”
Mike sat on the bed and held Rebecca’s hand.
“So, when will she wake up?”
Dr. Palmer looked over at Claire as he answered.
“We would have expected her to have awoken by now as we only gave her a mild sedative, but don’t worry Mr. Wesley it’s not uncommon for coma patients to have a staggered recovery, frankly we were surprised she spoke so soon.”
Mike looked at Rebecca and for the first time noticed how frail she had become. “What exactly did she say?”
Again Dr. Palmer looked towards Claire as if unsure how to answer. “Well, as I said, she called for you before becoming quite distressed. No doubt the disorientation and unfamiliar surroundings contributed to this.”
“She did say something,” Claire interrupted. “I’m not sure what it meant though. It was probably just shock.”
Mike stood up from the bed.
“What did she say? Was it something about the attack?”
“No, I don’t think so. It didn’t really make sense, she just started rambling.”
Mike grew impatient with the nurse’s vagueness.
“Look, if she said anything about what happened that day, I want to know. It could be very important.”
“She kept saying ‘Mike, get him, they’re linked,’ over and over until she started to panic and pull at her tubes. It was most likely the drugs talking.”
Mike turned back to Rebecca and held her hand again.
“No, she was trying to give me a message. Claire, could you get my charger from the other room? I need to make a call.”
Claire smiled. “Of course, I meant to bring them with me earlier.” As she spoke, Rebecca’s hand twitched.
Mike stood up with excitement.
“Becca! Becca, it’s Mike. Doctor, her hand just moved.”
Dr. Palmer checked the monitor beside the bed as Rebecca’s hand jerked once more.
Mike smiled, rubbing it gently. “Come on Becca, I’m here.” Just then, Rebecca’s entire body began to spasm. Mike panicked at the sight. “What’s happening?”
Dr. Palmer pressed the emergency button beside Rebecca’s bed. “Mike, I’m going to need you to wait outside.”
Within seconds, Mike was surrounded by nurses and directed out of the room, screaming for answers.
“What’s happening?... Becca!”
He could only watch as the team of nurses attempted to secure Rebecca on the bed while Dr. Palmer shouted instructions and requests for medications. Standing in the hallway, the voices faded to a low hum and all he could hear was the piercing alarm, still ringing beside the bed.
Chapter 11
The hustle and bustle of the busy hospital ward eased Mike from his involuntary sleep. It was morning and he once again found himself waking in a chair next to Rebecca’s bed. Things seemed calmer that morning, there were no nurses hovering and the rhythm of the monitors sounded more relaxed than they ever had before.
Mike rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up to straighten his back. The night before had been a traumatic experience. He was sure Rebecca was dying in front of his eyes, but following he
r spasm, Dr. Palmer assured him it was merely a combination of dehydration and shock, likely brought on by her sudden awakening and the residual memories of her attack. As he leaned over to give Rebecca a good morning kiss, Nurse Swindon arrived in to replace her drip.
“Good morning Mike. How did you sleep?”
“Ah, you know, in and out. How is she doing today?”
“Well, I spoke to Dr. Palmer and he recommended that Rebecca be kept under sedation for another few days.”
Mike frowned at the news. “But she’s out of the coma right?”
“Yes, her brain function seems fine, but she has suffered a significant trauma and we’d like to get her hydration levels back up to normal before waking her up again.”
Mike nervously held the back of his neck as she spoke.
“Relax Mike, it’s good news. She’s just going to need a little bit longer before you can fill her in on the last couple of weeks.”
Mike smiled broadly for the first time since before it all happened. “Thanks Claire, that is great news.”
“Oh, I brought your things from the other room too, they’re in your bag. Get some breakfast, Miss Hollister is in safe hands and she’s not waking up for another few days yet.”
With that, Claire left the room and Mike picked up his bag and removed his phone charger. With Rebecca on the road to recovery, her words ‘Get him, they’re linked,’ began to circle in his mind.
His next move was to speak to Simon Meadowcroft. Simon had left several messages on Mike’s phone since Rebecca’s attack, but all had gone unanswered. On Mike’s request, Simon wasn’t even permitted access up to the intensive care unit to leave Rebecca’s things for Mike. Instead, he had to leave them at the reception. Mike was as angry with Simon as he was with himself, but with a definite timeframe for Rebecca’s return, he felt it was time he got some answers.