“No problem.” He gave a small wave as he strode back out to his car.
Kevin came over, clearly trying to fight the urge to ask who the man hugging her had been. He had a tray with three coffees in his hand and slid one into her hands.
“I figured you would need this.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “And thanks so much for being there for Vance. I don’t know what he would’ve done without you two tonight.”
She looked between Kevin and Trevor for the first time taking in the cramped waiting room and stained blue chairs with the same décor that seemed to be in every hospital in the country. “I’m going to go see if they will let me see him or at least give me an update. If they plan on keeping him all night you guys can probably go, get some sleep and come back in the morning.
They two nodded and before she could walk away Kevin grabbed her arm gently.
“I just wanted to give you a heads up, I gave the key you gave me to Sebastian for the night. When Vance fell, he fell onto the toilet and broke it. There was quite the mess and the toilet was unusable. Sebastian was going to stop by Home Depot before they closed to buy a new one and have it installed for you, hopefully before you get home tonight.”
She was shocked, she wouldn’t have expected that Vance’s frail body could do that much damage.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how we will ever repay you guys.”
“No worries. That’s what friends are for.” Kevin winked at her as he let go of her arm.
“I’ll make a new key for you.” She turned to focus her eyes on Trevor, “And one for you as well, that way you won’t have to worry about passing keys around to hang out with Vance.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” The smile still hadn’t left Kevin’s face, and Naya managed to return a half smile as she turned her back towards the two men and walked forward.
She approached the receptionist, and after checking Vance’s medical records to confirm that Naya was listed as his next of kin and power of attorney, she called and had a nurse come to take her to the back.
While they walked down the sterile white hall lined with rooms filled with patients and charts tacked to doors, Naya asked the nurse how Vance was doing.
“He isn’t my patient, so I unfortunately don’t have too much information for you, but I believe it’s just a concussion. He does have a private room however considering the risk to his immune system, the doctor will fill you in when he comes in though.”
When they entered the room Vance was laying on the bed with his eyes closed, hooked to a bunch of machines filling the space with a constant cacophony of beeps and buzzing that reminded her both that he was alive and that they were in a hospital. The nurse left, closing the door behind her.
“Are you sleeping?” Naya asked, knowing full well that he wasn’t.
“No.” He opened one eye to look at her. “How can you always tell?”
“Twenty-nine years of you fake sleeping so you wouldn’t be roped into playing with me.” She grinned at the memories.
Vance smiled too and opened his other eye. “I forget about that. It pretty much stopped working the day you turned seven. You’ve always had an investigative mindset and wouldn’t take me sleeping at face value.”
Both chuckled as Naya moved to sit in the chair by his bed. “So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I have to wait for the doctor?”
He rolled his eyes. “Well mom, I had my chemo today and you know how sick that makes me, so I think I just got dehydrated from all the vomiting and,” He lifted his arm to motion to the room ”Here we are.”
“Not much could’ve been prevented there, we will just have to be more aware next time I suppose.” She admitted.
They sat in silence for a minute before Naya spoke again. “I think,” Her voice broke for what felt like the millionth time that night and she started again. “I think we need to get around the clock care for you. Because I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if your friends weren’t there tonight.”
Vance didn’t attempt to disagree. “I think that would be best.” As her older brother he could sense how hard this was on her, so he pushed the button to bring himself into a sitting position and patted the spot next to him. Naya moved from the chair to sit next to him on the bed and leaned her head on his shoulder like she always had when she was upset when they were younger.
“I’ll call in the morning.” She said quietly. Vance didn’t respond and the two of them sat in silence for so long that if she didn’t know better, she would’ve thought he’d fallen asleep.
“I think you should call mom and dad too.” He eventually whispered.
She was too choked up to respond and simply nodded into his shoulder.
CHAPTER 12
MARK
It was Saturday. A good day for Blondie to go for a run. That’s what he was referring to her as now. Blondie.
He had moved his chair over in front of the window and was sitting with his laptop on his lap and his phone in his hand. Not having her as a Facebook friend first made this a little bit more difficult.
But he liked a challenge.
He had hacked the WiFi of the Airbnb owner weeks ago. And the WiFi next door. Okay, he had hacked everyone on the floor, but he still wasn’t sure which one was hers. So far, every modem he had hacked he was inclined to believe belonged to a guy, because of the devices hooked up to them. He could go into the individual devices to find out more which might change that opinion, but he hadn’t had the chance yet. The hacking work was time consuming. And it was also possible that she could be living with a man.
There she was!
He watched as she began stretching by the door as she had been doing last time he had spotted her. He pulled out his interceptor, he was hoping she was wearing Bluetooth headphones like before.
She was.
“Hello Alia.” He smirked.
No last name, her phone was only labeled “Alia’s iPhone” in the menu, but it was enough. The interceptor he had programed went to work, coming up with her IP address and cell provider in a matter of moments. He typed her first name into Facebook using the city of Denver as a filter. A long list of names showed up. He was familiar with the algorithm though, and he knew because of her close proximity that she should be the first after the “mutual friends” suggestions. She was.
So convenient.
He clicked on her page, but he didn’t even have to friend request her, what he was looking for was right there. He wrote down the information he needed from the picture and plugged it into the jailbroken RunTracker app he had modified on his phone. Alia’s running path and pace illuminated his screen.
“Ah, you aren’t as fast as the other two.” He gloated as he watched her turn a corner. He licked his lips, this was going to be fun.
He went to her run history, looked like she ran about twice a week and her next run was likely to be Monday or Tuesday based on her pattern. She always ran in the mornings, which could complicate things. Alia was proving a challenge, but he liked it.
“Enjoy your second to last run.” He threatened before drawing the curtain.
CHAPTER 13
NAYA
Her phone alarm woke her at seven the next morning, Naya was surprised. She had fully expected to receive a call from Atlas waking her before now. Maybe he hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he was going to sleep in.
They had been discharged from the hospital at about eleven the night before. Turned out Vance’s fluids and blood sugar were low, which confirmed his own suspicions for the cause of the fall. So, after an IV, he was discharged and sent home with orders to rest, as he did have a mild concussion.
She sent a quick text to Atlas letting him know she would be ready at nine or later, then she slid on her running clothes and headed down the stairs.
Running had helped Naya clear her mind ever since she was a little girl. She had never been crazy fast, but she was fast enough to become a police officer and that
was all that mattered to her.
After lacing up her shoes she started the tracker app on her phone and slid it into her pocket. She was aiming for six miles this morning and she had just under an hour to complete them.
There was a light drizzle, typical for Denver this time of year, or so she’d been told. The moisture felt cool and invigorating on her face as she picked up speed. She had discovered there was a park about two miles from her house and she planned to run there to check it out.
As she jogged past the houses in her neighborhood, she couldn’t help but think they looked sad. She couldn’t tell if this was because of her dismal mood, or because a number of them were missing things, paint, porch railings, and some even siding and they felt neglected. She had often questioned why Vance had chosen the house he did but jogging through streets lined with houses like him she thought about it and decided he had probably intended to fix it up. That, and the newer properties in the area were much more expensive than he could afford, especially because he had always preferred stand-alone homes to apartment buildings.
After a few minutes she turned a corner and saw the park stretched ahead of her. It was nothing fancy, she could see a grassy field, a play area for kids, and what looked to be a charming trail that crossed the creek and headed into the neighborhood on the other side. She jogged in place while she waited for the light to change, when it finally did, she sped up a bit, frivolously jumping over the puddle on her path and heading towards the trail. She didn’t know what it was about running in the rain, but she could feel all the negative emotions leaving her body. She was feeling revitalized and full of life.
When the voice in her ear notified her that she had run three miles she made a quick circle and headed back the way she had come. As she came back through the park it was empty except for a woman with a black umbrella and her small dog who was having a blast splashing in a puddle. Naya smiled. She had always wanted a dog, but her lifestyle had never allowed it. Maybe someday when she retired.
She passed the same houses on the way back as she had before, and despite her improved mood, they still looked sad. She was fairly certain now that it was the houses themselves and not her.
A smile broke out across her face as her house came into view and as she came up on the walkway the voice in her ear chimed that she had completed six miles in fifty-four minutes and change. She stretched out as quickly as she could on the front porch before unlocking the door and heading inside.
The house was still dark, and Naya was sure Vance would sleep until noon after the eventful night he had.
After a quick shower Naya sat on her bed and pulled out her phone. There was a message from Atlas saying he would see her at nine. Perfect. That gave her just about an hour to make her phone calls and get ready for work.
She dialed the first number and the same woman from Home Health Care who had helped her before answered.
“Hi, it’s Naya Largusa.”
“Ah yes! I was just about to call you to check in, how is everything going with Derek? Well, I hope?” She sounded concerned and Naya was willing to bet people usually only called with complaints.
“Everything is great with Derek, he’s not why I’m calling.” She took a deep breath. “I’m calling because Vance needs full-time care now. I wanted to see if we could up Derek to ten, or maybe even twelve-hour days, and then I would like to request that we have someone else assigned to us for the other four days as well.”
She didn’t say anything for a second, and Naya could hear her typing.
“Okay well I can up Derek to three ten-hour days, but that will max him out since he has another contract. Let me see who else we have, one moment.”
Naya waited patiently.
“Okay I’ve got Elliot. He could take on the other four, ten-hour days? Or would you rather him do three twelve-hour shifts and I find you another aide for the last day?”
She rubbed her temples. This was all so stressful. She really didn’t want to have to make Vance get used to three people, two around all day every day already seemed like a lot. And either Kevin, Trevor, or Sebastian were all usually around in the evenings.
“Let’s just do Elliot and Derek. From eight in the morning until six at night every day please.” She would have to watch her time a bit better at work and try to leave a bit earlier, but with everyone she reasoned they would manage the ten-hour days.
“Okay no problem. I will contact them both. Is it okay if I send Elliot along with Derek on Monday to get acquainted and they can start the new schedule then?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks so much.” Naya was a bit worried about what she was going to do tomorrow, but it was Sunday and so it seemed likely the guys would be over to watch football.
“No problem. And if, in the future you decide you need overnight care, just give us a call back. Okay?”
She cringed. “I will thank you.”
She hung up the phone, it pained her to think of overnight care, but she was sure it would be their reality at some point. But hopefully not anytime soon.
Time for the next call, she wasn’t looking forward to this anymore than the last, but for different reasons. She glanced at her watch and realized it was a bit early for her parents, but she didn’t have another option. The phone rang five times before her mother picked up.
“Naya.” It sounded like she had just woken up and Naya was sure she had, unfortunately she didn’t have time to feel guilty.
“Hey mom.”
Her mom would definitely be able to tell something was up, even though she was overdue for a call, Naya knew her tone would give her away.
“What’s wrong?” She sounded more alert already.
Naya took a deep breath. “I think you and dad should come visit. Soon.” She couldn’t bring herself to say it any harsher than that.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s Vance, he’s…well, he’s much worse than he led us to believe. He asked me to call you last night.” She could hear rustling in the background, and she figured her mom was shaking her father to wake him up.
“How long do you think?” Her mother’s voice was the one to crack this time.
“He’s still lucid. But I’ve hired round-the-clock care. And after I hang up I’m going to order him a wheelchair. I think he wants you to see him before…before it gets worse.” Naya knew that even though he was as accepting of his condition as someone could be, Vance did not want his parents to see him helpless. He had always prided himself on his strength and independence and he wanted to maintain that image in their memories.
“Your father is awake now, let me see what he has planned for the week, but we will be up in the next few days.”
“And mom? The house is very small.”
Vance had always come home to visit their parents, they had never been up to visit him in Denver, and she knew they had grander expectations of his house, since homes in La Junta were much cheaper.
“I think you and dad should get a hotel, there’s an inexpensive one not too far. It’s nothing fancy, but for a few nights I think it’ll do.”
“Send me a link and we’ll book it.” She could hear her mom’s voice shaking. “Is there anything you want us to bring you? What about Vance, does he want anything.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. Why was this so damn hard?
“Can you bring some pictures of Vance as a kid? And maybe anything else you think would be important to him from our childhood?”
“No problem.” She could hear her mom sniffle, she was definitely crying now. “I’ll—I’ll have your dad look through some of the boxes in the attic.”
Naya glanced at her watch, she had to hurry if she wanted to order the wheelchair and get dressed before Atlas showed up.
“Listen mom, I gotta go to work, but text me the days you will be here when you know, okay? And Vance had a late night but maybe give him a call and let him know when you’re coming as well?”
; “We will. Hang in there, honey. We will be there as soon as we can.”
“Thanks mom. Love you, give dad my love too please.” After quick goodbyes she hung up and hurried to step into her pants and slide her shirt on. She could always order the wheelchair during the drive to work, but she wanted to at least be dressed and ready to go when Atlas showed up.
She ran a brush through her hair, deciding she didn’t have time to blow dry it and it would have to air dry; she could pull it back if it got to be too much. They had a decent drive ahead of them, plenty of time for it to dry naturally.
Her phone buzzed. Atlas was here. Good thing she had gotten dressed.
She sent a text to Kevin, asking him to check in on Vance in a few hours if he could. She felt bad relying on him so much, but he didn’t seem to mind, and she hadn’t expected her job to be this demanding from day one.
She rushed to grab her credentials and weapon and jogged down the stairs and out the door.
“Morning.” She greeted as she slid into the passenger seat.
“You look chipper.” He commented. “I’m guessing that means you didn’t spend the night at the hospital?”
“Nope, got off easy, he just has a minor concussion. They gave him an IV and sent him home with instructions to rest and be more careful. It was still a late night, but nothing I can’t handle.” Her phone blinked with a response from Kevin and she opened it. What she saw made her blush.
Kevin: Of course. Anything for you beautiful. How would you feel about dinner tomorrow night while Trevor and Sebastian are with Vance for the game?
She smiled as she texted back.
Naya: Yes. It’s about time you asked me on a proper date.
His response was immediate..
Kevin: Better late than never. Be ready at 4.
The smile didn’t leave her face even as she opened her internet browser to finally finish ordering the wheelchair for Vance.
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