by C L Hart
“Sarah, I feel like I already know you.” He kept his voice low and soft. “I know right now you feel lost and alone, but I assure you, you’re not. Anything you want is yours, all you’ve to do is ask.” Again he was met only with silence. Realizing it was fruitless to carry on, he returned his chair to the small table and sat down. Pulling his laptop computer out of his briefcase, he returned to his work.
The sounds of a busy hospital could be heard just outside the door, while in the room the only noise was the soft clicking of Nathan’s keyboard. It was an unlikely place for him to work, but he had learned long ago, you take what you’re given and you do your best with it. Hours went by; he paid them little attention as he worked diligently on Abby’s case.
Nathan’s fingers paused above the keyboard. Had he imagined it, or did he hear her speak? “Sarah?” he questioned softly and then held his breath to listen for a response.
“Go...away.”
The voice was weak and raspy, the words spoken between clenched teeth, but he understood. “No, I don’t think so.” He waited patiently, and a long time passed before he heard her speak again.
“Why are you here?”
“I’m here as your legal advisor, but I’m also here as your friend.” He watched her back and waited; she didn’t move. “I’d like to be your friend, Sarah. I’d like to get to know you if you’ll let me.” There was a long pause, but he knew that she was listening.
“Why?” she croaked out.
“Why would I like to be your friend? Well, like I said earlier, I’ve heard a lot about you, and since you’re the woman who has captured my niece’s heart. I thought I should get to know you.”
“Niece?” Her throaty voice was barely audible. “Abby’s your niece?” Sarah turned just enough so she could get a look at him.
He offered his best smile and backed it up with a polite nod. “Yes, that headstrong woman is my niece.”
“You’re Uncle Nathan.” She whispered it in such a way that it was hard to tell if it was a question or a statement, or just the pain of her trying to speak.
“Yes, my dear, but please don’t let all the bad things she says about me sway your opinion.”
“I thought you were dead,” she said, watching his expression with interest, and then she rolled back over.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” he asked with the slightest of chuckles. “Well, at least she mentioned me to you, and that’s more than she does to most.”
There was a long heavy silence before Sarah finally spoke again. “How is she?”
Nathan took a moment before he answered. “I wish I could say she’s doing well, but the truth of the matter is, she’s not. People like Abby don’t do well behind bars.”
Sarah closed her eyes and her mind went to an image of Abby standing in the mountain meadow, the tall grass and her long black hair blowing in the breeze. Her dark eyes were relaxing in the afternoon sun and there was a teasing smile spread lazily over her lips. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and Sarah felt the ache from different memories pulling at her. She loved Abby, but she had lied to her, and now...now she wasn’t sure if she could face her again.
Nathan was aware of the subtle change in the room. He could almost sense the despair and heartbreak radiating from the young woman lying so still in her bed. He stood up and walked over to her. “Sarah?”
He looked down at his hands, at the lines and the wrinkles that aged them, and he recalled another time. “I made a lot of mistakes with Abby when she was younger. I didn’t know what to do.” He paused for a moment and then wrung his hands together as if hoping to remove the guilt he carried. “I feel like I’ve been given a second chance with her, to maybe right some of the wrongs. If helping you through this time, in any way, helps her, then...then the truth of it is, it helps me.” He wasn’t sure if Sarah was even listening, but in some ways it didn’t matter. He had said what needed to be said.
“I miss her,” she said in a hoarse whisper. Nathan reached out to touch her shoulder, and then thought better of it. “She misses you, too.”
That was the end of their conversation. No matter what else Nathan said, there was no response from Sarah. He tried to get her to talk, but she wouldn’t. He tried to get her to drink, but she wouldn’t. The nurses came and went, and with each one he could see their growing concern. He had no idea how late in the day it was until Lincoln stuck his head in the door.
“How’s she doing?” he whispered.
Nathan closed up his laptop and motioned Lincoln into the room. “She’s not eating and she’s not really talking,” Nathan said in a low whisper. There had been little movement on the bed in quite a while and he was sure that she was asleep. “I know now what you meant when you said that you were torn.”
Lincoln walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. “Sarah, it’s Lincoln.” He put a hand on her shoulder, but she said nothing to him. “Sarah, you have to eat something, please.” Lincoln knew that if she didn’t get some nutrition, her recovery would suffer, mentally as well as physically.
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Greene stuck his head in. “I understand my patient is starting to talk.”
Lincoln looked at Sarah’s back. “A little.”
The doctor picked up the chart and looked over several different sheets. “Sarah, it’s Dr. Greene.”
“Go away,” she muttered gruffly through her wired jaw. She was tired of the constant care that kept interrupting her, the sudden arrival of all her new “friends”.
“Now, now, I’m one of the good guys remember?” He was answered by silence. “Sarah, I know that what you saw in the mirror frightened you, but I promise it’ll get better. Right now you’re healing, and the stitches, with the bruises, make it look worse than it is.”
You didn’t see what I saw, Doctor, and there is no way in hell anyone else is going to either.
Lincoln was impressed by the doctor’s bedside manner, however Sarah obviously was not.
“Everything you’re feeling right now is normal. Your body has gone through a traumatic experience. You’re weak and feeling disoriented, but as we decrease your medication, you’ll feel better. I won’t lie to you; there will be several more surgeries and then— ”
No more, I am not going to be someone’s charity case! With that thought, Sarah turned to face the doctor. “There will be no surgery,” she said clearly through clenched teeth. “Get out.”
Her reaction startled them, though the doctor recovered quickly. “Sarah, you don’t understand. Most of what you saw yesterday was in your mind. You weren’t properly prepared.” He tried to explain, but there was steely determination in Sarah’s eyes as she rolled back over. Dr. Greene looked to Lincoln, and then to Nathan. “Can we talk outside?”
Lincoln whispered to Sarah, “I’ll be right back.” He expected no response and he didn’t get one. Dr. Greene and Nathan were waiting for him in the hallway. “So now what?” Lincoln asked.
“Tell me, has she talked to either of you?”
“A few words here and there, and the odd sentence that usually ends with ‘go away’. So, no, not really,” Lincoln said as he looked to his boss.
“About the same with me, one or two word answers at best, said Nathan.
“Has she mentioned anything about hurting herself or anything that might warrant a suicide watch?” Dr. Greene asked cautiously.
“What? No!” Lincoln said in disbelief. “Why?”
“She’s showing all the signs of someone who’s given up, and once further medical treatment is refused, well...” He looked at her chart and reached for a pen in his pocket, “I hate to do this, but I think its time to transfer her upstairs.”
Nathan didn’t like the sound of that. “Upstairs?”
“Psychiatric ward,” Dr. Greene stated without looking up from Sarah’s chart.
“Wait.” Lincoln reached out and stopped the doctor before his pen could touch paper. “Just like that you sign her off and send her on her wa
y?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Nathan said quickly.
“She needs around the clock attention, gentlemen, and once she has refused treatment down here, the only choice we have is to commit her. If not, she could just walk out the front doors and there’d be nothing we could do about it.”
“I highly doubt someone in her condition is gonna jump out of bed and leave. Especially since part of her problem is that she doesn’t want anyone to see her,” Lincoln argued.
“I’m sorry, but we have to look at what’s best for the patient.”
“If you’re so concerned about what’s good for the patient, then I think you need to hear what we’re trying to tell you, Doctor.”
“You’re a lawyer. You know as well as I do, once she refuses treatment, there isn’t much we can do unless we commit her.”
“But is that necessary? I mean so quickly? Give her some time. Right now she isn’t thinking clearly. I think once we get her to understand...” Lincoln stopped when he realized what he had just said.
“Exactly my point,” the doctor said reluctantly. “Does she have any immediate family we can appeal to?”
“No,” Lincoln said.
“Then in the best interest of the patient...” The doctor clicked his pen and was ready to sign.
“Dr Greene, I assure you, you’re about to make a big mistake,” Nathan stated.
“If you have another suggestion, I’m open to it.” Doctor Greene looked to Nathan and then to Lincoln. “If she was my only patient, it would be different, but I’m here only as a favor. I’m sorry. I’ll let Dr. Marcot know of my decision.”
“You’re not going to commit that young woman. Not while I still have a dollar in my pocket and a law degree on my wall,” Nathan stated firmly.
“What about a private facility?” Lincoln asked.
“That would be ideal, however the waiting list to get into them is long, and Sarah doesn’t have the time to wait. The longer she goes without help, the harder it will be to pull her back.”
“What if we moved her to my home?” Nathan’s suggestion took them by surprise.
“She needs around the clock care, not just a place to stay.”
“Then that’s what she’ll have. How do I arrange it?” Nathan was a man of means, and one who didn’t waste time. Whether it was Abby’s money or his money, it didn’t matter to him as long as Sarah got what she needed and Abby was at ease with the decision.
“I’ll get one of the nurses to help you with that,” Dr. Greene said before he left.
Lincoln turned to Nathan in surprise. “Are you sure about this? I mean—”
“I’ll be there for her, we’ll be there for her if I have to move my entire office to my home. And if that’s what it takes to keep her out of the psychiatric ward and on the road to recovery, then that is what I’m prepared to do. Lincoln, it’s rare in a man’s life that he gets a second chance to make up for his past mistakes.” He looked back at Sarah’s door, thinking about another little girl who had needed him, a little girl that he had sent away. “I’m not making that mistake again.”
Just like that, the wheels started turning to get Sarah out of the hospital and to get her the help she needed.
At Lincoln’s suggestion, Nathan went upstairs to the ICU and made a proposition to Robin. The young nurse was hesitant at first, but the offer was too good to refuse, so she put in for an extended leave of absence. Within a few hours everything was arranged, with one notable omission — nobody knew how to tell Sarah what had been decided on her behalf.
♥
Lincoln quietly entered Sarah’s hospital room, followed by Nathan. He went to sit on the bed, while Nathan stood silently at the foot of it. “Sarah, it’s Lincoln and Nathan.” He was answered by silence. Lincoln looked around the dimly lit room and decided that anything had to be better for her than staying there.
“Sarah, the last thing I promised Abby before she left you in the ICU was that you would get the best treatment money could buy. No expense was too great,” Lincoln said to the unresponsive Sarah.
“No surgery,” she said firmly as she faced the wall. Her voice was still extremely raspy, but at least she was talking.
“Is it the money, is that why you don’t want the surgery?” Nathan finally asked, “Because rest assured, money isn’t a problem.” Sarah said nothing.
“Sarah.” Lincoln had no idea how she was going to respond to his announcement. “We’re getting you out of here.” They waited, but there was no answer or reaction. “Sarah, did you hear me?”
It was obvious that she had when she moved nervously in the bed. “Why?”
Lincoln looked to Nathan to answer. “Tell her the truth,” the lawyer said.
“Because,” he paused, “because if you stay here, they’re going to commit you.”
After several long, silent seconds, she rolled over and faced Lincoln. “I’m not crazy,” she said slowly in her hoarse whisper.
“We know that,” he said.
With Sarah’s attention on Lincoln, Nathan got his first chance to get a good look at the damage Billy Ward had inflicted. It angered him more than he thought possible as he looked at the rows of stitches, the dark bruising around her eyes, and the white bandage around her neck.
“The doctors don’t have much choice if you keep refusing to eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” she answered as she stared into Lincoln’s eyes. I just want everyone to go away.
“It’s not just that, Sarah.”
“We thought it’d be easier if you came and stayed with me.” Nathan’s words broke the stare between them, and she looked to the lawyer as if she had forgotten he was even there. “I’ve arranged to have Robin, the nurse from ICU, be there for your medical needs.”
“Why?” she asked simply. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I love my niece, and she loves you...and that’s all the reason I need.”
She may have loved me before, but she won’t love me now. Sarah looked at him. “What if I don’t want to go?”
“Unfortunately, my dear, that’s not an option.”
Sarah held his gaze and she saw the color change in his stubborn eyes. She’d looked into eyes like his many times before, they're Abby's eyes. Sarah knew the decision was final.
♥
The next morning, Sarah and Robin arrived by ambulance at Nathan’s seaside mansion. The small staff at the house had strict orders to leave them alone. Robin was given her own room, right next to Sarah’s. The young nurse couldn’t believe how fate had shone upon her. Her student loans were paid in full and she was now making almost twice what she had at the hospital. All this to look after one of her favorite patients. How lucky she was!
True to his word, Nathan had Beth, his private secretary, pack up all the files that pertained to his niece’s case and send them to his home. That morning, another desk arrived, along with two portable chalkboards and a large table that was soon covered with papers and files. Two hours later, Beth came by to finish setting up his temporary office. Nathan explained the situation and that the second floor north wing was off limits to everyone, no exceptions.
Lincoln arrived shortly after, carrying two large boxes of his own files and notes. Nathan showed him his desk, and the two settled down and went to work.
“I got the second set of photos from the ME and I sweet talked Johansson for another set from the crime scene at the park, as well as a set from both motels.” Lincoln picked through the different sets of pictures until he found the one he was looking for. “This is from the ME and it does confirm the zip-ties were put on when his hands were in front of him,” Lincoln said as he rolled up his sleeves. “So my question is, why bind his hands in front of him and then have to go through the hassle and the struggle of then getting his hands behind his back? Billy would have had to have been coherent and cooperative in order to do that.”
“Coherent and cooperative?”
“That’s my thinki
ng. He would have had to step through his arms in order to get his hands behind his back, if not, they would have had to break his arms to get them back there.”
“Is there any way we can find out where these ties came from?”
“No. They’re a dime a dozen at any hardware or automotive store.”
“What else is there?” Nathan asked as he started to pick through the photos one by one. “What is this?” He peered more closely at the collection of pictures in his hands.
“Let me see. ... Oh, those are copies of what Abby and I found at the Webster Arms. It was in the corridor he had been using between the rooms.”
“Good God,” Nathan said under his breath as he took the photos over to his desk for a closer inspection of the montage Billy Ward had made of Abby.
“He really was stalking her.” His knees felt weak and he sat down.
“Yeah.” Lincoln looked up and saw that Nathan’s face had paled considerably, “Nathan? What’s wrong?”
“That bastard was at her graduation?” He looked up at Lincoln. “She didn’t even tell me when she went into the academy, but he knew.”
Beth rapped on the door and then stuck her head in. “Nathan, Ronald de Barr is on the phone for you.”
Nathan nodded as he reached for the phone. “Mr. de Barr, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Nathan asked professionally.
“Cut the shit, Nathan. You’re tampering with witnesses and Judge Porter is about to find out about it,” de Barr whined into the phone.
“Tampering with witnesses, how do you figure that?” Nathan leaned back in his chair and looked at Lincoln.
“Two detectives tried to get a statement from Sarah Murphy at the hospital, and Lincoln, who’s now working for you, stopped them.”
“Actually, my understanding of the events is more along the line that it was a nurse who stopped them, and a doctor who ordered them out of the hospital. Lincoln had nothing to do with it.”
“Don’t play games with me, Nathan.”
“Believe me, Ronald, if I was going to play games, it wouldn’t be with you,” Nathan said coldly.