The Caine Plantation: The Next Quilt is Red

by Karine Green

  "Life support!" She burst into tears. "Life support! Jason, no! Not my Jason!"

  He held her a moment and then led her back upstairs where she approved several avenues of treatment the doctors presented, if they were able to stabilize Jason soon.

  ****

  Early the next morning Kathy's legs ached and her butt was numb from sitting in a plastic chair so she could see in the window of Jason's room. She nibbled on a protein bar. No one was allowed in right now, only the doctors and nurses. She was alone for the morning. Jason's family wasn't going to come until regular visiting hours. She still couldn't believe that she had run out like that yesterday. What had she been thinking? Nothing that was the problem. Carrie had won. Kathy didn't really have a rational thought after Jason went down yesterday. She had manhandled a paramedic, ran away from Jason, and her new family. She was acting like a raving lunatic. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall with her arms folded.

  "You know there is a hotel very close to here. As his next of kin, the visiting hours don't apply to you. You can come and go as you please. You shouldn't be sitting like that for hours on end in your condition," One of Jason's doctors came over to her.

  "Can I help you doctor?" She was in no mood to be lectured.

  "In here."

  Kathy cringed as he led her to one of the little rooms off to the side. The same type she used to sit in and talk to the family members of homicide victims, while she was telling them their loved one was dead, and started asking them awkward questions. She followed him in.

  He motioned for her to sit, and closed the door. "First, your ultrasound and blood work look fine. The baby is fine, none the worse for wear."

  She gave no reaction, "And Jason."

  "Still touch and go. As you know, he lost a lot of blood. It was lucky that the chopper pilot hand been monitoring the radio chatter. He had started that way when he heard civilians were down at the scene. I think that saved fifteen minutes saved your husband's life."

  She nodded. "How is the life support now?"

  "The only thing keeping him alive at the moment. He is still in a coma. But, he is strong, and according to everyone has every reason to fight through this."

  "When can I go in?"

  "Probably later this afternoon. I'll know more after I examine him. The good news is that there is no brain injury and he didn't suffer a loss of oxygen, it was a miracle that he managed to stay awake until the medics could take over breathing for him. Right now, I am more worried about you. If you keep this up, you could cause yourself to miscarry."

  She paused, isn't that what Carrie said she wanted for her. "I'll do better." There was no way Carrie was taking this baby from her. She was keeping it

  "You need a good rest."

  "I'll go right now, and get a room, and come back with his family. I can't lose the baby that Jason just sacrificed himself for."

  The doctor nodded.

  She started downstairs and then stopped. What if Carrie was out there, waiting to blow her away while she was unarmed! She scolded herself, and then continued out the door. I will not live in fear.

  She checked in, bought fresh clothes in the gift shop, breakfast, and then went to bed, intending to take a nap for a couple of hours. It was dark when she woke up. She looked at the clock it was 1a.m.

  She bolted upright. "1 A.M.! I slept eighteen hours!" her stomach rumbled. She was starved. She got dressed and went down to the lobby to see if there was vending machines with something that could hold her over. She was met by reporters.

  "Hey! That looks like Kathy Rose, right there!" one of them said, swinging his camera to meet her. Another was snapping a photo. More flashes, followed by two officers approaching her.

  "Kathleen Rose?" one of them asked.

  Everything seemed so distant. "What is going on?" Her own voice sounded hollow in her head.

  "You were reported missing and in danger," One of the officers stepped forward to take her arm. "Are you alright?"

  "What? I told the doctor I was coming here. The clerk who checked me in knew I was here. I used my credit card at the gift shop." She felt faint. She was too hungry. She was too overwhelmed. She was going down. The last thing she remembered was hitting the hard badge on the officer's chest with her face as he caught her.

  She spent the next two days next to Jason under observation, being fed copious amounts of food. Everyone was furious with her for not answering her phone. She had argued that it was Mike who kept her phone in the first stupid place! Janet had carried on about her being just like Jason, before bursting into a hysterical state of bawling.

  The baby was fine. The doctor gave her a new prescription for her prenatal vitamins, along with a strict warning not to forget that a third person was involved with this situation.

  Apparently, the doctors had changed shifts, as had the hotel clerks. They still would not have been able to find her because the clerk wrote down Karen Marcus, completely butchering her entire name. Still it galled her that they were upset with her, over some clerk who couldn't write Marconi, and a brother-in-law who took her phone.

  She finished her breakfast, and looked over at Jason.

  There had been no change in Jason's condition. She knew soon, they would come and ask her the dreaded, continued life support question, but for now, despite the coma, he seemed to be normal and healing as the doctors expected.

  She was feeling better, except her mother was due to arrive in about four hours. Her mother had also yelled at her, through the phone, before also bawling hysterically. Her mother would no doubt start in on Mike as soon as she arrived. So much for a peaceful, joyful introduction between the in-laws at what was supposed to be a fun low-key reception.

  "Kathleen Rose?" An orderly entered with a wheelchair.

  "Yes," she said, setting her tray aside.

  "I am supposed to take you for some tests."

  "Okay." She got up and sat in the wheelchair.

  They did another ultrasound, and some more blood work before releasing her...to sit in the same room, instead of having a bed.

  She pulled out her tablet and began writing down Dark Lady's story. She needed a distraction. The first thing she needed to decide was this going to be a historical book, or should she use the history to inspire a Historical Underground Railroad crime novel. Robert Lacompte's notes would be very helpful in the area of inspiration for that.

  Maybe she could do both?

  She started typing.

  ****

  Jacqueline Marconi arrived at the hospital. How could she have let Terrance alienate Kathy like that? She had missed all those years with her daughter, and now things were even worse.

  "Hey Kathy, You are looking much better." A young man with dark hair told her.

  Her eyes widened. "Oh dear Kathy! Was she hurt too! I am her mother, Jacqueline. Can you take me to her?"

  He stared at her, and then shook his head, yes. "I am Mike Rose. Jason's brother. I can take you to them, both." He led her to the elevator. She didn't say a word, she just followed him. "Um, hello. I guess we're family now. You look exactly like Kathy."

  "You're the one who had her phone, and then panicked everyone when they couldn't reach her. Forgive me, but I wish to not spoil any meeting that we should have....at a much later date."

  The doors closed. "Sorry about that. It was a really bad day. My brother was shot in the back by a raving lunatic."

  She said nothing, and enjoyed the silence all the way to the Intensive Care Unit. She paused outside the door, and then went in. Kathy was typing in the corner, looking rather haggard. No wonder Mike had greeted her like that.

  "Kitty Kat," she whispered.

  Kathy nearly jumped out of her skin. "Mom!" she set her tablet and keyboard down, and ran over to Jacqueline bursting into tears.

  "I have you Kat," she said holding Kathy tight. "I won't let go ever again."

  "I should have listened to you. I should have come home. He also suggested we go vi
sit you and dad. This wouldn't have..."

  "Stop it. Janet said you were blaming yourself. Kathy you had nothing to do with this. I should have come down the instant you told me you had bought the house. Everyone knew you were just trying to get away...from something else that wasn't your fault. Well, there isn't time for this rehashing. This must be Jason." Jackie walked over to Jason's bedside. "He is handsome, isn't he?"

  "Yes, and the best part is that he is just as handsome on the inside." Kathy smiled, and then frowned before she started crying again. "I need him to come back to me."

  Jackie held Kathy close. "I know, baby, I know."

  Kathy's stomach rumbled. Jackie frowned at her. "The doctors said you were starving yourself. You passed out! Come, we're going to get a proper meal, now." She pulled Kathy by the arm. "I have a limo for the week."

  They went to a restaurant and Kathy ate until she thought she would burst. "I didn't realize I was that hungry."

  "You're pregnant. Your body needs the building blocks for my grandchild. And, as a Marconi, my grandchild will not be denied that which is needed."

  Kathy smiled, "I miss you so much."

  Jackie smiled too, "I missed you too. Now please tell me about Randy and this lunatic wife of his. And how is Jason's ex-officer involved? How do they even know each other?"

  Kathy relayed the entire story. It sounded exasperating as she told it. Who would believe such a thing! Two people from different states, who don't know each other, conspiring to murder her. It certainly didn't fit any profile out there. "Dad has hired people hasn't he?"

  "He would not want you to worry about what he is doing, but yes, he hired four retired Secret Service agents after you went missing. I am sure they close by somewhere. You concentrate on Jason, and keeping our grandchild safe."

  Kathy nodded, apparently her parents were over the our-daughter-is-knocked-up shock, and onto our grandchild joy. She decided to stick with main topic. "You know. I can't help but wonder, if poor Milton hadn't come home early that day, and the plan went as...planned...would I have been able to overcome Carrie? I have more training than her in hand to hand defensive tactics, and certainly more weapons training. Would Carrie be in jail right now, or would I be dead?" She smiled.

  Jackie frowned, "Kathy that is very high on the list of things that I think is, not, funny."

  "I am sorry mom, I just pictured poor Jason trying to convince people that Dark Lady or Ridely the Whipper didn't get me. You know...that the killer was real, and not a ghost."

  Jackie shook her head. "Still, not amusing in the least."

  She was still smiling, "That is why he decided to consult me, because one of his people actually suggested a ghost killed Milton Lawrence."

  "Honey, you're pregnant, he did more than consult you. And, still, not funny. Must be that police humor-thing I keep hearing about."

  "He didn't do anything I didn't expressly request. And at my age, I am thrilled about the baby." Then, Kathy allowed the conversation to shift to decorating/restoring the house as she pulled up all the photos on her tablet.

  They finished the meal, upgraded Kathy's hotel room to one of the suites, and then they changed Kathy's license, before sending in for her new social security card. She was officially Kathleen Rose.

  The next morning they attended Alan's funeral, and then Deputy Rayland's. The following day they went to the funeral of the reporter who had been killed at the scene by Carrie in the SUV. The cameraman was still alive, but Kathy had no idea how he was doing.

  They were two, of only six people who attended Lauren's funeral. They didn't stay long, mostly to sign in and leave. Lauren's family was aware of her part in the conspiracy to kill Kathy.

  "Why did we have to go there?" Jackie said still feeling odd.

  "To make sure she was actually dead. I wanted to see her dead body with my own eyes. By the way, they did a good job fixing her hair to cover the bullet hole in her skull."

  Jackie closed her eyes and shook her head. "Baby, you have to stop acting like this. You are allowing Carrie to win."

  "I'll stop acting this way five minutes after I have given her my special Remington Sniper Rifle face lift."

  "Kathleen! Please think of the baby. Did you and Jason discuss any names?" Jackie asked, figuring that changing the subject was probably a safer idea.

  "Daniel for a boy, or Jackie's nice for a girl."

  "Oh, I hope it's a girl!" she said excited. Kathy wanted to name her granddaughter after her.

  Kathy smiled, and finally allowed any thoughts of blowing Carrie's brains out to leave her. They stayed away from the plantation just in case Carrie was there. Jackie figured she would see it sooner or later.

  At the end of the week, she bid her mother good-bye, and settled in for the long wait. She was wondering when the doctors would finally push her to make some sort of decision regarding Jason's continued life support. The initial decision was easy, it had only been a few hours. She feared that the days had already become a week, and prayed they didn't become months. The decision regarding life support would become harder and harder. How long would he want her to drag it out?

  She thought, as long as the doctors told her there was healthy brain activity, and so far, there was, she would drag it out. He would want the opportunity to see their baby.

  Hopefully he would wake up on his own soon.

  She picked up her tablet and read chapter one of Operation Underground Railroad to Jason. She thought that sounded like a good name for her book, but she would probably change the name several times. She also considered Dark Lady's 'catch phrase', The Next Quilt is Red.

  She smiled and put her hand over her lower abdomen, it felt like soda was filling her stomach sometimes. She picked up Jason's hand "See, it feels like soda in there. The doctors say the baby is doing fine."

  His hand twitched.

  Kathy drew in a breath, "Jason, can you hear me, baby! We're fine, Honey, we both just need you to come back to us. I love you, and we need to start our life together." She pressed his hand firmly against her belly with one hand and caressed his face with the other, being careful to avoid the breathing tubes.

  "Come on, baby, give me another twitch."

  ****

  Jason opened his eyes and shut them again. They were just too heavy.

  "Jason, wake up. I need you to come back to me."

  That voice was familiar, then he remembered, it was his wife, Kathy. He tried harder to force his eyes open. It was a hospital room. He remembered he had been shot in the back. He wiggled his toes and fingers and tried to breathe a sigh of relief. It was hard to breathe, something was fighting him. He could move, but it was hard. He was so tired, and his throat was parched. He couldn't talk. He lifted his hand to his mouth and felt a tube. That was why it was hard to breathe. The breathing tubes were fighting against him.

  Alarms started beeping on the machines.

  "Jason! You're awake!" She leaned over to him. He could hear her pressing the call button for the nurses. She took his hand away from the tube, "They'll be here in a minute. Just relax. Here focus on this." She put his hand on her belly. "I was just telling you that it sometimes felt like soda pop in there."

  He wanted to ask, How long have I been out, but with the tube down his throat that was out of the question. He breathed in, and then relaxed allowing the tube to do its job. What he wanted to do was panic, and rip it out. He refocused and was thankful Kathy wasn't showing him a baby in a blanket. She wasn't showing, so maybe he hadn't been out that long. Still, it bothered him, how long had he been out?

  "Hello, Welcome back!" The doctor said, smiling as he entered with a nurse.

  Twenty minutes later Jason was leaning up in the bed, and letting teeny ice chips melt in mouth. He hoped he could talk in a minute, but so far his voice was not cooperating. Neither was his body for that matter. He felt so tired, and sore. The doctor and nurse were still hovering and checking vital signs, and then rechecking them.

  "We're going to
send him for some more tests, as soon as they have an opening downstairs." The doctor sent the nurse out to check on it.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours, they left Jason and Kathy alone. He reached for her tablet, she handed it to him. He typed "How's the baby? How long have I been out?"

  "About a week, and the baby is fine," she said smiling. “You just missed your mother. She sat with you while I rode with my mother to the airport.

  He smiled and looked her up and down, and typed, "I love you. Any news on Carrie?"

  Kathy leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I love you too," then she shook her head, no, "No word on Carrie."

  He took a deep breath and tried talking, but it just wasn't going to happen. He breathed, and typed. "Alan! Jesus, Alan!"

  She frowned. "Alan's funeral was earlier this week. Jason, it is just like the doctor said, you have been in a coma. You very nearly died." She hugged his hand to her face.

  "A week?" He opened his eyes wide, typing. "I have been out a whole week. The city! The police force!"

  "Calm down, the sheriff stepped up to help out, and he temporarily assigned three deputies to the town for the next month, or two, until things get smoothed over. By the way you're down an officer, one of your part timers quit after his wife threatened to leave him. Apparently it just now hit her that police work is dangerous."

  He nodded, and relaxed, before stiffening again. "Lauren?" he made a face, as his voice resisted every syllable of her name.

  Kathy shook her head, "She probably never knew what hit her." She pointed to her temple.

  He nodded, unable to feel anything regarding Lauren's death except relief that he would never have to deal her again. He couldn't even feel bad about the fact that he felt that way.

  "Here, I'll catch you up a bit." She pulled out the papers, and read the headlines. Hero Chief Saves Wife, and Unborn Child; "Sergeant Killed Saving Boss's Family; Deranged Killer on the loose. The last one featured a nearly full size photograph of Carrie Bell, along with a hotline to call if anyone saw her. The forth paper featured Kathy's photo. An Interview with the Chief's Wife, Kathy Rose.

  Jason did not feel like a hero, guilt was all he could manage. He wished they had chosen another title, such as Hero Sergeant Clears Way for Chief to Selfishly Save Own Family, and Damn the Civilians Outside. Although he was relieved to hear that Carrie couldn't work the key for the shotgun rack so his patrol car was recovered intact. However, Carrie had used the empty rifle she had stolen from the back of the SUV to frighten the couple out of their car.