“Maggie?” Venom spilled from Tyler’s mouth as the assembled group turned to Margaret O’Shea. “Margaret, if you did this—”
Lori cut her off, pulling her away from Margaret O’Shea. “Hang on everyone! Doc, show me how this wrist twisting/breaking thing could happen.” Lori stepped forward, offering her own arm.
Demonstrating the type of movement used by most abusers when grabbing a victim, Dr. Poulan pointed out telltale signs to look for, depending on the angle and direction of the attacker’s pull.
Taking a deep breath, Lori exhaled much of her pent-up frustration, explaining to them all, “Maggie is the name of her service dog. They were out together when she was hit. Is there any way this was caused by Maggie trying to pull her to safety?”
The doctor’s eyes widened. “Well…it would have to be a very large dog. Does she walk with the leash wrapped around her wrist?”
They all nodded. “She has to,” Tyler added, explaining, “she sometimes…wanders. It’s the dog’s job to bring her home.”
“Among other things,” Marnie growled. “And she weighs almost as much as my seventeen-year-old sons and she’s stronger than the two of them combined!”
“Not to mention smarter,” Lori quipped, regretting the untimely joke the moment she made it.
Looking abashed, the doctor apologized. “I’m so sorry. You must understand how—”
“Can I see her, please,” Tyler begged.
“Don’t worry, Tyler,” Margaret O’Shea offered consolingly. “We’ll get everyone in there the moment she’s back from the cath lab.”
At this mention of the cardiac unit, the ensuing uproar was difficult to temper, but between Lori and Carl they calmed the group enough for the doctor to continue. Lori had to marvel: Looks like Georgie was hit by a truck and Maggie broke her mommy’s wrist trying to save her life even though she was hurt herself. Good girl! And Aydan’s right. Georgie was having a heart attack. Huh?
They listened as the doctor explained. The heart attack was relatively mild as these things go. Still, it was hard for Lori to understand how anyone as fit and careful about her diet as Georgie could have a blocked valve. They were assured that the hospital’s best was with her and the procedure relatively simple. All they could do now was wait.
While Carl and Debbie Marsh worked to bring Marnie down and hold Tyler up, Lori slipped out into the ambulance bay. What a day to be a new non-smoker! She stood under the portico, selecting Aydan’s number. She took a deep breath, clearing any trace of anguish or concern from her voice, unwilling to upset her with the news. She would have to tell her and Skippy about the heart attack and the broken bones but she’d do it without a hint of concern.
“Lori! Is she—is everything—”
“She’s fine, princess. Everything’s fine.” She listened to the crystal clear sound of relief emanate from her phone. “Is Skippy nearby?”
“He’s in signing the papers for the surgery on Maggie. Oh Lori, her shoulder is broken; something called an ACL or something like that. Sorry, I tried to remember the details but she looked so sad…”
The sound of choking back tears rang as clear as Christmas bells. “Hey now, take a breath, I’m right here…There you go. You might find this interesting. You were right about Georgie breaking her wrist but we have Maggie to thank for that. It looks like she may have tried to pull her to safety. I have a feeling she was hurt trying to save Georgie, either before she was hit or immediately after. Either way, that dog’s a hero in my book for getting her home. What do you think of that?” she asked, waiting for Aydan to settle. “Take your time. I’m in no hurry, princess.”
“Why are you so nice to me?”
Lori’s lighthearted laugh echoed around the portico. “You, princess, need to get used to it because nice is what I do. Well, it’s what I do when I’m not kicking butts or taking names.” When she didn’t respond, Lori asked, “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, yes, sorry I…oh, here he is.”
“Good, can you put me on speaker?”
Skippy’s voice was clear, but sounded troubled. She held a calming tone for him too, coaxing them to provide an update on the dog. The vet was sure she would be fine with surgery, recovery and probably some physical therapy. She shared with Skip her belief and Georgie’s doctor’s agreement of how the injuries were sustained. It made sense that Maggie had gotten hurt at the same time as Georgie. Once she assured them they had done everything they could for her, at least for the day, it was time to give them her news.
“First things first, the docs think Georgie’s going to be fine. She got broken up bad, but nothing compared to what’s she’s seen before. Just simple fractures which they said will heal in four to six weeks. The most important thing to know is her head is okay. They did a CT and it’s no worse than her last one. The only thing—and Aydan I’m so glad you were there and so sorry you had to see it—but you were right. She was having a heart attack. It was very mild and she’s going to be fine.” She could hear both her nephew and Aydan sharing expletives. “Hey guys, listen to me. She is fine! She really is. Now I need to know what you two are planning to do next. I can’t have you report back to the office until Marnie, Lou and I agree on a statement.”
“Aunt Lori, can we come there?”
“I was going to ask you two to head home and sit with your granddad but Zoe’s with him so, yeah come on over. Oh and Skip, stop and grab us some decent coffee.”
“You got it, Aunt Lor. Anything else?”
“Just take your time and be safe. We can’t afford any more upsets today. Got it?” They chimed in their affirmatives together then ended the call. “One down,” Lori said to herself. Next it was time to get her brother up to speed. She knew some messed up part of Lou’s brain would see this as an opportunity, but the rest would know enough to do the right thing. She was just finishing her update to Henry and Zoe when she spotted Georgie’s Land Rover with Skip and Aydan in it. “Listen Dad, I’ve got to go, but I promise I will call as soon as we have more information and the minute they say we can see her, you’re the first in.”
Skip looked as broken as Aydan. And Aydan, God she was an attractive woman. It was hard to understand just how sheltered her life had been. Or had it? There had to be more to the story. Even with that ugly gray thing she wore to cover her head, there was no denying the woman was a beauty. Tall and fit, she was curved in all the right places. Lori shook herself. Just what you need, a messed up straight girl. Good God, get your head in the game!
* * *
“Marnie, why didn’t you come to me sooner?”
She stared across the examination room. Doctor Margaret O’Shea, Georgie’s ex and all around pain in the ass was reviewing the list of symptoms she had described. “Margaret, I swear to you…”
“Hey…it’s just you and me, patient and doctor. I can leave the family part out if you can?”
Giving in, Marnie explained, “My family physician sounded so convincing when he said it was early onset menopause. I actually thought that was a real thing until Lori confronted me.”
“Well I don’t normally comment on other doctors’ opinions, but that’s all it is without a complete workup. Let me run some blood work to start with then we can drill down on what the underlying concerns are. Yes, this could be serious but I don’t want you all stressed out. You probably get enough of that at the office.”
Marnie sighed heavily. “It’s something every day. The minute you get one fire out another dozen pop up. Now this Georgie thing. I swear…”
“How is she?” Margaret asked with real concern. “I was so hoping she was getting better but I see she still needs her full-time helper at her side.”
“Helper…oh Tyler. It’s not like that, at least not anymore.” Marnie watched as Margaret schooled her expression. It seemed she wanted to know more, but this was Margaret O’Shea. She might be a talented surgeon, but she was also Georgie’s ex.
“It’s okay Marnie. I just want to see her happ
y. Just like I’m sure this is something simple, something we can fix. Let’s get you down to the lab for blood work and as soon as I have some results so will you.”
Chapter Ten
Stomping into her parents’ kitchen, Tyler dropped her duffel bag then kicked it for good measure.
From the family room, her parents, who had been watching a movie, stared at her in silence. “You okay, honey?” Debbie asked cautiously.
Her back to her parents, she grunted, “Fine,” before kicking her duffel bag again. Without warning she kicked it again, then again and again.
Carl grabbed her arm. She whirled around in anger, collapsing in his arms, sobbing incoherently.
Debbie shared a look with her husband. After thirty-six years of marriage, they had long developed a silent language. Debbie would go upstairs and check on Kira who was putting the baby down, while Carl dealt with their sullen child.
He waited until his wife was out of earshot. “Your mom made decaf, but I can put the real stuff on if you’re up for it.” When she didn’t answer, and wouldn’t or couldn’t look at him, he did what good dads do, pulling her in tighter for a papa bear hug. “It’s okay, pumpkin, Daddy’s here.” Used to Tyler being the more stoic of his children, he was barely prepared when her sobs turned to a full-on crying jag and she cleaved herself more tightly to him. She cried inconsolably and he held her without speaking. There was lots of time for discussion. He was a patient man, more patient than his wife, and he knew his daughter. She would tell him everything when she was ready and not a moment before.
It was a good twenty minutes before Kira and Debbie made their presence known. By then Tyler was sitting next to her dad at the kitchen table. Fresh coffee was hissing and spitting its way into the pot. She had stopped crying, but only just. Her face displayed all the torment of her emotional flood, along with a nose so red a reindeer would blush. She was busy fighting to control hiccups, a result of a long hard cry.
“Ty,” Kira probed tentatively, “what’s happened?”
Looking to her sister and mom, she broke into tears again, dropping her head back onto her dad’s shoulder. The arm and shoulder of his sweatshirt were already soaked and misshapen from her crying and tugging to hang on. He didn’t mind, understanding his part was to provide comfort and solace. His wife was in charge of sorting out the rest.
She cleared the already substantial collection of spent tissues from the table before setting out to pour their drinks. At the counter, she spotted the coffee carafe knowing he had made it to please their notorious caffeine hound of an offspring. Reaching into a side cupboard and pulling out a bottle of Baileys, she doctored their four coffees.
Tyler lifted her head, using the last of the Kleenex to blow her runny nose. They sat patiently, letting her collect her thoughts. When she finally looked at them, tears rolled down her cheeks again, “It’s over,” she said with finality, her heartbreak palpable.
Everyone sat in silence, watching her battle her emotions. While tears continually cascaded, she struggled to clear her nose, and the hiccups were back with a vengeance.
“Honey, please breathe,” Debbie encouraged, while Carl added more Baileys to her still untouched coffee. “Come on, take some big breaths, honey, and then try a couple of big gulps of your drink. It should clear your hiccups.”
It took a few more minutes and a few more big gulps before she could trust her voice. “It’s…she…”
“Honey, just tell us what’s happened,” Debbie begged.
“She…Georgie,” she sniffled, blowing her nose before continuing. “She…we’re over.”
Carl pulled her protectively back into his arms while Kira swore in shock but it was Debbie who would have to dig for the heart of the matter. “Oh, pumpkin, what’s happened? I thought you were taking her home today. Did something happen at the hospital?”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Kira cut in. “You’re getting married in less than three months for God’s sake. What the hell happened?”
“Easy, Turtle,” Carl warned his other twin daughter in a soft low growl.
She held up her hands in surrender. “Sorry, I just…you were supposed to take her home today. Something must have happened at the hospital. This doesn’t make sense. Georgie is head over heels in love with you!”
“Head over heels over me,” she said through sniffles.
“Don’t say that,” Debbie consoled. “Your sister is right. Something must have happened. Please, honey, can you tell us more?”
“Where is Megan?”
“She’s in class tonight,” Carl answered. “Should I call her and get her home?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No, just wondered if she was hiding or something.”
They let her take her time organizing her thoughts. It took a few more minutes and a few more sips of her coffee before she could begin in earnest. “She’s gone to Eighteen Mile Creek, to stay at the big house.”
“Oh, honey.” Debbie felt a moment of hopefulness. “It makes sense. She’s probably just worried about how much pressure would be placed on you having to run a new company and care for her…” She trailed off at her daughter’s look. “Why?”
“She thinks she’s a bad bet. She doesn’t want to leave me alone with a kid or kids, if she…”
“Oh, my God, this is about the heart attack?” Kira asked.
Tyler nodded. “That idiot doctor scared her. The blockage…they analyzed it, identified it as a foreign object, it’s what caused the heart attack. It was left over from Afghanistan…what do they call it?”
“Shrapnel?” Carl offered.
She nodded.
“But…how come, wait, why didn’t the military get all that crap out?” Kira continued her examination. “The hospital should have seen shrapnel in her x-rays or scans or something, shouldn’t they?”
“He said it was Kevlar, probably from the shattered rotor blade. She would have been fine but that idiot had to go and tell her there may be more!”
“So.” Debbie was struggling. “Now that they know what to look for, can’t they go get the rest out?”
“That’s the point, Mom. There really isn’t any but maybe this one little piece and it wasn’t going anywhere until that stupid asshole ran her down.”
Debbie didn’t call her on the language. She was right. The guy who hit her was a complete waste of space. The cops reported that he had partied most of the night and put himself behind the wheel of his work truck jacked up on caffeine pills and Jack Daniels. The worst part was his complete indifference to what he had done. It was at times like these she questioned why the country was so consumed with concerns of terrorism when hate and apathy were more truly the national threat. “She’s worried she’ll let you down.”
“No Mom, she’s sure she will leave me barefoot and pregnant with nothing and no one to care for me. She absolutely believes I would do better elsewhere!” Her head was down again and she leaned it heavily on Carl’s shoulder. “She won’t even look at me.”
Debbie watched as Carl, an arm around her shoulders, pulled her closer. Tyler held her mug cradled in both hands, something she had done for years. It reminded Debbie of those days when the twins were in their early teens and began to display all their authentic adult mannerisms. Tonight, she just looked older. They had all known disappointments, all her girls, but this was one none of them had envisioned.
She had worried, back at the beginning, when Tyler and Georgie first became involved. Most of her common mom concerns centered on how much care her future daughter-in-law would require. She had listened to the stories of her battle to survive and then recover from her catastrophic wounding in Afghanistan. Wounds she should have succumbed to on the battlefield. The type of which had killed everyone else, including the bigger and stronger among her crew. But Georgie wasn’t the wounded warrior Debbie had been expecting. She was intelligent and kind, and while her verbal communications challenges upset the woman deeply, it never prevented her from doing her best
. Debbie respected that, respected Georgie. This, whatever this was about, went much deeper than a mild heart attack. “Honey, is there any way she’s just scared?”
Tyler sucked in a harsh breath. “She is!” she asserted. “I know that. I just can’t get her to see it. She’s just…”
“Easy now,” Carl advised kindly.
“I…it’s like something broke in her. Even Lori and Marnie are confused. We all just stood there listening to that moron talk about the Kevlar being almost impossible to detect and I could see it, see her shutting down. We all did.”
Debbie nodded. “Honey, you may not want to hear this but I don’t believe this has anything to do with you. Yes, she’s taken it out on you, on the two of you, but what I’m hearing is she’s scared.”
“I know that! I just…” She was sniffling again.
“Ty,” Kira said, “I think Mom’s on to something but this isn’t just a fear thing. Georgie’s the bravest person we know. Well, other than you, Dad.” He smiled at the inclusion. “I knew I should have gone with you and Amazon Woman. I just had a feeling.”
“What are you thinking?” Debbie asked.
“Let’s look at it logically. I bet that’s how she’s figuring things, right?” At Tyler’s nod, Kira went on, “This is her second major health thing. Even the surgeon said she was the toughest patient she’d ever met. What was the phrase she used?”
“Incredible will to live,” Carl furnished.
“Come on, think about it. She gets shot down. Her whole crew is blown to bits all around her and she still manages, with all those broken bones, and her head smashed in, to crawl away and hide. This time she gets hit by a truck, she’s knocked unconscious and her dog drags her out of a swollen gutter before she can drown, and she manages to walk home as if it’s nothing! A woman like that doesn’t just give up on someone she loves.”
“I know!” Tyler cried.
“No, wait. That’s not what I’m getting at. It’s got to be something more…something scarier than being shot down or run over.”
Stay with Me Page 16