SOLACE: Behind The Shield (Beauty 0f Life Book 2)

by Laura Acton

  Kellie kissed his cheek. “Quit beating yourself up over the past. You recognized your errors and are working on showing him he is wanted. From all you’ve said, Dan sounds like a decent young man. I’d like to meet him someday. Does he have plans for Christmas?”

  Nodding Bram said, “Yeah, I asked. In fact, everyone asked him several times. I think it sort of ticked him off. He planned to spend today volunteering at the soup kitchen he wandered into on Thanksgiving. Then he’s spending Christmas Day at a friend’s place. I assume he meant Jarmal, the guy who took him home after Dan told us how Brody died. I better be on my way, I told him twenty minutes.”

  As he started to leave, Kellie caught his arm stopping him. “Bram, when you know why, give me a ring. I have a feeling … just call me, please.”

  Bram pulled her to him and kissed her again. “Will do. Love ya. Be back shortly.” He bent down to kiss and tickle each of his girls. “Love you too, gigglets. When I return home, can I have one of your cookies?”

  Six-year-old Leslie peered at him sternly. “Daddy, these cookies are for Santa Claus. If he doesn’t eat them all, then you may eat some.”

  Bram smiled. “Okay, but next year make a double batch. Daddy loves snickerdoodles, too.”

  As Bram left to help Dan, he wondered what occurred to put Dan in the hospital. He hoped nothing too serious, as Dan only recently recovered from bronchitis. Perhaps he relapsed.

  Toronto General Hospital – Outside ER Room Two

  When Bram arrived, the information desk said they expected him, and the nurse led him back to room two. Outside the dimmed cubicle he met the doctor. “I’m Bram De Haven. I’m here to pick up Dan Broderick.”

  Dr. Mercedes Seaway gazed at the hulking man and smiled. “Mr. De Haven, I’ve been treating Mr. Broderick. He’s resting at the moment.”

  “Can you share with me what happened?” Bram asked.

  Mercedes hemmed and hawed. “I really shouldn’t, given the privacy laws. Are you family perchance?”

  “Sorta. Dan and I are teammates on TRF Alpha Team. Dan called me asking for a lift home.” Bram smiled.

  Concern entered the doctor’s eyes. “A ride home?”

  As Bram nodded, Mercedes checked her clipboard. “My notes indicate he lives alone. Are you planning on staying with him?”

  “No. Why?” Bram queried.

  Sighing, Dr. Seaway informed him, “Dan sustained a sprained ankle and concussion when he the car hit him.”

  “Dan was hit by a car?” Bram blurted out as his eyes widened.

  “Yes. From what the police told me when the officer came to obtain a list of injuries for their report, Mr. Broderick was jogging home and in a crosswalk. A distracted driver failed to notice him when she turned left. When he rolled off the hood of the vehicle, he twisted his ankle, fell, and hit his head. They said he tried to leave, refusing help, and fell striking his head again losing consciousness. When he arrived here, he remained unconscious for another fifteen minutes.

  “The CT scan and my assessment signify a mild concussion, and the x-ray of the ankle indicates only soft tissue damage—no breaks. It’s a minor sprain, but he needs to use crutches to keep weight off it so it can heal. If he uses a compression wrap, he should be recovered enough for walking in a few days.

  “But with the concussion, Mr. Broderick cannot be alone for the next forty-eight hours. Since he lives alone, he will need to remain here, unless someone is able to care for him. I would need the contact number of the person so my office can follow up.”

  Bram thought for only a moment. Dan shouldn’t spend Christmas in the hospital. “Let me talk with him. He said he would be spending tomorrow at a friend’s place. Perhaps his friend would be willing to have him over tonight.”

  “Excellent. I’ll be around. Inform the nurse once you finalize arrangements, and I’ll prepare discharge paperwork.” Dr. Seaway started to walk away, but stopped and added, “Oh, please keep your voice soft. Though Mr. Broderick has a monstrous headache, he refused all painkillers.”

  “Why no pain medication?” Bram curiosity piqued.

  “He indicated he experienced adverse reactions to them in the past and preferred to deal with the pain rather than the side effects of the medication.” Dr. Seaway disagreed but allowed her patient a modicum of control.

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know the plans.” Bram wondered what effects would be worse than pain from a concussion. He suffered a few concussions, and they hurt like hell.

  Toronto General Hospital – ER Room Two

  Entering with quiet steps, Bram peered at Dan lying still with his left arm draped over his face. His ankle, wrapped and elevated on a pillow had an ice bag placed over it to reduce swelling. Bram called out softly as he walked closer to the rookie. “Hey, Dan. It’s me, Bram.”

  Dan removed his arm and squinted at Bram. “Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.” He pushed himself up to a seated position. He dipped his head and raised his hand to his forehead as dizziness and pain hit him.

  Bram reached out to steady Dan as he swayed. “Whoa. A bit wobbly there, buddy. Let’s take it slow. Heard you tried to play tag with a car.”

  “Yeah. Car won. I’m it,” Dan quipped quietly.

  Smiling at the lighthearted jest, Bram held on until Dan stabilized. When he let go, he pulled the chair close and sat. “Doctor says you’ve got a concussion and can’t stay alone for the next forty-eight hours. You said you planned to go to a friend’s place tomorrow. Do you think your friend would mind you staying a few days? I can drive you there if you want.”

  Dan bit his lower lip to keep from releasing a combined snort and laugh. However, it came out anyways and sounded a little like a cough. Brody wouldn’t mind at all, but the groundskeepers at Green Acres Cemetery would.

  What the hell am I going to say? It had been a decent plan to prevent the team from knowing he was alone on Christmas Day, but the accident shot his plans to hell.

  “If you can take me home, I’ll make arrangements there,” Dan answered not wanting to lie.

  Bram thought Dan sounded discouraged, so he placed a hand lightly on his leg. “Sorry, buddy, no can do. Doc says you must have plans and a contact number for whoever is caring for you before she’ll release you.”

  “I’ll sign out against medical advice then,” Dan said tiredly.

  “Why would you do that? Give me your friend’s number. I’ll call for you,” Bram offered.

  Dan almost laughed. Yeah, right, Brody’s number is 426-3323—translation, Iam-dead.

  He could imagine the conversation. “Hey, Brody, this is Dan’s teammate. Can he stay with you? Will you look out for him?” Brody would reply, “Sure no problem. We’ll have a real quiet time together. Danny can lay right next to me on the snow-patched ground. He’ll be fine. Bring him on over.”

  Bram suspicions continued to be aroused by Dan’s continued silence. “Dan, who is this friend you’re planning to visit?”

  Fighting to quell his anxiety of staying in a hospital, Dan unconsciously gripped the sheets tightly. His mind raced for a solution. If Bram leaves and they transfer me to a room, I can slip out later. Dan realized he would need to find some crutches because they had not issued them to him yet. Yeah, that might work.

  Bram noted Dan tensing. Usually, hard to read, but at the moment Dan appeared almost scared. Bram let the fact Dan did not answer his previous question drop, as he probed, “What aren’t you telling me?”

  After a long day of volunteering at Mayfield, not eating, and his current condition, Dan didn’t possess the energy to argue. He leaned back on the pillow and covered his eyes with his arm again. Glumly, he said, “Doesn’t matter. I can’t crash at his place. I’ll remain here. Thanks for coming anyway. Sorry to pull you away from your family tonight.”

  Bram studied Dan for several moments. What is going on? Did he lie about spending time with a friend? Why would Dan lie to them? Wait, Dan’s family … perhaps one of his parents would come down from Ottawa and
stay with him even though Dan doesn’t much like his father. “What if I call your parents? I could keep you company until they arrive.”

  “Don’t bother. The general wouldn’t bother coming.” Dan’s tone held a note of disdain.

  “What about your mother?” Bram ventured cautiously. Aware he trod on tricky ground, but he never heard a word about Dan’s mother. Perhaps he got on better with her.

  “No, she’ll be with the general. Like I said, I’ll just stay here. Thanks again. I’m tired. I’m gonna rest now. I’ll see ya back at headquarters in a few days.” Dan closed his eyes ending the debate and began to plan his exit strategy.

  Disheartened, Bram stood. “Okay. Well, … you take care, Dan.”

  Welcome to Our Home

  14

  December 24

  Toronto General Hospital – Outside ER Room Two

  Bram stepped out of the room and down the hall away from Dan’s room for privacy. He pulled out his phone and called Kellie. “Hey, Sweetheart, it’s me.”

  “How’s Dan? What happened?” Kellie asked as she managed to hold the phone between her ear and shoulder as she prepared to remove a cookie sheet from the oven.

  “Teenage driver hit him when he was jogging home. He’s a little banged up. Sprained ankle and mild concussion.”

  “Oh, my goodness. They’re allowing him to leave? He lives alone, doesn’t he need to be watched for a day or two with a concussion?” Kellie inquired, surprised the doctor would let Dan leave unsupervised. He might fall or slip into a coma. She was well aware of concussion protocols with all the times Bram thwacked his head over the years.

  Bram paced in a circle. “No, not alone. Dr. Seaway insisted Dan needed to stay with someone or remain in the hospital. I asked Dan if he could spend the night with his friend, but he wouldn’t give me his number and said he couldn’t stay with him. He sounded … I’m unsure, but … sad or scared. Something is off and doesn’t sound right.”

  Kellie pulled a pan out. “Leslie, keep Allie back please, it’s hot. Sorry, Bram. So, if he didn’t give you a number where is he staying? He can’t go home. What about his family? Aren’t they in Ottawa? Emilie, no! They’re too hot! Wait, sweetie. Allie, no you can’t climb up there. Leslie, please take your sisters into the other room to color. Mommy’s on the phone with Daddy.”

  Bram chuckled. He didn’t grasp how Kellie managed all four girls, she was a wonder. His voice dropped and he said sadly, “He said he would stay here.”

  Kellie’s voice raised, “No. No. No …”

  Bram thought something happened to one of his girls, he tensed and was about to interrupt when Kellie continued.

  “No, he can’t be in there alone on Christmas. That isn’t right. Not right at all. Bring him here. I’ve been wanting to meet him. The way you talk about him, he seems like a kind, young man, but perhaps lonely, too.”

  “Kellie De Haven, are you aware, how very much I love you? Here I was all set to ask, even beg you to let me bring him home and you’re one step ahead of me. Though he might say no, and he does have a concussion. We’ll have to try and keep the girls down to a low roar, so as not to hurt him further.”

  “You leave everything to me. They’ll be as quiet as church mice. Well … mice wearing army boots, but they’ll be quiet enough. Especially if Santa is watching them. Tell Dan I insist, and he would hurt my feeling if he refuses. I’ll make up the guest room as soon as we hang up. And Bram De Haven, I love ya, too! You have arms of steel and the heart of a teddy bear.”

  Bram hung up and smiled. He loved his wife dearly. He sighed, now all he must do is convince Dan to stay with them for the next few days.

  Toronto General Hospital – ER Room Two

  When Bram entered the room, he thought Dan was asleep and startled when Dan said, “I thought you went home. You don’t need to stick around. I’m fine.”

  “Well, you might be fine, but I’m not. I need your help.”

  Dan raised his arm off his face and peered at Bram. “My help? Sure, what can I do?”

  “You can keep me out of hot water with Kellie. You see, I called her and told her about your situation.” He saw Dan’s eyes narrow, so he quickly continued. “Well … she insisted I bring you home. I’d love to have you, too. You can’t refuse, otherwise she’ll be mad at me. I don’t want her angry with me. So, what do you say? Will you help me out?”

  Dan stared dumbfounded. He not only came without a single justification, but now he invited him into his home—at Christmas, no less. Dan always wondered what Christmas would be like with a loving family. Bram was a devoted husband and father, he would do anything for his girls.

  Can I say yes? He genuinely desired to accept. Should I? What if I do something to screw up their Christmas? Working with Bram will be difficult … no, I better not risk it. Dan closed his eyes, lost in trying to make his decision.

  Bram perceived the internal struggle. The mask Dan wore seemed to slip a bit. For an instant, he glimpsed a little boy standing outside a candy shop watching as everyone else got a treat—knowing he couldn’t have one. It broke Bram’s heart.

  Standing, Bram concluded the decision was no longer Dan’s to make. He opened the door and flagged down Dr. Seaway. “Dan is staying with me and my family for the next few days.” He provided her with his contact details. “What else do we need to do to get this show on the road? We have Santa cookies to finish baking at home.”

  Mercedes Seaway smiled and went to write up discharge paperwork, a prescription for strong non-narcotic pain relievers, and to obtain a set of crutches. Before Dan could protest, Bram, Dr. Seaway, and Lakeshia all conspired to help him up and out the door, all sharing the same opinion, Dan shouldn’t spend Christmas alone in a hospital when his friend wanted him to come home with him.

  After Dan was settled in the front passenger seat, Bram got into the driver’s seat, put the car in gear, and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Dan remained tense as he leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes against the dizziness, and prayed he wouldn’t screw this up.

  Outside Bram’s Home

  As he turned off the ignition, Bram glanced over at Dan who fell asleep on the way. Bram hated to wake him, but that was the only way to move Dan inside unless Bram carried him. He didn’t think Dan would appreciate being carried. He opened the door and tugged his jacket closer. “Brrrr. Downright freezing tonight.”

  Dan running home in this weather boggled his mind. Jon was right, the rookie should buy a vehicle or at least take a bus part of the way home. But Bram could understand Dan’s point also, mass transit didn’t run on TRF schedules and jogging home would be faster.

  His thoughts shifted as he observed the light patches of snow on the ground and glanced up at the heavy clouds. Bram smiled recalling the excited hoots from his girls at the first snow flurry this year. If they were lucky, they would enjoy a white Christmas.

  Bram rounded the vehicle and pulled out the crutches and a small bag with pain relievers and discharge papers tucked inside from the rear seat. He closed the door and waved to Kellie who waited at their front door. She probably heard the car pull up.

  Opening the front passenger door, Bram put a hand on Dan’s shoulder and slightly shook him. “We’re here. Wake up so we can go inside.”

  Dan groggily opened his eyes. Blinking he tried to figure out his location. Oh, right, Bram’s car. How did we arrive so soon? It felt like he just closed his eyes. Dan couldn’t believe he fell asleep deeply enough that he didn’t realize they stopped and Bram now waited for him.

  Things like this didn’t happen to him. He always slept lightly. Sleeping soundly was too dangerous. He never dropped his guard enough to do that. It was not the concussion, heck with concussions he became even more vigilant. So, what happened? Bram spoke again interrupting his silent musing.

  “Hey, sleepyhead, let’s go you inside before we both freeze,” Bram said as he eyed Dan closely. His teammate appeared groggy and disoriented. The first time he ever saw
the rookie like this. Even when Dan catnapped on breaks, he would stir and open his eyes at the slightest sound or shift in someone’s position. Bram chalked this change up to Dan’s concussion.

  With Bram’s help, Dan managed to stand and retain enough balance to maneuver on the crutches. Bram stayed right beside him, ready to catch him if he lost his balance. The first step up onto the porch he over compensated and almost fell, but Bram grabbed him keeping him from face planting.

  “Thanks,” Dan murmured.

  “Anytime,” Bram responded kindly.

  Kellie opened the door and stood aside as Bram helped Dan over the threshold. The poor man appeared to be in pain and definitely green around the gills. Well versed with this look after caring for Bram when he was concussed, she knew the best thing would be to put Dan to bed with a small trashcan next to him. Kellie thought it was too bad Dan wouldn’t be enjoying his Christmas Eve. She hoped he felt better in the morning.

  Bram’s Home – Entryway

  Kellie closed the front door behind them. Bram gave her a heads-up at Dan’s reluctance to accept. Kellie had decided she was going to do all in her power to make the young man feel welcome. In deference to the headache Dan surely suffered, she quietly said, “Welcome to our home, Dan. We’re so glad you agreed to stay with us. I set up the guest room. Fresh sheets and all.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. Sorry to be intruding. I’ll just stay in the room. You won’t even know I’m here,” Dan said as he started to move forward. He halted when he realized he had no clue which way to go.

  Kellie’s heart broke with those few words. She schooled her features into a warm smile. “Nonsense. You’re not intruding. If you aren’t up to joining us, by all means, you may remain in your room. Otherwise, please join us. And by the way, call me Kellie. All my good friends do.”

  Dan stared at Bram’s wife. Bram was a lucky man to have such a caring woman. He tested the name. “Thanks, Kellie.” She smiled at him.