by Iris Bolling
Ashley grabbed her keys and called her mom from her cell.
“I’m on my way. The hospital just called,” Mama advised.
“Did they give you any information, Mama?”
“No, just that JD was in the trauma room.”
“What about Tracy?”
“Just that she was there. I don’t know if she was hurt.”
“Mama!” Ashley cried.
“Baby, don’t. Just pay attention to the road and get there safely.”
People were gathering around the emergency entrance at the hospital as the news coverage went out. Cameras and reporters crowded the area trying to get information. The media frenzy had started. JD regained consciousness for a few minutes and asked for Tracy. Tracy wiped her face and bent over him, taking his hand.
“Hey,” she said, gently smiling at him.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” She smiled through tears. “It’s you I’m worried about,” she said. “You told me the other day you would never leave me; don’t you go back on your word,” she cried.
JD smiled. “Never,” he replied, gazing at her. He closed his eyes; he lost consciousness again. She held on to his hand and kissed it as tears dropped from her eyes.
“We have to take him into X-ray now, Mrs. Harrison. I’ll be right out to tell you my findings.” Tracy stepped back as they took JD away. She watched until he was out of sight. Brian went with JD to X-ray.
Calvin hugged Tracy. “He’ll be okay; this is not going to get him.”
They walked out the trauma doors into chaos.
Officers began to push the media back to another area. Things were getting out of hand. The hospital administrator approached Gavin. Tracy and Calvin listened. “We are trying to get the area cleared for you. The governor’s office called, and asked that we make sure the family gets through this ordeal immediately. Mr. Roberts, I understand you have federal agents on this man. One is in X-ray with him; could you point out the others?” Dan identified the others.
Martha came through the doors. “Tracy?”
“Mama, I’m so glad you are here.”
Tracy reached out to her. She took her hands and tried to smile. “I talked to him for a brief moment.” She inhaled and continued. “He was shot through the back, I think. They did not see an exit wound so they believe the bullet is still lodged in him. They took him to X-ray to determine where it is so they can go in and remove it.”
Martha had been in Tracy’s spot before, with her husband James. She was very proud of Tracy’s composure, knowing that all Tracy wanted to do right now was break down and give in to the fear. But here Tracy was, very composed, explaining to her about her son’s condition. This is the woman JD needs beside him; she smiled encouragingly. “He’s going to be fine, baby, don’t you worry.”
“I’m so glad you are here.” Tracy hugged her then composed herself again, but never let go of her hand.
Ashley came in. She hugged Tracy and kissed her mama.
“He’s in X-ray,” Tracy said to Ashley.
Ashley saw the look of fear in Tracy’s eyes. That scared her to no end. She loved her brother and could not bear the though of losing him like she lost her father. Ashley looked to her mother for comfort.
Martha squeezed Ashley’s hand. “It’ll be okay,” she said.
“Mrs. Harrison,” the doctor called out. All three women looked up. He walked over to Tracy.
“This is his mother, Mrs. Harrison,” Tracy explained.
Turning to Martha, the doctor continued, “The bullet entered through his back right below the left shoulder blade.” Calvin, Gavin, Magna and Dan had gathered around. “The bullet is lodged against the back of the heart chamber. We have to remove it. We will need you to sign consent forms.” The nurse came up and handed the papers to Tracy. Tracy gave them to Martha.
“How long will the surgery take?” Tracy asked the doctor.
“It’s difficult to say, but I would estimate two hours at the most.”
“Doctor, what is your prognosis?” Gavin asked.
Looking at the women, the doctor lowered his head. “It could go either way.”
The administrator stopped the doctor and said something to him. The doctor looked up at the family, smiled, then disappeared behind the doors.
“I have a room ready for you all to wait in; that will be more comfortable,” the administrator offered.
“I’ll stay here,” Tracy replied.
“I’ll stay here, too,” Ashley said. Martha didn’t say anything. She went over to the wall and took a seat. Ashley sat beside her. Tracy couldn’t sit; she walked the corridor.
Gavin, Calvin, Magna and Dan were going over the events in the courtroom. Two of the shooters were killed instantly; the other was at another hospital being treated. About an hour later, James came through one of the entrances. He went to Ashley and hugged her. “Are you okay?”
“He’s in surgery,” she cried as her arms went around him.
“Shh,” James consoled. He brushed her hair away from her face. “JD’s going to be fine. Look at me. You can’t think anything else. He’s going to be fine.”
Ashley nodded her head and smiled. “I’m sorry. James, this is my mother, Martha Harrison.” James extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Harrison. I am truly sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
Martha smiled. “Thank you.”
James walked over to Tracy. “Tracy, how are you holding up? Are you okay?”
“No,” she smiled, “but I will be, just as soon as this is over.” She took a seat next to Martha in an effort to draw strength from her.
Pastor Smith came in to talk to the family. “He is a strong young man who has God in his heart; he will be fine,” Pastor Smith said. The pastor seemed so sure of his convictions that it actually put Tracy at ease. Tracy saw the doctor coming through the doors in his blue cap and coat. She stood up slowly; others joined her simultaneously.
“Who is Tracy?” the doctor asked.
“I am.” She stepped forward. Tracy began a silent prayer as the doctor spoke.
“We were able to remove the bullet. He is resting comfortably in the recovery room. He is not completely out of danger, but his full recovery looks good. He may have some difficulty with the left arm. But with physical therapy he should make a full recovery.”
Tracy breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay.” She hugged the doctor. “Thank you.”
“Can we see him?” Ashley asked.
“Well,” the doctor answered, looking around at the many people in the waiting area, “not all at one time.”
“Mama, you go first,” Tracy suggested.
“Hold on,” the doctor said, “my life was threatened in there. I was told by a very big man with a gun to get you in that room ASAP. So if you don’t mind, would you come first and then Mrs. Harrison.”
Tracy turned to Mama. “Go ahead, child, as long as I know he is alive I’m okay,” Mama replied.
Tracy did not want to leave Mama there to wonder. She looked at the doctor with sad eyes. He exhaled. “Okay, both of you can come; but just for a few minutes.”
The media’s interest in this incident created a need for a news conference. The administrator set up a media center near the emergency entrance. Gavin handled the first press conference while JD was still in surgery. The crowd had grown to an uncontainable size. Every community in the city was represented. In one way or another, JD or his dad had helped them all. Extra officers were called in to handle the crowd. Most of the officers volunteered out of respect for JD and his father.
The little information that was available was slow in coming, and not satisfying the crowd that had gathered. They wanted to hear from a member of the family about JD’s condition. Once his condition had stabilized, Ashley took over the press conference. She handled the crowd with tact and humor. Some of the crowd recognized who she was immediately. As she approached the podium, one or two reporters called out: “How
is your brother? Is he conscious?” “I will answer all of your questions in a moment. First, let me give you the latest medical information. Good evening,” she started, “I’m Ashley Harrison, Jeffrey Harrison’s sister.”
The questions started coming. Ashley listened, but did not respond to any until the crowd had calmed down a bit. “It warms my heart to see how many of you are concerned about JD’s well-being and I will be sure to relay your concerns to him. If you give me a moment I will try to answer all of your questions. JD is currently in the recovery room; he is not fully conscious; however, things are looking good for a full recovery. At this time, he is in guarded condition. Now, to answer one of your questions, JD is tough, always has been. It would take more than this to bring him down. Besides, he has to finish Mama’s backyard or she will kill him.” The crowd laughed a little. “Now I know you are all concerned about JD, and we thank you for that. But he lost a lot of blood. We are going to have to replenish the blood bank. If any of you could find the time and energy to donate a pint of blood, we would be eternally grateful. Now, I’m going back to my family and we will give another update as soon as we know more. Thank you.” Ashley said a few words to Gavin and Dan, then left the podium.
James watched the news conference in the waiting room along with, Calvin and Magna. He was very impressed with Ashley’s handling of the crowd. She calmed them, informed them and got them to donate blood, which made them feel helpful in some way. He was in awe.
Brian had been on his feet the whole time JD was in surgery. When Tracy and Martha came in to the recovery room, he went out to talk with his security staff to catch up on what had taken place in the interim. Brian had to debrief his superior on the events of the day. Everyone from the governor’s office to the press had questions on the security at the courthouse. They all wanted to know how guns got into the courtroom. Brian questioned that himself. Was it possible that Juan’s control reached that far? Was it an inside job? Shaking off the thought and confident that his friend was on the road to recovery, Brian could breathe and concentrate on taking steps to ensure this would never happen to JD again.
Chapter 24
Tracy sat beside JD’s bed for what seemed like hours and talked about things they had discussed privately as Martha listened and waited. “I am still not agreeing to twelve babies; that’s too many for me to handle while you are off in court somewhere. I think five children will be enough.”
Martha laughed. “JD with children; I can’t wait to see that day.”
Tracy smiled. “Not just children, Mama, he’s talking about twelve of them.” Then she exhaled. “It’s taking him so long to wake up.”
“Be patient, child,” Martha said, “God is doing His work.”
JD squeezed Tracy’s hand and she jumped up. “Jeffrey, do that again, please do that again.”
Martha stood next to her son’s bed just as JD opened his eyes. JD looked at his mom. “It’s about time you opened your eyes.” She smiled.
He turned and looked at Tracy; he squeezed her hand and firmly held it. She exhaled, with tears filling her eyes. “Hey,” she cried out, smiling with relief. She pushed the button to get the doctor to the room. Tracy bent down, kissed his cheek, and whispered, “I love you.” JD blinked, not able to respond.
The doctor came in. “Well, Mr. Harrison, it’s good to see you awake. I am sure you are wondering where you are by now,” the doctor continued while checking JD’s vitals. “You are doing very well considering all you have been through today. Now, if you ladies would excuse us, I need to examine him a little closer.”
Martha said, “Sure.”
As Tracy started to leave, JD held on to her, and his heart rate started to increase when she tried to pull away.
“Okay, Mr. Harrison, she can stay, calm down,” the doctor said.
Tracy held on to his hand tightly. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
The doctor finished his examination and told Tracy things looked good. “He is going to be in and out for the rest of the night. But by mid-morning he will be more aware of his surroundings. We will move him into a room then.”
“Doctor, thank you for everything,” Tracy said.
He smiled and said, “You are very welcome. I am a fan of Mr. Harrison’s. I like what he is trying to do with the city. He’s a good man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“You get some rest now,” the doctor said as he left the room.
Tracy took a moment to be alone with Jeffrey. “You scared me.”
He whispered something, but she didn’t hear him. She put her head down to his mouth.
“Twelve,” he whispered, “football team.”
She smiled, kissed his cheek. “Five—you have to settle for a basketball team.” He smiled and went back to sleep.
Tracy said a small prayer and left the room. Ashley jumped right up. “Can I go in now?”
“Yeah,” Tracy replied with a smile. “The doctor said he will be in and out for the rest of the night. He’s fallen back to sleep, but he will wake up again soon.” Ashley went into the room.
“Tracy, is there anything I can do for you?” James asked.
“I have a pretty bad headache. Some Tylenol would help.”
“Well, this is a hospital; that should be easy,” he smiled.
Tracy walked over to Brian, put her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. Brian hugged her and laid his chin on the top of her head. “Thank you for being there for him,” she said.
“Always,” Brian replied. “That’s a promise.”
He rubbed the back of her head. “There you go patting my head like I’m a dog again.” They both laughed.
Gavin asked Tracy if she would do the next press conference since Ashley was in with JD.
“I’ll try,” Tracy agreed, “but I don’t know how effective I would be.”
“The doctor will be there to handle any medical questions. Any other questions you can’t answer you can refer to me.”
Victoria called out to Tracy as they entered the press area. “Tracy, how is JD?”
Tracy smiled at Victoria and stepped up to the microphone. There was a crowd out there and it took her a moment to compose herself. Tracy did not like crowds. She exhaled, and then began.
“Good evening; I’m sorry, morning,” Tracy started, “my name is Tracy Washington. I am Jeffrey’s fiancée. Jeffrey has regained consciousness and we did get a chance to speak with him. He is doing remarkably well, thanks to Dr. Canter and the staff here at MCV. He will remain in intensive care tonight, just as a precaution. Then they will move him to another room tomorrow, if all goes well tonight.”
“Will Mr. Harrison continue on this case now?” a reporter yelled out.
Tracy looked down, then back up at the reporter with anger in her eyes. “Knowing Jeffrey like I do, I know this only pissed him off.” She turned to Gavin and asked, “Can I say that?” The crowd laughed. Gavin nodded his head and smiled.
Tracy turned back. “Jeffrey gave his word to the Blackwell community that he would see this case to the very end. Those of you out there who know Jeffrey know he is a man of his word. I am sure that the district attorney’s office and the attorney general’s office will continue in their efforts to assist Jeffrey and his staff with bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
Gavin smiled internally. She is giving everyone their due.
A number of reporters were yelling her name and a variety of questions at her. “Victoria,” Tracy called.
“Tracy, that’s a lot of blood on your blouse; are you okay?”
Tracy looked down. She hadn’t changed clothes. It all began to hit her. As tears began to fall, she turned to Gavin. He could see she could not continue. Tracy looked at Victoria. “I’m fine, thank you,” then stepped away from the podium. Gavin took over the press conference.
That scene was broadcast on every TV station across the state. The citizens’ love affair with JD and Tracy began that moment.
>
Al saw the news report and was very proud of his little sister but was afraid this news would reach other people who would cause her more heartache. He asked to make a phone call.
Carolyn saw it, and knew any chance of breaking them up just ended. But she also saw a chance for Gavin to increase his number of supporters if he announced while the news was good for the DA’s office.
Juan and his people saw the report and knew they had a more dangerous opponent in JD Harrison, now. They had to find a way to stop this man.
Chapter 25
A week later, JD was released from the hospital. Brian placed a 24-hour security detail on the house. One of the extra bedrooms was set up for Brian. For the first week, the house seemed to stay crowded all the time. Gavin came by to tell JD he was going to announce his bid for the governor’s office and his engagement to Carolyn. Once JD returned to the office, he would take over as the DA. This was fine with Tracy. It meant he would be safe in the office, handling the administrative and advising part of the job. JD agreed, with the condition, that he conclude the Cortez case and Gavin not announce until he returned to the office. Gavin agreed, which pissed Carolyn off. Polls showed the DA’s office had an 85 percent approval rating. Waiting could change that, but Gavin stuck to his agreement with JD.
Between Tracy, Ashley, Martha and Mrs. Langston, JD did not want for anything.
“If he wasn’t spoiled as hell before, he sure is now,” Ashley said one day when she was bringing a tray downstairs from JD’s room.
Martha was in the kitchen cooking dinner. “Leave your brother alone,” she said, “he’s been through a terrible ordeal.”
“I know that,” Ashley replied, “but the ordeal is over now and he is still acting like he’s dying.”
“I see you are still over here every day catering to him.”
“Well, that’s ’cause I love his big head,” Ashley said. Her cell rang. Recognizing the number, she responded, “Hey,” with a smile.
“How’s JD?” James asked.
“He’s doing fine; upstairs eating up all the attention he’s getting.”