Best of Intentions

by Michelle Cary

  Tori’s disapproving look told Tess she wasn’t through, but she nodded. “Okay, how about we talk about you working with Magnificent Mitch all week. How lucky are you?”

  Tess’s brow crease. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about Mitch Martin and all six feet two of his rock hard muscles. Did you know he works out for over an hour every day?”

  Tess picked up the lid to her water bottle and tapped it against the table. “Honestly, I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Then you must be the only nurse in the entire hospital who hasn’t. I swear, Tess, if I was the type of woman to have a one night stand, Mitch Martin would be on the top of my list.”

  Tess couldn’t help the laugh escaping her throat. Tori always talked a good game, but when it came right down to it, she was married to one man, God. “I can’t believe you even said that, isn’t thinking about having premarital sex some sort of sin too?”

  Tori wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Ha, ha. Very funny, but you really shouldn’t mock the Church, Tess. One day you’re time will come and wouldn’t you rather face your maker with a clean conscious than have to repent for your sins?”

  Now why had she steered the conversation down the religious path when she knew Tori’s passion for the church? “I’m sorry, Tori. I shouldn’t have belittled your beliefs. It’s just the way you were talking about Mitch that made me think you might have fallen back into your old ways.”

  While in her early teens, Tori had been raped by her mother’s boyfriend. The problem was her mother never believed her story, and after awhile Tori gave up trying to get anybody to listen to her. Instead she learned to use her body to get what she wanted and by the time she'd made it to high school, Tori had developed a reputation for being easy.

  It was after getting drunk and nearly being gang raped in college that Tori found God. Tess gave her friend credit for rising above her past and making a better life for herself. For many, the emotional damage would have been too great.

  Tori shook her head. “I was in a bad way back then. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to be used like that, and I will never go back. But I’m not above appreciating a good looking guy when I see one.”

  “Let’s not forget he’s a damn good nurse too.”

  Tori sipped her soda and nodded. “You’re right. He’s good at what he does, and he was a huge help earlier. It’s a shame his work was all for nothing.”

  Tess arched a brow. “Mitch said he helped out, but didn’t allude to much more. What exactly did he do?”

  “Well,” Tori sat up straighter in her chair and leaned forward. “He was in the storage closet directly across the hallway from the patient’s room, getting the equipment for Casey when he overheard the alarms go off. By the time we all made it to the room, Mitch was already giving the patient CPR.”

  Tori leaned back and for a moment seemed to ponder her words before picking up her drink. “It was a real shame, but I guess it was his time to go.”

  Tess’s mind churned with information. A picture of her earlier experience in the bathroom flashed through her brain and she realized the connection. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Mitch had been present during another death. Could he be the Angel of Death? She struggled to keep her thoughts from encroaching on her conversation while she conjured up a way to cut her time with Tori short. She hated that she had to keep Tori in the dark about the investigation, but she also knew the importance of finding the killer. For each worker inside the hospital who knew, it was one more person who could compromise the investigation. “I suppose,” she finally managed to reply.

  She needed to get to Eric and quick. “Well, I hate to cut our chat time short, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to head up to the doctor’s lounge and see if I can catch some zzz’s.”

  Tori frowned. “Why are you insistent on staying here when you have a perfectly good bed at home?” She held up her hand. “You know what? Never mind. I know your reasons, and I’m not interested in ending up in an argument with you.” She stood and picked up her purse from where it hung on the chair. “Try and get a good night’s sleep. I’m heading home.”

  Tess nodded. “I will.” She remained seated while Tori walk across the cafeteria and disappear out the doors, then scrambled for her cell phone. Grabbing her water with one hand, she rushed outside, flipped open her cell with the other and dialed Eric’s number.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey it’s me. Listen, we had another death today, and I have some interesting information for you. Meet me in the first floor doctor’s lounge.”

  Chapter Four

  Devin sat in the wheelchair next to Travis’s bed and did his best to ignore the pain in his chest. His ribs were hurting something fierce, but knowing the seriousness of Travis’s condition, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity for a last goodbye. It didn’t matter if there was a good possibility Travis couldn’t hear and wouldn’t understand him. He still needed to do this.

  He patted his hand along the top of the mattress until he encountered Travis’s fingers. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered as he choked back the lump in his throat. “I knew. I’d had a vision about the accident before it happened and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.” He squeezed Travis’s hand. “I don’t know if it would have made a difference, but if I had it to do over, I’d tell you.”

  His tears stung his eyes and Devin wiped his free hand across them, preventing any from falling. “We’re it you know.” He sucked in a deep breath and held it against the growing pain in his chest. “Cooper, Kyle and Chase are all gone. Ascension is no more.”

  More than anything, Devin wished he could see so he could look at Travis and take in the finality of the situation. Somehow, in his mind, it would make it easier to deal with. Instead, all he encountered was darkness. “I’ll never forget the friendship we have. You’ve been closer to me than even my own brother. Hell, Travis, I’ve told you things nobody else in the world knows and you’re going to take those secrets to the grave, aren’t you?”

  Tears welled a second time and when they broke free he didn’t bother to stop them. If people thought less of him because he openly wept for his best friend then it was their problem, not his. “You can’t leave, man. You’re all I have left. I need you here, not for the band’s sake, but for yours and mine. Please hang in there and get better.”

  “Devin?”

  The female voice coming from behind him sounded familiar, but it wasn’t Tess and the rest of the nursing staff addressed him as Mr. McFadden. “Yes?”

  He listened to the woman move next to him and her warm palm landed on his forearm. “It’s Amy. Do you remember me?”

  His lips twitched into a sad smile. “How could I forget Travis’s favorite little sister?”

  She laughed, but he could hear the sadness in her tone. “I wasn’t sure if you’d remember. I spoke to the nurses when I came in and they told me you’re blind right now, so I didn’t want to scare you when I walked up.”

  She always was the considerate one, constantly worrying about other people’s feelings. “I appreciate that.”

  “So, how are you doing?”

  Devin shrugged, then wished he hadn’t when pain radiated from his ribcage up through is shoulder. “I’m okay, I guess,” he said, a bit breathless. “I’m getting used to the being blind thing, but I’ll be much happier when my ribs are healed, and I can breathe without pain.” He felt weird complaining about his ailments when Travis lay unconscious next to him, but she had asked.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”

  Devin closed his eyes and steadied his nerves before recounting the events. “It all happened so fast. It was snowing badly and the road was slick. I think maybe we were cut off by a car because I remember the bus swerving. Then it hit the guardrail and the next thing I knew, we were being thrown around like rag dolls.”

  “I’m so sorry you guys had to go through that,” she replied.
“At least you survived to tell the tale.”

  “Travis is still here, Amy. Don’t discount him yet.”

  “Devin.” She slid her hand down his arm and wrapped her fingers over his. “Travis is gone already. The person laying here is merely a shell. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. The doctors have yet to find any brain activity. The only thing keeping him alive is the respirator.”

  Devin shook his head, not wanting to believe her. “Tessa said his brain’s still swollen. You have to give him time to heal, that’s all.”

  “You sound like my parents.” He could tell by the change in her tone, she was now crying. “As much as Abigail and I try to convince them to let him go, they refuse to pull the plug and won’t sign a do not resuscitate order.”

  “You can’t blame them for wanting to give him every chance. He’s their only boy, and they love him.” Devin absently wondered if it had been him in that position if his brother would have had trouble making the decision. As much as he wanted to be wrong, a nagging in the pit of his stomach told him, no. His brother probably wouldn’t think twice.

  “No, I suppose I can’t, but seeing him like this hurts everybody who loves him. None of us want him to die. Hell, Devin, he’s my big brother, my kiddo’s Uncle. We’ve been through so much together over the years, I can’t imagine how empty my life is going to feel without him in it, but even if he somehow managed to survive, the doctors say he’ll never wake up. What kind of life is that for him or for us?” She squeezed his hand. “I know how hard this is for you, but make your peace with him and say your goodbye’s while you have the chance, because eventually my parents will come around and put an end to this.”

  ****

  It was quiet, almost too quiet. Tess walked along the corridor, her shoes barely making a sound against the tile floor. She headed toward the intensive care unit, though for what reason she didn’t quite know. It was late and she was off shift, so why was she here?

  All around her people continued working, some nodded and smiled as she passed, others barely noticed her, yet she couldn’t hear anything they were saying. It was as if someone had muted the sound on a bad television show.

  As she moved to the edge of Travis’s bed, she scanned the room. Nurses scurried about, tending to the other patients in the unit. Once sure she was unnoticed, she moved to the side of the bed and reached into her pocket, where she removed a small vial and a needle.

  Tess studied the vial then began to fill the syringe, but something wasn’t right. The hands had long nails painted a bright red and her left hand was adorned with a strange looking ring on her middle finger. It almost appeared to be a fish, the symbol for Jesus synonymous with the Christian religion. Where had that come from? She didn’t own any jewelry like that.

  As the syringe filled, she barely caught the wording on the bottle before pocketing the empty container. Phenobarbital! Her hands moved forward and began to inject the liquid into the IV line. “No!” She screamed, but the sound dissipated, replaced by an eerie silence.

  Tess jerked awake and sat up straight. She blinked several times in an attempt to clear the fuzzy feeling from her head. What the hell had she seen? She was sure it was more than some random dream cooked up by an overly active imagination, but if it wasn’t simply a dream then what was it?

  She noted her shaky hands, paying close attention to the short unpainted nails at the tips of her fingers. The absence of the ring only served to confuse her more. Never would she do what the person in her dream had done, but what had the images meant, and if it wasn’t her then whose eyes had she been looking through?

  Code blue, ICU. Code blue ICU, the automated voice called over the loud speaker.

  Tess bolted from the sofa she’d been sleeping on, yanked open the lounge door and followed the doctors and crash cart down the corridor into the unit. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch, and had only intended to sit for a few minutes. Had her mistake allowed the unthinkable to happen?

  Her gaze darted in Devin’s direction, and she was relieved when she realized it wasn’t him they’d been called for, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw they were swarming Travis’s bed. Barely able to swallow the lump forming in her throat she watched while they worked to save Travis’s life. With each round of CPR, her own heart pumped faster, the sound growing louder in her ears. A silent prayer passed over her lips and she willed him to live, to defy the hand of death touching him.

  Much to her disappointment, all efforts to save Travis suddenly stopped and the doctor pronounced the time of death. Her legs gave out beneath her and the scene began to fade, tunneling into blackness as she crumpled to the ground.

  ****

  “Tess? Tess? Can you hear me?”

  Tess slowly opened her eyes. She scanned the room only to discover she was back in the doctor’s lounge. “What happened?” she asked and moved to sit up on the couch. Eric sidled up to her and slipped an arm around her waist as Doctor Green crouched in front of her. “You passed out.”

  She lifted her hand to her head as she mentally rid herself of the cobwebs in her brain. “Really? The last thing I remember was standing in ICU.”

  “How do you feel now?”

  Um…fine I guess. I’m a little groggy, and I have a bit of a headache.”

  “You’re not getting enough rest,” Eric argued.

  Oh, this was so not a conversation she wanted to have with him. “Eric, please.”

  “I mean it, Tess. You’ve been here for four days straight, either working or sitting by Devin’s bed. You’re so worried about him, but what about your own health?”

  “What are you doing here?” The question sounded harsh even to her ears, and she winced at the hurt expression claiming his features. She hadn’t meant to sound ungrateful for his concern.

  Eric nodded to the doctor. “Doctor Green called me. I’m still listed on your contacts form.”

  “Oh.” Tess made a mental note to change her contacts as soon as possible. Eric already doted on her more than she liked. The last thing she needed was the hospital staff thinking they were still a couple.

  “I’m going to drive you home and make sure you go to bed.”

  Tess tugged away from him and stood. “You will do no such thing. I never said I was going home.”

  Though he remained seated, Eric looked up at her, the anger evident in his eyes. “You’re being completely unreasonable. Have you looked in a mirror lately? You look like a damn raccoon with those big, dark circles under your eyes. You’re putting your own health in jeopardy for Devin’s and that has to stop right now.”

  Intent on rebutting his argument, Tess started to speak, but was interrupted by the doctor.

  “He’s right, you know. Your friend is moving to intermediate care later today. Actually, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. He’s making a remarkable recovery considering everything he’s been through. Now why don’t you let Detective Parker take you home? Take a couple of aspirin and nice hot bath, then get a good night sleep. You won’t do your friend or us any good if you’re not well.”

  Knowing she was out numbered, Tess glanced between Eric and Doctor Green and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Okay, you guy’s win. I’ll go home, but I want to talk to Devin first. He needs to be told about Travis, and I want to be the one to tell him.”

  Eric started to protest, but Doctor Green held up a hand to stop him. “I think it’s a fair compromise. Don’t be too long.”

  She agreed and turned to Eric. “I need to do this alone, so if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like for you to wait here, I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

  Eric frowned, but nodded.

  ****

  Devin could hear the footsteps coming toward his bed and knew it was Tess. Over the last few days, he’d figured out the gate of her walk and new the pattern by heart. Before she’d even said anything, he was reaching for her. “Are you okay? I overheard the doctor’s yell your name a few minutes ago. Somebody said you pa
ssed out.”

  She grasped his hand and squeezed. “I’m fine, so don’t you worry okay?”

  “I don’t believe you, Tessa. The tone in your voice is telling me a different story.” He didn’t want to be so forward with her, but he’d be damned if he was going to allow her to lie not only to him, but to herself.

  “Actually, I have something to tell you and it’s not good.”

  He could feel her presence hovering close to his head and hear her choppy breathing as she spoke. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Travis. He passed away a few minutes ago. I’m so very sorry, Devin.”

  Devin closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He wasn’t going to cry again, especially in front of her. She seemed vulnerable enough right now without him adding to her worries. “How?” he managed to ask.

  “They’re saying it was due to too much swelling on his brain.”

  “But you don’t believe them?”

  “I…I don’t know. Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “You know you can.”

  “Do you still have your visions?”

  He couldn’t help but wonder what his visions had to do with Travis dying or Tessa’s fainting spell. “I haven’t had any since I lost my eyesight, but yeah, up until the accident I was having them. Why?”

  A long silence fell between them before she spoke again. “Because I think I may have witnessed Travis’s murder.”

  His body jerked at the sound of her words, and he sucked in a sharp breath against the pain. Few people had the powers of precognition and even fewer knew how to interpret the visions. He couldn’t risk others overhearing their conversation. The rumors that could come from something like this could hurt them both. “Come close, and quietly tell me what you saw.”

  He listened to her lower the bed rail. The bed sank slightly under her weight as she sat down next to him.