by Meris Lee
“Junior resident?” Mrs. Collins shook her head. “We need to talk to the attending. Do you know anything about this witchcraft that’s done to my Samuel?”
Elias could see the resident wanted to laugh but had to suppress it. “I don’t know anything about witchcraft, but I do know that miraculously, your son’s condition has improved so quickly we are going to try and take him off the ventilator and stop all the transfusions. And if his vitals remain stable, we’ll get him to a step-down unit by noon today.”
“What about the bleeding problem, and kidney failure?” said Elias.
“The nurse drew blood an hour ago, and all of his numbers looked great,” said the resident. “We repeated the test and made sure it was accurate. His latest chest X-ray looked good, too. So yup, it’s a miracle.”
Elias felt a tremendous sense of relief. Maybe it was coincidence, but maybe Nara’s magic had worked. She smiled and held the resident’s hand. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem,” said the resident. “I’m just asking you and your in-laws to be patient while the respiratory therapist and I prepare to take him off the vent.” The resident and the respiratory therapist disappeared into Sam’s room and shut the door.
“In-laws?” Victoria’s eyes squinted. “Have you been pretending to be Sam’s wife?”
“No,” said Elias, embarrassed. “The doctor must’ve just assumed because I was the first one here.”
“What is the nature of your relationship with my son?” asked Mrs. Collins. She had stopped weeping and now looked like a mother bear that just detected the presence of strangers near her cubs.
“We…” Elias couldn’t gather the courage to explain.
“Why don’t we go down to the cafeteria and grab a bite?” said Mr. Collins in a kind voice, tugging on Mrs. Collins’s arm.
Mrs. Collins seemed reluctant, but she eventually turned and walked away with her husband. “Come on, Victoria,” said Mr. Collins.
“I’ll be right there,” said Victoria. “I just need a moment.”
Mr. and Mrs. Collins disappeared around a corner, and Victoria turned to face Elias. “I want to apologize.”
“Apologize…” Elias was not expecting it.
Victoria continued. “You might think I’ve come to Alaska to win back Sam. You need not worry. At the moment, I’m madly in love with an international human rights law scholar from Japan, Dr. Fukushima. This is him.”
Victoria flashed her phone in front of Elias to show her a photo of Dr. Fukushima, wearing black-framed glasses and a smart suit. “That was at a fundraising gala,” said Victoria. “He gave the most impassioned speech, and I was floored.”
“Human rights?”
“I didn’t act when Sam’s brother was murdered, and I have felt terrible about it ever since. A few years ago, I started to represent families whose unarmed children were victims of excessive force. I came to be acquainted with people working in all sorts of human rights issues. And that led me to Dr. Fukushima. He’s so inspiring, and you’d never tell judging from his bookishness that he’s also very romantic.”
“Then why did you come to Alaska?”
“To see you, my dear,” said Victoria. “When Sam came back to Atlanta to help Gina with her passport, he mentioned your name a few times, and I had a hunch…”
Elias felt warm in her ears. What did Sam say about her in Atlanta?
“And it seems my hunch is right,” said Victoria. “I was just curious to see my childhood best friend’s girlfriend, that’s all.”
“I’m not his girlfriend…”
“What’s a label anyway?” Victoria chuckled. “You know and I know what you are to Sam. And I must say, you’re quite a woman. You’re obviously independent, strong-headed, not easily intimidated, and also, very beautiful, inside and out.”
Elias looked at Victoria, unsure how to respond to the string of compliments. It was rare to hear such things coming from someone as perfect as Victoria.
“Well, I’d better go down to the cafeteria, too.” Victoria walked away. “Take care.”
Elias appreciated Victoria’s candidness, and although she still felt somewhat inferior, she was now much more confident about her own worthiness. She had been on a quest to reach maturity and the true sense of adulthood. Perhaps she could say she had succeeded? She was still a little unsure, but there was a small celebratory voice within her, telling her yes, she did it!
Chapter Thirty-Three
A person proved to be more than a bunch of normal lab numbers on paper, thought Elias, when, after all sedatives were discontinued, Sam remained in a state where he barely opened his eyes to sound and did not follow any command. Once in a while, he moaned and even laughed, but none of it was purposeful, according to the doctors. When Elias held his hand, he seemed to be squeezing hers, but she was told it was only a reflex. It wasn’t a sign that Sam consciously felt her presence and wished to respond to her touch. Elias sank into an overwhelming despair.
“Is he going to recover completely, back to how he was before?” Mrs. Collins tearfully asked the surgical resident who was the chief communicator to the family.
The resident shook his head. “We don’t know. He could come out of this tonight, or it could be days, months…”
“Or never?” asked Mr. Collins, his voice shaken.
“The best thing to do now is to find him a skilled nursing facility,” said the resident. “Although some families have opted to take patients like Sam home.”
“No,” said Victoria. “He should go to a facility for expert care. Will the hospital help us look into it?”
“Already on it,” replied the resident. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”
The resident walked out of Sam’s room. Mrs. Collins sobbed as she bent to kiss Sam on the forehead. “Wake up, my son. Wake up,” said Mrs. Collins.
Sam’s eyes moved under his eyelids, but he did not open them. He seemed to be dreaming. His body jerked once, and then he was motionless again.
Mrs. Collins cried harder. Victoria shook her head and said, “This is not helpful. Let’s go and see what options we might have.”
“Victoria is right,” said Mr. Collins.
Mrs. Collins reluctantly stepped back from Sam. Elias was heartbroken herself. She wanted to say something to comfort Mrs. Collins, but she couldn’t think of anything. The Collinses and Elias established a visiting pattern without speaking about it, whereby she stayed up watching Sam at night, and they sat with Sam during the day when she would take naps on a chaise in the guest lounge. Sometimes they gathered together, like right now, to hear about Sam’s progress, but largely, they maintained a distance from each other.
Victoria smiled and hugged Elias before she ushered the Collinses out of the room. Once alone, Elias sat down on a chair next to Sam and held his hand. “It’s me, Elias.”
Elias reached to feel Sam’s face. She ran her finger over Sam’s eyebrow and down his cheek to his lips, then over his chin until she came to the whale teeth necklace still strung around his neck. “Wake up. Wake up, and kiss me, like this…”
Elias pressed her lips to his, tasting her own salty tears that filled the small space between them. “Wake up, and tease me again, fight with me, take me riding on your horse, and build me a fire in front of Mt. St. Elias. I’ll make your favorite space food, too. Sam…”
“Elias.”
Elias looked up. Andy and Katy were in front of her. “Hey,” said Elias, weakly.
“When’s the last time you ate?” asked Andy.
“Or slept?” asked Katy.
“I…” Elias muttered. “Sam…”
“Victoria told us,” said Katy. “We ran into her and Sam’s parents out in the hall.”
“This is all my fault,” said Andy, his face tense with remorse. “I should be the one lying here, not Sam.”
“Like Nara said, it’s fate,” replied Elias. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m glad to see you completely back to normal.”
“I booked a hotel room,” said Katy. “You need a good night’s sleep and a warm meal and, pardon my directness, a long, hot bath.”
Elias smiled bitterly. She looked back at Sam, uncertain about leaving him.
“He’ll still be here when you come back tomorrow,” said Katy. “The nurses will take care of him while you’re gone.”
Reluctantly, Elias stepped out of Sam’s room. She was wiping her tears when she saw Sergeant Wolfe approaching, holding something wrapped in a plastic bag.
“I said I would look in, but I got busy with work,” said Wolfe. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” said Katy.
“I brought smoked salmon.” Wolfe removed a container from the plastic bag. “Caught and smoked it myself.”
Kate took the container from him and promptly took a bite. “Yum. Try it, Elias.”
Elias did, and it was indeed tasty. She was surprised that the usually cold and punishing Wolfe had such culinary skills.
“Uh, Andy…” Wolfe muttered. “I want to say I’m sorry for putting you through hell…”
“I caved into a moment of weakness, and I am responsible for my actions,” said Andy. “You need not feel guilty. After all, I tried to kill you. So, we’re even, and I’m glad I didn’t kill you because I’d regret it so much right now.”
“Nevertheless, I feel I’m at least partially responsible for what happened,” said Wolfe. “How’s the ranger?”
“He’s off life support,” said Katy. “But he hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Some things take time,” said Wolfe. “I’ve heard people who woke up after being in a coma for weeks or months. Don’t worry.”
Elias was surprised at the kindness and warmth of Wolfe’s voice. She had not assumed he was capable of being decent. Then she remembered it was he who helped raise Katy. Wolfe could indeed be a comforting father figure.
“We’re taking Elias out to eat,” said Andy, looking at Wolfe. “Would you join us?”
Wolfe’s eyes enlarged and seemed surprised. Elias couldn’t fathom it, either. Wolfe had just days ago served foreclosure papers to Andy and aided O’Brien in closing a much-loathed land deal. Andy had also shot at Wolfe!
“Yes,” said Katy. “Come.”
“I promise I won’t try and murder you again,” said Andy, grinning. “And thank you for not arresting me for attempted murder.”
“Well,” Wolfe peered at Elias. “If it’s okay with Elias…”
After a moment of consideration, Elias muttered, “Of course. Why not?” She found it difficult to say no. Wolfe seemed genuinely remorseful, and if Andy could forgive him, she should at least try as well.
»»•««
The dinner took place in a touristy part of Anchorage. It was unexpectedly pleasant with Wolfe there. He and Andy talked about the different methods they used to clean and smoke salmon and took turns making fun of how overrated and overpriced the food in fancy city restaurants was.
“If my own kitchen were here I’d cook something,” said Wolfe.
“You cook?” asked Elias.
“I’m a bachelor,” said Wolfe, “and I don’t make enough money to eat out every night.”
“He does make a killer sauce for crab cakes,” commented Katy. “Sauvignon Blanc cream sauce with melted butter, um…”
“You make the crab cakes yourself?” asked Elias.
“Of course,” Katy said before Wolfe could respond. “With capers, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish.”
“You know my recipes so well, and yet, you’ve never made me anything,” said Wolfe, grinning.
“She’s never cooked for me, either,” said Andy.
“Well, Elias apparently shares the cooking talent,” said Katy.
Elias felt awkward at the mention of her having something in common with Wolfe. She was not entirely used to Wolfe being nice, yet.
“I want to thank you formally,” said Katy, raising her glass of wine to Wolfe. “We all know my mother’s a jerk, and you volunteered to take on the role of a father to me. You stuck around even when I disrespected you. You didn’t have to take care of me, but you did. I owe it to you.”
“Your mother’s not a jerk,” said Wolfe.
Elias was touched by it all. Seeing Wolfe standing by Katy reminded her of Helen. Helen didn’t have to stay and raise Elias, who could’ve been turned over to the state. Helen didn’t have to wait for Elias to come home from prison, either. Elias felt sick. She desperately wanted to go home to Helen now. She wanted to curl up next to Helen on the hammock on the porch, sipping iced sweet tea and snacking on pork rinds, watching the world go by.
But she couldn’t yet. Her heart was tied to Sam, and as long as Sam was locked in a minimally conscious state, she couldn’t leave his side. In her head, she said sorry to Helen and prayed she would see Helen again soon.
»»•««
Elias realized she indeed needed the one night in a nice hotel room. She soaked in the hot bath for a long time. The wound on her left arm had mostly healed, with a scab that was half peeling off on its own. She thought about that chaotic day at the potlatch. It still felt like an unreal nightmare. If only that was the case, and Sam was good and well. She was somewhat comforted by the fact Wolfe was no longer after her, and she could stay with Sam for as long as it took until his health returned.
After she dried off with a towel, she went straight to the plush king-size bed. Her mind quickly shut off when her head hit the pillow. She didn’t dream at all. When a ray of sunlight touched her skin, she awoke in the intensely warm glow of the day. She saw the clock from the corner of her eye. Eight o’clock. Elias got up and slipped into new clothes Katy bought for her and went to the hotel lobby to check out.
“Are you sure you won’t stay the night?” asked the hotel clerk.
“I just did,” said Elias.
“I meant, tonight. It’s past eight in the evening. It’ll get dark soon. Do you have other plans?”
“It’s past eight in the evening?”
“Yes, and your friend Katy said to let you sleep for as long as you need. She paid for tonight’s stay already.”
Elias couldn’t believe she was out for almost twenty-four hours. “I’ll come back later then, but I’m going out for a little bit.”
“Certainly,” said the hotel clerk.
Elias was cheerful. She hoped to find Sam in a better condition today. Perhaps he would be more awake and could recognize her, maybe even whisper her name.
When Elias arrived at the hospital, Katy and Andy were having a heated exchange with the nurse who had been taking care of Sam during night shifts. Elias suddenly had an ill feeling.
“Why weren’t we notified?” Andy yelled at the nurse.
“Again, I wasn’t here,” said the nurse. “And I thought you were all talking to each other.”
“What happened?” Elias, face tightening and tears welling up, rushed to Katy’s side. “What happened to Sam? Is he—”
Katy held Elias’s hands. “No, no, Elias. Calm down and breathe.”
“I can’t.” Elias felt faint, and her chest ached sharply.
“Sam’s just been transferred,” said Andy. “He’s not dead.”
Elias felt blood coming back to her head as she took a deep breath in and sighed. “Okay, okay. Where is he? The skilled nursing unit? I was told yesterday he could be going there.”
“He was transferred to a skilled nursing unit,” said the nurse.
“But not at this hospital,” Andy shouted. “How could you let them take him without calling us?”
The nurse clicked away at her keyboard while looking at the computer screen. “It says here the father found a facility in Atlanta, and the doctor there spoke to our doctor, who approved the transfer. The father signed all appropriate paperwork before the patient was loaded onto the air ambulance.”
“The father did?” said Katy. “Without asking Elias? Unbelievable.”
“The patient is not married, and hi
s next of kin is his parents.” The nurse looked at Elias. “The father didn’t have to consult with the patient’s girlfriend.”
Elias shook her head. She wasn’t angry with Sam’s parents, and she knew legally she had no right to interfere with Sam’s care. But she would’ve appreciated an opportunity to say a proper goodbye.
“I shouldn’t have left,” said Elias.
“Don’t blame yourself,” said Katy. “You needed the rest. Sam’s parents are just…I don’t know. I don’t have words for them. They think they can do whatever they want because they’re rich. They don’t care how it might hurt you.”
“They did leave a note for you.” The nurse handed Elias an envelope.
Elias opened it and saw Victoria had written her the message. She tried to contact Elias but didn’t know where she was. She didn’t have Katy’s or Andy’s phone number. She was sorry, but Mrs. Collins insisted on taking Sam home right away. She wrote down her contact information in Atlanta in case Elias would like to get in touch. She asked Elias to visit as soon as possible, and she would be happy to play host.
Elias wiped her tears. It was comforting to know Victoria was a friend after all. Visit Atlanta? Elias thought about Aunt Eloise back home. The day she announced she was going to Alaska, Aunt Eloise had suggested Atlanta instead. It was a nice, friendly city, with sights to see and things to do. She could go to Atlanta, and then she could see for herself what the draw of the city was for Aunt Eloise. She could go to Atlanta, and be with Sam…
If Sam’s mother let her.
“Well?” Katy peered at Elias.
“Victoria didn’t know how to contact us.” Elias folded the letter into her pocket. “It’s all good. Sam should be at a facility where his parents think best able to take care of him and help him recover. We don’t need to worry now.”
“Aren’t you mad?’ asked Katy.
“I’m not,” said Elias. “I’m sad I’m not with Sam, but it’s for the best. His family can take better care of him in Atlanta than we can here.”
Katy shook her head and kept silent. Andy pounded his fist on the wall and cursed quietly.