“So you’re telling me there was no waterfall?” Talia demanded.
The three men exchanged looks. “There was a waterfall,” Jiggly finally said.
“Where?” Talia saw the other two scowling at Jiggly.
“At the farthest part of the ball court away from where Keith fell through.” Jiggly pushed ahead. “We couldn’t find any way to break through, to get to him. So I got one of the big stone balls rolling with the little rubber one and smashed a way in. Down at that end, there was a waterfall, and it was plenty cold. We had to skirt a long way around it to get to where Keith was.”
“Is that part safe? Is it stable?” Talia asked.
The men looked at each other.
“What part of Keith could not have seen, heard, or felt a cold wind from that waterfall do you not understand?” Jiggly asked.
“Or perhaps you didn’t hear that Jiggly smashed us a way in with a multi-ton stone ball,” David added.
“Listen to me very carefully,” Talia said. “We are all tired. But my husband has been fighting to tell us that there are tablets under a waterfall under that ball court. He is fighting so hard to make sure those tablets get found, it could kill him.”
Talia paused to take a breath and calm herself down. “We all need rest. You three especially need rest, since you worked yourselves past exhaustion already today. Keith has promised me he will get some too. Will you get some sleep, and then, David and Jiggly, will you please go back there and at least try to see if we might get a team down there to look for those tablets under that waterfall?”
Jiggly glanced up sideways at David. “It’s a long walk,” he said.
David threw up his hands. “Of course. Of course we’ll try it.”
“Tomorrow,” Cindee added.
“Yes. Tomorrow. Of course,” Talia said.
Talia sat in the waiting area to call Keith’s father, and also spoke to Grandmother Bradley. She wished she could reassure them, or herself, but they simply thanked her and said they would pray, and to let them know about any change. She checked Keith’s phone and found a number for Dan.
“Hey, baby bro, what’s the occasion?” Dan’s voice asked.
“Dan, this is Talia,” she said.
“Oh. Hey, Mossad Mama. Why you callin’ me on Keith’s phone? Wait … it’s because somethin’ bad happened to him, right? I knew it.”
“You knew it?” Talia’s illusions about family empathy shattered with Dan’s next words.
“I knew being messed up with you people was gonna get him hurt. My dad told me what happened to him ‘cause of the school and that class. Now you got my brother hurt too, didn’t you? What the – is wrong with you?” He spewed profanity into the phone and Talia held it away from her ear until there was silence.
“I’m going to hang up now,” Talia said, shaking. “You can call your father if you want to know more about Keith.” She pushed end. Two seconds later it rang and she saw Dan’s name as the caller. She rejected the call. It rang again and she rejected it again. She waited a few minutes and rose to go back into Keith’s room when it rang again.
“I can’t listen to any more of those words,” she said, and started to end the call.
“Wait! Talia! I’m sorry,” Dan’s voice said to the air.
Talia put the phone back to her ear.
“Tell me about Keith.”
Talia communicated what the doctor had said, but left out the part of Keith’s anxiety over seeing tablets. She realized how little there was to tell even more forcefully than she had when talking to her father-in-law.
“That’s it?” Dan asked, his voice communicating that his temper was rising again. “Is he gonna be paralyzed? In a wheelchair? Poopin’ into a bag? What? Do you know anything for sure?”
“They have to wait for some of the swelling to go down …” Talia faltered.
“Oh.” Dan’s voice actually went soft. “Okay. I can see that. Had a buddy got smashed up, and they said that about him, and he made it through okay. Sorry.” Dan paused. “Should I try to get there? Is he gonna … He is gonna make it, right?”
Talia started to cry. She couldn’t say anything for some time. When she got control of herself, she saw that the phone was still connected. “Dan? Are you still there?”
“Yeah. Still here. Tell me what I said wrong this time.”
“It wasn’t you. I’m sorry. Keith … he had no pulse and wasn’t breathing when they found him. One of our friends gave him mouth-to-mouth all the way in, and they revived him here at the hospital.”
“I’m gonna try to get there,” Dan said. “He’ll be there awhile, right?”
“As far as I know, yes.”
“Keep me posted. Thanks for calling. I was out of line, like I always am with you. Sorry.”
Dan hung up and Talia shuffled back into Keith’s room. She bundled up in a blanket in the vinyl armchair beside his bed. She woke up every time he stirred, and every time people came in to check on him, every time a monitor beeped or a door clicked, besides the fact that it was an armchair, not a bed or even a recliner. As gray light began to show through the blinds, a nurse aide entered the room.
“Someone is waiting outside to talk to you, Señora,” he said to Talia. “And we need to get Señor Bradley cleaned up for the day, so if it’s okay …?”
Talia dragged herself out into the hallway, still wrapped up in the blanket. Drew Summers took one look at her and pulled her over to sit on a vinyl couch in the waiting area.
“I won’t ask how you’re holding up, because that would mean I’m blind and stupid,” he said. “So I guess I’ll just cut to the chase. Anne had the idea to set up the little drama you saw enacted in the village, and we had to make it look real. Angel knew the plan about two seconds before he came to the cafe. He shot at her, and she shot back. They both fell. Angel’s wound was superficial, and he’ll be fine. But Anne’s … He nicked her brachial artery. … Anne coded. She coded three times. Nobody knows why she’s alive and walking around … except God.”
“And you were back up there in front of God’s throne, on your knees again,” Talia said with a tiny smile.
“Yeah. Angel said he got spooked because his mother, who was not in on the plan, got so spooked. We wanted a natural reaction from all of you, but … wow. Anyway, that was all there was to it. But it sure enough solved the problem we had about how to get him free of the cartel.
“Everybody in town saw the shooting and the two of them lying there. Everybody saw all the blood. I saw the crime scene photos. There was a lot of blood, especially from Anne. There isn’t a soul in Mexico who hasn’t heard that Angel died in a shootout with some loose cannon Gringa rent-a-cop.”
“I’m so glad for Eva,” Talia whispered. “And I’m so glad Anne is okay. But what made Jenny Kaine go to Anne’s room? I heard at the desk that she was looking for an American admitted for emergency surgery … Did she come after Keith? What was she going to do to him?”
“I got a tip that somebody was looking for a seriously injured, hospitalized American,” Drew answered. “We suspected someone was going on very little information but hopeful of causing you two trouble. I set up a trap at the desk to catch anybody getting nosy by sending them to Anne’s room.
“That way nobody had to lie, because that was a real, seriously injured American in there. I honestly did not expect Jenny Kaine to show up in person. When I saw her I had to back off and let the others handle it, in case she might recognize me and find out for sure you two were here.”
“How could you make Anne be the bait, especially after what happened with Angel? You just let Jenny Kaine walk into her room!”
“Except that there were five guys camped out in there with her,” Drew said. “And she is still my employee, and still Naddy’s, to take the risks if necessary to minimize them for you people.”
Talia slowed her breathing down. “So Jenny Kaine’s in jail right? Does that mean we’re safe now?”
“No, and no. Th
e Mexican police showed up just as the guys started to search her, and made them stop. They found a hypodermic needle in her purse but the cops took that and nobody will divulge what, if anything, was in it.
“I don’t think they even investigated. She no doubt pulled that helpless pretty newbie reporter crap on them, because all they did was tell her she had twenty-four hours to leave Mexico. They aren’t even checking to see if she really did, but, of course, they checked to make sure my people had no idea where she went from the Policia Headquarters.”
Talia sagged.
Drew patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Anne and I are both sorry. All you kids have gone through, and this stuff just keeps coming. I’m going with the guys, back to the ball court. Between all this corundum audio/visual stuff, and the giant moving balls, and just plain divine intervention, I know Keith saw something. You folks have made a believer out of me.”
“Good,” Talia said, bent forward, and kissed his cheek. “Pass that on to Anne for me, will you? Thank her for taking those risks for us. I’m so grateful.”
Chapter Ninety-one – Lost and Found
“Hey,” Keith whispered when Talia dragged herself back into his room. “You look so beautiful.”
“It must be the drugs,” Talia replied, kissing him on the forehead. She curled up in the armchair with the blanket tight around her.
“Don’t … make me laugh,” Keith said, grimacing. “You should … go find a real bed. Be here … when you get back.”
Talia wanted to ask him Do you know you had no pulse? Do you know you weren’t breathing? And I wasn’t there? I couldn’t get there? “I’m not going anywhere,” she replied.
“Joana,” Keith said.
“Yes?” Talia leaned forward.
“Before she lost her voice … she coded. We thought … she was dead. When we got her back … long time later … after she learned to use … voice synthesizer … she asked me … ‘Want to know what it was like to die?’”
Talia caught her breath. “What did she say?”
“She said …” Keith paused a long time. He looked up at the ceiling, and Talia could see pain in his eyes, physical … and more. A couple of tears leaked out, and Talia jumped up to wipe them away.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said.
“Naw … Just … hard. … Joana said, ‘I saw the light. … I went into … the bright tunnel. I heard … the voice saying, ‘Joana, you big faker. … Wake up.’”
“What?” Talia was so tired she started to giggle.
“Yeah. … She said …. nothing happened. She could … hear everybody … but she couldn’t move or … open her eyes. The lights … that was … surgery, she thought, and the voice was … her own, tough-talking herself. We couldn’t convince her … she was dead … thirteen … minutes.”
“That sounds so much like Joana.” Talia couldn’t stop giggling.
“Was I dead?” Keith asked.
Talia choked and went silent.
“I was, wasn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“I’m not sure. They said when they found you there was no pulse … no heartbeat. You were so … broken … they didn’t know what to do but get you to the hospital as fast as possible.”
“C’mon, that was … too long. No … way.”
“I know. I know. Jiggly said he did mouth-to-mouth all the way… but …”
“Oh, that’s what it was?”
“You remember that happening?”
“Remember … everything … sort of … Hurt so bad! All that weight … then … hurt worse … when the … weight came off … getting pulled out … jerking around … Man!”
Keith just breathed for a few minutes. “Kept trying to tell them … get the tablets … get them … they didn’t listen … I thought … somebody … covered up my mouth … talking hurt too much anyway … Everything hurt. It never let up. Never … for a second.”
“How about now?” Talia didn’t want to ask, but she had to.
“Good drugs … I guess,” Keith said with a crooked smile. “Guess Jiggly got even for … you taking care of him … in Pakistan, huh? Had to be … him breathing for me … that made the difference. So when … get out? … Don’t I even … have any casts …? Thought most everything … broken.”
“They said there was too much swelling, and you have to have more surgery. A lot more, and therapy. I’m not sure yet what they’ll still need to do. But they said I had to get you calmed down first.”
“Calmed down?”
“About the tablets behind the waterfall under the ball court. The doctor said you wouldn’t relax … that you needed to get a message across first.”
“Oh … tablets … You believe … saw them, right?”
“Yes. The guys said there is a waterfall, and they are going back today. Drew said he’s going too. We made a believer of him.”
“That’s good. So … need to get the doc … get started on … whatever. Otherwise Dr. Ewing’ll … be down here … telling me … get busy.”
“Keith, even Dr. Ewing would understand if you take a breather, under the circumstances. I’m not even sure you should be doing all this talking. It sounds like it’s wearing you out.”
“Feels good … like exercise. Just … so slow.”
“Nobody’s in a rush here.”
Another aide came in shortly to announce visitors and said the doctor had cleared them to see Keith for a brief stay, but added that only one person could come in at a time. Talia went out into the hall and found Naddy, Sophie, David, Cindee, Drew, and Jiggly all waiting.
“Let’s all pray together first,” David suggested. “And then we’ll take turns praying with Keith.”
Everyone nodded agreement, and everyone took a turn at praying in the group, spontaneously, holding hands, standing in the hallway. David rested one hand against Keith’s door and Talia did the same as they stood next to each other.
Talia felt like Cindee, Sophie, and Naddy were taking turns holding her up while the visits with Keith were going on. She knew she would have to take his advice and find a bed soon.
When Jiggly came out, the last person to see Keith, Talia saw him stuff a small vial into his pocket.
“Is that oil? Did you anoint him, Jiggly?”
He turned red and bashful. “Yeah. I had to make a donation at the Catholic church down the street to get it … It was the only thing I could think of to do. I mean, holy and blessed is what we need, right?”
“Thank you.” Talia hugged him.
“We’re going to get going now,” Drew said.
“We’ll be praying. Do not do anything dangerous!” Talia ordered.
“You mean like walk on bricks or lean against a wall?” Drew scoffed. “Sorry. Yeah. We’ll be careful, but I want to be in on this. I think it’s going to be a big deal.”
“What about –?” Talia bit her lip.
Drew hesitated and then smiled. “Anne’s being released today. She volunteered for the protection detail with Eva and Angel as soon as she’s completely recovered. They’ll be in hiding until everybody forgets to question whether he’s dead or not.”
“Wait a minute …” Jiggly said.
“Anne is alive?” Cindee swatted David on the arm. “Did you know?”
“Not until I talked to Drew that night,” David replied. “It was the earwigs. It had to be her idea … her op. And that was when I made him tell me why he wasn’t a puddle of goo like I would be if it was you. But I work under a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement, Luna. You know that. I won’t lie to you, but there are things I won’t tell you.”
Doctor Alvarez came to speak to Talia and Keith shortly after the searchers left. He talked about swelling, potential spinal injury, the number of breaks they could be sure about, internal organs.
Keith’s eyes slid closed and Talia’s head swam. After the doctor left, she walked out into the hall in a daze. It was too much to take in. Suddenly she knew
she had to make another phone call.
“I’ve been waiting to hear from you,” Dr. Ewing said, crisp as frosty fall leaves. “I didn’t want to overstep this time and cause trouble. The hospital is adequate and the personnel competent, so I hoped for the best.”
“Please, Dr. Ewing. I need help to understand all the things the doctor is saying, and to make the right decisions,” Talia said. “I thought maybe God would just heal him and –”
“And save you the trouble?” Talia could have sworn Dr. Ewing was smiling. “I pray all the time that God will save me the trouble. He does what He does according to His will, not mine. Give me the doctor’s name and I will call the hospital. You are authorizing me to be your advocate? They’ll need a lot of forms signed. I can’t come down there right now. One of the female administrators who was attacked at the prison is not likely to live, but her family is here at the campground, begging me to do what I can to make her comfortable.”
“I’m so sorry,” Talia said. “I didn’t know about that.”
“Nothing you can do,” Dr. Ewing said. “But I can, and will, do what I can for Keith from here. I’ll be in touch.”
Talia signed paperwork all the rest of the day while Keith slept fitfully. Dr. Alvarez said they would attempt surgery again in three days if nothing interfered. She made one last effort to bend and kiss Keith’s forehead with lips that wouldn’t stop shaking and saw the faded shine of Jiggly’s crooked oil cross.
“Need … some socks,” Keith whispered.
“What?” Talia asked.
“When I … get up,” he said. “Go get … rest. Need to … keep up …”
Talia kissed him again, wiped a tear off his forehead, and went to the door. An aide entered with something wrapped in plastic.
“What’s this?” Talia asked as she took the package.
“We give them to all the patients, Señora,” the young woman said. “They have rubber grippers on the soles so they don’t slip when they walk –” she glanced at Keith and her color changed. “They told me to bring them. I mean – they’ll keep his feet warm, anyway. Lo siento, Señora. I am sorry. They told me to bring them.”
The Great Thirst Boxed Set Page 56