by Bobby Akart
“I’m sorry,” she said apologetically. “This was never supposed to happen. At least, not like this.”
Blair jogged to her Prairie and took off down the gravel road, full throttle. She wanted to personally extract the information out of Frankie, but she suspected she’d have to stand in line.
*****
Cort was the first to arrive at the front porch of the hospital, followed closely by Ryan and then, Blair, who pulled the lever for the rear brakes of her four-wheeler, skidding to a stop and throwing gravel in all directions. The Rankin kids scrambled out of the way to avoid being hit.
Tyler was waiting for Cort, holding his hands up to stop his entry. “Cort, wait, you can’t go in there. The guy’s still unconscious.”
“I’ll wake him up!” Cort shot back.
“No, you can’t,” said Tyler. “Please calm down. I heard what happened, but you gotta let Angela do her best to keep him alive.”
Cort ignored Tyler’s request and tried to push past him. The much taller Cort was manhandling Tyler, causing the Rankin kids to cry for help. Blair jumped off her four-wheeler and ran to the front door, blocking Cort’s access. She drew her pistol and held it toward the ground, but in a way that Cort could see it.
“Out of my way, Blair!” Cort snarled.
“Trust me, I want to beat it out of him, too, Cort. But let’s talk to Angela first and see what we’re dealing with here.”
“C’mon, Cort, you gotta calm down,” plead Tyler, who was still wrestling with the distraught dad.
Suddenly, the door opened and Angela emerged from the building. The white lab coat given to her as the sole doctor of the Armageddon Hospital was drenched in blood. She was wearing a surgical mask and sterile gloves. Her appearance startled Cort, causing him to stop struggling against Tyler’s grasp.
Angela removed the mask and gloves and began to speak just as the rest of the group arrived. She paused, caught her breath, and waited for everyone to approach.
As she arrived out of breath, Meredith’s eyes grew wide at the amount of blood on Angela’s clothing. She began to weep but managed to ask, “Is he still alive?”
Angela took a deep breath and sighed.
Chapter 3
The Armageddon Hospital
The Haven
Angela glanced at her husband and then nodded towards their children. Tyler turned to Kaycee and J.C. “Kids, I need you to go inside for a moment, okay?”
“We’re fine out here,” replied Kaycee.
“No, I wanna see the bloody guy,” countered J.C.
Angela stood a little taller and placed her hands on her hips. “Both of you, inside. Now! And go into my office, close the door, and don’t touch anything. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” mumbled a dejected J.C. He and Kaycee slipped inside as Angela returned her attention to the group.
“What’s the story, Doc?” asked Alpha.
Angela grimaced before explaining Frankie’s condition. “Well, he’s still alive, but barely. It appears that he suffered another head trauma recently. A fair-sized gash on his forehead was treated with 3M Steri-Strips to close the wound. They weren’t sufficiently strong enough to withstand the additional beating he received.”
“What happened to him?” asked Alpha.
Blair replied, “He snuck up on the back of Haven House. There was a scuffle and he apparently hit his head on a rock. During the fight, Delta hit him in the side of the head with the butt end of his rifle.”
“A direct blow to the temple, I might add,” said Angela.
“This is all his fault!” groaned Meredith, who became emotional again. “He and his tramp wife. They’re the ones who brought this, this animal to our doorstep.”
“I’ll deal with them later,” growled Cort, who remained angry over his missing daughter.
“Hold on, guys,” Blair interrupted. “It was Ethan who attacked Frankie, preventing him from shooting Will.”
“Lucky him,” said Meredith sarcastically.
Blair stepped closer to Meredith. “Ethan is dead.”
“What?” Meredith asked.
“You heard me,” replied Blair. “Ethan was killed during the fight. Lots of people have lost loved ones today. After this, I’ve got to explain to three wives why their husbands are lying facedown in the Haven.”
“I didn’t know …” Meredith’s voice trailed off as a few remorseful tears flowed from her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Blair,” said Cort. He reached for his wife, who fell against his body. “Angela, please continue.”
Angela smiled. “Anyway, in a short period of time, Frankie had multiple blows to his head. While the last one, delivered by Delta’s rifle, wasn’t enough to kill him, it did knock him unconscious and close to being comatose.”
“He’s in a coma?” asked Ryan.
“Without the proper equipment, it’s impossible to provide an accurate diagnosis of his neurological state. A coma is a state of unconsciousness when a person cannot be wakened with touch, noise, or even a strong respiratory inhalant like ammonia inhalants. It’s different from sleep or even unconsciousness. Sometimes a body slips into a coma to aid its survival.”
“So you’re not sure if he’s in a coma?” asked Meredith.
“Initially, it was hard to tell because he was unresponsive. Without a PET scan, um, a positron emission tomography, it’s impossible to give you a definitive answer.”
Cort released his wife and stepped forward. He had calmed down and was speaking unemotionally. “Where is the closest place to get a PET scan?”
“Who knows at this point?” replied Ryan. “Before the news blackout, it appeared that most hospitals were overrun, and some were even shutting down in fear for their staff’s safety.”
“Well, there’s more,” interjected Angela. “I didn’t know what the situation was when I began to treat him.” She glanced over at Blair.
“Yeah, I kinda dumped him on her and left,” said Blair.
“Anyhow, I tried to save his life, which is what I do,” Angela continued. “Donna had some Ativan, a form of lorazepam—a common sedative. It was my only alternative to the barbiturates that are normally used. Because Frankie was unresponsive, I had to inject the sedative into his body. The first thing I did was reconstitute the Ativan by dissolving it in a calcium-free solution of glucose—”
Meredith interrupted her with a question. “If he was unconscious, or even in a coma, why did you need to sedate him?”
“Because the body’s best way to recover from a serious head trauma like Frankie endured is to be in a comatose state,” replied Angela. “I used the Ativan to medically induce a coma.”
“What?” asked Cort. “You intentionally put him into a coma?”
“That’s right,” replied Angela defensively. “It was the only way to save his life.”
“He deserves to die!” Meredith raised her voice, prompting Blair to step forward.
“Well, it’s a good thing he didn’t, right?”
Meredith sheepishly looked at the ground and fiddled with a few rocks at her feet. The group stood silently for a moment as they contemplated Angela’s treatment and Frankie’s condition.
“How long?” asked Cort.
Angela looked at the hopeful eyes of the group. She understood they all had mixed emotions. All of them couldn’t care less if Frankie Scallone lived or died. At this point, he was nothing more than a source of information. She also knew that the minute they had the location of Hannah, Frankie would be killed. The only question in her mind was who’d get the honor of doing it.
“Cort, it’s hard to tell. There are three stages of disordered consciousness, which includes coma, the vegetative state, and a minimally conscious state. At this point, his body is battling to survive, and the sedative-induced coma will hasten that recovery, odd as that might seem. If I take away the sedative, he might recover and enter a minimally conscious state. Then I’ll be able to see if he opens his eyes and is capable of respon
ding to basic commands.”
Ryan asked, “What are the ramifications of bringing him out of the artificial coma too soon?”
“At this point, the medically induced coma, coupled with keeping his body temperature reduced by positioning his gurney away from the fire and close to a partially cracked window, is preventing his brain from swelling. The coma reduces the energy requirements of the brain, which reduces the blood flow and pressure, thus allowing the brain to rest.”
Cort shook his head and Meredith became impatient. “Angela, please. How long will it take to bring him out of the coma so we can find out where my baby is?”
“Every patient is different. A quick withdrawal could have deadly consequences or possibly put him into a vegetative state. Under most circumstances, I would wean a patient off the sedative. Then I’d monitor the intracranial pressure and his seizure activity to decide if he should be placed back into a medically induced coma.”
Meredith began to cry again and buried her head in her husband’s chest. “No. No. No. This can’t be happening.” Her muffled voice could barely be heard by the group.
Cort comforted her but then matter-of-factly stated the bottom line. “He could die if she pushes him too hard. Then we’ll never know where Hannah is.”
Chapter 4
The Armageddon Hospital
The Haven
A solemn Cort and Meredith entered the hospital after promising not to disrupt Angela’s care of Frankie. They were now keenly aware that their daughter’s life might depend upon keeping the man alive.
The entire group entered, causing a sizable crowd in the space that already contained Tom Shelton, who was recovering from a gunshot wound; his wife, Donna, who periodically checked on all of the patients under their care; and several members of the Haven who’d received relatively minor injuries.
“Meredith, please, come take a seat and let us take care of your scrapes,” said Donna in a soothing voice. The two women had bonded since the moment they met. Under these unusual circumstances, they’d learned that they shared a common thread—both of their husbands had secretive, close relationships with George Trowbridge.
“Okay, thanks,” muttered Meredith as she found her way to a seat next to the wood-burning stove. As she sat down, she couldn’t take her eyes off Frankie, who was located at the far end of the room.
Cort helped his wife sit, and then he moved out of the way as Donna lovingly used fresh water to remove the dirt and debris from Meredith’s wounds. Angela knelt down to take a better look at Meredith’s knees and shins. Then she reached out to take her hands, injured when Meredith tried to break her fall.
“These aren’t serious, Donna,” started Angela. “There’s no need to use stronger cleansing solutions such as hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or rubbing alcohol. They might serve to irritate the wound. Cool, clean water should be fine for now.”
“She’s still bleeding a little around the knees,” Donna observed.
“Yes, I see.” Angela looked up to Meredith. “We’re going to apply some gauze on your knees. Can you hold it in place, applying firm, direct pressure?”
Meredith nodded.
Angela continued. “Meredith, I know you’re distracted, but I need you to concentrate on yourself for a moment. Don’t raise the gauze to check on your wounds because that could start the bleeding again. If you feel blood seeping through the dressing, just let us know. Okay?”
“I will, um, and thank you, Angela. You know, for explaining everything to me so calmly. I mean, I know I was rude out—”
Angela smiled and rubbed Meredith’s arm. “Are you kidding me? I’d be out of my mind if it were one of my kids. You’re a far better mom than I am.”
Meredith managed a smile. “I doubt that, but thanks.”
Angela turned her newest patient back over to Donna and approached the rest of the group, who were hovering over Frankie’s gurney.
“I thought I saw his eyes move,” said Cort as Angela approached them.
“Well, that’s a good thing; however, it’s not what you’re hoping for,” she began. “The good news is that eye fluttering, or movement, as you called it, means that the patient’s brain is still functioning. He’s most likely dreaming rather than reacting to external stimuli. It doesn’t mean that he’s about to wake up.”
“Let me guess, the next thing you’re about to tell us is that standing over him like this isn’t gonna bring him out of the coma, right?” asked Ryan.
“That’s right,” replied Angela with a wink.
Blair was the first to step away from Frankie’s gurney, and she wandered over to Tom, who was sitting upright in a chair next to a couple of other wounded security personnel.
“How are you guys doin’?” she asked.
“I’m the worst of the bunch,” replied Tom, who was older than the other two men combined.
“The doc said we can go back to our cabins soon,” one of the other men offered. “We’re ready, but I think she’s worried about infection.”
Blair smiled. “Here’s what I’ve learned about our Dr. Rankin. This is her domain, and it’s not a good idea to argue with her. I’d follow her orders.”
“Oh, yeah,” one of the men added. “She read us the riot act already. Heck, Tom had to argue with her just to get off the bed and sit with us.”
“How did you win the argument, Tom?” asked Blair.
Tom laughed and replied, “Oh, I made a promise to talk American history with J.C. He’s really a smart kid and it’s my pleasure to do it.”
Blair glanced over her shoulder and noticed two people approaching from the direction of Haven House. “All right, guys, get better.” She quickly turned and headed toward the front door unnoticed. She slipped onto the front porch into the cooling early evening air to confront the new arrivals—Will and Karen Hightower.
It only took a moment for Blair to realize the grieving parents had arrived at the hospital to exact their revenge on Frankie.
“Blair, is he still alive?” Delta demanded answers. “I wanna see the murdering son of a—”
Blair stood fast and held her hands up to force Delta to stop. “No, you can’t. At least not now. Please hear me out.”
“Why?” countered Karen. “He killed our son. He doesn’t deserve to be treated by a doctor.”
Blair had her hands full and backed up a couple of paces, instantly wishing she had one of the guys as backup. “It’s complicated. We need him.”
“Why?” asked Will aggressively.
“Hannah Cortland was kidnapped by the attackers, and Frankie is the key to finding her. Apparently he knows where their hideout is, or whatever.”
Delta stopped Karen’s progress toward the door. “Frankie? Why would he even be involved with people like this? And why would they kidnap Hannah?”
“There are a lot of unanswered questions, but all we know, for now, is that they are holding Hannah, and a note they sent to us via drone read that Frankie knows where to find her.”
“What do they want? Money?” asked Karen.
“Cort,” replied Blair. “Listen, like I said, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Angela has to keep him alive and bring him out of a coma so that we can get information from him.”
“Coma? Is that because I hit him?” asked Will.
“Look, seriously, you guys,” began Blair as she moved closer to them both. “There are two parents inside who are frightened for their little girl. You guys have lost a son and have a daughter who needs you. Please take her back to your cabin and hold her tight. She’s a precious child and needs you right now. Okay?”
Karen nodded and pulled at Delta’s arm. “Let’s go, Will. There’ll be time to deal with him later.”
Before they walked away, Blair asked one more question. “Listen, can you guys think of anyone Frankie might know around here? I mean, anywhere in North Carolina. A relative, friend, ex. Anyone?”
Delta responded, “We had a buddy on Philly SWAT who moved to Charlotte, but I
don’t know anything other than that. Well, wait. Maybe he got a job with the county. I’m not sure.”
“Got a name?” asked Blair.
“Yeah, Kenny Williams. That’s all I remember.”
They left and Blair breathed a sigh of relief. She’d defused another potential confrontation. The stress was beginning to get to her as well, and with so many unanswered questions, she really needed to take Ryan back to the house and sort it all out. She walked back inside to gather up Ryan and Alpha.
“Listen, guys, it’s getting crowded in here, and I just turned the Hightowers away, who were determined to deal with Frankie themselves. Let’s go outside, okay?”
The men followed her, and after discussing Angela’s treatment plan, Blair bottom-lined it. “If Angela moves too quickly, Frankie could die. If she doesn’t try, Hannah could die.”
“Wonderful,” added Ryan sarcastically. “All we can do is wait.”
Chapter 5
Haven House
The Haven
Alpha agreed that the waiting game was all they had at the moment. In the meantime, there was a lot of gunfire that had probably attracted the attention of the locals. He left the Smarts at the front of Haven House and went down to the front gate to make sure their security team remained on the lookout for law enforcement. He also suggested that Blair and Ryan prepare to meet with the families of the three residents who had died repelling the attack.
Ryan and Blair entered their home in a state of exhaustion. Intuitively, the princesses of the palace could tell that it was not playtime. They remained on the sofa, studying Ryan and Blair’s demeanor. The Roo, who was especially in tune to the Smarts’ state of mind, studied them both as first Ryan and then Blair flopped on the overstuffed sofa next to her. Her eyes followed them and attempted to read them. Somehow, she knew. She always knew.
Neither of them uttered a word as they both snuggled a pup. Their lives had changed dramatically since that fateful night when they’d won the lottery. All of their carefully thought-out plans had come to fruition. However, they were barely a week into the collapse of society, and they’d lost three of their own; plus a young girl had been kidnapped.