An August Harvest

by Ben Marney

  Grant grinned. “Annabelle told me all about you. I’m Grant Nash, her boss.”

  29

  Anastasia

  When Marshall and Brenda walked into the waiting room, they were not smiling.

  Grant jumped up out of his seat. “How are they?” he asked.

  Marshall gave him a strained look. His eyes were squinted and his forehead was wrinkled. “Are Annabelle’s parents here?”

  Albert and Sue stood, holding on to each other. “We’re Annabelle’s parents,” they said guardedly.

  “I’m Doctor Marshall Taylor and this is Doctor Brenda Reed. We’re friends of Grant’s. I just saw your daughter and had a long talk with her attending physician. She’s stable at the moment, but classified in grave condition.”

  “Yes,” Albert said, “That’s what they told us before. What exactly does that mean, Doctor? How serious is it?”

  “She was shot twice, in her arm and in her chest. She lost almost 40% of her blood volume before the EMT team could begin a transfusion between her and Melissa.”

  Sue looked up at Grant. “Your Melissa?”

  He nodded yes.

  “So Grant’s Melissa saved her life?”

  “Yes,” Marshall said, “but the transfusion with Melissa’s blood may have caused other problems.”

  Grant took a step closer to him. “What kind of problems?”

  Marshall looked him in the eyes. “Melissa’s liver is failing. There are traces of Isoniazid in her blood and puncture wounds in her arms, obvious signs that Jerry had her hooked up to an IV. I guess stopping her anti-rejection medication wasn’t working fast enough for him, so he went back to his old tricks to finish the job.”

  Sue and Albert looked at each other, confused. “We don’t understand. Please, Doctor, tell us what’s wrong with Annabelle.”

  Drake walked up and stood behind Sue and Albert, towering over them. “Is she going to die?” he asked with a quivering voice.

  “I can’t answer that,” Marshall said. “we won’t know for a while, but she’s young and strong.”

  “I don’t get it,” Grant said. “How could Melissa’s blood be causing more problems? It was the same type, right?”

  “Yes, amazingly they both have AB negative, but because Melissa’s liver hasn’t been functioning correctly for some time...” he paused and thought for a second. “It’s difficult to explain in laymen’s terms, but I’ll try.

  “The liver does many things for the body. With the help of Vitamin K, it produces proteins that are important in helping the blood to clot. It’s also one of the organs that breaks down old or damaged blood cells. The liver plays a central role in all metabolic processes. It converts the nutrients in our diets into substances that the body can use, stores these substances, and supplies cells with them when needed. It also takes up toxic elements and converts them into harmless substances and makes sure they are released from the body.

  “The liver also plays an important role in the metabolism of proteins: liver cells change amino acids in foods so that they can be used to produce energy, or make carbohydrates or fats. A toxic substance called ammonia is a by-product of this process. The liver cells convert ammonia to a much less toxic substance called urea, which is released into the blood. Urea is then transported to the kidneys and passes out of the body in urine.”

  Grant held up his hands, frustrated. “English, please.”

  Marshall sighed. “I told you this is hard to explain. Okay, think about the liver as a filter that cleans the blood removing poisons. All of you have heard about ammonia. You’ve probably all used it to clean your kitchen or bathrooms. It’s extremely poisonous. All of our bodies produce it, but the liver filters most of it out of our blood to non-toxic levels when it’s working right. But if the liver is damaged and isn’t filtering out the ammonia, it can cause severe damage to other vital organs in your body. And it doesn’t take very long to do that damage.”

  “So you’re saying that Melissa’s blood they put into Annabelle had toxic levels of ammonia?” Sue asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” he said with a grim expression. “It was a double-edged sword. Without Melissa’s blood, she would have certainly died, but because of it...”

  “It may kill her as a result of it,” Grant finished his sentence. “Is there any way to save her?”

  “The second they discovered it, they began a complete exchange transfusion. That’s what they’re doing now, replacing the toxic blood with new clean donor plasma. It’s a slow process that can take up to four hours to complete. Unfortunately, the longer the toxic blood remains in her body, the more damage is done.”

  Marshall ran his hands through his hair, took a deep breath and looked at Drake. “That’s why I can’t answer your question if she will survive. Until the exchange transfusion is complete, we won’t know the extent of what damage, if any, has been done to her other vital organs.” He looked down at Sue and Albert. “All we can do now is wait and pray.”

  Drake put his arms around Sue and Albert’s shoulders. “If you need me, I’ll be in the chapel,” he said, walking away.

  Without saying a word, Albert reached down and took Sue’s hand. Together, walking hand in hand, they walked away, following Drake to the chapel.

  When they were gone, Grant looked up at Marshall. His face was blank, expressionless. “How long does Melissa have?”

  Marshall shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t know how she’s alive now. I just checked her vitals and somehow, they’re not all that bad, considering her liver is only functioning at about 20%. Miraculously, she is stable for now. But being realistic, I doubt if she’ll survive more than a few more days”

  “Can you take me back to see them?”

  “They’re not conscious, they won’t know you’re there.”

  “I don’t care,” Grant said. “I need to see them.”

  They made Grant put on a sterile surgical gown, mask, cap and gloves before they led him back to Melissa’s bed. In the months since Jerry had kidnapped her, she had lost a lot of weight. Looking down at her frail, skeletal body, he barely recognized her. Her thin arms and bony arms, that only a few months earlier were healthy, shiny, toned and golden brown, were now dull and greenish yellow. He could see dark blue veins through her almost translucent skin running down her arms and on her hands. Her eyes were closed, almost hidden behind the large mouthpiece of the respirator that was taped to her face.

  Grant stood there silently beside her bed, taking it all in. He looked at the multiple video monitors that were mounted on the back wall behind her bed, watching the line on the screens jump, marking her heartbeat. He stared at the screens for a long time. Finally, he took her hand in his and squeezed. Instantly, his heart skipped and began to race, and he felt the familiar cold chill race through his body. The inexplicable shocking sensations were still there and felt just as strong then as they had the first time he had touched her, almost a year ago.

  “Did you feel that?” he whispered. “I sure did.” Tears were dripping off his chin, soaking the bed sheet under him.

  He leaned over the bed and gently kissed her cheek. “Melissa, I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but I hope you can. I wanted to tell you that Molly is okay. She’s with Connie and Wilson, and they tell me that she is doing well. Brenda and Marshall are here, too. Brenda is going to go see Molly today and talk to her. And Brenda promised me that she would find the best child psychologist in Florida to help her get over all of this. She’s gonna be fine, don’t worry. I promise I’ll take care of her and make sure she grows up to have a happy life.”

  His voice cracked, slurring his words through his tears. He leaned back and wiped his eyes, fighting back his emotions. “I hope you know that you saved Annabelle’s life. I met her parents...you would like them. Annabelle is the image of her mother. I’m sure they would want me to thank you for them. I’ll be sure to tell them I did.

  “Poor Charley is hurt and I don’t think he’s going to
make it. I’m going to go see him tonight...to say goodbye. I’m sure gonna miss arguing with him.”

  He squeezed her hand tightly. “Do you know how much I love you? Did I say that enough? I hope so, because I do. Before I met you, I was lost. After Rita, I never thought I could fall in love again. I didn’t believe there was any room left in my heart to love someone else the way I loved her, but then I met you and I instantly knew that I was wrong. I’ve loved you since that first touch. I hope you know that.”

  The curtain was pulled back and Brenda walked up to the bed. “Annabelle just opened her eyes,” she whispered. “Tell her that.”

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Did you hear that? Annabelle is awake.” He kissed her on the forehead and said, “I love you,” and walked away.

  When he pulled back the curtain surrounding Annabelle’s bed, he was shocked to see her smiling up at him. “Well, hello there. How are you feeling?”

  She opened her mouth and said something, but it was so soft he couldn’t hear her it. He leaned down closer. “I couldn’t hear you. What did you say?”

  She took a breath, licked her lips and forced out the word. “Melissa?”

  He forced a smile. “She’s two doors down. She’s stable.”

  “That’s good,” she whispered.

  “I met your parents. You look just like your mother.”

  Her face lit up. “They’re here? Can I see them?”

  Grant smiled. “I think we can arrange that. There’s someone else here, too. Someone I think you’d like to see.”

  “Who is that?”

  Grant grinned down at her. “I think I’ll let that be a surprise.”

  On his way out of the ICU, Grant passed Marshall, who was leading Annabelle’s parents to her bed. Their faces were glowing.

  Grant looked around the waiting room, but didn’t see the Marine. He walked down the hallway to the chapel and then to the cafeteria, but he wasn’t there.

  He ran back to the waiting room to the reception desk, “Have you seen a soldier, a Marine?”

  The nurse looked up from her desk and said, “Yes. He just left.”

  “Which way did he go?”

  The nurse pointed at the double doors. “That way.”

  Grant ran out the doors and search the parking lot and saw a car backing out. He ran to it, yelling and waving his arms.

  “Where are you going?” he said, when Drake rolled down his window.

  “I don’t know, sir,” He said. “I guess back to the airport.”

  “Why in the hell would you do that? She’s awake. Don’t you want to see her?”

  “I would love to, but I doubt she wants to see me. The doctor said that she’s probably going to be all right.” His face lit up with his smile. “That’s what I was praying for. That’s enough for me.”

  “Bullshit! Park this car and come with me. That’s an order, soldier!”

  When he saw the look on Annabelle’s face when she first laid eyes on the new and improved Drake, it was all he needed to know.

  Quietly, he backed out of the room, pulled the curtain closed and walked out of the hospital. He had noticed his old truck parked in the lot when he’d stopped Drake earlier. He didn’t know how it had gotten there, but he was glad it was. He jumped in, cranked it up and slowly pulled out of the parking lot, on his way to see Charley.

  When Grant pulled into the veterinarian hospital, the parking lot was empty. He tried to open the front door, but it was locked. Glancing at his watch as he read the sign on the door, he realized they had closed thirty minutes earlier. He knocked on the door and waited, but no one answered. A few minutes later, he knocked again with no results.

  Back in his truck, he took out his cell and called the number, but only got a recorded message. Angry with the thoughts of Charley laying inside that building injured and alone, he pulled out his wallet and searched for Detective Reynolds’ card. When he found it, he punched in the number. She answered on the second ring.

  “What the hell!” He screamed in her ear. “This place is closed! Charley is in there alone!”

  “Calm down, Grant,” she said. “He’s not there.”

  “Where the hell is he?”

  “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes and I’ll take you to him.”

  Grant rolled down his windows, stretched his legs out under the brake and clutch pedals, leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes. It was the first time he’d relaxed in almost forty-eight hours. Thinking about Charley, he instantly drifted off, sound asleep.

  He felt someone touch his face and say his name. He stirred in his seat and opened his eyes. He saw red hair flowing in the wind, backlit from the sun. He blinked his eyes and tried to focus. When his vision cleared, he saw beautiful blue eyes staring into his.

  “Rita? Is that you?” His sleepy voice was husky and gravelly.

  Still groggy from his unexpected deep sleep, he squinted his eyes, and saw white teeth glistening, framed by large pouty red lips of a beautiful smile. “No, I’m not Rita, I’m Anastasia. You know, Detective Reynolds. Are you all right?”

  He sat up in his seat, trying to shake off his sleepiness and clear his head. “Was I asleep?”

  She giggled. “More like a coma. I’ve been trying to wake you up for about ten minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone sleeping that hard before,” She laughed again. “I was just about to fire off my gun.”

  He smiled up at her. “You have a great laugh. I like it. You should laugh more often.”

  She blushed. “Thanks,” she said, smiling wider. “Are you ready to go see Charley?”

  “Yes, I would like that. How is he? Have you heard anything?”

  Her expression dropped. “I checked on him an hour ago. He’s the same.”

  “If he was here, why did they move him?”

  “He wasn’t here. He’s at the veterinarian’s house. Do you want to ride with me in my car or follow me?”

  “I don’t want to leave my truck here. It’s a classic and somebody might steal it, but there’s no sense in taking two vehicles. Why don’t you ride with me? I’ll bring you back here later.”

  He watched her walk to her car, lock it, walk back to his truck and jump in. She wasn’t wearing her normal clothes. Every time he’d seen her before, she was wearing a dark pantsuit, heavy black shoes and a gun. She had also always worn her hair pulled back into a tight bun.

  “Were you going out on a date or something?” he asked, trying not to stare at her cleavage, tanned legs and sexy shoes.

  “Oh no. After I left you at the hospital, I stopped at the precinct a few minutes to check my messages and then drove home. I had just gotten there and changed my clothes when you called.”

  “Really?” he said with a grin.

  “Yes, really. Why do you ask?”

  “Never mind; it’s none of my business.”

  “What are you talking about? What’s none of your business?”

  “Well, I just have to ask. Is this what you normally wear around the house?”

  She laughed out loud. “No it isn’t. I’m usually in sweats and a t-shirt, but before you called, I was thinking I might go check on Charley.”

  “Ohhhh, I get it now,” he turned, looked at her and wiggled his eye brows, “You’re a little sweet on the vet.”

  She blushed and looked away. “Am I really that obvious?”

  “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. It’s just that I’ve never seen you dressed in anything but cop dark drab. You look great. I’m serious, you look amazing.”

  She turned back around and smiled. “Thank you, Grant. That’s really sweet of you to say. I don’t get to hear that much. At the precinct, I’m just one of the boys.”

  “Yeah, sure,” he mocked. “I doubt that. Trust me, they all know different. So, what’s up with the vet? Does he know how you feel about him?”

  She frowned. “No, it’s always been strictly business between us. In m
y work, it’s not unusual for me to run across orphaned pets at a crime scene. I just can’t leave them there or let them take them to the pound to be destroyed, so when I find them, I take them to Jake. He checks them out and finds them a new home with one of his customers.”

  “How long have you known him?”

  She sighed. “A few years.”

  ”And he’s never asked you out?”

  “No. I’m not even sure he realizes I am a woman. To him, I’m just Detective Reynolds.”

  “Well, Detective Reynolds...if you dress like this around him and he doesn’t notice that you’re a woman, he’s either a friggin’ dick...or he’s batting for the other team.”

  Listening to her infectious laughter as he drove had lifted his spirits and given him strength to face what he had to do next.

  Dr. Jake Atkins, the veterinarian, greeted them at the door and took them back to see Charley. He was lying on a mattress in the corner of a small room. He was hooked up to an IV and had a long clear tube coming out of his mouth. It was secured to his snout by white tape. His chest was moving up and down from his rapid breathing. When they walked in, Charley’s tail moved slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.

  Grant sat down next to him and petted his head. “Hey, buddy, how are you doing?”

  The tip of his tail moved again, but his eyes remained closed and his chest continued to pump up and down from his breathing. Grant looked back at Jake. “Is he having trouble getting air?”

  “Not really. It’s not unusual for dogs to breathe rapidly when they are injured. It’s part of their healing process.”

  Grant turned back around and petted him. “Is he sedated?”

  “No, he’s not sedated, but he’s been non-responsive like that since I removed the bullets.”

  “Bullets? He was shot more than once?”

  He nodded. “He was shot three times, but they didn’t hit anything vital.”

  “Then why is he like this?”

  “I’m not exactly sure. I’ve done two MRI’s on him, double-checking to see if I’ve missed something, but there was nothing there. The only thing he seems to be able to move is his tail. It’s possible that he is paralyzed, but if that was the case, the MRI should have shown me the injury that caused it. My other thought is that he’s not fully conscious. He could be in what is called a ‘minimally conscious state’, partially awake and partially asleep. That would explain the tail wag when someone is near him. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to diagnose. There’s just no way to know for sure.”