Marcus: The M Series, Book Three (30 page)

July 8, 2018

Joshua steps in front of me. “Marcus... um, maybe you shouldn't see her yet.”

“She's my wife, for better or worse. Does it get any worse than this? Outside of death?”

He looks down and shakes his head.

I inhale then say, “Step aside, Joshua.”

He moves to the right. I walk to the bed and inhale sharply. I rub the left side of her neck and immediately feel her scars. I sag... Yes, it is my baby.

Her eyes are swollen shut, and they are purple and black, as is the rest of her face. I notice her leg is elevated under the blanket. I pull back the covers and lift her gown. Her right leg is in a cast; so is her left arm. There is a wrap around her breasts and ribcage. She must have broken or bruised ribs. She is bandaged on her abdomen and fitted with draining tubes and bulbs. Her entire body is distended. Her perfect nails are gone. So are her rings; she never takes them off.

“Marcus, I'd like to call a neurosurgeon,” Ira says quietly. “Someone with that eye needs to see her films and decide the course for the swelling.”

“Melvin Henderson. Didn't Mariah set you up with him?”

“Yes she did, but I didn't know if –”

“Get him to see her. He's the best.”

“I'll page him right now. He's still in the hospital.”

I nod, still staring at my wife.

“Melvin Henderson?” Rob asks, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, blinking back tears. “He's new at the practice and has a stellar reputation. We were lucky to get him.”

“Okay. No offense, Marcus. As you do, I only want the best for Mariah. I have to check my service, so I'm going to give you a minute. Joshua? Let’s go see how Matthew's holding up.”

Joshua stands and pauses. I nod my head then he and Rob leave the room. I move to the other side of the bed and sit in the chair. Her head is turned that way. I gently pick up her hand and hold it.

This hospital visit is completely different than the one where I flew to Chicago after she disappeared while carrying the twins. Much more frightening. For the first time, I feel like I could actually lose her… forever.

I lean in close, tears pouring from my eyes, trying to forget or look past the fact that this looks nothing like my baby.

“Mariah, baby...” I whisper. “I need you. Our babies need you and we haven’t had enough time together in this life. Please, fight hard… Don't leave us yet. I love you, baby. I love you so much and I’m so sorry I left you alone. I’ll never do that again. Just please come back to me. To us.”

I sniffed, holding her hand, staring at it.

“I've been thinking about our relationship and everything we've been through while we, your brothers and mine, looked for you, hoping and praying. We figured out what you were trying to tell me on the phone. I’m so very sorry my past did this to you. You'll never know how much. Please fight, baby. Come back to me and I will make this up to you, somehow.”

“Dr. Cannon,” a man calls, gently.

I wipe my face then look up.  An African-American man in a doctor's coat is standing on the other side of the bed.

“I'm Melvin Henderson.” 

“Right.” I stand and shake his hand.

“I'm sorry we couldn't have met under better conditions.”

“So am I. Are you willing to take my wife's case?”

“I am. I've looked over her previous scans and I'd like to order another set, right away. CT and MRI. It will take hours, as you know, Dr. Cannon.”

“Marcus. Anything you can do to bring her back to me and her family, Melvin, do it. Have you a plan yet, or are you still evaluating?”

“Still evaluating but I'm sure she will require surgery. I need you to consent. The new tests should tell me exactly where I need to go in her head. My hope is that she will regain all her functions, but she’ll need extensive rehabilitation.”

“I know. Please, do whatever you can, whatever you have to do to get her back to me.”

“Fine, Marcus. I'd like to perform my own neurological exam, see and feel if the untrained eye missed anything. I'm not questioning Doctors James and Burns’ exams, but –”

“No, I understand.”

Melvin points to a man and woman behind him, both in doctor’s jackets. “I have my intern and a colleague waiting to assist in the examination and right after, I’ll escort Mariah to Imaging myself. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

“Thank you, Melvin. Her family and I will be in the conference room, if you need us.”

“That's fine, Marcus.”

I look at my wife then kiss her hand. “I'm still here, baby. I love you.”

I nod at Melvin and the other doctors then go back to the conference room.

“She's with the neurosurgeon and his team. She needs surgery but more testing, first,” I murmur when everyone looks expectantly at me. I look around the room. “Where's Matthew?”

“He's not with you,” Mother asks.

“No. He couldn't... He left. I assumed he came back here.”

“What about Joshua,” Mandy asks.

“He left with Rob. I thought they were coming in here, too.”

“Neither of them came back in here, Marcus,” Tom says.

“Somebody call and make sure they don't something extremely stupid,” I shout. “Shit!”

“Joshua! Where are you? Are you all right? ... Okay ... He just came in ... No, Matthew isn't here ... Good, see you in a minute. He's in the doctor's lounge with Rob. He's on his way back.”

“Thanks, Mandy. Anyone contact Matthew?”

No one has. I call from my phone.

“I'm busy, Marcus,” Matthew answers.

“Where the hell are you, Matthew?”

“I'll call you in about an hour. Any changes?”

“None. Get back to the hospital. I need you here.”

He takes a deep breath. “I'll be there; give me ninety minutes,” he says finally.

“What are you doing,” I loudly demand.

“I'm... wrapping up a case. See you in ninety,” Matthew murmurs then hangs up.

“Matthew!
SHIT
,” I yell as Dad walks to my side.

“What did he say, son?”

“He's wrapping up a case. I know he's doing something with that fucker Guzman.”

“I hope he kills him.”

“Ethan,” Lil scolds.

“No, Mother,” Ethan says, too calmly. “He should pay with his life for what he and that bitch did to my sister. Fuck all three of them! I’d quit the firm and only work on Matthew’s case if he did!
Fuck
! Now, I have to tell my wife what’s happened to her best friend! I'm going to see my son!”

“Ethan! Don't –”

“I'm going to maternity, Tom. Nowhere else.” He walks over to me. “Give me a dollar.”

I reach in my scrub top but I have no cash; my father gives him one.

Ethan looks at me. “I am now on retainer. You’ve hired me and my firm to represent anyone whose last name is Cannon. Pops? A dollar. You too, Mother, Lisa and Evelyn.”

They give it to him.

“You speak to no one but the people in this room. No outsiders unless they have Doctor in front of their name or RN behind it. Got it?”

We all nod.

“Good. Tell Joshua and remind Matthew, as well.”

“Tell me what,” Joshua asks, entering the room with Rob.

“Rob, give me a dollar. You’re placing me on retainer. Anyone other than family attempts to question you about Mariah’s case, you contact me right away,” Ethan says.

After Rob gives him the dollar, Ethan points around the room. “Not one word without me. I'll be in Alissa's room. You can reach me there.”

We look at each other, stunned. Ethan is the Harvey's Matthew; to see him professional mode is unbelievable.

“Mother, have you called Caspar and the boys to update them? Where are they?”

“Caspar is still in Washington, I think, Lisa. Matthew sent security to both boys’ campuses to escort them home. I don't know if either of them have landed yet. I'll call them now.”

“Good.”

“What did Ethan want to tell me, Marcus?”

“Just that he's our lawyer. He's advised us not to speak to anyone, just doctors.”

“Doesn't he need a retainer to do that?”

“Dad paid him,” I chuckle. “A whole dollar.”

Mariah would have loved that. My face freezes at the thought. “Why don't you all go home, check on the children.”

“Marcus, you should get some rest. Weren't you on call last night,” Rob asks.

“I was but I can't leave. I can't leave her.”

“There's an on-call room across from ICU. I'll make sure no one uses it. Nurse? Please get Dr. Cannon some fresh scrubs.”

“Yes, Dr. Brand.”

“There's a shower in there, Marcus. Freshen up then get some rest.”

“Fine, Rob. But the moment Melvin or Matthew show up, someone come and get me.”

“Of course,” Rob agrees.

“Please, go check on the children. Mariah's children,” I say to the others.

“Okay, Marcus,” Rachel says. “Call me with the slightest news.”

“I will, Rachel. Right away.”

I watch as they leave and a nurse brings me hunter green scrubs; my former favorite color.

Showered and dressed, I lie down but I stare at the bunk above. I turn to the bunks on the other side. Joshua’s stretched out on his back, sleeping. I was surprised to see him there; I thought he left with the others. Where the hell was Matthew?

* * *

I must’ve finally gone to sleep because the next thing I know, I am being shaken and my name is shouted.

“What? What happened?”

“You're dreaming, Marcus,” Joshua says urgently. “A nightmare. She's not dead.”

“Who?”

“Mariah. You were shouting she was dead.”

I groan, trying to remember the dream. “I don't remember it. Where's Matthew? Did he come back?”

“Yeah. He's been talking to Ethan and Alissa since he checked on you.”

I rub my eyes, then look at Joshua. “What did he do?”

“I don't know; he didn’t say.”

I move to the sink and splash cold water on my face. I found toothbrushes and passed one to Joshua. I cleaned my mouth. A moment after Joshua finished with his, Ethan and Matthew entered the on-call room. Matthew's right hand and wrist is splinted.

“What happened,” I ask, pointing.

“Marcus,” Ethan says. “Matthew may have a sore throat. Check it and see if it's infected. Then check Joshua's. And their heart rates.”

“What?”

“
Just do it
,”
Ethan orders.

“I don't have a kit,” I snap, heading to the door. “Excuse me, nurse. May I get a kit for an oral exam, please?”

The nurse nods and I turn back into the room. “Matthew –”

Ethan shakes his head. “Not one word; not until you examine them.”

I glare at Matthew. He did something he shouldn't have. We stand around silently, waiting for the nurse to bring the instruments. When she does, I take Joshua's temperature and feel his neck glands then do the same to Matthew. I then look down his throat.

“Your throat is red and inflamed, Matthew, but no sign of infection. Didn't you complain to the doctor that wrapped your hand?”

Matthew looks at Ethan, who nods.

“I'm not sick, I've been yelling and screaming for the last few hours,” Matthew replies, his voice is hoarse.

“At who,” I ask, going to the medicine cabinet.

“Guzman.”

“How the hell did you get to him? You're not a cop!”

“Uh, well... he's not with the police. FBI has him. I told you, Russell is high ranking with them. I was in the interrogation.”

I hand him a lozenge. “Still... you’re not a cop! How can they let a citizen in on an interrogation?”

“He's an undercover federal agent,” Ethan says.

“What
,”
Joshua and I shout together.

“I was recruited after Stanford,” he shrugs, popping the lozenge in his mouth.

“That's how the hell you met Russell,” Joshua yells, punching his arm.

“Ow! Yes, all right? He
was
my dorm mate, but at the bureau, not graduate school. I didn't get a scholarship to the University of Virginia. I was at Quantico. Everyone assumes Russell recruits for basketball teams, but it's really for the FBI.”

I smack him on the back of the head as hard as I can.

“Fuck! That hurt!”

“Good
,
” I shout. “Does your mother know?”

“No. Just you, Josh, Ethan and Alissa. You cannot reveal any of this. Technically, I’m still an agent, even though it's sort of part time now.”

“Jesus Christ, Matthew,” Joshua says, scratching his head. “How the hell have you been able to hide this?”