Sneaking Suspicions (The Tharon Trace Mysteries Book 1) (18 page)

CHAPTER 30

“Dana, wake up.  Can you hear me?”  Gretchen snapped her fingers by Dana’s ear.

Dana wrinkled her brow and blinked at the bright lights.  “Gretchen, is that you?”

Gretchen sighed and with a lopsided grin said, “Yes.  You had us pretty worried, kiddo.  Glad to see you coming around.”

Dana blinked and tried to lift her head but a neck brace immobilized her and a blinding headache for such minimal effort, made her sink back onto the exam table.  “How are the children?”

Gretchen gathered up the clothing that had been cut off Dana. “As soon as I throw this stuff away, I’ll find out.  Right now, there’s someone who’s been anxious to talk to you.”

Dana closed her eyes.

Gretchen snapped her fingers again. “Stay awake.  You have a concussion and you are not allowed to go back to sleep.  Understand?”

Afraid to try another head nod, she gave Gretchen the thumbs up sign.

Gretchen pulled the curtain aside to reveal Simon who stood at the foot of the bed.

He pulled a stool up next to her and took her hand.  “You scared the daylights out of me.  When I saw Brandt shoot you, I nearly lost my mind.”

Dana squeezed his hand. “Children?”

Typical Dana Donovan—barely conscious and her first concern is the welfare of others.  Simon ran his free hand over his short cropped blond hair. “The Walker boy and Trace girl—,”

She gave him a wry look. “Kaid and Tharon.”

Simon remembered their promise to treat the families as friends. “Right.  Kaid and Tharon are in pretty good shape physically.  Their feet are pretty raw.  Maybe a little frostbite but from what I’ve been told, neither will lose any fingers or toes.”

“What about Helm?” She hadn’t seen Helm move or say anything in the woods and she braced herself for bad news.

Simon held her hand with both of his.  “He took a bullet to the back of his leg.  They’re trying to get him stabilized for surgery.  He lost a lot of blood and I heard Doc say he’s septic.  Plus his core temperature is pretty low.  They put a call out for his blood type and there’s a line a block long of donors.  Guess who was first in line?”

“Tharon,” Dana said with a smile.

Simon tilted his head at her. “How could you know that?”

She took a deep breath and let it out slow.  “I saw how she looked at him.  She looked at him the way you’ve been looking at me.”

He raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtful. “Is she thinking about all the paperwork involved if he died?”

Dana raised an eyebrow in return. “You know if you want an out, I won’t hassle you.”

Simon leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I want all the hassle you’ve got in you.” He kissed her ear; her forehead; her cheek; her lips.

Gretchen rushed into the room and turned the sound off on the rapidly beeping heart monitor.  “Sheriff, can you restrain yourself, please?” Her tone was more amused than angry.

Dana blushed and brought the subject back to their jobs. “What happened with Brandt?”

Simon sat back on the stool but kept holding her hand.  “He’s in surgery in Fort Wayne.  Some hot embers dropped down his shirt and burned his clothes and skin under his vest.  Those kids did a pretty good number on him. He darn near bled out at the scene.  Swore he’d cooperate if we helped him.  So we helped him.  Well, the others helped him.  I was prepared to let him bleed out.”

Gretchen checked Dana’s vitals and shined a small light in her pupils. “The doctor said she’s to be kept calm.”  She scolded Simon. “Don’t you think she’s done enough for the day?”

Dana raised her index finger. “Just one more question: Did you get Burt Payne?”

Simon shook his head. “He slipped past us when we ran into the woods after you and the kids.”

A petite blond bubbled into the room.  She was decked out in high heels, pearls, and round dark-rimmed glasses that made her look like a giant insect.  Her chin length brown hair was both practical and stylish.

Without any obvious movement she wedged Simon out of her way and loosened the neck brace.  “Dana, I’m Dr. Goodwin.  I’m glad to see you awake, young lady.  Your x-ray looks good so we can take this neck brace off. Your partner here didn’t know if you have any history of head trauma.  Can you fill in the blanks for me?”

“Um, when I was a child I got into a fight with a bully and he slammed the back of my head against the concrete.  I had a pretty bad concussion.  My parents told me I was unconscious for a day.”

Dr. Goodwin checked her pupils with a pen flashlight.  “Anything else?”

Dana shook her head and moaned at the throbbing pain.

The tiny doctor clicked her heel and frowned at Dana.  “Who do you have at home with you?” She glanced over her shoulder at Simon and arched her eyebrows.

Before Dana could answer, Simon said, “She has me.”

Dr. Goodwin turned back to Dana and clicked her heel again.  “Good to know.  That being said, I still want you to stay in the hospital overnight.  We’ll see how you are tomorrow and if you don’t show any complications, I’ll let you go home, with specific restrictions and the understanding you are to call me night or day if any symptoms arise.”

Dr. Goodwin stepped into the corner of the room to talk to Gretchen in hushed tones and typed instructions into her tablet.

Dana pushed the button to raise the head of her bed.  She looked past her toes across the ER bay to Helm’s room.  She wrinkled her brow when she saw Doc monitoring the transfusion.  Tom stood next to Tharon who sat on a tall stool beside the bed.  She held Helm’s hand.

Marilyn hovered near the door to Helm’s room behind a wheelchair holding a sleeping Kaid.

A thick voice boomed from the entrance to the ER.  “Everybody listen or this granny will be dead.”  Burt’s gritty drawl silenced the ER.  The only sounds came from the beeping monitors.

Simon fished in his pocket and slipped one of Dana’s guns under her blanket before he moved to the doorway and peered around the corner.

Dana closed her hand around the familiar handle of her Glock and clicked off the safety.  The lazy drawl of the voice sent chills down her spine.  She looked at the exam room across from her and saw the fear on Tharon’s face which confirmed she was right—Burt Payne had forced his way into the ER.

Dana saw Doc remove the tubing from Tharon’s port. He pulled a vial from his pocket which he filled with her blood and pocketed before removing the needle from her arm.

Burt’s voice drawled, “You, big man by the door, move out here to the far end of the room.”

Simon moved out into the ER bay, drawing Burt’s attention away from Dana.

Dana slowly eased her feet over the side of the bed and sat up.  Gretchen and Dr. Goodwin opened their mouths to chastise her.  She held her index finger to her lips with a stern warning look that hurt her head to make, but forced silence on the two women. 

She pulled the monitor leads from her chest and silently dropped to the floor.  She pressed around the end of the bed to the far edge of the door frame, carefully staying hidden.  Across the room, Tharon crouched behind her father.  She took Tom’s gun from his shoulder holster, and placed it into his hand.

Tom readied his gun at the side of the bed; he made eye contact with Dana and gave her a slight nod.

Burt eased further into the ER.  He dragged the grandmotherly receptionist, with one arm around her neck and the other hand holding a gun to her temple.  Blood trailed down his right arm and his voice slurred when he spoke.  “Them dang brats are the reason my brother’s dead and my life’s ruined.  Ten years it took us to set things up.  Ten years and they screw it all to heck in one day!  Either them or me is dying today.”

Tharon’s clear voice rang through the beeping monitors. “I’m sorry about Marty killing Carl.  Carl was nice.”

Burt wrinkled his brow in confusion and sadness.  He glanced at Tharon peering at him from behind Tom.  His features got hard as he tightened his hold on the receptionist.  “Carl was a stupid idiot.  He was soft.  He let some doe-eyed brat get him killed.  If anyone’s dying here today, it’s you, brat.

The receptionist’s arms went limp and her eyes rolled upward.  As she sagged to the floor Burt lost his grip on her and the barrel of his gun pointed harmlessly at the ceiling.

Dana raised her gun and Burt turned his gun on her.

Three shots rang out.  Tom’s bullet ripped into Burt’s chest, and Dana’s hit him in the forehead.  Burt’s bullet hit Dana in the right shoulder.  She fell backwards onto the bed, wondering if she or Tom killed Burt.  Either shot looked fatal.

Time seemed to slow down as she slid to the floor.  Gretchen and Dr. Goodwin lifted her onto the bed.  She was surprised how strong the little woman was.  Simon hovered over her.  She stared at his mouth trying to make out his words.  Her shoulder burned like fire.  What was Simon saying?

Doc Walker ripped the gown away and started working on her shoulder.  “Who’s the surgeon on call today?”

“Dr. Anderson,” Gretchen replied.

Doc barked, “Have him meet you in the OR.”  He patted Dana’s hand. “You’re going to be just fine.  He’s an excellent surgeon.”

She blinked and finally made out Simon’s words. “Dana, hang on.  Do you hear me? Don’t let go.  Don’t you dare leave me.”  He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

She smiled and in a weak voice said, “What a girl has to do to get your attention.”

Gretchen elbowed Simon out of the way.  Wheels rolled into the room and someone counted to three.  She felt her body slide onto a narrow gurney.  Rails locked in place at her sides.  Someone poked a needle into the hand Simon had been holding.

“Let’s get her to surgery,” Dr. Goodwin said.

She passed worried faces: Simon, Max, Tom.  As though she was tuned to Tharon’s voice, she heard her asking Tom, “Will she be okay, Daddy?  She saved us twice today.”

Tom’s answer touched her heart. “She’s a strong woman so I’m sure she will, but it might help if we prayed for her too.”

Dana closed her eyes thinking
no one has ever prayed for me before—not even me.  Maybe it’s time I start.

***

After thirty minutes the ER returned to its normal level of chaos.  Doc entered Helm’s room and was amazed at how much color had returned to his face.  He lifted the blanket from Helm’s legs.  The angry lines already faded to a pale pink.

He patted Angela’s shoulder.  “He’s going to be fine.  We’ll check his blood work again in an hour and as soon as he’s in the normal range we’ll get him into surgery.”

Angela breathed a sigh of relief.  She and Matt stood next to the bed and hugged each other.

Helm woke up. “Is Tharon okay?”

Doc smiled. “Yes, yes.  She’s just fine.  She keeps asking about you.  She’ll be glad to know you’re awake.  You try to rest and we’ll get that bullet out of you as soon as we can.”

As Doc Walker left the room he patted the vial in his pocket and smiled.

CHAPTER 31

November 11, 2056

The sun streamed in through the hospital window and warmed Dana’s face.  She pressed her eyelids closed against the brightness and turned her head.  The dull headache was at least tolerable compared to the pain from before...before what?  What was the last thing she remembered?  Simon.  His worried face hovered over her because...she’d been shot.

Someone mopped the far end of the corridor outside the open door.  The rhythmic swishing of the mop, the smell of disinfectant and the soft shuffle of feet helped her orient herself.  She wasn’t out in the cold trailing children; she was in a warm clean hospital.

And she’d been shot.  Again.

She opened her eyes and looked around the room.  An enormous arrangement of red roses and small white chrysanthemums filled a cart near the window.

Simon sat in a chair by her bed.  His head drooped forward and his soft snoring made her smile.  Her right arm lay at her side with the palm facing up; his left hand covered her palm.  She watched him for a few glorious moments.  His strong, usually clean shaven jaw bore at least two days of stubble.  His close-cropped blond hair sported a higher hairline than when she’d joined his department.  His broad shoulders tapered to the slight love handles at his waist.  She squeezed his hand.

He took a deep waking breath and sat up, blinking, “You’re awake.  How are you feeling?” He reached for the call button and pressed it.

She tried to speak, but her throat hurt; her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton; her lips were cracked and dry.

Simon filled a plastic cup with ice water from the pitcher on her tray.  He stuck a straw in the cup and held it to her lips.

The cool liquid felt good on her throat.  She tried to sit up, but winced from the pain in her shoulder and head and lay back down.  In a husky voice she asked, “Children?”

Simon smiled and pressed the control to lift the head of the bed.  “They’re fine, thanks to you.”  He sat back down and took her hand again.

“How long?” her voice croaked and she swallowed again.

“You’ve been asleep for ten hours.  I was starting to get worried,” he squeezed her hand again.

She smiled and whispered, “I thought your snores sounded concerned.”

Simon lifted her hand and kissed her palm.  “So I snore.  Is that something you could live with?”

She touched the side of his face with her palm and in a husky whisper said, “It’s something I can’t live without.”

Happy tears welled in the corners of her eyes as Simon leaned in to kiss her.

Right before their lips touched the nurse burst into the room. “Good, you’re awake.”

If there had been a loaded bedpan nearby, Dana would have hurled it at her.

The short and solid nurse changed the IV bag, took a year to adjust the flow and another ten years to explain how to use the call buttons and which button to push to get more morphine.

When the nurse finally left, Simon leaned toward her again.  This time their lips barely touched when there was a soft knock on the open door.  Dana moaned.

Simon sat back and said, “Come in.”

Tom supported Lista’s arm and pushed her IV pole as they walked, Maisy and Tharon followed them into the room.  Tharon rushed to Dana’s side, “Thank you for saving us.  I’m sorry you got hurt.”

Dana nodded her head and squeezed Tharon’s hand.  In a hoarse whisper, she said, “I’m so glad you like to climb trees.  I hate to think what might have happened if I hadn’t seen you and reached you when I did.”

Lista smiled warmly at her.  “Tom told me how much you helped him, and how you saved Tharon.  We can’t begin to express how deeply grateful we are to you.”

Dana looked from Tom to Lista and said, “I’m glad I could help.  I’m so sorry about your baby.”

Both Dana and Lista’s eyes glistened.

Simon broke the uncomfortable silence.  “We just got engaged.  At least I think that’s what we agreed.”  He cast a worried look at Dana who smiled and nodded in agreement.

Tom shook Simon’s hand and Lista expressed her congratulations to them both.  Lista detected the looks between Dana and Simon.  “Oh, my.  We’re interrupting them.  We need to get going but we want to invite both of you to Thanksgiving dinner with us.  Please let us know when the wedding is.  We’d love to be there if it’s not intruding.”

“I was thinking this Saturday, if she feels up to it,” he looked at Dana who nodded in agreement, tears of joy now streaming down her face.

Lista herded her family out of the room.  “Dana, I’m at the other end of the hall.  Perhaps we can make a few laps together when you feel up to it.  And if you don’t have a church, we have a lovely chapel in Sandy Creek.  Maisy and I would be thrilled to help with the arrangements.”

Simon said, “That’d be kind of you.  Neither of us has any family left.”  He again looked to Dana who nodded in agreement.

Tom shook his hand again. “Oh, yes, you do.  You’re part of our family now.”

Maisy and Tharon clapped their hands together and smiled with excitement lighting up their eyes.

Dana said, “Be careful of the wet floors.  I heard someone mopping.”

Tom looked puzzled and stuck his head out of the door.  “That’s odd.  The mop and bucket are in the middle of the hall, but there’s no one around.”

Dana grabbed Simon’s hand. “The third kidnapper.”

Tharon gasped and backed away from the door.  “You mean Marty?”

Dana tried to get up.

Simon pulled one of her guns from the pocket of his coat which was slung over the back of the chair and gave it to her.  He said, “You ladies and Tharon stay with Dana.  Tom, let’s check the boys.”

Dana pulled the leads off her chest and wheeled the IV pump to the doorway to take position between the women and the hall.  She leaned on the door frame for support.

Simon and Tom re-emerged from Kaid and Helm’s room with Matt Harris.  “The boys are fine,” Simon said.  “I’ll check with security.  I wish I had a description of the guy.”

Tharon peeked around the corner.  “Marty has stringy chin length brown hair.  He’s a little shorter than my dad but is real skinny.  His eyes are light gray and he has a new cut on his face from next to his eye down to his jaw.”  She drew the cut on her own face with her finger.

Simon asked, “Did you see him here in the hospital?”

She shook her head. “No.  That’s what he looked like the last time I saw him.”

“How do you know the cut on his face is new?” Simon asked.

Tharon’s cheeks reddened.  She looked from her father to her mother, took a deep breath, and answered, “Because I cut him when he was trying to catch me to cut my tongue out.”

Lista’s hand flew to her mouth in horror.

Tom touched his daughter’s shoulder and said gently, “How did it happen?”

Tharon tried not to look in his eyes, but he tipped her chin up and she had no choice.  “Kaid and Helm were pulling me out of the opening in the door.  Marty was pulling me back in.  I forgot I had Helm’s pocket knife in my hand and when I hit at Marty’s face, I cut him.  I didn’t mean to.”

Tom kissed her forehead. “You didn’t do anything wrong.  Sometimes you have to fight and this was the right time for it.  You did good.”

“Thank you, Tharon,” Simon said.  “With that description, it will be a lot easier to find him.”  He pulled out his radio and gave the description and instructed that Max be contacted and search area doctors and hospitals for anyone treated for a facial laceration.

A short man in his late fifties got off the elevator.  He ambled down the hallway to the mop and bucket and resumed mopping.

Simon snapped at him, “Were you mopping here earlier?”

The housekeeper swallowed hard.  “Yes, sir.”

“Why did you leave the bucket in the middle of the hall unattended?”

The man swallowed and had a guilty look on his face.  He said in a low voice, “Please, don’t report me.  I need this job.  I know it’s supposed to be a smoke free campus, but I’ve been smoking since I was a kid and can’t seem to break the habit.  I ran to the woods and had a quick smoke.  Please don’t tell.”

Simon and the others breathed a sigh of relief.  Simon growled, “Just don’t let it happen again.  It’s not safe to leave a bucket and mop out like that.”

Tom and his family left the room and Simon helped Dana back to bed.  As she lay down he took her gun and put it in the bedside table.

She blushed. “Sorry about the false alarm.  I guess I’m paranoid.”

A wide grin spread across his face. “No problem.  It’s better to be too careful.  Besides, I enjoyed the view.”

She eased back onto the pillow. “What view?”

He leaned over her and touched the side of her face.  “Your gown was open in the back.”

Her eyes opened wide and her lips parted but before she could say anything he smothered her mouth with a deep passionate kiss.

The nurse came in and tried to interrupt them with a loud
Ahem
sound but Dana held up the index finger from her good hand before she wrapped her good arm around Simon and pulled him closer.