Vail 01 - The 7th Victim (60 page)
Vail pursed her lips.
She couldn’t argue with that.
“Okay, sir. I’ll make an appointment.”
She couldn’t argue with that.
“Okay, sir. I’ll make an appointment.”
Gifford nodded, then his phone buzzed. “Go home and get some sleep. Get that knee of yours examined. I want you back full strength when the time comes.”
She smiled, arose gingerly from the chair, and then left.
seventy-four
V
ail walked, or rather hobbled, back to her car feeling no pain. And it was not just from the Tylenol she kept popping. It was because for the first time she could remember, she had been afforded the respect she thought she had always deserved but had never received. She climbed into her car, pulling in the left knee slowly, then headed out of the commerce center’s parking lot.
ail walked, or rather hobbled, back to her car feeling no pain. And it was not just from the Tylenol she kept popping. It was because for the first time she could remember, she had been afforded the respect she thought she had always deserved but had never received. She climbed into her car, pulling in the left knee slowly, then headed out of the commerce center’s parking lot.
She intended to heed Gifford’s advice about getting some sleep, but first she needed to make a stop. She arrived at the hospital, made her way up the elevator to Jonathan’s floor, and heard “Code Blue! Code Blue. All available personnel. . . .”
Her brain still in a stupor, her mind suddenly focused on a grouping of white lab coats at the entrance to Jonathan’s room. “Oh, my God!” she gasped, then took off down the hall, fearing the worst. Thoughts pored through her mind as she whizzed by the rooms along the long corridor:
he was doing so well! Small steps, pieces to the puzzle. My son, my son. . . .
he was doing so well! Small steps, pieces to the puzzle. My son, my son. . . .
A group of hospital personnel in scrubs ran past her down the hallway. In the back of her mind, Vail realized the emergency was for another patient on the floor, not Jonathan. But she was not completely tuned into her thoughts yet, and she fought through the mass of white coats congregated in the doorway, grabbing and pushing bodies aside. The interns were huddled around Altman, who stood beside Jonathan. Her son’s eyes were open and he was smiling.
“Mom!”
“Jonathan?” She stepped forward, arms outstretched, and an instant later felt his hands on her back, patting her gently. Finally, she released him and leaned back to look at him.
“We thought you’d come sooner,” Altman said. He was standing off to Vail’s right, smiling.
“Sooner?”
“I had the nurse call you last night. When you didn’t answer, they left a message on your machine.”
“I was inaccessible,” was all Vail said. She turned back to Jonathan, who appeared thin, pale, and drawn. “You look tired.”
“I am. I’ve been sleeping but I feel exhausted.”
“I
haven’t
been sleeping, and I’m also exhausted.” She hugged him again. “It’s so good to have you back, sweetheart.”
haven’t
been sleeping, and I’m also exhausted.” She hugged him again. “It’s so good to have you back, sweetheart.”
“Let’s let him rest,” Altman said. He looked out amongst the medical students who were still gathered around the doorway. “Anyone have any questions?” No one spoke. “Okay, let’s find out where that code was, and see how it’s going.” The crowd began to disperse, and Altman turned to Vail. “We’ve got a few days of testing and monitoring to do, and then he should be ready to go home.” He placed a hand on her back, indicating it was time for her to leave.
“One thing—” she looked at Jonathan. “Do you remember what happened, how you ended up in the hospital?”
He bit his lip, eyes moving up, then left, then down again before landing on Vail. “Last thing I remember is going home after school. That’s it. Wait, dad was angry about something. About you, I think.” His eyes drifted back off to the right, then he shook his head. “Why can’t I remember?”
Altman patted Jonathan’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. That’s quite normal. If you’re lucky, your short-term memory will come back. Today, tomorrow, the day after, it’s hard to say. There’s also a chance it won’t come back at all.”
Altman told Jonathan he would return later, reminded Vail she need to let him rest, then left.
Vail placed a hand on her son’s. She did not say it, but she was torn. She hoped with her strongest convictions that Jonathan’s memory did return as it would validate her claim of Deacon’s abusive nature and put him behind bars for a long time. But she did not want her son to be scarred with the memory of his father pushing him down the stairs.
“Get some rest,” she said, then planted a kiss on Jonathan’s forehead. “I’ll be by a little later.”
seventy-five
B
efore leaving the hospital, Vail flagged down Dr. Altman and told him she wanted to take him up on his referral for a surgical evaluation of her knee. Within the hour, Vail was sitting in the orthopedist’s office. Thirty minutes later, the surgeon had examined her, walked her over to radiology, and informed the technician she was to squeeze in Vail between patients for an MRI.
efore leaving the hospital, Vail flagged down Dr. Altman and told him she wanted to take him up on his referral for a surgical evaluation of her knee. Within the hour, Vail was sitting in the orthopedist’s office. Thirty minutes later, the surgeon had examined her, walked her over to radiology, and informed the technician she was to squeeze in Vail between patients for an MRI.
Two hours later, the radiologist told her he had reviewed the images and found tears in the medial meniscus and medial collateral ligament. He informed the orthopedist of the findings and Vail was scheduled for surgery the day after next. She marveled at how quickly the medical machinery moved when one had a few inside connections.
AFTER LEAVING THE HOSPITAL, Vail returned to Robby’s place and threw her laundry and clothing in her suitcase and moved back into her house. With the Dead Eyes case solved, the thought of being back in her own home was inviting. She enjoyed the days spent at Robby’s and was confident she would be spending much of her future time there. But retaking her house, after having been driven from it, was a moral victory—even if she did not intend to sleep there until Jonathan came home.
Following dinner later that night, Vail and Robby visited Jonathan at the hospital. On the way, Robby detoured to an electronics retailer. The store was closing, but Robby told the owner he needed to buy a gift for his friend’s son who had just come out of a coma, and they made an exception. Robby knew exactly what to get.
When Vail walked into Jonathan’s hospital room, she found him asleep. But it was a different scene than when he had been lying in bed, helpless, hooked up to tubes and machines. His face was peaceful now, and he lay curled up on his side, just like when she would come home at night, plant a kiss on his little forehead, and tuck him in.
With Robby waiting down the hall giving her some one-on-one mother-son time, she gently sat down beside Jonathan’s bed. But the rustle of the shopping bag caught his attention. He stirred, then fluttered his eyes. He tried to focus on his mother but kept blinking, as if he was unsure she was really there.
“Hi, champ.”
“Mom. What time is it?”
“Eight-thirty.”
“I’m so tired.” He stretched and yawned. “I’ve been sleeping the whole day.”
“Have you eaten?”
“I think they woke me for lunch, but I’m not sure.”
“I’ll buzz the nurse, have them bring you some dinner.”
Robby walked in, carrying a small bag. “You must be Jonathan,” he said.
“This is Robby Hernandez,” Vail said. “He’s a good friend of mine. A detective in Vienna.”
“Glad you’re doing better, man. You had your mom very concerned.”
“Oh,” Vail said. “We got you something.” She reached down for the bag.
“What is it?”
“Sorry we didn’t have time to wrap it. I didn’t think you’d mind.” She pulled the box out of the bag.
“Xbox 360! Cool!”
“Have to admit, it wasn’t my idea. I had some help.”
He turned the white box round and round, looking at the circular lime-green graphics. “I’ve wanted one since before it came out.”
Vail smiled. “Well, now you’ve got one. But I don’t want you playing around with this thing and neglecting your homework.”
“Mom.” He drew the word out and glanced at her sideways, as if trying to hide his embarrassment.
“You’ll need this to play it,” Robby said, handing him the bag.
Jonathan flung the bag aside, revealing a green
Rainbow Six Vegas 2
game case. “Cool!” He flipped it over and looked at the back. “This is hella tight, Robby, thanks.”
Rainbow Six Vegas 2
game case. “Cool!” He flipped it over and looked at the back. “This is hella tight, Robby, thanks.”
“You’re welcome, kiddo.” He nodded to Vail. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, around one-ish, okay?”
“I’ll be right back,” she said to Jonathan.
Her son was intently studying the back of the game case.
“I don’t think he’ll miss me,” Vail said.
As they strolled out into the hall, Robby took her hand. “You should probably tell Jonathan we’re more than just good friends.”
“I’ll talk to him about it later. I’m sure he won’t mind. You scored big with that
Rambo
game.”
Rambo
game.”
“Rainbow.
Rainbow Six.
”
Rainbow Six.
”
“Whatever.”
“Hey, you heard. It’s hella tight.”
They reached the elevator and Robby hit the button. “Tomorrow night is ours, okay?”
She leaned forward and gave him a kiss. “You don’t have to ask twice.”
seventy-six
I
t was two in the morning when Jonathan started shouting and thrashing his arms. Vail was off her adjacent cot immediately, taking hold of his hands and calming him. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s just a dream.” She thought of her own nightmares and realized how unfeeling her comment was . . . how real they feel when you’re the one going through them.
t was two in the morning when Jonathan started shouting and thrashing his arms. Vail was off her adjacent cot immediately, taking hold of his hands and calming him. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s just a dream.” She thought of her own nightmares and realized how unfeeling her comment was . . . how real they feel when you’re the one going through them.
Jonathan sat up in bed and hugged her so firmly she thought he was going to squeeze the air from her lungs. Finally, his grip loosened and she pushed back to look at his face. “Are you awake?”
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