Chapter 8
Cope
Cope hadn’t slept one wink. He’d wanted to spend the night in the hospital with Jude, but Ronan had insisted Cope get some rest, that he’d stay with Jude.
The plan was for Fitzgibbon to pick Cope up in the morning and bring him back to the hospital.
Either Ronan or Cisco would stay the next night with Jude.
After nearly dying at the hands of Salem Mercy’s killer angel two years ago, Jude wasn’t going to be left alone for even one second.
There had been a brief argument about Cope staying the night, but Ten had convinced him to go home. The kids were sleeping over at Ronan’s house and Ten had made the couch up for Cope. He’d been unable to say no.
He’d plastered a smile on his face during dinner. The kids had eaten peanut butter and fluff sandwiches like they’d all had dates in the morning with the electric chair. Cope hadn’t wanted to eat, but the mix of chunky peanut butter with marshmallow crème was too much for him to resist.
After dinner, the kids sat in the living room and watched movies; Finding Nemo, Frozen, and Toy Story, which was Jude’s favorite. While the kids laughed, Cope used his gift to check on Jude. Even twelve hours after Jude’s accident, he wasn’t able to see anything.
Running Eagle had texted when his plane landed in Boston and again when Kaye and Jace picked him up. Eagle had wanted to see Jude, but Kaye insisted they go home.
Cope texted Ronan on the hour to check on Jude. There had been no change. When he’d written to Ronan at 3 A.M., Ronan had texted Cope back with a command to go to sleep. Cope had tried his best to nod off, but gave up trying when the sun started to rise.
The morning had moved in slow motion, with the kids waking up and wanting breakfast. They’d all decided the night before that the bigger kids would stay home from school, while Ezra and LizzyB went to daycare as usual.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Cope sat in the back of Fitzgibbon’s SUV with Running Eagle.
Fitz drove and Jace sat in the passenger seat.
Ten followed behind with the kids. Everly was insistent that she see Jude again, arguing that Running Eagle could help her speak to Jude. Who was Cope to argue?
“My gift isn’t working,” Cope said to Eagle when Fitzgibbon pulled into the hospital’s parking lot. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to Jude. Do you?”
Eagle shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to my grandson. My advice for you, Cope, is to focus on the here and now. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Your job is to assure Jude that you and the kids are fine. To be honest, son, you look like shit.”
Cope snorted. He didn’t mean to, and tried to stop, but ended up laughing instead. What the hell kind of asshole husband was he to be laughing like a hyena while his husband fought for his life in the intensive care unit.
“You’re not an asshole husband, Cope,” Eagle said with a wink. “If Jude hears or sees that you’ve given up hope, he will too. My grandson always was a follower. Be the leader he needs to help get him out of this mess.”
Nodding, Cope got himself under control.
He needed to find a way to let Jude know everything was okay, without making it seem like they were having a party without him.
Christ, Cope flashed back to the moment yesterday morning when he’d made Jude feel like life had been better without him, when he, Ronan, and Fitz had been off hunting a killer in the wilds of Vermont.
“Cope?” Eagle asked.
Shaking his head, Cope looked up to see Jude’s grandfather holding open the elevator doors.
He hadn’t even realized he’d gotten on the elevator.
“Thanks.” He followed behind Eagle, Jace and Fitz into the ICU ward and down the hall to Jude’s room.
Ronan stood up when Eagle walked inside.
He hugged the old man and left him alone with Jude.
Cope was torn between speaking to Ronan or going into Jude’s room, but decided he’d leave Eagle with his husband. “I can’t thank you enough for spending the night here. How is he?”
“He’s stable,” Ronan said on a yawn. “They removed the cooling blankets and ice packs around midnight. The doctor is doing her rounds now. She wants to speak with you when she comes to see Jude.”
“Will you see her with me? I didn’t get any sleep last night.” Cope knew his brains were scrambled at this point. He knew Ronan had his notebook and would jot things down as the doctor spoke.
Ronan smiled. “I know. You texted me more than a lovesick schoolboy!”
Jude’s door opened. Running Eagle motioned Cope inside. Ronan and Fitzgibbon were behind him.
“You’re Cope Forbes, Jude’s husband?” a woman in a white coat asked.
“I am and these are Jude’s best friends and fellow members of the Salem Police Department; Captain Kevin Fitzgibbon and Detective Ronan O’Mara.”
“I’m Doctor Victoria Albert. I came on shift around eleven last night. Ronan and I are quite well acquainted.”
“What can you tell us about Jude’s condition?” Ronan asked, his notebook and pen at the ready.
“Jude is stable. The swelling on his brain has gone down considerably, which is why we’ve taken him off the hypothermia protocol. I’m hopeful that the medication we’ve been giving him will continue to reduce the swelling. I’ve taken the craniotomy off the table for the time being.”
“For the time being?” Cope asked, feeling off-balance. Hadn’t the doctor been saying Jude was improving? If so, then why would the idea of surgery be off the table for now and not forever?
“Head injuries can be tough to treat, Cope. One step forward can sometimes mean taking two steps back. I’m encouraged by the progress he has made. Mr. Eagle said his grandson was one tough son of a gun, a pronouncement I agree with wholeheartedly.”
“What can we do to help Jude?” Fitz asked.
“Just what you’re doing now. Be with him.
Hold his hand. Talk to him. Tell stories of your time together.
Laugh.” Dr. Albert’s gaze was on Cope. “So many family members treat this place like a funeral home. The best thing you all can do for Jude is to make him remember what he has to look forward to when he wakes up.”
“I know you said that things can fluctuate,” Cope began, not quite sure he wanted to finish asking his question.
He was even more scared about her answer, but pressed on anyway, “Is my husband going to wake up? I read studies last night that said eighty percent of patients who go on the respirator-”
Eagle slapped a hand over Cope’s mouth. He shook his head, begging Cope not to finish his question out loud.
“First of all,” Dr. Albert said, with a raised eyebrow, “stop using Google. You’ll drive yourself crazy.
In my experience, I’ve seen patients with worse head injuries than Jude make a full recovery, so let’s focus on that, shall we?
I’ll be here all day with Jude. If you have any questions, please hit the buzzer and let one of the nurses know you’d like to speak with me.
I promise, Cope, we’re doing everything we can for your husband.
Isn’t that right, Jude?” She paused for a moment.
“I see you’re the strong silent type, which has always been my Kryptonite. ”
“Thank you,” Cope said, as the doctor left the room.
He turned to Jude. The bruises on his face looked darker than they’d been the day before.
The rest of his face was pinker. Yesterday, Jude’s face had been grey and sickly.
His body was healing itself. “Hey, babe.” Cope pressed a kiss to Jude’s forehead.
“We’re all here. Me. Ronan. Fitz. Eagle.
The kids will be here in a bit. They sat at the table last night making pictures for you.
I can’t wait for you to see them. You should have seen us all last night eating peanut butter and fluff.
I finally took the plunge and ate one. I wished I’d listened to you when we first got together and tried one. Better late than never, I suppose.”
Cope heard voices from down the hall. “I think the kids are here.” He opened the door and saw Wolf, Everly, and Aurora looking like they were on a mission. Wolf had a handful of artwork. Everly carried what looked like a box of markers, and Aurora had a large Stanley cup.
“Hi, Daddy!” Wolf said, brightly. “We brought you pictures.” He held up the stack and reached into his pocket, pulling out scotch tape. With Aurora’s help, they started taping their pictures on the glass wall in front of Jude’s bed.
Everly moved the plastic chair Ronan had been sitting in and used it to climb onto the bed.
“Hi, Uncle Jude.” She bent forward and kissed his cheek.
“I’m gonna draw on your cast, so that when you wake up, it will be beautiful.
” She dumped markers on the bed and started to draw.
First a bright yellow sun, then a house, followed by a man and a girl, herself and Jude, Cope supposed.
After she finished drawing, Everly signed her name.
“There! Now you’ll see how much I missed you when you wake up. ”
Aurora approached the chair. She handed Everly the Stanley cup and crawled up on the bed beside her. Taking the cup back, Aurora unscrewed it.
Cope was about to tell her not to get Jude wet, but Fitz gave him a quick shake of his head. Cope stepped back and watched Aurora.
“I know how much you love the snow, Uncle Jude, so I brought you some.” Aurora reached into the cup and came out with a small handful of snow.
She threw it up in the air and watched with wonder as it floated back down.
“’Member the time we got that huge snow storm and we made a snowman in the middle of the street! It was almost taller than my Daddy.”
“Then, we all clapped and cheered when the plow driver ran over Edward Blizzardhands?” Wolf added. “That was one of my bestest days ever.”
“Mine too,” Everly agreed, sounding thoughtful. “Running Eagle, do you think we can try to reach out to Uncle Jude together?”
“Yes, Whispering Wind. I was wondering when you would ask for my help.”
Everly beamed. “Thank you. Would everyone mind leaving the room? All, but you, Uncle Cope.”
Wolf and Aurora said goodbye to Jude and followed Fitzgibbon out of the room. Ronan pressed a kiss to Everly’s temple. “I believe in you. Jude does too.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” Everly turned her attention to Running Eagle when Ronan shut the door. “I tried to reach Uncle Jude yesterday, but it felt like there was a wall surrounding him. I couldn’t get through it or over it.”
“That was the blessing charm I had placed on Jude when he was born. It was invoked to protect my grandson from psychic attacks and other evils. However, your intentions are not evil. You are pure.”
Everly set a hand over her heart. “Uncle Jude is my special person. He’s been here for me since the day I was born, because he loved me.
I want to give back everything he’s given to me.
Every hug. Every word of encouragement. I believe Uncle Jude will get better, but I’m a little worried that he doesn’t believe the same thing. He’s a bit stubborn, you know?”
Eagle laughed. “Yes, little one. I do know. Do you remember the Blessing Way prayer we recited for Lizbet when she got her Navajo name two years ago?”
“I do. Are we gonna say that for Uncle Jude?”
“We are.” Eagle held his hands out to Everly, who took them.
He began to hum. Everly hummed along with him.
“Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me. I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body. I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me. I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me. I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me. I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.” Eagle paused.
“Hear us, Little Phoenix. Allow Everly to pass through the barrier between before and forever.”
Everly’s eyes slid shut. Cope watched in awe as her lips began to move. If anyone could contact Jude and give him a message of light and healing, it was Everly. He crossed his fingers and sent every bit of his positive energy her way.