CHAPTER FOUR
Lance woke to the sound of voices around him, then the voices faded as he became aware of the pain he was in.
Every inch of him hurt, but the worst was his shoulder.
What happened? Where was he? He slowly opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital room.
Emergency room maybe. He turned his head slightly and saw the I.V.
line running from the bag to where it was connected to the back of his hand. What the hell had happened?
Voices again drew his attention, and he turned to find Jackson sitting in a chair beside his bed. He blinked several times, taking in the blood that covered Jackson's face and clothes. "Jackson?"
At the sound of his voice, Jackson stood. "How are you doing?"
"Hurt. What happened?" Lance tried to sit up, but his shoulder screamed in pain.
"Easy, you've got a dislocated shoulder. They'll be in to fix it in a few. You don't remember anything?"
Lance shook his head, but as he did, faint memories came back to him. Dinner, blood, glass. His eyes went wide. "Angus!" He tried to push up, ignoring the pain. He needed to be with Angus.
"Easy, he's alive. In surgery. I haven't heard anything. They rushed him in as soon as they got him here. I'm not going to lie. It doesn't look good. But just the fact he made it to surgery is a miracle." Jackson didn't look optimistic.
"Saw his ghost. Saw him leave his body." Tears burned Lance's eyes. "Betty grabbed him, then both were gone."
"Lizzy told us. We don't know what happened right now. But when they brought him in, he was breathing and had a pulse. Let's focus on that for now."
"Have to be with him." Lance again tried to push up, but Jackson stopped him.
"You need to be treated first. You've got some bad cuts on your legs and arms, not to mention the dislocated shoulder. Let the doctor treat you while he's in surgery. There's nothing we can do but wait." Jackson held a firm hand to Lance's chest.
Lance tried to breathe, but fear and emotion seemed to be cutting off his breath. "Others?"
"Megan's getting a few stitches now. She'll be okay. Lizzy has some severe cuts to her back and legs. Martin has a broken leg and cuts that will need stitches. We're waiting to find out how bad the break is." Jackson covered Lance's hand with his. "They will all be okay."
"But Angus…" Lance closed his eyes to keep the tears back, but it did no good. They leaked from the corners of his eyes.
"I know, but we have to stay positive. I've seen some men come back from some horrible injuries. Angus is strong. Have faith he'll make it through." Jackson gave his hand a squeeze.
"But saw his ghost. Saw it leave his body." Lance had no idea what that meant. Could a ghost leave the body and still have a heartbeat and pulse? He didn't think so. "Where's Betty?"
"Lizzy hasn't seen her since she grabbed Angus. We don't know where they are right now," Jackson said softly. "Everything is crazy right now. The E.R. is overwhelmed. There were so many injured. Some dead. No one knows what happened. I'll tell you as soon as I learn anything."
"You okay?" Lance probably should have asked that sooner. But the fact Jackson was standing by his bed and not in one of his own told him if he was injured, it probably wasn't too serious.
"I'll heal. I need a few stitches probably for a cut on my arm, but the rest are minimal.
I've got one hell of a headache from whatever hit me, but again, I'll be alright.
I've been through much worse than this, but I've got to tell you, that reminded me of a war zone.
It was like an I.E.D. exploded around us.
" Jackson looked up as the curtain around the bed slid back.
"That's what they're thinking. Some kind of explosion." Franks walked into the small room. He was dressed as if he'd still been working. As Angus's partner, the detective was as close as family. "What's the news on Angus? I heard it was bad."
Lance closed his eyes. He wanted to be with him. Needed to be close enough that if his ghost was around his body, he could see and talk to it.
"He's in surgery. A piece of glass from the window that we were sitting near sliced into his neck.
It was deep and I'm honestly shocked they were able to get him here alive.
I don't know how they did it. When they escorted me and Megan out, the paramedics were still trying to decide on the best way to transport him.
No one dared touch him in case that glass shifted.
" Jackson gave Lance's hand another squeeze.
"He also had some serious head lacerations, but they didn't seem as worried about those. "
"I saw Lizzy when I came in. They're prepping her for surgery.
One of the shards of glass in her leg was deeper than they thought and they wanted to surgically remove it.
They'll keep her tonight, then release her tomorrow.
Martin has a broken ankle. He's waiting to get a cast, but there's a line of other people worse off who are ahead of him.
The waiting room is a zoo. They're sending people who just need minor care to the clinic down the street.
I saw Megan getting stitched up at that makeshift area they've set up near the nurse's station. "
"Yeah, she got lucky. We both did. It could have been much worse. Seems like the other side of the table got the worst of it. Do they have any idea what happened?" Jackson asked.
"Not yet. It looks like an explosion of some kind.
The area's been evacuated while they search for a gas link or the source of the explosion.
It's too soon to know. They were still hauling injured out when I checked.
Hell, if you hadn't called, I might still be sitting on my deck drinking a cold beer. " Franks gaze traveled over Lance.
"We figured you needed to know," Jackson told Franks. "Thankfully, Megan had your number and had managed to grab her purse as they rushed us out of there."
"How bad are you?" Franks asked Lance.
"I'm told my shoulder is dislocated and I feel like I have glass shards in my ass. I don't even want to look at my legs." Lance glanced down at the sheet covering him and saw several areas where blood had soaked through the sheet.
"The arm is the worst of it, but there's a lot of cuts and I'm guessing glass to be removed. His legs looked like he took a few rounds of buckshot. Everyone is going to be hurting for a few days. It's Angus that we need to pray for." Jackson again gave Lance's hand a squeeze.
"Which is why I'm going upstairs to the surgery waiting room. I'll see if I can get any information. I'll text… Well, I guess Megan. I'm not sure who has their phones still."
"I have mine, but Megan will let us all know what's going on. She'll be in here with us in a few. I'm guessing they'll keep Lance overnight—"
"Uh uh, no way. I have to be with Angus.
I need to be up there with him." Lance again tried to sit up, but stopped when Jackson again pressed a hand to his chest to keep him down.
"I'm not staying in a room. I'll be with Angus.
I'm not leaving him." He begged whatever powers that be to let Angus make it out of surgery.
He still didn't know what it meant seeing his ghost. He'd never heard of a ghost being released unless someone was really dead.
Someone needed to tell Ray and Bethany. "Shit, someone will have to deal with Haunt. "
"I'll grab an Uber home once I know everyone is okay.
I can handle the dog, grab Angus's car since it's the only one we have right now, and head back.
I'm sure Megan will want to go home too and at least shower and change clothes.
We told her mother not to come down when we called her.
It's too crazy here to make her fight traffic and the crowds.
The media is set up outside the hospital, interviewing anyone who will talk. " Jackson sighed.
"Leave the sliding door open enough for Haunt to get into the yard. I don't care if she digs up the whole place right now. Just make sure she has water and food."
"We caught several voles, so there might not be anything out there for her to go after. That doesn't mean she won't dig, but we can hope." Jackson pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down.
"You look exhausted. Are you sure you're not seriously hurt? You should go get treated." Lance was used to Jackson being strong and always together. To see him pale and a bit shaky had him worried.
"I'm okay. Just tired and sore. Probably a slight concussion from whatever hit me. I know the signs to be aware of. Once they slow down out there, I'll go get a few stitches in my arm, then grab something to eat and be as good as new." Jackson glanced down at his arm.
Lance noticed for the first time the large cut on Jackson's bicep. He'd torn his dress shirt sleeve to expose the area. It wept blood but didn't look too serious. "That's going to leave a scar."
"We'll all have a few new ones from this," Jackson commented.
"I'm going to head up to surgery. Call me if anyone down here needs anything and I'll text as soon as I get any news on Angus." Franks smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too." But the truth was, he wasn't okay.
He wouldn't be okay until he knew that Angus was out of danger.
All he could see when he closed his eyes was how Angus's spirit had started to leave his body.
That wasn't good, but Lance had no idea what it meant.
He needed to talk to Ray. He'd know. At least Lance hoped he would.
He was the oldest ghost Lance knew, and if anyone had seen it happen before, it would be him.
And where the hell was Betty? She'd be right by Lizzy's side if she was around. God, they couldn't lose her.