CHAPTER TEN #2
Lance didn't think that was true. He felt helpless.
All he could do was sit and stare, wondering if the man he loved was still in his body, still alive.
Even more, would he come back to him? And where was Betty?
So many questions and they plagued his mind trying to find answers that just weren't there.
"Jackson will be back later as well. You can interview him.
If any of us noticed anything off, it would probably be him. "
"Oh, speaking of which…" Amy pulled a few papers from her laptop case.
"If you get a chance, we need written statements from you.
Just fill them out when you can and get them back to us.
Even if you didn't see anything, we need a record of that.
" She handed the papers to Lance. "We'll catch up with Jackson and Megan later today.
Right now, we have a few other patients to visit before they are released. We'll drop by when done."
"Hope you learn something." Lance took the papers and set them on small table beside his chair. He was so tired that just the thought of filling out paperwork made his head ache.
"Call me if you need anything." Franks put a hand on Martin's shoulder. "I mean that. Anything at all."
"Thanks, Franks. You know we will." Martin smiled up at him. "But right now, the only thing we need is for Angus to get better. Once that happens, we'll want for nothing."
"He's strong. He won't leave us." Franks released a deep sigh as he stared at Angus. "Okay, we'll be back." He gave a wave, then followed Amy out of the room.
"Do you think they know something we don't?" Lizzy asked. "Franks and Amy are homicide detectives."
"I think they've got everyone working on this case right now.
If they knew something, Franks would have told us.
I don't think anyone knows exactly what happened yet.
I know the news said investigators were still waiting to get into some areas of the building.
It's too soon to guess what caused that explosion," Martin told them.
"I agree. Franks would tell us. He's never kept secrets from us." Lance pushed up from his chair, needing to stretch his legs. He grimaced at the pain in his shoulder. "I feel like I have bug bites all over my legs."
Lizzy laughed. "That's one way to describe it. I swear the small cuts are more distracting than the big one that they operated on. And they itch something fierce. I keep wanting to scratch but know I'll just tear open the scabs that have formed."
"Reminds me of the chicken pox." Martin smirked.
"Then I'm glad I never had chicken pox. This is absolute hell.
" Lance rubbed his hand down his hip. "Now I know why they put him in a coma.
The need to scratch would cause him to move too much.
" He paused at the foot of Angus's bed, taking in the pale color of his skin. "Do you really think he's in there?"
"I do," Martin said.
At the same moment Lizzy said, "I don't know."
Lance sighed, resting his hand gently on Angus's blanket-covered foot. "He has to be. No one we've talked to has ever seen a body alive without a spirit, right?"
"But I saw him." Lizzy wiped at more tears.
"So did I, but I also saw Betty appear to grab hold of him.
Maybe she did something to keep him from fully leaving his body.
I've played it back in my mind over and over again, and I can't recall if his whole spirit had left his body.
In my mind, I want to say he was only half out of it.
" Lance continued to hold Angus's foot. "Until it's proven he's not in there, I will believe that he is. I just wish I knew where Betty was."
"I think we lost her. She'd be here if she could. She wouldn't leave Angus and me at a time like this." Lizzy crumpled the tissue in her fist.
Lance's heart ached for her. He was aware of how close Betty and Lizzy were.
Even Martin would feel the loss. He might not see or talk to Betty, but she'd always been around.
She went everywhere they did. "I wish I had answers.
" He released Angus's foot and moved around the room a bit, stretching his legs.
"I agree with Lance. We have to stay positive.
Angus is here and he'll be just fine once he recovers.
There's no reason to think otherwise. And as far as Betty goes, we have to trust she knew what she was doing and what the risk was.
If she went into the light while saving Angus, that's exactly what she meant to do.
I have no doubt she'd do anything to protect him.
She was as much a parent to him as we are.
" Martin gave Angus's hand a squeeze from where he still held it on the bed.
Lizzy sniffed but said nothing.
"Hopefully, when Angus wakes up, he'll recall what happened.
But we have to prepare ourselves for the fact that we might never know exactly what happened.
And we have to make sure Angus doesn't feel guilty if Betty is gone.
He loves her as much as anyone, and it will destroy him if he knows she is gone because she saved him.
So let's be careful what we say in case he really can hear us.
I want him only hearing positive things.
" Lance was mourning Betty as much as anyone, but he had to focus on the person still alive. The person who he would grow old with.
"You're right. Positive thoughts." Lizzy smiled. "We're going to focus on Angus and the huge welcome home party we're going to throw him when he finally gets out of this place."
Lance nodded, praying that Lizzy was right and even if it took months, he would get Angus back home, where he could hold him close, remind him he loved him, and hope nothing like this ever happened to them again.