Chapter 84
IF WAITING FOR the ambulance had felt like it took hours, waiting at the hospital actually took hours.
I was put in a comfortable “family” room on the same floor as the emergency room.
There was a blue microfiber couch, four padded recliners, a couple of small tables, and a box of toys and games in the corner.
I’d seen a lot worse in hospitals over the years.
I took the time to call Joe and fill him in. He wanted to come join me at the hospital, but Julie was asleep and I convinced him not to bother Mrs. Rose this late at night. In the end, he agreed.
Rich Conklin stopped in about an hour after I’d gotten there. “You made the news,” he told me. I winced. I’d purposely avoided turning on the TV or looking at anything on my phone.
Not long after Conklin arrived, Jackson Brady strolled into the waiting room. He was wearing a cardigan, something I wasn’t used to seeing. His huge frame pulled at the weave.
He had only one question for me. “Are you all right?”
I nodded.
“Then it’ll all work out. From everything I’ve heard, you did a super job in the Tenderloin.”
“If I’d really done a super job, Alain Creasy wouldn’t be in surgery right now. It just all happened so fast.”
“It always does. We can’t stop people from doing stupid things. But we get paid to stay focused when they do. You subdued the threat, secured the scene, and delivered lifesaving first aid. I’d call that a super job.”
I appreciated his support. I also knew it was sincere. He didn’t say things like that unless he meant them. I’d rather be around someone who tells me honestly what they think than someone who constantly praises me.
I said, “I can’t get any information on Alain’s condition. I’ve tried, but I keep getting stonewalled.”
“That’s why you have a useless administrator like me here.” Brady winked. “Give me a few minutes.” He turned and marched out of the waiting room with purpose.
A few minutes later, a nurse led Brady back into the waiting room like she was a teacher from an old movie pulling a naughty student by the ear. She pointed to a chair and simply said, “Sit down and stay out of our way.”
A cowed Brady just nodded his head. In all my years of working with him, I’d never seen anyone intimidate him. Let alone order him around. Conklin and I had to work not to snicker in front of our boss.
The nurse looked at us and said, “Please try to keep your kids from roaming around the hospital. Your friend is still in surgery. We’ll give you an update when something changes.”
I settled into a comfortable recliner. It felt like it was giving me a hug.
The soft fabric, which kind of felt a little like velour, was soft on my cheek as I leaned against the headrest. After the stress of the shooting and the adrenaline that had followed, I was starting to feel the crash. It happened to everyone.
I slipped into a comfortable sleep.