Chapter 5 #3
And, with that, Anderson nodded, and his buddy headed out of the bathroom. He wanted the same five minutes himself, even if only to make a few more phone calls. He’d had a few moments throughout the day, but mostly when the babies were asleep for a whole five minutes.
The problem was, one baby slept but the next one didn’t, or two slept and then one woke up and woke up the others. It was this un-freaking-believable game of dominoes, and he hadn’t had a chance to figure out how to make it stop.
With the babies finally in their cribs for a nap, and all three were sound asleep for the moment, Anderson looked over at Burton, who caught on.
“Yes, go now, and run. Do whatever you’ve got to do and get back as soon as you can. As long as they’re asleep, they’re perfect angels. But, holy crap, as soon as one of them makes a sound, I’m screwed.”
“I know. I know,” he replied, as he hurriedly walked to the front door. “I may swing by the police station while I’m out getting diapers and visiting Talia.”
“Okay, you do you, but I’m not sure anybody’ll be there at the station at this time of day.”
“I know, but their radio silence is just pissing me off,” he complained. “Talia first, and then I’ll see.” And, with that, he grabbed the keys he’d found earlier and headed to the hospital in Talia’s car. When he got there, he checked with the nurses’ station to confirm Talia was still in the ward.
With that confirmation, he headed straight to her.
As he stepped into the ward, he felt that sense of despair and disquiet all around him.
He frowned, reminded that he really wanted her in a private room, but he hadn’t even had two seconds to think about whether that was a good idea or even an option.
He walked over to Talia and sat down at the side of her bed, picking up her hand.
“Hey, Sis,” he began. “I hope you’re healing in here.
I sure wish you would wake up and could come back to us.
I mean, we’re holding up,” he added, with half a laugh, his tone gentle and soft.
“It’s not exactly what I thought I would be doing today, but I did haul Burton in to help with the babies.
“I’m sure you’ll absolutely love that. Yet he came, and, man, I really appreciate it.
This has just been … wild. I need you back.
I need you safe … and healthy. I need you coming home to us soon,” he whispered, tears in his voice.
“I don’t know what happened to you. I don’t know how everything went to hell so fast.”
His voice was cracking, and his tears threatened.
“So I need you to come out of this and to tell me what happened because, right now, we have no answers, and we need them. The babies are doing okay. I’m looking after them, believe it or not,” he muttered.
“And I know that, if you were awake right now, you would either be howling with laughter or cringing, thinking your babies would suffer. But absolutely no way would I let your girls suffer,” he said, with a smile.
“And I have to admit, I am starting to see the different personality quirks, and there are differences in a way I hadn’t expected.
” He had a big smile on his face, yet tears were in his eyes at the same time.
“Please come back to us, Talia. I need you.” He stayed with her for a few more minutes but couldn’t see any noticeable change in anything.
When he looked up, one of the nurses was walking in to do her rounds. He motioned at Talia and asked, “Can you give me an update on her condition?”
“She’s healing,” she shared, her tone calm and quiet. “You’ll have to talk to the doctor to get the details, but they’re keeping her lightly sedated.”
“I hear you on the lightly sedated, but it would sure be nice if she would come out of it.”
“I think they’re deliberately trying to avoid her coming out of it just yet. The pain will be severe, and they’re still running other tests.”
“What do you mean by other tests?”
“Some of her blood pressure readings have been erratic at best. I guess they’re a little concerned about the potential for an internal bleed.”
“A little concerned?” he repeated, his eyes widening. His gaze went to her name tag, as it was his training to notice anything and everything around him. Sammy Lindquist.
Sammy nodded. “Again, if it were more of a concern, she would have already be in for further surgery.”
“Right,” he muttered.
“So, we’re monitoring it,” she stated. “Again, you need to talk to the doctor.”
“I would love to, but that doesn’t seem to be anything I’m getting updates on.”
She frowned, looked at the chart, and noted, “I’m not sure what doctor you’ve been trying to reach.”
“Whoever was on the case,” he replied. “I just didn’t have a name.”
“Ah, well, I can provide that for you,” she said.
It was a name he hadn’t heard yet, Daniel Maddock. “He’ll be back in tomorrow morning to do his rounds. He’s usually here between eight and nine.”
“Is his schedule flexible?”
“He has surgery tomorrow, so if you’re any later than that, he’ll be in the OR.”
“Right.” He groaned. “I need her back on her feet again.”
“Even if we have her back up and talking and moving around, you won’t be taking her home anytime soon.”
“I understand a good size crack is in her pelvis,” he shared, staring at her.
She nodded. “So she’ll need home care, and there will be a degree of immobility for a while.”
“Jesus,” he muttered, scrubbing his face. “What on earth would cause her pelvis to be damaged like that?”
She studied his face, which revealed all kinds of chaos that he had lived through.
He added, “I know. I know. You’re not supposed to tell me any details. But, … please, if you were to surmise, you know, theoretically.”
“I would say,” she began, taking a deep breath, “a heavy blow.”
He paled and then nodded. “Right, well, I’m heading to the police station because nobody’s calling me back.”
She frowned at that. “Absolutely somebody should be connecting with you by now.”
“Yeah, there should be,” he agreed, “but, so far, nothing. Apparently they think I am somebody they don’t need to bother with, or at least that’s what it feels like.”