Chapter 13 Lacey
LACEY
The hospital room felt both too small and too large at the same time as Lacey lay propped up against the pillows, trying to process everything that had happened over the past few hours.
The oxygen mask had been removed, but her throat still felt raw and scratchy from inhaling whatever chemical had been used to attack her and Margo at the clinic.
Dean sat in the chair beside her bed, his presence both comforting and somehow charged with possibilities she wasn't quite ready to examine.
Noah stood near the bed with his wife Ginny, both of them wearing the kind of worried expressions that made Lacey's heart ache with love for her son and daughter-in-law.
"Mom, you really scared us tonight," Noah said quietly, moving closer to her bed. "When we got the call about the fire at the clinic, I thought..." He swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence.
"I'm fine, sweetheart," Lacey replied, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "Both Margo and I are going to be fine."
"But what if the fire department hadn't gotten there in time?" Ginny asked, her voice trembling slightly. "What if the fire department hadn't been able to get inside the building?"
"We can't think about what might have happened," Lacey said firmly, as much to convince herself as anyone else. "We have to focus on the fact that we're safe now.”
The door opened with the brisk efficiency that always announced Lucy's arrival, and Lacey's twin sister entered wearing her doctor's coat and carrying a tablet loaded with medical information.
"How are you feeling?" Lucy asked, immediately moving to check Lacey's vital signs with the professional competence that had made her one of the most respected physicians in the county.
"Like I've been breathing poison," Lacey replied honestly, wincing as speaking triggered another wave of throat irritation.
"That's essentially what happened," Lucy said grimly, checking Lacey's pulse and examining her eyes with a small flashlight. "Your oxygen levels are much improved from when you were brought in, but I want to keep you overnight for observation, just like Margo."
"Lucy, I really need to get home," Lacey protested weakly, though she could already feel her energy flagging from just this brief conversation.
"I have appointments scheduled for tomorrow morning. I have to find a place to temporarily house the vet clinic.” Her head started to ache as she thought about what had to be done.
“There is equipment to be checked. I need to find out the damage done…” Her eyes widened. “Oh, no.”
“What is it?” Dean, Noah, Ginny, and Lucy all chorused as they stared worriedly at Lacey.
“Dr. Vernon…” Lacey swallowed, her throat feeling croaky and dry. “Dr. Vernon is coming tomorrow morning for an interview.”
“A new vet?” Noah asked. “You never told me you found someone.”
“She contacted me yesterday while I was at the Henderson farm. Right before my car accident,” Lacey explained. “She’s on vacation in Cedar Keys, and she heard from the vets out there that I had an opening for a qualified domestic and wildlife vet.”
“You never mentioned it to me either,” Lucy said, glancing at her sister.
“Honestly,” Lacey said, “with everything that happened—you know the accident, then this…”
Before Lacey could continue, there was a light knock on the door, and June appeared, supporting a protesting Margo who was clearly determined to visit despite her medical condition.
"I had to come see you," Margo said breathlessly as June helped her settle into a visitor chair. "I had to ensure you were okay and see it for myself."
“I’m fine.” Lacey felt her heart swell with affection for her niece, even as worry gnawed at her about how close they'd both come to dying. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm just so glad you're all right. I was terrified that something had happened to you when I lost consciousness."
"We're both tougher than we look," Margo replied with a weak smile that didn't quite hide the trauma in her eyes. "It'll take more than some crazy person with gas canisters to get rid of this family.”
"Don't joke about that," Lucy said sharply. "You both came within minutes of dying tonight. If the fire department had been even slightly delayed..."
"But they weren't delayed," June interjected gently, moving to Lacey's bedside. "Dean and the other firefighters got there in time, and you're both going to recover completely."
The genuine relief in June's expression was unmistakable, and Lacey found herself wondering about the connection she'd observed between June and Dean over the past few days. There was clearly a deep friendship there, forged through years of shared experiences and mutual support. Before she could stop it, a twinge of jealousy, unlike anything she’d felt before, hit her, and she gave herself a stern talking to.
“I need to do a full examination of Lacey,” Lucy told them. “So I need you all to clear out the room.”
“Mom, Ginny and I need to go get the girls from Willa’s and take them home. They’re there with Mina. We’ll pop past in the morning as I know they’ll want to see you,” Noah told his mother.
“Of course, sweetheart,” Lacey said. “Tell them their grandmother’s okay and I’ll see them tomorrow.”
Noah kissed her cheek, and Ginny followed suit before the two of them left.
“I’m going to grab some water in the cafeteria,” Dean told her. “I’ll be right outside.”
Dean left.
“Really?” Margo said as June helped her up. “I’ve just got here.”
“And you shouldn’t be here,” Lucy stated. "You need to get back to your own bed and rest. Your body needs time to process and eliminate the chemicals you were exposed to."
"But I just got here," Margo complained, though she allowed her mother to support her weight as she stood. "We haven't even talked about what we remember from the attack."
“June…” Lacey stopped her from walking out the door. “Can you stay? I need to talk to you…” She glanced at her sister. “About… about the clinic.”
“Uh…” June looked worriedly at Margo.
“I’m fine,” Margo assured her. “I’m just next door. I can get there on my own.”
“Lucy wants to…” June said, looking at Lucy.
“It’s okay,” Lucy said. “I know the clinic is really upsetting my sister, and until she knows whatever needs to be done gets done…” She sighed. “I won’t get any accurate readings from her.” She walked to her daughter. “Looks like I’ll be the one escorting you back to your room.”
“That’s awesome,” Margo said with sarcastic sweetness. “It’s been a while since my mother tucked me into bed.”
“After this stunt, you’re lucky I don’t restrain you to the hospital bed,” Lucy warned her daughter. “Come along.”
"June," Margo whispered conspiratorially, grabbing June’s arm before she could walk back into the room. "Can you find me a burger and some chips? And maybe a double vanilla malt? I’m starving and I know what they serve here." She made a gagging movement.
June sighed and rolled her eyes with fond exasperation. "Margo, I don't think fast food is what your system needs right now."
"I'll get you something to eat that I think you should actually be consuming after tonight's trauma," Lucy said dryly, having heard every word of her daughter's request. "Something light and easy to digest. Now come back to bed with you."
As Lucy began steering Margo back out the door, Margo turned and mouthed silently to June, "Please, a burger, chips, and a malt."
June laughed despite herself as Lucy dragged her protesting daughter away, their voices fading as they moved down the hospital corridor.
June went to the door but before she closed it, Lacey asked. “Can you call Dean in here, please?”
“Sure,” June said, frowning. “I’ll be right back.”
Lacey blew out a breath and tried to relax as she waited. She didn’t have long until the door opened, and June slipped in with Dean, who had two bottles of cold water in his hand.
“Are one of those for me?” Lacey asked hopefully. “My throat is so dry.”
“Uh…” Dean glanced at the door and then back to Lacey. “Sure, if you’re allowed to drink one.”
He handed her the bottle, and his fingers brushed hers, sending a warm tingling sensation down her arm.
Lacey ignored it, popped open the bottle, and took a careful sip of the cold liquid. She took a breath and turned to her friend.
"June, you were right about everything," Lacey said quietly. "I do have an enemy, and now I'm absolutely terrified because I nearly got my niece killed because of it."
"Lacey," June started, moving a chair closer to the bed and taking a seat, "you absolutely cannot blame yourself for what happened tonight. What that person did was not your fault in any way."
"But it is connected to me," Lacey insisted, feeling the weight of guilt pressing down on her chest like a physical force. "June, I have an enemy, and it's quite clear they want me dead." The emotional intensity of speaking those words aloud triggered a coughing fit that left her gasping for air.
“Sit up,” June said as she and Dean helped Lacey sit straight. “Do you want me to call Lucy?”
“No,” Lacey said, shaking her head. “It will go away.”
“Have another sip of water,” Dean suggested.
"Do you know where Holt is right now?" Lacey asked, looking between June and Dean. "I know it's late, but I think we need to have a conversation with him as soon as possible."
Before anyone could answer, there was a polite knock at the door. Dean went to answer it, and, as if fate agreed with Lacey's assessment of the situation, Holt appeared in the doorway.
He paused when he saw June and Dean, his expression shifting to one of professional courtesy mixed with personal concern for everyone present.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company," Holt said, glancing around at the assembled faces with obvious hesitation. "I can come back later if this isn't a good time. I just wanted to ask you some questions about what happened tonight, if you're feeling up to giving a formal statement."
"Actually, your timing is absolutely perfect," Lacey replied, gesturing for him to come into the room. "I'll gladly give you a complete statement about everything I remember from the attack, but first, there's something I need to ask you, June, and Dean to help me with."
Holt entered the room completely, closing the door behind him to ensure their conversation would remain private.
Dean returned to his chair beside Lacey's bed, while June settled back into her seat on the opposite side of the bed.
All three of them looked at her with expressions of curiosity and concern, waiting to hear what she had to say.
Lacey took a moment to gather her thoughts, knowing that what she was about to ask would change the dynamic of their relationships and potentially put them all in danger. But after tonight's attack, she was absolutely certain that trying to handle this situation alone was no longer an option.
"I have an enemy," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the emotional weight of the admission.
"Someone who clearly wants me eliminated for reasons I can’t understand.
Tonight's attack on the clinic proves that they're willing to kill innocent people to get to me, and I cannot let that happen again. "
She paused, looking at each of them in turn, studying their faces to gauge their reactions.
They were all three fully focused on her.
"I want the three of you to help me figure out who is doing this and why.
" Her voice was low, so no one outside the room could hear what she was saying.
"I need to identify my enemy before anyone else I love gets hurt or killed. I can’t live with the thought that Margo, or Noah, or Lucy, or any of you or your families might be the next target because someone wants to eliminate me. "
The room was silent for a long moment as the three of them processed her request. Lacey could see them weighing the implications, considering the potential dangers, thinking through the logistics of what she was asking them to do.
Finally, Dean leaned forward in his chair, his expression resolute and unwavering.
"You don't even need to ask, Lacey. Of course, I'll help you figure this out.
No one has the right to terrorize you or threaten the people you care about.
We're going to find out who's behind this and put a stop to it. "
"Count me in as well," June said immediately, her voice firm with conviction. "I've been thinking about this situation ever since your car accident, and I agree that someone is systematically targeting you. We need to get to the bottom of it before they succeed in their plans."
Holt nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful as he considered the scope of what they were discussing.
"This attack tonight was highly coordinated and professionally executed.
Whoever is behind this has access to resources and expertise that suggest something much more serious than a simple personal grudge.
I think combining our efforts and knowledge makes a lot of sense. "
Relief flooded through Lacey as she realized that she no longer had to face this threat alone. With Dean's protective strength, June's analytical mind, and Holt's investigative experience, she felt like they actually had a realistic chance of identifying her enemy before anyone else got hurt.
"Thank you," she said softly, feeling tears prick at her eyes for an entirely different reason than the panic attack. "I've been so scared, not just for myself but for everyone around me. Knowing that you're willing to help means more than I can possibly express."
"We're going to figure this out," Dean assured her, reaching out to squeeze her hand gently. "And we're going to make sure you and everyone you care about stays safe."
"So where do we start?" Lacey asked, her mind running through how investigations work as she pulled out old memories of the forensics class she took way back in college. "What do we know about the pattern of attacks, and what do we need to get this investigation going?"
As the four of them began to discuss strategy and share information, Lacey felt a spark of hope ignite in her chest for the first time since this nightmare had begun.
She wasn't alone anymore, and with these three capable, determined people on her side, she was beginning to believe that they might actually be able to solve this mystery and reclaim her life.