Part 27

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I can't give out that information. If you will just have a seat, the doctor will be out to talk to you shortly." The clerk at the admissions desk was polite, but firm. When Cassy started to protest, she interrupted. "I'm really very sorry, Sergeant, but I just don't know anything. The doctor is in with your partner as we speak. I think I might be able to get you in to see your captain in a few minutes. He's coming back from x-ray now. That's really the best I can do for you."

The clerk's kind smile and sincere expression took the bite out of Cassy's reply. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Thank you. I really would appreciate anything you could do." The frustration was getting to her. Harry had vehemently refused to allow the paramedics to check his shoulder, insisting that Tom needed them more than he did. She had only been able to convince Harry to accompany Tom in the ambulance and get it examined at the hospital by promising to personally remain behind to oversee the team at the warehouse. The uncertainty of Tom's condition had been nearly unbearable. Now that Cassy had finally arrived at the hospital, she was unable, as yet, to learn anything of her partner's condition.

As she turned away to find a seat, Cassy caught sight of Lyam and Margaret Ryan coming through the automatic doors at the entrance to the ER. Cassy had sent a uniformed officer to pick them up at the airport while she finished up at the crime scene. She braced herself for the barrage of questions she knew would be their greeting. Cassy had instructed the officer to tell them only that Tom had been found and was at the hospital being treated.

"Cassy! How is he? What happened? Have you seen him yet?" Lyam grabbed her in a fierce embrace as he bombarded her with questions. Cassy said nothing as she struggled to find the right words. Lyam released her from the hug and pulled away to arm's length. Margaret remained silent beside him, unable to find her voice. She reached out to squeeze Cassy's hand in greeting. Terror shone in both parents' eyes as they searched Cassy's face for reassurance. Lyam's voice broke as he spoke once more. "Cassy?"

Cassy finally spoke. "Let me tell them you're here. Then we can have a seat and I'll tell you what little I know, okay?" She prayed neither her voice nor her eyes would betray her own fears. After speaking to the clerk, she ushered the shaken parents over to a seat. She took a deep breath and put on her best cop face before beginning. "The doctor is in with Tom now. I haven't seen him since the ambulance took him. He was stabbed in the right side of his chest." She paused momentarily to let the information sink in.

Margaret gasped and put one hand to her mouth. The other hand sought and found strength and comfort in her husband's. Lyam swallowed hard and nodded for her to continue. "Harry was with Tom when he was stabbed. He told the paramedics that Tom was dehydrated, malnourished, and running a fever from an infected wound in his shoulder." She took a deep breath before continuing. "He was also beaten repeatedly over the past few days. Harry told the paramedics that he had a concussion and several broken ribs, as well as a broken jaw. That's about all I know. The doctor should be out soon to tell us more."

Margaret was the first to speak. "Was he conscious when you saw him? Please, Cassy, I have to know. How bad did he look?" Cassy's heart broke at the desperation in her voice. Part of her wanted to lie and spare them the painful details, but she knew she could never do that to them.

"No, he wasn't conscious. He was having some trouble breathing. I think his lung may have been punctured." Cassy closed her eyes and tried to banish the picture of Tom lying on the cot, coughing up the pink bubbly substance. It was one detail she was determined to spare them.

As Margaret was about to press for more, a doctor in blue scrubs approached them. "Are you Mr. Ryan's family?"

Cassy spoke first. "Yes. These are Tom's parents. I'm his. . . I'm not. . ."

Margaret reached to take Cassy's hand as she interrupted the attempted explanation. "Yes, Doctor. We are his family."

Tears welled in Cassy's eyes. She squeezed Magaret's hand in appreciation as the doctor nodded and began his explanation. "I'm Dr. Tony Evans. I've been treating Mr. Ryan since he was brought in. We have him stabilized and are prepping him for surgery now. His lung needs to be decompressed as soon as possible. There is a waiting room on the surgical floor where you can go until the surgery is over. He's running a fever from an infected shoulder wound, so we've started him on an IV antibiotic. We're also giving him IV fluids to combat the dehydration. X-rays indicate a fractured jaw that will have to be wired. Dr. Morris, the surgeon, will be able to explain more about that. We will need one of you to sign the consent forms for the surgery. If one of you could see the young lady at the desk, she will get everything in order. Do you have any questions?"

Lyam voiced the question all three were thinking. "He is going to be all right, isn't he?"

Dr. Evans was slow in responding. "Mr. Ryan has been severely traumatized. I can't give you any guarantees, but I feel we have every reason to be hopeful that he will make a complete recovery."

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Harry slid off the gurney and was halfway to the door when it opened. Cassy stepped into the room and immediately began the lecture. "Harry! What do you think you're doing? You aren't ready to be discharged yet. Come on, now. Let's get you back on the bed."

The captain wasn't in the mood to be coddled. "I'm not going anywhere until someone tells me something about how Tom is doing. Nobody here knows anything. 'The doctor is with him.' That's all anybody knows how to say around here. I'm gonna go find him myself since no one can tell me anything. The doctor said they're all finished with me, anyhow. I've been poked, prodded, x-rayed, blood tested, and every other kind of tested. I've also been trussed up tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey. I'm just waiting on the discharge papers. Now step out of the way, Detective."

Cassy stood blocking his way to the door. "Tom's parents are here and we just talked to Tom's doctor. Get back where you belong and I'll tell you what he said," she challenged.

Harry stood glaring at his officer until his need to know about Tom defeated his ego. Harry reluctantly moved back to the gurney and sat down. He managed to keep from crying out in pain, but Cassy saw it clearly in his eyes. As soon as he was able to speak, Harry demanded the promised answers. "All right, I'm back. So what did the doctor say about Tom?"

Cassy filled Harry in on the surgery as well as the other problems Tom was facing with the infection and dehydration. As she went through the list of injuries and treatments, pictures of Tom lying on the stretcher in the ambulance flashed in his mind. The hard cervical collar and the endotracheal tube, which had been hooked up to a ventilator, obscured much of his face. The part that remained visible to Harry was bruised and swollen to the extent of being nearly unrecognizable. There was no sign of movement or awareness on the part of the fallen detective. Harry shuddered at the memory, sending pain shooting through the nerves in his injured shoulder. A comforting hand found its way to his uninjured arm at the gasp that accompanied the movement, but he was too lost in the memories to notice it.

When Cassy finished her report, he sat and stared straight ahead, hopelessly lost in the nightmare of the evening's events. Words spoken by a weak voice echoed loudly in his mind. "Don't blame you. Harry has to go before it's too late. Stein hates you. He's gonna kill you." Tom's concern for Harry's safety was nearly more than the captain could bear.

Cassy had known that Harry's guilt would intensify after Tom was found, but she had hoped it would wait until Frannie returned. Seeing Harry's expression quickly dashed those hopes. She tried bringing him out of his trance by talking about his wife. "I spoke to Frannie a little while ago, Harry." She paused and waited for a response. None came. "She's got a flight out at 2am. She'll be here by morning. Isn't that great news, Harry?"

The words finally penetrated the captain's brain. "Frannie's coming home?"

Cassy smiled. "Yeah, Harry. Frannie's coming home. She'll be here by morning."

Harry closed his eyes and nodded, unable to trust his voice. He wrapped his good arm around himself and stayed silent for several more moments. Finally, he spoke, though his voice was barely a whisper. "God, I wish she was already here."

The door opened and a nurse came in with Harry's discharge instructions. He quickly signed the papers and pocketed a prescription for pain medication. He grew more and more impatient as the nurse painstakingly went over the doctor's instructions. When she finally finished, Cassy turned to her captain. "Come on, Skipper. I'll take you home now."

They exited the examination room and made their way to the lobby. Cassy turned toward the exit doors, but Harry turned the opposite way. Cassy was quick to notice the wayward captain's actions. "Come on, Harry. Let's get that prescription filled and I'll take you home to rest. Doctor's orders, remember?"

Harry wheeled around to face his detective. "I'm not going anywhere until I know that Tom is okay. You got that?" Cassy knew the tone in his voice and quickly abandoned any hope of him following the doctor's recommendations.

"Yeah, Harry, I got it. So what do you intend to do?"

Harry turned and proceeded down the hallway, Cassy following close behind. "I'm going to go find the surgery waiting room. That's where Tom's parents are, right?"

"Yeah, that's where Dr. Evans told them to wait."

"Well, then let's go wait with them. I need to. . .to. . .tell them. . ." Harry's voice broke and he couldn't finish the words.

Cassy moved beside him and placed a supportive hand on his uninjured shoulder. "Come on, Skipper. Let's go find them. You can tell them what you need to and then you can give me your statement. You're going to have to tell me exactly what the hell happened tonight. You might as well do it now if we're going to be here waiting anyway." The pair slowly made their way to the waiting room, neither anxious to face the hours ahead.

End part 27

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