Part 28

As the duo entered the surgery waiting area, a lone couple sat huddled together in the center of the room. A television in the corner had been switched on, but neither was paying it any attention. Lyam and Margaret had their backs to the door; he had one arm draped around her shoulder while her head rested gently against his. Harry paused for a deep breath and walked around the empty chairs to face the couple. As she dropped her husband's hand and reached for the captain's uninjured one, Margaret was the first to speak. "Harry! Are you all right? Cassy told us you had been injured. It's not serious, is it?"

Her caring words only magnified Harry's guilt. He gently pulled his hand away, feeling unworthy of the concern in both parents' eyes. It took a moment before he was able to speak and when he did, the captain's voice was unsteady. "It's nothing, nothing at all. I want you both to know that I'm. . .I'm really so very sorry. I should have found out about Keller all those years ago. If I had, Tom wouldn't have been hurt. It's all my fault." The last was barely audible.

Lyam was quick to refuse his apology. "There's nothing you should be feeling sorry for. You and Cassy saved our son's life. We are eternally grateful to both of you. Neither of you ever gave up on finding him. Now, thanks to the two of you, Tom's going to be just fine." Margaret nodded in agreement with her husband.

Harry stood motionless, unable to find the words he needed to say. He wasn't ready to be absolved of his guilt, but he didn't want to further upset the Ryans, either. Cassy finally broke the awkward silence. "Harry, why don't we leave Lyam and Margaret alone for a little awhile. We can sit in that corner over there and you can give me your statement. We'll be finished long before Tom gets out of surgery." She smiled and nodded to Tom's parents before gently guiding Harry to the empty seats.

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"I don't get it, Harry. Why would Gordon Leonard kill Stein to protect Tom? He was working for the man. Why would he suddenly turn on his partner?" Cassy was having a difficult time making sense of the account Harry had given her of George's death.

"Leonard told me in the car that he was a healer, not a killer. Why can't it be as simple as that?" Harry was intent on keeping his suspicions about the doctor private until Tom could confirm or deny them. He wasn't ready to vocalize his worst fear--that Tom might have been raped, but he was certain something had happened after what he'd seen and heard from the doctor. He was determined not to discuss the subject with anyone until he could speak to Tom.

"So what? You're telling me that he can't just stand by and watch while George Stein kills Tom, but he can kill Stein himself? That makes no sense. There has to be another reason." Cassy knew that Harry was holding something back. She was determined to get him to tell her what, along with the reason he was so reluctant to discuss it with her. She abruptly closed her notebook. "All right, Harry. That's it for the official statement. Now, off the record, what aren't you telling me? He's my partner and my best friend. I need to know."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Detective." Harry's tone was sharp and his expression clearly said the discussion was over. "I want an officer posted at Tom's door after he gets out of surgery. Until Gordon Leonard is in custody, I'm not taking any chances. Weren't you going to check and see if anything has turned up from the APB on the good doctor and his car yet?"

Cassy shoved the notebook and pen into her purse and slowly rose to her feet. "I'll let this go for now, Harry, but I will find out." She started to move away, but quickly turned back. " Putting an officer on the door is just a precaution, right? You don't seriously think Gordon Leonard will try to come after him, do you?"

"If he's smart, he'll be moving as fast and as far away from here as he can get. Besides, if he wanted Tom dead, he wouldn't have shot Stein and he sure wouldn't have called 911. I'm certain there's nothing to worry about. I'd just rather be safe than sorry in this case." Harry hoped he sounded more certain than he felt.

"Yeah, you're right. Why would he have done that if he wanted to kill him? I'm glad you're being cautious, though. Tom's been through enough." She paused a moment before adding, "I'm going outside now to call the office." Cassy turned and headed for the exit.

Harry watched her disappear down the hallway before leaning back in his chair to wait. He rested with his head against the wall behind him and his eyes closed. Lost in thoughts of self-blame and remorse, the captain was startled to find Lyam Ryan suddenly sitting beside him. "I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while Margaret is getting a cup of coffee. We haven't been told much about what happened tonight. I was watching you and Cassy talk earlier. Is there a problem? The scum that did this isn't going to get off scott-free is he? You do have him in custody, right?"

Harry took a deep breath before answering. He hadn't even realized that Mrs. Ryan had left the room. He turned to face Lyam, but was unable to look him in the eye. "George Stein is dead. His partner shot him to keep him from stabbing Tom a second time. The partner's name is Gordon Leonard. He is not in custody as of yet, but I have every available man out there looking for him. I'm assigning an officer to guard Tom until we find him. I really don't expect any trouble, but I'm not taking any chances." For the second time since he sat down, Harry hoped he sounded more certain than he felt.

Lyam Ryan took a moment before he responded. "I wish I could say I'm sorry the man is dead. After what he's done, God forgive me, I just can't. I'm relieved that you're putting a guard on Tommy, though. I don't think any of us will rest easy until the other guy is caught. Are you really sure he won't try to come after Tommy? I mean, he can identify the guy, right?"

Harry was quick to reassure the worried father. "Yes, Tom can identify him, but so can I, for that matter. Dr. Leonard is the one who called 911 for Tom. If he wanted him dead, he wouldn't have done that. I really don't think he'll show up here. He's probably in another state by now."

The two men sat in silence for several minutes. Lyam reached out to place his hand on the captain's uninjured arm. "I need to know what happened to my son tonight. I need to hear all of it, no holding back. Please, Harry."

The captain took a deep breath, still unable to meet the worried father's gaze. He proceeded to tell much the same story he had given Cassy. He was again careful to withhold the details related to his suspicions regarding the doctor. He paused and waited for Lyam's reaction, hoping the man would be satisfied with his accounting of the evening's events.

To the captain's dismay, Lyam wasn't so easily satisfied. "Tell me all of it, Harry. I know that you're holding something back. You haven't looked me directly in the eye once tonight. I could tell by Cassy's reaction before she left that you wouldn't tell her, either. Please, you have to tell me. I'm his father."

Harry reluctantly met Lyam's gaze. "There are some things I need to get Tom to clarify for me. I really can't say what. I promise you, the minute I know something for sure, I'll let you in on it."

Lyam was quick to lose his temper. "Dammit, Harry, he's my son! I have the right to know what happened to him! What the hell are you trying to hide?" As quickly as he snapped, the concerned father apologized. "I'm sorry. Please, forgive me. That was way out of line. It's just that I have to know what that scum put him through. Tommy and Margaret are close, but I'm the one who helped him deal with the football injury. I was the one he turned to when he got the divorce. I'll be the one who helps him get through this, too."

The anguish in Lyam's voice was mirrored in his eyes and served to amplify Harry's guilt even further. His voice wavered as he tried to console the distraught parent. "I know you and Tom have a special relationship. You have no idea how much I envy you that. When I thought that he was. . .I told him tonight that if Frannie and I had been blessed with a son, we'd have wanted him to be just like Tom." A lone tear slipped down the captain's cheek at the memory. "Look, I promise you that I'll let you know just as soon as I can. I really have to get things straight with Tom first. I can't say more than that right now." Harry roughly wiped at the tear, a small release of the fear and frustration he was feeling.

Lyam placed his hand on the captain's uninjured shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. His voice was husky with emotion as he finally choked out a response to Harry's admission. "Thank you. His mother and I have taken great comfort in knowing he has had you and Frannie to look after him. He's very fond of you, too." As he finished speaking, Margaret reappeared in the doorway. Lyam patted Harry's shoulder once more and moved to his wife's side.

Cassy returned soon after and went straight to Harry's side. "They found the car abandoned about eight blocks from the warehouse. The lab is going over it now. There's been no sign of Dr. Leonard so far, though."

Harry nodded. "I want to know as soon as they're finished."

"I told them to call you here the minute they're done." Cassy turned to look at the Ryans. Lyam again had his arm around his wife's shoulders; her head rested on his. Cassy gestured toward the couple. "I really should go talk to them. I haven't really told them about what happened tonight. I didn't have many of the details when I spoke to them earlier. Unless you wanted to. . ." Cassy's voice trailed off.

"I just talked to Tom's father. I told him the basics, but he wants answers I can't give him yet. We'll have to wait for Tom to tell us what happened." Harry nervously looked away as he spoke.

Realization finally found its way through Cassy's weariness. "Oh God, Harry. That doctor did time for aggravated sexual battery. Are you thinking that he. . .that Tom was. . .Oh my God." Cassy took a deep breath and grabbed Harry's sleeve. "You think he was raped, don't you? Why? What the hell aren't you telling me?" Anger laced her words.

Harry finally turned fearful eyes to meet hers. "I'm afraid that. . .I think he might. . .I don't know. There were some things that crazy doctor said. I'm trying really hard not to jump to conclusions here and you should do the same. We just have to wait until Tom can tell us what happened. In the mean time, this stays just between the two of us." Cassy silently nodded before looking away. Both officers stared down at the floor, praying that their suspicions were wrong.

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Three hours later, a thin young doctor in surgical scrubs appeared at the door to the waiting room. "Are you here for Mr. Ryan?" Cassy and Harry had moved to join Tom's parents shortly after their discussion and all four stood to greet the surgeon.

"Dr. Terry Morris." The young doctor extended his hand to each of the four anxious people as introductions were made. "The surgery went well and he's in recovery now. I want him to be closely monitored for a while so we'll be moving him to ICU shortly. After he's settled you can see him, but only for a short while." The doctor gestured to the weary foursome to be seated and took a seat opposite them for himself.

"I want to keep him on a respirator for the next day or two to give the lung a chance to recover. He'll be sedated during this time, but there will be periods when he's awake. The drugs we'll be giving him will have a paralyzing effect. He will be able to see and hear, but won't be able to turn his head or move." He paused to allow the information to be absorbed.

Cassy was the first to speak. "He's going to be all right, though." The statement was more of a question.

Dr. Morris answered with careful and deliberate words. "Things are looking good so far. I can't make any promises, but barring further complications, he should make a complete recovery."

Lyam anxiously jumped in with the next question. "What do you mean by 'further complications'? He is going to be okay, isn't he?"

"One of our biggest post-operative concerns is infection. Your son is already running a fairly high fever from an infected shoulder wound. We have to be concerned about that infection spreading, especially in his weakened condition. We have him on an IV antibiotic and are hopeful that he will respond quickly." The doctor leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.

Margaret was next to speak up. "What about his jaw? The doctor downstairs said something about a broken jaw that needed to be wired. He said you would explain."

The doctor straightened and began his answer. "Yes, X-rays indicate that there is a fracture at the joint of the mandible, the lower part that holds your bottom teeth, and the maxilla, which is part of the skull and holds the upper teeth." He paused to indicate on his own jaw where the area he was referring to was located. "The tube from the respirator will keep him from moving the jaw, so we won't need to worry about wiring it right now. We'll wait until he comes off the respirator and do it then. After about three weeks, we'll take another X-ray to determine if the wire can be removed and replaced with a brace."

Dr. Morris stood and stretched. "The ICU is on the third floor. If you'd like to go to the waiting area, a nurse will let you know when he's settled. After you see him, I'd recommend you go home and get some rest. He probably won't be waking until early this afternoon. If you have any more questions, let the nurse in ICU know or call my office. The nurse can give you the number." After nodding a farewell to them, the doctor turned and disappeared into the hallway.

Lyam took Margaret's arm and the two slowly made their way to the elevator. Cassy turned to Harry, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet during the doctor's explanations. "You coming, Skipper?" The captain silently nodded and moved to follow the Ryans.

The elevator doors slid open just as the pair caught up to Margaret and Lyam. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stared. He struggled to maintain control as he whispered one precious word. "Frannie."

End Part 28

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