The Fragile Things, page 11
“Is she alright?”
“Car accident. . .on the Northeast Extension.”
“Is she alright?” he repeated, the anxious tone in his voice rose.
“Yes, yes, she’s alive and all. Just some internal injuries. And she’s here.”
His eyes blinked quickly. “Where is she?”
“She’s here, Nick.”
“Here?”—he pointed to the floor—“As in this hospital?
Cindy nodded. “Yes. She’s on the fourth floor, room 408.
Chapter Thirty-two
“The girl looks to be okay from what we see,” the doctor said regarding Emily. “Everything checks out—blood pressure, reflexes. . .of course, the bump on her head will take some time to heal, but there are no signs of permanent damage or trauma.”
“No concussion?” Nick asked.
“No hydrocephalus or serious damage. . .just some contusions,” the doctor explained. “We did a CT scan and gave her some mild pain relievers. Actually, she’s a lucky girl.”
Nick nodded affirmatively. “Great to hear.”
“I’d keep an eye out on her sleeping patterns and wakefulness. . .also, her moods and that sort of thing.”
“Um, actually, I’m not her guardian. . .just a friend of her mother.” He turned to Cindy. “She’s probably the one who should know.”
“Yes, as I was saying,” the doctor continued. “She may experience some negative changes. . .some mood swings, and she’ll need to get as much rest as possible in the next few days.”
“Such good news, doctor.” Cindy smiled. “Her mother will be thrilled.” She turned to Nick. “By the way has she been told yet about Emily?”
Nick shrugged. “You know, I don’t really know—”
“Well, someone needs to tell her right away!” Cindy blurted out. She immediately darted down the hallway looking for someone to tell. She found someone in a lab coat and pulled her aside to explain the situation.
“We’ll be sure to get the message to her right away,” the lab assistant replied.
“Thank you!” Cindy said, holding her hands together on her chest. Cindy went back and peeked inside the curtain. “May we go in now?” she asked the doctor.
He extended his arm and gestured to go ahead.
“Hey, Em!” Cindy said upon entering the cubicle.
“Aunt Cindy!”
Cindy went to Emily’s bedside and wrapped her arms around her. “You sure had us so worried about you.”
“I’m okay.”
“We were all praying for you, Em.”
“I thought I was going to die out there.”
“Well, you’re safe now.”
“I was so scared.”
“I’m sure you were. . .the river is a scary place to be—especially, at night.”
“Even before that, I was scared. When the man was asking us—”
“A man? What man?”
“Yeah, this man was talking to us—”
“Did he touch you?”
“No, no, but when Hayley and I were walking back to the dorm, this guy started walking toward us on the street. He didn’t look cool at all. I mean, it made me feel so uncomfortable, like he was evil or something. I just got a bad feeling like in a movie when the scary music starts up. I knew this probably was a bad scene.”
Cindy sucked in a breath and shook her head. “So, he never laid a hand on you, right?”
Emily nodded. “But then we got scared and ran—actually, I got scared and just felt I needed to run. I don’t know where Hayley went, but I just ran as fast as I could away from him.”
“Have you told the police all of this?” Cindy asked.
“They questioned her and she gave them her statement,” Nick offered.
“That’s good. I’m sure you were frightened, but it’s all over now, Em. You’re totally safe now.”
“It was a nightmare.”
“I’m sure it was, honey.”
“I’ve been trying to reach my mom”—she held up her cell phone—“but there’s no answer.”
“Honey, about your mom.” She folded her hands together and glanced over at Nick. “Well, listen,” Cindy began, “your mom will be more than delighted to see you. In fact, she’s right here in the hospital.”
Emily brightened. “Here? Where is she?”
“Yes, Em.” Cindy’s voice softened. “Listen, I don’t want you to worry or anything, but your mom had an accident—”
Emily’s hand flew to her mouth. “A car accident. . .is she okay?”
“Yes, with the car. But she’s okay. She is in good hands and will be better soon. May take a little while. For now, though, she just needs to rest.”
“Can I see her?”
“I’m sure you can. You’ll go up with us, right Nick?”
Nick lowered his head and seemed to shrink back at the idea. Not making eye contact with her, he mumbled something incoherent.
“Nick, you okay?”
He lifted his eyes to her. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“So, you’ll come up, too?”
Nick hesitated. “Cindy, you know we broke up and everything. I don’t really think it’s my place to. . .”
“Nick? Are you serious?” She plopped both hands onto her hips. “Seriously, Nick. You came all the way up here to help find Emily, and now you want to bow out when the glory comes along? Doesn’t make sense to me.”
Nick’s face turned sullen. “You are concerned, Nick, for Sarah. . .I can see it in your eyes.” She led him outside of the curtain to speak more privately and not in front of Emily.
“Yes, of course, I am,” he whispered. “I just don’t feel as comfortable as I’d like is all. After all, she’s the one who broke up with me, remember?”
“I thought you walked out on her?”
He dug his hands into his pockets and shook his head. “Sure, to save face. She’d already given me the boot. What else could I do? Not going to be a chump.”
“Okay, so she broke up with you. Right now, her life is on the line, and Emily adores you. So, do the right thing. Come upstairs with us. I’m sure Sarah will be glad to see you—all of us, really.”
Nick dug his hands deeper into his pockets. “Yeah, well, two out of three, maybe.”
Cindy put her hand on his arm. “C’mon, Nick. Let’s not go there.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Sarah stirred while the nurse stood by her bedside.
“Miss Sarah, you have visitors here to see you.”
Sarah opened her eyes and her lips spread into a broad smile.
“Mom!” cried Emily as she flew to her mother’s side. “Mom, are you going to be okay? They said you were in an accident.”
Sarah reached out with one arm as tears spilled from her eyes. Seeing her daughter gave her sensory overload. Her joy ballooned.
“Oh, Emily. . .”—her tears turned to sobs—“I’m so-so glad to see you, baby,” she cried. “I was so worried. . .worried sick.” She attempted to sit up while the nurse put another pillow behind her.
While mother and daughter held each other’s hand, something caught Sarah’s eye. She glanced up at the TV monitor in the corner of the room. Just then, images of both Emily and Hayley lit up the screen.
“Hey”—a huge grin spread over Sarah’s face as she pointed to the TV—“Look!”
They all glanced up at the TV where the local newscast was doing another segment on the disappearance of the girls. The volume remained on mute, but the smile on the female anchor’s face said it all.
“I’m famous!” cried Emily with delight.
From her bedside, Sarah took in the unbelievable moment that her daughter had been found safe and sound. The moment overwhelmed her.
“Yep, you sure are, honey,” Sarah said.
“But where’s Hayley?” Emily asked. “Did they find her, too?”
“Not sure, honey,” Cindy said. “I wish I could tell you.”
Sarah proceeded to pepper her daughter with questions, one after the other, about what had happened and all that went down that fateful night. Emily explained the details of the incident to her mother and aunt as best as she could. At one point, Emily stopped talking and glanced around the room.
“Hey, where’s Nick?” Emily asked, turning her head toward the doorway. Nick stood just outside the threshold of Sarah’s room; his hands were stuffed into his pockets. “Nick,” she called and beckoned him in. “Mom, Nick was there to rescue me, too.”
Sarah’s eyes shot to the door. Though things felt a bit fuzzy in her head from a combination of restless sleep and the meds the doctors prescribed, Sarah saw Nick the way she’d always remembered him: shy, low-key, and always her hero. Nick slowly walked into the room.
“Nick,” Sarah said, softly, as though he’d given her the moon.
“Hey, Sarah.” His face remained stoic, though in his eyes she could see something sparkle.
Her mind spun with thoughts like a tumbling dryer. Thoughts of them together—the good times, the bad—all flashed around in the cycle of their season together. They hadn’t been together for more than a year, but there were enough good times to muse over. The images weaved themselves in her mind, and though she couldn’t quite come to a conclusion about how she felt—at least not exactly—her mood lightened and her pulse kicked up a notch. Having her daughter safely back was exceedingly above what she could ask God for. But seeing Nick there in the flesh and knowing that he had a part in finding Emily, made the moment all the sweeter. Was it the meds or Nick himself giving her this wonderful high?
Nick approached Sarah’s bed. “So, how are you doing?”
Sarah never felt worse but didn’t let on. The splenectomy had taken its toll and left her totally drained, and without any make-up on, she was embarrassed and self-conscious to be around anyone in the harsh, unforgiving fluorescent light of the hospital room, let alone Nick. Though seeing Nick for the first time in months, she felt more energized by the minute. Her self-consciousness lingered but something else rose up as well. What’s happening here?
“I guess I’ll survive.” She lent a weak smile. “Good to see you.”
“I’m sure you will, Sarah. . .sorry about the accident.”
A long pause rose between them. He rested his hand on the bed rail and waited as though he had something more to say. Sarah could see he was searching for the words and had no clue what he wanted to say to her after all of these months apart. Yet she felt a stirring inside her. “Hey, thank you for helping find Emily. . .really sweet and brave of you, Nick.”
Nick bowed his head slightly. Sarah could see a glimmer in his eye. “The cop in me had to get to the bottom of it.”
Sarah smiled. That was so Nick. . .always the hero.
“She’s a good kid.”
Sarah nodded. “I know.”
“The moment I heard—it was Cindy who told me—I felt a bolt of lightning tear through me.” His lips curled into a sweet smile.
“You guys always did get along well.”
Nick nodded while locking eyes with her. The power of the moment sent an electric surge through her whole body. Once again, the connection between them was palpable. The energy ran deep. Despite her bedridden state, an overwhelming sense of peace came over her. Her mood lightened, and something inside shifted. Her heart leaped like an untethered balloon about to lift up from out of her chest. Her eyes roamed over his face and lowered toward his body. His physique had always captured her attention. Standing there in his blue oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up, her reaction to his masculinity took her by surprise. By now, she truly couldn’t even remember what they broke up over.
Just then, the nurse came into the room, followed by Dr. Byron.
“Sorry to interrupt the party here,” Dr. Byron said with a smile. “Just wanted to check in to see how you were feeling, Sarah. Your most recent numbers show your RBC and WBC are still a bit off; so, we need to keep an eye on them, but I feel confident that we can release you in a day or so. How does that sound?”
Sarah smiled. “Sounds great, doctor. I’m all for going home. . .just a bit tired right now.”
“That’s to be expected. How’s your pain threshold?”
“Pain is lessening,” she replied.
The doctor nodded. “Scale of one to 10?”
Sarah paused. “About a five.”
He nodded again. “Sounds about right for the size of the incision. Pain meds will help until things completely heal.” The doctor made some notations on her chart and then put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re making great progress,” he said. “And I heard about your daughter”—he turned to Emily who sat by the window—“That right there will help you heal in no time.” He lent a confident grin. “You should be on the mend very soon.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Sarah said as Cindy and Nick both looked on with smiles.
Chapter Thirty-four
Three months later 4:30 p.m.
“Over there, Em,” Sarah said, pointing across the room. “Every box with the word bedroom I’ll need you to take care of, okay?”
Sarah scanned the room. Where to start? A mound of boxes sat like an eyesore in the middle of the living room of her new condo. Things had finally come together for her, and Sarah couldn’t be any happier than to have her own unit at Greenbrier Hills. Finally, her money would get the advantage of being stockpiled into an investment—one that could lend her security for a rainy day and not be poured down the proverbial rat hole. She put a hand on her hip and sighed. The hardest part of moving was getting things back where they belonged. Like standing on the deck of a ship in high tide without any mooring, she couldn’t wait until she got her footing back and her life was settled once more.
Sarah opened one of the boxes marked hallway. At that moment, her mind reeled back to the old apartment and her life there. Memories from over the years flooded back. The faces of her closest neighbors-turned-friends ebbed and flowed in and out and kept her thinking about how they were doing, especially Winny. How she’d hated to leave the poor woman. So many good things to remember—the kindly doorman, Max, who’d been such a bright spot for so many of the residents who passed through the lobby every day . . . Mr. Kramer and his attentiveness over the years to whatever issues anyone dealt with. Of course, the charming location of the building that sat like a gem among a copse of lush, privacy-lending oak trees would always remain a distant treasure. A veil of sadness overcame her at reminiscing about her next-door neighbor, Beth Benson.
Sarah unpacked the items in the box and began to place them in the hallway closet. As she unpacked box after box, her thoughts focused on the day when she’d heard the news that had left her reeling. . .
Seven weeks earlier. . .
A knock at the apartment door startled Sarah one morning shortly after her release from the hospital. It surprised her that anyone would come calling at that hour. Still wearing her robe and feeling groggy, she shuffled out of the kitchen to get to the door. A look through the peephole revealed her neighbor, Beth Benson, standing in the hallway. Sarah opened the door. Beth’s swollen, red eyes immediately gave her mood away.
“Beth. . .are you alright?”
Beth stood like a shaking tree. He pallor appeared white as porcelain, and her eyes glistened as she mopped up her tears with a crumpled tissue. She cupped her face with both hands. “Not good.”
In sympathy, Sarah reached out to touch Beth’s shoulder. “Beth, come in. What happened?” Sarah stepped back and beckoned her neighbor to the sofa. “Sit down. . .do you want some juice or coffee? I was just about to pour myself a cup.”
Beth shook her head. “No, no, but thanks.”
“Are you sure?”
The woman nodded quickly. “I’m fine, really.”
“You don’t look fine. Tell me what’s going on.”
Beth frowned. “It’s not good—”
“Wait, hold on. Let me get my coffee first. Sorry, but I need the caffeine.”
Beth nodded again. “I’ll bet.” Her voice came out thin and strained. “I was praying for you when I heard you were in the hospital.”
“Thanks,” Sarah called from the kitchen. “I needed all the prayers I could get. . .still do. I’m not completely out of the woods yet.” She came back into the living room carrying two mugs of coffee and placed them on the table. Then she sat on the high back chair across from Beth. “So, tell me. What’s going on?”
Beth twisted the ball of tissue in her hands. “It’s my daughter.”
Sarah recalled the awful incident when Emily and Hayley had disappeared from the hockey camp. While Emily had been found, Hayley remained missing after being kidnapped and nearly died in an accident on the roadway after jumping to make her escape out of a moving vehicle. The oncoming car swerved out of the way but clipped her as it careened down the embankment. Turned out the abductor was wanted on fraud charges in addition to the kidnapping of the teenage girl.
Sarah lost track of the case in the midst of her own health issues at the hospital, but she recalled snippets of the newscasts about the story. It ran for more than a week as new developments came forth. She’d been so overwhelmed with everything—including her own daughter’s turbulent situation as well as the reemergence of Nick in her life. Facing health issues on top of everything, Sarah was overloaded mentally, physically, and emotionally.
“How is Hayley doing these days? Doing better now, I hope.”
“She’s still in the wheelchair. Probably will be for a while. . .maybe forever? Who knows.”
“A wheelchair?” Beth’s words knocked her out and Sarah dropped her head for a second. “Seriously? Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Tears pooled in Beth’s eyes. “Hopefully, her leg will mend normally, but the doctors haven’t given us anything definite to bank on.” She dabbed her eyes and then picked up the mug of coffee. “It just looks hopeless for now.”
