The Gift:
Chapter 1, Saturday Morning
I.
Languorous emerald eyes opened slowly. Kim squeezed her Panda-roo with a smug smile. She felt glorious, her eyes closed in memory. Her smile edged toward a grin, thinking of her new boyfriend. His startled surprise and his even more startling rsponse. The thought of Ron brought her semi-slumbering body to life. Ron had promised to take her to breakfast this morning. She bounced out of bed, grinning as she thought of the intensity of Ron's feelings if he was willing to get out of bed this early on a Saturday morning. Humming the song they had danced to last night, she went to her bathroom to begin her preparations.
It was hard for Kim to brush her teeth with the smile on her face. In her shower she almost got drowned, and putting light make up and lipstick on turned into a challenge. Finally dressed and ready she eased down the stepsof her loft, carrying her shoes,thinking she would be gone before her family woke up. As she passed the kitchen, she smelled fresh coffee.
"Good morning, Mom." She cheerily greeted her mother, "What are you doing up this early on a Saturday?" Since the coffee was made, she prepared herself a cup.
Anne Possible observed her daughter's happiness with a wide smile. "I've got a patient I need to look at this morning so your father and I can have some time together later. The twins are staying with friends and I assume you have plans?"
"Yeah, plans for later."
Anne's brow furrowed, "But, Kimmie, that's later, what are you doing up this early? After last night, I'd think you'd be sleeping in."
"Couldn't sleep anymore, Mom, and besides, "Kim flushed slightly, "Ron's coming by and we're going to IHOP for breakfast and then just hang."
Smiling into her coffee, Mrs. P. asked, "Did you have a good time last night?"
Kim got a dreamy look on her face, "Oh, yeah, it was just great."
Softly, "Ron a good dancer?'
"Bon-diggety." Her daughter breathed, remembering.
Before her daughter could come out of her fog, Anne casually asked, "good kisser?"
"Ummhmm,..the best…MOM!"
Anne just giggled, "Well, I'm glad you had fun."
Kim glared in mock offense, "Rather than sit here and fulfill your fantasies, I'm going to get Dad's paper."
Anne laughed, "Please and thank you, and Honey, a little cool air can't hurt before Ron gets here."
Cheeks flaming, Kim stepped out the door, searching for the morning paper in the false dawn light. She finally spotted it beside a mound of something.
"Wonder what terror the tweebs are planning now? Better make sure Dad knows about it."
The cool dew on her bare feet made her shiver, but she still smiled. Ron was coming over in a minute, and they had the whole day together. "What in the world have the tweebs left out here? That pile moved."
Past experience with her brother's efforts made Kim's approach to the pile cautious. As she got closer, she could see that the lump was not metal, as she had expected, but what looked like "A body! Oh, my God." She began to run forward.
Falling to her knees, she reached to touch the body, in the growing light finally able to see the torn ragged clothes, damp with…blood? As she began to rise to run for her mother, a familiar voice croaked, "KP…you…safe? KP…hurts."
II.
Mrs. Dr. Possible was out of her chair and almost out the door before she consciously realized that that terrified scream had come from her daughter. Even so, she was barely a step ahead of her husband, who tore through the door at a flat run.
Both parents ran toward Kim, who was kneeling beside…something…her hands to her mouth, crying.
Mr. Possible shouted, "Kimmie-cub, what's wrong?" without slowing, at the same time his wife realized what was before her daughter.
Falling to her knees beside her child, Anne shook her, "Kim, go call 911, and then bring me the phone…KIM!"
Wide, frightened eyes turned to Anne in shock. "Mom, it's…it's…Ron!"
"I know, baby…"
"But, Mom, the…the blood…the…"
"KIM! " Anne forced her voice to gentle, "Kim, go get the phone and call for help. I'll do what I can. Now, Honey."
Kim stood, eyes darting, and raced into the house.
"Anne, is there anyway I can help?" Her husband asked.
Drawing a deep breath, forcing her fear down and her professionalism up, Anne glanced at her spouse.
"There's not a lot we can do, James. I don't want to move him until we get a collar on, and judging from a first look, he has too many injuries to be moved without precautions. I'm glad he's unconscious, frankly, I'm surprised he's alive."
Both heard the door slam, and the running feet before Kim slid beside them. Sirens began to scream in the distance.
Kim had eyes only for Ron. "Mom…mom…why aren't you doing something…helping him…Mom, please." She dissolved in tears.
"I can't yet, Kimmie, we'll get him to the hospital first."
A low moan answered her. "Look at him, all the blood...and…and," Kim reached to stroke the once blonde, now darkened hair. "He's hurting…oh please Mom…Ronnie…Mom, please."
Anne called heavily on years of training to answer calmly, "Kim, we can't move him yet, not until we get a stretcher and support equipment, then we'll start."
Kim's hands fluttered between the damp hair and her face, on the ragged edge of hysteria. "How…how could this…?"
Before Anne had to answer, she saw an ambulance tear around the corner, coming to a jarring halt at the Possible's curve. A trauma specialist she recognized from the hospital ER exited the passenger door as two EMTs' began pulling a stretcher and equipment from the back.
"Dr. Possible, what have we got?" The specialist asked, kneeling at Anne's side.
"Seventeen year old Caucasian male, massive trauma, what appears to be major blood loss. I've only attempted a cursory examination without spinal support available."
"Hasn't been moved? Good, although I don't know if it would have mattered, judging by that blood trail."
Anne and James could see, in the full light, what they had missed, a dark trail leading to Ron.
"Looks like he crawled quite a ways to get here," continued the specialist, "so whatever spinal injuries he has had already occurred before he got here." He gripped Anne's shoulder reassuringly as the med techs began working on Ron, "We'll do our best for him."
With the cervical collar and spinal board finally in place, the techs lifted Ron to the stretcher. The doctor moved to begin his examination as they placed the stretcher in the ambulance. With the patient on board and the physician working, the techs slammed the doors, jumped in the front, and tore off to the hospital in a tire squealing u-turn.
The devastated look on Kim's face broke Anne's heart as she pulled her daughter into a fierce hug. She managed to choke out an attempt at reassurance, "We'll do our very best for him, Kimberly. I promise."
Glancing over Kim's shoulder, the doctor saw James backing the car over to them. Holding her shaking daughter, she walked to meet him. Placing her daughter in the rear, she hopped in the front, and James followed the ambulance.
Kim stared out the car's window, the houses passing unseen. All she could see was her boyfriend's torn and bloody body.
III.
Kim sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair, vaguely aware of her surroundings. Her gaze was focused on the green door the surgeon would come through. She seemed to remember her mother taking her somewhere, feeding her coffee, but it was blurred. Ron's parents were off to the side, but all she remembered was Mrs. Stoppable's quiet sobbing as her husband held her.
Kim's eyes felt dry and hot. How long she had stared at that closed door, she had no idea. It didn't matter; Ron was in there, somewhere.
An arm came around her shoulders in a comforting hug. Turning her head, she looked into the compassionate eyes of Mr. Stoppable. Eyes that reminded her of the soft, gentle, ones she longed for.
"Kim, the nurse is here to take us toRonald, are you coming?"
"Yes, of course, but don't you and Mrs. Stoppable want to see him alone first?"
His kind eyes smiled, "I think you'll do Ron more good than we will, dear."
She allowed him to lead her out the door and down hallways to a glass partition. Behind the barrier, she could see Ron, almost hidden by tubes, bandages, casts, and connections. Around the room, monitors beeped and growled their different messages.
A man in surgical greens and a white coat walked up to them, extending his hand. He looked tired.
"Mr. Stoppable? I'm Dr. Jefferson. Dr. Possible, as physician of record has placed me in charge of Ronald's initial surgery and care."
"How do you do, Doctor. Can you tell us anything, yet?"
The surgeon took a deep breath, "Mr. Stoppable, I have rarely seen a body that injured still alive. Ronald's wounds are extensive. We've closed the open wounds, set the fractures temporarily, until he is healthy enough for more surgery. The room he is in is an isolation unit. We want to do everything we can to prevent infection. The punctured lung is susceptible to pneumonia, and burns are the worst for becoming infected, so we…"
"Whoa, back up a minute." Mr. Stoppable interrupted, "How did he get burned? I understood my son was the victim of a hit and run."
"Uh, Mr. Stoppable, who told you that?" The physician looked puzzled.
"It was on the news, on the television in the waiting room, and the radio on the way here. No one else will tell us anything."
"Mr. Stoppable," the doctor looked uncomfortable, "I don't know where the reporters got their information, and I haven't talked to the police yet, but I do know your son's injuries weren't caused by a hit and run. If I were guessing, I'd say he had been deliberately tortured. I thought one of Miss Possible's enemies had …well…you understand."
Three voices spoke at the same time, "Tortured?" "MY enemies." "Ronnie?"
Three shocked faces stared at him.
IV.
Anne Possible leaned on her husband as they walked to Ronald's room. James struck many as the stereotypical absent minded scientist, but Anne knew that was a charade he enjoyed presenting. In times of crisis, he was her rock. At the moment, he was being strong for her and their daughter, but she felt he might need her support when he saw Ronald. James hid behind gruff comments and black hole threats, but he loved the young man, his all but genetic third son, as much as Anne did. As a doctor, Anne saw hope as long as there was life. James, never comfortable in hospitals, was in for a shock.
Seeing the group in the hallway, the Possibles' paused. Seeing the shock on her daughter and friends faces, Anne rushed to hug them. James sped up to reach Dean.
"Dean, he's not…"
Ron's father turned to reassure his friend, "No, Jim, he's still alive, but the doctor here just gave us some surprising news."
Anne looked at the men, her arms still around the other two women. "Jack, what did you tell them that was so bad?"
Her colleague became flustered. He was very good, he knew it, but Anne Possible was future Nobel Prize famous. He fell back on formality. "Dr. Possible, even though you are listed as the family physician, you, in my opinion correctly, stepped aside from this case. Are you taking charge?"
Anne's reply was frigid, "Not yet, Dr. Jefferson, as a close friend of the family I am requesting information. Will I have to resume authority to get it?"
"Mr. Stoppable?"
"Dr.", Dean's voice was stern, "I trust Anne and James, whatever you have to say, you can speak in front of them."
On the ropes, Dr. Jefferson conceded, "All right. Anne, you knew I was a military surgeon after medical school?"
"Yes, Jack."
"I was in Kosovo, for a while, saw some things I'd rather forget, including patients who had been tortured. In my opinion that boy in there was deliberately injured in a way to cause the most extreme pain possible, without causing death or permanent disability."