Chapter 1: Emergency Care
"Wormhole: a hypothetical connection between widely separated regions of space-time...could create shortcuts for long journeys across the universe...dangers of sudden collapse...dangerous contact...some people believe connects two very distant places…"
She memorized the various definitions, her finger scrolling through each one on her break that day in the hospital reference library, a computer mouse in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
Dangerous danger.
That was evident. A nasty concussion, two broken ribs, facial contusions, swollen abraded knuckles on his right hand. All injuries were conducive to an altercation, a fist fight, a victim of an assault who tried to get in his own licks. She could get behind that theory.
The wormhole, teleporting, whatever you wanted to call it, theory? She had a hard time wrapping her head around that one, despite it being the most popular consensus among those who indulged in against regulations hospital gossip. She had to admit it was pretty far out stuff and she didn't blame people for wanting to come up with an explanation. It wasn't every day two people just rocketed into the middle of the ER out of nowhere, glass shattering, equipment flying across the room, electricity flickering. She saw it happen herself, kicked the tip off the corner of a peeled up floor tile in her rush to get to him, kneeled in the shallow crater they created when she spoke to the younger man.
That theory? She didn't know if there was such a thing, but she did know she made a promise to that scared young man, when he begged her, that his father would receive the best care she and the hospital could provide.
"Please, you have to keep him safe. Don't let him stay here, don't let him go back home."
"David, what do you mean? What happened? The more I know, the better we can take care of your dad," she urged him, not moving a muscle as his son tried to make himself disappear into a corner, the window blinds still swaying over his head from the impact.
David's deep blue eyes darted in panic between watching the team of doctors work to stabilize his father, and her eyes, her calm voice.
"Just...please! He has to keep moving so they can't find him again! Please tell him that for me when he wakes up, alright? Tell him I'm never going home again, he has no reason to stay." David choked back a sob as his father was whisked away out of his sight to a fully functional ER bay. "Tell him he should live his own life now, and...and that I love him," he told her, scrambling to his feet. "Please take care of my father, he deserves to be happy, he didn't ask for any of this."
"I swear I'll do my best, David. Come with me, and I'll wait with you for a few minutes until we get an update on his condition." David's father, Will Rice, David informed her when she asked for both their names, was surrounded by medical personnel and the only thing she could see was the shallow treads of his work boots.
When she looked back to take David with her to the nearest waiting room he was gone, the only sign he had been there a stack of papers that fluttered to the floor, caught in the whirl of his wind.
None of the other staff reported speaking to David, and when she told the ER doctor the patient's name was Will Rice, known kin a son named David, occupation, age, and reason for injuries unknown, he looked at her questioningly but said nothing.
David vanished. Will remained in her care, unconscious and in serious but stable condition, and she took his care very seriously. She was a conscientious, committed nurse to all her patients, but Will Rice was one of those patients she let sneak into her heart. She was saddened he had no visitors, no spouse or other children or parents, and she was intrigued by his story. She chatted with his silent form as she attended to him in his single room, kept the TV on during the day on low volume and made sure he was comfortable and quiet when she switched over to night shift.
She was there the third night, the night he woke up.
She was at the nurse's station adjacent to his room filling out her charts when she heard the creak of wheels and the rustle of linens, then the monitor alarm. She caught him as he tried to get out of bed and walk.
"It's okay, Mr. Rice, I gotcha," she reassured him, wrapping his arm around her neck and guiding him back to sit on the edge of the bed. "It is a little too soon to be trotting around."
Will closed his eyes and hung his head against her shoulder for a moment, and she let him rest there. Another moment later, he opened his eyes and let her go, straightening his back and glaring at her.
"I gotta go."
"I'm afraid-"
"Get me my clothes, will ya? I gotta get back home," he interrupted her, reaching to pull the tape off the IV in the crook of his arm.
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, Mr. Rice. Let's leave that in place for a minute and talk, okay?" she asked, not touching him.
"Nothin' to talk about, I gotta get home, I said," he answered under his breath, tugging up one side of the tape.
"Please." Her voice brooked no argument, and she bent to look him in the face, laying her fingers over the needle inserted in his arm. "I don't want to have to poke you again, but I will because you need it until the doctor says you don't."
Will's eyes sparked at her, but his fingers stilled, and she smiled at him because at least he was listening to her, and she could work with that.
"How about we leave the IV in, but the oxygen can stay out of your nose? Does that sound like a deal?"
Will paused, poking his cheek with his tongue, then removed his hand from the IV to grip the edge of the bed.
"How long I gotta stay here?" he asked, staring resolutely in front of him as she affixed the tape to his skin, checking that the IV was still in its proper position.
"As long as it takes to get you on your feet, Mr. Rice," she said, pouring him a cup of water from the pitcher on his bedside table and handing it to him.
He gulped it, and she slowed him with a hand on his shoulder. "Easy. You can have more in a minute."
He nodded, then handed her the cup back. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. How do you feel?" She took his pulse on the inside of his wrist. It was a little fast, but strong, as she expected. She wouldn't bother reattaching the monitor to his finger.
"Like I been run over by a bus."
She wanted to ask if that was what happened to him because he sure looked like it, but refrained. He seemed to be relaxing in response to her composure, so she proceeded accordingly.
"That's to be expected. You do have a couple of broken ribs, Mr. Rice, and a pretty bad bump to the head. Do you mind if I check your bandage there, while we're at it?"
"Guess not," he shrugged. Will let her inspect the scrape on his forehead, his eyes drooping.
"Would you like to lie back down for a while? I'm all done prodding at you for now," she said, giving his shoulder a quick brush.
He sighed, looking at the floor. "I wouldn't be able to get very far even if I wanted to. Nothin' seems to work right, and my heads all fuzzy. I'd crawl on my hands and knees if I knew…" he trailed off.
"I know."
His eyes flew to hers. "You know what?"
"Let's get you settled back into bed, then we can talk," she insisted, and he let her support his back while he swung his legs around and laid down with a muffled groan, gritting his teeth against the pain while she adjusted his pillow and bed coverings.
"How's that?"
"Fine." Will looked at her expectantly, holding her to her word.
"I know you'd like to get back to your son, David," she said, wary of Will's reaction to the mention of his son. She didn't want to undo her progress getting him to stay, but he kept his end of the bargain, too, his only movement to pluck at the sheet covering his chest.
"You saw David?" he whispered.
"Yes, Mr. Rice. David was the one who brought you here." She chose to omit how they arrived, for the time being. She wanted to find out how much he could recall first, and then she could fill in the rest if she needed to. "Do you remember anything?"
Will closed his eyes, his eyebrows drawn together. "I didn't see David. I haven't spoken to my son in years. Did he say anything? Is he coming back?" he asked, his eyes flying open. "I have to warn him!"
She reached over and took his hand in both of hers, and his fingers wrapped tightly around hers. "Mr. Rice, it didn't sound like David was planning on returning any time soon," she whispered. "He asked me to tell you to keep moving so 'they' wouldn't find you again. Does that make sense?"
Will could only nod, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
"Because of the nature of your injuries, the hospital social worker and a representative from the Ann Arbor Police Department will be in to investigate if there should be charges filed, in case there has been a crime committed against you," she advised him. "Would you like me to get in contact with someone right now?"
"No," he said, gripping her hand tighter. "No more cops. It's none of their damn business."
"That's fine," she said, "and you can choose to tell them that yourself. It's completely within your rights. I wanted you to know, that's all."
"Yeah, thanks, I got it," he replied flatly, turning his head away from her, but he left his hand in hers. "Did he say anything else?"
"Yes. He said you should live your own life now, and that you deserved to be happy, and he asked us, me, to see that you were taken care of. And he said that he loves you," she finished softly.
Will's jaw muscle clenched and he blinked rapidly. "What's your name?"
"Kelly Greer. I've been on your nursing team since you…were admitted...three days ago."
"I been out that long?"
"Yes, due to your concussion. The doctor will order further testing to be sure, but he doesn't expect any lasting effects from your head trauma or any of your other injuries."
"I got to get home as soon as possible, Nurse Greer. He might be back," Will told her, his voice fading and his eyes closing.
"Get some rest, Mr. Rice, and we'll have you home as soon as we can. We want you fixed up first."
He nodded, and Kelly held his hand until he relaxed in sleep.
He slept through the rest of her shift that night, and she peeked in on him before she left, just as the sun was beginning to rise on a new day. She hadn't learned any more than what she already knew about his story, but she was grateful he had finally woken up.
Will Rice was one of the most sorrowful people Kelly had ever met. She hoped his mental anguish healed along with his physical, visible injuries. She didn't know that she could help the former, but it was her job to help the latter heal, and she would see to that no matter what.
"Your rocket man is up and ornery than hell, Kel. Good luck with that," Jan greeted Kelly as she checked in at the nurse's station, getting updates on the patients she would be tending on her shift that night.
"Rocket man," Kelly laughed and rolled her eyes, flipping through reams of paperwork as she chatted with her friend and coworker. The older woman had unofficially taken Kelly under her wing when she arrived at her newest assignment, Ann Arbor Memorial Hospital, and Kelly took an instant liking to Jan's mother hen personality. The two women had already promised they would keep in touch after Kelly relocated in another couple of months.
Kelly read through Will Rice's chart, relieved to see he was improving enough to be ornery. She smiled, dusting away imaginary lint from the paper.
"Who came up with that one?"
"Oh, I dunno," Jan winked at her conspiratorially. "But you gotta admit it's a pretty good one, and he's definitely all yours. I can't do a thing with that man! I heard you were the one who kept him from walking out last night, so you go deal with him," she said, flapping Kelly on her way with both her hands. "May the force be with you, child."
Kelly was still giggling when she entered Will's room. "Good evening, Mr. Rice! How are we doing today?" she said cheerfully.
Will grunted his acknowledgment, continuing to watch the TV attached to the wall in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest. "That doctor says I gotta stay here 'til tomorrow."
"I see that," Kelly nodded, tapping her finger on his chart. "But that's good news, right? You're due to be sprung from this joint at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."
"It'd be better news if I was sprung right now," he grumbled, watching Kelly out of the corner of his eye as she took his vitals, voluntarily unfurling his arms so she could check his blood pressure. His frown had slackened by the time she straightened the sleeve of his gown and patted his shoulder in thanks for his cooperation.
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse, but the damn food here tastes like cardboard. I'd do anything for a fast food hamburger and some fries."
"Tell you what," Kelly said, smothering her grin as she jotted notes on the clipboard, "if you eat your yucky dinner, I'll smuggle in some fast food breakfast for you in the morning after I get off work. I have to run an errand or two before I head home, so it's no trouble to run back here."
"Yeah?" he asked softly. When Kelly looked up at him from her paperwork, he met her eyes briefly, then resumed watching the football game on TV. His face was expressionless, but Kelly saw a flicker of warmth in his blue eyes before he turned away. She felt like she won a small victory.
"Yeah." She leaned her hip on the side of his bed, viewing the game. "Michigan State is kicking ass, I see. Are you a fan of the home team, Mr. Rice?"
"Nah, they're alright, but I'm not from here originally. I grew up out west, in Arizona, so I root for the Wildcats mostly."
"Nice," Kelly nodded, continuing to watch the game with him. "Are you an alum?"
"Nope, never went to college, but I had a cousin who played there, and I caught a couple of home games with him. I got all my education on the job, and it's done alright by me, for the most part."
"Smart move, Mr. Rice, very smart move. College is ungodly expensive. I'm still gonna be paying on my student loans after I'm retired," she joked.
"Yeah, but you're real good at what you do, so it's worth it," Will said with exaggerated casualness. He peeked at her, then quickly looked away again, crossing his arms back over his chest. "The rest of them nurses do well to learn a thing or two from you," he scowled.
Kelly's cheeks colored with pleasure at his offhanded compliment. "Why, thank you, Mr. Rice! Just for that, how about we get you into the shower after you eat all your gourmet dinner? I'm sure you're ready for one now that you can get around unassisted."
"Sure, I think I'd like that. Dinner better be somethin' good this time, though."
"Whatever it is must be all gone, Mr. Rice, and I mean it," she wagged her finger at him sternly.
"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled a little, poking at his cheek again. "I guess I better not mess with you."
"Good man. I'll take that bandage off your forehead and unwrap your ribs after you eat," she told him as she continued on her rounds. "And I wanna know who wins when I get back!"
"Yes, ma'am, Nurse Greer, I'll keep track for ya," Will said to himself as he watched her vanish out the door.
He managed to choke down his dinner, but it made his mood foul again by the time Kelly returned to ready him for his shower.
"Are you sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow morning, Mr. Rice?" Kelly asked, concerned by the deepening lines around his eyes and the paleness of his face. She sensed his grumpiness this time was due mostly to being tired, and she didn't want to push him into outright exhaustion. He would need all the rest he could get to gain his strength back. "We'll have enough time then if you'd prefer."
Will shook his head stubbornly, already perched on the edge of the bed for her. "I don't wanna wait."
"I understand. I'll help you as much as I can."
Kelly began by removing the bandage on his forehead. Will closed his eyes, but never winced. Kelly wanted to wince for him at the purpled bruise the bandage unveiled, at the scrape marring the taut skin over his sharp cheekbone, and the scabbed over cut on his lower lip.
"Doing okay?"
"Mm hmm. Didn't feel a thing."
"Great. I'll have you hold your gown up for me, and I'll unwrap your chest if that's alright?"
Will nodded. "That's perfectly fine by me. This thing's uncomfortable as hell. I haven't been able to draw a full breath since I been in here."
"You may feel some discomfort taking deep breaths because of your rib fractures," Kelly warned as she nimbly undid the clips of the bandaging, bent down close to his side. "But you should be able to breathe easier at least. Let me know if you feel any unusual pain," she told him, slowly unwinding the restraint around his middle.
Kelly paused to look at his face when he bit back a shudder as her fingers grazed over his bare skin. His jaw thrust forward, and his fingers clenched in the material of his cotton hospital gown.
"Does that hurt?"
"No. It doesn't hurt."
"Okay. I'm almost done, Mr. Rice."
"It's fine, take your time, Nurse Greer," Will told her, tilting his head so he could watch her.
"There we go," Kelly announced as she pulled the rest of the wrapping off his chest, checking out the fading bruises on his left side. He was lucky his injuries weren't much worse. She swallowed down a huff of anger at whoever did this to him. Instinct told her it was a malicious act against him, not because of him, and she said a silent prayer that justice would be served on his behalf.
She helped him lower his gown with extra care, adjusting the material on his neck to drape over his collarbones.
"How's that?"
Will took a tentative breath, his shoulders slowly rising and falling, and his mouth spread in a slow grin. "Feels a lot better. Thank you."
"You're very welcome," she smiled. "There's a fresh gown, a towel, and toiletries all set out for you in the bathroom. If you need anything, give me a holler on the call button, I'll be around."
Will stood, working his shoulders and nodding at her instructions. Kelly noticed she was nearly the same height as him as she stood in front of him for the first time. He didn't seem to have a problem meeting her square in the eye, unlike many men she encountered throughout the years. She wasn't a fragile, makes men feel stronger because she needs protecting kind of a girl. She was a grown woman with a sturdy build reminiscent of her Scottish ancestors, and she kept her body healthy to be able to meet the rigors of her job. Kelly chalked it up to not being in the right place at the right time, but she had yet to find a man who wanted a partner who would be his equal.
It took a strong woman to love a strong man, so the saying goes. It took an even stronger man to love a strong woman, and Kelly gave up looking for that man a long time ago.
She didn't have the time.
"Yes, ma'am, after you," Will said, holding one hand out in front of her to usher her out the door, the other one behind his back holding his gown closed.
"I'll see you soon," Kelly called as she exited his room, smiling to herself in understanding. A man had his pride, after all, and she would give him that dignity.
When Kelly checked on Will a half an hour later, he was sitting up in the chair and gazing out the window. He appeared to be frowning in thought. The amber light of the setting sun illuminated the blue of his eyes with an inner glow, shining off the sprinkling of silver in his damp curls. His chin still sported the salt and pepper scruff that seemed to thicken by the minute, and Kelly was glad to see some of the color had returned to his cheeks as a result of the hot shower. She tapped her knuckles on the door before she entered his room, not wanting to startle him from his reverie.
"Feel better, Mr. Rice?"
"Mm hmm, you were right," he said absently, continuing to stare out the window. He didn't appear to expect anyone other than her. "And you can stop calling me Mr. Rice."
"What would you prefer I call you...Mr. Rice?"
He chuckled lowly and turned to look at her, meeting her grin with his own. "Will is fine."
"I'll try to remember that, Will. I need to take a quick peek at your face, and then I'll leave you alone for a little while."
Will angled his chin up and lowered his eyes so Kelly could look over the abrasions on his face to make sure his shower hadn't caused any bleeding. She didn't see anything that gave her cause for concern, but hesitated when she saw him chewing his bottom lip.
"Is anything sore?"
"No."
"Can I get you anything, other than fast food?"
The corner of his mouth quirked up, and he turned away from her to look out the window again. He shook his head and shrugged, and Kelly waited for him to reply.
"Nurse Greer…"
"Kelly."
Will glanced at her, then away. "Okay. Kelly." He cleared his throat. "I was just wondering, you know...how my son brought me here? So I know if my truck is here...or whatever...to get home tomorrow."
Kelly pulled the second chair around so she could sit facing him, signaling her willingness to him that she would give him whatever time he needed to answer his questions. The answers were tough and confusing, but she decided to be open and honest with him just the same.
Maybe the answers would make sense to him.
"No, I don't believe he left a vehicle here for you. We can help arrange transportation for you, if-"
Will waved her off. "I ain't worried about that. Do you know how he got me here? Was it by ambulance?" he asked, finally meeting her eyes.
Kelly crossed her legs and leaned her elbow on her knee, looking at him intently. "No, it wasn't by ambulance. Will, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. You both kind of...appeared. Out of nowhere. We thought there was an explosion like a bomb went off, or maybe there was an earthquake, as improbable as that sounds here in Michigan. Wheelchairs went flying, and windows blew out, and there was this flash...and there you both were, lying on the floor of the ER with the tiles around you all smashed up. It was like you," Kelly searched for the right words, "fell out of the sky."
Will swallowed hard. "Did anyone else see?" he whispered.
"No. I happened to be the only one walking by that bay at the time. Then there was assistance from every direction."
"Did anyone else speak to David?"
"No, just me. And then he...was gone."
"How do you mean, gone?"
"I don't know, to be honest. One minute he was there, and I turned away, and when I turned back, he wasn't there. I guess he rushed out the door while I wasn't looking?"
Will was shaking his head at her. "That ain't it. Kelly, I think I know what you mean. I've seen him...disappear. I know how crazy that sounds," he said, leaning closer to her and letting the words tumble out, "but there's no other way to describe it. David, my son, he told me once I wasn't crazy, but he didn't explain it, either, so I always figured, what other explanation can there be other than I'm losing my mind? But now, after talking to you, I'm not sure. I'm not sure about anything…"
"Well, if you're losing your mind, I'm right there with you, because I have no other logical explanation for what I saw." They stared at each other for several heartbeats, Kelly as still as a statue and Will's knuckles white from gripping the wooden chair arms. "David said something else before he left."
"What?"
"He said that you didn't ask for any of this. Will, are you in danger? Is that why he doesn't want you to go home?"
Kelly hid her disappointment when Will withdrew from her, his eyes sliding away to stare out the window. "It's my boy's home, too. I told him he would always have a home to come back to if he needed to, and I meant it. The sooner I get back, the better. Everythin' will be fine, Nurse Greer, thanks for the concern all the same," he said firmly. "I don't mean to take up so much of your time. I'm sure you have lots of other people needing your attention."
"Of course. I should go," Kelly told him, standing to push the chair she'd been sitting on back into place. "Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Rice," she said, taking her cue from him.
Will nodded once. "Yes, ma'am."
Kelly understood what the set of his jaw meant, and left to complete the rest of her shift. By the time she had rotated back to his room, he was in bed, fast asleep. When she checked in on him at 3:00 am, Will was tossing restlessly, his bed coverings hanging off the side of the mattress in a tangle. Alarmed, she laid the back of her hand against his cheek to feel for fever as unobtrusively as possible. He stirred and pushed his face into her hand, and Kelly froze, afraid she had woken him. Will's chest shook in an unsteady sigh. Then he began snoring softly, trapping Kelly's hand between his cheek and the pillow, his body still. She smiled and held his face until she had the sheet and blanket rearranged over him with her free hand, then gently withdrew from him.
His snoring continued undisturbed.