The hospital waiting room was quiet.
It had been only a few hours since Tim Speedle, of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab, had been critically wounded while investigating at a jewellery store with his boss, Lieutenant Horatio Caine. Thankfully, Horatio had immediately contacted paramedics and Speedle was rushed to the hospital.
For the moment, Speedle was alive. He was currently in surgery, hanging on by mere threads.
Tim's parents, Anthony and Rosa Speedle, sat huddled together on a plush couch that was against the far wall of the waiting room. As soon as they had heard of their son being shot, everything in their lives was put on hold and they quickly came to Miami to be with their son, if he survived, that is.
They were alone in the quiet waiting room….Or so it seemed.
Emily Mannis, who was a trauma counselor at the hospital, silently lingered in the doorway, gazing at the distraught couple. She was dressed in a blue sweater and dark slacks, with her blonde hair pulled back from her face, but despite her attractive looks, including dark blue eyes, her personality was heavily guarded.
Even though she was only 25, going on 26, Emily had the reputation of being the toughest, but most compassionate trauma counselor in the entire county.
Her professionalism and empathetic side came out when she was at work, helping others to recover from trauma. Emily sighed, she had just gotten word of an employee of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab being critically wounded in the line of duty and, like with every other case, she was here to help.
Walking over to where the Speedles were huddled together, Emily sat in a chair that placed her in front of them. Not knowing who she was, Frank and Rosa looked at Emily curiously.
"I'm Emily Mannis," Emily spoke, noticing the looks of confusion on the couple's faces. "I'm a trauma counselor at the hospital. I hope I'm right in assuming that you are Tim Speedle's parents?"
Anthony nodded, "Yes," he said, feeling at ease. "I'm Anthony Speedle and this is my wife, Rosa. I am very appreciative that the hospital is providing someone for Timothy to talk to while he recovers."
Emily paused, then spoke, "May I ask how Tim became wounded in the line of duty?"
Rosa, despite her worry, chose to speak, "From what Lieutenant Caine told us, they were doing some police work at a jewellery store and were ambushed," she said. "As far as we know, Tim's in surgery and we are just hoping and praying that he can live through this."
"Who is Lieutenant Caine?" Emily asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Lieutenant Caine is Tim's boss and he works at the Miami-Dade Crime Lab," Anthony said.
"Interesting," Emily said, raising an eyebrow. "I might have to speak with Lieutenant Caine about this as well, as I try to talk with all people who were involved in a trauma, as I believe that it can help contribute to a more complete recovery for the patient."
Nodding, Rosa spoke, "I see," she said, impressed with Emily's tactics. "Ms. Mannis, if Tim survives, he will need help to deal with it as quickly as possible. Would you consider coming back and visiting with Timothy in a couple of days when he has his strength back?"
Emily nodded, knowing full well that it would be more than a couple of days before the man got his strength back enough for many visitors, "Of course I will, Mrs. Speedle," she spoke, smiling at the concerned mother.
"Here is my cell phone number," Emily spoke, as she took a business card out of her pants pocket and handed it to Rosa. "When your son is up to visitors, give me a call and we can arrange a time."
Rosa nodded gratefully. Slipping the card into her own pocket, she murmured a thank you and buried her head in her husband's shoulder. In response, Anthony kissed her head and sighed, rocking his wife tenderly.
Sensing that the Speedles needed time alone to process and accept what had happened and any possible outcomes, Emily quietly left the room and started off down the hallway to the elevator which would deliver her to the nearest exit. She was going on a hunt of her own.
Hopefully, in her hunt, she would find Lieutenant Caine, who seemed to be a prime key in the puzzle that had been given to her by the will of God. Hopefully, she could meet the challenge with success and grace.
