Chapter 3- A Vision Of Blue
The hours between receiving the call from dispatch to arriving at the hospital in Michigan were a blur of events. The team was suiting up to hit a location when Voight's phone rang. Everyone was on pins and needles, watching Voight nod and grunt during the call. It was when he hung up that he did something total out of character: he smiled. Unadulterated elation went through everyone while Voight told them of Adam's status and location. From there, it was a series of questions pertaining to Adam's health and how soon they could get to him. Voight's answer was simple: dispatch didn't say. All that mattered was getting to Adam quickly. Platt arranged for a chopper to fly them to Michigan and land on the hospital's helipad. Kim volunteered to pack a bag for Adam while the rest of the team packed their tact gear, case files, and overnight bags, fully expecting to be camped out in the area for awhile.
They'd all admit they felt a little like movie stars as they piled into the chopper and began their ascent into the dark skies. It was nine thirty now and their ETA was quarter to midnight. On the way, they received word from the hospital that Adam was in critical condition and in surgery. Strangely enough, everyone was at peace with this. Adam was alive and fighting, it was more than what they expected. Voight contacted the police in the area to get an update on Bataglio. Parkington was a small, quiet town that didn't have a large police force. This case became the biggest one in the area in more than a decade. Therefore, they weren't prepared for the necessary security and investigation that the big city task force expected. Voight offered their services and the sheriff gladly accepted. They learned that Adam was found on the eastbound side of U.S. Highway 2 by a young woman named Rebecca Townsend. She gave a statement to the police about where she found Adam, but was not sure where he journeyed from. The person lying in an operating room was the only one who could answer those questions. The remainder of the trip was silent, each person processing. While they were elated Adam was alive and safe, they had no idea what the next steps looked like. All they could do was be thankful for what had transpired thus far and be willing to help Adam. As long as he was alive, that was enough. They'd all help him overcome this.
The sudden bump from the touchdown on the helipad woke everyone up, their senses kicking back into gear. The rotary blades were slowing as the team opened the doors and climbed out. The sheriff and a hospital staff member were waiting on the other side of the roof, nearest to the door. Intelligence exchanged names and handshakes before heading into the building. The hospital was small and aged. That wasn't meant as a negative description, but more of a fact. It was a step back from the high tech, vast hospitals in Chicago. However, this placed housed people who were able to help Adam. Regardless of their equipment, these people were just as capable and willing to help as anyone in the industry. For that, Intelligence was grateful for their role in this story. The place was dimly lit and quiet, encouraging it's residents to sleep. Everyone was ushered into a waiting room just off the OR doors. There was a young, scared looking female sitting in the corner of the room: Rebecca Townsend. Intelligence was touched by her volunteering of her time and waiting. The team settled into chairs before asking the obvious.
"How is he," Voight inquired? The hospital staff member took that one.
"He came into the ER unconscious and in severe shock. His body was malnourished and dehydrated. Furthermore, he showed obvious signs of extreme trauma. The doctors administered fluids and a banana bag to begin the replenishing process and then sent him up to radiation for scans. He wasn't in a life threatening state and the doctors wanted a better understanding of everything before proceeding with his treatment. The patient regained consciousness during an MRI and was belligerent, thrashing violently and unresponsive to commands. It became clear that in addition to physical trauma, the patient suffered psychological injuries. In order to prevent additional harm, the doctor sedated the patient with Haldol and he's currently on several antipsychotic medications." The staff member paused for a moment, letting everything sink in. While they expected Adam to have physical injures, no one was expecting Adam's mental state to be that traumatized. They were equally heartbroken and enraged, minds running rampant on what all happened the last two days. It was going to take a lot of restraint to not let this case get personal.
"Once sedated, the tests revealed several puncture wounds, severe abrasions, numerous bruises and two stab wounds. He's in surgery now to repair the damage from the stabbing and punctures and control his internal bleeding. He's been in there for about four hours so they should be done soon." Everyone nodded and glanced around at their neighbors. It was a lot to swallow. No one said anything, but they all got the gist. Adam was different. Could he overcome this event? Certainly. But there would always be the memory, the scarring of this terrible nightmare. In that moment, they weren't entirely sure how to go from here. The staff member rose and everyone followed suit.
"I'm very sorry about this, everyone. We'll do everything we can do get him, and all of you, through this. Please don't hesitate to ask anyone here for anything." And with that, she left the room. Hailey turned her attention to Rebecca.
"We owe you…a lot of things. Thank you for stopping and saving Adam."
"Absolutely. I was so terrified when I first saw him. At first, I thought it was a kid trying to play a sick joke. Remember when people used to dress up as clowns and show up at random places? I thought it was something like that," Rebecca slightly rambled. Hailey smiled while listening.
"So what made you help him?"
"When he got closer to the window, I could tell it wasn't a prank. I could see it in his eyes, he was desperate. A person clearly in trouble and at the end of his rope. From there, human instincts kicked in." Kim reached into her bag and pulled out a photo of Raymond Bataglio, turning the glossy page towards to Rebecca.
"Do you recognize this man?" Rebecca studied the paper for a moment, her face in a surprised manner.
"Yeah, that's Mr. Dean! He has a big farm not too far from here. He shops around here all the time. He's a sweet guy who kind of keeps to himself. His family is big in the sausage business and…wait, you don't think.."
"What's his first name?"
"Jimmy, Jimmy Dean the third." The room was silent for a moment.
"Rebecca, his real name is Raymond Bataglio. He's a dangerous criminal who's connected to several criminal activities across the Midwest. I'm sorry, but the man yo know is a fake, an alias," Antonio informed. He gestured to the sheriff.
"Do you know where this farm is?" He nodded.
"Yeah, it's about twenty miles from here. The woods close to where she found your officer actually bump up to his property. We'll go check it out." The sheriff rose and headed out for the door. Rebecca was crying by now. Kim offered her a hug and tissue.
"I'm sorry, I get that I shouldn't be upset over someone I don't know, but it was awful, scary. You're sure this Bataglio guy is responsible?" They all nodded. The remainder of their wait was quiet. Kim and Hailey tried to comfort Rebecca while the rest of the team rested their eyes. It was becoming apparent that sleep wasn't going to happen much in the near future, so they had to take the opportunity when it arose. It was around one AM when the door opened. The surgeon who worked on Adam stood in front of the group.
"Hey everyone, Adam pulled through and is resting up in recovery. We're going to keep him sedated for the next day just to let his body rest. He'll start weaning him off the drugs probably tomorrow evening and then see what happens. He's been through the wringer. The stab wound to his stomach injured about thirty percent of his liver and unfortunately, we had to remove a good portion of the organ." Kim interrupted the report with a gasp. Everyone turned to her before the doctor spoke again.
"I understand that's unsettling, but the liver is an amazing organ because it can regenerate. In a couple of months, it should return to normal size. The wound to his leg did nick an artery but was a slow bleed. We were able to repair the damage and he should regain full strength of the leg after the swelling goes down. He did also have several puncture wounds that were infected. We de-bribed the areas and closed the wounds, he's on strong antibiotics but shouldn't have any lasting issues. He also lost a tooth at some point so we cleaned the area and an oral surgeon can place a cap or veneer in the spot in about a week or so. He has numerous bruises all over his body and his hands suffered severe trauma."
"Severe how," Jay asked? The doctor hesitated before answering.
"He's missing seven fingernails. It'll take about six months for them to grow back. In the meantime, we bandaged them and administered doses of lidocaine. His hands are going to be in pain for the next day or so." The group just stared in disbelief, each trying to not puke at the doctor's feet.
"I'm sorry you all are having to go through this. I've worked out here for twenty years now and I can say with certainty this is the worst trauma I've ever seen. He's got a lot of recovering to do. We're going to keep him here in a psych hold for seventy-two hours and keep him medicated for for two days. On top of his physical injuries, the mental ones are that much worse. He needs you guys more than you may realize. He may seem different, but he's going to be looking for normalcy. Just being there will help tremendously. He'll be transferred to the ICU shortly. We'll come get you when he's settled." The doctor nodded and left the room, leaving the group to wrestle with their sorrow, rage, and determination.
Rebecca left shortly afterwards, claiming she didn't want to get in the way of their time with Adam. Honestly, the team was half jealous of her. Perhaps if they left, then none of this would be true. They shooed those ideas away. This was reality and there was no avoiding it.
Kim took the lead while the others followed behind. Her and Adam's rekindled love was no longer a secret and the group respectfully let her have alone time with him. The nurse guided them down a long, quiet hallway to a room on the right hand side. Unlike at Med, these rooms weren't encased in glass. There was a sliding door with a single window surrounded by drywall. As Kim entered the room, the rest of them stood around the doorway, not ready to see their fallen comrade.
The first thing that ran through Kim's mind was that Adam looked different. Seeing him in a hospital room, as a patient, was a first. His bed was slightly raised and his body was relaxed almost. He was not a vision in, but of blue. His face was swollen and covered in bruises. The other parts of his body that she could see were identical to the bruising on his face. He was not intubated but did have a tube under his nose that tucked behind his head. In one of his nostrils was a feeding tube that was taped to the side of his cheek. From there, he had three IVs in his arms and a good amount of monitors on his chest, each letting the world know Adam was still present and fighting. The hospital gown was lose around his body and messed up, she figured it was that way in case they had to access something quickly. Kim examined the numerous dressings, butterfly bandages, monitor screens, and IV stands before concluding this: the Adam she knew wasn't ever coming back. Too much had happened for him to be exactly the same as before. She gently picked up his right hand, wary of the bandages on each finger, and read the hospital band on his wrist. While she recognized the name, everything else was different. Tears were flowing as she leaned over to kiss his forehead, getting nothing in return. She shunned the fear and doubts. She loved his man, no matter what life did to him. They'd find a way to get through this.
One by one, Intelligence filed into the room, each examining Adam before finding a place to rest. Kim claimed a reclining chair while the rest selected couches and chairs in a waiting room somewhere on the floor. The reminder of the night was silent. There was nothing more that could be done in the dark. Now was the time to ready oneself for the challenge ahead. The light would reveal it's truth eventually.
…
Their day did not begin with the rising sun, but rather, the vibrating noise coming from Voight's phone. He rubbed his eyes to read the time on his phone: 6:37 AM. The number was not one he recognized, but had a Michigan area code, so he answered.
"This is Voight," he gruffly whispered, trying his best to keep everyone around him asleep. Alas, it didn't work. Moans and stiff body movements were happening as he listened to the voice on the other end.
"Sorry to wake you, but this is sheriff Woodley. We found the farm and wanted to show you something. I'm sending one of my officer over with an SUV for you guys. He should be there in about thirty minutes." Voight thanked the sheriff before hanging up.
"Everybody up. We've got work to do." The scene in the waiting room was comical. There were blankets, pillows, and clothing scattered everywhere. Bags not being used for bedding were thrown in a pile against a wall. One would've thought it was a girls slumber party rather than a group of adults catching some shut eye for a few hours. Hailey and Voight chose one of the two couches while Antonio put chairs together to form a bed. Jay and Atwater clumped their bags together to make a mattress on the floor. Scanning the tired, stiff bodies slowly emerging from their makeshift beds, it was clear that no one had a decent four hours of sleep.
"They found something at the farm and someone's coming to pick us up. Someone needs to tell Kim we're leaving." Atwater volunteered and began shuffling down the hall. He stood at the doorway for a second before going in. Adam was still asleep, but looked peaceful, despite the visual reminders of his last few days. It was an awful trick, knowing that things weren't peaceful and ok for him. Atwater quietly slid the door open and walked over to Kim's chair, replacing the blanket that fell off of her. She flinched at the cloth touching her skin. She blinked a couple of times before sitting up, immediately looking over at Adam, placing her hand on his arm.
"Hey, hey sorry. He's fine. Voight wanted me to tell you that were leaving in a few minutes and we'll be back at some point today." Kim relaxed a little and nodded, clearly still out of it. Atwater turned and headed for the door, Kim stopping him as he placed his hand on the handle.
"Where are you guys going?"
"The farm."
"Oh…keep me updated?" Atwater nodded.
"Absolutely, you do the same."
…
The ride from the hospital to the farm was a thirty minute show displaying the world's beauty. It was late fall and Michigan's best was on full display. The sun was just beginning to peak through the horizon, fog settling over the ground. Trees whose leaves hadn't fallen off yet were radiating various shades of red, orange, yellow. The passing fields were harvested by now and straw was blanketing the fields. The endless fields and white silos were a stark contrast from the grey concrete jungle the team was accustomed to. They really would've enjoyed the drive had the weight of the world not been on their minds. It was a shame evil had to occur here. This area of the country was truly stunning. They briefly stopped along U.S. Highway 2 to observe the spot where Adam was found, taking note of the woods that he trekked through for hours. From that point, it was a five mile journey to the long, secluded, gravel driveway. Unless one was looking for it, you'd have never been able to find this place on your own. Now knowing who resided here, it was clear to see why Bataglio chose this spot to conduct his business. They all were restless as the vehicle slowly rolled up the two mile driveway. They tried their best to keep the personal side of this case out of their minds. Adam couldn't be helped if they were too busy being upset and shocked.
The car can to a stop at the front of the house and everyone quickly climbed out, taking in the magnificence of the farmhouse and the land surrounding it. Lab techs and police officers from surrounding counties were here examining and documenting the crime scenes. Sheriff Woodley met them at the farmhouse steps and gave them a tour of the home. The kitchen was a mess. Pots, pans, and dishes were stacked on the counter and sink. The radio still blaring it's opera music. Antonio made sure to turn the radio volume dial down to zero. Everything was dusty and smelled of garlic. From there they went through the family room, study, and dining room, finding similar things: dust, aged news paper articles, and cash. Clearly, Bataglio was an old school, loaded mobster. It was when they ventured upstairs that things got creepy. The master bedroom was polar opposite from the rest of the house in that it was clean, spotless. Every piece of furniture and furnishing was modern and sleek, not a spect of dust or dirt to be seen. This must've been where Raymond resided. Why this single room was kept up was a total guess. Then the sheriff ushered them over to the room farthest down the hall.
First of all, it was hard to open because he kept the door bolted, the key nowhere to be found. It took several kicks to finally get the thing to budge. The light switch was found, revealing the reason for the bolt. The walls were covered in surveillance photos and maps. Upon closer inspection, Intelligence's reflection was staring right at them. Bataglio had mapped out each person's life over the last few months. There was information about their residences, cars, commutes, and photos of them on the job, out in the city, and even some of them at home. Chills were crawling galore at this point.
"This took a lot of time and help," Jay observed as the rest of them nodded, too creeped out to speak.
"Yeah. Adam wasn't chosen at random. He intended to take him first. Probably thinking he'd break first," Hailey commented. Voight excused himself and headed for the stairs. No need to see what he already knew. This guy was coming after him via his team. He stood on the porch, waiting for the rest of them to catch up. Woodley emerged last, taking the back of the pack.
"I'm sorry folks. I can imagine that was difficult.."
"- Where was he tortured," Voight interrupted. Sheriff Woodley exhaled before guiding the tour around the back of the house to a set of doors leaning against the house, leading to a room underneath.
"I'm sure you're prepared for this, but I must warn you, it's gruesome." He held the door open for them as they carefully headed down the stairs, wary of the low ceilings. They walked past shelves of jars before coming up on a scene they wished they could forget.
The lights were dim and occasionally blinking. There were two chairs sitting across from each other, IV stands sitting opposite one of the chairs. A table was in the middle of the room and several blood stained instruments were scattered across the flat surface. A tray was thrown on the floor and syringes were covering the dusty ground. But what really shook them was the amount of blood on one of the chairs and the IV needles dangling from the end of the tubing. They didn't need a guidebook to get what all transpired here, what Adam went through down here was hell. No sane person would ever wish this on their worst enemy, let alone a fellow human being. They all were fighting back tears, foregoing their desire to remain neutral. Their friend should've died here. It was nothing but divine intervention that got him out of this evil hole in the ground.
"Where's the body," Atwater asked? The sheriff gave him a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?"
"Bataglio, where's his body? The amount of blood over here is inconsistent with where Adam was situated. Plus, no one losing this much blood could've broken out of here."
"We never recovered his body. When we arrived, there was a body down here, but it was a younger man we're still identifying. We don't know where Raymond Bataglio is." Intelligence was a mixed bag of emotions, ranging from shocked to irate. The guy who did this was on the lose and, once again, hours ahead of them. It didn't take long to figure out the likely scenario.
"You have to lock Adam's room down, the whole floor actually. No one is allowed in there without our approval. Call Kim, tell her we're on our way back." It was a full out, sirens flashing, dash to the hospital. Intelligence let the crew at the farm do their thing. Adam was a sitting duck right now and they was no way they'd let Bataglio get another swipe at him.
…
They stationed people outside the hospital entrances, elevators, access points on the ICU floor, and outside Adam's door. Each guard was armed and in constant communication with the others. While it made life around the ICU floor a little hectic, it was a necessary setback. Kim remained in the room at all times, her weapon loaded but tucked away. It felt like they were having a nightmare inside of a nightmare. Just when they thought the uncertainty and danger was over, a new wave of it all crept out of nowhere. The doctor gave the go-ahead to take Adam off the sedatives during the a visit in the early evening. Adam was still at first, but didn't take long for him to begin surfacing back to consciousness. It started with eye twitches and subtle limb movements and then transitioned into turning his head and mumbling in his sleep. It was late at night when his eyes fluttered opened for the first time. There was a moment of normalcy before the mental injury reared it's ugly head. Kim was talking to Antonio at the door when she noticed the body in the bed moving. Adam's eyes were blinking and roving as she sat on the left side of his bed. He looked nervous, scared almost before focusing on the smiling face in front of him.
"Hey Adam, can you hear me?" Kim reached to touch his hand and he flinched away. Her smile quickly faded. He was scared to be touched. She inched closer to him.
"It's ok, you're in the hospital. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you." His eyes were glassed over from the various drugs circulating through his system. His movements were lagged as well. But there was something off about him, robotic almost. His first words weren't to greet her, but pertained to what happened to him.
"Why's Antonio outside the door?" Adam tried to sit up but was met by sharp pains. He winced and began to hyperventilate. Kim wasn't sure how to respond without touching him. The only option was to talk, hopefully he'd recognize her calmness.
"He's just guarding the door. We're just taking extra precaution. Please lie down, Adam. You don't need to tear any of the stitches." She intentionally left out the part where the demon who did this to him was on the loose. Adam closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe; loudly inhaling and exhaling. It took a minute, but he eventually settled back against the pillows. A nurse appeared in the room and the freaking out began again. Her adjusting of the IV bags drew his attention to the ports in his arms.
"No. No, no, no, I can't…I…" He began pulling the IVs out, blood dripping down his arm. Kim and the nurse forwent his fear of being touched and grabbed his hands, one holding him down while the other tried distracting.
"Adam, you can't take those out. Please calm down or you'll have to be sedated." He ignored the warning and kept thrashing, his eyes wet with tears. Kim just stared at her love as he relaxed and zoned out to Haldol's forceful slumber. Antonio was at the door the whole time observing.
"We found evidence that he was drugged through IV ports. Sorry, I didn't think he'd freak out over those." Kim slowly nodded while new lines were inserted into Adam's bruised arms. If this is what life with Adam was going to be like, she was petrified. She didn't know the details of his last few days, but seeing a glimpse into the aftermath made he mind wander, wondering how bad things were that he ended up this way. Of course, she wasn't mad him. There was nothing he could to do prevent things that were out of control. She was sad for whatever was permanently lost, angry at the person who caused this. Adam slept for another hour or so while Kim lost was in her thoughts. She knew Adam would get over his physical injuries, but the silent, invisible ones in his mind were tricky. She honestly didn't have much experience in this area and really didn't know how to proceed from here. A soft, 'hey,' broke her train of thought.
"Hey, sleepy head. How are you feeling?"
"Um, I need to talk to Voight." She detected the lack of personalty behind his comment.
"Ok, I'll go get him." She was almost out the door when Adam stopped her.
"Wait, don't leave." Ah, there he was. She stood there for a second, taking in his scared, sad expression. She wasn't sure if he meant the statement in a short or long term sense. She moved to her usual spot on the bed.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll text Voight and let him know."
As she typed, Adam just zoned out, taking in his new surroundings. He was physically and emotionally spent. He didn't recognize anything around him apart from Kim. He knew who she was and what she meant to him. But he wasn't ready to trust anyone or anything at the moment. He couldn't decipher his fear from reality, the demons from the angels. And that scared him more than the torturing itself. Bataglio broke him, forcing him to a place that was reserved for the worst moments of his life. Now having been there and come back, he wasn't sure how to proceed. He wasn't afraid of what he looked like or what was injured, it was knowing if he could ever be himself again; joke with the guys and truly love his girl. Maybe the drugs he was on were cloudy his thought process, but at that time, he didn't know what do next.
…
It was Voight, sheriff Woodley, and the rest of Intelligence in the room listening to Adam's report, recorders and note pads at the ready. Adam was surprisingly calm as he told of his journey to the farm, his first night, the torturing sessions, and how he escaped. There where times he'd pause or have a shakiness in his voice, but he didn't leave a detail out. It was his next mission: telling his side of story in order to see Bataglio pay. He kept playing with these white square pads on this arms while he spoke, only stoping when Kim shook her head. They were covering the re-inserted IV lines and it was only way they'd stay in without Adam freaking out. The nurses were relying on the old saying, 'out of sight, out of mind.' It was working thus far.
While everyone wore a poker face, inside, they were an emotional wreck. Adam's voice still had that robotic, emotionless sound to it, but this was the first time everyone felt like he was in the room. It was a time of clarity. Hearing himself verbally say what happened really put the last few days into perspective. What happened was tragic, evil even, but he was here, he was in the post-op side of it all. This time was a crucial rebuilding part of Adam's story. Once his statement was documented, he turned the questioning on his guests. The question was simple, yet loaded.
"What happens now?" They all kind of looked down the line, encouraging someone else to figure that one out.
"You get some rest and focus on getting out of here. Let us deal with the case. We've got it," Antonio finally answered. That was all it took. Adam just nodded and relax on the pillows. He was fighting sleep and exhaustion for awhile there and was delighted to get the go-ahead to fall asleep. His eyes were slowly blinking as the group ushered out, quietly saying their goodbyes and waving. Kim waited till the room was clear to find a semi-comfortable spot on the chair.
"Goodnight, Adam. Love you." She looked over to witness a quick smile appear on his tired face.
Those working on the case held a meeting in their sleeping quarters. Now knowing everything that happened, it became apparent that they needed to relocate.
"I don't care what hoops we have to jump through or papers to sign, we've gotta get him out of this area soon. Like tomorrow morning if that's manageable."
"He just woke up and is still heavily medicated, we can't just grab him and leave."
"Plus, where would we take him? We can't bring back to Chicago. Bataglio will be expecting that."
"But he can't stay here. It's too dangerous."
"We can't change his environment that quickly. It'll only freak him out more." Voight held his hand up and everyone was immediately silenced.
"He's leaving. That's not for debate. I will get in contact with the people at Med to discuss another hospital that is capable of handling his recovering. Once we find that place, not a word gets mentioned. We'll also need to create an alias for him. We have a window of opportunity here, let's not waste it shooting the breeze. Let's get to work."
