Tom dropped the paper and raised his arms out to his sides. He rose as the gunman lifted on his throat, then turned and stumbled into Mark's room when he was shoved. The officer caught himself and started to turn around to face his attacker. He never finished the move as the gunman used the gun to hit Tom on the back of the head. Tom went down and a kick to his midsection insured that he stayed down.
Now the gunman turned his attention to Mark. The patient was lying on his side, his chest rising and falling evenly with each breath. Without a sound, he picked up the extra pillow lying on the chair and, with a swift move, he covered Mark's face and pressed hard. Mark began to fight and flailed his fists blindly, moving down to try and remove the obstruction. His attacker grinned evilly and pressed the pillow down harder. As the seconds passed, Mark's struggles became weaker and weaker until finally, they ended and Mark lay motionless in the bed.
Mark's attacker gave the pillow one last firm push before removing it from his victim's face. Slipping the pillowcase off the pillow, he stuffed it into his shirt as he moved toward the door. He noticed that the police officer he had put down was beginning to wake up. After checking that the hallway was empty, he strode down the hall and disappeared around the corner.
Tom groaned as he finally pulled himself up and staggered over to the bed. He reached out a hand to check Mark. "Mark, you okay kid? Mark?" Tom shook Mark's shoulder. When the young man didn't respond, Tom leaned down closer. Realizing that Mark wasn't breathing, Tom sprinted for the door and yanked it open.
"Alexis! Help! He's not breathing!"
Alexis and the doctor she had been assisting were just stepping into the hallway when they heard Tom's yell. Both ran down the hall and hurried to Mark's bedside. The doctor did a quick exam before turning Mark onto his back, bunching up the pillow, and pushing it behind Mark's neck to open his airway. While the doctor gave Mark a few quick breaths, Alexis picked up the call button and pushed the page. "Code Blue Room 313."
Tom opened the door wide as two more nurses pushed a red tool box cart into the room and started handing equipment to the doctor and Alexis. Alexis took the balloon like ambu bag and fitted it over Mark's face before squeezing it rhythmically to force air into his lungs. Another nurse ripped open his pajama top and started attaching wires to his chest while the doctor listened for heart tones.
Tom could only stand by the door as words like "total respiratory arrest", "lidocaine" and "shockable rhythm" were bandied about. He didn't understand the conversation, but he understood that someone had come back to finish the job they had started out at Indian Dunes. The officer was torn between wanting to stay with Mark, or calling for reinforcements and Judge Hardcastle. The decision was taken out of his hands when the judge ran into the room. Tom grabbed him to stop his momentum.
"Mark! Tom, what happened? I heard it on the overhead. What happened to Mark?" Hardcastle's eyes never left his young friend.
"I don't know. Some guy dressed like an orderly pulled a gun, got me in here and knocked me down. When I woke up, Mark was..."
Hardcastle's worry erupted into fury. "How the hell did anyone find out where Mark was!? He is supposed to be in protective custody."
Alexis heard the two men talking and came over to them. "Judge, I need you and Tom to wait outside while we work." Her tone was brisk and businesslike, inviting no discussion. She reached around Tom and opened the door, nearly shoving the judge out while Tom pulled his arm. The door closed behind them and Tom pulled Hardcastle against the wall. He braced himself for the tirade he knew was coming.
It didn't come. Instead Hardcastle slumped against the wall and stared at the closed door. "Call Mike," he finally whispered. "Tell him what happened and get him over here."
Tom dragged the chair away from Mark's door and guided Hardcastle down into it before running off for the nurse's station and the telephone.
Hardcastle's eyes never left the closed door that separated him from Mark. He was unaware of the passage of time, never acknowledged Tom's return, and didn't hear questions that were put to him. The only thing that mattered to him was that door. Hardcastle jumped when the door opened and Alexis stepped out.
She crossed over to him and knelt down by his chair. "He's okay, Milt. Mark is going to be just fine. The doctor will be out to talk to you in a minute, but I wanted you to know that Mark is awake and talking." Alexis put one hand on the judge's knee and touched his face with her other hand. "Mark's awake and asking for you."
"He's okay?" The shaky voice belonged to a much older man. "He's really okay?" Hardcastle looked deep into Alexis' smiling face and felt his heart begin to lighten.
Alexis was spared from answering by the appearance of the doctor. He crossed the hall and stood in front of the small group. "I'm Doctor Mayes. Your son seems to be doing just fine. He was in respiratory arrest, but his heart never stopped and he began breathing soon after we began respiratory support. He has suffered no additional harm. Alexis told me why he was here and I would strongly suggest that he be moved to another floor until he can go home. I'll contact Dr. Saunders for you if you like."
Hardcastle stood up and shook Dr. Mayes hand. "Thank you. I really appreciate your help. You're sure Mark's okay?"
The young doctor nodded. "I'm sure. He is anxious to see you. Go on in and stay with him. I'll make arrangements for him to be moved. Alexis will tell you when everything is arranged." With a final goodbye, the doctor walked down the hall.
Tom spoke up. "I've called Mike. He and Frank are on their way over now. I got a good look at the guy so I will go on back to the station and see if I can find any information on him. I would love to know how he found out where Mark is."
"I'd like to know the answer to that one myself." Hardcastle rubbed his chin, then took a long look at Tom. "You said he hit you?"
"Yeah, but I'm okay."
Alexis saw where the conversation was headed. "I'll look after him, Judge. You go on in to Mark. When Mike and Frank get here, I'll take Tom down to the ER and have him checked over before he leaves."
Milt nodded decisively then headed for Mark's room.
Hardcastle walked into Mark's room slowly. In spite of the doctor's assurances, he was afraid of what he might find. The remaining two nurses were replacing equipment on the crash cart and had moved away from the bed. Mark was sitting up in bed, an oxygen tube running under his nose. He looked pale but otherwise he seemed fine. His face lit up when he saw who his visitor was.
"Come on in, Judge. They tell me this is where all the action is." Mark's voice was soft but held a bit of his old humor.
"You never could do anything halfway." Hardcastle tried to tease back. The joke fell flat. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. The doctor told me what happened. Is Tom okay?"
"Alexis is going to have him looked at. Did you see anything?" The judge sat down on the foot of the bed.
Mark shrugged and fingered the tube under his nose. "I was asleep. Then I woke up with a room full of people and a sore throat." Mark looked levelly at his mentor. "Why try to kill me? I thought this bozo was after you. I got shot protecting you, didn't I?"
"Do you remember anything that happened when you got shot?" Hardcastle spared a glance as the nurses left the room and closed the door behind them.
"I remember leaving the house, we were going to test out the Coyote, then get some supper. After that, I have bits and pieces, you being pushed, a group of guys, then nothing."
"Did you recognize anyone?" Hardcastle's voice was low.
Mark tried to sit up and groaned with the pain in his head. He felt himself being pushed back down on the pillows. "Take it easy kid. You've had a busy day." The judge gave Mark's shoulders a gentle squeeze before letting go.
"I'm sorry, Milt. I just don't have any idea of what happened, or who did it, or who would want to kill me." Mark's eyes were full of fear, fear that his friend had never seen. "You've got to tell me. What is going on? I need to know everything."
The judge considered briefly, then decided that Mark did deserve an explanation. Quietly he told Mark what he knew of the case and about how Mark had ended up in the hospital. "Then they left, taking me with them. One of your friends found you out at Indian Dunes and took you home. Mike told me that much. We still haven't found out who called Sullivan and tried to have you arrested for my supposed murder."
"Who is this Sullivan guy anyway?" Mark asked.. "I think I've heard the name but he isn't a cop is he?"
"Nope, he works for the DA's office. I don't know why he thought he was in charge of this investigation. Something about getting a tip over the phone. Mike and Frank are following up on it." He stopped talking when a knock sounded on the door. Hardcastle put a finger to his lips as he rose and headed for the closed door. Grasping the handle, he called out softly, "Who's there?"
"It's Dr. Saunders. Dr. Mayes called me. May I come in?"
The judge opened the door and let the doctor into the room. "So Mark, you just can't keep out of trouble can you?"
"Hey, I didn't do anything this time. It's your hospital, man. You gotta be more careful about who you hire." Mark's flippant tone didn't fool the doctor, he knew that Mark was hurting and scared.
"I'll tell personnel to be more careful. Right now, let's check you out." He took out his stethoscope and spent a few moments giving Mark a brief but thorough exam. Finishing up, he stowed the 'scope back in his jacket pocket. "Everything looks good, Mark. How's the memory?"
"Still nothing, Doc. Hardcastle told me what happened. I don't remember any of it."
"What about the dreams? Anything there?"
A puzzled frown crossed Mark's face. "What dreams?"
"You've been having some pretty intense nightmares. You don't recall anything from your dreams?" the doctor asked.
Mark shook his head gently. "Sorry, doc. Nothing." Now he tried to change the subject. "So, can I go home now?"
Dr. Saunders grinned and shook his head. "No. I am not in the habit of releasing patients twenty minutes after they come out of respiratory arrest. I will however let you go home in the morning if you are feeling better. How's the headache?"
Mark considered lying, then thought better of it. "If you have a bottle of aspirin, I'd sure take it off your hands."
"Is your headache as strong as before?"
"No. It has let up a bit, but it still hurts." Mark confessed.
"I'd say that things are getting back to normal. A concussion is nothing to play around with, no matter what the guys on TV tell you. A concussion is an injury to the brain tissue and has to heal just like anything else. I'll send in some painkillers and I want your breathing to be evaluated during the night. Like I said, if everything checks out fine, you can go home in the morning." Dr. Saunders shut the chart he was making notes on and let himself out of the room.
Hardcastle started for the door. "I'll be right back, kid. I just wanna ask the doc a question, like how soon you can get back to mowing the yard. Exercise should be good for ya." With a quick smile at the patient, the judge left the room and hurried after the doctor.
"Dr. Saunders. Is there a way that we can move Mark to another room for the night? Maybe something closer to the nurse's desk?"
The doctor smiled at the concern in Hardcastle's voice. "That is already being arranged. Alexis is on the phone with Mike now and the patient in 301 is being discharged home. We will move Mark in about an hour. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other patients to see."
Hardcastle just nodded in thanks as the doctor turned and walked down the hall toward the elevator. Milt ran his hands over his face as he let out a huge sigh. Making a decision, he turned down the hall and went to the nurse's station. He didn't dare be gone long, but he wanted to talk to Frank and see if he had made any progress in finding out who had tipped off Sullivan.
Alexis was just putting down the phone when the judge walked up. "Before you ask, no you can't use the phone. Mike is down in the ER with Tom, and Frank is on his way here. Frank has an appointment with the DA in the morning to talk about Sullivan and his so called investigation. He also wants you to know that Mark is still in protective custody. Mike started the process for Mark to bring Sullivan up on charges of false arrest and battery. I am having the room across the hall cleaned and I will clear the floor before we move Mark. You are to do nothing but go back to Mark's room and keep watch. And yes, I am quoting Mike." The smile on Alexis' face was warm and sad at the same time. "Mark needs you to watch out for him and the rest of us will watch out for both of you."
"What did the doc really say about Mark?" Hardcastle asked.
"Just what he told you. Mark was smothered and suffered respiratory arrest. We got to him in time and got him breathing again before his heart stopped. The doctor doesn't believe that any damage was done to Mark's lungs, but he wants periodic checks to make sure. The biggest danger now is pneumonia, but the chances of that are fairly low. Now go back to Mark. He needs you with him right now. The nightmares he was having sounded pretty intense and he asked for you several times." The nurse laid her hand on the judge's. "You go on now, I'll be in with a wheelchair to get Mark as soon as I can."
Hardcastle wasn't used to being handled in so deft a manner. He was used to being in control of any situation and tried hard not to show his annoyance at Alexis for her mothering attitude. "I'm gonna lock the door. You call before you come in and make sure everyone else does too. And could you let me know what the docs say about Tom. Make sure Mike takes him home. See if he can get Dave Gibbs back here. I don't want any more people in here than we have to."
"I'll see what I can do. Now will you go before Mark gets worried about you?"
"I'm going, I'm going." Hardcastle left and quickly made his way down the hall and let himself back into Mark's room. He pulled up short when he saw the bed was empty.
"Mark?" he called softly.
"Judge?" Mark emerged from the bathroom, trailing the pole that his IV was hanging from.
"What are you doing out of bed?" the judge asked gruffly as he moved to Mark's side to help him back into the bed.
"Sometimes a guy just has to go, Judge." Mark didn't meet his friend's gaze. Both men knew that there was more to that simple phrase, but they decided to let it lie. "What did the doc tell you?"
While the judge guided Mark back into bed and arranged the covers, he repeated his conversations with the doctor and Alexis. "Now we just have to get you better so we can start snooping around and find out who did this."
"I keep feeling that I should know something, Milt. I'm missing something aren't I? What else happened out there? Why can't I remember?" Mark slammed his hand down on the blanket. "Some Tonto I make." he muttered. "My job is to protect your back, I sure screwed up this time didn't I?"
"No, you didn't screw up. Someone knew that they had to get through you to get me. That means, they know more about us than I like. When you get home tomorrow, we'll go through the files and see if something jumps out at us." The judge settled himself in the bedside chair and picked up the TV remote. "All we can do is wait till Frank gets here and see if has any new information for us."
"Sounds good to me." Mark yawned. "I haven't done anything but sleep. Did you ask Alexis about that aspirin? I could really use one right about now. Especially if you find that Duke marathon on channel 16."
"Well, go back to sleep if you need too. I'll wake you up when Frank gets here."
"Can't." Mark's one word answer sent up red flags for the judge.
"Sure you can. Just lie back there and close your eyes. I'll be right here." Hardcastle tried to sound upbeat.
Mark just stared at the ceiling. "I'll just wait for Frank. And besides, if I know you, I'm getting a new room soon anyway. Be a waste of time."
Hardcastle wasn't fooled. "You need to sleep to heal up. I'll stay here, I won't even go into the hallway." He leaned forward in the chair. "Alexis told me about the nightmares. I'll stay right here, nothing is going to happen."
"Yeah, that's what Tom thought too. I ended up dead. No thanks, I'll stay awake."
"You're not dead. You're talking to me, ain't ya?"
Mark turned his head and faced the judge directly. "And next time, you might end up dead because I can't do my job."
"Your job is to trim the hedges and mow the lawn."
"My job is to help you and watch your back. Tonto always saves the Lone Ranger. Some Tonto I made."
"Mark, listen to me. You do that job so well that you scared someone. That person knew that he had to go through you to get to me. Tonto was never that tough. No one has ever done that for me, you're the best partner I have ever worked with." Hardcastle's tone changed to one of exasperation. "Now, just lie back down there and get some sleep."
The phone rang then, causing Mark to wince in pain. Milt grabbed it before it could ring a second time. The caller was Alexis, telling him that she was coming down with a wheelchair to move Mark. Hardcastle hung up the phone and told repeated his conversation to Mark. Alexis knocked and then entered with the wheelchair.
"Taxi, anyone?" Alexis parked the chair next to the bed and set the brakes. "Okay, the hallway has been cleared and Dave is waiting in your new room. He will be sitting at the nurse's station so that it will be harder for anyone to sneak up on him. I will bring in the respiratory therapist later and she is on duty all night. Will you be staying all night, Milt?"
"Yes. That way Mark will have a ride home in the morning, and..."
"And Mark doesn't have to worry about you all night and can get some real sleep." Alexis help up her hand to forestall the denials she could see on both men's faces. "Save it, guys. Mike has tried to lie to me far too many times in his young life and I can still catch him every time. You two don't have a chance. Now, Mark get in this chair and let's move."
By seven o'clock that night, Mark was settled into his new room and was sleeping quietly thanks to the dose of pain medication that Alexis had given him. Dave was sitting at the nurse's station across the hall reading the daily paper, and Milt Hardcastle was pretending to watch "Rawhide" on TV. After Mark had fallen asleep, Alexis had told the retired judge about the dreams that Mark had been having. Hardcastle was angry that he hadn't been called earlier, but did understand why. He thought about what Mark had said, that Hardcastle couldn't protect him if he himself were tired or hurt. Such simple statements of truth meant a great deal to the retired judge and he had long ago vowed to protect the young man he had conned into accepting the unusual parole agreement.
Hardcastle realized that he wasn't really interested in the movie and pushed the button on the remote control to turn off the TV. He picked up the stack of newspapers and magazines that Dave had brought earlier and thumbed through them. He found two racing magazines and tossed them on the bed for Mark to read when he woke up. He was reading the evening Times when Mark began to stir. Hoping to keep the nightmares at bay, he leaned over the sleeping man and shook his shoulder gently.
"Wake up, Mark. Come on, kiddo. Open your eyes for me. Everything's fine."
Mark awoke with a start, his breath coming in gasps and sweat beading on his forehead. "He shot me! They took you and I said.."
"It's okay, Mark. Don't think about it. You're safe now, doc says you're gonna be fine."
Mark opened his eyes and looked up into the face of his mentor. "I saw the guy grab you and then someone pointed a gun at me and then I forget again. Why can't I remember?"
Hardcastle sat on the bed next to Mark. "You've had a hard day. That concussion was enough to shake loose a few wires. Doc says it's normal to lose some time after an injury like that. You might remember it later or it may be gone for good. I think that it's in that hard head of yours somewhere, that's where the dreams are coming from."
"So maybe the dreams will stop and I'll either remember everything or it'll all be gone?" Mark didn't seem thrilled with either prospect.
"We'll just have to wait and see. For now, all you have to do is heal up and then we can go after these guys. Mike and Frank are working on it, but WE need to be working on it." Mark grinned at the look of anticipation on the judge's face.
"So what's first on the agenda?" Mark asked. He knew that going back to sleep right now wasn't an option.
"Rest." the judge answered shortly.
"I'm awake now. What say we watch that old movie?" Mark fought back a yawn.
"McCormick, it's eight at night and you haven't had a decent sleep yet."
"I've been sleeping all day." Mark countered.
"Then how come you still look like hell warmed over? Just lay on back there and catch some more sleep." Milt could see that the stress from the nightmare was still taking its toll on his young friend.
"Can't. I just can't right now. So just drop it. Hand me one of those magazines if you don't wanna watch the movie." Mark held out his hand peremptorily, showing the judge that the discussion was over.
Sighing in frustration, Hardcastle reached for the two racing magazines and handed them to McCormick before picking up his newspaper again. He hadn't read for very long before Mark interrupted him.
"Hey Judge! Look at this. Remember that guy I was telling you about, Billy Hankins? We were invited to his party this weekend, well here's a story about him. Seems he is putting together a new team for this season. Wonder if he needs a driver?" Mark continued to read the article. "Hey! He mentions me as someone who would make a good team member!" Mark held out the article for Hardcastle to read.
The judge scanned the article quickly. "Well, he also mentions about six other guys too." he pointed out as he handed the magazine back.
Mark was still grinning, "I know, but it's nice to see that someone remembers me." He turned the page to read the rest of the story.
"Lots of people remember ya, kid." Hardcastle pointed out. "You still race for Tommy on occasion and you had that hot shot team last year."
"Yeah, before you shut them down." Mark gave a lopsided grin to let the judge know that he was just kidding before turning his attention back to the article. "Pictures, huh?" he muttered. Mark was studying the pictures intently stopping at one and fixing his stare on the man shown there. His breathing became rapid and shallow and his face paled. Hardcastle heard the change in his breathing and looked up, hurrying to Mark's side when he saw the change.
"Mark! What's wrong? I'm getting the nurse." He tried to turn for the door, but was stopped by Mark's tight grip on his hand.
"No, Judge. Stay here. I'm all right." Mark tried to slow down his breathing and get his emotions in check. Without letting go of his friend's hand, Mark picked up the magazine to show the picture he had found. "This is him, the guy who shot me."
Hardcastle took the magazine out of Mark's sweaty hand and studied the picture of the man. He was white, a little younger than Mark, and was standing beside a new model Trans Am with the caption "Wolfe's ready to howl!". Hardcastle snorted at the caption but began to scan the article for more information.
"Are you sure this is the guy?" he asked Mark.
"I'm sure. That's Henrick Wolfe. He moved over here from Germany a few years ago and started racing just before I went to prison. I've met him once or twice. He's a good racer, but he has a hell of a temper." Mark sat up slowly in the bed and rubbed his temples.
"He's mentioned in the article as another possibility for your friend's new team. I thought we were just going to a birthday party. Have you talked to him about it?" Milt asked, trying to give Mark time to calm down before he had to face his memories.
"He just called and said he was getting a few old friends together to celebrate his wife's birthday party. Seems owning a racing team is her big present this year. He crashed a few years back and never got back behind the wheel. He has been a partner in a couple of teams and can finally form his own."
"Did he say anything to you about a reason behind the party?" Hardcastle pressed.
"No, he just said he wanted a few old friends together and that he had a big announcement." Mark held up the magazine. "This must have been the announcement."
"Maybe, but that doesn't explain why Wolfe shot you and kidnapped me. Who was the target here and how in the hell did he find you today?"
"You think he was the one who came in here?" Mark asked. "I know you, I've had a bodyguard the whole time and I know you and Mike kept it quiet about where I was. Who else knew?" Mark asked. He was beginning to calm down again with the case to focus on. This was something he knew
Hardcastle clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Well, the first thing is to get hold of Frank and have him do a check on this Wolfe guy. How's your head? Feel up to calling your friend and finding out more about this racing team?"
"I can do that. Maybe getting a few answers will clear up this headache." A faint reflection of Mark's grin crossed his face. He paused for a moment then added, "and maybe a few more answers will stop the dreams."
Hardcastle looked sharply at Mark. "I thought you said you didn't remember having nightmares?"
Mark shrugged. "I don't remember the yelling part, but I remember the part about them grabbing you, then someone stepping out of the back of the group...a gun...noise..." Mark's voice trailed off as he struggled to bring the memory to light. His face went white as sweat beaded out on his forehead. The judge could hear the change in his breathing and feared that Mark was having a panic attack. Pushing the magazines aside, Hardcastle sat on the bed and gripped both of Mark's hands in his.
"What else do you see?" Milt prodded gently.
"You lying on the ground, one of the bad guys drawing a gun on you, no, making a fist?"
Mark shook his head. "It's gone. I just can't remember it clearly. I see bits and pieces but nothing fits."
"That's okay. It's more than you had anyway. Now, why don't you get on the phone to your friend while I go talk to Dave at the nurse's desk and get R and I to do a records search on this Wolfe guy?"
Clapping Mark on the leg, Hardcastle left the room to go and use the phone at the nurse's desk. He wanted to check on Tom as well.
Mark picked up the phone and dialed, holding the phone carefully on his lap. It was quickly answered on the other end. "Billy? This is Mark, how are you? I just called to say that I can't make it on Saturday after all. Naw, nothing like that, I just had a bit of an accident and I'm gonna be laid up for a few days. Yeah, big time. I get out of the hospital in the morning and if I know Hardcase, he won't let me off the estate for a month." After a few more moments of casual conversation, Mark steered the topic around to racing.
"Hey, I just got a copy of Race World and see you're putting together that team you were talking about. Yeah, I saw my name. What! Mike, that would be fantastic! I'll love to and that will fit in with my work with the judge. Who are you looking at to drive? Well, they're both good but the article says you're looking at Wolfe. Really? Wonder where they got that idea? Hey, call me in a few days and we'll get together and go over details. Take care man, and thanks a lot!" Mark hung up the phone, a satisfied grin crossing his face.
Hardcastle came back in a few minutes later, rubbing his hands together. He settled himself back on the chair and leaned back as far as he could. "I talked to Frank. He's gonna run a check on this race driver and get back to me. Mike took Tom home, he's okay by the way, and will come back here. Are you feeling well enough to get outta this dump and go home in the morning?"
Mark wasted no time in answering. "Just hand me my pants." He started to sit up quickly, and was overcome with a wave of dizziness. Closing his eyes, he put one hand on his head and reached out blindly with the other one. Hardcastle was there instantly to grab his free hand and pushed him back gently on the pillow.
"Easy, McCormick. You're gonna mess something else up if you don't move slow." He got his young friend settled again and pushed the button for the nurse. Only seconds passed before a knock sounded on the door and Alexis' voice sounded from the hallway.
"I'm coming in, Judge." Alexis came into the room holding a fresh pitcher of water and a tray of medicine. "I was on my way in anyway. What seems to be the problem?"
"No problem," Mark began only to be interrupted by Hardcastle.
"He tried to get up and got hit with a bad dizzy spell."
"That's not unusual. You know that you have to move slow for a few days. You still have that headache, right?" She waited only briefly for Mark's nod. "Then that alone should tell you that you aren't fully functional yet. Now, how's your breathing? Any tightening in your chest?"
Mark just shook his head, unwilling to bring on another dizzy spell. "How long is this stupid headache gonna last?"
"Another day or two should see you over the worst of it. For right now though, the best thing for you to do is sleep. Doc said you could go home in the morning. Patsy is on her up from respiratory and she will decide if you still need that O2 tube. Dr. Saunders said we can take out your IV and just give you some pills for the pain." She put down the tray and suited actions to words.
She finished up her work and handed Mark two pills. He took them with the cold cup of water that Hardcastle handed him. Alexis checked the oxygen tube then looked up as the door opened. She missed the flinch of fear that ran across Mark's face, but she didn't miss the way Judge Hardcastle stood quickly and moved to the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the person who stood framed in the doorway.
"It's okay, Judge. This is Patsy Reynolds, the respiratory therapist I told you about." Alexis moved over to the therapist and stood beside her. "She is a friend of mine and is here to evaluate Mark's breathing." The nurse held out her hand.
"Patsy, this is Judge Hardcastle and your patient Mark McCormick."
"Dr. Saunders told me what happened. I'm just here to evaluate your breathing and lung function. If everything checks out okay, I'll take off the oxygen. You are scheduled to go home in the morning if you don't have any more problems."
