AN: I have updated a little faster this time! I think the last chapter was just what I needed to get myself jump started again (I swear it had nothing to do with JerseySue threatening me with Vinnie and a duck :P) Thanks for your wonderful reviews! I love them all and I hope you guys like this chapter too!
So, enjoy! And review when you're done! I love hearing your thoughts!
Rediscovery
Chapter 26
Stephanie knew the moment Ranger stepped out of the elevator into the waiting room of the Emergency Room. She didn't hesitate to launch herself into his arms and seek the safety and comfort only he could give her. The strength of his body helped calm the incessant tremors that had been her constant companion from the moment everything went down.
"Babe." Ranger clutched her to him. The pure panic in her voice over the phone had shaved years off his life. Seeing her physically fine released the fear that had held him in a lover's embrace all the way over.
"God, Carlos, it happened so fast." She said into his neck, her arms tightening around him more. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she clung to him. "I didn't see much. I was in Vinnie's office arguing with him. There was a loud explosion and gun shots. I heard Lula and Connie scream and tried to get out there to see what was going on, but Vinnie wouldn't let me out of the office until he'd called the cops. By the time it was safe for us to go out, the ambulances were there. All four of them got shot, Carlos. The only one I know about is Penelope. The doctors say it's real bad. She took four shots. Oh, god, Tank!" She pulled away from him. "He has to know!"
Ranger pulled her back to him. "Babe, he's here, we'll tell him." Behind him he heard the elevator door opened and knew Tank and Bobby were there. He always made sure Bobby was with them whenever any of them were hospitalized for injuries.
Stephanie peaked over Ranger's shoulder and she couldn't muffle the sob that tore out of her throat for not having anything to tell Tank about Lula. Tank's eyes met her and she could see the sudden fear and worry come into them.
"Brown, find out what the status is on Connie and Lula." Ranger ordered. Bobby nodded and turned to go find out what he needed. Tank followed him determined to find out what he could about Lula.
He led Stephanie to a chair. "Babe, I need to go find out about Lester." He tucked a curl behind her ear. "Will you be alright for a few minutes?"
Stephanie nodded. "Yes." He kissed her quickly and went to the Nurses' station to find out about his cousin. He gave a curt nod towards Vinnie when he spotted him waiting, leaning against a wall looking a little shell shocked.
Ranger didn't care for Vinnie personally, but he knew Vinnie was actually a very shrewd man, despite his animal preference. He felt a certain level of gratitude towards him for keeping Stephanie in his office and safe. Taking stock of Vinnie's appearance he could see that the man was looking a bit shaken up from the events of the day. No doubt having his place of business shot up with half his employees ending up in the emergency room was probably not on his list of things to do for the day.
Coming up to the Nurses' station he leaned against the counter and waited until one of the nurses looked at him. Her mouth dropped open and she just stared at him for several seconds. Giving her his blinding smile he said, "I need the status of Lester Santos. I'm his next of kin."
"Yes—of course—um—" She looked flustered for several moments as she tried to figure out what she was looking for. Dropping her gaze from his, her body seemed to start functioning properly. Grabbing a stack of papers she rifled through them until she found what she wanted. "Mr. Santos took a bullet in the shoulder. It went straight through, and he'll make a full recovery. He just had to be sewn up a bit. I'm sure the doctor started reading him the riot act on what he can and cannot do for the next few weeks."
"Where's he at?"
"I'll take you to him." Steadily avoiding his gaze, she took him back to his cousin.
Lester was sitting on a bed looking dazed and medicated. The doctor in front of him was still lecturing him. Ranger smirked. The doctor was one they were all familiar with since he worked on plenty of RangeMan employees. There was no doubt in Ranger's mind that Lester would probably not be moving away from Penelope's side for the next few weeks, which meant he would have to make sure there were others there to keep an eye on both of them.
"Santos."
He looked over at Ranger. "Pen?"
Ranger shook his head slightly. "In surgery. Steph says it's bad. She took four bullets."
Lester bowed his head down. Closing his eyes he tried to get a grip on the emotions rolling through him. His hands gripped the edge of the bed so hard his knuckles were turning white. He swallowed a couple times before nodding. "Anything on who did this?"
"Cal and Ram are at the bonds office looking for clues. They're checking the security cameras right now." Ranger said. "What can you tell me?"
"Fuck man." Lester shook his head. "Not a lot. It happened too fast. I didn't see it coming. One second I'm stealing a donut from Connie the next there are bullets shattering the window. I didn't…I couldn't…she was too far away…" Lester swallowed and Ranger felt sympathy for his cousin. Admitting that he couldn't get close to the woman he clearly had some intense feelings for to keep her safe was eating at him. It was a feeling he was familiar with any time it came to Stephanie and her well- being.
He put a hand on his cousin's good shoulder. Before he could speak, Lester continued. "I tried, but I took one to the shoulder. I staggered, hit my head and was out." Ranger noticed the angry looking bump on his forehead.
Tank came around the corner. He looked relieved. "Lula's going to be fine. She was grazed, but it needed stitches. Connie is a bit bruised up from the falling out of her chair to get under cover. Apparently she knocked over her chair and when she was trying to duck down tripped and landed on one of the legs hard enough to break one of her ribs." He glanced over Lester and asked Ranger, "What do you think Boss? Bombshell got another stalker that took a wider range at who they were going to hurt to get to her this time?"
"No." Lester spoke up. "It's Pen. I'm sure of it."
"I don't know, man." Tank looked doubtful. "Steph's working on her friend's murder. There's a good chance someone doesn't want her looking into it."
"I'm telling you, it's got to do with Penelope." Lester snapped.
Tank raised both eyebrows and looked at Ranger, who just shrugged. His cousin was drugged and feeling like shit for not protecting his woman. Ranger knew exactly what to expect and knew it would do no good trying to reason with him right now.
Tank had seen Lester like this a few times in the army. It wasn't often that Lester would get extremely adamant about something, but when he did Ranger and the others, including himself, knew to take notice of it.
"Well, if you're done being a girl, let's go see how your woman is doing." Tank said.
Lester nodded and followed them to the waiting room. They found Stephanie missing. Mary Lou and Sheila came out of the elevator and hurried toward them looking for a sign of prognosis for their friend. They could only tell them what Stephanie had said.
Ranger grew concerned by the lack of presence from his woman. He looked at Vinnie who simply pointed down a hall. Heading in that direction he came to another hall. He could feel Stephanie near. Looking around he found her leaning up against a wall with her arms folded over her chest. There was a look of intense focus on her face as he approached her. She knew he was there. When she held a finger up to her lips as he came to her, he stood against a wall to follow her lead.
Stephanie listened closely. Diane and Derek had come barreling into the waiting room looking absolutely distraught. Well, as distraught as a woman who had so much self love can be for someone else. When she saw Stephanie she came up to her demanding to know what she had done to her daughter. Surprisingly, Vinnie had come to her rescue telling Diane that it had been a shooter from the outside. Stephanie had had nothing to do with it.
Diane, of course, did not believe Stephanie and accused her of trying to get all her friends killed. Her last words continued to echo in Stephanie's head. "In fact, it's probably your fault that poor little Kaylee was murdered. Perhaps you should have kept your legs closed instead of laying on your back for every man in sight. Some angry girlfriend probably killed Kaylee because of you!"
Logically Stephanie knew what Diane had said wasn't true. But before she had a chance to defend herself and rip Diane a new one, Derek had swooped in and taken Diane several feet away. He whispered in her ear and when they had glanced over at Stephanie they decided to go to a different hallway, which of course invited the current eavesdroppers who were sitting there quietly.
"I heard someone mention that Penelope took four bullets, Derek!" Diane's voice carried.
"I know, Diane, but we don't know how bad things are. They might not have hit anything vital."
"Ugh!" The contempt in Diane's voice was clear. "How could she do this to me? Doesn't Penelope ever think of anyone but herself? God, what am I going to do?"
"Don't worry, Diane. We'll get everything cleared up between the two of you." Derek soothed.
"And if she dies, Derek? Then what am I going to do? I'll be left with nothing!"
Derek's tone of voice changed to one of smugness. "Now, now. I'm very good friends with Pen's lawyer. Believe me when I say I'm working on it right now."
"Does she know that?"
"Of course not."
"Derek… you're so clever." Diane said with adoration.
Ranger could feel Stephanie tense beside him.
"We have to get Stephanie to agree to do what we want if the doctor needs her to make medical decisions for Penelope." Diane sniffled. "Stupid little twit thinks she can make decisions like that for my daughter."
"I'm sure we'll find a way to get her to see reason."
There was a loud dramatic sigh. "I can't even see what Carlos Manoso sees in her. There's absolutely no class in her whatsoever! It's not like she would even know what to do with the kind of money he has."
When Stephanie felt Ranger tense she motioned for them to go back to the waiting room. Wordlessly he followed her despite the fact that he was seething inside. Stephanie could feel his anger radiating off him. She knew he hated when people insulted her, but they were already in the hospital and she figured it would be a little harder for them to hide a body here. Maybe.
"Steph!" Sheila and Mary Lou looked at her as they walked back into the waiting room. She could see the fear in their eyes. She was struggling to hold down the fear that had knotted itself in her stomach. Seeing Ranger here with her had given her support she desperately needed, but she wanted to break down badly. Hearing everything Diane had said had given her a focus. It was an angry focus, but it was one she was going to use gladly.
"I don't know anything yet." Stephanie said quietly. "I just had to step away and collect my thoughts."
Ranger slid his arms around her and pulled her close to him, knowing she needed his comfort. Hell, he thought, he needed to reassure himself. Despite having seen her to tell himself she wasn't hurt, the drive from RangeMan to St. Francis had been a scary one. The fear that she could be the one hurt had made him feel like his heart was frozen. The physical contact was for both of them at the moment.
Stephanie's phone began going off on her hip. She sighed as she looked at the number. Her mother. "Hello."
"Stephanie Michelle Plum!" Helen's voice screeched loudly enough for all of them to hear. Most of them winced, glad they weren't the ones on the receiving end of the phone call.
"Yes?" Ranger's fingers had begun drawing soothing circles around her stomach. It was helping her keep calm and centered, which was good considering she was on the brink of ripping someone a new one and her mother might make a suitable victim.
"How could you do this to me? How many people do you know get buildings shot up? Hm? The phone has barely stopped ringing!" Helen ranted. "I'm waiting to hear from your father to know when he'll be home, but am I going to get that phone call with what you've pulled this time?"
"And what have I pulled this time?" Stephanie asked with an eerie calmness about her.
"You got the Bonds office shot up! Do you know what that's going to cost your cousin to repair? How could you have so little value to your life, or your friends lives for that matter, that you would actually endanger everyone around you?" Helen was getting on a role.
Sheila actually stood up from her seat when she heard Helen's rant. Mary Lou had to pull her back down and shake her head at her. This was Stephanie's fight. No one was going to be able to do it for her no matter how much they might want to.
"The bond's office shooting was not my fault, Mother." The cold, iciness of Stephanie's voice caused everyone around her, including Ranger, to shiver with a slight bit of fear. This was a side of her that most weren't used to seeing. Sheila and Mary Lou had seen it and knew things were going to get uglier if she didn't get off the phone with her mother soon. "We don't know who it was or why, but since you're so concerned for my well-being, I'll let you know now that I'm just fine, thanks. We're waiting to hear about those who were injured."
"Stephanie," Her mother's voice became condescending, "You know you would be much safer if you just got a different job altogether and settled down with Joseph. He's a cop. A detective. He'll make sure you're safe."
"Really?" Stephanie asked.
Sheila and Mary Lou looked at each other. Despite the severity of the situation with Penelope, they couldn't help but grin at the tone of Steph's voice. Oh, it was about to get so much more interesting.
"Of course. I am your mother, I know these things."
"So," She started off slowly, "What you're saying is that I'll be nice and safe married to a man who is a detective and puts people away for a living. This is disregarding the fact that he could put someone away who has contacts outside of the prison who could come after his family and gun them down, killing all of them just to get back at Detective Morelli. You're right. I can see how that would be so much safer than the occasional roll in the garbage I take."
"Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me young lady!" Her voice became clipped. "You're more likely to get killed because of that thug than by Joseph!"
"No, mother, I'm not." Stephanie's entire body went rigid, despite Ranger's continuous circular movement across her tummy with his fingers. "And you know why? Ranger and his men have trained me to be able to take care of myself, to defend myself if something happens to me. Morelli has never offered to help me train, not in self-defense and not with my gun. Oh, and let's not forget the tiny little tidbit where I don't love him."
"Joseph would have been more than happy to—"
"Oh, shove it, Mom. Why don't you tell me what bug is really crawling up your ass right now?"
"Your father isn't coming home for dinner and it's all your fault!"
"My fault?"
"Yes," Helen hissed over the phone. "Thanks to that man you're sleeping with, your father has decided not to come home tonight for dinner."
"I fail to see how Carlos has anything to do with any marital problems you and Dad might be having."
"Of course you don't. You don't see anything past yourself." Helen snapped at her.
"Goodbye, Mother." Stephanie hung up.
"Shit. Steph, you okay?" Sheila asked.
"I will be later." She answered.
Ranger lead her over to a chair and sat down. He pulled her into his lap and held her close to him. "Babe." He whispered softly in her ear.
She turned and smiled at him. "I love you, Carlos. Thank you for being here with me right now."
"Babe, I wouldn't be anywhere else."
Stephanie kissed him and rested her head on his shoulder allowing herself to finally soak up the heat from his body. The tremors from earlier started to return when she was on the phone with her mother but Ranger's strong hold on her soothed her.
And then her phone rang again.
Glaring at the number briefly she snapped, "What?"
"Baby granddaughter?"
"Oh, Grandma, I'm sorry." Stephanie said. "I thought you were Mom."
"I heard the whole conversation and wanted to tell you how proud I am of you." Edna said.
"Thanks, Grandma."
"I should also tell you, your mother was on the phone with Joe Morelli earlier. She's planning to make it so you'll be the perfect wife for him when he is finished with whatever assignment he's working on." Edna continued. "Course from the way you just ripped Helen a new one, I'd say that's not gonna happen."
"Not likely." Stephanie said dryly.
"Your father caught her. He yelled at her. I'm telling you, Baby granddaughter, forty years younger—"
"Grandma!" Stephanie let out a strangled noise.
Edna chuckled. "Anyway, your daddy goes on telling Helen she must love the fact that she married a thug considering he's done a lot of the same things your man with the package has done. Then he tells her he's not coming home tonight. Aint it a pip?"
"Grandma, are you saying Dad left Mom?" Stephanie asked slowly.
"Certainly seems like it."
"And Mom sees it as my fault… wonderful." She looked up as a doctor was coming into the waiting room. "Grandma, I have to go."
"Okay, Baby girl. Remember, I'm proud of you."
"Thanks Grandma."
Stephanie hung up as the doctor came up to her. "Ms. Plum?"
"Yes? How's Pen?"
"That's what I need to speak with you about."
She nodded and began following him. Diane stood up from the other side of the waiting room. "Wait just a damn minute! I am her mother! I have a right to know what is going on with my daughter!"
"Ms. Thayer's file lists Stephanie Plum as her next of kin." The doctor replied looking at Stephanie.
"It's alright. She can come." Stephanie smiled.
Sheila and Mary Lou looked like they wanted to object until they saw the look on her face. The smile wasn't one of friendliness if you knew what you were looking for. It was predatory. Whatever was going to happen, Diane was not going to come out the victor and they knew that.
Derek took a step forward to join them, but Stephanie held up her hand. "I said her mother could come, not her cheating ex-husband."
He glared at her as she turned and began walking with the doctor. They stepped farther down the hall where everyone could see them but no one could hear them. Lester kept an eye on Stephanie. It was hurting him more than he cared to admit that he had no idea what was going on with Penelope. The fact that she was lying on a bed in surgery, her body holding bullets he should have taken, was eating him up alive. He didn't know how Ranger handled it whenever Stephanie was hurt.
Stephanie and Diane listened to everything the doctor had to say to them over Penelope's injuries. She was badly hurt, Steph already knew that, but everything he was telling her made it seem so much worse. She wished briefly for Bobby so he could tell her what everything meant, but the doctor was pretty clear in his explanations and she knew he was telling her in as clear a manner as possible.
The problem was that to extract a couple bullets there was a high risk. Right now Penelope was stabilized, but to make sure they could repair the damage done from those bullets, they needed permission, which Penelope was incapable of giving at the moment.
Which meant it fell on Stephanie.
The surgery was risky. There was a high chance Penelope might not come out alive, but the doctor was cautiously optimistic.
Diane, however, was not. "Oh, god, I'm losing my baby!"
"Ma'am, as I said—"
"No, we don't want Penelope to suffer, do we, Stephanie? It would be such a cruel thing to put her through this." Diane gave Stephanie a hard look.
Stephanie's mind was reeling. When Pen had told her she had her medical power of attorney this was not something she thought she would ever be faced with. The surgery was a high risk. Penelope had told her once that they had similar thinking patterns. What would she want done? She'd want to fight, but at the same time she didn't want Pen to suffer any ramifications. Diane was looking at her, silently imploring her to give in and tell the doctor no. Pen's words came back to her "If you're in a situation where you wanted to fight for your life, would you want someone who probably wants you dead to decide for you?"
That moment of clarity was all she needed.
"Doctor," Stephanie looked at him, "Do the surgery."
"What?" Diane's shriek alerted everyone in the waiting room. They were already watching her but from the way she was acting all of them grew drastically concerned.
"Ms. Plum, you're certain?"
"Yes, sir, I am." Stephanie said firmly. "If you're even the slightest bit optimistic that you can do this and keep Pen alive, then I trust you to do so."
The doctor smiled at her. He was glad she had given the go ahead. Ms. Thayer's mother on the other hand baffled him. Usually parents wanted their children to survive. "I'll let you know as soon as everything is over." He hurried away not wanting to be a part of the coming tirade he could tell was on its way.
"Are you insane?" Diane demanded as she followed Stephanie down the hall where everyone was waiting.
"I'm certainly not known for being completely sane." Stephanie answered.
"The doctor told us it was high risk! She shouldn't have to suffer! You know she will! Just let her go so she can be with her daddy. Why would you want to force her to live?"
They had arrived back with everyone. They were all waiting to hear the news. Instead they saw Stephanie turn and face Diane with such strength it left them all in awe. "I'm not forcing her into anything. I'm giving her the chance to fight, you sanctimonious bitch! If you loved her at all you'd want her alive and well."
"The risk is too high…" Diane sniffed.
"Bull shit. The doctor said it's a high risk, but not impossible. You just want your daughter dead so you can try collecting on her fortune. Well, guess what, you're not going to get that chance. I'm making sure Pen comes out alive, even if it's just to make sure you can't have any more Botox."
Diane stood straight and looked down her nose at Stephanie. "Just remember, dear, if Penelope dies in that surgery, it's on your head." With that she left with Derek smirking right behind her.
Stephanie stood in place for several moments. Her whole body was shaking. Suddenly the adrenaline of the day was gone. Exhaustion, fear, turmoil all rolled over her. Ranger caught her as her knees gave out. He sat back down cradling her in his arms. The tremors came back in full force. She sat there trembling as Ranger ran his hands up and down her arms trying to soothe her.
Lester watched them, his heart clenching painfully at the idea of Penelope dying.