The Door Into Summer
Chapter 16The elevator ride back to the second floor was silent; Jeff was still digesting the advice he'd received from the person standing next to him. There was no trace left of the man who'd spoken the words of wisdom that brought him back to his senses. No, Kookie had returned to the hair-combing, gum-popping kid that everyone knew and loved. Jeff smiled. He no longer had any doubt that Gerald Lloyd Kookson would someday make a fine private investigator.
Upon returning to Stu's room, they found Suzanne rearranging the flowers she'd brought . . . something to keep busy, Jeff thought. "Good coffee downstairs?" she asked when she saw them.
"Not really," Kookie answered. "It's just coffee."
"Any change?" Jeff wondered.
Suzanne shook her head. "I kept hoping for him to say something back to me in French, but there was no sign he even heard me." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Now that you're here I'm going to the ladies room."
Jeff watched the still form in the bed, the rhythmic rise and fall of the chest the only sign his partner was still alive. "If you can hear me, Stu, you've gotta come back to us. We need you; we're rudderless without you. Don't let Daggett win . . . he's not worth dying over. I need my friend back." Jeff grasped Stu's arm and squeezed slightly. "Please, brother."
"Did you see that?" Kookie asked excitedly.
"What? See what?"
"When you called him brother . . . I thought his lips twitched for just a second."
Jeff let out a breath. "Sure you're not seeing things?"
"No, no, dad, say it again."
"What? Brother?" Jeff and Kookie both waited expectantly, but nothing happened. No twitch, no movement, nothing. They waited, holding their breath until Suzanne returned to the room. Jeff looked at his watch. "We should get going. We'll come back tomorrow."
"Au revoir, Stuart. Être bien. Come back to us."
"Catch you tomorrow, dad."
"I'll be back tomorrow," Jeff finally said. He squeezed Stu's arm. The three of them walked out into the hall and headed for the elevator.
"Oh! My purse! I left it," and Suzanne started back.
Jeff and Kookie waited diligently by the elevator, expecting Suzanne at any moment. But a minute passed, then two, and they were still waiting five minutes later. Jeff dug in his pockets. "Here's the key to the car," he told Kookie, "we'll meet you downstairs." The carhop nodded and took the next elevator down. Jeff headed back to room 236 and found Suzanne standing next to Stu's bed, as white as a ghost. Standing next to her was Nurse Sharpe, who looked much calmer.
"What's happened?" Jeff asked, and when he got no answer from either of the women, he changed his question to "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," the nurse replied. "We're waiting for the doctor."
"Why did you send for the doctor?"
"He spoke, Jeff," Suzanne answered. "I swear to God, I heard him call your name. It was so very faint, like a whisper that barely escaped, but I heard him say Jeff."
"Anything since?" Spencer asked, hopeful and fearful at the same time.
"No," Nurse Sharpe replied. "I entered the room to find Miss Fabry bent over the bed, looking just as she does now."
"Did you hear him?" Jeff pleaded, desperately hoping Suzanne hadn't imagined things.
"No," the nurse answered again, "but I believe Miss Fabry did."
"Stu," Jeff began, and Nurse Sharpe reached over to stop him. "Let's wait for Dr. Doerner."
The doctor appeared without any warning and sent Jeff and Suzanne out into the hall while he examined the comatose man. When he was finished he signaled them to return. "Miss Fabry, you're sure you heard him?"
"Positive," Suzanne answered. "It was just a faint whisper, but it was loud enough to be heard. He called for Jeff."
Once again Jeff bent over the bed and grasped Stu's arm. "Hey, buddy, it's Jeff. I'm here." There was no response.
"Doctor, I'm not crazy. And I'm not prone to hearing things," Suzanne insisted.
"I believe you, Miss Fabry. It sounds like he's trying to come out of the coma. The only issue is, we have no idea how long it's going to take him."
"Suzanne, you and Kookie go back to the office. I'm gonna stay here. If Gil doesn't come I'll catch a cab back."
"Mr. Spencer, I have no idea how long this might take. It could be minutes or it could be days. Staying here would be . . . "
"Yes, doctor, I know. Staying here would be foolish. And yet stay I will. And I don't believe it'll be days. Stu's fighting to find his way back. He's a very determined man."
"I'd advise against it, Mr. Spencer. We could still lose him," Dr. Doerner explained.
Jeff smiled and nodded at the doctor. "No, doctor, I don't expect that to happen. And I'd like to be here when he wakes up."
"You're sure?" Suzanne asked. "I can stay with you."
"I'm sure. I need you back at the office to keep Roscoe on the job he's been given. If something comes up, just use your best judgment. Tell anybody that needs to know, I'll be in the office tomorrow. Thank you, sweetie," and Jeff leaned over the bed and kissed Suzanne on the cheek.
"Alright," she replied dubiously. Suzanne left the ICU room; Jeff could hear her heels clicking as she went down the hall.
"I'll be in to check on him later. If anything changes . . . "
Jeff nodded. "If anything changes I'll tell Nurse Sharpe."
The doctor and nurse left the room together, and Jeff sat down by the bed again. "I'm here, Stu. All you have to do is call." Jeff slumped in the chair and closed his eyes; soon he was falling asleep. His dreams were filled with everything Stu . . . how they met, the difficulties they had while they struggled to make the business work, how they earned the reputation of being fair, honest and capable of getting the job done, all the missteps and mishaps they'd had over the years, and how they'd built a bond so strong that they were, really, brothers. He had no idea how long he slept, but he heard something that sounded like buzzing and it woke him.
"Jeff . . . "
What was that? he thought as he fought his way out of the dream world he'd been immersed in. He came back to the physical world slowly, still wondering if he'd heard something real or just a figment of his imagination. And then it came again, "Jeff . . . "
He stood up woozily and watched the man in the bed. Stuart was still and quiet, but Jeff felt compelled to answer the voice he'd heard. "Stu, it's Jeff. I'm right here. You're in the hospital. You were in an automobile accident. Talk to me, Stu."
The eyelashes fluttered; Jeff watched as small slits appeared where the brown eyes should be. This time he saw the mouth move, and heard the word it forced out, with what seemed like great effort. "Jefferson . . ."
"It's me, pal. Can you hear me?"
"Where . . . ?" The voice was barely a whisper.
"You're in St. Basil's Hospital. There was an accident. You were rear-ended and got pretty banged up. But you're gonna be alight."
"Who?"
"Gil and I suspect Daggett. But so far there's no proof, just an abandoned car. Or what's left of one. I promised the doctor I'd let them know when you woke up. You stay awake and I'll be right back." Jeff took off for the nurses' station. "Nurse Sharpe?"
"With a patient."
"Tell her he's awake. Stu Bailey's awake!" And Jeff was gone, back to room 236 without waiting for Nurse Sharpe to appear. Stu's eyes had returned to their original state, and Jeff feared he'd slipped back into the coma. "Stu, I'm back. Are you still with me?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"Can you open your eyes again?"
Once more the slits appeared where Stu's eyes should be. "Here. I'm here."
"Do you need some water?"
"Yes." Jeff poured half a glass of water and turned his attention back to the bed. He lifted Stu's head carefully and watched as the water disappeared. "More." The voice was better this time, stronger, and sounded more like the man he knew.
"Not until Nurse Sharpe gets here." Just as Jeff finished the nurse appeared in the room.
"He's awake?" she asked.
"See for yourself."
"Welcome back, Mr. Bailey. I'm Nurse Sharpe. Can you open your eyes a little wider for me?"
Stuart managed to get his eyes open a tiny bit wider. "Water?" he requested again.
Jeff looked up. "He's had half a glass. I promised him more when you got here."
Karen Sharpe smiled. "I think we can accommodate that request." Jeff poured another half glass and handed it to the nurse. She proceeded to help Stu drink it, and once again he finished what was in the glass. "How's that?"
"Better," he answered. "Food?"
"How about I make your acquaintance?" Dr. Doerner asked as he came into the room.
Jeff started to leave, to get out of the doctor's way, and Stu cried out, "Jeff!"
"I'm not leaving you, buddy. I'll be back when the doctors finished."
Stu didn't protest anymore and Jeff went out in the hallway. "Is there a payphone on this floor?" he asked one of the nurses.
"Yes, sir, at the far end of the waiting room."
Jeff hurried back to the waiting room and dialed the office.
"Bailey and Spencer, can I help you?" Suzanne purred into the phone.
"Suzanne, it's Jeff. He's awake, honey. He's awake."
"Wonderful, Jeff. Is he talking?"
"A little. The doctors in with him now, so I thought I could call. Have you heard from Gil?"
"Yes, he called a little while ago. He should be on his way up there."
"And how about Roscoe?" Jeff asked. "Has he found Waverly yet?"
"No, but he's gone through almost half of the pipefitting outfits. He's doing really well, Jeff."
"I should hope so. Let him and Kookie know about Stu, would you?"
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, yes?" Suzanne asked.
"Yes, I'll be there tomorrow. Talk to you later."
"Alright, goodnight, Jeff. And give Stuart my love."
"Goodnight. And stay safe."
"I will. You, too."
Good, Jeff thought. Gil's coming up.
Jeff hurried back to room 236 and caught Dr. Doerner as he came out. "What do you think, Doctor?"
"I'm pleased that he's woken up. I'll know more when I've had some tests run. And we'll get a look at the wounds on his hands when the nurse changes his bandages. You better be there for that. Your presence seems to calm him down."
"Can he eat? He asked about food."
"Yes, but I don't want him having anything difficult to chew. I'll have the kitchen send something up."
Jeff felt sympathy for his partner. He could just imagine what the kitchen would send up. Well, it would soon become obvious to Stu that his ribs were going to be very painful. The softer his food was, the easier it would be to eat.
He went back into room 236 just as Nurse Sharpe was leaving. "I'll be back later to change the dressing on his hands, and the wound on his head."
Jeff nodded and returned to the bedside. "Dr. Doerner's going to have the kitchen send up some food."
"Goody." Stu held up his hands to get a better look at them. They were almost completely bandaged. "Damages?" he asked.
"Didn't the doctor tell you?" Jeff thought there was a chance the doctor had explained everything and Stu just didn't remember.
"Don't trust."
That wasn't surprising in the least to Jeff. Stu had an innate suspicion of doctors and a tremendous dislike of hospitals. He hated being in a hospital, and the faster he could get out of one, the happier he was. It should come as no surprise that Stu wanted to hear the litany of his injuries from Jeff.
"You're not gonna like it," Jeff told his partner. Stu fixed Jeff with the Stuart Bailey glare, and Jeff had to admit that even with all the bandages it was quite effective. "Alright – a gash in your head that required stitches . . . I don't know how many. I didn't ask. Your eyes look like you went ten rounds with Joe Louis. You've got four broken ribs on the right side and three on the left. Both hands are bruised and burned. I don't know the extent of the damage because I haven't seen them unwrapped."
"The T-bird?"
"I'm sorry to say you're going to be buying a new T-bird. It was pretty well destroyed."
"It didn't make a good pile of rubble," a familiar voice intoned. "Nice to see you with your eyes open, Mr. Bailey." Gil squinted at Stu. "At least, I think your eyes are open."
"Funny," Stu shot back.
"You were lucky, Stu. The way that car was crumpled up, you should have had two broken legs, at the very least, in addition to what actually happened. You were a very fortunate man."
Just about that time Nurse Sharpe came in carrying a tray. "Hungry, Mr. Bailey? Let's see, the doctor ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, tea and vanilla pudding. Gentlemen, I'm going to ask you to leave for a few minutes so I can help Mr. Bailey eat."
"We'll be in the waiting room, nurse," Jeff told her, and the nurse nodded.
"He made you describe all his injuries, didn't he? After the doctor told him what was wrong?" Gil didn't even know why he bothered to ask; he knew Stu Bailey well enough to know that's exactly what happened. "Why doesn't he trust doctors?"
"I have no idea, Gil. He's been that way as long as I've known him."
"I hope it doesn't come back to bite him one day. When did he wake up?"
"About an hour ago. Heard anything on Daggett?" Jeff questioned
"Not yet. We've got an APB out on him but nobody's seen him. At least, nobody that's talking. You best be careful, Jeff. The next one he'll be coming after is you."
"Let him, Gil. I'd like nothing better than to put a bullet in Mr. Daggett."
Nurse Sharpe stuck her head in the waiting room. "Mr. Bailey's finished, gentlemen. You can come back in."
"How did he do, Miss Sharpe?" Jeff asked.
"Not bad, Mr. Spencer. Especially for a man that's been unconscious that long."
When they got back into room 236 Stu seemed agitated. "What's wrong?"
"Want her . . . to change . . . bandages."
"You're not her only patient, Stu. She'll get to you when she can," Gil told him.
"Just . . . impatient." Stu yawned. All this being awake was too much for him.
"I think that would be a good time to go, Jeff. Then Stu could go to sleep. If that's alright with you."
"Anything you say, Gil. I'm sure you've got more pressing matters than I do."
The three men kibitzed for ten or fifteen minutes before Nurse Sharpe reappeared. "Time for me to change those bandages, Mr. Bailey."
"That's our cue to leave, Jeff."
"So soon?" Stu pleaded.
"I've got an entire department waiting on me, Stu. I'm not a man of leisure like you two." Gil laid his hand on Stu's arm. "When I know more about the wreck, I'll let you know. Meanwhile, take care of yourself. Wait, let Nurse Sharpe take care of you."
"Thanks, Gil."
"Buddy, I'll call you later. I'm going back to the office."
"Jeff . . . be careful."
Jeff nodded. "That's just what I intend to do."