Chapter 12

The next morning when Mac woke up, he was feeling a little pain. He still felt like he couldn't move, however. He tried to remember what happened. He remembered going to the hospital with Amanda to visit her sister, who was in a wreck and whom they didn't know whether she would live or not. Whatever happened after that was a little hazy. He wished someone would tell him what happened.

Just then, a nurse walked in with a blood pressure machine and some more IV bags. She looked at Mac. "You're awake," she said. "How do you feel?"

Mac stared at her a moment. He didn't really know how to answer that. He wasn't even sure he 'could' answer it. "Is there anyone we should call?" the nurse asked.

Mac felt himself falling asleep again. The nurse changed his IV bags while he watched. Mac wondered why he felt like he couldn't talk. He thought he didn't have the strength or something. He wanted the nurse to tell him what happened. He opened his mouth, or tried to. Something wasn't working right. Mac was starting to get alarmed. The nurse checked his pulse. Mac noticed his hand looked bruised. "Do you know what happened to you?" the nurse asked.

Mac shook his head as much as he could, but he couldn't seem to do that very well either. "You were beaten very badly," the nurse said. "You remember who did this to you?"

Mac thought. He couldn't remember…

Amanda was very concerned now. She had still not heard from Mac, of course, and neither had anyone else. She went to the precinct again. Don was taking a suspect in for interrogation. "Have you heard from Mac?" Amanda asked.

"No," Don answered.

"Is it normal for him to be out of touch like this?"

"No, but I have to get this suspect in here. You still haven't heard from him?"

"No. I'm getting really worried about him."

Don was getting worried too. He got the suspect into the precinct and the interrogation room. Danny was about to question the suspect. "Still no word from Mac?" Danny asked as Don was coming from the interrogation room.

"No," Don answered. "Where could he be?"

"Put out an APB on him."

"What if he's not lost and he finds out we have an APB out on him?"

"He'll know we're concerned about him."

Don didn't know about that, but he put the APB out anyway. By the time Danny was done in the interrogation room, Don had gotten an answer to the APB from the Boston PD. He couldn't believe it. Mac was in the hospital in Boston. Danny came out of the interrogation room. "Danny!" Don said as he was walking that way. "I found Mac!"

"Where?" Danny asked.

"He is in the hospital in Boston."

"Why?"

"According to the Boston PD, Mac was the victim of a vicious gang beating. He's in bad shape. He hasn't been able to tell them anything yet."

Danny stood there a moment trying to absorb all that. "So, Mac has been in the hospital for the last two or three days and nobody called?" he asked.

"He hasn't been able to tell them anything," Don said.

"What? He didn't have any ID or anything? Couldn't they call us?"

"I don't know, but we know where he is now."

Danny looked at his watch. "Take care of that prisoner," he said. "We have him."

"I'll get him to lockup."

Danny went to the elevator and up to the lab. When he came out of the elevator, Lindsey knew something was wrong by the way he was walking and the look on his face. "What's going on?" Lindsey asked. "Wrong suspect? It can't be wrong."

"No," Danny replied. "This has nothing to do with the case. That's closed."

"What is it then?"

"We found Mac."

Sheldon folded his arms. "Where?" he and Lindsey asked at the same time.

"Don put out an APB on him, and it wasn't long until we got an answer from the Boston PD," Danny said. "He's in the hospital in Boston. According to what we know, he was the victim of a brutal beating."

"Is he okay?" Lindsey asked.

"I don't know. All I know is he hasn't been able to tell them anything yet according to our information."

Just then, Danny's phone rang with a murder text. "Not now," he said.

"You guys take care of that," Sheldon said. "I'll go up to Boston and check out that situation."

"Good. Keep us informed."

They all headed for the elevator and parted on the street. Sheldon got a cab home and packed a bag. Then he got the first flight he could to Boston. When he arrived, he went straight to the hospital that Mac was in. He found out which room Mac was in and went up to that floor. Since it was a critical care floor, he met Mac's nurse at the desk. "I am looking for Mac Taylor," Sheldon said.

"You're a friend of his?" the nurse asked.

Sheldon showed her his badge. "I'm Doctor Sheldon Hawkes. I work with him. He's my boss."

"I was beginning to wonder if anyone was ever going to miss him."

"We didn't know he was here. We thought he was with his girlfriend that he came up here with, and then we found out that she didn't even know where he was."

"Come with me."

Sheldon followed the nurse to a room. They stopped outside the room. "I must warn you," the nurse said. "He is in really bad shape. We didn't even know how he survived."

Sheldon swallowed. "I worked in the emergency room for a long time, and I have seen a lot."

The nurse nodded. Sheldon opened the door and went in. He stood beside the door a moment. He couldn't believe what he was looking at. He walked slowly over to the bed. Mac's jaw was wired shut. His face was swollen, he had stitches in one eyelid as well as all the way across his bottom lip and a big cut on his right cheek. Sheldon looked at Mac's arms, which looked like they were deeply bruised. He knew Mac must have fought hard. His left leg was in a sling over the bed.

Sheldon leaned over him. "Mac," he whispered. "Can you hear me?"

To Sheldon's surprised, Mac's eyes opened slightly and he looked toward him. His eyes seemed to widen a little when he saw Sheldon. A tear ran from Mac's eye. "You're not alone anymore," Sheldon said. "It took us a while to find you."

Mac lifted a trembling hand, and Sheldon clutched it. "Do you know what happened?" Sheldon asked.

Mac shook his head. "That's okay," Sheldon said. "You'll remember later. Do you remember how you got in the alley?"

Mac thought about that. Sheldon got a tissue and wiped the tears off Mac's face. "It's alright," he said. "You'll remember." Sheldon had seen all this before. He thought no matter how tough a person was, they would cry in a situation like this. He wondered if Mac really knew how bad his injuries were.

"Amanda wanted us to tell you something," Sheldon said. Mac looked at him. "She said to tell you that she's sorry and she didn't do it." That really upset Mac. He moaned trying to talk. "Hold on, don't get too upset."

Just then, the nurse came in. "Mr. Taylor, you have to calm down," she said, as she adjusted one of his IV's.

In a few seconds, Mac was just staring at the ceiling. "He has a lot of stitches and injuries," the nurse said. "He can't aggravate any of them. What did you say?"

"I just delivered a message from his girlfriend," Sheldon said.

"He hasn't been able to tell us anything. There was a gentleman here who found him in the alley, though. He most likely saved his life."

"I want to see that gentleman," Sheldon said. "What's his name?"

"His name was Franklin Porter. He's come by and visited with him and even brought his luggage and everything from his hotel room. You just don't find many people like that who will help someone they don't even know."

Sheldon nodded. "Do you know his address?" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure the police do."

Sheldon looked at Mac, who was asleep now. "I'm going to find out," he said. "If he wakes up before I get here, you let him know that I'll be back."

"I will."

Sheldon walked out of the room and leaned on the wall a moment. He knew it would be a long time before Mac would be recovered from this. He went down and got a cab to the police station. It took him a while to find someone who could tell him anything about Mac's case, but finally he found the detective who was assigned to the case. Detective Jacqueline Sherman was sitting at her desk when Sheldon was brought over to her. He tried to keep his mouth from dropping open when he saw her. He thought she was the prettiest detective he had ever seen.

Detective Sherman stared at Sheldon a moment. "Hi," she said. "I assume you know who I am, so who are you?"

"I'm Doctor Sheldon Hawkes." Sheldon showed her his badge. "I work with Detective Taylor in the New York Crime Lab. I understand you're the detective who's working on that case."

"It's not much of a case since Detective Taylor can't tell me anything."

"I hear that a man found him in the alley and helped him. I was wanting to know that man's address. His name's Franklin Porter."

"Yes, my uncle. He lives down there in a little white house. He found your friend in the alley after the gang had beaten him almost beyond recognition. Somehow he managed to get him to his house and he realized he needed medical attention. He said one of Detective Taylor's ribs was coming through the skin."

Sheldon almost grimaced. He couldn't imagine how Mac got up and walked like that. "I would like to talk to him if for nothing else, just to thank him for helping Mac."

"I'll take you to see him," Detective Sherman said. She stood up and looked at Sheldon. "How did you end up in the crime lab?"

"I got tired of losing patients," Sheldon replied.

They went out to Detective Sherman's car. Sheldon put his duffle bag in the back seat. He was surprised when they arrived at the house. It was very small, but he could tell it was well kept. They went up on the porch, and Jacqueline knocked on the door. An old man opened the door. He smiled as he saw Jacqueline. "Well, what brings you back to see your old uncle?" he asked.

Jacqueline smiled. "This doctor here wants to talk to you about the detective, Uncle," she said.

Franklin looked at Sheldon. "Doctor, huh?" he asked.

"Yes," Sheldon replied and offered his hand. "I'm Doctor Sheldon Hawkes. I work with Detective Taylor at the crime lab in New York."

"Come in."

Sheldon and Jacqueline went inside. The house was definitely cozy. There was a fireplace with a glowing fire in it. Sheldon smiled as it reminded him of his own uncle's house. He looked at Franklin. "I understand that you found Mac," he said.

"Yes," Franklin said. "Actually, I saw the whole thing. I couldn't do anything to help him, but I wasn't about to let him lie out there in the alley and die."

"I thank you for that, Sir. Detective Taylor is a good man. Do you know how he got out there?"

"I saw him walking down the street. I knew he was going to find trouble, but I assumed he wasn't from this area. They ambushed him on the street and herded him into the alley. When they found out he was a cop, they showed no mercy. I was afraid he was dead until he looked up at me. It wasn't easy, but I got him up and got him here before they came back. If he had still been there when they came back, they would have killed him."

Sheldon looked around the room. "And you brought him here alone?" he asked. "You must be a tough old gentleman."

"That friend of yours is a tough one too. He walked all the way here while I helped him. He whimpered a lot and moaned and prayed, but he didn't give in."

"He's a Marine. They're tough."

"When I found out how badly he was injured, I called an ambulance, and of course, the police came. I went to his hotel and got his things for him."

Sheldon shook his head. "You're a rare find. Not many people would do all that for someone they don't even know."

"He's a human being. I could never leave someone lying like that."

"Me neither. Do you know who did that to him?"

"Sure. It was that gang that walks around this area like they're some kind of gods." Franklin looked at Jacqueline. "She knows who they are."

"Uncle," Jacqueline said. "You know I can't just arrest them without positive identification. You said it was too dark for you to see their faces. Just saying that you know that's who it was isn't enough."

Franklin folded his arms. "I'm sure Detective Taylor will know who did it," he said.

"We're hoping he can tell us when he's able, but right now, he is barely able to stay awake."

Sheldon thought of how badly Mac was hurt. "I just hope he can come out of this," he said. "Did you see his girlfriend during any of this time?"

"Girlfriend? Just be glad she wasn't with him," Franklin said. "No, I didn't see any woman."

Sheldon shook Franklin's hand. "Thank you for helping him," he said. "I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this."

"I hope you do."

Jacqueline hugged her uncle. "You be careful," she said. "You hear?"

"I always am."

Sheldon and Jacqueline went back out to the car. "Who are these people in this gang?" Sheldon asked as they were heading back to the headquarters.

"You don't want to get involved in this," Jacqueline said.

Sheldon looked at her. "Don't tell me you're afraid?"

She stared at him. "No, I'm not, but I don't want to get myself killed."

"So, you're just going to let them keep on terrorizing these people?"

"No, but we have to have proof so they can't get back out of prison when we get them in there. People won't give a statement, except for my uncle. They know what that gang is capable of."

"Someone has to stand up to them, and your uncle can't do it alone. They have to be stopped."

"What do you suggest we do? We've questioned people around that area, and no one will say anything."

Sheldon knew how it was. People were afraid because they knew that gang would do them the same way they did Mac, or worse. That's how they got away with their evil: by using fear to control people. He looked at Jacqueline. "I want to help while I'm here," he said. "I'll do whatever I can to help. Mac is not only my boss, but he's a good friend. He has great respect for the people who work for him."

"Must be nice," Jacqueline said. "How long have you worked for him?"

"Well, I worked in the ME's office for five years, and then I started working in the field about five years ago. I've known Mac about that long."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah." Sheldon looked at his watch. "I want to get back to the hospital in case he's awake now. He seemed to be a little scared."

"I can imagine. Waking up in a strange place, not knowing how you got there. Must be really scary."

Jacqueline drove back to the hospital and stopped at the door. Sheldon got his bag out of the back seat. "Thanks for the ride," he said. "I hope we meet again."

Jacqueline smiled. "I wouldn't mind that," she said. She took one of her cards from her wallet. "Call me when your friend wakes up in there…or if you want to have lunch."

Sheldon smiled. "I will," he said. He went on into the hospital. He hoped he saw her again.

Meanwhile, Amanda was back at the precinct. She had to go to New Hampshire for her sister's funeral today, but she wanted to know if they knew anything about Mac. Don saw her when she came in. "We found him," he said. "He's in the hospital in Boston."

Amanda was shocked. "What?" she asked. "Why?"

"As far as I know he was beaten within an inch of his life by a gang there."

Amanda was horrified. "Is he okay? Is he going to live?"

"I think so. Sheldon went up there to see him and find out what happened."

Amanda didn't know what to say. "I'll…" She practically ran out the door. He was sobbing when she got into her car. She had to go to her sister's funeral. She felt like she was being pulled both ways. She went home and got her luggage ready and got a cab to the airport. She called her mother on the way and told her what happened.

"Oh, my dear," Matti said.

"I don't know what to do, Mother," Amanda said. "Mac could die."

Matti could hear the anguish in Amanda's voice. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't want to miss Jennifer's funeral."

"Then come here and then go to him."

"Okay."

Amanda went to her sister's funeral. She tried her best to comfort her little nieces and nephews and her brother-in-law, but her heart was so conflicted, she felt like she was going through motions, even though she meant what she was saying. In the back of her mind, she could see Mac, and she wanted to go to him.

When the funeral was over, Amanda went to the airport and got a flight to Boston. She was shocked that Mac was in the same hospital that Jennifer had been in, and she didn't even know it. Amanda found out which room Mac was in and went up to the floor. She stopped outside his room and knocked on the door. The door opened, and Sheldon was there. "Come in," he said. "I just want to tell you that he's in bad shape, although he's improving a little."

Amanda nodded and went into the room. When she saw Mac, she almost wanted to turn around and run, but she burst into tears and went over to the bed. Mac was sleeping. "Is he going to be okay?" Amanda asked.

"He has a long way to go," Sheldon said.

"What was he doing out there?"

"I don't know. He hasn't been able to tell me yet."

Amanda looked at Mac's face, which had bandages in places, but she could see his eyes and mouth, and his jaw that was wired shut. She touched his hair that was sticking up over the bandage around his head. When she did that, Mac opened his eyes slightly. Amanda could see that he recognized her. Tears flowed from his eyes. "Don't cry, Darling," Amanda said, but she was crying herself. She wiped his eyes with a tissue.

Mac had so many things he wanted to tell her. There was no way to tell her. He couldn't even write it down. He would have to wait until he could talk again.

Just then, the nurse came in. "I have to feed him," she said. "You'll have to wait outside."

Amanda was wondering how Mac was eating. She realized he was being fed through a feeding tube. "We'll be right outside," she said to Mac.

Amanda and Sheldon went out into the hall. "How long will it be?" Amanda asked.

"It's hard to tell," Sheldon said. "He should be able to move that jaw after about a week, but it will be painful, and those ribs are going to take a long time, not to mention his other injuries."

"I'll take care of him." Amanda looked at the door. "You don't have to worry about that."