Hello, I hope everyone is safe and, hopefully, happy. BTR is on Netflix, and currently NUMBER SEVEN!
I would like to recommend some writers, BigTimeRush-BTR, Crumpetcapers, Downtonabbey15, EpicallyObsessed, RainbowDiamonds, Foundtoarvvie, DreamBigDieSmall, and Suitelifeforever9.
Angie took a deep breath. "First, please know I would never betray a patient's confidentiality. I'm working so hard for my degree to become a radiologist and I would never risk that, it's all I've ever wanted."
"Okay, maybe you could tell us what happened, from the beginning?" Olivia asked softly.
Angie nodded and took a few deep breaths.
"Go on," Mr. Simmons said, after a couple of minutes had passed.
Angie sighed and her eyes filled with tears. "Two years ago someone broke into my parents' house. They had gone out with friends and my sister, Lulu, was home alone. The p-police think they were looking for things to sell for drug money, but they found her and did terrible things to her... she was only fifteen. After that, music was her only happy place."
Olivia squeezed her hand and Angie smiled appreciatively before continuing.
"Last year I found out Big Time Rush was going to be playing at Rocktoberfest. They're her favourites and when I heard they were going to be there, I had to try to get her to go. S-She didn't like going out and I thought it might be the one thing she would go out for, and she did," Angie said with a small smile. "I bought passes so she could meet them, she wouldn't really go near them. They seemed to know she was afraid and didn't try to approach her, but K-Kendall gathered up pictures with their autographs and gave her a t-shirt and beanie. She actually smiled at him and he told her if she ever wanted to see them again to let their friend know and she would get her tickets. Then, he gave me a card with a number to Roque Records. She actually smiled at him."
"So, was it because you recognized him that you were staring at him?" Mr. Simmons asked.
Angie looked up and shook her head. "W-When we were doing the ultrasound on his leg, I recognized the bruises. They were the same kind of bruises that were on Lulu's legs when she, when she was…" Angie started crying.
Olivia moved closer and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's alright."
"I was j-just t-trying not to cry because we're supposed to be professional at all times, b-but all I could think, was how could someone do something like this to another person? The boys were so s-so kind to Lulu and m-made such a huge difference in her recovery, especially Kendall, even though he never knew. She started singing along with the album, then she started talking to us. Her therapist was so amazed by her progress. She'll even go out with us, as long as we stay close by. I wasn't doing anything, I s-swear. I was just telling him thank you and trying not to cry," Angie told them, now sobbing.
"It's okay, we believe you," Olivia said, fighting back tears of her own. She looked over at Mr. Simmons, who nodded.
"I'm sorry we had to ask and we appreciate your honesty, I know this wasn't easy for you. Please know the hospital's resources are here for you and your family, including any assistance you may need with your sister's recovery. Please, just let me know," Mr. Simmons said, handing her a box of tissues.
"Thank you," Angie said.
"We also need you to not say anything about this because we need to find whoever did take those photos," Mr. Simmons told her.
"I won't say a word," Angie promised. "If I can help in any way, please let me know."
He smiled softly. "Thank you. Why don't you take the rest of the day off and get some rest? It's been a very emotional day for you."
"I think I should to speak to Dr. Breyer, first," she said.
"Don't worry about that, I'll speak with him and let him know you are assisting us and have another tech assist him with any appointments he may have," Mr. Simmons said."
"D-Does he think I d-did something wrong?" Angie asked quietly.
"No, he actually said you are the most professional tech he's worked with and I will confirm that with him," Olivia told her.
Angie sighed in relief. "Thank you. I think I will go home for the day, I'm suddenly very tired," she said, standing up.
"Get some rest and thank you," Olivia said.
Angie stopped and bit her lip. "C-Could I ask a favour?"
"Of course," Mr. Simmons said.
"Could you let the boys know I'm not a freak or someone who would sell them out? It sounds silly, but they mean a lot to me and I don't want them to think I would ever do anything to hurt one of them."
"It's not silly. I'm heading back down and I will do that as soon as I see them," Olivia promised.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Angie said as she went out the door.
"That was difficult," Mr. Simmons said.
"Yes, it was," Olivia agreed.
"Well, where does this leave us?" Mr. Simmons asked.
"I'm not sure, but we are going to find out," Olivia said as she left.
Freight Train and Antonio had just finished putting in their calls when they heard the heart monitor alarm go off. Nurse Meadows was already heading towards the room, a reassuring smile on her face. Freight Train opened the door and she went inside, the others right behind her. She stopped suddenly when she saw Kendall was not in his bed and Jen nearly ran into her.
"Where is he?" Jen asked, looking in shock at the empty bed.
Nurse Meadows saw the IV line and quickly turned the machine off. She saw the end of the line and then the drops of blood on the floor. "Oh no," she said as she hit the call button.
"What's going on?" Jen asked.
"He pulled his line, but the catheter is still in place," Nurse Meadows told her as she followed the drops to the bathroom door. She tried the knob, but it was locked, so she knocked. "Kendall, are you in there?"
"What does that mean?" Jen asked, starting to panic when she saw the blood.
Nurse Meadows pulled on the knob and gave her a comforting smile. "It means he's bleeding from the catheter because it's not attached to the line, but it's going be fine because we are going to cap it off and get him back into bed," she told her as she reached above the door to find the key.
She found the key, put it in the doorknob, and breathed a sigh of relief when it clicked. She tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. She gave a gentle push and felt it give a little.
"Do you need help?" Antonio asked.
"I think he's lying against the door," she told him as she got the door to open about two inches.
Another nurse came in. "Yes, Nurse Meadows?"
Nurse Meadows nodded. "Get a fresh bag of fluids, a line, a new catheter setup, and a roll of tubular bandage. Put in a call to Dr. Burns and let her know we need to replace the patient's catheter," she said as she reached through the door to try to determine where Kendall was.
"Can't you open the door?" Jen asked, full panic taking hold.
"I don't want to push too hard because I don't want him to hit the floor," Nurse Meadows explained as she tried to get a hold of Kendall's arm.
"Let us do it," Antonio, taking her place at the door. He looked at Freight Train. "If you could push slowly, I'll hold onto him so we can ease him down."
Freight Train nodded and placed his hands on each side of the door while Antonio got down on his knees and managed to get his arm in the door. He grabbed a hold of Kendall's gown and nodded up at Freight Train. "Slowly."
"Antonio, please hurry," Jen said, holding back tears.
"They'll have him out in just a moment," Nurse Meadows told her as she grabbed a catheter cap and tape from the supply drawer.
Carlos put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her away from the door. "It'll be okay, Mama Knight."
Antonio kept a firm grip on Kendall as Freight Train put steady pressure on the door. The door moved slowly and Antonio pushed his way in further as it opened and was able to cushion Kendall's fall. By this time, Antonio was pretty much lying on the floor with Kendall lying on his arm and shoulder. Antonio did a half army crawl to push the teen away from the door as Freight Train opened it the rest of the way.
Antonio pulled the teen up to him as Nurse Meadows rushed in and checked Kendall's arm. She opened the cap, inserted it into the port, and taped it down. She checked his pulse and then his heart rate. "He's stable, I need to get an orderly so we can get him back into his bed," she said standing up.
Freight Train shook his head. "I've got him."
"I don't know, hospital protocol…" she started as he knelt down and gently lifted Kendall out of Antonio's arms.
Antonio stood up and followed him out of the bathroom. "He's going to be okay," he told Jen as Nurse Meadows helped Freight Train get the teen back into bed.
Nurse Meadows quickly reattached the heart and oxygen monitors, watching them for a moment before sighing in relief. She checked the catheter and then looked at the other nurse. "We're definitely need to replace this. Did you put a call in to Dr. Burns?"
"Yes, it went to voicemail so I left a message," she told her as she pushed the tray with supplies over to the bed.
"Call maintenance and have the room sanitized once we're finished," Nurse Meadows instructed, as she pulled the blanket with blood on it away from Kendall and covered him with the top sheet.
"Oh my God, my baby!" Jen cried, seeing all of the bruises on Kendall's legs for the first time. She started hyperventilating and Antonio put an arm around her for support.
"Are you okay, Mama Knight?" Carlos asked, also putting an arm around her.
Nurse Meadows hit the call button and a moment later another nurse arrived. She looked over at the younger nurse and nodded towards Jen. "Take her to an empty waiting room and make sure she's doing alright. If you need me I'll be available once we get this patient's catheter placed."
"Yes, Nurse Meadows," she said and indicated for Antonio and Carlos to follow her.
"I should stay," Carlos said, looking back at his friend.
"You can come back once I have him settled and everything is cleaned up," Nurse Meadows said, giving him a reassuring smile.
"But…" Carlos started.
"Mijo, Jen needs us now," Antonio said firmly.
"Okay, " Carlos said as he reluctantly followed the others.
"I'll be right outside, you go help take care of Mrs. Knight," Freight Train told the teen, opening the door.
"Watch everyone," Carlos whispered as left the room.
"Will do," Freight Train promised, taking his place in front of the door.
Bill Rutger sat in silence going over what Griffin had just told him. He looked at the man he had known for well over twenty years, contemplating what to say to him.
"Well?" Griffin asked, getting tired of the silence.
"I don't know what to say," Rutger admitted.
"Surely you're not judging me after asking me to be honest with you?" Griffin snapped. He was tired and hadn't had anything to eat, so the Scotch was putting him in an increasingly foul mood.
"Of course not, I would never judge you for something like that," Rutger said.
"That's good to know," Griffin grumbled as he reached for the decanter.
Rutger put his hand on the bottle and pulled it away. "You've had enough and we need to be able to discuss this further."
"Why? I told you everything," Griffin said, leaning back in his chair. He had watched his friend's face when he told him about his "time with Kendall", taking secret delight in the conflicting emotions that ran across the other man's face.
"I know, but you need to understand there are still ramifications for what happened, regardless of the way this…situation unfolded," Rutger said, trying to think of a tactful way to address the situation.
"But, now you know the truth, so you understand that I'm not guilty of what they're accusing me of?" Griffin asked carefully.
"If what you say is true we can petition the court for a reevaluation of the charges, but we need to be able to prove what you say is true," Rutger told him.
"I'm sure Jessica would confirm it," Griffin said.
"Unless she was an actual witness, it would still be hearsay," Rutger explained.
"Well, hopefully, once Kendall is feeling better he'll do the right thing and tell the truth," Griffin said.
"Arthur, please understand that if he doesn't, you are in a lot of trouble. If he does confirm it, you are still in trouble."
"I guess you had better make sure I have a sound defense," Griffin said.
Rutger sighed. "Arthur, you know I will do everything I can for you, but you need to start listening, and do as I suggest, or, we are just wasting our time."
Griffin smiled at him as he picked up the decanter and poured himself another drink. "Just tell me what I need to do."
Freight Train's phone buzzed and he answered. "Yes?"
"I'm at the nurse's station," a woman's voice said. He looked down the hallway and saw a tall black woman, dressed in a stylish suit, waving at him.
"I'll be right there," he said and doubles checked the door to make sure it was closed tightly. He walked down to the nurse's station, keeping his head turned slightly so Kendall's door never left his sight.
A few minutes later she was wearing an ID badge and they walked down the hallway towards Kendall's room. Freight Train stopped and knocked on the waiting room door before opening it. He saw Antonio sitting next to Jen, who was still crying, and gave him a short nod.
"I'll be right back," Antonio said, standing up.
"Okay, Papi," Carlos said.
Antonio closed the door behind him.
"Officer Garcia, this is Jaya Carter, the tech specialist I told you about," Freight Train said.
Antonio offered his hand. "It's nice to meet you, thank you for coming on such short notice."
She smiled and shook his hand. "I was happy to do it."
"I'm going to get Brooke so she can stay with Jen," Antonio said.
"We'll wait for you down the hall," Freight Train told him, not wanting to be away from Kendall's room any longer.
Antonio nodded and went down to the other waiting room, while Freight Train and Jaya walked back to Kendall's room.
Antonio explained what was going on to Brooke, who immediately went to comfort her friend.
Antonio looked at Gustavo and Kelly. "Freight Train's tech person is here, did you want to go over everything with her?"
"Yes," Gustavo said, standing up.
"Can we go stay with Kendall?" James asked.
"In a little while, I think the nurses are still working with him," Antonio said.
"But…" James started.
"You need to wait here for now," Antonio said firmly.
"I'll stay with the boys and Katie," Kelly said.
"Thank you, it shouldn't take too long," Antonio said as he headed out the door.
He and Gustavo were halfway to Kendall's room when Olivia caught up with them. "I just spoke with Nurse Meadows, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure what happened but Kendall had locked himself in the bathroom and she has to replace the catheter. Freight Train's tech person is here so, we were going to go over everything once the room is clear," Antonio told her.
"Good, then I can go over the conversation we had with Angie," Olivia said as they reached Kendall's room.
"Do you think it was her?" Antonio asked quietly.
Olivia shook her head. "Let me go check on him and then I'll tell you what happened."
Freight Train opened the door for her and she gave him a small smile and went inside. She walked over to Kendall's bed, where Nurse Meadows and the other nurse were had just finished wrapping Kendall's arm so the catheter would be harder to pull out.
"Where are we with everything?"
"I was able to place a new catheter and am hoping the tubular stocking will keep him from pulling it again," Nurse Meadows said as she wrapped some athletic tape around the bottom of the stocking.
"How much blood did he lose?" Olivia asked, watching as maintenance finished up.
"Not too much, it looked worse than it was. I'm afraid his mother went into shock after seeing everything," Nurse Meadows said.
Olivia nodded. "I'll check on her. When is his next blood panel due?"
Nurse Meadow checked the notes. "In an hour."
"Alright, make sure you run a hematocrit as well. I want to make sure we haven't lost any ground because of the blood loss," Olivia told her.
Nurse Meadows made a note. "Yes, Dr. Burns. Will there be anything else?"
"Not at the moment, thank you for your quick action," Olivia said, as she tucked the blanket around Kendall's feet.
"You're welcome. I'll be making my rounds if you need me," Nurse Meadows, said with a smile.
Olivia nodded. "Irene, could I ask you something?"
"Of course," Nurse Meadows said, waving the other nurse out. "What is it?"
"Irene, have you seen anyone strange hanging around?"
"What do you mean by, strange?" Nurse Meadows asked.
Olivia contemplated what to say. "We're worried that someone working for the man who is responsible for Kendall's condition may try something. So, if you could just double-check everyone's credentials, that would help."
"Of course, Olivia. This child has been through enough and I can guarantee that no one will get by me. Even if they did, I'm sure his very large friend would deter them," Nurse Meadows said, patting Olivia on the arm.
"That's very true, thank you."
"If you need me, just call," Nurse Meadows said, heading for the door.
"I will, thank you," Olivia said.
Nurse Meadows went out and gently closed the door behind her, surprised to see four people standing there quietly talking. She noticed Jaya and smiled. "I'm sorry, could I see your visitor's pass?"
"Of course," Jaya said, removing the badge and handing it to her.
Nurse Meadows checked it out and handed it back. "Thank you."
"Thank you for checking it," Jaya said, slipping it back on.
"Is Mrs. Knight alright?" Nurse Meadows asked Antonio.
"She will be, I think the shock of everything is catching up to her."
"If she needs anything, please let me, or one of the other nurses know," Nurse Meadows said as she started down the hallway.
"Let's talk inside," Jaya recommended.
Freight Train opened the door and they went inside. "Television is there, I unplugged it," Freight Train said, pointing at the far wall.
Jaya looked at him and smirked. "You actually left it attached to the wall this time?"
Freight Train rolled his eyes. "I learned from the last time."
"Last time?" Gustavo asked.
"The last time he ripped the entire thing out of the wall, mounting and all," Jaya told him as she set her bag on the counter and opened it.
"Impressive," Antonio said.
"Not really, it's a little hard to attach a tracer when the thing you need to attach it to is lying on the pavement, three stories down," Jaya told him.
"I said I was sorry," Freight Train said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I know you did, Pooky, and I'm glad you left it intact this time. It's going to make my job so much easier," Jaya said, patting his cheek as she walked over to the television.
"Pooky?" Antonio and Gustavo said at the same time.
Freight Train groaned. "I asked you not to call me that!"
Jaya just smiled as she inserted a small machine into the USB port on the back of the television. Then she plugged in the tv and turned the machine on.
"What is that?" Olivia asked.
"It's a jammer, it will block any signals coming or going out until I have this set up," Jaya said, pulling out a small laptop.
"And then?" Antonio asked.
"First, I need permission to get into the hospital security network," she said looking at Olivia.
"Let me call Mr. Simmons," she said, reaching for her phone.
Jaya stopped her. "Use this," she said, handing Olivia her own cell phone.
"Why?" Olivia asked, taking it from her.
"My security system is top of the line, no one can hack into my SS7 system," Jaya told her.
"Is that common?" Olivia asked as she scrolled on her phone for Mr. Simmons number and then punched it in.
"More than you know," Jaya said, setting out a few more pieces of equipment.
"That's unnerving," Gustavo said.
"That is why everyone should have a decent security system," Jaya said, typing something into her computer.
A few moments later, Jaya had the security codes and had navigated the system to eighth floor.
"How hard is this going to be," Gustavo asked, watching her.
"With about thirty televisions on this floor alone, it's going to take a few minutes to get it set up, but it shouldn't be too hard," she said, turning the television on. She went to settings and checked the security access. "Well, it's been activated," she said, turning off the camera/microphone access.
"Do they all come turned off?" Olivia asked.
"No, it depends on the brand and who owns it. Mr. Simmons said all access to the Smart TVs are turned off once they are installed. Now, to find the access point to this room," she said typing.
"M-Mama," a soft voice said.
Olivia went over to Kendall. "Hey, it's Olivia. Your mom will be back in a little while, how are you feeling?"
"My head hurts," he said, coughing a little.
"Okay, we'll get you something for that in just a couple of minutes," she said.
"Why am I h-here?" Kendall asked, trying to sit up a little.
Olivia helped him by adjusting a pillow behind him. "Try not to move too much."
Kendall found it hard to keep his eyes open. "I know you, right?"
"Yes, I'm Sam and Camille's friend."
"Where's my mom? Where are the guys, I don't understand what's going on," Kendall said, his breathing picking up a bit.
"Hey buddy, we're all here. Your mom and the other boys are just getting a little rest and they'll be back," Antonio said going over and taking his hand.
"P-Papi?"
"That's me. You're going to be okay, you just need some rest so you recover your strength," Antonio said, sitting next to him.
"We have to hide or he's going to find us," Kendall said, his voice fading.
"Who do we need to hide from?" Antonio asked.
"What?" Kendall asked.
"Mijo, who do you need to hide from?" Antonio asked again, hoping Kendall would tell them.
"Don't let him find me," Kendall said, his eyes closing.
"He's never coming near you again," Antonio promised.
The room was quiet for a moment and Jaya softly cleared her throat. "We're ready to go."
"How does this work?" Olivia asked.
"I need to set up in a room nearby and then we wait to see if someone reactivates the camera. Once they do, I have a modified tracer ready to go," she said, pointing to the back of the TV, where a nano-receiver was inserted into the back USB port.
"And if they do?" Antonio asked.
"Then I control what they see and hear, while tracing the signal to the source. Then we call the police and they do the rest," she told him.
"How do you know who activates it?" Gustavo asked, as she packed her things back into her bag.
"Once it's activated, I'll be watching through the television's camera. I'll see whatever the person taking those photos can see."
"But they'll still be able to see Kendall?" Antonio asked.
She shook her head. "What they'll see is an empty bed, because I will be rerouting their signal to the empty room next door."
"Won't they wonder what's going on?" Gustavo asked.
She smiled. "By the time they connect with the person working for them to find out, I will have their position locked in and the police will be knocking on their door."
"She knows what she's doing," Freight Train said proudly.
"Thank you, Pooky," she said kissing his cheek as she walked to the door.
"Don't call me that," he grumbled.
"What are you going to do, tell Mama?"
"I might," he said.
"Good luck with that." She smirked as she opened the door.
"Mama?" Antonio and Gustavo asked.
Jaya nodded and looked at Freight Train. "He's my baby brother."
Freight Train rolled his eyes. "We should get you set up in one of the waiting rooms."
"That'll work," she said holding the door for them.
"I don't like leaving him alone," Antonio said, looking back at Kendall.
"You aren't. We will be two doors down and Freight Train will be at his post," Gustavo told him.
"I'm not going anywhere," Freight Train promised.
Antonio nodded and followed the others down to the waiting room where Jen and Brooke were. Antonio sent Carlos to wait with the other boys and they explained what was going on. Ten minutes later Jaya had everything set up and they waited.
Olivia sat down next to Jen. "How are you feeling?"
"I don't even know," Jen said quietly.
"I think you need to go home for the night and get some rest," Olivia said.
"I'm not leaving him," Jen told her.
"He's going to need you to be strong and to do that, you need a hot meal, a calming bath, and some rest. Something your daughter needs, too," Olivia said firmly.
"I'm not staying away all night," Jen said, shaking her head.
"Alright, but you need to go home and get Katie settled in for the night, and I want you to sleep for a couple of hours," Olivia said.
"She's right," Brooke agreed. "We'll stop and get some dinner, go to the apartment, and you can shower and change. You haven't slept in nearly twenty-four hours."
"The boys need to do that, too," Olivia said.
"I can come back tonight?" Jen asked.
"Of course. The chairs in his room are quite comfortable but you need to go home and rest for a few hours," Olivia said softly.
Jen didn't like it but agreed that Katie and the boys also needed to get away for awhile. "Alright, but I am not leaving until we find out who is doing this."
Olivia smiled. "Fair enough. I'm going to go check on a couple of patients, but here's my number if you need me," she said, handing Brooke a card.
Olivia returned half an hour later and nothing had happened, yet.
About forty-five minutes later Jaya's laptop buzzed and she hit a button. A split screen popped up and she started typing.
"Well?" Antonio asked.
"Triangulating, it will just be another minute," she told him as the tracer did it's job.
She grabbed her phone and hit a button, the phone screen showing the same as the computer. She smiled and hit send. "Got you, you bastard."
"Got who?" Jen asked.
"We won't know until the police pick them up, but the idiot didn't even bother using a VPN," she told them.
"Who activated it?" Antonio asked.
"Let's find out," Jaya said, hitting another key. The screen changed and they could see Kendall lying asleep in his bed.
A nurse's back was to the television and she appeared to be putting notes into the teen's chart. Then she held the chart up so it was clearly visible to the camera.
"No one else is seeing this, right?" Gustavo asked.
"No, their partner is looking at an empty room," Jaya said.
Olivia stood up. Her fists were clenched and her face flushed. "Little bitch!" She hissed and ran for the door.
"Olivia, wait!" Antonio said, running out the door behind her.
Any ideas as to what Griffin told his attorney, or who the "nurse" is? If so, dm me and I'll let you know if you're on the right track!
***Okay, guys, I had to delete a very nice guest review because it revealed too much. PLEASE, when a writer asks you to dm if you have answers/ideas/suggestions/etc. DM, do not post it in reviews because you could be giving away a crucial part of a story. It could also be interpreted as the writer "stealing" that idea. To my guest reviewer, thank you SO much for your kind words and I truly appreciate you reading my work, it means a lot.***