For Jane and Cho, the next few hours felt as though they were being whipped around in an intense wind storm. Lisbon had shown up nearly 400 miles from Cannon River in a small town hospital near Salem, Oregon. They rushed back to the FBI makeshift office where liaison Hendricks filled in the details.
Apparently, a young woman matching Lisbon's description had walked into St. Anne's Hospital just outside of Salem, Oregon about an hour ago. She was disheveled and disoriented and mute. No amount of prompting from law enforcement or medical staff would make her speak, and it was only at looking through missing persons' reports that the hospital staff and local police had been able to place her. She was examined, but aside from a deep gash on her right thumb, a broken wrist, and some bruises, she didn't appear to have been harmed. Hendricks cleared his throat and looked at Jane directly.
"However, when I finished on the phone with the local chief, they had just taken Ms. Lisbon back to check to see if she was sexually assaulted during her ordeal."
"What?" Jane exclaimed. "Is there evidence that might be the case?"
"No, but it's procedure with this kind of thing. Ms. Lisbon still isn't talking, and that would indicate some type of severe trauma--"
Jane shook his finger in the air and looked frantically from Cho to Hendricks.
"So what are we waiting for?" He said looking at Hendricks. "Don't you guys have one of those black whirlybird machines? We should get in the air and get to Lisbon, right now!"
"Mr. Jane. Our missing person has been found alive. She is safe for tonight and as soon as I can close up things here, we will make our way to Salem and--"
"Well that's not fast enough, agent!" Jane cut Hendricks off. "Cho, grab your keys, we're driving to Lisbon."
Hendricks, with a look of consternation, watched the two men dash out to their car again. He shook his head in frustration and then went back to closing up the temp office.
Four hours later, Jane pulled off the interstate highway, and Cho prepared to take over the driving. They were about an hour away from Salem, and Jane had pushed the limits with their speed thus far. Cho had tried to catch a few winks, but he felt it necessary to keep one eye on the road and one on Jane too.
For his part, Jane was ultra focused on the road, and he wanted only to get to Theresa as fast as he could. He remembered reading her beautiful letter just hours prior, and he wanted only to see her and hold her, talk to her and establish that they were about to build a beautiful future together. He wanted to tell her and show her how much he loved her--had always loved her. Jane felt a lightness in his soul in remembering her words in the letter. He wanted nothing more than what she had so effectively outlined.
Climbing out of their dark rental sedan at the rest area, both men stretched and then quickly changed places. The sun was just starting to rise over the gorgeous Oregon landscape.
"We should be getting close, now," Cho stated while clicking his seat belt in.
"It should only be another 45 minutes to an hour," Jane said.
They'd heard nothing new from Hendricks, so both men had driven through the night to get to Theresa as fast as possible. Cho started the vehicle and pulled back onto the I-5.
An hour later, St. Anne's Hospital came into view and Jane and Cho entered. Flashing their FBI badges earned them extra quick access to Theresa's floor. There, they were greeted by none other than...Agent Hendricks!!
"What?" Jane exclaimed. "How did you get here before us?"
"I am sorry, Mr. Jane. You didn't give me a chance back in Cannon River to tell you that a black "whirlygig" as you called it had indeed been ordered. We arrived about an hour ago."
"What the--?" Jane spluttered with rage in his eyes. Cho placed a steadying hand on the consultant's shoulder which seemed to bring him back to their real purpose. Jane rubbed a hand over his tired features.
"Where is she?"
"Mr. Jane, could we talk in here?" Hendricks pointed to a small room. Behind him stood a tall, red-headed woman in white holding a file folder. She had a serious look on her face. Next to her was a shorter and older man with white hair and a thick white mustache. He was grim as well, but his bright blue eyes were friendly.
Jane grimaced but did as Hendricks asked.
The five adults sat around a conference table.
"Mr. Jane, Mr. Cho, this is Dr. Sheila Barrow. She's the hospital's psychologist and has examined and evaluated Ms. Lisbon." Jane and Cho shook her hand.
"And this is Dr. Robert Shaw, Ms. Lisbon's primary physician. He too has been caring for her since she walked in here last evening." The men shook hands with Shaw as well.
Shaw spoke first.
"Physically, Ms. Lisbon has relatively minor outside injuries. She has a few contusions and bruises on her face and torso, and her left wrist was broken. Likewise, the thumb of her right hand was deeply sliced, nearly off, but surgeons were able to sew up the wound," the doctor cleared his throat, "She was also it appears, sexually assaulted."
Both Jane and Cho blanched at this, and Jane hung his head dejectedly. His beautiful Theresa. A tear slipped down his cheek, but inside his rage flamed. He would kill the bastard who'd hurt her.
Hendricks spoke this time.
"As disturbing as a physical assault is, from an investigative standpoint, it actually provides a lot of evidence for us to follow. Of course you know this."
Now, the red headed doctor spoke.
"Ms. Lisbon also seems to be in a catatonic state. She has not spoken at all since she presented last night. She merely stares straight forward and we cannot get a response from her. She does not respond to any names given to us by Dennis Abbot, including her own. We think it must be some sort of memory loss due to extreme trauma. We did sedate her this morning at 4:30 am just so her body could get some rest. To the best of my knowledge, she was still sleeping right before we met." Dr. Shaw nodded in agreement.
"Gentlemen," he sighed, "we know you really want to see your friend, but we did want to let you know what to expect. Ms. Lisbon has suffered greatly, and it could take quite some time for her to be and/or feel normal again."
"Do you think seeing us might jog her memory?" Cho asked Dr. Barrow.
"I suppose it could, but I guess we will have to see. We definitely want to make sure that Ms. Lisbon is not put under too much undue stress."
"Cho, I have to see her." Jane interrupted Dr. Barrow.
Kimball Cho had known Patrick Jane for more than ten years, and he knew that Jane had been using every biofeedback trick he knew to keep himself patient in this meeting. Jane had only one focus, and that was to lay eyes on Lisbon.
"Alright, buddy. I'm sure you can. Dr. Barrow? Is my friend able to see Ms. Lisbon, now?"
"Yes, Mr. Jane, I can take you both in briefly, but then it will probably be best for just short one person visits after that. Come this way."
Both Jane and Cho followed the tall doctor to a room a few doors down the hallway.
"Please, no sudden moves or loud voices. She more than likely will not know you, and remember that she has not spoken since she was admitted."
Dr. Sheila Barrow pushed the door open slowly.
The interior of the room had been kept purposefully dim, and Jane and Cho followed her in. A privacy curtain had been pulled halfway across the room, and as both men stepped around it, they were not prepared for the sight that met them.
Lisbon lay in the standard hospital bed looking peaceful yet forlorn and small. She had always been a diminutive creature, but Jane thought she resembled a sleeping child. He saw the awful purpling of bruises on her jaw and cheek, and he saw her wrist in a cast. Her right hand was a bundle of bandages from surgery. She did not stir as Jane, Cho and the doctor stood at the foot of the bed. Jane watched her chest anxiously for a few moments just to really make sure that she was in fact breathing.
"May I sit next to her?" Jane whispered, "I promise I will not wake her." The doctor nodded.
Jane stepped to the side of the bed and lifted one of the side chairs close. He was very careful to be quiet. He desperately wanted to hold one of her hands, but that was impossible. For now he would be content to just sit and look at the bruised face of his beloved Theresa.
TBC