Chapter 13

As Dotty and Billy waited for Lee, Dotty fidgeted with her purse strap. "Mr. Melrose, can you tell me something?" she asked softly.

Billy unbuttoned the front of his jacket. "Of course, Mrs. West. What's on your mind?"

"It's about Lee," Dotty began.

"Lee will be just fine. I wouldn't be surprised if he's allowed to go home in the next day or two," Billy assured her.

"No, it's not about Lee… well, it is… but not about when he can go home. Why is Lee angry with Emily?" Dotty questioned slowly.

Billy shoved his hand in his pocket and rocked back on his heels. "What makes you think he's angry with Emily?"

Dotty glanced over at the door to Lee's room. "Well, he didn't seem overly concerned about her. He was… dismissive I guess you could say when you brought her up."

Billy nodded several times. "In his own way, I think maybe Lee is partially blaming Emily for the accident. After all, he was picking her up at the airport when it happened. You know how these things are… we always feel like we have to blame someone…" Billy's voice faded as he silently prayed Dotty would accept his explanation.

"But it was an accident. She couldn't have known that car was going to be there any more than Lee did," Dotty insisted.

"And I think sometimes Lee needs to come to his own conclusions in his own time." Out of the corner of his eye, Billy spotted Dr. Lore coming toward them. "Dr. Lore, let me introduce Mrs. West. She is Amanda Stetson's mother."

"Mrs. West, I apologize we have to meet under these circumstances," Dr. Lore acknowledged. "I was just coming to give Mr. Melrose an update on Mrs. Farnsworth."

"How is she doing?" Dotty raised her eyebrows.

Dr. Lore glanced over at Billy who returned a subtle nod. "She's in a lot of pain today, but, overall, she'll be just fine. Have you been to see your daughter or your grandson yet?"

Dotty shook her head. "No… I just arrived. Lee was making himself presentable before coming to find you. Would it be all right, Doctor?"

"Of course, Mrs. West. I'll escort you up there myself." Dr. Lore flashed Dotty an endearing smile.

"And what about Mrs. Farnsworth? Would I be able to visit with her as well? She is like family to all of us. My grandson even calls her Nana Em," Dotty pleaded softly.

Dr. Lore held up his hand. "If you'd like to follow me, I can take you there now for a few minutes while Mr. Stetson is detained."

"I'd like that very much," Dotty replied with a sigh of relief.

"I'll bring Lee to Emily's room when he's ready," Billy assured her.

Dotty followed Dr. Lore around the corner and disappeared from Billy's sight. Billy leaned against the wall and waited for Lee.

Almost five minutes later, Lee appeared. His hair was slightly damp and combed off his face. "I did the best I could." He glanced around. "Where's Dotty?"

"While you were getting cleaned up, Dr. Lore took her over to see Emily."

"You really think that's a smart idea, Billy? What if Emily says something about Barta?" Lee challenged.

Billy glared at him. "What do you think Emily is, some freshman agent who can't keep her mouth shut? She's been in this business longer than you have. Not to mention, she's half the reason Dotty still doesn't know exactly what you and Amanda do," he reminded Lee.

"Yeah, well, people say stupid things when they're in pain… they forget, you know?" Lee snapped back.

"You mean like you, right now?" Billy quipped.

Lee opened his mouth to retort but closed it quickly when he heard Dotty's voice filtering down the hall. "Lee! You're ready," Dotty observed. She took a breath and continued, "Oh, poor Emily. Dr. Lore took me in to see her while you were… well, you took so long… Anyway, she's in so much pain today. I tried to ask if they could give her something but Dr. Lore explained Emily had to go back into surgery later this morning and they had to wait."

Lee lifted an eyebrow questioningly.

"It appears Mrs. Farnsworth has a screw out of place and it's pressing on one of the nerves in her leg. The orthopedic suggested a realignment should fix it, relieving Mrs. Farnsworth of any excess pain," Dr. Lore stated.

"Oh," Lee swallowed. "Do you have to wait around for him, or can we bring Dotty up to see Amanda and William?"

"Lee!" Dotty hissed. "I'm sure Dr. Lore is very busy attending to Emily and as much as I want to see my daughter and my precious grandson, we don't need to rush him along."

Dr. Lore shifted the metal file folder he was holding to his other hand and gestured toward the elevators. "Actually, the nurse and orderly are bringing her up to the OR now, so I have plenty of time to bring you to see your family. Which room would you like to go to first?"

Dotty looked from Lee to Dr. Lore before she admitted, "I don't know."

"Can we see William first, Doc?" Lee requested.

Dr. Lore studied Lee carefully. "Are you going to be up for all that walking? We can bring the wheelchair if you'd prefer."

Lee held up his good hand. "I'm all set being catered to for a while. What I need right now is to see my son."

Dr. Lore nodded and advanced toward the elevator, the small group in tow.

They arrived outside of William's room several minutes later. Dotty gave Lee a questioning look when the agent outside of William's room greeted Lee. "Scarecrow," the agent said. Lee coughed loudly, but only nodded once in return. They entered the dimly lit room.

"Oh my gosh," Dotty dragged out.

Lee immediately put his arm around Dotty's shoulders and reassured her, "He's doing good. The neurologist told me he's going to be just fine. We just have to wait this out a little bit."

Dotty inched forward, her hands shaking. "He's so pale," she whispered. "And his face… his poor little face…"

"I know," Lee replied softly. He guided Dotty closer, released her, and carefully sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey, Champ. Grandma's here to see you."

Dotty reached over and stroked William's arm. "I'm here, baby. You didn't think I wouldn't come see you, did you? You've got to open those eyes of yours. I need some help at home in the garden, and who's going to spot those weeds faster than you, huh? You can't be sleeping on the job."

Behind them, the door opened slowly, and Dr. Anderson slipped into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt. William's nurse notified me of a few spikes she saw on his EEG and thought I should know."

"Spikes? What spikes?" Dotty immediately exclaimed.

Lee reached out and grasped her hand as Dr. Anderson smiled. "Spikes are a good thing. I was going to run a few tests but I can come back."

"No… no, if it means helping my son, do whatever you need to," Lee insisted. "We can come back after visiting Amanda. Isn't that right, Dotty?"

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head, too?" Dotty teased, her tense hand relaxing in Lee's.

Sensing the change in Dotty, Lee laughed. "No, I didn't hit my head. What makes you say that?"

"Because you hate doctors and tests of any kind," Dotty stated as a grin tickled the corners of her mouth.