CURIOSITY PART VIII
Haley Johnson's House—11.03am
Steve pulled up the car with Amanda and Mark outside Haley's Johnson's house. Mark had seen how his son had been burning to talk to her ever since that piece of information he'd found on her. Mark was still unconvinced of her attitude and Steve's assumption that she had done it smugly against Jesse. He walked up to the door and knocked on it. Once again, there was no answer. Beginning to get tired, Steve rapped on the door yet again. "Haley Johnson. Open up!" There seemed to be no movement in the house. Looking at his father and Amanda, he took hold on the door handle and was surprised to find it open. Carefully, he pushed the door back and stepped inside. "Miss Johnson?" he called again.
"Yeah, what do you want?" someone cried.
Steve, Mark and Amanda walked into the living room from the previous day. Haley was spread out on the couch, lying on her side casually. In her hand was a glass of clear liquid and beside her on the table were a box of tissues and a quarter of a bottle of Vodka. Haley herself looked a mess. Her eyes were red from either crying or exhaustion and the drinking wasn't helping her.
"We're here to ask you some questions," Steve said.
"What, again?" Haley looked around at all three of them and then her eyes settled on her Mark. "Dr Sloan, I…" She struggled to get up but found it too tiring and sat back again. Finally, she pulled herself up and set the glass down. "Go on, detective Sloan. Ask away."
"It's about your boyfriend—Marcus Lavoy."
Haley looked around at Steve with surprise. Then she turned round. "Don't even mention that bastards name to me," she hissed and took another long drink from her Vodka. She put it down and took a few deep breaths. "So, you found out about me and Marcus. I was sure someone would eventually. Wherever he goes, my name follows." She looked at them. "What else do you know."
"We know," Steve said, "that Marcus made you get close to Jesse so you could find out where Day Passer was. As soon you worked out all the information you passed it onto Marcus. Marcus had Jesse kidnapped and then they tortured him to tell them were Day was. You sold Jesse out."
Haley sank down on the sofa. To them it sounded like she was laughing but when she took her hands away she was crying. "You got a skeleton of an idea, Detective Sloan," Haley said. "You had no idea about the in between. It always looked that way. It looked that way to me. I don't remember crying so much in my life. Every time I see Jesse there it rips me up. It gets my confidence up one more to go and tell the police everything. I can't stand him looking like that and what makes it worse is that half of it is my fault." She looked up at Steve. "Yes, I sold Jesse out but do you have any idea how it made me feel? Huh, do you? It made me feel like trash. I had been used by Marcus and then I did the same to Jesse." She cried again and Amanda sat next to her, hugging her comfortingly. Suddenly, her feelings about the woman had changed.
Mark looked at Steve and gave him an 'I told you so' look. Rolling his eyes at his father's inner feelings again, he realized he had to give in. He sat in the chair opposite Haley and Amanda. "Haley, can you tell us from your point of view, then, what the whole business was about." Steve waited for an answer from her.
Haley nodded and then lifted her head. Even when crying, she still looked pretty. "Well, I was Marcus's girlfriend. I met him in Nevada shortly after the Whitney Ives case was dismissed because of Day Passer's disappearance. He was nice at first and then we came to LA. I asked what this was all about and he said he had a business problem to sort out and that I needed to help him. I was made to get as close as possible to Dr Jesse Travis." She smiled as if it was a bad memory. "I remember how we met as well. I was cutting in the kitchen and I sliced a whole section of my finger off." She showed them were the scars remained. "Jesse was the one treating me and before I knew it, we were phoning each other, going out for dinner and going to each other's house."
Steve, Mark and Amanda listened patiently to what she had to say. She stopped for a moment. Amanda got her a tissue and she took it gratefully. Wiping her eyes, she continued. "Marcus wanted me to find out information. We didn't know at first they he was actually looking after Day. We just thought he was some sort of contact. But…slowly…I gained Jesse's trust. He told me. He told me that Day Passer was with him and that he had been appointed by someone called Anders to do this with him." Haley sighed. "Then…then I passed it onto Marcus. But it was during those two months—I—I fell in love with Jesse. I really did no matter what everyone thinks. He's different. I know that sounds like a cliché but it was different to Marcus. He treated me better than Marcus ever did."
Steve listened and even he was beginning to believe her. "What then?"
"Well, Marcus told me three days ago that he was planning to ask Jesse some questions. I told him—demanded—that he wouldn't hurt Jesse and he promised. Then I come in two nights ago and all I see is them doing all those things to Jesse and I got mad. But I didn't do anything." Haley shook her head as if she regretted that.
"When all this was happening to Jesse, were you ever left to do what you want?" Steve asked.
"I was left alone, yes," Haley said. "Marcus did give me freedom if nothing else. I was with him by myself once. The rest of the time Jesse was either with Marcus or that disgusting sidekick of his, Carlos."
"And it didn't once occur to you to come to the police?" Steve asked. Haley didn't answer. "You know, if you'd come to the police and saved Jesse all that pain. He wouldn't be in there half dying." Steve's voice started to rise.
"Jesse would not only be the only one killed!" Haley suddenly shouted. "Marcus would kill me. Literally. He warned me as I walked out, that if I told anyone, he would come and get me and kill me personally just like he killed his other girlfriends. Jesse said that if I helped him, that protection would be given. But you don't understand. When Marcus Lavoy snaps his fingers, someone dies no matter what. A year of being with him has told me this."
Mark nodded understandingly. He could see that the girl was scared and understood why she had not done anything at the time.
"Anything else you'd like to tell us?" Steve asked quietly.
Haley shrugged. "What do you want to know?"
"Where were they holding Jesse when all this was going on."
"Fredric Storage Warehouse," Haley answered. "You go inside and the main warehouse is there. If you take the door marked private you come to a set of doors. The room 203 was where they were holding Jesse during it all. As far as I know, everything has been left behind since they left and dumped Jesse in the alley next to it." Steve silently cursed himself for not thinking of going in to the warehouse. It seemed like the perfect place for someone to be kept.
"Haley, you've been a lot of help," Steve said. "Don't worry, everything is going to be all right. I'm going to personally make sure Marcus or anyone of his people won't get to you."
Haley laughed bitterly. "I've given up on that. He'll get me. And even thought I know he'll be coming after me, Dr Sloan, can you promise me you'll help Jesse get better and make sure he does."
"Well…I," Mark started.
"Please?"
This time Mark lied. "I'll make sure he gets better."
Community General Hospital—12.34pm
Mark walked to his next shift at the hospital. He bumped into Norman. "Oh, Mark, thank God you're back. I was about to call the police."
Mark frowned. "Why?"
"I had another nightmare last night." Norman leant in closer to the doctor. "I dreamt someone killed you. Some very large guy—expensive business suit and mean looking eyes pointed a gun at your face and shot you. He left you out in an alley to die. Oh god, exactly like Jesse."
Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Norman, no one got to me." He walked off.
Amanda's shift didn't start until another few hours. She was supposed to work in the morning but had left it someone else. This wasn't usually Amanda's attitude to her job. Usually she was prompt and ready to start doing what she had to. But even on those occasions a fine line had to be drawn and this was one of those lines. If Amanda had a choice of finding the attacker of one of her friends and checking and unknown body she knew who came first. There could be excuses into the prolonging the time taken to examine a body. There was no excuse for such a person who would attack someone like this to walk free. Not even mercy should be shown to this man but Amanda knew this was her anger coming through and she tried to get a hold of it.
Steve had told them to return back to the hospital. This Captain said he could take a few squads to search what remained of Fredric's Storage Warehouse and if there was any trace of where they could find Lavoy. Amanda wondered if they caught Lavoy, would Haley be prepared to testify. She looked as scared as hell. Only Jesse could testify. Amanda was thinking so hard she thought her mind was going to explode.
Now, though, sitting in Jesse's room, Amanda could finally let everything go. She felt better when she sat with Jesse; as though when she was with him that it made everything all right. All the turmoil seemed to evaporate. But with that, every time Amanda looked at Jesse, she felt herself drain out even more. She wanted to cry and release all the energy she had since Jesse's had arrived in with his condition. Amanda took Jesse's hand as so many people had. "Hey, Jesse, you're holding up great. You've done nothing horrific in the last twenty-four hours. You scared the hell out of me when you started coughing up blood and convulsing like that." Amanda absently stroked Jesse's hand lightly. "Just met me know that you're still there. I miss you, Jesse, we all do. Mark, Steve and I have been trying hard to find who did this to you. We know who it is and we're this close to catching him." She now clamped Jesse hand with both of hers. "Wake up, Jesse, and tell us all the details."
A tear slipped down her cheek. "I wish you'd give me some sort of sign, Jesse. Just to let me know you're still there and you're not slipping away." She smiled beside. "I wouldn't have exactly called us item material but I do care about you. You're like a little brother—annoying sometimes—but I don't know what I'd do without you." Unable to help herself she too started to cry. It seemed nearly everyone was affected by Jesse's attack. She held tightly onto Jesse's hand not sure what to expect—a miracle? A real sign? But none came and Amanda shook her head, a sob escaping her.
She didn't see someone peeking through the door or hear them come into the room. All she felt was someone put their arms around her and she accepted, holding onto Steve and crying outwardly. Amanda didn't care how she looked or how she felt at the time in front of her. She didn't mind in front of Steve because he was a good friend. Amanda couldn't stop it now.
"It's okay, Amanda," Steve said, trying to comfort her.
Amanda shook her head. "No, it's not okay, Steve. Jesse's dying…"
"No, he's not," Steve said as defiantly as he could.
Amanda let out a shuddered sigh and let go. Her eyes were glistening with tears and she seemed angry. "Yes, he is Steve. You said so yourself! Norman said it. Pete told Mark and he's the one treating Jesse." She buried her hands in her face and ran them through her hair. "I don't know how anyone could survive such injuries. I should have guessed. When he didn't turn up for work I should have gone there sooner."
"That wouldn't have changed anything," Steve said.
Amanda slumped in defeat, knowing that Steve was right. She put a hand on her forehead and spun round to look at Jesse again. "It's just that…I can't help feeling—well helpless. I wish there were something I could just do to help him. I hate just sitting back and watching him like this."
"But Amanda, you…"
"I'm a Doctor!"
"You're a medical examiner!" Steve said back. He silently kicked himself for snapped back. More gently, he said, "Pete knows what he's doing. He's helping Jesse. At the moment, the best way we can help Jesse is by catching this Marcus guy. It will make us all feel better and Jesse too when he wakes up."
Amanda nodded and held out her hands. "I know, I know," she said solidly and sat down on the chair. She was on the verge of tears. "That's what I've been trying to tell myself." She looked down and then up at Steve. "I remember something like this. You know…when you were shot Steve because of that Gonza thing—this is how it felt. It really hurt. You feel helpless, worried, constantly ill and desperation. Your father was worse. You, Mark and Jesse are the three people I care about most. When one of your gets hurt, I do too. As soon as you moved, Steve, we knew you should be all right. But you took a shorter amount of time to wake up and you were shot." Amanda looked at Jesse again. "Now I'm not so sure."
On the other side of the hospital, Mark was just coming out of one of the rooms when he bumped into Pete Taylor. "Mark! I was just coming to look for you." He held up a file. "I have a report which came back from the lab only an hour ago. We took Jesse in for a scan whilst you were out to see a more clearer x-ray." He brought Mark into an examining room and put a few x-rays up behind the blinding white light. "Now, we found technically nothing wrong with Jesse. No head fractures of damages, everything is fine including the internal bleeding into the appendix, which we cleaned up. Outside wounds will heal in time…"
"Pete!" Mark said holding up his hands. "I know you didn't bring me in here to tell me some good news."
Pete tapped a pencil on his fingernail for a few seconds. He swallowed. "We're not totally sure yet. It's not something that usually happens but it does. Across the spine here, can you see that thin line which stretches out across three quarters of the way up the spine." Mark nodded. "We don't know what it is. I have spent the best part of an hour trying to figure out with my colleagues if that is a fracture, a slight crack from a punch—as there were bruising on his back…or whether…if…"
"If Jesse is paralyzed," Mark concluded, not believing this was happening. He put a hand up to his forehead.
Pete could see the strain in the older Doctor's face. "Mark—Doctor Sloan—I'm not positive about anything at the moment. There is a chance that it is not snapped and it's not paralization."
"And there is a chance that it is," Mark said sitting down on the bench. Shock was evident in his eyes as the realization hit him. Conclusions dotted up from everywhere. "Have you any idea what this will do to Jesse? His career? When he wakes up he'll be devastated. Everything he worked for at medical school and there will vanish." He ran his hands over his face and stared at the lino floor. "And us, what about us? How will we manage without him."
"All interns eventually leave," Pete said, trying to make it somewhat better.
"Yes, but not like this, Pete. I lost Jack a while back and I don't want to lose Jesse, not in this way." Mark looked up at Pete and Pete Taylor had never seen Mark Sloan look so desperate—not since his son had come in from a gunshot wound. "Is there any way—any way—possible we can tell if that is a snapped spine?"
Pete shrugged. "Only by operating and that's a waste and an unnecessary scar for Jesse if it's nothing."
Mark nodded. "So you suggest…" he let it hang.
"I suggest we wait and see if Jesse wakes up, what will happen then."
Mark sighed and then shook his head smiling slightly. "Do I treat all my patients in the same way you do?"
Pete smiled slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. Just telling the facts."
"Yeah, I know." Mark wandered out of the room slowly towards the main lobby. Steve came up to him, followed by Amanda. Looking at her briefly, Mark could tell she had been crying but didn't say anything. Father and son exchanged a look but no comment was made. "Steve, I thought you'd be longer at that warehouse than this? Did you find anything interesting."
Steve gave him a grim which suggested anything but that. Mark wondered how much bad news he'd be able to handle for one day. He decided he wouldn't tell Steve and Amanda the news he had heard from Pete a few minutes ago. There was no use in worrying them at the moment, especially with Amanda's eyes just beginning to dry. "Well," Steve said, "it seemed as thought the warehouse had been thoroughly cleared out. We found several pieces of useful things inside it though." He dragged them outside. "I managed to let Kyle James allow me to hang onto them for a few hours." He opened the trunk of the car and let them take a look for themselves. The pieces of evidence were all in the clear plastic bags but they could see enough.
Steve picked up the first one. "Ropes. Found in the room 203 where Jesse was being held. Sawn through with a knife of something like that due to the frayed edges. Must have been bound tightly—there's blood on them." Amanda grimaced as Steve threw them back in the trunk and picked up the second item. It was a small metallic box with plastic edging. He tossed it towards his father. "It looks like you were right all along, dad." Mark looked at the box with its settings and spokes coming up from the top. He looked as his son with his eyes wide. "Yeah, that's the electrocution device." He put that back as well. Then he took the last item. "One baseball bat." Steve pointed up the side. "Blood. There are only traces of it in the woodwork. There are just small thin lines going upwards as if someone had cleaned it by moving a cloth up and down. Got a crack all the way up it."
"That couldn't have been used on Jesse," Amanda said. "There wasn't enough bruising enough for that."
"No, but internal bleeding of the appendix maybe." Mark said quietly and then they were quiet until Steve said he'd take them down to forensics so they could work on it.
