Paybacks
Chapter 25
******
Just wanted to say thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I was just getting a little self-conscious the other day! You don't have to worry, I'll keep writing :o) I'm back on track now.
NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND!!!!
*****
Around 11a.m. the detectives rolled into the hospital. "Hi Faith. How's Boscorelli?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "As well as can be expected I guess. He's still in critical condition."
"Faith we need to ask you a few questions."
Her face went white. She knew they wanted to ask her what happened yesterday. She'd been working so hard the last few hours to try and block those memories from her mind. They were haunting her, and she wasn't ready to deal with them yet. It would be a long time before she was ready to discuss what happened, but she knew that if they were going to catch this bastard she would have to help with the investigation.
Sully was still in the waiting room with Faith. He took her hand, and gave it a gentle pat. "It'll be OK Faith."
"What do you want to know?"
"Tell us everything you remember."
She took a deep breath. "Well, we were just driving along when this truck peels out in front of us, and is swerving all over the street. Both of us recognized it as my husband's truck, and we knew we had to pull him over. Bosco hopped out to write the ticket while I called it in." Faith stopped to collect her thoughts. "Central told me that Fred had reported the truck stolen. I got a bad feeling about the whole thing, and radioed for Bosco to get out of there…but it was too late," she started to cry. "He was already at the window. He looked back at me, and the next thing I know the guy's firing at him." Faith couldn't control herself, and began sobbing. Sully pulled her close to him.
"I know it's hard Faith," said one of the detectives to try and console her.
Sully glared at him. "Don't say you know! You haven't been there. You can't possibly know!"
The other detective stepped in. "Faith did you get a look at the guy at all? Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"No, I never saw the driver."
"OK, that's all we have then. Our only hope right now is that Boscorelli can describe the guy. We aren't going to be able to get a surveillance video from the parking lot at Fred's work until sometime tomorrow, and who knows if that will even give us a good look at the guy. So, either Boscorelli tells us or we wait."
"I doubt Bosco's going to be much help," said Faith as she wiped at her eyes. "He cracked his head on the pavement pretty hard, and they aren't sure how much he's going to remember. Plus the fact that he can't talk with that tube down his throat."
"There are ways to communicate with him."
Just then the day shift nurse came out of the ICU doors. "He's awake," was all she said before heading back into the unit. Faith had been in to see Bosco only once since shift change. Bosco's current nurse wasn't near as friendly as the first.
"Man, I can't wait until her shift is over," grumbled Sully.
The two detectives followed Faith toward the ICU. She turned around. "What? You're going to talk to him now? Isn't that a little soon? He's not out of the woods yet."
"Faith we need to find out what he knows. We gotta get this guy."
"OK, but don't badger him. He's been through a lot."
She led the way into ICU, and when they rounded the corner she heard one of the detectives behind her, "Damn."
"I told you he's in critical condition. What did you expect?" She asked as she glared at him. How could they be so insensitive?
Bosco looked like he was sleeping. Faith took her normal position on his right side, and held his hand. "Bos? Bosco you awake?"
He slowly opened his eyes to find his partner smiling at him. He squeezed her hand since that was the only way he could really say hello. Bosco noticed there were other people in the room, and he looked at them with a confused look on his face.
"Bosco do you remember the detectives?" He didn't give her any indication that he did.
"Hey Boscorelli. We've been working on your case, and we need to ask you a few questions OK? Since you aren't able to talk yet they will be yes or no answers. So, for a yes answer I want you to squeeze your partner's hand. For a no answer, you don't have to do anything. Do you understand?"
Bosco gave Faith's hand a slight squeeze. "He understands," informed Faith.
"Good. Now Bosco, do you remember what happened to you yesterday?"
Faith watched Bosco's face as he tried to remember. He started to say something, but wasn't able to get anything out around the tube. "Bos just squeeze my hand if you remember." He looked at her as if he wanted to say something other than yes or no. She tried to read his expression, but it was like a bad game of charades.
Since Bosco couldn't tell her what he was trying to say she tried to ask the right questions to get his answer. "Do you remember pulling over Fred's truck? He squeezed her hand.
"Do you remember getting," she paused briefly, "shot?" He didn't respond.
Faith looked at the detectives. "He remembers pulling over the truck, but doesn't remember getting shot."
"Boscorelli did you see the person driving the truck?"
Faith didn't feel anything. "Sorry guys he didn't see the person, or at least doesn't remember."
"Alright, but if you remember anything else Bosco let us know OK?"
He squeezed Faith's hand. "He will."
The detectives left. Faith looked at Bosco. "Gee Bos I should talk for you more often. There's a lot less apologizing when you can't speak for yourself." She winked at him, and he gave her a lopsided grin.
"You feelin' any better Bos?" He slowly shook his head no. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this happened."
He tried to shrug, but realized a little too late that that wasn't a good idea. He closed his eyes. "You OK?" Bosco squeezed her hand.
For the next few minutes Faith stood quietly beside Bosco. Looking him over. He was still attached to all the same machines, but it wasn't quite as frightening to her now. She wasn't getting used to them, but she was starting to understand their purposes, so she was thankful that they were there. Though she would be even more thankful when they were gone, and Bosco's body would be able to function without them.
Faith noticed Bosco slowly squirming in the bed. He was trying to use his legs to push himself up further in the bed, but wasn't very successful at doing anything other than causing himself more pain. He looked at her for help. "Hold still. I'll go get the nurse. I'd help you, but I don't want to hurt you in any way."
She went over to the nurse's station. "I think my partner is pretty uncomfortable. He was trying to push himself up in bed. Do you think you could come help him out?"
"Yeah I guess I could," came the snotty reply from the nurse.
Faith couldn't believe the way this woman was acting. "Sorry to put you out, but I didn't think it would be a good idea for me to try moving him since I don't know exactly how to help him. I figured you had more experience at this."
The woman finally stood up, and followed Faith over to Bosco. "So, you falling down in the bed?" The nurse asked harshly.
Bosco nodded.
The nurse walked around so she was standing behind the head of Bosco's hospital bed. She then proceeded to not so gently grab him under the arms, and pull him up in the bed. This didn't do any good since just under Bosco's left armpit was where he had been shot. Faith watched in horror as Bosco's eyes shot wide open, and he tried to scream from the pain. He was trying to calm himself by breathing, but began gagging on the ventilator tube. His eyes welled up with tears. Faith could see he was trying not to cry, but he was in too much pain. The tears began rushing down his face. Faith began crying as well. She couldn't stand seeing her partner this way.
"I'll be right back," said the nurse. A minute later she came back with a syringe in her hand. She injected it into Bosco's IV, and within seconds he was sleeping.
Faith didn't say anything to the nurse as she quickly walked past her, and out the ICU doors.