Chapter 5
Rick dropped into a chair and wiped his eyes, as Doc Walker joined them. Pulling out his notes, he looked over his glasses and said, "Relax, Rick, Laurie's going to be just fine. She has a little temperature, but that can be handled with some aspirin. Her blood pressure and pulse are almost normal, and her blood tests show whatever she was drugged with is out of her system. Now that cut on her arm will need stitches, but I want to wait until she gets some rest before we take care of that."
Rudy looked at Doc, "I think she should stay in the hospital at least until tomorrow, until her temperature is normal. The best medicine for her will be having familiar faces around her, you know."
"I agree, but Rick, how much has she talked about what happened?", Doc added. The older Simon frowned, "Laurie told us most of what went on after she and Oscar were taken. I think she's still blaming herself for falling for Wainwright's bait."
Both doctors shook their heads, then Rudy said, "Maybe Oscar can talk some sense into her." Rick heaved a sigh, "I'll try, there's Oscar now, let me ask him," as he saw the big man walk through the emergency room.
Calling after him, Rick watched as Goldman headed out the door, then turn at hearing his name. "Oscar, is anything wrong?", he asked, seeing a frown on the OSI chief's face. "No, I should head back to Ojai, tie up the loose ends on Wainwright. I'll call and check on Laurie when I get in. I'm going to have Steve fly me over as soon as he's had a chance to rest."
Suddenly Rick realized Oscar was leaving because he was upset about something. "Oscar, you're not leaving 'cause you're blaming yourself over Laurie, are you? Because if you are, you'd better stand in line, she's got you beat." Goldman stared at him, "You can't be serious, Rick, I told her she wasn't at fault. I'm a danger to her and your family as long as people like Wainwright are around." Rick grabbed his arm, "Listen to me, Oscar. She loves you, you've been family to her since the day she survived Rudy's surgery. Laurie's had a sense of security with you all these years. That maniac would have probably killed her if you hadn't gone with him. You heard her, she wasn't so scared when she knew you were there. If you go now, you'll not only be hurting yourself, but her, too." He paused, finding himself choking up, only to feel Oscar's hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, pal." He pushed Rick into a seat in the waiting area, then sat down across from him. Oscar, glancing over at the younger man, said, 'You're right, my friend, I just couldn't face the fact Laurie was terrorized like that. I sat in that locked room after the general knocked me around and kept imagining what he was going to do to her. I know I didn't cause her kidnapping, but when I saw her soaking wet with her clothes torn, it was almost too much to take." Oscar broke off, then rose to his feet. "Take me to her, Rick, I have something I have to tell her."
When the two men came to the treatment room, Cecilia opened the door, looking relieved when she saw both of them. "I'm glad to see you, Oscar, Laurie's been worrying about you. Rick, she's awfully quiet, I know Rudy said she has a slight fever, but she says she doesn't want any soup or anything and she's got to have something." Rick hugged his mom, telling her, "We're going to take care of that right now, let me and Oscar talk to her, ok?'
Entering the room, Rick saw Rob and Robin starting to nod off, as Linda talked to Laurie, quietly trying to get her to take some broth. "Kids, why don't you go sack out on the sofa for a while?" "Sure, "Robin answered, yawning, as Rob stood up and hugged his mother.
Linda looked up at the older brother, worry in her eyes, and excused herself, saying, "I'm going to check on A.J., I'll see you later, sis."
Laurie gave her a faint smile, then saw Rick standing in the doorway. "Darling, you should get some rest, you look tired." He came over and kissed her cheek as Oscar came in, saying, "What's this I hear about my girl worrying about me?" She looked at the big man, then her eyes filled with tears. "Oscar, are you all right? The kids said you were leaving." Oscar hugged her, "No, I'm not going, honey."
Sitting down next to her, he said, "Laurie, I have something to tell you. You remember the information I was able to find about your father, well I was pulling your file to archive it when I found some letters in it, letters I'd never seen before. They were addressed to my brother, Sam Goldman. They were from a girl he had secretly married before he went to Pearl Harbor, and they told of a baby she had given up for adoption. She didn't know he had died, and it gave the name of her child. It was Robert, Robert Goldman Scott. He was raised on the Navajo reservation, married to a girl named Reina, and had a daughter named Laurel Light Scott.
You're my brother's grandchild, my great-niece, and I couldn't love you more than if you were my own child."
She looked at him, then softly said, "My uncle, all these years, oh, Oscar." She embraced him, saying "I'm so happy, and as he kissed her cheek, he looked at Rick, and said, "Thank you, nephew." Wiping his eyes, the younger man smiled and replied, "You're welcome, Uncle."
All three burst out laughing, until Rudy stuck his head in and announced, "I think it's time somebody got some rest." Oscar beckoned him in and telling him about Laurie, got him just as emotional. Finally, all three men decided she had had enough for one day and kissing her good night, Rudy and Oscar left Rick to get her settled down for the night.
As the nurse came in and dimmed the lights, Rick got Laurie comfortable then changed into a robe, and carefully climbed onto the hospital bed with his wife. He put his arms around her as she whispered, "for such a horrible day, it has a wonderful ending, doesn't it, darling?"
He nodded, kissing her, then replied, "Sweetheart, you'll never have to worry about missing family again. You have all that you need right here." She cupped his face in her hands, adding, "All I need is right here with me, for you are my everything. Rick, I love you."
"I love you, too, darlin,' he replied, "Go to sleep, you'll need your rest for celebrating our new family. Remember, A.J. and Linda get married in a couple of weeks."
Laurie sighed. "Just think, Rick, how small the world is that our old friends become our family even when we don't know they're family."!
Rick groaned, then kissed the back of her neck, saying, "that's a Yogism if ever I heard one. Good night, Mrs. Simon."
She whispered back ,"Good night, Mr. Simon".
Rick dropped into a chair and wiped his eyes, as Doc Walker joined them. Pulling out his notes, he looked over his glasses and said, "Relax, Rick, Laurie's going to be just fine. She has a little temperature, but that can be handled with some aspirin. Her blood pressure and pulse are almost normal, and her blood tests show whatever she was drugged with is out of her system. Now that cut on her arm will need stitches, but I want to wait until she gets some rest before we take care of that."
Rudy looked at Doc, "I think she should stay in the hospital at least until tomorrow, until her temperature is normal. The best medicine for her will be having familiar faces around her, you know."
"I agree, but Rick, how much has she talked about what happened?", Doc added. The older Simon frowned, "Laurie told us most of what went on after she and Oscar were taken. I think she's still blaming herself for falling for Wainwright's bait."
Both doctors shook their heads, then Rudy said, "Maybe Oscar can talk some sense into her." Rick heaved a sigh, "I'll try, there's Oscar now, let me ask him," as he saw the big man walk through the emergency room.
Calling after him, Rick watched as Goldman headed out the door, then turn at hearing his name. "Oscar, is anything wrong?", he asked, seeing a frown on the OSI chief's face. "No, I should head back to Ojai, tie up the loose ends on Wainwright. I'll call and check on Laurie when I get in. I'm going to have Steve fly me over as soon as he's had a chance to rest."
Suddenly Rick realized Oscar was leaving because he was upset about something. "Oscar, you're not leaving 'cause you're blaming yourself over Laurie, are you? Because if you are, you'd better stand in line, she's got you beat." Goldman stared at him, "You can't be serious, Rick, I told her she wasn't at fault. I'm a danger to her and your family as long as people like Wainwright are around." Rick grabbed his arm, "Listen to me, Oscar. She loves you, you've been family to her since the day she survived Rudy's surgery. Laurie's had a sense of security with you all these years. That maniac would have probably killed her if you hadn't gone with him. You heard her, she wasn't so scared when she knew you were there. If you go now, you'll not only be hurting yourself, but her, too." He paused, finding himself choking up, only to feel Oscar's hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, pal." He pushed Rick into a seat in the waiting area, then sat down across from him. Oscar, glancing over at the younger man, said, 'You're right, my friend, I just couldn't face the fact Laurie was terrorized like that. I sat in that locked room after the general knocked me around and kept imagining what he was going to do to her. I know I didn't cause her kidnapping, but when I saw her soaking wet with her clothes torn, it was almost too much to take." Oscar broke off, then rose to his feet. "Take me to her, Rick, I have something I have to tell her."
When the two men came to the treatment room, Cecilia opened the door, looking relieved when she saw both of them. "I'm glad to see you, Oscar, Laurie's been worrying about you. Rick, she's awfully quiet, I know Rudy said she has a slight fever, but she says she doesn't want any soup or anything and she's got to have something." Rick hugged his mom, telling her, "We're going to take care of that right now, let me and Oscar talk to her, ok?'
Entering the room, Rick saw Rob and Robin starting to nod off, as Linda talked to Laurie, quietly trying to get her to take some broth. "Kids, why don't you go sack out on the sofa for a while?" "Sure, "Robin answered, yawning, as Rob stood up and hugged his mother.
Linda looked up at the older brother, worry in her eyes, and excused herself, saying, "I'm going to check on A.J., I'll see you later, sis."
Laurie gave her a faint smile, then saw Rick standing in the doorway. "Darling, you should get some rest, you look tired." He came over and kissed her cheek as Oscar came in, saying, "What's this I hear about my girl worrying about me?" She looked at the big man, then her eyes filled with tears. "Oscar, are you all right? The kids said you were leaving." Oscar hugged her, "No, I'm not going, honey."
Sitting down next to her, he said, "Laurie, I have something to tell you. You remember the information I was able to find about your father, well I was pulling your file to archive it when I found some letters in it, letters I'd never seen before. They were addressed to my brother, Sam Goldman. They were from a girl he had secretly married before he went to Pearl Harbor, and they told of a baby she had given up for adoption. She didn't know he had died, and it gave the name of her child. It was Robert, Robert Goldman Scott. He was raised on the Navajo reservation, married to a girl named Reina, and had a daughter named Laurel Light Scott.
You're my brother's grandchild, my great-niece, and I couldn't love you more than if you were my own child."
She looked at him, then softly said, "My uncle, all these years, oh, Oscar." She embraced him, saying "I'm so happy, and as he kissed her cheek, he looked at Rick, and said, "Thank you, nephew." Wiping his eyes, the younger man smiled and replied, "You're welcome, Uncle."
All three burst out laughing, until Rudy stuck his head in and announced, "I think it's time somebody got some rest." Oscar beckoned him in and telling him about Laurie, got him just as emotional. Finally, all three men decided she had had enough for one day and kissing her good night, Rudy and Oscar left Rick to get her settled down for the night.
As the nurse came in and dimmed the lights, Rick got Laurie comfortable then changed into a robe, and carefully climbed onto the hospital bed with his wife. He put his arms around her as she whispered, "for such a horrible day, it has a wonderful ending, doesn't it, darling?"
He nodded, kissing her, then replied, "Sweetheart, you'll never have to worry about missing family again. You have all that you need right here." She cupped his face in her hands, adding, "All I need is right here with me, for you are my everything. Rick, I love you."
"I love you, too, darlin,' he replied, "Go to sleep, you'll need your rest for celebrating our new family. Remember, A.J. and Linda get married in a couple of weeks."
Laurie sighed. "Just think, Rick, how small the world is that our old friends become our family even when we don't know they're family."!
Rick groaned, then kissed the back of her neck, saying, "that's a Yogism if ever I heard one. Good night, Mrs. Simon."
She whispered back ,"Good night, Mr. Simon".