Chapter 3
"Rick, I'm listening, do you know who hit you, can you tell us his name?" Laurie leaned over, only to see a panicked expression on his face. "It's all right, darling, it can wait," she took his hand and sat back down, watching him relax. Oscar put a hand on her shoulder, "It's ok, he'll tell when he can who did this. Honey, as soon as A.J. comes back in, I want you to lay down, at least for an hour. You won't be any good to Rick if you're sick." She sighed, "Ok, I promise to rest as soon as Mom comes back in, ok?"
"I'll hold you to that, missy!", Rudy added, then gestured for Oscar to join him outside the room. Turning back to Rick, Laurie smiled, saying, "They've been so good, Rick, I really don't know where we'd be without Rudy and Oscar." She continued talking to him, looking for another sign of Rick's trying to wake up. A.J. came in, razzing "Hey, big brother, time for you to wake up. Mom'll be in in a while, she wanted to freshen up first. You're not giving Laurie any trouble, are you?" Laurie was holding his hand as he said this, she felt a gentle squeeze on her fingers.
"A.J., he just squeezed my fingers, he is starting to react to us!" A.J. looked at his watch, "I'm going to see where Rudy is, I think Rick is coming to. Buzz if anything changes." She gazed down at him, "Darling, I need you to wake up. I'm not going to leave this room without you opening your eyes again. You know I'm just as stubborn as you are, so I can be patient if I have to." Kissing his cheek, she saw his forehead wrinkle, his lids flutter, and she looked up at the. younger Simon excitedly. "He reacted to me, A.J., did you see that! When Rudy comes in, we have to tell him!"
A.J. turned back to his brother, and said "Ok, big brother, don't make a liar out of us, give us a smile!" Staring at Rick, Laurie saw his mouth twitch, then the corners turned up. "A.J., hurry, see where Rudy is!"
He nodded, then ran out the door. She sat back down, then put her hand on his forehead, gently brushing A few wisps of hair off his forehead. Abruptly, Laurie got that same cold sensation again, as if something was wrong. She got up from her chair, and went to the restroom, splashing some cold water on her face. As she came back in to the room, she heard voices outside, then running footsteps. Going around the side of the bed, she looked down at Rick, and told him, 'I wish A.J. would hurry, I hope nothing's wrong with Mom." Concentrating on her husband, she didn't hear the closet door open behind her, nor the shadow that crossed to the entrance.
Hearing the door click behind her, Laurie didn't bother to turn around as she said, "A.J., did you find Rudy?" A eerily familiar voice answered, "No, Laurie, and in a few minutes, you won't care." She turned, then froze, looking at a ghost from their past. "You! Oh, no! It can't be you, you're dead!"
"Yes, it's me, the last face you'll ever see if you make one sound.", the wiry man threatened, coming out of the shadows to reveal himself. Laurie was speechless, her stepfather, Herman Johnson stood in front of her. It was a nightmare, the same face that had terrorized her and caused her to flee her home so many years ago.
She found her voice then started to scream, "A.J.!.", only to have him leap forward and force his hand against her mouth, shoving a gun in her stomach at the same time. "I said one sound, now I'm going to make sure that's all you do!", he grated.
Terrified, she stood motionless, staring at Rick as her assailant slapped a piece of tape over her mouth, then bound her wrists together. He pushed her onto the floor as he grinned and turned toward her husband, sticking his weapon in the waistband of his pants. "Now I'm going to finish what I started, your foolish husband here will peacefully pass away and his grieving wife will take a swan dive over the balcony in grief!"
Desperate, Laurie managed to lunge at him, pushing him away from Rick to the floor, then managed to rip the tape off her mouth and yell, "Robbie, A.J.! " She dodged the older man as he moved toward her, laughing and trying to grab her. Hearing pounding at the door, she dove to turn the latch, only to have Johnson trip her, then picking up the pillow, knock her down and put it over her face. She struggled, frantically trying to wriggle away, but she couldn't breathe.
As Laurie felt herself growing weaker, she heard the sound of fighting then a shot. The pressure on her face was gone. She sensed air on her face, then opening her eyes, saw Rick looking down at her.
She closed her eyes, thinking it was a hallucination, then heard the sound of his voice, raspy but clear. "Laurie, sweetheart, breathe for me, open your eyes." Laurie reached up her arms and felt him pick her up. Dizzy, she tried to focus, "Rick, darling, thank God, you're awake!", she gasped. Suddenly A.J. and Robbie were there, helping Rick lift her onto the bed and ripping the tape off her wrists. Rob started rubbing her arms, "Mom, it's ok, Rudy's here." The doctor put an oxygen mask over her face, and after several deep breaths, she motioned through the mask, "I'm all right." Her son hugged her, then tearfully embraced Rick, "Pop, I was scared I was going to lose you!" His father smiled weakly at him, then putting a hand on Rob's shoulder, replied, "Not on your life, we got too much work to do together." Glancing at the body of the killer, sprawled where his son had gunned him down, he added, "Good shot, Rob, he'll never hurt your mother or anyone again!"
Rick looked at Laurie, then pulled her close to him. "Darlin', how do you feel?", he asked, rubbing her back. She gazed at him, then brought her hand to his cheek, "I'm fine, just dazed. Rick, you saved me, you woke up and stopped him. I thought Herman was dead, how did he get here?"
"He was let out of prison, thanks to being a government snitch", Oscar said, standing in the doorway. He looked down at the dead killer, then stared at Rick and gave a relieved grin. Coming to his friend, Oscar embraced him, then took Laurie in his arms and held her tightly. "Honey, I'm so sorry, I didn't know that monster was still alive. I just got a message from the Secretary, he thought I should know that Herman Johnson was let out of prison last year after serving 27 years for the murder of your stepmother and the suspected murder of your father. I couldn't believe it, thank God Rob took care of him."
Laurie smiled up at her uncle, "It's not your fault, Oscar, you would have told us and stopped him if you had known." Looking at Rick, he added, "your mom is the one who recognized him, she told me her attacker looked familiar and then when I got off the phone with the Bureau, it came to her. In fact, she and your daughter should be here in a moment."
"Rick?, oh honey!", Cecilia and Robin appeared behind Oscar, Laurie moved to Rick's side as his mother rushed in and hugged him, crying. "Mom, it's ok, I'm not going anywhere!". Rick choked, overwhelmed. Robin hugged her mom, "I was scared when I heard the shot, did he hurt you?" Laurie nodded, then told her daughter, "It's all right, your father got him off me, and Robbie made sure he'll never come after any of us again." Robin shuddered as she glanced over at the sheet draped body on the floor, then put her head on her father's shoulder. "I hope I never see anything like that, I'd be sick." Rick kissed her, then looked at his wife, worry in his eyes. Laurie tried to get to her feet, saying, "I want to see that murderer one more time, just to make sure that he's gone."
At once she felt Rick pull her back, then gently turn her to face him. "No, sweetheart, I don't want you to look. He tried to take you from me again, and I won't have you get nightmares from what he did to you, ever." Laurie started to protest, then stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "Yes, Rick, ", she answered quietly, then settled into his arms as he held her close to him. Over her head his eyes met Oscar's, a silent thanks passing between them.
Rudy beamed as he patted Rick's shoulder, "I told you he'd wake up, now I want everyone to go get some rest while I take a look at him." The doctor glanced at Laurie, who was rubbing her head. "Honey, I need to examine you too, where does it hurt?" She gave him a faint smile, "Don't worry about me, my face hurts, and I banged my head, that's all." Cecilia took one look at her, then cupped her hands around Laurie's face. "Sweetie, don't argue with Rudy, I don't know what that jerk did to you, but you're all bruised." Taking her by the arm, her mom made her sit down while A.J. Rob and Oscar went to fill out the report on the shooting.
Robin helped Rudy by holding his instruments while he checked Rick's stitches, then looked in his eyes and listened to his heart. Finally letting Rick climb back into his bed, the doctor grinned, "I wish all my patients healed as well, if you play your cards right, I might let you go home tomorrow!" Rick winked at him, then watching Rudy move to his wife, paled as he saw her wince as as their friend gently probed her swollen face. Not able to take it any more,he got out of bed and took Laurie's hand as Rudy cleaned and bandaged a laceration on the back of her head. "Sweetheart, how did you get that bump", he asked. She looked away, not wanting him to see the pain in her eyes. "That murderer threw me on the floor, I guess that's when I hit my head, then ." She closed her eyes, then felt Rick's arms around her, comforting her. Taking a deep breath, her husband finished the sentence, "That's when he tried to smother you, I heard you call for Rob and A.J., then Johnson laughing. I managed to open my eyes, then I saw him standing over you. Somehow I was able to swing and connect with a punch, that's when Robbie came thru the door and shot him. I barely had enough strength to pull you up off the floor," Rick added, angry that he couldn't do more.
Laurie opened her eyes, then turned to see Rick's upset face. "Darling, you had the strength to save me, that's what matters. You came back to us, I can put up with anything as long as you're here with me." "She's right, son," Rudy put a hand on his friend and pushed him back into bed. "I can't explain how you were able to come to just when you were needed, and it'll take awhile for you to feel like yourself again, but two you beat the odds today!"
"Now, honey," he turned to Laurie. " I need you to take it easy and get some rest, I don't think you have a concussion, but that swelling's only going to come down with an ice pack." Laurie sighed, then let Robin help her stand. She gazed at Rick, how she wanted to stay with him, but he needed quiet, what if she had a nightmare or something.
Looking at his wife, Rick decided he didn't like sleeping alone, then he held out his hand to Laurie, "come here, darlin'" She climbed up on to the bed next to him, as he told Rudy, "I don't think the hospital will mind us sleeping together for one night, do you, Rudy?" The doctor laughed, "I think they'll put up with it, come on, Robin, say good night to your folks, I'll buy you a cup of coffee." Robin put her arms around her parents and they gratefully hugged her. "Tell your brother to get some rest, too, darling, I'm proud of both of you looking after us." Laurie said.
Rudy finally left them, first making Laurie promise to keep an ice mask on her face and a pack on the back of her head. The two Simons lay there, holding each other, then Rick asked his wife, "Sweetheart, what story were you telling me about your Grandmother and the wild turkeys near Lost Valley?"
She smiled at him in the dark, "A.J. said you could hear me; now I know you're all right. Grandmother left some handwritten notes about the first couple of years she was working for Gene Adams. It was her second Thanksgiving in town and I guess their first disagreement." As he relaxed, Laurie told Rick the story of her grandparents finding out the depth of their feelings for each other. Suddenly she heard the sound of snoring next to her, so she kissed her husband and dozed off. Just then Rob and Robin opened the door to check on them.
"Talk about lucky, Rob, I still don't know how this door got unlocked when you and Uncle A.J. couldn't open it?" she whispered to him, glancing at her mother and father. Rob shook his head; "I can't figure it out, either, anymore then the other miracles that happened today. All I can say is, they get into too much trouble without us here!"
Suddenly Rick's voice interrupted him, "I'll give you trouble if you two don't get some rest, good night!"
Hastily their children closed the door, not before they heard their mother giggling. Rolling her eyes, Robin sighed, "Ok, Rob, they're fine!"
"Rick, I'm listening, do you know who hit you, can you tell us his name?" Laurie leaned over, only to see a panicked expression on his face. "It's all right, darling, it can wait," she took his hand and sat back down, watching him relax. Oscar put a hand on her shoulder, "It's ok, he'll tell when he can who did this. Honey, as soon as A.J. comes back in, I want you to lay down, at least for an hour. You won't be any good to Rick if you're sick." She sighed, "Ok, I promise to rest as soon as Mom comes back in, ok?"
"I'll hold you to that, missy!", Rudy added, then gestured for Oscar to join him outside the room. Turning back to Rick, Laurie smiled, saying, "They've been so good, Rick, I really don't know where we'd be without Rudy and Oscar." She continued talking to him, looking for another sign of Rick's trying to wake up. A.J. came in, razzing "Hey, big brother, time for you to wake up. Mom'll be in in a while, she wanted to freshen up first. You're not giving Laurie any trouble, are you?" Laurie was holding his hand as he said this, she felt a gentle squeeze on her fingers.
"A.J., he just squeezed my fingers, he is starting to react to us!" A.J. looked at his watch, "I'm going to see where Rudy is, I think Rick is coming to. Buzz if anything changes." She gazed down at him, "Darling, I need you to wake up. I'm not going to leave this room without you opening your eyes again. You know I'm just as stubborn as you are, so I can be patient if I have to." Kissing his cheek, she saw his forehead wrinkle, his lids flutter, and she looked up at the. younger Simon excitedly. "He reacted to me, A.J., did you see that! When Rudy comes in, we have to tell him!"
A.J. turned back to his brother, and said "Ok, big brother, don't make a liar out of us, give us a smile!" Staring at Rick, Laurie saw his mouth twitch, then the corners turned up. "A.J., hurry, see where Rudy is!"
He nodded, then ran out the door. She sat back down, then put her hand on his forehead, gently brushing A few wisps of hair off his forehead. Abruptly, Laurie got that same cold sensation again, as if something was wrong. She got up from her chair, and went to the restroom, splashing some cold water on her face. As she came back in to the room, she heard voices outside, then running footsteps. Going around the side of the bed, she looked down at Rick, and told him, 'I wish A.J. would hurry, I hope nothing's wrong with Mom." Concentrating on her husband, she didn't hear the closet door open behind her, nor the shadow that crossed to the entrance.
Hearing the door click behind her, Laurie didn't bother to turn around as she said, "A.J., did you find Rudy?" A eerily familiar voice answered, "No, Laurie, and in a few minutes, you won't care." She turned, then froze, looking at a ghost from their past. "You! Oh, no! It can't be you, you're dead!"
"Yes, it's me, the last face you'll ever see if you make one sound.", the wiry man threatened, coming out of the shadows to reveal himself. Laurie was speechless, her stepfather, Herman Johnson stood in front of her. It was a nightmare, the same face that had terrorized her and caused her to flee her home so many years ago.
She found her voice then started to scream, "A.J.!.", only to have him leap forward and force his hand against her mouth, shoving a gun in her stomach at the same time. "I said one sound, now I'm going to make sure that's all you do!", he grated.
Terrified, she stood motionless, staring at Rick as her assailant slapped a piece of tape over her mouth, then bound her wrists together. He pushed her onto the floor as he grinned and turned toward her husband, sticking his weapon in the waistband of his pants. "Now I'm going to finish what I started, your foolish husband here will peacefully pass away and his grieving wife will take a swan dive over the balcony in grief!"
Desperate, Laurie managed to lunge at him, pushing him away from Rick to the floor, then managed to rip the tape off her mouth and yell, "Robbie, A.J.! " She dodged the older man as he moved toward her, laughing and trying to grab her. Hearing pounding at the door, she dove to turn the latch, only to have Johnson trip her, then picking up the pillow, knock her down and put it over her face. She struggled, frantically trying to wriggle away, but she couldn't breathe.
As Laurie felt herself growing weaker, she heard the sound of fighting then a shot. The pressure on her face was gone. She sensed air on her face, then opening her eyes, saw Rick looking down at her.
She closed her eyes, thinking it was a hallucination, then heard the sound of his voice, raspy but clear. "Laurie, sweetheart, breathe for me, open your eyes." Laurie reached up her arms and felt him pick her up. Dizzy, she tried to focus, "Rick, darling, thank God, you're awake!", she gasped. Suddenly A.J. and Robbie were there, helping Rick lift her onto the bed and ripping the tape off her wrists. Rob started rubbing her arms, "Mom, it's ok, Rudy's here." The doctor put an oxygen mask over her face, and after several deep breaths, she motioned through the mask, "I'm all right." Her son hugged her, then tearfully embraced Rick, "Pop, I was scared I was going to lose you!" His father smiled weakly at him, then putting a hand on Rob's shoulder, replied, "Not on your life, we got too much work to do together." Glancing at the body of the killer, sprawled where his son had gunned him down, he added, "Good shot, Rob, he'll never hurt your mother or anyone again!"
Rick looked at Laurie, then pulled her close to him. "Darlin', how do you feel?", he asked, rubbing her back. She gazed at him, then brought her hand to his cheek, "I'm fine, just dazed. Rick, you saved me, you woke up and stopped him. I thought Herman was dead, how did he get here?"
"He was let out of prison, thanks to being a government snitch", Oscar said, standing in the doorway. He looked down at the dead killer, then stared at Rick and gave a relieved grin. Coming to his friend, Oscar embraced him, then took Laurie in his arms and held her tightly. "Honey, I'm so sorry, I didn't know that monster was still alive. I just got a message from the Secretary, he thought I should know that Herman Johnson was let out of prison last year after serving 27 years for the murder of your stepmother and the suspected murder of your father. I couldn't believe it, thank God Rob took care of him."
Laurie smiled up at her uncle, "It's not your fault, Oscar, you would have told us and stopped him if you had known." Looking at Rick, he added, "your mom is the one who recognized him, she told me her attacker looked familiar and then when I got off the phone with the Bureau, it came to her. In fact, she and your daughter should be here in a moment."
"Rick?, oh honey!", Cecilia and Robin appeared behind Oscar, Laurie moved to Rick's side as his mother rushed in and hugged him, crying. "Mom, it's ok, I'm not going anywhere!". Rick choked, overwhelmed. Robin hugged her mom, "I was scared when I heard the shot, did he hurt you?" Laurie nodded, then told her daughter, "It's all right, your father got him off me, and Robbie made sure he'll never come after any of us again." Robin shuddered as she glanced over at the sheet draped body on the floor, then put her head on her father's shoulder. "I hope I never see anything like that, I'd be sick." Rick kissed her, then looked at his wife, worry in his eyes. Laurie tried to get to her feet, saying, "I want to see that murderer one more time, just to make sure that he's gone."
At once she felt Rick pull her back, then gently turn her to face him. "No, sweetheart, I don't want you to look. He tried to take you from me again, and I won't have you get nightmares from what he did to you, ever." Laurie started to protest, then stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "Yes, Rick, ", she answered quietly, then settled into his arms as he held her close to him. Over her head his eyes met Oscar's, a silent thanks passing between them.
Rudy beamed as he patted Rick's shoulder, "I told you he'd wake up, now I want everyone to go get some rest while I take a look at him." The doctor glanced at Laurie, who was rubbing her head. "Honey, I need to examine you too, where does it hurt?" She gave him a faint smile, "Don't worry about me, my face hurts, and I banged my head, that's all." Cecilia took one look at her, then cupped her hands around Laurie's face. "Sweetie, don't argue with Rudy, I don't know what that jerk did to you, but you're all bruised." Taking her by the arm, her mom made her sit down while A.J. Rob and Oscar went to fill out the report on the shooting.
Robin helped Rudy by holding his instruments while he checked Rick's stitches, then looked in his eyes and listened to his heart. Finally letting Rick climb back into his bed, the doctor grinned, "I wish all my patients healed as well, if you play your cards right, I might let you go home tomorrow!" Rick winked at him, then watching Rudy move to his wife, paled as he saw her wince as as their friend gently probed her swollen face. Not able to take it any more,he got out of bed and took Laurie's hand as Rudy cleaned and bandaged a laceration on the back of her head. "Sweetheart, how did you get that bump", he asked. She looked away, not wanting him to see the pain in her eyes. "That murderer threw me on the floor, I guess that's when I hit my head, then ." She closed her eyes, then felt Rick's arms around her, comforting her. Taking a deep breath, her husband finished the sentence, "That's when he tried to smother you, I heard you call for Rob and A.J., then Johnson laughing. I managed to open my eyes, then I saw him standing over you. Somehow I was able to swing and connect with a punch, that's when Robbie came thru the door and shot him. I barely had enough strength to pull you up off the floor," Rick added, angry that he couldn't do more.
Laurie opened her eyes, then turned to see Rick's upset face. "Darling, you had the strength to save me, that's what matters. You came back to us, I can put up with anything as long as you're here with me." "She's right, son," Rudy put a hand on his friend and pushed him back into bed. "I can't explain how you were able to come to just when you were needed, and it'll take awhile for you to feel like yourself again, but two you beat the odds today!"
"Now, honey," he turned to Laurie. " I need you to take it easy and get some rest, I don't think you have a concussion, but that swelling's only going to come down with an ice pack." Laurie sighed, then let Robin help her stand. She gazed at Rick, how she wanted to stay with him, but he needed quiet, what if she had a nightmare or something.
Looking at his wife, Rick decided he didn't like sleeping alone, then he held out his hand to Laurie, "come here, darlin'" She climbed up on to the bed next to him, as he told Rudy, "I don't think the hospital will mind us sleeping together for one night, do you, Rudy?" The doctor laughed, "I think they'll put up with it, come on, Robin, say good night to your folks, I'll buy you a cup of coffee." Robin put her arms around her parents and they gratefully hugged her. "Tell your brother to get some rest, too, darling, I'm proud of both of you looking after us." Laurie said.
Rudy finally left them, first making Laurie promise to keep an ice mask on her face and a pack on the back of her head. The two Simons lay there, holding each other, then Rick asked his wife, "Sweetheart, what story were you telling me about your Grandmother and the wild turkeys near Lost Valley?"
She smiled at him in the dark, "A.J. said you could hear me; now I know you're all right. Grandmother left some handwritten notes about the first couple of years she was working for Gene Adams. It was her second Thanksgiving in town and I guess their first disagreement." As he relaxed, Laurie told Rick the story of her grandparents finding out the depth of their feelings for each other. Suddenly she heard the sound of snoring next to her, so she kissed her husband and dozed off. Just then Rob and Robin opened the door to check on them.
"Talk about lucky, Rob, I still don't know how this door got unlocked when you and Uncle A.J. couldn't open it?" she whispered to him, glancing at her mother and father. Rob shook his head; "I can't figure it out, either, anymore then the other miracles that happened today. All I can say is, they get into too much trouble without us here!"
Suddenly Rick's voice interrupted him, "I'll give you trouble if you two don't get some rest, good night!"
Hastily their children closed the door, not before they heard their mother giggling. Rolling her eyes, Robin sighed, "Ok, Rob, they're fine!"
