Chapter 2
Rick gasped; it felt like he'd been kicked in the midsection. "How did it happen? How bad is he?" Rudy and Oscar got a look at his face and immediately rushed up.
"He's unconscious, I don't know all the specifics, but he was attacked by the robber he helped bust, and hit with a baseball bat." he replied. Glancing around, he asked, "Where's Laurie, is she here?"
"No, she went home to start preparing for Robin's party; let me get everyone over to the hospital and I'll call her, she should be at the ranch by now." he answered.
"You call her, Rick, I'll go get her, she's shouldn't be driving with that kind of news." Oscar interrupted.
Gratefully the older Simon accepted his help, then taking a deep breath, gathered the others and told them what had happened to his son.
Robin managed to stay calm and volunteered to take Linda and Ricky home, as A.J. decided to drive Cecilia and Chief Joseph.
"Mr. Simon, let me go with Robin and take Mrs. Simon home, someone should also call Ramona, I think she was going to meet us at the ranch." Ian added.
"Good thinking, son, we'll meet up at the hospital.", Rick nodded. As a somewhat subdued procession of cars peeled out of the parking lot, Rick couldn't help but worry about his wife. Putting his transmitter on, he called to Laurie, then heard her surprised voice. "Rick, is everything all right, I just made it in, I had a flat." "Darlin', are you ok?" he asked in a nervous voice.
"Yes, my love, it only happened a mile from here, I went ahead and drove home and I don't think it did any damage to the rim." Relieved, he exhaled, then told her, "Laurie, Oscar's on his way to pick you up, Robbie's in the hospital, he's been hurt."
He listened to her sharp intake of breath, "Rick, is he ok, what happened?"
"Sweetheart, we don't know much yet, Captain Ron caught up with us just as we were about to leave. He was injured by the crook he was helping catch. Rudy and I are on our way now but Oscar's going to drive you to the hospital. I'll call you when I know more, ok?" he answered, hoping he'd have good news.
"Yes, darling, I'll turn off the grill and put Mike in the house. Is Robin all right?" she worried.
"She's fine, Laurie, she's taking Linda and Ricky home, then she and Ian are going to call Ramona." he explained turning into the emergency room parking lot.
"I'm dropping Rudy off and parking now, sweetheart, I'll see you when you get here." he said, pulling to the curb.
"I love you, Rick, I'll be fine, just take care of our son, please." she replied, trying to be calm.
"I love you, too, you and Oscar be careful." he added.
Ending his transmission, he stared for a moment at his watch, Please, God, let his son be all right. He managed to get his emotions in check, then got out of his truck and rushed into the emergency room.
As soon as Rick entered the waiting area, Captain Ron met him. "Rick, I just heard from Oscar, he's at the ranch and he and Laurie should be here in 20 minutes."
"Thanks," the older Simon said, gratefully. Looking at the notes in his friend's hand, he asked straight out, "What happened, Ron, who did this to my son?"
"A nasty piece of work named Leyland Solomon, he's got a record stretching ten years plus. Captain Turner had him under arrest, and Robbie was examining some of the art works he had on him when he somehow got his hands on a baseball bat and hit Robbie in the back and arm. Fortunately Solomon was shot by another officer before he could kill him, but Robbie lapsed into unconciousness before the paramedics got there." he explained.
Rick let out a long breath. "Ron, something doesn't sound right, my son's never been one to turn his back on a suspect, he's been afraid to do so since that Johnson case. I know Turner, why would an unrestrained suspect be left with a weapon?"
"I don't know, Turner just gave me the basics. ", he answered. "Don't say it, Rick, I can just hear your wife now. I'll find out the truth from Turner, and I'll see if I can find out what condition Solomon is in! In the meantime, Dr. Clarke took Rudy to where they're working on Robbie, why don't you wait here for Laurie and Oscar."
As Rick sat down, he saw a young man in a suit enter the waiting area, then looking around, abruptly come toward him. "Mr. Simon, it's Andrew Bear, you remember me, don't you?"
He nodded, "yes, Andy, isn't it? You're a friend of Robbie's from school."
"Yes, sir, I 'm the curator now at the Town Gallery. Rob was helping catalog some recovered items from a robber when he was hurt. I, I came to see if he was all right," he replied.
"Did you talk to the police, see what happened, Andy?" Rick asked anxiously. "Yes, Mr. Simon, Rob was going through the paintings, then that robber grabbed a bat, I guess he had used it to break in and he hit Rob on the back. I yelled for the policeman who was with Rob, and then the guy hit Rob again then started toward me, but he got shot. I called for the paramedics right away; I hope he's going to be ok. I could have been the one laying in there instead of him."
Just then Rick felt Laurie's thoughts, and he tried to reassure her. A minute later she burst through the sliding doors, then was in his arms. "Rick, is Robbie all right, have you seen him?" she said, as he held her close.
"I haven't seen him yet, darlin', Rudy's in with him now. He'll be all right, Rudy'll bring him through." he told her. Looking at his face, she nodded reassuringly, "I know, Rick, our son's going to be fine. " Holding on to his hand, she turned, then saw her son's friend. "Andy, it's Andy Bear, isn't it?"
He smiled shyly; Rick saw how pleased he was to be recognized. "Yes, Mrs. Simon, I was just telling Mr. Simon what happened."
Just then Oscar came in, followed by A.J., Cecilia and the Chief.
After Rick introduced the curator to his family, Rudy came into the waiting area.
"Rick, Laurie, Robbie's going to be all right. He's got a badly bruised left arm, it'll be a couple of weeks before it's healed. The blow he took to the back is more severe; I need to talk to you about it, then you can see him."
"Sure, Rudy, thanks." Laurie turned and asked Cecilia, "Mom, could you call Robin and Linda and let them know?" "Of course, you go along and I'll tell them." she assured her daughter-in-law.
Following their friend down the hall, Rick felt Laurie slip her hand into his, then they went into Dr. Clarke's office. Once they were seated, Rudy closed the door, then somberly told them, "I need to let you know that Robbie is still unconscious, we think the blow to his back caused a shock to his nervous system. He should be coming around very soon. There is a problem with his legs, though. His spinal cord was badly bruised, and as a result he's paralyzed from the waist down."
Rick gasped; it felt like he'd been kicked in the midsection. "How did it happen? How bad is he?" Rudy and Oscar got a look at his face and immediately rushed up.
"He's unconscious, I don't know all the specifics, but he was attacked by the robber he helped bust, and hit with a baseball bat." he replied. Glancing around, he asked, "Where's Laurie, is she here?"
"No, she went home to start preparing for Robin's party; let me get everyone over to the hospital and I'll call her, she should be at the ranch by now." he answered.
"You call her, Rick, I'll go get her, she's shouldn't be driving with that kind of news." Oscar interrupted.
Gratefully the older Simon accepted his help, then taking a deep breath, gathered the others and told them what had happened to his son.
Robin managed to stay calm and volunteered to take Linda and Ricky home, as A.J. decided to drive Cecilia and Chief Joseph.
"Mr. Simon, let me go with Robin and take Mrs. Simon home, someone should also call Ramona, I think she was going to meet us at the ranch." Ian added.
"Good thinking, son, we'll meet up at the hospital.", Rick nodded. As a somewhat subdued procession of cars peeled out of the parking lot, Rick couldn't help but worry about his wife. Putting his transmitter on, he called to Laurie, then heard her surprised voice. "Rick, is everything all right, I just made it in, I had a flat." "Darlin', are you ok?" he asked in a nervous voice.
"Yes, my love, it only happened a mile from here, I went ahead and drove home and I don't think it did any damage to the rim." Relieved, he exhaled, then told her, "Laurie, Oscar's on his way to pick you up, Robbie's in the hospital, he's been hurt."
He listened to her sharp intake of breath, "Rick, is he ok, what happened?"
"Sweetheart, we don't know much yet, Captain Ron caught up with us just as we were about to leave. He was injured by the crook he was helping catch. Rudy and I are on our way now but Oscar's going to drive you to the hospital. I'll call you when I know more, ok?" he answered, hoping he'd have good news.
"Yes, darling, I'll turn off the grill and put Mike in the house. Is Robin all right?" she worried.
"She's fine, Laurie, she's taking Linda and Ricky home, then she and Ian are going to call Ramona." he explained turning into the emergency room parking lot.
"I'm dropping Rudy off and parking now, sweetheart, I'll see you when you get here." he said, pulling to the curb.
"I love you, Rick, I'll be fine, just take care of our son, please." she replied, trying to be calm.
"I love you, too, you and Oscar be careful." he added.
Ending his transmission, he stared for a moment at his watch, Please, God, let his son be all right. He managed to get his emotions in check, then got out of his truck and rushed into the emergency room.
As soon as Rick entered the waiting area, Captain Ron met him. "Rick, I just heard from Oscar, he's at the ranch and he and Laurie should be here in 20 minutes."
"Thanks," the older Simon said, gratefully. Looking at the notes in his friend's hand, he asked straight out, "What happened, Ron, who did this to my son?"
"A nasty piece of work named Leyland Solomon, he's got a record stretching ten years plus. Captain Turner had him under arrest, and Robbie was examining some of the art works he had on him when he somehow got his hands on a baseball bat and hit Robbie in the back and arm. Fortunately Solomon was shot by another officer before he could kill him, but Robbie lapsed into unconciousness before the paramedics got there." he explained.
Rick let out a long breath. "Ron, something doesn't sound right, my son's never been one to turn his back on a suspect, he's been afraid to do so since that Johnson case. I know Turner, why would an unrestrained suspect be left with a weapon?"
"I don't know, Turner just gave me the basics. ", he answered. "Don't say it, Rick, I can just hear your wife now. I'll find out the truth from Turner, and I'll see if I can find out what condition Solomon is in! In the meantime, Dr. Clarke took Rudy to where they're working on Robbie, why don't you wait here for Laurie and Oscar."
As Rick sat down, he saw a young man in a suit enter the waiting area, then looking around, abruptly come toward him. "Mr. Simon, it's Andrew Bear, you remember me, don't you?"
He nodded, "yes, Andy, isn't it? You're a friend of Robbie's from school."
"Yes, sir, I 'm the curator now at the Town Gallery. Rob was helping catalog some recovered items from a robber when he was hurt. I, I came to see if he was all right," he replied.
"Did you talk to the police, see what happened, Andy?" Rick asked anxiously. "Yes, Mr. Simon, Rob was going through the paintings, then that robber grabbed a bat, I guess he had used it to break in and he hit Rob on the back. I yelled for the policeman who was with Rob, and then the guy hit Rob again then started toward me, but he got shot. I called for the paramedics right away; I hope he's going to be ok. I could have been the one laying in there instead of him."
Just then Rick felt Laurie's thoughts, and he tried to reassure her. A minute later she burst through the sliding doors, then was in his arms. "Rick, is Robbie all right, have you seen him?" she said, as he held her close.
"I haven't seen him yet, darlin', Rudy's in with him now. He'll be all right, Rudy'll bring him through." he told her. Looking at his face, she nodded reassuringly, "I know, Rick, our son's going to be fine. " Holding on to his hand, she turned, then saw her son's friend. "Andy, it's Andy Bear, isn't it?"
He smiled shyly; Rick saw how pleased he was to be recognized. "Yes, Mrs. Simon, I was just telling Mr. Simon what happened."
Just then Oscar came in, followed by A.J., Cecilia and the Chief.
After Rick introduced the curator to his family, Rudy came into the waiting area.
"Rick, Laurie, Robbie's going to be all right. He's got a badly bruised left arm, it'll be a couple of weeks before it's healed. The blow he took to the back is more severe; I need to talk to you about it, then you can see him."
"Sure, Rudy, thanks." Laurie turned and asked Cecilia, "Mom, could you call Robin and Linda and let them know?" "Of course, you go along and I'll tell them." she assured her daughter-in-law.
Following their friend down the hall, Rick felt Laurie slip her hand into his, then they went into Dr. Clarke's office. Once they were seated, Rudy closed the door, then somberly told them, "I need to let you know that Robbie is still unconscious, we think the blow to his back caused a shock to his nervous system. He should be coming around very soon. There is a problem with his legs, though. His spinal cord was badly bruised, and as a result he's paralyzed from the waist down."
