Elmer quietly slipped out of the sleep lab even before Chris told what
she had found in Lona's e-mail. What Dr. Havens had said about Lona
looking pale had really bothered him. Okay, she had been fine when he had
left her the night before but what if something had happened after, what if
she had gotten sick? He shook his head slowly as he thought of it, trying
to recall any pertinent details. Maybe Lona had dropped by the cafeteria
or something? Everyone knew that the food in that place was enough to give
people food poisoning at times. It was the place that had listed ptomaine
soup on the menu, after all. Lona could be lying at home sick right now
and in need of attention. Or at least someone to tell Dr. James that she
hadn't quit and he could just hold off on filling her job.
Elmer was in a kind of a daze the entire time he was driving to Lona's house. She had to be there, she had to be there. He kept telling himself.
Her being sick made perfect sense, didn't it? And that resignation letter could have been some sort of stupid joke by someone who seriously needed to get their head examined. Maybe Brenda? She was going out with Stegman,
after all, and if that wasn't a sign that she was insane, Elmer didn't know what was.
"Lona?" Elmer called as he knocked on her door a little while later.
As he knocked, he leaned over to try to peer into the closest window.
Okay, if Lona caught him doing that, she would likely call the cops on him and report him to his father as definitely mentally deranged but concern for her led him to risk it. What if she was really sick and couldn't get to the door or something?
Several minutes later when Lona still wasn't answering his knocks,
Elmer was starting to get really concerned. Okay, he supposed that maybe if Lona was sick, she might not want to deal with him or something but couldn't she just come to the door for a minute? Or maybe call through the door and tell him to go away. He could do that if she wanted, would do anything as long as he knew that she was alright.
"Lona?" he called as he knocked once more. "Listen, I'm really not here to bother you, okay? It's just we're kind of worried since you didn't show up at the hospital for work today and Dr. James found this stupid thing on his desk. Please, won't you just come to the door for a minute?
I'll go away as soon as you do! Lona?"
Okay, Elmer knew that he should go back to the hospital, get Hook or his dad over here to check things out. Lona would likely be more willing to open the door for one of them than for him, after all. He couldn't bring himself to go to his car and drive away though. What if she was really sick and needed help? He started to walk around the house, looking for a way in.
A few minutes later, he had finally managed to pry a window open.
"Lona?" He called again as he pulled himself up and through the window.
He really, really hoped that her neighbors weren't the busybody type. All he needed was for the police to come. Of course, if she was really sick then maybe some help would be a good idea?
"Lona? Where are you?" he called as he started to look through the house. Oh, if she wasn't sick, she was going to kill him for this but at the moment, he didn't really care. Something was going on here with the note and Lona not showing up.
"Lona?" All of her things were there. Well, he thought they were anyway. Not like he had ever been invited to her house but it looked to him like all of the tastefully arranged furniture and items were where he thought they should be. He wouldn't let himself take the time to check things out even more though. He had to find Lona. His worry was increasing with every moment that passed without her storming out and telling him to get out of her house. What if she was really sick, what if she was....
He pushed that thought away as he opened the bedroom door. It was obvious right away that Lona wasn't there. The bed was still perfectly made, like it hadn't even been slept in the night before. But if Lona hadn't slept there then where in the world was she?
Elmer quickly checked the rest of the house, even going down to the basement and poking his head up into the crawl space that made up the attic. No Lona. He slumped down onto her smoothly made bed, knowing he was wrinkling it and she would be upset when she came home but he didn't care. Where was she? He reached out, picking up the bathrobe laying on the edge of the bed and held it to his face. He could still smell her scent.
Suddenly Elmer heard a key turning in the front lock. He jumped up,
not noticing that he was still holding onto the robe as he hurried into the hallway. "Lona?" he called anxiously. He wouldn't care how much she yelled at him, would make himself not care if it turned out that she had been out with another man, just so long as she was okay.
"Elmer, what are you doing in here?!" Louis demanded as soon as he caught sight of his son. Okay, Elmer's behavior was definitely going beyond what was acceptable, way beyond it. Maybe Lona had really left to get away from it, to finally get some peace.
"I imagine he's doing what we're doing." Hook said in a tone that he hoped would calm Louis down a bit. "Elmer, did you find anything? How long have you been here?"
"Awhile. I thought Lona might be sick or something." Elmer said,
barely able to keep from sobbing. Where was she? "All of her stuff is here. Where is she? She wouldn't have left without her things!" Surely he hadn't bothered her that much, that she would flee without even packing just to get away from him.
"I don't know where she is, Elmer, but we're going to find her. She couldn't have just vanished into thin air." Hook said quietly, patting Elmer on the shoulder as he spoke. It was obvious that the younger doctor was about to fall totally apart. Come on. We'll go over things again, see if there might be any sort of clue. Four pairs of eyes are better than one."
Elmer was in a kind of a daze the entire time he was driving to Lona's house. She had to be there, she had to be there. He kept telling himself.
Her being sick made perfect sense, didn't it? And that resignation letter could have been some sort of stupid joke by someone who seriously needed to get their head examined. Maybe Brenda? She was going out with Stegman,
after all, and if that wasn't a sign that she was insane, Elmer didn't know what was.
"Lona?" Elmer called as he knocked on her door a little while later.
As he knocked, he leaned over to try to peer into the closest window.
Okay, if Lona caught him doing that, she would likely call the cops on him and report him to his father as definitely mentally deranged but concern for her led him to risk it. What if she was really sick and couldn't get to the door or something?
Several minutes later when Lona still wasn't answering his knocks,
Elmer was starting to get really concerned. Okay, he supposed that maybe if Lona was sick, she might not want to deal with him or something but couldn't she just come to the door for a minute? Or maybe call through the door and tell him to go away. He could do that if she wanted, would do anything as long as he knew that she was alright.
"Lona?" he called as he knocked once more. "Listen, I'm really not here to bother you, okay? It's just we're kind of worried since you didn't show up at the hospital for work today and Dr. James found this stupid thing on his desk. Please, won't you just come to the door for a minute?
I'll go away as soon as you do! Lona?"
Okay, Elmer knew that he should go back to the hospital, get Hook or his dad over here to check things out. Lona would likely be more willing to open the door for one of them than for him, after all. He couldn't bring himself to go to his car and drive away though. What if she was really sick and needed help? He started to walk around the house, looking for a way in.
A few minutes later, he had finally managed to pry a window open.
"Lona?" He called again as he pulled himself up and through the window.
He really, really hoped that her neighbors weren't the busybody type. All he needed was for the police to come. Of course, if she was really sick then maybe some help would be a good idea?
"Lona? Where are you?" he called as he started to look through the house. Oh, if she wasn't sick, she was going to kill him for this but at the moment, he didn't really care. Something was going on here with the note and Lona not showing up.
"Lona?" All of her things were there. Well, he thought they were anyway. Not like he had ever been invited to her house but it looked to him like all of the tastefully arranged furniture and items were where he thought they should be. He wouldn't let himself take the time to check things out even more though. He had to find Lona. His worry was increasing with every moment that passed without her storming out and telling him to get out of her house. What if she was really sick, what if she was....
He pushed that thought away as he opened the bedroom door. It was obvious right away that Lona wasn't there. The bed was still perfectly made, like it hadn't even been slept in the night before. But if Lona hadn't slept there then where in the world was she?
Elmer quickly checked the rest of the house, even going down to the basement and poking his head up into the crawl space that made up the attic. No Lona. He slumped down onto her smoothly made bed, knowing he was wrinkling it and she would be upset when she came home but he didn't care. Where was she? He reached out, picking up the bathrobe laying on the edge of the bed and held it to his face. He could still smell her scent.
Suddenly Elmer heard a key turning in the front lock. He jumped up,
not noticing that he was still holding onto the robe as he hurried into the hallway. "Lona?" he called anxiously. He wouldn't care how much she yelled at him, would make himself not care if it turned out that she had been out with another man, just so long as she was okay.
"Elmer, what are you doing in here?!" Louis demanded as soon as he caught sight of his son. Okay, Elmer's behavior was definitely going beyond what was acceptable, way beyond it. Maybe Lona had really left to get away from it, to finally get some peace.
"I imagine he's doing what we're doing." Hook said in a tone that he hoped would calm Louis down a bit. "Elmer, did you find anything? How long have you been here?"
"Awhile. I thought Lona might be sick or something." Elmer said,
barely able to keep from sobbing. Where was she? "All of her stuff is here. Where is she? She wouldn't have left without her things!" Surely he hadn't bothered her that much, that she would flee without even packing just to get away from him.
"I don't know where she is, Elmer, but we're going to find her. She couldn't have just vanished into thin air." Hook said quietly, patting Elmer on the shoulder as he spoke. It was obvious that the younger doctor was about to fall totally apart. Come on. We'll go over things again, see if there might be any sort of clue. Four pairs of eyes are better than one."