Chapter 10
The look of the two people standing at the nurse's desk was something that Mark had seen before. The fact that they were both staring at the door to his son's room only confirmed his worst fears. Then it came. A loud yelp was followed by some colorful verbs and even more colorful adjectives. "Who is he giving a hard time to now?" Mark clearly was frustrated by what he knew his son was capable of when he didn't get his own way.
"It's ok. He's not the one who's dishing it out this time. Mrs. Grant is in there with him. He's been in hell ever since." Jesse seemed quite unconcerned and highly amused at the situation.
Mark gave him a questioning glance. "Why is she in there? Did you contact her?"
"No. Beulah the charge nurse on the night shift did. She was furious with him. He kept buzzing up to the desk insisting that she call the house to check on you guys. I think she was pretty tired of him after about two AM. From what I heard out of the other nurses going off duty he's lucky they didn't restrain and gag him. Apparently he even tried to climb out of bed once. You would think eventually he'd learn." Jesse kept watching the door as if expecting Mrs. Grant to hurl her patient through it at any moment.
"Uh, Jesse. I thought you were going to sleep in there on a cot? You were supposed to help keep this from happening." Mark gave his friend one of those looks that fathers give while interrogating an errant child.
"Well…, uh I was waiting until he went to sleep and I worked on some charts and stuff and then it was so late. I went to sleep in there but I guess I just slept through the whole thing. I'm sorry. I was really tired." Not getting any sympathy from Mark, Jesse stalled out with, "I was up for hours."
The other observer who had been standing by listening to the exchange decided to wade in at this point.
"I did talk to the other nurses. Apparently, Steve seemed agitated and concerned about you and your guests. It was a hectic night and we didn't have the time to humor him as we usually try to do. Beulah decided to just call Mrs. Grant and let her deal with him. She's been here for almost an hour now. That's been going on ever since she arrived." Nancy Rush indicated the room with her head as another loud confrontation erupted from behind the closed door.
Just then, Mrs. Grant emerged looking as if she had come from a tea party. Unruffled and neat in her crisp white uniform she walked up to the desk and informed the small audience that her patient was now ready to receive visitors. With that she excused herself to the break room to sit and enjoy a nice cup of hot tea.
Mark stared at the room for a second not sure if he wanted to go in or not. He knew from past experience that his son was going to be in a foul mood and demanding to be allowed to go home without Mrs.Grant in tow. As he stood outside the door he tried to think of something to say to his fractious son that would convince him he wasn't ready to be dismissed. A small hand touched his arm and he turned his head to see Emma looking at him with a touch of concern on her face.
"Dr. Sloan, I can't believe that he is being as bad as you all say. He was a perfect angel the whole time he was stayin' with us."
At that point, Isaiah gave a little snort and then chuckled. It wasn't quite the way he remembered the short visit. He couldn't help but grin knowing that the strong willed young man had probably met his match with the no nonsense nurse that had just emerged from his room.
Mark smiled back at the old couple saying, "Steve has never been any good at being all that cooperative when he is in the hospital. He feels we are just being over protective and unreasonable about his taking it easy. I'm afraid Jesse nor I have ever convinced him that he needs to give his body time to heal from his injuries."
Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the door and put on his best smile. He eased it open and cheerfully greeted his son. "Good morning, Steve. I've brought you some visitors."
Quickly he moved inside and over so that Isaiah and Emma could follow in behind him. His hopes of their presence preventing any argument that might be forthcoming were dashed when, just as predicted, Steve started in with his desire to go home and leave his personal drill sergeant behind.
After a couple of minutes listening to Steve fuss and Mark trying to reason with him, Isaiah stepped up and in a loud voice simply said two words. "That's enough."
Everyone just stopped and stared at Isaiah with mouths open in mid argument. "Your daddy told you no. I reckon he'd know what's best fer ya'. All that carryin' on ain't doin' you no good. Now hush up and show some respect."
Steve was so shocked at the outburst that all he could do was sit and gape. Emma quietly leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek and began to question him about how he was feeling.
Steve managed to answer all their questions and get a few in of his own. With caution, he approached the subject again about when he might be able to go back to the beach house.
"If I promise to do everything you tell me will you please let me come home?" Steve hoped that his father would see how important it was to him to be there in order to keep an eye on his new friends.
"Steve, I just don't think you are ready for that. You haven't even been out in the hall to walk yet. I know you are anxious aboutyour friends, but they're fine and everything will be ok." Mark was almost pleading when he saw the expression on his son's face turn to frustration.
"I don't know why you're so worried about us. Seems to me the one we should be worryin' about is you. After all that big hole is in your shoulder not mine." Isaiah folded his arms across his chest and stared at Steve from the foot of his bed.
"What if they were aiming at you and hit me by mistake? They could be after you and Emma next. At least if I were there I could watch and maybe keep you safe." Steve knew he was loosing his battle to go home, but he was just stubborn enough to give it one last effort.
"I don't think they were aiming at Isaiah, Steve." Mark hadn't had a chance to explain about the gun that the police had found at their cabin.
Recognizing that look his father got when he was going to make his own conclusion about the situation Steve gave his full attention to Mark.
"One of the charges that they are wanting to bring against Isaiah is shooting you in the back." Mark got no further as Steve exploded verbally from his bed.
"You can't be serious. Isaiah didn't shoot me. Who said he did and why in the world would they think that?"
"Calm down, Son. They found the gun that was used on the kitchen table. Someone went to a lot of trouble to frame him for your shooting. My guess is that they thought Isaiah and Emma would try to get rid of your body. What they didn't count on is them getting you to a hospital as fast as they could. If you had been found dead and the gun in their position then it would have been a lot easier for Ashton to acquire that land. With the Tanners needing a lawyer and money for legal fees he could practically walked away with it." Mark placed a restraining hand on his son's shoulder when it seemed as if he might try to once again leave his bed.
"I need to talk with Burnside. He has to know that Isaiah didn't shoot me. I don't want another day to go by with that charge hanging over his head." Steve was adamant about this.
"This is just another reason why I should be home and not here. If Ashton's men don't try to kill them then the police are going to bring a bunch of useless charges against them and I need to be out of here to keep things straightened out." Steve's argument seemed to make sense to him but his father was not budging and neither was Jesse, he was sure.
"You're not going anywhere today so you might as well settle down. Isaiah and Emma are under protection and nothing is going to happen to either one of them. You just rest and stop worrying about how you're going to get out of here because you aren't until either I or Jesse decides you're ready to go home." Mark made his point by placing the rails up and pulling the covers back over his son.
"Ok. If I can't come home today then when can I come home?" Steve had calmed down but the determination was still evident in his voice.
"I swear you seem to have a one track mind don't you, Boy?" Isaiah didn't think he had ever seen anyone so stubborn in his life. "You're like a dog chewing on a bone. Once an idea gets into your head you don't let go of it."
"I don't want to be here. I could rest just as easily at home. In fact being there might even help me since I won't have to worry about you all the time. I could see for myself that you are fine. And…" this was Steve's ace, "I won't have to bother the nurses anymore."
He was feeling pretty proud of this last part when suddenly he heard her voice, and his whole plan seemed to plummet into a world of bedpans, tightly tucked sheets, and warm baths.
"I'm going to be here, Steven, so there won't be any reason for you to bother the nurses from now on. I'll be able to take care of any needs you might have." The smile that accompanied the sudden reappearance of Mrs.Grant was his undoing.
He had been beaten at his own game. Steve was sure if he had bothered the staff enough they would have paid his father and Jesse to take him home.
"At least be careful. Ashton knows by now that his little plan didn't work. He's not the type to give up. You both could still be in danger." Steve resigned himself to the fact that he was not going to go anywhere soon. In fact, now he had the feeling that he was going to be in need of protection himself.
"Wouldn't Ashton be a fool to order his henchmen to try and hurt Steve or Mr. and Mrs. Tanner now?" Jesse had spoken for the first time since entering the room.
"Yes, and he knows it as well. I think Ashton's just going to sit back and wait. I'm guessing he's still hoping that Isaiah and Emma will be forced to sell out in order to pay for their legal fees. All the man's got to do is just be patient and wait. He'll be expecting a jury will convict you for kidnapping Steve and holding up the bank." Mark hoped that what he had just said would give Steve a little peace of mind and maybe he would settle down and relax.
"I don't think a jury will convict them given all the evidence that would be brought out but like you just said, the legal fees could wipe them out." Jesse replied.
Mark turned to the older couple and smiled as he explained.
"It won't go to a jury if you two plead guilty. With Steve's testimony and refusal to press the kidnapping charges I think your chances of getting off fairly lightly are good. With no priors and the fact that you have never had any trouble with the law until now, I would wager a month's salary that the worst you will receive is probation for maybe a year or less."
Looking back at his son he informed him.
"Now, Jesse and I have rounds to make, and I'm leaving you in good hands." Mark and Jesse headed for the door leaving a suddenly distraught Steve at the mercy of Mrs. Grant and the Tanners.
Mark turned to give Steve a friendly warning. "If I were you, Son I would look around and see who is taking care of me before I gave anyone a hard time."
Eyeing each of the three people who were hovering around him he sighed and replied. "I'm outnumbered. Just how much trouble do you think I can dish out?"
Mark smiled and continued out the door. He knew Steve would be fine. He also knew that Isaiah and Emma would get along well with Mrs. Grant. It seemed as if they had the same ideas on how to take care of insolent patients.
As he continued down the corridor, his mind played over the turn of events. Ashton would indeed be a fool to try anything now. With the police investigating the land fraud and his possible involvement in Steve's shooting he just might try to fade away. Mark knew that more than likely Ashton would wind up never paying for the assault against his son and the trouble that his manipulating had caused the Tanners.
This was not something that he was willing to let happen. Somehow, this man had tobe brought to justicefor what he had done to these innocent people and for the fact that he ordered the hit on Steve. But how was the problem. It was something he was going to have to study. Somehow, some way Aston was going to be held accountable for what he had done.
Surprisingly enough by the time Mark and Jesse made their way back to the nurse's desk on Steve's floor it seemed as if everything was quiet. Taking that as a good sign both doctors ventured into his room. There, sleeping peacefully, was Steve while Isaiah read a newspaper in the corner of the room and the two women sat quietly talking between themselves.
Isaiah glanced up and noticed the surprised looks on Mark and Jesse's faces. He smiled and motioned them to follow him out into the hall so as not to disturb the slumbering patient.
"He pretty much gave up not long after the two of you left. Gotta' give the boy credit though. He did give one last effort. He was just out-gunned with them two hens a hoverin' over him. He pouted a lot but managed to hold his tongue and try and do what was asked of him." Isaiah grinned at the memory of the battle that had erupted when both nurse and motherly substitute swooped on him making sure he followed doctor's orders to the letter.
"How did he do when they got him up to walk?" Mark was anxious to know if Steve had been strong enough to venture out of his bed.
"Oh, he done real good. I had to hang on to him because he kept tilting over to his right. We managed to walk him to the door and back." Chuckling Isaiah finished his report with, "By the time we got him in the bed again he was sweatin' up a storm. I noticed he was holding his breath some too. It must have hurt him while we was walkin' him.
"He went to sleep soon after we got him settled. He's been sawin' logs ever since." Looking rather regretful Isaiah finished with an apology.
"I feel real bad about what happened to him. If we had a not took him the way we did he'd be fine. I can't tell you how sorry we are that your boy got hurt. Believe me, we never wanted that to happen. Truth is we kinda got ourselves attached to him."
Reaching out and placing a hand on Isaiah's shoulder Mark tried to comfort him. "I know you never meant for any of this to happen. Try not to worry about Steve; he's going to be fine. I wish you and Emma hadn't been pushed this far. The main thing now is to try and help you as best we can."
Later that evening it was decided that ribs from BBQ Bobs would be a treat for everyone. Especially for Steve since he hadn't had anything but hospital food since the shooting at the Tanners. Not that he was complaining, but the meal came with a chance to visit with his friends and family.
Conversation was basically general for the most part. There was some good-natured ribbing at Steve's expense when Isaiah told the rest about his working the boy hard and then Emma trying to soak the soreness out of him the next day. Jesse was disappointed when he found out that Steve hadn't been forced to eat possum and grits.
As the meal began to come to a close the conversation turned to Ashton and Mark's fears that he would walk away from this without so much as a slap on the wrist.
"Face it, Dad. Unless the man confesses the chances of a connection being made between him and this whole thing are slim. He has way too many people hiding his complicity in my getting shot. Like you said earlier, he's not stupid. All he has to do is wait." Steve had seen people like Clay Ashton get away with murder simply because they had enough money to pay other people to do all of their dirty work.
Mark stood and stared at his son for a few minutes. Steve and Jesse had seen that expression before. They knew the only thing they could do was wait until he was ready to tell them what was on his mind. Steve only hoped he would be able to go along with whatever his dad was scheming. Past experience told him, however, more than likely he was going to have some serious problems with the plan. He also knew in his current condition he wasn't in any position to do much about it.
Smiling at everyone in the room, Mark began clearing away the lunch trash. As he sacked up the empty containers he hummed a little tune to himself. Everyone began helping with the exception of the patient. Steve watched his dad closely but not once did he offer a word about what was going through his mind. Finally, the room was cleared of the meal's debris. No longer able to wait, Steve confronted Mark about what he was hatching.
"So are you going to tell me what it is you are cooking up or am I going to have to read about it in the paper later?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Mark grinned at his son knowing full well he wasn't fooling him one bit.
"Ok. Be that way. Just remember this though. I'm laid up here in this bed and I might not be able to bail you out of whatever it is you're scheming."
Without another word Mark began to round up his guests. After lecturing his son on the consequences of hassling the late shift nurses, he made him promise to go to sleep and only call if he needed any pain meds.
Mrs. Grant and Emma made sure Steve was tucked in properly and settled for the night. Mark watched as the women fussed over his son, images of his own wife coming to his mind. He could almost see Katherine comforting her sick children or keeping vigil over nightmare filled hours singing a song to soothe the fear that had gripped them. She had the ability to extend that same comfort to him when he was unsure of himself or suffered from too many hard and sleepless nights because of a crisis from the hospital. He was grateful for these two women who had no trouble showing affection and concern for his son.
Mrs. Grant and Emma made sure Steve was tucked in properly and settled for the night. Mark watched as the women fussed over his son, images of his own wife coming to his mind. He could almost see Katherine comforting her sick children or keeping vigil over nightmare filled hours singing a song to sooth the fear that had gripped them. She had the ability to extend that same comfort to him when he was unsure of himself or suffered from too many hard and sleepless nights because of a crisis from the hospital. He was grateful for these two ladies who had no trouble showing affection and concern for his son.
After receiving a kiss from both Emma and Mrs. Grant, Steve promised to behave and give the nurses a break by not bothering them the rest of the night. A promise he knew better than to break or else suffer the consequences the next morning after his father or nurse returned.
Jesse stood with Mark by the nurse's desk and waited until he had finished writing an order for a sedative just in case his son forgot to honor his promise to rest. Once he was sure that his friend was through, he confronted him about what it was he had in mind to get a confession from Ashton.
"I know you well enough to recognize that look. You've got an idea and I want to know what it is."
"All in good time, young Watson. All in good time." With that, Mark turned and escorted the Tanners toward the elevator leaving Jesse standing and wondering what it was his friend was planning now.