Here it is; the last chapter! I've written longer stories, but I think I've worked harder on this one than any one I've ever written. Thanks to those of you who have been reading and especially to those of you who have reviewed.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
Chapter 10
Roger exited the Blue Moon Motor Lodge into a warm, welcoming Seattle. It was a beautiful day and things were going more or less according to plan. Roger was getting a later start out of the motel than planned, but that didn't really matter. If he had gone at 1 o'clock he would have just had to find someplace to hide out until it was time to set off the bombs. Instead he had spent the last hour and a half working off some pent up energy.
It started when he was getting ready to leave his room and drop off the key at the motel office. As he stepped outside, the door to the next room opened. He was on edge, of course, after hearing the police sirens earlier in the day and the door opening startled him.
"Did I scare you?" said a soft, sexy voice through the partially open door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," she said. The woman opened the door a little wider to reveal a soft, sexy body to match the voice.
Roger smiled at her. He had been listening to her and a man who clearly had gotten his money's worth for several hours last night. Roger had actually caught sight of her earlier in the day when he was peering out the window to check for any police presence. At that moment she was apparently saying goodbye to lover boy who was probably only about 18 or 19 and looked heart broken that she was making him leave. It was kind of amusing actually, as if the kid didn't understand that he had just paid for love and this red-head-out-of-a-bottle wanted him to get out so she could get some rest and be ready for "work" again this evening. Roger decided to help her out.
"Hey, son," he said as he cracked open the door, "didn't you hear the police cars a little while ago? I'd get the hell out of here if I were you unless you feel like calling your mom to bail you out of jail."
The kid looked like he had just been hit with a ton of bricks. "What? I, ah, no, I better go. Bye, Carly. Hope I see you again," he said nervously as he trotted to the parking lot.
"Thanks," she said.
"No problem," Roger answered as he went back into his room.
Now here he was just inches away from the woman. She had showered since Roger saw her less than an hour ago. Her hair was wet and hung to her shoulders. He thought it was an improvement over the teased style she had been sporting when he first saw her. She was wrapped in a red and black lacy robe that covered little. Roger looked closely at her. She was younger than he had thought earlier – maybe 20 at the most, but she carried herself like a woman who had been doing this for a while now.
"Thanks for getting rid of that guy earlier. I owe you," she said seductively.
Roger raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Oh, really? What's it worth?" he asked her.
"Oh, well, let's see. I could let my fingers do the walking. That's normally a $35 charge."
Roger smiled again. The girl he used regularly in New York didn't let her fingers do the walking for less than $200. Of course her fingers tended to do the flamenco but that was another story. "So what would, oh let's say, $250 buy me?"
The girl's eyes bulged. "Two hundred and fifty? Are we talking American dollars here, Buddy?"
Roger opened his wallet and counted out five $50 bills and handed them to her. "So what does it get me?"
"A couple of nights in this part of town," she said as she took the bills and checked to make sure they were real. This was more money than she made in a night and since it wasn't set up by her pimp, she didn't have to give him any of it. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
"I don't have a couple of nights, but I do have a couple of hours so let's not waste any time," Roger told her.
They slipped back into the room. Roger's standards were high; he paid for the best in New York City, but this girl wasn't bad. She was young and he found that very exciting; so exciting, in fact, that he had come three times. Now, as he left the motel, he was relaxed but still attentive to the task at hand. By tonight, his Swiss bank account would be significantly larger.
Roger walked across the parking lot very aware of his surroundings. He stopped on the sidewalk and waited for a car to pass before he crossed the street. The black Mercedes was slowing for the light at the end of the block. Roger looked at the car. It was hard to miss: a top-of-the-line Mercedes sedan in black and polished to a high shine. Its tinted windows hid the driver and any passengers. This was a strange place for a car that expensive. Most people didn't bring a Mercedes into this end of town. Maybe the driver was lost.
Roger crossed the street glancing periodically at the Mercedes. He made his way into the alley and walked to the end of the first building and looked around the corner. The Mercedes was clearly visible on the street running parallel to the alley. It had turned the corner and its speed had slowed as if the occupants were looking for something, looking for him. Roger tried to banish that thought. Who would be coming after him in a Mercedes? No police department or government agency, including the CIA, used Mercedes as their staff cars. This is ridiculous, he thought. I'm getting paranoid. The driver is lost and he slowed down to use his GPS or to call someone and get directions. I need to keep moving.
Jack turned the corner and eased his Mercedes down Cherry Tree Lane, an improbable name for a street in this section of town. There wasn't a cherry tree within miles of the location. "Mason, are you sure about this?" he asked his son.
"Dad, I've been running from that guy for the last two days. I know what he looks like. I'll never forget him," he added softly.
Jack took out his phone and called Wes Grimes. "Wes, it's Jack. I'm on Cherry Tree Lane just south of West Road. Mason just saw a man he believes is Roger Bassler crossing the street and going into an alley."
"Did you see him?"
"Not really. I saw someone leaving The Blue Moon and crossing the street, but I was paying attention to the traffic."
"Alright, I'll send in the cavalry," Wes told him.
"I'd do it quietly. This guy knows covert operations. If he gets a whiff of the police, he'll go underground and you'll never see him again."
"Got it. Now you get those kids the hell out of there. I have to believe that Bassler is armed and he's not going down without a fight."
"I'll head over to the warehouse. That should be safely out of the line of fire."
Jack hung up and threw the phone on the passenger seat. He leaned across the front seat and opened the glove compartment. From there he pulled out his gun and made sure that it was loaded and ready. With the safety on, he reached behind his back and pushed it into the waistband of his pants.
"Dad!" Ryan exclaimed his eyes widening with excitement, "You keep a gun in the glove compartment?"
"Not normally. I just don't like this section of town so I wanted to be sure that I had some protection."
"Are the police coming, or are you going to have to take Roger out yourself?" Mason asked excitedly. This was an adventure that he was happy he hadn't missed.
"I'm going to let the police handle this. Roger isn't someone I want to play with. He's smart and he's got Special Forces training."
"So do you, Dad," Mason reminded him.
"I know, but I'm not in the mood to use it right now. We're going to the warehouse and let the professionals handle this."
Jack turned right at the corner to make a block. He wanted to keep an eye out for Roger but didn't plan to spend any unnecessary time in the area. Jack, Mason and Ryan all took a long look down the alley as Jack passed it; they could see no one.
Roger stood in the shadow of a building near the end of the alley when the Mercedes passed. As it went by he caught sight of the vanity license plate and he knew immediately who was following him. The tag read: K8 B. Kate B. So the car belonged to Kate Bauer, but Roger knew that she wasn't driving it. Even through the heavily tinted windows he knew that the driver was a man; Jack was driving. As the car passed, Roger stepped out of the shadows and watched it slide effortlessly to the end of the block and make a right. Roger ran back down the alley at full speed to see which way the car turned. As he expected, the driver made another right to complete the block. Roger knelt next to a building at the end of the alley and pulled out his gun. He raised and steadied it and waited for the Mercedes to come past the alley. As it did, he aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. The passenger's side front window shattered and the car skidded into a newspaper box and over the curb.
It all happened so fast. Pain seared through Jack's right shoulder as he cried out. He hunched forward and clutched his right arm with his left hand. He could feel blood oozing through the hole in his jacket.
"Dad! Dad!" the boys cried as they leaned over the front seat. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"Get down! Lay down between the seats, both of you! Don't move!" Jack tried to put the car in reverse and get away. His reactions were slowed by pain and by the time his hand was on the gearshift, he heard a loud tap on the window. Jack knew without looking that Roger Bassler was standing there. He looked up to confirm his suspicions.
Roger stepped to the rear, driver's side door and tapped on the window with his gun. "Unlock the door, Jack," he said calmly as he readied the gun to fire. "Unlock the door or I shoot the kids."
Jack knew he had no choice. He popped the lock and Bassler leaned into the car. He grabbed Mason by the neck of his shirt. "You, climb over into the front seat."
Mason was shaking from head to toe but quickly found his voice. "I'm not old enough to sit in the front," he told Roger smartly.
"Oh, a smart ass like your old man. Get in the front seat, kid, or you'll never be old enough to sit in the front seat." Roger pushed him roughly over the seat. Mason's knee accidentally bumped Jack's shoulder and Jack gritted his teeth to avoid crying out again. "And give me that phone." Roger pointed toward the phone on the passenger seat. Mason looked at his father questioningly. Jack nodded to him so the boy reluctantly handed the phone over to Roger who took the phone in his free hand, turned it off and put it in his pocket.
"Now, munchkin," Roger said as he pulled Ryan into a sitting position and wrapped his arm around the boy. "You and I are going to hang out back here while your dad drives me out of town." Roger put the gun to Ryan's head; the boy whimpered and started to cry.
"It's okay, Ryan," Jack said in the calmest voice he could muster. "I'll do what he says and you'll be fine, Buddy. Okay, just sit still."
"That's right, Jack. You know what I'm capable of. Put the car back in gear and make a left at the corner."
Jack did as he was told and turned north. He knew where they were going. A major artery out of town was just a couple of miles away. Less than ten miles out of the city, the highway became very deserted. It would be a perfect spot for Roger to kill the three of them and dump their bodies.
"So, Jack, are you surprised to see me? You've come up in the world. I thought I was doing well for myself, but this," he indicated the expensive car, "this is pretty impressive. Marrying into a Fortune 500 company, now that was a stroke of genius. What happened to your high school sweetheart? When we were training together back in the '80s you were married to some southern California sweetie. I guess you dumped her low class ass when little Miss Fortune 500 came along. Smooth, Jack, real smooth."
"Teri was murdered, you son of a bitch," Jack spat angrily. "She was killed by a mercenary just like you who didn't give a damn about a cause, she just wanted to collect a paycheck. At least when you were in the Army you cared about a cause, Roger. Now you just sell yourself to the highest bidder. Well you lost this time. Whoever you're working for won't be paying you now that the bombing isn't going to happen." Jack looked in the rear view mirror. Roger tried to hide his surprise, but Jack could see the subtle change in his eyes. "That's right, Roger. The festival has been evacuated and the bomb squad is dismantling the bombs. There's no way for you to get back and set them off. Everything you invested in this job was a waste and now the authorities know who they're looking for. You'll never be safe again. The FBI, the CIA, Interpol, they'll all be looking for you. No matter where you are in the world, you'll always be looking over your shoulder wondering where they are."
"Keep driving, Jack. I really don't need any of your self-righteous bullshit. You always did have high ideals. Everything was black and white, good or bad. There's a lot of gray out there, Jack, if you would just be willing to see it. Now shut up and drive."
Jack glanced over at Mason who sat trembling in the seat next to him. Anger that his children were being put through this ordeal seized him. He needed a plan. He needed to find a way to get the boys safely away from Roger Bassler. His mind raced as he tried to ignore the pain in his arm and think of a way to save his sons.
Tony impatiently paced the floor of the waiting area outside of the operating room. "Tony, please sit down," Michelle begged him. "The doctor said it was going to be at least a couple of hours."
"I know," Tony acknowledged, "I just can't sit still." He reached out for her hand. The two of them were alone. Kate had taken the children to the snack bar to get something to eat.
Michelle stood and wrapped her arms around Tony. "I don't think I've ever been this scared."
"I have," he told her. "It was when you were exposed to the virus and I thought you were going to die. I felt helpless, just like I feel right now. I was terrified of losing you, Michelle and I'm just as terrified of losing Lucy."
"I don't know how I can go on if she dies, Tony."
"Don't even say it, Michelle. I can't even think about it right now." He kissed her forehead and they stood holding each other and swaying slightly back and forth.
"Any news?" Kate asked gently as she walked back into the waiting room with Rico and Carmen.
"Nothing yet," Michelle said as she wiped tears from her face. Carmen handed her the drink that they brought back for her. Michelle took it in one hand while she stroked Carmen's face with the other. "Thank you, Sweetie," she whispered.
"Have you heard anything from Jack?" Tony asked Kate.
"No, I thought I would have heard something by now. I tried to call him while we were downstairs, but his cell is turned off. Jack doesn't usually turn his cell off. I hope everything's okay."
"I'm sure they're fine, Kate," Tony said but at the same time found it odd that Jack would turn his phone off. He had worked with Jack in one capacity or another for over 15 years and couldn't think of many instances when Jack "went dark," as they referred to it at CTU, without letting someone know.
It was just about then that Kate's phone rang. "There he is," she said as she took the phone from her purse. She looked at the caller ID. "Wait a minute, that's not Jack. Hello," she said into the phone.
"Mrs. Bauer, this is Wes Grimes."
"Hello, Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"
"I was trying to get in touch with Jack but his phone is turned off. I was hoping he was with you."
"No, he dropped me off at the university medical center. Jack and the boys should be at the warehouse."
"I know they should be at the warehouse, but they haven't gotten there. Jack called me about a half hour ago and said that he was a couple of blocks from the warehouse and one of the boys spotted Roger Bassler. I told him to go to the warehouse and we would take care of Bassler. Now I have people all over the neighborhood and there is no sign of Bassler and Jack hasn't reached the warehouse. I wondered if you knew where he went."
"No, I haven't heard from him. I tried to call him just a couple of minutes ago and his phone went to voice mail. Do you think he tried to capture Bassler on his own?" Kate asked incredulously.
"I can't image that he would have tried that with the kids in the car. Jack has done some risky things in his career, but I can't imagine that he would intentionally put your children at risk. I'm going to put an APB out for him and for the boys just to be on the safe side. What kind of car was Jack driving?"
"It's a black Mercedes sedan with a vanity tag, K 8 B. Let me know as soon as you find them, Lieutenant."
"I will. Likewise, if you hear from Jack, have him call me immediately."
"Of course," Kate answered, but Grimes was already gone.
"Kate, is everything alright?" Tony asked her.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Jack and the boys never got to the warehouse and Wes Grimes can't get a hold of them. They spotted Roger Bassler not far from the warehouse. I don't know what to think, Tony, but I'm worried."
Jack eased the car onto the exit ramp that led to the highway. He knew once he was on the highway out of town that his options for getting himself and his sons safely away from Roger were limited. He glanced down at his arm. The arm of his jacket was stained crimson from his shoulder all the way down to his elbow and his fingers were weak and tingling. The bullet missed the artery, but must have hit a large vein for the wound to be bleeding so profusely.
Mason followed his father's gaze. "You're bleeding a lot, Dad."
"Ah, it's nothing, kid," Roger said from the backseat. "I've seen your father in worse shape than this."
"As I recall that was your fault, too," Jack said remembering the mission that had gone so wrong because of Roger's refusal to follow orders. "I also recall that it was a long time ago. Your body responds better to injury when you're twenty." Jack swiped his hand across his forehead as if wiping away perspiration. He had an idea. He needed to make Roger think he was having a heart attack. He reached his hand over to the armrest and pushed the button for the automatic window lowering it about three inches.
"What the hell are you doing, Jack?" Roger asked. "Put the window up."
"I need some air," Jack said. "I'm sweating. It's stuffy in here."
"A ride this expensive doesn't have air conditioning? Put on the air conditioning."
"It's on my right and, at the moment my right hand is out of commission, thanks to you."
"Put up the window, now! Kid, you put on the air conditioning," Roger told Mason.
Mason looked nervously at Jack who told him how to turn on the air conditioning. "Good job," Jack said in a soft voice. "Just sit tight, son, you'll be fine."
For the next mile or two, everyone was silent. Jack spoke first. "Mase, turn up the air conditioning," he coughed and wiped his brow again. When he was sure everyone's attention was on him, he coughed again, harder this time, and pressed his hand against his chest. A pained expression crossed his face.
"Dad, are you alright? You don't look so good," Mason asked.
"I'm okay," Jack answered hoarsely. "Just sit back and stay quiet." Jack hated scaring his children this way but it was the only way he could think of to ensure their safety.
By now they had passed all of the exit ramps that led to the city and the traffic had thinned to almost nothing. Jack made sure that the lanes near him were clear and then began coughing again. He hunched over groaning in pain and swerved into the right hand lane and onto the shoulder of the road.
"Dad!" Mason screamed as the car lurched to the right. Ryan was crying in the back seat.
Jack sat up a bit and got the car under control. "I'm alright," he said gasping for breath and wiping his brow yet again.
"Look, Jack, I don't know what game you're playing, but just keep driving."
Jack clutched his chest and leaned in toward the steering wheel. He knew he was taking a huge risk. He was going to stage an accident and he would have to hope that something unforeseen, such as Roger's gun going off, didn't happen. At this point it was the only chance they had.
"Can't breathe," Jack gasped. Again the car swerved, this time to the left and apparently out of control. It made a 180 degree turn and skidded broadside into the left hand guard rail facing in the wrong direction. Jack slumped onto the front seat with his left hand behind his back. He managed to get his hand around the gun in the waistband of his pants. He forced himself to keep his eyes closed and his face expressionless as he listened to both of his sons calling his name. At least they're not hurt, he thought with relief.
"Dad! Dad!" Mason called. Jack's head had landed in Mason's lap and the child cradled it tenderly. "Dad, please wake up," he begged through his tears.
Roger, who had not been belted in, had been thrown across the back seat. He quickly regained his composure and sat up. "Get on the floor," he pointed the gun at Ryan. "On the floor, now! You," he shouted as Mason. "Climb over the seat and lay on the floor with your brother."
"But… but, my dad needs help," Mason cried.
"You can't help your father. Get in the back seat and you can save yourself."
Mason released his seatbelt and eased himself out from under his father. Jack remained motionless. As Mason climbed over the seat, Roger got out of the back seat and opened the front door. At that moment Jack pulled the gun from behind him and aimed it at Roger's chest. "Drop the gun," he shouted. "Drop it now or I will shoot."
Roger ignored Jack's warning and started to raise the gun. Jack fired off two shots in quick succession. His aim with his left hand wasn't great, but it was good enough to put two bullets into Bassler's upper chest and knock him backwards and onto the pavement.
"Stay down," Jack ordered his sons as he sat up and jumped out of the car. Roger was lying on the pavement alive, but in pain and gasping for breath.
"Good shot, Jack," he panted. His gun was still in his right hand.
"Let go of the gun," Jack told him as he pointed his own gun down at Bassler's chest. His voice shook with rage. "Let go of the gun and move your hand away from it. Once you do, I'll call for help. You aren't hurt that badly. If you get to a hospital soon, you'll be fine."
"Yeah, right," Roger gasped still clutching the gun. "Fine and in prison. Don't think so, Jack." He rolled quickly to his left to face Jack and raised the gun. Jack calmly fired two more shots into Roger's chest. The gun clattered to the pavement and Jack kicked it away before he checked Roger's neck for a pulse. There was none.
Jack heaved a sigh of relief and at the same time remembered his sons huddled in the back seat of the car. He pulled open the door and dropped onto the seat. "Guys, it's over. You're okay. Come here."
The two boys nearly leapt into his arms. He clutched them to his chest despite the throbbing pain in his right shoulder and he smothered their faces with kisses. "Is Roger dead?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, he can't hurt you any more, son," Jack told him as he kissed Ryan's blond hair.
"Dad, I was so scared. I thought you were dead," Mason said tearfully.
"I know. I'm sorry. I hated doing that to you guys, but it was the only way I knew to save us. I'm sorry," Jack whispered still holding both boys tightly. He was crying with them realizing how close he had come to losing them.
Jack shared several minutes with his sons before he decided that it was time to call Wes Grimes. He retrieved his phone from Roger's pocket and made the call. It was just a few minutes before Wes had several police cars and an ambulance on the scene. Wes arrived just as they were loading Jack into the ambulance.
"Jesus, Jack! I told you to let us handle Bassler. What were you thinking?" Wes asked incredulously.
"Believe me, Wes. It wasn't my idea to tangle with the guy. He fired the first shot."
"Have you called your wife? I talked to her a little while ago and she was worried about you. Tell me what it is that woman sees in you!"
"I haven't called her. How about if you do it for me?"
"And tell her you got shot? Not a chance, Buddy. You can dial the phone with your left hand. You call her. I'll tell you what. I'll take your sons in my car and we'll follow the ambulance to the hospital."
"Some pal you are," Jack said sarcastically. He took out his phone and called Kate's cell. "Hi, Sweetheart, any word on Lucy?" he asked innocently.
"No, nothing yet, Jack. Where have you been? Lt. Grimes called me looking for you and I couldn't get a hold of you. Where have you been hiding? Why was your cell phone turned off?"
"It's a long story, Kate. The boys and I are going to meet you at the hospital and we'll explain it then."
"Okay, I'll be in the 5th floor waiting room," Kate told him. "When you get off of the elevator, take a right. It's half-way down the hall."
"Actually, it would be easier if you just met us at the emergency room entrance," Jack said as casually as you can say something like that.
"The emergency room entrance! Jack, what's going on? Are you three alright?"
"Don't worry. The boys are fine, Kate."
"Okay, the boys are fine. What about you?"
"It's nothing, Kate. I'm talking to you, aren't I? Look, I've got to go, Honey. I'll see you in a few minutes. I love you, Kate."
"Jack, don't you dare hang up! You are the most exasperating man in the world! Jack? Jack?" Kate listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. "Damn it, Jack!"
Kate took the five flights of steps down to the emergency room. She could have waited for the elevator, but by taking the steps she burned off some of the energy that was fueling her anger and anxiety. She had been standing just outside of the emergency room door for seven or eight minutes when an ambulance roared up to the entrance followed by a police car complete with lights and siren.
Ryan and Mason saw Kate and, as soon as the car came to a stop, bolted from the car and into Kate's arms. "Mom! Mom!" the both shouted.
"You should have been there," said Ryan.
"Dad was so quick. Roger never had a chance and Dad was even shooting left handed," Mason told her.
"Shooting! You father shot someone? Where is your father?" Kate asked. The two boys turned toward the ambulance without saying a work. Kate watched as the gurney Jack was lying on was lowered onto the pavement. "Oh, my God! Jack!" Kate exclaimed as she ran to him. "Sweetheart, what happened? Are you going to be alright? The boys said there was shooting. Did you get hit?" Tears were already streaking her face.
Jack reached out with his left hand and pulled her close. "It's okay, Baby, calm down. I'll be fine," he said tenderly as he pressed a kiss into her temple. "I got hit in the shoulder. The important thing is that the kids are safe and we're together. Don't cry, Honey."
Kate lifted her face from Jack's chest so she could look at him. He smiled at her and wiped away tears with his thumb. Kate smiled weakly back at him and shook her head. "Jack, you've got to stop stepping in front of bullets," she whispered through a voice filled with emotion. "One of them is going to kill you."
"Hey, I thought I was doing pretty well," he teased. "It's been ten years since I was last shot."
"Jack, what am I going to do with you?" Kate asked both laughing and crying at the same time.
Jack pulled her back down against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "Kate Warner, I told you not to fall in love with me and you wouldn't listen." Now his voice was filled with emotion as well.
Kate looked up at him. "It's Kate Bauer," she said putting the emphasis on "Bauer". "And you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you so much, Jack."
"I love you, too, Baby," Jack said as he kissed her softly.
"Mr. Bauer, we need to get you into the emergency room," one of the medics said.
Jack kissed Kate again. "Take the boys to the waiting room and I'll have the doctor come out and talk to you."
Kate nodded and closed her eyes tightly to try and stem the flow of tears. She took a couple of deep breaths and turned to the boys. "I guess you guys have one heck of a story. Let's go to the waiting room and you can tell me what happened while the doctors take care of your father." She took Ryan's hand and put her arms around Mason's shoulders and the three went inside together.
Tony had finally settled on a sofa in the waiting room with Carmen on his lap. Her head against his chest, she listened to the constant, rhythmic beating of his heart. The last few days of little sleep and the intense emotions of the last few hours had finally caught up with him; he was exhausted. His head rested against the wall behind him and his eyes were closed.
"Mr. and Mrs. Almeida," said a nurse in green scrubs. Tony and Michelle both sat up like a shot.
"Yes," Michelle said anxiously. "How's our daughter. Is she out of surgery?"
"I wanted you to know that they just brought her into the recovery room about two minutes ago. Dr. Yeager will be out to talk to you in a few minutes," the nurse said before disappearing behind the door almost as quickly as she had appeared.
"Is Lucy alright?" Carmen asked Tony.
"We don't know yet, Sweetie. We have to wait and talk to the doctor," Tony told her.
The minutes ticked by more slowly than any of them could imagine. Finally, the doctor that Tony and Michelle had talked to earlier stepped through the double doors and into the room. Carmen jumped from Tony's lap and ran to him.
"Are you the doctor who operated on my sister, Lucy?" she asked him as she tugged on his hand.
Like most people Paul Yeager was immediately taken by Carmen's beautiful eyes. He knelt down on one knee to talk to her. "That's right," he said.
"Did you take out her appendix?"
He smiled at her. "No, Honey, her appendix was fine. Let's go over here with your parents and I'll tell you how everything went." Still holding his hand, Carmen brought the doctor to where the rest of the family sat.
"Dr. Yeager, how is Lucy?" Tony asked.
"She held up better through the surgery than I thought she would. She lost a lot of blood, but we didn't have any trouble stopping it and I didn't even have to remove her spleen. Don't get me wrong, she's still very sick and a lot could still happen. We still have to worry about infection and some other problems, but overall, the surgery went well and I was pleased by how stable she was. She'll be transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit in a little while. You'll be able to spend some time with her then."
"So is Lucy going to be okay or not?" Carmen asked bluntly not understanding all that the doctor just said.
He smiled at her again. "I think so, but I can't say absolutely for sure," he told her.
The nurse, who had come into the waiting room earlier, stepped into the room again. "Dr. Yeager," she said. "Dr. Nolan from the emergency room is on the phone for you. Are you the trauma surgeon on call tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm on call until noon tomorrow."
"Then she has a patient she wants you to see. It's a fifty year old male with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He's stable, but she was hoping you could see him within the next ten minutes or so."
"Tell her I'll be right down," he said to the nurse. Then he turned back to Tony and Michelle. "If you don't have any questions for me, I need to get down to the emergency room. I'll stop by to see Lucy a little later this evening."
They thanked the doctor and watched him leave. Tony and Michelle were allowed to see Lucy for a few minutes in the recovery room. Rico and Carmen sat in the waiting room knowing that Kate should be back with Jack, Ryan and Mason at any time. She had gone downstairs to meet them about a half hour earlier. Fifteen minutes later when Tony and Michelle were coming out of the recovery room, Kate and the boys were finally walking into the waiting room.
"Aunt Kate! Aunt Kate!" Carmen cried as she ran to Kate who scooped her up into her arms. "Lucy's going to be okay!"
"Really! Is that what the doctor said?" Kate asked as she hugged Carmen.
"She's going to be fine!" Mason exclaimed. The relief in his voice was audible.
"I think you'd call the doctor's mood 'cautiously optimistic'. She came through the surgery well, but she has a long way to go," Michelle said. "Where's Jack?"
"Yeah," Carmen said. "Where's Uncle Jack? I wanted to tell him about Lucy."
"Uncle Jack will be very happy to hear about Lucy," Kate told Carmen.
"So where is he?" she asked again.
"Carmen," Kate said smiling as she dropped into a chair with Carmen still in her arms. "It's a long story. You know Uncle Jack; life's always an adventure when he's around!"
I really had trouble with the last few lines. Let me know what you think about the ending. Please, please PLEASE review! It just takes a second and it makes me soooo happy!
Want to find out what happens to the Bauer and Almeida families? Read Carnival Town. (Actually, if you just read the last 2 chapters, they will tell you everything that happens for the forty years after Mason is born.) By the way, I've also gotten some reviews for Carnival Town. Thanks to you who have read and reviewed that as well. If you've read Carnival Town and haven't reviewed it, do me a HUGE favor and submit a quick review. It is up to 98 reviews and I would LOVE to see it hit 100. (Okay, I'm shamelessly begging and I know it but do me a favor and indulge me!)
Thanks again to all of you for reading this. I had so much fun writing it. I'm a little short of ideas for new stories at the moment. So if you don't hear from me for a while, that's why. I'm sure some ideas will pop into my head when the season 5 starts in January!