Chapter 7- Ain't no Sunshine
Detroit Hospital-
"Where is she?" Jack asked the woman behind the front desk at the hospital.
"Who?" the woman asked.
"Nicole Parker," Bobby told the woman.
"She's in the O.R. You can wait in the waiting room up there. Third floor, take the elevator, right there," she said pointing behind them.
"Great thanks," Angel said as they all rushed to the elevators.
Once they got onto the third floor they saw Jerry, Camille, and the girls.
"Is she ok? What happened?" Jack cried in a panic.
"Jack calm down," Bobby said.
"No, I wanna know what happened!" Jack yelled as Angel hugged him to calm down.
"We're not sure, but she was hurt pretty badly," Camille said placing a hand on his shoulder.
Jack took a seat in the lobby and he held his head in his hands. He wanted a cigarette and badly, but he remembered that he promised Nikki he would quit.
"It's all my fault," he repeated to himself.
Jerry heard him saying this so he walked over, "It's not your fault man. If we couldn't protect her, how could you?"
"But I could have! I promised her I'd take care of her," Jack sobbed.
All of them sat there wondering if Nikki was alright. The doctor hadn't come out yet, and every time they saw a nurse past by she wouldn't tell them anything. Jack felt like his entire world was crumbling before him.
Bobby, Angel, and Sophie had left the hospital after a hour.
"Don't worry little man, she'll be iight," Angel said as he rubbed Jack's head.
"Hang in there," Bobby said while he gave Jack a pat on the back.
Two more hours passed by and still no word on Nikki. He was really starting to worry now. He would get up and pace around the room or he would ask random nurses how she was doing.
"Listen Jacky, I'm going to take Camille and the girls home, it's getting late. Do you want a ride home?" Jerry asked him.
He looked up from his seat and said, "No. No, I wanna stay here to make sure she's ok."
"Well you call me the minute she wakes up," Jerry said as he hugged his brother goodbye.
Jack didn't care if he had to spend the next week waiting in the hospital lobby. He wanted to make sure that Nikki was ok. Jerry and his family proceeded to the elevator to go home when the doctor came out of the O.R.
"Are Mr. or Mrs. Mercer here?" the doctor asked Jack.
"No, but hold on," Jack said rushing to the elevators.
They had already gotten into the lobby. Jack took the stairs because the elevator was taking to long.
"Jerry!" Jack called as he watched Jerry exit to the parking lot.
"Jerry!" he screamed trying to push the automatic hospital doors open.
Jerry turned around to see his out of breath brother.
"What is it Jack? Jerry asked him.
"Nikki's doctor just came out," Jack huffed out.
They both ran back up to the O.R while Camille and the girls stayed in the car.
"Doctor how is she?" Jerry asked him.
"She was hurt very severely, but she's stable for now," the doctor said.
"What happened," Jack asked.
"We're not sure but she…" the doctor stopped and looked at Jack.
Jerry followed the doctors gaze and said, "Don't worry, he's my brother."
The doctor cleared his throat and continued, "She suffered from massive internal bleeding. She had a brain aneurysm, but we were able to stop the bleeding. Someone beat her up pretty bad. They also cut her across her abdomen and left cheek with what we think was a switch blade."
"Who would do this to her?" Jerry said as he wiped his nose.
"The police are looking for who did this Mr. Mercer. I think they want to have a word with you," the doctor said.
"Ok, I'll contact them. Doc, was she?" Jerry asked the aside so that Jack couldn't hear them.
The doctor sighed and said, "We didn't get a chance to do a rape kit, she needed more emergency care. Plus we're supposed to get written consent from you," the doctor said handing him the consent form.
"Can we see her?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Well she's not talking, and she needs lots of rest for the next couple of days. Maybe for a few minutes, we took her up to the I.C.U. Room 362," the doctor said pointing to the elevators.
"Thanks doc," Jerry said handing back the form to the doctor and catching an elevator with Jack.
They found the room 362. Nikki was lying on the hospital bed hooked up to I.V's and heart monitors. This brought back to many bad memories for Jack. He couldn't see her lying there, instead he saw himself.
"You gunna be alright man?" Jerry asked jack.
Jack's eyes began to water but he was able to say, "Yea, I'm good."
"It doesn't look like she'll be talking to us tonight. I'll take you home and you can get some rest," Jerry said.
"No, I want to be here when she wakes up," Jack said pulling a chair up to her bed.
"Oh, well call me in the morning. And don't worry, she's a strong one," Jerry said as he went over and hugged him.
Jerry had bumped into the police outside Nikki's door but the questioning didn't take long. After Jerry left, the doctor said that Jack could stay with Nikki if he was quiet not to disturb her. The police entered the room to call Jack into the hallway. They only asked his relation to her and when was the last time he saw her. They said they would interview him and his brothers tomorrow since it was getting really late. Jack went back into the room and Nikki was still sleeping. He desperately wanted her to open her eyes and give him a smile. It was so unreal to him, her face had no expression. He remembered when she would walk into a room and everyone's spirit seemed to be lifted. Her face was pale, lacking its usual glow. Her hair wasn't shiny and glossy. He also spotted where they had cut her face. There was a long stitched up scar from her ear to the end of her jaw. He wanted to get whoever did this to her, but he couldn't be filled with rage right now.
"Nikki, Nikki," he whispered while he stroked her hand. "Nikki, you have to get better soon," he said with a nervous chuckle. "I owe you guitar lessons remember? I wish I had a cigarette, but I kept my promise about quitting with you."
He couldn't keep himself together. He cried into her hand for most of the night. Finally he fell asleep and when he woke up not to long after he saw that a nurse was in Nikki's bathroom changing something.
"Nurse?" Jack called for her.
"Yes?" the nursed asked from the bathroom.
"How long have I been asleep? Has she woken up yet?" Jack asked her getting up from his chair.
"I'm sorry; I don't know how long you've been asleep. I'm her morning nurse, I just got here. But I know that Miss Parker hasn't woken up yet.
"Oh, thanks," Jack said to her.
The nurse looked over as Jack grabbed Nikki's hand and kissed it.
"It's terrible what happened to her. I'm so sorry, you must love her very much," the nurse said while she was changing Nikki's chart.
Jack looked up and said, "I can't believe someone would do this to her."
He noticed that she was writing quickly across the chart.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked her.
The nurse hesitated and said, "She has a test scheduled for this afternoon."
"What kinda test?"
"Oh, I'm not allowed to say. It's quick and easy. Definitely nothing to worry about," she reassured him.
The nurse was called on a code blue across the hall. She left the chart on Nikki's night stand. He picked it up. It said that the doctor ordered a rape kit. Jack was furious to read this. Now he really wanted to get whoever did this to her, but his thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang, it was Bobby. The nurse rushed back in the room and grabbed Nikki's chart.
"You can't answer that in here," she said as she scurried away.
He went to the stairs and called Bobby back.
"Hey Jacky. How you hangin' in there?" Bobby asked him.
"I'm fine, but Nikki hasn't woken up yet. I'm getting worried," Jack said scratching his head.
"Look, don't worry Jacky. She's going to make it through this," Bobby said to him.
"Yeah, well I'm going to hang around here for a while," Jack said.
Bobby paused, "Jacky do you know who did this? I had a feeling you did yesterday," Bobby asked.
"Not now man. Can we talk about this later," Jack asked.
"Sure, take care Jacky, you know I love you man. Hang in there," Bobby said and then he hung up.
Jack went back to her room and sat there until the doctor asked him to step outside for a while. He figured they were doing the rape kit. The doctor came out five minutes later with the nurse. She was ordered to call Jerry.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked as she walked pasted him.
She didn't say anything she just kept walking. He then caught the doctor.
"Is she ok?" jack asked him.
"She's fine. You can go back in," he said and then he rushed pasted him.
Jack waited there all day and all night. She still didn't wake up. The police had come over with all of his brothers to question them in the hospital. It only took about an hour because none of them were suspects. So Jack went back into Nikki's room with flowers that he had picked up from a vendor down the hall. He put them on her night stand and sat back down. He didn't know what to do, he felt helpless sitting in there with her. Although he wasn't too religious he decided to go down to the chapel. He prayed that she would get better.
"God, I know I've asked You for so much, even though I have done nothing for you. But please, please, You have to let Nikki get through this. I love her to much. I'd give me life for her."
Then he heard a voice call to him, "Jacky, don't worry."
"Ma?" Jack said as he lifted his head and saw his mother Evelyn.
"Jacky, I'm surprised to see you here. I could never get you to go on Sundays with me," she said as she picked his head up.
"Ma, I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her," Jack said.
"Jacky, have a little bit more faith. She's a great girl, don't let go that easily," Evelyn said.
"Ma?" he said as she faded away.
He finished praying and went back up to Nikki's room. It was around eight a.m when Jack felt someone brush his cheek.
"Jack," the voice said faintly.
Jack woke up slowly and thought he dreamt that Nikki had spoken to him.
"Jack," the voice said as someone stroked his hair.
He lifted his head up from the edge of the bed and saw Nikki's hand in front of his face.
"Nicole!" Jack screamed happily.
"You never call me Nicole," she said as she tried to laugh.
"How do you feel?" Jack asked her.
"I feel like crap," she said smiling at him.
She still looked a little pale but Jack could see her sparkling light brown eyes that looked grey in the sunlight coming from the window.
They talked for about an hour and the nurse was notified that she was awake, and then Nikki finally asked, "Where is everybody?"
"I have to go call them. Don't try to get up," he said.
"Oh, ok," she said as she slide back down.
"Do you know what happened to you?" Jack asked her.
Her eyes widen and she quickly looked away from him.
"No," she said.
"Nikki, you know you can tell me," Jack said.
She was about to speak when someone knocked on the already opened door.
"Jack Mercer?" the nurse called.
"Yeah?"
"There's a call for you at the front desk," the nurse said motioning for him to follow her.
Jack got up and kissed Nikki on her forehead. He followed the nurse to the front desk. There were two police men standing on the other side of the desk.
"Hello?" Jack answered.
"Jack did you hear what happened?" Bobby said on the other line.
"No, what's wrong?" Jack asked concerned.
"Apparently, one of Nikki's friends was murdered the same night Nikki was attacked," Bobby said.
"Oh God," Jack said.
"There should be two cops there. They just called me and Jerry to come down to the hospital. They wanna talk to Nikki," Bobby said.
"She just woke up an hour ago. There going to tell her this now?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes, don't worry," Bobby said hanging up the phone.
"Jack Mercer?" one cop asked.
"Yeah," Jack answered.
"Can you please come with us?" the other one said.
Three hours went by as they questioned Jack, Bobby, Angel, Jerry, and Camille. Sophie, Amelia, and Daniela stayed in the room with Nikki. No one told Nikki what was going on. She sensed that something was wrong.
"Where's Jack?" Nikki asked Sophie.
"Yak should be back soon sweetie," Sophie said.
"Look Nikki we drew you a picture," Amelia said showing her, her get well soon picture.
A minute later the two officers entered the room with Jack and his brothers.
"What's going on?" Nikki asked.
"Miss Parker?" one of the officers asked.
"Yes? What's wrong?" the officer asked.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," the other officer said as he paused, "Miss Kiesha White was found dead two nights ago. The same night we found you."