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Chapter 26.
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'I want go home'
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"What?" Mrs. Hanson and Captain Fuller shouted in unison causing other people looking at them with interest.
"The picture!" Doug squirmed impatiently on his seat. "See that angel behind him? The nose is broken. I swear I've seen that angel in the chapel after they caught me."
"Are you sure?" Fuller asked carefully and with small dose of skepticism. He wished it was true, many questions and problems would be solved but it sounded a bit unbelievable. On the other hand it was serious accusation.
"I couldn't be more sure." Doug spat without hesitation. "Guardian seemed to be fond to those sculptures, and Reynolds looks to be as well, isn't that strange?" Fuller shook his head uncertainly what only fuelled Doug's impatience. Desperately he started read short bio of Reynolds in the back of book looking for any other proofs. And he wasn't disappointed. "Look! He moved to the city two years ago, before he was working in State Hospital in California. Guardian as well moved here from California two years ago. Captain! There are too many similarities it to be an accident! It can't be coincidence."
"Doug. But if you're right then why didn't he try to kill Tom?" Mrs. Hanson asked carefully.
"What makes you think he didn't?" All the pieces of mosaic of last events started find its place in his head. "He couldn't just come and stab or shot him, it would finish his career. But disguised as doctor… you slick, slimy son of a bitch…" Doug coursed the man as he already grasped the entire ill plan.
"And all the time Tom knew it." Mrs. Hanson covered her mouth remembering her son's strange behavior and constant insists that Guardian was here. And they thought he it was just mumbling of ill person. With suddenly rising unease she immediately stood up and run to her son's room.
"God! Tom!" Fuller and Penhall followed her and together hurried to Tom's room.
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When they finally reached the corridor leading to Tom they stopped surprised. The usually quiet place occasionally disturbed by ringing buzzers and nurses passing quickly from one room to another was in total mess. Group of police officers was standing next to the room and talking with nurse. Some other cops were walking around as if looking for something. What frightened Doug the most was the look of Judy who covering her face sat on the chair on the corridor. Fuller noticed her as well and run to his female subordinate.
"Judy! What happened?" He crouched next to her and looked straight to her face. It was slightly pale. "Are you all right?" Judy just raised her eyes and nodded dully.
"What happened?" Doug urged.
"Is Tom all right?" Mrs. Hanson's voice betrayed fear.
"Doctor Reynolds came to Tom." Judy spoke after she took several deep breaths to calm herself down. "He said it's time for next session and wanted me to leave but I refused. Anyways Tom was still asleep and I said I will call him later when he wakes up. And doctor just nodded and came to me. I… I don't know what happened. I think I fainted… When I woke up there was nurse talking to me." Every next sentence was spoken with more and more shaken voice and fear. "Doctor Zarmansky was already with Tom and shouting something, I don't know what, I was still a bit hazy. He is still there."
"My God, Tommy!" Mrs. Hanson cried and shook Judy's shoulders. "What did that devil do to him?"
"I don't know." Judy shook her head frantically. "They made me leave as soon as I regained consciousness. Why I fainted? I never faint!" The very thought of being unconscious and helpless around some unknown man made her highly nervous. She knew she wasn't touched in any offending manner, still the once relatively lulled memories of her rape appeared in her mind.
"Judy." Doug noticed the deep distress in Judy's face, but nor he or Fuller they didn't realize the true cause of it. They mistook this as an effect of being attacked but didn't connect it with her past experiences. Willing to turn her attention on something else Doug hurried with the news. "We discovered that Doctor Reynolds is Guardian."
"What?" The young woman was utterly surprised and as Doug expected she immediately snapped out of her dark thoughts. "Are you sure?"
"That's true, Judy." Fuller convinced and then looked at the near group of officers shooting looks at Captain. "Now I will go to talk with police, excuse me."
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Next fifteen minutes run quickly. Doug informed Judy about his discovery and why he suspects Doctor Reynolds being Guardian. Mrs. Hanson sat anxiously on her seat and continuously observed door leading to her son's room. Fuller in that time got now some more details about the incident and shared them with his subordinates.
Doctor Reynolds came to Tom without problems. As usually he waved nonchalantly his ID to guarding the room police officers and without any word entered the room. After some time the room entered Doctor Zarmansky and after loud conversation he called guards. Reynolds managed to escape, knocking down already entering first officer and threatening with knife another one. From up that time Doctor Zarmansky took care about Tom and Judy was taken out and tended. All that happened about half an hour ago. Nobody knew anything about Tom's wellbeing.
"Why it all takes so much time?" Mrs. Hanson asked suddenly and stood up. It was just unbearable to sit down and wait calmly not exactly knowing what happened and why doctor was so long with her son. Soon though to everybody's relieve Doctor Zarmansky left the room and immediately approached the waiting group. On his way he nodded reassuringly his head to the distressed woman.
"There is no reason to be afraid." He said. "Tom will be all right."
"But what happened?" Doug wanted to know. Zarmansky shook his head indicating still he didn't understand past events.
"Well… I got information from laboratory, which, as I suspected, told that Tom regularly got big dosages of sedative about which I wasn't informed." He explained. "That was why he slept all time and looked that bad. So I rushed to him to check him and order the guards not to allow Doctor Reynolds to see Tom any more. Unfortunately Doctor Reynolds was already there. I noticed emptied syringe in his hand and became very angry. We started argue and then I saw Judy lying on next bed and not reacting at our shouts which looked very strange. I got alarmed and shouted for guards. And then Doctor Reynolds went crazy, he hit one guard and threatened us with knife…"
"But what about Tom?" Judy broke in. She wanted to know it now. "What did he do to him?"
"I just wanted to say that." Doctor exhaled. "In the same second he run out of the room I heard Tom's ECG gave an alarm. I ripped away the IV from his vein. Doctor Reynolds was going to inject big dosage of Luminal to his system. It's barbiturate, very strong sedative. Fortunately he didn't inject it directly into vein. He let the drug go through the bag with glucose and just small part of the dosage got to Tom's system and didn't threaten his very life. Otherwise Tom would be dead till now."
"But what with his heart?" Mrs. Hanson asked frantically. Doctor Zarmansky hold her arm and gently rubbed it in soothing, reassuring motion.
"This was its answer on the medicine. Still the amount was a bit too high for Tom's current body weight and general fragile condition. But he is really all right. He will sleep for next twelve hours; the drug is strong and still running in his system."
"Ian, can I see him now?" Mrs. Hanson asked still a little panicked.
"Yes, if course." Doctor nodded and with last squeeze he let her go. Than he observed the woman went away and disappeared in the room.
"Doctor." Doug spoke first. "I would like to thank you. You saved Tom's life."
"I just can't understand this." Doctor Zarmansky shook his head. "Why Doctor Reynolds would like to harm Tom? Why he sedated him like that? It wouldn't help his results at all. And why he behaved so strangely?"
"Because he is Guardian." Fuller answered. The other man just stared at Fuller with strange expression for whole minute. His face pictured whole range of feelings from utter surprise, shock to disbelief and anger. Finally it turned to deep thoughtfulness. As he finally digested the information he shook his head and commented:
"That explains a lot."
"That explains everything." Judy corrected.
"I mean…" The man continued. "I always wondered why Michael Cooper was in such bad condition last weeks before hi died. Well… his state was serious, but he was getting better. Then something happened, and his state worsened, just like with Tom. I never connected those two cases but now… I see what happened."
"You mean Doctor Reynolds killed Michael?" Doug asked not really wanting to believe. It was just too much shocking news for one day.
"Signs were the same." The older man nodded. "I don't remember exactly, he wasn't my patient, but now I am sure he was sedated until he fell into coma and then died."
"Guardian wanted to do the same with Tom." Judy couldn't believe there was such evil man walking around. "Sedate him and convince us that he went mad and he needs more professional help. Then on his own ward he could do with Tom whatever he pleased."
"And nobody would suspect him." Doug continued. "Just the same like it was with Michael. I myself believed he was crazy."
The sudden silence met everybody. There was nothing more to say. It was just too terrible to talk about this. And what the most important was Tom was going to be better finally. The question was though how the last experience will affect him in the future.
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"No."
"Tom."
"I said no."
"But…"
"Nobody will jab my skin with needles any more." Tom resisted and then turned his eyes towards Doctor Zarmansky who was holding syringe in his hand. Then he young man pointed his index finger at him. "And don't close to me with this." Mrs. Hanson was resigned. She never thought her son was able to be that stubborn.
"If you didn't rip out your IV yesterday doctor wouldn't have to jab your skin, Tommy." Mrs. Hanson reasoned.
"I did this because I don't trust you!" Tom snapped angrily. "And don't call me Tommy!"
The older woman looked at her son guilty. It was about five days after they discovered Reynolds' mystery. This morning was the first when Tom became completely coherent and able to think clearly. Now he was conscious enough to exactly remember what happened to him those days ago and he became very snappy and wary to everybody. Well… he had very good reason to be like that. They deserved it to be blamed. But still he needed to get the shot.
"Tom, please. It's the last dose." She pleaded after some time of silence.
"No!" He shouted and moved fearfully back on his bed. "It causes I sleep after that. And I don't want to sleep any more."
"Tom." Doctor spoke finally. "You know it is necessary. I already explained it to you." The older man understood his patients' aversion, but it was very important he got the last dosage of Luminal. For his sake the series of shots was reduced to the minimum anyways.
"I don't care." There was weak answer. Tom rested his head back on the pillow, his strength waning quickly. He hated to be weak; he hated to be defenseless like that. And he was really afraid to sleep in that place. He'd rather risk and didn't take the medicine, though he was well aware of the consequences of sudden stop of using the drug. Especially, after being doped with extremely big doses of it by Guardian. Now, as a result of Guardians silent tries to sedate him to death he was forced to get the medicine regularly, every day smaller dose until his body accepts the lack of drug in system.
"Just think that it is the last time, Tom." Doctor advised and carefully approached his patient lying now motionlessly in bed on his left side and holding the heavy protective side rails as if lifeline. Zarmansky himself helped to install the things to his bed after last incident when Tom got out of bed.
The young patient didn't move nor say anything; with his wide opened and scared eyes he looked like defeated and caged wild cat waiting for his fate. The older man without word disinfected the skin and injected the liquid. "See? We are finished now."
"Thank you, Ian." Mrs. Hanson smiled to the man warmly and then turned all her attention at her son who already fought with his eyes to keep them open for as long as only possible.
"I… I want go home." He said quietly and tugged weakly the rails he was still holding nervously.
"You will honey, soon." His mother answered stroking gently his hair.
"Promise?"
"Promise. Now sleep." Tom though resisted the drug with all his will. The woman observed her son with loving eyes. She was so relieved he was going to be better she felt sometimes she could dance and jump from happiness. There were just dark shadows clouding his eyes which made the woman remember what he went through and fear how he will cope with it.
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