Coming Home
Chapter 5
The two orderlies pushed the gurney back out into the hall and moved away. Chris stepped up to the doorway to Actor's room and stopped. The nurse from the other men's room was checking lines and the cast on the con man's left arm. A thick dressing was wrapped around his upper arm above the cast that ended above his elbow. An intravenous was taped in place on his right arm.
"He tends to get sick when he wakes up from anesthesia," Chris mentioned quietly.
The nurse turned her head to look at the young woman. "You've taken care of him before?" she asked.
Chris nodded. "It's usually my sister who sits with him." Her voice caught at the end of the sentence, but she pulled herself together. "Would it be all right for me to sit with him?"
"I think so," said the nurse in a kindly voice. "I'll be in and out of the rooms if you need me."
"Thank you," said Christine. "What's your name?"
"Sandy," said the nurse, straightening and straightening the blanket over Actor as best she could.
"I'm Chris."
"Nice to meet you," smiled the nurse. "Sorry it's like this."
She took a metal kidney basin out of the closet and set it on the bedside table. "If you need me before I come back, just yell."
Chris nodded. "Thank you."
Sandy went out and Chris pulled a chair over to the right side of Actor's bed. She took the time now to study the big Italian confidence man. The head of his bed was slightly elevated, so she was able see his face. He didn't look like an older, stern SS officer now. There was a light growth of dark whiskers on his face and even that did not hide the features that now looked like a man of his actual age.
In the beginning, Craig had said he was the most dangerous of the four cons. He could talk his way into and out of any situation, except the courtroom. His demeanor could change in an instant to persuade his mark to believe they wanted what he told them they wanted. So, when had he become a friend to her and her siblings? She did not think that was a con. Craig said he could recognize Actor's cons now and Terry probably could even better. There was a different man behind the persona of 'Actor.' The easiest way to see that was to watch him with his daughter, Julie. It was like Actor disappeared, leaving whoever he really was. Craig didn't know who that was, but Terry did and kept his secret.
Christine wondered how the man could have been in the front of the truck with her sister and come away with only one bullet wound while Terry supposedly had many. The younger girl had a suspicion that her sister had done something to Actor to make that happen. Tentatively, Chris lay her fingers atop his below the bandaged intravenous site. Maybe he would feel it and know he wasn't alone.
Awareness came to Actor slowly. He kept his eyes closed and his features unchanged as he listened to his surroundings. The feel of the bed and the slight antiseptic smell told him he was back in the hospital room. Small warm fingers lay atop his. It was not Teresa. He did not even know if she was still alive, or the Warden for that matter. There felt to be a heavy cast on his left arm that was in a sling. His upper arm ached. At least he still had an arm. It was then his stomach began to rebel. His eyes flew open, and he gagged.
Christine was up with the basin and a hand behind his head to support it forward. When he was done retching, as there very little in his stomach, the girl took the basin into the bathroom and emptied it. She returned with it and a damp washcloth. After an expression of askance, which he granted, she wiped his face.
"Christine?" Actor asked urgently. "Teresa and the Lieutenant?"
Chris sat back down and lay basin and cloth on the bedside table. "Terry is still in surgery. She wasn't conscious when they took her. They haven't let me see Craig yet. He's still unconscious, but they aren't taking him to surgery. They're working on him in his room."
"But they are still both alive?" he asked with concern.
"I haven't been told otherwise," assured Chris as best she could.
Actor tried to make his still slightly fuzzy brain work. "Chief?" He thought it odd the girl was sitting with him and not their scout.
"They took him to surgery when they brought you back," she replied. "He hasn't come back yet."
"What about Casino and Goniff?"
Chris smiled. "They are in a ward across the hall. Casino's arm was creased, but the doctor on the airplane took care of it on the way here. Goniff was shot in the chest, but the bullet cracked a rib and ricocheted, so the doctor was able to fix that too during the flight."
Amazing, thought the con man. "We all made it," he said, but did not add 'so far.'
Chris hoped it stayed that way but remained silent. She was curious though.
"Actor," she asked tentatively, "were you where you could see the doctor working on Craig and Terry in the airplane?"
The con man shook his head. "He shielded both of them with his body while he examined them. And he had Teresa away from the rest of us. I know he looked at some of her injuries and just put the blanket back. The only thing he did for her was bandage her head to contain the bleeding. He left Chief's shoulder alone."
"What did he do about your arm?" asked the girl with concern.
"He splinted it. There wasn't anything else he could do about it. And he put a dressing over the bullet wound."
Chris wasn't sure if she should ask the man, but she did anyway. "Um, where is this bullet wound?"
Actor smiled at her hesitancy. "Right hip. It wasn't bad."
GGG
Casino lay looking up at the slightly cracked ceiling. He didn't like to think that Terry might die.
"Wot do you think they'll do with us if the Warden doesn't make it," asked Goniff.
"Who knows," replied the safecracker. "Maybe get us a new lieutenant. Or send us back to stir. Guess it depends on who's in charge of that. If it's Fremont we're screwed. If it's Richards or Hammond, we might stand a chance."
Goniff glanced at his friend. "I don't think I like them odds."
"Nothin' much we can do about it right now," said Casino.
The sounds of an approaching gurney reached them. It sounded like it went past Terry's room.
"Must be Geronimo," remarked the safecracker.
And sure enough, the gurney turned in the hall and was pushed into their room. Chief was awake and looked at the other two men in passing. The nurse started to turn the gurney, so it was alongside the bed.
"Easier for me if you let me get off of this thing and get into the bed," the scout said.
The nurse pulled the gurney back out to where he could get off of it, locked the brakes and helped him sit up on the side. Chief slid off and walked to the side of the bed. Not knowing his aversion to being touched, the nurse grabbed his ankles and lifted them onto the mattress.
"Thanks," was all Chief said to the surprise of his roommates.
She pulled his covers up and handed them to him. He waited until she had left before speaking.
"Heard 'em talking," Chief said. "They're about to bring Terry out."
"She musta made it through," said Casino. "Don't think they would bring her out if she wasn't alive."
Chris stuck her head in the door. "You guys doing okay?" she asked. "Chief, do you need anything?"
"Naw, I'm all right," he said offhandedly.
The girl nodded. "I'm going back to Actor's room. That nurse said the doctor was going to come out and talk to me."
"Yeah, well, let us know what he says," said Casino.
She nodded and went back to Actor. At the sound of the gurney, she went to the doorway to watch. She still couldn't see anything except the cleaner dressing around Terry's head, the cast on her right arm, tubes and lines. Two nurses and one of the doctors went in with her to get her onto the bed with the least amount of jostling.
"Teresa?" asked Actor.
"Yes," replied Chris. She went back to sit beside him, only she turned the chair, so it faced the door. "I couldn't see anything except the bandage on her head and the cast."
Time seemed to crawl as they waited, but in reality it was only five minutes before the two doctors came in. They reintroduced themselves to the pair. Dr. Lathem, the shorter of the two Army Air Force majors had done Terry's surgery. Dr. Horner, slightly younger, though still middle-aged, had done Actor's surgery.
Dr. Lathem spoke first. "Miss Garrison, your siblings must have nine lives."
"Second time around at least," muttered the con man.
"I took care of the injuries to both of them. Miss Garrison has a bullet wound to the right side of her head, posteriorly. She has a slight crack to her skull, but the bone is not displaced. She will have a bad concussion. Her wounds were as miraculous as her brother's. Her right arm was set and casted. There were some minor glass cuts to her face and left arm. The bullet wounds were either ricochets off the frame of the truck or long range shots. Her wounds have been cleaned and dressed. Some required sutures, but in all, no major damage." Lathem continued. "Lt. Garrison took some kind of blunt trauma to the back of his head. This too has resulted in a bad concussion. Besides signs of being interrogated around the face and chest, he had shrapnel wounds to his back and right arm that were cleaned and dressed. My understanding from Mr. Coletti, on the plane, a grenade was thrown and two men behind the Lieutenant took the brunt of it and were killed. The surface injuries on both of the siblings will heal. The bullet wound to Miss Garrison's head was in her hair. It has been trimmed and when healed should be invisible when her hair grows back. The head injuries are the major concern because both have remained in comas. We will have to wait to see if they awaken or not."
Lathem stepped back and Mr. Horner moved to the end of Actor's bed.
"Mr. Borghese," Horner began. "As I am sure you are aware, you have a bad break of the upper arm bone."
"Humerus," said Actor quietly. "At one point in my life I was studying to become a surgeon. I still understand medical terminology."
If Horner was surprised a convicted felon had studied medicine, he did not show it. Nodding, he continued. "Both ends of the humerus were overlapped. We flushed out the wound, pulled the bone ends back into place and placed a hanging cast on your arm so the weight will maintain the alignment. The wound was sewed up with a drain left in to encourage drainage of any infection. Your hip wound was a deep graze. We cleaned it and sutured it. All of you with injuries will receive intravenous antibiotics."
Chris looked at him. "What about Mr. Coletti and Mr. Sands?" There was a slight hesitation about remembering to use their last names instead of what names they went by.
"Mr. Coletti's arm wound had been adequately taken care of before he arrived here. Mr. Sands' shoulder was cleaned, flushed and sutured in front with a drain in the back. He, too, was a lucky man. The bullet missed bone and nerve, and he should regain full use of his arm."
Dr. Lathem shook his head. "I find it amazing all of you survived."
Actor gave him a droll look. "There is a saying, 'only the good die young.' What we are good at is not of that nature."
Christine turned around on the chair to give him an astonished look.
Lathem chuckled. "So we have been told."
Christine had another concern now that Major Richards was gone. "I wish to stay here," she said. "And Mr. Borghese's daughter is being brought here to see her father. Is this possible?"
Dr. Lathem, who seemed to be the one in charge, nodded. "We have been told by Allied Command that you and the young lady may stay."
Chris expelled the breath she had been holding and smiled. "Thank you."
Actor waited until the doctors had left before addressing the young woman. "Who went to get Julie?"
"Kit," replied Chris, turning her chair so she could see him. "She has clearance with the school to take Julie."
"Can she get on this base?" the Italian asked.
"Major Richards probably left word at the gate, like with Dirk and me. She can drop Julie off, but not stay." Chris smiled. "You're safe. You don't have to put up with Kit too."
Actor smiled tiredly at the girl. "I believe I can speak for all of us in saying we are grateful you have come to stay with us and made arrangements for Julie."
Christine smiled back. "You're all family to us now. We look after family."
"That you do," he agreed.
Chris could see he wanted to go back to sleep. "I promised the other guys I would tell them what the doctors said. Are you all right for a little bit?"
"I am fine," Actor assured her.
"Yes, you're family," she said teasingly.
Actor's eyebrows rose. "I have been around your brother too much."
Chris grinned and rose from the chair, heading for the door. "Have a good nap," she said as she left.
GGG
Casino looked up as she came into the room. "Okay, what's the verdict?"
Chris sat on the very foot of his bed and repeated the report from the two doctors. "I don't think any of you will be going on any missions soon," she said in the end.
"Wot do you think about the Warden and Terry?" asked Goniff worriedly.
Chris looked down at her clasped hands. "I think they made it this far, they'll wake up eventually."
"I hope you're right, Little Sister," said Casino with his usual lack of optimism.
Suddenly, Chris wanted away from them. She looked at her watch. "I need to go. Kit should be here soon with Julie." She stood up and went out the door without another word.
6