CHAPTER 25

He Made His Bed, Now He Has to Lie in It

"Good morning." A young guy in blue scrubs entered the room, smiling when he spotted Ranger lying beside Stephanie, cradling her close. "My name is Brandon and I'll be Ms. Plum's nurse today. I just need to do a quick check."

"How is she?" Ranger asked as he slid off the bed without letting Stephanie's hand go.

Brandon took her vitals and then adjusted a few buttons on her monitor. "She's doing well."

"When will Dr. Powell bring her out of sedation?"

"Another day at least. She'll be in shortly to go over everything with you," Brandon said as he pulled Steph's blanket back and removed the bandage on her chest so he could check her catheter. "Her incision looks good and there's no sign of infection."

Ranger held his breath as he watched the nurse carefully remove the drainage plug and turn the bulb upside down, squeezing the fluid into a measuring cup. He let out a relieved breath when only a small amount of fluid dripped into the cup.

Brandon held it up to get a better look. "It's less than 10 milliliters. Dr. Powell will probably want to remove the catheter soon, but Ms. Plum will need another echocardiogram first." He applied a new bandage and then pushed the call button on Steph's bed. "We're ready in here." A moment later, the door swung open, and two orderlies came in. Ranger followed as they rolled Steph down the hall to a dark room set up with an ultrasound machine. A woman in pink scrubs stood waiting for them.

"Hello, I'm Audrey." She smiled openly at Ranger, but with only professional interest. "I'll be doing Ms. Plum's ultrasound today."

It took about twenty minutes to complete the test. Fortunately, this time Ranger was able to stay by her side, holding her hand. He didn't want Stephanie to be alone, even for a second. He tried to hold his questions till the end, but his worry was growing, and he had to know. "Does everything look okay?"

Audrey's features stayed professionally neutral, not giving anything away. "I only administer the test Mr. Manoso. Dr. Powell will interpret the images." Ranger understood now, why Stephanie got frustrated with him for hiding his reactions. It left the other person in the dark, forcing them to form their own conclusions—right or wrong.

Mere minutes after Steph was settled back in her room, Dr. Powell came in, followed by Brandon who was pushing a medical computer cart. She offered a cursory smile and settled her attention on the computer monitor. She was quiet for several minutes while she studied the latest echo results. When she was done, she looked up, giving him an encouraging smile. "The fluid around her heart is back to normal levels and showing no sign of damage." Brandon set up a supply tray beside the bed while Dr. Powell tugged on the tube, quickly sliding it out of Stephanie's chest.

"Will she need stitches?" Ranger asked.

"Not with an incision this small." Dr. Powell applied a new bandage to the area and began typing her notes into the computer. "I'm going to order her sedation lowered," she said without looking up from the screen. "She should wake up sometime in the morning."

Ranger exhaled a slow sigh of relief that Stephanie was doing well and watched as Brandon and Dr. Powell left the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, he leaned down and gently brushed his lips over Stephanie's. Minutes later, Morelli strolled in, looking tired, but better than he had before they'd found Stephanie. Each morning and afternoon, he drove from Trenton to spend a couple hours with her. "Any change?" Morelli asked as he took his coat off and leaned down, giving Steph a light kiss on the lips.

Ranger's mouth twitched, wanting badly to smile. He took perverse pleasure in knowing that he'd been kissing those same lips moments before Morelli arrived. "She's better," Ranger finally said. "Dr. Powell took the catheter out of her chest and lowered her sedation."

Morelli gently traced his fingers over her jaw and then moved to the center of her chest, gently rubbing over the place where the catheter had been.

Watching Morelli touch her bothered Ranger in ways he refused to acknowledge. It reminded him that Morelli had a right to put his hands on her anytime he wanted. His possessive urges were overpowering his self-control, tempting him to throw the cop's hands off her. The last time they'd been in this position, Morelli had taken great pleasure in blaming Stephanie's kidnapping on him. He'd let him get away with it once—but there wouldn't be a second time.

Ranger gathered his coat. He had no desire to listen to Morelli profess his love to Stephanie. Since she was doing better, he felt it safe to head over to the hotel and get a little sleep. Morelli never stayed long. He'd head back to Trenton soon, and Ranger would again have her all to himself.

My eyes fluttered open, letting the harsh fluorescent light seep in, jabbing me with its intensity. I moaned and snapped them closed again.

Why was it so bright? Where was I?

When I chanced another try, I saw a woman with gray-hair smiling down at me. "Hi there, I'm Gail."

My head swirled with confusion. It was as if my thoughts had to travel on an elevator to get to the right floor, and someone kept pressing the stop button. I felt pressure on my hand, and looked down, noticing a tube was taped to my hand and warm masculine fingers were wrapped around mine. An ache formed in my heart as I let my eyes slowly travel up the mocha colored arm until I saw Ranger smiling down at me, giving me the full grill. My heart did a funny little skip. "Where… am… I?" I tried to ask, but it hurt my throat to speak and the words came out broken.

"You're in the hospital, Cupcake." I forced myself to look away from Ranger and found Joe standing on the other side of me, giving me a hopeful smile. The light was making my head hurt so I shut my eyes to let them rest. After a minute, I opened them again and squinted as I looked around the room. This was a hospital room. Why was I in the hospital?

"Can you tell me your name?" the gray-haired woman asked.

My name? Didn't Ranger and Joe tell them who was? Nothing was making sense. I opened my mouth to ask what was going on and nothing came out. I swallowed, wincing at the dryness. Ranger held a straw to my lips, and I drank greedily. "Small sips," he whispered as he bent to kiss my forehead.

The water burned as it slid down my sore throat, but it also soothed. When I was able to speak, I whispered my name. "Stephanie… Plum." The woman gave me a triumphant smile as if I'd just answered the winning question on Jeopardy.

The door opened and Mom and Dad walked in. Her steps faltered when her eyes landed on me and she broke out in a grin. "You're awake!" She exclaimed and turned to my dad. "Frank, she's awake."

"I can see that Helen." He smiled and held her hand as they both walked closer.

My eyes drifted back to Ranger. "Babe." His gentle smile made him even more handsome—if that were possible.

There was something sticking out of my nose. I pulled my hand out of Rangers, clumsily feeling around to find out what it was. When I grabbed hold of a plastic tube, my mom moved my hand away. "Leave that alone," she scolded. "It's your feeding tube."

As soon as she touched my wrist, frightening images started flashing through my mind. A belt whizzing through the air, landing on my back. Metal cuffs digging into my skin as I struggled. A fist flying toward me. That horrible smell. My heart started racing and from far away, I heard a high-pitched keening sound. Dizziness clouded my vision, and everything turned black again.

"Ms. Plum." My eyes fluttered as an assertive voice broke through my unconsciousness. "Can you hear me?" I opened my eyes to find a middle-aged woman with short wispy blonde hair assessing me. "I'm Dr. Powell," she said.

"What… what happened to me?"

"You were in an accident."

"What kind of accident?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." She waited and when I didn't offer an explanation, she gave me a comforting smile, and turned her attention to Joe and Ranger. "Would you step back so I can examine Stephanie?" Both men quickly obliged and then she started speaking to me again. "Now that you're awake, you won't need this feeding tube, but I'll wait to remove it until we know how well you tolerate eating on your own." I was trying to keep up with everything she was saying, but it was hard to focus.

She placed her stethoscope over my chest. "Take a deep breath for me." I tried to obey, but when I inhaled, it triggered a fit of coughing. The movement had my body jerking so badly I wanted to cry out. She noticed my discomfort and said, "You've just come out of heavy sedation. Once I'm finished with my examination, I'll give you something to help you rest comfortably." When I recovered enough to breathe evenly, she continued her exam. "Can you turn over on your side?"

As soon as I tried to turn over, pain sliced through my ribs, bringing tears to my eyes. Ranger quickly stepped towards me, supporting my shoulder as he gently rolled me onto my side. The doctor pressed her stethoscope to my back and listened. "Your lungs are clearing up nicely." She tugged on my skin as she pulled the bandages away to check the wounds on my back. I heard a swift intake of breath and a feral groan coming from Joe and Ranger. I winced as the doctor pressed in several places. "I know it hurts, Stephanie, but the good news is, your wounds are looking better."

Ranger gently supported me as he helped me get situated again. It took a few minutes for the pain to dull to a bearable level. When I was finally able to focus, I looked down at the cast on my hand. "What's wrong with me?"

"Besides some deep contusions, you have several lacerations on your back," Dr. Powell said. "You also have three broken ribs along with several broken bones in your hand and wrist. You've already had surgery to repair your hand, but you'll need to remain in the cast for three more weeks. We're also treating you for pneumonia and inflammation around the lining of your heart. Both have responded well to antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication." She gave me an encouraging smile. "Physically, you should make a full recovery."

A very tall kid in a lab coat poked his head in the room. "Are you ready for me?"

Dr. Powell smiled. "You're right on time. Stephanie, this is Dr. Harris, the Neurologist consulting on your case."

"How are you feeling today?" He smiled down at me.

"Confused… I guess."

"That's to be expected. You've had some significant bumps on your head, affecting both your frontal and temporal lobes. This type of traumatic brain injury can have long lasting, and many times permanent side effects."

Well that scared the hell out of me.

"Side effects?" I asked.

"Anything from confusion and disorientation to possible personality changes. You may also become more emotional or unable to recall recent events. I'd like to perform a neurological exam to get a better idea of what we're dealing with. Do you feel up to answering questions?"

I nodded.

"Can you state your full name, date of birth, and the current year?"

I swallowed. "Stephanie Plum. October 12, 1987. 2019."

"Good." He pulled a small light from his pocket and flipped it quickly in front of each eye. "How does your head feel, any dizziness or headaches?"

I paused to let myself feel the sensations in my head. "A little."

"Are you having any trouble following this conversation?"

I carefully shook my head.

"What about nausea?"

"Some."

"Since your left hand is broken, I'm just going to ask you to hold out your right arm with your palm up and close your eyes." I did what he said, and he placed his hand on top of mine. "Now push against me. Good. Now pull my hand to you. Good. Now touch your nose. Good. You're doing very well."

He moved to my legs and asked me to push against him and then raise one and then the other leg. When he was finished, he asked, "Do you recognize everyone in this room who isn't part of the hospital personnel?"

"Yes."

"Can you recall my name?"

"Dr. Harrison?"

"It's Dr. Harris, but that's close enough." He smiled. "Now tell me what you remember about your accident."

Ranger held my hand again, wrapping his warm fingers around mine while Morelli, my parents, and the doctors stood waiting for my answer. I closed my eyes, letting the frightening images tumbling around in my head settle into an order I could understand. As each image slid into place, my heart raced faster. I dug my fingernails into Ranger's hand and started shaking. Suddenly, everything aligned perfectly, and I wished I'd stayed oblivious.

I remembered every vivid detail. All the beatings. The hunger. The fear. I moved my casted hand to my chest to rub the pain away as more tears escaped, rolling down my face. Even though I remembered, I couldn't tell them that—not if I wanted Durant to pay for what he did to me—to us. Resigned to what I was about to do, I hardened myself, and after what I thought was a reasonable amount of time, I opened my eyes, and gave them a truthful, if not thorough answer. "I remember kissing you goodbye," I said to Joe. "And then I went shopping with Mary Lou."

Joe's face paled and his tone became incredulous. "But that was a month ago!" Dr. Powell gave him a scathing look and he snapped his mouth shut.

"You don't remember anything since that day?" Dr. Harris asked.

I slowly shook my head. "Have I been in a coma since the accident?"

"You haven't been in a coma, Stephanie, but your memories seem to be blocked." Noticing the panicked expression on my face, he quickly continued. "They may or may not come back to you. It's called post traumatic amnesia. I know this is disconcerting, but for the moment, I don't want you to force your memories. Let them come naturally." Dr. Harris turned and made eye contact with Dr. Powell. "It's essential that no one presses her to remember before she's ready."

I couldn't have been more grateful. Without being aware—he was making it easier on me. Even though I remembered everything Durant had done to me, I didn't know what happened after I wrecked his truck. That time period was completely blank. "H… How long have I been here?"

"Three days," Ranger said.

My stomach clenched.

Three days? You could die of dehydration in that time. Was Durant dead? Had I murdered him?

When the machines started beeping, Ranger leaned in close, his dark eyes locking with mine. "You're safe; no one can hurt you now."

I believed Ranger. Durant would have to get past him first and that would never happen.

Should I tell them about the cellar and Durant? I debated and decided, no, I wasn't going to tell them. With his injuries, he had to be dead by now. But what if he wasn't? I couldn't take the chance. He was going to die for what he did. I was going to make sure of it. He didn't deserve his day in court, and I couldn't take the chance authorities would let him go. Not after the vile things he'd done to me… to us. Since he was so enamored with the idea of starving people to death, he should experience it for himself. It seemed fitting the women stand watch over him as he breathes his last breath in the prison of his own making.

"Do you have any questions?" Dr. Powell asked.

I had so many things I wanted to ask, but the problem with asking questions was that people tend to ask them back—and I had no answers I wanted to give. But there was one thing I desperately wanted to know. "What day is it?"

"It's the morning of January 26," Dr. Powell said as she searched my face for signs of comprehension.

If my math was correct, I'd been in the cellar for twenty-nine days. I started breathing harder. It was making my chest burn and yet I couldn't seem to stop gasping. Dr. Powell spoke quietly to the nurse, and she left the room.

"Shhh, Babe. I've got you." Ranger sat with his hip on my bed, carefully propping me against his shoulder. I inhaled his familiar scent while he gently stroked my hair until my breathing steadied and I began to feel drowsy. Even through the drug induced haze, I could feel the irritation emanating from Joe as he witnessed Ranger tenderly caring for me.

Dr. Harris asked to speak with everyone out in the hall. Ranger made sure I was settled and joined my parents and Joe. With the door open, I could see and hear every word. "The worst thing you can do is force her to remember before she's mentally and emotionally ready," Dr. Harris said. "Right now, the goal is to keep her calm."

"What about the FBI agents; they call me every day wanting to question her?" Joe asked.

FBI agents? Shit!

Dr. Powell's voice hardened. "No one, and I mean no one, will be questioning Stephanie until I say so." She made direct eye contact with Joe and Ranger. "That goes for everyone, including the two of you, do I make myself clear?"

Joe and Ranger nodded reluctantly at the same time as my mother said, "Of course, doctor, we'll do whatever's best for Stephanie."

While they were out in the hall, the nurse came back in carrying a syringe in her hand. She injected the medication in my IV and busied herself taking my blood pressure. As she helped me take a drink of water, my stomach made an angry growling sound. "How does some broth and Jell-O sound?" I managed a small nod. It didn't sound great, I was thinking more along the lines of a steak and baked potato, but I guess it would have to do.

"You've had a lot of people worried about you honey. Lots of men in black uniforms have been running in and out of this room the past few days. I finally had to put my foot down to let you have some peace and quiet." Her voice made it sound like she was annoyed, but her smile told me she enjoyed every bit of it. A small ray of joy spread through me at the thought of her bossing Ranger and the Merrymen around. She was still talking to me when the outline of her body became hazy. With each blink, she faded more and more—until she was gone.

The late afternoon sun slowly lowered, casting rays of light across Stephanie's hospital bed. Ranger had gone to the hotel across the street to sleep while her parents had returned to Trenton for the night, leaving Joe alone with her. It was the first time he'd had this much uninterrupted time and he was savoring it.

He sat quietly, holding her hand while she slept. He wished he could do the same. He'd spent the last month hounding his informants for information and going over every possible lead to find her. Some nights he hadn't even made it home to bed. And now that she was found, he had to return to his regular work schedule. He'd used up all his vacation time searching for her. He didn't have his own company like Ranger, and he couldn't afford to take off without pay.

Stephanie made a low sound in her throat and started thrashing her head from side to side; most likely reliving the hell she'd been through. He wanted to crawl under the blanket with her and comfort her but there wasn't enough room. Instead, he squeezed her hand, reminding her she wasn't alone.

Once he got her home, and in his bed, he was going to slip in behind her, bring her body close against his to reassure them both that she was safe. He'd never let anything like this happen to her again. But as much as he loved her, he was perturbed that she never took her physical safety seriously. So many times, he literally worried himself sick over her and it had to stop.

Maybe this was the wakeup call she needed in order to make a change. He didn't mind her working, but he didn't want to spend all his time worrying that his wife might not come home at the end of the day. If he'd wanted that headache, he could've married someone in his field, there was plenty of women to choose from.

But that wasn't the only reason he was mad. From the moment he walked into the emergency room, he'd felt like an outsider in her life. Somehow, without realizing it, Ranger had wormed his way into their lives, but now it was time for him to go. He was going to make it perfectly clear to Stephanie that it was either him or Ranger. There couldn't be both—not anymore.

"When are you going to see him for the user he is?" he asked, even though she couldn't hear him. "He doesn't want you. A man like him will never be satisfied with a normal life." The more Joe thought about Ranger, the hotter his blood boiled. He was man enough to admit he was jealous. He gritted his teeth when he thought of the differences between himself and Ranger.

Ranger had his own company, money to burn, the respect of his men, and probably endless women in his bed. And all he had was his Aunt's house, a few months' worth of wages in the bank, and not much else. His hand made a bristling sound as he ran it over his five o'clock shadow. "I expected you to say 'yes' when I got down on my knee and asked you to marry me. It hurt me that you needed to think about it."

He lowered his voice to a whisper and shook his head in regret. "I know I haven't always been good to you." His shoulders deflated, taking on the visage of a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. "From now on, I'm going to do everything in my power to show you how much you mean to me."

The ringing of his phone interrupted his thoughts.

"Morelli."

He paused to listen and then blew out a breath. He was being called into work. That was the problem with murder; they always happened at an inconvenient time. Crime didn't stop for his personal emergency, and if he wanted to keep his job, he needed to report to the scene of a homicide in the warehouse district of Trenton.

He put his phone back in his pocket and got to his feet, gazing down at Stephanie, regret clouding his face. Stephanie's mother was going to be pissed when she found out he'd left her alone, but what choice did he have? "I'm sorry, Cupcake." He leaned over, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can."