The surgery on Bobby's cheekbone the following morning was postponed, due to the fact that the swelling had not gone down enough, and had actually increased. They decided to run another CT head scan, looking for possible brain swelling or other injuries to the brain. They were also concerned about his vision, but could not learn anything due to the fact that his eye was still swollen shut. The swelling had extended well past his nose, causing difficulty with breathing, and he had to be put on oxygen to help him.
The doctor explained all this to Deakins and Alex (Joe couldn't be there, he had a court date) along with all the possible complications. He also said that at the moment their plan was to replace part of the bone with a miniplate and very small screws.
"Hopefully we'll be able to go in through his mouth," Dr. Springer told them. "That will eliminate any facial scarring, but of course, like anything else, it will be determined by what we find once we get started. You're welcome to visit with him, but he may have difficulty in speaking; facial movements of any kind right now are extremely painful. You may have noticed how it was speaking with him last night?"
Alex nodded. "He only said one word to us last night. 'Hi.' At least that's what we think it was."
"It's not any better today. He'll continue to be on painkillers for some time, and he is still pretty groggy."
After the doctor left, Deakins sighed and shook his head. "All this, and when he comes out of it all he's still going back to jail." Alex just looked at him, a pained expression on her face.
They went in to see Bobby again. Holy shit! He looks worse than he did before!
Bobby was sitting up in bed, his back propped against a few pillows. He smiled slightly, trying to use his facial muscles and bones as little as possible. The swelling had indeed increased, and the dark purple bruising now had a greenish tint to it. The oxygen, although helping him breathe, made it look all the worse.
Alex sat down very gently on the bed.
He looked up at them sleepily, and mumbled "thank you" to Alex.
"Why are you thanking me? She was genuinely confused.
"Gettin me out." It was nearly unintelligible, but she got it. Tears suddenly appeared in her eyes, and she began to cry softly, covering her eyes with her hands.
Now Bobby seemed confused and looked to Deakins with his good eye. Deakins wasn't any better, he shrugged, spreading his hands out before him.
"I'm so sorry, Bobby!" she said, still crying. "It's all my fault! I should have made them take you out of there long before it ever happened. We should have done it a long time ago…" Alex was shaking and crying, looking like she'd lost her best friend, which she very nearly did.
"S alright," Bobby managed, helpless to say or do much of anything. He couldn't even hug her. He looked to Deakins again for help. So Deakins gently took each of her hands, and slowly pulled her pulled her up to him, enveloping her a big bear hug.
After a while Alex seemed to settle down, and the two of them sat and talked with Bobby for a while, Bobby mostly listening.
At one point, Bobby asked about the kid who had been hurt along with him. At least they thought he said "the kid." Damn! It really was hard trying to talk without moving your face.
"Are you saying 'kid?' Is that what you said?"
"Yeah." He could have nodded, but that would have sent the pain already pounding in his head through the roof.
"What kid?" Deakins asked. This was going to be an ordeal, trying to get information from a man who at the moment had very little means of communication.
"Jail," Bobby was trying to say, but it sounded more like "Jill."
"Jill? Jill who?" Alex asked, confused again. She had no idea who "Jill" was, or why Bobby would be bringing up a person none of them knew at this particular time when he could barely speak. She attributed it to the medications he was on, he did seem pretty out of it. Which was probably a very good thing, considering the pain he had to be in.
"Jail!" Bobby repeated.
"Okay, Bobby. We know "Jill,' what about her?" Deakins was beginning to sense Bobby's growing restlessness.
"No! Jail!" Bobby leaned back against the pillows, closing his eye. It would have been comical, had it not been for the gravity of Bobby's condition.
He was very frustrated. He couldn't get them to understand. All he wanted to know was how the kid who'd been injured in jail with him was doing. This was impossible. He was starting to get angry with himself. He couldn't talk, he couldn't write, couldn't use his arms at all. He wondered how long after the surgery it would be before he could talk again. Not being able to use his hands as he spoke was bad enough, but not being able to talk at all? This was definitely going to be a problem.
Bobby finally dropped the subject, knowing it was going nowhere. That was a big relief to the other two, who realized it wouldn't be long before Bobby lost it. And that would probably piss his doctors off; getting all stressed out wouldn't be a good thing right before surgery.
After Alex and Deakins had gone, Bobby lay in his bed, thinking. Although still under the effects of the painkillers, he couldn't get that kid out of his head. His foggy mind couldn't even remember his name. But he knew if that kid hadn't changed his mind about hurting him, then he'd be in even more pain than now (physically and mentally) and even possibly dead. That kid saved his life, and he had no way of knowing what had happened to him. This was weighing heavily on his mind.
It was another two days before the swelling went down enough for Bobby's doctors to perform the surgery. A few of the tests were run again, plus more x-rays. Bobby was so ready for this, he just wanted to be able to speak clearly again.
Alex and Deakins were both there. Doctor Springer again told them the plan of action. As he told them previously, they would first attempt to try it by going through his mouth. It's possible it wouldn't work, however, in which case there were a few other options, none of which were very pleasant.
Bobby's operation was serious, butdid not appear to be life threatening, although anything was possible in surgery, especially surgery so near the eye and sinuses. Any infections could go to the brain, which could then prove fatal. However, everyone was working under the assumption that things would go according to plan.
And so the wait began.
About two hours later there was a call to the surgical waiting room, where Alex and Deakins waited with other families of surgical patients. It couldn't be for them, it was too soon for the operation to be over. The volunteer picked it up. "For Goren?"
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It didn't take long for the news of Robert Goren's beating to get back to Mark Connelly, who, as the assistant Chief of Detectives was kept informed of all the goings-on of his detectives. He was devastated. This man had been more than assaulted, this had been a blatant attempt at murder.
This whole ordeal had had been preying on his conscience for some time now, more and more, and now this. How much longer could this go on? He seriously thought about turning Jake in. Jake obviously felt no such remorse, which bothered and hurt his father immensely. He realized some time ago that his son was a sociopath; and there was no changing him. It would always be that way with Jake. At least there was no danger of the death penalty. Nicole had been killed in a crime of passion (and stupidity, but so far that wasn't a crime). He'd get what? Fifteen years maybe? And get him off the streets for a while.
The downside of this was that his relationship with his son would be over. Not that it was much of a relationship anymore, anyhow. Over the past fifteen years Jake's sociopathic personality had ruined whatever respect they had for each other. Jake would hate his father with a passion. But Mark still loved his son, as did Jake's mother. It would kill her to lose her son. The other part was that if he turned Jake in, he'd also have to turn himself in. His career would be in ruins, he'd have to resign the job he loved and had worked for his entire life. And no doubt go to prison himself. It was due to his part in covering up Jake's original crime that had led to the deaths of those other two detectives, not to mention the beatings and attempted murder of Goren. And now that other inmate in whatever had gone down last night. All this was on his head. What the hell was he going to do?
---------------
The volunteer handed the phone to Deakins, who took it somewhat hesitantly. "Uh…yes? I'm here for Detective Goren…"
"I'm Sandy, one of the surgical nurses for Detective Goren. I'm calling to update you on his status. We had a little delay in getting started, but things are going well. We are able to go through his mouth, and at the moment, he's doing fine."
Deakins looked at Alex, giving her a thumb's up. "Thank you, Sandy." He hung up the phone. "He's doing fine," he told Alex.
Alex let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God! Finally!"
tbc