The Pain of Silence
Chapter 17
Frank had had the presence of mind to call Vanessa after the paramedics arrived at the accident scene. Morgan, Joe and Vanessa reached the hospital just before the ambulance got there. They hurried to the Emergency admitting desk. "Is my daughter here?" Morgan asked frantically. "Her name is Brooke Tyler."
"No ma'am, not yet. They'll be here any moment," the nurse said calmly.
"Mrs. Tyler, come over here." Vanessa guided her over to the seats where they could keep an eye on the emergency door.
The nurse noticed Joe's arm as he turned to walk over to them. "Young man! Are you hurt?"
Joe looked down at his arm. "Oh, it's a graze. I—"
"You need to get that cleaned up immediately! You may need stitches for it," she said, looking at the cut. "How'd you get this?"
"I was shot," he admitted.
"You are most certainly getting that checked out! Shot?!" The nurse walked over to her desk and paged a doctor. "You stay right there," she instructed.
Vanessa came up beside him. "Get that taken care of. We'll be out here. If we hear anything we'll let you know."
"Thanks." He gave her a kiss just before he was led down the hallway.
A moment later the door opened and Frank and Tony walked inside. Morgan and Vanessa hurried over to them.
"How was she? You saw her, right?!" Morgan asked.
Tony looked at Frank for help. They'd watched the medics work and what they overheard wasn't good.
"She was having some pains in her chest. The truck had overturned and she fell. We're not sure what's wrong," Frank informed them. "Here they come."
Two medics rolled the gurney in and Morgan saw her daughter for a brief moment and gasped at the sight. "Oh my…" She wanted to go over there but a doctor and nurses soon blocked their views.
"What do we have?"
"She's having chest pains and breathing problems. She was conscious for the ride but passed out just as we arrived," the medic answered.
The other medic spoke up. "Her wrist may be sprained or broken and she complained of dizziness."
Everything seemed to happen in a blur, as Brooke was quickly wheeled down the hall. The doctor approached the desk and looked in Morgan's direction. He walked over to the group. "Excuse me. I was told you're the girl's mother?" he asked her.
"Yes, I am," Morgan replied.
"May I speak with you?" he pulled her aside. "Ma'am, I wanted to inform you that we may or may not have to perform surgery and need your permission to go ahead if this is necessary."
"Yes, of course. Whatever you need to do to save my daughter," Morgan said and he thanked her and had the admittance nurse bring Morgan a form to sign.
"I'll be out as soon as I can," he said and went back through the doors.
Morgan walked back over to the teens, and Vanessa gently embraced Morgan as she started crying. "She'll be okay…" Vanessa felt her own eyes tear up.
Tony was about to say something when an officer walked in, and behind him was a medic wheeling Scott in on a gurney.
"His arm is broken as is his nose," Tony said coldly. "They said he had to have medical attention before they could take him to jail."
Morgan wanted to go over there and take out all her anger and hatred on the man she had once loved. "He'll get what he deserves," she said and turned away.
Everyone sat down and waited, as patiently as they could, for news of Brooke.
"Frank, Joe is getting his arm looked at," Vanessa informed him when the elder Hardy boy noticed his brother's absence.
"Thanks," he said and glanced at Tony who was hunched over, gently touching his nose. "You all right?"
"My nose hurts. The Figlio di Puttana punched my nose. It's sore," Tony said and Frank looked at him questioningly.
"The what?" Frank asked and Tony had no idea what he was talking about.
"Puttana?" Frank asked.
"Oh! Oops, nothing. I caught on to a few things from my parents. It's nice to be able to speak another language," Tony said.
Frank smiled. "Yeah…"
The door opened and Fenton and Laura walked inside. Spotting Frank, they joined the group.
Frank filled his father in on everything that had happened, from the incident at the mall to the accident.
"We should have caught him before this happened!" Fenton snapped.
"Dad, we tried to catch up to him," Frank said.
"I know you did. I didn't mean it was your fault. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, that's all."
Laura rubbed her husband's back. "Honey, I've said this before. You can't help everyone. Well, you can, but you won't always come out on top. They have him now, so let's look on the positive side of things. He won't be able to harm either of them any more."
As time passed they all began to worry.
Joe came strolling out of the hallway with a bandage on his arm. "Good as new!" he said and sat down beside Vanessa. "So…" he looked around. "Any news yet?"
"No. Nothing," Frank said sadly.
Fenton talked to Joe and got his side of the story.
After a couple more hours, Morgan finally stood up and started pacing.
Tony looked up and watched her. He frowned, thinking about Brooke lying there, helpless, being unable to breathe. He stood up and walked over to Morgan. He said something that no one else heard and Morgan wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you," she said and released him. "That means a lot." She wiped away a few tears.
"What did he say?" Joe asked Vanessa who was closest.
She shrugged. "I don't know."
They all looked up when a doctor came into the waiting room.
"Who's here for Brooke Tyler?" he asked and the group stood up.
"Good evening. Who's her family?"
Morgan stepped forward. "I'm her mother."
"I would like to speak with you privately. Can you come with me?" the doctor asked and Morgan grew even more worried.
Fenton stepped beside her. "Don't worry. It's because we're not family. Go ahead," he said, giving her a reassuring pat on the back.
Morgan let out a sigh of relief and followed the doctor.
They walked down the hall and came to a stop. "I'm Doctor Welling and I've performed a surgical procedure on your daughter. Doctor Daniels had me take over when we realized she needed emergency surgery," he explained.
"How is she?"
The doctor sighed. " She had trouble breathing at first. We did some x-rays and found that her xiphoid process had been broken off. That alone will cause problems in the area of respiration." At her puzzled look at the medical term he clarified, " The xiphoid process is the small arrow-like piece of cartilage at the base of the sternum, or the breast bone. If this is damaged it can be fatal if the victim does not get medical treatment right away. But since there was someone to call it in immediately she was a very lucky girl."
"How long will she be in the hospital? Will she be okay?" Morgan asked.
"Well, this is the part that gets complicated. When this piece of bone breaks it depends on how it breaks. Often it is fatal because it can be driven into the heart, which is located right behind it."
She sucked in her breath, worried.
"Now, although this did happen, we were able to repair the damaged part of her heart. She will be watched closely for the next 24 hours for any complications that could occur."
She felt relief wash over her and she sighed. "Thank goodness."
"But, there were a couple other minor things I should tell you about. She did have some cuts on her arm and one needed stitches. There will more than likely be bruising from the seatbelt she was wearing. She also has a concussion. So, we'll need to keep an eye on that as well."
"Can I see her?" Morgan asked.
"In a few minutes. They are moving her to a room now. Keep in mind she's very weak and is in and out of consciousness. She may or may not wake up while you're there."
"Thank you so much," Morgan said and walked back to the others, who were eagerly waiting to hear what happened.
"How is she?" Tony asked, stepping forward.
"She had trouble breathing, but they were able to repair the damage. They said a bone injured part of her heart." There were several gasps in the room.
"Her heart?" Tony felt as though his own heart was about to stop when he heard those words. "She'll be okay, won't she?"
"They need to watch her for the next twenty-four hours. She also had a concussion and some cuts that had to be stitched." Morgan tried to remain strong through the explanation, but tears streamed down her face.
Laura walked over to her friend and embraced her in a hug. "She'll pull through," Laura said hopefully. "She's a strong girl."
"Thanks, Laura."
Frank and Joe were standing nearby, and they noticed Tony turn his head and bring his hand to his face.
"What's with Tony?" Joe asked softly, concerned for his friend.
"Excuse me." Tony made his way past the group and walked down the hallway.
Everyone watched him leave.
"Should we go after him?" Joe asked.
"Give him a minute. He needs it," Frank said and noticed Joe giving him a questioning look. "He was the first person to see her in the accident, Joe. It's taking a lot out of him. He told me on the way here that he's never had anything like this happen to him before."
"Nothing? You mean an accident or...?"
"The accident and Brooke. If she didn't make it, I think it'd tear him apart all over again," Frank said quietly. He remembered when Brooke first left, Tony had been very upset and it took them a while to get his mind off of her.
"I understand how he feels," Joe said and frowned slightly.
Vanessa slipped her arm though his and leaned against him. "Joe, maybe you should talk to him then," she suggested. "From what you've told me about your past, I think could understand better than anyone else."
Frank knew all too well what Vanessa meant. Joe's first girlfriend had been killed in an explosion caused by terrorists. It had taken Joe a long time to get over it. "She's right. Go talk to him."
Joe left the group and made his way down the hall. As he walked, he began to wonder where Tony could have gone. He soon got his answer when he came to the end of the hall. He read a sign. 'Gifts'. "The gift shop," he mumbled to himself as he saw Tony bringing up flowers and balloons to the register. Then he went back for more as Joe walked inside.
"Tony?"
Tony turned and saw Joe standing there. "Hey, I'm getting her some presents," he said, forcing a smile.
"Want a hand?" Joe offered.
"Sure," Tony replied and glanced at the clock. "They close in five minutes, so we have to be quick."
"All right." Joe went over and tried to find something for Brooke. He had no idea what she liked. He was starring at the shelf full of stuffed animals from small sizes to large. "Um, does she like animals?" Joe asked.
"Yeah, cats, dogs… OH! You're looking at those." Tony walked up to him. "This one is perfect!" He grabbed a large soft teddy bear and brought it to the register.
Joe followed his lead and grabbed another stuffed teddy bear. He brought it to the register and saw Tony still looking around. He looked at the balloons that were picked out. 'Get Well' 'Get Well Soon' 'I Love You'…. Joe looked at Tony and back at the balloon. He smiled.
Tony came back with one more stuffed animal and saw Joe looking at the balloon. "Don't you say anything!" Tony said and blushed.
"I'm not. I'm happy for you," Joe said and gave his friend a pat on the back. They paid for their items and slowly made their way back to the waiting room.
"Hey Tony, I came down to let you know I'm here if you want to talk," Joe offered.
"Talk? About what?" Tony asked, stopping as he peered over the stuffed animals in his arms.
"Um, women, life, the accident. I know how it is to deal with something like this. Luckily you still have her," Joe told him.
Tony forced a smile. "I know. I just wish it hadn't come to this. Joe, you should have seen her lying there. It's like someone's about to fall and your hand is just an inch away and you can't get any closer to save them."
Joe nodded. "I know how you're feeling. Trust me, I do. I know I'm not the sappy type, but seriously, I'm here for you. Okay?"
"Thanks Joe, I appreciate it," Tony said as they started walking again.
"So…"
"What?" Tony asked.
"You like her a lot, huh?"
A big grin came over Tony's face this time. "Yes, I do."
"Good."
"Did you buy the entire store?" Frank teased, and took the balloons from Tony's hands.
"Pretty much," Tony conceded with a laugh.
"That's cute. She'll appreciate it," Vanessa said and eyed the balloons. "Aww, that's so sweet!"
Tony's cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
'Sorry!" Vanessa said and giggled. "I didn't mean…"
"It's okay." Tony laughed and sat down, bears in hand.
Nearly twenty minutes later Morgan returned to the waiting room. She had a smile on her face. "She was awake. Not talking much, but awake," she informed them. She looked at Tony. "Why don't you head on in?" she asked, and then looked at all the gifts. "You guys didn't have to buy all of this!" she exclaimed.
"They're from Tony," Vanessa said and Morgan smiled at him.
"She'll love everything." Morgan gave Tony a kiss on the cheek. "Go see her, sweetie – although she may be sleeping when you go in."
"Thanks," he said and tried picking up the flowers and balloons.
"I'll help," Vanessa offered and grabbed some of them.
Together they made their way to Brooke's room and Tony opened the door. The sight of his girlfriend attached to all the equipment made him worry. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be sleeping.
"Tony…" Vanessa said softly. "Let me put these down and I'll leave you two alone."
Tony and Vanessa set the flowers down and tied the balloons to the chair beside the bed. Then Vanessa left.
Tony sat down and took the smallest teddy bear and placed it next to Brooke on the bed. "Well, I guess this is the best chance as any to talk to you and tell you things I haven't been able to say yet. I guess you can call it practice," he said quietly. "I remember as I was about to turn seventeen, just days before my birthday, Joe was teasing me about you. About how I'd comment on your clothes, or whenever you played a good game of basketball with us. Over time I began to realize I liked you. A lot. Whether it was playing basketball, having lunch at school, anything, I loved spending time with you. Then you left."
He paused and took a deep breath. "Every day I'd walk by your old house, hoping you were there, but that never happened. As time passed, I just gave up, thinking you were gone, forever. Then, just a few days ago at work, you walked in and hit me on the head with a napkin dispenser…" he laughed. "It was the best day of my life. You were back and it's like nothing's changed. I missed you so much. No one can tell you, just how much I've missed you. When you get out of here, and you will, you'll be fine, I intend on making up for these last two dreadful years and making you happy." He leaned forward and tears began trickling down his face. "Thank goodness you're asleep. I'm a big baby."
"Baby?" a weak voice said and he looked up, startled.
"Brooke?"
She gave him a weak smile.
"Thank goodness. Don't say anything! The doctor said you need to rest and…" he stopped when she reached over with her good hand and grabbed his. She tried to say something to him but he couldn't hear it. He leaned closer. "Brooke, hon, I can't hear you. Just rest. Wait to…"
"Missed...you...too," she said slowly and closed her eyes again, falling back asleep.
'She heard me!' he thought and then he didn't seem to care. "Well, it's true. You're back and that's all that matters. Good night. Sweet dreams, beautiful."
Tony exited the room and made his way to the waiting room, a big smile on his face.
"How was she?" Frank asked.
"She's doing great." Tony grinned. "You guys are the best, you know that?"
"Huh?!" Joe asked, confused.
"Thanks for helping her. I know it didn't turn out the best, but it means so much to me that you went through everything and helped her as best you could. It wasn't easy and we did it. She's safe now and…" he was at a loss for words.
"Tony, don't go soft on us, man…" Joe gave his friend a weird look.
Tony smiled. "I'd never do that to you Joe. Don't worry."
Frank laughed. "How about we have a little welcome home party for her?"
"Oh man!" Joe said, "Frank, what about your birthday?!"
"We can wait until Brooke's feeling better. I don't mind waiting."
Joe groaned and Tony knew what the problem was. Joe had planned Frank a surprise birthday party at Vanessa's house a long time ago.
"What?" Frank asked.
"Nothing." Joe said and sunk back down in the chair. 'I'll make it a welcome home and a birthday party! As soon as she's better, I'll reschedule it.' he thought and smiled. 'Perfect!'