Guesses Confirmed
Jerry paced in the waiting room of the hospital as the doctors tried to help Karen. He clenched his fists as she heard her screams of pain and rage. Captain Sackett was on her way here, and he'd called Bobby and Mike. Yet he was the only one here for her and he felt helpless. The nurses offered him coffee, but there wasn't anything they could really do for him and they had other patients.
Karens screams grew hoarse and eventually went silent. He was ready to charge into the emergency room and damn the staff, when Bobby, Alex and Mike came in. They were joined minutes later by Captain Sackett, Captain Ross and Jimmy Deakins. Jerry realized in all the furor he'd forgotten that Deakins was Karens uncle. He should've called him first.
Alex came over to him and gave him a big hug. "Have you heard anything?" She asked.
"No, but at least she stopped screaming. I don't know if that's good or bad. She was in such pain…."
"What happened, Wilkes?" Sackett walked up to him.
Bobby put an arm around his shoulders and Mike touched his arm. Jerry tried to get a breath to tell him. Bobby said. "Sit down. You're practically falling off your feet. Give him some room." He told them all, regardless of their rank.
"How long has it been since you had anything to eat?" Ross asked.
"We, uh, had lunch about 12:00. She, she made those sandwiches I like." He nearly broke down.
"I'll send for something." Ross offered.
"No, I couldn't…."
"You will eat." Sackett said. "Your partner will need you and you can't help her if you're in here as a patient too."
Bobby noticed him start to argue. "She's right. Take it from experts on the subject." His gaze met his partners. "Now, slowly, tell us what happened. As much as you can remember."
Captain Sackett pulled a chair over close so she could hear, but didn't interfere with Bobbys close tactile contact with her Detective. Captain Ross stood behind her chair and Jimmy Deakins stood shoulder to shoulder with Mike to listen as well.
Jerry told them everything he knew. Leaving out the details of how mad Karen had been as a result of the fight. There were nods all around when he finished.
"What was near the back of her house, Jerry. We were only out there once and I don't remember what was there." Mike put in.
She had a yard glider, some lawn chairs near the pool, firewood against the house, the hose bib, a lawn furniture set and a grill. The portable kind."
"Gas or charcoal?" Sackett asked.
"Gas, right where the hole in the house was."
"Did you hear anything that could've sounded like shots?" Alex asked.
"I wasn't listening. We, we were shouting, arguing. God, if I'd not said that she might be fine now…."
"You couldn't help it, kid. It looks like our shooter has found out where Karen lives or Alex if they think it's still you." Deakins said.
Everyone went silent. "I'm looking for the people here for Karen Wesson." A calm voice brought their attention to the newcomer in scrubs. More than one hand reached for the guns. The doctor took half a step back. "I guess you're all here for her?" he smiled uneasily.
Deakins revived first. "Sorry, Doctor, we're all a little on edge. How is she?"
"Are any of you relatives?"
"I'm her uncle. This is her partner, that's her captain, the rest are all good friends, it's alright to talk in front of them. How is she?"
"She's stable for now. We had to sedate her and give her something for pain. She's also being given antibiotics and we've bandaged her face as well as we can. She'll have to see an eye specialist, I don't know the extent of the damage to her eyes, or if she will ever see again. She has some hearing damage, though we're hopeful that that is just temporary. And we had to put her on a ventilator for the smoke damage."
"What about her front? Her shirt was all melted."
"That is the good news. Because she was wearing that extra shirt in this heat it only gave her some superficial damage to her chest area. That should heal with no trouble. But at least she's still alive. That's all I have to tell you right now."
"How long until we can see her?" Jimmy and Jerry asked at the same time.
"I've sent her up to ICU for observation for the next 24 hours, at least. As soon as she's settled in her room, you can go in two at a time for a few minutes. She won't know you're there at first so don't get too upset about it. She's pretty heavily sedated. I'll have the nurse let you know when she's settled."
"Thank you, Doctor." Deakins shook the mans hand.
Angie Deakins hurried into the room and went right to her husband. Jimmy put his arm around her and moved them off to a corner so he could update her on the details.
Ross and Sackett looked at each other and seemed to reach an agreement. "Bobby, I want you and Mike to go out to Karens and find out if our theory about the shooter is correct."
"I think I need to stay here with Jerry and the Deakins." Alex said.
"I agree."
"I think we should call all the precincts and make the general announcement that they've moved to all out murder now." Sackett said. "I don't think anyone is safe now."
"We'll work out the details on the way to the Chiefs Office. Everyone be extremely careful and give us, either of us, a call if anything happens. And I mean anything." Ross said.
The two detective captains left, already in deep discussion. Jimmy came back over with his arm around his tearful wife. "I realize I'm not a cop anymore, but I'd like to go with you when you go out to Karens, guys."
"You're family. Of course, you are entitled to be there." Mike answered for all of them.
"We need to get going." Bobby told Alex.
She nodded and hugged him tightly. "Be careful, you have a family that wants you home in one piece, too."
"We'll be careful."
"Call Carolyn, and let her know what's going on, will you?" Mike asked her.
"Sure."
"She's going to be so mad that she can't be here. I'll have to ask permission to touch her after this." Mike told the other two men as they left the hospital.
Alex took her phone and left the hospital to call Carolyn as there were "No cell phone" signs in the hospital and she wanted privacy to update the other woman on all the details.
Angie Deakins sat down in the chair next to Jerry and took his hand in hers. "You landed in the middle of a hell of a bunch, didn't you?" she asked him with a tearful smile.
"Yes, ma'am, I surely did." He agreed.
Even with the explosion, the fire and all the personnel that had been there, it didn't take long for the three experienced men to find where there had been numerous rifle bullets fired at the house and yard. Bobby talked to the CSU techs and was able to determine that the shots came from a small hill behind the barn. The three men went up to find where the shooter had been, being careful not to disturb any evidence.
All the shell casings had been removed, but they were able to get a reasonable foot print. It was a large mans print. Shoes, not boots and well worn. "He's tall, but not heavy. Our shoes are about the same size, but his didn't make as much of an impression." Bobby observed.
"And a woman." Deakins said. "Here's a womans print. Looks like athletic shoes. Whoever it was, they were expecting to be here long enough to want to be comfortable."
"Yeah, they were. Here's a candy wrapper. Who ever it is has a sweet tooth and bad taste. There's several here and they all have coconut in them." Mike said from down the hill.
"So we have at least two people who were here this morning. Rifles aren't quiet from a distance, maybe we need to talk to the neighbors and see if they heard anything." Mike said. "Bobby and I can do it, if you want to get back to the hospital."
"Angie will call me if she needs me. I want the SOB who tried to kill my niece." Deakins said angrily.
"You're awful close to this investigation." Bobby ventured.
"How can I not be? You are friends, long time colleagues and family. I won't get in the way. I remember the protocol, but I want a piece of him, too."
"I'll call Ross and see what else they've come up with." Mike said moving off to give the men some privacy.
Bobby eyed his long time friend and former commanding officer. "Jim, I don't want you to think I don't appreciate your support, but I have to do this my way. If it looks like you are going to be a loose cannon, I'll have to ask you to leave. Much as I wouldn't want to."
Deakins smiled at the term "loose cannon". He remembered the days when Bobby was described in just those terms. "You won't, Bobby." He promised.
Jerry was sitting beside Karens bed when she started to come out of the sedation. She moaned and shifted marginally on the hospital bed. He watched as she settled back down and a few minutes later she moaned louder and kicked out with her feet. Her monitor began to beep faster. Jerry took her hand, being careful of the IV in the back of her hand.
"Karen? Can you hear me? It's Jerry."
Karens head rolled toward him. "Jerry?" she asked softly. Her volume went up. "Jerry, where are you? I can hardly hear you." She shouted. "My head hurts."
"I know. It's okay, honey. You're safe."
"Safe?! Safe from what? Jerry, where am I? Where are you?" Karen desperately clasped for anything she could touch. She grabbed a hold of his hand and frantically tried to pull herself out of the bed. She pulled hands full of his shirt toward her.
Nurses swarmed into her room and tried to talk to her. They tried to hold her still and she fought them. The harder they tried to control her the harder she fought. One of the nurses had the presence of mind to give her more medicine in her IV. It took only a short time, before it took effect.
By then Karen was sobbing uncontrollably. Jerry took her in his arms and held her. He spoke soothingly to her and she went limp in his arms. The shock of the explosion and her disorientation had worn her out.
The head nurse checked her vital signs and sighed. "I've seen patients come out of anesthesia in some strong ways, but not usually in women. Not like that." She said.
"She's very sensitive to being touched. I think she has a touch of claustrophobia. She is very reactive." Jerry explained.
The nurse nodded knowledgeably. "I think she was reacting to the lack of sight and maybe there was also some residual anesthesia clouding her cognitive abilities. Next time she starts to rouse, please let us know immediately."
"I will." Jerry promised.
The nurse helped him get Karen settled back onto the bed and left the room, turning the lights down as she left.
Jerry settled himself in the chair next to the bed and watched his partner sleep. He hadn't felt as possessive of anyone since his mother as he felt for Karen. She was the most independent female he'd ever met, yet he was impressed with her pluck. She insisted on being an equal partner in their work. More than equal some days. He found the combination stimulating and a little exasperating.
How would she take it if she were permanently blind? The doctor had said she had to see an eye specialist. Would she feel lucky that she was still alive if she couldn't see any more? Would she still want to be his friend?
These were thoughts that occupied him while he watched the woman sleep who had turned his world upside down.
TBC