All original characters of the Stephanie Plum series belong to Janet Evanovich. The new ones are mine.
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Chapter 25
"Carlos we need to talk."
Ranger knew from his own personal use of them, that those words never meant anything good. "What is it Curtis?"
"I received the results from the most recent tests this morning. Stephanie's condition has been improving nicely. The swelling that has been such a concern has gone down a great deal. Her wound and her surgery sight are healing as expected and I've ordered most of her IV meds to be discontinued and the lines removed. We're going to finish her drug therapy orally. I want her to get out of bed and start moving around. It's time for her to get ready to be released."
Ranger hesitated. "That all sounds like great news. So why do you still look so concerned?"
"The fact that the swelling is down and her memory issues have not begun to be resolved, concerns me. We should have seen some improvement by now."
"What are you saying?"
"I think that we need to look at other possibilities for the continued failure of her memory."
"You think there is another injury you're unaware of?" Ranger was worried that things were going from bad to worse.
"No…I think we need to consider that some psychological issues may be causing this. I'm sure that the damage caused by the accident played a large part in triggering her problems, but I'm beginning to think that there is more at play here than just the injuries."
"Psychological issues? Do you want to bring another specialist in from the hospital to see her?"
"I took the liberty of contacting a colleague of mine. His name is Jackson Winchester. We met at a conference several years ago. He's a psychiatrist. A damn good one at that." Curtis looked at Ranger for his reaction.
Ranger nodded for him to continue.
"Jack is Army. Most of his work is with soldiers who are having trouble dealing with their experiences during their tour of duty. He works out of Walter Reed in DC." Curtis pulled up a chair and sat across from Ranger. "I spoke with him briefly about Stephanie's injuries and continuing symptoms. He agreed with my assessment that some psychiatric intervention may be necessary and he agreed to recommend someone locally…until…I mentioned your name." He stared directly at Ranger.
Ranger's head shot up in response to Curtis' last words. "Explain."
"He said he knew of Colonel Carlos Manoso and then insisted that he come and deal with Stephanie's case personally."
Ranger sat back and thought for a moment. "Do you trust him?"
"Carlos, he's the best. If something is going on with Stephanie, Jack will figure it out and fix it. Yes, I trust him; I've known him for years. If you want, I can arrange for him to be here in a couple of days. I'll have my secretary arrange a flight for him."
"Not necessary. I'll send my jet." Ranger took out his cell phone and made a call. "Bobby, I need you to make a trip to DC..."
Curtis held up his hand to get Ranger's attention. Ranger acknowledged the gesture and looked up, stopping mid conversation. "Actually, Carlos, I caught up with him on leave…in San Francisco."
Ranger raised a single eyebrow at the new information, hesitated just a short moment and went back to the phone conversation. "Correction, Bobby, I need you to make a trip to San Francisco on the company jet. You're going to escort a specialist back here for Stephanie. Curtis will give you the specifics. Plan to meet with him when you come in later this afternoon. I want you on that plane today." He closed the phone and read the confusion on Curtis' face. "I want Bobby to bring him up to speed before he gets here. It will save time." Without missing a beat he called out. "Hector."
"Si."
"Hacer una copia de todas las grabaciones de la habitación de Steph. Tenerlo listo para Bobby a tomar con él cuando él se vaya." (Make a copy of all the recordings from Steph's room. Have it ready for Bobby to take with him when he leaves.)
"No hay problema, jefe." (No problem Boss.) Hector, who had been added to the 'Bomber watch' rotation, was currently double checking the equipment for damage after Ranger's outburst the day before.
Curtis had never seen such efficiency in his life. His crude understanding of Spanish wasn't sufficient to completely understand what the order to Hector was, nonetheless, he was impressed by the rapid decision making and complete unquestionable loyalty of Ranger's men. It was no surprise to him that Carlos Manoso was successful not only in the private sector but, obviously, as Jack's earlier reaction had implied, in the military world as well.
"Well, it seems as if you've made up your mind." Curtis stood from his chair. "I'll call Jack and pass on all the details to Bobby." He turned to leave.
"Curtis." Ranger's voice was softer. It had lost its CEO tenor. "Thank you. I need her well."
"I understand." He left the room.
Ranger flipped his cell phone open once again. "Tank, get me everything you can find on a Dr. Jackson Winchester at Walter Reed; personal and professional. Pull some strings if you have to."
Ranger closed the phone and stared at the monitor. The last few days had been Hell. Lester had barely left her side. After the traumatic encounter with Sullivan, Stephanie had all but shut down. She ate, took her medications, and answered questions from her nurses and doctors, but not once, since that last breakdown, had she spoken about what Andrew said. Lester had tried to initiate conversations, but she refused to participate on any level deeper than an occasional nod or pointed look. Ranger knew she had a stubborn streak, but this was beyond that. The dull emptiness of her eyes betrayed the despondent feelings he knew were consuming her from the inside. She wrote occasionally in the notebook that Lester had given her. Sometimes, in a fit of frustration, she would rip a page out, ball it up and throw it across the room. She slept frequently. Sometimes it was peaceful, but mostly it was restless and broken. He could only hope that her troubling dreams were attempting to push through the truth; that, somehow, parts of her real life were struggling to reveal themselves and that her endurance of the torment they caused would eventually enhance the healing process.
"Ranger."
Ranger was drawn out of his thoughts by the address. He gave Hector his attention with a slight lifting of his head.
Hector gently touched Stephanie's image on the monitor. "Sus heridas se curan, pero ella se ha roto aún. Ella te necesita, como lo hizo la noche del robo. Su mente está bloqueando su memoria, pero dentro de su corazón, nuestro ángel te está esperando para salvarla. Es necesario hacerle ver más allá de la mentira y las barreras." (Her wounds heal, but she is still broken. She needs you, like she did the night of the robbery. Her mind is blocking her memory, but inside her heart, our angel is waiting for you to save her. You need to make her see past the lies and barriers.)
"Yo no "sabe cómo hacerlo, Héctor. Ella es tan frágil. Ella tiene que ser más fuerte antes de complicarse la vidaaún más." (I don't' know how to do that, Hector. She is so fragile. She needs to be stronger before I complicate her life even more.)
"El amor no es una complicación. Cura. He visto la forma en que te mira. Usted es un bálsamo para su alma cuando está en problemas." (Love is not a complication. It heals. I have seen the way she looks at you. You are a balm to her soul when she is troubled.)
"Ella no me conoce en este momento. Yo sólo confunden aún más. No puedo hacerle daño. He hecho mucho de esoya." (She doesn't know me right now. I would only confuse her more. I can't hurt her. I've done too much of that already.)
"He visto cómo su amor por ella la ha hecho más fuerte, no débil. Ella era feliz contigo, más feliz que jamás haya visto antes." (I believe your love for her has made her stronger, not weaker. She is happy with you; happier than I have ever seen her before.)
"No voy a esperar mucho tiempo más, Héctor. Estoy impaciente por que ella vuelva. Vamos a ver lo que el buen médico tiene que decir." (I won't wait too much longer, Hector. I'm impatient for her to return too. Let's see what the good doctor has to say.)
Hector nodded as he pulled the flash drive from the computer and handed it to Ranger. "Por Roberto." (For Bobby.) He then reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of folded notebook paper. "Para usted." (For you.)
Ranger was intrigued, but said nothing and took the paper.
Hector patted Ranger on the shoulder. "Su mente le haya perdido temporalmente, pero que se esconden en su corazón. Ella tiene un corazón fuerte. Un buen corazón." (Her mind may have misplaced you temporarily, but you are hiding in her heart. She has a strong heart. A good heart.)
Sé que Héctor. Era el corazón de Stephanie que me enamoré con la primera. (I know that Hector. It was her heart that I fell in love with first.)
"Nuestra niña está dormida ahora. Yo voy a dar un salto de Lester. Usted debe comer ahora y descansar un poco también. Un muy buen amigo me recordó que tenemos que estar aquí cuando ella se despierta." (Our girl is asleep now. I'm going to give Lester a break. You should eat now and get some rest too. A very good friend reminded me that we need to be here for her when she wakes up.) He smiled at Ranger and walked out of the room.
He watched as moments later, Hector entered Stephanie's room and after a brief conversation and a complicated handshake, Lester stepped out. Hector took Stephanie's hand and Ranger heard him recite a familiar prayer then protectively take the seat next to her bed.
Ranger looked down at the paper in his hand. He slowly unfolded it, laid it on the portable table next to him and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles. He handled the note as if it contained the long lost clues to a hidden treasure.
Ric Granger – not real?
Carlos – not real?
Andrew – man out there loves you.
Not Andrew
Lester?
My house – big kitchen, big closets, bathtub, pictures
My car – Lexus, blue, car seat
Bracelet, gift from Andrew – lie. Why?
Birthday!
Birthday…sunblock, warm beach. Palm trees? Where? Feel love there. Why? Who?
Blue dress
Who loves me? Where is he?
The thoughts were random, but they were the first evidence that maybe they were progressing. Why was she holding back? Why would she not share this with Lester? Stephanie was remembering, Miami.
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When Stephanie opened her eyes, the late afternoon sun was casting shadows in the room. As it did every time she awoke, her mind started dancing with new and confusing memories and thoughts. The endless barrage of puzzling images tired her so quickly. She had started writing things down like Lester had suggested. Sometimes it led to more frustrating questions that were unanswerable. She was mad at Lester. She had refused to speak to him since Andrew left. She wanted to talk to him. She couldn't even think of a good reason as to why she was shutting him out, except that she was pretty sure she was afraid of finding out more of her precious few memories were lies. She had been counting on Andrew being the key to her regaining her past. Her memories of him were so clear, and the emotions she felt toward him were so strong. But it was a lie. He told her that everything was a lie, just like Lester had explained.
She slowly rolled over and spotted him in the same chair he was always in when she woke up. He never failed to be there for her. He may not be her brother, but he was her constant in a world that was spinning out of control.
"Lester."
"Hey, sleepy head. It's nice to see those blue eyes again." His words were warm and genuine.
"How can you do that?"
"How can I do what?"
"Be so damn nice to me. Stay here day after day. I've been awful to you." Tears started forming in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry. She was tired of crying. "I don't deserve you. You should have run out on me days ago." The tears fell anyway. "I'm so sorry."
"Hey, hey, hey, Beautiful. None of that now." Lester stood, climbed up into bed with her and wrapped his arms around her waist. This was the best way he found to really get her to listen. "Stephanie, you have been through so much and I'm the person who keeps ripping your world apart. You have nothing to apologize to me for. I know how scary this all must be for you."
"Lester?"
"Hmmm?"
"When Andrew was here, he said something I didn't understand."
"What was that Steph?" Lester was trying to use her real name more frequently. Before the accident, he rarely called her by her given name. Now it seemed important that she hear it often.
"Right before he left, he said that there was a man out there that loved me very much and I would eventually remember that I loved him too."
Lester had been expecting this. He wondered how long it would take before she questioned that statement by Sullivan. "He told you the truth, Sweetie."
"Lester." Stephanie was hesitant to ask. She was afraid of the answer. She wouldn't look at him and kept her eyes trained on the blanket covering her legs. "Is it you? Have I forgotten that I'm in love with you?"
"Oh, Beautiful." He kissed the top of her head. "As much as I wish it was me you were in love with. It's not. I love you, but as a very good friend. You are extremely important to me and that's why I'm here for you."
"Then who is it? Who is it that loves me? And if we love each other so much why is he not here instead of you? Why can't I remember him…why…ohhh, Lester, that's it…isn't it? I've hurt him. He knows that I can't remember him and he's left." Stephanie put her head in her hands and shook her head. "I don't blame him…"
"Stepha…"
"How could he still care about a woman who so easily forgets him?" She dabbed her running nose with a corner of the blanket. "I wish I could apologize. God, does this ever…."
"Sweetie…"
"It may not mean much to him, but I'm sorry that I've hurt someone else." Stephanie was ranting aimlessly now. She wouldn't let Lester have a word in edgewise.
Lester finally covered her mouth with his hands. "Stop!" He was forceful but loving. "Stephanie, you have got to stop this." He shook his head with a chuckle. "Geez woman, you would take sole responsibility for the war in Iraq if I'd let you." He removed his hand. "You are not to blame for any of this. You were doing your job. You were injured. You didn't choose to forget anyone."
"Why can't I remember him?"
"I don't know, Beautiful, but it's not because you don't love him and it's not because he doesn't love you. You two are crazy about each other; have been for a long time."
"Is he gone?" She weakly asked, already resigned to the fact that the answer would be yes.
"No, Steph. He's never left you. He's been here the whole time."
Stephanie lifted her head sharply at Lester's words. "Here? At the hospital?" She sniffed.
Lester's grin was huge. He felt like he was just about to issue a million dollar check to a lucky lottery winner. "Yeah. When you were in your coma after surgery, he sat in that very chair for days. Barely ate, hardly slept. Kept watch over you night and day. Hell, he sat here so long I thought about bringing in my watering can to take care of the roots he was sprouting."
"Why did he leave? Where is he? Oh, god…WHO is he?"
"I told you, he didn't leave. He's in a room down the hall." Lester didn't want to tell her about the cameras and microphones. He wanted that to be Ranger's job. The Stephanie they all knew and loved would be pissed as hell to find out that she was being monitored 24/7.
"In a room? Is he hurt? Is he sick?" She had a tinge of panic in her voice.
"No, he…well…he sort of…rented it. So he could stay close by."
"He RENTED a hospital room?"
"Listen, that's beside the point, Beautiful. He left because you went ballistic when you found out about not having a son and the doctor was afraid that your recovery would be compromised by the additional stress of subjecting you to people you didn't remember. Since you recognized and trusted me, I'm the one who has been staying with you to help you through the hard parts."
"You drew the short straw!"
"No, I'm the lucky one. I've been with you every day. I get to talk to you, watch you smile when you eat dessert, duck when you throw things at me." He teased. "Ranger's been a basket case. He's been…"
"Ranger?"
"Yeah, Sweetie. Ranger."
"That's his name? Ranger?"
"Well that's what we call him. His real name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. You call him Carlos sometimes. Ranger is his street name. It comes from his Army days."
Stephanie grabbed her head, pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in the blanket. She lifted her chin just high enough to be heard. "Let me get this straight. I'm in love with a man who has the street name - Ranger. His real name is Ricardo, like my make believe dead military husband Ric, and Carlos, like my imaginary son. He's living down the hall in a hospital room waiting for me to get my memory back."
"Yeah."
"What does he look…the pictures! I have pictures at my house. She put her hand to her bare neck. My necklace…where is it?"
Lester reached across Stephanie to the bedside table and opened a small top drawer. He lifted out the heart locket. "Is this what you're looking for?"
Stephanie eagerly grabbed it and tried fruitlessly to open the locket. Her weak and shaky fingers would not cooperate. Lester saw her struggle and took the necklace from her, opened it and handed it back to her impatient hands. "This is Carlos! This is my son!"
"Stephanie, this is a picture we used to convince Andrew that you had a son. It's actually a picture of Ranger as a little boy. This was a prop in your cover."
She rubbed her finger over the picture of the little boy. "What about the picture of me and Ric in my living room?" Is that a real picture of Ranger?"
"That is an actual picture of you and Ranger taken at the company Christmas party last year. But it's not his face in the picture. I photo-shopped in the face of his brother. We needed to protect Ranger's identity in case he needed to step into your cover. We couldn't very well have had your dead husband show up at a restaurant while you were on a date with Andrew, now could we?"
"I guess that makes sense. How long have I known Ranger? How did we meet?"
"You've known Ranger for nearly three years. He was your mentor when you became a bounty hunter for your cousin Vinnie."
"He works with you at RangeMan?"
"He owns RangeMan."
"He's your Boss?"
"He's more than my Boss. I've known Ranger since we served together in the Special Forces Unit nearly ten years ago. When he started his company, he asked several of us to join him. We're like brothers."
"Is my life always this confusing?"
"Pretty much, Beautiful. There's never a dull moment when you're around."
Stephanie's mind was going a mile a minute. She had so many questions she wanted to ask and didn't know where to begin. Somebody was in love with her and she had no memory of him. She thought that Andrew was…Andrew was the… "Lester, does Ra…Ranger know about Andrew? Does he know that I had feelings for him? That he was here?"
"Yes."
"How could he not hate me!" She yelled.
"Honey, Ranger knows what you're going through. He's in constant contact with your doctors. He wants to help you get better. He's even flying a specialist in here from across the country to see you tomorrow. Does that sound like someone who hates you?"
"What kind of specialist?"
"He's a…a…psychiatrist." Les tried to mumble the word but Stephanie's eyes widened and he knew she heard.
"A psychiatrist? Does Curtis think I'm crazy?" Stephanie was raising her voice toward panic. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
"No, nobody thinks you're crazy. This guy specializes in helping people deal with traumatic experiences and injuries."
"I don't remember any traumatic experiences and I don't remember getting this injury, so how could it be making me crazy?"
"It's not making you crazy. Damn, Steph, would you quit using that word. You. Are. Not. CRAZY! No one thinks you're crazy. He's coming to help sort out your memories, or lack thereof."
"Oh." Stephanie sat back relaxing a little and conceding to Lester's imploring.
"Steph?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to see Ranger?"
Stephanie stiffened. "You mean right now?"
"Yeah. Now, or later. It's up to you."
Stephanie thought about it. Was she ready to face a man who supposedly loved her? Could she deal with the feelings of guilt that would surely follow when he walked in and there was still no memory of their time together? "Lester, if it's okay, I think I'd like to wait. I'm not ready…I have a lot of questions…I…I don't think I can see him yet."
Lester saw the disappointment in her face. "It's okay Steph. He'll wait." He pulled her closer into his side and kissed the top of her head.
They sat for a minute or so in silence; each to their own thoughts.
"Lester?"
He pulled back and looked down at her. "What, Steph?"
"Do you think he can help me?"
"Who?"
"The new doctor."
Lester pulled her back in, laid his chin on her head, and stared out the window. "I don't know, Babe, but promise me you'll give him a chance."
Stephanie pushed away from his chest with her palms and smiled as she looked up at him. "You called me 'Babe'. You've never called me that before."
"So."
"So…" she beamed. "I like it."
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Jackson Winchester walked into the makeshift control room. He was not a tall man, but he carried himself with a sense of importance. He looked to be a multi-racial mix of African American and maybe an island heritage; Philippine perhaps. Tank had contacted Ranger earlier that morning with the basics. Everything seemed to check out on Winchester. He was forty-eight years old, grew up in Southern Michigan. Attended undergraduate school at Northwestern and afterward, joined the army. He served a tour of duty in Europe, came back and attended medical school on the Army's bill. As he completed his training, he quickly moved up the ranks to become a Colonel and has been working at Walter Reed in DC for more than twelve years. His reputation for his work in the field of psychiatry was stellar. He had never been married, except maybe to the service. The most interesting point Tank noted, was the extremely high security clearance he possessed. This information made Ranger wary. Hal had brought with him the complete, two inch thick file on Winchester when he reported for security detail just an hour ago.
Ranger stood and extended his hand. "Colonel, I'm Carlos Manoso. Thank you for coming so quickly."
The doctor returned the greeting and they shook hands. "It was my pleasure Colonel Manoso. Your plane was quite comfortable. It beats the hell out of commercial or even military transport."
"You got that right. Please have a seat." Ranger held out his hand toward one of the more comfortable cushion chairs by the window. Ranger sat across from him in the other one. Bobby, who had followed Dr. Winchester into the room, pulled up one of the straight back chairs from in front of the monitors. "Colonel, I would prefer if you call me Ranger or Carlos, I don't emphasize my military status here in the private sector."
"I understand, Ranger. Please call me Jack."
"Jack, I'm going to be very blunt with you up front and ask you to explain to me why you volunteered to give up your scheduled leave to come here and help with Stephanie's case."
Jack produced a Cheshire cat grin. "Ranger, if you're half the legend I know you to be, then you probably have already done a very thorough background check on me."
Ranger maintained a blank face but gave a slight nod toward the thick file on the table.
"I'm impressed, but not surprised. You must have excellent contacts and resources. Most people couldn't get half that much information about me." He looked seriously at Ranger. "Is this a secure environment?"
"Yes. The room is clean and we won't be disturbed." Ranger looked over to Bobby who moved to stand guard at the door."
"You must know by the information in the file that I have top security clearance with most government agencies. My work at Walter Reed is limited to dealing with the cases of mostly men, but also some women, who have been involved in some very 'sensitive' missions. Missions, I know for a fact, that you are also involved in."
"Is the government worried about Stephanie possessing and sharing sensitive information through me? Did they send you here for damage control?" Ranger's suspicious mind was already preparing to argue this point.
"No! The government is not involved in my being here whatsoever." Jack relaxed back into the chair. "I'm here because I know what you have done for this country and for the men who serve it. In the last several years your name has shown up a number of times in the confidential reports I've read about some very top secret operations. I have access to these reports so that I can better treat my patients. The soldiers that you have had direct contact with during those ops have reported back with nothing but the highest praise for your bravery and determination in your service to them. In report after report, you and your team have been described as 'angels of mercy', 'saviors' and 'heroes'."
Ranger shrugged. "We were just doing our job. Nothing more."
"It was a great deal more Colonel Manoso." Jack sat up straight, trying to maintain his composure. "Five years ago you and your team were sent into the mountains of southern Afghanistan. Five soldiers of a Special Forces unit known as the Dessert Eagles had been separated from the rest of their battalion during a Taliban insurgent attack on Mari Ghar Mountain in Zabul province. The small band had been holding up in a cave for two days, fighting off enemy fire. They were low on supplies and were not going to be able to hold out much longer. Your orders were to rescue and return. By the time your team arrived on the scene, the fighting in the area had increased because the enemy, which had become highly organized, sent in reinforcements. They set up ambushes and soldiers were falling left and right." Jack was watching Ranger. He could see the memory of the mission flashing through his mind.
Ranger looked up at Bobby. He had been there too. "It was hotter than hell that day. We knew the soldiers were out of water. I didn't need intel to tell me they weren't going to last much longer." Bobby nodded as his own memories took him back to that arduous mission.
"I read the report, Carlos. When the fighting got worse, you were given a direct order to pack up your team, abandon the soldiers and get out. You were ordered to leave them for dead."
"The mountain had become a military commanders' nightmare. The higher ups wanted to cut their losses and evacuate the area." Ranger still remembered when the order came through. He was furious. It went against everything he believed in.
"You disobeyed orders. Didn't you? You went in anyway and saved those men."
"It needed to be done."
"You risked facing court-martial to save those men."
"Yes."
There was a long delay as Jack stared directly into Carlos' eyes. "Thank you."
At those words from Jack, Ranger's blank face gave way to a hint of bewilderment.
"One of the men you saved that day was Staff Sergeant Michael Overton; my nephew. I've never had kids of my own and Michael is like a son to me. If you hadn't disobeyed those orders to evacuate, he would be dead now." Jack sighed at the relief of sharing his emotional story. He stood up and walked over to the monitors. "So I will help your Stephanie, Carlos. I will do whatever it takes to bring her back to you, because you brought Michael back to us. That's why I came."
Ranger nodded in appreciation of the offer. There was an immediate change in the atmosphere of the room. There would be no more suspicion of untrustworthiness. There would only be total cooperation for the unified goal of getting Stephanie well.
"Ranger," Bobby interjected, "Jack has seen all the pertinent footage from Stephanie's room. I have also given him as much background as I could on her status before the accident. I gave him personal information as well as details about her work." Bobby's statement was meant to prepare Ranger. He had given information to Jack that he knew Ranger would consider quite personal and private.
"There have been a few developments since Bobby left yesterday. Late last night Stephanie asked Lester to explain Andrew's comment about the man who she's in love with. Lester told her about me. So she is now aware of me, but still has no memory of me. She doesn't want to see me yet either." That was a statement Ranger found very difficult to admit. "And also, one of my men gave me this." He handed Jack the flattened out notebook page. "This is something she wrote and apparently threw away."
Jack took the note and held it up to read.
Bobby walked over and peered at it over the doctor's shoulder and as he read it, a huge smile developed on his face. "Well I'll be damned."
"What do you see in this?" Jack questioned Bobby.
"She remembers Miami." He shook his head. "Oh, sorry Jack. Miami. She remembers being in Miami. Ranger took her to Miami for a couple of days just before the accident."
Jack nodded his understanding. "Was it part of the mission involving Sullivan and Giordano?"
Ranger answered. "No, it was strictly a personal trip…to celebrate her birthday. At least that's what is started out to be."
"I don't understand. What happened to change that?"
"While we were there, I took her to meet some of the people in my Miami offices. She got interested in a current case they were working on and insisted on helping out."
"Insisted?"
"Stephanie is very…strong-willed. She gets an idea and it's damn difficult to stop her." Ranger got a slight smile on his face at his own memory of their argument in his office.
"Bobby told me that when she's not bringing in FTA's for her cousin's bail bonds company, she does research and sometimes distractions for your company." He was looking at Ranger now. "Is that what she did in Miami?"
"Yes. She spent some time in the afternoon doing research and that evening she led the distraction to lure a man, wanted for raping the sister of one of my employees, out of a bar."
"Tell me Ranger, did she use another alias during this distraction."
"Yes, she told the suspect that her name was…Tina."
"Was there anything unusual about the distraction? Did it go smoothly? Was there any trouble or was she injured?"
Bobby spoke up. "She had to stun the suspect, but he had her in a full body hold when it happened. She was stunned as well and he fell on her as they both passed out. I treated her on the scene. She also had a minor burn on her right hand. But none of that is unusual for Bomber."
"You mean she's been stunned before?"
Bobby chuckled. "Hell yes. I know personally of at least four times in the last year that she's been stunned while chasing skips. There's probably some I don't even know about. Why do you ask?"
"As the use of stun guns has increased in the police and military fields, I've been following research on the possible effects of being stunned. Until recently, most reports on the adverse effects of stun guns have, understandably, concentrated on cardiac complications. But a study released last March by the CMA Journal revealed mild traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome related to either the taser shot or the fall to the ground during the seizure and collapse. The study concluded that repeated taser shots may result in brain-specific complications." Jack stopped for a moment and pulled out a notebook and pen from the briefcase which he had carried in with him. He added a few things to an already impressive list of notes that contained information he gleaned from watching the taped recordings of Stephanie's room and his interview on the plane with Bobby.
"How can you be sure that's what she's dealing with?" Ranger asked.
"I can't. There really aren't any tests to show this kind of relationship. The research is too new. We just have to look at the symptoms and treat what we see. But it may help explain the difficulty she's having."
"How do you plan to proceed?"
"Of course, I want to interview her first, but from what I already know, not only does Stephanie have a history of being stunned multiple times, she had the added stress of maintaining three different identities in the course of one week. Her brain was already on overload from that alone. If you add in the strain of her natural tendency to carry guilt for the false relationship she created with Andrew, the pressure of a relatively new intimate relationship with you, Carlos and the injuries from the traumatic accident, I'm not surprised her mind has taken a bit of a vacation."
"Can you help her?" Ranger quietly asked.
"Yes, I think I can. That note on the table shows us she's already trying to help herself. She wants to get well. That's half the battle right there. You don't know how many soldiers I've treated who don't want to get well. They've given up. Recovery is very difficult for someone who has lost the will to live."
Ranger looked back at the monitor. "She's asleep now. Hector is with her. Would you like to see her as soon as she's awake?"
"That would be fine, but if you don't mind, I would like to ask you some questions first, Carlos and then I would like to get something to eat."
"What questions do you have for me?"
Jack briefly glanced at Bobby.
Bobby understood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to let Curtis know you've arrived and I'll check on your hotel accommodations and car."
Both Ranger and Jack nodded and Bobby stepped out of the room. Jack pointed to the chairs and they both sat once again.
"Carlos, how are you doing with all this?" Jack waved his hand around the room in the direction of the monitors."
"I'm fine."
"There's a hole in that wall, the size of a basketball, which says otherwise."
"I'm fine."
Jack had worked with some of the toughest military men on the planet. He knew they were, literally, men of action and few words. He was pretty sure from watching the tapes that he could pinpoint exactly when that hole was created. It was okay. He didn't need Ranger to talk a great deal right now. He needed him to listen. "Okay, you're fine, but Stephanie isn't."
"No, she's not."
"Her visit from Andrew Sullivan was very…revealing." Jack noticed Ranger's grip on the arm of the chair tighten slightly. "She claimed to have memories of strong romantic feelings for him." Ranger's face remained blank but focused. "Bobby gave me quite a bit of information about Stephanie's past. Her relationship with her mother, and a man named Morelli?" He questioned as he quickly checked his notes. "Yes, a local cop. Seems she had a rather loosely defined relationship with him for a long time. Why do you think that is?"
Carlos didn't like to think about that. He certainly didn't want to discuss it. He decided to give Jack a condensed version of his own exhaustive thoughts on the subject. "Stephanie wanted to be a good daughter. She wanted her mother's approval. Her mother believed that a second marriage to Joe was what Stephanie needed to be happy and continually pushed her in that direction. Her mother's expectations were in direct conflict with Stephanie's desires. She fought that for a long time. So the relationship between Stephanie and Joe struggled along for a few years."
"Do you think it's possible that Stephanie has fallen into the same pattern of behavior with her ideas about Andrew?"
"I don't understand."
"Well from what Bobby told me about him, he is a nice, law-abiding man, wealthy, well educated, good job. A man every mother would want her daughter to marry. Maybe in Stephanie's current state of mind, she finds it easier taking, what might be considered, the safe path. The one that would cause the least resistance from the pressures of what other people might think."
Ranger thought about that for a moment. It actually made sense. Denial was always a common reaction for his Babe, when faced with something difficult. It helped her avoid making painful decisions. He questioned Jack. "What about her 'feelings' for him?"
"I think it's really more of the same thing, Carlos. Again, from what Bobby explained, she only knew this Andrew Sullivan for a week or so and they were never…intimate." He looked at Ranger for him to verify the fact. Ranger nodded in agreement. "It's possible, but doubtful that she could have developed such strong feelings for him in that time. She must have felt very deeply and intensely loved by someone, for her mind to want those feelings back so desperately. Maybe Stephanie's mind simply transferred her memories of those experiences to Andrew's face." Jack smiled. "I'd say someone made Stephanie Plum a very happy woman."
…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX...
Author Note: I know, I know. Stephanie and Ranger have been apart much too long. I promise to do something about that soon!