Chapter 7
Bud and Francesca had been right. The airport was a crowded madhouse of people still trying to reach their destinations before Christmas Day. All the flights were over booked and there were already people on standby for each one.
AJ tried talking to some of the passengers that looked like they were traveling alone into letting him buy their seat on any flight going anywhere near Washington DC without any luck. By the time he had asked four different people his desperation must have caused some alarm by the expressions they gave him, so he figured he'd better try and calm down before someone called security. The last thing he needed was to be held up with that when he wanted to be on hand for any flight that opened up.
The ticket agent knew his name and had been given a brief explanation of why he needed to get home so badly, but it was still early the next morning before he heard his name called. The attendant explained that most everyone was at their destination by now and there was finally a seat open. AJ gladly paid for it, even though it was in first class at the much higher, last minute holiday rate. He didn't really care what it cost as long as it got him home to Sarah in time!
The four hour flight seemed to last twice as long as that to AJ. The cheerful flight attendant had all twelve seats in her first class section full. Five of the twelve had quickly fell asleep right after takeoff, one of those being the middle aged man in the seat next to AJ. Even with fewer than usual passengers to care for she quickly learned to avoid the grim man in the back row. She had offered him breakfast, as well as a complimentary glass of mimosa, a champagne and orange juice combination, but had been tersely refused both times. As she was about to ask him if there was anything else she could get for him, AJ turned to pointedly stare out of the window next to him. She didn't approach him again for the rest of the flight.
He was in the aisle with his one carry on bag before the plane came to a complete stop at the terminal. Normally, the flight attendant would have sent him back to his seat, but this grim man with the military bearing managed to communicate to her without words that it would have done her no good to try.
Since he was to be gone for such an extended length of time, AJ hadn't wanted to leave his Escalade in the long term parking at the airport. So, when he quickly exited the airport, he hailed a cab and told the driver to take him directly to the hospital.
Figuring that his passenger looked healthy enough that it wasn't a medical emergency, the driver started the car and tried to make his usual small talk. He had found over the years that the more you connected with the passenger in the back of your vehicle, the bigger the tip you were likely to get. This time, however, he quickly understood that the man in the back didn't want to talk at all. Whoever he was going to see in the hospital must have been in a bad way!
As the cab made its way through the nearly empty streets on that Christmas morning, AJ called Bud to let him know that he had gotten into town.
Big Bud was the one that picked up the phone at the Roberts' house, saying that Bud and Mike were supervising the kids opening their presents, while Harriet was busy nursing the twins. He said he would be glad to relay AJ's message as well as his promise to call again when he could give them an update on Colonel Mackenzie's condition.
AJ would also wait until later to call Francesca as well so he could give her the same information.
Arriving at the hospital the nurse behind the desk on Sarah's floor told him that Mr. Rabb had left around 11:30 last night and that Ms. Mackenzie hadn't had any other visitors after he'd left. She wouldn't give AJ any information on Sarah's condition because he wasn't family, however, she told him Sarah could have visitors and he was given her private room number.
He cautiously entered her room just before lunch time to find her dozing.
To be continued…..