Chapter 10
Saturday, June 6, 1987-Afternoon
Brightness…
Total brightness flooded Julie's vision.
"It's not time yet, Juliet," the reassuring and familiar voice of an elderly woman greeted her.
"Ruby?"
Julie squinted against the brightness. She could make out the woman's tender smile and eyes. Ruby held the hand of a little boy about a year older than CJ. The boy smiled at Julie. Mesmerized by his gorgeous eyes, she studied him. Who is he? Did I know him?
Ruby ran a hand through his thick hair. "It's not your time yet. Go on, Juliet," she said, waving goodbye.
#
Outside Julie's ICU room, Steve paced anxiously. He'd arrived moments ago as a team of medical attendants rushed in the room. Phrases like "Code Blue" and "Paddles" exchanged between medical staff increased his fear of Julie dying.
"Steve, how is she?"
Maggie Blodgett's frantic voice made him flinch. He turned to her, pulled her in for a hug and sobbed.
Maggie resisted the embrace, but he held on tighter. "Steve!" she said his name again, sterner than the first time.
He let go of her just as a nurse pushed back the curtain. "She's stable again," she said.
"She's alive?" Steve gasped.
The nurse dipped her head. "We did lose her, but we were able to resuscitate her."
"Can I see her?" Maggie asked.
"Are you related?"
Draping his arm around Maggie's shoulder, Steve said, "A close friend."
"Julie's not awake," the woman explained. "It'd be best if you wait until after we speak to her doctor."
#
In the nearby waiting room, Donovan clicked through channels on a TV set mounted to the wall. Same damned thing on every channel, he lamented. Images of Pico, but no word on whether the police captured him.
"It's obvious the cops can't do their job right." Ham fidgeted with his keys. "If we don't go after Pico, he won't pay."
"Not we," Donovan corrected. "You."
Maggie entered the room followed by Steve. Donovan searched Maggie's vague expression.
"She's still with us," she said, her voice weak from sorrow.
Donovan hugged her briefly then pushed her back at arms length. "What happened?"
Steve crossed the room and stood in front of Donovan. "I said no press, remember?"
Placing his hands on his own hips Donovan said, "Right. Since Julie's your girlfriend, you feel obligated to protect her."
"It proves how much you know… Nothing."
Donovan arched one eyebrow. "I know more than you think I do, and I don't plan on leaving. So, let's settle this."
Steve got right in his face. "Try me! I'll have you thrown out of here so fast it will—"
"Julie wouldn't want this!" Maggie stammered, tugging at Donovan's tense left arm. "C'mon. Sit. Relax."
He jerked his arm away out of her reach; his eyes still fixed on Steve's. "Who contacted you about Julie being here?"
Steve glared. "I already told you, I won't answer any of your damned questions!"
"It doesn't make sense." Maggie shook her head. "They should've contacted me instead."
"Maybe I'm still on her emergency contact information from when I brought her into the E.R. last year," Steve offered. "Maybe they think I'm still with her!"
Donovan watched Maggie's face flush with indignation.
"God forbid you should correct that misconception!" she said.
"Maggie, I love her," Steve whispered loud enough that Donovan heard. "I promise you, I'm not going to let them do anything, but try to save her life."
"That's great. But Julie would never give you Power of Attorney and you know it."
"It doesn't matter. Her mother's been contacted. She's trying to get the next available flight out here."
"Great," she said. "We all know how much Julie loves her mother."
As far as Donovan knew, Maggie's objection to Connie Parrish's involvement was correct. In the few years Donovan was close to Julie, she'd kept very little contact with her seemingly overbearing mother. He wondered, How much contact have they had with one another since then? How well does Connie know Maitland?