Chapter Seven
Pete and Jim weren't surprised by the looks they started receiving when they entered the police station. After all, they were sure the news about Mac had spread through the entire station by the time they were halfway out of the ghost town.
"Hey," Jeri, who had just finished locking up a drunk, stopped the two partners. "Is it true what I heard? I mean, about Mac. Does he really not know who he is?" His eyes were full of disbelief. He couldn't fathom Sergeant MacDonald being in such a state.
Pete inwardly sighed as he saw other officers standing by and listening. He knew they were feeling the same shock he and Jim had felt when they stepped into the room back in the ghost town and saw Mac for the first time. "It's true. He didn't seem to recognize Jim and I in the least." He went on to say they couldn't tell the men anything else, as they'd been pulled away when a disturbance took place outside the hospital. "We would have went back inside only we had to go assist on a 211." The hallway filled with instant comments from the other officers, even if they did speak softly.
"We can't just stand by and do nothing. I mean, where will he stay? It's not like he'll head to his house." Jeri tried to sound as if he were simply stating the obvious, only his worry still showed in his eyes, as the other officers had the same look in their eyes.
"He won't wind up on the streets." Pete's own eyes shouted he would make sure of that personally if it was necessary.
"He'll be watched over; you know that." Jim spoke up-even as he thought on how he planned on talking to Jean about the problem.
Ed, who stood nearby, started to say something only to have Lt. Blackwell step out of his office and call to Pete and Jim. "I need to talk to the two of you."
"Yes, sir." Pete and Jim walked away from Jeri and the other officers in the hallway, all of whom looked as if they were still in shock.
"What is it, Lieutenant?" Jim, who had entered the watch commander's office first, asked as Pete shut the door behind them.
"I just barely got a call from the hospital."
Instantly, Pete and Jim were on the alert. How could they be otherwise when the look on the Lieutenant's face was more than serious-as was the tone of his voice.
"What is it?" Pete asked slowly.
"Mac had a couple of seizures while in the ER, shortly after you were pulled away." He wasn't surprised by the look of utter shock that leapt onto Pete's and Jim's faces. "He's fine, but they checked him into the hospital for observation." The Lieutenant tapped his desk with his pencil. A bad habit he had when he was upset.
Pete and Jim knew there was more news. "What else?''
"When, as a friend, Dr. Parker went to see Mac in the room they'd put him in-a light brown, curly headed fellow just under six feet was trying to suffocate him. Unfortunately, he wore an old Halloween mask that covered his face." A look of pure anger was now in the Lieutenant's eyes. "Luckily for Mac, his new friend's skill in Karate stopped the attempt. However, the man still got away, but no one else seems to have seen the man. Don't ask me how he pulled that one off with a building filled with people. I can't explain it, and none of the employees that work at the hospital seem to be able to either."
"He has to be a friend to the late Mr. Tilton and late Mr. Andres. He had to either been with them, or at least nearby, when Mac was beaten." Jim, who couldn't see anyone else who would attempt such a thing, made no attempt to hide how he felt about the news.
"I know. I want the two of you to go over to the hospital, talk to Dr. Parker-she's refusing to leave his room at the moment. Also speak, with Mac. See if they can give you something more than the man's description." The lieutenant leaned back in his chair. "I mean, he might have said something before he actually attacked Mac. Call me from the hospital afterwards, then post yourself in front of Mac's room. We don't need the man, whoever he was, to make a second attempt while Mac's still in the hospital."
"Yes, sir. Only, if I may ask," Pete's eyes were full of concern for his injured friend and coworker, "What's going to happen once the hospital has no reason to keep Mac there? We can't just watch him walk out of there with no idea who he really is and where he lives. Shouldn't one of us tell him who he is?"
"You think the rest of us haven't asked ourselves the same thing?" Lieutenant Blackwell flicked both his wrists. "I don't know the answers only; when you go to the hospital, talk to one of the doctors and see what they say. I mean, what they think of us simply flat-out telling Mac everything. Though, when it comes to where he'll live, you know as well as I do there's not one person around here that won't offer him a room if it's needed. That's if, if he needs one, they will. If it makes you feel any better, I practically ordered the hospital to contact me if they had to release him, and they thought he had no place to go." The Lieutenant wasn't surprised in the least when a look of relief flooded over Pete's and Jim's eyes; he then urged them to get to the hospital. Only, naturally, they were to do it without using their lights or siren.
While Lt. Blackwell was discussing the incident with Pete and Jim, Eliza and Mac were having their own conversation about that very subject. That is, where he would go once he left the hospital.
"Mac, it's no bother! When the doctors here deem it unnecessary to keep you here, where else will you go? Besides, it's not like we'd be alone in the house. Robert's is going to be working as a paramedic in this county now. He's moved in with with me, and my place has three bedrooms!" Eliza stood next to Mac's hospital bed, arguing with him. She continued, "If the doctors here can't find a reason for the seizures you had, and it happens again-I'm a doctor, an ER doctor at that! I've handled things like that before, so has Robert." Eliza liked Mac. After what had happened, along with being unaware of how many people would have offered to take the gentleman into their homes, she was not going to stand by and watch him wind up on the streets. "And, yes, Robert knows I want you to temporarily move in with us-and he agrees! He said so!"
Mac silently growled, not because he didn't appreciate all that Eliza had done for him, or what she and her cousin were offering, he just flat out hated the situation he found himself in.
"Mac," Eliza softened the tone in her voice while holding onto the bed's side rail. "Please, Robert and I can't give you your past back-though, I sincerely wish we could-only, let us share our home with you. You don't need to find yourself sleeping on a bench, the grass; or, heaven forbid – cold concrete." She refrained from commenting she thought he must be related to her ancestors-didn't matter if that meant her English ancestors or her Scottish ones. They had all had the ability to be unmovable as boulders.
Mac relaxed and relented. He had to admit that it felt good not to wonder where he would go once he left the hospital. "Alright, thank you." He then apologized, saying he was tired. Soon his eyes were closed, and he was asleep.
Mac might have been relaxing and sleeping, only sleep was the last thing on Eliza's mind as she sat down in the only chair in the room – making sure she was facing the door.
