Chapter 9

Tragedy struck a week later. It was as sudden as it was horrific and — just like 9/11, he would always remember where he was and what he was doing when he received the news. He was in Oty’s shop working beneath a large Ford diesel King Ranch truck. Since big diesel engines were his specialty, Oty often called him for help when they came in. This one was pretty straightforward, and he was wrapping it up when a voice disrupted his concentration. It was one of the other mechanics named Mike.

“Hey, Chad! Telephone!” he yelled from the office. “Sounds important!”

With a grumble he pushed himself out from under the rig on his creeper and rose, wiping his hands with a rag. He entered the office and took the landline. He always kept his cell in the glove box, so they were unable to reach him immediately.

“Chad!” It was Jessica and she sounded hysterical. His blood froze. “Get to Mercy General right now!”

He felt a deep pressure in his chest robbing him of breath. “Wha—what happened?” ‘Please not Bobby,’ he prayed.

“It’s Paul!” she wailed. “There was a shooting at the Courthouse. Oh God, babe! It’s really bad! Get here quick!” He closed his eyes and his throat tightened.

“I’m on my way.” The line clicked and he hung the phone up, looking blankly around.

“You okay Bro?” Mike asked with sudden concern.

“I—I need to get to the hospital right now,” he stammered. “Jess says that there was a shooting at the courthouse.”

“C’mon!” he grabbed the big man’s arm. “We’ll take my Jeep.”

The breaking news flash on the radio indicated that the shooting occurred as Franky D was being escorted from the Courthouse after his arraignment. He was pleading for a deal apparently and several gunmen opened up on the crowd as they followed the group out. It was confirmed by eyewitnesses that there were several deaths including Franky D himself, and several agents. There were several seriously wounded who were taken to the three different hospitals in the area. Speculation was rampant as the talking heads debated rumors, facts, and conjecture. Rumor had it that the civil lawsuit for wrongful death was entered that day as well. Which would explain the presence of Paul at the courthouse.

Mike drove like a lunatic and reached the Emergency Room entrance in time that would make the paramedics cringe. Chad jumped out and ran into the building without even acknowledging the favor. Not that it was needed between friends.

He was directed to an elevator bank that took him to the 4^th floor. From there he found a well-marked waiting room and walked in to find Jessica and Spencer hugging each other crying. She looked up and met him halfway across the room, clinging to him desperately and crying with great racking sobs. He gestured to the young boy who came forward to join in the group hug.

No one spoke for several minutes as the tears flowed and bodies trembled with grief.

“What happened?” he asked almost with a whisper.

Jess sniffed and shook her head as she wiped her eyes and nose on her sleeve. “I don’t know!” she replied trying to compose herself. “Paul was rushed straight to the OR and Jen asked me to pick up Spence.” She hugged the boy to her tightly. “I have been here waiting for some kind of word.” She shook with emotion. “I just know that things were looking terrible. They said CPR was happening as they rolled him in...”

“Oh God.” Chad breathed as he shook his head in disbelief. ‘Why Paul? Of all people,’ he wondered horrified. “Where is Jen?”

“I think she’s back there with them,” she sobbed and waved at the NO ADMITTANCE double doors on the other side of the room.

They only had to wait another 10 minutes before one of the side doors opened and Jennifer was led out by a woman in scrubs and an elder man with an ecclesiastic look to him. One glance at her face said it all and Jessica began shaking her head and crying anew as she went forward to grab her twin. They dropped to their knees in the middle of the room and sobbed into each other’s arms.

Chad held onto Spencer and the young boy hugged his leg fiercely, his terrified expression was heartbreaking to everyone coherent enough to see it. When his trembling knees started to give, Chad lifted him effortlessly into his arms and held him tightly. He wanted to offer something to the boy, any words of support—but his throat felt so constricted he couldn’t make any sound other than a broken rumble deep in his chest. He felt his eyes stinging from the terrible sense of sorrow and loss that permeated the room.

‘Oh, good God, what do we do now?’ he thought to himself with deepening dread.

The evening news coverage offered more clarity into the events that led up to Paul’s tragic death. His final seconds were even caught on video but blurred out due to respect for the family. It was leaked that Frank Discarsio Jr. was going to turn state’s evidence (presumably against his father) in a plea deal and part of that deal was for federal prosecutors to try and talk the parents of Florence Ruston to drop their civil suit for wrongful death. The results of the grand jury hearing were unclear but when all parties left the courthouse, they were gunned down by at least three assailants with automatic weapons.

Franky D was struck down instantly in a hail of bullets, as were two of the agents escorting him. Molly who followed closely behind, would likely have died as well had it not been for the timely tackle by Paul Bradley, who reacted without a second’s thought. As he dove forward and knocked her to the ground a stray bullet entered his skull directly through his left ear, killing him instantly. Only his heart chose to deny the inevitable long enough for him to pass away in the hospital. Molly suffered two bullet wounds to her left arm and shoulder and was in the same hospital under observation. Both of her parents were unscathed by the attack and their whereabouts were unknown. All of the assailants were in the wind and a statewide manhunt was underway.

When Chad learned of his ex-wife’s injuries, he attempted to visit her but was turned away by the staff because he wasn’t considered her legal family any longer — regardless that she was the mother of his children. They wouldn’t even share information on her condition, so he had to learn from the press release that she was stable.

Later that evening Jessica’s condo was filled with mourning well-wishers. She and Jennifer’s parents made the drive into town and were seated on the main couch holding hands as Matt, Otis, Beulah, Chad, and Evie stood around helplessly, trying to be supportive while struggling to come to terms with it themselves. Paul’s parents were en route as were his younger brother and sister. Elvis and Tappy made their rounds and offered silent support to everyone by nudging a sad face here and there and accepting a consoling hug or pat.

Matthew had become good friends with Paul and was made Chairman of the foundation upon Otis and Beulah’s return. He and Chad began the terrible task of preparing final arrangements for their friend. Jennifer was beyond comforting and her sister was nearly so. The family doctor was called and administered a sedative to the near-catatonic widow. They lay her in the master bedroom and Jess stayed beside her the entire time. Chad called Ms. Dillard and asked her to come and help with Spencer who couldn’t understand why his Papa was gone. She took the young man to his mother’s side for a necessary physical embrace before taking him to another room with Bobby.

In the master suite, Chad looked down helplessly at his fiancée as she lay curled in a fetal position against the sedated form of her twin. She didn’t even react when he leaned over to brush her hair aside so he could softly kiss her forehead.

Aside from the funeral arrangements Chad had to also deal with his two oldest kids, arranging for them to be released from class so that they could be with their mother. He booked their flights and picked them up at the airport. At the hospital, the staff didn’t give him a second look as he escorted them into her room. Molly was sitting up in her bed with her left arm wrapped in a large dressing and supported by a sling around her neck. Her face was pale and gaunt, and she looked 20 years older.

Billy and Bethany sobbed as they went to embrace her gently. Tears fell from her eyes as she squeezed each of them back. Her sadness was replaced by bitterness as she looked up at Chad.

“Haven’t you done enough?” she cried. “Do you have to stand there and gloat too?”

He shook his head. “I’m just helping the kids out is all.” He looked at Bethany and Billy. “If you need anything just call me, okay?”

“Why don’t you start by just fucking off!” she blurted angrily. Her outburst drew the attention of her nurse who came into the room. “And then do us all a favor and GO TO HELL!” she ended with a scream.

“Mom!” Billy gasped and he put his hand on her uninjured shoulder. “Relax okay! Dad’s just trying to help out,” he explained.

Bethany agreed. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.”

“It’s okay,” Chad said quietly. “I understand where she is coming from. I will go now.” Her nurse looked at him gratefully. He wrote his new number on a pad and handed it to his daughter. “Here are the keys to the rental I picked you up in,” he added. “I will leave it where we parked. Call me if you need anything at home or with your mom. I’m not far away.”

Beth stepped over and hugged him sniffling. “I’m so sorry Daddy!”

“It’s okay pumpkin. Take care of your mom,” he said as he released her and left the room.

The funeral was widely televised. The memorial service was well attended and somber. Though awake and functional, Jennifer was lost in her pain. She carried on as if her body were an empty shell and it was heartbreaking to witness her utter lack of response to anything around her. Even her son seemed a stranger to her. Her depression was so debilitating that she had no response to counseling or therapy. Only Jess could get her to eat and take care of herself.

For her part, Jessica slowly withdrew from her inner battle and accepted the loss of her dear brother-in-law, though her twin’s depression affected her greatly. She drew strength from her soul mate and relied on his guidance to help them struggle through the days and nights.

At his insistence, Jennifer and her son were moved into the condo where she continued to share the master suite with her sister while Spencer roomed with Bobby. Evie continued to stay and remained an invaluable support network for the children. Chad stayed in the last tiny guest room with Elvis. Jess would go to bed with him every night and then invariably return to her sister’s side where she just held her and worried.

Two weeks after the funeral saw no improvement to Jennifer’s psyche. She remained utterly withdrawn and incapable of interacting with anyone. The Counselors and therapist were concerned enough to push for her admittance to a mental hospital for intensive inpatient care. Jessica would not hear of it and sent them all packing.

The same day, she pulled Chad aside and they took a walk with the dogs. She gripped his hand tightly and seemed to debate with herself over her words.

“Baby I need to ask you something that I don’t think I could even ask of myself at the moment,” she stated hesitantly.

Chad knew it was about her sister. “Anything at all babe. Just ask.”

She turned and they continued walking. “Jennifer is not coming out of her funk and I’m afraid if she doesn’t soon, she never will.” He remained silent as he held her tiny hand. “She needs a change and there is only one thing I can think of that might work.”

Suddenly hopeful Chad squeezed her hand again.

“I need to get her away from here,” she said hesitantly, “Return her to our roots and see if I can get her to respond to some pre-Paul memories. I will have to leave you and Spence behind, and I know it will be hard on both of you.”

He was hesitant in his response, “Are you sure about this babe?”

“She is my twin. I know her better than anyone and I can feel her, sense what she is feeling, where her mind has gone. It is hard to explain but when I talk to her about our past she responds to me in subtle ways. It’s like she is hiding in our past, waiting for me to join her. She feels safer there ... I don’t know how to explain it.”

He nodded his head thoughtfully. As confusing as it sounded, he understood what she was saying. “So where will you go?”

“I think we will start back in Colorado to stay with our parents in our old house,” she said as they arrived at the fenced-in no-lease area and let the dogs run free. They had the entire park to themselves. Jess sat on a bench and Chad joined her. “Maybe we will catch a few rapids before the season ends. Telluride should be opening soon too so skiing is a definite blast from the past.”

She sank into his side and buried her face into his shoulder suddenly. He could feel her shaking as grief swept over her. “Oh God, baby! I’m so scared!” she wept quietly as he held her tightly. “I can’t lose her!” He just crooned softly and let her cry herself out.

After a day of preparation, they were ready to go. Ms. Dillard was surprisingly supportive of Jessica’s plan and went out of her way to help prepare young Spencer for his mom’s extended absence. Jess opted to make the journey by car and loaded her sister up early in the morning before setting out.

She clung to Chad and tried to remove his tonsils with her tongue before breaking away from him. She had promised that they would stay in touch constantly and he would never have to worry about where they were or what they were up to.

It felt like a vacuum for the first couple of days as they tried to adjust to the absence of the two. Even the dogs seemed affected by the lack of ‘presence’ that Jess and Jen imparted to everything around them.

The road trip only took them two days, but Jessica skyped religiously with Chad the entire way, calling him from the hotel where they stayed that night somewhere in Nebraska. Then again when they reached their childhood home near Breckenridge.

She claimed to already see a difference in Jennifer’s demeanor, describing her as less withdrawn and responsive to her parents and the few relatives who were about.

“Speaking of relatives,” she said hesitantly on their second night. Her face looked up at him from the tablet in his lap as he sat up in their bed. Elvis was sprawled over her spot, snoring.