Chapter 82: Derailed

December, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

"Where should I wait for my girlfriend?" I asked.

"The surgical waiting room. Go down this hall to the elevator. It's well marked."

"OK. I'm going to wait for my friends to arrive. I assume it's OK to sit here?" I said, indicating the chairs.

"Yes, Sir."

I collapsed in the chair as the adrenaline began to wear off and the gravity of what had just happened hit me like a ton of bricks. I started shaking and couldn't control it. A small moan escaped my lips, and a nurse was quickly at my side. She helped me up and led me to a treatment room and had me lie down. She took my vitals and brushed aside my weak protest, and started an IV. A minute later, she left and returned with a doctor.

"Sir? What's your name?"

"Steve Adams," I said weakly.

"Do you know where you are and what happened?"

I took a few seconds to take a couple of breaths, and then answered, "At Mercy Hospital in the Emergency Room. My friend was shot while we were driving past Robert Taylor Homes."

"Have you been drinking? Using any illegal drugs?"

"No. Well, I had about an ounce of bourbon about three hours ago, I guess."

He turned to the nurse and said, "It seems like it's stress-related. We'll just keep an eye on him for now. Keep the IV in just in case. Check his vitals in fifteen minutes and call me if necessary. I'll check back in thirty minutes."

The doctor left the room, and the nurse checked the IV and made some notes.

"Nurse, my best friend will be here shortly," I said softly. "Her name is Bethany, and I want to see her."

"I'll make a note when I get back to the nurses' station. There's a buzzer here if you need me. I'll check back in a few minutes."

About five minutes later, she came back to check on me. I told her that I was feeling a bit better, but she told me to stay put. About ten minutes after that, she was back with Bethany in tow.

"Steve!" Bethany exclaimed, rushing to my bedside. "What's wrong? You told Elyse you were OK!"

"I just felt weak and queasy, and I couldn't stop shaking."

"Shock," Bethany said. "Do you feel like talking?"

"I suppose," I said.

"Let me take his vitals first," the nurse said.

She quickly checked my pulse and took my blood pressure, wrote the numbers on the chart, then left Bethany alone with me.

"I saw your car outside with police tape!" Bethany exclaimed as soon as the nurse had left the room. "What exactly happened?"

I described the events in detail, from the time Wen and I left the house, including how I'd sped to the hospital, and explained that Wen was in surgery in extremely critical condition.

"Who can we call for her?" Bethany asked.

I used the controls to raise the back of the bed, so I was in more of a sitting position.

"Her parents are in Thailand and are expecting her to get on a plane tomorrow morning. She has a brother somewhere in the area, but I have no idea how to contact him. I talked to a police officer; I think his badge said Jackson. He has Wen's name and knows she's an IIT student. Hopefully, the police can get someone on campus, maybe the campus police, to figure out how to get in touch with him or her parents."

"Are you feeling better?" Bethany asked.

"Yes; I think the adrenaline that kicked in wore off, and that made me really shaky."

"I suppose that makes sense," Bethany replied. "Let me get the nurse and see if they'll let you get up."

Bethany left the room and came back about five minutes later, saying the doctor would be in shortly. About five minutes after that, the doctor came into the room, looked at the chart, and then checked my eyes and listened to my heart and breathing.

"I'd say it was just a reaction to the stress of the situation. I'm going to release you."

"Thanks, Doctor," I looked at his lab coat, "Franklin."

The nurse unhooked the IV and brought me out to the registration desk so that they could take down my address and get a copy of the insurance card that I had from IIT. When I finished, Bethany and I went to the waiting area where Kara and Elyse were waiting. The four of us walked down the hall to the elevator and went up to the surgical waiting room. I went to the desk and gave my name and said I was Wen's boyfriend.

"Do you know how to get in touch with anyone in her immediate family?"

"No, I don't. Her parents are in Thailand. She has a brother, but I have no idea where he is or how to get in touch with him. She's a student at IIT, so I'm sure they have some kind of records. School ended yesterday, so I'm not sure how quickly you can get the information."

"We have a number we can call. This is the hospital that IIT uses for campus emergencies. I'll get someone to call and see what we can find out. In the meantime, if you'll have a seat, we'll let you know when we know something more concrete."

"Thanks," I said.

We went to sit and wait.

"What happened at home?" I asked.

"Cindi took control and got everyone home," Bethany replied. "She's at the house with Katy, Kenneth, Dave, and Julia."

"Good. I guess my plans are kind of derailed at this point. I won't leave Wen alone here. Somebody needs to be with her when she wakes up."

"Steve, you're making a big assumption," Bethany said.

"I know. I'm assuming the best. I'm not even going to think about leaving unless her brother or her parents are here. And we don't know if anyone can reach them, and even if they do, her parents are half-a-world away. I'll miss Christmas in Milford, but that's a small price to pay. Kara, I'm sorry about that."

"I'll stay with you," Kara said. "Mom will understand."

"It's not necessary, Kara," I said.

"Sure it is! And besides, I want to spend our usual Christmas Eve with you. You also need a car until you can get yours fixed."

"And get it back from the police," I added. "It's evidence."

"Do you need to call your insurance company?" Elyse said.

"Yeah. I have the card in my wallet. I'll do that in the morning. I have other calls to make, too."

We all sat quietly for the next two hours, getting up only to use the bathroom or get a drink. It was about 1:30am when a middle-age black doctor in green surgical scrubs came through large double-doors. I searched his face for any sign, but saw nothing. He stopped at the desk and I heard him say Wen's name. I got up and walked over to him. I looked at his lab coat for a name.

"Doctor Jefferson," I said, "I'm her boyfriend. I brought her in."

"Step into this consultation room with me, please," he said.

"Can I have a friend with me?" I asked.

"It's a bit irregular, but I understand she's a foreign student with no parents in the country. Yes, one."

I waved to Bethany, and she came over to where we were standing, and then she and I followed the doctor into a small room with a couch and a chair. The doctor motioned us to the couch, and he sat in the chair. We sat down.

"Your girlfriend is alive, but is in critical condition. She lost quite a bit of blood, and the bullet was lodged in her neck. She was lucky in that it missed both her spinal cord and her jugular. Half an inch either way and she wouldn't be here. Your quick thinking in driving straight here probably saved her life. She's in recovery and then we'll move her to the surgical ICU. You're listed in the computer so that you can get an update on her condition. I listed you as next of kin until we can get in touch with her parents. It's not strictly according to the rules, but she needs somebody."

"Thanks doctor," Bethany said. "What's the prognosis? And how long will she be in recovery?"

"I'm cautiously optimistic," he said. "She'll be in recovery for two or three hours. You should get some sleep. She won't be able to have visitors for some time."

"I'm not leaving," I said.

"I strongly suggest you go home and get some sleep," Doctor Jefferson said firmly. "You aren't going to be of any use to her if you're incoherent from lack of sleep. I've seen it before, and it doesn't help the patient at all."

"Listen to him, Steve," Bethany said. "Kara, Elyse, or I can bring you back first thing in the morning."

There was a knock at the door. The doctor opened it. A Chicago police officer was there and wanted to see me.

"Yes, officer?" I said.

He handed me a form.

"Your car will be taken to the police evidence impound lot. There's no evidence of any involvement by you or Miss Zhao in any criminal activity, so once they photograph the car and check for any other evidence, you'll be called to pick it up. We got your phone number from your friends outside. Tomorrow is Sunday, and with Christmas on Tuesday, it probably will be Thursday before you get the call. There's a number on the form if you want to call to check."

"Thanks officer," I said. "Do you know what happened?"

"No. We had reports of gunfire from around the time you drove through. I think you and Miss Zhao were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You might consider taking the Dan Ryan or Indiana. I know it's a bit out of the way given that it's only about fourteen blocks from your house to IIT down State, but avoiding the projects is a good idea."

I sighed, "I've driven up and down State Street at least eight times a week for nearly four years without any trouble at all. But thanks for the advice."

The officer nodded and left.

"Mr. Adams, we'll call you if anything changes," Doctor Jefferson said. "Go get some sleep."

"Thanks, Doctor," I said.

"Yes, thanks," Bethany said.

She took my hand and led me to where Kara and Elyse were waiting.

"She's alive," Bethany said. "She's in recovery, and then they'll move her to the ICU. She's critical, but the doctor said he's cautiously optimistic. It sounds like the real concern was blood loss and tricky surgery because the bullet was in her neck. We're taking Steve home, whether he wants to go or not, and then one of us will bring him back in the morning."

I sighed, "Fine."

I walked with the girls to the elevator, and once we were downstairs, we walked to Kara's car. My car was no longer in the ambulance bay, which didn't surprise me because it would have blocked access for more than one ambulance at a time. We got into Kara's car, with Elyse and Kara in the front, and Bethany and me in the back. Bethany sat in the center of the long bench seat and put her arm around me.

"Take Michigan Avenue south," I said, "instead of State Street."

Kara made the left turn out of the hospital and then turned right onto Michigan to head south. We were quiet on the ride home and when we got there, we were met by Kenneth, Katy, Dave, and Julia, who had waited up.

"He's fine, she's in recovery from emergency surgery," Bethany told them. "We don't know for sure what happened except a bullet came through the passenger window."

"Maybe Callie got pissed, and she's a bad shot," I said, attempting humor.

Nobody laughed, which, when I thought about it, didn't surprise me.

"Go to bed, Steve," Bethany ordered. "You need some sleep."

Kara took my hand and led me upstairs and waited until I got into bed.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she said.

I was mostly asleep when I felt Kara climb into bed and put her arm around me. I felt her kiss my cheek and then succumbed to the fatigue that had overtaken me as soon as I got into bed.

On Sunday morning, I didn't wake up at my usual time, and the girls let me sleep longer than I really had wanted to. I was a bit cross with Kara when I woke up around 8:30am, but she just smiled and let me grouse. I got out of bed and called the hospital. Wen was in the ICU and her condition was critical, but stable. I thanked the nurse and then had a shower and went down to get some breakfast.

"How are you feeling?" Bethany asked.

"Fine, I guess. I called the hospital. She's in the ICU in critical, but stable, condition."

"Eat some breakfast and we'll take you down to the hospital. Kara's staying with you over Christmas, as she offered. Elyse needs to head home later this morning, but I'm going to stay until tomorrow. Everyone else is leaving at some point today."

"You girls are too good to me," I said. "I guess I need to call home."

"I called your parents' house already," Bethany said. "Your sister was set to drive up, but I managed to talk her out of it because you weren't hurt. Your dad wants you to call this morning."

"OK. I also need to call Joyce. I was supposed to meet with her and her grandfather to give them our business plan."

"I could drop it off for you, if you want," Elyse said.

"That would be awesome. It's not really that far out of the way for you, just off the freeway in Colerain Township. There's a bound copy for him in my study."

"I'll get it. You'll call me with any updates?"

"Of course. I guess I need to call Trudy Spencer, too," I said.

"Already handled," Bethany said. "Melanie called her mom last night. She and Pete will be by soon."

"I guess I'll wait until they stop by before I head down to Mercy. I suspect Wen is still unconscious. I wonder if they got in touch with her parents or brother."

"I called the hospital first thing this morning and checked. They weren't able to get the contact information from IIT overnight."

"Let me call Doctor Bauer. I'm sure he knows what to do."

I got up and went to my study and dialed Doctor Bauer's home number. He answered on the second ring.

"Doctor Bauer, this is Steve Adams."

"It's pretty early, Mr. Adams."

"Yes, Sir. I was calling because one of your students, Wen Zhao, was hit by a stray bullet last night while I was driving her back to IIT. She's in the hospital in critical condition. Her parents live in Thailand and do not know about this yet."

"My God! Are you OK?"

"Yes."

"Let me call the Dean. He'll have access to the emergency contact records. What hospital is she at?"

"Mercy on 26th."

"OK. Let me make the call."

He hung up, and I replaced the handset. I went back to the kitchen to drink my coffee and about ten minutes later, the phone rang and I went to my study to answer it.

"Mr. Adams, this is Dean Stauffer. I'm just about to leave for the office to get the information for the hospital. Could you fill me in on what happened? Doctor Bauer was vague."

I quickly explained what had happened. He thanked me and then hung up. As I was walking back into the kitchen, I heard the front door open and a few seconds later, Melanie came charging in. She grabbed me, hugged me tight, and gave me a soft kiss.

"Are you really OK?" she asked.

"Yes, Melanie. I'm in one piece. Wen's in critical condition."

"Hi, Steve," Pete said. "I called a contact I have with the Chicago police. They have absolutely nothing to go on at this point. They are pretty sure it was a stray bullet from a reported exchange of gunfire."

"I didn't even hear anything other than a cracking sound from the window and Wen's gasp."

"If you had your radio on, the heater running, and the windows shut, which I'm sure was the case because it's cold out, that's not surprising."

"What were you doing in the projects?" Melanie demanded.

"Driving on State Street. It's the most direct route from here to IIT," I said. "There's never been an issue in the nearly four years I've driven it. I'm heading down to the hospital in a few minutes. Are you guys heading to Ohio?"

"Yes. We're staying at Mel's tonight," Pete said. "Then we have Christmas at both houses. We just stopped to check on you."

"I appreciate it," I said.

I walked with them back to Pete's Mustang and, after hugging Melanie and shaking Pete's hand, they got in and drove off. I went back inside and called my dad.

"I'm fine. Wen's in critical condition, but it looks like she's going to make it."

"That's good. What were you doing when this happened?"

"Driving her home from a party at my place. It's the same route I've driven for nearly four years. It does go by the projects, but it's never, ever been a problem. The others in the house go the same way. And the El goes right by there as well. Again, with no problems."

"What about your car?"

"It'll need a new passenger window. I don't know if the blood stain will come out of the passenger seat. I'll call the insurance company in a bit. They have a 24-hour number. The police have the car."

"That makes sense. Bethany said that you weren't going to come home, and that Kara was going to stay with you."

"Yes. Bethany was supposed to drive home today, but she's staying until tomorrow."

"OK, Son. Just let me know how things go. Your sister wants to talk to you."

I chuckled, "Of course she does."

She came on the line.

"Bethany said I shouldn't come there," she groused. "Are you really OK?"

"Hello to you too, Squirt. And yes, I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. My friend looks like she's going to make it, too. I won't be home for Christmas."

"I know. I talked to Dad and I'm going to come up after Christmas. I want to see Jennifer and check on you."

I knew it was useless to argue with Stephanie.

"Fine, Squirt. I'll see you when you get here."

"Be careful, Big Brother!" she said.

I hung up the phone and went back to the kitchen. I said 'goodbye' to Elyse, and then Kara and Bethany and I went out to Kara's car and drove to Mercy Hospital, avoiding State Street.