16: Transitions

I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout
into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that
we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when
all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun
will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have,
and I am in love with you.

John Green

“Hello,” a nervous male voice asked, his voice unsteady and his phrasing strained.

“Leon, this is Alison. Can you put me on speakerphone? I’ve got news.”

He paused, considering it. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“Look, I’m in the back of an ambulance, heading for the hospital with my two dearest friends. I don’t have time to repeat this, and I promised them the truth. So, either put them on, or you can explain why I didn’t!”

It only took a moment, but her eyes never left Laura, who though receiving oxygen, was struggling to breath as the two EMTs tried to stabilize her for the trip to the hospital.

“It’s no secret,” he admitted, his voice now sounding more distant, the background noise more pronounced. “They’ve been listening this whole time.”

“Look, I don’t have much time. Things went surprisingly well, but there was an incident afterwards, and both Dan and Laura were injured.”

“Are they...” Peter asked, his voice rising.

“No, but it’s not looking promising either.” She relayed the hospital they were heading for. “I’ll call when I have more information, but you’d best head out now, otherwise...” And then the phone disconnected.

“Would someone tell me what is happening?” the uniformed detective entering the waiting room screamed. “I have the Commissioner and the Mayor breathing down my neck, and the whole city demanding answers!”

Despite her weariness, Alison stood. “It’s complicated. It’s better than initially thought, but uncertainly is worse.”

“What does—”

“It means, their injuries weren’t as bad as we assumed. Dan only had a glancing blow but suffered another heart attack. They’re running an EKG. However, Laura was shot, and while it wasn’t fatal, her surgery is ... complicated.”

“Complicated, how?”

She sighed. “Neither one is doing well. Dan was, but his heart is ... unsteady. They now keep the crash cart beside him ... and he’s out more than he’s conscious.”

“So?”

“It’s touch and go, but we need to wait to see how they’ll do.”

“How’s the rest of your team? My officers have briefed me, but each has a different story, so it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not.”

“You were receiving updates and know our plans played out as hoped. But as usual, when we tamp down one avenue, our opponents took another. Realizing their grand ambitions to subvert the government were for naught, Dan determined the organization’s leader was preparing to broadcast a short distance from us. Before we could reach him, he ran, hoping for suicide by cop rather than a citizen’s arrest.

“The guys are okay. The wait was excruciating, never knowing what might go wrong, so they’re anxious and exhausted. Everyone will feel better once we get the all-clear and the doctors formulate a treatment plan, but until then, we’re on pins and needles.”

“No injuries? Would anyone benefit from counseling? I know they’re experienced in this type of operation, but you never know how you’ll respond in the moment.”

“No. They seem fine. If anything, it was an emotional release resolving the pressure we were all under. They’re fine, at least for now. In another week or month, there’s no telling.”

“What about Dan’s vision of one of your team getting killed? Was it a bad vision, or did things once again change?”

“No, it really happened, but it wasn’t one of ours. When Mike got to his position, there was already someone there. He was cautious, not wanting to allow him to alert his companions. He snuck up and, trying to capture him, the guy went over the side. He almost took Mike too.”

“That explains that one. Not knowing the details, they assumed they’d murdered someone and dumped the body by throwing it from the rooftop before you got there. Our Medical Examiner hadn’t determined time of death yet.”

“What about the explosives?” Alison asked. “Could you determine anything from them? Say identifying a specific bomb maker?”

“They’re still studying it, but it doesn’t seem so. It has the arrestee’s fingerprints all over it, including the components. But they’ll know more once they search their homes and determine how many explosives they constructed.”

“We’ll let you know, just as soon as they tell us anything more,” she promised.

“Good. And I’ll inform the mayor and commissioner.” He considered her. “Any chance we can find someone to pin a medal on?” He quickly backtracked at her frown. “The plan all along was to not publicize anything and call unwarranted attention to this, letting it die quietly. But with the one gunfight and death, followed by the ambulance, they need a story. We can always minimize it, but the public won’t buy that it was a non-event.”

“Sorry, but I’m with the others. My role is here with Dan and Laura, not shaking hands and lying on national TV. Besides, I have a terrible poker face and my expression would give the game up anyway.” She turned. “Anyone want their fifteen minutes of fame?”

“No, thanks.” Thomas said, once more conveying the group’s thoughts. “Given how this turned out, it would feel like a personal betrayal, so keep your thirty pieces of silver, we’re good. It isn’t over until we bring everyone home.”

Lee drew her partially aside and lowered his voice. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I got the impression Dan might just have given up.”

She graced him with a nervous smile. “You’re not wrong. He’s tired of this. I wouldn’t call him suicidal, by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s exhausted. He wants peace, and if this is the only way he can get it...” She shrugged.

“However, the bigger concern is Laura. Ever since we visited the other world, she’s felt more comfortable there than she does here. I’m afraid she thinks the deceased are more honest than anyone here, so I can easily picture her letting nature take its course—her kids be damned.”

“You’d best advise the hospital staff. It may be time to place both into a medically induced coma!”

Though everyone sat facing the interior double doors, an excited disruption distracted them. Though it was the familiar voices that got Alison on her feet. She stepped around the row of chairs and opened her arms as the two boys burst into the room.

Dropping to her knees, they rushed forward, hugging her as if afraid to release her. “It’s all right,” she assured them. “They’re getting excellent care now.”

“Sorry about that,” Lean stated as he entered the waiting room. “I told them to be quiet, but...”

“No, they’re fine.” Alison leaned back, considering the two. Their eyes were red and their cheeks tear-streaked, not that Leon looked any better. She had a chance to wash her face, removing the bloodstains from the attack, and the simple act helped her morale. She was still scared, but realized it was her job to keep everyone going, as her attention diverted from her dear friends to the others worried over Dan’s condition.

“There’s no word yet. Well, there is, but there’s nothing definitive. Dan wasn’t shot, though we thought he was. But having previous heart problems, he suffered a relapse. Your mother was seriously injured though. She wasn’t targeted, but was struck with a stray bullet, which entered her side and tore her up pretty badly. They’re trying to patch what they can, but we won’t know her status until they fully evaluate her.”

“Will she survive?” Adam asked, his lower lip twitching.

“We certainly hope so, but she’ll feel your presence, and knowing you’re here will help more than anything.”

“Thanks for helping, and for calling,” Leon said, the relieve evident in his eyes.

“We got ready early, but then Dad couldn’t stop crying,” Adam said, checking to see whether his father may start again.

“He was in no shape to drive,” Peter explained. “So, we got him water and something to eat, while he put his head between his legs and bawled.” Peter lowered his voice. “Not his best look.”

“Composure doesn’t mean anything here,” she assured them. “Here, you can let it out, so when you do see your mother, you can present a positive, united front. You’re among friends, and we’re all worrying as much as you.”

“Now’s the time to explore your emotions,” Will advised, “saving your strength for when you finally see your mother.”

“Thanks, Shortie. That’s the most you’ve said all night.”

He grinned. “It’s taken me this long to compose my strength. It’s been a tough night.”

The others agreed, murmuring among themselves.

“What happened?” Peter asked.

“Well, as I said...”

“No, what happened to the guy who shot Mom?” Adam clarified.

“Oh.” Alison turned, glancing around to determine who else was in the room. “He was taken care off. He won’t hurt anyone else.”

“Who ... shot him?” he pressed, clearly unsure whether he wanted to know.

“I did. I was the only one there trained for combat. We called for assistance, but things moved so fast, there wasn’t—” Her answer was muffled as Adam engulfed her in his arms, holding her tight and rocking them both.

“Thank you. Thank you, for saving my Mom,” he glanced back at his father, kneeling behind them, “and Uncle Dan too.”

“I certainly wasn’t going to do anything else. After all, given where we’ve been, I don’t need any angry ghosts haunting my nights. Thankful spirits, that’s different, though not by much.”

“Is there anything we can get you?” Leon offered. “I wanted to stop, but the kids wouldn’t hear of it.”

“No, Michael went for drinks for everyone.” Thomas said. “He should return soon. The cafeteria and other shops are closed, but there are vending machines. And if you ask politely, the nurses usually have coffee for themselves.” He paused. “I already texted him to bring you one, though you may want to get something for the boys.”

“You stay,” Jacob said, standing. “I can use a soda myself. Alison?”

“No thanks. Despite being somewhat used to this, my stomach is so jittery I couldn’t keep anything down.”

“Actually, a flat, non-fizzy soda is the best thing for that.” Mike suggested. “In the field, we’d actually set some aside, opening, letting them sit and then resealing them just for these situations. Firefights are simple, as you’re focused on surviving, it’s the waiting that’ll get ya.”

“Maybe you should tell their mother,” Leon said, hugging his kids, unwilling to release their stranglehold on Alison. “And thank you,” he told her. “Not just for reaching out, but for being there when they needed you most.”

“Does that go for Uncle Dan too?” she asked, as both boys watched his response.

“I’ll admit, I really wanted to blame him, and said a few ... unkind things, but we knew what you were involved in. It’s not his fault, he was merely the conduit through which salvation and devastation flows in equal measure.”