Chapter 3

Gargi pushed the plate of unremarkable hospital food aside and placed the laptop on the small table. Through the closed door, she still heard activity make its way through the barrier. Names being paged over the intercom, the continual beeping of monitors, and people walking back and forth. Gargi wished she could make them all stop in their tracks so she could focus on her research.

But the world did not stop for anyone, no matter how stuck in the trenches they were, so she had to buckle down and do what needed to be done.

She massaged her eye sockets with her thumb and forefinger. The better part of an hour had been spent on searching the Net for any hint of evidence they could use to apply again for an appeal. Though she hadn’t found it yet, she knew it would show itself. Now, it was time to learn more about her brother’s condition.

Clicking on the search results, Gargi found a forum for those affected by Lyme disease. Until Dev’s diagnosis, she hadn’t even heard of this thing. Now, she found herself thrust into the turmoil of a disease she had to hurry and get knowledgeable about in order to help her brother.

The link led her to a little video giving a concise commentary about the disease and where it came from. Dr. Manchester had stated she had knowledge about Dev’s condition, but Gargi had to know about it herself. She couldn’t leave Dev’s health solely in the hands of doctors.

The animated video showed a spiral-shaped bacterium called borrelia burgdorfei, part of a larger family of bacteria known as borrelia. These bacteria were known as spirochetes due to their long, thin, twisted shape and their spinning motion. They lived in small animals like mice, lizards, and birds, which acted as reservoirs for them.

Once she heard that, Gargi made a decision to never own a pet.

A groan from the bed made her shut the lid of the computer. “Dev?”

“Gargi?” his voice croaked.

She hurried to the side of the bed. “Shubh prabhaat, bhaaii.” Gargi smoothed away a curly lock of hair from his forehead. It was wonderful to touch him in comforting ways like this. A week ago, she’d been wishing for this kind of contact. In prison, there had been no opportunity for these small brushes of sibling affection. As long as she lived, she’d never again take for granted the necessity of human touch.

“Good morning to you, too, little—”

The answering smile on his face died away. Her hand stilled. “What is it, Dev?”

He didn’t speak, just fixed his wide, chestnut-brown gaze on her. “Something’s wrong,” he gushed out after a moment. Gargi frowned. “What do you mean?”

His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I can’t feel anything.”

An ice-cold brick settled in the place where her heart lay. Bile burned the back of her throat. “Is it your arm?” “It’s not just my arm. I can’t feel my body!” Dev shouted, the whites of his eyes pearl orbs against his dark, but increasingly pallid, skin. “I can’t move.”

Blindly, and as if of their own volition, Gargi’s numb fingers reached for the nurse call button and pressed it.

“I’m s-sure there’s a logical explanation, Dev.” Her voice wobbled and she swallowed to clear it. “Perhaps it’s just t-temporary from the treatment Dr. Manchester administered.”

“Don’t feed me that—”

“Yes, Mr. Kapoor?” the nurse responding to the call light crackled through the speaker.

Gargi lifted the call phone to her mouth and spoke into it. “My brother is saying he can’t move or feel his body. I need someone in here now.” A fine trembling took over her limbs. This could not be happening.

“We’ll be right there.”

She replaced the intercom and grabbed Dev’s hand. Unconsciously, she expected him to clench it back but it remained limp within her grasp. Sweat broke out over her body.

Oh no! Dear God, please, please...

She couldn’t finish the prayer. Wasn’t sure if she should finish it. Had God answered her prayer when she begged for her brother to be found innocent?

The nurse padded into the room. “Mr. Kapoor, tell me exactly what you’re feeling.”

“Nothing! That’s why you’re here!”

“I understand you’re upset, sir,” the nurse cooed in a patient, soft voice. It had a soothing effect on Gargi’s ragged nerves. “However, I need to know how you feel, so when Dr. Manchester arrives I can give her as much of a detailed report as possible.”

“I feel rubbery.”

Gargi gulped. She couldn’t even begin to quite understand what exactly he meant.

The nurse stepped closer. “Rubbery?”

Dev’s eyebrows knitted together. “Like ... when I fall asleep on my arm sometimes and the blood doesn’t circulate? That’s how I feel. Or, when I have a nightmare and I’m trying to move and I can’t. That’s it, too.”

The nurse made a notation in the clipboard she’d brought with her. “I’m going to check the medication rounds we’ve been giving you to see if maybe there’s a side effect associated with it. But Dr. Manchester will be here and she’ll be able to give you more detail.”

“How long will it be before she gets here?” Gargi wanted the woman there now.

“As soon as she arrives, I’ll let you know. Now, I’m going to take some vitals right now.”

Gargi hugged herself. Dev lay still, unnaturally still in the bed. He was able to turn his neck, but that seemed about all. His glassy eyes met hers, and Gargi longed to succumb to the wails clamoring for an exit.

She rolled her shoulders. Unclenching her midsection, she raised her chin. Someone had to keep their head on straight in the midst of all of this. She didn’t want the brunt of all this ... stuff ... to be on her shoulders. But there wasn’t anyone else.

The image of the man from three days ago rose in her mind once more. “I hope you rot.”

Whoever you are, it’s not going to work. I won’t let your words harm my brother.

Leon glared at the vending machine at work, resisting the urge to kick it. Where was a bag of barbeque Cheetos when you needed one? Scowling, he went over to the coffee pot and helped himself. Some kind soul had bought the staff several boxes of donuts, and he grabbed one filled with strawberry jelly. Placing it on a paper plate, he went over to the breakroom table and straddled a chair. Anticipating the sugary sweet, he raised it to his mouth when he heard someone say, “How’s it going there?”

Leon glanced up to see the short, gray-haired man standing in the doorway of the breakroom.

“It’s going fine, Mr. Cresswell.” What was the director of Sunstone Healthcare doing here? To his knowledge, the man only came around when he showed off the facility to potential investors. “What can I do for you today?”

“Got a special project I’m going to send you on.” Mr. Cresswell stepped further into the drab gray and brown breakroom.

Leon stifled a sigh and set down the donut. He’d just finished a few cases this morning and had several more to go through before his day ended. What did the director want?

“Allyson Carter says you’ve a proven track record for helping some of the more difficult cases with rehabilitation. You’re perfect for this role.”

“I do the best I can, Mr. Cresswell.” Leon felt a strange tightening around his neck. Had an invisible noose been thrown around it?

“Good. Good.” The man nodded. “We were contacted by the representatives from the state regarding rehabilitating an inmate. The inmate is a total assist, as complications from both Lyme disease and the antibiotics used to combat it have left the inmate completely paralyzed.”

Leon felt the noose around his neck almost strangle him, though his face didn’t reveal his inner turmoil. This could not be happening. It wasn’t what he thought it was.

“The state has allowed the inmate to receive this treatment in Tawas City, along with a caregiver. You’ll be re-located to Tawas for the foreseeable future so you can work with this individual.”

“Mr. Cresswell, my mother is—”

“Ah, yes. Your mother is recovering from hip replacement surgery, correct?”

The man wouldn’t expect him to leave his mother all alone, would he?

“Well, we’d be happy to provide in-home care for her while you’re away, as well as continue the physical therapy sessions regularly.”

Leon jumped through the loophole. “I’m sorry, Mr. Cresswell. I can’t afford—”

“Sunstone will take care of the additional expenses for you, Leon. No need to worry.” Mr. Cresswell gave him an indulgent smile intended to encourage. Yet, the collar of Leon’s polo shirt constricted even more. This wasn’t a request. It was an order.

“What’s in this for you?” The question popped out of his mouth before he had a chance to reel it in.

A shrewd look appeared in Mr. Cresswell’s eyes as he pursed his lips. “I’ll put it to you like this: the state can’t afford to have any more bad publicity right now. No one knows this fella is even out of prison. They need to keep this quiet as possible. The state is willing to employ Sunstone Healthcare for more of these types of cases when it comes to acute care for inmates.”

Understanding dawned on Leon at those words. Money and secrets.

“What about me? Am I going to be held responsible if anything goes wrong?”