Chapter 12

Andy walked into the rangers' office, his anger hidden behind a cool and collected façade. As he went to clock in for the day's shift, he tossed the car keys to the homely receptionist. "Thanks, Naomi. Letting me use your Jeep was a lifesaver. My car should be fixed by the end of the day."

She batted her eyeglass-magnified eyes, "Anytime, Andy. Do you need a ride to the garage after work today?"

"No, thanks, one of the guys is going to drop me off" he lied.

Wendy happily got off the helicopter. She didn't get sick but nausea prevented her from talking to Nancy about Jack. When Wendy walked into the room, surprise framed her face seeing Virgil asleep in one of the beds. In fact being closer to the door, she saw him first. Sonny sat, reading in the chair next to him. Walt chatted with Jack, in the next bed.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" she demanded.

Walt got up. "Hi Wendy." He turned to Sonny, "Feel like a cup of coffee?"

"Yeah, I'm about due." They left Jack to talk to his wife.

Walt and Sonny sat in the coffee shop for about half an hour before heading back up to the room. When they arrived, Wendy's eyes were red and teary.

"You're in big trouble Walter Stone for keeping this from me." An angry undercurrent laced through her voice.

Jack defended his boss. "Wendy, don't get mad at anyone but me. I told them to keep quiet because I wanted to break the news to you. And you know I'm right for doing that. Just look at you, you're a basket case."

Wendy leaned over and kissed her husband then turned to Sonny. "Virgil didn't wake up while I was here. Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll fill you in on the details."

With both patients asleep, Sonny and Walt walked across the street to the local motel and asked for a couple of rooms. Sonny and Wendy were definitely staying overnight but Walt was undecided. After they left, John, who returned to relieve Nancy of her piloting duties, gave Jack's wife a warm greeting as he entered the hospital room.

He squeezed her hands as he sat down. "Good to see you, Wendy. How're you holding up?"

"Pissed to high heaven. I can't believe he didn't tell me he was shot at. Nobody told me."

"Yeah, he did. Just not right away." His rich baritone voice soothed her ruffled feathers.

She exhaled a deep breath along with some of the anger. "Did Nancy leave?"

"Yeah, she took the company car back that I drove out in."

Both people looked up when a young nurse walked in.

"Good afternoon," the woman in white chirped. "And how are our flyboys doing?"

John tilted his head, he knew her from someplace. Something about her wasn't quite right as she leaned over Virgil.

"He's sleeping quietly. That's good," she stated as she walked over to Jack's bed and leaned over him.

John scrutinized her. "Where's Mohina?"

"Who?"

"The on-duty nurse. Don't you know who she is?" John's forehead creased as his suspicion grew.

"Oh, yeah. She's just taking a break."

"Where's your name tag?" he asked, as he rose from his chair.

"Uh, I forgot to transfer it over from my other uniform," she flustered as an orderly walked into the room.

John looked at the pretty boy in white who just entered. "Who the hell are you?

"Hey, chill buster. I'm here to help the nurse..." The perfectly coifed guy looked at the name embroidered on the big man's jumpsuit. " ... John.

"You work with these two? What happened to them? That's quite an ugly mark on that guy's face," the orderly noted, looking at Virgil.

"I know you," Wendy blurted. "I've seen you on TV."

John looked from the man to the nurse. " ... and you're that cameraman in the ER this morning."

"Camerawoman, if you don't mind." Defiance edged Cassie's voice.

Both media people heard a growl coming from the imposing brick-wall of a man now inching towards them.

"You can't threaten us. I'll haul your ass up on assault charges." Bret yelled.

"I have no intention of assaulting you. Just picking you up bodily and removing you from this hospital,"

"Uh, you know, now that I look at the patients, I believe I'm in the wrong room." She beat a hasty retreat towards the door, preceded by her cowardly boss.

John dialed the phone to security even before the intruders left the floor.

"Damn vultures," he grumbled under his breath. "Now I know how movie stars feel."

Returning from the motel with Sonny, Walt saw the snarl stamped on John's face, "What happened?"

"I just chased out two media leaches sneaking in here as a nurse and an orderly."

"Didja call security?"

"Right away. Where're the cops?"

"Patrolling."

"That's probably security now." He answered the phone.

"Yeah, I'm the guy who called a few minutes ago.

"Uh huh.

"Yeah.

"How did they get past you, this place isn't that big." After another pause, John stated flatly, "Thanks anyway.

Looking at Walt, "They got away."

Virgil awoke to a dark room. Disoriented he tried to switch on the lamp sitting on his nightstand. But there was no lamp, no nightstand. He wasn't in his bedroom, so where was he? His heart thumped and he shot upright in bed. A bolt of pain through his head squashed the anxiety he felt a moment ago and he melted back onto the bed. He concentrated on making the pounding subside.

"Virgil, you okay, man?" A voice came out of the darkness.

"Huh?"

"I said, 'are you okay?' I heard you move suddenly then moan."

"Jack?"

"Yeah, who'd you think I was?"