Chapter 16

I was so stuffed by the time I got done eating, I was feeling sleepy and decided to take a short nap. Since I wanted to make sure the little red headed nurse didn't get into trouble, I put the empty bag under the covers where it couldn't be seen by anyone coming into the room. I had just dozed off, when I was awakened by the local vampire. She wanted to take my blood for the second time in about four hours.

"Why are they drawing blood so often, Nurse? I am starting to feel like a pin cushion or something."

"I guess they are monitoring the infection to make sure it didn't spread into your blood stream. According to your chart, they were worried about you having an adverse reaction to the broad spectrum antibiotics they are pumping into you. According to this you won't be due for another check until tonight. By then they will be able to tell if the antibiotics are doing any good. I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan, but I am just doing my job."

"I'm not upset with you, but I just fell asleep. Waking up to the sight of an eight-foot needle is a little upsetting."

She looked at me and then laughed at my description of the needles on the tray she was carrying. She was a professional; I had to give her that. She took three tubes of blood about as quickly as anyone I had seen. Then she thanked me for letting her do her job without getting mad, like some of the patients do. She was out the door before I could tell her she was very good. I hadn't felt a thing as she drew my blood. I lay back and tried to drift off again, but again I was disturbed by the doctor coming in. He was accompanied by the little red headed nurse. I noticed she quickly looked around to see if the bag she had snuck in was anywhere in sight. I could see the relief in her eyes when she didn't spot anything. Fortunately, I had put the bag on the opposite side from my wounds so the doctor couldn't see it as he changed my bandages. He was very thorough as he checked my side and shoulder to see if there was any sign of the infection. He told the nurse to put fresh bandages on and left, saying that he had several other patients to see this morning.

I was glad when he left, but before I could get a word in, the nurse beat me to the punch.

"Please don't tell me you ate the bags too, Mr. Morgan."

I busted out laughing and reached under the covers and handed the empty go containers to her. She looked at me and gave me a big smile before she took it and pushed it down inside the waste bag on her cart.

"Please call me Jon, Miss, Umm, I don't think you said your name, before you saved my life."

"It's Kathleen, but everyone calls me Kat and you can call me that too, Jon. I'm afraid I won't be able to sneak in your lunch, so you'll either eat hospital food or go hungry. I get off at three, so I won't be here for the evening meal. If you don't mind me asking, how did you get shot? Are you some kind of criminal or something?"

I busted out laughing and told her most of the story, and how I ended up back in here. She was looking at me wide eyed as I finished my tale.

"Gee, I never would have guessed you were a law enforcement officer. With the accent and your politeness you just don't seem to fit the part somehow. Did I hear you say you only work CASA cases?"

"Yes, but it has its own rewards when the kids are happy."

"This hospital is one of the main ones listed for child abuse checks by all the staff. We all had to take special courses to become state certified. I never knew that the program had national CASA investigators. I bet with your job, you see a lot more of the horrors than we do. It breaks my heart every time we have to give some small child an examination. They are so afraid to talk to any of us it's like pulling teeth to even get them to let us touch them. Do you work on a lot of cases?"

"I pretty much go all over the U.S., if they have need of me. I have the ability to be able to pick the cases I work, and I try to take the ones that reunite kids with their mothers rather than the abuse type of case. I don't think my temperament would let me work too many of that type."

"Jon, how long have you lived in the states? I am still trying to place your accent, but it sounds like you spent a lot of time in France."

"I grew up outside of Paris. I came to this country a little more than seven years ago, and I still am trying to adjust to the American slang. Why, Kat, have you ever been in France?"

"I went there on my honeymoon, several years ago. I loved the sights and the activity in the bigger cities. This year would have been my sixth anniversary if my husband had lived. He was killed two years ago in Iraq by a roadside bomb. We had made plans to go back, but they didn't work out like we planned. I'm sorry I'm laying all of this on you, but this is the first time since he was killed that I have been able to talk about it with anyone. I just feel so relaxed when I'm talking to you."

"That's fine, Kat, I spent time in the service too. I know how hard it is to talk about it to just anyone. It took me several years before I could adjust to a normal life after I got back home. If you ever want to just sit down and let off steam, please don't be afraid to come in and talk to me. I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I do know how it feels to lose someone you care deeply about. Remember, I have been there too. If I can help in any way, I would be glad to. It would be like reverse therapy for both of us."

"I think I understand what you're saying. I went to a shrink but all he seemed to want to do was pry about our personal lives and my feelings about him not being there for me. I put up with it for about two months. I finally told him where to get off and that our personal life wasn't any of his business. This is the first time it has come to mind since then and I feel better just talking to you about it, for some reason. It's like you feel what I do and I can sense it somehow. Well, I better get out of here before they send the head nurse to look for me. Thanks, Jon, I will try to stop back in and check on you before I go off shift at three."

"You're more than welcome Kat. Besides, you already saved me from a fate worse than starvation."

"How's that Jon?"

"Hospital food."

She was laughing out loud as she pushed her little cart out the door. I heard her all the way to the nurse's desk. I just smiled to myself, enjoying her laughter. It sounded like a little girl who had been tickled by someone, and for some reason it made my day a lot brighter.

My cell rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was Myrna on the other end.

"Jon, all was quiet at the funeral, but Sally's stepfather showed up. He tried to talk to her several times, but Tiny finally got tired of him. Tiny escorted him to the side away from the crowd and had a few words with him. Jon, the way he was looking at her made my flesh crawl. I never realized why you took her away but after watching him, I understand fully. Sally refused to even look at him or let his presence disturb her. You would have been so proud of her today. She shook hands with all the circus people who came and even let a small person kiss her on the cheek. I am so proud of her. We are on our way home now and she has been silent the whole trip. I am going to have Tiny bring her to visit you as soon as she changes. I think she needs you right now more than ever. Jon, Sarah didn't even show up and no one has seen her since this morning. The man Tiny had watching her said she hasn't left the house. I hope you don't get mad, but I am going to have a little talk with her when Sally leaves to visit you."

"Myrna, you're closer to it than I am, and as you know, I trust your judgment. You do what you think needs to be done. I think it's time she started looking for a place of her own. I am starting to think you might have been right about me letting her move in. She has been acting strange since she came. See if you can find out what's going on, will you? This is a distraction that none of us needs right now, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Tell Sally I'm really lonely, and to bring me a couple of chicken sandwiches when she comes. The food here is horrible."