by Janet Rebhan
“Oh my God.” Caroline wondered how she had missed the baby the first time. She opened the back door and took the baby from her car seat. She looked around, noticed the diaper bag, and searched inside for a blanket. Finding nothing, she removed her sweater and wrapped it around the baby, holding her close to her chest.
“You’re going to be all right, sweetheart; I’ll take good care of you.” She looked into the darkness beyond the flare she had placed in the center of the road leading south toward Valley Circle. She hoped her call went through and the dispatcher had heard the address. She wondered about the possibility of another car driving by, but she knew most people steered clear of Box Canyon Road. Dark, dangerous, and with some negativity attached, the road was used primarily by those who lived in the nearby area, and most of those people were already in to stay for the evening, their houses situated a good distance from the main road. There was no place within walking distance she could go for help. Most of the freeway traffic, she knew, would be taking the pass road and getting right back on the freeway beyond the oil spill.
She looked at the baby and immediately felt a surge of affection and protectiveness toward her. It was unthinkable to leave her behind alone in the dark cold canyon. She walked back toward the Mitsubishi and opened the back door again. She knew now what she had to do.
Mary Anne never felt the impact. She had a brief moment of panic, and the next thing she knew, she was floating above her body. She saw the motorcycle crash into her car and at first became confused. When she realized what had happened, she was overcome by sadness. She tried to get back into her body, but she could only hover above it. She reached for her baby but couldn’t touch her. She watched as Vito ripped the silver chain off the neck of her lifeless body. She tried to hover between Vito and the baby, but he looked right through her and spoke directly to Rachael. Mary Anne focused all her attention on her child, and Vito quickly left. When she saw the white sedan drive up and the woman get out, a sense of calm came over her. It was only then she noticed the vertical tear above the horizon, as if someone or something had ripped open the night sky constructed of shadowy parchment. Beyond the opening, tiny distant lights twinkled, beckoning her with a variety of enchanting colors, and she remembered the time her grandmother took her to the carnival when she was only six years old. She became overcome with a profound feeling of joy, and when she noticed a figure walking toward her out of the distant lights, arms outstretched, all resistance faded. As the figure grew larger, Mary Anne recognized the smiling face of her grandmother, and yet, something flickered and she knew instantly the face was merely a construct, a symbol for something greater and beyond. It was then, she understood who she really was and to where she was now returning. She began to move in the direction of the lights swiftly and with great ease, gliding determinedly on the thought alone.
Caroline removed the baby’s car seat from the dead woman’s car and walked back toward her BMW. She placed the carrier in the center of the back seat and ran the seat belt through the appropriate openings to secure it. She then fastened the baby inside the car seat and started the car, buckling her own seat belt before pulling back onto the road. She noticed how quickly she had become winded, and her tender abdomen began to ache from the unintended exertion.
Her plan was to drive until she got reception on her cell phone, then she would dial 9-1-1 again and wait for the police to arrive. She knew there would be no houses along the stretch of road she was on for at least another couple of miles. She was almost all the way to Topanga Canyon Road before she was able to get through on her cell phone again. She gave the operator the location of the accident.
“I think the driver is dead, but I’m not sure. Just hurry, please . . . Caroline Martin . . . no, I had to drive almost ten minutes to get reception. I’m out of the canyon now, parked on Plummer between Farralone and Topanga, about four miles from the accident . . . I’m in a white BMW sedan. I’m pulled over on the side of the road with my flashers on.” The connection was lost again.
Caroline turned her headlights off and her emergency hazard lights on. Ten minutes later, paramedics followed by a police car passed Caroline driving quickly in the opposite direction back toward the crash site. A second police car pulled over and parked across the road from Caroline. A young police officer got out and walked over to her car. She rolled the window down.
“Are you the woman who reported the accident?” he asked.
“Yes,” Caroline answered. “I couldn’t get reception up there where the accident occurred, so I took the baby with me and drove until I could get through on my cell phone.”
“Okay, can I see your driver’s license please?”
Caroline passed her license to the young officer through her open window. He studied it briefly before looking up again.
“Okay, can you tell me what you saw?”
“I don’t know what I can tell you that will be of any help because I didn’t see the accident happen. As I came around the corner I saw the car smashed against the rocks and there was some smoke still coming out of it so I assumed it had just happened. There was a motorcycle that was stopped, but he drove away fast down the hill as soon as I pulled over. I think it was a man, but I didn’t get a good look at him because he was wearing a helmet and dark clothes.” Caroline paused and took a deep breath.
“Go on.”
“I got out of my car to see if anyone needed help and there was a woman behind the wheel who looked like she was dead.” Caroline paused to take a deep breath. “I hope I never have to see anything like that again.” She bit her bottom lip. “I managed to feel for a pulse, but I couldn’t find one. It was after I set out the flare that I noticed the baby in the back.”
“There’s a baby?” The young officer paused. “Wait, this baby in the backseat here isn’t yours?”
“No,” Caroline said. “I removed her car seat from the wreckage and brought her with me.”
“Why did you leave the scene?”
“I had to drive here to get cell phone reception, and I didn’t think it was safe to leave the baby behind in the car there all alone. It’s cold in the canyon at night and there’s no one around for miles. I wasn’t sure when another vehicle might pass by. And her mother appears to be dead.”
“But you weren’t involved in the accident?”
“No.”
“Okay, give me a minute.” The police officer took out his flashlight and lit up the side of Caroline’s car. At one point, he squatted down for a closer look at her front fender before circling back around, returning to her open window. “You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Caroline said.
“Alright then, sit tight for a minute.” Still holding her driver’s license, he asked, “Is this your current address?”
“Yes.”
“And what’s the best number to reach you at?”
“My cell phone. The same one I called from to report the accident.”
“Got it.” The officer walked back to his car.
The baby started to whimper, and Caroline wondered when she had last been fed. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she cooed softly to the infant. “We’ll get you some dinner soon.” She wondered what family members were pacing the floor right now, worried about this baby and her mother. She tried but failed to shake off thoughts of how they would react to the woman’s death. Did she have a husband, parents, a sister, brother, or best friend waiting for her somewhere?
The young officer walked back over to Caroline’s car, and once again, she rolled down the window to talk to him. He passed her driver’s license back to her through the window.
“Paramedics confirmed the woman is dead,” he said. “That stretch of road where the accident occurred is outside our jurisdiction. It’s county territory, and I’m a city cop with LAPD. The county will have to take over the investigation from here. I’m going to give your contact info to the county sheriff when they arrive in case they need to reach you for more information.”
“What about the baby?” Caroline asked.
The young officer sighed audibly. “Yeah,” he said, making a thoughtful face. He looked in the back seat. “The sheriff’s are going to have to take care of her. They may have to call children’s services to come out and pick her up if a family member can’t be located.”
“Well, how long is that going to take? I think she’s just a couple weeks old, and she needs to be fed and changed,” Caroline said.
“I’ve told county they have to get someone down here right away. If you can just wait a little longer, I’m sure someone will take her from you soon.”
“Look,” Caroline said. “I understand this isn’t your jurisdiction, but it’s getting late. And I think I should take this baby to the hospital and have her checked out.”
The young officer scratched the back of his head and grimaced before glancing up. It was then that Caroline noticed a county sheriff’s car pull up behind the police car, and the young officer sighed again, seemingly happy to be relieved of the problem. He excused himself and walked across the road. Caroline watched as the two men briefly conversed. Then she noticed the young police officer writing something down and handing it to the sheriff. He walked back over to Caroline.
“The sheriff is going to handle it from here. I gave him your information,” he said. “It shouldn’t be long now.” He walked back over to his patrol car and drove away. The sheriff spoke briefly on his radio, then got out of his car and crossed the road. The baby started to cry hard, and Caroline found it difficult to keep her composure.
“Hi, I’m Deputy Sheriff Brady,” he said. “I understand you witnessed the accident.”
“No, I didn’t witness it,” Caroline sighed. “I came across it moments after it happened, I think.” Now the baby was in a full wail. “Look,” Caroline said. “I’m exhausted and this baby needs to be changed and fed. I’m really concerned about her.”
The sheriff looked at Caroline and smiled. “Oh please,” he said. “By all means, do what you have to do. I’ve got all your information right here. Someone will be in contact with you.”
“So we’re done here then?” Caroline asked.
“Yes, I’ve got to get up to the accident site. Now that we know the driver is dead, it will need to be investigated further. Someone will be in touch with you though.”
Caroline sighed heavily. “Okay,” she said. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Thank you for your patience.” The sheriff nodded and walked back to his car. Caroline turned and reached back to touch the baby’s tiny hand. “Okay, let’s get you to a hospital,” she said.
The moment Caroline walked through the automatic sliding glass doors at Westerleigh Hospital emergency, she could practically smell the sickness in the air. The room was packed with adults and children coughing and sneezing—some not even bothering to cover their mouths. Immediately, she turned and walked back to her car. She had heard on the news about the summertime enterovirus going around, but she wasn’t aware it was so pervasive. Exposing a baby that was only a few weeks old to such contagions could be dangerous and she didn’t want to take any chances.
She knew of an urgent care a few minutes from her house that she used regularly and it was rarely ever crowded. It was in a strip mall right next to a CVS where she could pick up diapers and formula afterwards. She decided to go there.
The baby began to fuss when Caroline buckled the car seat back into position. She reached into the bottom of the diaper bag and pulled out a pacifier. She hoped it would help stave off the baby’s hunger a little while longer.
Valley Circle Urgent Care was bright and clean and had only two people in the waiting room. A young woman dressed in pink designer sweats and wearing a surgical mask over her face looked up and nodded politely when Caroline walked in toting the baby in her car carrier. An older well-dressed gentleman sat quietly in the corner reading a magazine. Caroline walked up to the reception window and sat the car carrier down on the counter.
“I am a regular patient here,” Caroline said. “I’m in your system.”
The young man looked at the baby and then at Caroline and smiled. “Okay,” he said. “If you can fill out this form for me first, and then I’ll pull up your file.” He handed Caroline a clipboard.
“I’ll be paying cash today because it’s the baby that needs to be seen and she’s not covered by my insurance.”
“Okay, cash is always accepted,” he said. “You’ll still need to fill out the form so the doctor knows what she’s here for and to authorize us to treat her.”
“Is there any way you can take her right away? I don’t mean to be rude, but she has just been in a car accident. She seems to be fine, but I want to make sure.”
A white-haired woman emerged from the door leading to the examination area. She nodded at the older gentleman in the corner who promptly stood and escorted her toward the door. The young woman wearing the mask looked up again from her seat and pulled her mask down to speak. “You can go ahead of me. I’ll wait.”
“Thank so much, I really appreciate it,” Caroline said.
“Hold on,” the receptionist said. He left for a moment and when he returned, he told her the doctor would be right with her. Caroline completed the form as best she could and signed at the bottom authorizing treatment. She wrote “Baby Girl Martin” in the blank for the name.
The doctor appeared in the doorway leading to the examination rooms. “Mrs. Martin?” He gestured to Caroline to follow him.
Caroline handed the clipboard back to the receptionist and looped her arm through the baby carrier. “Thanks so much,” she said as the doctor led her down the hallway toward an examination room.
Dr. Mihir Rohani was one of only two doctors that saw patients at the facility. He had treated Caroline on a number of occasions. “I remember you,” the doctor said. “You’ve come here before, and your son and husband as well. Your husband is an attorney, right?”
“Yes! We’ve been here many times,” Caroline replied. “Thank you for taking me so quickly.”
“Of course.”
Inside the examination room, Caroline explained how she had come across the accident and the events that transpired afterwards. All the while they conversed, the doctor checked the baby’s pupils with a light and tested her motor reflexes.
“So in effect, you have been deputized,” he said. “What a story! Lucky for her you came along when you did. Has she been crying much?”
“Only a little, off and on,” Caroline said. “I think she just needs to be changed and fed; otherwise, she’s been surprisingly calm and alert.”
“I can see that,” the doctor said. “Any vomiting at all?”
“No.”
He listened to the baby’s heart with his stethoscope and made a satisfied face. “Heartbeat is fine. Can you take her out of the car carrier for me and hold her in your arms?”
“Okay,” Caroline said. The baby kicked and wiggled as Caroline gently picked her up and cradled her in her arms.
“I am just going to examine her body a little more thoroughly. I will apply pressure to some areas and see if she responds. I’m looking for any tenderness that would indicate injury. If you can hold her gently while I do this rather than laying her down on the exam table, I think she will be less likely to get upset. This way, if she cries at all, I’ll know it’s because she feels pain.”
Caroline did as told and the baby stayed calm until the doctor took the pacifier out of her mouth. He quickly replaced it.
“So, she appears to be fine,” he said. “Pupils are normal, reflexes are normal. She doesn’t seem to be in any pain when I apply pressure, and I see no visible bruises or swelling.”
“What about whiplash?” Caroline asked.
“Well she would have pain when I touch her neck, and would probably cry hard. You said she was strapped in the car seat and facing the rear of the car. That is the best position for a front impact crash.” He paused, looked down at the infant carrier. �
��These newer car seats are designed to cradle the baby’s head and neck and that limits motion of the head.” He turned and removed his gloves, tossing them in a nearby trashcan. “I want you to keep an eye on her throughout the night. If her pupils change size or she vomits, cries excessively or runs a temperature, take her to the hospital emergency immediately. Otherwise, I would recommend you follow up with a visit to her pediatrician in the next couple of days or so as a precautionary measure.” He paused, looked at Caroline and smiled. “But then, you probably won’t have her that long.”
“Do you think she needs a scan for possible brain swelling?”
“If there was any swelling, there would be symptoms. That’s why you need to be on alert for any of those things I just told you about. But for now, she checks out fine.”
The baby began to whimper. Caroline rocked her gently back and forth and consoled her. “Shhh shhh shhh” she repeated softly.
“If you want, I can get you an infant diaper so you can change her.”
“That would be great,” Caroline said. “I’m guessing she is probably hungry by now too.”
“There’s a CVS next door where you can find formula and diapers and whatnot. But you’ll need to get there soon before they close. This one’s only open till ten.”
“Thank you so much,” Caroline said.
“Of course, Mrs. Martin. Good luck and give my regards to your husband.”
Jake Martin entered his San Francisco hotel room at five minutes after ten. He placed his briefcase on the desk and loosened his tie. He noticed the new voicemail message on his cell phone, which had been silenced since his afternoon meeting. After taking a cold bottle of water from the mini bar, he checked his message. His associate, Mario, had called to remind him they were meeting at seven thirty the next day for breakfast in the restaurant on the lobby level before leaving for a deposition. They would hopefully be finished by noon, he said, and would then discuss how they would proceed with the witnesses that followed. He had two more days of depositions to go before he could return home and take a much needed break.
