Turn for Home

by Lara Zielinsky

  He whispered back, "What for?"

  "They learned that she and I had become involved."

  "Yes." Terry shrugged. "But what does that have to do with this?"

  "I don't know. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with it. But they're apparently the only ones who can authorize treatment, and they're not exactly on speaking terms."

  "What was Mitch doing on the set? She used to have a restraining order against him."

  "How did you know that?"

  "Brenna, just because you didn't want to know anything about Cassidy when she first arrived, doesn't mean some of us didn't know something about her."

  "So you knew she'd been abused in her marriage."

  "It wasn't hard to decipher."

  "Except for someone who was ignoring her with every fiber of their being." Brenna stepped away from Ryan, feeling vulnerable and not wanting the boy to see her fall apart.

  Terry followed her and caught her shoulder in his hand, turning her back around. "Now you're being hard on yourself for no reason."

  "Damn it, I'm an idiot. Cassidy was afraid of our relationship getting out. Even when she couldn't put it into words. Damn, I should have listened to her." She hissed the last of her thoughts under her breath, "She must have known that son of a bitch Mitch would pull something."

  "Mr. Hyland has been transported to the police station," Terry reported evenly. "He struck two of the officers as well."

  Brenna closed her eyes and offered up a silent "thank you". "He tried to kill her with a baseball bat," Brenna hissed softly, looking toward Ryan. "How can I tell that to Ryan?"

  "You can't, until Cassidy advises you."

  "She hasn't awakened since the ride over."

  "It's that serious?"

  She nodded. "They need to operate to relieve some pressure around her heart."

  "What can I do?"

  Fishing in her purse, Brenna came up with her car and house keys. "I'm going to call Thomas and then — Could you take Ryan to my house?"

  "Your car is still at the studio." He looked her over. "And you're still in costume."

  "I know. You can take the vest with you, but the rest will have to stay. I don't want my sons here; I want Ryan to stay with them. I'll catch a cab and retrieve my car later." She rubbed her cheeks in fatigue, wincing as she aggravated her bruised eyes. "But not until Ryan and I have seen Cassidy." She reached out and coaxed the boy off the chair to take her hand. "Ready?"

  "Where is she?" Terry asked.

  "Hopefully by now they've gotten her settled into CCU. I have no idea, though. I got thrown out of the exam room and then mobbed by the press out here."

  "Productive afternoon," Terry offered dryly.

  "What time is it?" She caught sight of a wall clock. "It's after five already. God, the boys will be frantic." She withdrew her change purse and headed for a pay phone booth along the front wall of the waiting room.

  "I'm hungry," Ryan complained, snuggling into her lap as she dialed. "And I want to see Mommy."

  "I know, sweetheart. I'll find you something to eat in a minute, and we will see your Mom." She dialed.

  "Who are you calling?" Ryan asked curiously.

  "Thomas and James."

  Ryan smiled, looking tired. She kissed his head and held him against her chest more firmly.

  "Hello, Thomas.... Yes, it's me.... I'm okay."

  Her elder son's voice was worried as he asked, "And Cassidy?"

  "She's hurt very badly, but I don't know much more than that."

  "It's been more than four hours," he commented anxiously.

  "It's complicated," she said firmly. "Thomas, listen." He fell silent on the other end of the line. "I've got Terry Brown and Ryan here. After I take them in to see Cassidy, I want to send Ryan to you. I need to stay here."

  "Do you want us to come there?"

  "No, it's better if you don't...not yet."

  Thomas fretted, "Is Cassidy going to be all right?"

  "They're doing everything they can," she countered, knowing how little comfort those same words had brought her.

  "I'm sorry. I'll watch Ryan. It's fine."

  "I'll call you again in an hour. We'll have a better idea what's happening then."

  "All right."

  "Thomas?" She offered him as much reassurance as she could. "I don't know what the news stories said, but I don't want Ryan seeing any of the reports, all right? I'll try to explain something to him while I have him here. You're only responsible for making sure he gets some sleep. And keeping your chin up, all right?"

  "Mmm hmm."

  "Sweetheart, I love you. Thank you."

  "I know, Mom. I...yeah."

  "Bye."

  "Bye."

  Brenna hung up the phone, her son's farewell still echoing in her ear. God, he sounded almost as bad as I feel. She stood, hefting Ryan in her arms. "Let's go see your Mom."

  Chapter 12

  "...her lover!" Brenna bit her lip. The nurse finally nodded and pointed.

  Terry looked at Brenna as they walked away from the desk. "That...approach was effective."

  "I can't seem to get anywhere without saying so." She cupped Ryan's hand and found a small joy in how easily the boy accepted her touch. At the elevator she pressed the button to summon a car.

  Terry nodded. "A reality of the situation. How will Cass feel about that information getting out? It's certain the press will play it up."

  Brenna sighed. "What will she think about me 'outing' us publicly? Yes, I know that's the term, Terry. Don't look at me like that. I never pictured myself in this situation, but I'm not naive." She shook her head, stepping into the summoned car. "Cassidy didn't want it to come out abruptly. She sort of figured we'd get people used to us being friends first. I'd hoped to have my divorce final..."

  "Will told me you finally broke it off with Shea."

  "Will's definitely known for a while. Did he tell you?"

  "We've discussed the situation."

  "I don't know that I like that."

  They stepped off on the fourth floor. A sign pointed the way to ECU.

  "You didn't want to see what you were doing to yourself or Cassidy, remember? You avoided her off camera. I'm surprised all it took was a birthday party to get you to open up."

  "It was more than that, but I get your point." They had reached the nurses station. Brenna leaned over the counter and stated, "We'd like to see Cassidy Hyland."

  One of the nurses sitting before the monitoring stations looked up. Must be the one assigned to Cassidy, Brenna thought.

  Predictably, the woman asked, "Family?"

  "This is her son, Ryan." She skirted actually having to lie.

  "Right this way. I have to tell you she didn't take the transfer very well. Her fever spiked and the bleeding resumed. She had a mild heart attack." Brenna looked alarmed. "From the stress her body's going through. Her condition's been stabilized for now."

  They stopped at the doorway to the heavily monitored room.

  "She's the second bed. Now that you're here, we can get all the approvals done for surgery in the morning. The doctor didn't seem to think you'd get here this quickly."

  "That's okay. How long can we stay?"

  "A few minutes inside, but there's a lounge nearby." She offered one last piece of advice. "Be careful of the tubes, we had to intubate her. Can he keep his hands to himself?"

  "I promise Ryan will be good." Brenna waited until the nurse left, and Terry took up a sentry position.

  When Brenna turned around, she found Ryan walking toward the curtain around the far bed. The first bed was empty.

  "Mommy?" He pulled aside the curtain and Brenna stepped quickly to his side. Ryan looked up at the bed. "Wake up." He reached out and touched the bandaged hand that lay on the edge of the blankets. "Mommy." He nudged the hand. "Miss Lanigan, what's wrong with her?"

  "She was hurt at work today. You saw us take her in the ambulance, right?"

  He nodded. "I saw Daddy, too. He did
n't come here. Policemen took him away."

  "Yes, they did." Brenna exhaled to keep her voice even, trying not to reveal the anger she felt.

  "Will Mommy wake up now that we're here so that we can go home?"

  "Your mommy needs her sleep. You're going to come home with me for a little while."

  "Can't I stay here with her?"

  "No, sweetheart, you can't. But we'll come back tomorrow, and every day until she's better. Is that okay?" Brenna moved alongside Cassidy's head and brushed her fingers over the lank blonde hair. It still had much of the blood Brenna had first seen, and she paused a moment to study the rust color on her own fingers. God, I'm sorry, Cass. The blood on Cassidy's face had been washed away; there was nothing to be done about the horrific bruises though. Brenna touched one gingerly and felt the heat under the skin.

  Ryan climbed up on a chair beside the bed and leaned over the railing to look down at his mother's face. "Her face is dirty," he said, reaching out to clean it.

  Brenna gently but firmly kept his hand away.

  "She's not dirty; those are bruises. Like when you fall down?"

  He touched the oxygen tube tucked under his mother's nose. "What's this?"

  "It helps her breathe." Brenna recalled the nurse's information about a heart attack and had to calm herself before she could speak again. "Don't touch."

  Ryan cocked his head. "What's that noise?"

  "Which one?" she asked.

  "The beeping."

  "The machine listening to her heart." Brenna pointed to the far side of the bed.

  "Can I listen too?"

  "I'm sorry but we have to be very gentle with your mom. She's delicate right now."

  Ryan climbed down and found his mother's hand again, taking it more surely in his own. "Is this okay? I can hold her hand?" He looked at Brenna for permission. She granted it with a nod. "Mommy," he said, addressing her hand, "Miss Lanigan is going to take me home with her."

  Brenna tucked her hand around Ryan's and Cassidy's joined ones. "You just think about getting well. We'll be here."

  At first Brenna thought she or Ryan had moved, then she felt the motion again. Cassidy's fingers flexed around her son's; her knuckles moved inside Brenna's palm.

  "I love you, Mommy." Ryan leaned forward and kissed his mother's hand, his lips touching Brenna's fingers, too. She closed her eyes and let the tears of relief come.

  In the hospital cafeteria, Terry coaxed Brenna to nibble on an apple turnover along with her coffee. Beside her, Ryan devoured a hamburger and French fries.

  "You should go home. You've already been here more than six hours," he reasoned.

  "I can't leave her alone."

  "Actually, I wasn't thinking that. You need to settle Ryan. I can stay. I'll call you if something changes."

  "I can't ask you to do that."

  "You didn't. It shocked us all." He put a hand on her shoulder. He added with a quirk of his lips in a half-grin, "As a group, we might be able to frustrate the reporters before they can frustrate you."

  Brenna sipped her coffee as she thought. It would help Ryan if she settled him rather than just sending him everywhere. "It was quite a run-around just for me to get to see her. If I leave, I might have to start the process all over again."

  "We can be sure that doesn't happen."

  "We?"

  Terry picked up his cell phone and pressed the button along the side, initiating a long tone. The cafeteria doors behind Brenna swung wide, and she turned at the sound. Terry's wife, holding up her own cell phone, walked in at the head of a sizable crowd.

  "What have you done?" Brenna recognized half the cast and crew from the set. Spouses seemed to make up the rest of the entourage. A cacophony of support flowed from the group as they surrounded her. Hands patted her shoulders, touched her back, gazes offered a mix of smiles and supportive determination.

  Rachelle stepped forward bearing a bundle. "We suspended shooting." She put the bundle in Brenna's hands. "I went through your trailer. Thought you might like to change."

  Brenna looked surprised as Rachelle enveloped her in a hug. Against her ear, Brenna heard Rachelle's soft, private words. "You've been in those all day, and frankly, I think Wardrobe would like a chance to get the blood out." As Rachelle stepped back, Brenna looked down at herself. Cassidy's blood. Probably even some of Mitch's, she thought with revulsion.

  The reaction must have shown because Rachelle wrapped her up in a tight hug again. "God, I'm sorry this happened." She pulled back and brushed Brenna's tears from her cheeks. "But really, I don't know how else to handle this. It's kind of shocking."

  "Which? That Mitch beat her up or that I'm involved with her?"

  "Both, but...how could you let me find out like this?" Rachelle put her hands on her hips and feigned an injured look. "I knew you were finally relaxing around her, but this...I'm surprised."

  A small smile tugged at Brenna's lips. "Cass took me by surprise, too."

  "Oh, I like that smile," Rachelle complimented. "Can we all go up and see her?"

  Terry intervened. "I was just trying to convince Brenna to go home for awhile."

  "So Cass is doing better?"

  Brenna shook her head. "She's in CCU. Only family can see her. She's going into surgery soon."

  "What are they waiting on?"

  "Whether the pressure around her heart gets better or worse."

  "Her heart?"

  "Yes." Brenna swallowed again, collecting herself. "The attack seems to have caused heart damage."

  "God." Rachelle's hand covered her mouth and several others registered similar shock on their faces.

  Brenna shook her head, turning to Terry. "I can't leave I just can't."

  "Then we'll stay in shifts with you," Rachelle suggested. "I'll take the first shift."

  "I'm not going to be able to argue that point, am I?" Brenna sat down. Ryan scooted into her lap, and she put her hand on his back. "We've got some pretty wonderful friends, hmm, Ryan?" He nodded against her chest. "All right. The doctor is probably on rounds somewhere. I'll find out what's happening and then decide what to do." She looked at her bundle of street clothes and added, "First, I think I'm going to change."

  Terry and Sean Durham entertained Ryan while Rachelle accompanied Brenna to the restroom.

  "So, I heard the reporters had you cornered in one of these earlier?"

  "Yeah," Brenna answered from within a stall. She appeared a minute later, her costume over her arm, pulling her blouse collar straight. Rachelle stepped forward from where she had been leaning on the sinks and helped. "Better?" Brenna asked with a weak smile.

  "Much. It'll be a little easier for you to go incognito now." Rachelle took the uniform pieces. "Jacques'll drive me back to the studio, and I'll deliver these. Do you want me to return with your car?"

  Brenna nodded. "I need to get Ryan to my place."

  "Terry will be happy to do that." Blinking at her reflection, Brenna acknowledged the help. Rachelle met her gaze in the mirror. "So, are you going to tell me everything?"

  "I've told you all I know."

  "Not about this. Well, I'm sure it will get back to this, but I meant about you and Cassidy, and Mitch...and don't you still have a husband?"

  "You seem to be one of the few who didn't see it. I didn't see it," Brenna admitted. She leaned over the sink and splashed water on her face before answering. "But she's just...I've never met anyone like her." In her mind's eye, she could see the beautiful face studying her across a campfire in the middle of the mountains. "I've never met anyone with the intensity she has..." All directed at me. "The freedom she gives herself to just feel..." Brenna shook her head and tossed the paper towel in the trash. "She's mischievous and playful, unassuming and even shy."

  "Shy? Cass?"

  "It's all a front, Chelle. Since the beginning. Only Cameron knew about Mitch's abuse firsthand, and he made sure no one else did. Remember how she didn't sit in any scenes?"

  "That was blocking."
/>   "That was planned that way because she was recovering from broken ribs that Mitch gave her when she told him she'd gotten the contract to work with us."

  "So she really was abused? God, that's awful."

  "I didn't know for the longest time. We started...talking. Do you remember when she said she'd been camping with my charity group?"

  "Yeah. What about it?"

  "We...talked...and...well, that weekend it...it became something more than just friendship."

  "Really? She was pretty happy the week after that."

  "We just kept growing closer. After the gala, I asked Kevin for a divorce."

  Rachelle blew out a deep breath and then asked hesitantly, "Is this something more than friendship? Sexual?" Brenna nodded. "That's a surprise."

  "For me, too." Brenna blushed.

  "The media isn't going to let this go."

  "Maybe they will. It's not like we're the first they've ever seen."

  "But you are the first where a man has tried to take his ex-wife apart bodily because she's involved with another woman."

  "Sensational," Brenna sighed sarcastically.

  "Exactly."

  Chapter 13

  Brenna called home again, as promised, to tell her sons that Ryan was on his way with Terry Brown. Terry agreed to stay the night with the boys and return in the morning to the hospital with Ryan. While Rachelle and Jacques Cheron went to fetch Brenna's car, Sean Durham accompanied Brenna back to the fourth floor to find out what they could about the doctor's latest visit.

  "She responded to Ryan, squeezed his hand," Brenna was explaining with pleasure as they entered the room where Cassidy had been assigned.

  The dividing curtain was thrown back, revealing the second bed was empty, made up with fresh sheets. They quickly returned to the nurses station, where Brenna accosted the nurse at the desk, a different one from her earlier visit. "Where's Cassidy Hyland, 408?"

  Looking at her charts, the nurse pulled the appropriate board. "Ms. Hyland went to surgery twenty minutes ago."

  "Twenty minutes? Why didn't someone tell me?"

  "Ma'am?" Scanning a list, she asked, "What's your name?"

  "Lanigan. Brenna Lanigan. I came in with Cassidy this afternoon by ambulance."