“I’m chartering a flight. I’ll meet you in San Antonio,” Eli told Stacy.
“I want to go with you,” Stacy said.
The paramedic shook his head. “It’s a two-seater.”
Stacy turned and saw Carlos for the first time. “Carlos,” she said. She put her arms around his waist and cried into his chest.
“Come on. Let’s get to the hospital,” Carlos said.
Alex went over to Stacy with a paramedic. “You should be checked out,” he told her.
“No. I need to get to the hospital. Can I leave?”
Alex looked down at Trent’s body then back over to Stacy. “Yeah. Get out of here.”
Stacy, Holly, Jason and Carlos got in Holly’s car and followed the ambulance out of the ranch. When they came to where the cabin had been, the firemen were trying to contain the blaze, but it had spread to both sides of the cabin and the Viper sat in a charred heap.
Jason was on the phone with Niki’s mother before they got off the ranch.
“It’s pretty bad, Lillie. I think you and Chris should be here,” Jason told her, after relating what had happened. He talked for a few minutes and hung up the phone.
Stacy was crying silently, staring out the window.
“Come here,” Jason said, and he reached over and put his arm around her.
“Are his parents coming?” Stacy asked, leaning her head against Jason.
“Yeah. They’ll be on the first flight. We’ll probably get there about the same time,” Jason said, looking at his watch.
“They’re going to blame me,” Stacy said, staring out at nothing.
“No they won’t,” Jason said.
Chapter 43
The trauma team was waiting in the emergency room when the helicopter landed at the hospital, and Eli arrived shortly afterwards. He paced the waiting room for ages and finally sat down and put his face in his hands. A woman from Admitting came in the room requesting Eli’s assistance in filling out forms and he was glad for the distraction. He knew he should call Jason and let Stacy know what was happening, but he didn’t want to call until he had something to report, so he continued to wait until a doctor finally came out to the waiting room.
“We put a chest tube into your brother and his breathing is stabilized. We need to go in and get the bullet out, so we’re sending him down to surgery.”
“What condition is he in?” Eli asked.
“Right now, he’s critical. He lost a lot of blood but we’re doing everything possible to keep him alive.”
The doctor left the room and Eli was alone in the waiting room again. He took out his phone and dialed Jason’s number but he hung up before it rang. He couldn’t bring himself to say out loud that his brother might not make it. The phone rang in his hand and Eli jumped.
His voice cracked when he answered. “Hello.”
“How is he?” Jason asked, but he knew by Eli’s tone that it wasn’t good.
“Is Stacy right there?” Eli asked.
“Uh huh.”
“It’s not good,” Eli said. “They just took him to surgery to remove the bullet.” Eli hesitated then continued. “He might not make it, Jayce,” he said, his voice cracking again. “I don’t think you should tell Stacy that. She’s been through so much already, it could send her over the edge.”
“Uh huh,” Jason said. “Are your parents there yet?”
“No. How close are you?”
“We’re probably 45 minutes away. Call me if you hear anything else, okay?”
“I will. Hurry,” Eli added.
He hung up the phone just as his parents and sister walked in the room. His mother and sister had both been crying and his father’s face was drawn and grim. Eli hugged his mother and his sister, and when his father offered his hand, Eli pushed it aside and embraced him. He filled them in on what the doctor had told him, leaving out the part about Niki being in critical condition.
“Where’s Stacy?” Lillie asked.
“She’s on her way. They had to drive from the ranch and it’s a 3½ hour drive,” Eli said. “How much did Jason tell you about what happened?”
“He said that Stacy’s father kidnapped her and that when Niki tried to rescue her, her father shot him,” Lillie said. “Is there more than that?”
“She killed her father,” Eli said. “And I don’t think that part has even sunk in for her.”
Lillie didn’t say anything, and Eli took a seat next to his father, and they waited in silence for news on Niki’s condition.
Holly pulled her car into the hospital parking lot and opened her trunk.
“I brought you some clean clothes,” she told Stacy.
“Thank you,” Stacy said, and another wave of tears came pouring out. “And thank you for coming to Victoria.”
The statement was so ridiculous that Holly had to laugh. “You’re welcome,” she said, hugging Stacy again. Holly pulled her sleeve down and used it to wipe Stacy’s tears. She looked over Stacy’s shoulder and caught Jason looking at them. He had been watching Holly take care of Stacy and he smiled at Holly when she looked up. The four made their way to the main entrance of the hospital and without warning Stacy was swarmed by reporters.
“Is it true that you were kidnapped by your own father?” someone yelled at her.
Stacy stopped cold. She turned around slowly and looked back at the reporters. “What is it with you people?” she asked fuming. “Do I look like I’m in any condition to answer your questions right now?” Stacy looked from one to the other waiting for an answer but none dared to open his mouth. She turned back around and rejoined Holly, Jason and Carlos.
The four went inside to look for Eli, and they found him wandering in the hall outside the waiting room. There was a look of relief on his face when he saw the group.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he told Jason. “We haven’t heard anything else.”
“We? Did Lillie and Chris get here?” Jason asked.
“And Charlotte,” Eli said. He walked over to Stacy and put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her. She was a mess. She was white as a sheet and had dark circles under her red-rimmed eyes. There was dirt on her face and hands and dried blood caked over a gash on her head. Her wrists had red welts around them from where the rope had rubbed them. Her clothes were filthy and she had welts around her ankles to match her wrists.
“How long has it been since you’ve had anything to eat or drink?” Eli asked her.
“I don’t know,” Stacy said, dismissing his concern. “How’s Niki?”
“We should know something soon. You need to be checked out by a doctor,” he told her, trying to get a look at the cut on her head.
Stacy pushed his hand away. “I’m fine.”
“Well you don’t look fine, Stacy,” Eli said, irritably. “You look like shit. And Niki’s going to need someone to take care of him, so you need to take care of yourself. Now come on, and let’s get a doctor to check you over.” He took her by the arm and started leading her to the ER.
“I just need to wash up,” Stacy protested, as he led her down the corridor. “I’ll look a lot better when I’m cleaned up,” she said feebly.
Eli stopped and looked down at her. “I’m not talking about you being dirty, Stacy. I’m talking about you probably needing stitches in your head and needing to be hydrated. Now will you please just stop arguing with me,” he said wearily. “I can’t handle arguing with you right now.”
“Okay,” Stacy conceded.
Eli took her hand and they walked over to the ER admitting desk. “She needs to see a doctor.”
There was a look of recognition on the woman’s face when she saw Stacy. “Ms. Trent!” she said, smiling. “My goodness, by all means let’s get you looked at.”
The nurse disappeared and came back almost immediately and led Stacy behind a curtain. Eli followed her back and stood by the bed.
“I’m so sorry about all of this,” Stacy said, starting to cry again. “If he doesn’t m
ake it, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Tell me you’re not trying to shoulder the blame for this, Stacy,” Eli said, feeling totally drained.
“My father shot him, Eli!”
“Yeah? And what? You’re somehow responsible for your father’s actions?” Eli lowered his voice, “If we hadn’t kidnapped you, none of this would have ever happened. You’re not thinking straight, Stacy.”
Stacy didn’t say anything and the doctor came in at that moment.
“I’ll go see if there’s any word on Niki and I’ll see you back in here,” Eli told Stacy. He went back to the waiting room where his family and Jason, Carlos and Holly were all sitting.
“You convinced her to see a doctor?” Holly asked, impressed.
“Yeah. She’s as stubborn as they come,” Eli said, irritated
Holly nodded knowingly. “Totally.”
Jason’s jaw dropped and he looked over at Holly. “Pot kettle!” he exclaimed. “I don’t think you have a lot of room to talk, Lois.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“You want to get a cup of coffee or something?” Jason asked her.
“Yeah,” she said, and she looked over at Niki’s parents. “We’re going to get coffee. Does anyone want anything to drink?” she offered.
Jason and Holly left the waiting room. They got out in the corridor and he reached over and took her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world to do, and they walked to the cafeteria holding hands.
Chapter 44
The nurse had cleaned the cut on Stacy’s head and the doctor had closed it up with stitches. He wanted to hook her up to an IV to get some fluids into her, but Stacy refused. When Eli returned to the emergency room Stacy had a bandage wrapped around her head and she was just leaving to go find him. He handed her the bag with the clothes Holly had brought for her and Stacy went into the ladies room and washed her face and hands and changed into the clean clothes. They went to the waiting room and joined the others, and no sooner had Stacy walked into the room than Charlotte launched a verbal attack on her, hurling accusations and laying the blame for her brother’s fate on Stacy. Stacy stood shocked and speechless.
“And if my brother dies in there,” Charlotte concluded, “you’ll know that we all think it’s your fault!”
“Shut up, Charlotte!” Eli said angrily. Finally, he grabbed his sister by the arm and yanked her out of the room into the hall. “How could you do that?” he yelled at her furiously. “You have no idea what that girl has been through, so don’t you dare accuse her of being responsible for what’s happened to Niki. You haven’t a clue what’s going on here, Charlotte. And none of us, especially Niki, thinks for a minute that this is Stacy’s fault!”
Eli was squeezing Charlotte’s arm hard and she was shocked at his reaction to her attack on Stacy. Both of her brothers had always been protective of her and to have Eli defending some other girl over her was unbelievable.
“Do you hear me!” Eli shouted angrily.
“I’m sorry, Eli,” Charlotte said. “I didn’t mean to make you mad. But it was her father who shot Niki.”
“Well then if there’s anyone to blame it would be her father, wouldn’t it? I swear, if Niki knew what you had just done, he’d never forgive you. Now I suggest you get your butt in there and apologize.”
Stacy had backed up against the wall after Eli had dragged his sister out into the hall, and she was staring vacantly into the room digesting the horrible things Charlotte had said. Holly was livid. She wanted to step outside and beat the shit out of the little bitch, but instead she put her arm around Stacy and said, “Don’t listen to her Stacy. Nobody blames you.”
“No. She’s right,” Stacy said, still staring off into nothing, and this time Jason and Carlos jumped to her defense as well.
“That’s ridiculous and you know it Stacy,” Jason said. He took her by her shoulders and shook her to make her look at him. “It’s not your fault. Do you hear me?”
“I need to get some air,” she said dazed. She opened the door to leave and she walked right into Charlotte.
“I’m sorry for the things I said to you,” Charlotte said.
“Don’t be,” Stacy said, and she kept walking.
Stacy walked down the hall and she heard the waiting room door open and close behind her. Her head was spinning and she needed to be by herself to think. She turned down an empty corridor and sat down on a bench then she curled up on it and started to cry uncontrollably. Someone walked up and sat on the bench beside her and reached over and stroked her hair.
“Hi Stacy, I’m Lillie,” she said. “I’m Niki’s mother.”
Stacy sat up and tried to quit crying. She wiped her eyes, but it was a useless effort because more tears took their place. “I’m Stacy Trent.”
Lillie smiled, “I know. Niki told me about you,” she said. “I’m sorry for Charlotte’s behavior towards you. It’s not like her to be so unkind.”
“It’s okay,” Stacy said.
“No one blames you for what happened to Niki,” Lillie said. “Not even Charlotte. She’s just upset right now.”
Stacy didn’t say anything.
“I only hope you can quit blaming yourself,” Lillie said, brushing tears off of Stacy’s cheek. “You weren’t the perpetrator in this, Stacy, you were the victim. Try not to confuse that. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Okay,” Stacy said, attempting a smile.
Lillie reached over and put her hand on top of Stacy’s. “Did you know you’re the first girl Niki has ever talked to me about?”
“Really?”
Lillie nodded her head, “Ever. You’re the first girlfriend of his I’ve ever met.”
“I’m sorry it was under these circumstances. It hasn’t made for a very good first impression.”
Lillie patted her hand. “You made your first impression when my son told me he was in love with you,” she told Stacy. “Niki has always had very good taste.”
Stacy smiled for the first time.
“And there’s that beautiful smile he told me about,” Lillie said, smiling back at Stacy. She squeezed her hand and then let go of it and stood up. “Will you come back in with me?” Lillie asked.
Stacy nodded her head and stood up. “It’s nice to meet you, Lillie.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” They started walking back to the waiting room. “You know, you and Niki have the same eyes.”
“Yeah, I know.”
They got back to the waiting room just as the doctor arrived. He directed his comments to Eli.
“We got the bullet out, but your brother is in severe shock right now. He hasn’t regained consciousness.”
“But he will, won’t he?” Eli asked.
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens,” the doctor said.
“What do you mean?” Eli said.
“Your brother is in a coma right now. I fully expect him to come out of it, but I can’t say when. It could be hours or days, or it could be longer.”
“I’m gonna throw up,” Stacy said, and she ran out of the room and vomited Gatorade into a trashcan in the hall. Carlos had followed her out.
“Niki’s a fighter, Stacy. He’ll pull through this,” Carlos said, then he hesitated. “To tell you the truth, I’m just as worried about you.”
“I’m fine Carlos. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“What happened out there at the ranch has left you with such an emptiness, it’s like there’s a hole in your spirit, and it’s not just Niki getting shot.”
Stacy was silent for a moment. “My father killed my mother.”
Carlos nodded his head. “Just as you thought.”
“And now I killed my father. It’s almost poetic, isn’t it?” she said.
“Your father didn’t deserve to live,” Carlos said.
“I know. And when my father told me he had killed my mother, I wanted to kill him. I actually thought it would feel good. I thought it would take
away the pain of knowing that my mom would still be here with me if it weren’t for him,” Stacy said. “But when I had that gun in my hand and I had it pointed at him, it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I didn’t want to kill him, but he would have killed Niki and Jason and I couldn’t let him do that. But it didn’t feel good and it didn’t take away the pain. Vengeance is not what it’s cracked up to be.”
“That’s because you didn’t shoot him out of vengeance,” Carlos said smiling. “You shot him in self-defense, and in defense of the man you love. There’s a big difference.”
Eli followed the doctor out into the hall and he came over to Stacy.
“He can have two people in there at a time,” Eli told Stacy.
“Your parents should go first,” Stacy said.
“No. We all agree, you should.”
The doctor led them to the Intensive Care Unit and over to Niki’s bed. He had tubes and wires hooked up all over him. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Stacy reached out and touched his face and stroked his hair, then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“Hi Niki, it’s Stacy,” she said, picking up his hand and squeezing it. “Eli’s here too.”
“Hey, wake up asshole,” Eli said. “Mom and Dad and Charlotte are all here. And Carlos and Jason and Holly. And we’re all just sitting around waiting for you to wake up.”
“That’s right,” Stacy said. “Apparently it’s not possible for me to meet anyone in your family in a normal way. But I had a nice visit with your mother. She’s very sweet. Unfortunately I look terrible. Probably about like I looked when I met you” she said, and Eli looked at her and smiled.
“She doesn’t look that bad,” Eli said. “Actually, she looks pretty cute. She kind of looks like an Indian. She’s got this bandage wrapped around her head. All she needs is a feather.”
The two stayed with Niki for another five minutes then Stacy told Eli, “We should let your parents come in,” and Eli nodded in agreement.
“Niki, we’re going to go so your parents can come in,” Stacy said. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I love you,” then she kissed his cheek. She pressed her cheek against his and squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Back on Solid Ground Page 31
