Drawing the Line

by KD Williamson

  There hadn’t been any text or phone calls for over twelve hours. Dani should have been relieved, but instead, she was anxious and wanting. She had started to think there was no escape. Quite a few people were crowded around her when the elevator opened. Some got off, breezing past them to their destination. Dani spotted Rick and Sandra in the back. They stood close to each other and seemed deep in conversation. Dani didn’t think twice about taking the spot next to them. Rick looked up, and Dani grinned, encompassing them both in the gesture.

  “Hey.”

  “What’s up? You headed home?” Rick asked.

  Sandra turned away.

  Dani nodded. “I’m wiped.”

  “I can see that, but you should still join us for a drink. Maybe smooth over whatever’s goin’ on between the two of you?” He tilted his head toward Sandra.

  She huffed and elbowed him.

  Dani blinked. Why would she want to do that? She just didn’t have the energy to waste on a simple acquaintance, despite the fact they knew each other intimately. “No, thank you.”

  Rick didn’t respond verbally, but his eyes narrowed. They were quiet as people talked around them. Dani was the first of the three of them to step off the elevator when they got to the parking garage. She heard Rick mumble something to Sandra but didn’t turn back to see what it was.

  “Dani, hold up.” He fell into step beside her.

  She glanced at him. “You didn’t have to change your plans for me. I’m fine.”

  “I didn’t. Told Sandra I’d meet her at Bartaco.”

  “Oh, then why—”

  “So, Sandra’s just not worth your time is she?”

  God, had he read her mind?

  “How long, you think? Until you start treatin’ me that way?”

  Dani stopped and looked at him. “I would never do that.”

  Rick paused too. “You pretty much did when Becca first got here.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “That was different, and I thought we were past that.”

  “We are, but you’re harder now and colder.”

  “Not toward you.” Dani took a step toward him. Where was all this coming from? He knew she was having issues right now.

  “Sometimes that doesn’t matter.”

  “We’re…okay. Right?” Dani tried to keep the panic out of her voice.

  “We are up top, but it seems like lately all I’ve been is a weird cushion between you and Becca. I have my own shit, and I have to figure it out without bein’ all wrapped up in y’all.” Rick shook his head as he backed away. “I’ll see you at home.” He turned and walked the opposite way.

  She stood there as he weaved his way through a sea of cars. Dani wanted to call out to him, and tell him he was right, but at the same time he was wrong as well. However, mostly, Dani wished she didn’t have to think about the situation at all.

  Dani jerked awake as her phone chimed loudly. She sucked in a breath and blinked a couple of times. Just as sleep wrapped her in fuzziness again, her phone sounded off once more as a reminder. She groaned and reached out blindly for her glasses. It wasn’t the hospital. They wouldn’t text her. Dani’s thoughts went to Rick. She pushed hair away from her face and put on her glasses. Her breath caught as she read the text.

  Ur one of the only ppl who made me feel like I belonged.

  It was from Becca. Suddenly, Dani was wide awake. Her heart rammed against her chest, and before she knew what she was doing, Dani answered back.

  What are you doing up?

  Becca didn’t say anything for a long time, and Dani wondered if she was shocked that she’d gotten a response. Not to mention, Becca was being so cordial. She expected anger. It would probably show itself later.

  Have a case. Just got home.

  Dani closed her eyes as relief, fear, and a whole host of other emotions warred with each other inside her. For the time being, only one came forward as the victor. Need. Dani typed.

  Did you find the child?

  Not yet. It’s a parental kidnapping. Can I call u?

  She stared at the words but was suddenly afraid what hearing Becca’s voice in real time would do to her.

  No.

  It took Dani forever to type her answer, but she did, hoping that the word at least solidified some aspect of her resolve.

  K.

  Then ellipses appeared. Apparently, Becca had more to say.

  R u alone?

  Dani felt her forehead crinkle. She hadn’t heard Rick come in. Was she looking for him?

  Yes why?

  More ellipses.

  Can I come over?

  God. Dani released a shaky breath as her stomach tightened. What was she doing?

  I have work in the morning. Have to go.

  Licking her lips, Dani focused on her phone. She waited several minutes for the ellipses, but they never materialized. The dichotomy between what she did and didn’t want clashed. Disappointment tugged at her.

  Chapter 16

  Dani waited for the latest MRI to load into the imaging system before bringing the scans up on her iPad, then broadcasting them on the surrounding screens for everybody to see. She looked up at her colleagues. Despite what she’d told Sheri—or perhaps because of it—Dani had been looking deeper, and she didn’t like the results.

  “The tumor has reduced significantly. He has two more treatments left. So it will get even smaller and easier to remove. With the damage done, he’ll still need the nephrectomy and additional chemo after to reduce recurrence,” she said.

  “Yes, I agree,” Dr. Meda said. “Adjuvant treatment post-surgery is a must in all cases. How do you think Sheri will respond to such news?” He leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the pen in his hand.

  “Not well. She’ll be angry with us, which is normal in this kind of situation. More so at me since I’m the one she sees the most, but she’ll accept that surgery is the only choice. She knew this from beginning. Now she’ll have to deal with it head on.”

  “You’re the face of this team, but they’ve seen all of us,” the other resident, Dr. Luft, chimed in. “I know you like doing your own rounds before and sometime after the structured ones. I’d be more than happy to join you on those too and take some of the heat off you.”

  Dani shook her head. “No, that would probably have the opposite effect. It’s okay. I can handle it, but thank you.” She made sure to meet her gaze.

  Dr. Luft smiled slightly. “Anything to help.”

  Looking at them both, Dr. Meda grinned. “Good. Now, do you think, Dr. Russell, that Sheri will need additional mental health support due to the incident with her husband?”

  “I don’t know yet. If she doesn’t talk to me, I don’t think she’ll talk with anyone.”

  “Let’s wait until we have the scans after the next course of treatment. I want her to be able to see the progression with her own eyes to foster a better understanding. Maybe this will ease some of the prospective tension. Despite any emotional upheaval surgery will cause, Jacob will be better for it, and he has a good chance to go on and lead a healthy life.” Dr. Meda looked straight at Dani.

  After experiencing firsthand the way Sheri pushed talk of surgery aside, Dani wholeheartedly agreed on waiting. She had already started to mentally prepare herself for the possible fallout. She and Sheri weren’t friends, but there was still a growing bond of mutual respect peppered around professional boundaries.

  “Dr. Russell, we’re going through a couple more cases, and I think it will be beneficial to keep you on this team for the foreseeable future.”

  God, she loved being able to stay in oncology longer now that it was her last year of residency. A majority of her time could now be spent there thanks to electives and subspecialty rotation. Dani gave Dr. Meda a short nod and refocused her attention to what was to come.
r />   Sometime later, Dani stood as the majority of the team filed out the door. Sensing someone near, she looked up. Dr. Luft smiled at her. “Jacob talks about you a lot. You have great rapport with him.”

  Shouldn’t all doctors in pediatrics be able to successfully deal with children? Dani waited for her to continue.

  “Mrs. Cook seems to barely tolerate me. Maybe if I were with you on your next few visits, she’d soften up?” she asked again.

  In other words, she wanted to piggyback on her existing relationship with Sheri. So that’s probably what she really wanted in the first place. Why not say that? Dani would have respected her more for being honest instead of trying to make it look like she was doing Dani a favor. Dani opened her mouth to answer her, but she could almost hear Rick admonishing her about how she treated people. She pressed her lips together. Something scathing sat on the tip of her tongue and it was ready to go. In that moment, she made a different choice and her decision went deeper than Rick’s complaint and became more self-directed. “I’ll give it some thought and get back to you.”

  Dr. Luft’s smile got even bigger. “Thanks, I appreciate that.” She reached out a hand, but took it back quickly and put it in her pocket instead. Then, after a final nod, she turned and left.

  Dr. Meda chuckled. “Well, that was a valiant attempt at throwing Dr. Luft a bone. She does well with children, but struggles with their parents.”

  Dani was a little shocked that she’d even made the effort. It left a foreign feeling behind that she really couldn’t identify. “I only said I’d consider it.”

  “Yes, well, I’ll leave you to your considerations, then, but I think she’d be a lot better if you, as senior resident, were a lot more hands-on with her.” Dr. Meda grinned.

  Rebecca glanced at Mark as they waited for Mrs. Dorset to open the front door. As she looked back through the window, she saw the other woman approach but she moved slowly, as if something weighed her down. Rebecca imagined that having a child missing would feel like the universe was crashing in on her and bring just as much pain.

  The door opened and the walking dead greeted them. Mrs. Dorset was pale, making the dark smudges under her eyes stick out even more. She blinked rapidly as if she hadn’t seen the sun for a while and then stared at them with bloodshot eyes. Her hair stuck up in places and she was still in pajamas even though it was afternoon. Her lips trembled as she looked at them. “Did you—?”

  “No, we just wanted to check on you and give you an update,” Rebecca interrupted.

  “You could have done that over the phone!” she yelled.

  Mark stepped forward. “Mrs. Dorset—”

  “Don’t call me that. I hate that man, and I hate that I carry his last name. It’s just Gwen.” She stepped out of the way. “You might as well come in.”

  Rebecca was the first to enter. It looked as if someone had tossed the living room and kitchen. She glanced back at Gwen.

  She shrugged. “I was looking for information. I thought maybe my ex had left something here that could help. He took care of everything, and I don’t know if he had friends outside the few I knew. We never had much money, and I didn’t know what he did with what we had…”

  Mark picked papers up off the couch and put them on the coffee table before sitting down. “You find anything?”

  Gwen shook her head. “I tried calling him, but his phone is either dead or turned off.”

  “We know,” Rebecca added. “But after the last ping we got from one of the cell towers, we at least know he’s still in the county.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  It might not have done anything for her, but it gave Rebecca some confidence. “We’re doin’ everythin’ we can.”

  “No, you’re not. Why isn’t the FBI or somebody involved?”

  Mark leaned forward. “Mrs. Dorset…Gwen, we discussed this. In cases of parental kidnapping with no clear sign that Shane is in danger—”

  “He’s not a parent!”

  “I agree. I have a child of my own, so I can empathize, but our resources are limited. Right now, we’re combing a ten-mile radius based on his cell activity. It’s gonna take some time. Plus, if he turns his phone back on, we’ll have all we need to pinpoint a location.”

  “You’ve said all that before. You’re not telling me anything new.”

  “I know it must seem like that, but I do have a question. Do you think he’d take the time to buy a burner phone?” Rebecca asked.

  “I don’t know. He’s not stupid, but he’s not a genius either.”

  Rebecca nodded. “Okay, we’re checkin’ out the stores where he lived, circulatin’ his picture just to keep all our bases covered.”

  Gwen glanced at Mark. “The lawyer you recommended is trying to get my ex-husband’s custody revoked. I know it’s not going to happen tomorrow, but if he’s able to do it, that makes it real kidnapping, right?”

  Real kidnapping. Rebecca didn’t get the distinction. It was all kidnapping in her opinion. “Yeah, it would, but this needs to be resolved as soon as possible.” They weren’t going to be allowed to use extended manpower for a family abduction for much longer. She was surprised they’d gotten the handful of help that they had. Rebecca wasn’t sure if that was coming from her cynical side or the realist.

  “Gwen, I hate to bug you, but can I have some water?” Mark asked.

  She nodded. “Do you need anything, Detective Wells?”

  “No, thanks. Not right now.”

  When they were alone, Rebecca turned to look at Mark and whispered, “Do you think your lawyer friend can really help with the custody issue?”

  “That depends on the judge he gets. I’m sure you know how these family cases go. Even if he gets someone willing to listen, none of it’s gonna happen quickly.”

  “Yeah, I just wish it had been possible to do more for her at the beginnin’. She saw it comin’ and came to us. That doesn’t happen often.”

  “We did what we could, and things still ended up crappy. I’m gonna see this through as long as I can.”

  Rebecca met his gaze. “I’m with you on that. You think Benz’ll cut us off?”

  “She will, sooner or later, especially if something high priority comes in.”

  She rolled her eyes slightly.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Mark agreed.

  Rebecca looked up as Gwen came back in, giving her the attention she deserved.

  “I need some good news,” Mark said. “Tell me you have some good news for me? We’ve barely had time to talk about anything else besides work.”

  Rebecca cut her eyes at Mark as she made a right turn. “Stop talkin’ so fast. You’re startin’ to sound like Emmet.”

  Mark scowled. “I know you know what I’m saying.”

  “I sent her a text this mornin’. Haven’t heard back. I don’t know, maybe late at night is better, but one time doesn’t make a pattern.”

  “Well, you never know.” Mark glanced at her. “Do whatever works.”

  “I’m not sure if wearin’ her down is somethin’ I wanna do. If that’s what has to happen…” Rebecca didn’t finish. She didn’t think she had to.

  “That’s kind of a negative way to look at it.”

  “Well, I don’t believe in sugarcoatin’ things.” Rebecca turned up the heat. It was a little too cold for her taste.

  “No, I would’ve never guessed that about you,” Mark deadpanned.

  “Are we best girlfriends or somethin’?”

  “No, but I do consider myself a metrosexual.” He rubbed the top of his balding head.

  Rebecca smiled. “I don’t think that means what you think it means.”

  “Sure it does.”

  “I’m not gonna argue.” Rebecca’s tone was playful.

  “Good, because we’re so off topic.”
/>   “I can look it up in the urban dictionary if you don’t believe me.” Rebecca refused to let it go. She was enjoying herself, and she needed more enjoyment in her life.

  “You’re driving.”

  “Voice to text.”

  “You sure have a lot to say today.” Mark looked at her, then out of the passenger window. “Now look who’s channeling Emmet.” He whispered, but it was still loud enough for her to hear.

  “I’m just answerin’ your questions.”

  “If you don’t want to talk about your love life, just say so.”

  “If I didn’t, I would have. And doesn’t sayin’ things like that feel weird comin’ out of your mouth?”

  Mark glared and enunciated slowly, “Metrosexual.” Then he reached out to turn down the heat.

  Rebecca smiled.

  “Glad I could make you feel good,” he grumbled.

  “Are you still thinkin’ about the Dorset case?”

  Mark went quiet. “Huh, not really.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Uh-huh. Still thinking about your girl next door?”

  Rebecca eased onto the interstate. “If a case can’t keep me occupied, then yes, all the time.”

  “Bet she’s having the same issue.”

  Recalling the night before and the energy between them even over the phone, Rebecca thought so too.

  “You got any special requests for dinner on Saturday? I was thinking, if it’s nice out, I’d grill some steaks.”

  “As long as they’re seasoned, that works for me. Do I need to bring anythin’?”

  “Wait. Why wouldn’t they be seasoned? I may not be from the South, but I don’t like bland food.”