by Sharon Sala
The comment pissed Charlie off and he didn’t respond. It wasn’t fucking funny.
The door to Annie’s room was open. He knocked once and walked in. A woman was standing beside Annie’s bed, adjusting an IV.
“Hello,” Charlie said.
The woman turned around and smiled. “Hello, I’m Doris, Annie’s hospice nurse.”
“I’m Charlie. Annie is my wife,” he said, and walked to the foot of her bed. Her eyes were partly closed, but they were moving beneath the lids, and her fingers were twitching.
“Is she asleep?” he asked.
“Not in the sense you mean,” Doris said.
Charlie swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Is she unconscious?”
“Again, not in the sense you mean,” she said. “The brain is a repository for a lifetime of memories. We don’t believe they’re really remembering incidents. It’s more like a reflexive action you get when someone hits that funny bone on your knee that makes it jerk. In the rare instances when an Alzheimer patient’s brain fires, they might see a random image, or a memory of a time long ago, which triggers a momentary physical action.”
“Jesus,” Charlie said, and pulled up a chair beside her bed, taking her hand. “Hello, sweetheart. It’s me, Charlie.”
Annie didn’t react to his voice or his touch.
“How do you feed her now?” he asked.
Doris paused, then pulled up the other chair and sat down with Charlie.
“She has a living will,” Doris said. “It came with the paperwork when she was admitted.”
Charlie frowned. “Yes, I remember her filling that out on the day we got her diagnosis.”
“Did you ever read it?” Doris asked.
Charlie shook his head. “No. She took it back to the next doctor’s visit and asked him to put it in her medical file.”
“She agreed to taking fluids intravenously, but not nutrition. In other words, that is a refusal to allow a feeding port to be inserted. She will no longer receive sustenance since she can’t chew or swallow.”
The words felt like a physical blow to the chest. He couldn’t take a breath without bursting into tears.
Annie had chosen this, and he’d never known.
He felt Doris’s hand on his arm, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Annie’s face. She’d done the brave thing. The thing he would never have been able to do to her. The thing he would never have been able to do for her.
“I’m going to step outside for a few minutes to give you some time alone.” She pointed to the buzzer near Annie’s bed. “Just ring the bell if you need me.”
Charlie heard her footsteps as she walked away, then the click of the door as she closed it behind her. Now was his chance to say whatever he wanted to say to Annie, and he couldn’t, because he’d said it all a thousand times before. There was nothing left to tell his sweet Annie but goodbye, and he wasn’t ready to let her go.
* * *
Baxter and Macie were camped out in the ICU waiting room, living from one visiting hour to the next. They had a blanket apiece and a pillow apiece, and had taken a room at a nearby motel to go bathe and change, and took turns leaving the hospital to do that. Tony wasn’t conscious, but according to the nurses, his vital signs were stronger. They wouldn’t ask for more.
It was midafternoon when Macie got a text from Trish. She read it, sighed, then handed her phone to Baxter.
I just found out Tony is alive. I asked God for that and nothing more, so it was the answer to my prayers. I should have told him I used to date Randall, but I didn’t even know they were friends until Tony and I had been dating for over a month. And then I didn’t know how. I was stupid. It nearly got him killed. It doesn’t matter if Tony hates me for the rest of his life. Or if you two blame me for all of this. It doesn’t matter. I am just so grateful to God that whatever sadness comes to me is nothing more than I deserve. Forgive me.
“Well, hell,” Baxter said, and wiped his eyes.
Macie leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know. Young love isn’t wise. It’s wild and wonderful and scary. The choices those two boys made have nothing to do with her. They’re the ones who tried to hurt our son. She just wanted to love him.”
“We don’t know how Tony will feel about her,” Baxter said.
Macie was silent a few moments, and then she reached for her husband’s hand.
“Is Tony going to wake up and be our Tony again?” she asked.
Baxter shrugged. “He can be any Tony he chooses. I just want him to wake up, but that’s not going to happen until they decide he’s strong enough to be conscious.”
* * *
The whole afternoon at the office was quiet. Wyrick knew when Charlie didn’t return or call that something was going on with Annie. Her heart hurt for him—for the whole situation—but stoic and tough were what got her through each day, and today was no different. When it was time to lock up, she gathered up her things, pausing in the doorway to look back.
The security lights gave the suite of rooms a pale, eerie glow. It was so quiet and peaceful up here. Almost as quiet and peaceful as her basement apartment at Merlin’s estate. Every day, she had to run the Dallas gauntlet to get from one place to the other, but this was the most satisfied she’d been since childhood.
She didn’t belong to Charlie Dodge. But she belonged with him—helping him do what he did, bringing closure to other people, even though there was no way to fix what was wrong in their own lives.
She sighed, then pulled the door shut and headed for the elevator. A couple of other businesses on their floor were still open. She could hear the soft murmur of voices as she walked, and as she got in the elevator, she was thinking of what she was going to have for dinner tonight on her way down.
The security lights were coming on in the parking lot. She always parked beneath the one closest to the door, but she still paused and looked around, making sure all was well. After her last dustup with Boyington, she was antsy all over again.
Once she was inside the Mercedes, she started it up, then paused to order a pizza to go. It was a fast pickup on her way home, and the question of what was for dinner would be solved.
After that, she gunned the engine, leaving remnants of tire tread on the parking lot as she shot out onto the street.
Speed was her escape. Chocolate was her drug. Pepsi was her habit. Considering the makeup of her DNA, it could have been worse.
* * *
Randall Wells and Justin Young were no longer friends. Getting caught in their lies had changed that, and the lawyers their parents hired for them had turned them into adversaries, posing the questions as to which one of them had the edge and the information to bargain with, which was Justin, and which one of them bore the greatest guilt and had the most to lose, which was Randall.
One was the instigator.
One had abetted in the act.
They would be arraigned tomorrow.
They were in juvenile detention, facing federal charges, and waiting to see if they would be charged as juveniles or adults.
Their lives were no longer their own, and Tony Dawson’s was still a question mark.
* * *
Trish Caldwell was having dinner with her mother, catching her up on what Wyrick had told her, both of them rejoicing that Tony had been found alive, when Trish’s cell phone signaled a text. Normally, they ignored calls at their dinner hour together, but there was too much in limbo to ignore.
“You better answer that,” Beth said.
Trish nodded, then jumped up from the table to get her phone from the counter. When she saw who it was from, she was almost afraid to read it as she opened the text.
Please don’t feel guilty about other people’s actions. You did not hurt Tony. You loved him. That is never a crime. We just wanted you to know we don’t harbor any hard feelings toward
you at all. Tony is still in ICU. They are keeping him sedated on purpose so he can heal. Feel free to reach out for updates whenever you wish.
Macie and Baxter.
“Oh, Mom,” Trish said, and handed Beth the phone so she could read it, as well.
Beth read it and then hugged her. “There you are... See? Even his parents don’t blame you.”
Trish sighed. “You’re right. That’s a huge relief.”
“And maybe Tony will feel the same,” Beth said.
Trish shook her head. “All that matters is that Tony heals. I won’t ask for more.”
“Okay, but I’m going to ask something of you,” Beth said.
Trish frowned. “Okay...what is it?”
“Go back to school tomorrow. Be the one who lets everyone know Tony is alive.”
“Oh, I’m sure they already know,” Trish said.
“Who would have told? The Dawsons are in Odessa. The Wells family? The Young family? I don’t think so. You are going to school tomorrow and you’re going to tell everyone the truth.”
“You mean, tell them it happened because of me?”
“You know that old saying about the truth setting you free? Tony is the new kid and all of you are seniors. Randall and Justin grew up with everyone. You don’t want anyone assuming even a part of this mess was Tony’s fault. Even if you and Tony are no longer together, at least he’ll be completely vindicated.”
Trish’s eyes widened. “I never thought of that. And you’re right. I need to make sure everyone knows he was an unsuspecting victim in all of it.”
“That’s my girl,” Beth said.
“Yes! I’ll go to school tomorrow. I’ll make sure the truth is known.”
Eight
Wyrick was eating pizza and watching a movie when she remembered she had been planning on checking on Merlin. She glanced at the clock. It was almost 9:00 p.m., probably too late now, but she muted the sound to see if she could hear his footsteps in the house above her, and heard nothing.
The old mansion was so huge that he could easily be in another part of it and she would never know, or he could have already gone to bed. At any rate, it was too late for visiting, so she finished watching the movie and put up the pizza that was left over, which would likely be tomorrow’s breakfast.
After cleaning up the kitchen, she carried the garbage out to the bin, and glanced up at the house as she walked back. She couldn’t see lights on anywhere in the house other than the dim glow of night-lights. She was glad she hadn’t tried to call him after all.
A siren screamed its way through the neighborhood, setting a couple of dogs to barking. Wyrick shivered and hurried back inside.
Later, as she was getting into bed, she thought of Charlie. He’d never texted her back about his availability to start another job, so tomorrow she’d have to play it by ear.
* * *
Charlie stayed with Annie all afternoon, watching Doris, the hospice nurse, and the employees of Morning Light coming and going in her room, quietly witnessing the team of people it took to provide her with the level of care she was now needing.
It was heartbreaking to see her like this, but he was grateful for their presence.
Finally, it was Doris who told him to go home.
“You need to rest. You need to eat.”
“I’m afraid to leave,” Charlie said.
“I understand, but she’s not at that point, yet. I promise. Her heart rate is strong and steady.”
“You can tell that?” Charlie asked.
“Fourteen years at this job, and yes, I can tell,” Doris said. “If there is any sudden or drastic change, you will be notified immediately. I promise.”
Charlie glanced back at Annie, then at Doris. “I can be here in a little under twenty minutes.”
“I’ll remember,” Doris said.
Charlie stroked the side of Annie’s face, then leaned down and whispered in her ear.
“Your name is Annie, and a man named Charlie loves you.”
Walking out of her room felt like he was running away, but she didn’t need him. Her journey from here on would be taken alone. And now that he was out, he couldn’t wait to get out of the building. He got to the exit and hit the buzzer. As soon as he heard the lock click, he opened the door.
All he’d done was walk through a doorway, but it was like stepping into another dimension. The lobby was the transition point between the real world outside and the lost world within.
Pinkie was gone, and a young man was on night duty.
“Have a nice night, sir,” he said.
“Thanks,” Charlie said, and walked outside.
His Jeep was one of only two in visitors parking.
Part of him was afraid to leave, and the other part of him wanted to get in the car and drive away so fast that he outran the nightmare behind him. Instead, he drove straight home, and once inside his apartment, he took a deep breath, tossed his things onto the sofa and then headed for the shower.
It wasn’t until he was getting into bed that he stopped long enough to check messages.
There was one from Baxter and Macie. Good news. Tony was holding his own.
His eyes blurred with tears.
Annie was holding her own, too, but she was on her way out of a life, and the kid was just getting started. God willing, the kid got the chance to live it.
He checked to see if there were any from Wyrick, but there were none. Then he remembered he was the one who was supposed to let her know if he would be available for another case, so he pulled up her number.
No new clients.
He hit Send, and then put his phone on the charger and turned out the lights.
* * *
Wyrick was just getting out of the shower when she heard her phone signal a text. Thinking it might be Charlie, she wrapped a towel around her to catch the drips and went to see who it was from.
To her surprise, it was from Merlin.
I need to talk to you. Do you have time this morning? It won’t take long. I unlocked the door at the top of your stairs. Come up if you can.
Wyrick frowned. This was very unlike Merlin. He was not a social person, but she certainly wasn’t going to ignore the request. She ran back to dry off, then put on sweats and tennis shoes. The stairs leading from her basement apartment to the kitchen above had two doors. One at the bottom of the stairs. One at the top. She unlocked the one from her side and ran up the stairs. Knocked once and then walked into his kitchen.
Merlin was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hands, holding it as if to warm his fingers, and a half-eaten sweet roll on a napkin that he’d pushed aside. His long white hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and he’d shaved off his beard, which exacerbated the thinness of his long face even more, but his smile was one of delight when she walked in.
“Good morning, Jade. Seeing your dear face is a wonderful way to begin my day. Coffee and rolls are on the counter. Please help yourself.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He shook his head, then pointed. “Coffee first.”
She poured herself a cup, added cream because it was there and got an apricot Danish, then sat down.
“You shaved off your beard,” she said, and then took a bite of her Danish.
He nodded.
“My hair is next,” he said.
She frowned. “Why?”
“Maybe I like your look,” he said.
The cryptic comment hit like a fist to the gut. “You’re sick, aren’t you? What’s wrong? How can I help?”
“You can’t help, dear. No one can. It’s end-stage liver cancer. I don’t have long, and there are things I need to confirm before I’m too ill to focus.”
She reached for his hand. “Oh, Merlin. I’m so sorry. I know people in the medical fi
eld. I might be able to get you into some kind of trial on a new cancer drug.”
He shook his head. “No, no, I’m past that. I’m not upset. I’ve lived a good long life. I won’t begrudge this fate.”
“Do you need me to move? I mean... I can understand not wanting a renter at this point.”
“On the contrary. I wanted to tell you that I’ve named you my sole heir.”
Wyrick’s vision suddenly blurred. She’d never belonged to anyone, and would never have thought she mattered enough to anyone else for something like this to happen.
“Oh, Merlin! I don’t know what to say other than I am so touched.”
He smiled and patted her hand. “It doesn’t matter to me what you do with this old barn once I’m gone, but I would like to finish out my days here. I’ve hired around-the-clock nursing for when the time comes, and if it’s not too much of an intrusion into your personal life, I would ask that you monitor them for me and pay bills and the like...when I can no longer do that for myself.”
“Yes, I will. I would have done that for you anyway. You don’t have to give me anything.”
“But I have all this...and no family. I don’t even have friends anymore...except you.”
“I’m not much of a friend,” Wyrick said.
“I’m something of a loner, and you know it. You were all the friend I needed,” Merlin said. “I like knowing you’re under my roof. I like knowing you trusted me enough to stay here.”
Wyrick sighed. “You didn’t know it, but I had been toying with the idea of finally buying a place of my own, so I will be honored to be able to stay here.”
“Sell it if you need and find something nice...something shiny and modern,” Merlin said.
Wyrick frowned. “I’m not a shiny and modern woman. I love this place. It’s the only place I’ve felt safe since I moved to Dallas.”
“Excellent,” Merlin said, and then his doorbell rang.
“Would you get that? It’s Rodney Gordon, my lawyer. There are papers we need to sign.”
