Into the Light (Dark #2)

by J. G. Sumner

  Laney’s parents were clearly upset, but they remained calm throughout the entire conversation. Herb and Eileen Pearson asked a barrage of questions before notifying Josh they would be on the next available flight to see their daughter.

  Josh got up and walked into Laney’s room. He had practiced medicine for several years, performed hundreds of surgeries, and cared for so many patients that he was no longer able to keep track. It was still a shock seeing Laney lying there looking so fragile—so close to death. A lump formed in his throat and his eyes became blurred with tears at the sight of Laney’s limp body and pale skin.

  “How’s she doing?”

  Jamie looked up at Josh. He could tell it was difficult to care for one of her own. Even though they didn’t work in the same department, Laney and Jamie cared for the same patients. There was a sense of camaraderie and kinship between all nurses. Since the relationship between Josh and Laney was still relatively new, most of the staff didn’t know they were dating. Jamie was one of the few who did.

  “She’s doing okay. Her vital signs have remained stable, and I have her almost completely settled. Her core temperature is only ninety-four degrees. I’ve ordered a warming blanket to put on her.”

  “Okay, make sure you warm her slowly so her blood pressure doesn’t bottom out. Did Dr. George write parameters for her blood pressure?”

  “Yeah, he wanted me to keep it between ninety and one hundred twenty systolic.”

  “That sounds good. Please call Dr. George with anything having to do with her heart. I also want to know of any changes that may take place. Don’t hesitate to call me with anything and everything. I’ll be in the hospital all night.”

  “Sounds good. How sedated do you want me to keep her?”

  It was surreal seeing Laney lying in the bed. This morning she had been so full of life, and now…The pain he felt was like someone driving nails into his skin. He loved her so much it hurt.

  “I don’t want her to wake up. Start her on a morphine drip at 10 milligrams per hour. I don’t want her feeling any pain.”

  Jamie nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”

  “Don’t forget to call me with any changes!”

  “All right.” Jamie picked up the clipboard and jotted down vital signs. Before he left the room, Josh watched Laney for a few more minutes. He reflected back to their first date when Laney fell asleep in the sand. She wore very little make-up, just some lip gloss, and mascara, and yet she was stunning. Her rhythmic breathing kept a slow, constant pace with Josh’s joining in unison. He stood there for what were only minutes but could have been an eternity for he was lost in her.

  Josh went back to the nurse’s station. He had to call his sister, Jillian. The thought of it put the cherry on top of his already horrific day. They had been very close as children. However, once Jillian reached her teenage years, she changed, and so did their relationship. She had once been an outgoing, energetic, and fun-loving young girl. As Jillian hit her prepubescent years, she became introverted and often times hostile toward Josh. Jillian was soon diagnosed with schizophrenia. She had run away from home and was living on the streets for a couple of years before their mom could finally get her much-needed help. Josh was the most qualified in his family to care for Jillian. Caring for a schizophrenic patient was difficult, and he didn’t want his mom to have to bear the burden herself. Josh was diligent and ensured Jillian made it to all her treatments, took her meds, and maintained as normal a lifestyle as possible.

  Josh expected to go home and tend to Duke before his call night. Unfortunately, that changed when Laney was shot. Now, he had to ask his sister for assistance. He hated asking her for anything. He was usually met with resistance, and sometimes she was downright nasty.

  Josh took a deep breath, exhaled, and proceeded to pick up the phone once more. It rang five times. Just as the tension in his neck and shoulders began to fade, Jillian’s voice answered on the other end of the line. “What do you want, Josh?”

  Josh formed his hand into a fist, struggling to not bang it on the desk. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s always nice to hear your voice. I’m glad you answered.”

  “Cut the crap. What do you need? I’m trying to wrap up here at work.”

  If Josh were a cartoon character, steam would shoot out of his ears. Instead, he felt his blood pressure rise with every word her sharp tongue spoke.

  Jillian worked as a bartender, and she could get extremely busy during her shift, which caused her to get flustered.

  “Jillian, don’t take that tone with me. I’ve had a really bad day. I don’t need your shit right now too!”

  “Oh geez. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed. I don’t think it’s been this busy here since I started. I should’ve been out of here a couple of hours ago.”

  Selfishly, Josh wasn’t in the mood to listen to her excuses or hear about her day. “I’m not coming home from work today like I thought. I had to perform an emergency surgery. Would you mind feeding Duke and letting him out?” Josh clenched his jaw as he waited for the berating that was about to commence.

  “You always pull this crap! Why did you get a dog if you’re never home to take care of it? What you should’ve done is ask if I wanted a dog. He’s more mine than yours!”

  “You love Duke. Just feed him!”

  Jillian’s sigh caused Josh to clench his jaw. “Fine. But when are you finally coming home? You’ve been gone a couple of days now.”

  “I don’t know. The emergency surgery was Laney. She was shot by a patient who came in through the emergency department. I’ve been in the operating room with her for the last eight hours.” Josh waited for Jillian to say something. Instead, he just heard silence. “Jillian, are you there?”

  “Yeah. Does that mean there won’t be any more creepy notes left on our porch? That one with the blood on it was pretty gross.”

  “Really? That’s all you can say? Laney almost lost her life, and she isn’t out of the woods yet. Could you not think of yourself for maybe a minute and actually feel some compassion for someone else?”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just, you know she’s bad news. Clearly, there’s some crazy stuff going on with her if we’re getting letters written in blood on our doorstep. You don’t need that kind of drama, and I certainly don’t want to be involved in it.”

  Josh was beside himself. “Wow! I think that was the first time since you were seven that you actually showed some concern for me. Too bad it’s more out of concern for yourself. I’m on call tomorrow night. I’ll try to stop by in the afternoon and take care of Duke. Please feed him today, and I’ll make arrangements to ensure you’re not inconvenienced anymore.”

  “Don’t be that way. I’m sorry. I’ll take care of Duke for you. You’re right, I do love him. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. I walked him and fed him before I came to work today. I’m just having a bad day. I’ll take him out again when I get home. But, could you try not to rely on me so much? I have a life too. And last time I checked, I wasn’t hired to be your dog sitter.”

  “Fine. I’ll look for someone to help out with him tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

  “What if I screw up and forget about Duke? I’m afraid to have that responsibility. I’d like to continue to help with him, but you really need to find someone more reliable soon.”

  Josh heard the newfound sincerity in her voice. His frustration with Jillian melted away, and he ended his conversation on a positive note.

  He went back to Laney’s room and sat in the chair next to her bed. The room was empty except for Laney and the machines humming as they supported her life. He’d never been on this side of the bed. He’d never been the one grieving, hoping, and praying for the patient. Josh had always been in control of his life and his surroundings. For the first time, things had spiraled out of control, and he was at a loss how to fix it.

  Chapter 2

  Laney

  The warm brilliant light shone so brightly, it hurt
Laney’s eyes. She’d heard stories from patients who had seen the light. Could they be true? It always seemed like something people conjured up from a movie and then imagined while recovering from a near-death experience. Now, there it was, right in front of her. Was it really there? Was it a dream or figment of her imagination?

  Whatever it was, it was beautiful. It was something like the Northern Lights but without all the colors. It was warm and peaceful, a magnet drawing her in. She wanted to go to the light, but was frightened and hesitated. Unsure if it was her subconscious or someone was really telling her to stay away. Things were foggy making it difficult to decipher dream versus reality.

  She couldn’t remember how she had come to this place. The feeling of peacefulness and harmony quickly faded and was replaced with fear and solitude as Laney wracked her mind trying to remember the events that had led her here. How long had she been like this? She tried to move her arms, but they wouldn’t budge. Her eyes wouldn’t open. It was like they were glued shut.

  Laney reflected back to that day on the beach with Josh. He caressed her skin, seemingly waiting for her eyes to open. Once they did, Laney was greeted by piercing blue eyes looking right through her, reaching to the depths of her soul. God, he was beautiful. Josh’s strong chiseled jawline accentuated the soft fullness of his lips. Laney could almost reach out and touch his six-pack abs and toned chest.

  She remembered the night in her apartment after they first made love. The feeling of his arms cradling her as they lay on the sofa in front of the fireplace. The strength of Josh’s embrace and the smell of his skin left Laney warm and content, and never wanting to leave that moment. That was when she first realized she was falling hard for Josh.

  Clouds of sleep drifted over Laney. They were heavy and forced the thoughts from her mind, but eased slightly when someone picked up her hand. The other person’s hand was warm and soft. It was familiar. She heard sobbing, a gut-wrenching display of emotion. The white light had disappeared, and she couldn’t help but empathize with the person. What was going on? Why were they so sad?

  “I love you, Laney. Please make it through this.”

  Wait, I know that voice. Josh? Is that Josh? What is he talking about that I need to make it through this? Make it through what?

  “I’ve called Peyton and your parents. Your parents should be here tomorrow. They’re taking the first flight they can get. Everything is going to be okay.”

  Did I just hear him correctly? My parents are coming? Why would he call my parents? Something isn’t right here.

  “Crap, Laney! I didn’t mean to get you all worked up. Try and relax. Your heart rate is going through the roof. You need to stay calm.” Josh pulled away. Laney wanted to be able to cover her ears and protect them from the loud noise of all the machines alarming. Her arms—they still wouldn’t move. She couldn’t move anything. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She was in the hospital, and she was the one Josh was mourning. The heaviness returned and quickly, a fog closed in around her forcing her into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 3

  Josh

  “Josh. Josh. Hey, wake up.” His body jolted back and forth. His eyes crept open, struggling to focus. As the cloudiness gave way to clarity, Josh realized Peyton stood next to him. Her brow was furrowed, her shoulders slightly hunched. He slowly raised his head off the bed and rocked it from side to side to get the kink out of his neck.

  “Hey.” Josh stretched his arms and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

  “It’s just after seven. How’s Laney doing?”

  “She’s stable for now. Her vital signs have been good the last few hours.”

  “What happened? There are several news stations anchored outside the hospital.”

  Josh buried his head in his hands. “Oh Lord, this is going to be a publicity nightmare. I can see it now. People will be afraid they could be shot if they come here, instead of this being the act of one crazy person.”

  Josh clenched and unclenched his hands and paced the room. What to do about this situation? Several scenarios passed before him. For each lap around the room, he weighed another one.

  “Why are you so worried about the press? Don’t you think you should focus more on Laney? I want to know what happened to her!”

  Josh looked at Peyton, never slowing his pace. “This is my job at stake, Peyton. I’m the face of the trauma department. If I don’t make this right, the hospital might be forced to close down the trauma program. The fact that Laney is my girlfriend only complicates the situation. I need to go out there and assure everyone they are safe when they come here.”

  “Let’s not worry about the press right now. Tell me how Laney was shot. Maybe then I can help come up with a story for them.”

  Josh stopped pacing and clasped his hands behind his head. “God, Peyton, I don’t know what went wrong. It seemed like just another patient coming through the trauma room. He was whacked out on drugs. We were getting his wounds cleaned up. I looked over at Laney and her face was pale—white as a ghost. That look stopped me in my tracks. She said she dated him at one time when she was younger. I tried to make light of the situation because she seemed upset. Next thing I know, the guy grabbed Officer Miller’s gun and fired several rounds into Laney. He said something about her leaving him and wanting to kill her. It went so fast. I couldn’t stop it from happening. I couldn’t protect her.”

  Josh struggled to see through the tears that formed in his eyes. They were threatening to flow down his cheeks. He closed his eyes while folding his hands over his face. The vivid images of Laney being shot and falling to the floor flashed through his mind. He wondered if those memories would ever fade.

  Peyton’s mouth and eyes were wide open. Josh motioned to the chair.

  “Peyton, sit down. I don’t want you passing out on me.” Peyton obeyed while Josh grabbed another chair for himself.

  “By any chance was his name Scott James?”

  “Yes, did you know him?”

  “No, but I feel like I should.”

  “Tell me about him. How long did he and Laney date?”

  “I don’t want to tell you much. That’s a conversation you need to have with her. I can say they began dating when she was only fifteen. He was her first real boyfriend. During the year they dated, he did some horrific things to her. When Laney finally got up the courage to break up with him, he threatened to kill her and her family if she ever left. Laney broke up with him anyway because if she stayed, she would be dead before too long anyway.”

  “Oh my God! She told me she dated him, but it had sounded like a quick fling. I never imagined it was a long-term relationship. Why now? Why did he wait this long to hurt her?”

  “I don’t know. He’s been strung out on drugs and alcohol for years. I don’t think he’s all there. It’s not something she likes to talk about. She doesn’t want the relationship and everything she suffered to define her. I think she keeps it tucked away in a little corner of her brain.

  Josh ran his hands through his thick black hair, got up, and continued his laps around the room. After pacing for what seemed like an hour, he stopped in front of Peyton. “I can’t get the image out of my head. She was so scared. Peyton, she told me she loved me.”

  “Josh! That’s a huge deal. She’s never said that to anyone. When was this?”

  “Right after she was shot and before she collapsed on the floor.”

  “Was Scott still there?”

  “Yeah, he had been subdued and handcuffed by the officer.”

  “She said it right in front of him. Do you know what that means? She was standing up to him by professing her love to you!”

  “Okay, I agree it might have been a big deal. What’s the significance of her saying it in front of him?”

  “He played a lot of head games with her. He had her completely brainwashed for a long time.”

  “That’s kind of weird.”

  “Yeah, there were all sorts of crazy things that went on. Wha
t she did in front of Scott was big. I’m so proud of her.”

  “I want to know more about what that creep did to her.”

  “Josh, I can’t. You have to ask her.”

  Josh stared down at Laney lying motionless in the bed, connected to the tubes and machines keeping her alive. Her chest floated up and down with each push from the ventilator.

  “I figured he might be the guy leaving the notes for Laney. Now that you’ve told me about it, I’m convinced it was him. That means once she wakes up, this whole nightmare will be over. No more notes and the crazy ex-boyfriend will be in jail.”

  “I hope you’re right, Josh. Laney doesn’t deserve all this chaos in her life. She’s one of the sweetest people I know. She deserves the fairy tale ending—the happily ever after.”

  “I intend to give it to her.” Josh squeezed Peyton’s shoulder and smiled at her. Josh wanted to protect Laney now more than ever. He needed to hear the rest of the story and learn what she had to endure. Laney was his now, and it was his job to watch over her forever.

  “Hello? Josh! Is there anyone home?” Peyton waved a hand in front of his face.

  “Uh, sorry. I was thinking.”

  Peyton giggled. “When are Laney’s parents getting here?”

  “They should be here sometime tomorrow.”

  “You didn’t mention you were dating her, did you?”

  “No. You told me not to.”

  “Good because they are super overprotective. Now, after what happened…”

  “They do realize she’s almost thirty and she’ll date at some point, don’t they?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I think they’d rather she became a nun and get locked up for the rest of her life in a convent instead of becoming a nurse. I think they feel she’d be safer that way.”

  Josh threw his head back and laughed. “That’s so ridiculous!”