“I agree — your father is there for you most of the time. Nobody is perfect.”
“Olivia thinks she is.” He glanced sideways at his mother and gave a chuckle. “Okay, Mom, so much for that. Now may I go with you to see Henry tonight? I know that you and Dad are planning on going. I would like to see if Henry will respond to anything,” he said hopefully.
When they entered his room, Henry seemed to be in a state of discomfort. That alarmed the Prestons immediately. “What is going on here?” Sam inquired.
The nurse replied, “We can’t figure out what is upsetting him.”
At that moment, Nicole and Dominic walked in and they were immediately disturbed. “Has he been left on his own for any length of time?” Dominic panicked. “Dr. Sheridan left specific orders that Henry was not to be left alone at any time whatsoever.”
The nurse explained she was only one person and could only do so much. She promised to have a word with Dr. Sheridan about that. Perhaps something had developed before she took over her shift.
However, Henry seemed to have calmed down during those discussions. After a while, Nicole was able to get him to respond to her words, by showing the willingness to communicate. His eyes would not co-operate to open, but the attempt was there.
When the nurse returned, Dominic felt bad for being a bit hasty with her. “May I call you Maggie?” The girl gave him a positive nod. “Maggie, I’m sorry for being unkind to you. We are just worried that somebody might have entered the room while you or another nurse was not here. I’m sure you know this is a rather special case.”
“May I call you Dominic? All the cases are special to us.” Then she gave him another nod in order to assure him they are on top of it. “Don’t you worry about Henry — he is going to be okay.”
The whole visit was disturbing for all of them.
Sunday came, and eight people showed up at Lake House. It was sad that Henry was not present; but Tom had done most of the necessary preparations for the winter closure of the house. “I promised Henry I would do this. Not only am I the one who knows how to do it, I also have the most time on my hands.” Tom was quite happy to inform them that all would be in order for the winter months. “This will keep me busy during the winter, and I will be in touch if anything comes up.” Tom had previously apologized to Sam for leaving the house the night of the party without telling Henry, and Sam had no hard feelings about it.
They left for home, but not before Sam warned Tom to look after himself. Dominic was the quietest on the way home. Holding Nicole’s hand, he contemplated their future, but hopefully not without Henry. Sasha had to work that Sunday, but the Millers sent Robert to help with the closing of Lake House for the winter.
The following week, Dominic told Henry all about the visit, as well as what Tom had to say. Whenever he talked with Henry about things that would be of interest to him, Dominic would hold his hand. By doing that, he came to know when Henry was disturbed about what he was hearing. His hand would twitch at times and/or would be either warm or cold. These were the things that had always interested Dominic in the past. He had an interest in human reactions.
“Henry, please let me know if you understand what I am telling you.” Not that he expected much of a reaction; however, some things penetrate better than others. That way, Dominic knew about how his buddy was progressing. “I will be back tomorrow and you had better show me more improvement.” He squeezed Henry’s hand, kissed him on the forehead, and left.
In the meantime, the partners were talking about approaching the police about progress, if any, on the case. Hopefully there were leads on who . . . or what the motive for the crime was.
Sam got on the phone. “Sergeant Kennedy, this is Sam Preston. I know that you have been assigned to Henry Dobbs’s case. What I want to know is who has been assigned to my case? Unless this is being treated as a joint case?”
“Yes, Mr. Preston —” and before the sergeant could say more, Sam asked him to call him just Sam. “Yes, Sam, it is a joint case; I have been in touch with the Special Investigation Unit, and they tell me they have it covered. You might say I have been replaced by the higher-ups.”
“So whom do I get in touch with?”
“Ask for Inspector Cooper and he will explain it all to you. Good luck, Sam.”
Unfortunately, because of Henry’s condition, he was unable to communicate or to stand up in court; so the case was at a standstill. Although Sam was one of the two victims, he was asked to be patient and wait until Mr. Dobbs had recovered. When that would be, was anybody’s guess. Sam was sure the police knew who committed the crime. Now it would all be about waiting for Henry to get better. Only then would the process begin.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
As time went by, Henry had several lapses, as well as two additional surgeries. Luckily, he was a tough one and a very determined old man who was not about to be beaten. He had served in the navy for many years and had survived many obstacles in his life. All he needed was a bit of encouragement from his loved ones and he was on his way to recovery. He knew those kids needed him.
“Now, Henry, you better do as Maggie says — she knows what’s best for your recovery.” Dominic and Maggie were full of encouragement, day in and day out. He was by now able to open his eyes. (His eyes were not focusing yet, but he was able to open and close them.) There were other improvements as well. Slowly, with daily therapy, Henry was coming around.
It was now summer again, and Dominic and Nicole each had one more year to finish their studies. It was a wonder how the poor boy managed to keep up with everything. There was nothing but skin and bones on him. The Prestons were worried for him. Barb often included him in their meals, and he ate well, but nothing showed. Sasha, on the other hand, carried herself well. She had managed to separate herself from most of her brother’s ordeal since he and Nicole got engaged.
“Nicole, I must warn you about my brother. He is very stubborn. He may be good hearted but he hardly ever listens to anything I say; so good luck.” Those were Sasha’s words of encouragement when the young couple announced their engagement.
“There must be a good reason why that mugger has not been found.” Sam was in a state of disbelief, trying to figure it out on his own, since the authorities seemed to be doing nothing. “I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation.” He was trying to be patient and reasonable but it wasn’t easy.
“How do you think Henry must be feeling these days?”
“Speaking of Henry, I went to see him today, and he was in therapy. But I was told that he is responding to most of their requests. They are making sure that his muscles don’t get lazy and feeble. He is eating on his own (slow, but sure) and even manages to crack a joke or two. He is able to speak, but with quite a slur. His words come out slowly — not too clearly — but he keeps trying just the same.”
“That’s my Henry,” Barb said, pleased. “And how is my husband doing these days at work? Are you up to speed?” John had commented to her that Sam was pushing himself in order to get back to normal. Being normal meant working as hard as he had before his injuries. “I hear you are pushing yourself a bit too much. Have you ever heard of taking two steps forward and one backwards?” She was not trying to tell him what to do, or how to do it; she was worried about him. The whole family can fall apart when the parents get out of balance.
The business was doing well, despite Sam’s convalescence. “Well, somebody has to be in charge, you know. You would be missing Henry even more if I hadn’t decided to stay put and take charge.” Sam was definitely looking for trouble. If the truth be told, he wanted no part of staying in the office. He was never interested in bookkeeping, even when he’d had to do it while he was still a starter in the moving business.
“Gina, you have had it easy this year regarding the holidays. Having two of us on holiday (even if not by choice), it was easier for you to spread the rest of you guys.”
“Yes, and with the new office manager on the premises, I
wasn’t missed at all,” she chuckled.
At Henry’s request, the Prestons had a few trips to the lake that year, and even John, Gina, and little Jennie joined them a few times. Nicole, who was by now driving and was allowed to use the car, helped a lot. She would take the Lamberts to the lake. Susanne usually stayed at home.
“Would you mind if we go to the lake today?” Nicole would often ask. The answer was always the same: “You may go if you take Trevor with you. That boy can’t get enough of that place.”
“Don’t worry — we will let Tom know that we are there and with your permission.”
“Good, Nicole.” Barb was more than willing to accommodate Tom for his sake as well as Henry’s. None of them ever entered the house. That task was Tom’s.
Olivia wanted to get married as soon as possible, but Mark was taking his time. Ever since she had refused to co-operate regarding what she saw at the lake, he appeared somewhat cool around her.
“I hope you guys are happy, now. Mark has not been the same since the party, just because there is so much controversy around it. You just can’t stand seeing me happy.”
“Olivia, what is the matter with you? Furthermore, what makes you think that everything is about you? I don’t even know you anymore.” Sam was terribly disappointed with his daughter’s behaviour.
Nicole, trying to defuse the situation, asked her father, “Dad, is there any further news from the police? I know that you have been watching the news about anything and everything lately.” She wanted to help but didn’t know how.
“I spoke with Sergeant Kennedy yesterday. He seems to be holding back something, but I couldn’t very well accuse him of that. For some reason, I felt better for speaking with him anyway. Don’t ask me why. There are times when the unspoken news is better than nothing.” He smiled at her. “I know what you are thinking, but it’s the truth.”
“Well, now! That’s better.” Dominic had walked in on Henry’s therapy session and could see how well he was progressing. Once his sight returned, Henry regained an amazing willingness for further improvement. Not only was he eager to hear about Lake House and the trips there; he started planning his own trip to go and see the place.
Dominic teased, “Let’s see you run . . . Oh, well, walking will do for now. I hope you realize I am entering my last year of study, and after that, I will be able to figure out just how that brain of yours works.” He saw Henry moving his head from side to side in amazement at the boy.
“Does that mean I will have to stop calling you ‘boy’? If that is the case, I will feel totally useless. On the other hand, you are about to be taller than me, so we will have to adjust to calling you Dr. Lambert.” Henry’s eyes were teary, not from sadness but with joy. “Just give me the winter, and I will be well enough to come to your graduation. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
“You will be there, never fear.
“So let’s see more of your tricks of improvement. I can’t go anywhere without somebody asking me about you. There are people out there who have never even met you and they want to know how you are doing. You are getting famous.”
“Who is getting famous?” Barb and Sam wanted to know. They had just walked in. “Henry, you are a model of willingness and determination. For a while there, we weren’t so sure, but you’ve come through wonderfully!”
“The future Dr. Lambert, here, was being facetious, so I had to defend myself.” He was finally becoming the old Henry. This made a lot of people very happy, except perhaps whoever it was who had tried and failed to destroy him.
“No offence, Maggie, but I can’t wait to get out of here, for I have some long, outstanding scores to settle.”
Henry had had plenty of time to think while he lay there in his bed wondering who and/or why anybody wanted him dead. At first, he was unable to do anything as he lay in a coma. The swelling of his brain was making it impossible for the doctors to do much more than try to get it down and hopefully be able to make a proper diagnosis. Henry’s life was basically hanging by a thread. Once the swelling eased up, the experts were able to decide what approach was the best. It was evident at that point that Henry was going to be in the hospital for a long time.
After that, he would probably be moved to a rehab hospital in order to get the proper training toward a full recovery. It seemed, however, that it would more or less take a miracle to get that far.
Luckily, the time had come, and as much as it bothered him that he was still a target, he was now determined to find out once and for all who was so determined to hurt him and why.
“Henry, what have you been up to?” Dominic wanted to know. He and Nicole came to see him as they were used to doing, almost every day. This was not easy for Nicole, because of the spread of her home, school and work locations. However, she never complained about it. “We are keeping an eye on you and your whereabouts these days.” Dominic was able to joke with him. He knew Henry liked that.
“My mom tells me you are almost ready to run right out of this hospital.” She grinned at him. “By the way, we told my parents about coming here tonight as well. I thought I’d better warn you that we all just might end up being here together.”
“Thank you for the warning. I had a feeling they were coming tonight. One might think my brain would be fried from all the swelling earlier, but I have become quite a genius when it comes to reading people’s minds. Perhaps I should study psychology — what do you think, Professor?”
“So now I am a professor? What happened to Dr. Lambert? You can’t just change from one to another.” Dominic kissed him on his forehead, as usual.
“I don’t know about the two of you!” Nicole chuckled.
“How about I call you Pap?” Dominic wanted to know. He had often said to him, “Good night, Pap.”
Henry got all choked up. “If the two of you don’t get out of here, you are going to make an old man into a crybaby.”
“Very well, then. We know when we are not welcome. See you tomorrow.”
This time, Nicole kissed him on the cheek and promised to come back soon.
The two of them went straight to the Prestons’ place, where Dominic was able to stay a very short time. He had some errands to do regarding his studies. This last year was extra hard for him to get through. With so many distractions all around him and that ever-present suspicion regarding Larry, there was not much room for unwinding except when he was with Nicole.
Bill walked into the office and was somewhat distracted by something. “Am I getting forgetful lately?” He was serious. “I never used to forget a face, once I’ve seen it.” He walked toward the filing cabinet, laid his arm on it, and looked at Gina. “I just saw somebody I’m sure I know but I can’t place him. They were running a tape on the television regarding an arrest some time ago. It went by too fast, and I don’t know what it was all about. I caught it just at the end.” Bill seemed very uncomfortable.
“What are you talking about?” John asked. “Things like that happen to me all the time. Forget about it.” John was a guy of simplicity. He was very easygoing and almost always pleasant. He hardly ever complained about work — or much else, for that matter.
“No, it really bothers me that I couldn’t place this guy . . . where, or when I’ve seen him.”
“I hate to tell you this. It’s called old age,” Gina put in. She was laughing. “Was this person the one who was being arrested?”
The phone rang. It was Barb, inviting Gina and John for dinner the following night. As Gina spoke with Barb, she glanced at Bill, who was still trying to sort things out in his head about the guy on TV.
Sasha had been promoted to assistant manager at the Millers’ store. She finished her schooling, got her diploma, and plunged full speed right into becoming a successful manager. This had been her dream for a long time. However, the celebrations would be taking place once Dominic finished his education. The two of them had long ago decided to celebrate together, at the same time. But now that Nicole was finishing, t
oo, the idea of celebration was up in the air. Nicole was not willing to interfere with their long-standing plan.
“Nicole, you are being foolish. You are about to become a part of our family, so why shouldn’t you celebrate with us?” Sasha was adamant about keeping them together.
“Are you quite sure about that?” Nicole asked. She and her mother had been talking about it and decided to let the Lamberts make the final decision. So now, it was clear that she was already a part of them. This made her feel very welcome.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Henry was finally released from the hospital. Once again, he would be able to manage quite fine with the help of a housekeeper and a nurse coming in twice a week. Barb had arranged for the house to be thoroughly cleaned, some groceries brought in, and flower arrangements to be placed to make him feel welcome.
“I have missed this old place more than I care to admit,” were Henry’s first words as he entered his home. After all, a home is a home. “I was not sure that I would ever see it again.” However, he was not as strong as he expected to be. “I hope in a few weeks I will be able to get out at times, even if only for a stroll in the backyard. I’ve missed the fresh air and the sounds of nature.”
“All of that is due you, Henry,” Dominic said with conviction. Being in the hospital for so long is not something that anybody wishes to go through. “We will take you out anywhere you wish to go, and that includes Lake House.”
“Have you driven the car during my stay at the hospital?” He was hoping that the answer would be “yes.” It is good to use a car once in a while just to keep it in good working order.
“No, Henry! I have not driven your car anywhere, but now that you wish to go places, I would be happy to.” The boy was anxious to show the world that Henry was out and about once more.
“I hope you won’t mind taking me for a drive once in a while?” Henry was ready to do things and go places, but his body was a bit slow. He was shaky when he got excited and that worried him as well as his friends. “I know that going up to the lake is a bit premature, yet I know that being there would make me feel better overall. The air up there is magical. That is one thing Lily used to say to me all the time.” However, just being home offered plenty of magic for the time being.
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