Daisy started to ask him to wait until they brought the baby home from the hospital but the serious look of anticipation on his face stopped her.
“Sure, Bert, just give me a few minutes and you and I can go see the little fellow together, okay?”
Bert disappeared and Daisy went into her bedroom to change shoes and get her keys.
Bert talked all the way there about babies and how he liked to look at them but he’d never touched one. Daisy wondered if she could get Jo to let him at least touch her baby.
As they entered Jo’s hospital room, they heard the baby crying rather loudly. Daisy had to stop the moment she saw the baby boy nestled in Jo’s arms and wrapped in a blue blanket. Her mind flashed back to when she was lying in a hospital bed with Richie in her arms wrapped in a blue blanket.
She had to step back and was glad that Bert was in front of her. She sat down quickly because she didn’t think her legs would hold her. Thankfully, there were several chairs against the wall right outside the room probably for just such a purpose.
She started to feel woozy and leaned her head down between her knees.
“Are you okay, Daisy?”
She’d know that voice anywhere. Gil placed a warm hand on her shoulder and she was barely able to look up at him and nod her head.
He had a knowing look on his face and he said, “Your son?”
All she could manage was to nod her head before the tears started. Her ever-prepared pastor placed a small box of tissues in her hand. She couldn’t help but marvel at how he always seemed to anticipate whatever needed to be done.
He just stood there with his hand on her shoulder while she finished crying, wiped her eyes, and stood.
“Thank you, Gil. You’re the best.”
With that, he just smiled and opened the door for her to precede him into the room.
This time, she was better prepared for the scene before her. Bert was standing next to the bed on the other side so she moved up to the near side and took the hand that Jo reached out to her.
Before she could say anything, Bert had been staring at the baby but he turned to stare intently at Gil then back at the baby. Finally, he said, “He don’t!” rather loudly.
Jo, Gil, and Daisy all looked at each other with puzzled expressions on their faces.
Daisy caught Bert’s eye and said, “What do you mean, Bert?”
He went through his routine before speaking. “Well, Miz Eunice was just plain wrong, that’s all.”
Daisy was used to having to be patient with Bert in order to get it all out of him. “What was she wrong about, Bert?”
Bert shook his head vigorously. “He don’t look exactly like Mr. Preacher.”
No one could help the spontaneous laughter that bubbled out of all of them at that announcement.
While Gil took Bert aside and explained what his aunt had meant by that statement, Daisy looked down at Jo and the baby in her arms.
“What’s his name?”
Jo smiled up at her and said, “Well, we wanted to give him a Biblical first name but we also wanted to give him Gil’s middle name which he got from his grandfather. And I wanted him to have a name that couldn’t be shortened. So we named him Luke Wayne Turner.”
Daisy smiled and tried to keep the tears back again. “That’s perfect. It’s such a strong name for a big boy like him.”
She took the baby’s little hand between thumb and forefinger. “Hi there Luke.”
Gil came back over to stand beside Daisy. She could see the look that passed between Jo and Gil.
Jo said, “Are you okay Daisy?”
Daisy nodded and tried to smile.
“Do you want to hold him?”
Daisy was torn. In one way, she desperately wanted to hold a baby again but she also was so afraid that it might even give her nightmares again.
Finally, she nodded and held out her hands. As Jo placed the warm little bundle in her arms, Daisy sank into the chair next to the bed.
She just looked down at him and tears started streaming down her cheeks again. She kept holding the baby through her tears and when they finally dried up, she felt as if she had run a race and somehow won.
After a few minutes of watching Luke sleep in her arms, she stood and handed him back to his mother. Jo beamed down at her son and Daisy couldn’t help but smile too.
As Daisy was leaning over to place Luke back in his mother’s arms, she whispered in Jo’s ear, “Bert just wants to touch him.”
Jo grinned and turned to Bert on her other side. She said, “Bert, would you like to touch Luke’s hand?”
Bert didn’t say anything and didn’t move for a long moment. Then he cautiously as if reaching toward fire, reached out and touched the little hand that was in Jo’s.
Luke’s hand closed around Bert’s finger and Bert giggled. Daisy had a warm feeling all over at the look of amazement on Bert’s face.
After a moment, Bert backed away and just stood there grinning down at Luke for a while. But, as was Bert’s nature, he soon started to fidget.
Daisy could tell that Bert was getting impatient now. She knew that he’d done all he came to do and now was ready to leave. She was used to all of her residents having rather short attention spans.
She turned to go but the door opened and a very young woman with long black hair tied up in a ponytail wearing purple scrubs peeked her head in then stepped the rest of the way inside the room.
Jo cried out with joy, “Karen, how nice to see you. Come on in.”
The woman stopped at the foot of the bed and then Daisy realized that she looked familiar.
Jo said, “Have you two met?”
When both said no, Jo said, “Daisy, this is Karen Bierstadt. She’s a physical therapist here and she’s also a fairly new member of our church.”
Then she looked at Karen. “Karen, this is Daisy Thomas. She’s the director of the Sparrow Foundation Home, the residence where Bert and all the others live.”
Karen smiled as they shook hands. “I see you with your group every Sunday. I really admire you for what you do.”
“Thank you.”
Jo beamed at Karen. “Daisy is an RN but has chosen to do what she does instead.”
Karen turned to Daisy and said, “That’s really nice.”
Daisy tried to determine how serious Karen was. “Why don’t you sit with us Sunday? I know all the gang would love to meet you.”
“Okay, I might do that. I’ve just been sitting with a married couple from here at the hospital, but I always feel like a fifth wheel when I’m with them.”
Daisy only stayed a few more minutes but she left feeling much better than when she’d first arrived.
* * *
After lunch, Mike was resting in his easy chair in the family room. He’d discovered that he had more mobility now that the bullet was out. He had been able to swing his body from the wheelchair into his recliner without help and he’d done it easily too.
He found himself smiling for the second time today. Whoa, what was going on here?
He was still thinking about what the extra mobility might mean when he heard the doorbell ring. His mom called out that she’d get it. He was glad, since he hadn’t figured out how to get back into his chair as easily as he’d vacated it and he certainly didn’t need to try to do it in a hurry.
A moment later, Floyd stepped into the room holding his hat and grinning at Mike. “Well, look at you. Your mom said you got into that chair all by yourself and you even took a shower by yourself this morning too. It sounds to me like you’re getting a lot better now that the bullet’s out.”
Mike didn’t want to show too much emotion especially with the big sheriff. He was still trying to decide why the guy was spending so much time with him. Was it only because he felt obliged to since Mike had saved his life? Or was it because Floyd genuinely wanted to spend time there with him?
“Yeah, I decided that I’m not going to go through the rest of my life expecting other peop
le to do everything for me. I’m tired of that.”
Floyd smiled and sat in an armchair near Mike’s recliner. “You got the right attitude now buddy. There for a while I was beginning to worry about you that you might just curl up and do nothing.”
Mike grew angry quickly. “Is that all you think of me? I’ve been a cop for a long time McCracken. One thing about my work with the DEA, I never gave up on a case. I never quit. I’m not a quitter.”
Floyd just smiled broader and said, “I’m glad to hear that Mike. You just keep that attitude and you’ll be out of that chair to stay in no time at all.”
That was when Mike realized that Floyd had been goading him on just to see if he was going to fight to walk again. His opinion of the big freckled sheriff just raised a few notches.
Floyd grew serious now and looked Mike in the eye. “Has Hershel Hollis contacted you in any way lately?”
Mike was surprised when Floyd changed the subject so drastically and then to throw something like that at him.
He shook his head then said, “Wait a minute. He did. I was coming out of my doctor’s office and he stopped me in the parking lot.”
“What did he do?”
“First, he spit tobacco near my feet like he was trying to intimidate me. Then he called me a fed man and said that I didn’t get what I deserved.”
“Is that all?”
“No. Then he said that it was too bad that Hennesey’s aim wasn’t just a few inches higher. That way they’d be rid of one more fed.”
He thought some more. “Then just as he was walking off, he laughed real loud and said that I’d better watch out or someone else might finish the job for Hennesey.”
Floyd was rubbing his crew cut hair with his hand and frowning now. “When was this?”
Mike thought for a second. “It was last Tuesday morning.”
Floyd pulled out a little notebook and wrote something down in it then turned back to Mike, “Did anyone else witness this confrontation?”
“Yes, my caregiver, Randy Simmons.”
“Is he with Southwest Home Care?”
When Mike nodded, Floyd wrote some more in his notebook.
The big sheriff frowned and looked deep into Mike’s eyes. “I’m afraid you’re not going to like what I’m about to say.”
Mike just sat there waiting so Floyd continued. “We’re getting reports that Hollis is making bragging statements like that about you all over the county.”
When Mike didn’t comment, Floyd went on. “You still certified?”
Mike knew where this was going so he said, “Yes I am.” He leaned over to his wheelchair, pulled a Glock 9mm out of a bag hanging from the armrests, and held it up with the muzzle pointed down. “Was this your next question Floyd?”
Floyd grinned and said, “I sure like the way you think man.”
A gasp sounded from the doorway behind them and both men swung around to see Sarah standing there with her hand to her mouth.
Mike didn’t know what to do now. He started to ask her to leave but the look on her face told him it wouldn’t do any good.
“Mom, how much did you hear?”
Instead of answering him, she asked her own question. “Were you ever going to tell me that this man the sheriff is talking about threatened you?”
“Now Mom . . .”
“Don’t you now Mom me Michael. I think that I should have known that you were in danger. You should have told me.”
Mike could see that Floyd wanted to say something so he nodded at him.
“Mrs. Bates . . .”
“Now Sheriff, don’t you think that a friend of Mike’s should be able to call me Sarah?”
Floyd grinned and said, “Okay, Sarah, only if you’ll start calling me Floyd.”
When she nodded, Floyd continued, “I was about to suggest to Mike that he ask you to find somewhere else to stay for a while.”
Even Floyd could tell that she was about to object so he said, “Just until we can get this guy Hollis behind bars.”
Sarah held up her hands, one in front of Floyd and the other in front of Mike. “Wait just a minute, Floyd. I’ll be right back.”
A couple of minutes later, Sarah appeared between them again with a large revolver in her right hand, holding it by the grip and pointed down. In her left hand, she held a little plastic coated card, which she handed to Floyd.
Floyd snorted and said, “Well I’ll be.” He looked at Mike and said, “This is a CCW permit.”
Mike took the pistol from his mom, looked at, and then turned to Floyd. “This is a 357 magnum.”
Both men were now staring at Sarah in disbelief.
Before either one could say anything, Sarah said, “Mike, you know that I taught in an inner city school and I had to learn how to take care of myself.”
She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Floyd. “I am staying, and I am going to help protect Mike from this Hollis person you were talking about.”
Mike started to protest but Floyd said, “How good are you with that thing . . . Sarah?”
“I can hit the bulls-eye at twenty feet and just outside it at thirty feet.”
Floyd whistled and Mike laughed. “I’d say that’s plenty good enough wouldn’t you Mike?”
They all laughed then. Sarah was the first to stop and she said, “Mike, it’s time to leave for your doctor’s appointment.”
Floyd stood and said, “Why don’t I take you Mike, we still have a few more things to talk over.” He caught the look Sarah was giving him and added, “We won’t keep anything from you Sarah. I promise.”
With that, Floyd helped Mike into his chair and they left for the doctor’s office.
As soon as Floyd pushed Mike into the waiting room, the receptionist said, “Good afternoon, Mr. Bates, the doctors are waiting for you back in room number three right now.”
As Floyd continued to push him back to the examining room, Mike wasn’t sure that this was going to be good or bad. Both doctors were waiting for him. That could only mean very good news or very bad.
Before he had time to think about that, Floyd had pushed him into the room where Stella and Mark were both leaning against the examining table waiting for him.
Floyd started to leave, but Mike suddenly felt that he needed the big guy’s presence. He turned to Floyd and said, “Stay.”
Stella looked at Floyd and said, “Would you close the door please Floyd?”
Once he closed the door, Stella smiled at Mike and said, “Great news Mike. Your tests show that the nerve activity in your back has picked up considerably since the operation Friday.”
Mike didn’t know what to think. What was she saying?
Before he could think of what to say, Mark said, “What that means Mike is that we’re almost positive now that you will begin to have feeling in your legs and soon. It should start at your toes and work its way up your legs until you’re able to move them. Once that starts, then you’ll be well on your way to walking again.”
All three of the others seemed to be talking at once but Mike couldn’t understand anything they were saying for the buzzing in his mind. Was it finally going to happen? Was he finally going to be able to walk again?
* * *
After lunch, Daisy was waiting for Lucy to wake up from her nap. She needed to take Barbie to the doctor for a checkup but she really didn’t want to leave while Lucy was still sleeping.
She was sitting in their living room knitting when Barbie appeared in the doorway. Barbie was one of her older residents at forty-five. Of course, like all the rest of her residents she didn’t look near that old. Daisy knew she wasn’t supposed to have favorites, but Barbie was such a sweetheart that she couldn’t help but feel more for her than some of the others who were more moody.
“I’m just about ready to go, Barbie. Are you?”
Barbie nodded her head emphatically and said, “I’m ready Miz Daisy.”
Just then, Lucy came out of her room rubbing her eyes and c
rawled into Daisy’s lap. She quickly had to move her knitting out of the way.
She held Lucy in her arms to let her finish waking up. This was one of the most enjoyable times of her day. She loved to feel her little girl in her arms this way. She could hold her like that forever.
Soon, though, Lucy was fully awake and hopped out of Daisy’s lap. “Can I go play with Bert and Bobby, Mommy?”
“Yes, Dear, you may. But I’m taking Barbie to the doctor and I want you to let Wilma know where you are at all times, though. Okay?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
With that, she was gone and Daisy stood. “Okay, Barbie, let’s go.”
Daisy had a pleasant drive to the doctor’s office with Barbie telling her all about her morning at the grocery store where she worked as a bagger. For maybe the hundredth time since she’d taken this job, Daisy thought about how much better the world would be if everyone looked at it the way Barbie and the rest of her residents did. Every new day was an adventure that they couldn’t wait to explore.
When they arrived at the doctor’s office, they had to wait for a little while in the waiting room. Barbie immediately picked up a little children’s book and began reading it. She was one of the few of Daisy’s residents who could read although she did have a limited vocabulary.
Soon, the door to the back swung open and she looked up to see Floyd McCracken pushing Mike Bates through. Floyd stopped the wheelchair directly in front of her. He was almost grinning. She didn’t think she had ever seen the big sheriff grin quite like that before. Unless, of course, it was last Sunday when he and his wife Sue Ann had told everybody at church that they were going to have a baby.
When Mike said hello, Daisy was surprised. He didn’t usually acknowledge her unless she got right in his face. Floyd snorted and said, “Well, Mike, aren’t you going to tell her?”
Mike gave Floyd a dirty look then looked at her and she was sure he wasn’t going to speak but finally he opened his mouth and said, “They said my nerves are so much better now that I should be able to walk again.”
Daisy didn’t think, she just leaped from her seat, wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck, and hugged him tightly. She was very surprised when he seemed to hug her back even if it was rather loosely.
The Only Solution (Crowley County Series Book 3) Page 8
