OUTLIER: Blood, Brotherhood, And Beauty (Beauty 0f Lifee Book 4)

by Laura Acton

  Jeff finally moved forward. “Hey, Runt.” Old memories assaulted Jeff. A particular memory from when Jeff was eleven filtered in. He had been so mean to Runt on the camping trip. Jeff wanted to take back every hurtful and mean thing he ever said to Dan. Runt was five years younger than him. Jeff should’ve known better and been nicer to his cousin.

  He had been so angry and thought Runt horned in on his time with his dad, but it had been Runt’s first camping trip. “We’re gonna go camping again soon. If you’re rusty on fly fishing, I’d be happy to reteach you. I should’ve been nicer to you. You were just a little runt, and I should’ve recognized you were trying your best. I promise not to be blind ever again.”

  Scott and Adam both stepped forward. Each placed a supportive hand on Jeff’s shoulders. “You were just a kid, too. And remember, the second week we were there was fantastic,” Adam said.

  Jeff frowned. “Until Runt got so sick with Q fever. My fault, too.”

  Adam snorted. “Um … my recollection is you both gave as good as you got and it wasn’t your fault the cows were infected.”

  Scott grinned. “Remember the treehouse Uncle Will built that summer for Danny?”

  “Yeah, we had a lot of fun in that thing,” Adam said.

  The corners of Jeff’s mouth quirked up. “The treehouse was fun. Runt, I’m gonna get you back into shape. We’re gonna pick up where we left off. High time you know we all love you and care about you.”

  Scott said, “You’re worthy of love! You belong! You always have whether you accepted it or not. I hope you now know Sara’s death isn’t your fault. And if you don’t I’m gonna make sure you do.”

  The nurse entered the room and said, “I need to check his vitals. Please step out and tell the next group to wait about ten minutes.”

  All three reached out and squeezed Dan’s hand and told him they would be back later. In the hall, the Broderick males decided Ryan would tell the TRF team they were leaving for the hotel and to wait ten minutes before visiting Dan.

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ICU Waiting Room – 3:00 a.m.

  Ryan popped into the waiting room. “We’re on the way to the hotel. William wanted to know what the protection plan is for Danny.”

  Nick said, “There are two constables at the entrance to ICU now. They will be checking IDs. Another two will be outside Dan’s room shortly.”

  “Can they be trusted?” Ryan asked.

  Bram answered for the team. “After today—a cop shot at the funeral of a cop … yeah. In fact, there is a list of over a hundred cops, and all the TRF members volunteered for protection detail. Commander Gambrill selected the off-duty TRF team members for the task. So Dan’s safe.”

  “Thank you. I needed to ask … after everything.”

  Nick’s expression communicated no offense taken, and that they understood. “We’ll be here for Dan, too. We will take over protection after getting some rest.”

  “Thanks, again.” Ryan pivoted and hurried out of the room to catch up with his brothers.

  Nick turned his attention to the team. They were all dragging and needed rest. He took a breath and slowly exhaled. “It sounded terrible from what the doctor said. We will help Dan get through this, whatever it takes. He is family. We worked too hard to lose him now. You all need rest. We can plan to meet back here tomorrow at …”

  Loki chimed in, “You mean later today. It’s past three in the morning.”

  Nick checked his watch. Wow! He didn’t realize the time. “So, will meet back here about four in the afternoon. You all need to sleep.”

  “So who is visiting Dan next?” Ray asked.

  “Bram, Jon, and Ray you guys go first. Jon and Bram, you need to head home after. Your families need you, too.” Nick rubbed his face wearily.

  Jon gave Nick a look of resistance. He planned on visiting last and staying the night regardless of what the doctor said. The guilt he carried weighed heavily, and he wanted to protect Dan.

  Nick saw the expression on Jon’s face. “Jon, you heard the doctor, no visitors until later tonight and only if he’s doing well enough. Being in this waiting room or being at your home makes no difference to Dan, but a lot of difference to your family. Jennifer, Kent, and Joey haven’t seen you in days. You need to go home and recharge.”

  Jon hated to admit it, but Nick was right. Here or there, wouldn’t change his guilt. He nodded agreeing, and he, Bram and Ray headed for Dan’s room.

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ICU Room B – 3:10 a.m.

  Though prepared by the doctor’s warning, the sight of Dan was hard to take. Ray moved up first and stood silently for a few moments not sure what to say. Finally, a few encouraging words came to mind. He whispered them to Dan and stepped back. Ray was uncomfortable being in this room seeing such a strong man so helpless. It just wasn’t right.

  Bram stepped forward and gently squeezed Dan’s left bicep. He hoped that would not become a commonplace thing. Bram wanted Dan hale and hearty, and back on the team. Bram lifted Dan’s right hand and placed it over his heart. “Buddy, draw strength. We’re here. We won’t let you fall. Gonna hold on tightly. You don’t have to do this alone. We are here always—you are part of our family.”

  He held Dan’s hand a moment longer, then carefully laid it back down. “Allie’s expecting her Prince Charming to attend the picnic. I think we might have to postpone it, so Allie and the rest of my girls aren’t disappointed.” Bram moved back to allow Jon to get closer.

  Jon placed a hand lightly on Dan’s shoulder. He blew out a long, harsh breath. Dan shouldn’t be here. If only they stuck to the plan. Jon pushed those thoughts away—he would deal with his sense of guilt later. He tried to think of something positive to say.

  A small grin played on his face as Jon said softly, “Dano, it’s okay to nap for now. You earned it, and you need it. This is an acceptable place to nap. But we need you, so you can’t nap for too long. You have to wake soon. When you get back, we’ll have a rematch on the tactical course. You better match or beat your time, or I’m relegating you to the truck. Sleep well. See ya soon, rookie.” He patted Dan’s shoulder lightly then left the room.

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ICU Waiting Room – 3:15 a.m.

  Ray, Jon, and Bram returned to the waiting room to let the others know it was their turn. Jon and Bram left for home, but Ray stayed a moment.

  He looked at Loki and said, “I’ll wait here for you. We can leave together and come back tomorrow.”

  “Later today,” Lexa corrected. She was happy Boss sent the others in first. Now she would put her plan to stay into action.

  Loki didn’t plan on leaving. He would stay but didn’t want to alert the others to his plan. So Loki replied, “Nah man, you look dead on your feet. Go now, I’ll catch a ride with Lexa or Boss.”

  Ray asked a second time if he was sure and got the same answer, so he left the room. Nick, Loki, and Lexa headed for Dan’s room.

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ICU Room B – 3:20 a.m.

  The three had pretty much the same reactions the others had to Dan’s appearance. Loki stared at the artificial rise and fall of Dan’s chest and the tubing in his mouth. It was almost too much to bear but furthered his resolve, he wasn’t leaving Dan. In the bank, he promised Dan he would hang on and never let go. Loki intended to do just that. He carefully clasped both his hands around Dan’s limp hand.

  Nick stood in the doorway. His hand unconsciously rubbing across his eyes. It was his nervous tick. His rookie, the one they worked so hard to accept and make a part of this family was in dire shape. It hurt so much to see Dan in this condition.

  He worried what would happen to his team if they lost Dan. He told Jon to stay positive, but it was so hard to do that looking at Dan now. Nick needed to pull himself together for his team—his family.

  Nick slowly walked to the rookie. “Dan, your team needs you. I need you. You’re family. I want you to think about how you felt Monday morning, the happiness. Hold on to tha
t feeling. We’ll be here if you need anything. All you have to do is ask.”

  He glanced at Loki and Lexa and interpreted the determination in each of their eyes. Nothing he said would get either of them to leave. So he made it easy for them. “I’m going to take off now. Get some sleep. Gambrill said we have the next few days off, but we need to return to shift on Tuesday morning. You need to be rested and focused by then.”

  They both responded, “Copy that,” as Nick turned to leave.

  At the door, Nick softly said without looking back, “I know you aren’t leaving unless they kick you out. Call me if anything changes.”

  How does he do that? He always knows—always! Loki and Lexa shared surprised looks and thoughts. Then they settled in.

  Lexa stood near the head of the bed gently stroking Dan’s hair. It was one of the few places on his body which wasn’t impeded by wires and tubes, and she knew it brought him comfort. She no longer cared if Loki saw her doing this. Lexa would explain it away if need be.

  However, Loki seemed oblivious to her actions. As Lexa gazed at Dan she thought, you must pull through. I’m not sure how or why you affect me like this, but … I’ll miss you a lot if you don’t. Please don’t die, keep fighting.

  Loki sat in the only chair holding Dan’s right hand. He didn’t need to talk. His touch would let Dan know he was here. Just like Dan would know Lexa was here too by her touch.

  Loki had seen Lexa stroke Dan’s hair several times now. She was intuitive and caring like Boss. And after learning what they did, that stroking Dan’s hair was the only touch he allowed after Sara’s death, Loki thought Lexa must have intuitively known what would comfort Dan. It made him happy to see Lexa being such a good friend to Dan.

  The steady sounds of the beeps of the monitors and ventilator were the only noises in the room. No nurses bothered to kick them out. The four o’clock shift change came and the night nurse entered the room with the day nurse. The day nurse was still processing the information from the previous patient when they walked in. She finished jotting down her last note and looked up at the next patient.

  The clipboard clattered to the ground. Startled by the sound Lexa and Loki jumped and looked towards the nurse. Tears could be seen in the nurse’s eyes as she sadly said, “No, not again, Dear Lord, please not again.”

  She wiped her eyes and recovered her clipboard trying hard to get back to her professional demeanor. She cleared her voice and asked the night nurse for the patient’s status. They did their pass-down and the night nurse left the room to go record the vitals.

  The older nurse turned to Loki and Lexa. “My name is Lois Clarry, I’ll be taking care of Dan today.”

  They instantly recognized the last name and gave her a questioning look.

  Lois softly said. “Yes, I’m related to Sara. She’s my granddaughter.”

  Lexa thought the world couldn’t get any smaller.

  “I need to do my start of shift checks, so I need you to leave the room. I’ll allow you back in afterward. Why don’t you go grab some coffee or a snack? You can come back in about thirty minutes.”

  Lexa and Loki thanked the nurse and left so she could care for Dan.

  They returned to the room thirty-five minutes later. Someone had brought in a second chair and placed a pillow and blanket on each. A thoughtful gesture. Most likely Nurse Clarry’s doing.

  Loki and Lexa sat down and resumed their vigil. Neither wanted Dan to feel alone, so they took turns sleeping. Both talked to Dan about nothing in particular—saying whatever came to mind so Dan could hear a friendly voice and know he wasn’t alone. Nurse Clarry checked in every thirty minutes and often brought them a fresh cup of coffee.

  Hidden Agendas

  24

  July 20

  St. Michael’s Hospital – Administrator’s Office – 8 a.m.

  Fabien Bainbridge steepled his fingers as he considered the two possible candidate’s files on display on his desk. A tough decision. Over his half-sized reading glasses perched low on his nose, Fabien peered at the head of hospital security. “So, these are the final two?”

  Gervais Fresnel replied, “Yes. I’d like your permission to fly Gaston Dupont in for a face-to-face interview.”

  Bainbridge tapped his fingers together. “That’s rather expensive. Ms. Ridley is local, and she’s a retired captain of the Toronto Police Force.”

  Bristling thinking about hiring a woman to take over for him, Gervais chose politically-correct words. “Fabien, we want the best candidate. This position is important. We have a responsibility to the patients in our care to ensure the right person is selected to replace me when I retire.

  “Dupont has years of experience doing this exact job in many hospitals around the country. And while Ms. Ridley may have police experience, we aren’t a police force. The methods we use are different. I’d like to be able to leave this hospital in the right hands.”

  Fabien continued to tap his fingers. “Hmmm. You do have a point.” He pondered for several more minutes as he studied the resumes both candidates submitted. “Okay. Arrange to bring Mr. Dupont in for an interview late September or early October. I like that you are proactively in searching for a replacement, but it’s still six months until you plan to retire. Mr. Dupont might change his mind before then or find another position.”

  Gervais smiled. If that happened, he would just find another male to replace him, though Fabien didn’t need to know his agenda. “Thanks, Fabien. I’ll make those arrangements. Now, as for Constable Broderick’s security.

  “The TRF plans to cover him while he is in ICU. We’re upgrading the cameras on the tenth floor tomorrow. We’ll have the floor on a constant watch by the time he’s transferred up there. Security will also walk the floors at more frequent intervals. That along with the security the police plan on providing outside his room should keep the constable safe.”

  Nodding, Fabien said, “Terrible and shocking what happened to him at the funeral and there may still be a threat to his life.”

  Gervais solemnly inclined his head, again not wanting to betray his real thoughts on Constable Broderick. He couldn’t believe they let the likes of him back onto the force. Brogan wouldn’t be happy.

  Grand Citadel Hotel – Main Suite – 12:00 p.m.

  Mark strolled out of William’s room rejoining the family in the main suite. He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat with his brothers Erik and Ryan at the table. They looked questioningly at him. “He’s finally back to sleep. He looks terrible. From the few details Will told us last night, he and Dan have had a rough time of it. While I was in there, I got a call from Yvonne.”

  Erik asked, “How’s she holding up?”

  “As well as can be expected. Becca is doing well, too. Yvonne was relieved when I promised I wouldn’t leave until she’s able to come.”

  His brothers sluggishly nodded in response. Due to fatigue and concern, no one was ready to discuss anything heavy yet. They needed their coffee infusions first. Most of the Broderick men were wrung out.

  Yesterday had been grueling. Most of them had been up for nearly twenty-four hours, some more than that when they arrived at the hotel around three thirty this morning. By the time they sorted out the rooms and taken care of other details, it had been close to six when they hit the sack. Plagued with worry, most of them barely slept in the past six hours. They all eventually ended up gathered in the suite seeking coffee and the quiet comfort which came from being surrounded by family.

  Zach sauntered over to freshen up his coffee and stopped by the table. He put his arms around Ryan’s shoulders and gave him a tight hug. “Hey, Dad, I truly appreciate you contacting my CO early this morning and getting my leave extended. He really wanted me to be part of the training flight. Thanks for making him see this is more important. I didn’t want to leave. Not until we see how Dan is really doing.”

  Ryan only nodded in response but noted the grave concern in his son’s eyes and voice.

  Zach glanced over to t
he commander, “Uncle Erik, I know Kyle appreciates your calls on his behalf, too.”

  Kyle overheard and piped in, “Yeah, thanks again, Dad. After seeing Dan, leaving felt so wrong. Dan needs us all.” Kyle was incredibly grateful for his father’s intervention. After he completely broken down and sobbed like a baby in his Dad’s arms after visiting Dan in the ICU, Kyle knew he needed more than the three days’ leave he had initially been granted.

  After what the doctor explained, Kyle needed to be here when Dan woke up, and that could be days. He had been surprised his dad had the paperwork already in place to extend his leave—all that was needed was the dates. So very quickly his three-day leave got extended for a full two weeks.

  My CO is just a prick on a power trip. There is absolutely no reason he should’ve denied the two-week leave I requested, Kyle thought as he took a sip of his coffee. They were in port and would be for the next month with no critical duties to perform, most of the men were on leave anyway.

  A small grin appeared Kyle’s face. Sometimes there are advantages to having a Commander for a Dad. This was the first time he ever allowed his dad to intervene. However, he was so glad his dad swung more leave for him. Sometimes it was nice having a high-ranking officer for your father.

  Sometimes it was a real hassle, too. Kyle knew he was probably gonna pay for this when he returned. Foccard would make his life miserable, but Kyle didn’t care. Dan was worth any crap his CO would throw at him. And if Dan could handle six years in the field, then he could handle being on Foccard’s shit list until his next transfer.

  After Zach finished refilling his coffee, he ambled back to where the cousins congregated on the couches. His mind wandered and landed on the fact that it wasn’t often the guys were all in the same place simultaneously. The last time the five were together was three years ago just after Kyle finished basic training and the time before that … it escaped him. This is rare.

  One or more of the guys were usually missing from family events, while his female cousins were always there without fail. The guys often couldn’t get leave or were in another country doing their duty. Zach frowned as a thought came to him. Whoa, the last time all six of us guys were all together was just after Dan finished special ops training before he was deployed with his Special Forces unit in Kandahar.