Part 12 (1/2)
”Did you go to the boiler room yourself?” Rick asked the doctor.
”No. She was brought to me. When Booty Weyman found her, he had the sense to call for two orderlies. Scared to death.” Bruce remembered Booty's face, which had been bone white.
”Well, if you won't be needing me I'll go back to my office.” Jordan moved toward the door.
”Not so fast.” Rick stopped him in his tracks. ”I want the blueprints to the hospital. I want every single person's work schedule. I don't care who it is, doctors, receptionists, maintenance workers. I want the records for every delivery and trash removal for the last year and I want all this within twenty-four hours.”
”Uh.” Jordan's mind spun. ”I'll do my best.”
”Twenty-four hours!” Rick raised his voice.
”Is that all?” Jordan felt like he was strangling on his voice, which got thinner and higher the more nervous he became.
”No. Have you had any patients die under mysterious or unexplained circ.u.mstances?”
”Certainly not!” Jordan held his hands together.
”You would say that.” Rick got right in his face.
”Because it's true. And I remind you, Sheriff,” Jordan found a bit of courage to snap back, ”whatever has occurred here has occurred in the bas.e.m.e.nt. There are no patients in the bas.e.m.e.nt.”
”Get out.” Rick dismissed him with a parting shot. ”Twenty-four hours, on my desk.”
”I'm glad he left before he peed his pants,” Bruce snorted.
”I did not pee my pants,” Harry thickly said.
”Not you, Harry. Just relax.” Cooper reached for her hand.
Rick whispered to Bruce, ”Do you think Harry is in danger?”
”No. Her pulse is strong. She's strong. She's going to have a tender spot on her head.” He pointed to the three tiny, tight st.i.tches. ”These will drive her crazy.”
”The blow was that hard?” Cynthia carefully studied the wound.
”No. If it was that hard, Deputy, we'd have seen a fracture in the skull. Whoever hit her knew just how hard to hit her, which is interesting in and of itself. But the skin on the skull is thin and tears quite easily. Also, as you know, the head bleeds profusely. If I hadn't st.i.tched up what was a relatively small tear, the wound would have seeped for days. She might scratch it, infecting it or tearing it further. Something like this doesn't throb as much as it stings and itches.” He smiled warmly. He had a nice smile, and it was a pity he didn't smile more often.
”Do you have any idea what she was doing here? Did she mention coming to the hospital at the meeting?” Cynthia asked.
”No.”
Rick sighed, a long, frustrated sigh. ”Mary Minor Haristeen can be d.a.m.ned nosy.”
”Drugs.” Harry tried to raise her voice but couldn't.
”What?” Cooper bent low.
”Drugs. I bet you someone is stealing drugs.”
Bruce sighed. ”It's as good an explanation as any other.” He rubbed his hands together.
”I'd like to keep her here overnight for observation.”
”I'll bring her home and stay with her,” Cynthia declared.
”You said she was in no danger.” Rick, understanding Cynthia's concern, stared at Bruce.
Bruce cupped his chin in his hand. ”From a medical point of view, I don't think she is. She might suffer a bit of dizziness or nausea. Occasionally vision will be impaired. Again, I don't think the blow was that hard.”
”She has a hard head.” Rick smiled ruefully.
”You got that right, Sheriff.” Bruce smiled back at him.
18.
”Ow.” Harry touched her st.i.tches as Cynthia Cooper drove her home in her own truck.
As they walked through the kitchen door the two cats and dog ran up to their human, all talking at once. She knelt down, petting each one, a.s.suring them that she was fine.
”We can skip breakfast, Mom, if you feel punk,” Tucker volunteered.
”No, we can't.” Pewter meowed so loudly that Cynthia laughed, walked over to the kitchen counter, and opened a can of food.
”I'll do that.”
”Harry, sit down. I can feed the cats and dog.”
”Thanks.”
Mrs. Murphy, now on Harry's lap, licked her face. ”We were scared. We didn't know where you were.”
”Yes, don't leave us. You need a brave dog to guard you.” Tucker's lovely brown eyes shone with concern.
Harry rose to make a pot of coffee. Mrs. Murphy walked beside her.
”Sit down. I'll do it.” Cynthia laughed to herself. Harry had a hard time accepting help. ”Besides, I need to know what happened and your full concentration is necessary.”
”I can concentrate while I make the coffee.”
”All right.” Coop put out the food as Pewter danced on her hind legs.
She then put down Tucker's food.
”Thank you.” Tucker dove in.
”Okay. I went to the G.o.d's Love meeting. Regular cast of characters. On the way home I thought, why not cruise the hospital.” Harry noticed Mrs. Murphy sticking to her like glue. ”Murphy, I'm fine. Go eat.” The tiger cat joined Pewter at the food bowl.