Trust in Me (38 page)

Slowly Annie led Beth to the waiting area; it was new and hadn’t been here when Danny had died. A pleasant room, it sported soft blue-striped wallpaper, three stuffed couches and several chairs. Beth could smell the coffee brewing in the corner, see the rain hit the three huge windows off to the side. How many times had Linc waited here, counseled families here? How many fears had he quelled with his soft assurances, how many souls had he soothed, gently assuring them God was with them? Annie sat her down, then crossed to a small desk and picked up the phone.

Shaking her head, Beth lay back against the couch and closed her eyes. Oh, God, how could this be happening?

o0o

“HOW could this happen, Tom? I don’t understand.” Margo tapped a pencil on the desk as she spoke to the product distribution manager. She’d been unable to get an answer to this problem the day before and she was not happy.

“I don’t know, Margo. All I know is the date of delivery on my order form is different from yours.”

“I’ve got my paperwork in front of me.” The button on the phone, signifying another call, lit up. Margo ignored it. “We need to meet on this.”

Philip came to the doorway. She waved him in.

“I can do it after lunch,” Tom told her. “Shall I come up there?”

“That would be fine. Bring your forms.”

As she hung up, she sighed. “That was Tom Newman. Seems the paperwork is screwed up on the Brubeck order.”

Philip loosened the striped tie he wore with a pristine white shirt and soft wool sport coat. “How’d that happen?”

“I don’t know. I’ll find out after lunch.” She shrugged into her gray jacket and fixed the scarf she’d worn over the pink silk T-shirt. “I’m going to go...”

Margo’s group assistant appeared at the doorway. “Margo, there’s a call for you on line two.”

“Can you take a message, Joanie?”

Joanie’s pretty face scowled. “When you didn’t pick up, I tried to. The woman said she’s from Glen Oaks and it’s an emergency.”

Margo’s fingers gripped the edge of the desk; one of her rings bit into her hand. Beth. Or Annie. She whipped up the phone and pressed the button. “Yes?”

“Margo, it’s Annie. I’m at Glen Oaks Hospital. Linc’s been hurt.”

Margo’s breath stopped in her throat. “Linc? Hurt?” She clutched the phone with an icy palm. “How bad?”

“We’re not sure. Seems some irate husband of a woman in his self-esteem group came to church and plowed into him. He’s unconscious, and they’re doing a CAT scan.”

“
Unconscious?
How long has he been unconscious?”

“Rosa, the guy’s wife, called me at ten.”

Margo glanced at her watch. It was almost noon. “Two hours. That’s not good, is it, Annie?”

“No, honey, it’s not good. I think you should come home.”

“I’ll catch the next train.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Margo hung up and smoothed down her skirt. Adjusted her belt. Woodenly, she reached into the drawer and got her purse.

Philip asked, “What’s happened?”

“I’ve got to go.”

When she circled the desk, he stopped her with a firm grip on her shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”

“That was my friend Annie. Apparently Linc’s been hurt. I’ve got to go to Glen Oaks right away.”

“How badly?”

Margo never cried. Absolutely never. She drew in a deep breath and willed back the emotion threatening to swallow her up. “I don’t know. He’s unconscious.”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” He stepped aside. “I’ll come with you to the station, get you on a train.”

“No, Philip. You don’t have to do that.”

“I won’t take no for an answer.”

She glanced around the office. “I’ve, um, got work. A meeting with Tom this afternoon.”

Taking charge, he opened her closet and got her raincoat. “We’ll have Joanie reschedule things, or I’ll deal with it.”

Draping her hooded coat around her shoulders, he escorted her out of the office, holding her arm tightly.

She was too shaken to protest. Even her legs were wobbly.

In a daze, she found herself at her assistant’s desk, then in the elevator, then out the door. It was pouring rain as Philip hailed a cab and eased her inside. She barely noticed his arm go around her, or how he grasped her hand. All she could think about was Linc, in the hospital, unconscious.

Finally Grand Central Station came into view. She bolted out of the car with Philip right behind her. Once inside, the loudspeaker and buzz of people jolted her; Philip purchased her ticket for the next train, which was due in five minutes.

Thank God
, she caught herself saying.

Yeah, some God. Where the hell was he when his most devoted follower in the whole world needed him?

But the accusation rang false, for some reason.

She bade Philip goodbye and boarded the train to Glen Oaks.

Seated by a window, she stared out sightlessly as the city scrolled by. Suddenly, she was seized by a panic, a fear she had never known before, not even in her worst times as a child.

Think about God, please
, Linc had asked.

So, for only the second time in her entire life, she whispered the words,
Please, God...

Chapter 23

ANNIE was running on automatic pilot, just as she had when Joe left town and she was forced to deal with the reality of her life. Now, reality was that Linc was still unconscious and the ramifications of that could be brutal.

She stared out the window as the rain came down in sheets, preparing herself. Danny had died. It
did
happen. Linc could die. She glanced across the room at Beth, who sat curled up on the couch like a little girl, her legs under her, her head resting on her hands. Her plain white sweater accented her pallor, and Annie ludicrously noted her jeans were still damp. Annie had retrieved jeans and a flannel shirt for herself from her car when she’d gone to park it in a long-term lot.

Her friend had been so strong through Danny’s death, through Ronny’s legal problems. But Annie knew this would push her over the edge. Linc was her rock, her lifeline. He was that to all of them. How would any of them survive without him? Oh, God, when Margo got here, it would be worse. She loved Linc so much.

“Beth? Annie?”

Pivoting, Annie saw her ex-husband standing in the doorway. His head beaded with water, his belted raincoat wet, he was frowning, and his shoulders were stiff.

For some reason, her eyes misted at seeing him. “Hi.”

“I just heard.” He crossed to Beth. Kneeling down in front of her, he grasped her hands. “How you holding up, honey?”

Beth nodded. Her expression was so bleak Annie’s stomach clenched. “Okay.”

As Annie stared at them, Joe leaned over and, in a totally natural gesture like he might bestow on his sister, kissed her head. He stood, gave her shoulder a squeeze and crossed to Annie. “You all right?”

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“What happened? All I heard was Linc was here and he was seriously hurt.”

Annie asked, “How did you hear?”

“Rosa canceled an appointment with Carol Lopez. She told Carol she was at the hospital and why.”

“Rosa’s not out in the waiting area?”

“No, no one was out there except for that janitor that works at the church. He looks a little lost.”

“The women must have gone for coffee.”

“Annie, what happened?”

Shaking away her distraction, she said, “Apparently Sam DeMartino attacked Linc at the church during one of the women’s group’s meetings.”

“Sam?” Joe’s healthy complexion turned ashen. “Oh, God.” He got the meaning loud and clear. And he’d be affected by it in a different way than anyone else here. “What are Linc’s injuries?”

“Sam’s a big guy...” Annie straightened. “He hit his head and went unconscious. They’re doing tests now. And his arm’s broken.”

Taking in a heavy breath, Joe scowled. “Poor Linc.”

Again, Annie felt her eyes tear. Joe must have seen it. Reaching out as easily as he had to Beth, he squeezed her hand. She froze, and when he realized what he’d done—that he’d touched her for the first time since his return—he went to draw back his hand. But she held on. Squeezed tightly. “I’m so scared, Joe.”

“Me, too.”

“I don’t know what everybody’ll do if...” She shook her head, then drew back and wrapped both of her arms around her waist again. “It’s amazing how important people become to us. How we take them for granted.” Joe just nodded. She glanced at Beth and whispered, so her friend couldn’t hear, “Remember when we were here for Danny?”

Joe swallowed hard. “It was a horrible night.”

“He died in this hospital.”

Her ex-husband’s gaze was stark. She remembered how he had cried like a baby when his friend had died. They all had. And for months afterward, the bleakness had not left Joe’s gray eyes. She studied him, now. “Do you pray?”

“Yes, I pray.”

“Good. Linc would want us to.”

“Yes, he...” Joe’s words trailed off as someone came to the doorway.

It was Margo. Always so tall, so strong, so full of sass, today she looked slight and brittle, her hair and raincoat wet and her face chalk white. “Bethy? Annie?”

Unfolding from the chair, Beth stood up. Both Annie and Joe faced Margo.

She said, “How is...you look so...did he...”

“No, Margo,” Annie put in quickly. “There’s no more word on him. He’s still down for tests.”

Bonelessly, Margo gripped the doorjamb, leaned into it. Annie rushed to her, as did Beth. The three women hugged. No one spoke. Not one of them cried. They just stood there locked in an awful embrace.

IT was stupid to go. Tucker knew he couldn’t help her, shouldn’t help her, might even make things worse. But he couldn’t stay away. As he entered the ER, he glanced at the clock over the nurse’s station. One P.M. He’d just stay a minute, find out how Linc was, and leave before Ronny got back from his field trip. Tucker wouldn’t steal too much of Beth’s time or attention.

Doc had called Tucker at eleven o’clock, but he’d been working out and hadn’t gotten the message until after he’d showered. The Menace had made the half-hour ride to Glen Oaks Hospital in seventeen minutes. By the time he’d gotten here, he was near-about crazy with worry.

He found them in the family waiting area. For a minute he was frozen by the scenario—Margo and Annie holding hands on a couch, talking softly. Joe sat near Beth, his arm loosely draped around her. Neither of them spoke, but their closeness was that of a family. And Tucker was an interloper.

Joe noticed him first. “Tucker?”

Beth’s head snapped up.

“I...um...Doc called me.” He shrugged. “I just wanted to...is there any news?”

Standing, Joe crossed to him and filled him in on the vigil they’d been keeping. Tucker listened, but his eyes kept straying to Beth, who stared at him during the recitation.

When Joe was finished, Tucker focused on him. “Thanks for the information. I don’t want to intrude on y’all. I reckon I’ll just wait out here with the others.” With a toss of his head, he indicated the large area where the nurse had told him several people from church were also gathered.

He’d stepped out the door when he heard, “Tucker?” Beth’s voice was as rough as sandpaper.

Swallowing hard, he pivoted back around.

She’d stood. She looked so small and fragile he ached real bad with the need to take her to him, protect her, shield her. She said, “Stay. Here. With me.”

Oh, God.
He crossed to her, came close. She peered up at him, her arms wrapped around her waist as if she could keep the emotion inside, the fear from clawing out. He reached over and circled his hand around her neck. She leaned toward him, put her forehead on his chest. And then she was in his arms. Burying her face in his sweatshirt. Clutching at the fleece. Burrowing into him like a hurt child shutting out the world.

He held her tight, kissed her hair, oblivious to anything but the driving need to comfort her. She began to cry and he was reminded of their private joke....
We both turn into blubberin’ babies around each other.

With gentle care, he drew small circles on her back, kissed her hair again, whispered nonsense words. All the while, he thought only,
Please, God, don’t let her lose Linc, too. Please.

It took Tucker a minute to remember he didn’t believe in prayer. But right at the moment, he didn’t care. He prayed his heart out just in case.

o0o

AT two o’clock Doctor Jacobs finally returned to the family waiting room. Behind him, the five women from the group had come from the outer area and huddled in the doorway to hear his news.

From where they sat in the corner, Beth let go of her death grip on Tucker’s hand and stood. Annie put down her coffee cup and rose from the chair, and Margo uncurled from the couch where she’d sat with Joe and stood, too. The three women converged in the center of the room, Margo and Annie flanking Beth. They grasped hands as if that was the only way they could face the doctor. Joe was reminded of their childhood, and how they’d endured the trials of growing up with only each other, and the guys, there for them. The Outlaws against the world.

“Good news,” Jacobs said right away. “He’s going to be all right.”

Beth’s knees buckled and Margo and Annie held her up. “All right?”

“Yes.” The doctor drew off wire-rimmed glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “He regained consciousness during the CAT scan, which, by the way, revealed no damage to his brain.”

“Why did he pass out?” Beth asked.

“He must have hit his head just right. What we were concerned about was the length of the unconsciousness, but he’s lucid, and talking.”

“How is he?” This from Annie.

The corners of the doctor’s mouth curved up. “Worried about everybody else. Started barking orders that he wanted to see all of you” —Jacobs scanned the room— “and someone named Rosa.”

In the doorway, Rosa gasped and put her hand to her mouth.

“He’s trying to take care of us.” Annie shook her head.

“Yes, well, he’s going to have a hard time doing that. He’s run down to begin with, and with his broken arm, people are going to need to take care of
him
for a while.”