Luca lay quietly on his side in the hospital bed, the head slightly elevated, one arm tucked beneath his pillow. The tape recorder that T. J. had given him several days ago lay on the bedside table in the �off� position beside his breakfast dishes, and the television mounted to the wall displayed a morning game show that he was not watching. The door to his room was open, and occasionally he saw someone glance in as they walked past, apparently visiting friends or relatives.
He had finally managed, yesterday, to pull himself over onto his side per the nurse�s continued insistence. It had required tremendous effort the first time, and had been accomplished only by seizing the bedrail in both hands while the nurse pushed from the other side. She had placed pillows behind him to hold him in place, and he had to admit it was more comfortable than being on his back all the time.
Now, he was starting to get the hang of it by himself, managing to roll over on either side with less effort, and he interpreted that as an indication that he was starting to heal. Perhaps soon, he would be allowed to go home. It seemed like such a long time since he had walked out of his apartment that last time, when in reality it had not even been a week yet. The days were starting to run together, long, boring days of soap operas and game shows. The hospitality clerk had brought a newspaper to him before breakfast, but he had never been much on reading the paper. It now lay on the bedside table tucked under the rim of his breakfast plate, having been glanced at for the headlines before being folded and set aside. He remembered fondly that his father had started each and every morning with a cup of coffee and the newspaper before going to work while Mama had cooked breakfast, but Dom had trouble settling into the habit. Mornings now were spent rushing to get out the door to avoid being late to the station.
Yesterday afternoon, Hondo and Deke�s wives, Betty and Cleo, had come to visit for a few minutes, both bearing gifts: a colorful flower arrangement and a cute teddy bear that had been cleverly dressed in a replica of the SWAT jumpsuit complete with cap. Both sat together on a small table near the bed. A very large, almost gaudy flower arrangement filled up the space on the console table on the other side of the bed, courtesy of his brothers and sisters.
Mama and Isabella came to visit twice a day, each morning and evening, and the guys came by whenever they had the chance, but most of the day was spent fighting the boredom that came with incarceration. His brothers and sisters had come in from varying states yesterday evening, filling the small room to capacity, and more than once their laughter had resulted in a request by the nursing staff to �hold it down�. It had been good seeing all of them, but at his insistence, they had returned to their homes and jobs today, assured that their baby brother would survive his injury. Only Isabella remained, and she had booked a flight back to New Jersey the next day, satisfied that everything was going to be fine. The quiet of the room this morning was sharp contrast to the rather boisterous reunion, and added to his feeling of boredom and depression.
On the television, the audience was cheering the selection of the right door on the game show, and Luca turned his head to glance at the host as he congratulated the contestant. With a sigh, he turned to face the door again, just as a young man who was walking past glanced inside, drawn by some irresistible force to view the patient inside. Noticing that he had been seen, the man quickly averted his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets as he continued on his journey down the corridor.
Luca sighed with boredom and closed his eyes, almost wishing the man had simply stepped inside for a visit instead of hurrying guiltily away. He, too, had been guilty of glancing inside the open doors along the corridor while visiting a friend or relative. He supposed it was just human nature to be curious about such things, and he couldn�t bring himself to feel resentful of the violation of his privacy. He had, after all, asked the nurse to leave the door open when she had left a few hours earlier, and that invited the curious looks from passersby.
The television continued to drone, a steady background noise, but he was tempted to turn it off. Maybe he could fall asleep; that would kill some time. But sleep would not come, and his hand did not reach for the remote, preferring the company of it. Idly, he wondered what the guys were doing right that moment. Were they relaxing in the EC room with one of Hilda�s Danishes, or were they out on a run? What were Mama and Isabella doing? It was late-morning; they had already been to visit him, so perhaps they were getting ready to head out for some shopping. They had always shopped together whenever Isabella was in town, an activity whose appeal he could not comprehend.
The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to a possible visitor, and he opened his eyes expectantly, waiting to see if the person continued past the door. A moment later, a figure entered through the door, and he saw that it was only Nurse Barber, a kindly middle aged woman with a cheerful personality. Presumably, she had come to take his vital signs, and he could not suppress the sigh of disappointment.
�What? Not happy to see me?� Nurse Barber asked with a knowing smile.
�Oh, it�s not that,� he replied, listlessly. �I�m just getting a bit tired of game shows and sob stories.�
Nurse Barber lifted an amused eyebrow as she pushed the bedside table out of the way. �Sob stories?�
�That�s what Mama calls soap operas.�
She laughed. �Good name for them. Everyone is miserable on those shows, ever notice that?� Without waiting for a response, she continued, �Doctor Windom wants you out of bed for a while this morning.�
Luca lifted his head from the pillow, immediately interested in the prospect of doing something different for a change. �Out of bed? You mean I finally get to get up and walk around?�
�Well, you�re to get up, but I don�t think you�re going to do much walking around just yet. You�ve been off your feet now for four days. We�ll get you up and move you around a bit to see how you�re doing.�
Eagerly, Luca tossed back the sheets while the nurse raised the head of the bed a bit more to get him into a seated position that would make it easier for him to get up.
�All right,� she said. �Let�s move your legs over the edge of the bed and see if you can scoot this way a bit more.�
Luca obeyed, taking hold of the bar and carefully pulling himself toward the side of the bed as he swung his legs over the edge. His free hand went automatically to his abdomen as if to make sure everything stayed in place.
The nurse was watching him closely, monitoring his reaction with an experienced eye. �Any pain?�
�Only a twinge. It�s amazing how many things you use your stomach muscles for without even realizing it.�
�That�s very true. Let me know if you feel any discomfort, and we�ll get you back on the bed. Now, when you�re ready, see if you can stand up.�
He hesitated. �You realize, of course, that the back is completely open on this hospital gown, right?�
She laughed again, a pleasant infectious sound that made him smile as well in spite of himself. �Trust me, young man, you haven�t got anything I haven�t seen a zillion times before since I became a nurse. They all look pretty much the same. However, if you wish, I can get you a robe to wear.�
�Would you, please? You know,� he glanced toward the door as a young woman walked past carrying a small flower arrangement. As expected, she glanced in, and he saw her eyes slide down to his bare legs before she disappeared from view. �Anyone could just walk in here . . . . I feel a little vulnerable.�
�Sure, just wait here for a moment.�
Turning silently on the ball of her soft white shoe, she stepped outside again, leaving Luca perched on the edge of his bed. It was tempting to make his first attempt at standing while by himself, but he knew that was risky. If his legs were unable to support his weight, he might just slide down to the floor, and then all those people passing the door would probably get quite an eye full! So, he sat quietly and waited until Nurse Barber returned with a hospital robe. It was threadbare and looked like it had been laundered several hundred times, but it would cover all the exposed areas he didn�t want to be seen by passing visitors, and that was all that mattered.
�Here we go,� she said lightly, as she helped him guide his hands into the arms of the robe, and arrange it so that it was comfortable for him. �If you want, you can have your family bring a pair of pajamas. There�s no real need for a gown at this stage in your recovery.�
�Thank you,� he said.
He was already feeling slightly winded, just sitting up of his own power, but he didn�t utter a word that might prevent him this opportunity to get out of bed. Still gripping the rail with one hand and the nurse�s shoulder with the other, he eased himself onto his feet for the first time since he had collapsed in the school auditorium.
It was easier than he thought it would be. His legs were holding his weight with no problem, and it seemed that this was going to be a cinch � until he tried to straighten up. The pulling in his abdomen created a mild stabbing sensation, and he placed his hands under the wound in an attempt to offer support for the muscles that had not been used in so long, and gravity seemed to be causing all of his insides to shift. Lying on his back in a relaxed position was one thing, but standing up was quite another, and he found he was unable to stand completely upright, settling instead for a slightly hunched over position.
Nurse Barber seemed to understand. �You don�t have to stand completely upright if it�s uncomfortable for you. This is only your first time up, so just take it slow and easy. Let�s see if you can walk to the bathroom door and back.�
Still bent forward at the waist, Luca carefully took a step forward and grimaced. That careful step seemed to resonate through his injury as if he had slammed his foot down, but he set his mouth in a determined line and took another step away from the bed.
�I must look like a little old man hobbling along,� he quipped with humor he did not feel.
�No, Officer Luca. You look like a man who has survived a serious injury, and who is working toward a complete recovery.�
Concentrating on taking one painful step at a time, he made no comment, but her kind words meant more to him that she knew. He glanced over at her, and found that she was standing slightly back, giving him ample room to make this endeavor on his own, but near enough to intervene if he became weak.
�Are you strong enough to catch me if I fall?� he asked, trying to include a note of good humor.
She smiled. �I�m stronger than I look, but if I were you I�d try to avoid falling,� she added with a wink. �Just let me know if you need assistance.�
Determinedly, he continued to slowly place one foot in front of the other as he progressed slowly across the room. By the time he had reached the bathroom door, he was standing a little more upright. Pausing beside the chair that had been placed near the bathroom door, he placed his hand on the back of it and rested for several moments.
�Do you need to sit down and rest a bit?� she asked.
He shook his head, more determined than ever. He had always been the most independent of his siblings, with the possible exception of Isabella, the eldest, who had been accustomed to taking care of her younger brothers and sisters. He did not like being weak and helpless, and he knew that the sooner he was able to maneuver on his own, the sooner he would be allowed to go home.
Releasing the back of the chair, he slowly and carefully pulled his lean frame into a fully upright position, ignoring the pulling of the stitches that held the edges of his wound together. A strong sensation of triumph flowed through him. Maintaining his erect carriage, he released the chair back and slowly walked back toward the bed, placing his feet carefully to minimize the shock.
When he reached the bed, he did not stop, continuing onward past the foot until he reached the window. His hand sought out the window sill as support, but he stood before the tall glass pane for several minutes, gazing at the world outside the confines of the hospital. The view was not that good; below him were the rooftops of other hospital buildings, and directly across from him he could see a medical helicopter settling carefully onto the landing pad marked with a large red cross. A waiting medical team rushed forward with a gurney as the door to the helicopter slid open. Luca watched with interest as the patient was lifted from the helicopter onto the gurney, and he was rushed back inside the building.
Lifting his eyes from the helicopter, he gazed farther out, beyond the hospital grounds, where he could see the city�s skyline, and beyond that, the clear blue sky. It looked like a beautiful day, and he longed to be outside. With a heavy sigh of yearning, he pressed his forehead against the cool glass pane. Weariness was beginning to settle over him.
Nurse Barber placed a hand on his shoulder. �You�re tired, Officer Luca. We should get you back into bed. We�ll get you up again later today.�
Submitting to her gentle coaxing, he allowed her to lead him back to the bed. Pausing at the edge, he slipped out of the robe and climbed carefully onto the bed. She draped the robe over the back of the nearest chair, and helped him pull the sheets back up to his waist.
�I�ll leave the robe there for later,� she said. �You did very well your first time up. Doctor Windom was a little upset that you hadn�t been gotten up yesterday. We like to get the patients out of bed as soon as they�re physically able. All right, then. I�ll let you get some rest, and then I�ll come back this afternoon and we�ll let you walk around again.�
�Thanks.�
With a pleasant smile, Nurse Barber left the room and pulled the door closed to give him a bit of privacy. Feeling much more content than before, Luca closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep
-()-
He hadn�t slept long when he was awakened for lunch, and then after finishing his meal, he lay in his bed and watched T.V. or listened to his tapes the rest of the afternoon until he heard the authoritative footsteps he associated with Doctor Windom.
Sure enough, as he turned his head toward the door, the white coated doctor rounded the corner and stepped into the room.
Luca smiled to himself, pleased that his senses were still sharp and his powers of deduction astute. Perhaps, after he had completed his responsibilities as a SWAT officer, after he was older and more experienced, he might be able to move up the police ladder to detective. It was an ambition he had not really considered at this point in his life, being young and yearning for the action of being in the field, but he knew his mother would be pleased if he was in a less dangerous position. But that was something to think about for the future; for now, he was content where he was.
�You�re looking well this evening,� Windom said as he picked up the chart and flipped it open, his eyes quickly scanning the information left there throughout the day by the attending nurses.
�They let me up for a while this morning,� he replied. �It felt great to get out of bed, finally. I�m not a person who likes to lie around.�
A smile tugged at the corners of Windom�s mouth. �A man of action, eh? Well, we should have gotten you up yesterday, but I had a few emergencies and wasn�t able to pass that along to the staff. So, did you experience any discomfort while you were up?�
�Just a few twinges and some pulling,� Luca replied. �And when I first stood up, it felt like my insides had plunged down and were trying to force their way out my incision, but other than that . . . �
Windom laughed. �I never heard it put quite like that before, but it seems to be a common complaint of abdominal injuries. Gravity feels a little more intense when you�ve just had surgery. It�ll get easier each time you�re up.�
�The nurse said I can get up again this afternoon,� Luca said, hopefully.
�Yes. Okay, lean back and I�ll have a look at that incision.�
Luca leaned back on his pillow while Windom pulled the gown up to his chest, leaving the sheet discreetly covering his lower body. Carefully, Windom pulled at the large adhesive bandage covering the wound until it was completely removed, and he carefully examined the incision.
�Looks good.� He pulled the gown back down. �I�m going to leave it uncovered now. You�re healing very well, Officer Luca. You�ve been getting sponge baths, correct?�
Luca felt his cheeks heat up as the memory of his unpleasant encounter with Nurse McGuire came over him with the abrasiveness of a Brillo pad. Fortunately, that duty had been taken over by a good humored orderly named Stuart, but it was still not an event that he looked forward to. �Yes.�
�If you continue to get up and down with no problem this afternoon and evening, I think you should be able to take a shower in the morning.�
Luca instantly perked up, and the eagerness in his dark eyes did not go unnoticed by the doctor. �Solo?�
Windom nodded. �Unless you think you need assistance.�
�No! I�d love to take my own shower. Thanks.�
�There�s a call button in the bathroom, so if you run into any problems, just press it and someone will come into help. When you take your shower, let the warm water wash over the wound, and then pat it dry when you�re done.�
�I will. Thank you, Doctor.�
�All right, then. I�ll try to swing by sometime in the morning to see you again.� With a pleasant smile, Windom strode out of the room, presumably to check on other patients.
Luca settled happily back on his pillow, looking forward to his shower tomorrow, and determined that there was nothing on this earth that would keep him from successfully getting up and walking again this afternoon.
-()-
As promised, Nurse Barber returned a short time later for another session of walking, and this time he walked several times back and forth across the room. It was much easier this time, even though he felt that now-familiar pulling in the wound as he straightened up, but it seemed less intense this time.
By the time he was back in bed, he began to smell food drifting down the corridor, which signaled the arrival of supper.
�Mmm, supper smells good this evening,� Nurse Barber said as she adjusted his covers for him. �I�m going off duty in a couple of hours, so someone else will come in to get you up this evening. I have a couple of days off, so you�ll probably be out of here by the time I come back on duty.�
�Any idea when that might be?� he asked, curiously.
�Whenever Doctor Windom thinks you�re ready.�
�Is he an emergency room doctor?� Luca asked. �I didn�t think they stayed with a patient after leaving the E.R.�
�Oh, no, he�s not an E.R. doctor. He�s a surgeon, specializing in gunshot wounds. From what I understand, your driver called ahead to let the hospital staff know that a police officer had been shot and was coming in, so they paged Doctor Windom to meet you in emergency. You�re lucky he was on duty. He�s the best there is.�
�Oh, I see.� He had only vague memories of that frantic ride in the War Wagon, of lying helpless on the floor, drifting in and out of consciousness, listening to the wailing of the sirens while T. J. and Street knelt beside him. It occurred to him also that the staff had been discussing his case if she knew about Sam radioing ahead.
Outside the door, he heard the clatter of the tray cart as it stopped next door, and heard his neighbor�s tray being removed from it. His stomach rumbled with eager anticipation, as he waited and listened for the approach of his own tray while Nurse Barber took his vital signs and wrote them down on the chart.
At last, a nurse�s aid entered the room carrying a food tray, and Nurse Barber stepped back to give her room to place it on the table and wheel it in front of him. She pulled the cover off the entr�e with a smile. �Fried chicken today.�
�Looks great,� Luca said.
�Well, I�ll leave you to your meal,� Nurse Barber said. She placed a friendly hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. �Remember, we don�t want to see you back here like this again. Is that a deal?�
�Deal,� he agreed with his usual charming smile.
Nurse Barber walked out of the room and out of his life, although he would remember her occasionally in a fond way.
Alone again, Luca watched the evening news while he ate his fried chicken and a hot roll. The steamed carrots were bland, so he ignored those, and went straight for the square of chocolate cake for dessert. Then, satisfied, he pushed the tray table as far to the side as he could, and picked up the phone and dialed Mariana�s number.
When she answered, he said, �Hi, Mama, it�s me. Look, when you come up tonight, would you bring one of Pop�s old robes, his pajamas, and a pair of his slippers? They�re letting me out of bed now, and the floor is cold. I think I might get out of here soon!�
Mama burst into tears of joy.
Go to Chapter Fifteen