PART 2

The nurse looked somewhat puzzled. “I said his wife sir. Mr. Stetson was in and out of consciousness when he arrived, but he was very concerned about his wife. Oh, and they were wearing matching wedding bands when they arrived,” she added.

Billy shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t be true. He would have told me if they were getting married,” he told himself.

Billy acknowledged the nurses statement with a casual nod. “Thank you. I would really appreciate it if you would keep this information private. Any personal information regarding my Agents could be very dangerous,” he uttered.

The nurse quietly agreed and went back to duties.

Billy found his way to the waiting room to clear his head. He poured himself a cup of thick sludge from the bottom of the pot. The cream only lightened the liquid to a dark brown. When he sat down, he spotted Francine marching in his direction.

“How are they doing Billy?” Francine asked with genuine concern.

“I don’t know Francine. Everything is still very sketchy. Apparently Lee and Amanda were in her Wagoneer, and were T-boned in the passenger side. Amanda is in critical condition, and Lee is in stable condition,” he stated.

Francine’s eyes grew wide with disbelief. “Do you want me to track down Amanda’s family?”

Billy hesitated before responding. “Yes, that’s a good idea. Oh, and just give them the basic facts, no particulars,” he added.

Francine responded with an affirmative nod. “I’ll get right on it.”

The NEST team arrived and set up residency in the trauma room. With the assistance of the attending physician, they efficiently assessed the situation.

The team caring for Amanda checked her over from head to toe. They inserted a pressure gauge into her skull to monitor the pressure. They needed to keep a close eye out for any changes. Her internal injuries were beginning to affect her vitals. She needed to go to surgery as soon as possible, however the team was reluctant to operate. They had hoped that the chest tube would alleviate the problem, but it became quite apparent she was suffering from other internal injuries. Only exploratory surgery would lead to the cause of the problem.

The team working on Lee checked him over thoroughly. Luckily, his injuries did not require surgery. His leg was set, and his head was stitched up. The teams’ only concern was his head injury. They wanted to keep a close eye on him for the next several hours.

He continually refused medication. “I want to know about Amanda,” he demanded. “Where is she?” He asked hesitantly. He held his breath waiting for a response from the team.

“My name is Dr. O’Connor. You need to calm down Mr. Stetson. She is in very good hands right now. I don’t know what is happening now, but I can tell you she is alive.

Lee took several deep breaths. “I want to know where my wife is, and what the hell you are doing to her right now!” He screamed while grasping his head in pain.

“Okay, take it easy Lee. I’ll go take a quick look, and fill you in on the details,” the Doctor promised.

Lee nodded skeptically. He followed the doctor with his eyes until he was out of sight.

The doctor returned several minutes later. Lee noted the serious look on the man’s face.

“How is she?” He asked desperately.

The doctor thought for a moment before speaking. “Your wife is suffering from a brain contusion, and some internal bleeding which could be caused by a number of things. Her legs are broken, and she has several broken ribs. Her facial lacerations have been stitched,” he stated firmly.

The expression on Lee’s face grew from concern to anger. “Now give me all that in English Doctor, and give it to me now,” he yelled.

“I’m sorry Lee. Amanda has a bruise on her brain, and she is in a coma. We can’t treat her brain injury. The only things we can do are monitor the pressure, and give her medication. Right now, her vitals are too weak to operate, and she desperately needs surgery to repair the internal damage. The rest of her injuries are not life threatening at this point,” he added.

Lee’s hands began to shake uncontrollably. The doctor encouraged him to relax and stay calm. Lee grabbed the doctor by the lapel of his jacket and looked directly into his eyes. “You do whatever is necessary to save her. Do you hear me? I can’t lose her; please,” he begged.

Dr. O’Connor patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I will personally make sure she gets the best care,” he assured Lee. “Now, I want you to lay down and relax! You have a very serious concussion Mr. Stetson.”

Lee let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. “Please let her be okay. Please God don’t take her from me. I love her too much to lose her.” He pleaded silently. “I know I haven’t been the best man that I could have been in the past, but she has led me down the right path in life. I am nothing without her.” He told himself, blinking away the warm tears.

The team of Doctors monitored Amanda’s vital signs very closely. After several tense moments, they came to the decision to operate immediately. Her vitals were not strong, but they feared the outcome in the long run. They rushed her into surgery to repair the damage.

Francine reemerged in the waiting room to find Billy pacing frantically. “Any news yet?” She asked wide-eyed.

“Not yet. I’m still waiting,” he snapped.

“Oh, and I want you to find out about the driver of the truck. I want a copy of the accident report, and a toxicology report on the man,” stated Billy.

Francine acknowledged his order with a nod. “Oh, I couldn’t get in touch with Amanda’s family. No one is at home, so I’ll keep trying,” she reassured him.

Dr. O’Connor headed out to the waiting room. He immediately approached Billy with his news.

“Hello, Mr. Melrose I presume?” he asked while extending his arm to shake his hand.

“Yes, that is correct. How are my agents doing?” questioned Billy.

“Mr. Stetson is awake at this point of time. He’s suffering from a concussion, and a few broken ribs. His left arm is broken, but it is a stationary fracture. No surgery is necessary at this time. We also stitched up his head,” stated the Doctor.

Billy noted the Doctor’s reluctance to brief him on Amanda’s condition. Billy acknowledged the Doctor’s information with a nod. “How is Mrs. King?” he asked hesitantly.

The doctor took a deep breath before speaking. “Mrs. King is holding on at this point. She is in surgery as we speak. She is suffering from internal injuries that required immediate repair. However, our biggest concern right now is her head injury. She took a severe blow to the head, and we won’t know anything until she regains consciousness.” She too, is suffering from several broken bones. Right now, she is in critical condition,” he stated.

Billy let out a sigh of frustration. “Thank you,” he replied while patting the Doctor on the shoulder. “Can I go in and talk to Lee?”

The doctor hesitated momentarily before granting his request. “You can see him, but I’d like you to keep it very brief. He’s very distraught right now, and I don’t want to upset him any more than he already is,” the Doctor requested.

“That’s understood,” replied Billy.

Billy took a moment to clear his thoughts before opening the curtain. After only a few moments, he opened the curtain to find Lee apparently sleeping peacefully. As he approached the bed, Lee’s eyes suddenly flew open.

“Billy!” I…don’t..know…” he uttered desperately.

“Shhh, just relax Lee. Everything is going to be just fine,” he assured.

“How is she Billy? How’s Amanda? They won’t tell me anything!”

Billy patted Lee on the shoulder. “You need to calm down. I don’t know too much either. I want you to try to get some rest. I’ll make it an order if I have to,” he threatened.

Lee wasn’t about to rest easy. “Billy, there’s something else I need to tell you. It’s about Amanda and me…..”

Billy nodded his head side to side. “Not now Scarecrow. Just clear your head. We can discuss it tomorrow.”

“Billy, you don’t understand. I need to….”

“I hear you Stetson,” he interrupted. “I said tomorrow.” Billy firmly squeezed his shoulder. “I told you before Lee; whatever your relationship is with Amanda, is fine with me.”

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