Chapter Three Saturday, October 14, 1989, 12:15 a.m.
May you always remember when the shadows fall…you do not walk alone. -Irish Blessing
Amanda paced back and forth as Lee watched her. When they’d entered the ER, Lee had immediately flashed his badge and requested information on Joe and Carrie King. Now, they were waiting impatiently for a doctor to come speak with them. After a few minutes, a young man, Dr. McManus, had greeted them.
“Agent Stetson, were you the one asking about the King couple?” he asked.
“Yes, doctor. Do you have any information on their injuries?” Lee answered.
“I wasn’t aware that this was a government issue,” the doctor said, looking at Lee warily.
“It’s not,” Amanda interjected. “It’s family. I’m Joe’s ex-wife, and we were watching their daughter for them. We’re the only family either one has.”
“Well, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to check and make sure that I can release this information to you,” Dr. McManus replied. Lee handed him an Agency card with a number for him to use. He walked away to the nurse’s station and picked up a phone.
“Lee, I’ve got to find out what’s going on. I’ve got to call Mother and let her know what’s going on. I don’t know what I’m going to tell the boys and Sarah…oh my gosh, Sarah! Lee, I’ve got to take care of the girls!”
“Amanda, calm down! Francine and Ephraim will take care of everything. You know that. Let’s take this one step at a time…”
“Excuse me, Agent Stetson? I’ve confirmed that you both are who you say you are…will you please follow me?” Dr. McManus took them to the elevators and they headed to the fourth floor.“Now, Agent…”
“Doctor, please stop calling me Agent. I’m Lee, and this is my wife, Amanda. Please tell us what’s going on,” Lee interrupted, exasperated by the delay and the obvious distress Amanda was under.
“Of course, Lee, Amanda. Mr. and Mrs. King were brought in a few hours ago after sustaining major injuries in a serious car accident, most likely a head-on collision. Mr. King suffered multiple internal injuries and is currently in surgery as we try to repair the damage. Mrs. King suffered several broken bones, as well as a significant head injury. Her bones have been set and she is currently in ICU Room 4. We’re watching her for signs of internal bleeding, but she’s semi-lucid.”
“Can we see her, doctor?” Amanda whispered.“It’s against hospital visitation rules,” Dr. McManus hesitated.
“Come on, doc. We’ve got Carrie’s daughter at home. It might help to reassure her,” Lee exclaimed.
“All right, but only one of you and only for a few minutes,” the doctor answered.
Amanda followed the doctor and Lee headed over to the phone bank to call the house.
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Amanda entered the darkened room and heard the steady beep of the monitors. She walked over to the bed and saw the still form of her friend, Carrie.
“Hey, Carrie, are you feeling OK?” Amanda whispered as she took a limp hand in both of hers.
“Aman…Amanda…what’s goin’ on? What happened?” Carrie could barely croak the words out.
“Shh…shh…don’t try to talk. You’re in the hospital. You and Joe were in an accident…” Amanda soothed.
“Joe!” Carrie exclaimed, then began breathing rapidly. “Sarah…”
“Shh…shh…Sarah is fine. She’s at my house with the boys. Joe…Joe…Joe is being treated by doctors right now. You need to rest and not worry. I’m here now, and I’ll take care of you,” Amanda quieted, not wanting to alarm Carrie about Joe’s condition.
“Promise…promise…” Carrie started breathing rapidly again.
“Shh…don’t try to talk. Don’t worry about Sarah. Lee and I will take good care of her until you’re better.”“If I don’t….”
“Hush…you’re not going to think about anything bad. You are going to fight for your daughter. She needs you,” Amanda commanded, frightened by the mottled look on Carrie’s face.
Carrie’s breath became even faster and the monitors started beeping. Amanda rushed to the door as nurses rushed in. Amanda slipped out the door and down the corridor to Lee.
As Lee watched Amanda hurrying towards him, he caught her in his arms.
“Oh, Lee, something’s gone wrong with Carrie. I don’t know how I’m going to tell the boys,” Amanda sobbed into Lee’s shoulders as he held her tight and kissed her hair.
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Back at home, Ephraim, Francine, and Dotty sat in the den. Francine had dozed off, her head lolled over onto Ephraim’s shoulder. Ephraim was flipping channels on a silent TV, and Dotty was sipping a cup of coffee.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Dotty dove for it, while Francine jumped awake. It was Lee, sharing the devastating news that both Joe and Carrie had suffered traumatic injuries and it would be awhile before they had any word.
As Dotty hung up, she shook her head and said, “It’s not good.”
Ephraim sat up and said, “What do we need to do?”
“I don’t know, Ephraim. Lee said Amanda is taking it really hard, but didn’t tell me what to do about the boys. What do you think I should do?” Dotty sighed. Although Joe had maddened her at times over the years, she still cared about him. And Carrie…well, she couldn’t bear to think of that beautiful baby upstairs being left without her mother.
“Dotty,” Francine said. “I think we need to tell the boys. I think we need to take the boys to the hospital, in case…well, just in case.”
“I agree with Francine, Dotty,” Ephraim interjected. “They are old enough to understand the possibilities and they deserve to see their father and stepmother in case…you know.”
“What about the babies?” Dotty sobbed.
Francine hugged the older woman to her and said, “Ephraim and I have it covered. Don’t worry about the girls, we’ll take care of them. We’ll bring them to the hospital later on after they wake up.”
Dotty smiled and said, “I’m so grateful to have you here together. You make a good team.” Then, she turned towards the stairs and headed up to break the terrible news to her grandsons.
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Around 2:30 a.m., Dotty arrived with two sleepy teenagers in tow. As soon as they saw their mother, Phillip and Jamie ran to her and wrapped their arms around her. Dotty walked over to Lee and gave him a hug. “Any news?”
“Carrie had a lung collapse about an hour ago but they were able to get her on oxygen. She lost consciousness, though, and the nurses are afraid she’s slipping into a coma. Dr. McManus said she could have internal bleeding, but she’s too unstable to perform surgery on yet. Joe is still in surgery…they’ve removed his spleen, but they’re still concerned about bleeding. His liver is in bad shape,” Lee shared. The boys looked at him with grief-stricken eyes, then buried their heads in their mother’s side.
Amanda walked over to a couch and put an arm around each of the boys. “I’m not going to lie to you, boys. It’s pretty bad. I wish I could make it better, but I can’t.”
About 30 minutes later, Dr. McManus walked up to the family. “Not much has changed, I’m afraid. Mr. King is out of surgery, but still very critical. The next few hours should give us an idea of where we’re headed. I’m afraid he can’t have any visitors at this point. Mrs. King has stabilized, but is unconscious. We’re prepping her for surgery to see if we can find the cause of the bleeding.”
Amanda nodded and glanced at Lee. He walked over to the doctor and asked, “Have you heard any more about how the accident occurred?”
The doctor responded, “They are sending over the accident report as we speak. Hopefully, it’ll give us an idea of where Mrs. King was injured specifically. Her body is pretty battered and we can’t pinpoint it. I’ll let you know what the report says.”
Lee rejoined the family in their quiet vigil.
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At Amanda’s house, Francine handed Ephraim a cup of coffee. “Not exactly the relaxing evening we were promised, is it?” Francine whispered, trying to inject some levity into the tragic evening.
“No, it sure isn’t. God, I can’t imagine what they’re all dealing with at the hospital. What if both of them die? I don’t envy Lee and Amanda right now,” Ephraim responded.
Francine shook her head and sat down. “Hey, Ephraim, I’m really sorry for getting so irritated about you coming over. It’s not an excuse, but I’ve had one helluva week and I just…”
“Just didn’t want to deal with me ‘mooning’ over you, right?” Ephraim laughed, catching Francine’s sheepish look. “It’s OK, really. I know I’ve been a pest in the past, especially that Christmas I got a little…well, I drank too much. But, Francine, I understand that you don’t feel the same way about me…and it’s OK…really. I’d really like to be your friend, though. It seems like you could use one right now.”
Francine smiled. “I’d like that, Ephraim. I’d like that a lot. So, what should we talk about…as friends? We’ve got a couple of hours to burn until the girls wake up, I think. How long do babies sleep anyway?”
“You know, I don’t know…I think Amanda mentioned that Katie ‘was finally sleeping through the night’, but how long is that?”
“Got me. So, how’re things down in freshman candidate world?” Francine asked, trying to get away from the troubles of the Stetson-King clan.
“Actually, not so good. I’m really tired of dealing with them to be honest. In fact, I’ve been talking to Amanda and Lee about possibly moving into field work,” Ephraim shared.
“Are you kidding me?” Francine laughed.
“What? Is it so impossible to see me doing field work?” Ephraim retorted, obviously hurt.
“No, I mean…I’ve been talking to Amanda and Lee about possibly moving into field work,” Francine chuckled. Ephraim stared at her then joined her laughter.
“Really? Well, I guess it’s true about great minds thinking alike. Have they mentioned to you the possibility of joining the Q Bureau?”
“What are you talking about? Lee and Amanda are the Q Bureau,” Francine responded.
“Well, Amanda told me they’ve been discussing with Billy the possibility of adding another team to the Q Bureau. Apparently, with all the unrest in the Soviet Bloc and the turmoil that’s ever-present in the Middle East, they have a pretty heavy workload,” Ephraim confided. “Amanda wants me to think about being a part of that team.”
“Why haven’t they asked me? I’ve known them longer and I would be a great asset to the Q Bureau! I’m going to have to have a little chat with Amanda next time I see her. The idea of asking you and not me…”
“Francine,” Ephraim interrupted. “I don’t think now is the time to get upset with Amanda…do you?”
Francine looked stricken. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I forgot. I’m such a terrible person!”
“No, you’re not. Besides, we started this conversation to try to forget a little,” Ephraim moved next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She looked down at her lap for a while and shook her head.
Looking Ephraim in the eye, she said, “Thanks. So, field work, huh? Are you thinking about going to the Q Bureau?”
“Yeah, I really am. From what I’ve seen, it looks like an interesting challenge. What about you? Want to join the Q Bureau?”
“You know,” Francine answered. “It might not be so bad. Maybe we could…try being partners? I mean, it could be worse…one of us could end up with Fred Fielder!”
“God help us all!” Ephraim laughed. Could he really have heard what Francine suggested? Had she really suggested being partners in the field? “Are you sure you want to be my partner, Francine? I mean…you’d have to be around me every single day. Do you think you could handle that?” He stood up and walked behind the couch, suddenly restless. He didn’t want to pressure her into anything, but…the idea of actually working with Francine on a day-to-day basis did have its appeal.
Francine watched Ephraim pace and thought about what he’d said. Partners…she’d thrown it out almost without thought, but it might not be so bad. Ephraim had a good head on his shoulders, and she had been impressed when he’d taken charge earlier when they’d heard about the Kings. She’d seen a new side of Ephraim tonight and she thought it might be interesting to explore the possibilities of a partnership- but only professionally, of course. Francine looked at Ephraim and smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. It could be fun…but, we’ll only do it if Billy agrees and only on a trial basis…say three months or so?”
“Sounds good…partner,” Ephraim grinned.
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Lee stared at the accident report. It wasn’t good. Apparently, Joe and Carrie had been heading back into DC and swerved to avoid a blown-out tire. He’d hit an oil slick and overcorrected, which swung him into the path of an 18-wheeler. The driver of the rig hadn’t been injured, but Joe’s car had been completely crushed, almost bent in two. From what Lee saw, it was amazing that Joe and Carrie had even survived, although that still seemed to be in question.
Amanda looked at Lee and he shook his head. He didn’t want her to read this report…at least not tonight. He glanced at his stepsons who’d fallen asleep on their mother. Amanda had laid them down as best she could, laying their heads on her lap. How was he going to help them deal with the possible loss of their father, much less a much-loved stepmother. And Sarah? This accident was bringing back too many memories for Lee of his own childhood. He walked over to the chairs and slumped over.
Amanda couldn’t stop thinking about when she’d lost her father. She’d been older than her boys, but not by much. Of course, she’d had some warning, since her father had died of cancer. But, it didn’t change the fact that she’d missed having her father with her for all the milestones of her life- her first wedding, the births of all three of her children, Lee…it still hurt sometimes to think about it. Lee had to be thinking of the loss of his parents, especially given the current circumstances. ‘What am I going to do if they die?’ Amanda thought to herself. ‘How am I going to help my boys get through this? And, oh my gosh, what about Sarah? She’s going to be left an orphan, just like Lee was…’
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Around 4:00 a.m., Dr. McManus entered the waiting area. Amanda carefully lifted her sleeping boys’ heads and placed in the seat as she got up to walk over to him. She gently shook Dotty awake and Lee walked over to join the group.
“I’ve just come from the OR. Mrs. King survived her surgery, but she’s still critical. We were able to repair her liver, but there was significant damage. It appears that her kidneys may be shutting down and her other lung is compromised. Also, we’ve seen some swelling increase around her brain, due to the head injury. Right now, it’s all wait and see. The next 4 hours are critical,” Dr. McManus explained.
“What about Joe, doctor? Can we see him yet?” Amanda asked, glancing at the sleeping boys.“He’s still critical, but one of you can go in for a few minutes. I have to warn you…he’s going to look very different. His face suffered multiple lacerations and he’s got a lot of tubes and monitors. He hasn’t regained consciousness,” the doctor clarified.
“Amanda, are you sure you want to do this?” Lee asked. “I can do it if you want me to.”
“No, Lee, I have to do it. Though I appreciate the gesture,” she said as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “He’s the boys’ father and I need to see him for them.”Dr. McManus motioned to a nurse, who led Amanda to Joe’s room.
As she left, Lee pulled the doctor to the side and whispered, “Doc, give it to me straight. What are the chances either one is going to survive this?”
The doctor looked at the sleeping boys and at Dotty, who had returned to her seat. “I’ll be honest…it’s highly unlikely either Mr. or Mrs. King will survive more than 24 hours with their injuries. They are very critical- we’ve fixed what we can, and all we can do now is watch, wait…and hope,” Dr. McManus patted Lee on the shoulder and walked off.
Lee turned to look at his family and caught Dotty’s eye. She raised her eyebrows and Lee shook his head. As tears welled in her eyes, Lee walked over and sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Oh, Lee, why did this have to happen?”
“I don’t know, Dotty , I just don’t know.”
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Amanda entered the darkened room to the sound of numerous beeps and whooshing noises. She could barely see Joe under the jungle of tubes and wires. It was like a scene out of one of those medical dramas she occasionally watched on TV, only it was very, very real.
She sighed and walked over to the side of the bed. Joe was so still. “Oh, Joe…” she whispered. “I can’t believe this is happening. Joe, you’ve got to fight to come back to all of us. Your boys and your daughter need you. Your wife needs you.”
She found his hand and placed hers on top. A million memories were flying through her mind: the day they met at that frat party; hanging out at McDragon’s; dinner at Dooley’s; the evening he proposed in that park that overlooked the Potomac; their wedding; Jamie and Phillip’s births; buying the house; that Fourth of July when she asked him for a divorce; Lee helping her clear Joe’s name; Joe and Carrie’s wedding.
Amanda didn’t try to hold back the tears any longer. She looked over as the door opened and the nurse motioned to her. Amanda nodded and turned back to Joe. “Joe, know this…if anything does happen to you, the boys will be OK. Sarah will be OK. You can count on me. But, don’t give up…please try and fight.”
She walked over to the nurse and turned one last time to look at Joe. Then, she headed out the door and walked back to the waiting room.
Lee saw her coming and walked over to her, pulling her into an embrace. “Oh, Lee,” she sobbed. “I don’t think he’s going to make it.” Lee pulled her closer and rocked her back and forth.