In A Heartbeat

Ch. 36

The wheels of motion turned in fast forward and before I had time to comprehend what was happening and how Tom turned my simple plan into a major operation including people from his unit, I stood in the hospital hallway in a borrowed police uniform complete with a hat and sunglasses.

There were four of us, each one shaped differently and each of us appearing awkwardly unlike my vision of a how a police person would look. According to Tom, that was the magic of it. He said giving people too much to look at took the exact thing they should see and blurred it into the scene. It was a tactical maneuver he'd used many times in the service that had always worked for him.

The man next to me was called Blaze but no explanation of why was given to me.  He was a mammoth specimen standing 6ft tall with a bulked up body structure advertisers would use to promote muscle building at any gym or vitamin store.

Beside him was Joel, whose form resembled a scarecrow, long arms and legs and a torso so thin even I had an urge to offer him a sandwich.   He was definitely the clown of the group and wore a permanently fixed smile that started out making me uncomfortable but within minutes of being around him I was wearing one too. He was a diffuser. Always ready with some witty commentary and great at making people pay attention to him and forget what else was going on. 

Toni was the fourth, her role was obvious, large breasts and a perfect figure enhanced by a uniform at least one size too small with flawless airbrushed makeup and hair so high that her hat seemed to float above it and hover.

We had been over the scenario a dozen times, but walking through the hallway panic set in. I forgot everything I had been told and my eyes developed tunnel vision only able to see the room at the end of the hall.

Room 236. Kyle was behind that door. Maybe with his father, maybe an entire room full of people or maybe alone. Visions of tubes and wires and blood filled my head and I couldn't drown out the pounding echo of my heartbeat in my ears. All I could think about was screwing this up and putting all these people in danger.

"The thing about hospitals is, they're the perfect place for distraction. Everyone's high energy here - emotions run crazy, and people want to be directed. It starts when you walk through the door. The person at the desk starts the process of telling you where to go and what to do, and people do exactly as they're told."

Toni talked in monotone as she nudged my arm and it worked, I slowed my breathing and took a look around. The hallway was filled with people coming and going and no one seemed to be focused on us at all. Everyone was distracted by decisions or emotion, and we were just scenery passing by.

Tom, who led our little group wore a rumpled brown suit and squeaky loafers to look stops briefly to rap on the door while simultaneously opening it. The rest of us follow behind leaving just Blaze in the hallway standing guard at the door.

Kyle sat up in the bed staring out the window. His hair stood in multiple directions, curls springing out at various heights making him appear even younger than his age. His head turned toward us, his face gathered in a pained expression. Almost as quickly as he looks up, he quickly turns his face away without a hint of acknowledgment to our presence.

From his profile, I can see dark circles beneath his red puffy eyes and the paleness of his skin makes the small group of freckles across his nose even more prominent. My breath catches in my throat and I stop walking with the group. He is alive- a simple iv in his hand and a large protruding bandage on his shoulder are the only signs that anything has happened at all.

"I already told you guys. I don't remember anything, I was at a cabin, hunting with my dad and I woke up here. For anything else- you'll have to talk to him or our lawyer."

His garbled voice rose across the silence, sad and flat, but to me, it is music. Suddenly I don't  care who is watching or what the plan was, Kyle is alive and I am in the room with him and nothing else matters. My feet rush to the edge of the bed despite Toni's tight grip clamping on my arm.

There's a momentary silence that is immediately filled by Tom clearing his throat and flashing a fake badge with an outthrust arm that almost caught me in the throat stopping me in my tracks.

"Routine business Sir. We just have a few loose ends to tie up and we'll be out of your hair." 

Tom's voice drones on about procedure and protocol and Kyle returns his stare to the window giving me a chance to breathe and stare at his profile. He looks thin, and  defeated, but beautiful.  I ball my fists and ignored the nails slicing into my palm. Tom's voice continues filling the air with words that I can't comprehend as the creases around Kyle's eyes deepen and my muscles twitch from being still when every instinct tells me to run to him.

"We know there was a girl and a baby there. We just want some information, this isn't the time to clam up."  Tom's voice deepens and it takes a harsh tone making me spin around and glare. We aren't there to give Kyle the runaround.

"I don't know anything about a girl. Or a baby. Maybe they were in the cabin before I got there. I know what I told you, I was there, hunting, and then I was here."

Without missing a beat Tom continues the pelting questions. "So the name Cassie doesn't ring a bell?"

I freeze, Kyle visibly tensed his muscles and then winces grabbing at his shoulder while everyone in the room waits. The tension is palpable and my throat aches as I hold in a scream. Kyle turns toward us, his face red with anger as Toni sidesteps in front of me with the speed of a superhero keeping his eyes from seeing me.

"Of course it rings a bell." Kyle's voice looses its scratchy tone and booms across the room. "She has nothing to do with this. She's the sweetest and most honest person I've ever met, and she deserves some peace. Leave her alone, like I said, she has nothing to do with any of this."

Suddenly tears blur my vision and Tom bends over Kyle's bed and places his hand on his chest whispering something I can't quite catch.

"Yes". 

Kyle utters that single word and throws back his head with his eyes closed. Tom slowly steps aside giving me a wink and a nod. I rush forward and grab Kyle's hand which he immediately pulls away from. I Grab it again and yank off the sunglasses as his eyes open in surprise. Despite his injury I grab a hold so tightly he can't stop a groan. His eyes fill with tears that stream down his cheeks that start up a waterfall of my own.

At that moment everyone in the room disappears from existence and he pulls me closer, my chest landing on his, our hearts frantically beating in synchrony. 

From behind me Tom's voice brakes the silence.

"We don't have much time. Toni, take out the iv. Kyle, you're under arrest, you'll be going with us."

In a flash Joel's hands are on my shoulders grabbing me from behind and pulling me from the room. I have no idea what's happening, this wasn't part of the plan and I try to demand answers as Toni smashes the sunglasses back on my face pushes me closer to Joel as we head toward the hallway.

His vice grip squeezes me harder as we round the corner just in time for me to hear Mr. Kayle's booming voice bellow angrily down the busy hallway.

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The hurdle is over!! Yay!! I'm more excited than you know. Sometimes a little time off is just what the story ordered. Hope you liked this quick chapter. Let me know if you find any errors, in my excitement to have a moment to type there's probably several❤