She never moved, never made a sound as they worked at saving her. The medic, a man that had been a little boy that had played with the Bennett children when she could sneak him in, looked at her gravely. The shake of his head had her crying against her husband’s chest. It was too late for them both.
“I got a pulse.” The men and woman around her worked twice as hard now. They’d brought her back, used the paddles of life on her, and now they were working to keep her breathing. Her phone rang twice, neither time could she bring herself to answer it. But this time when it rang, she was able to talk to Steele.
“She’s…they lost her, but she’s breathing now. Not on her own but…but…. Oh Steele hurry.”
“I’m boarding now. I’ve had to buy another chopper, but I’m coming.” She wondered why he’d need to do that, but he spoke before she could ask. “Stay with her for me. Tell her that I’m on my way.”
“I will.” He asked her what had happened. “I don’t know. She left me in the kitchen nearly an hour ago, and I went out to take the trash out. Her things were lying by the garage, and I knew she’d not leave them. I went looking for her. She was lying on Aster’s grave with her hand over the stone.”
She talked to him as they waited on the life flight team to arrive. Jake directed them to the pad on the property as she continued to give Steele updates on Kari’s condition. Kari wasn’t doing as well as they had hoped and she told him that. She didn’t want him to be surprised when he got there because she had lied to him.
“I’m coming now. We should be landing in about fifty minutes. I’ve made arrangements to be dusted at the hospital.” Dusted, he’d told her once what that meant. He was going to be dropped out of the chopper while it was still a few feet in the air. “I’m going to be there in an hour. Tell her that. Tell her that I’ll be there soon.”
She told him she would. As they loaded her onto a gurney, Kari opened her eyes. They looked glazed and bloodshot. One of the medics leaned down to her and then turned to her. Izzy moved to him when he motioned for her to come.
“She said that he needs his mom.” Izzy didn’t know what that meant and shook her head. “‘He has to see his mommy’ is what she said.”
Izzy moved back when he asked her to. She called Steele back and told him what Kari had said. “Do you think she means her mom? I’m not sure where to even being to find her.”
“No. She said ‘he needs to see his mommy.’ I think she means you.” He started cursing, and she had to smile. “Steele, where did you learn that language from?”
“I can’t see her. Never. She’s not…I can’t do that.” The connection was lost, and she was left with no way to tell him that he’d better. If not for him, then for Kari. It was more than likely going to be her dying wish.
By the time she and her husband arrived at the hospital, Kari was already in surgery. The nurse at the desk asked her a few questions and told her that Mr. Bennett had already called them.
“We’re giving Mrs. Bennett the best care.” It took Izzy a second to realize that she meant Kari. “And we’ve brought in a specialist that he requested. I’m glad he told us of her special needs.”
Izzy sat down. She had no idea what sort of special needs Kari had, but she was glad she was getting the best care. When she told Jake what she’d said, he whispered that she was a panther. Izzy felt silly.
“That’s not a special need. I’ve a good mind to tell her that too.” But he told her that it was being seen to, and she should just wait for Steele. She would, but she wasn’t happy about it. By the time Steele got there, they still had no word on her condition. But Steele said he’d get it, and she had no doubt that he would.
Chapter 7
Steele never left her side. When he wasn’t talking to her or holding Kari’s hand, he was curled up beside her on the big bed he’d brought in for them. Every time one of the nurses came in to take her vitals, he was right there, marking them on his own sheets to keep track. According to his notes, there had been no change in three days.
They were very worried that her heart had stopped twice and what damage it might do to her brain. It had been minutes the second time, but only a few seconds the first. They said that she’d been almost too weak to fight off the infection, and it seemed to them, him included, that the medication they were giving her wasn’t doing much either. When the door opened, he turned to see which nurse it was this time. But it was Ray.
He’d been coming in and out since he’d gotten back from the scene. Twice he’d brought him lunch or dinner, and one time he’d convinced him to go outside for a quick walk. It had done him a world of good, but he was in no mood to leave her today.
“They said her vitals haven’t changed.” Steele took her hand into his and held it while he told Ray no. “I have a friend that I was talking to. He said that—well, you’re not going to like this—but he said you need to take her.”