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Epilog
The police were kind enough to deliver Brook's suitcases and boxes from the house to their hotel. Brook was relieved; she hadn't wanted to reenter what was now a house of horrors. Now, Brook and Lance loaded everything into the rear of Old Reliable.
“Ready to go home?” Lance asked.
“More than ready,” Brook said. “We need to see if Gilbert’s had that baby yet; although, I hope she waits for us. That’s something I’d like to see.”
“My calculations give her another couple of days before she becomes a momma. We’ll be there.” He headed the truck away from the hotel.
“Lance? I just had a thought.”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to take flowers to Jerry. He was always so nice and I feel really bad that he’s hurt because of me.”
“Good idea. Just tell me how to get there and I’ll drive you anywhere you want to go.”
Lance drove through the parking lot of the hospital, looking for an empty slot. “Just drop me off at the door. I’ll run in, buy some flowers, and be back in a jiff.”
“You’re sure? I don’t mind going with you.”
“It’s fine, Lance. Come on, drop me off.”
Lance let Brook off at the main entrance. She stopped by the information desk and asked for Jerry’s room.
“He’s still in ICU,” the pink-haired, elderly woman staffing the desk remarked. Seeing Brook’s distress, she hurried on. “No need to worry. He’s just waiting for a room to open up on the general medicine floor. We’re just a little over-booked right now. Take that elevator over there, then go on down the hall to the right and follow the signs on the wall. He’s in room 210.”
Brook, relieved Jerry was better, stopped in the gift shop and bought a bouquet of cheery yellow carnations. She rode the elevator to the second floor, and then walked with decisive steps down the hall to the ICU unit. No one questioned her as she looked for and found room 210.
Two doors down, a policeman sat outside another room. A chill traveled down her back as she realized Benny was probably behind the door he guarded. The officer looked up at Brook with a bored expression on his face. Brook lowered her eyes and made a show of balancing the flowers in her hand. He turned away and picked up a magazine in his lap.
From beneath her lashes, Brook quickly scanned the walls of the unit before stepping through Jerry’s door.
“May I help you?” a tiny woman asked from beside the bed. Her gray hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore a sweater draped around her shoulders.
Brook smiled towards the sleeping man in the bed. “I’m Brook Parrish. I just wanted to drop these off for Jerry. Are you his mother?”
“I am!” The woman’s smile seemed a little strained, which Brook could understand. After all, if it hadn’t been for Brook, Jerry wouldn’t be in the hospital at all. But the woman remained courteous. “I’m sure Jerry would love to see you. Let me wake him.”
Brook stopped her. “No, don’t. He should rest. Get his strength back. Please just tell him I stopped by.”
Jerry’s mom looked relieved. “I’ll do that.”
Brook stepped back into the outer ICU unit and found the area empty. Even the policeman had vacated his post. Maybe he didn’t find the job pressing since his prisoner was in a coma. Probably went for coffee.
Brook reached forward, and with a quick tug, pulled the fire alarm on the wall next to Jerry’s room. Chaos followed. In the confusion, Brook slipped down the hall and into Benny’s room. She stared at his bruised face for a few seconds, feeling no sympathy. He hardly looked alive, his skin waxen and his head swathed in white. A respirator breathed for him and various clear tubing snaked around his still body. He looked smaller than before, diminished.
Calmly, Brook turned and pulled every plug in sight. The ventilator went silent and alarms sounded, but they could not compete with the din outside the room. She stepped out and joined the exodus from the hospital, hoping there would be enough confusion to cover the plaintive bleeping coming from one of the nurse’s bays. At least long enough to put an end to the last of her tormentors.
“What’s going on in there?” Lance asked as Brook slid into the truck.
“I’m not sure. An alarm went off right after I dropped off Jerry’s flowers. Then everyone started for the doors so I followed along. Maybe we’ll hear something on the news.”
Lance searched Brook’s face for a long moment but she only smiled a tired smile. “Okay. Let’s go home.”
