Jack Stratton: Jacks Are Wild Part 46

"Get the doctor," Replacement ordered. "Jack. It's okay. You're okay." Her face was right next to his. "GET THE DOCTOR," she screamed right into his face.

"DOCTOR," Marisa yelled as she stood in the doorway. "I've been calling, but no one's coming." She slapped her hand against her leg.

Replacement raced back out of the room. A minute later, several people-including one orderly, three nurses, and one doctor-were herded into the room by Replacement. He wondered what she'd said to get them there so fast.

She and Marisa ran to one side of the bed while the doctor approached from the other.

"Officer Stratton." The older man smiled and looked up at Marisa and Replacement. "It would appear you're in very good hands." He winked, and Jack closed his eyes again.

Marisa Marisa stood at the window in the hospital room and looked back at the man lying in the bed.

Jack Stratton.

He was covered in tubes and wires. The mask hid his pale face but not his shallow breathing.

She closed her eyes tightly as the separate memories of two gunshots rang in her ears. Marisa's hand went to her mouth and she fought the urge to run to his side. She turned back to the window and exhaled. Everyone had finally left. The parade of people who love him had been long. Marisa had remained out of sight in the waiting room across the way, but she sat there and watched them.

Alice, Cindy, Mrs. Stevens, Aunt Haddie.

Flowers now filled the room and Marisa inhaled deeply.

He'd hate it. Hate the attention. But, he loves them. He loves this town. Being a policeman.

She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. A s.h.i.+ver rippled along her body as the realization of what she needed to do sunk in. The sound of heels on the linoleum brought her head up. It wasn't a nurse who stood in the doorway. It was a beautiful j.a.panese woman. She carried a vase filled with red chrysanthemums. Marisa tilted her head as she tried to remember where she'd seen her before. Her eyes rounded.

The cabin.

Kiku set down her vase and walked over to the side of the bed. She gazed down at Jack. Reaching out, she placed a hand on the side of his face and bowed her head. After a moment, she straightened up and walked over to Marisa.

"I saw you at the cabin." Marisa's voice was just above a whisper. "I want to thank you."

Kiku nodded. "That is not necessary." She looked back at Jack. "I was merely an accessory."

Marisa swallowed as she watched Jack's chest rise and fall. "I'm sure he wouldn't agree."

"He would give Alice and me all the credit. He is a good man."

Marisa's chest tightened. She walked over to the hospital bed. Jack's monitors beeped and clicked. Marisa pulled up the corner of his blanket so she could cover more of his arm.

"It is no longer safe for you in Darrington," Kiku whispered. "Now that people know where you are, they will be tempted to use you."

I know.

Marisa touched Jack's shoulder.

His skin feels better. Not as hot.

Marisa inhaled deeply before she looked at Kiku and sighed. "Thank you."

"I mean no offense, Ms. Vitagliano." Kiku leaned down, kissed Jack's cheek, and then walked to the door. She didn't look back when she spoke. "But I did it for Jack."

Marisa closed her eyes for a moment and then nodded at the now empty doorway.

Jack lay on his back and looked at the vase of wilting chrysanthemums. Another petal gently fell down to land on the shelf. He picked the letter back up.

Jack, Words could never convey how much you meant to me before this happened. Now...

I saw you right before the impact of the car accident. I saw your face. I saw your eyes. You were willing to sacrifice your life for mine. You offered it, my love. I had no choice then, but now, that's something I can't let you do.

I have to go. I don't know where right now but I have to leave Darrington, and I can't ask you to go with me. I know you would, but I can't let you. You have so much here. So many who love you. You have a life.

You asked me that day to live and I'll try. I ask the same of you.

Tu sei il bello mio: You are my beautiful one.

Marisa At the bottom of the letter was a sketch of the girl in the field. As Jack looked at it now, he was sure the little girl was smiling.

Beneath the picture, Marisa had written: "The original is hanging in your living room."

Jack let the paper fall from his hand as another chrysanthemum petal gently floated down to the floor.

A dog in a sled Jack sat propped up while two FBI agents and his union delegate stood on either side of the bed. Both of the FBI agents wore dark black suits, white s.h.i.+rts, black shoes, Marine haircuts, and serious expressions. The taller one was Dan Haney, but he couldn't remember the other guy's name.

Jack's union delegate was Peter Bruff. He was dressed in ski pants and a red s.h.i.+rt screen-printed with a dog in a sled being pulled by six humans. Jack smirked. He didn't blame Peter for the way he was dressed. He'd come the second Replacement called and told him.

"We're not re-interviewing him," Haney explained again. "We just have two additional questions."

Peter turned to look at Jack, and his snow pants squeakily swished.

Jack tried not to laugh at the odd sound. He nodded his head. "Ask away."

"We appreciate your help, Officer Stratton, but we just need you to answer a few-"

"Two," Peter interjected.

"We need you to answer two additional questions. Now, you've stated that your recollection of the events are hazy because of your head injury?"

"We've been over that a thousand times," Peter blurted out. "Anything he says gets a little asterisk next to it saying, 'may not be accurate due to short-term memory loss caused by head trauma.'"

Haney exhaled. "Duly noted. Now, we are wrapping up our investigation and want to confirm you drove Agent Rivers to the cabin, is that correct?"

Jack opened his mouth, but Peter spoke, "He a.s.sumes he did because it's his car, but that statement 'may not be accurate due to short-term memory loss caused by head trauma.'"

"When you were in the cabin, you can't recall who fired the shots or if anyone else was with you and Agent Rivers at the time?"

Jack nodded, but when Peter opened his mouth, Haney spoke. "But that statement 'may not be accurate due to short-term memory loss caused by head trauma.'"

Jack noticed the corner of Haney's mouth turn up.

"I understand. Thank you for your time, Officer."

Jack nodded, and the two men turned to walk out.

"Thanks for coming, Peter."

"It's what I'm here for." He smiled. "Listen, Jack, Cindy thinks there's a chance of you getting reinstated but, between you and me, no. If you want to, you can apply in another county."

"I don't know how you fixed it so I can. Are you sure that email isn't going on my record?"

"It won't. You apply someplace else, and your record's clean. Don't thank me. You have to be the luckiest guy in the world. The whole email database crashed, and the only account they can't recover is yours? What are the chances?"

Zero, unless you factor in Replacement.

"Thanks, Peter."

"I gotta run. Cindy is waiting in the hall to talk to you. Are you good for a visit?"

Jack nodded.

Peter's snow pants swished as he walked out of the room, and Cindy breezed in.

Jack's face lit up. You couldn't help but smile when Cindy was around.

"Hi, Jack." She walked over and kissed his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Cindy, I really appreciate you coming, but you didn't have to come again."

She held her hand up. "I most certainly did. Poor Alice won't leave your side. This is the first day she's away, and that's because she's doing something for you, too."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, but that's how it is. Don't go getting all down. You'll be out of here in another week."

"Why a week? Doesn't someone else need this bed?"

"Those doctors must be a bunch of nitwits wanting to keep you here. After all that happened, you nearly died...oh, I forgot. Technically, you were dead when they brought you in. Collapsed lung, shot-what on earth can they be thinking?"

"You're laying it on a little thick."

"Am I? Jack, if Marisa's brother wasn't on Big Blue, you wouldn't be here. Even with his help, you-" She stopped as her eyes welled up, and her lip quivered.

"Cindy. I'm good now."

"Sorry," she muttered. "It's just...that was horrible."

She dabbed at her eyes, blew her nose, and then reached down and pulled a book from her bag.

"Hold on. Show me the cover." Jack lifted his hand.

She frowned and flipped the paperback around so he could see it. On the cover was a s.h.i.+rtless man with six-pack abs holding a beautiful girl in a flowery dress.

Jack's lip curled up.

"You liked the last one." Cindy grinned.

"I didn't."

"You did, too. Besides, I promised Alice I'd spend the afternoon with you, and I will."

"I should have known she put you up to this."

Jack slowly drifted off as Cindy began to read to him.

She didn't make it Replacement wheeled Jack to the exit of the hospital, but when they reached the door, he shook his head and stopped the wheelchair.

"I can walk from here." He stood up, and Replacement frowned.

"You heard the doctors; you need to take it easy."

"I've been taking it easy for four weeks. I don't want 'easy' anymore."

They walked through the big double doors, and Jack looked for Replacement's Bug.

"Where's your car?"

She shrugged. "I parked around the corner. I'll go get it."

"I can walk."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down. "Okay." She slid her arm around his waist.

"Have you talked to Marisa?"

"Umm...yeah."

That can't be good.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Well, she said she needed to move."

Jack looked at the sidewalk as they slowly walked.

She's gone.

He inhaled slowly and nodded. "She might let us know when she gets settled."