Chapter Eleven

Larry walked in a few minutes later, saw them, and was immediately concerned.

“Is she all right?” he asked his great-aunt.

“I believe so,” she murmured as she comforted Leah. “Just – a very eventful night, you know.”

“I’m… it’s just… a little overwhelmed, is all,” Leah managed as Lynda stepped back. “I’m all right. Worried about Shannon being up there by herself, though. We really need to get going.”

“At least get some coffee to go,” Lynda suggested, and fixed two travel mugs for them.

“I need to head back to the blinds, get mine and Pete’s gear,” Larry said.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Lynda scolded. “Take your young lady and go check on your friends. Montie and I can handle bringing your stuff back down.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, even as he thought my young lady… I like the sound of that.

“You tell Pete Aunt Lynda said thank you. He got us out of harm’s way.”

“I will.”

“And you tell that other young lady if she needs a place to stay, she can stay right here, no trouble at all.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and kissed her cheek, then looked at Leah.

“You ready?”

“Yes,” she said. “Let’s get going. I don’t want Shannon to be alone right now.”

They climbed into Larry’s truck, and he maneuvered around Pete’s truck, Montie’s car, and two police cruisers, then started down the driveway.

“So,” he said softly. “Are you all right?”

She shrugged.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? Anything at all. I’m here for you.”

Leah didn’t answer, but she reached over and took his hand.

***

When they arrived in the hospital parking lot, she turned her head and looked at him.

“Not right now, but, later, I want to share some things with you. Okay?” Leah said softly.

“Anything you want to share, I’ll listen,” Larry answered as he gently squeezed her hand.

She slipped her hand out of his and waited, letting him walk around and open her door. Leah climbed out, and they moved side-by-side into the main entrance of the emergency room.

As they walked, Larry glanced over at her, and was amazed that he could almost see Leah shoving whatever tonight’s events had stirred up back into the emotional Pandora’s box within herself. Her posture became straighter, her face schooling into a determined set, eyes clear and focused.

Putting her game face on to be strong for Shannon, he realized.

They spotted Shannon immediately, sitting in a corner closest to the intake desk. She was staring off into space, holding a wad of paper towels, rubbing them over her hands absentmindedly.

Shannon blinked, then looked up when they approached her.

“I had to wash up. I had Pete’s blood on them,” she whispered, and began to cry again. “They told me I had to stay out here, and no one is giving me any updates, Leah.”

“You bring the notebook?” Larry asked, and Leah nodded and brought it out of her handbag.

Larry wrote We’ll just see about that, leave it to me! Then he handed Leah the notebook, pulled out his badge and ID, and moved swiftly to the intake desk.

“Agent Fuller, FBI,” he said tersely. “U.S. Marshal Pete Jenkins was brought in with a gunshot wound. I want to know his condition, and I want to know why his girlfriend” – he pointed to Shannon – “has been left out here by herself with no updates. Now.”

In moments, he had the latest information, along with the man’s sincere apology to relay to Shannon. He muttered an abrupt “Thank you, I’ll take her upstairs,” before he pivoted and walked back over to Shannon and Leah.

As they moved toward the elevator, he updated them. Leah scribbled what he said and showed Shannon, then cried out, “Larry!” as Shannon began to slump toward the floor.

He scooped an unconscious Shannon up in one fluid motion, turned and headed back to the intake desk.

“Get somebody out here who can help her,” he growled. “Right now.”

Leah was pleased to see Larry’s demeanor light a fire under the man, and instantly two staff members arrived with a gurney. He placed Shannon on it very gently, then barked, “Lead the way.”

Larry stayed in the triage room with them until he was convinced Shannon would be all right, then he turned to Leah.

“I’m going upstairs to the surgical waiting room to try to get an update on Pete,” he announced. “You going to be all right here without me?”

“Go,” Leah said, and smiled at his question for what it was – genuine concern. “I’ve got this part covered. As soon as they finish checking her out, we’ll come find you.”

He took two steps before she called out.

“Hey.”

He turned.

“Yes?”

“I appreciate you,” Leah said, and meant it to her core.

He winked.

“See you two upstairs,” he replied, and was gone.

***

An hour later, the three were reunited in the third-floor surgical waiting room. Shannon was a bit dehydrated, but otherwise doing pretty well under the circumstances. Leah had even managed to make her laugh when she’d mimicked the staunch nurse’s directives as only Leah could, referring to ‘Nurse Squeaky Shoes’ and barked orders.

Larry traveled over to the small table in the corner, returning with two coffees for himself and Leah, and a hot tea for Shannon. Then they sat, Shannon in the middle, and waited for someone to bring them news about Pete.

Finally, the lead surgeon appeared. And when he told them Pete would make a full recovery, Leah almost cheered.

He also conveyed recovery time – one to two weeks – then let them know they’d be able to see Pete once he left post-op.

Next came a bit of planning. Shannon had no intentions of going anywhere until Pete was released – and said as much. Both Larry and Leah could see the relief in her eyes when Larry passed on Lynda’s invitation to stay at the farm.

When Shannon mentioned her classes, Larry had a solution for that, too – he’d already planned to bring her a laptop so she could finish them remotely.

“Seems like you’ve been lining stuff out,” Leah remarked, and he grinned.

“When are you heading back to Chicago?”

“Tomorrow,” he answered.

“Do you think Lynda would be willing to help Shannon with her bandages?”

“Absolutely. Born nurturer, that one. Why?”

“I want to drive back with you,” Leah told him, her face carefully neutral. “Our apartment’s still a wreck. I need to get all that sorted out.”

He gazed into her eyes.

“Sure.”

She let Shannon know her plans via written message.

Shannon stood and reached into her pocket, bringing forth the locket Robert had given her. She solemnly handed it to Larry.

He carefully worked it open and stared for a moment at the tiny piece of circuitry that had gotten Robert killed and Shannon placed in so much danger.

Larry snapped the locket shut again, tucking it into the front pocket of his jeans just as a surgical tech arrived to take them to Pete.