Chapter 41
“Stacey, it’s good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances,” Susan James said as she took the seat across from Midland.
“Susan, do you remember Nathan Jackson?”
“I do. How are you Mr. Jackson?” she asked.
Jackson looked at the grey haired woman sitting to his right. “I’m fine, Dr. James,” he answered.
The door to Midland’s office opened and the final member of the meeting entered the room. “Good to see you again, Susan,” he said as he took the seat on
Jackson’s left.
“Coffee?” Midland’s asked.
“Maybe later,” James answered. “I’d like to get right down to business here so I can get started on these two cases.”
“Alright, Susan,” Midland said. “Did you get the files I sent you?”
“Yes, I did. I’d like you to tell me what kind of treatments you’ve started on Chris Larabee’s physical injuries.”
“Tom, would you field this question?”
“Sure, Stacey,” Parker answered. “As you probably read Chris Larabee was brought in suffering major traumas to his body. His hands and fingers are a mess right
now due to injuries caused by a nail gun as well as bamboo shoots driven under his fingernails. We’ve had to remove the thumb and index fingernails from both
hands. He’s got a laceration on his right side that’s showing signs of infection. The ultra sound and swab of the area are negative but we’re keeping a close watch on
it. His right wrist is broken. He’s also got a laceration on his left arm, and his right calf, both are healing nicely. His right knee is also beginning to heal. The wounds on
his neck, wrists, and ankles were caused by manacles and are being cleaned with saline. The burns covering his chest, arms and legs were caused by a cattle prod
and once more we’re treating them with normal saline dressings. There’s also the problem of broken ribs,” Parker explained.
“What about the drugs that were used?” James asked as she continued to take short hand notes.
“We thought we’d have to resort to dialysis for a while there. His kidney function was at a minimum, most of the time his urine output was at or below thirty ccs per
hour and his Creatinine level was above normal. The last blood tests showed no trace of the drugs left in his system. We’re continuing to monitor his kidney function,”
Midland explained.
Susan James knew her job well. She’d been in this field for over twenty years and prided herself on being able to control her emotions and keep patients at a
distance. She remembered Chris Larabee from the visits she’d had with him after his wife and son’s deaths. His injuries, both physical and mental, had nearly been
his downfall. He’d been able to pull himself out of the depression he’d been in because of the help provided by his friends. She finished writing the details the doctors
were supplying. Finally she raised her eyes from the chart and asked. “What about his mental state?”
Midland looked down at the chart before her. “It’s not good, Susan. He’s depressed and fighting us at every turn. We’ve had to resort to putting his oral medications
down the Nasogastric tube.”
“That’s not a good sign. I see you’ve started him on Haldol and Zoloft. How is he responding to those medications?”
“We’ve had him on the Haldol for more than twenty four hours. The usual dosage doesn’t help much so I’ve ordered that it be given when he becomes really agitated
and needs something extra. The Zoloft was started this morning so we won’t be seeing any effects from that for a while yet. He’s also on a morphine drip and is being
given a higher dose as needed when we change the bandages.”
“I’ve been reading Vin Tanner’s chart as well. How’s he coping with what’s happened to his friend?” Susan asked.
“He’s upset,” Jackson answered. “He’s blaming himself for what happened to Chris.”
“Because Gary Wilcox was his friend at one time?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Wilcox hired Whelan to torture Chris. He sent the video tapes to our office and made sure we knew what was going on,” the medic explained, his
mouth dry as he thought of the scene they’d come upon at the abandoned warehouse. “We had to listen to Chris’s screams as he the nails were driven into his hands
and his knee. God the cries when Whelan used the cattle prod and the... the Bamboo...” Jackson couldn’t continue as the too recent memories played back in his
mind.
“Easy, Nathan,” Midland said.
“Stacey,” James said as she looked at the trembling man on her left. “I think it may be a good idea to schedule appointments for each member of Larabee’s team.”
“Nathan, will you talk to the others and make appointments with Susan?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Jackson said, finally lifting his eyes and meeting those of the others in the room. “Chris will be alright, won’t he?”
“We’re going to do all we can to insure that he is,” James assured him. “Stacey, arrange for me to see Mr. Tanner as soon as I’ve finished with Mr. Larabee.”
“I thought you’d say that,” Midland said. “I’ve arranged for you to see them both as soon as we’re finished here.”
“Perfect. A couple of more questions and then we’ll go see Mr. Larabee. First off is he able to drink anything?”
“We don’t know if he’s able to or not. He simply refuses to even try.” Parker told her.
“How long before he’s moved out of ICU?”
“Tomorrow at the earliest,” Midland answered.
“I think it would be a wise idea to have Mr. Larabee assigned a primary care nurse. From what you’ve said and what I read in his chart we may need to put him on
suicide watch as well.”
Jackson’s eyes opened wide as he heard Susan’s last statement. “Chris, suicide, no way!” he denied sharply.
“Mr. Jackson, as much as I admire your confidence in your friend I need you to keep an open mind here. You have to remember he’s been through a lot. The chart
says not only was he tortured physically but that Whelan was continually giving him some kind of drug that left him open to suggestions. Isn’t it true that Whelan was
telling Mr. Larabee that he was responsible for murdering his own family?”
“Yes it was. B...but.”
“No buts, Mr. Jackson. Anyone who’s been through what Mr. Larabee has been through would be in need of our help. Now do you think you could come with me
while I talk to your friend?”
Jackson turned towards her. “I’ll do anything you need me too,” he said as his eyes misted with tears.
“I’ll arrange for a primary care nurse immediately,” Midland told James.
“It might not be a bad idea to have the same nurse assigned to Mr. Tanner. Will they be on the same floor?”
“It can be arranged,” Midland told her.
“Good, I guess I’m ready to see Mr. Larabee,” James said as she closed the charts and stood up.
“This way,” Midland told her.
Chapter 42
Josiah placed his hand on the blond’s’ forehead. He watched as the eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. He spoke softly, quoting one of his favorite bible passages, “Be
strong and of good courage, do not be afraid of them: for the lord your God. He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you,” he said, his
eyes closed against the tears that filled them.
“Deuteronomy 31:6.”
Sanchez looked up at the young nurse who was busy checking her patient’s vitals. “That’s correct. You know the bible well.”
“My parents made sure we attended Sunday school and church every week, Mr. Sanchez. That was one of my father’s favorite quotes.”
“Mine too,” Sanchez told her as he grew silent once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
“There are a couple of things I want you to do when we go into Mr. Larabee’s room, Mr. Jackson.”
“Please call me Nathan,” Jackson suggested.
“Nathan it is. Now when we go in there I’m going to ask him a few questions. I’ll need you to stay quiet for a few minutes. I want to see his reactions to the things I
ask him. When I’m finished my questions I want you to mention Vin Tanner.”
“I can tell you what’ll happen if you mention Vin,” Jackson said worriedly.
“I know you can, Nathan. Actually it’s mentioned in here but I need to gauge just how much the name effects him. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” Jackson cringed at the thought of what they were about to put his friend through.
“Stacey, Tom, you two can watch as well but please don’t say anything till we’re done.”
“Alright, Susan,” Midland and Parker agreed.
“Let’s do this,” James said as she walked into the brightly lit room. She recognized the older man sitting at the blond’s’ bedside. “Mr. Sanchez, do you think you
could excuse us for a little while?”
“Of course, Dr. James,” Sanchez answered as he noticed Nathan Jackson entering the room with her. He stood up to leave but noticed a pair of terrified green eyes
looking at him. “It’s ok, Chris. It’s just Dr. James and Nathan. I’ll be right outside the door if you need me.”
Larabee’s eyes shot open as soon as he’d heard the voice of the female psychiatrist. He had no intention of talking to anyone. He didn’t want to see her. He knew
she’d lie to him the same way she’d lied after Sarah and Adam died. There was no way he would allow her to assuage his guilt this time. He’d murdered his wife and
son and he deserved whatever Vin and Whelan planned for him. Shutting his eyes tightly he turned away from the two people who entered his room.
“Good morning, Chris. I can call you Chris can’t I?” James asked. She wasn’t surprised when there was no answer forthcoming. “ Well if you won’t answer me I
guess I’ll just have to call you Chris. You can tell me to stop whenever you want,” she advised him.
The blond ignored the woman, keeping his head turned away and his eyes closed tightly. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want anyone trying to ease his conscience.
He knew he deserved to die for what he did. It was just a matter of waiting for Whelan and Vin Tanner to do it.
Susan James stood to the side and watched the patient. She could tell he was in pain as she watched the grimace form on his pale face. She watched as the nurse
prepared his oral medication, glad that she’d have the chance to observe his reaction to being forced to take something he didn’t want.
Larabee felt the nurse at the NG tube and tried to turn away. “No,” his muffled cry sounded weak as she held his head and injected the Zoloft into the Nasogastric
tube. “D...don’t want it,” he hissed sharply.
“What don’t you want, Chris?” James asked.
The blond closed his eyes, refusing once again to meet the female psychiatrist’s gaze. She made a few notations on his chart and then signaled for Nathan to speak.
“Hey, Chris, how are you doing today?”
Larabee kept his eyes closed as he answered, “Be b...better if all of y...you w...would just l...leave me a...alone,” he told the medic.
Jackson watched James write a small note in the chart. Breathing deeply he asked, “Are you ready to see Vin?”
The reaction was immediate and violent as Larabee tried to move away from the sound of the medic’s voice. He seemed to shrink under the blankets and up into the
corner of the bed. “No! P...please not yet. C...can’t do it y...yet,” he screamed pitifully as his mind went back to the warehouse. “Oh, God, w...why, V...Vin, why.
S...stop...” he cried, tears of pain and frustration falling from his eyes. His body suddenly arched off the bed and Parker and Midland rushed into the room.
“Easy, Chris,” Parker said as he watched Midland inject Haldol into the IV line.
“H...hurts to m...much. L...let me go. P...please, N...Nathan, I w...want to be w...with Sarah and Adam. P...please t...tell them,” the blond gasped as he struggled to
get away from the helping hands of his friend and doctors.
“We need you here with us, Chris. Come on now, fight this thing. Don’t let them win,” Jackson pleaded.
“N...no, Nathan, c...can’t fight them. T...they’ve a...already won. T...hey took Sarah and Adam and now they’ve taken V...Vin. Oh, God, why? W...why’d he do
it?” he gasped as his sweat soaked body dropped back on the bed. Tears beaded in his eyes and dropped onto his pillow as he fought the medication entering his
system. Slowly he breathed the oxygen from the mask deep into his starved lungs. Once again he turned away from the doctors and his friends, closing his eyes and
moaning against the onslaught of painful memories. “D...don’t w...wanna f...fight any more,” he said as he once more succumbed to sleep.
James indicated for the others to follow her out. She knew Larabee was in good hands as she watched the nurse once more checking his vitals.
“Let’s talk before we go see Mr. Tanner,” she said indicating the small conference lounge. “Nathan, I know this is hard on you but I’d like you to join us as well.”
“I’ll do anything I can to help them both,” Jackson swore as the four people entered the room and closed the door.
“What do you think, Susan?” Midland asked as soon as they were seated with hot coffee in front of them.
“I think you were right to call me, Stacey. From what I was able to observe Chris is withdrawn and doesn’t want to fight anymore. He has reactive depression and
appears to be delusional. I know he’s been through mental torture and sometimes patients who’ve been through that just give up on life. He lost his wife and son a
little over two years ago and only made it through with the help of his friends, specifically Vin Tanner. Based on Chris’s reaction to Mr. Tanner’s name it’s unlikely
we’ll be able to use him for a while. I recommend you continue to use Haldol and Zoloft to treat Mr. Larabee.”
“Is that all?” Parker asked.
“No,” Susan answered, looking specifically at Nathan Jackson. “I definitely recommend the suicide watch be put in effect immediately.”
Jackson’s hands shook as he picked up his coffee. He sipped the rich brew and slowly placed it back on the table. “You really think Chris could take his own life?”
he asked softly.
“Right now I think it’s highly likely. He’s depressed and he’s in a lot of pain. I listened closely to what he was saying in there. He’s asking us to leave him alone and
let him join Sarah and Adam.”
“Would it be possible for us to watch him. I mean you’re going to have a primary care nurse looking after him and Vin. Maybe we could take on some of that
responsibility,” Jackson suggested.
“Nathan, we’ve been through this before. Hospital policy on suicide watches is that we provide the ‘sitter’,” Midland explained.
“Chris isn’t gonna sit by and let you guys post a guard on him.”
“There’s only one other choice, Nathan. We’d have to commit him for assessment and he’d be locked in a room where he couldn’t hurt himself. Which one do you
think he’d prefer?”
“Neither. He’d prefer it if one of us stayed with him,” Jackson reiterated.
“We’ll talk about this later,” James said. “Right now I want to talk about Mr. Tanner. Has he had any problems with depression?”
“I don’t think he’s depressed. Angry, confused, hurt? Yes. Depressed? No,” Midland answered.
“That’s good news, Stacey. What does Dr. Marshall say about his recovery?”
“David is very pleased with Vin. If he keeps going the way he is he’ll be released in a couple of days.”
“His physical wounds are healing then?”
“They are, Susan,” Midland told her.
“I know you said there’s no sign of depression but I remember Mr. Tanner holding his feelings inside when they visited me after Chris’s family died. Is it possible he’s
doing the same thing now?”
“Vin always holds things inside. He’s a very private person. The only one he opens up to is Chris,” Jackson told her.
“It sounds like Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner have a lot more in common than just working for The Firm,” James said.
“Yes, ma’am. From the moment they first met it was as if they found something they’d both been missing.”
“They have a close relationship. When one is injured it’s hard to get the other one to leave his side,” Midland offered. “That’s what makes this so hard on both of
them. Chris is unwilling to accept help from Vin because of what Whelan did to him. Vin wants to be with his friend but that’s something we can’t allow right now.”
“That’s where the main problem arises. In order for these two men to heal we’re going to have to get Chris to the point where he’s able to face Vin Tanner. He
needs time to realize that Vin had nothing to do with the hurt inflicted on him,” James explained.
“Will time be enough this time?” Jackson asked seriously.
“Time and the help of his friends,” James answered. “Now let’s go see Mr. Tanner.”