A FATHER'S RESCUE
Chapter Seventeen
"Jack! Jack, where are you?"
Michael closed his eyes to shut out the sight
of his daughter screaming and struggling against the two sturdy nurses who were
holding her by the arms. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He pushed one of
the nurses aside, ignoring her angry protests, and grasped Rose by the shoulders.
"Rosie, it's me. It's Daddy. Rose, can you hear me?"
The screams subsided, but her eyes still held
that unfocused gaze.
"It's me, Rosie. Daddy's here. And I'm
sorry, Princess. I'm sorry about everything--lying to you, and leaving you
alone." He cupped her chin in the palm of one hand and thought he saw a
flicker of recognition in her face.
"But I promise I'll do whatever it takes
to make sure I don't have to leave you again," he whispered. He was aware
of someone entering the ward behind him, but he ignored the movement. "As
soon as you're released, we'll find a home of our own. How's that? We can stay
here in New York if you like, or we'll travel. Go from one end of the country
to the other, all the way to California."
"D-did you say California?"
"Mr. Bukater," a stern voice
warned.
"Yes, Princess, California. It's warm
there now, warm and sunny all year round. We can see the ocean--"
"--and the pier at Santa Monica,"
Rose finished sadly. She was lucid now, but there was great sadness in her eyes
and heavy weariness in her voice. "And drink cheap beer, and ride the
roller coaster and horses in the surf."
"Mr. Bukater, I'm afraid I must ask you
to step outside and let the nurses sedate your daughter."
"I don't want to be sedated!" Rose
yelled, startling them all. "I want to go home!"
Rose continued to protest, while the nurse
kept saying sedation was necessary. Michael spoke up when he saw they were
deadlocked over this.
"I am her father, and I don't think she
needs to have those drugs. She doesn't want them, and if you keep insisting, we
will leave against the doctor's advice. Drugging my child will not help her.
She's under stress and that is all. Please leave us be, now."
Michael's voice held the power Rose
remembered from before he had left. The nurse picked up on it as well and left
as he had asked. Michael was relieved, but that had been far too close a call.
"Thank you, Daddy." Rose spoke up
softly. "I didn't mean to scare you. Did I?"
"A little. But you're all right now,
aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I just want to get out
of here. I hate this place."
"I know. The doctor should be coming
soon. We can ask him if he thinks you are ready. It can't hurt to ask."
"But what about you? Don't you need
something to make you feel better, too? I know your heart is still weak,
Daddy."
"It has been made stronger, much
stronger, in the last two days," Michael said, embracing his daughter.
He found her doctor waiting in the corridor
outside. Without preamble, the man went on the attack. "Mr. Bukater, I
will not tolerate any interference when the nurses are doing their jobs. We
like to think we run a tight ship here, and--"
"--and you think that keeping my
daughter heavily medicated will make your jobs easier," Michael finished
for him. "Well, you just saw the way she responded to your brand of
treatment. She's practically jumping out of her skin! I want to take her home.
Today."
The doctor looked agitated. "I'm sorry,
but I don't think that's wise."
Michael bristled. "No, it wouldn't be so
wise for you to release her just yet, would it? After all, she is probably the
only patient with the means to pay for your services."
"Sir, your daughter has suffered a
severe trauma of some kind. She is in desperate need of a physician's
care!"
"And she'll get it," Michael
responded. "But not in some overcrowded hospital for the poor. She could
contract an illness from another patient and die, for God's sake. I would like
to have her treated by a private physician of my own choosing."
The doctor sighed. "Well, I suppose
there's no reason to keep her any longer. She's in much better condition
physically. But you must keep very close watch over her, and I strongly
recommend that you choose a private doctor right away. In fact, I can refer you
to a few, if you'd be so kind as to wait."
Michael ignored the sarcasm in his tone.
"Certainly. Thank you, Doctor."
After the doctor walked away, Michael went
back into Rose's room. She was calm now, and seemed to be trying to rest. He
turned to go again.
"No, Daddy. Stay. Please? I like to have
you sitting right here."
"Of course I'll stay." He took the
chair beside the bed. "You just sleep now, if you can. You look exhausted.
Maybe, when you wake up, I'll be able to take you to a better hospital. I told
your doctor I want to take you elsewhere."
Rose opened her eyes again. "But that
will cost a lot of money."
"Yes, I'm sure it will. But you have it,
we will spend what we need to. You have to be well before we travel."
Rose sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're
right. I was just hoping to save almost all of it."
"Get some rest now, Rose. We can discuss
this later. David will probably be back tonight. You'll want to be rested to
visit with him."
Rose just nodded and closed her eyes again.
Michael remained by her bedside, still uncertain of what had happened to his
daughter earlier and fearing it would happen again.
She slept peacefully for some time, but then
began to stir. At first, Michael thought it was nothing, but he soon realized
he was wrong, and that Rose was having a dream. That had to be it. Michael only
hoped he would be able to wake her up this time, too.
*****
Travel plans were easy enough to make, and
the very next day Cal was on his way. He stewed over things the entire way, but
he had no doubt what he would do. He was going to kill that little gutter rat
and take back what belonged to him. It was that simple. And Rose could protest
or fight him all she wanted. It wasn't going to work.
By the time Cal reached New York, he was so
set on his task, he arrived at the proper address almost without knowing how he
did it. He was polite in his inquiry but was frustrated to find that Rose was
still in the hospital.
He couldn't do anything there. He would have
to bide his time until she was released.
At least, he thought, there may be enough
time to solve half the problem.
He moved a little closer to the tenant he'd
cornered on his way out of the building, a drunk who said his name was Louie,
and tried to ignore the stench as he pressed a ten-dollar bill into the man's
hand. "I do appreciate your assistance, my good man. I just have one more
request. I believe my fiancée may have drawn undesired attention from a
gentleman during her stay in New York--"
"You mean David?"
David? Could Dawson have changed his name as
well? Or could Rose have found another—
No, it had to be Jack, Cal decided. Rose
wouldn't stoop to that kind of behavior, jumping from one man's arms to another
like some floozy. Louie was confused, his mind soaked in cheap booze. He
probably couldn't remember Jack's name.
"He's at work now," Louie offered.
"I can tell you where." He was eyeing Cal's money clip hungrily; Cal
quickly stuffed it into a pocket of his overcoat.
"No, that'll be quite all right. I'd
like to surprise the fellow. Perhaps I should wait in my fiancée’s room."
He waited, sensing that this man would know how to gain access to the room
without the benefit of a key.
He was right. But once inside, seeing how
Rose had chosen to live her life, Cal felt an inexplicable twinge of fear of
the confrontation ahead.
This place was so far below her. Why would
she choose to live in such a place, unless it was under his influence? That had
to be it. Cal was dismayed, but he also realized that if she could forsake
everything she had known before, she must really feel something for him. She
was being foolish, of course. Loving him would get her nowhere. But to her the
feelings must be real...and Cal doubted he could compete with that. For as much
as he tried to convince himself, he knew Rose hadn't, and probably never would,
love him that much.
Still, their relationship wasn't really
supposed to be about love, was it? Rose had been promised to him, it was that
simple. She was to be his property. He would be a fool not to see she was
beautiful, and charming, and certainly more than able to hold her own socially.
All of these things were huge assets to Cal himself...but what good would they
be to that...that boy? Rose deserved better than this stinking place, even if
she was...difficult. Difficulties could be corrected, in time.