Fix It for Us (27 page)

             
Davis pulls me toward him gently and whispers, “Stop it.  It’s not your fault, Lizard baby.  It just happened.  The doctors say it will get better.  It’ll just take time.  And I’m not broken, not as long as I’m with you.”

             
There are no words.  Nothing comes to mind that can capture how I feel as well as Davis just has.  Finally, I whisper, “That’s it.  We are broken without each other.  We fix each other.”  As much as I wish I could show him right now, just how much, we are both exhausted and physically wiped out.  Holding each other tentatively will have to be enough for now.  I snuggle my good side back next to him and rest my head on his shoulder. 

Davis leans down and kisses the top of my hair and inhales.  When he exhales, I swear he says, “All better now.”  I’m so happy to fall asleep beside him again.

***

It flat out sucks, but I have to leave Davis – temporarily.  I have to do two things.  Go back to work.  I’m fine with that.  And talk to Detective Garrett
again.  I’m less fine with that. 

Davis is going to be in the hospital for a few more days at least
.  Everything is looking good, but the doctors want to run some tests to make sure everything is working okay – in his brain.  I didn’t notice anything different about him except his damaged smile.  Davis tells me his hearing feels off.  Anything that’s going on we will work through together.  It’s the newest promise we made to one another.

Returning to KTTA was not as difficult as I thought it might be.  As a matter of fact, it was a relief.  While I
’d only been there a short time, everyone was pleased to see me, especially Henry, the other PA on Happening in the STL.

He greeting me with teasing. “Hey, you don’t have to go and get sick or injure yourself to get time off, you know.  You could just fill out a time off request.”

I reply, “I know.  I just don’t like to do anything the easy way, obviously.”

             
Gail, my boss and producer, must have heard our rambunctious banter and steps into the doorway of her office and says sternly, “Biz, can you come in for a moment?”

             
I grimace at Henry.  My face turned away from Gail, I reply, “Be right there.”  I chuck my new purse at Henry.  My old one, full of the Brandons’ money and my meager savings, is long gone, God knows where with Randall – I silently lament.

             
I’ve barely crossed the threshold of her office, when Gail, still standing, looks up from her desk.  I hope she’s not going to fire me.  I called in for a few days after the weekend, but I haven’t missed that much time. 

             
“Biz, sit down.”

             
I do.

             
Gail goes on, “Biz, I am glad you’re all right. I was worried about you.  How is your fiancé?”

             
I tell her, “He’s going to be okay.  He has some residual nerve damage from the pistol whipping…” Wow, those are words I never in my lifetime thought would come from my mouth.  “And he needs to be in the hospital a little longer, tests and stuff, but really he looks amazing, all things considered.”

             
“Good, good…” Gail reaches for a remote control on her desk and clicks on the monitor to the left of me.  “I want to show you how the incident under the bridge was initially reported.”  I open my mouth and then close and open it again.  I hadn’t even thought about checking the news coverage, I was so concerned about Davis.  Nobody said anything.  I wonder why not? Gail pulls me back from my reverie.  “Biz, are you listening?”

             
I shake off my thoughts and respond, “Yes, I…I’m listening.”

             
Gail cues up the footage.  It’s the news report from last Friday night’s 10 p.m. news.

             
Last night, this man, Neil Ireland, recently released on bail for alleged sexual assault and pornography charges, was found assaulted, under the southernmost Kingshighway overpass.  This area contains a skatepark that was recently closed by the police.  Mr. Ireland was not the only victim.  Two other, unnamed victims, a man and a woman both in their 20s, were injured, one of them seriously.  The other has been treated and released from Barnes Hospital.  Police are currently looking for Mr. Ireland’s brother, Randall Ireland.  Randall Ireland was being sought for questioning in his brother’s case.  Police report, with this assault, he has now become a person of interest.

Gail pauses the footage, the picture of Randall hanging on the screen.
 

             
Gail places the remote back on the desk, comes around and sits in the chair next to me. “I’m sorry, Biz.  We had to report something.  We’ve been able to keep your name and Davis’ out of it for now, but I don’t know how much longer we can keep it contained.  The police are helping.  For some reason, they don’t want it to get out that it was you or Davis there.  We buried the story, only asking for tips about Randall.   It has since fallen out of the news cycle.”

             
With all sincerity, I say, “Thank you, Gail.”  I really hadn’t thought through what could occur.  It wasn’t supposed to.  I was supposed to pay off Neil and that would be that.

             
Gail smiles and shakes her head, then reaches over and pats my knee, “You are always so quick to thank me.  Biz, here’s how you can thank me…”

             
Gail thinks there is more to the story and, of course, she is right.  I tell her everything from the beginning.  I agree to give Gail and KTTA exclusive rights to broadcast the true story, if it looks like it’s going to surface.  Gail thinks the police are working on something and I’m beginning to agree.  I received a call from Detective Garrett prior to coming back to work.  He wants to speak with me… and Davis.

             
“What do I do in the meantime?” I ask Gail.  All sorts of scenarios come into my head.  People asking about the sling and brace.  Why I’ve been out.  Gail is a genius.  She told everyone I had another low blood sugar attack, after the one here at the station, but it was while I was running, so I fell and injured myself.  Nobody here knows Davis is hospitalized.  The Brandons have dealt with the media for years and covered it on their end, stating Mr. Brandon was coming to Barnes Hospital for his spinal cord injury.  I wondered why there weren’t any paparazzi hanging around.

             
Gail has an immediate answer.  “What you do in the meantime is live your life, as if none of this happened.  Get Davis out of the hospital and back home.  Get married…” 

             
The wedding.  I’ve been evasive in my conversations with my mother since the accident.  She doesn’t know anything about the incident with Neil and Randall.  I didn’t want my parents to worry.  I caused enough of that
last
summer.  The wedding is two weeks away.  I wonder if Davis will be well enough by then.  Should we postpone?

             
Tuning back in to Gail, I hear her finish with, “…and get back to work.  As much as you can minimize this, make it look like you were nowhere near Neil Ireland or that skatepark, the better. Besides, I really need you back.  Henry is losing his mind without you.”  Gail smiles and winks at me with her last words.

             
I happily leave Gail’s office and go back to my desk, which is loaded with unfinished projects to keep my mind off of the convoluted swirl of a mess I seem to be in.  Meeting with her provided some relief, but also brought up a whole raft of new worries.  How can we keep this under wraps?  What happens when Neil goes to trial?  What if Randall returns?  What if he doesn’t?  And my biggest question – What do the police want?

***

              Going straight to Davis’ hospital room after work, I sense the question that has been bouncing around in my head will soon be answered.  Why?  Because Detective Garrett and Davis are seated at the small table in Davis’ private room – surely a perk of being Lt. Governor Brandon’s son.  Davis is not smiling.  He doesn’t appear angry either.  There just seems to be this pinched concern between his eyebrows.  When he catches sight of me, it disappears and happy surprise replaces it, cocked eyebrow, busted smile and all.

             
Detective Garrett’s back is to me, but he turns after seeing Davis’ expression change, immediately stands and greets me, “Hello, Ms. Connelly.”  Ms. Connelly, sheesh, I can’t have him calling me that every time he sees me.  I’ll be twisting around looking for my mother constantly if he does.

             
“Biz, please.”  I say.

             
“As you wish, Biz, but then I’d like you to call me Donovan or Donnie.” He replies.  I’m suspicious why the detective has become so solicitous.

             
I ask, “Really…You want me to call you Donnie?”

             
“Donnie,” he informs me, is what his wife calls him, and he thinks it might be easier than saying Donovan all the time.  I have to agree.  Davis has been strangely quiet through this whole name game.  I peek over and give him a questioning look.

             
“What’s going on?” I inquire.

             
Davis gave his statement alone yesterday.  I was encouraged to go get coffee, so I did.  Davis told me he felt like it went well when I returned.  I was fine as long as Davis wasn’t caught up in any of the potential legal fall-out from the incident.  I had a feeling I would be called to the police station to talk with the detective more.  I was dreading hearing what the prosecutor’s office would come up with, but I didn’t expect the police to come find me, especially in Davis’ room.  What was he doing here?  Davis explains Detective Garrett – Donnie’s, visit.

             
“Lizard.”  I notice Donnie’s head swing back to look at Davis, perplexed.  I forget how unusual Davis’ nickname for me must sound to people that don’t know us.  Davis pays him no attention and proceeds, “Donnie is here to offer us…well you, really, a deal.  I’m a bit concerned about it, but I want you to listen closely.”

             
Donnie spells out the arrangement.  I will have no charges placed against me, if I agree to assist the Metro Police with finding Randall Ireland.  Specifics of what this means can’t be determined at this time and that’s the part that Davis doesn’t like.  The police will also not make our identities known to the public until Neil’s hearing or if doing so will help bring Randall Ireland out of hiding.  My head is spinning.  How did I wind up in a situation like this?  My first mistake was falling for a jerk like Neil.  Seems my first bad decision has had a waterfall effect into my entire life.  I sense the shaky, dizzy sweatiness of panic beginning to sprinkle over me.  I silently repeat my mantra, while taking deep breaths.   I think Davis is aware of what I’m doing, because he’s vamping a conversation with Donnie to cover for my silence. 

Finally,
I blurt out, “I’ll do it !”

Donnie and Davis stop talking.  Donnie seems pleased.  He stands
, shakes my hand and gives me his card, saying,  “You’ve made the right decision, Biz.  Here’s how to get in touch with me if Randall makes contact.  I’ll let you know if we need you on my end.”

I’m not quite as convinced as the detective is and from the Davis’ squinting and tight lips, I’m not sure he is either. 

I shake on the deal with Donnie, telling him, “I just want this to be over.  For the Ireland brothers to be a thing of the past and for my terrible judgment to stop coming back to haunt me.”

Before leaving, Detective Donovan Garrett reassures me, “It will be, Biz.  It will be
over.  I can’t tell you when, but these guys are not going to get away with this…” Donnie shoots a look at Davis’ bandaged head. “Any of this.” 

***

This looks nothing like a hospital room.  There are round white lanterns of various sizes hanging from the ceiling, lit with dim pinkish lights.  The lighting in the rest of the room has been lowered.  What?  There are waiters in black bow ties and vests passing appetizers and cocktails.  A delicious looking cake with champagne colored icing is on Davis’ over bed table.  He is nowhere to be seen.  I spin around to look at the door.  Surely, I am in the wrong room, but then I realize there are people creeping out from behind the privacy curtain and…

SURPRISE!!!!!

Blinded by shock, I jump up and shriek, throwing my purse at the closest moving target, which happens to be Charlie.  Jules and Smitty, howling with laughter, run over to calm me.  I am flapping my hands in excitement and disbelief.  Davis and I had agreed to just have a quiet dinner in his room for my birthday.  I wasn’t expecting all this.  It’s then I realize… almost everyone I know and love is here.  Beside Jules and Smitty, there is everyone from school.  Mel, Kris, Charlie, the other Boxwood guys, Simon, Ian and Colin and even PJ.  Meredith  Brandon wheels out James from his hiding place, along with Kathleen.  Then, I see them… my parents.

“MOM, DADDY!!”

“Surprise, Bizzy girl!” my Dad’s voice shouts.  My parents race forward, steal me away from my friends and sweep me up in a big family embrace.  “Happy Birthday!”  They say in unison.

“Oh my G
od, you scared the crap out of me!  All of you.”  The entire room breaks into laughter, “I mean, thank you, all of you…And mom, dad, you’re here.  You didn’t call or give it away or anything.”