Look to the Rainbow (34 page)

     “Can you find my phone? We need to call Mary Katherine.”

      One of the paramedics had brought both hers and Casey’s purses to the ambulance and Tara managed to find her own phone and called Mary Katherine as they also pulled out to go to the hospital. She closed her eyes and prayed again for Evan. It occurred to her that she hadn’t asked about the drivers of the other cars. She asked the paramedic who was sitting next to her and was told that the driver of the car that hit them head on had not survived and that the other had injuries. She closed her eyes and again and silently cried. Evan and Casey had injuries and one person had been killed because they were trying to take photographs of her. It was all so unnecessary. It had been for nothing.

     Kel wondered why there were so many reporters waiting for them when they landed at Reagan. Usually they were able to fly in unnoticed, and of course now they had secret service escorts. Someone called out to him as they were getting into the car and asked if he had a comment on the accident. Other reporters began to clamor for the same. John and Kim and Skip had gone on ahead and were already in the car.

     “I’m afraid I don’t know what accident you’re asking about,” Kel said.

     “The one involving Miss McCaffrey and your niece,” one of them said, and realizing he hadn’t been informed, added, “A number of photographers were chasing them and there was a car accident. There were some injuries and, we’re told, a fatality. They were taken to Georgetown.” Kel thanked the reporter and climbed in the car where John and Kim and Skip were looking at him and waiting for an explanation.

     He closed the car door and turned to look at them. “It seems as if Tara and Casey were in some kind of car accident.”

     He sounded so much calmer than he felt. He actually was scared. His heart was pounding, but he tried to remain steady. Kimberly reached for John’s hand and he took it. No one seemed able to say or do anything.

     Skip had already picked up his phone and called Evan. “No answer,” he said.

     For some reason that made Kel even more anxious. “Somebody call Casey. I’ll try Tara.”

     Casey didn’t answer, but Tara did.

     “Kel, where are you?” She began crying again.

     “In town. Where are you?” He willed himself to stay calm.

     “At the hospital. The one where Evan works. They were chasing us, there was an accident.”

      “We’re on our way.” He spoke to the others.“I don’t know anything except that Tara is at the hospital in Georgetown.”

     “Then that’s where we’ll go,” Skip said. As John started that way he was searching the internet on his phone. What he saw gave him the same blood turning to ice feeling that he had experienced when he had found Leah. Images of Evan’s car twisted and crumpled like a tin can and Evan on a stretcher with blood covering his face were the first to show up. “Evan was driving,” he said and passed the phone to Kel. Kel scrolled through the pictures and felt a sense of panic starting. He said a silent prayer and tried not to let his panic show.

They rode in silence, everyone afraid to question what might have happened, or what they might find when they got there.

     Mary Katherine entered the ER and went to the information desk. She had been fifteen minutes away when Tara called, but made it in ten. She told them who she was and she was ushered to the examining room he was in immediately. Burt Brightwell, the hospital chief of staff met her at the door.

     “He’s got a concussion and a broken sternum. I don’t think his lungs have been injured, but I still want to check that out. He has couple of superficial cuts and some deep tissue bruises, but I really think that’s it. I’d like to do a few x-rays just to be sure, but from what the paramedics told me, he’s incredibly lucky.”

     “And Casey and Tara?”

     “Casey has a sprained wrist and needs a few stitches, but she’s otherwise fine. Tara was apparently in the backseat, and is uninjured, except for some bumps and bruises. She’s obviously quite distraught, but physically okay.”

     “Can I see Evan now?”

     “Of course.” She followed him in, and even though she knew he was going to be okay, seeing him there as a patient and not a doctor was something she was completely unprepared for. His eyes were closed and he had a gash over his left eye and on his cheek and some pretty awful looking bruises. She reached out and smoothed back his hair and he opened his eyes as she leaned over to kiss him.

     He tried to sit up and cried out in pain and lay back down. She took his hand and he tried to ask about Casey and Tara, but the words came out as if the effort of talking was just too much. “Casey…and…Tara…”

     “They’re both okay Evan. They were hardly hurt at all. Everything’s going to be okay.” She knew she wasn’t nearly as good at this kind of thing as he was, but she didn’t want him to worry about Casey and Tara.

     “You’re…sure…?”

     “Yes. They’re okay.” She stroked his hair again and turned to Burt. “Can they come and see him? I think he needs to see that they’re all right.”

     “I’ll send someone to bring them in. I’d like to admit him for observation overnight but I’m sure he’d check himself out against medical advice.” That made Mary Katherine smile a bit. “Let’s put him in a room and see how he looks in a couple of hours. If he’s more coherent you can take him home, and wake him every hour if he’s sleeping.”

     She finally felt as if she could breathe normally again , but she knew she would worry about him all night. Tara came in first and came to hug Mary Katherine. “I’m so sorry.”

     “This was not your fault. Don’t ever think it was,” Mary Katherine said. “He’s going to be all right.”

      Tara bent over the table and spoke to Evan. “Evan you will always be my hero. You came to our rescue.”

       He was still having trouble talking. “Not much of a hero…”

      Mary Katherine said, “Don’t feel like you have to talk to us, Evan. I just wanted you to see that Tara and Casey are both okay.” Tara leaned over and kissed him on his un-bruised cheek which earned her half a smile as he closed his eyes again. Burt came in again and assured Mary Katherine that it was normal for someone with a concussion to be so sleepy and have trouble carrying on conversation and told her they would take him for the x-rays in just a few minutes. She asked if he was in pain and was told that he probably was in quite a lot of pain, but wouldn’t be given much pain medication until twenty-four hours had passed because of the head injury. Casey came into the room and Mary Katherine went to embrace her, knowing how upset she must be and how much Casey adored Evan.

      “He’ll be okay sweetie. He just looks a little rough right now. Promise.”

      Casey approached Evan and Tara stepped aside to let her get closer. “Evan?”

      Even in his semi-conscious state her voice registered and he opened his eyes again. “Hello, darlin’.”  It was the greeting reserved for only Mary Katherine and Casey.

      Casey took his hand in hers and said, “Evan, when I saw you right after, I thought you were dead.”

      “I…thought..for a minute...we all were,” he said. It was strange to be able to know what you wanted to say and unable to get it out. He was unaccustomed to being on this side of an emergency.

      “But we’re not,” she said softly and leaned her face against his hand.

     “You…okay?”

      “Just a sprained wrist and some stitches on my arm and here,” She lifted her hair to show a row of stitches at the hairline. “Don’t worry about me.”

      A nurse came into the room and told them that Casey’s parents and the President-elect were waiting for them and that she was about to take Dr. Jones down to x-ray. Mary Katherine hesitated, but knew that John and Kimberly and Kel would want to know about Evan, so she kissed him and went with Casey and Tara to the waiting room.

      Tara found herself swept into Kel’s arms. She leaned against him, letting him hold her up and began to weep. He didn’t ask questions, he didn’t talk, he just held her close and comforted her. It was what she needed for that few minutes, and he seemed to know that. She knew he would want to know exactly what had happened but now wasn’t the time. Casey’s parents took turns hugging and talking to her and Kel asked Mary Katherine about Evan.

     “Evan’s in x-ray, but they think he has a concussion and a fractured sternum and that’s all. Serious, but definitely not life threatening. I sound a lot calmer than I feel right now. I’ve never seen him sick or injured, ever. From what we’ve been told, they’re all lucky to be alive.”

     Skip moved to embrace Mary Katherine, all the while trying to get together a plan. “So now that we’ve gotten all touchy feely here, we need to figure out a way for Tara and Casey to get out of here without the same thing happening again. Kel, do you want me to make some kind of statement on your behalf?”

     “No. This time I want to make my own statement. First I’d like to see Evan and then I want to speak to the press myself. Tara, when were you leaving?”

     “Not until tomorrow. Dad is flying in to drive back with me. We were staying at Casey’s, but I don’t think we should go there right now.”

     “You can stay with me,” Kel said.

      “Kel, I can’t stay with you. Even if Daddy is here. It won’t look right and they’ll make up some sordid story about how we spent the night together after my harrowing experience.”

      John added, “She’s right Kel. Everybody, including you if you want to, can stay at our house. Tara, you might want to call your dad, and let him know you’re all right, at least physically, and tell

him he is welcome to stay with us as well.”

     Skip said, “But how to get them out of here is the big question. And I think I just got the answer.” They all followed his gaze to the doorway where his cousin Seamus Lansing had just entered.

     “Why am I always the last person in this family to find out anything?” Seamus asked.

      Skip’s cell phone rang. “You aren’t,” Skip said. “Mom and Dad are, but they’ll have to wait. Seamus is almost unknown by the press, so he can take the girls by Casey’s to get what they need and over to John and Kim’s house. I’ll distract the press by telling them Kel’s going to make a statement.”

     Kel released Tara and only then gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you there in a little while.” He turned to Mary Katherine and asked if they could go check on Evan. He stopped on the way out the door to hug Casey and then left.

     Tara watched him go and felt as if she were suddenly totally alone, even though she knew she was not, being surrounded as she was by people who cared very much about her. Skip called his parents back and that prompted her to try and call Michael. He was just getting off his plane and of course, was seeing the news reports and had a dozen texts and calls from her mother, Jack, and his office. She gave him John’s address and told him she would call her mother. Julia was frantic, but very happy to hear from her. By the time she finished that call, Seamus was waiting for them and Skip escorted Casey and Tara and Kimberly to Seamus’ car, and Tara scanned the parking lot behind the hospital for reporters and saw none and got into the car, surprised how just that act-getting into a car right after a car accident- was so upsetting. She felt that if she spoke right now she would completely fall apart.  Casey reached over and took her hand and they sat without talking in the backseat. Casey told Seamus where Tara had left her suitcase and Kimberly went inside to pack a few things for Casey. They both kept looking for someone to be following them.