Without You I Have Nothing (77 page)

_{"What really
worries me is her state of mind. She's acting like a zombie right now, but I
won't be much help with her mental condition until we get the results of her
blood tests to see what drugs they administered to her and check to see if she
has any STDs. You must rest, Peter. She won't be out of surgery until late this
afternoon."}

_{The clear sound of
the small company chopper interrupted their conversation. It rose and, flying
low, raced southwards.}

_{The unexpected noise
startled Peter. Inquisitively, he raised his head to follow the chopper with
his eyes.}

_{Noticing Peter's
un-stated query the surgeon explained. "Don't be shocked Peter. The
chopper's gone to collect a friend, a plastic surgeon to help. By the time
we're finished, as I said, she will be your Jennifer once more.”  With a pat on
his shoulder, the surgeon turned and walked back inside.}

_{Against the hospital
fence was Peter's bike with his helmet on the seat.}

_{Wearily he mounted it
and rode to Deep Springs where Jennifer's family waited. He couldn't face
returning to the building where he and Jennifer had started to build their
future.}

_{It all seemed a
lifetime ago.}

_{Riding hard and
quickly, completely oblivious of his surroundings he sped into the backyard of
the main house. Elizabeth flew out as if she'd been waiting for him and gently
took his arm and led him into the kitchen. She sat him down and quietly spoke
into the two-way radio on the bench. "He's here!"}

_{Peter was exhausted
but his mind wouldn't shut down. The events were just too catastrophic. Elizabeth's
fresh hot toast didn't tempt him and he found it difficult to face his
mother-in-law, knowing how he'd let her down. He had repeatedly vowed to
protect and love Jennifer but had failed.}

_{‘Well yes, I loved
her more than life itself. However, did I protect her?’  He felt now, more than
ever before, that he had failed. "Ha, what a bloody fool.”  He voiced his
thoughts.}

_{"Are you talking
to me Peter?”  Elizabeth seemed surprised.}

_{"I'm sorry, Mum.
I was thinking aloud and I was talking about myself.”  He sagged as if all the
fight had gone out of him.}

_{A samfoo-dressed cook
removed the untouched toast and placed a small bowl of Peter's favorite food in
front of him - chilies swimming in soy sauce and fish oil. Handing him
chopsticks the cook barked, "Eat!"}

_{Wearily, he shoveled
the chilies into his mouth and the cook refilled the bowl.}

_{Elizabeth placed a
serving of Pho Ga before him and urged him to eat. "You have to keep going
for Jennifer's sake. She's relying on you more than ever before so you can't
give up now. She loves you and needs you.”  Elizabeth was doing her best to get
him out of his black mood.}

_{Andrew and Eric
arrived with newspapers, which they spread before him as they sat quietly at
the table. Their gentle presence supported him.}

_{Eventually, Andrew
broke the silence. "Hey cookie, that looks good, can you do a couple of
plates for Dad and me?"}

_{Eric's calm voice
made Peter scan the headlines. "You've certainly stirred up the NSW Police
Force,” he commented. "Even Interpol is involved. Have a careful read and
look at the pictures."}

_{CRIME SYNDICATE SMASHED}

_{'Acting on a tip-off,
Sydney Crime Squad Detectives with the Dog Squad early this morning seized two
cars outside an expensive brothel in Redfern.}

_{'It is rumored that
the notorious underworld figure Dingo Ryan runs the brothel.}

_{'Two cadaver dogs led
the police into the building where the officers found several bodies. However,
the police have found no trace of any 'ladies of the night' in the brothel.}

_{It appears that the
bad luck that has dogged Dingo Ryan has continued. Since his luxury yacht sank,
his home and boatshed burnt to the ground in baffling circumstances a week ago.}

_{'Mysteriously a
dinner guest and four bodyguards all died at a function hosted by Dingo in
China Town.}

_{'Now Dingo, his son
and his wife are missing. All airports are under close surveillance as police
in every state are searching for them as persons of interest.}

_{'Police suspect that
the Mickey Mouse Club (an Indian Crime Gang) could be the underlying cause of
Dingo's unexplained disappearance and his bad luck.}

_{'Interpol is
assisting in the on-going investigations.}

_{'To add more
confusion Interpol earlier today announced the apparent assassination of a
prominent NSW politician who was attending an international conference on crime
in Hong Kong.'}

_{The three men ate in
silence while Elizabeth just stood silently her hands on Peter's shoulders.}

_{Peter continued to
scan the papers with thoughts of Jennifer's recovery never far from his mind}

_{The RSM arrived. Ignoring
the silence and the sadness, he announced. "The prisoner's quarters are
completed and they are housed, waiting..."}

_{Elizabeth stiffened. She
was about to ask pertinent questions but the flare in her husband's eyes forced
her to remain silent as the RSM, not bothering to finish, turned and left.}

_{The cook placed glasses
of steaming fragrant Jasmine tea in front of them and the four sat around the
table immersed in their thoughts. Peter broke the silence with what seemed to
the others as ramblings.}

_{"Jennifer's body
is on the operating table being repaired as we sit here, but I'm terrified that
her mind is not there. She seems deaf and oblivious of her surroundings. I'm
scared that her mind is affected. The past weeks must have been an incredible
nightmare from hell.}

_{"She was even
sitting beside one Arab when he died, though how anyone got a Fer-de-lance
snake into the nightclub I'll never know."}

_{Peter concluded with
a burst of wild insane laughter showing the others how close he was to breaking
point. Bloodshot and wild, his eyes seemed unable to fix on anything. His
movements were erratic and he had lost control of both the tone of his voice
and the volume.}

_{Quietly Elizabeth
grasped his hand and helped him stand. "You have to be strong. Jennifer
needs you in this horrible time. Her need is greater than ever."}

_{Then, holding him
tightly by the arm, she walked him to Jennifer's old bedroom. He didn't
struggle as she helped him into bed under the bedclothes. Sitting on the edge
of the bed, she smoothed his forehead as he collapsed into fitful sleep.}

_{Unable to sleep
soundly with memories of his wife haunting him, he tossed and turned. In the
agony of the moment his brain had shut out all his extensive knowledge of
psychology. It was all too much.}

_{He could smell
Jennifer, he could feel her softness, he could... Carefully he opened one eye
then the other and he groaned his misery, as he slowly comprehended where he
was. Suddenly he realized he was cuddling one of Jennifer's nightdresses but
she wasn't wearing it.}

_{Elizabeth must have
been close by because suddenly she was cradling his head and whispering to him.
"Jennifer is through the operation and the surgeon is very pleased. She's
in intensive care and will be back in the ward in two hours so you've plenty of
time to shower, shave, eat and become the handsome young husband she knows.}

_{"Take your time
and just stroll down to the dining room. We've three very special guests who
are anxious to see the hero. Now up and dress. See you soon.”  The eternal
mother swept out of the room.}

_{Standing in the
dining room sipping tea were the Blake Pastoral Surgeon, his erstwhile nurse
and full time wife, and a stranger, another Gurkha.}

_{Rudely ignoring the
stranger, Peter bombarded the surgeon with his questions, "How's
Jennifer?  When can I see her?  Why is the nurse here and not with her patient?"}

_{The surgeon quietly
answered, "Jennifer came through the operation well but will be sleeping
for hours. The nurse is here, yes, but we have more than one nurse. Jennifer is
in safe hands."}

_{Around the dinner
table, the Gurkhas turned the discussion to Blake Pastoral and future plans. The
stranger, a Plastic Surgeon, broached the subject of extending the cottage
hospital so that he could use its facilities.}

_{Noting that the
family did not immediately rebuff his proposal, the Plastic Surgeon quietly
suggested that a trauma counselor also become part of the team adding that the
local children, the security, the wildlife, the birds, the families, everything
would help in patients' recovery.}

_{"Lord knows the
other girls, also affected by this traumatic experience, will need all the
counseling and support we can offer as well.”  His gentle words reflected the
depth of his professional training.}

_{The family noted that
under the circumstances the Board would look upon the request favorably. Elizabeth
suggested that the specialist draft an interim proposal with costings and
present it to the Board for immediate consideration. Smiling, she assured him
that his requests would be granted.}

_{Still unable to put
his mind to such matters, with his thoughts constantly on Jennifer, Peter
ignored everyone and everything as he stared at a blank wall.}

_{"Major!”  The
RSM had arrived. "Your wife is back in the ward."}

_{Leaping to his feet,
Peter raced out to find his bike where he had left it. The distance to
Jennifer's bedside was shrinking every time he traversed the route.}

_{Standing beside her
bed as he watched over her, he sensed that the problems had not ended. "Jennifer,
I...”  His voice dropped into a deep silence.}

_{That pitiful, pain
wracked body with the red hair, that rescued whore, lay flat on her back. Her
lifeless green eyes were open, staring sightlessly at the ceiling, but she was
deaf to his words and oblivious of his presence.}

_{"Jennifer, I
love you but I failed you.”  Sliding his arm under her pillow, he cuddled her
into his neck but still there was no reaction. His tears flowed profusely.}

_{This scene greeted
the surgeons as they entered the room. One helped him to his feet and led him
to the consulting room where they sat, forcing him to listen.}

_{"We've repaired
her body but we cannot repair her mind. That's something only you, a trauma
counselor and her family can do."}

_{"It'll take
patience and love, but the repairs can be done. They will be successful because
of the love around her. The people who did this should pay. Have you notified
the law?"}

_{The scornful look of
hostility that surfaced on Peter's face frightened both surgeons despite their
Gurkha heritage.}

_{"Oh, they'll
pay!”  His eyes blazed reflecting the passionate vehemence of his voice. "They
will pay and they'll dwell in hell for eternity, and there'll be no official
law involved. Oh, yes,” he chuckled, "they lived outside the law and will
die outside the law. I will be applying to them the same law that they lived
by."}

_{Returning to
Jennifer, he sat holding her hand and stroking her cheek. He didn't hear the
whirr of the chopper as it left with the visiting surgeon on board.}

_{Days lengthened into
weeks and every hour in the ward Peter sat with Jennifer trying to break into
her mind. He talked, and read to her but to no avail until at last, defeated,
he realized his Jennifer was now a comatose body. The only change was that her
hair had grown longer and her fragrance had returned.}

_{When he bent to kiss
the patient, her skin was soft and sweet. Her eyes were the wonderful pools of
green in which he delighted to bathe but her brain just didn't want to
acknowledge the world. It was Jennifer's body, yet it was not the Jennifer he
had married.}

_{Every night Andrew
collected him from the hospital. When they arrived at the house, the cook
rushed to serve the evening meal.}

_{There was not much
discussion at the dining table once Peter had reported, "There's still no
change."}

_{The moment the meal
ended Peter rose and made his way to Jennifer's bedroom where he spent the
night trying to sleep with her nightdress in his arms.}

_{The fire had gone
from Jennifer's eyes and the joy of living had gone from Peter's life.}

_{The family was
fearful. Jennifer's lack of response terrified them as it reminded them of her
mental anguish following the school ball but Peter's slow downhill slide to
join Jennifer in her dark depression was so noticeable that they were just as
troubled by his actions.}