Search

Tess arrived at the hospital via taxi, rushing into the waiting area adjacent to Emergency. In her haste, she hadn’t asked where she was supposed to meet with Lina. The reception area consisted of three in line desks behind a series of Plexiglass barriers, two overheads signs stating registration, the other read triage.

As Tess hurriedly walked up to the one occupied registration desk, the woman dressed in a floral print seated there smiled, “May I help you?” she asked.

Returning the smile, “I’m looking for Janine Lindholm, she’s somewhere here,” she replied.

“Are you family?” asked the receiving nurse.

Tess knew the woman was going to divulge the information, nodding, she said, “Thank you,” then stepped away, pulling out her cell phone and calling Lina.

Janine’s mother answered and provided directions to Janine’s room. Following the route Lina provided, Tess arrived at the third floor and made her way to the private room where Lina was waiting with another woman who strongly resembled Janine but was a bit shorter and slightly curvier.

“Tess,” greeted Lina, embracing the girl in a hug before turning and introducing, “This is Janine’s sister Jessica. Jessica, this is Tess, a friend of Janine’s from school,” she said.

“Nice to meet you,” Jessica replied with a smile, shaking Tess’s hand.

Tess smiled, “And you,” she said, green eyes seeing Janine before drifting back to Lina.

“Maybe I could speak with you out in the hall?” Tess asked, looking toward the door.

Lina nodded and together they exited the room.

“Are we even sure he was with here?” Tess asked quietly.

“I think after his escape from her the last time, it is very unlikely she would risked leaving him unattended,” she said.

Tess nodded. “I think what we need to determine is,” started before being cut off by the appearance of an excited Jessica.

Bright expression on her face, “She’s woke up again,” Jessica announced.

Tess and Lina exchanged looks before following the older Lindholm daughter into the room.

With the hospital bed back support upright, Janine was sitting, blinking her eyes as the others came into the room.

“Oh baby girl,” said Lina, rushing to the side of the bed and kissing the side of Janine’s face tenderly.

Janine looked passed her mother to Tess, who stopped at the foot of the bed and folded her arms under her breasts.

Tess nodded, her face passive, but eyes intent, “Janine,” she said.

“Tess,” she replied, averting the other girl’s gaze.

“Tom?” asked Tess bluntly.

“Jess, sweetheart, I want to go check on your father,” urged Lina, shuffling the elder daughter toward the door.

“Who is this Tom?” Jessica asked as she was being led out. Instead of an answer, all she got was the door closed in her face.

“Well, was my brother with you during the accident?” Tess demanded, face dark.

Looking from her mother to Tess, Janine nodded, “In my panties.”

Lina frowned, but what could she say? She too had held the tiny youth similarly in recent days.

“What were you wearing for pants?” Tess asked

Janine seemed to consider for a moment, “Yoga pants,” she answered.

Tess turned to Lina, “No way in the world he slips out of her panties and migrates down the leg of yoga pants either by accident or on his own. He had to be trapped there until they cut her clothes off. With no bleeding, I doubt paramedics would have done it which means it was done here,” she surmised.

Battered and bruised and still heavily medicated, Janine’s lower lip began to tremble.

Lina noticed, moving in close beside her daughter to comfort her.

Tess shook her head, “You tear up now? You used and abused my brother and now he’s lost and you think you need a cry?” she challenged, brow furrowing.

“Tess,” interjected Lina reproachfully, draping an arm around Janine’s shoulders.

“It’s okay mom,” sobbed Janine, choking back emotion. “Tess is right. I’ve been horrible,” she conceded.

Tess was momentarily surprised by the admission. Maybe the smack on the head knocked some sense into the girl. Maybe. Nodding, she pressed on, “First we find my brother then you can bawl all you want. We need to find the receiving nurse and find out who removed your clothes. We find her, we are one step closer to finding Tom,” she asserted. “For his sake and yours, I hope he’s okay because if he isn’t,” she left the rest unsaid.

Lina raised a hand and nodded, “Leave finding the receiving nurse to me,” she said, kissing Janine on the head and getting up.

Stepping out into the hall, Lina made her way to the third floor nurses’ station where there were two woman seated behind the high counter, one woman a short heavyset lady with glasses, middle years and the other taller with curly blonde locks

Lina smiled at them, “I was hoping you could help me, I’m trying to find out who the nurse was that looked after my daughter when she was brought in yesterday. I wanted to express my gratitude to her for looking after my baby,” she said.

The bespectacled woman nodded, looking at the other nurse before back to Lina, friendly smile on her, “I’m pretty sure it was Cassie,” she said, looking back to the slender woman for confirmation.

The blonde nodded, “Cassidy Lane, she works down in the ER. She was in charge when your daughter was brought in, but I think she’s off shifted now. I’m not sure of the ER rotation, they could tell you more down there,” she offered, trying to be helpful.

Lina nodded, “Thank you so much,” she said appreciatively.

Both nurses smiled and nodded before Lina turned away and started back down the hall toward Janine’s room, hand retrieving her cell phone from her pocket.

There was an uncomfortable silence hanging in the room between Tess and Janine, neither girl spoke. Tess moved to the door to check on Lina, seeing the older woman just outside the door, a calm but serious expression on her lovely face.

“I want information on a registered nurse at St. Agnes Hospital, last name Lane, first name Cassidy,” Lina said curtly.

Tess tilted her head slightly, curious expression on her face.

Lina held up an index finger, “I want it ten minutes ago,” she stated, bringing the phone down and disconnecting the call.

“Who were you calling?” Tess inquired.

Lina’s smile seemed almost cold, “People who get things done,” she replied cryptically, before going back into Janine’s room.