short story by Cheryl V.-A Family Lives in Danger

EMAIL-cherbear1950
@yahoo.com
4,851-word count
A FAMILY LIVES IN DANGER
CHAPTER I
“Julia, my woman, I have had a long night. I had some business to take care of in another city. On the way home from work, yesterday, and this guy ripped me off of $100, and then, he took off with my car. The police chase continued for most of the night. Then, I had to have a police woman get me hotel room for the night, because I had no money, no car, no way of getting back home to you. So, here I am, the police women gave me money, this morning for a cab.”
“You can’t tell me, all this happened to you in one night? What kind of business where you involved in?”
“Well, my ex-wife has been threatening to put me in jail for not paying custody money for my son, so, I ended up going over to her house. And when I arrived there after work, to give her, my first custody payment, that’s when the guy encountered me near her apartment, and then, put the gun to my head. If I hadn’t given him, the other $100, I had in my pocket, I would have been dead. That’s when he took off with car. Then, I had to walk to the police station to file the report.”
So, that night, the guy, Leonard he had a sleepless night, and all night long, had his son on his mind. He, recently, got his divorce from his ex-wife, but he, still, wanted custody of their son. And Julia, who he had met from work, didn’t even know that Leonard jus got divorced. She liked the guy, and trusted him all this time, that they worked together.
What’s the matter, my Julia dear? And how did you manage to get here, this morning?”
“Well, don’t you remember, now? You’re the one who picked me up from work, and wanted me to spend the night over at your place.”
“That’s funny; I don’t remember dropping you off, here. That guy who put a gun to my head, yesterday, must have drugged me. Because he even made me, end up in the hospital with a head wound.”
“And it looks nasty. Here, I’ll take you right to emergency, to get that head of yours, checked out. You’re suffering from amnesia, and you might have a bad concussion.”
So, afraid he would get lost, she led him by the hand to his car which is jus outside parked in the street. So, now, she can’t even figure out, how his car got there, so, she jus figured out, that one of the police found the car, and then, dropped it off in front of the curb. When they approached the car, his keys were even in the ignition.
So, she wouldn’t even trust him to try to drive in his condition, so, she helped him into the back seat where she lay him down. Then, she hopped into the driver’s seat, and, then, they were off on their way to the hospital. As soon as she pulled into the emergency entrance, an orderly happened to show up jus coming in for his shift.
So, he said to Julia, “What in the world happened to him? He was supposed to show up for his shift, this morning, and never came in. Boy, that’s one nasty wound on his forehead. Wait here a minute, I’ll be right back with a gurney.”
So, Julia took her friend right inside the entrance, and had him sit down on a booth with her. And in no time at all, the orderly and a couple other doctors were right there at the entrance. They slid the guy into the gurney, and as they were wheeling him into emergency just down the hall, Julia followed them until she arrived at the desk. One of the doctors handed her, Leonard’s wallet, and she checked Leonard in at the desk.
Also, she gave the woman at the desk, all his insurance cards, and after the woman typed all the information about Leonard into the computer, then, she asked Julia, “Do you know how he ended up with that nasty head wound of his?”
“Yes, in fact, I do. He told me, that after he had taken care of going over to his ex-wife’s place, and giving her, his first custody payment for their son being they just got a divorce, then, some guy stood him up, and stole a hundred dollars from him. Then, he pointed gun to his head and threatened to kill him. Then, he jus took off with Leonard’s car. Leonard must have left the keys in the ignition without knowing it because how else would the guy get away with the car. He didn’t have any crow bar to get into his car.”
“Okay, that’s all the information, I need for now. Since, the doctor, probably, doesn’t want you in the trauma room right now, why don’t you take a seat on the lobby. As soon as he can, he or a nurse will let you know, what’s going on with Leonard.”
“But I want to be with him. I may be only a friend to him, but I’m concerned about him. Lately, he’s been acting very strange like he may be suffering from amnesia as a result of the head wound.”
“I’m sorry, lady, but, only, family is allowed in with an emergency patient. Why don’t you get yourself, some coffee or something and something to eat because it may be awhile until you are allowed to see him?”
While she’s in the lobby, drinking some coffee, she thought to herself, “This is about to drive me, insane. Here, a good friend of mine, that I work with over at the hospital, can’t even remember to show up for his shift. And not only that, but I happened to be on night shift, last night. And didn’t know he had a head wound until he arrived home, this morning, and saw me, laying on a couch because dropped over after my night shift because I was worried about him.”
In the meantime, a doctor was checking Leonard over, and he checked him, thoroughly, even giving an EEG, and MRI. And his EEG turned out to be normal, but his MRI revealed that he had a bad concussion.
So, then, the doctor walked over to the lobby where Julia was asleep, and upon awaking her, he said to her, “Leonard has been checked thoroughly and has gone through an EEG and an MRI, and he’s been found to have a bad concussion which is causing his amnesia. So, he has to be hospitalized for a few days and nights, and be put under observation to make sure, that he doesn’t develop any internal bleeding because he appears like he’s been through a heck of a fight.”
“Is it alright if I see him now, doctor?”
“Yes, you can but he might not remember you. You can visit with him but not for too long because he needs his rest, and can’t be moved into a regular bed right now. He has to stay in ICU until his concussion gets better. Then, we have to watch for early signs of a brain tumor, but that doesn’t mean he’ll come down with one. He has a good chance of recovering completely, so, his chances of developing a brain tumor at all are not likely.”
“What you are saying, is that if he doesn’t show signs of a tumor while he’s here at the hospital, that I won’t have to worry about him, coming down with one.”
“As long as he starts recovering right away from his head wound, then, he has a chance of a good recovery.”
“That’s, exactly, at what I’m getting. All these years in which I’ve been a doctor, the chances of seeing any concussion patient, developing any tumor, are very slim.”
So, then, the doctor took her over to the ICU where Leonard’s resting at this time, but seems like he’s in a daze, and not aware of her being around.
So, she said to him, “Leonard, can you hear me? I’m Julia, the nurse who works with you all the time. I’ve been very concerned for your well-being. Just hope, you recover, completely, and that your amnesia goes away because it jus hurts me inside, that you can’t remember, working over here at the hospital, or even know, who I am. I’ve never told you this before, but I think I’m falling in love with you. So, I’ll keep praying for you because I want you back in my life.”
He was in a daze, and couldn’t respond to her in any way. But she didn’t know that he’s doped up with medication like Ativan for panic seizures, and Morphine for pain.
So, feeling broken-hearted over him not being able to understand her, she thought, “Can’t believe it. He wouldn’t talk to me. And he can’t seem to understand me. Let him know, I’m falling in love with him. But he didn’t even hear me.”
So, she jus left the hospital, and headed for his place instead of heading for home. He had a Sharpee dog at home, and someone had to take care of him. So, she decided that she would have to do it, herself. While on the way to his place, suddenly, remembered, that she had to get a few things, first, she, then, she turned around and drove over to her place.
After she grabbed a few things, not bothering to grab any clean nurse outfit, because she couldn’t take the dog to the hospital with her, she, then, as she arrived inside of his place, fed the dog, and gave him, some water.
Then, after letting the dog out in its kennel because it’s a mild day in Chicago, she walked into the living room which had a friendly air to it, with all the Chia plants by every window besides the warm colors of orange of the furniture accented by the yellow hues of sunlight, shining through the windows on the east side. As she lay down on the orange and white striped day bed, she fell asleep for a few hours. A few hours later, the phone rang, and she answered the phone and said “Who is this at this time of night? It’s kind of late at night, and you shouldn’t be calling Leonard, this late.”
“Where’s Leonard right now? I want to talk to him. I’ve got something to say to him. If he wants to stay alive, he’d better watch himself, and give me, that money, he owes me.”
“Don’t even recognize your voice. Come on, tell me who you are. I’m watching his place and dog because Leonard’s in the hospital with a concussion. He doesn’t’ have use of a phone yet, even though, he’s been admitted to the hospital. So, what do you want from him?”
“Lady, if he doesn’t start giving me, custody payments, each month, he could put his life on the line. Today, some police woman called me up, and told me, that some guy with black curly hair got him at gun point. And this guy is threatening to kill both him and me. Can’t understand what this guy, really, is after. This is his ex-wife, speaking. This guy is a total stranger to me, and right now, I have the police on the case. I don’t why. This guy with curly hair, also, has threatened to kill my son.”
“Do you have the phone number of the police woman, who’s been on this case? I’ve got to find out more about what has been going on? This morning, he came home with this terrible head wound, and he’s so bad, that the doctor told me, he could end up with a brain tumor jus because this guy attacked him. Then, he demanded all his money from him, and stole his car from him. He’s lucky, that the police woman was able to track down the car, and then, she got it from the pound for him.”
“Yes, in fact, I do. Please call this police woman right away. This police woman’s name is Sarah. Also, get as much information, you can about this guy. I’m not sure, but he sounds like the same guy, who some bouncer encountered over at a bar, last night. So, this guy could be out for revenge.”
“Is there any way, you can contact Leonard, and jus to find out, if he knows, who this guy is?”
“I don’t know if Leonard can remember anything yet about this guy, attacking him, or even if he knows this guy. I’ll do my best. By the way, if I can find out anything, I’ll call you back right away. Also, I’ll demand guards at both your house and here. That’s if they police will go out of their way, to get some guards.”
CHAPTER II
Julia made a call over at the hospital, and once, the woman at the desk answered the phone, Julia said to her in a desperate voice, “Is there any way that I can talk to Leonard right now. It’s very important, that I talk to him, because mine, his ex-wife’s and also, his life is one the line. Some stranger, who attacked him on his head, is, also, after us. So, it’s important, that you put him on the line.”
So, the woman at the desk said to her, “Here comes the doctor now. Just hold on for a minute.”
Then, the woman at the desk said to Dr. Finch, “What’s going on with Leonard now? Is he in any condition to talk to his girlfriend, Julia?”
“Jus a minute, I’ll call over to his room, and tell him, to call you back?”
So, the doctor’s able to get a hold of Leonard, and upon Leonard calling Julia, he said to her, “What’s up, my darling. Are you quite concerned about me?”
“Yes, I am, Leonard, in fact, I, also, got word from your ex-wife that the same guy who attacked you, is after her too. Please tell me what you know about this guy?”
“Well, this guy’s got black curly hair, and it turns out, that he’s a brother of hers, who hasn’t been in contact with her for a long time. Also, he’s turned into a regular thief because his dad, whose dead being he died of cancer, used to be one. So, I guess, it’s in his genes.”
“Okay, what is this guy’s name, and where does he live? I suppose that in being a thief is how he makes a living, am I not right?”
“His name is Mike, and he’s trying his best to get revenge against Leonard’s ex-wife because he found out, that Leonard has been paying her, custody money being that they have a son from their last marriage. Also, as soon as I get out of this hospital, I’m going to have to go in hiding to protect myself until the police can get any leads on this case.”
“Okay, so what I’ll do is call over at his apartment, and if he’s not home, I’ll leave a fake name and disguise my voice. Also, I know, this is kind of risky, but I’ll I can do, is have him, meet me at the same bar at which the bouncer had a fight with him.
But when I meet him, I’ll disguise myself as an undercover person, and tell him, that if he doesn’t leave Leonard’s ex-wife, Julia, and you, alone, that he’s going to be arrested. Also, will tell him, that your ex-wife is threatening to take action to place him in a mental ward.”
“Let me what happens when you meet him, and any outcome of that meeting over at the bar.”
Julia called over at Leonard’s ex-wife’s house, and as he answered the phone, she said to him, “Hello is this Larry, Leonard’s ex-wife’s brother?”
“Yes, it is. What do you want from me?”
That caught her by surprise at first, then, she said, “I jus would like to meet you. I think that you have been a nice brother to Leonard’s ex-wife. Also, I think, I can help being that I’m a therapist. Know that you’ve been having problems with anger, and would like to see what I can do for you. Just meet at the bar on Tenth Street, tonight, at nine o’clock.”
“Okay, you sound like a nice person to talk with about my problems, and anger towards Leonard’s ex-wife. I’ll see you, tonight.”
Now, that Julia got to reason with the guy, she figured, that she would be able to help him out, so, that he wouldn’t even think of attacking Leonard any more.
So, then, she went asleep on the couch for a few hours after taking care of Leonard’s dog, and allowed the dog to lay on the couch with her.
Then, a few hours later, she got up from the couch, and upon feeding the dog, and taking him outside, she, then, put a TV dinner in the microwave for herself. Once, she’s through eating, she, then, drove Leonard’s car over to the local bar. And upon her, arriving there, ordered a drink, and waited for Larry to show up.
But he didn’t so she went over to the hospital to see Leonard and upon arriving there, the guy showed up there, and got into a fight with a doctor. While the doctor was punching the guy down to the floor, the security guards came over to him. They grabbed by the arms, and didn’t arrest him, but gave him, a ticket for disturbing the peace.
Also, a security guard gave him, this warning, “Don’t you ever attack another doctor or anyone else in this hospital, because if we ever have to break up another fight with you, you are going to end up in jail.”
Then, the security guards dragged him out the door, and made sure he took off in his car. Then, he headed for the local bar where Julia has been waiting for him.
And as he walked into the bar after getting out of his car, Julia asked him, “Where in the world, have you been? I’ve been waiting an hour for you.”
“So, he lied to her, and said, “I went over to the hospital to visit Leonard. But since, the doctor wouldn’t let me, see him, I got into a fight with him, and got punched down to the floor. Then, some security guards dragged me out the door after giving me, a ticket for disturbing the peace.”
She said to him, “You can’t keep yourself out of trouble, can you,” as he sat down on a bar stool next to her, “You need help bad, so, I am going to suggest something to you. I know you, probably, won’t like it, but if you ever touch Leonard again, I’m going to call the police after you. And next time, they won’t put up with your fights. They’ll jus take you right over to the mental ward.”
Upon her saying this to him, he then, didn’t stay any longer to talk with her anymore. He jus ran out the bar door, and took off in his car. And this time, he headed for Leonard’s ex-wife’s house. When he arrived there, and knocked at the door, he used to crow bar to get into her house. Then, he walked around her house, looking for money and any valuables. Then, whatever he could find, he jus ran out the door with it, and then, started speeding down the street.
This time he headed for Leonard’s place, and upon arriving there, he knew that the guy wasn’t home, so, he jus used the crow bar to pry the door open. Then, jus as he got inside the place, the dog ran up to him, and then, kept chewing at his slacks. He’s screaming as the dog won’t let him alone. And then, suddenly, he jus happened to encounter Leonard because he was discharged from the hospital. First, Larry got out his gun, and shot at the dog because it wouldn’t leave him alone.
Then, upon seeing Leonard, lying on the couch, he walked up to him, and asked him, “Where is your son?”
Then, he said to Larry, “How did you know that I have a son. I jus happened to be a brother of your ex-wife. We haven’t been in contact with each other in a long time.”
“Well, where is he?”
“What is it that you want with my son, anyways?”
“I want to know where he’s living, or you’ll, soon, be dead meat,” Larry said, as he pointed his gun at Leonard. He isn’t about to fool around with this guy because he, almost, killed him, a few days ago, when he attacked him.
So, then, he said to the Larry, “To tell you, the truth. I don’t know because I haven’t seen him in about a month. So, I don’t know if he’s living with my ex-wife or not yet.”
“Well, I have something to tell you. I jus talked with your ex-wife, lately, and she told me, that since, he found out about you attacking his dad, he has run away.”
“Oh, so he has, hasn’t he? Well, listen to this. I’ve found out from the police, that my ex-wife has been fighting for his custody for about a month. And if you don’t hand him over to her, that she’s going to, personally, see it, that you live like a rat. She, also, wants ownership the house, in which you too used to live before the divorce.”
“During the divorce settlement, I and my ex-wife agreed, that I could have custody of our son, if I gave her, the house. So, she has full rights to live in that house. Did you talk to her, lately?”
“Yes, I did, and that’s when I found out, that your lawyer wouldn’t allow her to live at the house, in which you two used to live. So, now, she wants full custody of your son, and that’s why she’s been after you all this time. I don’t why but your son hasn’t been living with her.”
“Did my ex-wife or anybody else for those matters, even my lawyer, tell you anything else involving my son?”
“Well, she told me, that he wanted to live with you, but since, the divorce settlement didn’t go through as planned, that he ran away. And I don’t have any idea of where he might have gone.”
“Don’t you dare try to attack me again because the police, already, are after you? And they have been gathering a lot of evidence against you. So, you’d better start leaving the whole family alone including my ex-wife. If you ever do anything to hurt anyone in the family, including my friend, Julia, whose place of residence, I’m not going to reveal to you, you’ll end up in jail so fast, you won’t know what hit you.”
“Put that gun down, and listen to me. Another thing, if you weren’t a member of the family, I would see to it, that you ended up in the nuthouse. Please leave now. I can’t take any more stress in my life at this time. It’s bad enough that my son has run away, and I’m going to try to find out why. Don’t threaten me. Go out that door right now, or I’m going to call the police, and tell them, you, forcefully, entered my apartment.”
So, without another word, Larry left the apartment, and once inside his car, drove away. He knew that what he’s doing was risky, but he had to track down that boy. Because if he didn’t, he had the feeling, that Leonard might call the police on him if he didn’t do what he could to help find the boy. So, once, at the police station, he entered wearing a disguise, nothing real noticeable.
So, as he sat down by the Captain, he asked Larry what he wanted.
And since, the police didn’t know yet, that he was related to either Leonard or his ex-wife, said to him, “The reason, I’m here is that Leonard’s ex-wife wants custody of her son. But before she could take any action in court against Leonard, the boy ran away.”
“Now, what is it, actually, you want to know about this boy?”
“Do you have any information concerning this boy, running away from his parents? Where he might have gone or maybe, what caused him to run away in the first place?”
“When the two got the divorce, all I know, is that Leonard’s lawyer told me, that from when he was a youngster, that Leonard tended to abuse him whenever he felt, his son needed to be punished for something, he wasn’t supposed to do. This was something that drove Leonard and his ex-wife to getting a divorce.
Leonard didn’t like the way, she kept backing away from him, and hiding her love from him. And he couldn’t figure out why she’s doing this to him. She used to hug him whenever he got good grades in school; so since, she won’t do this anymore, his grades have suffered, and he hasn’t been showing up at school either.”
“Do you have any idea where he might be living right now, since, he ran away? Did Leonard or his ex-wife have any other family, who the kid favored the most? I mean, did their lawyer, ever, tell you, if there was anyone else in the family, to whom he would run whenever he had been treated, poorly, in the past?”
Upon looking through the kid’s file here, he’s been caught, just recently, for drunk driving.
“So, after that incident, a police woman from this city, took him into a foster home in the area, “Harrison’s Foster Home”, because she found out, that the only reason, he did this, was because on that same day, Leonard abused him after being attacked by some guy out in the streets. That same guy took Leonard’s money, and stole his car, that day. But the police happened to find the car, so, the car was returned to its rightful owner.”
Larry couldn’t hold back any longer because of the way, his nephew was being treated, so, then, he said to the Captain, “I’m the one who attacked Leonard, took his money, and also, stole his car, that day. So, I’m, solely, responsible for the kid being taken to a foster home.”
Being that the guy was truthful about what he did to Leonard, and, also, made the kid, run away; the Captain didn’t have him arrested.
But, since, he needed help, badly; he called a mental institution, and said to the doctor who answered the phone, “A guy jus confessed to having attacked a member of his family, a brother-in-law of his, which caused his nephew to run away. As this guy needs help, badly, please send some doctors over here to the police station on Chicago Street; this guy needs to be taken to a mental institution. He, almost, killed his brother-in-law, lately.”
So, in no time at all, some doctors came right from the mental institution which wasn’t far away from the police station. And as soon as they arrived over at the police station, the doctors walked right into the station, and, actually, took a gurney inside.
Then, they strapped Larry down to the gurney, and upon wheeling him to the van, he was taken right over to the mental institution. And once there, he’s taken inside, and once on a bed, is strapped down after being put in a straightjacket. And right after that, he was given a big shot of Haldol.
In the meantime, the Captain from the police station, called Leonard, his ex-wife, and also, Leonard’s friend, Julia, who was right at Leonard’s apartment.
When he called each one of them, he told all of them, that Larry, a long out of touch brother of Leonard’s ex-wife, made a confession right at the police station.
Also, the Captain told them, that in Larry’s confession, he revealed that he had attacked Leonard, and stole his car and money. And that he, also, was responsible for their son being taken to a foster home.
So, then, Leonard drove right over to his ex-wife’s house, and, from there, took her over to the foster home. And once there, they picked up their son, and then, he allowed her to have custody of their son as long as he had visiting rights to see their son.
And that situation, they had to have resolved in court. And once, that was resolved, then, since, Leonard had a place to live, already, the house, they used to live in before the divorce, was put up for sale.