This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This story is copyright by Ted Louis, all rights reserved. Distribution, including but not limited to: posting on internet sites, newsgroups, or message boards, or in book form (either as a whole or part of a compilation), or on CD, DVD or any other electronic media, is expressly prohibited without the author's written consent.
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Chapter 18
After listening to the messages, I decided to return Mrs. Williams' call. I dialed the number she had left and after four rings, she answered.
"Mrs. Williams, this is Crane Johnson returning your call."
"Oh, thank you for calling. I'm so grateful that your sons were there for my husband," she said.
"How is he doing?" I asked.
"The doctors have taken him out of ICU and are going to hold him for another several days. Not certain exactly when he'll be released, but not until they are sure he is stable enough to go home."
"I assumed that he had a rather massive heart attack."
"It was a heart attack. The doctors did a cardiac catheterization and some balloon angioplasty to open up a couple major veins. After he's sufficiently recovered, they'll have to go in and do bypass surgery. The angioplasty is just a temporary measure. They're monitoring him to make sure there is no future damage to the heart muscles.
"The reason I called was, Henry would like to meet the young men who saved his life. Would it be possible for them to visit him in the hospital?" she asked.
"I think that could be arranged," I said. "When would it be convenient?"
"Tomorrow would probably be the best time. It's possible he could be released on Tuesday or Wednesday, that is if he has anything to say about it. Sometime after your sons get out of school? My husband wants to reward them for saving his life."
"Mrs. Williams, a reward is really not necessary," I said. "I have tried to instill in my sons that some things are done simply because they are the right things to do. That's the case with your husband. He needed help, they had the knowledge and skills that he needed, so they did what was necessary. They are kind of embarrassed at all the publicity that they have received. If your husband wants to extend his thanks to them, that's all that is really necessary."
"I know Henry was thinking more in the line of scholarships or trust funds for them."
"The boys all have significantly large trust funds," I said. "If you are not aware of our circumstances, let me assure you that the boys and all our family are very well provided for. Please tell your husband that if he wants to donate to a charity in the boys names, I'm sure they would be pleased."
"I will tell him," she said. "Please call and let me know if your sons will be able to visit Henry tomorrow."
"I will."
After supper, I took the twins and Chris aside and told them that Mr. Williams would like to meet with them tomorrow after school and asked them if they wanted to go visit him.
"Sure, I guess," Lenny shrugged. The others had the same reaction.
"I think it would be nice if you did go to see him. After all, you did save his life and he wants to thank you in person," I said. "Mrs. William said that her husband wanted to reward you and indicated that it would be money of some kind, either a trust fund or a scholarship. I explained to her that you already had a trust fund that would pay for your college and suggested that he might donate to a charity in your name."
"Yeah," Chris said. "Maybe a cancer charity."
"Or the food bank," Larry volunteered.
"Maybe both of them," Lenny said.
"If he asks you for your suggestions, you could volunteer them both," I said.
"How are we going to get to the hospital?" Chris asked.
"I'll arrange to have a car pick you up from school and take you to the office where I will be and we can go from there to the hospital," I said. "I'll send a note with you to give to the Headmaster's secretary authorizing the limousine service to pick you up."
The boys went off to play and I went to find Cary and explain to him what was going on. I then called the limousine service and arranged for the car and driver.
Later after the boys were all tucked in bed and Lenore had gone to spend the night with Gilda, I poured a glass of wine and sat down on the couch and picked up a book I had retrieved from the library/office. I had read only a few pages when the phone rang. It was just after ten o'clock and I assumed it was Donald calling. It was.
"How's he doing?" I asked. He apologized for calling so late.
"I forgot about the two hour difference in the times," Donald said. "I just got back to my hotel room from the hospital and grabbed a bite to eat. Kelly is improving, but the doctors say it may be a week or two before he'll be able to be released from the hospital. They haven't been able to determine if there was any permanent brain damage. They have him in a medically induced coma. The doctors are pleased that the brain swelling is beginning to lessen. If the pressure continues to lessen, they may try to bring him out of the induced coma sometime tomorrow. I'm not sure what to do about his classes. I'm going to the administration building tomorrow and try to find out who his advisor is and talk to him or her and see what they advise."
"Have they arrested the punks who did this?" I asked.
"Not yet," he said. "The video the police have recovered from the store showing the attack has clear pictures of two attackers. So far they haven't been identified. I've posted a sizeable reward and hope that it will produce some leads."
"Have you considered hiring a private detective firm to assist in finding the miscreants?"
"No, but that's not a bad idea," he answered. "Doesn't the agency that your friend Jack Hogan works for have offices here in California?"
"Yes, I believe so," I said. "I don't know for sure if they have offices in the Oakland area. I'll call Jack in the morning and find out and then let you know. I would guess that San Francisco would be a logical place for an office, if they have one."
"If they don't, ask him if he can recommend an agency here."
"Will do. What about Kelly's car? Have they found it?"
"No, but it's probably found its way to a chop shop and is history by now. I'm not worried about it," Donald said. "Kelly is my main concern. The car can easily be replaced."
"Do you have any idea when you will be returning?"
"Not really," he said. "I'm hopeful that I can get back there by Wednesday or Thursday. If that's the case, I will need to go shopping for some more clothes while I'm here."
"William and Lenore miss you, as we all do," I said. "Keep us updated on Kelly and your plans."
"I will," he said. "I'll call you tomorrow."
We ended the call, I finished my wine and headed to the bedroom.
The next morning, I saw the kids off to school and then headed into San Antonio to assume my temporary position as VP of Finance and IT with Donald's company. I was greeted by Anne, Donald's secretary.
"Mr. Johnson, I just listened to a message from Mr. Baker telling me he is out of town until later this week," she said. "He was supposed to interview a candidate for the Vice President's position this afternoon. It's still only six in the morning in California and I don't want to disturb him at this hour. What should I do?"
"I suggest you wait about an hour and then call his hotel," I said. "He is usually awake by that hour at home. Ask him if he wants to conduct the interview by phone. He might even be able to set up a video conference. I would think the candidate would be willing given the circumstances. If he would rather do it in person, maybe the candidate would be willing to come at a later date. If you don't mind my asking, is the candidate local?"
"Yes, he is," Anne said.
"Then it shouldn't be a problem, if the person is seriously looking to fill the job."
"Thank you, I'll do that. I'll also ask him about a video conference," she said and returned to her desk.
I went to my desk and called the lead programmer and asked him if we could meet at nine. I wanted to review the project plan we had come up with last week to see if he had seen any roadblocks that we had not taken into consideration. When we met, neither of us had anything to add or subtract to the original plan. He went back to work and I began tackling the stack of paperwork that every office seems to have in abundance. I did remember to call Jack and get the information. When I thought Donald would be available, I called and relayed the information to him.
I worked through lunch at my desk. I asked Anne to call the deli across the street to have them deliver a sandwich which I ate while handling the paperwork. I did find time to call Mrs. Williams to let her know I would be bringing the boys by the hospital to see her husband. Later, I was surprised when Anne announced that my three sons had arrived. I went to the door and motioned for them to come in.
"I didn't expect you guys to get here so early," I said, looking at the clock on the wall.
"Yeah, Dale didn't waste any time," Larry giggled.
"Does that mean he drove fast?" I asked.
"Yes," Chris replied. "It was like that car race they have on Memorial Day."
"I don't like the sound of that," I said, and made a mental note to express my concerns with the limousine company. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah," Lenny said. "A lot of the kids at school thought it was neat that we were going to see the guy."
"And Linda Bennett even talked to Chris," Larry said and dodged a punch that Chris aimed at his shoulder.
"Where are your books and things?" I asked.
"We gave them to TJ," Larry said. "He's gonna put them in our room."
"Okay, let's go," I said. We walked down to the underground parking garage where the Town Car was. As usual the rush-hour traffic was terrible, but we were able to get to the hospital in about twenty minutes. It took almost that long to find a parking spot. We finally arrived at the reception desk.
"Excuse me," I said. "Could you tell us what room Mr. Henry Williams is in?" I asked.
The somewhat elderly lady at the desk turned to her computer and searched for the room number. "Mr. Williams is in room E418," she said, and then began giving us directions on how to find it. As with most hospital buildings that had been around for some years, it had been added onto several times, seemingly without any thought as to how difficult it made it for persons unfamiliar with the hospital to find their way around.
We had to stop and ask directions twice before we found the room. The door was open when we got there, but I knocked on the doorframe and waited to be admitted.
A lady sitting in a chair beside the bed looked up and said, "Yes?"
"We're the Johnsons," I answered.
"Oh, please come in. Henry, the boys are here." She got up out of her chair and rushed over to us and shook my hand and then did the same to the boys. "Come over here and introduce yourselves to Henry," she said, guiding us over to the bedside.
"The doctors told me if you hadn't acted as quickly as you did, I wouldn't be here," he said. His voice was hoarse. "Tell me your names."
Starting with Chris, they each introduced themselves. As each did, Henry shook their hand.
"I can't thank you enough," he said, "even though my chest is still sore from your compressions. Which one of you did what?"
The three of them looked at me as if for permission to answer. When I gave them a nod, they answered.
"Larry and I checked for a pulse and didn't find one, so I started the mouth-to-mouth breathing," Chris said.
"Then when he paused, I did the chest compressions," Larry said. "Lenny helped when I got tired."
"And I ran to have them call 911," Lenny said. "At first, they thought I was kidding."
"What made them think that?" Henry asked.
"I don't know. Probably because I'm a kid," Lenny said. "But I told the guy at the desk that they could get their butt sued off if he didn't make the call. He made the call."
"You should have told the guy that I was a lawyer," Henry laughed.
"We didn't know at the time who you were. We didn't find out until the police talked to us later," Lenny said.
"Where did you learn how to do that?" Henry asked.
"They taught us how to do it at school. They had this thing that looked like half a person," Lenny said.
"Yeah," Larry interjected. "One of the guys said its name was Mouth-to-Mouth Mona."
"That was Jim. He said that's what they called it on a TV show he saw," Chris added.
"What school do you boys go to?" Henry asked.
"Corinthian Academy," Larry said, pointing to the crest on his shirt.
"I've heard it's a very good school. Your father told my wife that you didn't want a reward," Henry said. "I thought that a little unusual."
"Mr. Williams," I interrupted, "as I told your wife on the phone, all of my sons have sizeable trust funds that are more than sufficient to see them through any university in the country for however many degrees they wish to pursue. I discussed it with my sons and they suggested that if you were insistent on some sort of monetary award that a donation to a charity or charities in their names would be best."
"I see," Henry said. "Do you have any charity in mind?"
"We thought of a couple," Chris said. "I had a friend who died as a result of cancer, so a cancer charity is one suggestion."
"Another one is the food bank," Larry said.
"They can always use the money," Lenny added.
"Those are both deserving charities. I'll have one of my assistants look into them both to see how a gift can be made in your names. I thank you for saving my life and for thinking of others in need. Your father has raised you well."
"Mr. Williams, I think we should leave," I said. "We don't want to tire you out. Boys, say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Williams. Your brothers will be wondering what has happened to you."
The boys, again, shook both of the Williams' hands and turned toward the door. I followed suit. As I shook Henry's hand, he said, "You've raised some fine young men."
"I'm very proud of them," I said smiling.
We made our way out of the hospital without getting lost and were soon on our way home. It was still peak rush hour, so our progress was slow going. It took a little over an hour to get from the hospital to our garage.
"It's kinda late," Larry said, as we got out of the car.
"And?" I smiled, knowing what was coming next.
"Well ... Can we still have a snack?" he said, getting enthusiastic nods from his brothers.
"Hmm," I paused, "I guess that would be okay. Just don't make pigs of yourselves." I involuntarily looked down at the garage floor to see if they left skid marks as they took off for the kitchen. Thankfully, the snack was orange sections. I didn't think that would fill them up and not want any supper, as if anything could fill their bottomless pits, also known as stomachs.
"How did things go at the hospital?" Gilda asked, when I came back to the kitchen after changing out of my suit and tie.
"Very well," I said. "Mr. Williams was very grateful for what the boys had done for him."
"As he should be," Gilda said. "It's not every day that someone saves your life."
"Where are Cary and the rest of the kids?" I asked.
"Lenore went to play with Jeannie and Ginny," she said with a giggle. "In reality, I think Penny is the main reason she went. Cary and the boys, as well as Luke, are out back playing with the dogs, the last I checked."
"What's your opinion of Cary now that he has been here a while?" I asked.
"He's a good kid, or I should say young man. He's twenty. I like him and I think he's fitting in quite well with the family," she said.
"Thanks," I said. "I value your opinion." I left the kitchen and went to sort through the mail that Gilda has laid out for me. It was mostly junk mail. There was one from the lawn service informing me that next time they came they would be treating for fire ants and suggested that the dogs not be allowed to play on the yard for a couple of days after the treatment. I made a mental note to tell the boys. It was probably a good idea for them to stay off the treated area as well.
After supper and later seeing all the boys tucked into bed, I picked up the book I had started last night. I knew that Donald would be calling later after he returned from the hospital. I had read several chapters before the phone rang. I looked at the clock and it was almost eleven.
"How's he doing?" I asked after we exchanged greetings.
"His condition has been changed from critical to serious, so that's a good sign. The doctors are beginning the process of reversing the medically induced coma and expect he may be conscious before noon tomorrow."
"That's encouraging," I said. "Did you find out anything from his advisor?"
"Yes, but that's not as encouraging. If he is unable to return to classes within a week, she advises for him to drop out this semester and reenter after the semester break. According to the doctors, his recovery is going to be more than a week. They don't believe he will even be out of the hospital in a week. This is all speculation at this point. They will know more when Kelly is fully awake."
"I didn't ask before, but how did he have so much damage to his brain?"
"The tape of the carjacking clearly shows that one of the individuals struck Kelly on the back of his head with what looked like an iron bar or tire iron. It was enough to crack his skull."
"I hope the police will be able to catch the bastards," I said.
"You and I both," Donald said. "By the way, I spoke with the detective agency that Jack referred. I like what I heard, so I hired them. The local police are cooperating with them by sharing a copy of the tape."
"Jack said they had a good reputation. Would it be possible for you to call tomorrow before it's time for the kids to go to bed? Lenore climbed up on my lap after supper and asked when her daddy was coming home."
"I'll make a point to call around 5:30 local time here. I feel a little guilty about leaving without saying goodbye to William and her. I'll have to find something to make it up to them."
At work the next morning, I was going over a report that the head accountant had prepared showing the revenues of the various divisions of the company when there was a knock on the door.
"Mr. Johnson," Christian Granville, a company intern and Cary's brother, said. "Mr. Baker had asked me to watch for when the tickets for the Blue Man Group's show goes on sale."
"Yes, my sons are anxious to see the show," I said. "What have you found out?"
"Tickets go on sale at noon today," he said. "If you like I can stop by the ticket office on my lunch break and pick up some."
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to miss your lunch."
"It's no problem, I brought my lunch. How many tickets are you going to need?"
"Mr. Baker and I have discussed that. He's not that interested in going, so he's going to find something to do with the other kids and I'll take three of my sons to the show, so that will be four tickets," I said. "Are you interested in going?"
"No," he chuckled, "but my brother would kill to go."
"When and what time is the show?"
"It's on Saturday, two weeks from this coming Saturday. It starts at eight in the evening," he answered.
"Then, by all means get him a ticket along with ours. Get the best possible seats that are available," I said. "I will give you the money if you let me know how much they are going to be."
I was a bit surprised at the price, but I took out my wallet and gave him enough to buy the five tickets with some left over. "Don't bother returning the excess," I said. "Take your girlfriend to dinner and a movie. I appreciate you doing this for us."
"Thank you, Mr. Johnson," he said. "If I get there before noon, I should be able to be back before my lunch break is over."
"Don't worry, I'll tell your supervisor that you're running an errand for Mr. Baker." Christian nodded and left the office.
It was about 1:30 when Christian returned with the tickets. He said the line was longer than he expected, but he was able to get the five tickets. He handed them to me and I took a quick look at them and saw that the price of the tickets was more than he had said they would be. I did a quick calculation and realized that I had given him barely enough money to pay for them. There was no money left over to take his girlfriend out to dinner and a movie. I retrieved my wallet and handed him the amount I had intended for that purpose. "Thanks, Christian," I said. "Come out and visit your brother sometime. You're always welcome. If you like riding horses, we go riding nearly every Sunday, weather permitting."
"Did you get Cary on a horse?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "He was a little hesitant at first, but was soon comfortable. We'll make a cowboy out of him yet."
"I may just have to come see for myself," he said. "Thanks for the invite. I had better get back to work."
Cary and the boys were in the pool when I got home. Luke and Manfred were also in the pool. It looked like fun, so I quickly changed and joined them. After about an hour, Gilda walked up to the side of the pool and announced that supper would be ready in about twenty minutes. As we were all drying off, I asked Manfred, "Have you heard anything from Antonio?"
"Yes, I spoke with him this morning. It looks as if the District Attorney is cleaning house at the CPS office. Antonio said the rumor is that there will be a number of indictments coming in the next few days. The caseworker, Gloria Garver, is rumored to be facing a number of felony charges. Luke's foster parent, Gladys Romans, is facing child abuse and child endangerment charges. The CPS supervisor is also looking at serious charges," Manfred said.
"That's good to hear," I said. "I hope they all go to prison for a long time."
"The only bad thing is that Luke will have to testify at any trial of Garver or Romans," Manfred said.
"I wouldn't worry about that," I said. "He has the support system he needs and a lot of love."
"He sure does," Manfred said with a smile. "Come along, Luke. Hildy will have our supper waiting for us and we don't want it to get cold."
"Can I drive?" Luke asked, knowing that his "dad" would let him drive the golf cart.
Manfred looked at me and shook his head. "I don't know what I'll do when he turns 16 and wants a driver's license."
"You'll survive. All parents do."
When supper was over and the dishwasher was loaded, I gathered the three musketeers and Cary and took them aside. I told them that I had purchased tickets to the Blue Man Group's show. Cary looked disappointed until I told him that he was going with us. "Your brother said you would kill to go to the show. Well, you won't have to do anything that drastic," I said.
"Oh, thank you," he said. "One of the guys in my class last semester said he had seen them in Las Vegas and they put on a great show. I can hardly wait for the day to come."
At 7:30 on the dot, the phone rang.
To be continued.
Your comments and criticisms are welcomed and encouraged. I try to answer all emails including flames. Send them to tedlouis@tedlouis.com, please put Joel in the subject.