Forget Me Knot (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 13) Read online

  Gloria glanced at Andrea and noticed her face was pale and drawn. She couldn’t imagine what was going through the poor woman’s mind. “Do you want to call Alice?” Gloria asked quietly.

  Andrea twisted her head. “I…no. She’s not home. Mario Acosta picked her up early this morning to work at the kennel and training center.”

  Gloria had loaned money to At Your Service Dog Training, a service dog-training center, to help get the business up and running. It had taken some time to get things going but business was booming, so much so they had to add additional staff and had even expanded the boarding kennel.

  Mario Acosta, the owner, had proudly informed Gloria he would be able to make the final repayment of the money she had loaned the following month.

  Gloria was thrilled…thrilled for the families who received the special pets, thrilled for the animals themselves since the facility had originally operated as a puppy mill, and thrilled for the blossoming romance she noticed between Mario Acosta and Alice, Andrea’s former housekeeper and current housemate.

  It was a win-win situation for everyone. Everything was going along splendidly…until now. Her thoughts turned to Brian and the rumored robbery. Why the small hardware store? Why not the drugstore? Surely, a robber would know a drugstore would be a more attractive target than a place that sold nuts and bolts!

  They had reached the hospital, located in downtown Green Springs. Gloria drove past the emergency room entrance and noticed an ambulance, backed up to a set of side doors. “That must be Brian’s ambulance,” she said.

  Gloria pulled into the first empty spot she found. The women jumped out of the SUV, darted across the parking lot and strode into the emergency room.

  Andrea spotted the check-in desk first and made a beeline with Gloria right behind her. “Yes. My fiancé, Brian Sellers, arrived by ambulance. Where do we go?”

  The woman lowered her gaze as she tapped the computer keyboard and stared at the screen. “He must have just arrived. I don’t see anyone by that name.”

  The woman leaned across the counter and pointed to a hallway on the other side. “Go through those doors, follow it to the end of the hall, make a right and you’ll see another, smaller reception desk. They should be able to help you.”

  “Thank you.” Gloria reached for Andrea’s hand and the women headed through the doors. They followed the long hall and turned. Just as the clerk had told them, around the corner was a smaller check-in desk.

  The area appeared to be a little more fast-paced and hectic than the other, larger check-in, as medical staff in scrubs darted back and forth.

  Gloria scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the paramedic who had loaded Brian into the back of the ambulance.

  Meanwhile, Andrea approached the desk. “Yes. My name is Andrea Malone. My fiancé, Brian Sellers, was brought here moments ago.” She started to say something else, and then lost it. Her face puckered and she burst into tears, lowering her head and sobbing into her hands.

  Gloria put an arm around her shoulder and turned to the man behind the desk. “We believe he may have been injured during a robbery so we have no information on his condition, the extent of his possible injuries or if he’s even…” she was going to say ‘alive’ but the words stuck in her throat.

  The young man gazed at them sympathetically before slowly standing. “I’ll see what I can find out. Wait here.” He rounded the desk and disappeared through a set of doors marked, “Emergency Room.”

  Andrea shuffled to the sliding glass doors and stood silently staring out while Gloria paced back and forth in front of the desk. It seemed like an eternity before the young clerk returned. He rounded the counter and approached the women. “Mr. Sellers has been admitted, but unfortunately, I’m uncertain of his condition.”

  “What…”

  The young man interrupted. “You may want to contact his immediate family to let them know what is going on.”

  “Do we need the family’s permission to find out his condition?” Gloria asked.

  The man shook his head. “The doctor in charge will decide, especially if the patient is incapacitated.”

  “Incapacitated,” Andrea gasped, her eyes blinking rapidly.

  Gloria could see her friend was coming unglued again. She put an arm around her shoulders and gently tugged. “We’ll call the family, but please let us know as soon as you hear anything.”

  “I will,” he assured them and then watched as they made their way to the small sitting area off to the side.

  Andrea eased into the seat and reached for her purse and phone. “I better call Brian’s parents.”

  The previous fall, Brian’s father had retired and his parents had moved to Arizona. Andrea had mentioned to Gloria she met Brian’s parents before the big move and had liked them.

  Gloria watched as Andrea searched her phone and pressed the send button, her fingers trembling. Thankfully, Brian’s mother picked up. “Hello Mrs. Sellers…Joan. This is Andrea Malone.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m at the hospital. Brian has just been admitted.”

  Andrea grew silent and Gloria could only imagine what was going through the woman’s mind. “Yes. I’ll wait.”

  Andrea covered the speaker. “She’s going to get Brian’s dad, Peter.” She shifted the phone closer to her face.

  “Yes. Uh. I don’t know his current condition.” She went on to tell the parents everything she knew, starting with the scene at the hardware store and finished by telling them she was in the hospital waiting room. “Yes. Please. Let me know if you hear anything,” Andrea pleaded before disconnecting the line.

  “They’re calling the hospital themselves.” Perhaps the parents would be able to find out more than they had. Peter Sellers had been a well-known, well-respected county prosecutor and Gloria guessed he would have connections in the small town and even the hospital.

  Time dragged, and every so often Andrea would approach the counter to ask the desk clerk if he had any news. Each time, he would shake his head and tell her no.

  During the wait, Gloria phoned Dot to let her know they still hadn’t heard anything. After she finished the conversation and disconnected the line, she stood. “Would you like me to go to the main waiting area and grab us both a coffee?”

  Andrea began to nod when a man wearing a white lab coat emerged from the doors marked “Emergency Area.” He stopped at the counter to talk to the clerk and then headed their way.

  “Miss Malone?” Andrea jumped to her feet. “Yes.”

  “I’m Doctor Cline, the emergency room doctor who has been treating Mr. Sellers, Brian.” The doctor paused, as if struggling for the right words to say. “He’s in a coma.”

  Chapter 3

  Andrea began to sway. Gloria scrambled to her feet and wrapped her arms around her young friend.

  “He took a bad blow to the head and hasn’t regained consciousness.” The doctor paused again, letting his words sink in. “We took an MRI and it shows some swelling in his brain.”

  “What does that mean?” Gloria asked as she kept a tight grip on Andrea, who began to tremble violently.

  “It means the swelling could continue, causing seizures among other things. It’s too early to tell. This is a wait and see situation.” The doctor motioned them toward the emergency room doors. “He’s back here if you’d like to see him for a moment.”

  “Yes!” Andrea said. “Please.”

  The women followed the doctor past the counter, through the doors and down another hall. Medical equipment lined the hall walls and Gloria glanced to the right, noticing several doors were ajar while others were wide open, the rooms empty.

  They continued past an open area where curtains hung from the ceiling, a nurse’s station and then the doctor abruptly stopped in front of a door on the left. “He’s in here.”

  Doctor Cline opened the door and stepped aside as Andrea and Gloria quietly made their way into the room.

  They passed by an empty bed and approached a second bed n
ear the window. At first, Gloria didn’t recognize Brian, his face a pale, ghostly white. A sterile white bandage circled the top of his head and a ventilator covered his nose and mouth.

  Andrea tiptoed over to the bed. She reached out to touch the side of his face as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. “Brian,” she whispered.

  Gloria stepped over to the other side, gazed at her still friend and started to pray. They stayed near his bedside for several long moments until the doctor cleared this throat, their signal the visit had ended.

  Gloria walked to the door while Andrea lingered for a long moment. Gloria’s heart broke at the sight of her friend’s stricken face.

  The doctor waited until they were in the hall before he spoke. “We are monitoring Mr. Sellers closely. You’re free to wait in the family waiting room. It’s on the other side of the reception desk.”

  “How long before you know if his condition will improve?” Gloria couldn’t bear the thought of his condition worsening.

  Doctor Cline shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “We don’t know how long it will take. It could be a day, could be a week, or it could be even longer…”

  A nurse approached and the conversation ended.

  Andrea and Gloria slowly walked down the hall. They stopped at the desk to ask where the family waiting room was located and learned it was on the other side of the check-in counter.

  The girls found the waiting room and stepped inside. At the far end were floral patterned sofas and matching chairs. Above one of the sofas was a large flat screen television set.

  In the center of the room was a round table along with several chairs. A small kitchenette was nearby, complete with microwave, small fridge, a coffee maker and sink.

  Closer to the door was a cluster of vinyl chairs and directly across from where they were standing, Gloria could see another door, a restroom sign on the front.

  Gloria was at a loss for words, what to say or do that would reassure Andrea that everything would be okay. “I see a coffee machine. I’ll get us that cup of coffee.”

  Andrea didn’t answer as she shuffled over to the window and gazed out. It was as if she hadn’t heard Gloria and she probably hadn’t. “I guess I better call Brian’s parents to let them know what the doctor said.”

  She pulled her phone from her purse and Gloria listened as Andrea repeated what the doctor had told them. Judging by Andrea’s end of the conversation, Brian’s parents had already talked to the doctor.

  They spoke for several more moments. “I’ll see you soon.” She disconnected the line and dropped the phone into her purse. “They’re on their way here.”

  Gloria phoned Paul, who was over at his farm, sorting through the stuff stored inside the barn. In addition to passing heirlooms to the children, the couple had decided to hold a farm auction to get rid of old farming equipment Paul had stored in his massive barns.

  They had discussed getting rid of Gloria’s old Massey Ferguson, but when it came right down to it, just like Annabelle, she couldn’t bear to part with the tractor. Paul didn’t push her on it and she was relieved.

  Ryan and Tyler, Gloria’s grandsons, loved the old tractor. She secretly hoped one day one of them would want to take over the old farm and the tractor might come in handy. It ran like a top, even better than Annabelle did.

  “How’s the car?”

  “Car?” Gloria’s mind drew a blank. So much had happened since the last time she’d talked to her husband. “Oh! It’s down at Gus’s shop and I haven’t heard from him yet. He gave me an almost new loaner SUV.”

  “That was nice of him. Are you home?” Paul asked.

  “No. I’m at the hospital with Andrea.” She quickly explained all that had transpired that morning, finishing with the news that Brian had suffered brain trauma and was in a coma.

  Paul was silent for a moment as he digested the news. “You said you heard someone robbed the hardware store?”

  Gloria shuffled over to the kitchenette and reached for a Styrofoam coffee cup. “We’re not sure. Andrea and I followed the ambulance to the hospital. Lucy was going to hang around to see if she could find out what happened and then make sure the store was secure after police finished their investigation. I haven’t heard from her yet.”

  She had a sudden thought. “Maybe you can call the Montbay County Sheriff’s Station to see if they’ll tell you what happened.” Paul had worked for many years as a Montbay County Sheriff and had retired a few months back, but kept in touch with his former co-workers and boss. He also did side work as security detail so he got a chance to see his old friends on a regular basis.

  “I’ll see what I can find out,” he said. “Keep me posted.”

  Gloria disconnected the line and then tried calling Lucy’s cell phone. The call went directly to voice mail so Gloria left a message and asked her to call back.

  Next, she tried Dot’s cell. A harried Dot picked up after several rings. “Good heavens! What a madhouse!” she gasped. “I think every single resident of Belhaven is trying to get in here.”

  Gloria could envision the chaos. “What’s the word on the street? Any speculation on what happened?”

  “Well, Ruth said Judith Arnett stopped by the post office not long after it happened. She said her husband, Carl, had stopped at the hardware store to pick up some washers and screws and found Brian lying on the floor in a pool of blood near the cash register.”

  Gloria shot Andrea, who was pacing near the door, a glance. She was glad she hadn’t heard that part. “So it was a robbery?”

  “It looks like it,” Dot said. “Look, I gotta go. Rose is running around like a chicken with her head cut off.”

  She quickly told her friend good-bye before slipping the phone into her purse. It was past noon and although Gloria wasn’t hungry, they needed a distraction. She walked over to Andrea. “Let’s go grab a bite to eat down in the cafeteria.”

  Andrea stopped. “I-I’m not hungry and what if Brian comes to while we’re gone?”

  Gloria didn’t have the heart to remind her it might be hours, or worse yet, days, before Brian regained consciousness. “We’ll tell the desk clerk we’re going to eat and will be back shortly.” She tugged on her friend’s hand and Andrea let Gloria lead her out of the waiting room.

  They briefly stopped by the desk and then headed to the hospital cafeteria. The cafeteria was large and modern, and completely different from the last time Gloria had been there. Inside were several food stations, including a pizza station, pasta station, grill area and they even had an area called the garden spot.

  A light lunch was in order and Gloria headed to the garden spot and salad bar. She picked up a tray and set it on the counter before reaching for a salad plate.

  Andrea reluctantly trailed behind. The girls each loaded their plates with lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomatoes and other goodies. At the end of the salad bar were large kettles filled with soup. There were several to choose from…minestrone, black bean and rice, as well as a hearty chicken noodle soup Gloria decided she had to try.

  The women carried their food trays to an empty table near the window and settled in.

  Gloria was hungrier than she’d realized and remembered that before Annabelle acted up, she’d planned to stop by Dot’s for breakfast before running to nearby Green Springs to do some grocery shopping. She hadn’t eaten all day.

  Gloria devoured her food while Andrea picked at hers. “You need to eat. You won’t do Brian one bit of good if you waste away to nothing and end up hospitalized, too.”

  Andrea reached for her soup. “I know. I’ll try.” She managed to choke down half her salad and her entire cup of minestrone before glancing at her watch. “We should get back in case Brian woke while we were gone.”

  The women carried their dirty dishes to the bin near the door, emptied their leftovers in the trash and placed the dishes on top.

  There was no change in Brian’s condition, and the day dragged on, filled with phone calls to keep the
other girls updated on Brian’s status.

  Andrea and Gloria were allowed a few brief visits during the day, and each time, Gloria noted the look of hope in Andrea’s eyes that Brian would respond to the soft words she spoke in his ear, but each time there was nothing. No eyelid flutter, no twitch of his hand or face.

  Gloria also called Paul to check in and to let him know nothing had changed. She didn’t dare leave her friend alone. Some of Gloria’s other friends had volunteered to come by so she could take a break, but she just couldn’t do it. No, she and Andrea would see this thing through. At the very least, she vowed to stay with Andrea until Brian’s parents arrived.

  Finally, later in the evening, Lucy phoned to say she had some news but didn’t want to discuss it over the phone. Gloria told her she would let her know when she was on her way home and would try to stop by if it wasn’t too late.

  Brian’s parents had managed to catch a late afternoon flight and had called earlier, right after they landed in Grand Rapids to let Andrea know they were on their way to pick up a rental car.

  Gloria glanced at the clock in the family waiting room. It was 7:30 and Brian’s parents would be arriving at the hospital at any time.

  Andrea stared out the window and then spun back around. “It has been a couple hours. Do you want to check on Brian again?”

  “Sure.” Gloria slid out of the chair and stood. As soon as Brian’s parents showed up, Gloria would head home. She secretly hoped Andrea would go with her to get some much-needed rest, but she doubted it. “Let’s go.”

  The women shuffled out of the room, across the hall and into the now-familiar ER area. Brian’s door was partially open and the girls quietly made their way inside.

  Gloria waited at the end of the bed while Andrea approached the side. She grasped Brian’s hand and whispered in his ear.

  It was heartbreaking to watch. Andrea was desperate for something, some sign Brian would pull through.

  “He squeezed my hand!” Andrea exclaimed suddenly.

  Gloria took a step closer and studied him closely. “I saw his foot twitch.” She ran out of the room and over to the nurse’s station. “I just noticed Brian’s foot twitched and he squeezed Andrea’s hand!”