Chief arrived at the hospital at precisely 1:15. He by-passed the front desk and went directly to the elevator. The cables groaned and creaked upwards, pulling the dead weight of the car with them as he rode the car to the fourth floor. The doors opened at their destination. Chief delayed going to Kelly’s room right away; he instead inquired at the desk as to Dr. Miller’s whereabouts.

An over-weight, middle-aged nurse with graying hair and dark rimmed glasses looked up the doctor’s schedule on a clipboard.

“You looking for Dr. Miller?” interjected a pleasantly feminine voice behind him.

Chief turned and noticed Donna Trever standing there, her hands resting on the handles of a hospital wheelchair. They young boy in the wheelchair had his leg encased in plaster. He had an abused look about him, his expression dull and meager.

“Yes,” Chief answered, forcing his attention off the boy.

“He’s in his office right now. But he’s due in surgery in about forty minutes, so you better hurry.

Chief knocked softly on the door and was ushered in by a gruff, “come in.”

Chief entered at the invitation and waited while Dr. Miller completed his conversation on the phone.

Miller hung up the receiver and glanced up at his company. Smiling, he extended his hand, “Chief Broden.” He stood, taking Chief’s hand as he did so. “Your daughter’s been anxious to get out of here.”

“That’s good to know. Is she in her room?”

“No. She’s down on floor two in physical therapy.”

Chief’s color drained slightly. “What? What do you mean?”

Craig realized his mistake. “It’s not out of necessity, Chief. She went down with Mr. Blackney. She was bored, I guess. His session should be over…” Miller glanced at his watch, “in about five to ten minutes. Sam will bring her back up.”

“Sam?”

“The physical therapist,” Miller smiled. “He even set Kelly up on a few of the machines down there. I think she’s actually having a little fun.”

At that Chief smiled, his coloring returning. “So what do I have to do to get her out of here?”

“I took the liberty of grabbing all of Kelly’s paperwork and bringing it up here. All you need do is sign these and she’s free to go,” Craig answered pulling a stack of forms from the corner of his desk. “I also signed out her wheelchair for her. I don’t want her on her feet at all. Not until she returns next Saturday to have the stitches removed.”

“I understand, but that’s easier said than done.”

“Just make sure she understands.”

“I appreciate all of this, Dr. Miller. I really wasn’t in the mood for red tape today.”

“Have a seat.”

Chief sat down and filled out the forms one after the other. He signed the last one and returned them to Dr. Miller.

“They’ll send me a bill for the balance?” Chief asked.

Miller looked up after glancing over the forms. “No. There are no charges. The hospital is picking up the tab.”

“Do they know that?” Chief asked the doctor.

Craig smiled. “Oh, yes. It’s cheaper than a lawsuit.”

Chief rubbed his chin. “Thank you doctor, again. For everything.”

“It was my pleasure.” Craig glanced, again, at his watch. “I’d better get upstairs to surgery, Chief. You’re welcome to wait here or in your daughter’s room. Or, if you want, you can go down to physical therapy, it’s on the second floor, first door to the right.”

Chief nodded. “I think I’ll do that.”

The two men left together and headed towards the elevator. Both pressed the necessary button that would get them to their destination, the order dependent only on what direction the car was heading to anyway. It arrived moments later, indicating that it was on its way up. The doors opened and Chief was surprised by his daughter’s shining face. Craig held the door opened for her as she wheeled her way out.

“Hiya Chief!” Her face was flushed slightly due to her recent exertions and her eyes shone brightly.

“Hello, pumpkin.” Chief glanced into the car. “Where’s Hank?”

“He’s getting beat up by Sam. It’s part of his therapy.”

Craig laughed. “Massage.”

“So are you ready to go home?”

“Sure am, Chief.” She turned to Craig. “Thank you so much for making me better, Craig. It really wasn’t so bad being here with you as my doctor.”

“It was my pleasure. Don’t forget your guitar in your room.”

“You sure you want to give it up?”

“I have another. Besides, I've never heard it sound as good as when you play it.”

Kelly smiled at him.

“I better get upstairs, kiddo,” Craig told her. “They’re waiting on me. But I will see you next week to look at those feet of yours. And remember: don’t–under any circumstances–walk on them. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

* * * * *

The sun was smiling the day I got out of the hospital. Spring had long since “sprung." The flowers were smelling up the air real pretty and it was hard to believe how warm it felt. In the bright blue sky a pair of mockingbirds swirled and dived after each other, crossing the road in front of us and ducking into the woods to the right. We rode with both windows rolled all the way down. The wind, pushing its way through them, blew at my hair and lifted it off of my shoulders, just to splash it over my face and into my eyes.

Outside the trees whipped by. Chief was pushing the truck as fast as it could go, his attention planted on the road in front of us. He felt me looking and asked, “What is it, pumpkin?”

“How come no one else came? To the hospital I mean.”

“Oh, that. Well, honey, I had business north of Four Oaks this morning and I couldn’t see them standing around for that.”

“Oh.” I looked out my window. “That nurse lady?”

“No,” he said real quiet. “But we found where she lived. Your uncle is going over the area thoroughly this afternoon. He’ll come over to the house when he’s through.”

“He won’t find her, Chief. She went back to the rest of them. Into the shadows.”

“They have to come out sometime, pumpkin. Sometime they have to. And when they do, we’ll get them. You’ll see.”

“I know.” I smiled. “Cuz you were there.”

“That’s right.” He glanced at me before turning to the road. “I was.”

“Chief?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Did Coach get his team all picked yet?”

At that Chief smiled full out. It had been a while since I’d seen his smile dance in his eyes.

“Not all of them honey. He’s waiting for you to get well to try out for your position.”

“He’s holding up try-outs for me?”

“He sure is. And when he finds out you’ve been lifting weights to get back in shape for the season, I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”

We went along the rest of the way without saying much. Chief was putting something over in his mind and I didn’t have much to say, seeing as I was stuck in the boring hospital for the last two weeks. I leaned back in the seat and just enjoyed the way it felt to be outside. I let the wind hit my face and roll down my chin; I let the sun blast my eyes into a squint. It was a great day!

We pulled into the drive and Chief parked the truck just behind Miss Elly’s Roadster. There were other cars parked out by the curb, and I wondered what was going on. Chief slid out of his seat first. He closed the door and came around to my side.

He opened the door. “End of the line, pumpkin. Does it feel good to be home?”

“You have no idea, Chief!”

He leaned in and held out his arms to me. “Put your arms around me, honey. We need to keep you off your feet.”

He then plucked me off the seat and into his arms. I was looking over his shoulder at Joe who came running out the front door.

“Hey, sis!” Joe jumped all four of the front steps.

“Hiya, Joe!”

“Joe,” Chief said, “get the chair out of the bed and bring it in, please.”

“Yes sir.”

“Duck your head, pumpkin,” Chief said as he cleared the stairs. I did and barely missed the porch roof. Chief went straight to the door, but on the way I saw the stuff. There was a long wood bench with iron legs where the porch swing used to be. Our swing was stuck at the other end of the porch. Next to the bench was some chairs made from straw and painted white. I looked around quick and saw the rest. Pots of flowers hung from the corners of the roof. An iron table with three tops all at different heights to the ground, sat next to the swing. Pots of flowers sat on each of the tiny tabletops. There was also a bunch of new bushes planted next to the steps.

“Duck your head again, pumpkin,” Chief told me and he ducked too as he opened the front door and went inside. Over his shoulder I saw Joe trying to get the chair with the wheels out of the back of Chief’s pick-up. Then the screen door snapped shut.

It took a while for my eyes to get used to not having the sun lighting up everything. I clung to Chief as he passed through the wake of shadows and ribbons of darkness. Through the corner of my eye I saw the man on the stairs. There was a hole in his head and blood splashed around him. I saw the blood on the wall above him and the red smudge it made down the wall until it disappeared behind the man’s head. He had a gun in his dead hands.

Chief kept walking through the hall. He didn’t see the man get up and point the gun. I swallowed sharp and closed my eyes real tight.

I felt Chief stop. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

I opened my eyes. The shadows were gone and the man with them. So was the blood. We were still in the hall and I could still see the bottom of the first set of stairs. In the hall next to the landing was a small round table made from cherry wood with a marble tabletop. On it was a brass pitcher and a brass bell. I loosened my grip on Chief.

“Nothin’,” I told him. “I felt like I was gonna fall is all.”

“I wouldn’t let you fall, honey.”

We passed the grandfather clock that used to be my mother’s. It was still where it was supposed to be and seeing it there made me feel better. Then we passed the kitchen. It wasn’t the same at all. The table wasn’t ours. The chairs were different too. They had flowers printed on pillows that were tied to the seats. And they weren’t near as tall as ours- but wider instead. And they were made from dark wood, not light oak like ours. The cloth on the table wasn’t checkered; it matched the chair pillows. That wasn’t good and all. How’s a body supposed to make sure their cocoa mug sat neat on a checker if there wasn’t one?

Chief stopped when we made it to the back room. I took a quick glance around it and was happy to see that it was exactly like I remembered–until I got to the floor. The carpet wasn’t the same green one I remembered. It didn’t stretch from wall to wall across the room like before. This one had printed patterns much like the one Sam used to have and just filled up the middle of the room. You could still see the floorboards when you looked towards the edges.

The room was stuffed with people. From my father’s arms I looked around, noting who had come to pay a visit. Mr. Evers was there to say, “howdy-back” to me. So was Mr. Douglas and so was Mr. Crawford. Mr. O’Hara was there with TJ and his brother Peter. Mr. Porter stood off to the side and Miss Elly and Maggy came in behind us bringing Mike with them.

“Maggy,” Chief said over my shoulder. “Joe is having some trouble getting the wheelchair. Could you please go help him?”

Maggy was about to say, ‘Sure,’when Mike said, “I’ll get it, Boss.”

“Thanks, Mike.”

Mike smiled at me and said, “Good to have you back, Squirt.”

I smiled back and watched him move down the hall. 

“Mike!” I wanted to warn him about the man on the stairs but I suddenly felt someone’s eyes hit me. I turned. They were Mr. Porter’s. There was something I’d thought I’d seen before in his eyes.

“Yeah, Squirt?” Mike said from the front door.

“I forgot,” I told Mike.

Mike nodded and smiled. Then he left through the front door.

“Where shall I put you down, pumpkin?” Chief asked holding me away enough for him to look at my face.

“Can I sit on the back porch, Chief? I’ve been stuck inside darn near forever.”

“All right.” When we were out on the porch he asked,  “Do you want to sit on the swing?”

“No, the steps.”

Chief went to the bottom of the steps and set me down on the top one. “There you go. Is there anything you want me to get you?”

“No, sir.”

“How ’bout yer mitt?” TJ said behind me. “We could toss a few.”

I looked up at Chief.

“I guess that will be all right. It’s not like you’ll be hanging out a window or anything.” He smiled and winked at TJ.

Joe came out on the porch as Chief went inside to get my mitt. He was smiling fit to beat Holy Jesus at me as he sat down next to me on the steps. TJ took a seat on the other side of me.

“So how’re ya feelin’ Kel?”

“Fine.” I looked over the yard. The little oak sat just in front of me, and it made me sad to look at it. A cold shiver spread through me as I pictured Hoove hanging from its lowest branch. I felt the bumps rise on my arms and my hair stand up. The chill was over almost as quick as it came.

Joe saw me looking and took my hand.

“What happened to him, Joe?” I asked my brother. In the hospital I wanted to ask that, but couldn’t bring the words out. I wondered the whole while, though.

I felt my brother’s hand tighten around mine. “Maggy buried him. In the flower beds at the side of the house.”

“Next to the bird I found in the road last year?”

“Right next to him. She even made a headstone for him, Kel.”

I looked back at the tree. I could see spots of Hoove’s blood clear from where I sat. Something moved to my right and I turned to see Miss Celban was on her porch. You could see it real well from our porch steps. She looked over at me, TJ and Joe for a spell, when her eyes hit mine I felt my jaw set. Then, like a snake, she slithered back where she came from.

“What’s up, Kel?” Joe asked me.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re squeezing the bejeeses out of my hand.”

I let his hand go. I looked first real hard at Joe, then at TJ.“I have to get even, Joe.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s cuz o’ her, Hoove’s dead. She did it. I owe her one, for Hoove.”

“Kel... I don’t–”

“Please. You guys gotta help me. I gotta pay her back. Because Hoove was a good dog–he didn’t deserve what he got, Joe!”

“Kel, you better think about this–”

“I thought about it. I put a lot of thought over it in the hospital. I thought of nothin' else.”

Joe sighed. “Just what do you plan on doing?”

“I ain’t thought that up yet. But I do know one thing–it’s gotta be good. I mean, once I do it I’ll most likely be grounded–”

“And us with you,” put in TJ.

“Are you my best friend or what, TJ?”

“I guess I am.”

“I’ll make it up to ya. And if there’s any way of keeping you all out of it ... I mean she won’t know you helped me. I’ll take full rap for it.”

“I’ll tell you what," Joe said, "once you figure on what you want to do to her, let me know. If it’s stupid, I’ll put you straight, all right?”

“What kind of a deal is that?”

“It’s a good one. If you come up with a sound idea, I’ll help you. But I’m not getting involved in any harebrained ideas. You know how you can go overboard.”

“All right, Joe,” I told him, just as Chief came back carrying my mitt in his right hand.

“So what sort of mischief are you children plotting out here?” Chief asked as he handed over my mitt.

“Sir?”

“It’s awfully quiet out here.”

“Oh. We’s just talkin’ is all.”

“I see.” He was giving me ‘the look’ when Miss Elly put her head out the kitchen window and called after him.

“Bob, Mort’s here. He’s in your office waiting on you.”

Chief pulled his eyes from mine and looked at her. He didn’t say anything right off. I looked at her and saw, for the first time, ‘the look’ there, in her eyes. It wasn’t there for very long but both me and Chief saw it.

“I’ll be right there, El.” Chief turned back to me. “You stay out of trouble, and stay off your feet.” He looked at Joe and TJ. “See that she does.”

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