Home of the Gray Dog - Segment 22

Chapter 106

“I’m sorry, Walker, but Samantha is in worse shape than I originally thought.” Dr. Ellison said this while pushing him, none too gently, back out into the corridor.

         “But she looks much better,” argued Walker, trying to get past the doctor, without success. “What’s wrong with her? Do you need a specialist or something, Harriet? What can I do? Is this my fault?”

         Dr. Ellison shook her head at the questions Walker was shooting at her. “We’re all at fault for letting her go home the other day. I should have never let Samantha out of my sight just because she hated being in the hospital.” When Walker tried once more to return to Samantha’s room, the doctor put a firm hand against his chest to stop him. “I’m loading her up on antibiotics to combat any infection she received.”

         She thought for a second before asking, “When you found Samantha, did you see tiny animal bones anywhere?” Seeing Walker nod, she continued, “Thought so! You told me once about finding quite a few in the largest of the three caverns underneath your mansion. Various small creatures probably found their way in from the outside and never made it back out again.”

         After making a quick note on the chart at the end of Samantha’s bed, she continued, “I’ll make a call to a San Francisco pulmonologist I know to come and examine her lungs. Inhaled dried feces, especially bat guano, can cause permanent breathing problems.” She removed her hand and waited to see if Walker understood what she was saying.

         He did and said quietly, “Would that mean surgery or a transplant or…” His words trailed off at the thought of the third alternative, Samantha’s death.

         Not waiting for Dr. Ellison to answer, Walker finally managed to slide around her and return to stand beside Samantha’s bed. He bent to take Samantha’s hand in his, and then sat down on the edge of her bed. “Hi, Beautiful,” he said softly, “I hear you’re giving Harriet a bad time.” Reaching over to brush back a straying strand of hair, he winced when he felt the heat of her forehead. Only then did he recognize the brightness of her eyes was from a fever and not what he originally thought was good health.

         Samantha tried to smile, but tears started flowing down her cheeks instead. “I’m so sorry, Walker, to cause this much trouble. I just wanted to get away from everybody and didn’t mean to make any of you mad at me.”

         “Hush now, no one’s mad at you. Why would you think such a thing?” Walker gave her a stern look that didn’t fool her for an instant. Despite herself, she did manage a shaky smile.

         “Okay, you two, Samantha needs her rest. Walker, you can come back tomorrow, but for now go home and get some sleep. You look terrible.” Dr. Ellison accompanied these orders with a lowering of the room’s overhead lights.

         When Walker followed Dr. Ellison back into the corridor, she decided telling him about Samantha’s other health problems could wait. The sadness she saw in his eyes bothered her. “Walker, go home. I’ll call you if anything changes.” She watched the hospital’s benefactor and, more importantly, her friend slowly walk away from her to the elevator and disappear from sight.

         Too soon to tell him everything, went through her mind. Besides, Samantha should find out first. Dr. Ellison glanced back into the darkened room and saw her patient already was asleep.

Chapter 107

It was still early evening when Walker returned to the mansion. Instead of following the doctor’s orders to get some sleep, he stopped on the third floor to knock on his mother’s front door.

         When Edith opened it, she saw her son silently standing there with a yearning look on his face any mother would recognize. Without a word, she brought Walker into her apartment and pulled him into a comforting embrace.

         “Come in and tell me all about it,” she whispered, finally releasing him. “You just came from the hospital, didn’t you?”

         “We might have killed Sam. She’s dying, Mom, and Harriet is keeping something from me. I know she is.” Walker left Edith standing in the hallway by her kitchen to make his way into the living room, not aware of what he had called her.

         Edith knew, though, for this was the first time Walker had called her anything but Edith. For months, she had wanted to hear that word from him, a sign he might have forgiven her for giving him up when he was a baby. Mom, what a wonderful word, she thought, I wanted my boy to call me that, but not like this, not because the woman he still doesn’t realize he loves could be dying.

         When she entered her living room, she saw her son staring at a picture on top of her small desk. “Do you remember when that was taken?” she asked, coming to stand beside him.

         Walker smiled when the memory of that day flooded back. “It was at the Goldman’s wedding last year, right before the reception dinner. Franklin must have snapped this when Sam and I were dancing.” The photograph in front of him showed Samantha held tightly in the circle of Walker’s arms, her head thrown back as she laughed at something her partner had said. “With all the guys lined up to dance with her, I was lucky to get even this one waltz.” His smile disappeared. “Once she’s strong enough, I plan on dancing again with her, as often as I can.”

         For the next half hour, she silently listened to her son berate himself for being blind to the danger Colin presented and not finding Samantha earlier after her abduction. It was only after he returned upstairs to his own apartment that Edith realized she had to find out what Dr. Ellison refused to tell him. She made a mental note to confront the doctor the next day about what else was wrong with Samantha.

Chapter 108

The following morning around 9 o’clock, Walker joined Randall behind the mansion. Jack and Anthony already were underground gathering evidence from the chamber that once held Samantha. They surfaced periodically carrying various items Colin had used in the few days before he died. Randall, helped by a mostly silent Walker, inspected and placed the items in evidence bags. They recorded the contents in a notebook before placing the items in the SUV parked nearby.

         When Anthony handed Randall a vicious-looking leather whip covered in dried blood, Walker excused himself and abruptly left. Randall watched his friend stumbling through the trampled area back to the mansion. He felt Anthony behind him and angrily asked, “Couldn’t you have hidden that from him?”

         “Sorry, Boss, I wasn’t thinking.” Anthony took the whip back and started to bag it. “I keep forgetting you two knew this woman.”

         “Not knew, Anthony, we know her.” Randall’s anger escalated at the implied past tense in Anthony’s statement. “She’s not dead, so keep that in mind when you’re around her friends, especially Walker.”

         During this exchange, Jack had joined them. “Take it easy on him, Randall.” He took the incriminating whip from Anthony and placed it in the SUV with the other items. “From what we saw down there, it’s no wonder he thought Samantha was already dead.”

         “Was it worse than what I saw that bastard Jason did to the other women?” Randall had not looked into the chamber where Walker had found Samantha and could only guess at what happened to her.

         “Worse, yes and no.” Jack gazed off into the distance as he pictured what Colin might have done if the falling limb hadn’t stopped him. He shared a glance with Anthony. “He died, I guess, before he could fully carry out his plan. What we saw left no doubt of what he was going to do.”

         Anthony interrupted him. “He actually wrote on the walls, in blood, why he was doing this to her.” He shuddered at the memory, but continued, “I took a swab so we can find out if it’s his blood or Samantha’s.” He handed Randall the camera he had slung around his neck. “I documented the whole chamber along with that wall.”

         Randall took the camera and quietly asked, “What did it say?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know and breathed a sigh of relief when neither Jack nor Anthony heard his question. He realized the images inside the camera would reveal the perverted thinking behind an innocent woman’s abduction and torture.

* * *

         Around noon the same day, Edith had one of the mansion’s staff drive her to the hospital. She took the elevator up to the medical floor and quickly found Samantha’s room. It didn’t surprise her to find Dr. Ellison there, too.

         Dr. Ellison walked out into the corridor, giving Edith no alternative but to follow. The recent discord between the two women evaporated like morning mist in their worry about Samantha’s health. “Well, Edith, your son really has a challenge on his hands this time.” Dr. Ellison’s comment had Edith thinking the worst.

         When the doctor told her what the challenge would be, it was almost a relief to hear. He’ll handle this okay. Edith thought, a sad look crossing her face. My son won’t let Samantha go through this alone. I trust him.

Chapter 109

That afternoon after lunch, Walker invited the other men to his apartment. Anthony, who had never been there before, tried not to show how impressed he felt with the understated simplicity of the rooms. Knowing his host was a multibillionaire, he had arrived at the mansion days earlier expecting more outward signs of Walker’s vast wealth.

         Seeing Jack and Randall standing by the living room table, he joined them. The journals still remained spread out on the table, and Anthony realized Colin’s journal was missing. Earlier, he had started reading it, but stopped when the men went to visit the children at Hannah’s Home. “Walker,” Anthony called out to Walker, who was busy mixing drinks at the room’s small wet bar, “I can’t find Colin’s journal.”

         “It’s in my office safe.’ Walker said this with no emotion in his voice and without offering any further explanation. “Now, why don’t we forget about all these journals and just relax?” He came back to the table carrying a tray containing everyone’s drink and passed them out. “Randall, what’s this Anthony told us about you being sick recently?”

         Randall glared at Anthony before answering, “It was nothing. Just a mix-up on some medication.”

         “Nothing?” argued Anthony, “You scared the crap out of me when you started convulsing in your office.” He ignored Randall to explain, “A pharmacist back in San Francisco was substituting sugar pills for medications. Four people died as a result, and the husband of one of them killed the pharmacist.” He continued to ignore Randall. “The doctor at the hospital told Randall to rest for a couple weeks once he got his epilepsy meds back to a therapeutic level.”

         Walker nodded his understanding. “Epilepsy? One of the kids at Hannah’s Home has that, too. Sherri, Dr. Delaney, is monitoring her closely.”

         Anthony grinned at his boss. “You have to meet her, Randall, with your liking for blondes.” He often had teased Randall for preferring to date mostly blondes. Randall never told him of his attraction for a certain redhead who lived here at the mansion.

         “Hey, Randall, Sherri’s already taken,” said Walker, not looking at Jack. “However, we have another wonderful doctor on staff, Dr. Ellison, who would be more your speed.”

         The sound of Jack choking on his drink at the image of Randall with the acerbic Harriet set the tone of the next few hours. The men forced the memories they all shared of the underground caverns temporarily from their minds, and the rest of the afternoon went by in friendly male bonding. At 7 p.m., the others left Walker alone and returned to their own rooms to change for dinner.

* * *

         Only a few minutes later, there was a knock on his front door, and Walker opened the door to find his mother and Dr. Ellison standing there.

         “Walker, we need to talk.” Dr. Ellison was the first to speak, and Walker realized he dreaded what her next words would be. After letting the women inside, he followed them back into his living room and sat down on the sofa.

         “Has Sam’s condition changed?” he anxiously asked.

         Dr. Ellison sank deep into the overstuff chair before answering, “The specialist was here earlier this morning and said Samantha’s lungs are okay, just weakened. They should improve with medication and plenty of rest.”

         “That’s good news, right?” Walker started to relax. “She’s going to be okay and can come home soon?”

         “Well, yes, but there’s something you should hear from us before seeing her again.” Edith interrupted him, hoping she wasn’t wrong about how her son would handle this news, “Samantha made Harriet promise not to let you know, but Harriet didn’t give her word not to tell me.” She reached out and gently put her small hand over his larger ones.

         Walker pulled his hands away, impatiently scowling at his mother, “What is it? What is it Sam doesn’t want me to know?”

         Edith glanced over at the doctor, and then went on after seeing her slight nod. “Colin didn’t just torture Samantha. She finally broke down and told Harriet this morning about being repeatedly and brutally raped by him.” She watched the color drain from Walker’s face and held her breath, waiting for his reaction. It wasn’t long in coming.

         “Why would Sam be afraid to tell me that? Did she think I’d blame her or, or…” He couldn’t go on and stared helplessly at both women.

         “Walker, that’s not all.” Harriet knew her promise to Samantha stopped her, and she looked once more toward Edith for help.

         “What else is there?” Walker thought nothing could be worse than what he had just heard.

Chapter 110

Edith softly said what she knew Walker had to find out about sooner or later. “Harriet didn’t want to tell Samantha, since she’s still young enough to have children, but…”

         Walker closed his eyes when the pain of what was coming became almost too hard to bear. “Are you telling me she’s pregnant from what Colin did?” He waited, bracing himself against Edith’s words.

         Edith once again looked at Dr. Ellison for guidance, but none came. She hesitated before continuing, “No, Walker, she isn’t. What Colin did caused her permanent damage internally.”

         At this point, Dr. Ellison interrupted Edith, unable to keep her promise to Samantha not to let Walker know, “Besides forcing himself on her, Colin performed savage object rape with the wooden end of a whip, and it tore her apart. She’s been slowly bleeding internally for days now.”

         The two women watched Walker slowly absorbing what Dr Ellison told him until he softly asked, “Will she be all right? Harriet, did you stop the bleeding? Can I go see her yet?”

         Edith stood from her chair and cross to sit beside her son on the sofa. “The operation was a couple hours ago after the pulmonologist said she was strong enough to survive the surgery. In order to stop the bleeding, the surgeon had to do a complete hysterectomy.”

         Walker looked first at his mother, and then at the doctor. “Sam knows?” When both women nodded, he stood and headed for his front door. They almost missed hearing his whispered comment, “I wish Colin wasn’t dead so I could kill him myself.” He stopped at the door with one last remark to the women, “I’ll be at the hospital. Can one of you tell Jack and the others I won’t be back until I can bring Sam home with me?” With that, he left, angrily slamming the door behind him.

Continued in next segment.

Home of the Gray Dog - Segment 23  (18+) Chapters 111 through 115. #1304025 by J. A. Buxton