Trapped

"If I didn't go in he'd be all right, though, Joe."

"Andrea, if Todd didn't go in after you, we might not have found you for days. Those two little words he said in the emergency room made all the difference."

"He's going to get better, right? No one will really tell me," Andrea said with a plea in her voice.

"We're all praying for him."

Joe offered her a ride when they discharged her in the morning. When he heard she was going to stay at a shelter, he shook his head.

"I want to be sure you're somewhere safe. Let me call a friend of mine and see what I can do."

He stepped over and used the hospital phone while Andrea waited. She couldn't believe he was helping her but she admitted it felt good to have someone on her side again.

"That's all set. Erma has a huge old house in town right down from the police station. Don't worry about anything when you're there. She loves to take care of people."

Joe went on to explain that Erma was a spinster in her seventies but spry as a fifty year old. Town folk vied for her cookies and brownies at the school bake sales, he said with a wink. Andrea laughed when she realized he was one of them. They agreed on a time and Joe turned to leave.

"Um, Joe?"

"Yes Andrea?"

"I don't have any clothes." Andrea blushed but didn't look away.

He took a small notebook from his pocket and put it on her bedside table along with his pen.

"Write down a few things you need with the sizes and I'll get someone to pick them up for you."

Several minutes later, he waved and left with her list in hand.

****

Todd thought the incessant sound of the saws would drive him crazy. Who allowed them inside here anyway? Maybe he'd just go turn them off himself since no one else seemed to be, he decided. He slipped his arm out from under the covers to push them to the side  at least he thought he did. A second attempt came back with the same results.

There wasn't a blanket over him. No, that wasn't right, Todd knew. He was much too warm not to have something covering him. That meant he didn't have an arm then. A moment of panic swept over him before a rational thought told him of course that wasn't the correct answer. So why wasn't it working as it should then, he asked himself.

The noise got louder before it just stopped. Todd started to relax until he realized not all the machines were off. Gentle waves came to mind as he tried to place what type of equipment he heard. A soft floating sensation seemed to encompass his entire body from it. Visions of fluffy clouds high in the sky brought a peaceful feeling to him and he soon forgot his original concern over the sounds. Todd decided some parts of being dead weren't so bad after all and drifted away once more.

****

Early Friday morning Andrea's doctor signed her release papers. She sat in her room and waited for Joe to pick her up as arranged the night before. All the events of the past week crowded into her brain and weighed down on her shoulders. Memories of happy times with her parents renewed her desire to fight the ones responsible for hurting them.

"Good morning, Andrea," Joe said as he walked into her room a short time later. "Are you ready to leave this place?"

Andrea smiled when he tossed several packages onto her bed. "You know I am, Joe."

"I hope you like the clothes. Lucille picked them out for you."

"Joe, are you serious?"

He watched her peek into the bags and pull out an assortment of items. Satisfied, Andrea carried the pile of clothing to the bathroom. The soft sweater and denim jeans were perfect fits, she soon discovered. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she thought of Todd's mother shopping for her. She vowed that someday she'd pay her back for all the kindness the woman showed her.

Erma was the grandmother everyone wanted to have, Andrea decided within minutes of meeting her. Her concern was genuine when she saw how tired Andrea was after the quick tour of the main floor. A small bedroom in the back of the house was all set up for Andrea. Joe put the bags of clothing on a chair along with the rescued box of papers. He grinned and grabbed a handful of fresh cookies off the counter on his way out. Duty called, he reminded them with a wave.

"I don't know about that man, Andrea," Erma said with a laugh. "He's just like a kid when he comes here, always sneaking my cookies. One of these days he'll get his hand slapped."

Andrea chuckled at the idea of Erma standing guard over the chocolate chip cookies while Joe tried to snitch a few. It was obvious to her the older woman respected and liked the man. She guessed Erma provided him with more than his share of baked goods anyway.

****

Derrick stood in the doorway of Todd's room for several minutes without going closer. The heat closed in around him and threatened to cut off his air. Machines hummed and beeped telling the staff more information than Derrick could imagine. An odd smell made his stomach lurch. Yet Todd didn't react to any of it.

"Hey Todd, one of the nurses let me in. She's pretty cute, too. Maybe you can ask her out ..."

The words stuck in his throat when he realized Todd might never be able to go on a date again. It scared him that he wasn't waking up, Derrick admitted. He looked at the wall to settle his thoughts before starting over.

"So, I'm thinking of asking Kelly to marry me. It makes me a bit nervous, though. She might refuse and then what will I do? You think I should go for it?"

Derrick knew he wouldn't get any answers but Lucille told him to talk when he was with Todd. Many people felt a patient heard things going on around them even when they didn't respond. He felt silly but kept up the one-sided conversation until a nurse came in to say his visiting time was up.

He wanted to shake Todd awake but knew that wouldn't do any good. Instead, Derrick reached over and touched Todd's shoulder.

"Buddy, you're a fighter. Don't give up now. I'll come back whenever they let me."

****

Did everyone speak through canisters here, he wondered. Todd thought the voice sounded odd yet comforting in a way. It reminded him of when he'd broken his arm in third grade. His father didn't scold him for climbing onto the garage roof. Todd knew hid dad was upset then but he never yelled. He had that same feeling of letting somebody down now.

His mouth was too dry to answer this person, Todd knew. Maybe if he nodded they would see that, he decided. Muscles that should move his head did nothing the first time. A second failed attempt only frustrated him as the voice disappeared. Death sure had its bad points, he concluded. An odd sensation took hold of his body just then and swept him away. It was easier to give in than to struggle anyway, Todd realized as he drifted off.

****

Willie parked behind the stand of trees next to the driveway at Sparky's and hefted his bulk out of the car. The sun beat down on him as he made his way across the over-grown yard onto the rickety porch. Music blared from several speakers inside. Sparky loved noise. Willie hated it.

He didn't knock before opening the warped door and squeezing through. The abrupt darkness was hard to adjust to after being in the brilliance outdoors. Willie squinted as he made his way to the workshop where he assumed Sparky would be.

"You got sloppy, Sparky."

Anger and disgust showed on Willie's face. Sparky pivoted at the accusation but didn't reply.

"Cops all over the place."

"I ain't worried." Sparky snorted and leaned against his workbench. "They all so dumb they ain't gonna find nothin'."

Willie hated loose ends. That was one of the important parts of his trade and he'd perfected it over the years. Now he looked at the punk in front of him and knew he'd have to take care of this one himself. Only a few feet separated the two as Willie thought through his options. His control snapped when Sparky laughed.

A few minutes later, he left in a better mood. Gravel crunched under his shoes as he trudged back over to his car. Willie knew Sparky wasn't going to talk now.

Willie parked his Cadillac in the garage when he got home. He made his way through the clutter to his bedroom where he stripped to take a shower. His clothes reeked of sweat but he didn't even notice. They landed on the floor next to yesterday's clothes as he walked into the bathroom. Soap covered his skin as he scrubbed off the filth. Willie hated doing anything himself but today he'd had no choice. Business came first.

****

Roger Ingram sat with his son while Lucille went into town that afternoon. She wanted to check on Andrea, he knew. The doctors assured them Todd was doing as well as they could hope physically. No one could say when he might wake up. Roger refused to believe his son would remain this way forever. He went back to reading the latest novel in hopes Todd could hear him.

Lucille had gotten directions to Erma's from Joe. She rang the doorbell and introduced herself to the elderly woman that answered. Within five minutes, she had a hot cup of coffee in front of her at the kitchen table. The three women shared a plate of brownies as they talked and laughed together. Andrea realized that she felt like she was part of a family again for the first time in years.

****

Police Chief Jarred Nolan sat behind the computer and scrolled through the files he'd pulled up. Nothing fit yet but he knew it would if they just kept looking. He ran a hand over his tired eyes and logged off. Maybe the firefighter was awake and had some insight, he thought.

****

Trey sat in Tom's office and waited for the older man to go on. He'd mentioned where Andrea was staying but he knew that wasn't the main thing on Joe's mind.

"I think Andrea is strong enough to talk to the police. She'll need someone with her, though. As part of the investigation team, it wouldn't be professional for me to go with her," Tom said.

"Good point. Did you have someone in mind?"

"You should go, Trey. Chief Nolan might ask her things about the fire. Your answers would all be unofficial but they wouldn't risk the investigation, either."

Trey had no problem going with Andrea. The idea was a good one, really. He wasn't quite ready to admit it to anyone but he wanted to know more about her, too. For personal reasons only he knew. She intrigued him somehow.

The two men discussed the fire a bit more before Trey left. He promised Tom he'd stop at Erma's on his way home to talk to Andrea after his night shift.

****

Todd felt sick to his stomach yet he didn't remember eating anything. Maybe that was it, he decided. The lack of food made him ill. Bile sat in his throat until it spilled over and dripped out of his mouth. Bubbles formed as he exhaled each time. The bitter taste clung to his tongue and lips. He moaned as the odor hit him.

"Oh my god," Lucille said to her husband in a frantic voice. "Get a nurse, quick."

Roger ran from the room and returned less than a minute later. They stood to the side as two nurses came in and checked on their son. One suctioned the vomit from him while the other took his blood pressure. Soon a doctor joined them to examine Todd as well.

The light blinded him and he turned his head. Todd muttered for them to leave him alone but wasn't sure anyone heard him. He wondered why things had to be so difficult in death. Life was already hard enough. The little energy he had left subsided and Todd sought the peace of oblivion once more.

Lucille grabbed her husband's sleeve to keep from falling. The shock of seeing Todd move left her speechless. The doctor took them into the hall where he talked about the change in Todd's condition and what it might indicate. He left them soon after and Lucille hurried back to Todd's side. Her heart felt lighter as she read some poetry to him. She had faith he would be fine.

****

Trey waited for Andrea in the front room at Erma's the next morning. He'd explained his reason for stopping in and she'd left to get the packet of papers from her room. She'd admitted being nervous so he kept the conversation friendly on the short drive to the police station. Once there they met with Chief Nolan in his office.

It didn't take Jarred long to figure out what to do with the documents Andrea had. He called in some favors and soon hoped to have supporting verification to go with her evidence. The two men commended her on the diligence it took to gather her information. Her parents would be very proud of her, they both agreed.

Andrea listened while Trey discussed a few details of the fire. Jarred added his thoughts and asked Andrea some questions. Each one came to the same conclusion.

"Can you bring him in for questioning?" Trey asked.

"Not before I get the proof these are real." Jarred pointed to the stack of papers and shook his head.

The office door opened before anyone could reply. One of the officers popped his head in and told Jarred they had a call he should know about. He excused himself and went into the hall.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Jarred said as he strode into the room and grabbed his coat and hat. "Thank you for coming in. I'll be in touch."

That left Trey with Andrea. She accepted his offer to stop for coffee with a shy smile. Getting to know him interested her for sure. Besides, he was cute, she thought to herself.

Trey took her to a small diner she'd never been to before. The Hollywood style décor fascinated her. They discussed some of their favorite actors and actresses over root beer floats. Andrea noticed the blackboard announcing them as the special of the day and knew she had to have one. Trey grinned and ordered one, too.

He dropped her off at Erma's with the promise to check on her after his next shift. Andrea went inside with a huge grin on her face.

****

His eyes fluttered open and Todd found himself staring at the ceiling. It took him several minutes to figure out where he was. The fire came flooding back to him when he tried to move and realized his legs both had casts on them. A slight turn of his head showed he was alone in the room. Worry over the girl he'd tried to get out of the building crinkled his forehead.

A board on the wall gave the names of his nurses for the day. Todd studied them as he waited for someone to come into his room. It didn't occur to him to see if his arms worked and press the call button. Machines all around him kept up a steady buzzing that seemed to drown out his thoughts after a while. The creaking of the door caught his attention. He blinked when he saw his mom come over next to his bed.

"Todd? Are you awake for real?"

Lucille touched his cheek as he gave her a weak nod.

"I knew you'd come back to us," she said.

He wanted to tell her he was going to be fine but his mouth was still so dry. It took real effort but he managed to lift his arm and point to the glass of water on the bedside table. An instant relief ran through him when his mom spooned some of the ice chips onto his tongue.

One of the nurses came to check on Todd and found him smiling up at his mother. She grinned as she went about her routine. Satisfied that all the machines were running fine, she left. Lucille talked to Todd about minor things happening in the world until he fell asleep.

Roger saw his wife standing outside Todd's room when he got to the hospital and hurried over to her. Tears streaked her cheeks and an instant fear hit him that something bad happened to Todd.

"Honey, what's wrong? Lucille, tell me."

"He's awake, Roger."

They went into his room and watched their son with tears in their eyes. Roger sat in the corner chair and pulled his wife onto his lap. Todd woke an hour later to see his parents sleeping. Some day he hoped to find a true and lasting love like theirs.

Derrick walked in and was shocked to see his friend smile at him. His exuberant greeting woke Todd's parents. They all began talking at once in their excitement over the change in his condition. Derrick told them how he'd proposed the night before to his girlfriend Kelly.

"So when's the wedding, Derrick?" Lucille asked.

"That all depends on my best man and how long it'll take him to be able to stand up with me."

Derrick looked right at Todd when he spoke. Todd glanced at his best friend and then his parents. He tried to speak but nothing came out. Lucille noticed his struggle and grabbed a calendar from her purse.

"This should help," she told him with a wink.

She pointed out the current month and gave a vague time-line for physical therapy according to what the doctor predicted. Todd shook his head and whispered no. Lucille turned the page ahead but he put his hand out to stop her.

"Back," he said in a raspy voice. "I'll be ready before then."

Lucille knew he meant it and she believed it. "Yes, you will."

****

Jarred returned to the police station and went right to his office. A quick check of the fax machine brought a triumphant smile. Several calls later, he had the warrant he needed. He assembled his officers and told them what was going on. It didn't take long before they were on their way across town.

****

Willie crammed the last of the greasy pizza into his mouth and wiped his hands on the front of his shirt. He washed it down with a swig of beer and belched just as the doorbell rang.

"Damn kids probably selling stuff again," he muttered and kicked aside an empty beer can.

He jerked open the door ready to holler at whoever stood on the other side. Seeing Jarred Nolan and several police officers stopped him.

"Willie Bloomers, I have a warrant for your arrest," Jarred said in place of a greeting.

"What the ...?" Willie felt his world come crashing down at that moment and didn't continue.

Jarred read him his rights as one of the men put handcuffs on his pudgy wrists. Willie heard the list of charges and blanched. He'd never survive in prison and he knew it. A sharp pain in his chest doubled him over and he dropped to the floor.

The ambulance pulled away some time later but didn't rush. Jarred and his men had tried to revive Willie with no luck. The assumption was he had a heart attack when they were arresting him.

****

Erma told Andrea she had visitors that evening. Jarred and Trey were sitting in the living room when she walked in. She looked from one to the other and knew something was wrong.

"Is it Todd? Did he ..." she couldn't even say the word.

"Andrea, we went out to arrest Willie this afternoon. He died without saying anything."

"What do you mean?" Andrea asked.

"It looks like he had a heart attack. We tried to save him but couldn't. He was guilty of much more than you thought."

"Are you saying he cheated other people out of their property like he did my parents? They trusted him when they signed that contract. He lied when he read all the fine print and details to them. They thought he was paying them the full price when all he gave them was a few measly dollars.

"Maybe my parents didn't do things right but they never scammed anyone. Willie Bloomers stole our home from us so he could put that apartment building up. My parents never got over it."

"Your parents weren't the only ones he conned. It might take us a while to sort it all out but he was guilty, Andrea. There's proof of that. We know he paid to have the apartment building torched by a guy named Sparky, too," Jarred said.

"Did you arrest that person?" she asked.

"No, we didn't. A girlfriend of his called us this afternoon. She found him dead in his workshop. Bruises on his neck indicate he was choked."

Trey saw Andrea's hands shaking and went over to sit next to her. He pulled her close so she could absorb his heat as Jarred went on.

"Investigators found the duplicate books in Willie's office. Years of fraud and deceit filled the pages. He'd gotten greedier over time and hooked up with Sparky. Setting fire to the apartment building showed how little he cared about others."