No Place to Die Read online

  Seeming to sense Olivia’s growing anxiety, the doctor spoke more soothingly. “We’ve seen food poisoning down here before.”

  She was surprised.

  “Cases this bad?” she asked under her breath.

  “It affects everyone differently,” the doctor replied. “The pain can be terrible.”

  “What are you doing for him?”

  “Todd is on intravenous fluids,” he continued slowly. “We are doing all that is appropriate at the moment.”

  “I want to see Todd this minute. I beg you,” Olivia pleaded.

  The doctor held up his hand. “Not right now.”

  “Why not? What are you hiding from me?” Olivia was growing frantic.

  The doctor couldn’t quite meet Olivia’s eyes. “Please be patient for now. There are other tests that are being done as well. We’re in touch with the patient’s family. In fact, they’re flying here now to be with their son.”

  Olivia felt her heart sinking.

  “My God, my God.” Olivia began crying. “Why are they flying down? What’s going on? Tell me, please, is he going to be all right?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Chilled to the bone, Olivia sat back down, waiting. The doctor had promised he’d be back the moment they knew more. It was all Olivia could do to stop herself from running after the doctor, following him inside to Todd’s room.

  The large clock on the wall kept ticking loudly, now saying 4:30 a.m. Olivia wondered if she should contact her family, but it seemed too extreme at the moment. Most likely this would pass quickly, and Todd would be himself again. He’d be embarrassed to discover that her family had been woken up in the middle of the night. Olivia felt strange enough that Todd’s family was on the way down.

  Of course, the hospital had to contact them; it was a formality. They had to cover themselves legally and notify the next of kin. Olivia wondered what the hospital had told them. Why they were actually coming down to Key West.

  She shifted back and forth restlessly on the hard, wooden bench as the moments ticked by. How was Todd really doing? What was the shock of all that pain doing to him? Was he wondering why she wasn’t beside him? Did he need emergency surgery? Were they hiding the fact that they were waiting for Todd’s family’s permission?

  Olivia ran her hands over her face slowly, trying not to remember the long days and nights she’d spent in the hospital with Paul. So many nights she’d spent wondering if he was going to live or die, listening to his family crying. As he declined, she was kept from his bedside then as well. Sitting here now was surreal, bringing it all back. Even though she kept reminding herself to stay as calm as possible and not imagine the worst, waves of fear rose harshly and then subsided.

  Finally, unable to stay still any longer, Olivia got up and walked to the small room she’d sat in with Angy when she’d first arrived. To her relief, he was still in there, half asleep, leaning back on his chair, a cup of coffee in his hands.

  “I need to talk to you, Angy.” Olivia stood at the door.

  “Yeah, of course, come in.” He sat right up, looking a bit groggy.

  Olivia walked in tentatively and sat down on the little chair opposite him. “The hospital’s contacted Todd’s family,” she started.

  “Right,” Angy said. “His mother has been calling every fifteen minutes for updates on her son’s condition. She said his father is with her, and his siblings, too.”

  Olivia felt chilled. This was a horrible way to meet the family. She couldn’t think of anything worse.

  “Why are they coming?” asked Olivia. “Tell me the truth, is Todd going to surgery? Is there internal bleeding or some kind of obstruction?”

  “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to divulge medical details,” Angy replied, professionally.

  “They’re not letting me in to see him.” Olivia felt her voice rise, filled with a combination of fear and anger.

  A wave of anger then coursed through Olivia. “I have every right to see him.”

  “Of course you do,” Angy went on. “And you will, as soon as it’s possible.”

  “I need to know now how he’s doing! “Olivia cried out sharply.

  “Please, calm down. I’ll see if I can get another doctor out here to give you an update,” he said as he picked up the phone.

  Why wasn’t it possible for her to go in? Olivia wondered as she got off the chair and began pacing around the small office, waiting for the doctor to come. She was sick of all this double talk, and she needed straight answers.

  In a very few minutes another doctor, this one lean and younger, came walking into Angy’s room.

  “Olivia Wells?” he asked, looking at her.

  “What’s going on with Todd?” Olivia burst out.

  His face looked grim.

  “The patient’s fever has increased,” the doctor replied, avoiding her stare. “Along with intravenous hydration he’s on intravenous antibiotics as well,” the doctor reported calmly.

  “Why can’t I go in to see him?” Olivia felt blindsided by his detached manner.

  “Sit down a moment, Olivia,” the doctor replied.

  Olivia sat on the stiff, wooden chair in Angy’s office. “Why can’t I see him?” she repeated urgently.

  “It wouldn’t work right now, Olivia,” the doctor replied quietly. “Please understand. He’s become delirious.”

  “Delirious?” Olivia couldn’t catch her breath. Then she uttered the words she had been afraid to: “Is he dying?”

  “He’s being carefully monitored,” the doctor repeated.

  “But I thought it’s just food poisoning,” she pressed.

  He sighed and stood. “I wish I could tell you more.”

  She stood, too, irate.

  “Then why won’t you?” Olivia demanded. “I am his fiancée! I’m his family!” she pressed, even though it sounded odd to say it.

  Olivia’s head started spinning then and she sat back down. She held onto the sides of the chair tightly to keep both her and her world from falling apart. She had to see Todd fast and she knew it. And, thankfully, she knew enough hospital protocol to take the next step.

  “If you don’t let me in, I’ll have to get hold of the supervisor,” Olivia warned.

  “I’m sorry, no matter who you contact, this is hospital policy,” the doctor responded before he turned and quickly left.

  “What kind of hospital policy?” Olivia cried out at Angy the minute the doctor walked away. “What kind of treatment is Todd receiving? What are they hiding from me?” She felt trapped with no one to help her. “I beg you please, please help me get in to see him.”

  Angy immediately picked up the phone on his desk and dialed an extension. “Listen,” he said, when someone picked up, “the patient’s fiancée wants to go in to see him now.” Then he grew silent, listened, and made an odd face. “I know, but she is his fiancée. They just got engaged tonight.”

  Olivia trembled. “They don’t believe I’m his fiancée?” she demanded. “That’s why they’re not letting me in?”

  Angy covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “The family told the hospital that Todd was never engaged,” he reported.

  She felt horrified.

  “The family doesn’t know that we became engaged yet,” Olivia flushed. “We got engaged just a few hours before this happened. Is that why they’re not letting me in to see him?”

  Angy took his hand off the mouthpiece then and spoke back into the phone.

  Olivia stuck out her hand with the ring on it. “Look at this,” she proclaimed. “It’s the ring Todd gave me just a few hours ago.”

  Finally, he hung up.

  “They said I could walk you back to his bed now,” Angy replied.

  *

  Olivia followed close behind Angy as they walked through musty, dark aisles of the emergency room, where beds were lined up beside one another. Most were empty right now, and a few had curtains drawn around them.

  When they got to Todd’s bed in the b
ack, a curtain was also drawn around it and a nurse stood guard in front. She was a large, tanned woman with short curly hair framing a kind face. An eerie stillness filled the space and Olivia suddenly wanted to sob.

  “This is Olivia Wells, the patient’s fiancée,” Angy announced.

  The nurse took a long look at Olivia and then motioned Angy to go. “It’s okay,” she said to him, “I’ve got this covered now.”

  Olivia turned to the nurse. “Can I speak to him now? I’ve been waiting a long time.”

  “Honey”—the nurse came a little closer—“I’m not exactly sure he’s going to answer, but you can definitely say whatever you want.”

  “Why won’t he answer?” A wave of dizziness came over Olivia as the nurse slowly pulled the curtain back.

  To Olivia’s horror, Todd lay there motionless, hooked up to all kinds of tubes and machines. He looked oddly peaceful and beautiful, though, his eyes tightly closed.

  “Todd,” Olivia gasped as she swooped down at his bedside.

  Todd didn’t move a muscle or register a response.

  “I’m here with you. You’re not alone.” Olivia barely knew what she was saying. Where was he? Could he hear her? There was no response at all.

  “Can he hear me?” Olivia turned to the nurse as tears welled up in her eyes and began pouring down her face.

  “Yes, honey, they hear everything,” the nurse replied.

  Olivia spun back around, took Todd’s hand, and held it tightly, refusing to let him slip away. Just a few hours ago he was so alive and vibrant. They were laughing together, planning a life.

  Olivia turned back to Todd then and began talking nonstop. “Todd, I love you, I want you, I need you. We’re just on the verge of beginning a beautiful life. Please stay here with me. Don’t go.” Olivia thought she saw his eyelids flutter.

  “His eyelids fluttered,” she announced to the nurse, suddenly thrilled. “Do you hear me, Todd? Answer me, tell me!” Olivia was beside herself.

  For a shocking moment, Todd opened his eyes and seemed to look straight through her. She thought she saw him struggle to open his mouth and speak.

  “He’s trying to say something to me!” Olivia was transfixed. “I have to know what he wants to tell me.”

  “I’ll wait outside and leave the two of you alone,” the nurse said quietly as she got up to go.

  “Oh God.” Olivia put her head down on the pillow beside Todd as soon as the nurse left. “What’s happening to you, Todd? Where are you? Why can’t you talk to me now? Are you asleep, dreaming? Did they give you strong medication?”

  Todd said nothing in return, but Olivia felt a restless stirring inside him. It seemed as if he longed to answer but couldn’t. Could he be in a coma? No one had actually said so. Last report was that he was delirious. This seemed like more than that though. Todd seemed immobilized, trapped inside his body, desperate to get out. Most likely they’d given him strong medication that knocked him out.

  “What’s wrong, Todd?” Olivia continued despite herself. Some part of him heard her, she was positive. “Did you have some illness that you never told me about?” Olivia thought for a moment about Paul, and how his cancer had slowly drained his life. They’d all grown to expect his constant decline. This was completely different, though. Todd was in his prime, full of strength and energy.

  Olivia brushed her moist hair back off her face. She knew she had to pull herself together, be a strong presence for him. If anything could snap him out of this, it would be feeling her strength beside him.

  “It’s all right, don’t worry,” she whispered to him and to herself as well. “This will pass, it has to. You’re young, you’re healthy. Your future’s calling. You wouldn’t leave the life you love so much. There’s no reason for it, is there?”

  At that Todd’s eyes flashed open for a second, glassy and unfocused, terrifying her. He looked at her strangely, filled with anger and confusion. Olivia had never seen such an expression. She grabbed his hand tightly. It was colder than it had been just a few moments ago and his breath was coming in fits and starts now.

  “It’s going to be all right, I promise, feel better, please!” Olivia demanded, as suddenly bells on the machine beside him started going off loudly.

  The sound of those bells was familiar. Olivia jumped up from the bed, frozen.

  In a few seconds the door flew open and a doctor and nurse flew to his side.

  “Code blue!” the nurse called out quickly.

  The doctor took action immediately. Code blue, code blue, the loudspeaker quickly echoed.

  A team of nurses and doctors instantly descended upon the room. Before Olivia could realize what was happening, a mask was placed over Todd’s face, his chest was being pumped, and needles were placed in his arm.

  “This is a full code patient, right?” one of the nurses asked Olivia quickly. Olivia knew she was asking if Todd wanted full resuscitation.

  “Do everything you can, everything!” Olivia replied. “He’s young, he’s healthy.”

  The nurse nodded. “We’re good to go,” she said.

  *

  Olivia stayed beside Todd as the staff worked intensely to stop his life from drifting away. Paul had coded several times and pulled through.

  “Todd’s going to fine, right?” Olivia put her hand on a nurse’s shoulder.

  “We’re doing everything we can,” the nurse quickly replied, as Todd seemed to stabilize slowly.

  Olivia grabbed a chair in the room and put it next to the bed. “I’ll stay here beside him,” she whispered and once again took Todd’s hand.

  One of the doctors in the room looked at Olivia strangely.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she cried out.

  “It’s fine, stay where you are,” he replied. “I just wondered if you wanted a chair to stretch out on. It’s going to be a long night.”

  Olivia gripped Todd’s hand in hers as the room grew quiet. The only sound was that of his breathing, which slowly became less ragged, peaceful almost. This was just a passing incident, Olivia told herself. He’s getting better now, all will be well.

  Overcome by exhaustion then, she closed her eyes slowly, involuntarily.

  Suddenly, Olivia was jolted by a shriek. She snapped her eyes open to a woman’s desperate voice piercing the deep stillness that had fallen over the room, and realized she must have fallen asleep.

  “Help, please help!” the woman was shouting. “This can’t be! It can’t!”

  Olivia awoke, turned around, and saw an older man and woman with two young men at their side. They had to be Todd’s family.

  “Todd, Todd.” The woman flew over to the bedside, trying to push Olivia out of the way.

  Before she moved to the side, Olivia gave Todd’s hand a squeeze. To her horror, now it was cold and unmoving, like a heavy stone.

  “Todd, Todd.” His mother leaned down and started shaking him by the shoulders.

  “Todd, answer me! Answer me!” His mother’s piercing voice echoed in the room.

  Olivia looked over at Todd’s ashen face. She went numb.

  To her utter dread, his eyes were frozen. Wide open.

  He was dead.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “No one dies that quickly.” Olivia heard Todd’s father arguing with the doctor who spoke to him in the lounge. “He was healthy, in the prime of life. What kind of care did he have?”

  Olivia and the entire family had been taken to a private lounge in the hospital. Sitting on the edge of her seat, frozen in shock, Olivia listened to Todd’s father battling for facts. She also saw Todd’s brothers, tall and dark like him, standing beside their father, creating a chain of support. Todd’s mother was curled up on a couch at the other end of the lounge, sobbing uncontrollably. She would not let anyone near her. Olivia completely understood.

  “Answer me.” Todd’s father’s voice grew louder.

  “In rare cases there can be sudden death from food poisoning,” one of the doctors replied.r />
  “I never heard of that.” Distraught, his father stomped his foot on the floor.

  “Rare,” the doctor acquiesced.

  “I want to see every test my son had.” Todd’s father was relentless.

  “Of course. A conclusive diagnosis cannot be made until we do an autopsy.” Several other doctors had slipped into the lounge and one was now joining the conversation. “Due to the nature of the symptoms and sudden onset in an otherwise healthy young man, we are hypothesizing that this was a case of extreme food poisoning,” he said. “Naturally, more tests will be made once the medical examiner has the body.”

  “The body?” Todd’s father’s voice cracked. “You’re referring to my son as a body?”

  “It’s enough, George.” Todd’s mother straightened up on the couch. “You’re making things worse!”

  “No, I’m not. There’s plenty we can do,” Todd’s father thundered. “We can investigate every inch of the examination and treatment Todd had here. We can trace every step he took before he got sick.”

  George spun around then and stared at Olivia. A tall, fit man, with salt-and-pepper hair and the same dark eyes Todd had, George gave the impression of a no-nonsense businessman. Dressed in slacks with an open shirt and dark blue jacket, right now he seemed formidable. Todd’s father had barely taken account of Olivia before. She even wondered if he knew she was there.

  “We also have questions to ask you, young lady.” His voice got louder again.

  “Craig, tell your father to stop it,” Todd’s mother cried out, placing her hands over her temples. “My head is splitting. I’m coming apart.”

  Craig, one of the brothers, who looked almost just like his dad, put his hands on his father’s shoulders, trying to calm him down. Then Craig, too, turned to Olivia.

  “Were you with my brother all the time he was in the hospital?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing. “Did you see everything they did for him?”

  Olivia stood up and faced Craig squarely. “No, I wasn’t,” she said in a faltering voice. “I tried, though.”