This is a story about gay love, so if reading such things is offensive to you or if it is not legal for you to do so, proceed at your own risk. This is fiction. All people, places and events are the product of the writer's own imagination. All rights are retained by the author.
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Sam, chapter 14
While Jay and his mother and Uncle Robert sat around the little table in the hospital cafeteria sipping their drinks -- coffee for the adults and coke for Jay -- and nibbling on cinnamon rolls, Jay told them all he knew about his new roommate, Tommy. "I've been hoping all day today to find out more about him," Jay said, "but so far it hasn't worked out. And if I really do go home tomorrow I may never find out."
"What's this about going home tomorrow?" Irene asked.
"Oh, Mom, I forgot to tell you! The doctor said this morning that maybe I could. But he wants to see you first. He asked if you could be in my room tomorrow morning when he does his rounds so he can talk to you," Jay explained.
"Oh Jay, that's wonderful news!" Irene said. "Of course I can come to see the doctor. What time does he usually come around?"
"Well, this morning it was about nine thirty, and he said for you to be there about the same time tomorrow."
"Good! I'll be there, honey. It'll be so good to have you home again," Irene said, as she reached across the table and caressed Jay's face.
"I'll say Amen to that!" Robert said, and then added, "Don't you worry about losing touch with Tommy, Jay. I'll drive you up to the hospital to visit him as often as you like. It sure sounds to me like he could use a good friend or two, poor kid."
"Oh, good!" Jay said, looking relieved. "You know, it's strange that no one's been up to see him all day. It makes you wonder where his mother is. Doesn't anyone care about him at all? I hope I get a chance to talk to him and find out more about him. I get this creepy feeling that he's had a really hard life. And he seems so frightened somehow. Like when I put my hand on his shoulder after he'd been having a nightmare today and he looked up at me like he was terrified out of his wits."
Just then Lee came into the cafeteria looking for them. "There ya are!" he said, approaching their table. "I figured I might find you down here. Sam's up in your room comforting your new roomie. Poor kid, he was cryin' his eyes out when we got there, and man, is he banged up! What ever happened to him?"
"I don't know, Lee," Jay said. "I haven't had a chance to find out yet today. They brought him into my room in the middle of the night and he's been sleepin' most of the day. I've just been waiting for a chance to talk to him."
"Well, let's all go back up there now," Robert suggested. "I'll get cokes for you and Sam, Lee. And maybe I should get one for Tommy too, in case he would like something like that."
Robert got three cans of coke and then the four of them went back up to Jay's room. There they found Sam sitting on the edge of Tommy's bed, holding his free left hand and combing her fingers through his unruly, carrot-colored hair. The two of them were talking like long lost friends. Tommy still had fresh tear tracks on his cheeks, and his eyes were red and puffy from crying, but he was smiling.
"Hi, Jay, sweetie! Hi, everyone," Sam said when she saw them come into the room. "Jay, you're roomie here's just been tellin' me what a nice guy you are. And I said, `Hmm, I wonder if that's the same Jay I know? The one I know's sort of a troll.' So what's the deal, Jay? You must've been on good behavior or something! Or have ya just been keepin' your true self hidden from me?"
"Sam!" Lee said, "You know better than that!"
Everyone else laughed, including Sam, and Lee blushed, realizing finally that she was only teasing. Even after all the years he had known Sam, she could still get one over on him that way and she loved it. Besides, it was purely instinctive for Lee to jump to Jay's defense.
"So, Tommy," Jay said, "I hope you haven't believed everything this girl's been tellin' you about me."
"Don't worry," Tommy replied. "She agreed with me that you are very nice. But she is too, isn't she? And pretty as well."
"You're right, Tommy. On both counts," Jay agreed. "She's incredible, really. Just wait till you know her better and you'll find out how incredible she really is."
Tommy looked up at her, truly smitten, and nodded his head slowly.
"By the way, Tommy, let me introduce these people," Jay said. "I guess you already know this angel here's name is Sam, and this is my friend Lee, and here's my mom and my uncle Robert."
"It's nice to meet you all," Tommy said.
Everyone repeated, "Nice to meet you too, Tommy!"
Uncle Robert reached over and shook Tommy's left hand, and Irene cupped his uninjured left cheek in her hand and kissed him on the forehead. That got Tommy's tears flowing again.
Embarrassed, he sniffed his nose and swiped his hand across his wet cheeks and mumbled, "Sorry. I don't mean to be a baby, but I can't help it. You're all so nice."
Everyone got the distinct impression that not too many people had ever been nice to Tommy.
"You're certainly not being a baby, sweetheart," Irene said, sitting down beside him on the opposite side of his bed to Sam and pulling him against her bosom in a gentle embrace. The floodgates let loose then, and he really bawled, but he clung to her like a drowning man clinging to a life buoy, burying his face against her.
Finally, the worst of his crying ceased and Tommy murmured, "I wish you were my mom too."
"Where is your mom, Tommy?" Irene asked.
"She's at home, I suppose, and no doubt drunk. Or drugged out of her mind. She's usually one or the other. Or both."
Everyone in the room felt chilled by what they had just heard.
"You told me last night that you fell, Tommy," Jay said. "How did it happen?"
"I fell down the basement stairs at home."
"Did you trip or what?" Jay asked.
"I was pushed."
Everyone gasped.
"Pushed, Tommy?" Robert asked. "Who pushed you?"
"My mom's boyfriend."
"Oh my God!" Irene exclaimed.
The others just stared, dumbfounded, feeling numb.
"How did you get to the hospital, Tommy? Did anyone else see what happened?" Robert asked.
"I don't know if anyone else saw. My mom was home too, and my little brother. But Mom was drunk and my brother was watching TV in the other room. Mom's boyfriend was half drunk too, and mad at me like usual. I don't remember why. He came after me with an empty whiskey bottle and I tried to run away from him. I thought if I went down in the basement I could get away from him, but just when I got the door open at the top of the stairs he pushed me hard and I flew headfirst."
"Oh my God!" Irene said again.
"I don't remember nothin' after that until I was in the hospital. I came to when they were workin' on my arm. It hurt so bad. They asked me what happened and I just said I fell down the stairs. Really the next thing I remember was wakin' up last night and Jay here was tryin' to help me stop crying, and then I don't remember nothin' else till the same thing happened this afternoon. You all are gonna think I'm nothin' but a crybaby."
Irene just held him, rocking him back and forth in her arms, and Sam, still sitting beside him, held his hand. Jay and Lee by that time were sitting side by side on Jay's bed a few feet away.
Robert set the cans of coke down on Jay's table and slipped out of the room. He went down the hall to the pay phone across from the nurses' station and dialed the McMillans' number.
A moment later he heard Sharon's voice saying "Hello" on the other end of the line.
"Hi, Sharon. This is Robert Evans. I'm up at the hospital and I've just heard the most horrible thing. I need to talk to you and Mack. Is he home?"
"What's the matter? Is Jay OK?" Sharon asked, sounding alarmed.
"Yeah, don't worry, Sharon. Jay's fine. In fact, he's probably going home tomorrow."
"Oh, thank God. You scared me there," Sharon said, relieved, and then added, "Yeah, Mack's right here. Just a sec. I'll call him to the phone."
"Hello, Robert," Mack said.
"Mack, I need to talk to you, man. You and Sharon. Can we meet somewhere soon?"
"Sure! We're not busy right now," Mack said. "You're at the hospital, I take it? What if Sharon and I come up there right away? We want to see our boy Jay anyway."
"Great! How about if we meet in the cafeteria first so we can talk?" Robert suggested.
"Sounds good, Robert. We'll be there in about fifteen minutes, max."
"OK, thanks, Mack! See you then," Robert said, and hung up the phone.
Back in Jay's room he saw that Lee, Sam and Tommy were sipping the cokes he had brought them and that Tommy seemed to be in a somewhat happier frame of mind again. Sam was still sitting beside him on his bed but Irene had moved to the armchair by the window. The three older kids were teasing each other and laughing and talking about school and Irene was just watching them and listening and smiling at their jokes and wisecracks.
Robert beckoned for Irene to come out in the hall and he told her that he had just called Mack and Sharon and asked them to come and talk with them. He explained that they had agreed to meet in the cafeteria in a few minutes. Irene looked a bit surprised, but then nodded her head. She could readily guess what Robert wanted to talk to the McMillans about and she felt relieved and glad. Who better could they turn to?
Robert stepped back into the room and told Jay and the others that he and Irene were going out for a bit and that they would be back later.
Robert and Irene met Mack and Sharon at the door of the cafeteria when they arrived a few minutes later. "We just drank coffee a bit ago when we were down here with Jay," Robert said, "but I think I could go for another cup. How about you?"
"Sure, a cup of coffee sounds good, Robert," Mack replied, and Sharon nodded.
"Good! I'll get coffee for all of us then," Robert said, and headed for the serving counter.
A couple minutes later he joined them at the corner table where they had sat down, carrying a tray with four cups of coffee and two cinnamon rolls. "You just gotta try these rolls," he said. "Irene and I've already had one, and they are delicious."
Sharon insisted on giving Robert half of her roll, and then they made small talk for a minute or two. Finally Sharon said, "Well, Robert, what's this horrible thing you heard that you wanted to talk to us about?"
"Oh my God, Sharon," Irene blurted out, "you aren't going to believe it . . ."
Sharon turned to Robert, looking worried, and Robert explained, "It's about the other kid in Jay's room. He told us the most chilling story and I get the feeling he's been living in hell for a long time. Pure hell." He then proceeded to relate to Mack and Sharon all that Tommy had told them about his situation at home and about how he had gotten hurt.
They listened in silence, looking appalled and grim.
Finally Robert said, "I just feel compelled to try and do something. I hope you can help us. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try to help that poor kid. And he's got a little brother too. Just think, two innocent kids . . ."
Mack and Sharon nodded, and Robert continued, "I'd like to know who brought Tommy to the hospital, and what explanation was given for his injuries. Do you think there's any way we can find out? I wonder what the authorities know about this, or if they even know anything. I've got so many questions swirling around in my head. Tommy said he was `out of it' when they brought him in and when he came to all he told them about what happened was that he'd fallen down the stairs. I don't think he's told anyone but us so far that he was pushed. And I wonder if the authorities have any idea what a hellish situation those kids are living in there at home too."
"I agree with you, Robert," Mack said. "We'll have to see what we can do. We can't just walk away and leave those kids to the dogs, that's for sure."
"I just thought of something," Sharon said. "We need to call Marge. Mack, you remember that series of articles she wrote for the Tribune a year or so ago, don't you? About the foster care program here in the city?"
"Yes, of course I remember it." Mack replied. "She was really thorough in her reportage. I'd say she must be something of an expert on the subject after all that research she did on it. By God, Sharon, you're right! We must get her onto this right away. I'll bet she has some really good contacts in that department still. She'd know someone who could advise us on what to do, who to turn to, about getting those kids out of that hellhole they're living in."
"Thank God!" Robert said. "Man, I'm glad I called you. I'm feeling better already. Aren't you, Irene?"
"Yes, I certainly am," Irene agreed, and then added, "You know, Jay said no one's been up to see Tommy all day. That almost gives me the chills. The poor kid's almost been killed by flying headfirst down the stairs, and apparently not a soul cares enough about him to come and see him in the hospital. I'm feeling almost haunted by the thought of how he clung to me and sobbed his heart out and said that he wished I was his mom. I can't quit thinking about his little brother either, and I wonder who's looking after him now? Somehow I get the feeling that it's Tommy who's been taking care of him too. It sure didn't sound like their mother is up to it. I wonder how old the brother is."
"Well, we'll ask Tommy more about his brother," Robert said. "Let's all go up to the boys' room and you can meet Tommy, OK?"
Mack and Sharon agreed, and they all rose to go.
Meanwhile, in a very run-down house on one of the city's more slummy streets a good twenty minutes' drive away from the hospital, Tommy's little five-year-old bother Jake was huddled up on the old sofa in the living room crying, alone and desolate. He had wrapped himself up as tightly as he could in a ragged, rather musty-smelling old blanket -- the only bedding he had -- and curled his thin little body into a ball in an effort to get warm. But it wasn't working very well. He was shivering so hard that his whole body shook. It was a mere ten degrees (Celsius) inside the house, as the furnace had gone out during the night when the fuel oil tank went empty. Jake was very hungry too, and lonely and scared. And frightfully worried about Tommy. He thought maybe Tommy was dead. That's sure what it had looked like when he, Jake, had run to the top of the basement stairs the evening before and seen him crumpled up in a heap at the bottom, still and silent. He had been vaguely aware of Hank yelling at Tommy in the kitchen and then had heard them running in the hall. The next thing he'd heard was Tommy's scream and then a sickening dunk, dunk, dunk on the steps and then nothing. He had listened, terrified, expecting to hear Tommy crying. But there hadn't been another sound. So he had run to look and now he couldn't get the sight of his brother's motionless body out of his mind. "Please, God, don't let him be dead," Jake whispered for the millionth time. He could never live without Tommy. Surely Tommy would have made sure he got something to eat today, but now Tommy was gone and Jake was alone and freezing and hungry and scared to death. And already it was starting to get dark outside.
His mom had been drunk when Tommy fell down the stairs. In fact, she had been out cold, totally unaware of what had happened. Hank had been half drunk as well. When Jake had run to see what happened and was poised to go down the stairs to where Tommy lay, Hank had screamed at him to go back to the living room and stay there and not to move his worthless ass off of the sofa unless maybe he wanted to end up in a heap down there beside his goddamned bastard of a brother. Terrified out of his wits, Jake had curled up on the sofa in the dark and cried and cried.
After what seemed like a long time, he had become aware that someone else was in the house. He could hear the voice of some strange man talking with Hank in the kitchen. Then he had heard this unknown man go down to the basement and carry Tommy back upstairs and out the front door. Jake had snuck to the window and watched as this man lay Tommy down in the back seat of a car and then he and Hank and Tommy had driven off into the night.
Sometime after that, an exhausted Jake had finally cried himself to sleep. When he had woken up in the morning he'd found his mother still slumped over by the kitchen table where she had been when he had last seen her the night before, snoring away. He'd then looked in the bedroom and seen that Hank was there, sprawled across the bed, also snoring. But he'd found no sign of Tommy anywhere. So Hank had obviously come home again, but not Tommy. Jake's little stomach had lurched then and knotted up worse than ever with fear and worry for his brother.
Jake's search of the cupboards and refrigerator hadn't yielded much that morning. He had found the heel end of a loaf of bread left in the bread wrapper on top of the counter but all he'd been able to find in the fridge was a nearly-empty bottle of ketchup and a jar of green olives. He had devoured the crust of bread and then tried an olive, even though he really hated them. But the taste of it in his mouth had made him gag and he'd spit it right back out and put the jar back in the fridge. He then had drunk a glass of water and gone back to his comfortless little nest on the frayed, lumpy old sofa.
About noon Hank had gotten up and banged around for awhile, cursing and muttering to himself, and then had roused Jake's mom enough to get her on her feet. He had yelled at her to get her coat on, that they had to go out, and she had done so. When the two of them were on their way out the door without even thinking to check on Jake, he had run over to them, crying, and asked where they were going.
"None o' your damned business," Hank had snarled at him.
"Wh-where's Tommy?" Jake had cried then, but without answering Hank had just slammed the door and left, with Jake's mother stumbling down the walk behind him.
Robert and Irene and Mack and Sharon went up to Jay and Tommy's room and found the kids still talking and laughing like they had been earlier, with the one difference that now there was music playing in the background from Lee's Walkman.
"Mom, where's Jenna?" Jay asked as soon as the adults came into the room. "She's not home alone, is she?"
"No, honey, she asked this morning if she could go home with one of her friends after school for awhile. We'll pick her up there on our way home," Irene said. "She wants to see you too, so I promised her she could come up here for a bit after supper, if she doesn't still have too much homework unfinished by then."
"Tommy," Sam said, gesturing toward Mack and Sharon, "I want you to meet my mom and dad."
"Hi," Tommy said to them. "Nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Tommy," Sharon replied, tousling his hair. Mack shook his left hand and patted him on the back.
"Sam's gonna be my girlfriend," Tommy told them matter-of-factly.
"You don't say!" Sharon exclaimed.
"I hope!" Tommy said. "She's so nice. I think I love her."
Sam gave him a big smooch on his cheek and winked at him. "You're pretty nice yourself, sweetie, and I love you too. But girlfriend? I don't know! I'm too old, don't you think?"
"Old? I don't think so. How old are you?"
"I'm 15," Sam said. "Nearly 16, in fact. How old are you, Tommy?"
"Almost 12."
"Cool," Sam replied. "When's your birthday?"
"November 15th. When's yours?"
"What?" Sam exclaimed. "That's my birthday too! I can't believe it! We'll have to celebrate them together, won't we? I bet my mom will make us a cake."
Tears started to roll down Tommy's cheeks again. "I've never had a birthday cake," he murmured.
It got very quiet in the room then, and Sharon said, "Well, you're going to have one this year, sweetheart. That I can promise you."
Tommy cried harder then, and it was Sharon's turn to sit down beside him on his bed and pull him into a tight embrace.
After he got a hold of himself again, Sharon said, "Tell us about your brother, Tommy. They tell me you've got a little brother too."
"Yeah, I do," Tommy said. "His name is Jake. Actually, he's my half brother and he's a lot younger than me. He's five."
"I think he's pretty lucky to have a big brother like you to look after him, Tommy," Sharon said.
Tommy got very quiet after Sharon said that, and then he said, "I'm awful worried about him."
"Why is that?" Sharon asked.
"'Cause I'm afraid he's not got anything to eat today."
"Isn't he at home with your mother, Tommy?"
"Well, yeah, I suppose. If Mom's at home, that is. But she's gone a lot and she almost never fixes us anything to eat."
"Oh my God, Tommy, do you have to do all the cooking then?" Sharon asked.
"Well, I'm not really a cook. But I try to get us something to eat. When I can, that is."
"How do you buy food, Tommy?" Mack asked.
"Our neighbor usually gives us some if I ask her. And sometimes I manage to swipe some money out of Mom's purse and go to the store. But I can only do that when she's asleep, or stoned, or something. And most of the time there isn't any money in her purse anyway."
"It sounds like you must have a pretty nice neighbor, Tommy," Mack said. "What's her name?"
"She's Mrs. Fridley. Yeah, she's nice. But she's really old and she's been sick a lot lately. She never goes out of the house. Someone comes and brings her food and stuff once in awhile."
"Where's your home, Tommy?" Mack asked. "If you told us, maybe we could drive by and check on Jake for you. Make sure he's OK. Would that be all right, do you think?"
"Would you do that?" Tommy cried, looking excited. "I'd be so glad if you would." But then his face fell and he continued in a much more subdued tone of voice, "But maybe Hank's home. He wouldn't like it if you went there."
"Who's Hank, Tommy?" Mack asked.
"My mom's boyfriend. He's awful mean sometimes and I'm scared of him."
"That's who pushed you, isn't it, Tommy," Jay said.
Tommy just nodded, and started crying again softly. Sharon was still sitting beside him with her arm around his shoulders and she drew his head against her bosom and rocked him gently back and forth.
After awhile Mack asked again, "What's your address, Tommy? What street do you live on? Can you tell me?"
"My address is 2043 Casper Street. It's right behind the big old pipe factory that they shut down this year."
"Thanks, Tommy. I know exactly what part of town it's in. Please don't worry about Jake, OK? We'll make sure he's all right. I promise."
"Thank you," Tommy murmured, still looking very dejected.
"Well, kids, we grownups are going to run along for awhile. We'll be back as soon as we can, OK?" Mack announced.
"OK," they chorused, as the adults went out into the hall.
Once outside the door, Mack turned to the others and suggested, "Why don't Robert and I run over to the address Tommy gave us and scout the place out and see if we can find out anything about Jake. I don't think Tommy's worried about him for no reason. He knows the situation, after all. I'm feeling damned worried myself. And, Sharon, you and Irene can take our car and go talk to Marge, OK? Tell her what we know so far and see what she can recommend. I think we'll be amazed what doors she can open for us with all the contacts she has."
The others all readily agreed with Mack's plan, and they headed for the elevators.
Since Mack knew the city, Robert asked him to drive his rental car and they had no trouble finding Casper Street. Mack knew exactly where the old pipe factory was, and just as Tommy had said, they found number 2043 directly behind the factory. In fact, it looked like the yard in back of the house went right up to the high cement block wall that surrounded the factory area. This was definitely not a high-rent part of the city. All the houses on Casper Street looked old and rather rundown, but number 2043 was more ramshackle than most. It was a very small house and its sagging roof was missing a considerable number of its asphalt shingles. The siding obviously hadn't been painted for years and a couple of the shutters at the windows in front were hanging crooked and about to fall off. There was quite an accumulation of wind-blown paper and other refuse caught in the high weeds in the front yard. Most of the other houses on the street had lights in some of the windows since it was already dusk, but Tommy's house was completely dark. In fact, it looked very much like an abandoned house where no one lived at all.
The two men drove slowly past, looking the place over carefully.
"Well, Robert, what do you think?" Mack asked. "This has to be it, provided we got the number right. He did say 2043, didn't he?"
"Yeah, that's what I remember," Robert answered. "But if anyone's home here, they're sitting in the dark."
"Chances are that Hank fellow isn't here. Maybe that's a good thing, eh?" Mack said. "I really think we should try the door and see if we can rouse anyone. According to Tommy, little Jake should be here — unless they've taken him away somewhere, of course."
"Yeah, let's go check it out, Mack."
Mack parked at the curb and he and Robert walked up to the front door and knocked and waited. Nothing happened. They couldn't hear any response from inside the house, so they knocked again and waited some more. Still nothing. Mack tried the door knob then, and it turned.
"Let's go in," Mack said.
They stepped inside the house and stood in the semi dark, listening. Not a sound. "Hello!" Mack called out. But no one answered.
"My God, it's freezing cold in here!" Robert exclaimed. "It doesn't feel like they've got any heat on at all."
"I think we should take a look around, Robert. Don't you?" Mack suggested.
"Definitely," Robert said.
They were standing in a short hallway. At the far end of it they found the kitchen which was cluttered and dirty, with a couple ashtrays and several empty bottles and cans lying around. Robert took a peek in the fridge and whistled. "Pretty slim pickings here, Mack!" he said.
On the right hand side of the hallway were three doors. The first one opened into a cramped little bedroom containing only an old bureau and a grimy, unmade bed. A number of items of clothing were scattered helter-skelter on the bed and on the floor. The next door opened into a tiny bathroom, hardly bigger than a closet, with only a toilet stool and a miniature wash basin. The third door opened onto the basement stairs, where Tommy had gone flying headfirst the night before.
On the left side of the hallway was an open archway into the dark and silent living room. In the living room, along the wall to the left of the door, was a little folding cot with a sleeping bag on it. An old television set stood in the far corner, and along the back wall were two sagging old armchairs and a battered looking sofa. There was a low coffee table in front of the sofa, on which were several empty beer and liquor bottles and a few magazines. At first glance, it looked like there was no one in the living room either, but then a faint whimper was heard coming from the sofa and both men gave a start. What they had thought was just an old blanket tossed into a corner of the sofa actually contained a little figure curled up inside it.
"Flip on the light switch, Robert," Mack said, while he lifted a corner of the blanket to look underneath it. In the glare from the naked light bulb in the ceiling, the two men looked down on Tommy's little brother Jake. He was exceedingly skinny and his skin was almost blue looking. He was very lethargic, half comatose even, and his little body was very, very cold.
"Oh my God," both men said practically in unison.
And then Mack said, "I didn't see a phone in here anywhere, Robert, did you?"
"No," Robert replied.
"We've got to get this little tyke to the hospital on the double," Mack said, and Robert agreed.
Without further discussion, Mack picked Jake up, still wrapped in his ragged old blanket, and they ran for the door. Robert switched off the light on his way out. They placed little Jake on the back seat of the car and then sped away to the hospital.
While Mack and Robert were checking out Tommy's house, Sharon and Irene were at Marjorie Wilson's filling her in on the latest events at the hospital and what they had learned about Tommy and his family. Just as Sharon had surmised, Marjorie knew right away who they should contact at Child Services.
"One of the main people there is Wilma Collert," Marjorie said. "I got to know her very well last year when I was working on those articles about foster care. She and I had many long discussions and the more I listened to her and saw of her the more I respected her. She's a widow and has one grown son but no grandchildren. She said that her whole life revolves around `her children', as she calls them — the foster children in this city, and she obviously has great heart for them. Like I said, she commands respect, and best of all, she's got considerable clout. She's right up near the top in that department, and when she speaks people listen. I think we should get in touch with her and she can find out if they already have any knowledge of this family — what did you say their name is?"
"Oh dear," Irene said, "I never did learn what Tommy's last name is."
"Well, that's no problem. I should think they'll be able to get that from the hospital records," Marjorie replied.
Marjorie found the phone number to Mrs. Collert's office and dialed it. Luckily, she was still there and she sounded pleasantly surprised to hear Marjorie's voice. She listened intently while Marjorie explained her reason for calling.
When Mack and Robert arrived at the emergency room of the hospital with Jake, the lady at the front desk where they had to check in was rather indignant when they couldn't give her so much as his full name, let alone any other pertinent details, but she changed her tune very quickly when Mack lifted the blanket and showed her the little tyke's face. She immediately summoned a nurse to show them to a treatment room and in no time he was being examined and cared for by competent professionals.