MI AMADO - PART FOUR

"All these accidents that happen
Follow the dot
Coincidence makes sense
Only with you
You don't have to speak
I feel
Emotional landscapes" Bjork

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Clamping the handcuffs around the side bar of the gurney, Drew looked down at Todd smugly. "Not getting away this time Manning. Got yah dead to rights- 350 years plus" Drew spat as a grin crawled across his face.
Todd sat on the hospital gurney and stared vacantly at the floor. He was aware of Drew's yapping but none of his words seemed to form any complete sentences in his own mind.
Nurses rushed by pushing patients in wheelchairs, some stopped to talk to other staff members. Doctors laughed with colleagues as they stood around flipping through medical charts. But it seemed like everything was emersed in a fog to Todd, like the world was suddenly tainted in her absence. It was almost as if she were already gone.
"Well, let's take a look at that hand of yours" the doctor said as he approached. Todd made no effort to move his hand so the doctor could look.
"Do you think she's alright?" Todd said, pulling himself out of his waking coma to look up at the doctor with pleading eyes.
"Whos alright?" the doctor asked confused, not knowing who he was speaking of.
"Téa" Todd replied as if the doctor should have known who he was talking about. The doctor shook his head slightly in confusion and looked over at Drew.
Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, Drew glared over at Todd. "His wife" Drew muttered begrudgingly.
"Did you come in with her? Was she admitted?" The doctor asked, turning his attention back to examining Todd's bruised hand.
"No, he killed her" Drew snapped venonously.
"She's not dead!" Todd yelled, leaping off the gurney and lunging at Drew despite the cuffs that strapped him to the gurney. Todd nearly turned the gurney on it's side in an effort to pull free of his entrapment.
"That's right Todd. Why don't we add assaulting a police officer to your list of charges! Come on I dare yah!" Drew taunted as he stood just out of Todd's reach.
"Hey, that's enough now! I won't have you riling up my patient" the doctor nearly shouted at Drew as he stepped between the two men. "If you want to cause a commotion you had better stand over there until I'm finished with my examination" the doctor said firmly as he pointed down the hall.
Drew snorted indignantly. "I'll be right down there so don't try anything stupid Manning" he spat as he moved away from them.
Todd snarled at Drew as he receded a little down the hallway
. Standing in front of the gurney Todd breathed heavily through the layers of hair that covered his angry features.
"Mr. Manning, why don't you sit down and let me take a look at your hand" the doctor said, lightly touching his shoulder in an effort to calm Todd.
Slamming the gurney back into the wall, Todd heatedly sat back down. Flipping his hair out of his face, Todd continued to glare at Drew as the doctor began examining his hand once more.
"Looks like you have a broken index finger Mr. Manning" he said, stepping back from Todd with a sigh.
When Todd didn't reply the doctor waved his hand in front Todd's face. Todd tore his gaze away from Drew to look back at the doctor. "You were knocked unconscious in this single vehicle accident, am I correct?" the doctor queried.
"Yeah, maybe for a few minutes" Todd responded as he turned his head away from the doctors stare.
"Well, I'm keeping you overnight for observation" the doctor said after a long pause. "I'll have a nurse come and set you up in a room-" the doctor started to say but was cut off when Todd suddenly leapt to his feet.
Turning towards the direction Todd was staring, the doctor watched as a silver haired man approached then rapidly. "Is she alright Sam?" Todd nearly shouted as he took a few steps forward, dragging the gurney behind him.
"She's in critical condition Todd" Sam replied, speaking in a strained low and calm tone.
"Where is she? I... I need to see her" Todd sputtered as he gave Sam a pleading look.
Sam nodded slowly. "The doctors are saying that you better come" Sam said and paused, sounding uncertain of what he was about to say.
"It doesn't look good Boomer" he said slowly as he shifted his eyes to the floor.
"Get me out of this!" Todd yelled frantically as he pulled against the restraints. "You get me out of this before I take the whole bed with me!" Todd screamed lividly
"You're not going anywhere Manning" Drew chimed in as he moved down the hall.
Without speaking a word Todd began to stalk down the hallway, dragging the gurney behind him. "Where!? Which way!?" Todd demanded as he turned around to look at Sam. Sam started to speak but was cut off by Drew as he pulled his gun on Todd.
"I said you're not going anywhere!" Drew repeated, obviously caught up in the heat of the moment.
"This is not a time for you to be pulling power trips Drew" Sam said as he stepped in front of Todd, thus shielding him from Drew's revolver.
"His wife is dying" Sam stated directly.
Sam felt Todd's body tense at the words, as if someone had just suckerpunched him. Drew seemed unmoved.
"What if it were Nora in that hospital room?" Sam said as he slipped into his lawyer mode again. "What if it where Kelly?" Sam questioned, his words echoing through the hallway.
Drew's features seemed to soften at the sound of Kelly's name.
Slowly, Drew lowered his gun as he looked past Sam at Todd. Todd's face stared back, a canvas of emotions buried underneath the flood of his dark hair.
"Alright" Drew reluctantly whispered. "Alright, but I'm coming with you" Drew said, stepping toward Todd.
Todd said nothing as he was uncuffed from the gurney. "Thank you" Todd said roughly as he looked Drew straight in the eye briefly before he moved quickly around him and started down the hall.
Drew hurried to catch up as Sam sighed and moved a little more slowly behind them.

TO BE CONTINUED