CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

 

“Prem. Priya. Come here quickly!” Savita yelled up the staircase. Footsteps sounded above her head as her siblings came running down the stairs in their pajamas.

“What’s wrong, Savi?” Prem asked as he cleared the last two steps in one giant leap.

“Is it Daddy?” Priya followed closely on her brother’s heels.

“Yes, he’s in the Jeep. I need your help bringing him into the house.”

The twins hurtled down the porch steps and ran to where her vehicle was parked in the driveway. With Prem holding her father’s upper body and Priya and Savita each holding his legs, they managed to lift Vickram from the Jeep and carried him into the house. Savita reached for a cushion, placing it behind her father’s head as Prem lowered him onto the couch. They stared in shock at their father’s dirty and disheveled appearance. His clothes were soaked from the rain and his hair was caked with mud. A long, jagged tear ran down the front of the blue pajamas that he’d been wearing under his other clothes the night he disappeared. Even in the dim lighting, they could see a dark bruise coloring the side of his face.

“Poor Daddy,” Priya wailed. “What did those horrible men do to you?”

Vickram’s eyes flew open. “Water ...” he croaked and Priya raced into the kitchen. When she returned with a glass of water, Prem propped their father’s head up and they waited patiently as he gulped the water down, not caring that half of it was dripping down the front of his already damp shirt. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before leaning his head back against the cushion.

“Daddy, are you okay? What happened? Who took you? Was it O’Leary and his goons?” The questions spilled from Savita’s lips in rapid succession as tears of relief and anger streamed down her face. Both of her siblings were sobbing loudly as they kneeled on the floor next to the couch and Priya placed her head on their father’s lap. Minutes ticked by as they waited for him to speak.

“Ah, my children, it’s so good to see you all,” Vickram said at last. “I’m fine. A little banged up, but still alive, thank god.” He paused to rub his side gingerly and wheezed loudly. “My ribs are pretty sore, though.”

“Daddy, I’m going to call Dr. Benton right now. Savita was already reaching for the phone on the end table. “You need to be examined. Your ribs could be broken for all we know.”

Her father nodded his head in agreement and closed his eyes briefly. They flickered open again and this time the pain was replaced by worry as he looked around him. “Where's your mother?” he asked hoarsely. “Is she asleep?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Prem answered. “She didn’t want to go to sleep, but she was out all day with the others searching for you, and when she came home, she was so distraught that Dr. Benton gave her another sedative.”

“Your poor mother, I bet she was worried sick,” Vickram sighed heavily as his eyelids drooped wearily.

“Dr. Benton is on his way,” Savita said, hanging up the phone. She glanced anxiously at her father as his head lolled to one side. “Da-ddy?”

“I think he fell asleep.” Priya's tone was hushed. “Our poor, poor Daddy.” Her bottom lip quivered as she fought bravely to hold back more tears. She held her father’s limp hand in her own and stroked it gently.

Prem jumped angrily to his feet. “Those dirty, rotten scoundrels,” he cried, pounding his right fist into the palm of his left hand. “I will make them pay for what they did to our Daddy.”

“Shhhh, Prem,” Savita placed a hand gently on her brother’s arm. “You don't want to wake him up.”

A short while later, headlights shone in the driveway and Prem hurried to the front door. Dr. Benton stepped through the doorway as soon as the door swung open. His lanky frame was covered with a hooded rain poncho which he quickly removed and handed to the waiting boy before striding across the room to where Vickram was slumped in the chair. They all held their breath as the good doctor checked their father’s pulse and then reached into his medicine bag for a stethoscope which he placed on the other man’s chest.

“Why don’t you children wait in the hallway while I examine your father,” Dr. Benton said kindly. “This may be hard for you all to watch. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m done.”

The three siblings paced the hallway nervously. Savita and Priya held hands at intervals and at other times Prem grasped both of his sisters’ hands tightly. After a while they each sank tiredly to the floor, their backs propped up against the wall as they waited for the doctor to finish up.

“I’m all done,” Dr. Benton’s voice sounded from the doorway.

“How’s he Doctor?” Savita asked eagerly. “Is Daddy going to be okay?”

“Your father will be fine, Savita,” the doctor replied gently. “I’ve examined him thoroughly and he does have a couple of broken ribs which I’ve bandaged up already. He’s a bit dehydrated so I recommend that you make sure he gets a lot of fluids over the next couple of days. Water is best, but also some clear broth. A cup of Jell-O, and even some popsicles, would be good for him too. He needs a change of clothes, of course …”

“I’ll go get him some clean pajamas.” Prem shot to his feet and was racing up the stairs before the doctor could finish what he was saying.

“It would be best if you made up a bed for him downstairs until he is strong enough to start climbing the stairs again,” Dr. Benton continued. “As long as your father doesn’t try to do anything strenuous or lift anything heavy for a few months, his ribs will heal and he will be as right as rain again.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Savita sighed heavily.

“I’ll get a blanket and some pillows,” Priya offered. “Thanks Dr. Benton,” she added as she hugged the elderly man.

“You’re welcome child,” the doctor replied with a kind smile.

“We’ll get the cot out of the storage room and Daddy can sleep in his study,” Savita said after Priya had bounded up the stairs.

“That would be fine, but wait until tomorrow. Let him get some rest now. He can sleep on the sofa … at least for tonight.” He gathered up his instruments and placed them carefully inside his medical bag. “I will be back in the morning to check on him. Your father is a strong fellow, Savita. He’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Dr. Benton,” Savita said, clasping the man’s hands tightly in hers. “We appreciate everything that you’ve done for us and for Daddy.”

“Ah, never mind that child. I owe a lot to your father.” The kind doctor patted her hand gently before picking up his bag. “I’ll see myself out. Call me if anything changes during the night.” He gave Savita a concerned look. “You should try to get some rest too. You look worn out.”

“I will,” she said wearily. “I just want to keep an eye on Daddy for a little longer before I go to bed.” She watched as the kind man jumped into his car before she resumed her seat in the easy chair next to her father.

She clasped her hands together and began to pray fervently for his full recovery. She glanced at her phone hoping to see a text from Brendon letting her know that he was okay, but only a blank screen stared back at her. She didn’t remember falling asleep and was startled into wakefulness by the feel of Priya’s hand lightly shaking her shoulder.

“You’ve slept in that chair all night, Savi. Your neck must be in a bind by now.”

“It’s a little stiff,” she admitted as she stretched the tendons of her neck to loosen them up. She glanced quickly over at the now empty couch. “Where’s Daddy?”

“In the study; I had Prem bring the cot in from the storage room. We transferred him to it about an hour ago when he woke up. He just asked for some tea. I was on my way to the kitchen to make him a cup. Would you like some too?”

“That would be lovely.” Savita rubbed her eyes and yawned sleepily. “What time is it?”

“It’s about a quarter to six,” her sister replied. Priya walked over to the louvered windows and cranked them open, letting in a bout of fresh air. “That was one heck of a storm last night. I’m just so relieved that Daddy is back home safe and that he’s going to be okay. What happened last night? Where did you find him?”

“You won’t believe it when I tell you,” Savita replied. She quickly recounted the events of the night before, telling her sister how Brendon had gone into the cave to rescue her father and then had gone back to try to help Shanti.

Her cell phone buzzed and she grabbed it, almost dropping the slim electronic device in her haste to answer it.

“Brendon … thank god,” she breathed. She listened for a few minutes, nodding her head vigorously while Priya hovered in the background. “And how’s Shanti?” Her expression grew grim. “I see. No, no, you get some sleep. I’ll see you later. Bye.” She pressed the button to end the call, the expression on her face a combination of relief, joy and worry.

“That was Brendon,” she said unnecessarily. “He just wanted to let us know that Constable Miller apprehended O’Leary and his men down on the beach. They recovered all the stolen macaws too … about a hundred of them, including a dozen of our prized Hyacinths. He spent most of the night at the police station giving a statement and helping to identify those crooks.”

“That’s fantastic news!” Priya was ecstatic. “What a relief that those awful men were caught. But what was that about Shanti?”

“Brendon’s not sure what’s happened to her. He went back to get her, but she was gone. He’d given her his pocket knife, so maybe she managed to escape somehow.”

“What was Shanti doing there in the first place?” Priya griped. She held up a hand. “No, don’t tell me, I can guess … she was helping those crooks.”

“She was at first,” Savita sighed heavily. “But Brendon just told me that apparently, she had a change of heart and tried to help Daddy escape, but was caught. O’Leary and his men gagged her and tied her up in the cave too.”

“Serves her right. I bet those crooks just got tired of listening to her big mouth all night and had to gag her just to shut her up.”

“Priya, that’s not very nice,” Savita laughed. “In spite of everything; I hope that she’s alright. I guess we’ll get the whole story from Daddy later. I’ll pop in to see him while you make the tea.”

Her father greeted her with a wan smile when she stuck her head around the open door. “Morning, daughter,” he said.

“Good Morning, Daddy,” she smiled back at him as she made her way to the side of the cot. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m still a little sore, but a lot better than I’ve felt the past two nights.” He patted the hand she stretched out to him. “And I have you young people to thank for that …you know Shanti risked her life for me in that cave.”

“So I’ve heard.” Savita’s tone was skeptical. “I must admit that I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I guess wonders never cease …”

“But they daily increase,” Priya finished the familiar phrase from the doorway. “Here’s your tea, Daddy.”

“Thanks, child,” Vickram took the steaming cup from his younger daughter and took a whiff of the fragrant tea. “Ah, just the smell of this Chai makes me feel like a new man.”

“Dr. Benton says that with plenty of rest, you should be as good as new in a few days,” Savita grinned.

“I’ll be fine. Your old man is a lot tougher than he looks,” Vickram gave a low chuckle. He swallowed the tea in a few gulps and then wiped the back of his mouth with the napkin that Priya had thoughtfully placed on the saucer. “Is your mother still asleep?”

“I think so. I will go ---”

“Vickram!” Savita was interrupted by her mother’s joyful shout as Leta raced into the room, her long braid swaying behind her and the belt of her cotton robe trailing on the floor as she flung herself into her husband’s arms. Their three children smiled happily at each other before tiptoeing out of the room, leaving their parents to reunite in privacy.