Greenwich Hospital was on the way back to the station. Hauck gave his name to the attendant at the ER desk and she took him down the hall to a small, curtained-off room where Jessie was being treated.
“She’s doing fine,” the attendant said to him. “Just a bit unnerved. We gave her a little Valium through her IV to take the edge off, so she’s resting. Your wife’s there with her now.”
“Thanks,” Hauck said, choosing not to correct her, following her through the ward.
“Hey…!” He brightened as he drew open the curtain to the room.
Jess was on a gurney in a light blue hospital gown. Beth was sitting next to her, gently stroking his daughter’s hair.
“Hey, Daddy.” Jessie perked up a bit, blinking, and lifted her hand.
“Beth, thanks,” Hauck said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He bent down and gave his daughter a kiss and squeezed her hand, taking care not to jostle the IV. “How’re you feeling, honey?”
“She’s doing okay,” Beth said. “Just a little woozy. They gave her something. They’re just waiting an hour or so before releasing her.”
Jessie tried to push herself up on her elbows. “How are you doing, Dad?”
“Just a flesh wound.” He grinned, recalling the skit from Monty Python’s Spamalot, which they had seen last Christmas.
“Are you okay, Ty?” Beth asked. She was in a rust-colored velour outfit; her brown hair was back in a short ponytail. Hauck saw the concern in her eyes.
Hauck nodded and put his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. “That’s about how much, Beth,” he said, indicating how close they both had come. He and Beth had already lost one child together. Blame was something that had knifed back and forth between them for a long while.
It had cost them everything. His ability to face his job. Their marriage. Years of their lives.
Beth nodded, seeming to understand. “She’s been asking for you, Ty. She was wondering where you were.” He detected the edge in her voice.
“I know, Beth, I know. I had to go. Someone died.”
“Did you see his family?” Jessie asked groggily.
“Yes, I did see them, sweetie. I had to.” He stroked his daughter’s hair. “He had a daughter, not much older than you. And a son. They took it pretty hard…”
“God.” Jessie closed her eyes and shook her head. “It was so awful, Daddy.”
Beth said, “Ty…”
“I know, baby, I know.” He squeezed her again. “But it’s gonna be okay now. I promise…”
“Ty.” Beth placed her hand on his arm. “Can I talk to you outside…?”
“Sure. I’ll be back in a minute, hon…”
They stepped down the hall. Beth’s face had lines of worry in it. She asked him again, “You alright?”
“I suppose.” He let out a long breath, finally shaking his head. “No. When I saw her lying there, all that blood, and at first she wasn’t moving…”
She nodded. “I know. I guess that’s what I want to talk to you about.”
Hauck leaned against the hospital wall. “What?”
“Maybe it’s not such a good idea if she comes up here again so soon. I know you were expecting Thanksgiving—”
“Beth…”
“She saw someone killed, Ty. She’s seen that before. She came within an inch of it being her.”
“This could have happened anywhere, Beth. This wasn’t because of me.”
“No, it couldn’t have happened anywhere, Ty…” Her eyes shone, both sympathetic and judging. “It just couldn’t.”
Hauck pressed his back into the ER ward’s wall. He lifted his cap and ran a hand through his short, sweaty hair. “I want her to be with Karen and her family, Beth. I need a family. This doesn’t have anything to do with that.”
Beth looked up at him. “She doesn’t want to, Ty. She doesn’t want to hurt you, but…”
A doctor and a nurse went by. Jessie was the one thing in his life he could cling to.
Beth placed her hand on his arm. “You’re a good dad, Ty. You really are. I know that I’ve made you feel otherwise at times…But please, hear what I’m saying. Just for a while…”
Hauck swallowed back a final rebuttal and blew the air out of his cheeks. He nodded.
“Thank you. The doctors have given the okay. We’re going to be heading back to Brooklyn soon. I’m going to go check her out.”
“Right.”
The intensity of what had happened started to rise in him again. The sting in the back of his eyes, of seeing Jessie there like that…The feeling it was happening all over again and that he could do nothing about it.
“Listen, Beth…”
“Ty, maybe you ought to call someone.” She squeezed his arm. “Angela…Or Warren?”
His sister lived outside of Boston. She had two young kids, worked full-time, and had a husband she was divorcing. His brother, Warren—two years older—had a law office up near New Haven and was tight with a lot of the politicos up there. He was doing pretty well. They hadn’t been so close since high school. Basically, they just checked in with each other once or twice a year. This didn’t seem to fit the occasion.
Hauck nodded. “I’ll just go in and say good-bye.”