The woman peered at Isabel over the top of the glasses sitting low on her broad nose. “Hello, may I help you?”
“I’d like to check on Jerry Banderas. Would it be possible for me to see him?”
“Sorry, no.” She shook her head. “It’s way past visiting hours, dear, and I’m quite certain he’s asleep. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.” She returned her gaze to the papers on the desk in front of her.
“Can you at least tell me how he’s doing?”
“Are you family?” she asked, not bothering to look up.
“No, but—”
The woman raised her eyes and peered at her again over her rims. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give out that information if you’re not family.”
Isabel slapped her FBI badge down on the raised counter a little harder than she intended, causing the woman to jump in her seat.
“Sorry, ma’am, but this is important. I’m with the FBI and I need to question him regarding a case.” It may not have been an FBI case, but it was an open police case.
The hefty nurse stood to her feet, placed her hands on her desk and leaned forward, staring into Isabel’s face. “That kind of bullying might work on other people, young lady, but it doesn’t fly with me. You either come back tomorrow during normal visiting hours or you bring me a warrant.”
“Can you at least tell me if his daughter was here earlier?” Isabel toned down her attitude.
“Like I said, warrant.”
Isabel backed away from the nurse’s station, clipping her badge back onto her belt. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.” She headed to the elevator and pushed the button, keeping one eye on the nurse. While waiting for the doors to open, she noticed the nurse was called away to one of the rooms in the opposite direction from Jerry’s room. Once she was out of sight, Isabel snuck down to Jerry’s room. “Stop me now, Nurse Krachit.”
Finding room four twelve, Isabel slowly pushed open the door. The room was dark except for the dim nightlight plugged into one of the walls.
“Jerry,” Isabel whispered, walking nearer to his bed. “Are you awake?”
He did not respond.
“Jerry,” she tried again. He moaned something indiscernible. She hoped in a half-asleep state that he might be unguarded and candid with her. She walked to the side of his bed and gently shook his shoulder. “Jerry.”
“Go away, nurse. Let me sleep,” He mumbled and shrugged one shoulder, his eyes still closed.
“Jerry, it’s Isabel. Wake up. I need to talk to you.”
“Isabel?” he slurred, not yet opening his eyes.
“Do you remember David Gerard?”
“Gerard?” he repeated quietly as if he was floating between being asleep and awake.
“Yes, David Gerard.”
Jerry’s face had been relaxed as he slept, but at the name Gerard it began to contort into an angry scowl.
“What did David Gerard do?” Isabel asked in her calmest, most soothing voice in response to the change in his facial expression.
“Gerard, he killed my baby.”
“Natalia?”
“Natalia,” he mumbled. “My baby.”
“Did you kill Gerard?”
“Kill Gerard,” he repeated in a dreamlike voice.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
“Yes, that’s right. Did you kill Gerard?”
“Kill Gerard,” he said again.
Isabel was uncertain if he was simply repeating what she said, or if he was answering her. She decided to come back to that question later. “Is Delia your daughter?”
“Delia?” His eyes were still closed as he shifted in his bed.
“Yes, Jerry. Is Delia your daughter?”
“What are you doing in here!” the large nurse screamed from the doorway in the loudest throaty whisper Isabel had ever heard. “Do I need to call security?”
“I’m leaving.” Frustrated, Isabel knew there was nothing more she could do until the morning.
As she turned to leave, she felt someone grab her hand. She looked back and saw Jerry clinging to her. “Isabel?” The boisterous nurse bursting in must have fully awakened him, she suspected.
“Yes, Jerry, it’s Isabel.” Her voice was low and soft. “I wanted to see how you’re doing. I’ll be back in the morning.” Isabel patted his hand lightly and pulled her fingers free knowing the insistent nurse with angry dark eyes was impatiently holding the door open for her.
~*~
Isabel returned to the waiting room. The air was thick with anticipation and anxiety as her friends sat hoping for news from the doctor. Jonathan and Camille had not returned yet from Molly’s room. Peter and Maggie sat beside each other, huddled quietly in what appeared to be serious conversation. Colin snuggled up to Emily with his arm