Ring in Mine #3: Nephi and Jerome: Chapter 60
If you want to relive that fateful weekend, feel free to reread chapter 34 in Book 1. Emotionally I couldn't write the events in that much detail again.
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Thank you, Zach for your editing skills and insights.
Chapter 60
Sunday afternoon Kenton was walking past the office. Three steps later he backtracked. He had seen someone where they didn't belong laying on the grass by the gate. He ran back to the apartment he shared with Rebecca and Sean.
"Dad, someone by the gate is hurt!" Sean loved it when Kenton called him "dad." The pair grabbed a radio and a utility cart from the garage.
"Adam, Jerome is out by the gate. He's in bad shape. Marshall check the tape. Hopefully, it caught the people who dumped him here."
Sean tried to look Jerome over. Every time he tried to touch the young man he would pull away and whimper.
"Adam we need to get him to the hospital."
Adam scooped Jerome into his arms as he had many times in the past. This time it was more of a challenge. Instead of leaning into Adam, Jerome fought like a wildcat.
Adam looked to Sean. "What's wrong with him? Doesn't he know it's me?"
"I've seen this in the homeless shelter. Someone has been pumping him full of drugs. There is no way to guess what he is thinking in his drugged state." Sean tried to reassure Adam.
Adam laid Jerome in the utility cart and picked up the radio. "Sariah, call for an ambulance. We are taking Jerome to the emergency room."
"I am copying the surveillance tape. Chief Thompson will love this. We have the license plate and a good shot of a man's face. I'll call him and give him the tape at the hospital." Marshall announced.
Adam and a team of three followed the ambulance to the hospital. Adam had given specific instructions on where to take Jerome. He appreciated Marshall driving.
The Chief welcomed Adam when he arrived. "They've taken Jerome back. I have an officer outside the exam room."
Marshall handed Chief Thompson the security tape. A member of the staff stopped Adam when he moved to join Jerome. "Immediate family only."
"Check your records, I am family." Adam insisted.
Adam wondered if it would ever get easier. "I need not check the files. I've heard about the two of you on the news. You are disgusting. Gay men living in sin will never be family members while I'm the head nurse in the emergency room."
Rafe and Zeke walked into the hospital with Jerry in tow. "Why have you brought Jerry?"
"Neil said I needed to be here. My dad needs me." Jerry handled things like this so well.
The head nurse grew louder as she expounded on exposing a child to a house of gay men. The doctor stepped into the reception followed by the officer watching Jerome's door.
"Who is with Jerome?" Adam looked over the shoulders of the nurse. No one else seemed worried. Adam turned to the officer. "Ron, while they decide why I am thinking of putting their expansion plans on hold, keep them here. Marshall you are with me."
The two had to hurry as Jerry ran into the emergency area. The doctor caught up with the pair at the empty exam room. A piercing buzz shocked the doctor. "The roof door alarm is on the fourth floor you can't hear it from here."
"Just lead the way. Jerome considered jumping off the roof once before when the emotional pain became more than he could bear." Adam had already started for the elevators before he finished his comment.
On the roof, Jerome was standing on the edge. Adam stepped toward his partner. Adam stopped as Jerry ran toward Jerome. He fell landing on his knee.
"Daddy, I fell and hurt my knee. Will you make it better?" Jerry cried.
Jerry's cries cut through the haze in Jerome's mind. He turned and pulled the boy into his arms. Sitting Jerry on a low utility box Jerome wiped away Jerry's tears. Jerry led Jerome to the elevator. Jerry pushed the button for the third floor.
"We need to go to the first floor." The doctor pushed the button.
"You are welcome to go to the first floor. Jerry says we are getting off on the third." The doctor followed the three men and the boy onto the third floor.
"Hi, Stefan, do you have a room for Mr. Tellerson?" Adam asked one of the male nurses that had watched over Nephi during his coma.
"Room 329 has a nice view of the mountains."
"That's one of my rooms. You're not putting the faggot there." Molly's voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard.
"Molly, it's good to see you. Don't worry you won't be anywhere near Mr. Tellerson. If there is a problem, I'm sure we can have you reassigned to emptying bedpans in geriatrics." Adam delivered the threat deadpan.
The doctor looked puzzled.
"Do you remember the story of the woman that threatened to have the hospital bulldozed and turned into a parking lot?" Stefan began. The doctor nodded.
Adam finished. "That is now me. I wouldn't have the hospital torn down. I would turn it into a haunted house. That way the nurse downstairs and Miss. Molly would still have jobs."
Jerry refused to let anyone to touch Jerome. Jerome climbed into the bed on his own. "Dad, Stefan needs to put your IV back in."
"No more drugs." Jerome croaked, his voice damaged from a weekend of screaming.
Adam looked at Stefan and the doctor with a look that stopped them in their tracks. "It is just saline to wash the drugs out of your system."
The doctor turned to the nurse, Stefan. "We will need to restrain the patient."
Adam turned to Marshall. "As a member of the Salt Lake police force I am putting Mr. Tellerson in protective custody. Call your team and officer Ron upstairs. No one is to touch Jerome but Jerry and I until his doctors arrive."
Adam turned. "Look at his wrists, and the bruises on his body. He has been restrained. Are you trying to push him over the edge?"
"You don't make the medical decisions, l do!"
"I decide who treats my partner and who doesn't!" Adam's patience had worn thin.
"Adam, count to ten." Margaret walked through the door with the hospital administrator and another doctor. "This Dr. Mason, he has extensive experience dealing with the trauma of prisoners held in Viet Cong POW camps. He is in town until tomorrow."
With the IV back in Jerome's arm, Jerry lay next to his dad being careful of his gauze wrapped arms, while as per Dr. Mason's instructions a mild sedative was slipped into the IV line. Once Jerome was past caring, Adam took Jerry into the waiting area. The medical staff documented Jerome's injuries under Dr. Mason's watchful eye.
Margaret stepped out of the room. "Marshall, will you and Jerry keep Jerome company? No one is to touch Jerome but Jerry.
Jerry crawled up next to Jerome. Marshall turned on cartoons. Early at Samaria Marshall realized there was a lot of waiting in security work. He pulled a paperback from his back pocket.
The hospital administrator, Stefan, Chief Thompson and Adam joined Margaret and Dr. Mason in a consultation room.
"The more I work with victims of aversion therapy, I wonder how it could still be legal." Dr. Mason shook his head. "I'm not sure how his captors could do so much damage in three days. The patient has been subjected to electrical shocks. His eyes were super glued open, and he shows signs of being raped multiple times without lubrication. The perpetrators wore protection, I assume to avoid leaving evidence. There are burns all over his body. Most of his injuries will take time to heal. While sedated, I removed his dead left testicle using a local pain block and implanted a prosthetic about the same size. The injury appears to have been caused by an implement used to neuter farm animals. We will watch the other for signs of injury."
"When will Jerome be able to answer questions?" The Chief hated to ask, but it was his job.
"Whoever came up with sticks and stones, is out of touch with reality." Margaret hated that rhyme. "Jerome's body will heal long before his mind. He may never tell us everything. From the number of needle marks on his arm they kept him drugged the whole time. We won't know what's in him until we get the results from the blood work."
"The number one rule for now is no one touches Jerome without permission. No one Jerome doesn't know will be allowed into the room." Margaret looked at the administrator who nodded. "Jerry will have full access to his dad at all times. They will eat together and sleep in the same bed. Adam or a member of Samaria Security will be with him full time."
Adam looked at the staff members. "Jerome gets special treatment because he is special. I'm not sure this is a threat, but the funding for your expansion could easily be withdrawn."
Jerome woke not remembering where he was. Panic struck fearing he was still living a nightmare.
"Dad, I'm here. You're safe. Uncle Marshall won't let anyone hurt you." Jerome looked to find Marshall reading his book. Marshall waved to Jerome...
"I'm watching Scooby-Do. Do you want to watch or do you want me to read to you?"
Jerome squeezed his boy but didn't answer. "I'm tired of TV. Dad bought me some new books."
Jerry watched everything the nurse did when they came in. He reached for the control and raised the head of the bed so they were sitting up more. Marshall handed Jerry the stack of books.
Jerry did well but halfway through the first book he reached a word he didn't know. Jerry pointed to the word. "Dad, what's this word?"
Jerome's instincts kicked in. Without thinking he answered, "Always."
Except in nightmares, Jerome had been wordless. Jerry looked at Marshall who gave him a thumbs up. Enjoying hearing his dad, Jerry seemed to need help more often.
During the third book there was a commotion in the hall. A man dressed in a suit pushed his way in flashing his identification. Agent Moore felt his high profile case slipping through his fingers. The one victim that remembered everything had locked himself in a maintenance closet rather that talk to him. The other two victims remembered only snatches. They had no useful memories of their captors. Agent Moore was out of patience
"You've been lying. I heard him talking." Agent Moore directed his attention to Jerome. "You've hidden behind your doctors for two days. I won't be put off any longer."
Marshall stood. "Mr. Tellerson will not be talking to anyone without his lawyers present."
"I need information, and I need it now. I don't have time to wait for lawyers." Agent Moore stepped toward Jerome's bed. Jerome was already pulling away from the intruder.
Marshall stepped between Agent Moore and his target. "Step out of the way. You are obstructing my investigation."
When Marshall refused to step out of the way Agent Moore threatened to have him put in handcuffs and removed from the room.
"Jerry, find Stefan and take the radio with you."
Agent Moore and his partner had their hands full. Jerry slipped past the adults as only a little can.
Jerry used the radio. "Dad, a policeman is hurting dad. They arrested Marshall. It scares dad."
"Jerry, I'll be there as soon as I can." Adam picked up the car phone Julio insisted they have installed. He appreciated that security was driving.
Jerry couldn't find Stefan. Molly had overheard someone was hurting a patient. "I need security to the third floor now! Mr. Tellerson is in danger!"
The security guards arrived with a uniformed Salt Lake City officer they conscripted on the main floor. Molly led the way to Mr. Tellerson's room and threw the door open just in time to hear Agent Moore's hand contact Jerome's bandaged face. From the disheveled bandages it wasn't the first time the agent had hit the cowering patient.
The officer stepped to the front with his gun drawn. "Step away from the bed."
"This is an FBI case. You have no jurisdiction here."
The officer didn't lower his gun. "Where is the suspect's lawyer?"
"He didn't ask for one."
"He's lying. Marshall said he had to wait for dad's lawyers." Jerry had moved back to his dad and climbed onto the bed. As much as Molly didn't approve of Jerome, seeing a grown man hiding behind a five-year-old tore at her heart. What had happened to this man who seemed so strong before?
The radio came to life. "Jerry when the phone rings make sure someone answers it."
"Dad, the man was hitting dad." Jerry had no trouble with his conversation that confused others.
The phone rang. Jerry being closest answered the phone. "It's for you." Jerry handed the phone to Agent Moore.
"Who is it? I'm dealing with a crisis here." Agent Moore blanched. "Director, they are withholding evidence. I am doing my job."
Agent Moore moved the handset away from his ear. The occasional word could be understood by all. Words that caught everyone's attention were President, Grace, grandson and the phrase, `If they press charges you are on your own!'
Agent Moore slammed the handset onto the phone. "I don't know who the hell you know, but it won't stop my investigation. Clear the room!"
"Officer, arrest this man for assault." Marshall stepped into the room.
The officer hadn't holstered his weapon. Without looking away he asked one of the hospital security guards to relieve Agent Moore of his weapon. He gave Agent Moore the option to leave with or without handcuffs.
Adam met the group coming out of the hospital room. As Marshall briefed Adam, Jerry stuck his head out the door. "Dad says these aren't the guys from school. He can't remember what they looked like but there were three men and a crazy woman."
Adam turned to Marshall. "We aren't pressing charges. Our FBI friend here has enough troubles of his own. Let it suffice that Grandma Grace has dined at the White House with more than one president."
Adam focused his attention on Agent Moore. "You now know there are two groups causing troubles for Mr. Tellerson. There are even photos of the group from the college on file with the police department."
Adam and Marshall moved toward the door only to find Jerry blocking the way. "Dad has a visitor. We need to wait."
It concerned Marshall that someone had gained access to the room? He picked Jerry up and moved him out of the way.
"Who has the keys to this door?" Marshall asked.
"Hospital rooms don't have locks. Sometimes they stick. Try harder!" Molly responded.
An indignant young man stepped back in front of the door and folded his arms. "I said dad has a visitor. Wait."
Adam looked at his little man and laughed. "I guess we have to wait. Maybe it's Neil."
Jerry looked hurt. "Neil isn't born yet. You see Neil here and here." Jerry pointed to his head and then his heart. "He says grownups are too busy to take the time to look."
The door clicked. Marshall moved first. Jerry moved into his path. "Dad, they want to see you and only you. The rest won't understand."
Marshall was losing his patience. Adam intervened. "If they want to see me, I'll go in "first."
Adam recognized the man sitting with Jerome. Jerome looked up at Adam, tears leaving tracks on his face. "They found my rings."
Nephi's ring was back where it belonged on its chain hanging over his heart, but Adam's ring was still missing. The mysterious man handed Adam Jerome's ring and Jerome's left hand.
Holding Jerome's hand he slipped the ring onto Jerome's ring finger. "Jerome, I will love you forever and stand by you through everything."
"I'm so tired. I think I'll rest." Jerome closed his eyes.
Adam wanted to kiss his man but a hand fell onto his shoulder. "It may be awhile before he is ready for physical contact. He has been through a lot."
Qayin pushed the chair up to Adam. "I have given you his hand. Just be here with him."
Holding Jerome's hand with the silence broken only by the comforting rhythms of the monitors watching over his man, he realized just how much he needed this fragile soul in his life. Holding the bandaged hand in his, Adam closed his eyes and opened his heart to his God, looking for strength, but finding peace.
"Uncle Marshall, I'm hungry. Can we get French fries?" Jerry watched Marshall try the door again.
"I need to stay here."
"My dads are fine. God's watching." Jerry turned the handle, holding his other finger to his lips allowing Marshall a peek inside. Adam's head was bowed in prayer, holding Jerome's left hand in his hands.
"I still need to stay here just in case."
"Give me ten dollars and Qayin can take me." It surprised Qayin Jerry had noticed him, let alone requisitioned him for a trip to the cafeteria. People didn't see him unless he made an effort.
With Jerry holding his hand Qayin rode the elevator to the cafeteria on the main floor. It had been a long time since his children had grown and had children, grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. It was pleasant listening to the chatter of this young man. Then Jerry gave Qayin's calm a good swift kick.
"You need to have a long talk with my dad."
"I was just talking with them." The conversation puzzled and worried Qayin.
"Not those dads, my other dad." Jerry clarified.
"We don't talk. He doesn't remember and I can never forget. No matter what is said, it was an accident."
Jerry let the subject drop, replaced with deciding what to order. While eating French fries Jerry talked about his chickens and the alpacas, but mostly about his brothers, Hugo and Neil.
The talk about brothers made Qayin think about his. Maybe it was time to talk.
Before they left Jerry stopped at the bakery/coffee counter. "What is Nurse Molly's favorite?"
Qayin carried the large dark chocolate cocoa with heavy cream, marshmallows, a touch of decaf and a cinnamon stick. Jerry carried the fresh berry strudel in its paper box.
Molly was at the nurse's station. "Mrs. Nurse, thank you for helping my dad. The evil men hurt him bad, and he is scared. Thank you." Jerry handed her the strudel. Qayin passed her the cocoa.
Molly started thinking. This little boy loved his father and was never a bother. He wasn't running up and down the halls or making loud noises. Maybe she had been a little premature in judging him.
She stepped around the counter. Jerry held his ground. She kneeled and gave Jerry a hug. "You're welcome."
Jerry hugged her back. "My big friend needs to meet his brother and talk." Jerry gave Nurse Molly a kiss on her cheek and took Qayin's hand and walked past his dad's room to the consultation room at the end of the hall.
The pair stepped through the door. Molly heard Jerry's voice carry down the hall. "You're both old enough to know better. Now, hug and make up."
Molly watched Jerry exit alone and climb onto Marshall's lap. "Who's taking me home? Dad is spending the night."
When Marshall's replacement arrived. He took Jerry home. Curiosity got the better of Nurse Molly. She checked the consultation room. She hadn't left the nurses' station. How did Jerry's friend slip passed her? She peeked into Jerome's room unsure what she would find.
Adam wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. He had fallen asleep holding his partner's hand. She noticed the matching rings and the ring around the patient's neck. She was unmarried, but remembered her sorrow at losing her love.
Nephi had also been a quiet patient. These men, boys really, were too young to have lost someone they loved so dearly. She wrapped a blanket around Adam.
Sitting at the nurses' station tears ran down her face in silence. Had she reacted against these kind men out of jealousy?
"Molly is that you?" The voice sounded familiar.
"Sandra what are you doing here?"
"I moved back to take care of my mom. She passed last month. I have the house, and decided to stay. It's been hard finding a position. I got a call an hour ago saying there was an opening for a staff doctor and I was just the one for a trauma case here on this floor."
"I wish I had known you were back in town?"
"I drove passed your parents' house. It's a strip mall now and you're not in the phone book." Sandra answered.
"I finished school and tried the marriage thing to get my parents off my back. We were both nurses. It was disastrous. We were together just long enough for me to get pregnant and he swapped me out for an established lady surgeon."
There was an awkward silence while they revisited the last time they had seen each other.
Molly and Sandra met the first day of kindergarten and became inseparable. Sandra had worn long pigtails that first day and looked cute in her new pink school dress from ZCMI, a high end department store started by the church.
She wouldn't let Tommy cut in front of her for the swings. When it was Sandra's turn Tommy pulled one of her pigtails, then pushed her to the ground.
A pair of hands helped Sandra to her feet. Molly gave Sandra a hug and walked with her to the nurse's office for a bandage. The nurse wasn't there. Unlike Sandra's expensive dress, Molly's had come from the local thrift store also started by the church. This was Sandra's first day away from her mom. Molly had been in daycare since not long after she was born.
Molly washed Sandra's knee and hands. The school secretary arrived in time to provide the required bandage. Back in class they sat at different tables, but during story time they sat by each other on the rug. After school Sandra climbed into her mother's station wagon, while Molly boarded the daycare bus.
They had been the closest of friends. Molly's grandparents gave her a used bicycle in fourth grade. Molly spent most afternoons at Sandra's house. Except for major school dances, neither dated preferring their friendship over the hassle of dealing with boys.
The Saturday before graduation things changed. Sandra's neighbor saw the pair holding hands in the mall. When they reached the Corn Dog Factory in the food court, Sandra gave Molly a quick kiss on the cheek before Molly pulled on the ugly cap and reported for work.
Sandra had been accepted into a prestigious medical school back east, but had chosen the local university where Molly had earned a scholarship. Both were going into the medical field, Molly as a nurse and Sandra as a doctor.
The following day in church the gossip mill ran at full speed. Graduation was on Wednesday and by the following Monday Sandra started Summer Semester on the East Coast. Sandra's parents hadn't even given them time to say goodbye. Molly stopped by Sandra's house. Sandra's parents wanted Molly out of their daughter's life.
Sandra wrote to Molly, but Molly's father was working swing shift. Her letters rarely made it from the mailbox to Molly.
Sandra had graduated and stayed in the east away from Utah. Sandra's mother made a big deal out of telling her daughter, Molly was married. `When are you going to settle down and give me some grandkids?' Sandra never did.
A buzzer disturbed their thoughts. Stefan had gone home not feeling good right after the FBI fiasco. Kurt had called the hospital. He had been in an auto accident.
"I have to check on a patient. His nurse was in a car accident on the way to work." Doctor Sandra followed her old friend into the patient's room.
"Nurse, Jerome needs help to get into the restroom. If I touch him, he'll panic." Adam hoped Molly would help his man since he couldn't.
Sandra and Molly worked together helping Jerome into the restroom and onto the toilet. There were electrical burns inside his urethra which made urinating painful. Like many in the medical field, the women talked about the patient as if he wasn't there.
Sandra had noticed the raw skin where Jerome had been bound with duct tape and the burn marks on his body. Molly explained Jerome was one of four that had been kidnapped for the cure.
Jerome cried out as urine hit the burns. Sandra got down on one knee and held his hand. "I know it hurts. Don't push or hold it in. Just let it flow. The urine will help things heal. You're almost done."
"It hurts. Why can't I just die?"
"Because you have a young man out there that loves you." Sandra answered.
"But I can't even let him touch me." Jerome cried.
"I have helped others just like you heal and get their life back. They hired me to help you do just that." Sandra helped Jerome stand and get back into bed. "What you need is a good night's sleep. I have just the thing." Sandra wrote on Jerome's chart.
Adam took Jerome's hand, and the pair sat in silence. "I am surprised he will let you touch him at all."
Returning to the nurses' station, Molly found an unfamiliar nurse sitting in her spot. Up close Molly recognized the man in scrubs. Sandra stopped to update Jerome's records.
"I'll be watching the floor until Kurt arrives."
"This is your doing isn't it?" Molly didn't understand, but she was past the point of not believing.
"My brother said to listen to the questions of children. Jerry asked, `Who loves Nurse Molly like Adam loves my dad?' Our dear doctor is done with her paperwork. I'll punch you out. Go, have no second thoughts. A blind man could see you love her as much as she loves you. You've been given a second chance, don't waste it. Stefan is covering your shift tomorrow."
Qayin smiled when Sandra took Molly's hand as the elevator closed.
At 9:00 Kurt checked in on his charges. Jerome and Adam were watching television. One of the lady nurses helped Jerome into the restroom.
"The doctor wants you both to have a good night's sleep." Kurt injected the doctor's prescription into Jerome's IV. Ten minutes later Jerome was out like a light. "Adam, it's time for you to go home, shower, sleep, and come back tomorrow."
Around two in the morning, Kurt was on lunch break leaving only one nurse and a medical tech on the floor. Jerome's security, Juan was struggling to keep his eyes open. The medical tech stuck his head in to check on the patient just as Juan jerked awake.
"May I get you a cup of coffee?" When the cup arrived, Juan expressed his gratitude as he wrapped his hands around the warm paper cup.
The tech checked on patients as he walked down the hall stepping into some rooms and walking past others. He had made his way back to the nurse's station and stepped into the staff restroom.
A monitor alarm from the far end of the hall was followed by another, and another. The tech gave the nurse a moment before he stepped out of the restroom and hurried to Jerome's room.
He stepped into the room, picked up the cup from the floor, replacing it with a clean one. He flattens the original cup and placed it in his pocket. The guard would sleep for hours if he ever woke up. If Jerome had been awake, he may have remembered the man from the underground hell he had endured.
"We can't have you remembering now, can we?" The tech disabled the monitor alarms and pressed a pillow over Jerome's face