Chapter 20

June/July, 2039

Julia's phone rang and she fished it out of the pocket of her lab coat. Seeing it was from Jaime concerned her because Jaime knew not to bother her mother at the hospital unless it was an emergency.

And it was an emergency.

"Dr. Summers," Julia said when she answered the call.

"Mom," Jaime said trying to keep her voice calm, "Rina's been in an accident and they're taking her to University Hospital here in Evanston. Helene is driving my car because she worked today and I had the day off, and she came upon the accident and recognized Rina's scooter."

Julia  tried to process the information so that she could give Jaime some sound advice.

"Jaime, first of all," said Julia, "take a deep breath. Then, tell me if you're going to the hospital and or contacting Rina's brother."

"As soon as Helene gets here, we're going to the hospital," Jaime said; "I'll try and get a hold of Vito before we leave. But Mom, Jeremy needs to be here, too. Rina will be asking for him. I'm sure of it."

"The doctors at University will not tell you or Helene anything about Rina's condition because you're not family," Julia said. "Insist that they give you enough info so that you have something to tell Rina's brother when you get a hold of him. As far as Jeremy is concerned, I will contact his grandfather and tell him what's going on. Ben will make sure Jeremy gets to Rina's side. I'll stop in on my way back to Belvidere if I can."

"Okay, Mom, thanks for the advice," Jaime said; "Helene just drove up and she'll be a mess. She was barely holding it together when she told me about the accident. We're going to try and get Vito on the phone before we  leave."

"Okay, James," Julia said; "Keep me updated."

Jaime hung up and Julia sighed. All three of those girls are too young to have all this drama. I wonder if the accident was meant as a warning to me, Nik and Jere. But why target a 17 year old girl that isn't related to any of us?

Juila then called Ben Walters to tell him that his grandson's girlfriend was in the hospital and to  take Jeremy there right away.

===

"Victor Alexander," Vito said as he answered the call from the main number of his business.

"Vito, it's Jaime Summers," Jaime said; "Rina has been in an accident and is in the hospital."

He felt all the color drain from his face. Audrina, in hospital? That can't be. To Jaime he said,

"What happened, Jaime? How bad is it?"

"We don't know how bad it is yet," Jaime said; "Helene and I are on our way to the hospital now. We've been warned that they might not tell us anything because we're not Rina's family. We'll try to get as much information for you as possible. Call me at this number in about an hour; I may have something to tell you then."

"I want to speak to the doctors if I can," Vito said; "I'll make plans to be on the next flight to Chicago."

"Okay," Jaime said; "But call me back."

Vito said he would and hung up the phone.

His mind was going a million miles an hour. His little sister was hurt and in the hospital, and she needed him. First Papa, now Audrina, he thought. Rina had done nothing to deserve to be injured.

"Why couldn't it be that bitch who claims to be our mother?" he said aloud.

He contacted the secretary in the reception area. "Find me the first available flight to Chicago, dear. My sister has taken ill suddenly."

Within fifteen minutes, he not only found out when the next flight was, but was booked on it. It was scheduled to leave at 10pm, two hours from now. That means, he thought, it's 7pm in Chicago. Rina's accident must have happened within the last two hours.

He called Carrie to explain what was going on, and that he might not be home for several days.

"She's your only family, Vito," she said; "Go to her, and I'll fly out as soon as I can."

He hung up the phone and put his head in his hands. Carrie was right. Rina was the only family he had.

Mio Dio, don't take Audrina from me. She's all I have!

===

Rina arrived at the hospital and the news was not promising. She had a collapsed lung, four broken ribs, a broken femur and a concussion. As Julia had warned her daughter, the doctors were not going to tell Jaime or Helene anything.

It was at this point that Helene got indignant.

"You WILL tell us something about Miss Alexander's condition so that we can tell her brother something before he flies all the way out here from Boston," she said angrily; "Miss Summers and I are her closest friends, and you'll have to deal with us until her brother arrives. Got that?"

The head doctor on Rina's case was not impressed.

"Listen here, young lady," he said; "I don't make the rules. You're not Miss Alexander's family, and I'm NOT going to tell a couple of demanding brats anything."

From behind them, they heard, "Doctor you will tell me."

Seeing Julia, the doctor said, "You don't have priveledges at this facility, Dr. Summers. I'm not going tell you anything either."

"You will because your license depends on it," Julia spat back at him. "And for your information, I do have priveledges here. This is the closest trauma unit to my home, and I am trained to take over in any trauma situation. Unless you want me to take over your case, you will tell me everything about Audrina Alexander's condition that you know so far. Her brother, her only family I might add, is undoubtedly on his way here from Boston. My daughter will have made sure of it."

The doctor only sighed. He knew better than to argue with a doctor who specializes in emergency medicine. Especially this one.

"Dr. Summers, if you will follow me, we'll discuss Miss Alexander's condition."

All Helene could do is stare after them as they walked down the hall.

"Well, damn..." she said aloud to no one in particular.

===

"You were supposed to be following a a redhead with short hair, not a dark haired girl on a scooter!"

"But she is the redhead's housemate, and I'd lost her. I thought she would lead me to the redhead."

"Instead, your inattention may cost this girl her life! I should kill you now! But, let's see if she survives before I decide your fate."

===

Jaime and Helene sat in the rather uncomfortable chairs  that were provided in the emergency room area, waiting for any word on Rina's condition.

Vito had called Jaime back in an hour's time. He was just boarding a plane to Chicago and thought he would be there before midnight local time.

"I hope Rina is doing okay," Helene said fretfully. "Your mom really took control of the situation. That doctor is a prick."

"Some doctors think they're God," Jaime sighed; "That guy is one of those. Mom's setting him straight, no doubt. Good job on getting mad at him, Leenie. I'd hate to be on the wrong side when you get your dander up!"

"I think I get that from my dad," Helene said. "Sometimes, all he has to do is look at someone and they're jumping through hoops. I don't have that kind of pull yet. The DeWitt name doesn't guarantee me shit."

"Oh, I know," Jaime said; "I try not to play the Julia Summers Daughter card too often."

They were interrupted by a nurse, who said, "Miss DeWitt, Miss Alexander wants to see you. She said she had something to tell you that is very important."

Helene and Jaime looked at each other, then Jaime said, "Go on and see what Rina has to say, Leenie; She might just tell you to contact Vito and Jeremy. Tell her I've taken care of that."

"Okay, James," said Helene; to the nurse she asked, "Where is she?"

"If you'll follow me," the nurse said. Helene followed behind her until they got to a room in the very back of the corridor. Before she was allowed in, the nurse said,

"I can only give you five minutes, and please don't upset her too much. She's going to surgery as soon as you leave her room."

Helene nodded and the nurse opened the door to let her inside. Once the door was closed, Helene heard,

"Leenie, is that you? I have something to tell you before it's too late!"

===

Jaime was on the phone with Jared while Helene was talking to Rina.

"She asked to talk to Helene," Jaime said; "Why not me, too?"

"Maybe she has something to say that only Helene would understand, Jaime," Jared said.

"Like what?"

"Jaime, I don't know," Jared said; "Maybe she wanted to assure Helene that she'd be okay. You   yourself told me that Helene was the most emotional of the three of you."

Jaime had to concede that was so. Helene was by her very nature an emotional person. It was made her a wonderful dancer. She could channel all those emotions in to her dancing.

"Jaime, Grandpa is on his way to Evanston with Jeremy," Jared said now; "Is Vito coming out from Boston?"

"Yes," Jaime said; "He called me just as he got on the plane. He should be here before midnight."

"Did they find the jerk who hit Rina?"

"Not that I know of," Jaime said; "He was long gone before the police and the EMTs showed up."

"Coward," was all Jared had to say about that.

===

"Helene, I need blood," Rina said in a hoarse whisper. Helene was taken aback by Rina's appearance. She simply didn't look like Rina to Helene.

"Jaime and I gave blood and it was typed," Helene said; "We haven't heard if either of us is a match for you. But you're going to get what you need and you'll get better."

Rina struggled to say what she needed to tell Helene before the anestesiologist came in to put her under.

"Helene...you have a half-brother named Charles, right?"

Helene seemed surprised. "Yes, but my dad told me he died several years ago in an accident." Helene didn't understand why Rina, of all people, was asking her about the younger of her father's two adult sons.

"Charles married and had two children-- a boy and a girl."

"How do you know this, Reen?" asked Helene, even more confused. "My father has two grandchildren he doesn't know about?"

"Yes."

"My dad doesn't even know that as far as I know," Helene said; "How do you know?"

"I knew Charles DeWitt," Rina said; "When I lived in Italy."

"But how? Was he a family friend? A friend of your father's perhaps?"

The anestesiaologist came in and emptied a syringe into Rina's IV line, and she know she had only a few minutes to tell Helene what she had found out.

"Helene," she said now, fighting the urge to close her eyes; "Charles DeWitt wasn't a friend of my father's. He WAS my father. Leenie, we're related by blood. I'm...I'm..."

Rina couldn't hold her eyes open any longer and Helene was having trouble registering what Rina had just told her. If she's Charles' daughter, then I'm... no that can't be right. Wouldn't her name be...

"Miss DeWitt, we need to take Miss Alexander to surgery now," the nurse who has brought her back to Rina's room said; "You'll need to go back out to the waiting area with your friend."

Helene was almost to the waiting room when it finally came to her: if Charles was Rina's father, and Charles is my brother, then Rina is...

"Oh, my God!" she cried out as she reached where Jaime was sitting.

"Leenie, what's wrong? Rina's okay, isn't she?" Jaime asked.

"Rina..." Helene said; "I'm her aunt! Oh, my God!"

She then started to cry. She half felt Jaime's arms around her, leading her back to the uncomfortable chairs, and sobbing against Jaime's shoulder.

===

This was the scene that Jeremy Schuykill came upon when he arrived at the hospital with his grandfather.

"Rina!" he said excitedly to Jaime; "Where is she?"

"She just went into surgery, Jeremy," Jaime said; "She's got several broken bones and other injuries."

Jeremy sat heavily in the chair next to Jaime. Helene still snuffled against her friend's shoulder. She looked up and saw Jeremy sitting there.

"You look like hell, Helene," Jeremy said; "You okay?"

Helene just sat there, and Jaime said, "Helene came across Rina's accident on her way home from work. She's still a little shaken by it all."

"Her brother's coming, right?"

"Yes, he should be here soon," Jaime said, amazed how calm she sounded. She was still trying to wrap her head around Helene's announcement that she and Rina were related and how random life seemed to be.

Just then, Jaime's phone vibrated in her pocket. She got it out and saw that it was Vito.

"Hello?"

"Jaime, it's Vito Alexander. I just landed at O'Hare and I realized that I have no idea where I am to go from here."

"University Hospital in Evanston," Jaime said; "It's an hour's drive or so."

"I don't think I am able to drive right now," Vito said; "Any more news on Rina?"

"Just that she's in surgery," Jaime said; "Jeremy just arrived here about five minutes ago with his grandfather."

"I am glad that Jeremy is there," Vito said.

"Jaime," Ben Walters said; "I'll drive to O'Hare and pick up Rina's brother if you'd like."

Jaime relayed this to Vito and he thought it might be a good idea. "What does Mr. Walters look like?"

"About six-one, stocky, all white hair, glasses," Jaime said; "He's wearing a blue shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots."

"I'll be looking out for him then." Vito then disconnected the call.

"You realize, Jaime you just described damn near every man over 65 in rural Illinois to him, right?" Ben Walters asked. "I'll make a sign with Vito's name so he knows that I'm the old coot coming to pick him up."

Jaime grinned for the first time since arriving at the hospital. Helene seemed to have calmed down some; to the point of falling asleep on Jaime's shoulder.

===

By morning, Vito had arrived at the hospital with Ben Walters, and Jaime and Helene went back to the house. Vito and Jeremy would stay to hear any news about Rina's surgery. She had been in surgery for nearly five hours, and had just been taken to intensive care before Jaime and Helene left. Walters stuck around in case Jeremy or Vito needed a ride somewhere.

Once at home, Helene had gone to bed, but Jaime was still wired. She turned on the television to see if there was anything on. The morning newscasts all had a story on the hit and run accident near the Northwestern campus.

"...police have identified the victim as 16 year old Audrina Alexander, a student at Northwestern. She is an international student from Italy who just moved into a house off campus with two friends. The car that hit Miss Alexander on her scooter and the person driving it have yet to be found. Once found, that individual will be charged with attempted vehicular homicide..."

I wonder where they got their information, Jaime thought. I thought they had to contact the family first, and I know Vito would have never consented to having his underage sister's name broadcast by the media.

"Well, we were all declared independent minors in order to attend Northwestern," Jaime said aloud. "But we're all still under 18."

She made a note to call her Aunt Kimber later to ask about that.

Jaime then fell asleep on the couch.

===

Vito got to talk to the doctors and the surgeon who operated on Rina. She would be out of commission for a while, and she would make it, but she was not completely out of the woods yet. He was not yet allowed to see his sister, but he did ask the surgeon to let her know that he was there.

Jaime had invited Vito to stay over at the house with her and Helene while he was in town, an invitation he gratefully accepted. He was headed over there with Jeremy and his grandfather. Ben Walters would then head back to Belvidere.

It was morning, and neither man had slept since finding out about Rina's accident. They walked into the house and Jaime had breakfast ready and waiting for them. Helene was still sleeping. Jaime knew that she had been on the phone with her parents until about an hour before Vito and Jeremy arrived. Jaime only heard Helene's side of the conversation, and one of the first thing she asked her father was if he knew that Rina was her niece. Apparently, he told her the truth, because Jaime could hear Helene's anguished voice shortly after, followed by, "Dad, don't you think I should have KNOWN this?!"

Now, however, Jaime was serving breakfast to Rina's brother and boyfriend, and they would sleep in the fourth bedroom to rest from the long night.

Jaime thought she might go back to bed herself.

===

Rina was finally taken to a regular hospital room, though she was barely aware of it. She had no idea what day it was, or whether anyone other than Helene and Jaime had come to see her.

I'm so tired, she thought. I just want to see Jeremy and tell him I'm okay.

She became aware of a presence in her room. She thought it was one of the nurses, but a man came into her line of vision and said, "Audrina, I am so sorry you have to go through this, my darling."

Since she couldn't speak because of the tube down her throat, she looked at the man. He didn't look like anyone she knew, but he sounded so familiar to her.

"Rina, you're going to be all right," the man said; "I will make sure of it."

Who are you? she thought. Are you a doctor?

And, as if he could hear her very thoughts, he said, "I'm not a doctor, but I have always had your best interests at heart."

Rina was confused. If he wasn't a doctor, then who was he?

She didn't have the strength to figure it out, and was soon asleep.

The man who came to see her would see that the man who put her in the hospital was punished.

===

As he left the hospital undetected, he had the answers he came all that way to get.

It was Audrina who was Jaime Summers' other housemate.

It was Audrina who owned the blue scooter she had been observed riding in the Northwestern University area.

It was Audrina who came all this way to get away from her mother.

And as Richard Pike got into his rental car,  he knew one thing.

Getting to his pet will be infinitely more difficult for him because both his half-sister and his daughter were her best friends.

But now, he had a man to get rid of.

The one who caused the accident that put Pike's daughter in the hospital.

I wish, he thought as he drove towards Chicago, that I had taken Audrina with me when I had the chance.

Because he knew that Rina would fight tooth and nail for her friend, even if the man who was obsessed with Jaime Summers was her father.