“They’ve found her, Mama. Caiti’s safe at the hospital.” Rick stood in the doorway of his mother’s bedroom, happy tears forming in his eyes. Thelma sat up in the darkness and stared at her son, still groggy from her medicine.
“What did you say, Richard?”
“Mom, Caitlin is safe! They found her!” His mother turned on the lamp and jumped to her feet.
“Where is she now?”
“Northwestern Memorial. I just got off the phone with a police officer and he said that they found Caiti in some old slaughterhouse on Pershing Road.”
“They had my baby locked up in there?”
“I don’t know the whole story yet, Mama.” Thelma raced around her bedroom, grabbing her purse, running a brush through her hair, and swallowing another dose of her blood-pressure medication. She went downstairs with her son following anxiously at her heels. Lynne already was in the car, waiting for them both.
“Let’s go,” Thelma told her son as he slid into the driver’s seat. Rick drove quickly but carefully this time to the hospital. Tears of joy welled up in his eyes. Caitlin was alive. He knew that she would be sick, but at least she was alive. They had found his sister in the nick of time. For him, that was enough for now.
Once they arrived, they went straight to the ER and spoke to a triage nurse. The nurse smiled kindly at them and gave them the latest news on Caitlin’s condition.
“She’s resting in one of the cubicles, until we can get her a bed upstairs. She did have a couple of mild seizures but we’ve been giving her a steady drip of glucose and saline. We did give her something to relax her and the doctor stitched up a cut on the back of her head. She had a mild concussion but other than that, she’s going to be just fine. Only two visitors at a time are allowed in the emergency area.”
“You go on, I’ll wait here,” Lynne said to Rick.
“Are you sure?”
“Go on and be with your sister. I can wait.”
“You’re the best, Lynnie.” Rick gently kissed her cheek before following his mother and the nurse into the patient area. She led them to a separate room and opened the door. The curtain had been partially closed but Caitlin was in full view. Her face was still a little ashen and her forehead was swathed with gauze, letting her own long locks spill over them. She breathed oxygen from a cannula. Thelma gently picked up her daughter’s hand.
“Caitlin, baby? Can you hear me?” Caitlin’s eyelids fluttered and opened.
“Mommy?” Thelma kissed her daughter’s forehead.
“Yes baby, I’m here.”
“Oh Mom, I was so scared. I thought I would never see you or Ricky again.”
“Shh, it’s okay now honey. You’re safe now and the doctors will take very good care of you.” She motioned for Rick to come closer to the bed.
“Hey, little sis, how ya feelin’?”
“Lousy. My head hurts a lot and I’m hungry. They won’t let me have any solid foods though.”
“Maybe tomorrow, Caiti, they’ll let you eat real food. If they do, I’ll sneak something nice in her for ya, how about that?”
“McDonald’s…lots of McNuggets with barbecue sauce, chocolate shake…” Rick laughed.
“I think she’s going to be fine, Mom.” Caitlin squeezed her mother’s hand tightly.
“Mom, where is that police officer?”
“What police officer, honey?”
“The one who rescued me. Cherren was trying to help me and one of the other men hit him. The officer had to save us both.”
“What’s his name?”
“Joshua…Joshua Martinez…” Caitlin’s eyelids fluttered and grew heavy.
“I want to see him…and thank him…”
“I’ll find him, Caiti. You just get some rest.” Rick patted his sister’s arm.
“I’ll be right back, Mama.” Thelma nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter. Rick hurried out of the room and nearly collided with Joshua at the entrance to the patient area.
“Whoa! I’m sorry man, I’m looking for some police officer named Martinez.” Josh grinned shyly.
“You have found him.”
“You’re the one who saved my sister’s life? Oh man, I…I owe you my life.” Rick embraced Joshua tightly.
“It was nothing, really.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Rick, Caitlin’s twin brother. My sister, man, she means the world to us.” Joshua smiled inwardly, thinking of what he’d actually done. He’d saved lives before, but this case brought it all home for him, being a police officer. Everything suddenly started to fall into place and make sense.
“My sister’s been asking for you. Will you come and see her?”
“Yes, I’ll do that now.” Remembering the “two visitor” rule, Rick went back up front to sit with Lynne while Josh went back to the room. He got similar treatment from Thelma, who hugged him and cried a few tears.
“You saved my baby’s life, young man. How can I ever thank you?”
“Oh, Mrs. Ryan, there’s no reason to make a fuss. I do this all the time, it’s part of my job.” Caitlin overheard them and she squeaked out,
“Officer Martinez?” Thelma looked into her daughter’s eyes and even though they were tired from illness, she saw a fire in them that sparked when she heard Josh talking.
“I’m going to be with my son for a few minutes.” She kissed Caitlin’s hand and quietly left them alone. Josh picked up Caitlin’s hand, careful not to disturb the IV needles.
“Officer….”
“Josh, please, Miss Ryan.”
“Caitlin. All my friends call me Caitlin.” She gave him a weak smile and he leaned in closer.
“Thank you…for everything. If not for you…” a few tears trailed down her cheeks, “I would have died.”
“Don’t cry, everything’s all right now.”
“I’m not upset, I’m happy.” Josh smiled, knowing that feelings in him were arising that he’d kept hidden away for years.
“Caitlin, I have a confession to make.”
“Yes?” Joshua sighed.
“I….I saw your picture this afternoon when your mom called the station. I was so intrigued that I knew I had to be the one to rescue you. You’re so beautiful.” He wound a lock of her hair around his fingers as he spoke.
“I must tell you, that my feelings went beyond the call of professionalism. I can’t help it, you’re a beautiful and very enticing woman. I’d like to get to know you better, if that is, you don’t have anyone special in your life.” Caitlin smiled.
“Then I have a confession to make too, Josh. I was hoping that you would come and see me. I was so grateful when I felt you picking me up and carrying me out of that awful place. You’re a handsome man and I…I’m not involved with anyone. I haven’t been with anyone for a long time.” Josh leaned closer and kissed her eyelids, tasting the saltiness of her tears.
“God, you are so beautiful.”
“But…my illness won’t matter? I mean…you see how out of hand it can get.”
“Well, I’ll just have to make doubly sure that you take your medicine and eat properly, won’t I? It’s not an obstacle, Caitlin. A challenge, but not impossible to overcome. I want to know who you are inside. I want your heart, Caitlin Ryan, all to myself.”
“And I want you to have my heart, Joshua Martinez.” She embraced him and when they released one another, they stared into each other’s dark eyes and very slowly, their lips met in a perfect, soft kiss. Without thinking, Joshua kissed her once more, feeling not the sweetness of her diabetes, but the sweetness of her heart, her genuine, loving, heart, that he hoped would only beat for him.