On the ICUward, I stop at the desk to let the nurses know I’ll be in withDad. The older nurse that I speak to tells me that his bed has beenmoved down the hall. I ask her why and she tells me that hiscondition has stabilized and he doesn’t need to be monitored asclosely. Finally, some good news. After the nurse leads me to thenew room, I thank her and take a seat by his bed.
Dad lookspretty much the same, connected to wires and machines and tubes. Ireach out and touch his hand, it’s warmer than it was yesterday.When I look at the bandage on his head and his bruised and swollenface, tears roll from my eyes. “Please, Dad, wake up. You have tobe strong and fight because I need you to stay here with me. I’mnot mad at you for anything that happened in the past. I don’t careabout that stuff anymore. All that matters is that we’retogether.”
I put my handin his, but unlike yesterday, his fingers don’t move. As I sit withhim, my mind flashes back to Abby and Mom. The four of us shouldhave had much different lives. Slinky was right, my parents weren’tstupid, they were smart. If only dope hadn’t been a factor, whoknows how different our lives could’ve been. I used to picture myparents and Abby and me in a nice house with fancy things. Therewould be no drugs, fights or strangers lurking around all hours ofthe night. Just the four of us, happy and living the life we shouldhave had. I wipe away the moistness from my eyes just as a nursewalks in. She’s young and has a friendliness to her, “Are youJohn’s daughter?”
“Yes,” I say,avoiding eye contact so she can’t tell I’ve been crying.
“He’s doing alot better,” she says. “His blood pressure and pulse have improved.That’s great so soon after sustaining injuries like his,” shesmiles, trying to make me feel better.
“Yeah, he’s atough guy. If anyone can beat this, it’s him.”
She finishesadjusting the drip gauge on his IV and then pushes a couple ofbuttons on the heart monitor machine and walks out. She comes backin a few seconds later with a newspaper and a glass of water forme. I’m glad that Dad has someone like her to watch over him whenI’m not here.
I sit with andread the paper to Dad for an hour or so before I decide that Ishould probably start for Katie’s. I lean over him and gently kissthe bandage on his head and tell him that I love him.
* * *
I call Katie onmy way out of the hospital. She is getting off work in an hour andoffers to pick me up. I thank her but decide that the walk back toher apartment will probably do me some good. I’ve got a lot tothink about, mainly Fournier and the plague he’s been on my familyand how I can get payback for my mom. The image of my father lyinghelpless in that hospital bed kills me inside and even though Idon’t have proof, my gut instinct tells me that Fournier is somehowresponsible.
* * *
I walk upBurrard Street and stop at the light. I look over and notice a tallmuscular guy whowalks up to me and is now standing a little tooclose. He’s wearing dark shades a camo jacket and baggy jeans. Iimmediately get the creeps because of the way he’s standing, - likea robot, back straight and head forward. Whoever he is, there’s anair of determination about him. When the light turns green it’ssafe to cross. He waits until I walk in front of him then followsclose behind. My heart rate immediately elevates. Who is he and whyis he following me? Quickly, I decide to veer down Robson Street, aheavily populated area. Still, I feel him behind me.
After walkinghalfway down the block, I go inside a candle store and walk up to adisplay in front of the window. I look out of the glass butthankfully, the creep isn’t there. I sigh a huge breath of reliefbefore browsing for a few minutes then heading back out to thestreet. Just as I walk past the next store front, I look in theopen doorway and see the stranger again. He’s on a cell phone andas soon as I pass him, he starts following me again. What do I donow? Do I call Katie or go into another store and ask them to callthe cops? I’m hesitant to call Katie. If I let her know thatsomeone’s following me, it will freak her out and I don’t want toupset her. As far as getting the cops involved, the creep hasn’treally done anything to me so the cops probably couldn’t domuch.
At the nextintersection, the light is red and I have to wait. As soon as Istop moving, I feel my legs shake. I can’t see him behind me, but Iknow he’s there. Suddenly, a large group of Chinese tourists walkup. I feel safer standing amidst the crowd. When the light changes,I try to time my steps to match theirs so that I’m not separatedfrom them. Halfway down the block, they all file into a smallsouvenir shop. Shit. Now I’m alone with the creep again. I continuewalking until the shops start to disappear and are replaced withtall business buildings, restaurants and hotels. The streetlightsbecome fewer and there are longer spaces of darkness on thesidewalk. Why didn’t I wait at the
