beside the Interstate. All three bodies were either dead or unconscious. The female officer had the strongest vital signs and the responders on the scene couldn’t tell if the other officer and prisoner were dead or alive. It was hard to tell in the cold and slippery conditions. An ambulance was called but it was more than fifteen minutes before it arrived in the bad weather. A rescue stretcher was used to lift each of the victims one by one up the hill. A waiting ambulance could only carry two patients and a decision was made to carry both officers first due to blood loss. Before they left, they covered Callie with blankets and coats, but her loss of body heat didn’t generate much warmth. Another twenty minutes elapsed before the second ambulance arrived. One of the responding troopers rode in the ambulance with the prisoner. They kept her as warm as possible, but vital signs remained difficult to find.
Jake with Callie
In Lafayette, Jake called Tibbs’ office to check on progress. Tibbs had gone home but the duty office said the police van was late reporting in and might have stopped somewhere to wait out the storm. They didn’t have any word. Jake became worried and couldn’t sleep well.
In the morning, Tibbs called. “Jake, there was an accident.”
He heard the word and was immediately worried. “Where? How bad?”
“It was bad, Jake. The van carrying Ms. Murray spun out on I-20 in Alabama and rolled down a hill. It took a long time to find them in the bad weather.”
Jake appealed. “How are they? How’s Callie?”
“Jake, we don’t know yet. The Alabama State Police say that three people were taken to a hospital. It looks like one dead and two critical in comas. It was really cold. Even if they live, there could be major frost damage.”
“Look, Tibbs, I need to go there.”
“You can’t, Jake. This is still a police action.”
“Look, Tibbs. I’m all she’s got. Please don’t pull protocol on me. I’ve got to be with her!”
Hours later, in the ICU at the Anniston Mercy Hospital, both women were covered from head to foot with warming blankets and had numerous IVs, breathing tubes and beeping monitors attached. Their color was gone, but Testa’s face was beginning to look more normal. The doctors were attaching a brain scan apparatus to Callie, to check if there was any neural activity. There was no reason to be resuscitating someone who was already brain-dead.
After another hour, Judy Testa opened her eyes. She looked around, and the ICU nurse was beside her immediately. Judy asked where she was, and the nurse told her the location, and how long she’d been there. “What about my partner?”
“I’m afraid he didn’t survive the crash, dear.”
Tears formed in Testa’s eyes, then she remembered. “How is my prisoner? How is the girl?”
The nurse moved slightly to allow Judy to see the bed beside her. “We don’t know yet. She wasn’t hurt badly from the accident, but she was cold for a long time.”
A tear went down Judy’s face. “She used her body to heat mine. I don’t know why she did it. She might have tried to escape, but she saved me instead. She tried to save Ted, too.”
The nurse patted Judy’s arm. “Let me get you some ice chips dear, you must be thirsty.”
Judy didn’t move. She just lay staring at Callie who looked tiny and helpless beside her. No doubt, Callie had saved her life and maybe lost hers in the process. She looked so blue, even in the warm bed. Judy turned back, looking at the ceiling and said a silent prayer for Callie.
Late that day, Testa was moved to a regular patient bed, while Callie remained in a coma under police guard. After several hours, Testa was able to stand and walk, so she went back to the ICU to sit by Callie. “Come on girl, pull out of this. You shouldn’t die like this.”
She sat there for almost an hour when the attending doctor came by to check the brain scan.
“How’s she doing, doctor?”
He looked at the small screen then checked the connections to Callie’s scalp. “Well, we’re starting to see some activity, which is a good thing.”
“Does that mean she’s getting better?”
“Not necessarily. The cold exposure could have damaged many organs. We don’t know if we can save her feet, and if we take too long to decide, she might turn gangrenous on us. We’ll give her a couple more hours then decide what to do. Does she have any relatives we should be contacting?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out.”
Jake told Tibbs to call him on his cellphone for anything, at any time. When it rang, he was driving east on I-85 toward Alabama without any idea where she might be. “This is Jake.”
“Jake, it’s Tibbs. The hospital that has Callie wants to know if she had any kin?”
Jake swallowed hard before asking, “Why?”
“I don’t know, Jake, they just said some decisions had to be made for her.”
This meant that she wasn’t able to make her own decisions. “Where is she, Tibbs?”
“Jake, you know I can’t tell you. Now, does she have any family?”
“No. I’m about as close as you’ll get.”
“You don’t qualify, Jake. I’m gonna tell them to make the decisions, using the best medical decisions they can make.”
“Tibbs! You can’t do that. The docs will only cover their own asses. She needs someone that cares for her.”
“Is that you, Jake?”
“I’m the closest thing she has to kin.”
“All right then. I’ll ask them if you can be her surrogate daddy.”
Jake transitioned from I-65 onto I-20 East, nearing the Alabama State line. He was listening to local news stations, hoping to hear something about the accident that would lead him to the hospital where Callie would be.
BJ called on his mobile phone. “Jake, where are you?”
“Hi, BJ. I’m driving on I-20 toward Atlanta.”
“Do you know where you’re going?”
“Not really. Tibbs won’t tell me which hospital she’s at. He’s conflicted because I’m not a relative, and she’s in police custody. I need to be there though.”
“Jake, what can you do? Maybe you should let the police handle things.”
“BJ, they don’t care if she lives the way I do. I don’t know if she’s getting good medical help or not.”
“Jake, she robbed you. She’s not your daughter. Hell, she’s not even who you thought she was.”
“I don’t care, BJ, and I can’t explain it. Do me a favor will you?”
“What do you need, pal?”
“Call around to some of the hospitals close to the Interstate in Alabama near the Georgia Border. She’s got to be in one of them. Her name is Callie Murray, but they might not have her under it. You can say that she is a prisoner of the Lafayette PD being transported back to Louisiana.”
“Jake, I’ll try.”
“Okay, BJ. Call me back.”
“Take care, buddy.”
He knew it was foolish. At home, he felt he needed to be with her, but here, out on the highway, he realized how big the search area really was. He could drive for hours and never know where she was. He decided to call Tibbs again.
When the department answered, he said, “Let me talk to Detective Tibbs.”
They transferred the call to Tibbs’ mobile phone. “Tibbs.”
“This is Ramsey, Tibbs. I’m driving on I-20 through Alabama. I need to know where she is.”
“Jake, I told you before, she’s in our custody, and I can’t give you that information.”
“Oh, come on, Tibbs. You’re killing me. She’s hurt, and no one around her cares about her. She needs me.”
“She robbed you! You’re our principal witness against her. That’s a conflict.”
“You know it’s not true! I may be the guy she ripped off, but I don’t believe she did it alone.”
“You’re not much of a good judge of character. Look, for what it’s wort
h, the officer in the hospital with her, the one who lived, said Callie saved her life. She could have run, but she saved one of ours. She shielded our gal with her own body to keep her warm ... and, Jake, she might have lost her own life doing it.”
“You see, Tibbs! She deserves something. I want to be near her.”
Tibbs was silent for a minute. “Okay, Jake, but you heard it on the news, not from me.” Tibbs told him where the hospital was.
“Thanks, Tibbs. Also, can you tell them I’m her guardian or something to get me past the gate guards?”
“I’ll help, Jake.”
“Thanks, Tibbs.”
The next two hours of driving were painful, they seemed to last forever. Jake was growing more distressed with time, thinking that she could be dying alone, when he might somehow be able to help save her. Finally, the exit ramp for Anniston appeared. As he exited, there was a large blue sign with “H” and an arrow pointing north. The hospital was only a mile away.
He parked by the Emergency Room entrance, as BJ called. He answered while walking. “Hi, BJ.”
“Jake, she’s probably at the hospital in Anniston, Alabama. I did a web search of local news, and it sounds like the right kind of accident happened there.”
Jake walked and talked. “Yeah, I’m there. Gotta go, and thanks.”
He hung up, not listening for a response, as he hurried through the door. There were a few people, sitting quietly in the waiting area as he walked to the admitting nurse’s station.
“Hello, I’m Jake Ramsey. I’m trying to locate Callie Murray. She came in with some police officers from Louisiana.”
“Ah. Mr. Ramsey, I can’t provide any information about that.”
“Look. I just drove all the way from Lafayette and need to be with her.”
“Okay. Have a chair, and I’ll call you.”
He was frustrated, but did as he was told. The nurse slid the glass partition closed in front of the desk and used the phone. He couldn’t hear what was said. After a couple minutes of dialogue and multiple discussions, the nurse summoned him back to her station. As he approached, she said, “Mr. Ramsey, someone is coming down.”
He just shook his head and stood back, looking in the direction of the doors, leading to the elevator. After a couple more minutes, an Alabama State Trooper came through the double doors. The man was tall, much larger than Jake, with a serious look on his face. His head was shaved under a tight-fitting brimmed cap. He didn’t look like the kind of guy who would be a pleasant off-duty neighbor.
The trooper spoke first. “Are you Mr. Ramsey?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here, Mr. Ramsey?”
“I’m here to be with Callie Murray. We’re close friends.”
“Ms. Murray is a prisoner under escort by Louisiana police, she’s not an ordinary patient here. Are you related?”
“No. As I said, I’m a close friend.”
Without more introductions, the trooper said, “Come with me,” and turned back toward the elevators.
Jake walked briskly to keep up. He imagined the trooper regarded him as some kind of low-life criminal, who was going to see his low-life friend. Nothing more was said as the trooper pushed the button for third floor. The ride up was in silence. As they exited, they passed by a corridor marked “Intensive Care” and past a nurse’s station, leading to several patient rooms.
When they were half-way down the short hallway, the trooper said, “Wait here,” pointing to an imaginary spot on the floor. Jake stood on the spot, and the trooper walked into the next open door, closing it. Jake stood unmoving on his assigned spot. The PA system made some periodic summons for doctors, but it was otherwise a very quiet hospital. It seemed like several minutes before the door opened, and a woman in a long hospital robe came out with the trooper.
“Mr. Ramsey, I’m Officer Testa. What’s your business with my prisoner, Ms. Murray?”
“Look, Officer. Callie is someone I am very close to. She doesn’t have any family, so I’m as close as you get. I want to see her and be with her if she’s injured.”
“Mr. Ramsey, Miss Murray is badly injured. She’s in ICU, and they don’t know if she’ll recover. She might also lose her legs.”
Jake stared at her, unable to speak. Tears formed as he said, “Then she needs someone, someone like me who cares to be with her.”
Testa’s hard appearance softened. “She won’t even know if you’re there.”
“She’ll know. At least I’ll know. If there’s any chance that she might know, then I want to help her.”
Testa didn’t speak for several seconds, while Jake tried to maintain some composure. She looked at the trooper and said, “Let him in.”
The trooper objected. “That’s not our protocol here.”
Testa rebutted. “I don’t care. She’s under my custody. Just stay nearby.”
The trooper persisted. “They only allow one person in ICU, and he can’t be with her alone.”
Testa was showing some weariness and stiffness, turning to face the trooper. “Look, she’s my responsibility. Let him in!”
He turned to Jake saying, “Come with me.”
Jake held in place. “Thank you. Are you the officer she was with in the accident?”
Testa looked back compassionately. “I’m one of them. My partner died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That makes two of us. For what it’s worth, she’s a good girl. I owe my life to her.”
A small tear ran down his cheek. “Thanks” was all that he could say before turning with the Trooper and walking toward intensive care.
They had to stop at the ICU glass double doors. Jake could see a woman with tubes hanging in several directions, but couldn’t tell if it was her under all of the paraphernalia. The attending nurse needed his information and repeated their restrictions on guests who were not family. This time the trooper authorized the deviation based on Testa’s authority. Jake was told not to touch her and to turn off his cellphone.
Callie was the only patient in the ICU. As he approached, there were several small motor sounds, beeps and IV drips. These were the only sounds in the large semi-darkened room. Her skin was grey, and her hands seemed to be swollen. She was lying on her back absolutely frozen in position. Her eyes were closed, but relaxed.
Jake couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable it must be with all the needles, hoses and probes attached. But she wasn’t moving and probably didn’t feel anything. The ICU was tightly congested with beds, monitors and apparatus hanging from the ceiling. In between the beds was one small plastic chair, where he sat staring at her. He somehow felt responsible for her injuries. Even though he had given her the best living conditions of her life, it hadn’t been enough.
He sat resting his head in his hands when footsteps alerted him to a doctor and nurse approaching. Jake stood as Dr. Lewis greeted him and looked at her chart. After some moments, Lewis said, “Mr. Ramsey, I’m told you are a close friend but not a family member or guardian, is that right?”
“Yes.” The questioning was mildly disturbing.
“All right then, we are going to need to speak to the police about what to do next.”
Jake stepped sideways, partially blocking the Doctor’s path. “What do you mean?”
“I really can’t discuss this with you.”
“Look, Doc. I’m kind of like her father. Please tell me what’s going on?”
“I can’t ... ” At that point, Judy Testa came into the ICU, having been summoned by the trooper.
She asked, “What’s the issue, doctor?”
“Are you the custodial officer?”
“Yes. Patrolman Judy Testa, Lafayette Police Department. Ms. Murray is in my custody.”
“Well, Officer Testa. Ms. Murray is not responding, and each hour that goes by leads us to believe her systems are not going to recover from the cold exposure. I would
like to try a stimulant procedure, something injected into her IV, to try to shock her nervous system. It’s a bit of a long shot, but if her body doesn’t start healing itself, the cold damage, particularly to her arms and legs, will overcome any chance of survival.”
Testa looked at Jake. “What do you think, Jake?”
The doctor insisted, “This needs to be decided by you, Officer.”
Testa snapped back. “It WILL be decided by me!” Looking back at him, “Jake, I know she means a lot to you. What do you want to do?”
He felt like he was being asked to unplug her from life support, but he was also glad that it was his decision. At least someone who cared for her most would do it. “Tell me again doctor. What are you planning to do?”
The doctor gave an explanation of a pharmaceutical cocktail that would be injected into her IV. Lewis had discussed it with their Chief Neurologist and some others, and there was one hundred percent agreement. She would not live if they did nothing. There was no guarantee that this would result in a different outcome, but they were out of options.
Jake nodded his head up and down slowly feeling helpless, but knowing he had to make the decision. “Let’s try.”
It took about twenty minutes to complete the paperwork and have the concoction delivered to ICU. The nurse came in with a new clear IV bag and swapped it with the existing one. She reset the drip machine and left to call Dr. Lewis, who reappeared with a woman physician, Dr. Palid, who was from Neurology. Testa stayed with them as all stood waiting. For ten minutes, nothing changed then one of the monitors started beeping more frequently. Dr. Palid reset the controls. Jake watched Callie’s face, but the doctors seemed to be checking other indicators.
Callie’s eye muscles twitched, then she opened her eyes briefly. They closed again, and she was motionless when Dr. Palid adjusted the drip machine. This time, Callie’s eyes opened and blinked, but remained open. Palid pulled a small light from her white coat and checked Callie’s alertness saying, “Callie. Callie, can you hear me?”
Callie’s lips quivered and her nose twitched. Jake said, “Callie, it’s Jake. Can you hear me?” She turned her head slightly toward his voice. The rest of her body was motionless. “Callie, honey. It’s Jake.”
She tried to talk, then cleared her throat. Jake and Testa were energized. She was showing signs of life. The doctors were fiddling with different monitors, paying less attention to her directly.
Callie tried to speak, pursing her lips. Then she said, “Jake, I can’t see you.”
He moved past the doctors, beside her bed and leaned slightly forward into her line of vision. “How’s that? Can you see me now?”
She smiled weakly. “Yes.”
He wanted to talk more to her, not sure what to say. “Callie, you were in an accident. Do you remember.”
“Sort of. Kind of.” Her voice was weak.
“All right, honey. Just rest and let the doctors work.”
“No. Please take my hand.” He gently pulled the cover back and held her hand. “Are you holding my hand?”
He was startled, realizing she had no feeling. “Yes, hon. I’ve got you. Can’t you feel it?”
“No. I can’t feel anything, Jake. I’m so scared.”
“I know, sweetheart, but you’ve got to hang in there and