Hours. They seemed like days. Todd had realized that his northerly trip had now diverted to the east and he couldn’t help where he was going. He was still legally her husband and until he was actually charged with her murder, he could identify the body and assure that her remains were properly attended to. Certainly, they wouldn’t charge him the second he got there. Besides, the worst they could do to him would be nowhere near the worst that she had already done to him. He could make sure she received the best of lots, the best of burials, whatever his money could buy for her as long as he was allowed to spoil her, even if in death. His mind raced right along with the car toward the coast.
Todd: Why did they take her to a hospital and not a morgue? Why did they say hospital instead of lab? I know people are dying to get out of hospitals but they’re usually not dying to get in to them. Something’s not right.
Todd decided to turn his cell phone back on and take his chances with Briggs. Charlie might actually be calling to warn him.
Todd: Yeah, right. And little green men are really in charge of the White House. Well, (he chuckled aloud) that Chaney dude is cool, when he’s alive and that Powell guy is cool, but the Bushs’, they’re Texans and you never can be really sure about those Texans.
Todd’s thoughts were again interrupted by Charlie Briggs.
Todd: (Holding up his phone and talking to it before pressing the ‘talk’ button.) You better not let me down Charlie! (Now pressing the ‘talk’ button) WHAT!!
Briggs: Mr. Manning! Thank God. I’ve been trying to reach you for hours. The story just hit the AP and UPI wires. You’re never going to believe this.
Todd: Yeah, yeah. So they found Delgado. So what? What does that have to do with me? (Todd wondered if he had said it casually enough to make Charlie believe he knew nothing about her disappearance.)
Briggs: Well forgive me if I thought that their finding her would make you, well not happy, but maybe, relieved? So did you want me to send someone over to Newport to cover the story or did you want to cover the story yourself?
Todd: Cover the story? I guess this is a story.
Briggs: You guess? Mr. Manning. She was from Llanview. She was married to one of Llanview’s most notorious, I mean, infamous, I mean, famous citizens. This story is going to be huge.
Todd: A murder trial in Llanview, big? Those happen here all the time. It’s like the running of the bulls in Plampona. They’re like clockwork. People are always dying to get out of Llanview. I know you’d do almost anything to get away from me, right Briggs?
Briggs: Murder trial? Who said anything about a murder trial? Did somebody die?
Todd: Briggs, have you gotten into the liquid cement again? Are you plain stupid or are you purposely trying to punish me for something you think I may or may not have done?
Briggs: Okay, Mr. Manning. I’m lost.
Todd: You’re always lost, Briggs.
Briggs: I’m confused.
Todd: You’re always confused, Briggs. (He pauses.) No. Stay where you are. I’ll take care of getting someone to cover it.
Briggs: You have the location of the hospital where they took her?
Todd: You mean, where they took her body? Yes.
Briggs: Whose body?
Todd: You’re doing it again Briggs.
Briggs: Oh, and that’s not good, is it, Mr. Manning?
Todd: Charlie. Go down the elevator, out the building and take 10 deep breaths. That should clear the fumes from your obviously fried brains.
Briggs: I can do that. But whose body?
Todd: ANY body. What do you mean, whose body? Delgado’s of course.
Briggs: But Mr. Manning…
Todd: I’m hanging up now, Briggs and I’m turning my phone off.
Briggs: But Mr. Manning…T-T-Todd…
It was too late. Briggs realized that Todd thought Tea was dead. He grinned a knowing grin of his own. He knew Todd well enough to know that Todd wasn’t heading to the story. He was already there. It would probably only be minutes before Todd would be in for the shock of his life. Should he try to call him back on the off chance he had left his cell phone on? Naw. The shock and surprise of seeing her alive when he walked into the hospital would be enough of a payback for Briggs. Yes, he was feeling pretty happy with how things were working out. Todd wasn’t going to know what hit him and Briggs was gleefully walking through the halls of the Sun, waiting for the other shoe to drop, like a 747 out of the sky. He was glad there was a great distance between Llanview and Newport. Very glad indeed.
Todd entered the lobby of the huge medical facility. He went to the information desk. He saw a sign on the desk that read: Carol Bailey, Information Assistant.
Todd: What floor is the morgue on?
Carol: It’s in the basement. Are you looking for someone specifically?
Todd: (under his breath to himself) She would hate that. She hates basements. (To Carol) I’m looking for Tea Delgado. I believe she was brought here.
Carol: (sounding excited) You’re talking about the unidentified woman they found in the mountains, right?
Todd: I’m talking about Delgado, so could you hurry it up and knock off the unnecessary part of this chit chat?
Carol: Are you family or are you a reporter? We’ve had lots of those in here today.
Todd: Family or reporters?
Carol: Reporters. Her family came earlier in the week.
Todd: Are her remains still here?
Carol: She remains still here, but I don’t know what you’re asking.
Todd: (under his breath) Stupid people really tick me off.
Carol: (to his face) And obnoxious, not making any sense people tick me off.
Todd: (Getting nose to nose with Carol and yes I am enjoying this mental picture) You DON’T want to challenge me. You have NO idea whom you’re dealing with.
Carol: And I don’t think I want to find out. Look. Why don’t I provide you with information as soon as you tell me what you are to her.
Todd: I was her husband.
Carol: So you’re divorced?
Todd: I don’t think I need to get a divorce if she’s dead.
Carol: Who’s dead? Are you doing this again?
Todd: I think it’s you who’s starting again.
Carol: Okay, here goes. I’m going to believe that you’re just overwhelmed with joy…
Todd: That would be a mistake.
Carol: (continuing) like I said, you’re just so overwhelmed, that you don’t really know what you’re saying…
Todd: (interrupting) No, that would be YOU!
Carol: (continuing and raising her voice) and SINCE you don’t know what you’re saying, I’ll do all the talking.
Todd: (sarcastically) As if I could stop you…you’re doing that already.
Carol: (ignoring him and raising her voice still more) Your WIFE (she pauses, emphasizing the word) is not in the morgue, because we only put dead people in the morgue. Your WIFE (again pausing to emphasize the word again) is in the psych ward on the 13th floor, which clearly we need to check and see if there’s another bed for you.
Todd: She’s what?
Carol: Look, if you are who you say you are, she’s doing all right. But she’s disoriented, she’s confused and she was obviously badly mistreated and physically abused. They think she might have been sexually (catching herself and changing the conversation, clearly seeing he is now tremendously overwhelmed by her words)…I think I should let you talk with the doctors before sending you up there to see her. She’s easily frightened and scared of just about everyone.
Todd: She’s ALIVE?????? (Todd falls to the floor, completely overwhelmed.)
Carol: (running around the desk and joining him on the floor, taking his hands in hers and making him make eye contact with her, to stress the seriousness of her condition and the desperation for Todd to be the one to help Tea to get better) Barely. She needs lots of compassion, lots of love. Maybe you’re just what the doctor ordered.
Todd: Not me. There must be someone else. Someone more…qualified?
Carol: If not you, then whom?
Todd stares blankly at this woman who just gave him the most unbelievably fantastic news of his life. And for a moment, his defenses open and vulnerable, he allows a grin to curl his lip slightly, unable to fully comprehend what it is she just told him. He reaches in and kisses her on the lips, overwhelmed with his giddiness and sheer happiness of the news she’s just bestowed upon him.
