Starr was still sitting on Todd's lap. She was snuggled safely in his arms. Her head rested against his chest. Todd's chin rested atop Starr's head. Todd had relaxed a little. He loved having Starr literally close to his heart. When Todd's anxiety would increase, Goodone would whisper words of encouragement to Todd every now and then. Goodone knew if Todd lost it now, in front of Starr, it would destroy him. He'd have to let Todd come inside and stay forever. Todd would never be able to face being in their world again. Even Mike rose from his chair for this occasion. Without saying a word or allowing anyone to see him, everyone felt Mike's presence. Those who were able to understand knew if they did anything that would cause Todd to lose it in front of Starr there would be severe consequences. Todd and Starr sat in silence for the past few minutes as they each filled their senses with the other. Some instinct in Starr knew what her father knew. After today, it would probably be a long time before they would be with each other again.
Finally Starr broke the silence. She had not wanted to upset her daddy. She had held it in as long as she could. "Daddy?"
"Yeah Shorty?"
"Is Tee really okay?"
"She's okay Starr. I made the doctors promise they'd take the best care of her." Todd told her. He gave her a gentle squeeze.
Starr still had many questions about the things she overheard Blair and Dorian talking about. She kept them to herself. Starr sensed her father's fragility. She did ask, "Can we go see Tee?"
"Starr, the doctors have to finish examining Téa before anyone can see her," Jeff gently explained.
Susannah came back to the waiting area in time to hear Starr ask, "Daddy, can we go see Tee when the doctors are finished examining her?"
Susannah knew Todd would not know how to respond to that. "If it's all right with Téa's doctors I think she would be very happy to see you and your daddy, Starr."
"Yaaaayyy! We're gonna get to see Tee. Daddy, we're gonna get to see Tee."
Todd hugged Starr. He began to tremble slightly. He was becoming even more anxious. He was feeling overwhelmed. He was terrified that the longer he was with Starr, and now Starr and Téa, the greater the chance something horrible would happen.
"Daddy, are you cold?" Starr felt Todd's trembling.
"Yeah, Shorty, I'm a little cold," Todd admitted. He said nothing about being frightened. Sam, Viki Susannah and the staff realized that was the case.
"I'll get you a blanket," Frank volunteered.
Todd started to protest. He didn't want Starr to see him wrapped in a blanket, but he also did not want her to see and feel him trembling. Todd also had an overwhelming desire to feel the security of the blanket wrapped around him so he accepted Frank's offer with a simple "Thanks."
"Starr," Susannah began. "Do you have any idea whom your mommy's appointment is with?"
"Weren't you able to reach Blair?" Viki asked.
"No. She's not picking up her phone. Perhaps the battery died?" Susannah guessed.
Starr was happy. She did not want Blair coming to the hospital and dragging her home. "I don't know. I just heard Mommy tell Auntie Dorian she had an appointment."
"I'll try Dorian's," Viki declared.
"Auntie Dorian is with Mommy," Starr lied. She crossed her little fingers to make the lie okay. Starr not only wanted to stay with her father and get to visit Téa, she was not eager to face her mother. She knew that even if her father talked Blair out of taking away her TV privileges, her mother would not be happy with her.
"Blair usually checks in at with us on days when she doesn't visit Todd. She'll probably call here sooner or later," Dan spoke up.
"I told Gwen to leave a message on her machine," Susannah announced.
Frank came back. "Todd, I have that blanket. I'm going to place it over your shoulders. Okay?" Frank didn't want to startle him. Todd nodded. Frank gently placed the blanket around Todd.
"Here, Daddy," Starr said as she took the two edges of the blanket in her small hands. She snuggled tightly against Todd's chest and wrapped both of them in the blanket. "We can pretend we're in a sleeping bag and we're on a camping trip," Starr suggested.
Todd rested his cheek against Starr's head. "That's a good game, Starr." Todd smiled. He held Starr close.
*****
Blair tossed her purse into the front seat. She was just about to turn the key in the ignition when she heard her phone ring. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Manning?"
"Yes." Blair didn't recognize the voice.
"This is Mrs. Miller, the principal of Starr's school. I'm checking with you to see how Starr is doing."
Blair's heart started to pound. Perspiration broke out over her entire body.
"Isn't Starr in her class?"
Now the principal became anxious. She had hoped that Starr was home with a cold or something minor and her mother had forgotten to call them. "Mrs. Manning, Starr never showed up for class today. In fact, we checked with her bus driver and she never got on the bus." Mrs. Miller informed Blair as gently as possible, given the circumstances.
"Oh my God! Oh my God! Are you saying my little girl is missing?" Blair's hands started to shake so badly that she could hardly hold onto the phone. She felt lightheaded. Blair tried to fan herself with one had as she held the phone in the other.
"I'm saying that Starr never got on her school bus today," Mrs. Miller clarified.
Blair didn't know what to do first. She was panic-stricken. Her mind went numb for a few moments. Then many thoughts came to her at once. "Should I call the police? Should I come to the school? Maybe I should go home? Maybe Starr came back home? My aunt! I'll call my aunt. She'll know what to do. Oh my God! Where's my baby? What if someone took her? I knew I shouldn't allow her to go to the bus by herself. Tony said he'd watch her. Oh my God!"
"Mrs. Manning. MRS. MANNING!" Mrs. Miller spoke loudly into the phone so that Blair would hear her.
"Yes. What! Oh God! What should I do?"
"Mrs. Manning. Please! You need to calm down. Where are you now?"
"I'm . . . I'm . . . oh God . . . I'm in my car. I'm downtown, on Prince Street. I had an appointment. I let Starr go down for her bus all by herself. She spoke to our doorman. He said he'd watch out for her." Blair suddenly realized she never actually heard Tony say he'd be watching out for Starr. "Oh my God!" she cried out again.
"All right. Mrs. Manning, what you need to do is talk to the doorman and find out if he saw Starr. Then you need to find out if Starr is at home of if she's with a friend or relative. If she isn't then I suggest you call the police."
"Do you think someone took my little girl?" Blair cried into the phone.
"No. I think perhaps Starr decided to play hooky for the day. There is a chance she's at the mall or an arcade or with a friend. Please try to calm down. I understand how frightened you are. You need to think straight right now or you won't do your daughter any good," Mrs. Miller advised.
Blair took some deep breaths. She tried to calm herself. It helped a little. "I'll call the building’s concierge. They'll talk to the doorman. Then I'll call my aunt," Blair said into the phone."
"Good. I'll be here. If you need to speak with me, please call. I'll make sure they put your calls right through to me."
Blair thanked her. She pressed "end" and dialed the number for her building. Blair felt as if her heart were going to fly out of her chest as she waited for someone to find out if Tony had seen Starr.
"Mrs. Manning, I'm sorry. Tony said he has not seen Starr at all today. He did not see her leave or come back into the building at any time."
Blair felt as if she were going to pass out. "Are you sure!" she gasped into the phone.
"Yes. I explained to Tony that Starr was missing. He became very upset and concerned. He understands what's at stake here. He's positive. He didn't see her. I asked him if he left his post for even a few minutes to help someone with a package or to use the rest room. He said he never left the door for a second at any time since his shift started. I'm very sorry. I hope your daughter is all right."
Blair pressed "end" again without saying another word to him. She used her speed dial. "Dorian! Oh God! Dorian, Starr is missing. She never got on the school bus. I didn't have my phone with me when I was with Mr. Allen and when I got back to the car Starr's school called me. She never got on the bus. Dorian! She never got on the bus. Tony never saw her this morning. Someone took her! Oh God! Someone took her." Blair had never gotten over the trauma of Todd taking Starr when she was a baby. Blair still had nightmares about Starr being kidnaped.
While Dorian was frightened, she remained collected. "Blair, you need to calm down and listen to me."
"Dorian! Someone took my little girl," Blair cried hysterically.
"BLAIR! LISTEN TO ME!" Dorian shouted in an attempt to quiet Blair.
"Oh Dorian," Blair cried quietly.
Dorian knew she was ready to listen. "Sweetheart. I know you're terrified. You need to calm down and make some phone calls. You need to call Starr's friends. If she's not with them, you need to call the police."
"That's what Starr's principal advised me to do too," Blair confirmed.
"Good. Then that's what you have to do. You need to stay calm and focused. Now tell me where you are and I'll meet you. I'm assuming you're downtown at your attor . . ."
"Hello! Dorian! Hello! HELLO!" Blair screamed into the phone. She realized her battery was dead. Blair immediately picked up the car's phone when she remembered that it too was out of order. She had been meaning to take it in for repair but had not gotten around to it. "GODDAMN PIECE OF SHIT!" Blair yelled and threw her cell phone down on the seat. She rubbed her forehead as she thought what to do next. She headed back into Matthew's office to use his phone.
*****
"Okay Mrs. Manning. We're almost done. You're doing great," Doctor Anderson told Téa. He asked Téa to squeeze his pointer and middle finger with each of her hands. Téa was instructed to flex and then extend her elbows and knees. Doctor Anderson checked the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of her ankles. Doctors Anderson and Marahbee helped Téa to stand and asked her to walk across the room. They needed to check her gait. They asked Téa to walk on her heels and then on her toes. Téa's patience was growing thinner by the minute. "Now walk toe to heel," Doctor Anderson called out.
"Are we almost done here?" Téa called back.
"Yes, about another five minutes and we'll let you be," Doctor Anderson smiled. In many ways Téa reminded him of Todd.
Doctor Anderson had Téa sit with her feet dangling off the side of the bed. He had her close her eyes. He first brushed a sterile needle against her skin and then a piece of cotton. Téa had no problem distinguishing a dull object from a sharp one. He next brushed a piece of cotton over several different areas of Téa's skin. She was able to feel it and identify the area touched with the cotton every time. Téa was asked to turn her palms upward and then downward rapidly and then stop suddenly. The rhythm and accuracy of Téa's movements were smooth. She was able to change direction without difficulty. "One last thing and we're all done," Doctor Anderson promised as Doctor Marahbee looked on. "Rub the heel or your right foot up and down the shin of your left leg," Doctor Anderson instructed. Téa complied without any problem. "Great! Now rub your left heel up and down the shin of your right leg." Again Téa did what she was instructed to, smoothly. "Are we done?" Téa asked.
Both doctors smiled. "Yes. You're all done. I'm sure your husband is just as anxious to get back in to see you as you are to see him," Doctor Marahbee teased."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a pain," Téa apologized.
"No problem. We understand the situation and we understand how tedious these tests are. You did fine. I'm sure your CT scan will show that the bleed is gone or is greatly reduced. You should be in a private room in a couple of hours," Doctor Marahbee informed Téa.
"A couple of hours! Does the CT scan take that long?"
"No, it takes about an hour, with the prep. Since this is not an emergency, you are not scheduled for the scan for another hour. Why don't you relax. I'll tell Doctor Hanen that your husband can come back in now, if it's all right with her." Téa was relieved. She also wanted to have Viki tell her brother to take her grandmother back to Carlotta's so she can rest. As much as Téa wanted to see Del and her grandmother she wanted this time for Todd. Téa understood that Todd was holding on by sheer force and she knew he needed to get back to his unit. She wanted to see him before the CT scan to let him know everything is all right. She asked the doctors to please ask Viki to give Del her message, if they saw her. They happily agreed.
