J. Jance - Left for Dead

10:30 A.M., Monday, April 12

Tucson, Arizona

When Ali arrived at the hospital that morning, she was relieved to learn that on the medical front, news for the Reyes family was much improved. For one thing, feeling was beginning to return to Jose’s lower extremities. He could move his toes. According to his doctor, it was possible that lowering his body temperature to prevent permanent spinal cord damage may have worked. As for his damaged intestines? The fact that he had made it through another day with no additional signs of infection was considered remarkable. On the other hand, the stoma situation was dicey. There was no way to tell if it would be temporary or permanent.

Teresa’s health situation was downright rosy, with doctors predicting that, barring further complications, she and the baby would be sent home the following day, “home” being the operant word. With Jose’s condition improving, that was where Teresa wanted to be-at home, where she had a nursery set up for the baby and where she could provide a little bit of normalcy for her two daughters.

“Wouldn’t you be better off staying at a hotel?” Ali asked.

Teresa shook her head. “Being in a hotel room with one child is bad enough. Being there with three kids, including a newborn? Not a a good idea, and not fair to the other guests.”

“But driving back and forth to the hospital …”

Teresa was adamant. “As long as we have the minivan, we’ll be fine.”

“Where’s the minivan?” Ali asked.

“In Patagonia, along with the infant seat. When Deputy Carson brought us to town, I had no idea how long we’d be here or that the baby would be so early.”

Before Ali could sort out the logistics of getting the car, a nurse stuck her head in the room. “Your husband’s awake now, if you and the baby want to go see him. I brought along a wheelchair in case you do.”

A few minutes later, with Teresa and Carmine settled comfortably in the chair, Ali pushed them down one long tiled corridor and up another. She parked the chair next to Jose’s bed and then retreated from the room, closing the door behind her to give them a few moments of privacy. She returned to the waiting room in time to see Maria Delgado sink wearily into a nearby chair. She had managed to make the trip from one wing to another under her own steam, but just barely. She was trembling with effort and out of breath.

“I don’t know what we would have done if you and Donnatelle hadn’t been here,” Maria said gratefully when she was able to speak again. “There’s no way I could keep up with the girls on my own. But what’s going to happen when Teresa goes back home and Jose gets out of the hospital? How will she take care of him and the baby?”

Ali already knew those were questions with no easy answers.

A few minutes later, a raven-haired woman in tight jeans and worn cowboy boots strode purposefully down the hallway and stopped directly in front of Maria Delgado. “I came by to see if I could help out with the granddaughters,” she announced. She paused and looked around. “Where are they?”

“They’re not here at the moment, Olga,” Maria said coldly. “Teresa had to have an emergency C-section yesterday. We asked a friend to look after them, just to have them out from under hand and foot.”

“A friend?” Olga repeated. “Why didn’t you call me? I told you yesterday that I’d be happy to help.”

As far as Ali could tell, Olga’s offer of help sounded more like a declaration of war. Donnatelle had told Ali about the previous day’s firefight between Teresa and her former mother-in-law. This was evidently the beginning of round two, this time with Teresa’s mother, who wasn’t backing down, either. Ali stepped between the two belligerent women, hoping to defuse the situation.

“My name is Ali Reynolds,” she said, offering her hand. “I’m a friend of Jose and Teresa’s. And you are?”

“I’m Olga Sanchez. I’m Lucy and Carinda’s grandmother. Their other grandmother,” she added, glaring at Maria.

“The girls are fine where they are,” Maria said carefully. “As I told you, they are being well looked after.”

Maria might have been soft-spoken, but her understated antipathy wasn’t lost on anyone, especially Olga Sanchez.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t call me.”

“The girls are actually with a friend of mine, a third-year nursing student at the U of A,” Ali said. “She lives here in town, close by, and has a son about Lucy’s age. They’re better off there than here.”

“They’d be even better off at my place,” Olga said. “They’d be with a family member rather than a complete stranger.”

“You’re a stranger, too,” Maria pointed out.

“Yes, and I’m sorry for that,” Olga said. “I shouldn’t have quarreled with Teresa at the funeral-I was grief-stricken. I’m sorry about what happened yesterday, too-that’s why I’m here now, to apologize and to offer to do whatever I can to help.”

“I doubt Teresa is interested-” Maria Delgado began.

The door to Jose’s room opened. Teresa rolled herself and the baby through the doorway. “Interested in what?” she asked.

“Olga came by to apologize,” Maria said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “She says she wants to help.”

Ali expected that Teresa would follow her mother’s lead and come out swinging. She didn’t.

“That’s very kind of you, Olga,” Teresa said. “I appreciate the offer, but I think we’re all right for the time being. They won’t be back until late this afternoon.”

“All right,” Olga said. “I’ll be in and out of town all day today. If you decide you need any help …”

“I’ll call,” Teresa said. “I promise.”

Olga looked as though she were going to say something else. Evidently, thinking better of it, she turned and walked away. Watching her go, Maria shook her head. “Are you kidding?” she demanded of her daughter. “The last time you saw her, she was raising all kinds of hell. Now you’re going to let her off the hook with a half-baked apology? I wouldn’t trust that woman any farther than I can throw her.”

“It’s all right, Mom,” Teresa said. “Olga is the girls’ grandmother, after all. With everything that’s happened in the past few days, I don’t want to fight anymore, not with her and not with anyone else. If she’s willing to be civil, so am I, and if she wants to help, I’ll let her.”

Maria Delgado shook her head. “I don’t see how you can be so forgiving,” she said. “I know I wouldn’t be. I would have told her to take her help and put it where the sun don’t shine.”

Teresa looked at her mother and grinned. “Oh yeah?” she asked. “Isn’t that how you and Dad raised me to be-loving and forgiving?”

“You can take being forgiving too far,” Maria said. “Especially where that woman is concerned.”

“Don’t worry about Olga Sanchez,” Teresa said. “She’s already lost her only son. If she wants to be a part of the girls’ lives, what can it hurt?”

“What if she offers you money?” Maria asked. “If you accept it, before you know it, she’ll be running the show the same way she did when you were married to Danny.”

“But now I’m married to Jose,” Teresa pointed out. “Big difference.”

“I hope so,” Maria Delgado said. “I certainly hope so.”

“And not being at war with the girls’ grandmother should be better for everyone,” Teresa said, “especially for the girls.”

Ali was impressed that Teresa had taken the high road and that she was willing to entertain the possibility of having a less fractious relationship with her former mother-in-law.