See Me(138)

When Wright approached, he offered his hand and both Colin and Evan shook it. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” Wright offered.

“I had to know how he’s doing,” Colin said.

“I just got here a few minutes ago, but so far, there haven’t been any updates from the surgeon yet, other than that he’s still hanging in there. As you know, he was in pretty bad shape when he arrived.” When Colin nodded, Wright motioned toward another area of the room. “I know that you’ve been through a lot already,” Wright went on, “but I was wondering if you’d stick around for a few minutes. Someone’s been asking for you. She wants to talk to you.”

“Who?” Colin asked.

“Pete’s wife, Rachel.”

Maria watched as Colin’s expression went neutral. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Please,” Wright said. “It’s clearly important to her.”

It took Colin a moment to answer. “Okay,” he said.

Wright turned, heading toward the far side of the room, stopping when he reached an attractive brown-haired woman who was surrounded by half a dozen people. He nodded toward Colin and Evan. Rachel Margolis immediately excused herself from the group and started toward them. As she approached, it was clear to Maria that the woman had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mascara slightly smeared; she seemed to be barely holding it together.

Wright made the introductions and Rachel offered a brief smile that held nothing but sadness.

“Larry told me that you helped save my husband’s life,” Rachel said.

“I’m really sorry for what happened to him,” Colin said.

“Me too,” she said. “Thank you. And I… um…” She sniffed before dabbing at her eyes. “I just wanted to offer my thanks to both of you. For thinking clearly, not panicking, calling the ambulance. Putting pressure on the wounds. The paramedics told me that if you hadn’t done what you did, Pete wouldn’t have had a chance. If you hadn’t been there…” She was on the verge of tears, the words so heartfelt that Maria felt a tightness in her throat. “Again… I…” She drew a ragged breath, trying to hold it together. “And I want you to know he’s tough, so he’s going to be all right. One of the toughest ever…”

“He is,” Colin agreed, but Maria had the sense that Rachel Margolis barely heard him, because she’d really been talking to herself.





The evening rolled on. Maria sat beside Colin as they waited for news. Evan and Lily had gone to the cafeteria a few minutes earlier, and Maria listened as the conversations gradually gave way to murmurs of worry. People in the waiting room came and went.

Colin remained quieter than usual. Every now and then, an officer or detective would come by to thank him and shake his hand; though he was polite in his responses, Maria knew it made Colin uncomfortable because he still blamed himself for what had happened, even if no one else seemed to.

And yet, the depth of his guilt surprised her. It had been clear all along that Colin and Margolis held nothing but disdain for each other. It was a paradox of sorts, and though she wanted to draw Colin out and get him to talk about his feelings, she knew he wanted to work through them alone. She finally leaned toward him.

“Will you be all right if I step out to the hallway? I want to call my parents. Serena, too. I’m sure they’re wondering what’s going on.”

When Colin nodded, she kissed him on the cheek, then left the waiting area, heading down the corridor to a quieter spot where she had a modicum of privacy. On the phone, her parents sounded as worried as everyone in the waiting room and had dozens of questions; toward the end, her mom said that she’d make dinner, and asked that Maria come by the house with Colin, along with Evan and Lily. Her mom asked in a way that made it hard to say no, but that was okay. After all that had happened, she wanted to see her family, too.

Back in the waiting area, Colin was in the same spot where she’d left him. He still wasn’t talking much, but as soon as she sat beside him, he reached for her hand, holding tight. Lily and Evan returned from the cafeteria, and soon after that, the surgeon finally entered.

From where she was sitting, Maria watched as Rachel Margolis walked toward him, Detective Wright by her side. The room went quiet, everyone worried, everyone needing to know, and it was impossible not to hear the doctor, even from a distance.

“He’s survived the surgery,” the doctor announced, “but the damage was even more extensive than we expected. The procedure was also complicated by significant blood loss, and for a while, it was touch and go. But right now, his vitals are stable. On the low side, but stable.”

“When can I see him?” Rachel Margolis asked.

“I want to keep an eye on him for another couple of hours,” the surgeon hedged. “If things keep on like I hope they will, I may be able to let you in for a few minutes later tonight.”

“And he’s going to be okay, right?”

That’s the million-dollar question, Maria thought. The surgeon seemed to have expected it and continued in the same professional tone.

“As I said, he’s stabilized for now, but you need to understand that your husband’s still in critical condition. The next few hours are going to tell us quite a bit, and I’m hoping to give you a more definitive answer tomorrow.”