The Imposter (11 page)

Jack
smiled at Robert.  "Dr.  Bonnet, you know we don't have a chance against
Dr.  Desmonde and the lawyer, two of the most perceptive ladies in New Orleans,
if not in the world.  I guess I'll have to tell you what I know, although it's
just a theory at this point." Jack noted the attentiveness of the group. 
Alex, are you O.K. about discussing this?

“It's
O.K. with me.   I'd like an update," Alex said, turning towards Robert.

Robert
cleared his throat, but didn't look particularly happy.  "Post surgery,
she is O.K., stable, but she's been through a lot.   Dr. Goshette sutured up
multiple lacerations, mostly stab wounds and most of those were superficial.  
We called in Neurosurgery and they had to do a craniotomy with bur holes for
her head injury.   She had elevated intracranial pressure and her coma had
deepened.   We put in a temporary VJ shunt hoping to keep the pressure out of
her head.   She did have a great deal of internal bleeding simply from
trauma."

Jack
looked impatient, "VJ what?"

Alex
ignored his question.   "Do you think she will wake up?" Alex asked.

"I
hope so.   Our main fear is that she was so hypovolemic from blood loss that we
had to repeatedly transfuse her with blood.   Hopefully, she doesn't have brain
damage from the extensive loss of blood.  Her stab wounds were mostly
superficial.”  

"I
would imagine she lost a lot of blood at the scene.   Maybe she bled out,"
Alex surmised.   "I knew she was anemic in the E.D.   Sandy thought she
was bleeding internally."

"So
did we.  And, she was.  Her blood values are stabilizing somewhat."

"O.K.,
dammit, O.K.   Enough medical talk.   What is a VJ shunt and what is the H
thing?" Jack was piqued and impatient.   He always was when he didn't
understand.   Alex smiled at the memory.

Monique
laughed at Jack.   "So sorry, Jack.   We do talk doctorease don't we?  A
ventricular jugular shunt will pump the blood and fluids from her brain through
a tube into her heart and then to the rest of her body, which will keep fluids
from filling up in her head compressing her brain and causing brain damage.  
The H & H is the hemoglobin and hematocrit, blood tests that screen out
such things as anemia and how your blood clots or doesn't, among other
things."

Robert
smiled at Monique.   "Hey, that's pretty good for a shrink.   I thought
you all forgot everything about real medicine," he teased.

"Listen,
Dr.  Bonnet.   I could save your life anytime.   Don't you forget it,"
Monique smirked at him.   "Remember, I'm double board certified in
medicine and psychiatry!"  She then turned her attention to Alex and
Robert.   "We have to get her through the attack trauma and rape.   That
is going to be hard work."

"Do
you think so, Monique?  She's pretty level headed and feisty.   I hope she will
be O.K.," Jack opined.

Alex
shrugged her shoulders.  "Monique, how to you think Angie will deal with
this?  What's been your experience in cases like this," Alex questioned.

Monique
shook her head.   She looked incredibly tired and dispirited.   The warm glow
of the evening had burned off.    "I don't know.  A lot depends on her
physical condition and the support her husband will give her.  It's hard to
predict how a woman will recover from rape and this is supposing that she does
wake up."

Alex
and Robert mulled this over, but didn't respond.

 "Robert,
what about the slice wound around her face? Did you call in plastics?"

“Yep,
Alex.  They sutured it.  They think there will only be minimal scarring.  And
she's got the kind of skin that heals well.  This whole thing is horrible. 
Malicious.  It looked as though the rapist was trying to deliberately disfigure
her or wipe out her face.   The guy is clearly a wacko, a real sicko.  Those
bite marks were harrowing!"  Robert's outrage at the crime was clear in
his voice.   Alex could see the flush of anger under his tanned skin.  
I
bet he's been on his sail boat over at Gulf Shores.   He looks really good.

Alex
refocused and felt herself shudder as she remembered Angie's injuries.  The
psychotic activity she'd seen in the Pavilion freaked her out and gave her
chills.  As she glanced at Monique, she could tell she was fighting with
herself about revealing any possible suspects among her patients. 

"Let's
just hope she doesn't remember everything." Robert interrupted.  
"Let's be sure she wakes up first.   That is still an
if.
”

"Yeah,
really.   Do you think she will, Robert?  What's the prognosis?"

"It's
guarded, Alex.   There are clear concerns based on the blood loss and head
trauma.   We are hopeful, though," Robert added, remembering that he had
just said this earlier.

Alex
felt depressed.   "Let's hope she wakes up soon.   The sooner, the
better."

Robert
and Monique nodded in agreement.

Jack
looked annoyed.   He obviously felt left out of the conversation.   "Does
anyone want to hear about my theory?"

"Absolutely.  
We all do," Alex answered for all of them. 

"O.K.,
it's about time.   I am pretty done with the medical talk.   I guess I'll have
to tell you what I know, although it's just a theory at this point." Jack
noted and appreciated the attentiveness of the group.  He continued,
"Monique, two of your patients in the Pavilion are possible suspects
…." He was immediately silenced by the look on Monique's face.  She was
enraged.

"Jack,
how could you suspect two of my patients when you haven't even talked to me?
That's outlandish speculation on your part!" Monique's voice was cutting
and derisive.   Alex had never heard Monica speak in that tone of voice.

"Now,
Monique," Jack chided her, "I told you.  This is purely speculation
on my part.  You asked and I'm only telling you what I think.   Besides, do you
think I need you to develop a theory on what happened during a crime."

Monique
looked contrite, but Alex knew she was still seething.   In fact, Monique was
irked.

 Jack
nodded and continued, "Nothing's official.  Do you want to hear, or do you
want to change the subject?" Jack looked at her darkly, his voice
impatient.

Monique
looked apologetic.  "I'm sorry.  You're right.  I guess I spend so much
time defending my patients and fighting for them that my response was purely
instinct.  Go ahead …." Her face was flushed with either anger or
embarrassment.  Alex couldn't tell for sure.

"Okay. 
Remember
, it's a theory, not a reality
.   I talked to one of the psych
techs who told me it'd been reported on the 7:00 AM shift that the side
stairwell door had been left open during the night.  Consequently, it's plausible
to think that …."

"What?
The door was open! That's impossible! The whole building is secured at 11
o'clock at night by CCMC security.  Besides, that door is attached to a fire
alarm so if anyone had exited through it, the alarm would've gone off.  It's
inconceivable that …." Monique was even more angry now.

Robert
and Alex caught each other's eye.  Robert was looking strained, his deep set
brown eyes displaying his anxiety.

Commander
Françoise threw up his hands.  "Okay, that's it! No more," he said to
Monique in a loud voice.  "Change the subject."

There
was a heavy silence.  Finally a waiter came over to offer after dinner drinks. 
They all ordered Irish coffee.  They needed something to fortify themselves
against the uncomfortable silence.  Monique excused herself to go to the ladies
room, and Alex immediately began to explain Monique's position to Jack, who
waved her justification aside.

His
voice was impatient.  "Stop it, Alex.  I don't need to hear this.  Monique
and I have to talk about this sooner or later -- either officially or
unofficially.  She has to open herself up to reason, for God's sake!  Angie was
brutally raped.  The SOB may as well have killed her.  She'll carry scars,
inside and out, for the rest of her life ... if she lives or wakes up ... and,
dammit, I'm gonna catch the pervert that did it! I don't give a flying shit if
it is one of her patients or the President!" Jack stopped for a moment, as
if to contemplate his next thoughts.   He shook his head and continued in a
calm voice, "Besides, we've got to learn to communicate about unpleasant
things, don't we?"  Françoise was so disgusted that he pushed away from
the table and went outside to smoke.

Robert
and Alex looked at each other across the table.  He said gently, "You
know, he is right, Al.  They've got to talk sooner or later.  It's all part of
building a relationship."

Alex
knew Robert was projecting their own trouble in communicating with the
difficulty Jack and Monique were having.  She sighed, "I know, Robert.  I
just wished we had gotten through dinner and we hadn't started in with this
stuff.  The day's been emotional enough."

Robert
touched her hand and said, "Monique will be okay.  You can bet she's
pulling herself together right this minute, and she'll be back to continue
this.  She's not one to let feelings, of any sort, hang around.  Tricks of her
trade, I guess.  Do you think we should stay or leave?"

Monique
interrupted him from behind.  She was cool and collected, but Alex could detect
the fake gaiety.  "You'll stay, of course! You're right, Robert.  I'm
gonna get this thing sorted out now, once and for all.  Where's Jack?" She
looked around.

"Outside
smoking, I guess," Robert said as he gestured with his finger out the
window.

Monique
looked impatient.  "He's trying hard to quit.  He has taken your advice to
heart and cut down."

"Good,
he'd better.   He's got ten times more reasons to live now that he has you. 
Now, go get the big guy and tell him to get his tail back in here so we can get
this over with.  I'm paying the bill," Robert said as he motioned for the
waiter.

Monique
started to protest, but Robert waved her protests away and demanded again that
she get the Commander.

Alex
smiled.  Robert really was good with people. 
Maybe I will learn to love him
again,
she thought. 
I guess anything's possible.  Maybe once I work
through the hurt of losing Mitch, I'll be able to love Robert like I loved him
once.
   The idea seemed settling to her.   She continued to think
positively as she said, "Good job, Bonnet.  I've never seen you push both
a shrink and a policeman around in less than five minutes.  I'm proud of
you!"   

Robert
looked at her with a smile on his face and said, "Not just a policeman,
Alex.   A Police Commander," he quipped.   "Seriously, these people
are like family to me.  Even though I have a big family here in town, Monique,
you, and Jack are my best friends."

"How
are your parents, Robert?" Alex was fond of the elder Bonnet's, one of the
first families of New Orleans.  The Bonnet's were of Creole extraction and had
lived in the Crescent City since it was settled.   His mother was a gracious
lady who had kept in contact with Alex even after the couple had divorced.  In
fact, Elisha Bonnet was one of the main reasons Alex had decided to accept the
legal counsel position at CCMC.  In many respects, the two women were soul
mates.  Alex had done exactly what Elisha had always wanted to do.  She had
moved away from the traditional bounds of matrimony into a profession.  Elisha
had never been brave enough to do so and had lived a very traditional life. 

Robert’s
family lived in the family mansion on St. Charles Street in the garden
district, where they lead an active social life.  The older Bonnet's were young
for their 60+ years and were very wealthy.  They had extensive property
holdings in the French Quarter and on the riverfront.  They also owned several
of the finest hotels in New Orleans. 

Alex
had lunch with Elisha often and knew the elder Mrs. Bonnet hoped, although she
would never say it, that Alex and Robert would reunite.  It was ironic.  Her
grandmother, Kathryn Rosseau Lee of Virginia, had also encouraged Alex to
reconsider reconciliation with Robert.  Alex had great respect and love for her
maternal grandmother and Robert's mother, but she knew the choice was hers and
hers alone.   Alex had been raised by her grandparents, Congressman Adam
Patrick Lee and Kathryn Rosseau Lee, on their farm in Virginia.  For all
intents and purposes, Kathryn was Alex's mother.

Robert
responded to her question.  "My folks are fine.  Dad said he hadn't seen
you lately.  They want us to come for dinner on Sunday.  What do you
think?"

"Sure,
Robert.  I love your parents.  I'd love to come," she said, as she looked
across the dining room and saw Jack and Monique.  "Uh oh, here they come. 
Let's hope all goes well."

Jack
and Monique were laughing and holding hands as they returned to the table. 
Patrons at nearby tables eyed the couple curiously.  Alex figured that several
of the diners recognized either Jack or Monique.  After profuse apologies from
the two lovers, all of which Alex and Robert waved aside impatiently, Monique
said, "I've assured Jack … actually, I've given him my ironclad word, that
I won't interrupt him or misbehave in any way until he is finished with his theory."