Page 87 of Holmes Is Missing

Poe could see that Farnham was intimidated. The young doctor cleared his throat and tugged on the stethoscope around his neck. “Stable and responsive. But we need a CT, and I think we—”

“Unit 4,” said Schulte.“Now.”

The young doctor blinked, then nodded. He stepped back and barked at the nurses. “You heard her.”

Schulte leaned in. “Helene, I’m Dr. Revell Schulte, remember? I’m chief of maternity. We met the night of the kidnappings. You’re with me now.”

In seconds, two nurses started pushing the bed out of the ER bay and down the hall, with Dr. Schulte leading the way. Poe followed alongside as the wheels hummed across the smooth linoleum floor. They passed through a set of metal hospital doors, then another.

Poe was getting frantic. Unit 4? What the hell was that? Operating room? Intensive care? Had Schulte noticed something the others had missed?

At the end of the next corridor, Schulte held up a key card. Another door opened, this one sliding cleanly into the wall. Schulte turned to the nurses and put her hands on the back of the bed. “I’ve got her.” She wheeled Grey through the entrance herself. The door glided shut behind them with a cushioned whoosh.

And suddenly everything was quiet.

Poe looked around. They were in a high-ceilinged reception area with elegant potted palms and expensive art on the walls. There was no frantic activity here. No raised voices. Just soft light and gentle beeps in the background. The air was scented with sandalwood. It was as if they had left the ER and rolled into the lobby of a Four Seasons Hotel.

A nurse appeared out of nowhere. She looked like a spa attendant. “Welcome to Unit 4, Helene,” she said. “We’re going to take very good care of you.”

“What’s happening?” asked Grey. “Did I die and go to heaven?”

“What is this?” asked Poe. “Where are we?”

“It’s our special-patient wing,” said Schulte. “Every hospital has one.” She dipped her voice to a whisper. “Ours is just a littlemorespecial.”

CHAPTER93

POE WATCHED INamazement as Unit 4 spun into motion, like an impeccably rehearsed ballet. Grey was wheeled into a spacious wood-paneled suite, changed into a soft cotton gown, then transferred gently onto an oversized hospital bed.

Then, so she wouldn’t need to be wheeled off again for tests, advanced diagnostic equipment started coming to her. First, a team with a portable CT scanner. Next, a technician with a small x-ray machine.

Within minutes, Grey was examined by the head of the emergency department, then by the chief of neurology. Her scalp bruise was cleaned and bandaged by an attentive resident. By the time Dr. Schulte herself wheeled in a sleek white sonogram cart, she already had all the other results.

“The images of your head look good, Helene,” she said. “No fractures. No swelling. No internal bleeding. You’re lucky you have such thick hair. Good cushion.”

“Thick hair or thick head?” asked Grey with a wan smile.

Schulte tapped a few keys on the console. “Now let’s check onthose babies.” Schulte slid Grey’s gown up and applied warm gel to her belly, then picked up the wand and moved it slowly across her abdomen. Poe leaned in close to the monitor as the images came into focus.

“There they are,” said Schulte, pointing to the two tiny bean shapes on the screen. “Safe and sound.” She tapped another key. The room filled with the sound of a tiny heartbeat—then another.

Grey looked over at Poe and patted his hand. “See? I told you I was fine.”

Poe dropped his head and let out a loud exhale. It felt like he’d been holding his breath for an hour. “Thank God.”

Schulte wiped the gel from Grey’s abdomen with a warm towel, then lowered her gown and covered her with a soft blanket. “You’re going to be fine, Helene. Just get some rest, okay?”

Grey nodded and settled back on the pillow. She looked relieved but exhausted.

“Be right back,” said Poe, squeezing her hand. He followed Dr. Schulte out of the suite and back into the serene reception area. “I want to thank you,” he said, catching up to her. “For the celebrity treatment, I mean.”

“Happy to do it,” said Schulte. “I’m glad Helene’s okay.” She stopped and turned to face him. “But actually, Mr. Poe, this is partly to thankyou. You and your partners. For everything you’ve done.”

Poe’s throat tightened. He stared at the floor. For a second, he flashed to the image of that tiny corpse in the camera box in that cold, deserted building. “We didn’t get them all back, you know,” he said. “We lost one.”

“I know. I heard,” said Schulte. “And that’s a tragedy. For you. For us. For the parents. But you rescued the other five. Andfive more from the school bus. And the three from the TV studio. That’s thirteen lives.” Schulte gave Poe’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “That’s a very good outcome.”

Dr. Schulte turned and waved her key card. The door parted, then closed behind her. Poe walked back into Grey’s suite. Her eyes were closed. Her chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm. Poe stood by the bed for a minute, just staring at her face.