Vanished!

Chapter 8 - The Reunion

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Colonel Johnson. She is the primary care physician for Agent Percy. She was there when they got her to the aircraft carrier and conducted the initial assessment of her body and injuries

"I want to take the time to get to know all three of you. You have a strong woman in there. She has fought hard to live. Throughout her time with me she mumbled the names Liam and Chris and I thought something about a mouse." In spite of the seriousness of the situation that brought a smile to my face as I witnessed the confused look on Dr. Johnson's face.

"I think the social worker already told you about her injuries. She's hooked up to several machines to help her body heal. I don't know how responsive that she will be but one of my hopes is that hearing familiar voices will bring her closer to coming out of her unconscious state of mind. I had asked that someone bring recordings of her child." LaSalle raises his hand. "You will see how I will use them as we proceed."

"So let's go in. If you feel the need to leave just do it, I won't judge you. I'm sorry but the CIA operative will also need to come into the room with you. We'll start with about ten minutes and try to let you in every hour. Are you ready?"

"No we weren't." Here was my beautiful Sonja nearly a heap of flesh. I let her mom go to the bed ahead of me. She couldn't take it and immediately left the room with me and the social worker right behind her. I pulled her into an embrace and let her cry what Percy would describe as an 'ugly cry'. The social worker finally caught my eye and beckoned me to let her comfort her.

This allowed me to return to Percy's side. I stand there and look her over from head to toe. There were deep bruises on her face. Her left eye had a patch over it. We were told that her nose and several ribs were broken. Both arms were in splints. Her left leg was in a cast and elevated. Her right leg had bandages wrapped around it. She had lost so much weight that she looked like a little girl.

Sonja's sister asked them if they could wash her hair. I thought than odd request until a few days later when I saw her combing and braiding Sonja's hair.

I wanted to hold her hand but I was afraid that I would hurt her somehow.

We decided that we would sit in shifts so that someone was always in the room with her. Her sister had brought a quilt from her bed and laid it on her. I placed pictures of Liam around the room and in the bathroom where she could see them. Tammy had packed some photos from New Orleans that I also put out. I plugged in an I-pad and played some old recordings that I had loaded. Sebastian had put some software on my phone that allowed us to skype on her TV. The CIA operative frowned at that but I looked at him and sarcastically said 'you can always pull the plug'.

We talked to her continually making sure that every hour there were at least two minutes of sound that was that of Liam babbling, trying to talk and even crying. It was one night during a crying jag of his that brought her back to us. "Liam" she said softly, "Liam, where's my baby? Liam" Her mom was at her bed immediately. "Baby it's momma, I'm here. That was a recording of Liam. He's in New Orleans with Pride. Come on Sonja, wake up baby".

The nurse came in and woke me up out of a dead sleep. "What's wrong" I said with a great start. "We think she's trying to wake up Agent LaSalle." I could hardly get my shoes on and was nearly shouting her name as soon as I came through the door. " Sonja its Chris. I need you to open your eyes. Come on City Mouse, try harder. Come back to us please. Your baby needs you." Slowly her eyes crept open just a crack. "Come on Sonja" I repeated. Just then her doctor burst into the room. "Agent Percy I need you to find the light. I know you can do it. Open your eyes. Do you see the light?" "Hurts" I heard her say. "Okay" Colonel Johnson says "open your eyes and find the light on the wall." She motions to the nurse to turn the overhead lights off. "Look Sonja. Open your eyes and look for the light." Finally she did. I could see her looking around the room but not saying a word.