Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 5

There was a nurse taking her vitals when they returned to Jeanie's room. "I'll be just another minute longer, officers." She said. "I'm glad that our mysterious guest has woken up, but she won't tell me her name." She finished up with the vitals and turned to the trio in the doorway. "Can you tell me? I mean we ought to have a name for her file."  The nurse stood with her hands on her hips, trying not to be threatening, but knowing it probably came off that way. "Can you give us a clue?"

"I can't do that," the captain squinted his eyes to look at the badge the nurse had on a lanyard around her neck. "But here's what we can do, Melanie." He gave her some quick instructions about security and maybe helping the patient get a shower and wash her hair sometime soon.

"I can do that. I was also going to ask her if she'd like some help right before you returned."

Seth looked around the nurse at his niece. She nodded frantically.

"I think she would like that, Melanie," Sally interjected. "I am going to go to the gas station and get some shampoo and stuff. No offense, but my last hospital stay, when I had my appendix removed, was stained by the unpleasant provided products." She smiled at Melanie, and then at Jeanie. "Ms. Doe, is that okay with you?"

"I would love to brush my teeth." Jeanie smiled a meek little smile.

"That settles everything, then." Captain Vanderson said. "Thank you, Melanie."

"You're welcome. If there's anything else I can do, let me know." She said as she picked up her tote and oxygen reader and left the room.

It never ceased to amaze him how he could always turn the situation around and make it about the patient and not the hospital any more. But they'd have to know. He'd have them send her bill to his home so he could settle. It would be expensive, but this was something he had to do.

"Thanks, Uncle Seth." Jeanie said as he smiled ad her. "I was trying to figure out how to get Melanie to leave. I think they're going to send someone again at least two more times today. And they've done it every six or eight hours I've been asleep, huh?"

"Yup." Sally said. "I'll bet they were in here not too long before you woke up." She smiled at Jeanie. "I'll be back soon, Jeanie. What kind of tooth paste do you like?"

"You'd really do that for me?

"Like I said. Hospital supplies are cheap." She patted Jeanie's hand. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Go with her, Heath."

"What?"

"Go with Loveridge. She knows a thing or two, despite being a junior. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from her."

"I doubt beauty products are of consequence at all, Sir." He scoffed again.

"Haven't you learned anything, Detective?" Jeanie said. "Beauty products can tell the world a world about a person. Ever seen Legally Blonde? 'Saved by a perm!'"

Uncle Seth laughed and Heath rolled his eyes.

"Unbelievable," Heath said as he followed his partner out the door.

"Are they gone yet?" Seth asked, not turning around.

Jeanie looked past her uncle for a few seconds. "YYYYYYYYes." She exaggerated. "They're gone now. I can't tell you how excited I am to brush my teeth." She said. "I can't tell you how excited I am to have real food at dinner time, either!"

"Yeah." Seth sat in the chair next to the bed. The one Sally had been sitting in earlier. "Listen, Jeanie." He started and she drew all her attention to her uncle. "You're going to be discharged soon and you're going to stay with Sally for a few days. You can't go home, and you can't contact your mother."