Chapter Fourteen
Teddy entered the hospital room and stifled a gasp. Harry had called to inform Ric that Everett Gilbert's wife, Deborah, had been admitted with a broken arm, bruised ribs, and a black eye, but Teddy was unprepared for the woman's ravaged appearance. In addition to the purple-and-blue discoloration of the shiner, a spiderweb of lacerations crossed her face. Her hair was matted where a large cut had bled.
Hushed voices and the squeak of rubber-soled shoes filtered into the room from the hallway. The sterile antiseptic air was palpable. A nurse stood by the bed taking the patient's pulse. She turned at the sound of their footsteps and spoke in a whisper, “Mrs. Gilbert needs her rest.”
“We understand.” Ric spoke in hushed tones. “We'll only be a few moments.”
The nurse fro
