chapter 69

word count: 1712

as the car pulled up alongside adam and elliot, gil rolled down the window.. “hey guys, remember me?” he asked,, not quite sure they would be able to recognize him,, since the last time either of them had met up with him, he had been deep undercover.. 

both elliot and adam just stared blankly into the car.. sure they recognized him.. he was the homeless guy that had saved them from that crazy man that night at the dairy queen,, the last time they had tried to run away,, and the same guy that had taken the handgun away from adam that day in the vacant lot.. though neither really knew how this guy seemed to step in and spoil any plans they had made for themselves,, both of them seemed to realize he was here to do just that.. 

both of their annoyance showed in their eyes,, as they glared silently at gil..

“hey adam!!” hank called out from the passenger’s seat. 

adam lifted his heavy gaze off gil,, and looked straight through him,, when he heard hank’s familiar voice.. 

“hey uncle hank.” adam said emotionlessly,, as elliot took a step back from the car,, crossed his arms and gave a disgusted look skyward.. 

“just got a call from the hospital,” hank continue,, “your dad is out of the woods and really wants to see you.”

adam took a step back,, and joined elliot a safe distance from the car.. his body language said it all. he had no desire to go see his father.

“hop in guys, “ gil persuaded them, “we’ll give you a ride over there.”

“we’re busy.” elliot stated matter of factly,, as he shot adam a look that said he was not at all interested in going to the hospital to see his dad.. after all,, they were running away from the guy.. why would they want to go see him??

“no thanks.” said adam flatly. clearly reading elliot’s expression,, and feeling much the same himself..

“that wasn’t an invitation,,” gil said sternly.. “you two get in the car.” he motioned toward the back seat.. 

both boys sighed audibly,, but complied.. neither of them spoke a word the whole way to the hospital.. 

gil slid the unmarked car into the red zone in front of the new albany medical center,, and turned over his full access parking pass on the dash.. 

“let’s go.” he ordered the boys,, as hank trying to keep the mood light added, “let’s do this for your dad, huh adam?? he misses you.. you’re all he’s got. it will mean a lot to him.. ”

with a quick flash of the badge at the seventh floor nurses’ station,, the two detectives with the two, visibly reluctant boys in tow,,  proceeded down the hall,, and into buzz’s room.. 

“adam!! buddy!! am i glad to see you!!” buzz exclaimed, when he saw adam come around the drawback privacy curtain following a somber looking hank and gil.. 

“com’ere you!! let me get a look at ya!” buzz beamed,, as he motioned for adam to come to his bedside.. 

clearly outnumbered, adam approached cautiously..  buzz reached out and tousled his over grown red hair.. 

“sure is good to see  you. for a minute there,, i was afraid i would never see you again.” buzz said in a tone of genuine sincerity.. 

hank put a firm hand on elliots shoulder.. elliot visibly tensed.. 

“wadda ya say we go get something to drink,, and leave these two alone?? “ hank said as he gently guided elliot toward the door.. 

“good idea!” gill chimed in. “i’ve got a phone call or two to make anyway..”

“back in a few.” hank called back over his shoulder,, as the three of them exited the room, leaving adam and buzz alone behind the drawn curtain..

when they reached the hospital cafeteria,, and elliot was significantly engrossed in a large strawberry shake,, gil placed a quick call to detective decker at weston memorial to explain the fact that he had been momentarily side tracked,, and ensure him that he was on his way,, asap.

at the same time,, hank was placing a call to the hunt family home, to inform them of the fact that they had elliot and adam at new albany general,, and needed either john or trudy to come pick them up,,  as soon as possible as he and gil had official business to attend to.. 

john picked the phone up on the first ring. 

“hello!” he barked into the phone,, the panic evident in his tone of voice.

“mr. hunt, john i belive it is? “ started hank.

“yes, yes it’s me..” john hurridly responded.

“this is hank bower,, you know,, lisa’s father??

“oh my god hank, am i glad to hear your voice.. it’s elliot!! it’s adam!! they cleared out of here this morning before breakfast,, and i have been unable to locate them since.. i am frantic!!” john cried out into the phone..

“calm down, calm down.. “ hank admonished with an authoritative overtone, “i’ve got them both right here, at new albany general..”

john cut him off mid-sentence.. “ the hospital?? oh my god,, are they alright?? what happened??”

“they are fine, john, just fine.. just brought adam around to see his dad.. buzz is out of his coma and was anxious to see adam,, so when gil and i came across the two of them downtown,, we gave them a ride up here.”

“oh, thank god!!” john exclaimed.. “i was worried sick!”

“the reason i am calling is that gil and i , you remember detective bettencourt don’t you?? well,, gill and i have some urgent business in weston,, and we are gonna have to take off,, which leaves the boys here unattended.."

“i will be right there!” john said hurriedly,, as he and hank said a quick good bye,, and he dashed out the door.. 

trudy,, who was upstairs putting on her make-up and having her fifth cocktail of the day, was oblivious to the fact that he had even left the house.. john was half way to the hospital before he even realized he had left in such a panic,, he had forgotten to inform her that he had located the boys.. a part of him couldn’t help but wonder if she would have even cared,, had he done so..   

gil checked his watch.. precious time was getting away from them.. they had to get on they move.. after all he had tied up detective deckers time long enough as it was,, and it was imperative that he speak to him.. after all,, leichtenstein had committed the original crime,, that of abducting little simon learnagel, on gil’s home turf,, and it was vital that he and detective decker come to terms as to what agency was going to take lead in the investigation.. 

“wadda ya say we grab adam a shake,, and head back up to the room elliot?” hank suggested as he rose to his feet.  

“i just talked to your dad,, and he is on his way to pick you guys up when adam is finished visiting with his dad.”

taking a long suck on his straw, elliot looked up at hank, and shrugged his shoulders.

the three of them snagged a shake for adam,, and made their way to the elevator.. as they waited,, a familiar voice piped up from behind them..

“bower? bettencourt? what the hell are you two doing here??” queried a confused detective mick johnson, the “idiot” that had been assigned as gil’s partner in hanks absence.. 

“hey johnson!!” gil chimed, as the realization that johnson just might report the fact that he had hank in tow on departmental time to the chief,, hit him like a lead brick..

“just dropping the bosses kid off.. buzz finally came out of his coma,, and was anxious to see his kid. he’s up stairs with him now.. ” gil reported,, hoping that the fact that he was acting in the best interest of the boss would sidetrack any notion johnson might have had of turning him in,, even though,, delivering the bosses kid was not exactly official police business either.. 

“so what brings you around?” gil queried. “you here to see the boss?”

“no, man,, wish i was.. truth of the matter is, mrs dunn, the bosses house keeper had to be bussed in here earlier today..  looks like another  poisoning..” johnson grimly informed gil. 

“we have a crimes scene unit combing the miller house as we speak,, trying to piece this thing together..” johnson informed him.

“glad to hear you have the boy here,, we have been looking for him.. he needs to be tested immediately,, as the source of the poison is definitely in that house,, and there is little chance he has not been exposed.”

“whoa!!” gil  exclaimed, as hank shot him a worried look.

“we are on our way back up to the room now.” hank interjected. “you’re more than welcome to come along.”

“i’ve got to finish the prelim on the housekeeper.” johnson stated. “and then i’ll be up. room 704 isn’t it?”

“yeah it is.” gil said as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened in front of them.

“we’ll keep an eye on him until you finish up.” gil assured det. johnson as they stepped into the elevator.. 

“i’ve got to make another call.” gil informed hank as the elevator ascended.. “gotta let decker know i will be further delayed.. dammit!!”

“i got this gil.” hank assured him. “you go ahead without me.. i don’t want johnson reporting this back to the commish,, i’m still fighting for my job here.”

“yeah, yeah, i guess you are right.” gil said shaking his head in agreement. “getting out of here without informing johnson or the boss that we are on our way to take leichtenstein down  together could prove to be a little more than awkward.”

as the elevator doors opened at the seventh floor,, hank and elliot exited.. 

“keep me in the loop!” hank called out to gil as the doors closed and gil began his descent.

as hank and elliot entered room 704,, an unsettling sound was emanating from behind the drawn curtain.. it was buzz sobbing.. pleading with adam to give him another chance..