The hospital called Gael about a half hour after they'd set out for Edmonton. Expecting the call, he'd put his phone in it's mount on the dash, so he could use it hands free. “This is Dr Michael Chang from University Hospital. I work in the Intensive Care Unit. We have your daughter, Marissa, up here now.”

“How is she doing?” Gael asked. He had been speeding, but he let up on the gas a bit so that he could talk without losing control of the car.

“I always feel that honesty is best.” Both Gael and Irene held their breath, anticipating the worst. “She is in bad shape. She's gone septic, do you know what that is?”

“Yes, we do. It's life threatening, isn't it?”

“It can be if not treated early, yes. Your daughter's lab work shows she's still in the first stage, but moving toward the second of three stages. We have her on multiple intravenous antibiotics and are hopeful that she will recover. She's also on IV fluids as she was dehydrated when she was brought in. She's obviously been beaten up - there are bruises all over her and there are broken bones in her hand and wrist. Did you know that she has had a nephrostomy?”

“Yes, she had that here. She's supposed to have the kidney removed as she has cancer but her insurance won't cover removal outside the USA. She was at our family farm in Canada when the blockage happened. They did this as the cheapest way to deal with it until she has her surgery.”

“When is the surgery to happen?” the doctor asked.

“Next Friday.”

“I'm afraid that will have to wait until she recovers from this. She wouldn't be able to handle anesthesia right now. I can call her oncologist if you like and let him or her know. Now, you may know that attitude plays a key role in a patient's recovery. Marissa seems to have lost the will to live and that is not good.”

“What makes you say she's lost the will to live?” Irene asked, then added “I'm her mother, Irene.”

“The ER physician tells me that Marissa told her she didn't want treatment, that she wants to die.” Both of her parents gasped. “Dr Chantu assessed that she wasn't competent as she was out of it a lot of the time, so she initiated life saving treatment as we are required to do by law. We're going to have someone from Psychiatry see her later and if he or she makes the same determination, her next of kin - that would be you - would have power of attorney over her care.”

“Dr Chang”, Gael said, “you have our permission to do whatever you need to do for her. We are on our way to the airport in Edmonton and we will be in Syracuse just before 9:00 your time tonight. Can we come to the hospital that late?”

“Absolutely. We don't have set visiting hours here. We find the patients do better if they can have loved ones visit at any time, including at night. Before I go, would you mind saying a few words to her? It might help give her a will to live.”

“Oh, yes, we would like to do that!” Irene exclaimed. “She has been through a lot in the last few years, that probably has something to do with how she feels.”

“I'm on my way to her room, I'll put it on speaker so both of you can talk to her.”

“Hi baby”, Gael said when Dr Chang set his phone down on the table beside Marissa's bed. “Can you hear me?”

Marissa stirred. “Daddy?” she said in a low voice, almost a whisper.

“Yes, honey, it's me. Your mother is here, too.”

“Hi Marissa”, Irene broke in. “We're on our way to the hospital to see you. We'll be there tonight.”

“Rissa, you need to fight to live”, Gael said. “We love you and we'd be devastated if you don't come home to us. Charlie misses you, too. He won't stop bellowing.”

“Charlie?” Marissa mumbled. “Miss Charlie.”

“I know you do, honey”, Irene said. “You need to get better so you can come home and see him.”

“And baby, we found Braxton.” Gael had been waiting for the right time to tell her. If the thought of seeing Charlie and Braxton again didn't give her the will to live, he didn't know what would.

“Braxton?” her voice was a bit clearer now. “Is he mad at me?”

“No, honey, he's not. He wants to see you. Logan lied. He was so upset when he found out that we didn't know where you were.”

“Want to see Braxton.”

“I know, Rissa. I'm going to call him and let him know. He might call you, okay? You hang in there, sweetie. We'll see you tonight.”

Dr Chang took the phone off speaker. “I don't know who Braxton is but when you said you'd found him, Marissa opened her eyes wide and looked about as excited as she can look in her condition.”

“Braxton is a friend of hers she lost track of. She's been missing him terribly.”

“He just may be the key to Marissa's recovery. I'm off duty now and have the next few days off, but your daughter is in good hands here. I'll text you the phone number at the desk, you can call any time to get an update on her.”

“Thank you, Dr Chang”, Irene said to him. “If Braxton wants to speak to her, is that okay?”

“Yes, absolutely. I think, given what you have said and the reaction I saw in her when you told her you'd found him, it would be good for her to hear his voice. Maybe at some time, a video chat could be set up. I will tell the desk to put him through to her if he calls.”

“Also”, Gael said “it's okay to give him information on Marissa and how she is doing. I will call her oncologist as well. He may want to talk to the doctor on duty.”

“Give me their full names and I'll leave word.”

When they'd ended the call, Gael and Irene sat in silence for a few minutes. Irene was crying. Gael pulled over and stopped the car to reach over the centre console to give her a hug. “It's going to be okay, Reenie, it just has to be.” They said a prayer for their daughter before continuing on.

“It's still too early to call Braxton”, Gael said as he drove off the shoulder and onto the road. “I'll call him before we board - it will still be early his time but I think he'd rather I wake him up than wait until after noon when we land in Toronto.”

Gael made the 2 1/2 hour trip in an hour and three quarters, including the time he spent stopped. He'd always had a heavy foot but usually managed to keep it in check. This time, he didn't even try as they were supposed to be at the airport two hours before the flight was to take off since their ultimate destination was international. He knew they wouldn't make it until less than two hours before takeoff, but he hoped that if the airport staff gave them a hard time, they would soften up upon learning where they were going and why. Neither he or Irene had a tendency to use a family tragedy or illness to get something - and they had instilled this in their children, but this time he would make an exception.

The Brennans were in luck and had no problem with airport staff. It was still pretty early in the morning and the flight was only half full. They were about 25 minutes late by the time they got parked in the long term parking lot and walked to the terminal. After picking up their tickets, the couple checked their luggage and went through security before getting coffee from a kiosk that was the first to open for the day. They found a table with stools up against a window and sat down to drink their java. Gael called Braxton. It was 5:30am Pacific time. Braxton answered on the second ring.

“I'm sorry to wake you, Braxton”, Gael said.

“You didn't wake me, Gael. I've been up for a while - I couldn't sleep. Have you heard from Marissa?” He was almost afraid to hear the answer. The last time he couldn't sleep, which was a few days ago, she was abducted from her home.

“Yes, we heard from the FBI. Marissa was taken to a hospital in Syracuse, New York late last night.”

“Do I dare ask?”, Braxton said, almost in a whisper.

“She's alive, Braxton.”

“Oh, thank God.” His feeling of relief was short lived, though.

“However, she's in bad shape.” Gael told him everything he knew about his daughter's condition and what had happened to her, including the fact that Marissa had said she wanted to die.

“Good Lord”, Braxton said when he'd finished. “She's had her share of beatings. What are her chances of recovering from the sepsis?”

“Dr Chang said that he felt she has a decent chance if she gets back the will to live. I'm sure that, as a therapist, you know how important that is.”

“I do. Is there anything I can do? I'd like to come see her as soon as I can, if that is all right with you.”

“Braxton, it's more than all right with us. We think that would be very beneficial for Marissa.”

“I will look into flights as soon as we hang up.”

“There's something else you can do for us or should I say for Marissa, if you will.”

“Anything, Gael. What is it?”

“Could you call the hospital and talk to her for a minute or two? So she can hear your voice. I think it would help a lot.”

“I sure can. Do you have a number?”

“Yes, and they have my permission as Marissa's next of kin to talk to you and update you on her condition.” He gave Braxton the number of the ICU nursing station. “I'll also give you the email address I use on my phone. We can't use our phones for calls in flight, but we can use the plane's wi fi for internet. If you're on Facebook, friend Irene and she can update you there, too. I'm not on social media.” Irene was nodding her consent. “I'm going to call Gideon Maynard on our layover in Toronto, but if you have time to call him, I'd appreciate that. The hospital has our permission to speak with him, too. He was really upset when I called to tell him she was missing. Oh, they are calling for our flight to board. Gotta go, let me know when you'll be getting to Syracuse.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Braxton hung up and dialed the number Gael had given him. The clerk who answered verified that they had permission to speak to him and to let him talk to Marissa. She gave him the number of the ward's cell phone, which they used to let patients talk to their families. The doctor on duty, Derrick Gaines, answered and spoke with him while he walked to Marissa's room. “She is in critical condition”, he confirmed, “but she's holding her own. Dr Chang said she perked up when her father told her he'd spoken with you, so maybe hearing your voice will help even further. She slipped back into not caring after he had hung up. At least she isn't getting worse, but she needs to fight.”

“I'm a psychologist so I know the importance of having a will to live”, Braxton replied. “I hope I can help her get that back.”

The ICU physician was now in her room and he set the phone on speaker on the table, pulling it as close to her head as he could. “Marissa”, he said “are you awake?” She mumbled something unintelligible. “Marissa, someone wants to speak to you. Go ahead”, he said to Braxton.

“Marissa, do you know who this is?” Braxton asked.

There was silence for a moment. Then “B-Braxton?”

“Yes, honey, it's me. Gosh, I've missed you!” Braxton was thrilled that she recognized his voice.

“Miss you so much”, she said, barely audible.

“Honey, I'm coming to see you as soon as I can get a flight out of here. How does that sound?”

“Yes. Want to see you.” Her sentences were a bit stunted, but Braxton felt that was the least of her problems.

Dr Gaines broke in. “No, Marissa, you can't sit up yet. Let me raise your head.”

“Is she all right?” Braxton asked with concern.

“She's trying to sit up. I think she's excited about the prospect of you coming. She needs to rest now, though.”

“Is she in pain, doctor?” Marissa barely nodded her head.

“She is indicating she is”, the doctor said as he picked up the phone and took it off speaker. “I'll order some more medication.”

“How is her condition? Her father said he gave permission for you to tell me.”

“Yes, he did. She's critical. She has sepsis as well as a kidney infection and we think she's getting pneumonia. The antibiotics should stop that from progressing. I think the doctor that brought her in saved her life. Apparently, he had given her IV fluids and tried to drain the urine from her blocked kidney. I don't know where she was, only that someone was trying to kill her by keeping her there without treating her issues. Without those fluids, though, she very well might have been too far gone by the time he was able to get her out.”

“I'm not normally a violent man, Doctor, but I would like to get my hands on the person who wanted her dead.”

“You seem to care very deeply for Marissa.”

“I do.”

“I look forward to meeting you when you get here.”

Braxton went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked 10 years older than he was. Hopefully, that would improve once Marissa started getting better - IF she got better. He relieved himself, then went to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee. As he no longer had Dr Maynard's number, he had to look the oncologist's office number up online. It was too early for him to be in, but he called and left a message for him to call as soon as he could. Then he looked up flights to Syracuse. The earliest that he found an empty seat on departed at 10:45 and got in at 9:39pm with one layover. He booked it. Since it was a domestic flight, he only had to be there an hour in advance, so he had about three hours to get there. It would take the best part of an hour in LA traffic.

Braxton called work and left a message on his department head's voicemail explaining where he was going and why and asking that a substitute teacher take his classes as he didn't know when he'd be back. He said he'd put the lessons and papers he had at home in a knapsack in a box that he used for Amazon deliveries, but he'd keep it unlocked so that someone from the university could come and get them.

When he knew his neighbour would be up, he called Fernando and asked him to keep an eye on his place for him. Fernando had a key so he could come in and water his plants if he was gone long enough for them to need it. He could also bring his mail in.

Braxton was on his way to the airport when Gideon Maynard returned his call. He put his phone on hands free. “Braxton!” Gideon exclaimed. “People have been trying to find you!”

“So I've heard. Apparently, my friend Logan wasn't really my friend. I've dealt with him and I won't be talking to him again.”

“You said in your message you were calling about Marissa. Unfortunately, I don't know where she is. She went home to her family but she's been kidnapped.”

“I know, Gideon. I was calling to tell you she's been found.”

“She has? Is she okay?”

“No, she isn't okay. I'm on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Syracuse.” He went on to tell Marissa's oncologist what he knew. He gave him the ICU's number and told him that medical staff had Gael Brennan's permission to speak with him about her. “Gael is going to call you on their layover in Toronto, sometime after 12 noon local time.”

“How did the Cartel get her? They went to the house a few weeks ago but the security system Gael installed alerted them to people walking up their laneway so they were able to get prepared and get the upper hand.”

“I don't know the details but he said something about her being drugged with ether or some similar substance while she was with her steer”, Braxton replied.

“I'm surprised Charlie didn't intervene. He head butted one into the air the first time the Cartel tried to get to the family.”

“They drugged him, he was found staggering and the blood work their veterinarian ran showed a high level of a strong sedative.”

“Marissa and Charlie have quite the bond. He's protective of her, I'm sure they didn't want to deal with an enraged bovine. I'm glad they just drugged him and didn't kill him. That would have devastated Marissa.”

“I'm surprised she didn't say much about him in Denver.” This baffled Braxton.

“It could be it was too painful to think about, knowing that she couldn't go back. Braxton, if you ever go to the farm - and I'm sure you will - you have to meet Charlie. He's so big, but oh so gentle with her. He even lets her ride him.”

“How does she get up?”

“He lies down and when she's on his back, he gets up. Her horses are trained to do the same thing when she wants to ride.”

“That is something I definitely have to see! You talk as if you've been there.”

“I have. The Brennans invited the wife, daughter and I to go for the Canadian Thanksgiving in October. We had a lovely time.”

“Did you get to see the family dynamic?”

“Oh, yes. They are very close. The younger children are so well behaved - they have 3 fosters right now whom they are planning to adopt. Irene and Gael thrive on a full house. You should see their meal times, it's organized chaos. They joke around and tease each other among the serious chat. And I got to see how they milk their cows, Marissa showed me. I only knew that milk comes from cows - I knew nothing about the details of keeping them. She helps, too, believe it or not. She only needs one hand to attach the milking machines and they detach themselves when the udder is dry. If Marissa pulls through, you have to go for a visit.”

“She has to pull through, Gideon. She just has to.” Braxton couldn't bear the thought of any other outcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gael and Irene finally arrived in Syracuse. They rented a car and drove to the hospital without even checking into a hotel - they'd do that later. Their first priority was seeing Marissa. They found the night physician on duty at the ICU nursing station. Dr Aaron Galloway introduced himself. “How is our daughter doing?” Gael asked him.

“Her condition hasn't changed. She's still critical, but holding her own. She's been asking for someone named 'Braxton' all day.”

“He's on his way. His plane should be landing very soon. Can we see her?”

“Of course. Come this way.” Dr Galloway led them to Marissa's room. He stepped aside and let them enter.

Irene gasped and put her hand over her mouth when she saw her daughter. Marissa was lying on her side facing the door. Her eyes were closed. A nasal oxygen cannula was helping her breathe easier while her lungs healed from the pneumonia that had tried to take hold. Her left arm was on top of the blankets, resting on a pillow with her hand and wrist immobilized. She could see bruising on Marissa's arm and neck. Multiple IV bags were running into her, delivering fluids and strong antibiotics. Two catheter collection bags hung from the bottom of the bed - one from her kidney and the other from her bladder.

“Be strong, Reenie”, Gael whispered in her ear. “Rissa needs us.”

Irene nodded and approached the bed. She knew her husband was shocked, too. “Marissa, honey”, she said quietly. “It's Mama. We're here.”

Marissa opened her eyes. “M-Mama”, she said.

Gael stepped into her line of vision. “Rissa, baby”, he choked out. He was trying to be strong as he'd told his wife to be, but what he saw was making it very difficult. God help me, he thought. I want to kill the bastards who did this.

“Daddy. You came.”

“Of course we did, honey. We got here as soon as we could.” Irene brushed the hair away from Marissa's face. She couldn't hold her daughter's hand as it had an IV in it and the other one was broken.

“Ch-Charlie?” She asked. “How is Charlie?” She was speaking slowing and deliberately, as if it was major effort to get each word out.

“Charlie is fine, Rissa. He was drugged, but he has recovered. He misses you.” Gael brought the only chair in the room over for Irene to sit on.

“Braxton called me.”

“Yes, he told us. His plane should be landing now. He will be here shortly. He can't wait to see you.” Marissa smiled and he saw what he thought might be a small twinkle in her eyes. Gael looked at his watch. “Reenie, I'm going to go pick Braxton up so he doesn't have to rent a car. I'll be back with Braxton, Rissa. You visit with your mother.”

Gael exited the room and headed for the elevator. He took his phone out and called Braxton, not sure if he'd have it off airplane mode yet or not. Braxton picked it up on the second ring. “Braxton, it's Gael Brennan. I take it you've landed.”

“Yes, I just got off. I'll get my suitcase and hail a cab to the hospital.”

“Don't waste your money. We rented a car. I'm on my way to get you.”

Fifteen minutes later, Gael entered the airport. He drove up to the main entrance. There was a man standing just inside the door with a suitcase. He wondered if it was Braxton. It occurred to him that he had no idea what Marissa's friend looked like. He stopped and got out of the car. The man came outside, looking at him. “Braxton?” Gael asked.

“Yes. You must be Gael.” They man-hugged and he said “It's good to finally meet you, though I hate the circumstances that brought us here.”

Gael found room in the trunk for Braxton's baggage and they got in. As they pulled out of the airport parking lot, he said “I hope you had a good flight.”

“It was all right, but I was preoccupied with Marissa. How is she?”

“She's holding her own. She perked up when we told her you were on your way. She thinks a lot of you, Braxton.”

“I think a lot of her, Gael. It makes me sick thinking she was trying to find me and Logan was telling her I wanted nothing to do with her.”

“I'm glad we finally found you, thanks to our former babysitter. It was looking like we'd never find you.”

“Normally, the staff are listed on the University's website, but the person who keeps the site updated has been on maternity leave. Her replacement has to keep up with her regular job plus this other one and fell behind. My page is up now. Had it been up when Marissa searched for me, she likely would have found it.”

“You're here now and that is what matters. Braxton, try not to be too surprised when you see her. Irene and I were shocked.” He told Braxton what to expect when he walked into Marissa's room, finishing as he pulled up to the hospital's entrance. “You go on up, I'll park the car.” He told him how to get to the ICU.

Braxton got off the elevator and entered the ICU. He approached the nursing station. “I'm Braxton Jagger”, he introduced himself to the lone nurse at the desk. “I'm here to visit Marissa Brennan.”

“Room 504, right over there”, the nurse pointed out the room.

“Thank you.” He walked over to the room and stepped through the doorway.