All Aboard Andi's Dream

© 2024 Duleigh Lawrence-Townshend. All rights reserved. The author asserts the right to be identified as the author of this story for all portions. All characters are original. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This story or any part thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review or commentary.

All Aboard Andi's Dream

Chapter 12

Autumn Adagio

Frank Rosetti intended to follow Andi and deal with her privately. He watched that mansion all evening long and followed them as they left on Sunday Morning. He saw her and her husband enter the church with the twins and her mother. Maybe he could take care of her and that bitch mother of hers. He eased his Bowie knife with an 8.75 inch blade that was honed to a razor's edge out of the sheath and admired it. He waited in the Toyota and made his plans. He figured as the people came out, he could slide up to her and slide the knife between her ribs, then a few jabs in her mother and a few more in the surrounding folks to cause an uproar, then escape into the panicked crowd. He waited by the door, and she didn't come out. He watched every person come out until the crowd dissipated, but he didn't see her.

She must have gone out a back way!

Frank returned to his rented Toyota and then he saw her coming out of the church. She wasn't with her mother; she was with that cunt, Lucy! Frank hated "that damn Jew bitch," as he called her. And she was there at a Christian church... they'll let anyone in. Something inside of Frank snapped. He focused on Andi as she and Lucy chattered in the middle of the driveway under the overhang. He'll never have another chance, and he hit the gas.

John and Macy were brimming with joy and excitement for their friends, Lucy and Gus, and they were looking forward to meeting with them after the service. John was almost in tears. He was so happy for their friends. Gus Didomissio was the first congregant that John and Macy met when they first came to Springville Congregational in response to a request for an interview. He was also the first congregant they counseled over the loss of a loved one. He had lost his wife shortly before they were hired. And now, so long after the horrible passing of his wife due to cancer, Gus had found love again. And they were so perfect for each other. Both were highly intelligent people, and both had a passionate love for hot cars. Lucy loved to run, swim, and bike, and Gus loved acting as her trainer. The issue that concerned John and Macy was that Gus was a devout Christian and Lucy was a devoutly agnostic Jew.

Then John heard an engine revving, and he looked. It was that beige Toyota Corolla that he and Macy saw after their last dinner at Giardini's with Paul and Andi. Now it was roaring across the lawn and was bearing down on Andi. John didn't think about the consequences when he dove for her. "ANDI!" he shouted, and the little blond turned the wrong way. She never saw the car bearing down on her. John reached her a split second before the car did and he shoved her.

Frank barreled across the lawn toward the front door of the church. He bounced over the rock garden that lined the driveway and headed right toward that fat blond. Pregnant again? Probably. Frank glanced to the right and saw that tall doctor that she married. He was staring at him and holding the twins by the hands. Frank felt something hit the Toyota hard and a bump as he ran over something, and he headed for the exit. There was another rock garden on the other side of the doorways, and he was thrown to the steering wheel as the Toyota hit the rock garden and hung up on a large rock.

Andi didn't understand what was going on. She had been making wedding plans with Lucy and Lucy said, "Hang on, I have to give Gus his bible." Lucy turned to give Gus his bible when John started screaming at Andi. Both Lucy and Andi thought, "what was wrong with John?" He dove and shoved Andi hard and knocked her to the ground just as a car that Andi never saw roared by. John had pushed her out of the way, mostly. She felt a blinding pain in her left ankle as the car ran over her. But John was in front of the car and was hit hard. Andi saw him sail through the air and hit the driveway, then bounce and roll to a stop. Through her pain addled mind, it reminded her of Madeline's Strawberry Shortcake doll and how it flops around when she throws it.

Macy saw her husband dive forward and push Andi, but what Macy will see in her horror filled nightmares was John's body bouncing off the front of the car, then he was airborne, then he hit the ground and rolled on the pavement like a discarded rag doll. And then he was deathly still.

Then the screaming started.

Dr. Lucy Kocis, known to her interns as the "Queen of the ER," immediately went into fighting mode. Seeing Andi writhe in agony, she mentally marked Andi as "Injured, functional" and dashed over to John. "I'm here John, let me take a look at you."

Josh Gravely and Veronica von Köster were there too, if nothing else, to see the twins clowning Pastor John when he gave them their school backpacks in front of an audience. They had joined some conversations after the service and chatted until everyone was almost gone. Just as they stepped outside of the church, the Toyota roared past, and Josh saw Andi go down and John's body bounce off the car and fly to the curb.

Josh kept his eye on the Toyota. It was the same damn car that was outside of their house on Friday night, spying on Andi and Paul's house. Josh had already begun running after the Toyota as the driver tried to negotiate the curving driveway back into the parking lot, but his right front wheel got hung up in the rock garden. The Toyota got pulled onto the rocks, and was soon over-centered on huge rocks placed there by Gus when he built the church. Frank was stuck.

Josh had no skill in healing human bodies, but he was very good at busting them up, so he sprinted toward the Toyota.

All the time this was going on, Paul was frozen in horror. He held the twin's hands as they squealed and screamed for their mommy. His mind went blank as the world churned and seethed around him. Macy's piercing, heart shattering shriek didn't even move him. Finally, Lucy's shout of "DOCTOR JARECKI! GET IN THE DAMN GAME!" did it.

As if he was waking from a deep sleep, Paul turned to his mother-in-law Heather. "Hold the twins," and he handed the twins to the horror-stricken woman. Then he turned to Veronica, who was brushing past him. He grabbed her arm and handed her his keys and said, "Go to my van and get my doctor's bag, it's right behind the driver's seat. We need it STAT!" Then he went and checked on Andi.

Josh ran up to the Toyota and recognized the driver. "Oh, it's you, the pervert. Wanna take some more pictures?"

The driver's window rolled down and Frank's arm extended, brandishing a snub-nose.38 caliber revolver. "Get back! I'll use it."

Josh didn't move. The door opened and Frank moved to get out and that's when Josh made his move. He grasped Frank's gun hand in a powerful grip and twisted hard. In agony, Frank dropped the pistol, but Josh didn't let go. He pulled Frank out of the car and with his right hand, Josh grabbed Frank's neck and squeezed hard while he drove his knee into Frank's testicles.

Frank realized he was in danger. Then Josh growled in his deep southern drawl, "I've killed hundreds of men with more fuckin' honor than you. I ain't going to blink when you die, you're just gonna be a shit stain on my boot."

Bob Alice, an off duty Town of Concord Police Department patrolman, a member of John's church for several years, ran up and flashed his badge. "You need to let him go."

"Ah was jus helpin' him outta his car officer."

"He's turning blue, you have to let him go."

"Iff'n I let him go he may pull another gun," said Josh as he gestured to Franks.38 laying on the rocks. "This here's the pervert that was taking pictures of Doctor Jarecki's house Friday night. We called it in and filed a complaint."

"I'm sure the detectives will be happy to hear about that." Officer Alice pulled his cellphone out and called the department requesting police and ambulance, but the sound of distant sirens told him that call had already been made.

Andi writhed in agony and when Paul said, "I'm here honey, we're going to be fine," she finally opened her eyes.

"Danny! He's hurt!"

"Why do you think he's hurt?" asked Paul as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a stethoscope, then shoved his bag over to Lucy.

"He's kicking hard, he's hurt!" she started wailing.

"Ok hold still, be quiet so I can hear what he's saying," Paul listened to Andi's heart and lungs first, and she sounded healthy there, he was worried about a broken rib puncturing a lung, then he pulled up her dress and placed the chest piece on her abdomen and for the first time he heard the heartbeat of his son without a sonogram's audio interference. His little heart was purring away fine, and it sounded like he was rolling around. Paul felt the little pushes he made against Andi's abdomen. Before, it was barely noticeable, but now these are fine and strong pushes. "He's ok, he's just worried about his mommy."

Paul turned to hand his stethoscope to Lucy, but Macy was crouched next to her, weeping and crying, "

Jean, s'il te plaît, réveille-toi!"

(John please wake up!)

"Macy," Paul said, calling her to him. He cupped her chin in his hand and gazed into her tear-filled eyes. In stuttering, broken French, he tried to console her. "

C'est bon, il sera chiot

" (It's ok, he'll be a puppy).

Realizing that he was trying to cheer her up but used the wrong words, she tearfully said, "I want a puppy."

"Let Lucy work, I need to finish Andi and then I can help him."

"

D'accord

," (ok) and Macy stayed back.

"Where does it hurt most?"

"My ankle," cried Andi.

Paul touched her twisted right ankle and she shrieked in agony. "Dr. Kosis, do you think I should immobilize her ankle or let the EMT's handle it?"

Lucy glanced over at her broken friend for just a moment and said, "Leave it for the EMTs. Can you help over here?"

Paul looked back over his shoulder and saw Heather and Yi, each one holding a hysterical twin. He gestured them to come over. "Do not touch her leg." Both women approached Andi, and the twins fought to get out of Heather and Yi's arms.

"Hug mommy gently," said Heather and she looked over at Lucy and Paul in horror. John's body was twisted like a tossed doll.

"Get the bleeder here, and over there," said Lucy, pointing to wounds on John's head.

"Can I move his neck?" asked Paul as he dug gauze and gauze bandage pads out of his bag. As he placed the bandages in place, John started whispering something. Paul bent down and listened closely, then sat up and said, "Stop Gus?"

Lucy looked concerned, then glanced over at the Toyota and saw Officer Alice and Josh holding Gus back from something. Gus was furious, and he was trying to get to the handcuffed driver of the Toyota. "Veronica!" yelled Lucy as she went back to her examination.

"Yes?" asked Veronica as she neared the scene.

"Go tell Gus I need his help right now."

Paul looked over his shoulder and saw that Gus was trying to get to Frank. Decades of carpentry made Gus powerfully strong. He'd break Frank's neck if he got his hands on him. "Veronica, tell him we both need him quickly. We need his help."

Moments later, Gus, who clearly was unhappy with not being able to kill Frank Rosetti, trotted up to Paul. "What do you need?"

"Go grab as many men as you can find and get a man's prayer group started, now. Tell Tammy Schatz to get the women's ministry praying too."

Gus looked a bit lost until Lucy said, "It's the best medicine we can come up with right now."

As Gus corralled the onlookers and moved them inside, police cars started showing up, followed by an emergency response vehicle, a fire truck, and an ambulance.

As the EMTs showed up, they said, "What do we have?"

"I have a fireman in my light!" snapped Lucy.

Veronica said, "That's Doctor Kocis, an ER doc from County and the VA, and that's Doctor Jarecki, he's a cardiologist."

"Two victims," started Paul. "Female victim, early thirties, initial examination revealed a fractured medial malleolus, talus, and calcaneus with possible fracture to the navicular, cuboid, and lateral cuneiform bones. She's six months pregnant and the fetus is viable." He looked up at the fireman and said, "Your life may depend on that fetus remaining viable."

"Paul, stop!" snapped Andi. "Let them do their jobs."

"Oh yeah, she's a doctor too. Listen to her," said Paul.

The EMTs grabbed equipment from their truck and an ambulance backed up to the scene. Paul backed away as Lucy began briefing the EMTs on John's condition. Paul realized that a quivering Macy was standing right next to him, so he took her in his arms, and she began crying on his shoulder.

"

Nous allons à l'hôpital

," said Paul softly. It was baby talk to Macy. He had told her, "We go hospital."

"Who taught you to speak French?" she muttered.

Paul actually learned from listening to Macy and John because they almost entirely speak French when they're together. "Chez Helen," said Paul, naming a French Canadian kids show he used to watch on video tape with John when he was a baby.

"Suzi mouse," groaned John. Suzi mouse was a puppet on the show that he particularly liked when he was a little guy.

John heard him! A gush of excitement ran through Paul as the EMTs spoke in dreary terms of shattered bones and joints. John was still conscious! He remembered! Paul dropped to his knees and leaned over his shattered little brother. "Yes John, that's right, Suzi mouse! What does Suzi say, John?"

"

Qu'est-ce que c'est

?" whispered John, his voice barely audible.

"That's right, she'd say 'What is this?'" said Paul.

John's eyelids opened slightly, and he said, "I'm sorry I missed Melony, but I caught Andi for you." John smiled until the EMTs moved him into position, and he groaned in agony. Paul fell back in shock at what John had said. John somehow knew that in his drunken state, Paul blamed John for not being there when Melony died.

"No, John! It's not like that! John!" gasped Paul but Lucy pulled Paul away and said, "let them work."

The EMTs were now spreading out their equipment and preparing to put John on a backboard. Andi was up on a stretcher, but they left her outside at her request so she could spend a few more minutes with the twins. Paul pulled Macy over to the stretcher where Andi lay, head elevated, with a twin on each side of her. Andi looked up and saw the heartbreak in Macy's eyes and said, "Come here,

ma chère soeur

," (my dear sister) said Andi, and she hugged Macy.

"He's been my only love," whimpered Macy. "My only refuge."

"He will be ok, and you will always have us," said Andi. "Your brother and sister. We will be your American Angels."

Macy smiled ruefully, fighting to hold back the tears.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, for being clueless," said Andi. "He should have let me get hit."

"No! Do not talk like that," gasped Macy. "Non! You do not know my

Jean

. If he had let you get hit he would be more broken than he is now."

As the EMTs prepared John for transport and Andi and Macy shared quiet tears, Paul looked over at the car and saw two cops leading Frank Rosetti to a police SUV and another police officer came over to Paul. He was looking at a notebook as he came up to Paul and asked, "Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, how does a man with multiple felony warrants out for him in Colorado wind up in New York, rent a car, stalk a family, and nearly kill several people?"

"We found no warrants for Gilberto Battaglia."

"That's not his name. His name is Frank Rosetti. You'll find out when you get him to the station, and you fingerprint him."

"You know him?" asked the cop.

"Yes, I know him. He's my wife's ex. Andi knows him; Gus knows him, Ernie Kraft knows him."

"He's a sleazy, greasy useless jamoke," said Lucy.

"Oh yeah, Doctor Kocis knows him also."

"Fuck," hissed the cop under his breath. "How do you spell Rosetti?"

"R-O-S-E-T-T-I," said Andi.

The cop made a call on his cell phone and said, "Can you run an NCIC on a Frank Rosetti of Denver Colorado? One S two Ts... all that? I think we have him here in Springville. We'll probably add attempted murder, attempted vehicular homicide, assaulting a law enforcement officer, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of category two narcotics."

"Don't forget stalking," said Veronica. The cop looked at her oddly, and Veronica continued. "We caught him on Friday night taking pictures of people coming and going over at Doctor Jarecki's house."

"The neighbors positively identify him as the person they reported on Friday night when he was casing the Jarecki residence," said the cop into his phone. "I think the camera we found him with will sink any defense he tries to raise."

"There's only room for two," said the EMT as they hoisted John into the ambulance.

"I'm going with John," said Lucy.

"Macy,

reste avec Lucy

," (stay with Lucy) said Paul as the tall French-Canadian beauty climbed onto the ambulance. He followed her in and said, "I'll be along in a little bit. Is there anything you need me to get for you?"

"

Jean's

bible."

Then Paul leaned over and kissed Andi. "I love you; I'll be there after I get the girls settled."

"I don't know if I'll be able to get upstairs..." she whimpered.

"It's ok, we'll work it out." Paul stepped out of the ambulance and joined Yi and Heather, who held the twins as they tearfully waved bye-bye to their mommy.

The ambulance faded in the distance and John, Macy and Andi were gone. Paul was completely numb. He knew he should feel something, but he didn't know what it was.

He numbly walked back to the church entrance, with Heather and Yi following. The twins were whimpering quietly. Paul stubbed his toe on a bible that was laying in the doorway, and he picked it up and looked at Genesis 1:1.

Au commencement, Dieu créa les cieux et la terre

. Yep, that's John's bible. He reads a French language bible.

He sat down in a church pew. Heather and Yi sat next to him and he watched his hands shake. Not far away, a group of men stood in a circle and prayed for John's healing, and he could hear women doing the same thing. The twins climbed on Paul's lap and hugged him and sobbed; they were exhausted from their weeping. "Is mommy going to be ok?"

"Mommy will be fine. It will be a little while before she can walk again, but she will be ok."

"Are you sure?" demanded Madeline.

"Hey, I'm a doctor! Ya little punk," and he tickled Madeline until she giggled.

"How about John?" asked Yi.

"I don't know," gasped Paul. All he could think of was his little brother, hurt, helpless, and the people he needed the most, mom and dad, were gone.

"This is yours," said Veronica and she handed Paul his doctor's bag, the one his parents gave him when he graduated med school at 22 years old. They were so proud of their boys, and he still feels horrible for avoiding them for so long after Melony died. He avoided almost everything after Melony died and if John goes, he will probably be worse.

"Ok, where's Kenny?" asked Paul. Yi pointed to the group of men praying. "You got your new credit card?" Yi nodded her head. "Go buy Kenny lunch. Then go buy me a queen-size mattress, box springs, and frame. Get some sheets, blankets, and bedspread as well, then buy him a full tank of gas. We're going to park Andi in the library until she can climb the stairs on her own. I don't want any pregnant women falling in our house. I think we'll put John and Macy there when he's released so I can nurse him."