Coming Home - Chapter 1

Mandy Maconnell sighed as she checked her image in the mirror.  Her shoulder-length dark brown hair was all in place, her makeup understated, and her outfit conservative.  She needed this job and was counting on making a good impression.  She took a deep breath and opened the car door, grabbing her briefcase and stepping out into the sunshine.

She made her way across the parking lot, smoothing the front of her skirt as she went.  She glanced at the watch on her wrist, seeing she had about seven minutes to get to her interview.  She didn’t want to jinx it but she really wanted this job.  She had been excited when she had been called for the interview only a couple of days after submitting her resume.  She needed the change for more than a few reasons.  Not only was growing increasingly more bored with her present job, her younger brother Robby was starting university.  Although they had saved enough for the first year’s tuition, she wasn’t sure if they could afford it much beyond that.  He had some scholarship money, but if she was ever going to go back to school, they would need to put more away.  Mandy sighed.  She would love to go back to school but in reality, she knew that it wasn’t going to happen any time soon.  Ever since her parents and sister had died over five years before, she had been responsible for Robby and she had done her best to provide for him.  This job would go a long way to help her keep doing just that.  Her thoughts wandered to her missing family.  God, how she missed them.  Grabbing the door handle, she whispered, “Wish me luck, guys,” and forced her thoughts back to the matter at hand.

**

“Hi, I’m Mandy Maconnell.  I’m here for an interview,” Mandy said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.  She hated interviews with a passion but they were a necessity if she wanted a change.  And she really wanted a change.

The receptionist smiled at her.  “Of course, Mandy.  Dr. Hamilton will be with you in just a moment, if you care to have a seat.”

“Thanks.”  Mandy returned the smile before turning and taking a seat in the waiting room.  As she sat, she gazed around the room.  It was a typical medical office, with cheerful, informative posters on the wall regarding various medical themes.  From working in the hospital, Mandy knew that Dr. Anna Hamilton was an orthopaedic surgeon with a reputation as a great surgeon and a good person.  This position was for an assistant her at the clinic that served as both Dr. Hamilton’s office and a physiotherapy clinic.  If she looked past the front desk, Mandy could just catch a glimpse of the exercise equipment, and a few of the patients.  That was one thing Mandy had missed at the hospital; her time with the patients was getting shorter and shorter.  I can do this, Mandy told herself.  I can do this.

After a moment, the door opened and a rather imposing figure entered, moving straight to the front desk with the assurance of a person who had been there many times before.

“Hello, Detective,” the receptionist said with a smile.  Detective?  Yes, he definitely looked like a cop, Mandy thought.  She had had more than enough dealings with them in her life.

“Hey, Gina.  Is Anna available?”  He had the deep voice of a man who was used to being in command.

“Yes, but she’s doing interviews,” she told him, nodding toward the waiting room where Mandy sat.

He shook his head.  “I just need to talk to her for a couple minutes.  It’s important, Gina.”

The receptionist met the man’s gaze before shooting a look in Mandy’s direction.  “I’ll ask her when she comes out,” she acquiesced.

Mandy pretended not to notice when the man sat down a couple of seats away but he was almost impossible to ignore.  He was tall, with broad shoulders and dark wavy hair.  Even as he sat, he seemed to be vibrating with energy.  Mandy took a cautious breath, trying to tamp down her nervousness.  Cops made her nervous.  She thought about the poor criminals this one had faced.  They would have no hope against this hard-edged man.

Upon hearing the door opening, both Mandy and the detective looked up.  “Mandy?” Dr. Hamilton stood before them, papers in hand, after bypassing her receptionist.  Before Mandy or Gina could respond to the older woman, the detective stepped in her path.

“Anna, I need a few moments of your time.”  He turned to Mandy, a look of apology in his eyes.  “It’ll only be a moment.  I’m sorry.”

Mandy nodded, slowly sinking back into her seat as Dr. Hamilton’s moved from her to the detective.  “This way,” the doctor said, turning and leading him a short distance down the hallway.  “Dylan...” she started, before she was cut off by the detective.

Although she wasn’t trying to listen, Mandy could hear their voices.  She tried not to listen, but certain words drifted down the hallway.  “...need help, Anna...he’s my brother, dammit....”

Mandy tried to think of something else, to ignore the pain in the man’s voice.  It was obvious he was desperate, but Dr. Hamilton was doing her best to calm him down.  Finally, she said, “Okay, Dylan, I’ll see what I can do.”  The detective calmed visibly at the doctor’s words.
After only a few more moments, they walked back towards the waiting room.  “Thanks, Anna,” the detective called as he walked through the waiting room.  “And hire this woman,” he added, smiling broadly at Mandy.

Mandy sputtered, as she looked at the man in shock.  The hardened look had disappeared, his whole face changing with that smile.  When he winked at her, she felt the colour rise in her cheeks.  Just who was this guy?  Did he know who she was? Did police departments talk to each other?  A moment of panic gripped Mandy.

“Mandy?”  Anna’s voice brought Mandy’s attention back to the matter at hand.  Oh yeah, the interview.  Mandy took a breath to steady herself.  She was over-reacting.

She stood, holding out her hand, and smiling.  “Dr. Hamilton.  A pleasure to meet you.”

Anna took her hand, shaking it firmly.  “Come on in, Mandy.  Sorry for the delay.  Detective Westbrook is an old friend.”

“No problem,” Mandy assured her as she followed the doctor back down the hallway, into a small but comfortable office.  The walls were painted the colour of mocha, with numerous nature-themed prints, all designed to calm.  Low shelves lined the wall behind Anna, every spot on them filled with some kind of reading material, but all in an, orderly fashion.  Paper and files were piled neatly on an oversized desk, confirming Dr. Hamilton’s reputation as a perfectionist.  As the doctor motioned for Mandy to sit, she took her seat behind the desk and picked up the top piece of paper.

“Mandy Maconnell,” she said with a smile, looking over the paper to the figure in front of her.  “You have an impressive resume.”  She put the papers down and folded her hands over them.  “Why do you want to leave the hospital to work here?  Do you know what we are looking for?”

Mandy fidgeted only briefly before meeting the doctor’s gaze.  “From the job description, it seems you are looking for someone to fill in wherever needed.  This would be everything from paperwork to working with the clients in the physiotherapy clinic.  For example, helping with patient assessments, preparing equipment as it’s needed, dealing with insurance companies, answering telephones.  Whatever is needed.  To me, that would be a perfect job.  Something different every day.”

Dr. Hamilton looked impressed.  “You don’t like working at the hospital?”

“I like it,” Mandy said, slightly hesitantly, “But it isn’t much of a challenge anymore.  I don’t get to interact with people as much as I like and to be honest, the pay isn’t the greatest,” she offered with a smile.  To her relief, Dr. Hamilton smiled back.

“Your resume states that you completed two and a half years of a three year nursing program.  Why didn’t you finish?”

A brief flash of pain crossed Mandy’s face before she could mask it.  She coughed slightly before meeting Dr. Hamilton’s gaze once again.  “Most of my family was killed when I was in my third year.  It became more important for me to find a job to support my younger brother and me than to stay in school.  I hope to one day finish, but right now, my brother is my priority.”

Anna nodded, seeing the steel of Mandy’s resolve.  It was interesting that she had said her family had been killed, not that they had died, leaving the doctor to wonder how.  “How old is your brother?”

Mandy gave a small smile.  “If you’re worried about childcare issues, that won’t be a problem.  Rob is just starting university.”

The pride Mandy had in her brother showed through and Anna liked everything she saw.  She asked a few more questions regarding Mandy’s experience, but Anna was fairly sure she had her new employee.  She still had a few more interviews, but unless something radically changed in the next couple, Mandy would be the one she wanted.  “Thank you for your time, Mandy,” she said, rising from her seat and offering her hand.  “I’ll let you know within the week.”

“Thank you for your time, Dr. Hamilton,” Mandy said, grasping the outstretched hand.  “I look forward to hearing from you.”  With a smile, she turned and headed out of the office.  Now, she could only hope she could make it through the week.

**

The bright red Aveo sitting in the driveway brought a smile to Mandy’s face.  Her brother had been so excited about his new car, she was surprised he wasn’t out driving it around town.  Seeing as he was a teenager, she was sure that if he thought about it hard enough, he could find places to go.

Grabbing her purse and phone from the passenger seat, Mandy opened the car door and stepped out, before hitting the automatic door lock on her Cavalier.  She and Robby had talked about it, debating whether she should take the new car, or whether it should go to Kingston with him.  Finally, they decided that Robby should be the one to take it.  Robby had tried to hide his excitement, but in the end, he was thrilled to be getting the sporty little car.  Mandy’s Cavalier was almost 8 years old, but she had reasoned that if there were any problems with it, at least she knew she could always take the bus to work.  Robby would need the car to make sure he got to his classes and to make sure he had a dependable ride to get home.

She took the front steps to the porch, two at a time, and entered the house that had become their home for the last five years, on Hamilton Mountain.  The house was small, with only two bedrooms, but with a lot of hard work by both Mandy and Robby, they had renovated and decorated the house.  They had even finished the basement and made the house into a welcoming, comfortable home.    The brick bungalow had been all they had been able to afford when they had moved here, the bulk of it being paid for by the money they had received from selling their childhood home.  At least they had bought it outright, and there had been no mortgage hanging over their heads.  That fact had allowed Mandy to save some of her meagre wages for Robby’s first year of university.  Now, this new job would allow her to put some away for the remaining years.

“Hey, Rob, I’m home,” she called as she dropped her keys on the small table by the door.  Kicking off her shoes, she headed to the kitchen as her brother came up the stairs from the basement.    She flashed him a smile.  “Thought you’d be out cruising.”

Robby rolled his light blue eyes.  “Yeah, I’d be cruising in an Aveo.”  He idly ran his hand through his dark brown hair as he placed the bowl in his hand in the sink, the smell of microwave popcorn that filled the house giving Mandy an idea what had been in it.  He was good-looking kid, even if he was a little skinny for his six foot frame.  If he came out of his shell in university, Mandy knew he wouldn’t have any troubles with the opposite sex.  He had been a gregarious kid, but that had changed with the death of their parents.  Even now, after five years, he still wasn’t as sociable as he had once been.  They had both been changed.  “So how was your first week on the new job?” he asked, taking a seat on one of the barstools that sat opposite the island in the kitchen.

Mandy opened the fridge, pulling out a Diet Coke.  She would have to think of something for dinner, but that could wait.  “Pretty good,” she said, leaning a hip against the counter as she turned to face her brother.  “There’s a lot to learn, but everyone seems nice and helpful. “

“Yeah?”  Robby would never admit it to her, but he was worried about his sister.  He knew she had sacrificed a lot for him, and he knew the only way he could repay her was to go to university and do her proud.  They had always been close, Mandy, Jessica and him, despite their age differences, but when his parents and his sister had died, he and Mandy had become that much closer.  He had wanted to go to university closer to home, but Queen’s had offered him a scholarship, effectively making his choice for him.  Now, after five years of only having each other, Robby would be leaving his sister on her own.

“Yeah, I think it’s going to be a good job,” Mandy smiled.  “I’ve met a few of the patient’s already and I’m looking forward to working with more of them.”

“And you get to use your nursing experience?” Robby asked.  His sister would have made a fabulous nurse, but now, he wasn’t sure she would ever go back.  There was just too much baggage, too many bad memories.

“Maybe a little.  I might be doing some of the initial intakes for the physio, and I will be helping Dr. Hamilton...Anna...with some of the pre-op and post-op stuff.”  She couldn’t help but smile, even as she knew the job would be challenging.  “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Robby couldn’t help himself.  “Any good-looking women?”  He was an eighteen year old boy, after all.

A snort came from Mandy.  It hadn’t been easy, raising a teenage boy.  She was seven years older than her brother, but she had had no idea about the thought processes of the male species at that age.  It had been a tough go for awhile, trying not only to deal with his journey through puberty but the loss of their parents and sister.  Somehow, they had managed.  “Now why would I notice if there were good-looking women there?  Now, good-looking men, maybe...”

A sliver of warning went through Robby.  Was there a man that had caught his sister’s attention?  Mandy had never really had a steady man in her life, or if she did, she had kept it hidden.  Robby was positive he would have known if she had.  Now, he had a new fear about leaving her alone.  The look on his face gave away his thoughts.

Mandy couldn’t help but laugh.  “No, there weren’t any good looking men there, Rob.  You don’t have to worry about me.”  She had dated some, but the truth was, working and raising Robby had taken up most of her life.  And in reality, she hadn’t had much luck with men.  Sobering, she turned back to the counter.  “I’m not looking for anyone, anyway,” she muttered.  Rationally, she knew there were nice guys out there, but she couldn’t open herself up to that again.  Never again.

Feeling the shift in his sister’s mood as the memories threatened her, Robby jumped off the bar stool and approached her.  “Come on, let’s get some pizza.  I’ll even buy.”  He pulled her into hug.  “Are you really gonna be okay when I go?” he asked sombrely. 

Mandy turned and returned the hug.  Her baby brother now towered over her, outweighing her considerably.  “Yeah, Runt, don’t worry about me.”  She looked up and met his eyes.  “Believe it or not, I can actually survive without you here looking out for me,” she teased.  “And besides, I’ll finally get to party without you dragging’ me down,” she laughed.

“Oh yeah, you are such a party girl,” he said sarcastically.  “You’re idea of a party is getting a Dairy Queen blizzard and curling up with a book.”

She pushed him away.  “So?  If you opened a book now and again, you might just learn something!”  She smiled as she moved past him.  “Let me change and you can let me drive your new car,” she threw over her shoulder.

“No way in hell,” came her brother’s voice as she headed down the hall to her bedroom.

Robby sighed.  He hoped when he was gone, that Mandy would find some way to get on with her life and be happy, after everything that had happened.  She deserved at least that much, but Robby knew that she held herself at least partially responsible for what had happened to their parents.  No one else did, but he knew that Mandy had always been her own harshest critic.  Even though there was no way she could have known, Mandy had been the one to bring that craziness home to them.  Maybe in time she would forgive herself for their deaths, for having to leave everything she and Robby had known behind, but somehow, Robby doubted it.  It was destined to be something that she carried with her forever.

**

“Mandy, I really need you to do me a favour,” Anna said as she dashed through the door to Mandy’s office.  “I have this assessment I need to do, but I just got a call from the hospital.  They need me for emergency surgery.  I know you’ve been shadowing the physiotherapists and have the experience, so I really need you to do this for me.”

Mandy looked up at her boss, seeing the gears in her mind working.  She had been on the job for almost a month and one of the hardest things about it was keeping up with Anna Hamilton’s almost manic thought processes.  She was already thinking about the surgery as she handed the file over to Mandy.
“I didn’t do the initial surgery so get all the info you can on that.  Don’t worry about any of the billing information, I’ll fill you in on that when I get back,” Anna said, with a wave of her hand.  When Mandy shot her a confused look, Anna continued.  “This is kind of a special case, Mandy.  I need you to just go with me on this until I have time to explain.  Are you okay with this?”

Mandy gazed at the file in front of her.  She knew this was just one of the first big challenges of this job and she didn’t want to let down her new boss. “Yeah,” she answered, even as she took a deep breath.  “If I have any questions, I’ll just note them and take them up with you when you get back,” Mandy assured her.
A smile graced Anna’s face.  “Knew I could count on you, kiddo.  He’ll be here in about ten minutes so have fun. And don’t worry, his bark is worse than his bite.  Thanks so much.”

“Good luck with the surgery,” Mandy called as Anna headed out of the office.  When she was gone, Mandy picked up the file and opened it.  There was very little, except a name and various forms to be filled out, leaving Mandy to wonder what was so special about this case.  Guess I’ll find out in a few minutes, Mandy thought as she closed the file and pushed it to the corner of her desk. She would finish what she had been working on then she would see if her patient was here.

**

Mandy stepped up behind Gina as she cast a glance around the waiting room.  Sitting in the waiting room was one man.  He was perched on the edge of the chair, with crutches beside him as his right leg was in a full cast.  He was a big man, Mandy noted, even if his face was slightly gaunt, and she guessed him to be over six foot tall.  He looked up, and met her glance, a smile crossing his face.

“Ryan?” Mandy asked.  For some reason, he seemed familiar, even though she didn’t recognize the name.

“Yes, ma’am,” he smiled, sounding slightly out of breath as he pushed himself up from the chair.  His rugged face gave no hint of pain as he pulled the crutches to his armpits.

Ryan felt the pull of the muscles of his chest as he propped the crutches under his arms, but he would never admit to the pain.  In truth, that was nothing compared to what he had come through in the past two months.  The muscles had mostly healed, but he still felt them when he moved certain ways.  Just another thing to deal with.  He was a little surprised to see the young woman instead of Anna, but it didn’t really matter.  In fact, after his time in the hospital, it was nice to have a pretty face to look at.  And this was definitely a pretty face, Ryan noted.

Mandy took a quick assessment of the man standing in front of her.  He had light brown hair that was in desperate need of a trim, with a smiling, handsome face.  His square jaw held the slight shadow of a beard, as if he had shaved the previous day but not that morning.  She was right, he was tall, but yet Mandy seemed to get the impression he had lost some of his size and strength recently.  By far the most startling feature was his chocolate brown eyes.  Somehow, the smile on his face didn’t reach them, making Mandy wonder just what this man had been through.

“Hi Ryan, I’m Mandy.  Dr. Hamilton was called away to the hospital for an emergency, so I’ll be doing the initial assessment,” she informed him.  “Follow me.”  She turned and led the way down the hall, adjusting her normally quick pace to let him keep up with her. She was surprised when he did so easily.  Motioning him into one of the examination rooms, Mandy closed the door behind them.

“Take a seat on the table,” Mandy said, positioning herself to provide any help he required.

Ryan hoisted himself up on the table, swinging his cast up and propping his back against the office wall.  He didn’t need any help and he was quick to prove it, not that he was against having a pretty girl wrap her arms around him. The first thing Ryan noticed was that she smelled good, like strawberries and summer.  That was one thing he appreciated after spending so much time in the hospital.  There was only so much antiseptic and shit smells you could take.  “When is Anna going to be back?” he asked, trying to get his mind back on the purpose of the visit.

Anna?  Okay, so this guy was on a first name basis with her boss.  That just made her even more nervous.  “I’m not sure, but if you have any questions I can try to help.”

Ryan just shook his head.  “No problem.  I’m sure you’re competent, and probably a lot nicer than Anna would be,” he joked.
 
“Most of what I’m going to do today, what Dr Hamilton was going to do, is get background info on your injuries and any treatment you may have had,” Mandy explained.  “We’ll do some range of motion and strength testing to see where you are physically.”

Ryan looked at the woman in front of him.  She was small, almost a foot shorter that he was, but something about her told him that she could handle herself.  Even though she was probably in her mid twenties, something in her eyes told him it hadn’t been an easy life, something Ryan could definitely relate to.  As she pulled out the papers from the file, Ryan couldn’t help but watch her.  Even if he was in “look but don’t touch” mode, he could still appreciate Mandy’s many attributes.  She wore little makeup, but had flawless alabaster skin that almost begged Ryan to touch it.  Her hair was the colour of mahogany, her eyes a pale green, and even under the shapeless scrubs, Ryan could see the hint of some killer curves.  Under different circumstances, Ryan would have been all over her.  But that had been another Ryan, another life.

“So Ryan, I just need a little background,” Mandy said as she found the form she had been looking for.  “Can you tell me how the accident happened?”  She gave a slight nod towards his cast.

He flashed a smile.  “It wasn’t an accident.  The bastard meant to shoot me.”

Mandy’s head shot up.  “Someone shot you?” she asked, incredulous.  She had seen firsthand the amount of damage a bullet could do.

Ryan managed not to laugh.  He had gotten the reaction he knew he would.  “Actually, he was trying to knee-cap me, but due to his lousy aim, he shattered the bone just above my knee.”

Mandy stared at him.  She could tell by his expression that he was just waiting for her next question.  She couldn’t help herself.  “He tried to knee-cap you?”  What was this, the Wild West?  “Why did someone try to knee cap you?”  A flurry of reasons went through her mind.  A lover’s quarrel?  A fight over a woman?  Yeah, she could believe that.  This guy probably had to beat them off with a stick.

“Business gone bad,” was the answer she got.  “That and the fact he didn’t like me very much.”  Ryan kept his tone light, even as he felt the rage inside him threaten to erupt.  That fucking bastard had killed Callie and maimed him.  It might take some time, but Frankie Girardi was going to pay.  He quickly pasted a smile on his face.

Mandy saw the brief hint of danger flash in those eyes, and knew there was a lot more to the story than she was being told.  She shook her head to focus.  “So how long ago did this happen?”

“About two months ago.”  Two long, painful months.

“How long were you in the hospital and how much therapy have you had?” Mandy asked, as she quickly scribbled notes, trying to keep her mind on task, and off of another time and another place.

Ryan shrugged.  “I was in the hospital for about six weeks and didn’t really do much of anything.”  What he didn’t say was that they were too busy trying to save his life to worry about the mobility of his leg.

Mandy wrote even as her mind worked.  Six weeks in the hospital?  That seemed like an awfully long time for a leg injury.  “They didn’t do any kind of therapy at all?”  As she watched him shift, she realized he was moving his right arm slowly.  Could there have been other injuries?

“No,” he sighed.  “They had to stabilize me first, before they worried about mobility.”

“Stabilize?” Mandy met his gaze, almost afraid of what else he would say.  “There are other injuries?”

Slowly, he undid the top couple of buttons of his shirt and pulled it aside.  “You just want to see me without my shirt on, don’t you?” Ryan deadpanned. 

Mandy couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath as she saw the angry scar on his chest, in direct contrast to his joking tone.  “You were shot in the chest, too?”  It was obvious but she couldn’t stop the words before they left her mouth.  “Oh my God!  You’re lucky to be alive!”  Her hands shook as she heard the sound of a gunshot in her memory, the memory of someone who wasn’t as lucky as Ryan Westbrook.  Questions swirled through Mandy’s mind.  Just what kind of person gets shot over business dealings?  Drug dealers, mobsters, criminals.  No one good, that was for sure.  Just who the hell was Ryan Westbrook?

Ryan couldn’t help but notice Mandy’s horror.  “Lucky.  Yeah.”  Although his tone was light, there was a sharp undercurrent to it.  The truth was, there were times that Ryan wasn’t sure if it was good news or not.  Here he was, his body broken, back home in a town he hadn’t been in for almost twelve years, wondering if he would ever walk without a cane again.  Very few people knew who he really was, and more importantly that he was still alive.  As far as most people knew, and the news had reported, he had died in his apartment that day, alongside Callie.  If anyone from Thunder Bay found out he was alive, they would come after him, and make sure to get it right this time.  No, he knew too much about Louis and because of that he was dangerous.  Dangerous not only to himself but to others around him.  So what did he do?  He came home.  He came home to his family, with more baggage then when he left, and God knows that was enough.  He hadn’t really had a choice.  He’d had nowhere else to go.

Mandy gathered herself together.  She knew she had to focus, even as a shiver went up her spine, and memories threatened.  She shook it off and concentrated on making accurate notes, forcing herself to look at Ryan’s wounds.  “How much movement do you have in your shoulder?” she asked, noting the location of the bullet wound on his chest.  It undoubtedly destroyed muscle to his shoulder.

“Not great,” he told her, gently lifting his arm.  He could get it even with the horizon, but no higher.

Mandy rose from her chair and moved to stand behind Ryan.  Placing one hand gently on his shoulder, she grasped his elbow with the other.  She slowly exerted an upward pressure until she felt resistance.  She tried not to notice the tingle that went through her, the warmth of Ryan’s flesh under her hand, focusing instead on the movement.

“Are you new at this?” Ryan’s voice was close, almost a whisper.

“No.  Why?”  Mandy gently moved his arm in all directions before finally gently lowering it. 

He chuckled.  “Usually, the therapists just grab and yank.  You’re too gentle.”

“Want me to do it again and yank on it?” she teased as she moved to sit back down. 

She saw the surprise in his eye, just before he winked at her.  “Honey, I got other things you can yank if you really want to.”

Laughing even as she felt the colour rise in her cheeks, Mandy turned to the forms in front of her.  “You set me up for that one, didn’t you?”  He had managed to lighten the mood with that one comment, and she appreciated it.

“No, but it worked out well, didn’t it?”  He was obviously proud of himself, happy to see the shadows disappear from her pretty face.

Shaking her head, Mandy scribbled notes on the various forms.  “Why do I get the feeling that you are going to be a challenge, Mr. Westbrook?” 

“Challenge?  That’s the nicest thing I’ve been called in awhile.  Or did you really mean ‘pain in the ass’?”  He was enjoying himself.  It had been a long time since he had engaged in a pleasant verbal volley.  Maybe this therapy would be good for him.

Mandy smiled.  “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”