Chapter 19 Mary Lou
Glass vaporizes with a distinctive pop as small fragments are propelled at subsonic speeds by the rapidly expanding vapor. The effect on Edward Renfro was exactly as expected. He froze in place, caught completely by surprise by the sound at the plate glass window in front of him.
A little less than a second later, Renfro felt something equivalent to a meat cleaver chop away at his right arm. Half in shock, he looked at the limb and saw his upper arm had been shredded for half its length. His arm from the elbow down was hanging by a thin sliver of bone just visible in the tangle of bloody ribbons that was once his upper arm. Renfro dropped to his knees, smashing his knee caps on the marble floor, adding to the pain that shot from his arm. He would have collapsed forward smashing his face on the floor if not for the fast action of Mary Lou, grabbing and steadying him from behind and helping him to gently lie on his left side.
She looked out the window facing the back yard and hill far in the distance but could see nothing that didn't belong there and no movement. Renfro looked up at her, barely conscious but managed to say “hospital” before he passed out. Mary Lou punched in star 81 and waited, and waited.
Finally, “Barnardsville Trauma Center, state you emergency please.” What a question to ask Mary Lou was thinking. She had no idea what the emergency was other than a torn up arm, lots of blood and an unconscious person.
“1430 Remington Lane, tremendous blood loss, it's horrible. Dr. Renfro is very badly injured and unconscious.” She knew that was choppy but hoped it was enough.
“An ambulance has been dispatched and will arrive in 8 minutes. Please hold the line and remain calm.” came the response, coolly, calmly and almost mechanical.
Mary Lou pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it indignantly, muttering “Hold the line? Are you kidding.” She hit pound, then star 91 almost without thinking. “Barnardsville Sheriffs Office, how can I help you?”
“1430 Remington Lane, Dr. Renfro's residence. I think he's been shot.” she said to the unknown voice on the other end. When she was asked for her name she screamed back “Get someone here now.”
“A police car has been dispatched and should arrive in approximately 6 minutes.” the voice came back, and it too was also very mechanical, much like the hospital.
Mary Lou dropped the phone, unconcerned whether it was on or off, and took a place behind Dr. Renfro and cradled his head in her arms.
…
“Greer, you have to do this!” Martin shouted, trying to shake his deputy out of his fixation on Renfro's arm. Martin was hoping the paramedics would have the doctor on the way shortly so he could regain his deputy's attention. “Greer!” he shouted again and this time the deputy looked back.
“Yes sheriff, I'm sorry, I'm here.” Greer was shaken. He had seen barroom fights, cuts, bruises and lumps but never an arm almost taken off by a blaster bolt. The blood had spread thin and covered a large area of the marble floor. The sprinkling of muscle tissue, skin and very distinctive bone slivers made the gore factor very high.
Martin recalled having the same reaction the first time he saw casualties in the Cron War, 16 years earlier. He could understand what Greer was experiencing but just like he had done, Greer had to get his emotions under control and put his brain in charge.
“I hate to do this to you son, but you have to take charge of the investigation. I have something else I must do.” Martin didn't want to get into a detailed explanation but had to give Greer enough to know he was the choice, the only choice to do what had to be done. He had both hands on Greer's arms now, straightened him up and turned him to squarely face him. “You ready Deputy Greer?”
“Yes sir.” came the reply, not as rock steady as Martin had hoped, but steady enough to get started.
“Out on the balcony, now.” Martin ordered Greer while looking at Mary Lou sitting on the end of the sofa farthest from the bloody pool on the floor. The photographer was a contractor and was taking pictures of everything, fearful of missing any detail. In one respect it was good he was plodding around and drawing Mary Lou's attention from the blood.
Martin and Greer both got up from the floor where Greer was sitting and Martin was hunched over, made their way to the balcony sliding door and out onto the dimly lit balcony. Martin turned briefly to look back and said “Perfect silhouette lighting.” He and Greer stood at the rail at the balcony edge, saying nothing. In the distance, Martin could see three portable floodlights aimed at the ground and moving around the hillside. His deputies were looking for evidence. Martin turned back to Greer, putting a stern grip on his arms until he turned and looked him in the face.
“You with me deputy?” Martin asked and Greer responded with several strong nods. “You have to run the investigation. Talk to people, collect evidence, put your brain in gear. There's a terrible irony to this.” Martin said, softening his voice and showing some sympathy for his