Forrest lay in his hospital bed, at Willis Knight Cancer Centre, in Shreveport, La. watching a news report on KLSA. Despite the fact that he’d put forth considerable effort; his voice was no more than a weak hiss, much like that of a snake. “Fucking reporters,” he forced through his teeth.
Slowly, Forrest curled his weakened hands into fists; his left hand wouldn’t respond. He flexed his right fist, but his left remained immobile. He attempted to lift his left hand, but he couldn’t move it. He stared at it for a few seconds, confused as if he couldn’t decide how to handle the situation. Finally, he reached across and grabbed his left wrist with his right hand, lifting it a few inches. Upon releasing it, his hand fell limp to the bed beside him. His face contorted and reddened with rage.
The constricted blood flow caused his head to pound with each beat of his labouring heart. For a few seconds, he stared at the room through a fish-eyed lens. Sounds from the reporter and the constant blip of his EKG monitor started to fade. Wheezing for breath, Forrest twisted his head to one side. The oxygen tubing around his ears tightened, causing the nasal cannula to tickle the inside of his nose. Again he attempted to move his left arm to scratch it.
Sneering and glaring at the lifeless limb, with his functioning arm, Forrest grabbed at the rectangular slide bolo under his chin. After several failed attempts, at loosening it, with a sigh of exasperation he gave up. His blurred vision caught sight of the tubing taped to the top of his right hand. He followed the tubing up to the half-filled bag of what he decided was blood, hanging from a metal rack, above his head.
Dr. Mobley tapped on the door and entered the room. Forrest glared at him. “What’s wrong with me? I can’t move my left arm, and this fucking tube around my throat is choking me. What happened?”
“The same thing that happened before, only this time you didn’t get off, so easy,” Dr. Mobley responded, easily lessening the tension on the tubing to Forrest’s nasal cannula. “You’ve suffered a haemorrhagic stroke. A blood vessel has ruptured, and it’s leaked into the right hemisphere of your cerebrum. We’ve relieved the pressure, as much as possible, but I’m afraid it has affected part of your sensory and motor skills. That’s why you can’t move your left arm.”
“Is it permanent?”
“Possibly – time will tell. If it turns out to be permanent, we’ll set you up with some physiotherapy to help you deal with your disability.”
“I don’t’ have a fucking disability, and if you repeat this to anyone, I’ll rip your lying tongue out.”
Dr. Mobley pressed his lips into a thin line, suppressing a grin. “I’m sorry, Mr. Forrest, but unless you start taking my advice, this is only going to happen again. Next time, you might not be so lucky. By acting promptly, Mr. Liu saved your life. If you had been alone, you probably would have died.”
“Where is the fucking idiot?”
“Just down the hall, waiting to see you. Would you like me to get him?”
“No! I want to see my attorney, first.” Forrest grabbed for the TV control, clipped to the left side of the bed.
“Here, let me get that for you,” Mobley offered and fastened it to the other side. “Can you reach that well enough?”
Forrest narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t need your help,” he growled and started coughing.
Dr. Mobley increased the oxygen flow. “If you don’t stop exhausting yourself, I’m going to put the mask on you, and I know you don’t like that. Now lie back and breathe normally.”
Forrest jerked his head slightly, motioning with his eyes. “Is that the last of it?”
“Yes and I’ve given you the last of the healthy stem cells. I’m afraid until we can locate Dr. Rigden, I’ve done everything I can to help you. There simply are no options left. Have your people had any luck locating her?”
Forrest glared at Mobley. “I had someone working on it, but like most people, he betrayed me. I’ll see he pays, once I get what I need from him. If you betray me, I’ll add your name to the list.”
“Mr. Forrest, in your weakened condition, I doubt you could even write a list, and I don’t like being threatened by my patients. However, I am your doctor, and I will continue to look out for your best interest, regardless of your temper.”
“If I find a way out of this, I’ll do more than threaten you. Where’s my fucking cell phone?”
“Mr. Liu has your personal belongings. You’re not allowed to use your cell phone here.” Dr. Mobley sat the phone where Forrest could reach it. “Pick up and press nine to get an outside line. I’ll see you when I make rounds this evening.” Mobley headed for the door.
“I won’t be here!” Forrest enunciated.
Mobley stopped and slowly turned. “Exactly where do you think you’re going?”
“That is none of your concern. Arrange my release.”
“Mr. Forrest, you’re in no condition to leave this hospital.”
“I said… arrange my release – now!”
“I will prepare your release papers, but they will say that you’re leaving against my professional advice and of your own accord. I will no longer accept responsibility for your life, Mr. Forrest, which will not be much longer. Goodbye.” He left the room.
Forrest flipped over to the New York Stocks Exchange. It seemed his secret was out. As a result of the reporter’s story, Forrest Enterprises shares were steadily falling. Not in one area, but in all of his holdings. From his GM crops all the way up to his space travel investments. His credibility as an aggressive businessman would soon follow. He had to do something to improve his public image. Could he trust Liu to give him sound advice? Would he even recognise whether or not it was sound advice?
Forrest’s physical condition was not all that had been affected by his stroke. His cognitive reflexes were not as sharp as they’d been this time yesterday. If this continued, eventually, Forrest could lose everything, and he blamed it all on Donna Rigden. He’d decided; if he was going to die, she was going down with him.
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Liu stood as Dr. Mobley approached. “What’s going on? How is he?”
“He’s committing suicide, Mr. Liu. I’ve been ordered to release him. If you’ll follow me to the desk….”
“What? In his present condition, you’re releasing him?” Liu followed Dr. Mobley to the nurse’s station.
“The man is insane. He will be dead in a couple of months, but he knows best. He also asked me to send for his attorney. I’ll leave that job to you. I wash my hands of this matter. I will advise you of this. If you hope to keep Mr. Forrest alive, for the foreseeable future, he will require constant care and supervision. His condition is affecting his judgment, and he should not be trusted to make any important business decisions. I assume that’s why he’s asking for his attorney.”
“What will happen now?” Liu asked.
“As with the other times, the transfusion will help, but once that wears off his condition will plummet. Your only hope is to find Dr. Rigden and convince her to give him a marrow transplant,” Dr. Mobley said. “Here are his papers and my instructions. Once he’s signed that, bring a copy back to the nurse’s station, and I’ll arrange transport for him back to his apartment. I assume that’s where he’ll be returning. Don’t forget to call his attorney. Mr. Forrest is not in a particularly good mood.”
Liu scoffed. “Is he ever?”
Dr. Mobley lifted his eyebrows. “Good luck, Mr. Liu.”
Liu walked out of earshot and unlocked his cell phone. “We need to talk.”
“Where are you?”
“Willis Knight Cancer Centre.”
“Be ready. I’m sending a car.”
Liu locked his cell phone and headed for the lift. “If Mr. Forrest asks for me, tell him I had to go out. I will be back in half an hour,” he said as he passed the nurse’s station.
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Forrest switched off the television set, picked up the phone and pressed nine. As soon as he had an outside line, he rang his contact with the local police. “It’s Forrest. I trust you took care of that little incident at the Wilson’s?”
“Yes Sir, I did. The officer who answered the phone assumed it was a wrong number and didn’t trace the call.”
“What about the other part?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Forrest, but I wasn’t able to find out anything.”
“What do you mean you moron?”
“The two men who were guarding Mrs. Wilson were dead. We’ve checked all the security cameras. There was nothing on them. The house showed no signs of forced entry, no alarms were set off, and no locks were broken. It was definitely a professional job. Mrs. Wilson is just gone, Sir.”
“Professional,” Forrest hissed. “Any evidence pointing to who might have done this?”
“No, Sir. The police dusted for fingerprints and took DNA samples. The only blood they found was from your two men. We checked all the closets. Nothing appeared to be missing, not even the medication Mrs. Wilson had recently been given by her obstetrician. The Wilson’s car was still in the driveway.”
Forrest slammed the receiver down and pushed the call button on his bed control. “Can I get you something, Mr. Forrest?” the nurse pleasantly asked.
“Send John Liu in here.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Forrest. Mr. Liu said to tell you he had to go out. He said he would be back in thirty-minutes.”
“Where are my fucking clothes?”
“Your clothes are in the closet, but I’m afraid you can’t leave the hospital until you’ve signed the consent form.”
“Then get it.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for Mr. Liu. Dr. Mobley gave the form with his signature on it to him.”
Forrest glared at her. “Get out!” he rumbled.
The nurse raised an eyebrow and turned on her heel. “Sorry Ole Geezer,” she muttered as she left the room.”
Forrest wriggled around on the bed and managed to get the Shreveport phone book out of the top drawer of his bedside table. He propped his knees up and rested the open phone book on his lap. With effort, due to the IV tubing taped to the top of his only functional hand getting tangled in the yellow pages, Forrest managed to find his attorney’s number. “This is Forrest. I’m at Willis Knight Cancer Centre. I need you to bring the papers to me now.”
“What room are you in, Mr. Forrest?”
“I don’t fucking know. I was unconscious when they brought me in. You’ll have to ask at the information desk. Be here in ten minutes or I’ll call someone else!” Again, Forrest slammed the receiver down. “I should have known not to trust Liu!” he hissed and glanced at the bag above his head. The red liquid inside had hardly dropped.
Forrest leaned over so he could read the front of the IV pump. It didn’t look much different from the portable one he had at his penthouse. He pressed the button and increased the millilitres per minute, watching the level of blood in the bag. It began to drop; he grinned and lay back on his pillow. “Make me wait? GW Forrest waits for no one!”
A couple of minutes later, Forrest began to feel tightness in his chest. It became difficult for him to breathe. First, the alarm on his IV pump went off. Then the blip on his EKG monitor went haywire. Within seconds, the nurse was in the room. “What in the hell did you do?” Forrest lay gasping for breath. The nurse cleared the setting on the IV pump and put it back where it was. She narrowed her eyes and wagged a finger in his face. “You leave that alone. If you fool with the control again, I will restrain your right arm so you can’t even pick your nose!”
Forrest growled and sneered at her. The nurse stayed a few seconds more to make sure he was going to be OK and then left.
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Liu approached his Master’s desk with a bow of respect, before slowly rising. “How much longer must I put up with this imbecile?”
“However long it takes.”
“Why don’t you just let me finish him now and get it over with? He’s sloppy, and he kills without cause.”
“You must be patient, Nephew! You sounded urgent on the phone. What has happened?”
“He’s asked for his attorney.”
“And have you called him?”
“I thought it best to speak with you first.”
“What is Forrest’s condition?”
“Deteriorating. I expect we will be leaving for the UK, as soon as Forrest has signed his consent form.”
“Consent form?”
“Forrest is leaving the hospital of his own accord, Uncle. It’s the only way Dr. Mobley would release him.”
“Carry on as normal, Nephew.”
Liu growled, bowed and turned to leave. His uncle called out to him, and he stopped.
“Do not let your ambitions overshadow your duty.”
“As you wish, Uncle,” Liu bowed and conceded.
“It has been decided. There will be no further interference!”
“What about Miss Hart and Mrs. Wilson?”
“I thought you silenced Miss Hart!”
“Someone got to her. My contact in the UK says Triplet has her. She will not regain consciousness. I am more concerned in finding out what Forrest’s connection with Linda Wilson’s baby is.”
“Linda Wilson is not your concern, nor is her unborn child.”
Liu frowned. “But Uncle, she….”
The Weng Fe Tong leader pursed his lips and held up a hand. Liu sighed, bowed again and left the room.
“I trust you heard?”
“Yes I did. He’s very ambitious. Are you sure he can be trusted?”
“He is my protégé. He is bound by the code as we all are.”
“Just remember – he’s expendable.”
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Forrest read through the revised copy of his amended will while his lawyer and two witnesses patiently waited. Forrest finished and looked up. “This will prevent anyone from denying me life support regardless of my condition or circumstances?”
“Yes, Mr. Forrest.”
“And arrangements have been made for my cryogenic storage?”
“Yes, Mr. Forrest. I have spoken to your associate in Scotland. He confirmed that the cryogenic chamber had been completed, and your medical team are standing by. If your doctor in the UK decides that there’s no hope for you, your body will be put into cryogenic stasis and kept that way until a cure can be found.”
“And no one can prevent this process? Not even John Liu?”
“No one, Mr. Forrest. Dr. Ghana’s psychological evaluation and sworn affidavit of your mental stability confirms your competence, at the time of this signing. His credibility will not be challenged. In the unlikely event that your wishes are not carried out, I will see that a full post-mortem is performed. The guilty party or parties will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. As you have so named John Liu, Sir Richard Triplet, Dr. Rigden, Dr. Thundercloud, and Kevin Wilson, as possible threats, those individuals will be investigated first. I will not stop until I find the person or persons responsible. As you have provided me with this unique technology, I will personally keep an eye on John Liu.”
Having fallen short of red flag markers on contracts, Forrest peeled the tape off to see if anything was under it. Finding nothing, he grinned wryly and signed the will, taking up two lines as usual. “Then that’s it? We’re done?”
“As soon as the witnesses have added their signatures.” The lawyer stepped forward and retrieved the document. The last witness added her signature; the lawyer put the document in his briefcase and locked it. “The original copy will be put in my will safe…” the lawyer said, swinging his briefcase to his side, “Thank you ladies for your cooperation. You may go.” The lawyer turned his attention back to Forrest. “A sealed copy will be sent to you within the next two to five….”
Forrest held up a hand. “…Don’t spout me the standard two to five working day shit. As soon as Liu returns from whatever whore house he’s at, I will be leaving for the UK. I expect you to hand-deliver my copy before I leave.”
“How long will Mr. Liu be gone?”
“How the fuck am I supposed to know. He told the nurse at the desk he would be back in thirty-minutes. He has approximately five left.”
“I’ll be right back,” the lawyer said and left the room.
Using his teeth, Forrest peeled off the tape, yanked the IV from the top of his right hand and spat the tubing out on the bed. Blood started leaking out onto the clean white sheets.
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The nurse at the nurse’s station handed Forrest’s lawyer the original and copied documents. She glanced at the flashing light below Forrest’s monitor screen. She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Good thing he’s making a will. I’m a mind to kill the Old Geezer myself. I have to check his IV pump. Would you like me to give him this?”
“I would appreciate that,” he smiled.
“It would be my pleasure,” the nurse responded, muttering as she headed down the hall to Forrest’s room. “If he’s turned that IV pump up again I’ll shove this will up his ass!”
The lawyer laughed and shook his head. The lift doors opened; John Liu stepped out. “I see you finally got here,” Liu said as he approached the desk. “Come on – let’s get this over with.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Liu, but my business with Mr. Forrest is finished. I was just leaving.” He grinned slightly. “Have a good day,” he said and stepped in the lift.
Liu narrowed his eyes, scratched the back of his neck and headed for Forrest room. “Something tells me I’m going to regret this arrangement,” he mused.