Someone To Watch Over You

Chapter 36

I arrive home to my worst nightmare. Two police cars and an ambulance are parked outside of the house. I leaped out of the car. I'm not even certain it had come to a complete stop and run up the driveway when I'm stopped by one of the officers.

"Whoa! Whoa, there! Who are you and where do you think you're going?" The officer held me back by my shoulders.

"I'm Alex Bragin," I said pulling away from him, I fumble for my wallet and pulled out my license. "This is my house! My family's house," I corrected knowing the addresses wouldn't match. "My mother is in there! Please, I need to know what's going on."

The officer gave me back my license and told me to follow him. I get inside and I see my mother. She was okay. A rush of relief washed over me as and I ran to hug her. She seemed surprised to see me.

"Alex? What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, Mom. I'm so glad to see you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I didn't know how to answer her question and I didn't have the chance as two EMTs were carrying a gurney down the stairs from my Mother's bedroom. I looked up at the officer and the feeling of dread hit like a brick at the bottom of my stomach.

"I'll stay with her," the officer informed me and I nodded and moved across the room. I saw Tina, her eyes closed, blood crusted in her hair, dripping down her face, on her blouse.

"Tina!" her eyes fluttered open for a second when I called her name but never fully opened.

I followed the EMT's outside. "What happened?"

The EMT closest to me shrugged. "Can't say. We found her this way. Do you know who she is?"

"Yes, her name is Tina Worthington. She's my personal assistant. I mean... she works for my father's company. She was looking after my mom while I stepped out. My mother has Alzheimer's."

The two men looked at one another. "That explains some things. Your mother had no recollection of what happened. There was a call placed to 911 and then when the cops arrived they called for us. If you want to know more you'll have to talk to them."

"Where are you taking her?" I asked as they put the gurney into the back of the ambulance, wishing I could go with her.

"Memorial."

"Thank you!"

The second I got back into the door another officer pulled me aside. "Son, I need to talk to you."

I glanced over to my mom who is sitting on the sofa and offering the officer I came in with tea.

"What is going on with your mother? It's pretty evident she's not all there," the officer said not knowing I guess how else to put it.

"I just recently discovered she is in the advanced stage of Alzheimer's. I haven't been in touch with my family for the last 4 years. My father has recently passed away and I came home to help with the arrangements. I guess between the stress and depression her illness is advancing faster than I expected."

The officer's expression held such sorrow. "I'll be honest with you. We don't know what happened here. We came on the scene, rang the bell, your mother opened the door for us. We'd seen some cuts and bruises on her. Asked where she got them from but she couldn't recall. We asked if we could look around and she didn't deny us access to the house. We found the girl on the floor in the bedroom, the vanity mirror smashed, a few other broken or thrown items around the room but the girl wasn't conscious for us to talk to."

I wanted to vomit as he spoke. Scared for my mom and Tina, both. Not knowing what was going to happen to either of them. "Are you going to arrest her?"