Lizzy's eyes filled with tears. "Yes. I don't understand what happened or why he's still alive. He shouldn't be. I can't explain it. I can only hope that somehow he fought death and is still in there and will wake up and be the same boy I've always loved." She used the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Amy raised a brow and glanced at Franks with a look that said she didn't believe any of this, but she didn't say a word.
"Did you guys smell anything before the explosion? A gas odor or anything like smoke?" Franks asked.
"No, nothing like that. It was a normal night out. The place was busy, and there were those fake candles on every table, but not real flames. No one was in a panic or warning about anything. I'd think if someone smelled gas, they would have said something." Martin shifted in his wheelchair.
"Nobody was fighting or arguing?" Amy asked.
"No. It was a nice peaceful beginning. We'd only sat down and got our drinks. We hadn't even ordered yet, so we hadn't been there for long. Lizzy made a toast to Jackson being home, we all clinked glasses, and then everything exploded around us. I don't even remember if I managed to take a drink." Lance reached for the glass of water beside him. He took a long drink, then looked back at Franks. "It was quiet walking in. There were people around, but no one that looked suspicious or seemed to be fighting with anyone. Nothing inside or out seemed off. It was all normal, until it wasn't."
"Did anyone notice anything after the explosion? Someone out of place? A person who wasn't in shock or injured?" Franks asked.
"My first thought was to check on Angus, and once I did that, he had all my attention. Until the firefighters arrived and I started begging them for help, I didn't see anything except Angus and those who were with us," Lance told them.
"Pretty much the same for me." Lizzy sighed. "Once I saw Angus, he had my full attention."
"I couldn't see Angus but knew it was bad from the way Lizzy and Lance were reacting. I looked around, but all I saw were people on the ground. A few got up and tried to stumble around the debris or help others, but no one stood out. We all looked in shock and like we'd just been in the explosion. Police and firefighters took us out one by one, leaving the most severe for the paramedics to deal with. Honestly, there was so much going on at once, it was hard to focus. My main concern was for Angus, then for Lance when I saw him pass out."
Lance closed his eyes. He didn't remember falling. One minute he was trying to walk through the cluttered, broken parts of tables and chairs to get help, then there was nothing until he woke in the hospital. It was probably a good thing he'd passed out, because he'd have refused to leave Angus's side if he hadn't.Like it or not, he would have made the whole situation harder had he been alert to everything going on.
"You passed out?" Amy glanced at Lance.
"I was trying to get help for Angus. I tripped over something on the floor, jarred my shoulder, and I guess the pain knocked me out. I don't recall anything after tripping until I woke up in the hospital and Jackson was able to tell me what was going on." Lance stared at Angus's still body. "My only thought at the time was saving him."
"The whole place was in chaos. I know you're hoping for us to recall some major thing, but everyone was stunned and in shock. People were focused on the people they were with. I remember hearing crying and screams, but I couldn't tell you where they were coming from. And once police and fire were there, the noise and insanity got even worse." Martin shifted uncomfortably in his wheelchair. With one leg extended in a cast, he sat with his side to Angus, but he kept his hand covering his son's.
"I fear that's going to be the story we hear from almost everyone," Franks told Amy.
She nodded. "But it only takes one person to give us a lead. There were a lot of people there last night. One of them might have seen something."
"Which means we have a lot of interviews to get through." Franks stared at Angus. "You'll call me if there are any changes?"
"Of course. But none of us have our phones. Can you leave me your number? I'll call from the nurse's desk if I need to until I get a new phone." Lance held out a notepad and pen the nurse had given him earlier.
"You mean you don't have my number memorized?" Franks teased.
Lance rolled his eyes. "Do you have mine memorized?"
"Fair enough." Franks grinned as he wrote down his number. "I also put the captain's number there. He'll want an update. I'm sure he'll drop by as soon as he's able. It's a bit crazy at the station right now."
"I can only imagine." Lance had yet to turn on the TV in the room. He didn't want to see it all yet. He had enough to deal with without reliving the explosion. "I'll have Jackson get me a phone as soon as he can, but it could take a day or two with all the other stuff going on."
"We're here to help. Just tell us what you need," Amy offered. "In fact, we're going to be here for a while doing interviews. When we're done, we'll drop by and see if you need anything or if anyone wants a ride home." She focused on Martin and Lizzy. "It's been a long night for all of you."
"Thanks. We'll see what time it is when you finish up. I hate to leave him, but you're right, we are exhausted." Martin smiled across the bed at Lizzy. "We both need to sleep and as long as Lance is here, we know Angus is in good hands."
Lance didn't think that was true. He felt helpless. All he could do was sit and stare, wondering if the man he loved was still in his body, still alive. Even more, would he come back to him? And where was Betty? So many questions and they plagued his mind trying to find answers that just weren't there. "Jackson will be back later as well. You can interview him. If any of us noticed anything off, it would probably be him."
"Oh, speaking of which…" Amy pulled a few papers from her laptop case. "If you get a chance, we need written statements from you. Just fill them out when you can and get them back to us. Even if you didn't see anything, we need a record of that." She handed the papers to Lance. "We'll catch up with Jackson and Megan later today. Right now, we have a few other patients to visit before they are released. We'll drop by when done."
"Hope you learn something." Lance took the papers and set them on small table beside his chair. He was so tired that just the thought of filling out paperwork made his head ache.
"Call me if you need anything." Franks put a hand on Martin's shoulder. "I mean that. Anything at all."
"Thanks, Franks. You know we will." Martin smiled up at him. "But right now, the only thing we need is for Angus to get better. Once that happens, we'll want for nothing."
"He's strong. He won't leave us." Franks released a deep sigh as he stared at Angus. "Okay, we'll be back." He gave a wave, then followed Amy out of the room.
