6 comments/ 12616 views/ 6 favorites Georgie Girl Ch. 16-18 By: coaster2 This story was edited by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks and appreciation. Any errors are mine alone. Previously posted on another site. ***** Chapter 16 Discovery I slept that night, exhaustion and a lack of sleep the night before having finally caught up to me. I didn't remember my dreams although I'm sure I had some. We had eaten at a nearby restaurant that served exactly what we expected, a meat and potatoes menu. This was cattle country and there was no place on the menu for that sissy west coast fare. Thomas and I laughed about it. It was the first time we'd laughed at anything since I discovered Georgette was missing. Before we retired, I called the highway patrol station and was assured by the night duty officer that there was nothing new in the search for Georgette. We watched the news on the local channels and as far as we could tell, all of them broadcast the missing persons alert for Georgette, showing both her picture and the SUV she had rented. They had done what they had said they would. Now we had to wait to see if anyone recognized her and knew of her whereabouts. The next morning I flicked on the news while Thomas was in the bathroom, and once again the missing persons report was there. I watched to see if there was anything about the search for Georgette, but it was just a repeat of the previous night's message. I was about to switch over when a story about stolen rental cars came on. I stopped to watch. Apparently, the rental car companies were putting GPS tracking devices on their units in some cities where theft was becoming a chronic problem. Some of their higher end units were particular targets of the "strip and ship" gangs. I could feel my heart start to race. Did Georgette's SUV have such a unit installed? If it did, could they locate it? I picked up the phone and called the 1-800 number for the rental agency. "Can you tell me if a rental unit from Boise, Idaho would have your GPS tracking unit installed. The person who rented it is missing and we're trying to find her." I was talking to a woman who was unwilling to divulge very much information. I argued with her, but the upshot was that I would have to have the highway patrol contact them to get the answers to my questions. I gave up in frustration as Thomas came out of the bathroom. "I heard part of that. What's happening?" I told him about the tracking devices and I could see his eyes widen in surprise. Seconds later we were on the phone to Sergeant Kranowski, our contact at the highway patrol. "The rental agency won't release the information to us, but they will to you. This could really help us find my fiancée," I pleaded. "I'll get on it right away," he assured me. "I'll call you back to bring you up to date," he promised. "No point in us going off on a wild goose chase if they can locate the vehicle for us," Thomas said. I nodded in agreement. Once again we were forced to sit and wait. We headed off to a local chain restaurant for breakfast and talked about what we would do if this was another dead end. If it wasn't, what would the highway patrol be willing to tell us? "You can't say there've been many dull moments since you got involved with this family," Thomas said with a rueful grin. "I feel like most of it is my doing, Thomas. I mean, I was the guy that got Brad all uptight about being with Georgette in Tahoe. It was me that he was after when he came back to San Francisco. Now ... it's my project that she was helping with that caused this. Maybe I'm a bad omen for your family," I said sadly. "You can't think like that, John. Brad was going to be a big problem one way or another. If he'd taken Georgette and she'd resisted, what might he have done to her? He thought nothing of beating her. No ... you can't let yourself think that way. And now, we don't know what's happened to her, and blaming yourself is not going to bring you any satisfaction. We just have to wait and learn what comes next." We were walking slowly back to the motel room when Thomas's phone went off. "Hello?" (pause) "Great! What have you learned?" (pause) "How long will it take you to get there?" (pause) "Call me as soon as you do, please. We've got to know." (short pause) "Thank you," he said, signing off. "They've found the SUV. It did have a tracking device and they located it near a wildlife refuge not far from Great Falls." I didn't know what to say. Obviously there was no word on Georgette and equally obviously there would be units on the way. "Are they sending the helicopter?" I asked. "It's on its way along with a couple of patrol cars that were in the area. We'll know soon enough, John," he said, answering the unasked question. Now I was really tense. Would Georgette be there? Was she alive? If she was alive, was she injured? I didn't make it to the room before I lost my breakfast. "Sorry, Thomas, I'm a basket case right now. I need to sit down." "I understand, John. I'm not too stable myself. Let's just hope they find her and she's alive. That would be enough right now." We sat quietly in the air conditioned motel room, silently waiting for Thomas's cell phone to ring. He sat staring at it, almost willing it to ring it seemed. I knew exactly what he was thinking. What news would it bring? Could we handle it? When it finally did ring almost an hour later, we jumped as if we had been given a jolt of electricity. "Hello?" Thomas gasped. (pause) "How is she?" (pause) "Is she going to be all right?" (pause) "Which hospital?" I watched him write down a name as he listened. Already I could feel my heart racing once more. "Thank you, we're on our way." He hadn't shut the phone off before he turned to me. "They found her. The car had left a dirt road and apparently rolled over several times. She was trapped inside, too injured to work her way out. They're airlifting her to some place called Benefits Healthcare on 26th Street South. Let's go." I was at the door before Thomas, and we raced to our rental SUV. While Thomas got us on the way, I punched in the name of the hospital and within seconds we were getting directions. We weren't that far away as it turned out, and we quickly parked the vehicle. I could see a MHP helicopter on the nearby pad and assumed it was the unit that had brought Georgette in. It let Thomas do the talking, since he was her father. He signed the paperwork they insisted on before we headed for the emergency waiting room to await some news. I could see the worried look on Thomas's face and I'm sure I didn't look any brighter. If she were alive, there was a chance. Once again, we were forced to wait. I saw Thomas start and then pull out his phone. It took me a moment to realize he was phoning Sarah to let her know what was going on. At least now we had some news, although there was another nerve-racking wait ahead of us. I couldn't hear all of Thomas's conversation with Sarah, but from the sound of it he was trying to calm Sarah down. I could imagine how upset she was now, learning that Georgette was in the hospital and we didn't know her status. I blanked my mind to everything but praying that Georgette would be all right. I could handle it if she was badly hurt, as long as she lived. That's all I cared about at that moment. "I think I've got Sarah calmed down temporarily, John. What about your parents. They don't know anything about this, do they?" "No, I've been afraid to call them after what they went through in Tahoe. I think I'll wait until we know Georgette's condition before I phone." It must have been at least an hour after we arrived before a green cloaked man walked into the waiting room and asked Thomas if he was Mr. Fulton. "Yes, I am. This is John Smith, my daughter's fiancé. What is her condition, doctor?" "She's in serious but stable condition. She has a compound fracture of the left humerus," he said, pointing to his upper arm. "She has a cracked scapula and is also concussed and severely bruised about her upper back and lower jaw. Most of the damage is on her left side." "Is she awake? Can we see her?" I asked immediately. "She is not conscious and I'm not anxious to have her wake up just yet. I'd like to do some scans on her cranium to make sure there are no fractures. According to the highway patrol, the airbags deployed, but she must have been injured in a secondary event. It's hard to tell, but we'll keep her under observation while we get a grip on what's happened to her." "Is she going to be all right?" Thomas asked, milliseconds before I did. "Well, her bones will heal and the bruising will heal, but it's too early to tell about the effects of the concussion and any other hidden trauma. We'll be spending a good deal of time looking for any other problems, just to make sure." "Is there any chance we can see her tonight?" I asked. "Yes, but she won't be awake and I doubt she will be for some time, probably more than a day. Come with me and I'll take you to her room." We followed down a long corridor to a single-bed room in the I.C.U. When I looked at the person in the bed, I didn't recognize her as Georgette. Between the cast, the bruising, and various tubes and monitors, she looked like an alien. Thomas and I walked to the side of the bed and looked down at her. Her face was swollen and a mixture of black, blue and yellow tones. Besides the cast on her arm, her upper body was trussed up somehow, probably to prevent her from further damage to her shoulder blade. I leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. "Get well, my love," I whispered, tears now coming. I didn't want to leave and yet I didn't want to stay. To see her like this was almost too much. She was a beautiful woman in the prime of her life. Now, she was battered and bloodied in some horrible accident and I only wanted her to get better. I didn't know what to do. "Let's go back to the motel, John. I need to phone Sarah and you need to phone your parents. The doctor is sure nothing will change in the next day or so. We can come back tomorrow. Let's go," he implored. I nodded. He was right. There was nothing we could do except watch and pray. There would be plenty of time to sit with her in the coming days. In the meantime, we had a duty to perform. The phone call to my parents was long and painful. I carefully explained what had happened, first to my mother, then once again to my father. They were, quite naturally, shocked and deeply distressed. They had come to think of Georgette as their daughter, even though we had yet to formalize our relationship. They had also bonded with the Fultons and the desBiens in a manner that I hadn't expected. My mother was all set to fly to Great Falls to be with Thomas and me, but I asked that she wait until we knew more about Georgette's condition and future. When would we be taking her back to San Francisco? How long would her rehabilitation last? Would she be whole, without permanent injury? All these were questions yet to be answered. The only thing that seemed certain was that the wedding would be postponed. I think above all other things this did more to deflate my mother than anything else. "How is Sarah?" I asked Thomas as he returned to our motel room. "Very upset. I've arranged for her to fly here tomorrow. I tried to talk her out of it, or at least delay until Georgette was conscious, but she was insistent. Nan will be coming too. It's probably just as well. The more moral support we can give her, the better chance of a full recovery. In the meantime, we'll put Nan in Georgette's room and I've rented another room for Sarah and myself." "My mother was all set to come too, but I talked her into waiting until we knew what Georgette's condition was. This is going to be hard on both our families, Thomas. I'm no longer surprised at how close we've become, but that makes it that much more difficult to accept what's happened to her." He nodded. "I understand. Once again, we're forced to wait and see what hand fate deals us." It was another night with little or no sleep. More than once the tears came. More than once I thought about getting up and taking a cab to the hospital and sitting in Georgette's room. Just being with her and watching her breathe and knowing that she was alive would be some comfort. I didn't, but I was determined I would stay with her during the day if they would allow me. "I'll probably ask you to leave if something requires our immediate attention, Mr. Smith," Doctor Hettinger told me. "Normally, only close relatives are permitted short visits in the I.C.U. rooms. You'll have to be completely quiet as well. If someone else comes into the room, you'll have to leave. Understood?" "Yes," I nodded. It was better than nothing. Thomas and I would alternate for an hour or so at a time until Sarah and Nan's plane arrived. I didn't want Georgette left alone for any length of time at all. If somehow, she knew we were here it might bring her back to us sooner. If there was any possibility she might know we were here, I wanted that thought to be with her. It was early afternoon when Sarah and Nan arrived at the hospital with Thomas. "She's going to be all right, Sarah," I said embracing her. "I just know she will. We've found her and the doctors are going to make her well again." She nodded with a grim smile and said nothing, tears streaming from reddened eyes, dark circles showing under them. I turned to Nan. "She's a fighter, Nan. You know that. She won't give up. She's got two families on her side." For the first time since I'd known her, I could see tears in Nan's eyes and the deep concern she had for her granddaughter. Gone was the light-hearted, carefree woman, replaced by a very worried one, frightened for Georgette's future. Thomas had taken Sarah and Nan to the motel to get them settled. Nan was happy to stay in Georgette's room as she felt it kept her close to her wounded granddaughter. Sarah would have Thomas to comfort her while this drama played out. I, on the other hand, would be on my own once more. We alternated being in the room with Georgette, one of us at a time, the rest of us in the waiting room or walking around the grounds of the hospital, trying to keep a positive attitude and waiting anxiously for something to break in Georgette's condition. By the third day, I was beginning to worry that it might be a very long time before she regained consciousness. I was drowsing as I sat in the slippery hospital chair, my butt gradually sliding forward until I would wake and pull myself back more upright. I wondered at times if the hospital bought these chairs from the same supplier as the firms that furnished the airport terminal buildings. "She's waking up," I heard Sarah say as she rushed into the waiting room. "Her eyelids are fluttering. She's waking up." The excitement in her voice was unmistakable and for the first time I saw the hint of a smile and a look of optimism on her face. I think Thomas beat me to my feet by less than a second, but I had shaken off my lethargy and was now wide awake. "I called the nurse and she's sent for the doctor," Sarah gasped, holding onto Thomas with a look of expectation. We waited impatiently for the doctor to arrive and give us an update on Georgette's status. As the minutes ticked by, we became more and more restless. The little bit of activity that Sarah had seen might not have been what we hoped for; that she was waking. I paced and then I sat. Then I rose and paced again. I had no thought of the others in the room at that point. My thoughts were focused on Georgette. It seemed like hours before the doctor came into the waiting room to address us. "I have some good news for you," he began. "She's awake and responding to our questions. She seems to be lucid and is asking for you. I think it's best that no more than two of you go in to see her at one time. Please do not get her excited or ask her too many questions. Keep your tone even and controlled. I'm still unsure of the consequences of the concussion. She's quite groggy due to the medication, but as I said, she is reasonably alert. Please, no more than five minutes each for now. It's going to be a while before she's completely with us." "Oh, thank you, Doctor," Sarah said with more tears. "We're so grateful for all you've done." He smiled and left the room, taking Sarah and Thomas with her. I sat back with a sigh of relief, taking Nan's hand in mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I hope our prayers have been answered," I said to her. "She's going to be fine, Johnny, just you wait and see. She's strong and she's got everything to live for. She'll be fine." She spoke with a tone of confidence that I wish I felt. There was still a lot to learn and a long way to go. But, I now had some hope that this would turn out better than my worst fears. Nan was telling me to be positive and that was good advice. My cell phone rang as we sat there and I looked to see who was calling. It was a local number. "Hello?" "Mr. Smith?" "Yes." "This is Sergeant Kranowski at the highway patrol office. I've been trying to get ahold of Mr. Fulton to talk to him about his daughter's accident. Is he still in Great Falls?" "Yes. My fiancée has woken and he and his wife are visiting her right now. He won't be long. I can have him call you." "Yes, please. We need to talk to him about the accident." "I'll make sure he calls you. Would you mind telling me what this is about?" "Let me talk to the closest relative first, please. That's procedure." "I understand. I'll make sure he gets your message." We rang off and I wondered what that was about. Neither Thomas nor I knew anything about the details of her accident. How could we help? It wasn't long before Thomas and a weeping Sarah returned to the room. In this case, the tears were of relief that her daughter was alive and talking. "She's very woozy, John," Thomas said. "She recognizes us and knows she was in an accident, but her thoughts are a bit scrambled, so don't get too detailed with your questions." "I'll keep him in line," a now more upbeat Nan said. I told Thomas about the phone call from the highway patrol and gave him the number Kranowski had used. He walked out of the waiting room to make the call. Sarah and Nan hugged before it was my turn for kiss and a hug. I could sense the relief in Sarah and that was good medicine all on its own. I led Nan down the corridor to Georgette's room. Her eyes were closed when we entered the room and I wondered if she had dropped off again, but they opened when she heard us approach. "Nan ... John ... oh I'm so happy to see you," she said in a very weak voice. "Not as happy as we are to see you awake and talking," Nan smiled. That woman could brighten any room and that's exactly the effect she was having on her granddaughter. "I had an accident. (pause) I crashed the rental car. (pause) I broke my arm and shoulder. (pause) I hurt like hell. (pause) I'm going to be all right, aren't I?" It had taken a supreme effort for her to get it all out. But the fact that she knew what had happened and where she was injured gave me great hope that she was going to be okay at some point. "Don't worry about any of that right now, love," I said. "Concentrate on getting better. The minute we can, we'll get you back home so you can recover in the comfort of your own place. I'll be right there with you, too. Your whole family will be there." "But what about your exams, John? (pause) What about our wedding? (pause) I've ruined everything now." "No ... no ... nothing that can't wait. It was an accident and accidents happen. Think about getting better. I can write the exams any time and we can get married any time. First things first. You get well." Georgie Girl Ch. 16-18 "Johnny's right, Georgie. None of that stuff matters until you get yourself all healed up. You listen to him. He's got a good head on his shoulders." I looked at Nan and gave her silent thanks for her support. The more I was around her, the more I loved and respected her. She was a beacon of light when things were dark. We had used up our time and I kissed Georgette gently on the lips before we left. He eyes were closed by the time we were out the door and I turned back to look at her one more time. She was pale and her eyes seemed sunken. Tubes and wires were seemingly everywhere around her. But, she knew who we were and she knew in general what had happened to her. That was the good thing I took away from our brief moments together. As we returned to the waiting room, Thomas approached me. "Sergeant Kranowski would like to talk to us. I'm not sure what about, but he said it was regarding Georgette's accident. I think we should all go talk to him if he'll let us." "Yeah. Let's go. It will give us something else to think about besides Georgette's condition." Nan and I told Sarah about our conversation, such as it was, with Georgette. It was more than they had observed when they visited her. I took that as an encouraging sign that she was becoming more aware of herself and her situation. We trooped into the highway patrol offices and asked for Sergeant Kranowski. He appeared a minute or so later and I saw his eyes widen as he took in the four of us. Thomas took over at that point. "Sergeant, this is my wife, Sarah, and her mother, Nanette desBiens. We thought we should all hear what you have to say." He looked a bit uncertain before he made a decision. "Okay, let's go into the interview room. I warn you now, the chairs aren't terribly comfortable," he offered with a slight smile. We followed him into a stark, plain room in pale green with a single table and three chairs. A large, darkened window took up most of one wall. Kranowski disappeared for a moment before he returned pushing two office chairs on casters. "I think the ladies might be more comfortable on these," he said. "Thank you, young man, that's very considerate of you," Nan said. I could see the sergeant respond to Nan's typical upbeat nature. It seemed to relax him and we all sat around the table. "I'd offer you some coffee, but you wouldn't want to drink it without a health warning," he grinned. "So, what have you learned?" Thomas asked in his usual to-the-point manner. "Well, at the scene we found the vehicle down in a shallow ravine. It had rolled over several times and was a real mess. The airbags in the front and sides had deployed and that made us wonder how your daughter had so many injuries. Our guess is that the vehicle only rolled partway down the ravine before it was hung up on a rock. It stopped there by the look of it. "We think your daughter then tried to get out of the vehicle and maybe, if it was precariously balanced on the rock, her shift in weight might have been enough to dislodge it and it rolled the rest of the way down the side of the ravine. It's pure speculation right now, but that's what we think might have happened. "I understand she's now conscious and when the doctors give us an okay, we'll try to confirm what happened when we interview her." "So," I said, "if the airbags had already deflated, then there wouldn't be anything but her seatbelt to protect her when it rolled again." "She wasn't wearing a seat belt when we found her. She might have taken it off or maybe she wasn't wearing one when it happened." "No!" I said. "Absolutely not! She never goes anywhere without a seat belt fastened. She's had performance driving lessons. She's an extremely skilled driver. She knows the risks of not wearing proper safety equipment." "That's right, Sergeant," Thomas echoed. "She's a fanatic about keeping herself and her car in tip-top condition. She wouldn't think of driving fifty feet without a belt on." "Okay then, that would indicate our supposition about the two stage descent is more likely," Kranowski said nodding. "That would also account for the more serious injuries. We had to cut the roof and the door off to get her out of there. There's no way she could have gotten out on her own with her injuries." "Thank God you found her when you did," I said. "You can thank the rental car company for that. That GPS tracking unit took us right to her. Good thing you thought of that, Mr. Fulton." "It wasn't me," Thomas said. "It was John who saw the story on TV. He was the one who thought it was possible we could find her that way." "Hah!" Nan exploded. "I knew it. Johnny comes to the rescue once again." Kranowski looked at Nan, wondering no doubt what she was referring to. "That brings me to the second thing," the sergeant continued. "When we got the vehicle back to our lot, one of our officers noticed a large grey paint scrape along the right rear quarter-panel. It appears that your daughter had an encounter with another vehicle. Do any of you know anything about that?" Chapter 17 Putting the Pieces Together The sergeant's question caught all of us off guard. "A collision with another car?" I asked. "She hasn't said anything about that. Wouldn't someone report that?" "Maybe ... maybe not. Depends," the sergeant said. "We have a number of people who insist on driving without insurance. Could have happened in a parking lot and she didn't notice the damage. Maybe she was hit by a drunk who didn't want to get caught by us. There could be a number of reasons." "I get the impression there's more to this, Sergeant," Thomas said evenly. Kranowski nodded. "Your daughter's SUV had consistent mud splatter along the sides. It had rained Sunday night and early Monday morning. The dirt roads were muddy. When we got the unit back to our lot and discovered the paint scrape and damage, we looked a little closer. There was some mud on the paint scrape, but not consistent with the splatter on the sides. "We think the mud and dirt on the paint scrape happened as a result of the roll down the ravine and not from the road. That would indicate that the scrape happened about the time of the accident, if not actually the cause of the accident. Again, the possibility of a hit and run driver." I sat back and looked at the shock on the faces of the Fultons and Nan. Like me, it was hard to believe that someone had deliberately left the scene of a serious accident, perhaps leaving Georgette to die alone in that ravine. But Sergeant Kranowski was clearly saying the current evidence pointed in that direction. "Do you know when the accident happened?" Thomas asked, the first to recover from the shock of the revelation. "Yes. Thanks to the rental car's GPS and their tracking system, we believe the accident happened at 4:25 pm on Monday afternoon. We've tracked back on her route and we know where she was the entire day. I have officers out checking with anyone she might have encountered. It's a huge assist to us when there is a suspicious situation. As it stands now, we believe someone else caused your daughter's accident and neither stopped nor reported it." "Can you tell us where she was that day?" I asked. "No. I don't want you interfering with our investigation. I'm giving you all the information you should have and then some. I would appreciate it if you left it to our department to track down what happened to Ms. Fulton. We won't be very forgiving if we find you conducting your own investigation. You're going to have to trust us to do our job and bring the person or persons to justice." "I understand," Thomas said. "I'm pleased you have as much information as you do about her whereabouts that day. We have John to thank for that." I was humbled by my future father's praise. "We've learned something important too," Kranowski said. "We'll know that these devices are more common than we thought and can aid us in all sorts of investigations. I think we should have one on every public safety vehicle and I'll be passing that up the chain of command at our next meeting." The meeting ended with our filing out of the little interview room after thanking Sergeant David Kranowski for sharing his information with us. But it left us with another question. Why would someone deliberately try and run Georgette off the road, if that's what happened? Maybe it was a drunk or someone who just didn't want to be involved. I wondered if we'd ever know. We decided to go back to the hospital to see if there was any change in Georgette's status. We were cautioned not to question her about the accident. Kranowski told us to leave the investigation to him and that included talking to Georgette. We wanted to respect his wishes. We owed him that much. I could tell things had changed for the better with our group of four. We went out to dinner together and, for the first time, we all seemed to have an appetite. There was even a bit of laughter around the table when we discussed the various merits of the local cuisine. In truth, we had found a very nice restaurant that served a number of items that were not beef and we took advantage of the variety. When we arrived at the hospital the next morning, we discovered that Georgette had been moved to a private room on the wards. I took that as a good sign, as did everyone else. We were still restricted to the two-persons-only rule and Thomas and Sarah were the first to visit in her new room. "You play cribbage, Johnny?" Nan asked as we waited in our usual room. "I have a time or two," I said. Nan reached into her purse and pulled out a deck of cards and a folded cribbage board. "Care for a game? Ten cents a point?" "Deal," I smiled. By the time Thomas and Sarah returned, I owed Nan a dollar-ninety. She was a shark and someone should have warned me. "How is she?" I asked as her parents joined us. "Much better," Sarah said. "She's much more aware and awake. We were allowed to spend a half-hour with her. I can see she's gaining strength. I'm so relieved I don't know how to express it." "I think someone from the authorities is coming in later to talk to her," Thomas said. "We'd better avoid the subject of her accident for now." "No need," I said, looking over his shoulder. "This looks like them now." Two men, one in uniform and one in a suit walked into the waiting room surveyed it and came toward us. "Mr. Fulton?" he asked Thomas. "Yes. Thomas Fulton. This is my wife, Sarah, her mother Nanette desBiens and our daughter's fiancé, John Smith." "I'm Detective Colby Shilton and this is Officer Meldrum of the Great Falls Police Department. We've been given permission by your daughter's doctor to interview her with some restrictions of course. Have any of you talked to her today?" "My wife and I have," Thomas said. "How is she?" Shilton asked. "Much better, but on pain medication as you can guess. A little groggy, but aware of what's happened." "We'll be careful not to upset her, but we have some questions about the accident that need clearing up. I understand Sergeant Kranowski has told you of his suspicions." "Yes. We've been careful not to discuss it with our daughter, Detective." "Very good. We hope she can help us find out what happened. We'll see you afterwards," he said with a quick smile before leaving the room. It seemed like we had spent a month in that waiting room when it was really only a little more than four days. But it was four days of doubt and concern for Georgette's future. That was still uncertain, but the signs were good that she was on the road to recovery. The detective and the officer weren't gone that long when they returned to the waiting room. "Your daughter was very helpful, folks. I won't give you a blow-by-blow, but our supposition that she was knocked off the road by another vehicle was borne out by her comments. We also know that her vehicle rolled partway down the ravine before stopping. When she tried to exit the door on the passenger side, it began to tip and roll again. She tried to brace herself, but it was rolling too fast and she lost consciousness before it got to the bottom. "She remembers waking up in great pain and trying to get out, but was trapped in the wreckage. She was in and out of consciousness for some time. I think we found her just in time according to the doctor. Anyway, we now have a description of the vehicle that collided with her. It had been following her for some miles before it made its move on her. We have an idea who might be responsible. That's all I can tell you for now." "Did she suggest a motive for this act?" Thomas asked. "Yes, but I can't discuss that with you right now. We need to get a sworn statement from her and talk to the prime suspect. I would continue to ask you not to talk about this with her for now. I want her to have a clear mind when she makes her statement. It's important that her statement can't be challenged." "We'll do our best not to interfere," Thomas said. "Thank you, and we'll continue to keep you informed." "It was intentional ... deliberate ... attempted murder," I said, my heart pounding as the realization hit me. Sarah's hand was across her mouth and she was staring at Thomas wide-eyed in shock. "Why would someone try to kill her," she asked to no one in particular. "I can't guess," Thomas said. "There has to be a reason. I wonder if it has anything to do with water contamination. Willis Overland suggested that some of the ranchers would be worried about any discovery of that on their land." Before anyone could say anything else, Doctor Hettinger appeared once more. "Your daughter is doing quite well, considering. We'll want to keep her here for a few days yet to make sure there's no infection in her arm and that the bone is setting properly. We also want to be certain there are no after effects from her mild concussion. I've talked to the police and asked them not to take a sworn statement from her until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. I want her to be fully settled before they do that." "Are there any other injuries we should know about?" Sarah asked. "No, although her bruising is quite significant and widespread. She must have been really thrown around in the cab of that vehicle when it rolled. She's going to be pretty sore for a while yet." "Do you have any idea how long it will be before she can resume normal activities?" I asked. "A couple of months at least for the arm to fully heal. Compound fractures are very serious and there was some muscular damage. She'll need physical therapy on it for sure. Otherwise, most of the healing will be done in six to eight weeks." I sighed audibly. The summer will be gone by then, but what I was hearing is that she would be back to normal in a few months. That was a huge relief. Sarah and Thomas chatted with the doctor while Nan listened attentively. I had tuned out. It was too much. Someone tried to harm or even kill her. It was like we were being revisited by Brad Little all over again. Our stop-and-start life was on stop again. I was almost afraid to wonder what else could go wrong. I sat down in a nearby chair, put my head in my hands and wept in relief. *** The police took Georgette's statement on Sunday afternoon. We were not told what it contained, and we were warned not to discuss it with her. At that point, no one had been charged with any crime in conjunction with her mishap. We were in the dark, but I had a feeling that we wouldn't have to wait long to find out what was going on. We had a family meeting on Sunday evening at the dinner table in a very nice restaurant that we had found. We needed to make some decisions about a number of things. "I guess we can all agree that the wedding will be postponed until Georgette is fully recovered," I offered. "Have you talked to her about that, Johnny?" Nan asked immediately. "Uhhm, no. I just assumed." "She might have her own ideas when she's feeling a bit more like herself," she said emphatically. I could see the smile on Sarah and Thomas's face and I knew I had stepped in it. "Okay ... I guess we can leave that decision up in the air for now." It was time for me to shut up. "You've got your exams to consider," Thomas reminded me. "You'll need to reschedule them." I nodded. I hadn't even begun to think about that, but he was right. "Has anyone phoned Kevin to let him know what's going on?" Nan asked. "Oh, Jeeze, no, I haven't. I'll do that right after we get back to the motel. Damn, I should have thought of that. He must have thought I'd abandoned him." "I told him what was going on as far as I knew it," Nan said. "He won't be too surprised that you've had other things on your mind. Unless I miss my guess, he's still working away on your machines." "Thank you, Nan. I guess I just forgot everything when I found Georgette was missing." "I can understand that," she said with a grin. "So now that we know she's going to be all right, you can start getting yourself back to normal." "I'll start notifying everyone that that wedding has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances," Sarah volunteered. "I'm sure my parents can help with that too," I said. "I have to let them know what's going on anyway, so I'll take care of that." We talked about a dozen things that needed doing between now and when we got Georgette back to San Francisco. Thomas would arrange the aircraft as soon as the doctor gave him a date. When I thought about it, I was sure Georgette would have to come back to Great Falls if there was a trial and that would be a further interruption in our lives. She would undoubtedly be called to testify. Once again, I found myself reflecting on the past twenty months. From the time I had first met Georgette at the sorority mixer until today, nothing had been ordinary. I'd been stabbed and threatened at gunpoint, while she had been run off the road. Both of us ended up in the hospital due to criminal acts. What were the odds of that happening in a normal relationship? That only proved that our relationship was anything but normal. On the other hand, I had met some special people besides my future wife. Nan, of course, was first and foremost among those people. Thomas and Sarah had welcomed me openly after the incident with Brad. Devon and Mary desBiens had been equally welcoming. Kevin Riordan was a rare find, courtesy of Rex Lyman and Bob Mears of Dow Chemical. As bad as things were from time to time, I had made a new circle of friends and my ambition to create something worthwhile was being given a mighty shove by these new friends. I could hardly call myself unlucky, despite what had happened. *** "Detective Shilton called," Thomas said when I answered the knock on my motel room door. "He said he could tell us what happened to Georgette and that the case was pretty much wrapped up." "It is? Have they arrested someone?" I asked. "Yes, apparently. He suggested we meet with him at the police station and he would give us the details." "Great! When can we go?" Thomas smiled. "He won't be available for a couple of hours, so I suggested we meet him at three this afternoon. Sarah and Nan will want to be included of course." "Of course! What a relief," I sighed. "We're finally going to find out what happened." We were at the police station well before three that afternoon. We were anxious to find out just what had caused a skilled driver like Georgette to lose control and go off the road with catastrophic results. We trooped into the office and asked for Detective Shilton. "I might have known I was going to be seeing the whole family," he said with a smile as he came out to greet us. "Follow me please." He led us to what I assumed was a conference room. It wasn't fancy and was again painted in the ubiquitous green color that government offices seemed to feature. The seats were marginally more comfortable than the ones in the MHP interview room. It didn't matter. We were here to find out the facts. Georgie Girl Ch. 16-18 "It will be a few days before we can take a sworn statement from Ms. Fulton," Shilton began. "The state attorney's office won't rely on her testimony until she is recovered enough that a defense attorney can't repudiate her statement due to being under the influence of drugs. The pain medication she's taking falls under that category. "However, we have her verbal statement, and on the basis of that we have made an arrest. Alvis Elias Pritchard has been arrested for felony hit and run, leaving the scene of an accident, and misleading the police in the course of an investigation. He will be arraigned tomorrow morning." "We've been through this process before," Thomas said. "Will he be granted bail?" "Most likely he will," the detective nodded. "There was no premeditation or intent in Pritchard's actions. It was an accident caused by a young guy who lost his head when he caused the accident and panicked." "What did happen?" I demanded. Shilton gave me a look that said he was being very patient with me. "Ms. Fulton had visited the Pritchard Ranch on Monday afternoon. She had talked to Elias Pritchard about water quality, volume and a number of issues like that. The Pritchard Ranch is one of the smaller ones in these parts, but it's been in that family for over a hundred years. Elias Pritchard is a respected member of the community and as far as we can tell, not at all involved in what happened to Ms. Fulton. "Alvis is his only son, and as the saying goes, not the sharpest tool in the shed. I think Elias knows he's not up to running the ranch now or in the future. Anyhow, Alvis is a twenty-four year old young guy, single and without a girlfriend. According to Elias, he was fascinated by your Ms. Fulton and followed her and his father around as they had their discussions. I can tell by her pictures that she's a very attractive woman and I guess Alvis was taken with her. "As he tells it, he wanted to talk to her some more when she finished with his father and jumped in his truck and followed her. He knew those back roads better than most anyone and knew how to drive them. It didn't take long before he caught up to Ms. Fulton's vehicle. "He said he was trying to get her to stop so he could talk to her about the ranch water and anything else she might want to talk about. I guess it got out of hand and when the SUV began to fishtail in the wet mud, he got too close and tapped the vehicle on the right rear fender. That was enough to send her off the road and into the ravine. "The boy about wet himself when that happened. He panicked and headed home, frightened to death at what he had done. He hid out from his father, knowing he would have to explain where he was, what he was doing, and why he was so upset. "When the GPS trace told us where Ms. Fulton had been, our officers drove up to the Pritchard Ranch and talked to Elias. He admitted he'd seen and talked to Ms. Fulton, but didn't know anything about an accident. He said his son was gone somewhere, but he didn't know where. When the officers took a look around, they found the old pickup that the boy drove and saw some blue paint scrapes on the left front fender. "It took a while to find Alvis. He was hiding in a feed shed in back of the house, scared to death when he saw the MHP cars come to the house. The officers led him back to the house and he admitted what had happened and said it was an accident. He didn't mean to hit her vehicle. At that point, the officers arrested Alvis and brought him in." Detective Shilton leaned back in his chair while we absorbed what he had told us. "What will happen to him?" Sarah asked. "He'll get some jail time, that's for certain. Hard to say what the judge will do. He's admitted what he did and if his daddy gets him a decent lawyer, he probably won't be given a harsh sentence. But ... he won't get off 'scot-free' either." I looked around the table and didn't see any sign of unhappiness. Surprisingly, I saw Nan nod in agreement. She was seemingly saying that she was all right with what the detective was suggesting. I was about to say something in complaint when I thought better of it and held my tongue. This was not the place for family argument. I had to admit I wanted to see this guy spend some serious time in prison. Considering the damage he had caused Georgette, that seemed appropriate. It was later when Nan and I were alone in the waiting room while Thomas and Sarah visited Georgette that she said something. "You were about to tell that detective that the punishment wasn't enough, weren't you?" I nodded. "Yes. When you look at what has happened to Georgette and what it means to this family, I thought he was suggesting a very light punishment." "Johnny, it wasn't like he was trying to do what he did. He'll be punished because he didn't stay and help her. He didn't report the accident, and then he ran away. Those are all bad things, but not as bad as if he was trying to hurt her. Not like Brad." I could see what she was thinking. She was comparing this to Georgette's beatings at the hands of Brad Little. This was different and she was trying to make me see that. I shook my head, but not in denial. This aging dowager had more compassion and common sense than anyone had a right to possess. I marveled at her ability to cut through the bullshit and get to the core of the issue. I was wrong and she was right. "You always have the right answer, Nan. This is different, and my love for Georgette wouldn't change that. A prison term will scar him for life. I hope he survives it." She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it firmly in agreement. The smile on her face was enough for me. If I had one single wish, it was to get this episode behind us and get on with our lives ... together. Chapter 18 Home Again It was another week before we could transport Georgette home. Despite the boredom and frustration of being cooped up in the motel or the hospital waiting room, we all survived without getting on each other's nerves. When the date of Georgette's release was confirmed, Thomas arranged for the charter flight to take us all home. Nan had packed up all my fiancée's belongings save for the clothes she would wear on the flight. Thomas and I stopped in to thank Sergeant Kranowski of the highway patrol and Detective Shilton of the Great Falls Police Department for their response and cooperation, including sharing information with us that we might not otherwise have had. We left Great Falls with a good feeling about the law enforcement people we had encountered. No doubt, though, that the GPS tracking device on the rental was key to saving Georgette's life. It was also instrumental in tracking down where she had been, and that led to the arrest of Alvis Pritchard. When we arrived at Hayward Executive Airport, we were met by Mary and Devon, along with Kevin Riordan. Georgette was mobile now, but still very stiff and sore. Coming down the stairs off the aircraft was a slow and careful process. Much of her facial bruising had disappeared, but there were still dark spots and puffiness near her eyes, giving evidence to her trauma. Georgette and I rode with Thomas and Sarah in their SUV. We had Georgette sit on the right side of the rear seat so that the shoulder belt wouldn't touch her still-healing shoulder and arm. She was weaning herself off the pain medication and substituting an over-the-counter remedy. Knowing how single-minded she could be, I was sure she was "toughing it out." She could wiggle the fingers on her left hand and it wasn't long before she decided she could use the keyboard on her laptop. Daytime TV would drive her crazy, she said. I couldn't agree more. In the meantime, she was collating her notes from her trip to present to Kevin, Thomas and me when she had them completed. "I didn't get all the information I intended to, but I did get some I didn't expect to get," she told me. "Like what?" "There's a website that lists water quality for most of the major towns and cities in every state. The numbers are all over the map and the measurements aren't always the same values, but they give us a snapshot of where the problems are and where our concept would make the most sense. "For example, towns whose outlying areas rely on wells seem to be the most likely starting point for us. When I met with the Idaho Water Resources Board, they mentioned a specific problem they had to deal with when a rubber plant closed and they discovered a couple of years later that their wastes and residues had found their way into the local water table and was contaminating many of the wells. People were getting sick, but no one knew why until they tracked it to the failed company. "The company was out of business, declaring bankruptcy, so they had little they could do but to clean up the mess. It cost millions, I was told. More to the point, it got them testing wells on a more consistent basis and they discovered that many of them were in unsafe condition. They had contamination, usually from animal wastes, but sometimes from poorly done septic systems as well. All they can do is call it to the attention of the property owner and get them to abandon the well." "So, what you're saying is that we have a huge market potential in places like that." "If we can prove that our system will clean the water and make it safe, and if the landowners can afford it, the sky's the limit," she smiled. "So, despite how it ended, you think it was worthwhile?" I asked. "Of course!" she said in a tone that questioned my intelligence. "You need to worry about your exams, John," she continued, quickly changing the subject. "Call the university office and find out when you can take them." "Yes, ma'am, as you wish, ma'am." It wasn't often, but once in a while Georgette could get a bit sharp or irritated, and no, it wasn't during her period. She was a strong-willed woman and didn't like to be wrong, or worse, challenged. This little episode was different and I had a hunch why. "You getting tired of being a semi-invalid?" I tested. "Of course I am. I hate it. I can't do what I want and I can't go where I want. I can't drive my car and I can't dress myself. How do you think I feel?" she snapped. "Something like I did for a few weeks," I grinned. She looked at me, then I saw the change in her expression. The realization that this wasn't something I didn't understand came across loud and clear. "I'm sorry, John. I shouldn't have barked at you like that. I forgot about Tahoe. I won't do it again." "You don't have to apologize, Sweetheart. I understand your frustration and considering how serious your injuries are, I'm not surprised at how you feel. But, it won't be forever until you're healed ... or at least in physical therapy. That's when you'll know you're getting back to your old self." I got a nice warm one-armed kiss from her and we held each other gently, mindful of her still-painful bruises. A week later, I was re-scheduled for my exams, now to be taken in late June. I had explained the situation to the administration and they allowed me a special exemption from the usual "no-show, no-go" rules on examinations. I wasn't the only person on the list either. One of the exams was scheduled on the day before the original Saturday we were to get married. My mother, Sarah, Nan and Georgette had set about rescheduling our wedding. It would be the first Saturday after Labor Day. We were fairly certain that my bride would be healed and in good health by that date. In the meantime, she had completed her report on her trip to the Southwest and the abbreviated trip to Idaho and Montana. When I read it, I was much more confident that we were heading in the right direction with our development. Kevin, to his everlasting credit, had not stopped working on the prototypes for a minute. When I returned to San Francisco with Georgette and the family, I was surprised at just how much progress he had made. It took over a half-hour for him to explain what he had done. We were very close to being ready to test. We sat with Georgette at the house and discussed just what capacity we thought the units should have. "I vote for the five-thousand gallon size," Kevin said. "It should handle most of the requirements we'll encounter. We can always make the ten-thousand capacity unit an option. That will also keep our height profile down close to your original concept." "What do you think, Georgette?" I asked. "I think Kevin is right. This is a work in progress, John. It's going to evolve over time if we keep working on it. My studies indicate five thousand gallons per day is well within a useful volume for individual users. It would give us two options. One, sell a second unit ... or two, build a larger one. Kevin's layout allows us to do the larger unit without having to mess up the rest of the design layout." It was indisputable logic. "Okay then, that's what we'll do. Our first model will be capped at five thousand gallons per day." I saw a smile on Kevin's face indicating he was happy with my agreement. Georgette gave me a squeeze with her good arm and a kiss on the cheek. It was unanimous. *** Four of us were tucked into Kevin's crew cab pickup as we hauled the first prototypes up I-80 toward Sacramento. I had finished my last exam the day before and I was champing at the bit to see how our units would perform. Georgette had contacted the state water resources control board two weeks earlier and got a surprising response. They wanted to participate in the testing and would assist us in evaluating the results, using their laboratory facilities. It couldn't have been a better scenario for us. It would give us unimpeachable results. Of course, we had already done testing in our "laboratory." We would have been crazy to let a public agency try it out before we knew ourselves exactly how it would perform. The state water board had sent us their standards for water purification, and we ran tests to those specifications. Both prototypes exceeded the state requirements easily, but it would be even better if the state certified the results. And we also wanted to see how it would perform in the field, outside our controlled laboratory environment. The first prototype unit was in the back of the pickup, while the second unit was on a rented flat-deck trailer. We had deliberately left the shrouding off the units so that we could easily observe the components in operation. Kevin had done many hours of bench testing the various parts and pieces, but there was no substitute for field tests. We were meeting the control board people at one of their sites in Folsom. We weren't prepared to find almost a dozen staff assembled when we arrived. When we stepped out of the air-conditioned truck, the heat hit us like we were standing in front of a blast furnace. It took a couple of minutes to introduce ourselves before a Mr. Whitehurst identified himself as the spokesperson for their group. "All these people involved in the test?" I asked. "Yes. Your device is something we've thought about ourselves, but we don't have the budget to do the development work," Carl Whitehurst responded. "Uhhm ... just so you know ... we've applied for patents on this unit," I stammered. Whitehurst smiled. "Yes, I'm aware of that. Don't worry. We're not here to steal your concept. We want to see it succeed. If Ms. Fulton's estimates are correct, this would be a very affordable way for homeowners, farmers, ranchers, and even small businesses to clean their water supplies. Water is a very precious commodity in this state. Our job is to protect it and promote better use of it." With the help of the assembled group, we off-loaded the two units and moved them to the designated test sites. It took very little effort to work up a sweat in the ninety-plus degree heat. The prototypes were situated near three large tanks, presumably filled with water to be used in the testing. "The maximum throughput is a little less than three-and-a-half gallons a minute," Kevin stated. "If we gravity feed the unit, we can control that volume and then do some other measurements based on lower throughput as well." "Why would you bother with lower volumes?" a woman in a smock asked. "I come from the aircraft industry, ma'am," Kevin replied politely. "In that business, you test all the parameters. As I told John when I first came to work for him, bad things happen when airplanes fall out of the sky. Our job is make sure we know what to expect in all situations. This heat is a good test of one of the environmental situations. We'll also be testing in cold conditions. If we can think of a test, we'll test it," he grinned. I saw several of the group nodding in agreement. Kevin had once again scored some points. "You said you would normally have the unit covered," a young Hispanic man spoke. "Wouldn't that cause problems with excessive heat or overheating the components on a day like this? "Yes, I expect it could," Kevin replied. "Our first objective is to determine if the internal machinery does what it's supposed to do. Then we'll install the shrouds to see if it makes a difference. We've applied some new technology to some of the parts that should make them less vulnerable to heat. But we won't know until we test it." The questions were coming thick and fast. I was standing beside Thomas who was standing along side Carl Whitehurst. They were observing the interaction of the group with Kevin and occasionally Georgette. When I thought about it, this was a good sign. There was genuine interest in our machine and I got the impression they were rooting for it to succeed. "How did you get the idea to build this?" one young guy asked Kevin. "I didn't. This is John Smith's concept and he's the brains behind the project." A number of heads turned toward me and the questions began. "You're really young. When did you think of this idea?" an older man asked. "It started out as a high school science project in my junior year," I answered. "After I got an 'A' on my submission, I decided to see if I could make it a reality, a commercial product. Kevin is a huge help since he came from Lockheed-Martin and showed us exactly how a proper design should be done. "Thomas Fulton, my fiancée's father, is financing the development. His expertise is in venture capital acquisition. Georgette does market research and keeps me on the straight and narrow. At least she did until I finished my last exam at university," I said, looking over to her with a smile. She looked a bit flushed as I mentioned her. I could hear the murmurs from the group, obviously surprised at what I had accomplished. It took Kevin and me an hour with the help of some of the assembled group to set up the first test and get ready to run. The output would be pumped into a stainless steel covered tank that was on wheels. Test samples would be taken to the lab for analysis and comparison to the input water. Our first test was chemically tainted water, presumably from fertilizer or herbicide. We weren't told which. Three of the group had brought out a canopy that we could use to shade ourselves from the blazing sun. Georgette had thoughtfully brought a bottle of sun screen with her and we applied it liberally. By five o'clock that afternoon, we had completed our first tests and would know the results in the morning. The next day's tests would be on contaminated water from animal wastes as well as alkaline and mineralized water. As the afternoon trial came to an end, we moved the machines into the building for the night. Georgette had already made reservations at a hotel in Sacramento for the four of us. Kevin and Thomas would share a room, as would Georgette and I. We invited Carl Whitehurst to join us at dinner and he accepted. Our hotel had an excellent dining room, Thomas assured us, and so we made a reservation for seven o'clock. Georgie Girl Ch. 16-18 "I stopped by the lab on the way here," Carl said as we sipped a pre-dinner drink. "I shouldn't tell you this, but the preliminary results look like a success. We'll have the full results in the morning." "That's very good news, Carl," Thomas said. "I hope the formal results are just as good." "Actually, I don't want to sound arrogant, but I'm not surprised," I said. "We aren't inventing a new process. We're inventing a more compact way to use an existing process. We've thrown in some new wrinkles because we want this unit to be as close to indestructible as possible. "If it gets dropped off the back of a truck, we want it to have a good chance of survival. If it's got to operate in over one-hundred degree heat, then we want it to work reliably. The same goes if it's the middle of winter in Minnesota. If the owner doesn't bother to tie it down in the back of his truck and it gets bounced all over the place for five miles, we still want it to work," I said. Carl Whitehurst was nodding. "I can see what you're getting at. The big units are a lot more fragile than that. You want this to be an 'everyman's machine' then; something like a portable generator." "Yes," I agreed. "Along those lines, my dream is that it will be totally American-built and for all intents and purposes, bulletproof." "Are you worried about someone like the Chinese building a cheap copy?" he asked. "We are," Thomas said, "but we'll have some patent protection and in the beginning, they won't be able to duplicate some of the components. They will be exclusive to us. But, in the real world, we'll have to expect copies to show up. By that time, I'm hoping that John and Kevin can come up with new versions that will keep the competition at bay a while longer." "I was thinking about someone like James Dyson," I said. "His vacuum cleaner sells for much more than the competition, but every few months, he has a new improved product on the market. People have tried to copy him, but he always seems to be a few steps ahead of them. Now he's into bladeless fans. I hope we can be as inventive." "Actually," Kevin interjected, "his products are all based on one pneumatic principle. He's just adapted it into various forms to either suck or blow. Simple, when you think about it." "That's what most inventions are," Whitehurst added. "Simple ideas that perform difficult tasks. Just like John's idea. Take proven technology and make it more compact and affordable. I hope this becomes a roaring success for you, John ... and for all of you for that matter." "Thank you, Carl," Georgette said with a smile. "I have a lot of confidence in John." The cool of our air conditioned room was a welcome relief later that evening. We had showered before dinner and now as we readied to retire, Georgette was showing all the signs of wanting me to pay some special attention to her. We had both had a couple of glasses of wine at dinner and, although she was still somewhat trussed up on her left side, I knew that with care I could please her and myself. It would be the perfect ending to a successful day. Georgette was always responsive when we made love and that night was no exception. She may have been limited in her range of motion, but not in her emotions. I spent a little more time on foreplay before I entered her and she was quite vocal in her enthusiasm for my efforts. The need to be careful not to harm her shoulder or arm caused me to slow down and that brought its own reward. I was exhausted and my arms ached an hour later when we reluctantly surrendered and sought sleep. "That was wonderful," she said drowsily as we lay together. "It always is," I said. I don't remember anything after that. I awoke at six the next morning, my usual time. Georgette had tossed and turned a few times during the night, trying to get comfortable. I knew she was taking only two Tylenol before bed and had weaned herself off the prescription pain medication. Her shoulder still ached although the scapula was healing well according to our doctor. The arm was still painful due to some of the muscular damage the broken bone had done. A new, lightweight cast had been fitted to replace the plaster cast she had first been encumbered with. It still was connected to a harness around her upper chest but weighed a fraction of the plaster cast. It was made of a molded nylon with foam cushioning and Velcro straps to secure it. As the bone healed she would be able to remove it temporarily to bathe or dress herself. It was a big relief to her, but she was anxious to see the end of any type of cast. We returned to the Folsom Water Resources Control Board property in the morning and were met by Carl Whitehurst and several of the group from yesterday. Carl was wearing a friendly smile as we parked the car and walked to him. "Looks like everything went according to plan, John," he said. "The result indicated the output water meets all our California standards for potable water. Congratulations." "Thank you. I hope we get the same results with the next two tests. That will really get us on our way." Kevin and I and some of the group began to set up the second prototype unit. We would run the next two tests in parallel. It took an hour to connect the power, input and output lines before we were ready to begin. We were using the same procedure as we had the day before and the facility had provided a second stainless steel tank for the output. "We should be done before noon with the two batches and we can begin testing after lunch," Carl said. "It will be very interesting to see the results because this is where some of the larger equipment has trouble meeting the standards. If you can do that, you've really got something." A mobile lunch wagon provided for our break just after noon as the last of the test batches was completed. I was anxious after what Carl said about the big units having some difficulty with meeting the state standards. We would know how we did before five that evening. It was Thomas that said what needed to be said. "No matter how these tests turn out, Carl, we want to thank you on behalf of our group for participating in evaluating the prototypes. We couldn't have asked for a more reliable source and we are very grateful." "You are welcome," he smiled. "So, assuming you are successful, what comes next?" "Hostile environment testing," Kevin replied. "I'm a bit worried about the shrouds being used when the temperature is this high. Inside the unit could be over a hundred-forty degrees. I'm going to have to consider some kind of cooling perhaps. We might need to add a simple compressor and refrigerant system with a fan. Unfortunately that would add to the bulk of the unit, something we're trying to avoid." "How did you solve that problem in aircraft?" I asked. "When the plane was on the ground, we vented and ran a small recirculation fan," he answered. "In the air it didn't matter. Cold was more the concern there." "Does the 220 power line have enough capacity to run the purification system and a small refrigeration unit?" Georgette asked. "Sure," I said. "We've made sure our unit isn't too power-hungry." "So, maybe a separate cooling unit to be used when required, then?" she suggested. "Probably the smart way to do it," Kevin agreed. "Something out of one of those bar fridges would work most likely. We'd just have to make sure it was durable enough too." "So," I said, "we've got a basic unit, an auxiliary power unit where necessary, and potentially a refrigeration unit. Is that about it?" Kevin chuckled. "Maybe a small heater for cold weather situations. Something like those old in-car heaters you used to buy at the auto parts store. We don't need the temperature to be down to seventy in the summer or that high in the winter. The machine will function just fine between freezing and something in the nineties." "Fairly simple add-ons, then," I said. "Not too much cost involved." "That's the way I see it," Kevin said. "Have we got a way to put the heater inside the shrouds?" I asked. "Sure. That won't be a problem. It's the cooling system that will be heavier and bulkier. My thinking is that we shutter the shrouds to allow ventilation when needed. We can close the shutters when it's cold." "That won't add to much cost or weight I assume." "Not really. I was going to use aluminum, but it transfers heat too quickly for my liking. I want to look at a polymer alternative. It should make a better heat shield and be more resistant to impact damage." "Are you thinking carbon fiber?" I asked. "No ... too brittle. Actually, I was thinking Kevlar." "Wouldn't that be really expensive?" I worried. "It's come down in cost quite a bit in the past few years. I think it's worth a look. Otherwise, we might look at what they are using in the automotive industry on bumper covers." "Is this how you guys operate?" the young Hispanic guy who asked several questions yesterday spoke. His name tag read Luis. "Well," Georgette said, "this is a prototype and final design is dependent on a lot of different issues. The testing here is about making sure the system works and does what it's supposed to do. The rest of it is getting the details right. We don't have all the fine points figured out yet, but we are working through them as we go. Kevin's experience is in the Air Force and at Lockheed-Martin. Those people invented this kind of development." As I looked around, I saw the group was paying rapt attention to our discussion and particularly to Georgette. She kept surprising me at just how deeply she was immersed in this project and how much she had learned in a very short period of time. I wondered if any of them were thinking about applying for a job when we went commercial with our products. I could visualize the need for technicians to continuously test our developments. What I really hoped for was to find at least one more Kevin so that the load wasn't completely on his shoulders to turn my ideas into reality. He kept coming up with good ideas and I wanted to do everything in my power to encourage him. By three-thirty that afternoon the four of us were pacing around the property after having loaded the equipment back on the pickup and trailer. I thought about how lucky we were to have this cooperation from the state government. They couldn't promote our product, but they could make people aware that it was available. More importantly, their independent testing would give us the credibility that we sought. Assuming similar performance from the production unit, we could release the results of the testing and they would substantiate our claims. It was an hour later when Carl met us in their lunch room and sat with us. "Congratulations people, both tests meet our minimum standards quite handily. It looks like you have a product." "Woo Hoo!" Georgette cried, offering up high-fives to the group. "You did it, John!" she cried, giving me a one-armed hug and a kiss. "That is so great." "Well done, John," Thomas smiled, offering me his hand. "I couldn't have done it without Kevin, that's for sure," I said, grasping his hand. "And don't forget Dow and Charlie Prendergast. But I want to thank you, Carl, for all your help. Your testing means so much because it's the standard we all have to meet. We aren't guessing that our results are good. We know they are. Thank you so much." "You're welcome, John. We can't call these results official until we test actual production units, but I'm anticipating the numbers to be the similar. I'll be following your progress, so please keep me informed. When you have production units available for testing, give me a call. We'll be happy to help." "That's very generous, Carl," Thomas said sincerely. "It has been great to work with you and your people. Please thank them on our behalf. They contributed to this too." The drive back to San Francisco that afternoon was done in high spirits. Georgette resumed her front seat position to give her the most comfort, while Thomas drove and Kevin and I sat in the back. "You think Kevlar might be affordable?" I asked my friend and partner. "I think there's a good chance. Georgette's volunteered to contact some people who can source it. If we're smart, we won't need a lot. Seeing how hot the metal parts got during our testing, I'm sure aluminum is a bad idea. We don't want to burn the customers, do we?" he grinned. "I thought Kevlar was just used in fabric applications," I said. "No, it's also used in rigid structures like carbon fiber is, but in our case, we want something less exotic and more practical from a cost point of view. Even exterior grade PVC might be good enough. They use it on house siding and the surface temperature of that application will probably approximate what our unit will experience." "I've been wondering if engineered plastics can be used for our structure in place of stainless steel," I mused. "I've been thinking about that for both cost and weight. I see it being used in a lot of structural applications now. Windows, doors, industrial structures, all kinds of things. I need to do some more research to see if it's practical." "That would be a good project for version two of the machine," Kevin smiled. "Exactly. I've got to make some phone calls tomorrow and let Dow know the results of our tests. Carl said he would e-mail the formal results to us. I'm anxious to compare them to the information Georgette gathered." "I'll call Charlie and let him know how it went also. I was a bit worried that the outer casing on the flexible hoses might soften with the buildup of surface temperature, but there was no sign of it at all. I should have believed Charlie. He told me not to worry about it." We didn't stop to eat, but carried on to our home in San Francisco. Thomas had called ahead, letting Sarah know of our success and told her we would arrive sometime near seven that evening. When we did, we got a great reception from Sarah, Nan, Devon and Mary. There was cause for celebration. While we showered and changed, a small feast was brought out and we congratulated ourselves on the progress we had made at Smithton PWTS. To Be Continued.