Collision Course, Chapter 72
Gwen woke up and the first thing she saw were roses. She smiled, because
she knew that they were from Ethan.
Gwen was about to call Ethan, when a woman came into the room.
“ I’m sorry, but I didn’t call for a nurse.”
“ I’m not a nurse, Mrs. Crane. I’m Marissa White.”
Gwen’s radar was up. “ What are you doing here?”
“ I just wanted to get a comment from you. How does it feel to save your
Black Bastard Sister’s life?”
“ Wh…what? Get out of here!”
“ It must have been quite a shock for you to find out that you had a sister,
and that she was Black.”
“ I said GET OUT OF HERE!” Gwen began pushing the nurses banner.
“ Gwen, I could hear you yelling all the way down the hall.”, Ethan said.
“ Who are you.”
“ Ethan, she’s a REPORTER.”
Ethan eyes turned cold. “ Get out.” Ethan didn’t wait for the lady to say
anything else, for he manhandled the woman OUT of Gwen’s room.
“ Hey, you can’t touch me like this! This is harassment.”
“ You want harassment, try coming in my wife’s room again.”, Ethan said
coldly. Ethan went back into Gwen’s room, and hugged her. “ It’ll be fine,
Gwen.”
“ Oh, I……ETHAN!”
“ What?”
“ Ethan, if they tried to get a comment from ME, then why wouldn’t they
try and get one from WHITNEY!”
“ Oh No.”
“ Ethan…”
“ I’m on my way.”, Ethan said, as he ran out of Gwen’s room. Ethan knew
if Gwen was right, he couldn’t wait for the elevator. He ran down the stairs
to Whitney’s room as fast he could. When he got to Whitney’s floor, he saw
two people get off the elevator, and saw how one was trying to hide a camera.
Ethan flew down the hall, and threw the first punch, stopping them from entering
Whitney’s room.
“ What the hell?”
“ Don’t you even THINK about going into her room.”
“ Despite what you might think, Mr. Crane, you don’t own this hospital.”
“ Just watch me, and you’ll SEE how much my family owns.”
A nurse came running up. “ What is going on here?”
“ I caught THESE TWO attempting to go into Ms. Russell’s room. Ms. Russell’s
STERILE room. Get Security. NOW!”, Ethan ordered.
The nurse went running.
“ The public has a right to know.”
“ Bullshit. They don’t have the right to have you harass an innocent woman.
“
Just then, Hospital Security stepped off the elevator.
“ Is there a problem?”, one of the guards asked.
“ Yes. These two. Get them out of here. Now.”
They looked at Ethan, and the reporters.
“ My name is Ethan Crane, and I said get them out of here. NOW.”
“ Yes, Mr. Crane. Come on you two. Let’s go.”
Once they were on the elevator, Ethan pulled out his cellphone.
“ Crane Security? This is Ethan Crane. I need a detail of your best men
over to Harmony Hospital right now. Yes, I said, right now. I’m on the sixth
floor. “
The Russells were having breakfast together, when TC spoke up.
“ Sugar Bear, will you go get me the paper?”
“ Sure, Daddy. I’ll be right back.”
The rest of them continued to eat, when Simone came running back into the
dining room.
“ Mom! Daddy! There are a lot of people outside!”
Eve, TC, Chad went to the front door. When TC opened it, the cameras went
off.
“ What the fuck are you doing on my front lawn?”, TC demanded.
“ Coach Russell, was your affair with Rebecca Hotchkiss a one-night stand,
or a true romance?”
“ Doctor Russell, how do you feel about raising your husband’s illegitimate
child with another woman?”
“ Coach Russell, how does Whitney feel about being Rebecca Hotchkiss’ dirty
little secret?”
“ Doctor Russell, did you know all along about Whitney?”
TC slammed the door. “ This is ridiculous. I’m going to call Sam.”
Eve shook her head. “ But, how? How did they know?”
“ My guess. Someone at the hospital told them. They probably got a pretty
penny for the info.”, Chad replied.
“ The hospital! Whitney!”, Eve cried. She went to her cellphone and called
the nurses station on Whitney’s floor.
TC came over to Simone and Chad. “ Sam said that he’s going to send a patrol
car to get rid of the reporters.”
Eve hung up her phone and came over to them. “ Some reporters were at Whitney
and Gwen’s room.”
“ WHITNEY’S ROOM!”, TC yelled. “ They could ruin her sterile environment.
If they..”
Eve held up her hand. “ They didn’t. Ethan Crane stopped them before they
could, and right now, Ethan has Crane Security on Whitney’s floor.”
“ I don’t want anything from those Damn Cranes!”, TC muttered.
“ Well, I don’t care what you want, TC. This is about Whitney. And, keeping
her safe SHOULD be our top priority. If Crane Security can do that, then I’m
happy.”
“ Me too.”, Chad replied. “ I’m gonna thank Ethan the next time I see him.”
“ I agree, Daddy. Whitney is all that matters. Her health. And, if the Cranes
can help keep those awful reporters away, then I’m all for it.”
TC sighed. “ Let’s get to the hospital once Sam’s men have cleared them
away. We should go finish breakfast.”
Gwen was in her room when Robbie came in. “ Why do you have guards outside
your door?”
“ One word. Reporter.”
“ Oh no. They have the story?”
“ The very JUICY story of one Rebecca Hotchkiss and her Black child? Oh
yeah. They have it.”
“ Ugh. How bad did it get?”
“ Not bad. Ethan came in. But……they tried to get into Whitney’s room.”
“ WHITNEY’S ROOM? She needs a STERILE environment.”
“ I know…Ethan got there in time, and now he has Crane Security on her floor,
guarding her.”
“ Good. “ Robbie sighed. “ I thought we were going to be able to ease into
this…quietly. Privately. Making our way.”
“ Nope. We’re good, old-fashioned tabloid fodder.”
“ So, when do you go home, and back behind the gates of the Mansion.”
“ If the doctor ok’s it; today.”
“ Good. “
“ Oh Robbie”, Gwen said sadly. Robbie went and sat down next to Gwen.
“ What, Gwen?”
“ Whitney’s not used to this life. Tabloids, and press. It’s not right.”
“ No, it’s not. But, we’ll help her, if she let’s us.”
“ Do you think she will?”
“ I don’t know.”