Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 51

Todd jerked awake as he heard Nurse Rogalla talking to someone. He looked over to see Larry Wolek examining Blair. He was accompanied by her OB-GYN and Blair was beginning to stir. She tried to move and couldn’t help giving a little groan as her whole body protested.

“Easy Blair, this will only take a minute,” Larry said, as he gently removed the bandages covering her back.

Blair steeled herself for the pain but was surprised when she felt only a dull ache coming from her back. She glanced over and saw Todd watching everything and gave him a small smile. She felt calmer than she had earlier that morning. She noted that Todd was still looking pale and wondered if Todd had told her the whole truth about why he was in the hospital with her.

When the bandages had been completely removed, Larry carefully examined the welts left by Mitch’s beating. Her back was almost completely purple and black with bruising, but the damage stood out red and raw against the black. Larry frowned as he realized he was looking at an ugly but very readable letter among the welts. “As far as your wounds go, you’re going to be all right. The bruising will take a while to fade and you’ll feel some discomfort from that. There is a little infection, but we can get that with medication.”

“Larry, will there be scarring?” Todd asked from his bed.

Blair had been quiet during the exam and Larry’s diagnosis, but at the word ‘scarring’ she looked over at Todd with alarm. It hadn’t occurred to her that Mitch could have hurt her so badly as to leave scars. Then she recalled his final words to her. “When I marked your husband, I told him, he would always have a remembrance of me. Now he’ll know you belong to me too.” The horrible realization finally sunk in. Mitch had marked her with an “L”.

Looking down at Blair, Larry sighed, “Unfortunately some of the welts will probably leave scars. But I can give you the name of an excellent plastic surgeon who should be able to help you out in that regard. I’m going to let Dr. Conklin examine you and the baby further, and we’ll give you some privacy.” He looked at Todd and pulled the curtain around Blair and her doctor.

Todd knew Larry had closed off Blair’s bed so they could talk. “Do you think a plastic surgeon will be able to do something?”

“I don’t know. Several of the lesions are pretty deep and everyone has different results. I know why you asked the question, but it will be up to the surgeon to give us an idea what can be removed.” He then pulled out his stethoscope and started to examine Todd.

“Hey, I’m fine. What are you doing?” Todd tried to push Larry away.

“If you want out of here, you’ll let me do my job. I thought I made myself clear last night. Shock is nothing to scoff at. You were in serious jeopardy when you collapsed.” Larry looked at Todd calmly and watched as he gave in and allowed the examination.

Todd shut up. The last thing he wanted was to stay in the hospital. He waited impatiently for Larry to check him out and then said, “Okay do I pass the exam? Can I get out of this damn bed now?”

“Your blood pressure is running a little too high for my liking.”

“I want out of here and I want to take my wife home, of course, my pressure is up.”

“Easy, Todd, that is exactly what I mean. You’re struggling to be strong for Blair, yet your pressure shot up when we began talking about the scarring. You have to find a way to care for her without it affecting you and I’m wondering if that’s even possible.”

Todd met Larry’s eyes and knew he needed to figure out a way to handle his anger and pain. Larry was right. He was no good to Blair if worrying about her ended up keep him confined to his own hospital bed. “Larry, she needs me. I promised her I’d take care of her and look what happened. I let her down and now I have to make it up to her.”

“I agree she‘s going to need you. So give in Todd, for once in your life follow the rules. Take the medicine I’ve prescribed to keep your pressure down. It’s just a little thing, but it will probably keep you alive. Another thing, both of you need to talk to someone about last night. What happened isn’t going to just disappear? I can call Ray for you, just say the word.” Larry studied the man in front of him. He could almost see the gears working in Todd’s head. He was certain about one thing. Todd would do anything to help Blair. Even when he was younger, Todd had surprised him, by helping out Marty when she had begun to let herself go. He had also shown a great deal of compassion when any of the children in the hospital had needed extraordinary help. Todd would always be a mass of contradictions. The question remained, which way would Todd react? Would he strike out in anger or concern by what Mitch did to Blair? Unable to get a read, Larry prayed it would be the latter.

***

Blair looked at Dr. Conklin, “You’re wondering if he knows? He does. I could see it on his face when he cut me loose, he had it all figured out. I remember telling him that I knew he would find me and that I fought as hard as I could.” Her voice broke as she recalled his look and started sobbing quietly as the doctor continued her exam.

“Blair, when you arrived here last night the first thing we did was make sure the baby was alright. I’m concerned about the pains you experienced and I’m going to order an ultrasound to ensure that the baby wasn’t harmed in any way by the trauma.”

Blair stopped sobbing and ran her hands across her eyes to wipe her tears. She looked directly at her doctor. “Call it what it was. He raped me. I don’t need you to shy from the words. I knew what he had planned for me the minute he caught me. I’m sure you won’t believe this, but right now I’m angry. I’m mad because he almost made me lose my child and he used me. It wasn’t about me, don’t you get that?”

Dr.Conklin stopped what she was doing. “What was it about?” Blair obviously needed to vent and it seemed like it might be more beneficial at that moment, then all the right words and sympathy.

“The bastard has hated Todd forever. He tried to bury him alive and then he scarred him and left him for dead. I think he found out Todd survived and decided that hurting me would finish Todd. He almost succeeded too. I know Todd collapsed after bringing me in last night. I don’t know what I would do if Mitch had gotten his wish. I can’t lose Todd or this baby.” Blair broke down again. Her resolve to be strong disintegrating in the face of her fear. She started to cry.

Todd and Larry had stopped talking when they heard Blair’s voice rise in anger. Todd knew Blair was reaching the end of her rope and hopped off the bed. The cords from his heart monitor tangled behind the bed, and he ripped off the leads determined to get to Blair. Larry stood back knowing Todd needed to get to Blair as much as she needed him. Todd moved the curtain and sat on the bed enfolding Blair into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, crying as he slowly stroked her hair, soothing her. “Hey, no more tears. I’m fine I tell you, and the baby is doing great. Right, Dr. Conklin? There’s no way in hell that man will ever beat us. Together we’re more than he ever imagined.”

Both Larry and Dr. Conklin were amazed that Blair allowed Todd to touch her and were even more astonished when she clung to him. As Todd’s words sunk in, Larry realized Blair needed all the reassurances she could get.

“Blair, Todd’s right. He’s okay, right now, and all the monitors are telling us your child is still hanging in there like a champ. You just need to heal and everything else will fall into place.” Larry said.

“Yes, just rest Blair. I’m going to get the ultrasound ordered and then you just need to recuperate. If everything confirms what I suspect, you can go home tomorrow.” Dr. Conklin spoke up, following Dr. Wolek’s lead.

Blair sniffled as her sobs slowed and she relaxed in Todd’s arms. He felt so good and she could hear his heart beating firmly under her ear. He’s really okay, pull yourself together, Blair. Like he said, together we’re strong.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside their room. “Sam, wait for us. You can’t go in there yet.” They could hear Starr through the door.

“You said I could see Mom. I’ve waited long enough. Mom was hurt. I want to make it better,” Sam pushed into the room, only to come to a stop, as he saw his mom wrapped in his father’s arms and the doctors standing around. His mom had been crying, her back was to him he could see a big bandage over it. “Mom?” he was hesitant. “Are you okay?” He walked slowly to the bed.

Blair turned toward Sam. She could see he was scared and uncertain. ” Hi Baby, I’m alright. Your mom just got real clumsy last night. I was trying to find the puppy in the woods and I guess I didn’t see the roots of a tree or something but I tripped and fell. I got pretty messed up when I rolled down a hill. I landed in a bunch of thorns, and they scratched my back.” she watched his face as she spoke and he was taking in all of her lie.

“Golly mom, that must hurt real bad. Is that why you were crying?”

“Yes, Baby, you know how it stings when I fix one of your boo-boos. Well, Doctor Larry just fixed mine and I‘m afraid I’m just a big cry baby. Daddy was making it all feel better, but I could use some more loving from you.” She held out her arms.

Sam looked at his mom. He walked closer and very carefully put his little arms around her to hug her. “I’m not hurting you am I, Momma? I don’t want you to cry.”

“No, Baby, you’re not hurting me.” She hugged her little boy close, her hand behind his head, trying not to break into tears again.

Todd looked on, he had backed up to give Sam access to his mom. Now, he looked at Starr and Jack, standing in the doorway. “Hey, don’t just stand out in the hall. You can come in. I think the doctors are finished at the moment.” He met Larry’s eyes.

“Come on in kids,” Larry said. He started to head for the door as did Dr. Conklin, but they were waylaid by Starr.

“Excuse me, but could we talk for a minute.” Starr asked. She had stepped aside as the doctors had left the room, letting Jack enter in front of her.

Dr. Wolek and Dr. Conklin paused and stood outside with Starr.

“Are my mom and the baby okay, Dr. Conklin. You can tell me the truth. I’m not a child anymore.”

“Starr, your mom is doing fine and it appears the pregnancy is still on track. I’m going to run one more test on the baby, but they should be okay. I’ll let your mom know when we get the results back from that procedure. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get it ordered.” She turned and left before Starr could ask any more.

Larry waited patiently for the questions he knew Starr had for him. Starr was frustrated as Dr. Conklin walked off, she had been wanting to ask something else but she recognized that the Doctor had told her all she was going to. She turned to Dr. Wolek. “Okay, tell me the truth. How’s my dad?”

She’s just like Todd, direct, no-nonsense. He had always thought of Starr as more a little Blair. “Your dad is going to be okay if you can keep him from overstressing. This whole situation is a minefield. Starr, you seem to have some influence on your dad. You need to make him step back a little if you can. Truthfully, your dad needs a long vacation with no worries but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I suggest you help me out and convince your father to start taking his medication. It’s not foolproof but it can help keep his blood pressure down. I know he’s stubborn about it in general, but in this instance he needs it.”

“Are you going to keep him and mom in the hospital longer?” She asked. She was relieved to hear her father was out of danger but had to admit keeping her father stress free was going to be a challenge.

“Your dad can go home today, but we want to keep your mom another 24 hours to make sure no other problems arise.”

“What kind of other problems? I thought Dr. Conklin said she and the baby were alright.”

“They are Starr, but she suffered a great deal of trauma and we’re just being cautious.”

“Dad and Sam aren’t going to like that. They’ll want her home.” Starr knew she was in for another night of explanations where her little brother was concerned.

“I’m sure they won’t like it, but it really is necessary. You’ll just have to convince Sam it’s for the best. As for your dad, I’m guessing if he does go home, it won’t be for long. I’ve got to check in on some other patients. Is there anything else you want to ask me?”

Starr shook her head and headed into the room to see her parents. Her mom was now resting with a pillow strategically placed behind her back, and Sam was sitting beside her on the bed. He was babbling away.

“You should have seen it, mom, there were lights all over the front yard. Bo and Detective McBain were there too. Jack even got into a fight with them last night.”

“Hey twerp, I did not,” replied Jack

“Yes you did, I saw you with them and you were mad.” Sam looked at his big brother. Jack looked upset. “You were just like you are now.”

Starr piped in, “Sam, I told you Jack wasn’t fighting. He was just upset because mom had to come to the hospital.” She walked to her mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Mom.” She noted the bruise on her mom’s face and remembered her mom’s story to Sam. “Looks like the woods put up a pretty good fight.”

Blair saw where Starr was looking and realized she was sporting a black eye courtesy of Mitch’s backhand. “Oh that, I forgot about it. A branch got me pretty good at one point when I was chasing Rascal. Sam, you stop teasing Jack. Just because you consider John McBain your personal friend, you don’t always have to pretend Jack is in trouble if he’s talking to him. I’m really sorry I scared everyone last night. I guess your dad will have to start taking Rascal out for his evening walk. I quit.” She looked over at Todd sitting quietly on his bed watching them.

“Hey Babe, I totally understand. Leave Rascal to me. That goes for the rest of you, too. He’s my puppy, I’ll make sure he gets his walks from now on.” Todd saw the surprise on his kids’ faces, but there was no way he would let Mitch use Rascal again to get to his family.

“Hey Dad, why are you wearing a shirt like Mom?” Sam asked suddenly.

“Oh this, I’m afraid my shirt got damaged when I went looking for Mom and the hospital gave me this to wear.”

“Then, where are your pants?”

“What? My pants are gone? Now, who the heck took those? Someone must have come in here while I slept and took them. I’ll have to track them down, it wouldn’t look too good if I went home without them.” Todd grinned at Sam.

“Yeah Dad, you better find them. Mom won’t let me go out of the house without mine on. Right, Mom?” Sam looked at his Mom.

“That’s right Sam. I’m sure Starr or Jack can help your dad find his pants.” Blair smiled at Todd. She loved him so much and his love for Sam was so evident.

“Are you and Dad coming home soon? Sam asked.

Starr spoke up as her Mom and Dad looked at one another. “Sam, I just talked to the doctor, and they want Mom to stay in here just a little longer to make sure the fall didn’t hurt the baby. Come on, Sam, you, Jack, and I will go find Dad’s pants.”

As the kids left the room, Todd hopped off the bed and joined Blair. Her hand reached toward his face, finding his scars. “He won’t get the best of us, he just made us stronger.” she said shakily.

Todd took her hand and kissed her palm. “Damn straight, Babe.”

Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 50

           Mitch strolled back into the compound. He was anxious to get to Alison but issued some orders first. Natalie, Liam, and the other two missing young women were taken to the sub-basement. They were informed they were being taken there for their own good and all had meekly followed orders and gone into the rooms.

           After hiding the girls, Mitch instructed his second in command to openly welcome any visitors who might wish to search the property. They were to be fully cooperative. He then grabbed Alison and after a few words with Kipling, the three retired behind the basement wall in the hidden lab to watch and enjoy the festivities. Mitch couldn’t hide his glee from Alison and Ivan when Todd overreacted during the news report, as he informed them of the tragic circumstances surrounding Blair Manning.

            Ivan had listened, amused at Mitch’s boasting. He had wanted to destroy Todd Manning, and Manning’s meltdown indicated that Mitch had struck paydirt.

Mitch was holding Alison as he described the events that took place in the clearing. He was so charged by his encounter with Blair that he began to fondle Alison in front of Ivan, he wasn’t even aware he was doing it until Alison squirmed against him. Looking at Ivan’s smirking face he responded, “Seen enough, Ivan? Hope you got your thrill because that’s all you’re seeing. Go work on your little babies and leave us alone. Wait a minute, before you go, give me an update on Natalie.”

“My dear sir, as I told you earlier she is indeed pregnant and appears to be carrying at least three babies. I must also inform you that she is starting to exhibit signs of nymphomania. It appears she’s reacting to the lack of inhibitions brought on by the drugs she's taking. She came on to me during a recent exam. I don’t believe she was able to stop herself. I assure you, this will have no effect on your progeny.”

“Good to know, my children better be all right. I always knew she was a harlot, her natural tendencies have just come to light. I know just where I can use those tendencies to my advantage. Good night, Doctor. “ At that, Mitch grabbed Alison and hauled her into their basement room. Alison was all over him the minute the door closed and soon they were going at it, as only they liked it, hot and furious.

It was nearing three in the morning when the police arrived at the compound. They had been searching the mountain around Dragonheart since Blair Manning had been found. Bo had finally found a judge willing to grant them a warrant to search surrounding properties. Brody went up to the gate that had been installed in the last month to ensure privacy and was met by a gentleman claiming to be the coordinator of the colony. After explaining about the attack on the mountain and search for the perpetrator, along with showing the warrant, they were allowed in to search the grounds. Once inside, Brody and his men began an exhaustive search, not only were they looking for signs of Mitch, but also for signs that any or all the missing women might be there. Unfortunately, they came up empty.

As Brody was leaving the property his flashlight gleamed off something on the ground just outside the gate. “What the hell is that?” Unsure what had glinted, he kept the light on the spot and used a small branch to brush the leaves away and uncover the object. To his surprise, he realized he was looking at a pacifier. Not just any pacifier but a very distinctive one that was part of a matched set. Grabbing his handkerchief, Brody picked up the item and carefully cleaned off the grime covering two engraved initials. L. M. Was it possible Natalie and Liam had been there at one time? Brody looked back at the colony. They had been searching for Mitch and looking for proof of someone being held against their will. Everyone he had encountered had seemed willing to help. Damn it, Natalie, did we let you slip through our fingers? Have you been here all this time and only now been moved? Brody knew finding the pacifier only meant that Natalie had been in the woods at one time. It was found outside the compound, so he had no proof she had been there. Still, it wasn’t a very likely place to lose Liam’s pacifier. He wrapped it carefully and pocketed it, intent on showing it to Bo and John the minute he got back to the station.

***

John laid down the file and walked over to get another cup of coffee. The damn scene kept playing over and over in his head.

“They’re over here Shaun, it looks like a clearing.” They entered it to find Todd and Blair on the ground. Todd was doing his best to comfort her and she was obviously in pain. His flashlight lit the area and he saw Blair’s clothes lying in pieces on the forest floor, remnants of duct tape and ropes. “My God, she’s been raped,” came immediately to his head. Feeling sick that someone would do that to Blair, he had encouraged Todd to wait for help.

“It’s bad John, there isn’t time to wait for them. We’ll have to take her out. There’s something wrong with the baby.”

John shook his head, the memory of what happened next coming unbidden to his thoughts.

As Todd lifted Blair into his arms carefully, his jacket fell off Blair’s shoulders and she cried out. John’s flashlight beamed at her back and the oozing red gashes that marred it were suddenly visible. Todd’s face had been like granite, but his eyes told John just how deeply everything was affecting him.

“John, cover her back up please,” his voice ragged with the strain.

He had covered her as gently as he could with the jacket, trying not to cause Blair any additional pain. Several times as they made their way down the path, he had offered to take Blair, and each time Todd’s steely eyes had said it all. “She’s mine, stay back.” By the time they met with Shaun and the EMTs, he had begun to worry about Todd too.

“You sure as Hell were right about that one, weren’t you, John?” He took a sip of his coffee and grimaced at the taste. He had reached the hospital earlier and had been informed that both Mannings were stable and out of danger. That meant he could finally go and ask questions. The problem was, he didn’t want to do it. They had been through so much last night and the thought of making Blair relive it seemed cruel.

A knock on his door brought John out of his thoughts. “Come in.”

The officer entered, “You wanted some of the results on the items found at the site.”

“Yes, what have we got so far?”

“Fingerprints found at the scene confirmed it was Mitch Laurence. He didn’t even try to hide the fact. We’re currently trying to ascertain where the tape, bungee cords, and rope could have been purchased. Another curious thing found was a dog whistle. What do you suppose he wanted with that?”

John shrugged. “There’s no telling with Laurence. The man is a psychopath. Get back to me on finding out how he got the supplies.” John sat back down at his desk as the officer left only to hear another knock. He looked up to find Brody standing in the doorway.

“We had no luck on the mountain, the man just vanished. T\I thought you should see this. I found it outside the nudist colony.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the handkerchief, opening it up on John’s desk.

John’s eyes fell on a very familiar pacifier. “Liam! You say you found this outside the compound. Did you see them?”

“No, that‘s just it. They were very cooperative. They let us thoroughly search all the premises. We found no sign of anything out of the ordinary there. Still, I can’t help wondering if they had them at one time. Do we know anything at all about this colony? I mean, is it legit?” Brody began pacing. He had gotten so close to Natalie and Liam when he had believed Liam was his. Now, even though he was getting back with Jessica, he still felt a bond with them. Jessica and Vicki were worried sick. “John, I want to scream. If they were there all this time...”

“Don’t. We can’t start berating ourselves. Just because you didn’t see them doesn’t mean anything at the moment. This is the first clue we’ve had that they might still be in the area. Let’s see what else we can find about this so-called group. I want to know how they found out Hesser’s property was up for sale. You were there pretty early this morning. How did you get in?”

“Now that you mention it it was weird. We were met at the gate like they knew we were coming. You don’t think...?”

John remembered the sensors that had been in place for Carlo’s compound. Had the colony put them back on and if they had, why had they needed them? Things were looking pretty suspicious now. They had searched the property for Alison, Mitch, and Ivan and found them gone. Several days later the property had been purchased during the Mayor’s auction. Just recently a fence had gone up around the property. Were they trying to keep visitors out or other people in? “Who alerted them we were coming? I need to talk to Todd. I’m wondering if he knows more about the compound than we do. Listen, Fish just told me that Mitch’s prints were all around the site where Blair was found, so we know he was our perpetrator.” He picked up Liam’s pacifier. “We know the Messenger’s people have Natalie and Liam. Could the colony be Mitch’s followers hiding in plain sight?”

“Seriously? You think that’s the case. We’ve been searching all over and they’re right here?” Brody turned and looked at John.

“I'm beginning to think so. I’ll see if Bo will authorize some surveillance. I want to know where they come and go. You go to work trying to get more info on just who made the purchase of the property and Brody,” he met the other man’s eye. “don’t say anything about the pacifier to Jessica or Vicki, especially Vicki; after what happened to Todd last night, she doesn’t need any more stress.”

Brody nodded and left to go start his search into the colony. John watched him leave and sat back down at his desk. He rubbed off more of the grime covering his son’s nubby, his thoughts going to his beautiful baby boy. He pulled out his phone and looked at the picture again of Natalie and Liam that had been sent that first week. They had blown the picture up and hadn’t been able to get a location off of it. Could they have been sitting in the compound when the picture was taken? Brody said there had been no sign of Mitch or the missing girls, but Mitch had to have gone somewhere last night. The colony was their best bet. John put the pacifier away in his drawer and walked over to leave Bo a note. “Fish, if Bo asks, I’ve gone to talk to the Mannings.”

Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 49

            Head Nurse Laurel Rogalla, found them together when she went to get their stats. Neither of them woke as she took their readings and left. She loved all things romantic and finding her two patients together in the same bed, struck a chord in her sentimental heart. She had read their charts and caught up on her patients when she had arrived on duty. Her heart went out to the beleaguered couple, they were going to need each other very much, given what she read. She was putting the stats in their charts when she overheard two of the younger nurses gossiping.

            “Did you see who’s in room 420? It’s that sexy publisher Todd Manning and his wife. You should have seen him on the news last night. He was standing there like a god. No shirt and the man’s abs were to die for.” Nurse Sandy Phelps exclaimed. “I wonder what happened, and why he’s here?”

“I heard his wife was found beaten in the woods last night. My mom said he attacked one of the reporters when they got too close.” Nurse Sally Forbes piped in.

“Wow, what I wouldn’t give for a man to love me like that,” replied Sandy.

“Susan Elliott was on when they brought her in, she said his wife almost lost the baby. It was touch and go for a while. Sandy, she also said the woman was whipped. It’s like something out of one of my romance novels. You know, the heroine is captured by the villain and the hero has to rescue her,” said Sally.

Laurel had heard enough. “Stop that this instant! How dare you stand and gossip about the patients like that. It’s our duty as nurses to preserve the privacy of our patients not spread tales about them all through the hospital. I have a good mind to call the supervisor and let him know certain young nurses are using the patient’s ailments for their own amusement. What happened to that poor woman isn’t romantic, it’s tragic. Now get to work. You both have your own patients to take care of, and if I hear anything about Mr. Manning and his wife elsewhere in the hospital, I’ll know exactly who to name to the supervisor.” She stood there as the two nurses dropped their eyes in embarrassment and returned to their duties.

Inside room 420, Blair woke up. For a moment, she just laid there listening to his heart under her. It was strange, usually she would be laying against his bare chest, but this time he was wearing some weird top. She opened her eyes and realized where they were. What she didn’t understand was why Todd was in a hospital gown? Then she felt the wires and heard the beeping indicating his heart was being monitored. Oh God, Todd. Something had caused him to have another heart attack. Gripping Todd’s hospital gown, she recalled the events of the previous night. Mitch capturing her and tying her up, then his hands all over her, beating her and taunting her. Just then Todd’s arm slipped off her shoulder and dropped down her back and she cried out briefly as the contact sent pain through her. She bit down on her lip to keep from screaming, as more memories returned. Todd holding her as she tried to explain, then the pain of something wrong with the baby. She had been so scared.

As if sensing her mom’s distress the baby kicked and Blair gave a small choked sob, grateful she hadn’t lost another child. Todd had saved her and their child, but he must have felt responsible, and it had taken its toll on him. Blair pushed the memories of Mitch to a deep corner in her mind, as her concern for her husband took precedence.

The minute she cried out, Todd had awakened and realized his arm had fallen against her back. “Babe, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you more pain.” He lifted his arm trying to decide where he could hold her that wouldn’t hurt. He finally rested his hand on her head and stroked her hair. “You’re going to be alright. Larry said you and the baby are out of danger. You’re just going to need to take it easy and heal.” Damn it, Todd, what are you thinking, just draw attention to what Mitch did. That’s really going to help her right now.

“Todd,” she spoke, “Why are you in the hospital?”

“Where else would I be? I’ve gotten too used to having you next to me, and couldn’t stand sleeping in our bed alone.” He knew where she was going with her question.

Blair moved gingerly and raised her head to look into his eyes. “Since when do you wear hospital gowns and electric wires in bed with me?”

He smiled sheepishly, “Oh those, I thought I’d try a new look.”

“Todd … What happened?”

“Babe, it’s nothing, I’m fine. I just had a little bit of a shock and my heart reacted. Larry just wanted to keep me in here to make sure there weren’t any recurrences.” He saw her eyes fill with tears. “Blair, what’s the matter? Really, I’m fine.”

“Todd, I could have lost you and the baby.” She broke down in sobs again, clutching at him.

Todd felt helpless and patted her head trying to calm her. “But, you didn’t. I’m okay and so is the baby. We’re all here safe and sound.”

Through her sobs, she cried. ”Are we? He’s still out there. He hurt me to get to you, and he almost succeeded. The man’s inhuman.” She was inconsolable, and Todd reached for the call button. Larry had said she needed to stay calm and this was anything but.

At the nurses' station, Laurel looked at the board and saw that it was Mrs. Manning’s bed. She hurried in to find Mr. Manning trying to calm his wife, and from experience, she could tell the woman was almost hysterical. Dr. Wolek had left standing orders to sedate if necessary, but she didn’t want to medicate unless nothing else would work. She walked to the bed. “Mrs. Manning, shh now, you need to calm down. You have to think of the little one you’re carrying, all this upset isn’t good for the baby.” She couldn’t help noticing that Mr. Manning’s pressure was going up exponentially, too. “You’ve got your poor husband frantic, too.” At the mention of the baby and her husband, Blair’s sobs began to lessen.

Todd looked at the woman, very grateful that she seemed to be getting through to his wife. He continued to rub Blair’s hand clinging to his gown and made small circles with his fingers on the back of it until he felt her grip loosen. As her crying lessened, he met the nurse’s eyes.

“Thank you,” he mouthed.

“Mr. Manning, you mustn’t fret. None of this was your doing. Mrs. Manning’s hormones are all out of kilter, and everything is just more emotional.” She checked the IV and noticed that Blair was settling down and appeared to have nodded off again. “She’s still got some sedative in her system and will probably sleep a little longer.  I know Dr. Wolek will be down shortly to see you both.  Now that she’s sleeping again, maybe you would like to have some breakfast.  It would be better if you move to your own bed while you do, so she can rest undisturbed.  I’ll also need to check on her wounds in a few minutes.”

Todd was reluctant to let Blair go but knew the nurse was probably right. He carefully slid back off the bed and laid Blair down on her side. The nurse helped by putting a pillow against her back to keep her from turning over onto her injuries. Then he wearily made his way back to his bed. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to help her.” He leaned back on his pillow and let his eyes close. He wasn’t even aware he had spoken aloud until his wrist was taken and the nurse answered his statement.

“I think you‘ll do just fine. She wants to be held by you, that’s a major step for many women after something like this. You’ll just have to be patient. It’s obvious she needs you. You just need to find a way to help her without letting it set you off,” the nurse took a moment to make sure his leads were still in place. “It won’t do her any good if you collapse again.”

Todd stared at her. “Excuse me?” It wasn’t often he found himself being lectured to by a perfect stranger, but he had a strange feeling he had just been scolded by the woman in front of him. She couldn’t have been more than five and a half feet tall. She wasn’t a big woman, in fact, she looked like you could bowl her over with a feather. She was slim, but her hand had a strong grip and her face was surprisingly young except for the laugh lines around her dark brown eyes. Close salt and pepper curls surrounded her head indicating she was older than her face suggested.

Laurel met his gaze. “I said, you need to take care of yourself so you can care for her. Now I’ll go see about getting you something to eat.” She smiled, pulled the sheet up to cover him, patted his arm and left.

“Wait, what’s your name?” Normally he didn’t care who the nurses were but this one had piqued his interest.

“I’m Nurse Rogalla, and I’ll be your nurse until you’re released today, Mr. Manning. I’ll be here tomorrow too if Dr. Wolek lets your missus go home.”

There was something in her speech that sounded so familiar. “You wouldn’t by any chance have lived in Chicago.”

She looked at him in surprise. “I was born there, grew up on the south side. Are you familiar with Chicago?”

“You could say that I grew up there, too.”

“Sometimes it’s a small world.” Actually smaller than he knew. She remembered him, having seen him long ago. A much younger man less than twenty years before, coming to see his father, who was dying. He wouldn’t remember her.  She had been working at the desk when he had arrived with the police escort and asked where his father's room was.   She had been assigned to other patients and had only remembered him because he had stuck around after his father's death and refused to leave the room. She had felt bad for him, that they hadn’t let him grieve. Who knew she would end up taking care of both he and his wife now. “I’ll see to that breakfast.”

A short while later she returned with a tray containing a bowl of cold cereal and milk, some scrambled eggs, bacon, a biscuit, some orange juice, and coffee. “Now, you eat every bit of that, you’ll feel stronger once you’ve eaten.”

Todd didn’t need any encouragement. His stomach had growled the minute he had smelled the food. He was about halfway through his food when the nurse returned to work on Blair. Suddenly realizing what that meant, his stomach rolled and he felt nauseous. He pushed away what was left of the food and swallowed hard, determined to keep down what he had already eaten. With sick fascination he gazed at Blair, praying she wouldn’t wake. He didn’t think he could take it if she started crying again.

Laurel put some medicine into the IV and then got her supplies ready. At his questioning look, she replied. “Dr. Wolek prescribed morphine for the pain, it’ll keep her from feeling uncomfortable when I remove the bandages and relieve any residual pain.”

Todd watched her like a hawk but marveled at the care she used when she took the bandage off. Blair reacted with just a small moan, yet didn’t wake up. Todd winced at the sound and took deep breaths as his breakfast again threatened to come up. From his angle, Todd couldn’t see Blair’s back and he couldn’t help admitting to himself that he wasn’t yet prepared to view it again. That image was seared in his mind. Unconsciously, his hand went to his cheek as he felt the mark Mitch had left on his face. He vowed then and there that Blair wouldn’t have to live with the constant reminder on her back. He would get the best plastic surgeon around to make sure that didn’t happen.

Laurel knew what had been done to the woman, but was unprepared for the extent of the damage the man had perpetrated on her. It was painfully obvious that the man had deliberately wanted a number of the scars to stand out from the rest. She managed to stifle the gasp she had started to utter, realizing the husband was watching. You poor dear, to have been in the hands of such a vile man, it’s a wonder you and the baby survived. She kept her thoughts to herself and applied antibiotic ointment carefully then put on the new bandages. She left them only lightly taped up because Dr. Wolek would want to have a look when he got there. “She’s doing just fine, Mr. Manning. Now you should rest some more if you can. I’m just a call button away.”

“Nurse Rogalla, thank you for your kindness to my wife,” Todd said simply and leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes.

***

An hour later at Dragonheart, Sam opened the door to his parent’s room and found it empty. He ran back down the hall and opened his sister’s door leading into the common room between Starr and Hope’s bedrooms. He went up to Starr’s door and pounded. “Starr, Mom and Dad aren’t here. You said Mom would be back home, where are they?”

Starr turned over in Cole’s arms and groaned. “Cole wake up, Sam is outside my door. I need you to go into the bathroom. If he sees you, he’s sure to say something to my dad. I’ll get him back to his bedroom to dress and you can get down to your room.” She had been so grateful that Cole had been there when she and Jack had arrived home. He had taken her into his arms and held her as she cried for her mom and dad. She had explained everything that had occurred at the hospital and her father’s close call. One thing had led to another and they had ended up in her bed. “I love you, but now isn’t the time to test Dad.” She kissed him and grabbed her robe going to the door. “Hold on Sam, I’m coming.”

Cole rolled over and did as Starr asked. He knew it would be futile to argue. Todd was aware that he and Starr had resumed their relationship; but she was right, Sam could make things worse if he happened to mention that Cole and Starr had shared a bed. Things were working pretty good right now, he didn’t want to rock the boat. He reached the bathroom and partially closed the door, listening as Starr let Sam in.

Sam stood in his spiderman pajamas looking angrily at his sister. “You said Mommy got hurt and Dad was taking her to a doctor to get it fixed. Why aren’t they home?”

“Hey, they will be. It was just so late when they got Mom all fixed up, the doctor told them they could sleep there because he said Mom would heal better after a good night’s sleep. But I told you last night, that if they didn’t come home, we would go there to see them. You remember that, don’t you?”

Sam nodded and his anger went away. “Yeah, but they’re not here, so are we going to see them? I want to give Mom a kiss and help her feel better.”

“Yes, we’ll go see them but we have a lot to do first. You need to go get dressed and we all need to have breakfast and don’t forget, Rascal needs to go out too. Now you better hustle and get changed. Tell your brother to get up. The two of you can walk Rascal. Okay?”

“Okay, but Jack’s going to be mad. He hates being wakened up.” Sam turned, scuffing his feet as he walked and left the suite headed back to his room.