Fear

by SparksJSH

After a robbery, Lucy learns what it's like for fear to hold you hostage.

Disclaimer: 7^th Heaven is a Spelling production. I am only borrowing the characters for entertainment. No money is being made by this story.

Fear

By: SparksJSH

The blue mini-van pulled into a front parking space of a small grocery store. Inside the van, two three-month old babies began crying inconsolably as soon as the motion of the van stopped. Annie Camden looked frazzled as she looked over at her middle daughter, Lucy.

"Luce, I appreciate you doing this so much."

Fifteen-year old Lucy smiled at her mom. "It's no problem. There is not much on the list. I can have all this done in about ten or fifteen minutes. You can just drive around the block and keep David and Sam happy while I shop."

Annie smiled. What would she do without her kids? "Oh and Lucy, I forgot to put it on the list but pick up a jar of pickles as well. It's funny, I didn't crave them while I was carrying the twins but now I can't get enough of them."

"Sure, Mom."

Lucy left the mini-van and entered the store. She smiled at Mr. Thompson behind the counter. She was glad her mom liked to use this small grocery instead of the big chain supermarket down the road.

"Morning, Lucy. How are those baby boys doing?"

"Cutting teeth, I'm afraid. Mom's got her hands full with them crying all the time."

"Well, she's lucky to have the five of you and your dad to help her out. If you need any help, let me know."

"Thanks."

It only took her ten minutes to load her basket with the items on the list. She carried her selections to the counter for Mr. Thompson to ring up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an old, beat-up, green sedan pull into the front parking space.

"Is that going to be all, Lucy?"

She was about to nod when she remembered her mom's last minute request. "No, I forgot something. I'll be right back."

As she disappeared down the aisle, she heard the tinkle of the bell signaling the arrival of someone else in the store. Scanning the selection of pickles, she chose the biggest jar of her mother's favorite brand. She carried the jar back toward the counter. She heard Mr. Thompson shout. She frowned. She hoped someone wasn't giving him a hard time. She really liked the sweet old man.

"Don't move!"

Lucy stopped in her tracks as a teenage boy in a ski mask holding a pistol suddenly appeared in front of her. With a scream, she dropped the jar of pickles. The glass shattered as it hit the concrete slab. Pickle juice ran across the floor and around her tennis shoes. The gunman grabbed her arm.

"Danny, I got a kid over here." He dragged her to the front of the store where a second masked gunman was holding a gun on Mr. Thompson. The other boy eyed her casually.

"I wouldn't worry. She looks scared enough to wet her pants. Okay, old man, empty the cash register and nobody gets hurt.

As Mr. Thompson opened the drawer, Lucy could hear him muttering under his breath. The only words she was able to make out sounded suspiciously like "stupid punks."

Her heart was pounding wildly and she could feel tears welling in her eyes. This couldn't be happening to her. The guy holding her released her and snatched her purse from her shoulder. With one hand, he rummaged through the contents until he found her wallet.

"Two dollars. She's only got two dollars on her, Danny."

Danny cursed. "Watch the old man, Mark." He pushed Lucy up against the counter. "Two dollars, huh? I don't think so. That jar of pickles you dropped cost over two dollars. So if the money isn't in your purse then it must be on you."

Lucy couldn't suppress the whimper that rose up from the depth of her soul as Danny slowly slipped a hand in her left shorts pocket while holding the gun to her forehead. Not finding the money in that pocket, he removed his hand and dug into the right pocket.

Lucy closed her eyes, humiliated by his actions. She could dimly hear Mr. Thompson yelling at the boys to stop over the roar of the blood pounding at her temples.

With a triumphant cry, Danny removed his hand clutching the two twenties that Annie had given her to pay for the groceries. "That's more like it. Too bad I didn't get to explore the back pockets as well. Okay Mark, let's get out of here."

They stopped as they heard approaching sirens and saw the flashing blue lights of the police cars pulling into the parking lot.

"You triggered a silent alarm." Danny accused Mr. Thompson.

"That's right and I hope you punks rot in jail."

"Yeah, well, you won't be around to see it."

Lucy screamed once again as Danny began to beat the helpless old man. She closed her eyes where she couldn't see what was happening. Mark shoved his hand brutally against her mouth, stifling her screams. Lucy began to silently pray.

*****

Annie was alarmed when she pulled into the grocery parking lot and saw three police cars with lights flashing haphazardly parked in front of the store. Her mother's instinct kicked in and she knew Lucy was in danger.

She rolled down her window as an officer approached her. She was glad to see it was their friend Sgt. Michaels. He looked surprised to see her.

"Annie, you need to get out of here."

"Sgt. Michaels, Lucy is in that store. What's going on?"

The officer's shoulders slumped. "Annie, I don't know any easy way to tell you this. We got a silent alarm from the store. We believe there are at least two people in there trying to rob the place. They are holding hostages."

Annie paled and began to shake. "No, not my Lucy."

Sgt. Michaels reached in and squeezed her hand. "Let me get someone to call the church and get Eric over here. We are doing everything we can to get everyone out safely."

Annie could only sit there as he walked away. Tears streamed down her face. All she could do was offer up a prayer. "Please, dear God, protect my baby."

********************

"What are we going to do, Danny?" Mark asked from where he was keeping Lucy and Mr. Thompson covered with this gun.

Lucy had Mr. Thompson's head resting in her lap. Tenderly she stroked his beaten face. She wasn't even sure if he was dead or alive. She reached up to wipe away the tears that were coursing down her cheeks; too upset to notice that she had his blood on her hand.

"We wait them out. They know we have hostages; they won't do anything."

"Please, just let us go. Mr. Thompson needs medical help."

Danny left his post at the door to kneel in front of her. "I wouldn't worry about the old man. I'd worry about yourself. What's your name?"

Lucy sniffled. "Lucy."

"So, Lucy, you like the old man, huh? Don't like to see him in pain?"

Too frightened to answer but too scared not to, Lucy nodded. She was glad to hear Mr. Thompson moan because it told her he was at least alive. Oh, why didn't the police do something?

"Okay then, I'm a nice guy when I'm not ripping off stores. So, I know this place has some bandages and first aid stuff. I'll give you two minutes to get what you can and get back to the front here. If you aren't back here, nothing you find will be able to help him."

"But I don't know..."

"Time is wasting, Lucy." Danny's voice turned menacing.

With a strangled cry, Lucy eased Mr. Thompson off her lap and stood, her limbs protesting the movement. She wasn't real sure which aisle held medical supplies so she took off down one aisle and back up another. As she turned to go down the next aisle, her foot slipped on a pickle that had fallen out of the broken jar. The slippery vegetable sent her sprawling to the ground. As she landed, her left hand and right knee sliced across the broken glass from the pickle jar.

She lay there bleeding and crying. The salty pickle juice caused her deep cuts to sting. Not ten feet from where she had fallen, Danny and Mark stood laughing at her. Finally Danny shook his head.

"Time's up, Lucy. You were warned."

*********

Eric Camden paced back and forth behind the police line. He wished there were more he could do. With a sigh of frustration, he joined Annie at Sgt. Michaels's car and wrapped his arms around her. She was barely holding herself together. He was glad Matt had been at the church when he got the call and had been able to take the twins home. He didn't know what Annie would be doing right now if she had to worry about the babies as well as Lucy.

"She is going to be all right, Annie. She's got to be."

Annie just nodded as she continued to stare at the store. Why were the police just standing there? Why weren't they rescuing her daughter?

Suddenly the sound of a gunshot came from inside the store. Annie jumped and screamed. Fear caused her heart to beat even wilder than it had before. She twisted in Eric's arms to bury her face in his chest.

Around them, the police seemed to be jumping into action. Eric stopped Sgt. Michaels as he rushed past. "What's going on?"

"One of the suspects fired a gun inside the store. We don't know who or if anyone was hit. We can't afford to wait any longer. We are going in after them. They are throwing in tear gas and flash grenades now."

"But you might hurt Lucy or Mr. Thompson."

"It's a risk we have to take; their lives may be in more danger if we wait. I'm sorry, Eric, I have to go. We'll come get you as soon as everything is secured."

*******

Lucy was curled up in a ball, screaming. She was oblivious to the pain, oblivious to the blood, oblivious to everything but the stark terror that had washed over her as soon as Danny had shot Mr. Thompson.

Somewhere in the midst of her screams, she dimly heard breaking glass and a small explosion. As smoke filled the room, Lucy's screams were punctuated with deep coughs. Her tightly closed eyes began to sting.

She drew herself up tighter as several people began to shout. Strong hands grabbed her and practically dragged her away. She opened her eyes to see what was happening but the smoke made her eyes tear up so much that she couldn't see who had hold of her.

Suddenly familiar arms were crushing her in a tight embrace. "Lucy, we were so worried. Luce?"

Lucy stopped screaming as her father's voice finally registered in her brain. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tighter. "Daddy, I'm so glad...I thought they were going to...Mr. Thompson..." Her words were interrupted by coughs.

"Shh, it's okay now, sweetheart. You're safe. Your mom and I are right here." He glanced over Lucy's head to where Annie had pressed herself up against Lucy, sandwiching their distraught daughter. Her eyes were red with unshed tears.

"Excuse me, sir, but we need to examine your daughter."

Eric glanced over at the paramedic. He knew they were right but he didn't want to release her. But he had seen the blood covering her arm and leg as she was hauled out of the building.

"Come on, Luce, the paramedics need to take a look at you."

With her right hand, she tightened her hold on Eric's shirt. "No, don't let go of me."

"Baby, I don't want to let you go but you're bleeding. It's okay, Lucy. Your mom and I will be right here."

Reluctantly Lucy allowed them to ease her down onto a stretcher. She reached out and grabbed hold of Eric's hand. Annie winced when she saw the deep cuts on Lucy's hand and knee. The paramedic loosely bandaged the wounds. When they strapped her in, Lucy protested. She was afraid that if she were separated from her parents she wouldn't see them again. Annie switched positions with Eric and promised Lucy she was riding with her. Only then did Lucy consent to going to the hospital.

********

"Okay, Dad. I'll tell them. Hurry home." Matt Camden hung up the phone and turned to face his sister Mary and brother Simon. "That was Dad. Lucy is safe."

He waited as Mary and Simon hugged each other in relief. "She did have some pretty deep cuts that needed stitches so they took her to the hospital. Dad said they should be home in an hour or so."

"Poor Lucy, I can't imagine what it had to have been like for her. I'm going to go up and let Ruthie know Lucy is okay and check on the twins." Simon was shaking his head as he left the living room.

Mary continued to watch Matt. "Did Dad say how Mr. Thompson was?"

Matt frowned. "He was hurt worse than Lucy. He was beaten and then shot in the shoulder. Dad said he was in surgery. Man, Mary, you should have seen Dad's face when he got that call from the officer telling him about Lucy. And when we got to the store, Mom looked even worse. She just collapsed in Dad's arms. The twins were still in their car seats screaming their heads off. I don't think Mom even noticed."

"That's why you brought them home?"

Matt nodded. "I wasn't going to be doing Lucy any good standing around so at least I could help with the twins."

"How many times have we all gone into that store? I can't believe this could happen here in Glen Oak."

****

Eric cut off the engine and turned in his seat to look at his wife and daughter in the back seat. Annie's arms were protectively wrapped around a sleeping Lucy. The younger girl was pale and her fear was still etched in her face even in her sleep.

"I'll carry her."

As he scooped her gently up in his arms, Annie walked in front of them. She was prepared to open the front door for him but as soon as they reached it, the door swung open. Matt, Mary, Simon, and Ruthie gathered around them as they walked in.

Annie cautioned them not to waken her. "The doctor in the ER gave her something for pain and to help her sleep."

"Is she okay?" Ruthie asked, her eyes wide.

Annie knelt beside her. "Lucy is going to be just fine. Eric, why don't you and Mary go upstairs and get Lucy settled in bed. I'll be up after I check on the kids."

**

Ten minutes later, Annie stood in the doorway to Mary and Lucy's room. Eric and Mary were both sitting on Mary's bed watching Lucy as she slept. Mary's head was resting on Eric's shoulder and he looked like he was desperately trying not to cry.

"Eric?" She spoke softly so as not to disturb her sleeping daughter. She crossed the room and stood beside them. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"I can't take my eyes off of her. She was so fortunate. It could have just as easily been Lucy still in surgery from a bullet wound."

"I just thank God that she wasn't hurt any worse than she was. Mary, I want to thank you and Matt for pitching in and watching the others today. It was a real load off my mind knowing I didn't have to worry about them."

"No problem, Mom. We were glad we could help. I figured we might want something easy for supper so I started some soup earlier. It should be ready whenever we want to eat."

Eric patted her arm. "That sounds great, Mary. Thanks."

"Dad?" Matt appeared in the doorway. For a moment he just looked at Lucy, relief that she was okay evident in his face. "Sgt. Michaels is downstairs and he needs to speak to you."

Eric frowned. "Okay. Thanks, Matt, I'll be right down." Standing up he took a moment to lean over Lucy and kiss her forehead. He didn't want to leave her even if Mary and Annie were right there with her.

"Eric, she'll be fine. Go on. Mary and I will get her changed into her nightshirt while you are gone."

Eric nodded and with one last look at the fifteen-year-old left the room. He didn't want to see Sgt. Michaels. He was still upset that the police had rushed in and risked Lucy's life like they had.

"Eric, hi. How is Lucy?"

"She's sleeping. The doctor had to pick shards of glass out of a three-inch gash on her knee and a two-inch cut on her wrist and palm. It took thirty stitches for each cut. The cut on her wrist hit a vein."

"I'm glad it wasn't any worse. I just left the hospital; Mr. Thompson is out of surgery but he's in pretty bad shape. He goes to your church doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he and his wife. I hate to appear rude, but what do you want?"

Sgt. Michaels sighed, there were times when he hated his job. This was one of those times. "I need to question Lucy about what happened."

"No." Eric shook his head. "I told you, she is asleep. I'm not going to wake her up. I may not even be able to wake her up if I wanted to. She was hysterical from the moment she was taken out of the store and didn't quiet down until after the sedative the doctor gave her in the ER knocked her out. If she's up to it, I will bring her to the station in the morning."

"Eric, we didn't get the guys responsible for this."

Eric stared at him; his face a mask of mixed emotions. He couldn't be hearing this. The way they stormed in there, how could they not have captured them? "What? How?"

"I don't know. With all the smoke and with the officers checking on Mr. Thompson and Lucy, somehow the suspects slipped out the back. Hopefully, Lucy can tell us something that will help us catch them."

"No, not tonight. I'm sorry but Lucy isn't going to be up to answering your questions tonight. That's my final word on the subject."

Before Sgt. Michaels could push him further, Lucy screamed from upstairs. Without a second thought to the police officer standing in the living room, Eric turned and raced up the stairs. As he rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, he could hear that Sam and David had joined their older sister in screaming.

Mary ran from the bedroom she shared with her sister. Passing Eric, she went directly to his and Annie's bedroom to take care of the twins. Seeing Matt emerge from the stairway leading to his attic bedroom, Eric paused long enough to ask his eldest child to help Mary with the twins. Then he was in Lucy's room.

Annie was holding her tightly. Lucy was sitting up but it was clear from the glazed look in her eyes that she was still asleep. Eric moved to the other side of the bed and took her head in his hands. As much as he was loath to wake her, he couldn't stand seeing her locked in the nightmare that was clearly holding her prisoner.

"Lucy, wake up. Come on, Sweetheart; wake up. You're safe now, Lucy."

Slowly, the screams switched to sobs and Eric pulled her close. "Daddy? Mommy?"

Annie brushed away a tear. It had been years since Lucy had last called them Mommy and Daddy. "We're here, Lucy."

Lucy looked around the room. She wanted the reassurance of familiar objects and familiar faces to tell her she really and truly was safe. "I feel lightheaded."

Eric looked concerned but Annie just smiled. "The doctor said you probably would. You lost quite a bit of blood. Not so much that you needed a transfusion but it was a little more than a pint. He said you would be weak for a little while."

"Am I okay?"

Eric once again took her face in his hands and made her look at him. "You are going to be fine, Lucy. Your knee and wrist are going to hurt for awhile but you are going to be just fine."

Lucy's sobs quieted to hiccups. "I was so scared. I just knew they were going to kill me. But the police caught them, didn't they?"

Annie nodded. "Of course they did, Sweety."

"Actually, Lucy, we weren't able to catch them. I was hoping you could give me some information that could help us."

Annie gave Eric a hard look before turning to look at Sgt. Michaels. Eric, however, continued to watch Lucy. He wasn't surprised to see her pale even more at the news. He frowned.

"I told you not tonight. Can't you see she is already upset enough?"

"Easy, Reverend."

Eric shook his head. "No, tonight I'm not a pastor. Tonight I am a father. I'm a father who is furious that his daughter was put in danger this afternoon and you weren't even able to catch the vermin responsible. Now, please, respect my wishes and leave. I will bring Lucy to the station tomorrow."

"It's okay, Dad. I want them to find them. I don't want those guys to find me and hurt me."

Annie pushed the hair out of Lucy's face. "Oh, Honey, they aren't going to find you here. You're safe. I agree with your dad on this. Questions can wait until morning."

Sgt. Michaels sighed. "Okay, but please, the sooner we get the information, the better chance we have of finding them. Lucy, I'm glad you are all right." Without another word, he left.

Lucy sat back against her pillow and wiped her eyes. "How's Mr. Thompson?"

"He's out of surgery. That's all I really know. How do you feel?"

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Lucy stared at the wall. "I've never been so scared in my whole life. I thought they were going to kill me. I'm kind of numb. My wrist and knee should be hurting but it doesn't." She blinked sleepily.

Eric smiled. "That's probably because of the painkiller the doctor gave you. A few hours from now, you'll be wishing the pain was still gone."

Caressing her daughter's cheek, Annie smiled. "Why don't you go back to sleep? When you wake up, I'll bring you up a bowl of soup Mary made. You must be starved."

Lucy thought about the nightmare that had awoken her not that long ago and shuddered inwardly. Sleep was not a place she wanted to go back and visit again so soon. "I'm not tired," she lied. "Maybe you could bring the twins in here if they are awake."

"David is the only one awake." Matt stood in the doorway holding the baby to his chest. "Mary just got Sam back to sleep." Entering the bedroom, Matt eased the three-month old into Lucy's arms.

The infant awarded his sister with a smile. Lucy kissed the top of his head and looked at Annie. "I'm so glad they weren't in there."

"Is everything okay?"

Simon and Ruthie stood in the doorway, peering in cautiously. Mary was right behind them. Annie was about to ask the two younger kids to go back downstairs. She didn't want Lucy to be overwhelmed. But Lucy stopped her before she could even open her mouth.

"Come on in, guys." As far as she was concerned, the more people around her the better. Ruthie eased around Eric and climbed up on the bed on Lucy's left.

This time Eric was going to protest, worried that Ruthie would accidentally hurt Lucy's wrist. But Lucy wrapped her arm around Ruthie and seemed to relax slightly.

David began to coo, as his eyes grew droopy. Ruthie struck up an inane conversation that had nothing to do with anything. But as David dropped off to sleep and Lucy listened, the fifteen-year-old began to blink heavily. They effects of the sedative were overriding her fear of nightmares. Soon she was asleep as well. When Ruthie saw that her main audience had gone to sleep, she looked a little miffed.

Annie smiled. "Ruthie, Lucy really needs her sleep. Why don't we all leave her alone so she can? We can go downstairs and eat. I'll bring Lucy a tray up later."

Ruthie frowned. "Won't she be scared if she wakes up and we aren't here?"

"She's probably going to sleep for awhile if we leave her alone. She probably woke up earlier because Mary and I were changing her clothes." Annie gently removed David from his sister's hold and cuddled him close for a minute. Giving him one last kiss, she passed him to Mary.

"Okay, come on Ruthie, Simon. Go get washed up for supper."

With a frown, Ruthie eased out from under Lucy's arm. Almost immediately Lucy whimpered and tossed about. Shaking her head as if to say "I told you so," the seven-year old scooped up a stuffed animal and placed it in her sister's arm. Lucy tightened her grip on the toy and relaxed in her sleep.

Eric smiled at Ruthie and picked her up. He didn't want to leave Lucy's side anymore than Ruthie did. At least Annie had been able to stay back in the exam room with Lucy while the doctor examined her. He had been forced to wait in the waiting room because the hospital allowed only one visitor at a time with a patient.

With a sigh and one last look at his sleeping daughter, Eric carried Ruthie out of the room. Matt stopped in the hallway. "You coming, son?"

Matt shook his head. "In a minute. I was supposed to go out with Shana tonight but I think I am going to give her a call and explain things. She'll understand."

Eric nodded. It seemed they all wanted to stay close to Lucy tonight. "Okay, I'll see you downstairs."

****

Lucy awoke with a start but this time didn't scream out. Sitting up she looked around, alarmed that she was all alone. Where had everyone gone?

Her heart hammering in her chest, she pushed aside the cover and gingerly stood. Nausea made her stomach do flips and her head spun dizzily but still she stood. She took a couple of faltering steps toward the door, her leg protesting each movement. Her leg gave out completely on her at the doorway.

Strong arms caught her before she could fall. Lucy gripped Matt's arm tightly, drawing on his strength to steady her. She was breathing hard but wasn't sure if it was because of the exertion of walking across the bedroom or because of the ice-cold terror racing through her veins.

"Easy, Luce. Where are you going?"

"I...I woke up and wondered where everyone was."

Matt smiled. "You were supposed to be asleep for longer than you were. Mom and Dad sent the kids out; they didn't want Simon and Ruthie to wake you."

"Will you help me downstairs?"

Matt shook his head. He was worried by how tightly she was holding on to him. Maybe Ruthie was right about Lucy being alone. "I think Mom and Dad want you to stay in bed."

Lucy shook her head. "I don't want to stay in bed. Please, Matt?"

Matt groaned. How could he tell her no, even if it was for her own good? "Okay, but if Mom and Dad overrule you, don't complain to me."

As he swung her up in his arms, she flashed him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Matt." She rested her head wearily on his shoulder. It wouldn't surprise him if she were back asleep before he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Therefore he was surprised that she was still awake when he carried her into the kitchen. Whatever had woken her up must have spooked her but good. When he entered the kitchen, Eric looked up and glared at him.

"Matt..."

"I made him bring me down. I didn't want to sleep anymore. I wanted to come down and eat supper with the rest of you."

Matt set Lucy in her chair and noticed it took her an extra minute to release her hold on him. She was really scared. He squeezed her hand before going to his own seat.

"You should be in bed. I was going to bring you a tray up."

"I'm okay, Mom. Please?" She silently begged with her eyes. To be sent back upstairs by herself was a possibility that scared her horribly.

Annie nodded. "Okay, if you're sure. Hang on and I'll get you a bowl of soup."

Now that she had won the battle to stay with the family, Lucy realized her second problem. Her stomach was doing cartwheels so fiercely that she didn't know if she'd be able to eat even one bite.

The others tried to appear not to notice how much her hand was shaking as she lifted the spoon to her mouth. As more spilled back into the bowl than ended up in her mouth, Eric wanted to help her. Seeing he was about to intervene, Annie shook her head, stopping him.

"Mary, this soup is very good." Annie praised her eldest daughter, hoping to further distract Eric.

"Yes, Mary, it's delicious." Eric finally agreed. "There's something different about it though. I can't put my finger on it."

"I used Rotel tomatoes instead of the regular ones. We were out..." Mary stopped mid-sentence as Lucy suddenly threw her spoon across the room with a yelp of pain and frustration.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I spilled some on me and it burned." Lucy wiped her eyes with the back of her right hand. "Canned tomatoes was on my shopping list." Her tears flowed once again. "I'm sorry." She repeated.

Annie and Eric exchanged a concerned look. Eric touched her arm. "Don't apologize, Lucy. It's okay."

Lucy fought hard to be able to bring her emotions back under control. She noticed that the others had stopped eating and were watching her. She ducked her head.

"Lucy, you are weak from losing blood and you have some pretty strong drugs in your system. You have every right to be shaky. Want me to help you finish your soup?"

Lucy shook her head, determined not to start crying again. "No Dad, I don't want to be fed like a baby. I wasn't very hungry anyway and I'm keeping everyone else from being able to eat. I'll just go into the living room and rest on the couch."

Matt started to stand. He remembered how weak she had been upstairs but she motioned him back down. They watched as she slowly and painfully made her way out of the kitchen.

"Dad, I..."

"I know, Matt. Look Lucy's been through a very emotional day. We all know that on a normal day, Lucy is an extremely emotional person. We have to realize that she is going to be very weepy and touchy for a couple of days. We just have to be understanding and give her a lot of love. But she'll bounce back."

Silence settled over the table for about a minute. Then Simon drained his glass and set it on the table. "May I be excused?"

"You may." Annie granted him permission. "Will you check on your sister for us please?"

Simon nodded. That was what he was planning on doing anyway but his parents didn't have to know that. He left the kitchen and trailed his sister into the living room.

Lucy was sitting on the couch staring at the television. Her face was as white as the walls and her eyes were slightly glazed. He noticed that the news was on.

"Luce?"

"They told my name on the news. They can find me now."

Simon sat on the coffee table in front of her. "Relax, Luce, Dad's not going to let any reporters bother you any more than he let Sgt. Michaels. You know that."

"Not reporters, the two guys who held up the store."

Simon bit his lip. "Maybe I'd better get Mom and Dad."

As he started to go back to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Lucy whimpered and dug her fingernails into his arm. Her body was shaking.

Eric emerged from the kitchen to answer the door. He looked concerned when he saw that Lucy was once again upset. Opening the door, he frowned when he saw Sgt. Michaels standing there.

"I thought..."

"I know but we have a problem. Someone at the hospital leaked information to the media. The press now knows that Lucy was in the store today and they are going to release her name on the news."

"I think they already have. How could they give out that information? Lucy is a minor..."

Sgt. Michaels held up his hand. "I know, Eric. More than likely someone who works for the hospital sold the information. We are just as mad about it as you are. It puts us in a difficult situation. I don't think Lucy is in any danger but we'd be crazy not to take precautions. The stakes are definitely higher now, Eric. I've got to talk to Lucy tonight."

Eric glanced back in the living room. "Okay, let me get Annie. Maybe Matt and Mary can take Simon and Ruthie out for some ice cream while we talk."

**

Ten minutes later Lucy was sandwiched between Eric and Annie on the couch. Sgt. Michaels sat in a chair across from them. She had a tight grip on Eric's hand who was sitting on her right. The bandage on her left wrist was the only thing keeping her from having an equally tight grip on Annie's hand.

"Okay, Lucy, I just want you to know that you are safe. We'll have units that will do ride-throughs every hour but it will really help us if you can tell us what happened."

Lucy nodded. "I don't know much but I'll help you however I can. There were two guys wearing ski masks; I never saw their faces."

"How tall were they? Give me as much as you can."

"The leader, I think the other one called him Danny, was about your height and really muscular. Mark, the other guy was Matt's height and really skinny."

Sgt. Michaels nodded and wrote down the information. "Good, that's good, Lucy. Did you see what they drove up in?"

She shook her head. "No, unless they were in that green sedan. I saw the beat up old car pull up as I was about to pay for everything. Then I remembered I had forgotten Mom's pickles. I went back to get them and didn't see who got out of it."

She felt Annie stiffen slightly beside her. Lucy leaned her head on her mom's shoulder. "They scared me so bad I dropped the jar."

"Lucy can you tell me how you and Mr. Thompson got hurt?"

"They beat him up because Mr. Thompson triggered the alarm. Danny told me I could get bandages and stuff but while I was looking, I slipped on a pickle. I must have landed on the broken glass." She squeezed Eric's hand tighter as she cried harder. "They shot Mr. Thompson because I didn't meet their time limit. It's my fault he's so badly hurt."

Her sobs returned full force with that admission. Eric twisted her so that he was holding her tightly in his arms. As he glanced over at Annie, he saw that she looked distracted. He reached out and rubbed her shoulder.

"Lucy, it wasn't your fault. You and Mr. Thompson were both victims. Don't blame yourself."

Sgt. Michaels touched Eric's leg to get his attention. "Eric, I think I have enough for now. I'm sorry I had to get her upset. If there are any problems give me a call."

"Thank you and I will. Sgt. Micheals, I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier."

Sgt. Michaels cut him off. "Don't. It's all right; you were thinking about Lucy. You take care of her and I'll see myself out."

Eric nodded and shook hands with the officer. Then Sgt. Michaels shook hands with Annie. "I'll call tomorrow and check on her."

Finally Lucy sat back and looked around in bewilderment. She just realized how quiet the house was. "Where are the others?"

Using his thumbs, Eric wiped the tears from under her eyes. "I had Matt take the others for ice cream."

Eric couldn't miss the flash of fear that crept into her eyes. He wished he could wipe that look off her face forever. She blinked and suddenly the fear was gone. No, not gone, he decided, just carefully repressed. Before he could question her about it, Matt, Mary, Simon and Ruthie came bounding in.

Seeing they had brought back ice cream for Lucy, Eric decided to make use of the opportunity. Leaving the others with Lucy, he pulled Annie into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?"

Annie leaned into his embrace and began to cry. "It's my fault Lucy was in that store. She was doing the shopping to help me out. Because of my pickles, she was still in there when those monsters came in to rob the place. Because of my pickles, Lucy is sitting in there with sixty stitches."

"Annie, stop." Eric took her head in his hands and made her look at him. "It's not your fault. The only ones to blame in all this are the two punks that came into that store this morning intent to break the law."

Annie wiped the tears away. "You're right, I know. But I can't help but feel responsible."

Eric nodded. "Just like Lucy feels responsible for what happened to Mr. Thompson. We are going to get through this, Annie. I promise you."

Annie forced a smile but it was far from convincing. "I just don't think I want pickles again anytime soon."

****

Lucy sat up in bed, her heart hammering in her chest. She stuffed the knuckles of her right hand as far into her mouth as she could to stifle the scream that rose from the depths of her soul. Once she was awake enough not to cry out, she removed her hand and grabbed the stuffed bunny Ruthie had brought her earlier.

As she waited for her breathing to return to normal, she thought back to how Ruthie had come into her bedroom as they were getting ready for bed to announce she was going to sleep with Lucy. The older girl would have welcomed her sister's presence but Annie and Eric had vetoed the idea immediately. Not to be deterred, Ruthie had left long enough to go to her room and return with a large stuffed rabbit for Lucy to sleep with instead. It had come in handy as the night wore on.

Lucy glanced at the clock on her bedside. 3 a.m. Only an hour had passed since the last time she had woken up. This was the fifth time she had woken since going to bed at 10 p.m. Fortunately, she had only woken her parents twice but she thought this was the first time she hadn't disturbed Mary.

This was nuts, she decided. Though at least an hour had passed between each nightmare that wrenched her from sleep; it had taken her thirty minutes of that hour just to convince herself to fall back asleep. It would be better for her to stay awake the rest of the night than risk the increasingly horrific dreams that awaited her with sleep.

She glanced over to the other bed to make sure she hadn't disturbed Mary. After the last time she had woke up, Mary had threatened to go get their parents if it happened again. She knew Mary was just thinking of her but she didn't want everyone worrying about her.

Setting the bunny aside, Lucy slipped out of bed. Maybe she could go downstairs and watch some television or something to keep herself awake. And if she accidentally fell asleep downstairs, at least no one would hear her if she had another nightmare.

Walking past her parents' room, she heard one of the twins waking up. She bit her lip. Maybe she could catch him before he woke anyone up. She eased into the bedroom. Annie and Eric were curled up close to each other, blissfully asleep.

Sam smiled at her when she peered over the bassinet. Reaching in, she eased him up in her arms and cuddled him close. Brushing her lips softly across his head, she turned and quietly left the room.

Gingerly, she negotiated the stairs. Her knee would have given her trouble on the stairs anyway but she was especially careful, mindful of the precious cargo in her arms. At the bottom of the stairs, Lucy leaned against the wall to catch her breath.

She limped into the living room and set Sam into one of the carriers they kept in there. He smiled and cooed at her as she dangled one of his toys in front of him.

"You know, Sam. If I'm going to stay awake the rest of the night, I might as well bring David down here as well. That will keep Mom and Dad from having to get up with either of you. Will you entertain yourself for a few minutes until I return with your brother?"

Sam's only response was a grunt as he grabbed the toy. With a small smile, she left him and started up the stairs once more. This time was harder because her knee was already hurting from the first trip. But within ten minutes she was back on the couch with both babies in their carriers in front of her.

"Okay, boys, it's just the three of us. So what are we going to do?"

David had already drifted back to sleep and Sam wasn't far behind him. Lucy rolled her eyes. "No, sleep is not an option for me."

"Why not? Sleep is exactly what you need."

Eyes wide, Lucy turned to face Eric in the doorway. "Dad, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Eric smiled and crossed the room to join her on the couch. "You didn't. I woke up and went to the bathroom. On my way back to bed, I decided to check on the twins. Imagine my surprise when they weren't in their beds." He ruffled her hair and pulled her close. "I did a quick bed check and you were gone as well. What's the matter, couldn't sleep?"

"I guess it was all that sleep I got earlier."

Eric shook his head. "I don't think so. I think that maybe you were having bad dreams about what happened. Am I right?"

Lucy didn't answer him but bit her lip to keep from crying. That was all the answer Eric needed to know he was right. "Oh, Luce, why didn't you come wake your mother or me?"

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Too late, Sweety. Your mom and I have worried about you from the moment we learned you were on the way. We worried about whether or not you would be healthy. We worried about you every time you got sick as a small child. We worried about you on your first day of school. We worry about you each time things don't work out with you and your boyfriend. But we especially worry about you when things like today happen. That is all apart of being a parent. What was your dream about?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I know you don't but it is the only way to get passed what happened."

"No, I can't talk about it. Please, don't make me."

Eric held her close and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, Sweetheart. I would never make you do something you weren't ready for. I just hate to see you up at three-thirty in the morning, too scared to sleep."

"Dad..."

"You know what I was thinking?" Eric cut her off before she could protest. "Maybe now would be a good time to take a mini-vacation. The rest of you could leave as soon as everyone was up and packed. I can talk to the deacons at church and get the weekday services and then join you after church Sunday."

"Where could we go?"

"Anywhere you want to."

Lucy shook her head. "No thanks. I'd rather stay here at home."

"Luce..."

"No, Dad, I'm fine. I don't need a vacation. I just need to be around my family."

"Okay, okay. No trip. Lucy, if you want to talk about..."

"I don't. Let's just sit here."

And so they did. Father and daughter simply sat there curled up on the couch watching in silence as the twins slept. Eric absently ran his hand up and down her arm. He wished there were something he could do to help her besides just holding her. But right now, he thought, maybe all she really needed from him was to be held.

"You know, Luce, if you wanted to go to sleep, I promise I won't leave you. If you'll sleep better, I'll hold you for the rest of the night."

He waited several seconds but Lucy didn't answer him. He frowned. "Lucy?"

When he still received no response, he looked down at Lucy's face. He smiled. Safe in his arms she had promptly drifted back to sleep.

He kissed the top of her head and shifted slightly to a more comfortable position. He would be sore in the morning. But it was worth any amount of pain if it meant Lucy was comfortable.

*****

Annie gently shook Eric awake. He smiled and kissed her softly. She smiled back and looked down at a peacefully slumbering Lucy.

"A person could get jealous, you know. This is the third morning in a row that I've found you down here on the couch with Lucy. I know you can't be comfortable. How long are you going to keep doing this?"

Eric sighed. "As long as I need to. Friday night we thought Ruthie was just being cute wanting to sleep in Lucy's bed but I think she saw something we missed. Only hours after we wouldn't let Ruthie stay with her, Lucy was down here prepared to stay awake rather than face nightmares. Saturday night, I found her sitting on the stairs hoping the uncomfortable position would keep her from falling asleep. Last night, I woke up to find her sitting on the edge of our bed watching the twins sleep."

"Why didn't she just come get in bed with us like she used to?"

"I think she doesn't want to admit to us that this is bothering her more than we think. She doesn't want us to worry, like that is possible. Annie, I have felt helpless in all this. I would move Heaven and Earth to make her feel safe but she doesn't need that. Annie, she just needs to be held. She just needs to know we aren't going to let her face her demons alone, even if she can't tell us about them."

Annie caressed Lucy's cheek tenderly. "I know. Come into the kitchen with me for a minute."

Eric eased out from under Lucy and settled her back down on the couch. He stretched to get the kink out of his back that had formed from sleeping sitting up on the couch. He joined Anne in the kitchen. She had taken the margarine from the refrigerator and was busily buttering bread for toast. It was clear she was upset.

"Eric, I am worried about Lucy."

"Honey, so am I but this is just a temporary thing. She'll be sleeping through the night all by herself soon. We just have to give her a little time."

Annie shoved the bread into the toaster and began to set the table. "It's more than that. She refused to go to church yesterday with the rest of us. And then, yesterday afternoon, when we went to the hospital to see Mr. Thompson, she wouldn't even go there. We both know how worried she's been about him. Since we brought her home from the hospital Friday night, she hasn't step one foot out of this house, not even to go to the backyard. She gets agitated if any of us leave to go somewhere. She's barely eating. She's barely sleeping."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I think this is bigger than what we can handle on our own. Yesterday at the hospital, Sgt. Michaels gave me the name of a really good counselor that deals with post traumatic stress disorder. I think we should call her."

"Annie, we don't need to call a counselor. I'm trained to help people."

"People, yes; your daughter, no. You're too close; I'm too close. She looks at us with those wide hurt eyes and says she doesn't want to talk about what happened and we tell her she doesn't have to. We hate to see her in pain. But, Eric, she needs to talk about it. She was held at gunpoint and saw someone she knows being beaten and shot. That's not something a fifteen year-old should have to hold inside."

Eric shook his head and cupped her chin. "I don't think..."

"Well, I do, Eric. If we don't we are going to lose her. I can't sit back and watch that happen. You said yourself you've felt helpless, well so have I. Now I have some way I can help my daughter deal with what happened. You've helped her by being there each night when she's needed you. Now it's my turn. I'm calling Dr. Shell and setting up an appointment for tomorrow."

"NO!" Lucy stood in the kitchen doorway staring at them in disbelief. "No, I won't go. I'm not crazy."

Annie walked away from Eric and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Oh Honey, we don't think you are crazy. What are you going through is perfectly normal."

"Normal people don't go to shrinks."

"Lucy, Dr. Shell is not a shrink. She works with people who have been through traumatic events. I just think it would be easier to talk to her ten to us. Someone you could tell your fears to without worrying about what your dad and I might think or worry about."

Seeing there was no chance of convincing Annie, Lucy turned to Eric. "Daddy, please. Talk her out of this."

Eric was torn. He knew Annie was right, no matter how hard it was to admit. But he couldn't stand to see Lucy so upset. "Sweetheart, maybe your mother's right. What could it hurt to go just once? Just to see if it helps any?"

Lucy shook herself out of Annie's embrace and went to Eric. She looked up at him with tear-filled, pleading eyes. "Please, Daddy, you told me the other night you would never make me do something I didn't want to do. Well, I don't want to do this. Please."

Eric's own eyes were red with tears. "I'm sorry, Lucy. Your mom's right. Try it at least once and if it doesn't work out, then we'll talk again."

"You just don't understand." Lucy cried as she left the room.

Husband and wife stand in the kitchen, holding each other for several minutes to comfort each other. Finally Eric broke the silence. "Your right, Annie. She needs to see this counselor. I support you one hundred percent. I'll go check on Lucy."

Eric made it to the doorway to go after her when the phone rings. With a sigh, he picked up the cordless. "Hello?...Hi, Sgt. Michaels...Really? That's great..Okay, we'll be there soon. See you then. Bye."

Replacing the receiver back on its base, he turned to Annie. "That was Sgt. Micheals. They've arrested two teenage boys they think were responsible for the hold up. They need Lucy to come in and make a positive ID."

****

"Hey, Lucy, whatcha doing?" Shana eased down on Mary's bed and smiled at the fifteen-year-old.

Lucy glanced at her brother's girlfriend and then returned to looking out the window. "Nothing."

"Your mom and dad just told me they arrested the guys they think robbed the store. But they also said you were putting off going to the police station to make an ID."

Lucy squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Did they send you up here to talk me into it?"

Shana shook her head and watched the younger girl carefully. "Nope. They think I am on my way up to Matt's room. I just wanted to check on you. I've wanted to come over all weekend but I figured you might need to be around just family."

"I don't see what good it's going to do to go to the station. I didn't see their faces; I can't identify them."

"Would you recognize their voices if you heard them?"

Lucy shuddered. "Oh yes, definitely."

"Then they can get them to say something so you can pick them out by their voices. It all sounds scary, I know, but it's not that bad."

Lucy turned her head to look at Shana. "How do you know?"

"I work in a convenience store, Luce. Apparently they are 'convenient' places to rob because I've been held up three times. One time they never caught the guy but the other two times, I went through the whole rigmarole. Want me to tell you what it's like? Sometimes it is easier if you know what to expect."

Lucy nodded. She was watching Shana intently. The older girl smiled encouragingly. "Okay, they'll take you in this room with a large two-way mirror on one wall. You can see into this other room but people in it can't see you. They'll bring out people in groups and have them step forward one at a time. You'll look at them and if you recognize someone you tell the officer. They'll never see you, Lucy."

"I don't know. What if I don't recognize them?"

"Then they'll release the ones they arrested. But, Lucy, if they arrested the right ones, you'll recognize them. You'll feel better knowing they are in jail where they belong."

Lucy rested her head on her left knee. "Mom and Dad think I'm crazy. They are sending me to a shrink."

Shana touched Lucy's arm. "Your parents don't think you are crazy, Lucy. They're just worried about you. Frankly, I'd be more worried about you if you had bounced back like nothing happened. But I'm not worried about you at all."

"You're not?"

Shana shook her head. "Nope, you've got the love and support of your family. They'll make sure you're okay."

Lucy bit her lower lip. "Then why are they sending me to a shrink?"

"Because they love you enough to admit when love is not enough. Let me ask you something. What did you eat yesterday?"

"For breakfast, I had a glass of orange juice. For lunch, I ate half of a sandwich. Dad brought in Chinese for supper last night but I only managed a few bites."

Shana nodded. "How much sleep did you get last night? Real sleep, that wasn't disturbed by nightmares."

Lucy thought for a second. "Two and a half hours maybe."

"You sound just like me after the first time I was held up. I wouldn't leave my room; I wouldn't eat; I would wake up ten times a night screaming. My brother laughed at me and my dad yelled at me for waking him up. I though I was losing my mind. I probably would have if the officer investigating the robbery hadn't steered me to the counselor at Community Services. He helped me see that what I was going through was normal. After a couple of visits I learned I could face my fears without being overwhelmed. It didn't mean I wasn't scared but my fear no longer controlled me. Which doctor are they taking you to?"

"Dr. Shell."

Shana smiled. "She's great. I started seeing her after all that with my brother. You'll really like her."

"I just want to forget about it."

"Then face your fears and you can put it behind you. Control your fear and quit letting it control you."

"You make it sound so easy."

Shana shook her head. "Oh, it's far from easy. It can be downright painful but it is worth it. Wouldn't you rather hurt for a few days because you are talking about it than for the rest of your life because you kept it inside?"

"I guess. But I still don't know if I can face picking them out of a lineup."

Shana squeezed her hand. "You can because if you don't they go free and get away with what they did. You don't want that to happen."

"I guess you're right. Will you go with me?"

"Sure. Your parents have to go with you as well because you are a minor, but I'd be glad to. Why don't I go get Matt and we'll meet you at he station."

********

"Okay Lucy, take your time. I know you didn't see their faces so we are going to have each person step forward and say something. If you recognize one of them let me know. Hopefully, you'll recognize both of them." Sgt. Michaels touched Lucy's shoulder before picking up the phone.

Annie kept her arm around her daughter's shoulders. Lucy kept her eyes closed. She knew the people in the other room couldn't see her but she still didn't want to see them either. Her ID would be based solely on voice recognition. She was glad her father, Matt and Shana were behind her. Leaving the house had been hard but knowing her family was with her helped.

"Okay, Lucy, here's the first group. Number one, step forward."

"Don't move."

Lucy flinched at the words. She shook her head; it wasn't him. The same was true for the second, third and fourth guys. Each time, the words cut through her like a knife. But it was only the memory of Mark saying them to her that made her flinch.

Sgt. Michaels handed her a glass of water to help her settle her nerves. She raised the glass to her lips as the fifth person stepped forward.

"Don't move."

Lucy froze. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered as it hit the floor. She was suddenly transported back to the grocery store. With a whimper she buried her head in Annie's shoulder.

"Lucy?"

"Him, that's Mark."

Sgt. Michaels squeezed her arm. "Very good, Lucy. Do you need a break before we start the next group?"

Lucy nodded. Annie steered her around the broken glass to where Eric, Matt, and Shana were waiting. Eric hugged her tightly. Shana touched her cheek.

"The first one's the hard one. It will be easier with the other one."

Lucy sniffled. "Then let's get it over with."

Annie led her back to the two-way mirror and nodded to Sgt. Michaels, signaling him that they were ready. She noticed that in that brief break the broken glass had been cleaned up.

The next group filed into the side room. This time, Lucy steeled herself to look at the boys. In all her nightmares, the guys who had robbed the store had hideous faces but all of these looked like someone she would have spoken to at school.

When the first person stepped forward to speak, Lucy forced herself not to flinch. Shana was right; it was easier this time. The second person stepped forward.

"Don't move."

Even though he couldn't see her, for a moment Lucy locked eyes with him. The voice wasn't quite right but she recognized that look in his eyes. She sat down quickly.

"Him. He's changing his voice but it's him. That's Danny."

Sgt. Michaels nodded to the two attorneys and then released the others. He knelt in front of Lucy. "You did a very good job, Lucy."

"What happens now?"

"They'll be booked. Eventually it will go to trial and you will have to testify but that will be later on down the road. For now you can put this whole thing behind you."

"Is that possible?" Lucy asked so quietly that no one heard her.

Shana stepped forward and hugged Lucy. "I'm proud of you. I know what it took for you to do that. That was step two in getting back control of your life."

"What was step one?"

"Deciding not to let fear control you."

Eric kissed her cheek. "You ready to go home, Luce?"

Before Lucy could answer, Shana interrupted. "Actually, I was hoping maybe Matt and Lucy would come back to my apartment. I've been wanting to make chocolate chip cookies but it's no fun cooking alone."

Eric looked like he wanted to protest but Annie jabbed him in the ribs. If Lucy agreed it would be the first time she willingly left the house. She didn't count coming here to the station because they had still had to basically force her to come.

Finally Lucy nodded. Shana smiled. She knew she was taking a big chance with her plan but felt it was worth the risk. "Great. We'll see you later, Mr. and Mrs. Camden."

As they started out, the District Attorney appeared with some forms for Lucy to sign. Shana used the opportunity to outline her plan to Matt.

He frowned. Shana kissed his cheek. "Trust me, Matt. She needs to do this. Now, not in a week or so."

"Okay, okay but I don't know that I like it."

Lucy joined them. Shana put a casual arm around her shoulder. "Ready to go bake some cookies?"

***********

Lucy frowned when they pulled into the parking lot of Thompson's grocery. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Why are we here?"

Shana looked back at her and smiled. "I remembered I needed eggs to make the cookies. Come, give me a hand."

"I'm not going in there. You tricked me."

Shana twisted in her seat. "You're right, I did. Don't blame Matt or your parents. This was all my doing. Remember I told you that I had been held up three times? Well, the first time I was working when the store was robbed, I was seventeen at the time. I haven't stepped foot in that store since then. I waited I guess a week or two before even trying to go back. My fear had gotten too big. I had to quit and find another job."

"I don't work here though."

"No, but it is your family's favorite place to shop. The second time it happened, my boss made me work the very next day. I was so scared but later I was glad I had because I didn't have time to let the fear build."

Lucy took a shaky breath. "Is this another one of those steps?"

"Yeah, it's a big one too. Come in with me?"

"Is Matt coming too?"

Matt reached back and tweaked her nose. "I wouldn't let you go in there without me."

Reluctantly Lucy followed the young couple into the store. She froze right inside as the bell above the door announced their presence. Shana squeezed her uninjured hand and urged her further inside.

Lucy closed her eyes as memories of Friday morning washed over her. She stood there shaking. Why had Shana insisted she do this?

The bell over the door chimed once more and Lucy screamed, jumping into Matt's arms. She was convinced Danny and Mark had returned. But then she reminded herself that they were in jail. She forced her eyes open and saw that the newcomer was Mrs. Thompson. The elderly woman smiled at her.

"Hello, Lucy. I didn't mean to scare you. How are you feeling?" Lucy was breathing too hard to answer so she merely nodded.

"I'm so glad. Papa and I have been worried about you. He feels so bad that this had to happen while you were here. He'll be coming home from the hospital in a couple of days. He can't wait to get back to work."

"That's great." Lucy managed to squeak out.

"Well, I'll let you do your shopping. I'm just glad what happened hasn't scared you away from shopping here. I don't know what we'd do if the Camden family stopped coming here." Mrs. Thompson hugged Lucy tightly and then went behind the counter to talk with the clerk who was filling in.

Matt rubbed her back. "You okay, Luce?"

Slowly, Lucy nodded. "I think so. Shana, do you really need eggs?"

Shana bit her lip. "Sure."

"I'll get them. You two stay here." Lucy took her time walking to the back where the refrigerated foods were kept. By the time, she had picked up a dozen eggs and returned to the front, Lucy had pretty much composed herself. She handed the carton to Shana.

"Are there any other steps?"

"Lots of little ones but only one more biggie. Give Dr. Shell a chance tomorrow."

Lucy thought for a minute and nodded. "Okay, I'll give it a try. Let's pay for those and go make cookies."

*******

EPILOGUE

Annie stepped into Mary's and Lucy's room and touched Eric's arm. He turned from watching the two girls sleep and followed his wife from the room.

"I can't believe it's four a.m. and she's still sound asleep. Dr. Shell must have really helped her today."

Annie smiled. "She probably had a hand in this but actually I think we owe someone else a big thank you. I don't know what Shana did yesterday but I think it was what turned the tide and started bringing Lucy back to us."

"Whatever it was, it looks like she's on her way to a full recovery. I have to admit, I kind of miss not being needed."

"You're her father, Eric; she'll always need you." She smiled devilishly. "But if it makes you feel better, you can hold me for the rest of the night."

Eric returned her grin. "Why, Mrs. Camden, I'd be honored."

He kissed her as they walked back to the bedroom.


THE END!