Chapter 2
Beep, beep, beep.
It was the first sound Tara heard when she opened her eyes. At first, she had no idea where she was or how she had even gotten there. Her next conscious thought was how tight and sore her skin felt, even her throat felt raw and sore, like she had a very bad case of strep.
Tara tried to remember what it happened prior to her current circumstances. She remembered yelling at Neil, she remembered trying to save Dani (trying, and failing, she corrected) she remembered the vodka and the lighter…
Then nothing.
She tried to get her eyes to focus but everything was blurry as if she was looking at stuff underwater or through a camera that wouldn't focus. She could make out a man's figure but that was about it.
"Neil…?" She whispered, trying to form his name.
"Well looks like you've proven everybody wrong Mrs. Matthews," a male voice said, a doctor, not her husband.
"Don't try to talk." The nurse interjected as she opened her mouth again, intent on asking another question, but even that was difficult. "There was a lot of damage and I'm sorry, but we had to amputate a few fingers."
Tara looked down at her right hand to find a bandage, most of her fingers were gone.
She wanted to cry wondering how had she let things get so out of control? She had a lot of questions, but if the doctors and nurses have their way she had no way to communicate. Seeing the questions on her face the nurse left the room and returned a few minutes later with a dry erase board.
"Here," she said, "maybe this will help."
Tara tried to take the marker she was offered, she would have to write with her other hand but most of her body was so thoroughly wrapped in bandages she had little dexterity. After a few minutes, she only shook her head, or tried to considering she was incased in splints and bandages from head to toe.
"I know you have a lot of questions," the nurse said gently, "maybe I have someone who can help."
Sara's mind was spinning as she walked down in the direction of the burn unit. She had taken time off a recent case to go visit this former victim because she had so many unanswered questions. It made Sara's mind and heart hurt when she thought about it, she wasn't even sure how she would provide the answers.
Finally, the nurse she had spoken to earlier led her to the room where Tara Matthews was slowly recuperating. When Sara looked into the room it looked the same as the last time she had been there with one difference, the occupant was awake. Once she was admitted Sarah gently knocked on the door frame of the room.
"Hello Tara, my name is Sara Sidel… From the Las Vegas Crime Lab. They tell me you have a lot of questions."
Tara blinked slowly, at this point it was the only way she could communicate.
She formed the words slowly, as carefully as she could without actually speaking.
"Where is my husband?"
"He's in custody, he admitted to the murders."
Tara took in this information, from what she could remember it made sense she remembered him bursting into his best friend's bedroom with a gun.
Sara slowly walked over to the bedside and sat down in a nearby chair. She looked like she was going to take Tara's hand, but seem to think better of it.
"Tara… There's something else you should know… You're pregnant."
Tara blinked several times, the action, again seeming to take great effort. She didn't know if it was the amounts of drugs that were pumping through her system or the actual words of what the other woman was saying to her. She would have given anything at that moment to be able to speak.
She could only form one word.
"How?"
