Season 3 Re-Write
Chapter 2: Vanished
Houston Investigations' latest case involved a child molester who abducted little girls ... including Hoyt's daughter. When they finally thought they had trapped the molester, he attacked Matt with a knife that left him with a serious stomach wound. CJ rushed to the hospital after Roy called her with the news. She sat at his bedside waiting for him to open his eyes.
"Hi boss."
"Howdy. How's Hoyt?'
"He's not doing too well. His wife is still under sedation."
"What about the guy we caught?"
"Well, he admitted everything including killing the little girls, although he won't say where he's hidden the bodies. He's done it before, Houston. About five years ago he killed six children. And up about to a couple of months ago he was in mental hospital."
"He escaped?"
"No, he was released. They said he was cured. It gets worse. Apparently he comes from a very wealthy family and they've hired a couple of heavyweight lawyers who say this his confessions mean absolutely nothing, and that you Hoyt have violated his civil rights by tracking him down."
"What's the batting around the court house?" he asked.
"Fifty-fifty that he'll ever stand trial. Then he'll go back to the hospital for a couple of years."
"Hoyt was right. Who's crazy? We try to stop a man from killing more children, we let him go because we violated his civil rights. I mean where is the sanity …"
"Houston calm down."
He lied back and gripped the source of the pain in his abdomen. She noticed he was bleeding and tried not to look too alarmed as she quietly and calmly paged the nurse.
"Ah, nurse Mr. Houston is bleeding again could you please send in a doctor right away?"
"You got to get a hold of Uncle Roy. Tell him to go watch Hoyt. If he finds out that man is going to be set free there's no telling what he might do! Don't let Hoyt do anything!"
Dr. Flynn came flying in the room, "Mr. Houston you're going to have lie back. Sweetheart, you're going to have to leave."
"Don't let Hoyt do anything!"
CJ clasped her hands together and prayed, then reluctantly left the room to the nearest phone to call Roy as Matt requested. Then she headed back to the office.
"You have visitor," Chris said as soon as she stepped off the elevator.
Curious, she walked out to the patio.
"Robert?"
"CJ!" he exclaimed, embracing her. "Chris said you were at the hospital. I was worried you were injured again or something."
"No, I'm fine. Houston's hurt bad, though."
"Sorry to hear that. The missing little girls?"
"The kidnapper confessed to killing them all."
"Oh, God! I don't know how you handle all this sometimes, CJ."
"I'm not sure either. Seems like the cases get harder all the time."
"You do handle it well, though especially being on the front lines. I mean I get to report on these stories all the time, but it's nothing like you and Houston deal with everyday."
"Thank you. By the way, what brings you by the office at this hour?"
"I need a reason to see you?"
She blushed.
"No, I guess not."
He pulled her closer and kissed her on the lips.
"Unfortunately I can't stay though. I have to get back – my lunch break ends in 15 minutes."
"Can I see you later tonight?"
"If you're free, call me. I'd love to go out later. I'll be in the studio until 8 finishing up some details on tomorrow's story."
A few hours later, Hoyt called her to tell her how her buddy Houston left the hospital, took a cab to the police station … and prevented him from becoming a murderer himself.
Then Roy called her with the good news.
She made a quick phone call and went home to change. On her way to meet Robert she stopped at the hospital to look in on Matt just before visiting hours ended. She wanted to tell him in person that all missing girls, including Kathy, were found alive. The molester had lied about killing them. Ann and Michael Hoyt were joyfully reunited with their daughter.
"Now, you … you stay put, you hear?" she said as she shook a finger at him.
"Yes, ma'am."
"If you ever pull a stunt like that again I'll ..."
"You'll what?"
His question stopped her dead in her tracks. She didn't have an answer so she just shook her head.
"You know, you're sounding like Hoyt."
"No, I'm sounding like someone who cares."
He smiled.
"By the way, where are you going all dressed up?"
"Ah, a date with Robert."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he wanted to go out for a late dinner. By the way, he came by the office today and expressed his concern about you and the Hoyts."
"Tell him I said 'hi'. Oh, and don't worry about me lying here all by myself while you two go out and paint the town …"
CJ stopped and turned his direction.
"Nice try. Consider it your punishment for not following doctors orders," she said spun on her heels and left the room.
No, my punishment will be thinking about what you and Robert will be doing and wishing it was me instead of him.