It took them no time at all to get seen. Bleeding and puking on the floor of the ER seemed to get you a room, a bed and a doctor pronto, it appeared. Rick stowed that information away for future reference.

The nurse who'd ushered Norman into a room had been adamant that Rick wait in the visitor area, and while he felt a little guilty to be so easily persuaded to leave the injured man alone Rick had complied gladly. The truth was that the amount of pain Norman appeared to be in, and the extent of the injuries Rick suspected to be the cause of that, made him keen not to witness the medical staff taking care of the immediate damage.

The doctor came to him after three quarters of an hour.

"Would you mind sitting with him a while? He's quite agitated and a friendly face might help him settle down while we wait for the CT scanner to become available."

"Sure." Rick got up and followed the doctor. "How bad are the injuries? He seemed to be in so much pain…"

The doctor sighed. "We'll know more after we've done all the scans but I'm worried, I won't lie. Someone must've really lain into him." He counted off on his fingers as they entered the room. "Concussion. Dislocated shoulder. Half a dozen busted ribs. Bruised lung. Cuts, abrasions, hematomas to his face and torso. Possibly a cracked knee cap. No idea yet about internal injuries, that's what we need the CT for…"

Rick looked over to the bed. Norman lay connected to an array of wires, tubes and catheters, and he looked oddly small in his hospital gown. Now that the blood and dirt had been washed off Rick could see just how pale and bruised he was.

Rick walked over and Norman's head came round. He seemed more awake and less disoriented than before, but the pain still reflected in the blue eyes - or what he could see of them, since the left one was almost completely hidden now behind an angry, bruised swelling - made Rick's heart ache. He tried to smile and stepped close.

"Hey. How're you feeling?"

A shadow seemed to cross Norman's face, and Rick had the feeling he wanted nothing more than to be left alone. He didn't say anything to that effect, however, just gave a small shrug.

"Been better, I s'pose…"

"Maybe you can talk some sense into him," the doctor interjected. "We need to call the police…"

"I amthe police." Rick kept his eyes trained on Norman as he said it, and thought he saw a glimmer of fear in the blue eyes as the realization hit home.

"Good, then…"

"Would you excuse us for a minute, doc?" Rick faced the doctor with his most winning police officer smile. Slightly taken aback, the doctor nodded hesitantly. He left, closing the door behind himself. Rick turned back to the injured man.

"Look, Norman, there is really nothing to be frightened about…"

"Did you pick up my bag?"

Rick was mystified why Norman would ask this now, but nodded.

"Sure, I did. Why?"

Later, Rick thought he should have seen right through the next bit of their conversation. But later, hindsight being what it is, he also understood why he hadn't, at the time.

Norman's eyes were now fully trained on him, and he appeared alert. His gaze fixed Rick with an intensity that Rick found slightly unsettling. It gave him a peculiar feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Could you get it for me?"

Norman's uninjured left hand came up. He took Rick's right hand and held on, his gaze never wavering. Rick, feeling slightly dazed, tried to focus on a reason why he shouldn't fulfil this small request right away.

"Please."

The young man's voice was suddenly darker, more intimate than before, even on that one word. Rick nodded, almost against his will.

Norman's smile seemed to ignite a fire in Rick, and he was a little sorry when the other one let go of his hand. Rick could see a flicker of pain return to the blue eyes, but Norman quickly stifled it, smile never wavering.

"Thank you."

Rick turned and walked to the door, looking over his shoulder once. "I'll be right back."

On the way to the exit Rick contemplated the strangeness of what had just happened. He hurried to get the bag from the boot and headed back inside. As he entered the ER he realized with a jolt of foreboding that he'd been played. He quickened his step and hurried into Norman's room.

It was deserted.