Chris tried to pay attention to two things at once, but now that Vin was taken care of and resting quietly, waiting for the IV to finish, he couldn't keep his thoughts off the problem at work. Getting nowhere in Environmental Services Policies and Procedures, he put the binder away and took out the computer printout of budget and expenditures.

He glanced at his friend every once in awhile. Sometimes Vin's eyes were closed, sometimes they were open, staring at something Chris couldn't see. The last few times he looked, Vin's eyes were closed, and Chris concentrated on the sheets in his lap. Numbers didn't add up and too much money was going out of petty cash...month to month the amount budgeted for kept changing...purchases that should've been passed by the board but obviously weren't littered the green and white lined sheets.

"What the - this doesn't make any sense - how could he -"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'embezzlement'," Vin said without turning his head up to look at Chris.

"You knew about this?" Chris was surprised that he'd keep it to himself. Vin shrugged.

"Gloria told me about it. At first she thought a mistake'd been made is all. When she told Lucas about it, he threatened her job and her pension. She's a widow, got a coupla kids to raise. I told her to hold on, told her it'd come out in the wash. Maybe now it will."

"You should've told me - you should've told somebody."

"Didn't want Gloria gettin' into trouble...Lucas has got a lotta money behind him. No telling what trouble he'd cause...she's got kids to raise," Vin said again.

Chris was about to repeat that Vin should've told somebody, but he knew Vin - forever looking out for other people. If it'd been his own job, Vin wouldn't hesitate to blow Lucas in. Anybody else - he'd bide his time.

"Well, I think we can get him now."

"Hope so...he's been hard on Gloria...making her life hell..." Vin picked at the top blanket. "Ain't too nice to a lot of the workers, either...'specially the ones who won't fight back."

"What about you?" Chris asked. If James ever guessed that Vin could be threatened with other people's jobs, he'd have a field day.

"I got other things to think about now." His voice was flat and it brought Chris back to where they were and why. When Chris didn't answer right away, fear flared up in Vin that maybe Chris was piecing things together so he added lightly: "Guess I got a better boss now, hunh? Maybe he'll see clear to give me light duty?"

"Sure, light duty..." Chris squinted a little; something wasn't making sense. Vin was going from spiritless to teasing in a blink and that wasn't like him. As the wheels began to turn, the door opened and Rain came in. She carried an x-ray in her hand.

"How are you doing Vin?"

"Better I guess...when can I get outta here?"

"Soon, there are just a few things we need to discuss."

Vin's eyes went from Rain to Chris and back again. "Can Chris stay?" and Rain knew what he was asking - are you going to talk about the attack? If not, Chris can stay.

"Chris can stay for this -" She held the x-ray of his spine up to the light and pointed to the vertebrae. "See this - this line here - you have a crack there."

"What's that mean?"

Rain dropped the x-ray down to her side. "It means you have a fractured spine."

A moment's disbelief. "Am I gonna be able to walk?" Vin's mind immediately focused on whether he still had feeling in his legs.

"Oh yes, this is nothing serious," Rain hastened to reassure him. "But it's why you're having so much pain in your back."

"But - will I need traction or a cast or a wheelchair or what?" Fractured spine. A dozen horrifying visions sprang up.

"No Vin, don't worry, you won't even need a brace. You'll just have to take it easy. No lifting, no driving heavy equipment, no flexing or arching your back..."

"That's my whole damn job description," Vin complained. Rain shrugged.

"It's not serious, but you have to let it heal. If you want to avoid the severe pain you're having, you have to take it easy."

Vin grumbled something down into the blanket. "When can I get outta here?"

"Soon...the IV is almost -"

"Not soon, NOW."

Chris watched the exchange. Vin could be assertive when he needed to be, but this was something stronger - fear, aggravation, distress.

"I want my clothes."

"Vin - it shouldn't be more than another fifteen minutes." Rain kept her voice calm, she wasn't expecting this much trouble. "Then we can see how you're feeling."

"Where are my clothes?" Vin demanded. "And if you don't take this IV out, I will."

Rain controlled her breathing, and decided against giving it one more try.

"Your clothes are under the table Vin. I'll take the IV out, and we need to discuss a few more things so I'm going to ask Chris to leave, all right?"

Vin looked at Chris and knew that he wasn't about to be moved unless he had Vin's say-so.

"Okay...Chris? You wait outside till we're done? Drive me home?"

"Yeah Vin, I'll be out in the waiting room."

*/*/*/*/*

The ride back was a lot less painful for Vin than the ride coming in had been. Chris was just as careful about potholes and speed bumps and the painkillers had kicked in nicely. He closed his eyes and felt himself drift off. He didn't open his eyes again till he heard the mechanical music of the fair, and he came awake with a start. Chris had parked behind his apartment building.

"What are we doing here?" Vin's distress sounded in his voice. He didn't want to come back here. Not yet. They could be anywhere.

"Figured you could get a change of clothes, whatever you need to stay at my place...I can go get 'em for you, if you don't think you can make the climb."

"No - I'll go. I can do it."

*/*/*/*

It was a slow walk into the apartment building and up the stairs. Vin prayed that Chris would stay in the front room, and not go anywhere near the bathroom. If he got one look at the carnage, the game would be up. As they neared the top of the staircase, Vin pulled his keys out. Suddenly, Chris pushed past him, blocking his way to the door.

"Hold on," Chris said. His voice was deep, serious. "Your lock's been tampered with."

"It's okay, it's been like that awhile." Like twenty four hours. Leave it to Chris to see a few gouges on the door frame. Vin unlocked the door and went in. It seemed like months since he'd been here, though it'd been less than five hours.

"Vin -" Chris surveyed the scene. "Someone's been in here." Vin looked around, seeing the destruction for the first time. His shoulders sagged and he let out a breath.

"I know." Defeated, he walked to his kitchen table and sat in the closest chair. He tossed his keys down and rested his head in his hands. It was over now. "Just go on home Chris. I'll come get my truck...when I can..." His voice shook, it wasn't going to take much to send him over the edge. "Just leave me alone."

This was getting stranger by the minute for Chris. Someone had obviously ransacked Vin's apartment, and Vin acted like he didn't care, or didn't have the energy to care. He looked around again, looked down, and saw the browning blood stains on the carpet, followed them back to the bathroom and pushed the door open.

*/*/*/*

When Chris opened the bathroom door, Vin waited for the explosion. But all he could hear was the roar of blood in his ears, as panic overwhelmed him. Never should've let Chris come in. He'd see, he'd know, he'd want nothing more to do with Vin. He'd walk out the door and Vin would never see him again. How would he ever get his truck back? How would he ever get his life back? He couldn't work with a fractured vertebrae, he was afraid to stay in the apartment alone, afraid they'd come back, afraid he'd get sick again and fall and that the pain would go on and on.

God please - take anything else you want. Just let me have yesterday back.

*/*/*/*

Chris's first impulse was to gag for the blood splashed everywhere, the bloody hand prints smeared down the wall, the hair and blood imbedded in the shattered mirror, the footprint shaped stains of blood that had seeped through the towel on the floor. Vin had lost a hell of a lot of blood out of that cut on his head.

Then Chris saw it, on the wall, two hand prints, one distinctly bigger than the other. At least two people had been in here. He turned back, intending to demand the truth from Vin, but the words died on his lips when he saw him, sitting at the kitchen table. Chris knew Vin to be a strong man, able to keep his head and see his way through any difficulty or disaster that life or work threw at him. But the man with Chris now didn't seem strong at all. Vin cradled his head in his hands, with his hands turned so that they shielded his eyes. His breath came fast.

He was crying.

*/*/*/*

Vin had no idea what was going on around him. He tried to control his emotions but the pain was too deep. Lord, how long was he going to feel this way? How long would he keep fracturing until he broke apart completely? Why wasn't Chris saying anything? Why was he just walking around? Why didn't he just leave and leave Vin in his misery? God, why did this happen to me?

A hand on his shoulder startled Vin. He looked up, and quickly looked back down. Chris stood next to him, with Vin's back pack in his hand. "You ready?" Chris asked, casually. "I packed some clothes for you..." Vin didn't move at first, didn't want to move. Chris urged him again, still casually, as though Vin was merely dawdling. "Mary'll have dinner started, she'll be looking for us..."

So Vin stood up and followed Chris out of the apartment. He didn't try to figure out what was going through Chris's mind. He shut his front door and locked it, and numbly followed Chris to his truck. He started to pull himself into the cab, and felt it again, a hand touching him, Chris quietly helping him in.

"You okay?" Chris asked as he shut the truck door. Now the words didn't sound as comforting as they had before.

"Yeah." Vin didn't look at him, and as Chris made his way around to the driver's side, Vin hastily scrubbed his eyes dry and raw.

"We'll get you safe and sound in a few minutes," Chris said and started the truck. Neither of them said anything else on the short trip home.

to be continued