"There must be something you are allowed to tell me"

The nurse rolled her eyes and left the folder she was holding in a tray behind the desk. She took a glance at the computer screen and returned her attention to Stephanie.

"Look, I don't make the rules, it's hospital policy, you have to understand..."

"No," Stephanie cut her off, she didn't want to hear the same line about regulations and privacy everyone had been reciting. "You are the one that doesn't understand, I've been here for hours, no-one has told me anything."

"And I would like to help, but my hands are tied." She looked back over her shoulder, someone was calling for her. "I'm sorry."

Stephanie was left standing there, watching her walk away, her hand curled around her phone, her arms shaking at her sides, her body trying to contain the urge to smash the computer monitor in the back of the woman's head. The vibrations coming from her mobile phone distracted her from the idea.

"Any news?"

"No, they won't tell me anything because I'm not family or his emergency contact." Stephanie flopped down on the green plastic chair of the waiting room, she tried making eye contact with a passing nurse, but she ducked her head and quickened her pace. She was starting to believe that they were purposely ignoring her.

Alice picked up on the condescending tone she was using, it wasn't good news, she sounded close to causing a scene or doing something stupid.

"But you are okay, right?"

"Yes Alice, for the fifteenth time, I'm okay. I'm not the one who was kicked and stamped on, I'm not the one who lost consciousness and never regained it on the way to the hospital, I'm not the one that, as far as I know, could be dead."

"You are being over dramatic."

"You didn't see him, covered in blood..." And still he tried and made her smile, because she knew, deep down, that all those dry comments he liked making meant the opposite of what they said. "I just need to know he's alright."

"Why don't you say you are family then? I doubt they'd try to ID you."

Stephanie's eyes searched the aisle; she needed to find a hospital worker who she hadn't already harassed.

"Maybe I will. I'll phone you back later."

"Steph."

"Yes?"

"It wasn't your fault."

Silence travelled through the line, Stephanie pressed her eyes together trying to stop the tears flowing again.

"Talk later, bye."

She hung up before giving Alice a chance to say goodbye or try to convince her again that she wasn't responsible for what had happened. Because she was. She had been so naïve believing Josh, she had wanted his story to be true so badly that she hadn't even give it a second thought. Now, after pacing the hospital floors for hours she had been reflecting on their conversation and she had seen all the holes in the story. He couldn't tell who the two girls he had overheard talking were, but he knew it was about Charlotte. He couldn't remember much, but he had the name of the hotel and the room number engraved in his memory. She jumped up from her seat, she needed to move and clear her head from all these thoughts, they made her physically itch. She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if Paul hadn't been there, she didn't know how far she would have tried to go to make sure there wasn't anything inside that room that could be linked to Charlotte.

The chatter coming from the nurses station made Stephanie turn around, it seemed like a new shift was starting and a nurse she hadn't seen before was sitting at the reception desk. This was her opportunity.

"Excuse me." She smiled when the nurse looked up. "Have you got any information on Paul Levesque?"

The warm eyes of the woman behind the desk crinkled at the corners with her smile, "Let me have a look". The sound of her fingers typing the keys matched Stephanie's heart beat, she held her breath bracing herself for the worst.

"Oh." The nurse said with amusement. "'Room 406, I hear he's quite the charmer."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at the comment. Typical. She had been dead with worry thinking the worst while Paul was trying to get into some other woman's pants.

"Yes. That sounds like him."

"He just came back from an MRI. I'll check with the doctor if he can have visitors." Another brief smile and she was gone.

She could feel her heart jumping in her chest as she followed the nurse to the room they had taken Paul to. She didn't know how he would react, he should be angry with her, he should tell her to get out of his sight and she wouldn't hold it against him if he fired her. They stopped in front of a light blue door, not once had she asked who Stephanie was, maybe if her shift had started earlier she wouldn't have shed so many tears.

"The doctor said he was resting, but you can go in."

If it wouldn't have been completely awkward she would have hugged the woman, but she had to settle for just thanking her before she was left alone with her own fears.

Stephanie opened the door slowly, she didn't want to disturb him. She still didn't know the extent of his injuries, but she had seen most of what they did to him. At moments everything had gotten too much and she had had to close her eyes or look away, but she could still hear his body absorbing the force of the kicks and the guttural grunts that scraped his throat.

The room smelled different from the reek of antiseptic that spread across the corridors and waiting rooms, it was like over dried cotton sheets, sterile equipment and him. She breathed deeply when she saw him lying in the hospital bed, his feet sticking out from underneath the bedclothes, he looked like a giant. She covered her mouth as she noticed the dark red circles and streaks of purple that his skin had been tinted in. When she reached the side of the bed she could see the stitches in his left eyebrow and over his cheekbone, the scab that had started to form on the right side of his bottom lip, the two fingers he had taped together on his right hand. She pressed her lips together, she didn't want to imagine how the rest of his body was underneath the blue dotted hospital gown. Her fingers covered his hand and she focused her attention back on his face. She couldn't blame the nurses, even after a beating, with his face swelling, covered in cuts and bruises, there was something about him, something she didn't want to give much thought about.

"Stop ogling."

She jumped startled and let go of his hand.

"I... I wasn't."

His chuckle turned into a grimace, his hand held his right side, his eyes closed wishing the stabbing pain away. He tried to get his breathing to a steady rhythm, every inhale felt like a knitting needle slowly piercing through his lungs. He straightened up and rested his head against the pillow, he would have given anything to have something to bite on, the painkillers were running out and pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth was all he could do to control the pain.

"Why are you still here?"

Stephanie looked away, this was it, he was going to kick her out and tell her not to bother going back to the office. He was hurting, she feared he had some broken ribs but she was too scared to ask him. She needed to show him that she was worried about him, that she was sorry, that even if she tried she couldn't stay away. "Where else would I be?"

The question remind unanswered, their attention was diverted to the door as it swung open, a guy dressed in a dark suit walked in, his black hair was slicked back. He stood at the foot of the bed. His skin was thin and pale, fine broken veins were visible in his cheeks.

"Paul."

The familiar tone of his greeting confused Stephanie, she looked back at her boss.

"You called the cops?"

"What? No." This guy didn't look like a cop. And even if she had called them they would have sent someone dressed in a uniform, not a man dressed like an executive in her dad's company.

"She didn't." The room fell silent for a moment, both men looking at each other, keeping their gaze, like a duel at midday. "The hospital reports certain incidents. She told the paramedics you were assaulted."

"And how did you find out?"

The man walked to the chair at the other side of the bed. "If the name Paul Levesque gets involved, I've got my ways."

He has his ways, the sneaky bastard. He'd probably paid every officer in the city to be the first to know if he got into any trouble. Probably been lighting candles at church for an opportunity like this.

"Paul?"

His head turned to Stephanie, he had forgotten she was still here. What a mess this was going to be.

"Forgive his lack of manners" The man said gesturing to Paul. "Agent Byrne" he shook his head and gave a little chuckle to himself. "Sorry, my name is Michael Byrne"

"Agent?"

He reached for the inside pocket of his suit, Stephanie got a glimpse of the gun holster he was wearing underneath his jacket, he stretched out his arm showing her his identification, but her attention had already turned to Paul. He was looking down, admiring the handiwork of his bandages.

"Yes," Agent Byrne said as he put his wallet away. "Main reason why we know each other, isn't it Levesque?"

"Steph, why don't you give us a moment?"

She opened her mouth to profess her reasons but his eyes were pleading her not to ask more questions. She gave a tight smile to both men and walked to the door, she turned around as she left the room. "I'll be outside, in case you need anything." Her eyes scanned Paul's face, looking for a warning sign, something that told her he needed her, but there was none.

"I'll be alright."

The soft click of the door closing brought the two men's attention back to each other.

"If you are sleeping with her she has some right to know about your past." The other man said as he took off his jacket and sat down in the hospital chair.

"I'm not sleeping with her. And she doesn't need to know anything about me."

"But you wish."

"I wish what?"

Michael's shoulders shook with his laughter, he leaned back against the chair.

"You know what. Anyway. It doesn't matter because she's way out of your league." Paul tried to answer, but he raised a hand to stop him, there were more important things to talk about. "Forget her, just for a moment. How did you end up here?"

"It'll be a bit complicated to explain it without talking about her."

Michael ran a hand down his face, Paul could made an interrogation with trained criminals seem like a walk in the park compared to getting some information out of him but he didn't have time to torture him until he talked, so he would have to ask nicely.

"Just... Just tell me who did this. It sure wasn't an angry husband."

Paul closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He was feeling a headache forming in the left side of his head, every beat of his blood making it more painful. He could sense Michael watching him, waiting, his muscles tensing with every passing moment. He had always hated silences. Five years had passed and they still knew each other better than they knew themselves.

"No, it was the wife. Didn't take the news too well."

"Or maybe I should just ask Stephanie?"

Paul sat up not minding the feeling of his insides tearing apart.

"Don't you dare."

"I'm sure she has some questions of her own."

Paul pointed a threatening finger at him. "Don't you fucking dare. Leave her out of this." His face was red, his nostrils flaring, his eyes flashing with anger. Pain shot though his body, there wasn't a part of him that didn't hurt like a bitch, he slouched forward exhausted. Michael stood up and helped Paul to rest back against the reclined bed, he hadn't expected that reaction. Paul was scared of what that woman would think about him, he cared for her, more than he had imagined.

"I won't tell her anything, but I need to know Paul, either you tell me or she will."

Michael's eyes were looking at him with concern, he couldn't stand it, so he concentrated on playing with the hem of the bed sheet, it was coarse and stiff. Maybe he should talk to him, he probably knew who this Big Tony guy was. Apart from the gangster with the worst name of all time, if he was a somebody Mike would know.

"We were looking for a girl... Got a welcoming ambush sent by 'Big Tony'. Ever heard of him?"

"Big Tony? Don't think so, he's not a big name." He flopped back into the chair, they were getting somewhere. "Probably new to the game. Who's the girl?"

Mike always had the right question ready to shoot, Paul couldn't help the half smile that made the cut on his cheek burn like flesh being cauterised with a branding iron, he took a shallow, sharp breath and closed his eyes again. If he was reaching for help he should tell the whole story. But he wasn't sure if help was what he was looking for, he just wanted to forget. But you don't always get what you want.

"Charlotte Edwards." His voice was low and shaky. He hadn't said that name out loud in five years. He watched as the realisation hit the man next to him.

Michael shook his head, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, he never thought he would hear that name passing Paul's lips again.

"Edwards? You mean like..."

"Not like. I think it's her. Hadn't really looked into it, but same name, same age, same parents..."

"How did? I don't understand..." He stood up and paced in front of Paul. "You need to start from the beginning."

Stephanie smiled at an old woman who walked past and rested her head against the door again. She couldn't distinguish all the words but it sounded like Paul had been telling this Agent Byrne everything, since the first time she had brought Charlotte up as she cleaned his cuts to the moment when he decided to open the door lock. There was something that she was missing though, whatever it was going on, it was more important to Paul than she had imagined. She tried pressing her ear closer to the door.

A telephone ring stopped Paul mid-sentence, both men watched each other as the buzz continued.

"It's ok, you can answer it." Paul didn't want to get him in trouble, he hadn't asked, but he would bet he was still on duty.

"It's not mine." Mike looked around the room, he walked closer to the closet where the sound seemed to be coming from, he opened the door and the ringing noise got louder. "I think it's yours."

Paul cursed under his breath at the sight of the name flashing on the screen, he wished he could ignore it, but he knew her well enough to know that in moments like this she wouldn't give up.

"Hey."

"Where are you? You know we don't have long."

"Sorry, I'm at the hospital, I might have to spend the night..."

"And you didn't think of calling to let me know? I've been waiting all week for this."

"They took my phone, I couldn't..."

"You couldn't? You couldn't what? Have a bit of respect and get someone to phone me? What do you have that secretary for? God Paul, you are so selfish. You don't understand how difficult it was for me to make some time for you and all for..."

Paul took the phone away from his ear, she was so irritating when she had her mouth free, it always made him reconsider their arrangement, but then, it was easier than picking someone up in a bar. He could still hear her whinging, it was obvious what she needed.

"I'm sorry Rachel, maybe you can get your husband to fuck you for a change."

"If I wanted to fuck him I wouldn't be talking to you. Call me when you are out."

And with that she was gone. Typical of her. She behaved as if she lived in a film, where people never say goodbye on the phone. If he thought about it she was a lot like people in films, maybe just not the films they show in family cinemas.

"Love troubles?"

"Something like that."

"She sounded harsh."

"Yeah, she's got a good mouth for it." Paul couldn't even finish the sentence before the right corner of his mouth lifted up making the tense skin in his lower lip rip open again. He licked the stinging wound, the metal taste reminding him that the joke wasn't worth it. Mike was shaking his head, his lips rolling together.

"Years ago you'd have laughed at that."

"Years ago we were different men."

Silence fell upon them again, like a thin veil engulfing them in a cloud of memories and regrets. A knock on the door broke into the room, tearing the moment of reminiscence apart. Stephanie popped her head around the door.

"Hey. Visiting hours are about to finish."

"Come in." Said Mike as he walked around the bed and took his jacket from the back of the chair. "I'll leave you two alone so you can fill her in."

Paul saw the faint uplifting of the corner of the other man's mouth. Not so different after all.

Stephanie stopped halfway into the room as she looked between both men, their demeanour had changed, Paul looked more relaxed, but he was avoiding her gaze. She pressed her mouth into a straight line and bit on her bottom lip, she should have known she was interrupting.

"You don't need to..."

"It's ok. I should get back to work anyway." Michael said as he fixed the collar of his jacket. He shook Stephanie's hand, his left hand covering hers. "I hope next time we have time to get to know each other."

"I hope so too." She hadn't expected there would be a next time, but she wouldn't miss it for the world, she had the feeling that he was an important piece in Paul's life and she was determined to break down his code.

Stephanie remained at the feet of the bed, she gestured back to the door. "An old friend I guess… Or should I be worried you breached parole breaking into that room?"

"Nah, you won't get rid of me that easily."

She tried to contain her smile, she felt her tears at the back of her eyes. She hadn't expected to get so emotional but after everything that had happened in the last hours she still couldn't believe he was even speaking to her.

"Paul, I'm sorry I…"

"Don't." He lifted his hand to stop her. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, unless it's for checking me out while I was sleeping." He went to raise his eyebrows but the stiches stopped the gesture.

Stephanie rolled her eyes at him theatrically and shook her head, the left corner of her mouth lifting into a wry smirk.

"The nurse said you would probably be released tomorrow." She tucked her hair behind her ear and wet her lips. "I can come back to take you home."

"Thank you."

Stephanie looked behind her briefly. "Right." She gave a nervous laugh and looked back at the door again. "I'll see you tomorrow". Part of her wanted to go hug Paul and tell him how happy it made her to see him joking, but her other half was making sure her feet took a step back and walked to the door. See turned around one last time to looked at him, her stomach flipped like every time his eyes had locked with hers, the adrenaline was obviously still running high through her veins. "Bye then."

Paul watched as the door closed behind her, he lifted up his eyes to the celling and tried breathing as deep as his bruised ribs would let him. He couldn't stop thinking what could have driven Charlotte to get involved with people like Big Tony, but he knew that he was the one responsible for it. Five years ago he had failed in his duty, he had broken his promise and now life was reminding him that he would never be able to forget.