Chapter 14.

'I think you'd better get yourself cleaned up a bit before you see Kel.' Julie suggested as she looked over to Cate in the passenger seat of her car. They were driving towards the hospital; the rain had eased off now as they drove the streets. Cate looked out the side window not really listening as she watched the street lamps pass by quickly as Julie drove. 'Cate?' Julie spoke up getting Cate's attention. 'You sure you're all right? Jill said you took a pretty hard landing when Bobby slammed into you.'

'I'm fine Julie, just processing is all.' Cate explained giving Julie a weak smile. Cate had a lot to process not only that her older brother had come very close to killing her but also that he was now heading to hospital in a critical condition after being shot by the police and yet Cate couldn't muster the strength to care about that right now, Cate's mind wondered back to Kris absently rubbing her jaw where Kris had hit her Cate thought back to that moment, where had that come from? Was Kris truly blaming her for David and his brothers conniving ways? Sighing Cate shut her eyes and leaned against the window of the car, right now all she wanted was see her older sister and maybe get a shower, Julie was right she could do with cleaning up first, well they had facilities at the hospital and scrubs she could change into not only that but one look at her and if not the medics then Kelly would want her checked over.

Kris sat in the back office where David had been, she sat back when the paramedics had rushed in but she knew they were too late, David had been dead for the last ten minutes, she had watched the life slip away from him and she had listened to him as he spoke his final words.

Kris heard Cate tell Tom to stay and watch over her, Kris berated herself. How could she have struck Cate that way, what was the matter with her it wasn't Cate's fault, Kris knew that but it just surged and happened. Kris's attention was drawn to David when his fingers started to twitch at her knee. Looking to his face she saw him looking to her a look of fear and shock. Picking up his hand Kris held it tightly; he did the same squeezing her hand as tightly as he could as he started to speak.

'I loved you Kris, I really did it…. it wasn't all lies…' David said stopping to breathe and then cough as he began to choke on his own blood. 'I never meant for you to be hurt so badly in the car accident I thought she'd be driving.' David looked to the door Cate had exited through. 'I would….taken you away.' His words were becoming a strain for him to phrase. Kris covered his hand with her own tears spilling over splashing down to their tightly clasped hands. 'I would have protected you.' Kris looked to David as he held her gaze his eyes went from being alive to dull Kris looked away for a moment before turning back and with the tips of her fingers gently closed his eyes. Kris sat in the same position holding his hand until the paramedics came in. After trying to revive him they pronounced him dead, once they had him loaded onto a stretcher they left the room. Silence fell.

'Kris?' Kris looked up to her sister whose hand was resting gently on her shoulder; slowly Kris stood wrapping her arms around Jill sobbing. 'It'll be OK baby, it'll be OK.' Jill gently spoke stroking the back of Kris's head slowly letting her release her tears.

Cate stepped out of the shower cubicle having dried and put on the scrubs the nurse had given her. Aside from small amounts of dried blood and a lot of mud Cate was ok. The cut to her hand was superficial but in an awkward position right across where her hand bends, any deeper and she might have had to say goodbye to playing the guitar and possibly the piano. Small miracles, the rest were minor cuts and a lot of bruising and bumps. Looking in the mirror the hot shower had made the bruising very visible and the cuts clean and obvious she may not look as bad as Kelly did when she first came into the hospital but it would still freak Kelly out a little. Cate rubbed the towel over her hair again before she ran her fingers through it then a comb.

'That's as good as it's going to be right now.' Cate decided looking in the mirror again. Sighing Cate left the room and headed for her sister's room. She heard rushing feet behind her then a female voice call.

'Ms Fox!' Cate turned to the nurse in scrubs.

'Yeah?' Cate looked to her concerned as she was heading towards Kelly's room. 'What is it, is Kelly…' Before Cate could finish the nurse stopped her.

'Not your sister your brother, we were informed that the man that was brought in earlier with the gun shot wounds is your brother, is that right?' Cate looked to her for a moment.

'It is why?'

'We need to take him in for operating and procedures we need some signatures.'

'You can do what ever you want to him.' Cate said as she turned back to the direction she was headed.

'Ms Fox, we need these signed and then…'

'Look nurse…' Cate was about to snap at her then thought the better of it taking the clipboard and signing. 'You know he is a prisoner, escaped he's not my problem now or my family's.' The nurse nodded as she took the pen back from Cate turning on her heel and rushing off. 'You're welcome.' Cate mumbled as she headed on to Kelly.

Opening the door Cate walked in finding Julie sat up on Kelly's bed talking with her quietly about the last few hours. Kelly already looked so much better, her eyes were both open and although one still looked terrible at least the swelling had gone and the eye was open. Julie moved down from the bed taking a seat instead allowing Cate to get to her sister.

'You look much better.' Julie noted as Cate passed her, Cate smiled to Julie as she sat on Kelly's bed. 'I think I'll go and get some coffee, you want?' Julie asked Cate who nodded; Julie made her exit leaving the sisters alone.

'Hi.' Kelly simply said taking her sister's hand.

'Hi.' Cate responded.

'You look tired, long day?' Kelly asked Cate couldn't help but laugh a little before tears started to silently fall. 'Hey, come here.' Kelly held her arms open as Cate moved slightly gently laying down into her sister's embrace. Kelly held her sister tightly, soothingly rubbing her back. 'It's all over now.' Kelly said after several minute's silence.

'It really isn't.' Cate spoke sitting up again wiping her face as she did. Kelly looked to her confused.

'What do you mean. West is under arrest as is Bobby.'

'Who is also here and just been rushed into surgery, with my consent as well.' Cate explained looking to the window in Kelly's room. Kelly was silent as she processed this information. 'I thought Julie would have told you.'

'She probably thought it was best coming from you.'

'And was it?'

'How bad is it?' Kelly asked reaching to her sister her fingertips resting against Cate's thigh.

'I don't know, I didn't even ask just signed the papers and came here.' Cate explained as she stood up and walked across to the window just as Jill and Kris walked into the room. Cate turned to acknowledge them as they walked in.

'Hi.' Jill quietly said as she walked up to Kelly gently hugging her.

'Are you alright?' Kelly asked looking at the bruises, cuts and scrapes Jill was now sporting across her hands, arms and face.

'I'm fine, just about. I could do with a hot bath and a good nights sleep though.' Jill smiled weakly trying to lift the atmosphere in the room. Kris looked across to Cate who had turned back to looking out the window again.

'Kris, you ok?' Kris turned to Kelly realising she was being spoken to.

'There was another twist to this case.' Jill explained as Kris looked around and shifted her feet uncomfortably then wrapping her arms around her waist. Kelly looked to the Munroe sisters for an explanation. 'David.' Jill said quietly.

'What about him?' Kelly asked.

'His real name was David West.' Kris explained surprised at herself that she could speak his name without breaking down. Kelly looked to Kris stunned.

'West, you mean he was…'

'West's younger brother, yeah, he was a set-up Kel. West had his younger brother pursue Kris to accomplish exactly what he did.' Jill explained for her sister.

'How did you figure it out?' Kelly asked at this moment Cate turned around leaning back and propping herself on the window ledge as all was explained by the Munroe's.

'I over heard him as we went in to rescue Cate from who we thought was just Bobby and West. Bobby and West had gone off after the rest of the team leaving Cate with David alone.' Kris explained. Kelly looked over to her sister, Cate caught the surprised yet confused look Kelly gave her, the look that asked why she hadn't told her this earlier. Cate ran her finger down the side of her cheek along the cut that David had caused by hitting her with his gun. 'They fought but David got the upper hand and gun to Cate's head. I came in and didn't have a choice it was either David or Cate.' Jill put her arm around Kris's shoulders pulling Kris into her.

'You did the right thing Kiddo.' Jill said as she gently kissed the side of Kris' head. Kris nodded as she leaned into her sister.

'What's the news on Bobby?' Jill asked looking across Kris to Cate, folding her arms across her chest Cate shook her head.

"I don't know, he's been taken up to surgery.' Cate explained.

'He's here?' Kris asked stepping away from Jill, Cate nodded in response.

'The police shot him Kris, this is the nearest hospital to where we were.' Jill explained calmly.

'There operating on him upstairs.' Kris stated more than asked, Cate could hear the anger in her friend's tone.

'Yeah.' Cate answered not offering any more on the subject as she stood up and walked to the room door. 'Think I'll go and get some air.' Cate told them as she walked out.

'What's going on between you two?' Kelly asked knowing there was a lot being unsaid between the pair of them.

'Nothing, nothing you need to worry about.'

'So something?' Jill joined in.

'No nothing.' Kris lied still looking at the closed door.

Cate walked out to the fresh air of the night that had now fallen. The rain had stopped and had left fresh crisp air. Cate breathed in deeply as she walked out to the small green quad of grass ahead of her.

'You're getting as bad as me hiding in the shadows like that.' Cate said once she had herself together.

'Just watching your back is all.' Julie said stepping forward from where she had been standing leaning against a wall. 'How you doing?' Cate laughed a little at the question.

'Well I've been better, that's for sure.' Cate grinned to Julie. 'Things are kind of a mess and I'm not really sure what to do about it.'

'Don't do anything.' Julie answered simply, Cate turned to her. 'I mean it Cate, don't do anything, and let others take care of everything for a change.' Cate was about to respond when they were interrupted.

'Ms Fox.' A female voice called out. Cate turned to see a nurse stood at the edge of the quad, looking to Julie sighed and shook her head.

'Let others take care of it huh?' Cate smiled as she walked towards the nurse, meeting her they walked back into the hospital. 'What's going on?' Cate asked the nurse as they walked back into the building again.

'Dr. Stein would like to speak with you about your brother.' The nurse explained as she led Cate through corridor after corridor. Reaching an office the nurse stopped, knocked on the door and opened it for Cate to enter in. Dr. Stein was sat on the front edge of his desk, as Cate entered his office he stood. The doctor was taller than Cate by a fair few inches, he was well tanned, obviously just back from somewhere hot and tropical, his dark hair was flicked with silver strands and his blue eyes were bright as he held out his hand to Cate.

'Ms Fox, thank you for coming.'

'I didn't realise I had a choice.' Cate quipped.

'I'd like to talk to you about your brother.' Dr Stein began; Cate took a seat opposite the doctor as he spoke.

'How did the operation go?'

'Very well, however although he is strong and survived not just the shooting but also the surgery we are yet to discover how he will be when he wakes.'

'What do you mean?' Cate asked confused.

'Your brother was shot three times in the back. One bullet was stuck in his ribcage, another to his right shoulder but the third bullet was stuck by his spine.'

'Will he be paralysed?' Cate asked straight to the point.

'We don't know, although there was a lot of damage within the area around his spine we won't know anything until the swelling has gone down considerably. What ever the outcome Robert will need to recuperate, he'll have to have rehabilitation therapy.'

'And why are you talking to me about this, you do know what he has done in the last few days?' Cate asked scowling at the doctor; she started to wonder if he was insane to be thinking she would care for Bobby, what kind of Good Samaritan was he?

'No I wasn't thinking that, it's Robert's health insurance.'

'What about it?'

'He doesn't have any.'

'Well he's an escaped convict; the legal system will cover it.'

'No they won't.'

'Excuse me?'

'They won't cover it because Robert isn't an escaped convict, he was released from prison.' The office fell silent, Cate was dumbfounded as Dr. Stein handed her a file. 'The paper work is all in there.' Cate flicked through the papers before slapping the file shut again cursing under her breath. 'Robert is going to need a lot of help and some of it will be covered…'

'He's going back to jail soon, they can cover it.' Cate stated her eyes dark and angry as she went to stand up to leave when the doctor stopped her.

'Ms Fox, some of his rehabilitation will be covered but Robert will need specialist care, he won't get that with…'

'What do you want from me?' Cate shouted at the doctor. 'He's tried to kill my sister and me this last week, you want me and my family to cover his costs?'

'Can your brother's help?' Cate laughed as she walked a small circle away from the doctor looking at the abstract painting on the wall.

'My eldest brother has a young family; his daughter is ten and his son two. My sister-in-law is a stay at home mom and Danny runs the family business, his money is needed for his family. My younger brother works for me running my bar in Nashville. I know how much he earns and no he won't be helping Bobby out any time soon, he wouldn't be able to afford to.' Cate explained her family's situation. 'That leaves me.' Cate said more to herself than the good doctor.

'I know this is difficult and a lot to ask but it could mean what kind of quality of life your brother will have.' Doctor Stein explained which Cate snorted at. 'He deserves to pay for the wrongs he has done for his crimes but should he be forced to pay for those crimes as an invalid for the rest of his life?' Cate thought for a moment, straight away she thought her brother, using the term loosely, deserved everything that was coming to him then she saw the photograph of the doctor with his family, picking it up Cate looked at the image seeing the closeness of the people, the generations in the picture. The parents sat in the front with the young grandchildren in their laps and the older children all stood around.

'Do you have the paper work?' Cate asked as she set the framed picture back in its place again.

'Right here.' Doctor Stein said stretching across his desk picking up a folder. Cate held her hand out for it.

'I'll look these over and think about it, that's the best I can offer you right now. Please don't ask my brothers, if any of us is to do this it will be me.' With that Cate left the doctor's office heading back to Kelly's room with the file in her hand by her side. Walking in to Kelly's room Cate found it quiet and empty of people apart from her sister who seemed to be sleeping. Cate not wanting to disturb her sat on the small sofa at the end of Kelly's private room and placed the folder down on to the coffee table in front of her.

'What's that?' Kelly asked as she stirred.

'Nothing, it's nothing.' Cate replied now realising just how tired she really was. 'Where is everybody?'

'They went to the canteen, try and find something decent to eat.' Kelly explained their friend's absence as she sat up a little in her bed. 'What did the doctor say about Bobby?' Cate leaned back into the sofa resting her head sighing deeply as she answered.

'One of the bullets was stuck dangerously close to Bobby's spine, it may have done some damage, they're not sure they have to wait for the swelling to go down.'

'But the bullet didn't hit the spine itself?' Kelly asked.

'I don't think so but there's obviously a lot of trauma in the area from what the doctor was telling me.' Cate said as she sat forward looking down at the file.

'What's in the file?' Kelly asked. 'You've already sorted all of my insurance papers so…'

'They're Bobby's.' Cate said.

'Bobby's?' Kelly echoed confused.

'Firstly Bobby didn't escape, he was released from prison thanks to West's brilliant lawyer and so secondly Bobby has no health insurance.'

'But he's going back to jail so…'

'The doctor informs me that he won't get the kind of treatment he should when he's locked up.'

'They get better healthcare in prison than we do out of prison.' Kelly quipped shaking her head knowing where this was leading. 'So the doctor is asking for you or one of your brothers to pay?'

'But it won't be Danny or Scotty who'll pay, neither one can afford to.'

'Cate you can't pay for it.' Kelly said in shock at the thought her sister would seriously consider it.

'Can't I?' Cate replied looking across to her sister. The pair fell silent for a moment in their own thoughts.

'Do you really want to do this?'

'I don't know that I have a choice or could live with myself if I didn't.' Cate explained as she stood and walked over to her sister's bedside. Kelly sat forward placing her hand on her sister's shoulder as Cate stood with her back to the side of Kelly's bed. 'I just don't know what to do.' Cate sighed.

'Maybe you should sleep on it.' Kelly suggested as she laid back again her hand covering her ribs, soar from sitting up for too long. Cate turned to her sister concerned seeing Kelly's hand over her ribs. Kelly shook her head. 'I'm alright, just over did it a little is all.' Kelly offered a small smile.

'And the doctor wants me to help Bobby.' Cate said angrily as she indicated to Kelly and the discomfort she was in.

'I'll heal Cate and be home soon.'

'So I should sign papers and arrange for payments of his medical bills?' Cate asked a little taken aback.

'That's not what I'm saying Cate.' Kelly defended trying to stop a fight before it even started. Cate backed off and headed back to the sofa as their friends entered back into the room.

'What's going on?' Jill asked picking up on the tension straight away.

'Nothing Jill.' Kelly lied. 'I'm just trying to get my sister to go home to bed.'

'Being stubborn?' Jill smiled turning to Cate.

'Something like that yeah.' Cate replied picking up the file on the coffee table.

'Come on we'll make sure you get home.' Julie said pulling Cate up from the sofa.

'You going to be ok?' Cate asked as she went to say her goodbyes for the evening to Kelly.

'I'm fine; we'll talk in the morning.' Kelly smiled reassuringly as she ran her hand down the side of Cate's face to her neck. 'What's this?' Kelly asked as found a thin red mark running round side of Cate's neck. Cate felt where Kelly's hand was finding for the first time that her necklace was missing.

'Damn it.' Cate sighed with frustration standing stepping back a little from Kelly's bedside.

'What is it?' Julie asked.

'He pulled it off of you.' Kelly said to Cate looking to her sadly.

'Pulled off what?' Kris asked.

'My St. Christopher, the one Kelly gave me. Great, just great.'

'I'll get you another one.' Kelly smiled.

'Thanks but it's not the same.' Cate sighed; she'd had enough that just felt like the last straw. 'I'll see you in the morning.' Cate said tiredly as she left the room.

'Don't worry Kelly; we'll take care of her.' Julie said as she left the room after Cate waving back to Kelly taking Kris with her as she left.

'Is that all that's going on?' Jill asked turning to Kelly. Kelly looked up to Jill, never be fooled by Jill Munroe she's definitely not a dumb blonde.

'No there's a lot more going on but Jill I…' Jill stopped Kelly from carrying on.

'It's alright you don't need to tell me, I think there's more going on with Kris too, something's happened and I'm not sure what yet.'

'Did somebody call Cate's brothers?'

'Charlie phoned them a while ago, they're all aware of what's been going on.' Jill explained sighing heavily as she rubbed her lower back.

'Go home to bed Jill before you fall down, we'll talk more tomorrow.' Kelly smiled to her friend who looked ready to drop from exhaustion. Jill nodded with a smile saying their goodnight's Jill left the room and headed on after her sister and friends. Jill walked outside of the hospital finding Kris waiting for her.

'Julie's taken Cate home and is then heading home herself, said she'd see us in the morning.' Kris explained their friend's absence. Jill nodded as they walked to their car. 'Is Kelly alright?' Kris asked as they slowly walked to the Cobra.

'Yeah she's just obviously worried about Cate, I'm sure everything will be fine. Kris has anything else happened?' Jill asked as they reached the car getting in.

'Anything else?' Kris asked her mind running wild with thoughts that Jill must know what happened after she shot David; she must know that she hit Cate.

'Yeah, anything about David you need to talk about, you just seem distracted and distant. I understand why of course but I just wondered if there was anything else?' Kris was quiet for moment thinking how best to answer.

'No Jill, there's nothing else I'm just processing it all and just tired, so tired.' Jill looked across to her little sister in the passenger seat next to her. Reaching her hand out to Kris Jill ran the back of her hand down the side of Kris's face.

'Let's get home kiddo.' Jill started the car and pulled out of the car park, Kris took in a deep breath and released it slowly in relief that Jill hadn't pressed any further, she was obviously too tired to go any further into the conversation herself.