"Okay," Billy sighed, pulling her closer against him. He hated seeing her so upset again. This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to bring her back here, but he couldn't say that to her. An 'I told you so' was the last thing she needed to hear. "First things first…you've got to calm down." His lips brushed against her forehead, a force of habit, and he hesitated for a moment, fearing he might have crossed the line.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes drifting up to his, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry." He wanted so much to help her, to take every bad thing away, but it was hard to feel anything besides the overwhelming rage that threatened to consume him. Every time she uttered an apology, every time she flinched at his touch, he knew Carl was the cause and he instantly envisioned his hands around his neck. He'd like to squeeze the sorry life out of him. But then he'd look down at her and realize his anger came second—a distant second—to her safety. "You don't ever have to be sorry," he repeated, "I just want you to be okay," he whispered. "I want to be sure you're both okay."

He glanced down at her hand which rested on her belly. Billy watched as her eyes followed his gaze. She looked up at him, her green eyes shining with tears. "The doctors did a sonogram," she said quietly, "They said everything's okay."

"That's good news, right?" He watched as a tear trailed down her cheek. "What? What is it?"

"Carl…what he said…"

Billy drew in a breath. "You said you couldn't tell the truth because of what Carl wants you to do." He let his eyes close for a moment, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever words might come next. He knew Carl would try to intimidate her, but the look in her eyes was something much worse. "What did he say, Phyllis?"

"He wants me to go back home with him. He wants me to marry him and have this baby with him. He says he'll get help and it'll be better."

"Phyllis," he began, hoping against everything that she wasn't falling for his lies.

She shook her head. "I know," she sighed. "I know it won't, but I don't have a choice, Billy. I have to do what he wants. He knows everything. He'll go to the police. He's not bluffing."

His hands were on her face again, desperate to stop the tears as they streamed down her face. "Shhh," he soothed, "So, let him. Let him tell them what you did. We'll explain everything. I'll be right there with you. If this goes to court, we'll get you the best lawyers and any jury will understand. You were protecting yourself. You were protecting your child. You…"

"No," she said, her voice breaking as she looked up at him. The sight of his eyes staring back at her just solidified her belief. There was no way she could take the chance of losing him. "You don't understand, Billy. He's not going to tell the police anything about what I did." She reached for his hand, finding comfort in the simple pleasure of his touch. "He's going to tell them about you. He remembers it all. He knows that I called you. He knows that you were there. Your fingerprints are on the gun and he's managed to get surveillance footage of you at the door." She stopped, her words failing her as she looked at him.

"He can tell the police anything he wants," Billy said flatly. "You are not going back to that house with him. No way in hell."

"I can't lose you," she breathed.

The desperation in her eyes broke him, and he pulled her into his arms for a moment. Her body shook as she sobbed, completely overwhelmed. There were no perfect answers, but he had to do better than this. She couldn't go back to that house with that man and he couldn't go to jail and leave her alone with no one to protect her. "Hey," he whispered, rubbing gentle circles on her back, "You're not going to lose me. You hear me?"

He felt her take a deep breath and she leaned back, her eyes flashing at him with renewed determination. "You're right. I'm not because I'm going to do what Carl wants me to do. I'm going to stick to the story. I really think that since he knows I'm pregnant now, things will calm down. It got better before and you'll be around, right? I mean if I needed you…you would be there, right?"

"Phyllis." The look in her eyes was no longer determination, nor was it snark or fire—this was fear, granted she'd become an expert at disguising it and it might have worked on most people—it didn't work on him. "You don't really believe anything you're saying."

"He's not going to do anything to damage his reputation, Billy. How would it look if his pregnant wife showed up at a hospital all battered and bruised, right?" She leaned back against the pillows, shifting uncomfortably.

Billy sighed, her stubbornness proving difficult to overcome. "You okay? You're not having any pain are you?"

"No..it's just these pillows are really ridiculous, that's all. There like half an inch thick."

He smiled. "Tell you what, I'll go ask the nurse for another."

"You always take care of me," she whispered. "See, that's why I know things will be okay. I know you'll always be a call away. You'll always help me if I need it."

"Count on it," he whispered, as he stepped out into the hallway. Pulling the door closed behind him, he stood still for a moment, allowing his body to relax. He felt sick inside, the thought of her walking out this hospital with that man was absolutely horrific and he had to think of something to stop it. His eyes lifted as Paul walked by.

Every cell in his body stood on end. This wasn't his story to tell. Phyllis would indeed be furious, but he'd just promised her he would always help her if she needed it. She needed it now more than ever—even if she didn't fully realize it yet.

"Paul," Billy called out, "Wait up—I need to ask you something if you have a minute."

"Uh." Paul glanced at his watch. "Yeah, I've got a minute, Billy. What's the question?"

It was now or never. She'd be mad as hell at him for betraying her trust, but at least she'd be safe and that was much more important.

"It's uh.." He looked down at his feet, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Billy?"

"Hypothetically," he began, "What would happen if a woman shot a man out of self defense?" Billy looked up, meeting Paul's eyes. His reaction was immediate and they both knew the hypothetical nature of the question wasn't fooling anybody.

"Well," Paul said slowly, taking Billy's arm and pulling him into a more secluded corner of the hospital where they wouldn't be overheard. "It would all depend on the circumstances, but generally, we would try to claim imminent danger and she'd not have to serve any time or face charges." He looked at Billy again, his eyes trained heavy on his. "When you say self-defense?"

Billy swallowed, the words proving difficult to even say. The thought of Carl with his hands on her… "Abuse," he managed, his throat thick with emotion, "Physical abuse."

Paul drew in a breath. "Billy," he said quietly, "this hypothetical question…it's not hypothetical at all is it?"

"I promised her I'd keep her safe, Paul. Promise me you won't let him hurt her again. Please."

Paul sighed. "I need to talk to Phyllis."