Chapter 14.
Julie sat quietly in Cate's room nursing the headache she had from Roth having hit her so hard. Cate was asleep she had been since passing out in the emergency room after the defibrillator debacle. Kelly had gone to Kris's room to reveal herself to the rest of the team, having all ready experienced that Julie decided to stay out of the firing line and stick with Cate as she had done since Cate returned home from Europe. Leaning back in her chair Julie closed her eyes resting them for a moment, she didn't hear the door open as Marcus walked into the room, he saw Julie sat in the chair her head back and eyes closed smiling he walked to the foot of Cate's bed picking up her chart reading it to see how she was doing he continued to smile as the information in the file told him Cate would be fine, in time. Moving over to Julie, Marcus knelt down in front of her gently shaking her knee to wake her. Julie woke confused looking down to Marcus with a relieved smile.
'How's the head?' He asked looking into Julie's brilliant blue eyes.
'It's a little delicate, how about yours?' Julie asked placing her hand over his on her knee.
'About the same. Has there been any change, has Cate woken up yet?' Marcus asked looking to Cate over his shoulder.
'Not yet but I'm not surprised, with the meds and just pure exhaustion on Cate's part I should think her body's pleased for the rest.' Julie smiled looking to her friend who peacefully slept.
'Kelly been in yet?'
'No, she's still with the others explaining and apologising.' Julie leaned back again in her seat her bright eyes clouding over.
'And you're not there for that?' Marcus said confused as he moved to the empty seat next to her.
'Nope, I'd rather not be there for that but here with someone who may just need me.' Julie replied nodding towards Cate.
'So what will happen now? Roth's in jail the fighting ring is all broken up and others involved arrested, but this is really only the beginning for you all isn't? You now have this Diane to go after.' Marcus was fuelled with questions some of which Julie didn't really have an answer for.
'Right now Marcus I think we need to repair ourselves. The team is pretty broken and needs to heal literally as well as figuratively. What Jill and Kelly did although we might understand it, it was unfair to all of us and placed us in some danger, we have to fix that and build trust again. They betrayed us in some respect they didn't trust in us enough to let us in on the plan.'
'They felt they were doing the right thing.' Marcus said trying to justify Jill and Kelly's actions as much as he could.
'But look what it got us, Kris nearly dies and Cate's laid up in here with broken ribs, a dislocated knee, hair line fractures on her shoulder blades and more cuts and bruises besides. Whatever they felt they were doing they were wrong.' Julie finished, trying not to raise her voice too much for fear of disturbing Cate.
'Bright side,' Marcus began taking Julie's hand again trying to calm her. 'we got to meet.' Julie felt her face turn red as Marcus looked deep into her bright blue eyes again.
'I think I'm going to be sick. Jeez Marcus, either ask her out on a date or get out of the room.' Cate groggily said as she woke.
'About time you woke up Fox.' Julie teased smiling as Cate tried moving around a little in her bed having to stop when different areas of pain all began to shoot through her. 'Take it easy now, you're pretty banged up.' Julie said helping Cate into a more comfortable position sitting up in her bed.
'So I hear. How many ribs are broken?' Cate asked as Julie carefully placed another pillow behind Cate's head.
'Four to be exact and another three are badly bruised.' Marcus explained.
'Terrific.' Cate said all ready fed up with being in the hospital room in the hospital bed.
Marcus smiled to his friend. 'You also had a dislocated knee which the doctor's re-set whilst you were out cold and you have fractures, hair line fractures to your shoulder blades from when Tiny slammed you into the walling of the fighting arena.'
'Yeah don't remind me.' Cate said wincing as she moved again just slightly. 'How long am I stuck here?'
'A few days.' Julie said from her seated position on Cate's bed by her feet.
'That's not going to happen.' Cate stated.
'Yeah it is.' Marcus came back with. 'You need to rest Cate and you're going to do it here with doctors and nurses supervision.'
'Oh please, with you, Julie and Kelly around me constantly I won't need the medical staff of a hospital.' Cate said dismissing Marcus's order.
'You're staying.' Julie re-affirmed. Cate huffed annoyed at her friends.
'You know what, fine. Where's that sister of mine anyway?' Cate asked moving the subject away from her for the moment.
'She's with Kris and the others.' Julie explained looking down at her hands.
'How is Kris?' Cate asked in all seriousness, having not been conscious to discover that Kris was in fact awake and aware of what was going on, Cate was extremely concerned.
'She's awake and doing fine.' Julie said straight away to Cate's relief. 'Kelly's with Jill in Kris's room explaining their actions to the rest of the team.
'How did they all take the news, actually how did they take to Kelly walking into the room?' Cate asked more interested in that than anything else.
A couple of hours before Cate had woken.
Kelly stood outside Kris's hospital room door her hand on the handle; she took several deep breaths before she dared to enter in.
'Come on Garrett.' She whispered to herself. 'Time to face the music.' Kelly pushed open the door walking into the room. Everyone was stood or sat around Kris's bed as Jill filled them in on Cate's condition, they all turned as Kris gasped when she saw Kelly walk towards them.
'My God.' Tiffany said first standing up from her seated position at the foot of Kris's bed her broad smile dropping into a look of pure shock.
'Hello everyone.' Kelly said with her nervous smile.
'Kelly?' Bosley said, as if questioning his own sanity, to see if it was really true.
'It's really me Bos.' Kelly smiled placing her hand on his arm. Bosley took her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace.
'Thank God.' Bosley said as tears stung his eyes. Tiffany moved towards her next taking Kelly into her arms also.
'But how?' Tiffany asked taking a seat in one of the vacant chairs by Kris's bed.
'That's a long story.' Kelly said looking to Kris and Jill.
'Well, we've got the time.' Kris said coldly, Kelly could tell from Kris's reaction and body language that she was angry. Kelly took a seat opposite Tiffany and began to explain everything from the explosion, to calling in Cate from Europe, to Jill going undercover with Roth, to the fight club, to now.
'I'm sorry all of you, I truly am but Charlie and I saw an opportunity and we took it.' Kelly finished with.
'And you agreed to this as well?' Kris asked her sister who had sat quietly throughout Kelly's explanation.
'I felt I had to Kris.' Jill simply replied.
'After you promised me you would never do this to us again.' Kris said becoming angrier by the thought of it all.
'Kris please don't be angry with Jill if anyone please be angry with me and Charlie.' Kelly pleaded.
'Oh believe me I am.' Kris seethed. 'Do you have any idea what you put us all through?' Kris said trying not raise her voice too much as it hurt to.
'I do and I'm so very sorry for that Kris really I am.'
'Well that doesn't work for me Kel, not this time, how could y'all think this was possibly the best way to go about this case? I was unbelievably fierce with Cate, when we should have been pulling together. Do you realise how much we could have avoided if you had told us all?' Kris continued.
'Kris please, calm down.' Jill soothingly said as Kris snapped her hand away from her sister.
'Don't tell me to calm down Jill, don't you dare. Does Julie know you're alive?' Kris demanded looking straight at Kelly who nodded looking down to her hands, she knew this was going to be hard but didn't think it would be like this. 'What she has put herself through, she blamed herself Kelly, she blamed herself for your death.'
'I know Kris and I have spoken to her, she's as angry as you are.' Kelly said.
'That would explain why she's not here.' Tiffany chipped in agreeing with some of what Kris said and understanding why Kelly and Jill had done what they did.
'What else would you have me say Kris other than I'm sorry?' Kelly asked beginning to get a little angry herself.
'Get out.' Kris demanded.
'What?' Kelly breathed out.
'Kris.' Jill began to protest.
'Both of you.' Kris said turning to Jill. 'Just get out I can't bear to look or talk to you, just get out.' Kris turned away from her sister and best friend whom she would also call a sister. Jill stood and turned looking towards Kelly who sat in shock before meeting Jill's eyes and getting up also, both walked out together. Tiffany and Bosley sat quietly in the room watching their friends leave whilst Kris quietly sobbed in her bed looking away from them.
Once outside Kris's room Jill and Kelly sat down in the waiting area around the corner. Both Angels sat in silence.
'I don't know why I thought that would be easy.' Kelly said wringing her hands as she spoke. Jill looked at Kelly smiling weakly from the opposite small couch.
'We both knew it would be hard on them all we just assumed once all was over they'd accept us back with open arms.'
'Are we really still so naive after all these years?' Kelly asked rhetorically tilting her head to one side as she did.
'Hadn't you better go and check on Cate?' Jill asked.
'And have her yell at me too?' Kelly asked knowing full well that Cate was going to be ok with rest.
'I thought you two had made peace.' Jill said confused.
'We made some form of peace I think before the fight but, oh, I don't know Jill, when did it all get so hard?' Jill laughed a little at Kelly who looked hurt by the reaction, Jill got up and plopped herself down next to her dear friend.
'It got hard right about the time you found your baby sister.' Jill said hugging Kelly. 'Come on I'll go with you to see her.' Jill stood holding her hand out for Kelly who slipped her hand into Jill's when Jill pulled her up from her seat.
'She did it to me again.' Kelly spoke up as they walked through the corridors to Cate's room.
'Did what?' Jill asked confused.
'Scared the hell out of me.'
'What do you mean?'
'When I burst into the changing to help Cate and the others I heard the gunshots moments before I entered, Roth kept pointing towards Cate with his gun gloating about what he thought he had done, I think I only started breathing again when I saw her move and start to get up to take down Roth.'
'I would have liked to have been there to see that part.' Jill said smiling slightly.
'Then she collapsed again and everything went into slow motion until I saw her yelling at the doctors in the ER.'
'She certainly has a way about her your sister.' Jill joked recalling the scene.
'Yeah.' Kelly agreed as they reached the door to Cate's private room. Kelly again hesitated before entering the room, Jill nudged her on.
'I'm right with you, go on.' Jill said nudging her again through the door. As they walked into the room they heard the three friends in the room talking, laughing and Cate groaning in pain.
'Stop making me laugh, it hurts.' Cate said as she placed her hand across her ribs her smile became a little more subdued when she saw Jill and Kelly enter into the room. 'It didn't go well with Kris then?' Cate asked, Marcus and Julie confused by the sudden question turned to see Jill and Kelly. Jill took a seat next to Marcus shaking her head as she brought her legs up underneath her on the seat.
'Are you really that surprised?' Julie asked.
'No not really.' Kelly answered honestly still standing at the foot of Cate's bed looking at her sister being able to see the injuries she had received more clearly, the cut above her eye and the bruising Cate had to her face, her hands had small wrappings over them after the nurses had cleaned and taken care of the cuts and grazes Cate had on them from all the fighting, Kelly noticed Cate wincing every time she moved slightly or breathed too deeply. The room stayed quiet for a while until Marcus finally broke the silence.
'So how did you two stay in contact, through Charlie?' It had been bothering Marcus since he knew Jill and Kelly were both working together.
'No not Charlie, that was too much of a risk sometimes, we decided on another way.' Kelly began to explain.
'Which was?' Julie asked also intrigued.
'The local newspaper, in the classifieds where people leave messages for others, we contacted each other through that.' Jill continued explaining.
'But wouldn't that have been noticed by Roth or someone?' Marcus asked.
'We used number ID's, mine was 1013.' Jill explained.
'Why those numbers?' Julie asked.
'Because J and M are the tenth and thirteenth letter in the alphabet.' Cate answered. Julie smiled nodding counting out the numbers and letters in her head.
'So that would make Kelly.' Julie said figuring it out.
'117.' Kelly answered. 'It was a quick and under the radar way of communicating.' The room fell silent again Marcus picked up on the tension in the room between the sisters and Jill.
'Julie, how about I buy you coffee and a snack in the cafeteria?' Marcus offered standing up, Julie getting the idea agreed.
'Sure, sounds good to me, you be ok?' Julie asked Cate as she got down from Cate's bed.
'I'll be fine you two go.'
'You want anything?' Marcus asked as he handed Julie her purse.
'My release papers.' Cate said with a devilish grin.
'Not happening.' Jill, Kelly, Marcus and Julie said together. With the other two gone Kelly took the seat next to Cate's bed that Marcus had left vacant.
'Maybe I should give you two some time.' Jill began to say when Cate interrupted.
'Oh no, you're staying right here, don't think you're getting out here that easily.' Cate sternly said as Jill sat back into her seat like a school child in trouble with the principal.
'How are you feeling?' Kelly asked realising she hadn't asked that yet.
'I feel like I had my ass kicked by a ten ton gorilla and I'm kind of pissed off about it.' Cate said looking to her sister. 'What did you say to Kris?'
'We told her the truth.' Jill began to explain. 'We, well Kelly explained why everything was done the way it was.'
'And Kris hit the roof.' Cate summarised to which the other two nodded in answer. 'Well, you can't blame her.' Cate said laying her head back as she tried to breath in a little deeper without causing herself too much discomfort. Looking back to her sister and Jill she saw the expressions on their faces of hurt and shock. 'Oh come on you two, you didn't really think that Kris would have just held open her arms and forgive all did you? You made these decisions for us without consulting us, Kris thought she had lost everything believe me when I tell you that a drunk Kris can hit just as hard if not harder than a sober Kris. I don't ever want to see her go through that again when it can be avoided. As for me well, I can't afford to refurbish my house again after this is over with.' Cate finished.
'What do you mean by that?' Kelly asked confused.
'It doesn't matter now, look I'll talk to Kris but I think you should do us all a favour for now and just give her some space, don't be too far away but don't be pushy either.' Cate said closing her eyes for a moment whilst rubbing the bridge of her nose.
'I know my own sister Cate.' Jill said getting a little fed up with all the blame that was being thrown around at Kelly and herself.
'Yeah you know her so well Jill, that you lied to her again about something you promised you wouldn't and you're surprised and hurt when she kicks you out of her room. You've not been with her these last few weeks Jill, you've not seen the Kris that I have, she has every right to feel hurt and betrayed by the two of you and Charlie, the entire team does, walking in and saying sorry just doesn't solve everything.' Cate scolded.
'No, but at least it's a start.' Kelly said. Cate calmed herself as pain went soaring through her after that little outburst.
'Yeah it's a start and we'd better keep mending the bridges because we've got a bigger problem to solve.' Cate said as she gently rubbed her ribs again.
'Diane Matisse.' Kelly and Jill said together.
'I'm going to get some coffee from the machine, Kelly you want any?' Jill asked as she stood up Kelly nodded smiling in acceptance. Kelly moved from her seat to sit up on the bed next to Cate.
'How are you really feeling?' Kelly asked resting a hand on top of Cate's.
'I seem to hurt all over and I'm laid up in a hospital bed which you know I hate, otherwise I'm fine. I'm just pleased that side of the case is over but it's obvious that Roth had nothing to do with the explosion you and Julie were caught in.' Cate explained as Kelly gently took Cate's hand resting it in her lap, holding on.
'We'll find Diane Cate and we'll make sure she pays for what she has done to us.' Kelly assured as Cate sighed looking up to the ceiling. 'What is it?' Kelly asked worried. 'Do you need me to get the doctor?'
'No, no it's nothing like that. I met with Stewie Matisse, remember Diane's brother?' Kelly nodded remembering the little weasel of a man. 'I eventually got some information from him, most we all ready knew or had guessed he confirmed. The explosion and Kris being shot.'
'What else did he say?' Kelly asked knowing there was more.
'The shooter wasn't aiming for Kris.' Cate finally said. 'He obviously wasn't bothered, neither was Diane by the looks of things but Kris wasn't meant to take the bullet she just moved in the wrong split second.' Cate explained looking at her sister with regretful eyes.
'It wasn't your fault Cate.' Kelly sternly said.
'Jill was right though when she first arrived at the hospital for Kris. I should have been protecting her.'
'And you were, Cate you can't be the one who protects all of us all the time. Diane is to blame for this and we will find her and bring her in.'
'It's just with me and Kris here and not in the best of shape.'
'We'll find her as a team, we will.' Kelly said strongly meaning every determined word. Silence fell between the two sisters as they both thought over what had happened in the last few days. 'You were amazing you know, in the fight.' Kelly said with a small sideways smile.
'I got pummelled Kelly.' Cate smiled back to her big sister.
'True, but when you weren't being pummelled you were amazing, seeing that big guy go through the Perspex like that.' Kelly said with amazement.
'Yeah but I still think that hurt me more than him.' Cate said remembering the moment.
'Are you sure you don't want me to get the nurse to help with the pain?' Kelly asked sympathetically seeing the amount of pain Cate was in.
'No, thanks.' Kelly looked at Cate with raised eyebrows. 'I'm no trying to be a martyr or anything, the nurse will be in anyway soon with my meds, I can hold out 'til then.' Cate said.
'You don't have to you know.' Kelly pressed.
'Kelly just sit there and talk to me that's all the pain relief I need.' Cate replied still holding tightly to Kelly's hand as she closed her eyes again for a moment.
'You still angry with me?' Kelly finally asked that was the conversation she really wanted to have. Cate opened her eyes again quickly looking straight at her sister surprised by the question.
'Angry with you?' Cate repeated. 'No, well not really, to be honest Kel I'm too tired to be angry with anyone right now I just don't have the energy.'
'Then maybe I should leave you to get some sleep for a little while.' Kelly suggested about to get up from her position on Cate's bed when she was pulled back down again by Cate.
'Don't even try leaving this room.' Cate warned. 'I don't want you away from me or my sight for a while.' Cate smiled as she drifted off to sleep, Kelly made herself comfortable again on Cate's bed watching over her as she slept.
'I don't intend on going anywhere anytime soon.' Kelly said quietly smiling as she brushed strands of Cate's hair away from her face.