TRIXIE CHAPTER 21

"Charlie, Charlie, why didn't you tell me?" she said .
"Are you alright? How's your hand? Oh, you poor dear."

Everyone was amused at her action,
"Ahem... Amita…" Alan said.

"OH my gosh, I'm sorry, Don How are you? Larry told me only this morning. I would have come over yesterday if I had known," Amita said coming up to Don's bed.

"Hush… Amita, it's alright, we didn't let you know because it was late and we went home to sleep. It's no use worrying you when everything's under control. We just came in not too long ago as did Megan." Alan said.

"Yes, I came with Megan, Larry told her to give me a lift. Larry said he will come in later, he has an early class. "

"Thanks Amita, it's OK, not to worry." Don said looking fondly at his future sister in law.

"Charlie, take Amita for a walk in the garden. We won't disturb you." Alan said.

Charlie and Amita went out, with Amita clinging to Charlie's arm.

"Don, you know we need to take your statement?"

"Yes, it's OK Megan, you don't have to get another person, you or David can do it. Take mine now and Trixie's when she awake. Megan I prefer you talk to Trixie, she was rather traumatized by yesterday's events; she had a very bad nightmare."

"Yes, I planned to talk to her later. Don whenever you're ready. David is coming later, he can take Charlie's."

"Can you give me ten minutes to clean up a bit, I feel like I'm still asleep in bed." Don pressed the bell by his side.
"Donnie, you need help?" Alan asked.

"Yes, to the bathroom, I'll wait till the nurse changes the IV to a saline lock, and then I'm mobile."
Jenny came in and went straight to Don, "You need to go there?"

"Yes, thanks Jenny, you'll be going off duty soon?"

"Yes, Clara will be in soon. Here, its disconnected. I'll wait for you, here you go." Jenny said helping Don to sit up.

Alan helped his son walk towards the bathroom and led him inside. "You're sure you don't need my help?"

"No, thanks Dad, I'm good."

After fifteen minutes Don came out, refreshed and shaved. He had somehow managed to put on his track bottoms but was unable to put on his shirt.
His father helped him with his shirt which had a zip in front. He carefully put his left hand inside the sleeve," There, you're OK Don?" Alan asked when he saw his son wincing as he lifted his left hand.

"Ok, thanks dad."

Amita and Charlie too came back from their walk in the garden.

Jenny was still around; she waited for him to get back to bed but Don said he would like to take a walk first before being tied down in bed again.
She told Don not to overexert himself and once he got back from his walk he should call the nurse to re-attached his IV for his meds.
She also told him not to move his hand too much and to listen to the advice given by Dr. Chandra.
She then helped Don with his sling and said she would see him again in the evening. Don wished her a good morning and thanked her.

She nodded and wished all of them in the room a good morning and left.

"Charlie, David will be coming in to take your statement. Don't go anywhere. We need to get this all done in the morning, OK?"

"Yes, Megan, er... Megan do you need Dad to give a statement?
Dad was here when it happened." Charlie said looking at Don.

"Yes, David can talk to Alan a bit. Thanks for reminding me, Charlie. Now if you all will excuse us, I will walk with Don for a while," Megan said and she held on Don's good hand.

"Dad, you are staying aren't you? Er…Trixie's still sleeping."

"Yes, Donnie, we are all staying, we need to wait for David, remember? We'll be here for Trixie, you go ahead with Megan. Take care, son."

The walked to the quiet part of the big sitting/waiting room at the end of the corridor. The same one where Trixie found Don just two days ago.
'Was it only two days ago? Such a short time and so much had happened.' He sighed.

'You OK, Don? If you're not up to it, we can do it in the afternoon." Megan asked looking at Don.

"It's OK Megan, let's do it now."

Don and Megan opted to sit in the corner while Megan was preparing to write and record. Don asked, "You ready?"

"Yes, like you said earlier, I, too was prepare to record Trixie's statement, it will be better if she had a familiar face to talk to."

"Thanks, Megan."

"You are very fond of her?"

"Yes, in a way, I felt responsible for her and now. I feel as though I want to protect her from whatever is going to happen, do you think it's strange? "

"What do you mean strange?"

"It's strange that I should feel responsible for a little girl that I hardly know, a little girl who has her own set of parents. If I feel responsible for Daniel that would not be strange for he'd lost his parents and only a grandmother to take care of him."

"No, Don it's not strange, it's how you've met and at that moment, you two 'clicked'." Megan used two fingers to emphasize the point.
"She must have felt that you would be her friend, otherwise she wouldn't be coming to your room to seek you out.

You think that you should feel responsible for her after hearing about her accident but you shouldn't. It's not your fault, listen to me; its not your fault, it's Logan's fault that they are here.

I see that your brother and father are also taken by her.

Look at Charlie now, he's so thrilled that she can solve the math problems that he 's given her; she's a genius you know."

Now your father treats her like the granddaughter he's never going to have." Megan smiled.

"Not to worry on that point, soon he'll have grandchildren he's wanted so much."

"Ok, let's come to the point then. You are absolutely right to feel protective towards her and now I think more so because of what you've just told me. I'll try to make some discreet enquires and will come back to you on that. OK, now are you ready for the statement?"

"Yes, thanks Megan, you are a pal besides being my team mate." Don smiled and then they got down to serious business.

Don described how he noticed that the man delivering the meals was not the same man as from yesterday. He kept an eye on him and he told his father to move away when the man hesitated. The man had said something like, "Why two trays for this room?" when his father asked him.

Don said he remembered his father telling the man that the little girl was having dinner in this room, meaning Trixie.

He told Megan that he remembered that he was watching the man the whole time and noticed that the man went to the cart and in a flash a knife was in his hand. He pulled his father away but the man did not turn to his father but went to Charlie and Trixie sitting on the sofa. They were not aware of what was going on.

Don remembered shouting at Charlie and in a flash the man pushed Charlie down and made a grab for Trixie. He then told Megan that his main goal was Trixie.
After grabbing Trixie, Don said it was blur from then onwards. He remembered going to Charlie's help when the man turned on Charlie with the knife.

He tripped and fell on top of Charlie but he also managed to grab the hand holding the knife. He remembered his strength failing and the screams of Trixie. He was afraid at the moment that the man had somehow hurt Trixie.

Then the man's hand was very near his chest and managed to knick him on the hand, but he was loosing his grip on the man's hand as the blood from his hand made it difficult to hold on.

Don said suddenly Charlie's hand snaked out to help him, keeping the attacker's knife away from his chest, but Charlie got cut instead.

At this point Don put his good hand on head squeezing it. It was difficult to relive the horror that he felt when he had seen the copious amount of blood flowing from Charlie's cuts.

Megan waited for Don, "Ready to go on?"

"Not much more, Megan, after that it was a blur, Charlie lost his grip on the guy's hand and my strength failed. The man was able to stab me. I lost it a for a while due to the sudden pain. Then his weight was gone and the struggling was over. Next I knew was Charlie yelling at me and blood from his hand dripping onto me.

I was out after that, the next thing I remember was waking up to the noises in the room and me telling Dad and Charlie to go home."

"OK, Don that's all you remembered, do you remember the man's face?"

"Yes, I think so, we were facing each other."

Megan took from the file that she had and took out three pictures for Don to identify.

Don took a few seconds and said, "I'm not sure, but this picture looks like him."

"OK, Don you've identified Logan our current prisoner who is in this hospital. No, no, hear me out." Megan said when Don wanted to say something.
"You are correct if you think that your attacker looked like him.
He is the second Logan. Dr. Stewart said the real attendant who was responsible for the dinner trays, was attacked.
He was left tied up and almost suffocated in the utility room. Lucky a nurse found him in time.
The attendant said a man came up to him from the utility room and said he needed help in moving something and he reluctantly went to help him. The next minute he was out until the nurse found him.

Listen to this, he told Dr. Stewart that the man looked a lot like Logan. He was in charge of sending food trays to Logan too."
Megan looked at Don for his reaction.

"So this Logan 'two' was around this hospital. Why wasn't rescuing Logan? Why come to my room instead?"

"Don, I don't know yet, but we plan to find out. This case is getting very complicated. We thought it was closed with Logan in custody but now suddenly there's a Logan Two on the scene.

Umm, now I wonder if either Logans' involved in the kidnapping of Trixie four years ago. That case was left unresolved."

"Great, and now her father is not here and her mother's still critical. And I am still here. Ok tell you what, try to get a guard on her, Megan. If Merrick is not agreeable, try to get our own people just for a day or two. I may be out of here in a day or two and then we'll see."

"Don, your injury is not minor this time; you need to take it easy, don't be in a hurry to get out this time.
Are you in pain now? You're sweating, oh dear you shouldn't be out of bed so fast. Sorry this interview took too long."

"It's OK, Megan, I think I'm overdue for the meds . I'm feeling a bit hot and I certainly do not want to stay longer than necessary, so if this is over, I like to get back."

Megan looked at Don; this was not like Don to admit weakness. He must be in pain. Megan quickly stood up.
"OK this is over; I'll have a talk with Alan and see if Trixie's awake. Let's get you back first. Upsy daisy!" Megan said smiling at Don and helping him up top his feet. "Don! You're hot!"

"Megan, what'll Larry think?"

Megan slapped his hand playfully, "You're terrible! Come on let's get you to bed."

"Megan!"

"Don if you don't behave, I'll tell somebody that you're being naughty."

"She'll not be interested."

"Don, what happened, I knew there was something going on?" Megan stopped and looked at Don.

Don wanted to shrug his shoulders but remembered, he did his one shoulder shrug which caused Megan to laugh out loud.

"She wanted a career, having a fling or two is okay by her books, we parted, we are working colleagues now."

"You missed it? Having a relationship with someone?" Megan probed further.

"Nah….its' hard to make it work with our job demands and the hours we keep. You get someone in the same field, no doubt we understand each other's job but still it's not going to be a comfortable position. You know with the danger we faced sometimes or that you know your partner is facing, it gets to you sooner or later. What do you do, you break up, and that's it.

If you get someone outside your field, it will still end up in separation because your job will be the main issue. So I really don't feel like having one now. Maybe later if I'm lucky to find one who will take me on.
Don't tell my dad. Anyway its half OK with him now that Charlie is hooked."

"Don't say that, Amita is a very, very nice girl. Very intelligent, too."

"OK I like her too, hey how about you giving Larry the slip and come and sail into the sunset with me?" Don looked at her with a leer.

"Oh, Don, for that you'll get a kiss from me." Megan promptly pecked him on the cheek which surprised Don.

Megan always felt comfortable with Don, besides being a very good Team Leader; he was also a very good friend. Colby told her that he had nearly crossed the line to get her back when she had been kidnapped by Crystal Hoyle.

"Come on, its time for your meds." Megan led Don slowly back to his room.

Don was all hot and tired when he reached his bed, Alan looked at Megan and quickly went to help Don. He pressed the bell by Don's bed.

Tbc

A/N: My thanks to Mikis