Chapter 25

Jill's shocked eyes finally moved off of Keith's face and she realized that his pants leg was soaked in blood. She pulled herself together and said, "No, no painkillers, but we certainly can clean and bandage your leg again. I'm a nursing student so I'll do what I can for you and then we'll get you to a hospital. What happened here?"

Nic and Keith exchanged a look and then Nic answered, "He was shot."

"Shot?!" Jill stopped in shock just as she knelt down next to him. "Who would want to shoot you? I can't imagine you have any enemies."

"You'd be surprised." Keith joked.

"Well, actually, he was shot by his 'biggest fan'." Nic joked right back to Keith.

"Hey, are you trying to give a bad name to my fans?" Keith cocked an eyebrow at Nic.

"Not all of them." Nic said as she sat down next to Keith. Nic nodded at Jill who had watched their playful conversation with fascination. Nic intended on keeping Keith either talking or arguing while Jill worked on his leg. She'd seen the look of misery on his face when she'd first broken through the leaves. Up to now, he'd either not been in as much pain or he'd been very good at hiding it from her. "Just the ones that kidnap you and take me along for the ride."

"So you blame me for your troubles, hmmm?" Keith jerked slightly when Jill tried to gently pull the bandage away from his wound.

"Not all of them. Just most of them." Nic agreed.

"When's the last time this was cleaned?" Jill said as she looked at the bullet hole in his leg.

"Yesterday. Early." Nic said. "It's all we had for supplies. After that, we just left it covered."

Jill nodded at her reasoning. Too bad infection had set in anyway. "This is going to sting." She gave him no time to process her comment before she poured the alcohol over the wound. Keith jerked and his breath hissed past his teeth as he closed his eyes tight.

"Why does every first aid kit have alcohol but no pain killers?" Keith asked as soon as he could draw breath.

"Because we all love torturing you." Nic admitted with a grin while inside she was feeling pains of sympathy.

"That's what I thought." Keith said weakly and tried to return her grin though his fell into a grimace of pain.

"Almost done." Jill assured him as she put some gauze over the hole and wrapped an ace bandage around the whole thing. "I just wish you could stay off it now. Unfortunately, you're going to have to walk out of here. Can you make it another half mile?"

"Sure. Piece of cake." Keith said as he used some of his waning strength to stand up.

Nic immediately slid around behind him and took her usual post under his right arm. She smiled at Jill and said, "We're pretty used to this mode of getting around."

"I can see that." Jill finished packing up her supplies. "Alright, follow me. I'll take you close to the camp and then get my car to drive you into Idaho Falls. It's not the closest, but it is the closest one that has a hospital."

xoxo

Shirley's grip on Laurie's hand had grown stronger as the minutes ticked by. They heard a crash as the cabin door was busted down and Shirley's grip became painfully strong. She realized it when the bones of Laurie's hand protested by cracking loudly. "Sorry, honey. I didn't realize how tightly I was squeezing." She said as she dropped her daughter's almost numb hand in surprise.

"It's ok Mom. I'm just as worried as you are." Laurie smiled encouragingly.

Shirley didn't answer because they heard another crash and her eyes flew to the path. Reuben put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from bolting down the path. They'd been told to stay put and he'd make sure they did.

Laurie was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth and Danny was practically dancing from one foot to the other while their Mom stood stock still. The wait was excruciating.

"What could be taking so long?" Danny wanted to yell, but he asked it in an almost hushed voice.

"I'm not sure kid." Reuben answered when no one else spoke up.

"There, did you see that?" Laurie asked when she saw movement on the path.

Reuben felt Shirley tense even further when they all saw what Laurie had pointed out. Someone was definitely coming back toward them.

Agent Smith broke through the trees and proceeded toward them quickly. "They aren't there."

"What?" Shirley whispered.

"They were there. We're in the right place. They're just not there anymore. It appears that they escaped through a window by tying sheets together and set off on foot." Agent Smith told them. "Two of my agents have already set off after them. We're pretty sure they're not moving very quickly."

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"By the footprints, we can tell that one of them is supporting the other one." Agent Smith said knowing that one of them would be very worried to hear that it was their child that needed the support. "It appears that Keith is the one who can't put much pressure on his right leg."

Reuben felt Shirley's shoulder sag under his hand. "Shirley, he's still moving. That has to be a good sign."

"You're right. He's going to be fine." Shirley said bravely. He was trying to escape. That had to be a good thing.

"We're going to head into Idaho Falls and coordinate from the local police department. Either my agents will find them and bring them out, or they've already made it to help. Either way, they'll be taken to Idaho Falls so that's where we're going to be to meet them. Alright?" Agent Smith urged them all toward the plane.

"Why can't we go after them with your agents?" Danny asked.

"Because, Danny, they may already be in Idaho Falls. We need to get there as quickly as possible." Laurie said with hope in her heart. "Come on Mom. Keith's going to want to see you as soon as we get there, I just know it."

xoxo

It had taken them an hour to cover the half mile to Jill's car and Keith was almost completely spent by this time. Nic was beginning to struggle to take more of his weight with each step.

"Wait here." Jill instructed Nic and Keith to wait for her on the side of a small dirt road. "This is the drive way into the camp. I'll just run up to the camp, tell my boss where I'm going, grab my car and we'll be off."

"Thank you, Jill. For everything." Nic said. Keith threw a lopsided grin after her but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He was simply too tired.

Jill was back in record time and she helped Nic get Keith into her backseat. Thankfully she had a rather large car. It was her parents' castoff and though she normally hated its 'old lady' car look, she was grateful for the big backseat on this occasion. Nic had wanted to sit in back with Keith to keep an eye on him, but with the need to stretch his leg out, there hadn't been room. Instead, she got in the front seat and turned herself around to keep an eye on him. Jill did the same in the rearview mirror.

Keith closed his eyes as soon as he felt the car move forward. He was in too much pain to fall asleep but he also didn't want to watch the two worried females watching him. He clenched his jaw as the car bumped over the potholes and jostled his leg. He refused to let the moan of pain escape.

He found comfort in the fact that pain killers lay at the end of this car ride.

xoxo

The takeoff had been close, but they'd made it out of the clearing with only a lone branch hanging on the landing gear. No one in the cabin knew how close they'd truly been to not making it out. The clearing was obviously made for a much smaller plane.

Ron smiled at his daughter's prowess as a pilot. Though the nose had been in the trees, there'd been no damage. How she'd landed it and gotten it stopped without crashing was truly amazing. Whatever doubts he'd had of her being able to make it in the Navy flying program died in that clearing. She was good enough to make it through any program if that's what she wanted.

He promised himself that he'd remind her of that every day going forward.

They landed in short order at the Idaho Falls airport and Agent Smith called the local police department to get their assistance. While several cars were sent to the airport to pick them up, officers were calling the two local hospitals to see if Keith and/or Nic had been admitted.

"Any word?" Agent Smith asked the detective who'd come to the airport to get them.

"Nothing yet. They haven't arrived." The detective told them. "But, when they do, we're pretty sure they'll go to Grace Hospital as it's on the right side of town from where they'd be coming from and it's the best Emergency Room in the area. Do you want to go straight there?"

"Yes!" Shirley, Laurie, Danny and Ron all said at once.

"Alright, in you go." The detective led them to the two cars he'd commandeered with two patrol officers for drivers.

Within ten minutes they were walking through the doors of the emergency room.

xoxo

Jill screeched to a halt in front of the emergency room doors and hopped out saying, "I'll get help."

Nic got out and ran around the car because Keith had already opened the door and was trying to pull himself out.

"Keith, just wait for help. You don't have to hurt yourself anymore. We've made it!" Nic tried stopping him from moving.

"No, just help me out will you?" Keith didn't know why, but he wanted to get out of the car on his own. Seconds after he was standing and leaning on the car, he got his answer.

"Keith!" He heard his name yelled by four very familiar voices and for the first time since he'd been shot, tears sprang to his eyes. He pushed away from the car and met his advancing family by the driver's side door. He was happily wrapped in his mother's arms while Laurie and Danny both touched him where they could. They'd get their chance to hug him once their mother was done.

Nic had no time to worry about Keith being alright as she was enveloped in her father's embrace herself. She cried without shame at her happiness to see him and to feel safe once more.

"Excuse me. I'm Dr. Avery and I understand I have a patient somewhere out here." Dr. Avery hated to interrupt, but if what the young lady standing next to him had told him was true, he needed to get his patient inside quickly.

"Oh, Keith. She told me she shot you. Where….?" Shirley's voice trailed off as she finally gave herself the opportunity to look at her son. As soon as she backed off it was obvious it was his right leg again. He held it off the ground and his pants leg was caked in dried blood.

"She has a thing for my right leg." Keith joked as he blinked the tears away.

"Ah, there you are." The doctor moved quickly beside Keith and guided him onto the gurney they'd rolled out. "Can you hop up there for me?"

"Sure." Keith said and then found he didn't have enough strength to pull himself up. "On second thought…."

"We'll just lower it. How's that sound?" The doctor motioned the orderlies to lower it and then Keith sat gingerly on the bed before the doctor quickly grabbed his legs to get him to lay flat. The motion caused the world to swirl dangerously around Keith and he closed his eyes as his stomach revolted at the movement. "Hang on, we'll have you feeling better in no time."

The gurney was raised back up and the entourage moved quickly toward the emergency room door. Shirley grabbed one hand and Laurie the other as they trotted beside Keith not wanting to let him go before they had to.

Once inside, they were told to take a seat while they took Keith back to be examined. Dr. Avery assured them that he'd be out to talk to them shortly. Just that quickly, they were once again without Keith.

"He looked good. Didn't he Mom?" Laurie said trying to be hopeful.

Shirley looked at her daughter and didn't have the heart to tell her she'd thought he looked terrible. "He looked wonderful."

"Well, I thought he looked awful. He's just lucky none of the fan magazines had been here to snap his picture." Danny always told things like they were.

"Yeah, well, let's see what you looked like after traipsing through the woods for a couple of days, not to mention getting shot." Laurie huffed.

"That can be arranged you know." Reuben caught Shirley's look of warning and continued, "Not the shot part, but the lost in the woods."

xoxo

Nic and Ron came back from one of the exam rooms before Keith's doctor came out to talk to them. Nic immediately walked up and asked, "How is he?"

"They haven't been out to tell us. How are you?" Shirley asked truly concerned for her wellbeing.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just very dirty. As you can see, they let me shower and gave me this snazzy set of scrubs to change into. Think it'll catch on as a fashion statement?" Nic spun around to let them get a look at her attire.

"What's that on your arm?" Laurie asked. She noticed the bandage.

"Oh, just a scratch." Nic played it cool.

"A scratch! That lunatic shot my daughter too." Ron pointed out.

"Dad, she just grazed me. Keith's was much worse." Nic turned around to see Shirley blanch at her words. "Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Partridge. I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"It's alright Nic. I know what you meant. I just wish they'd come out and talk to us." Shirley forced a smile to her face. She owed this girl so much for helping her son get away from Olivia. Or, at least she assumed she did. They had no idea what had happened to them.

"I'm sure they'll be out soon." Reuben said and then, "In fact, I think they're coming now."

"Doctor, how is he?" Shirley rushed up and asked before he had a chance to say anything.

"All things considered, not too bad. The bullet is lodged right next to his femur and has scraped a gouge in the bone. He definitely should not have been walking on it, but I understand he didn't believe he had a choice. I'm not sure how he endured the pain." The doctor brought himself back to task when he noticed the look of sympathy pass across everyone's faces. "We've put him on a strong antibiotic and want them to kick in before taking him to surgery. We've also put him on some strong pain killers, but if you want to go in and see him you can go in two at a time. The nurse will take you back when you're ready."

"That would be now, Dr. Avery." Shirley told him quickly.

"Danny, why don't you go with Mom. I'll go in later." Laurie urged Danny.

Shirley smiled at her daughter and held her hand out to Danny, "Ready?"

"You bet." Danny smiled and taking his mother's hand followed her gladly.

xoxo

"Hi, honey." Shirley's smile was a little watery but it was definitely beautiful. She had picked up his hand and now laid a kiss on his knuckles. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I don't feel much of anything right now." Keith admitted groggily.

"Must be some good stuff they have you on, huh?" Danny said from Keith's other side.

Keith's eyes moved slowly to that side of the bed blinking several times on his way. "Hey, kiddo. It's good to see ya."

"You're a whole lot cleaner than the last time I saw you. You must have gotten another sponge bath." Danny teased.

"Danny!" Shirley admonished quickly but then let it slide when Keith's only response was a smirk.

"Yeah, but this nurse was a whole lot younger…..and better looking." Keith admitted.

"Figures." Danny said. "You always were the lucky one in the family."

"Jealous?" Keith teased back.

"Of getting naked in front of a girl? No way." Danny's voice almost cracked in his panic.

"That'll change. In about a year or so." Keith smiled sleepily as his eyes drifted closed.

"Don't rush it." Shirley smiled at her two sons. One who had grown up way too fast already and the other knocking on the door. She could wait a good long time before Danny decided that girls and naked fit together in the same sentence.

"Sorry, Mom." Keith blinked his eyes back open trying in vain to stay awake just so he could see her face.

"That's alright honey. No need to apologize." Shirley assured him. "You can go to sleep if you want to. We'll be here when you wake up."

"Sure?" Keith asked with a small frown; more than one word beyond his abilities at the moment.

"I'm positive. I'll be right here. And if it's not me, it'll be Laurie or Danny or Reuben. We're all here for you. We're not going anywhere." Shirley was sure her son hadn't even heard the last of her statements as his breathing had evened out into sleep.

Shirley did not let go of his hand. She refused to right now.

"Mom, is he sleeping?" Danny asked a little anxiously.

"Yes, honey, he is. If you want to leave you can. Maybe send Reuben or Laurie in?" Shirley suggested.

Shirley brushed her son's hair off his face and did not look away when she heard the door open again shortly after Danny had left.

"How is he?" She was a little surprised when Reuben asked the question. She thought for sure Laurie would insist on coming in.

"He's sleeping now. He looks wonderful, doesn't he?" Shirley leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead. It felt a little hot. That was probably the infection the doctor had told them about. The reason his surgery was delayed. "How come Laurie didn't come in?"

"She said she wanted to come in with Nic. They probably wouldn't let her in unless she came with one of his family members. She said they'd been through so much together that Nic deserved to see him now." Reuben told her. "It sure is good to have him back."

"I know. I almost hate to let go of his hand. But, I suppose I better let Laurie and Nic come in to see him. I know they're both worried too." Shirley said as she reluctantly set his hand down and backed away from the bed.

"He'll be here when you can come back, Shirl." Reuben assured her.

"I know that. It's just…." She let it trail off and knew he understood.

Laurie and Nic entered Keith's room a few short minutes later. They each took a side of his bed and picked up his hands.

"He looks so peaceful when he sleeps. So innocent." Nic commented.

"Ha, not the word I would have used." Laurie joked wishing Keith was awake to hear her comment.

"Why not?" Keith asked. "You don't think I'm innocent?"

"Oh, I thought you were sleeping." Laurie said surprised by his comment and then by his eyes looking at her. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Yes, I was." Keith grinned at her.

"Oh, alright, yes you were." Laurie grinned back. "How are you? Really."

"I've been better, but if Mom asks, I'm great. Got it?" Keith grinned again.

Laurie thought she'd never seen anything so perfect as her brother's grin. If he was grinning he was feeling pretty good.

Keith's eyes moved to Nic and he asked, "Have you talked to the FBI yet?"

"No, they told me I could come see you first." Nic was surprised to find her eyes a little watery. She'd never been one for crying yet she'd been doing it a lot lately.

"Do they know where Olivia is?" Keith asked.

"Oh gosh, you mean no one's told you?" Laurie's comment brought both of their eyes to her. "They have her. She's in jail. Oh, and just so you know, she didn't kill her aunt. Aunt Millie is the one who helped us figure out where she was keeping you."

Keith sighed when he realized he only had one person's death on his conscience now. Olivia had still most definitely killed Anne because of him. Laurie realized almost immediately what Keith was thinking when he frowned. He was dealing with the guilt of Anne.

"Look, maybe we better go so you can get some more sleep." Laurie suggested. She wanted to talk to her Mom about getting Keith help in dealing with his feelings of guilt.

"She's right. We'll go and let you sleep. Feel better soon." Nic said as she let go of his hand.

Just before they walked out the door, Keith called Nic back.

"Nic, don't tell them." Keith sounded like he was almost begging.

"Keith…" Nic got no further.

"Nic, please. They can never know. Understand? Never." Keith looked at her and knew she knew what he was talking about.

Laurie had stayed in the room though Keith couldn't see her and heard every word he said. She had no idea what he referred to, but the pain in his voice caused tears to rush to her eyes. What had happened to them? What had happened to Keith? What had Olivia done to him?