Perception Deception Part 2: Audrey

by Rabid Raccoons

Chapter 29: Everything Will Be All Right

Alan heard a soft tap on the sliding glass partition and sighed as he looked toward the entrance. Why did the nurses even bother to shut the damn thing? It seemed as if someone was in his exam bay all the time.

He glanced unhappily at the bag of saline hanging from the intravenous pole attached to the hospital bed. The bag was still half full, so his visitor probably wasn't here to unhook him. Probably some tech after more blood. By the time they were through with him, Alan would be anemic on top of everything else. He frowned toward the closed curtain on the interior of the exam cubicle. Might as well get it over with. "Yes," he called despondently. "Come in."

The door slid in its track, the curtain was pulled back, and Robin's concerned face peeked around the edge. ""Alan?" Her voice held a disbelieving tone.

Alan's face relaxed and he struggled to sit up. "Robin! Sweetheart, what are you doing here?"

She brushed past the curtain, shaking her head. "Alan, you just stay where you are!" She glanced around the exam cubicle. "I can't believe where you are!"

Alan gave up his struggle and sank back onto the pillow. A soft snort escaped him. "You and me both. I told that doctor I was fine. I told them all. Did Donny call you?"

Robin took a deep breath. "Not since he told me that Charlie had developed complications. When Visitor Registration asked who I was here to see, I said 'Eppes' - and they wanted to know which one! You could have knocked me over with a feather when they said Alan was in the ER and Charles was being transported to CT!"

Alan allowed a small grin. "Robin, dear, anyone could knock you over with a feather any day of the week. I keep telling you to eat more."

She blushed. "Hey. I held my own against Audrey Paris, didn't I?" Her blush deepened when she realized what she had said. "I should have killed the bitch," she whispered.

Alan was reaching out to take her hand in his own when there was another, sharper, rap on the door. Before he could even answer, the curtain billowed again and Colby Granger strode in, effectively filling the tiny room, pocketing his FBI credentials. He stopped abruptly when he saw Robin. "Oh. Hey, Robin. I wondered why they gave me such a hard time out there - I finally had to break out the badge. I didn't realize Alan already had a visitor."

Alan glanced from one to the other. "Thank you both for coming," he started. "But you should both go upstairs and check on the boys. I'm feeling fine." He lifted his arm and flopped the IV tubing. "A little rest, a little happy juice, I'm as good as new. I'll be getting out of here myself as soon as this damn bag empties. I don't care who tries to stop me."

Colby and Robin both hesitated, and then spoke in unison, as if it were rehearsed. "I've got some bad news."

Alan was suddenly very glad he was lying down.

...

Rabbi Shulman was leaving the hospital, after spending the afternoon with his son. He was headed for the elevator when he saw a rather forlorn-looking Don sitting alone in a small waiting area.

The rabbi quickly altered his course. Soon, he was lowering himself into one of the other two chairs available. "Shalom," he said quietly.

Don had been staring intently at his own lap, but now he looked up quickly. A quick succession of expressions passed over his face: relief, guilt, worry. "Rabbi Shulman," he finally said. "How is Aaron?"

The Rabbi smiled. "My Aaron lives, thank you. The doctors speak of long-term consequences and rehabilitation; they make dire predictions. But I do not care if my Aaron can no longer be a surgeon. I care only that he lives." He saw a troubled look creep back into Don's face. "Besides," the rabbi added. "How do you say it? The cards, they are not all counted yet?"

The ghost of a smile played at Don's mouth. "Something like that, yeah."

The rabbi nodded. "These men and women, these experts, they do not know my Aaron. He will surprise them all." Don just nodded silently, and looked back at his lap.

Rabbi Shulman waited a few moments. "You are being released?" he finally asked. Don nodded again, not even bothering to look up. "And how is your brother?" persisted the rabbi in a soft voice.

This time Don did look up, his eyes growing suspiciously moist. "Okay," he said. He cleared his throat, and shrugged. "The man who tried to kill us came after us in the hospital. There was a struggle...I thought..." His voice trailed away.

The rabbi leaned forward in his chair and lightly touched Don's knee. "This man was stopped?"

Don nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, yes. Colby, from my team, he showed up at exactly the right time..." His eyes darkened, and his voice barely contained his rage. "Nardek had a gun. It discharged, and it looked like he hit Charlie- he was bleeding – for a minute, I thought -,"

The rabbi drew in a breath. "'Looked like' you say. But your brother was not shot?"

Don shook his head and stood abruptly. "He's on dialysis - Charlie might still die because of the beating he took from Nardek. In the struggle, we all hit the bed, and did some damage to the dialysis port in Charlie's arm. That's why there was so much blood." He turned away from the rabbi and walked to a window a few feet away. He stood and gazed at the hospital parking lot below.

Rabbi Shulman stood slowly, and walked to stand slightly behind Don. "Where is your brother now?" he asked.

Don kept his eyes trained on the parking lot. "They took him to do another scan. Then they have to see if they can do something with the port."

Both men were silent for almost a full minute. Finally, Don spoke. "I don't understand, Rabbi."

Rabbi Shulman was patient. "What, my son?"

Don sighed. "After all the talks you and I have had. All the work I've done. Why is it that all I want right now is to see Ralph Nardek's dead body?"

The rabbi stroked his beard, and watched small figures make their way toward the main entrance. "The covenant with Abraham and his descendants implies a future life. A life which will demand certain retributions."

Don turned his head to look at the Rabbi. "Is that enough for you? Some vague theological promise that someday, Nardek will get what's coming to him?" Don's voice grew slightly louder, and was tinged with anger. "After what happened to your son, how can you not know this feeling?"

Rabbi Shulman's eyes filled with unshed tears as he smiled sadly at Don. "You do not understand," he answered quietly. "I know all too well the need for vengeance that blackens your soul. It is I who will suffer retribution."

Don's eyes widened. "What the he... why? What are you talking about?"

Rabbi Shulman looked back toward the window, and Don could barely hear the whispered reply. "When Aaron's life was still uncertain...I, also, wished his shooter dead, just as you now wish ill for this man who has harmed your brother. There is evil in my heart."

Don's eyes softened and he moved a step closer to the rabbi. "No," he contradicted. "There is an all-consuming love for your child. Surely God, if there is one, understands such love."

"We shall see," murmured the rabbi. "We shall see."

...

Colby glanced quickly at Robin. "You heard about Nardek? Did Don call you?"

This time Robin and Alan spoke in unison. "Nardek!"

Alan again struggled to sit up. "Did you find him?"

Colby moved to help Alan dangle on the edge of the bed, then sat down next to him. "He sort-of found us," he admitted.

Robin crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. "He was here, wasn't he?"

Alan gasped, and Colby winced. "Look, it's not really BAD news - I mean, we got him, and everything. Nobody got shot."

Alan stretched his IV line dangerously taut as he clutched Colby's arm. "My God. Nardek brought a gun into the hospital?"

Colby studied Robin's face for a moment before he answered. "We got him," he reiterated. "Charlie's dialysis port was...displaced...so the docs are dealing with that. Don's upstairs waiting for him; I'll take you there as soon as they say you can go." He raised a questioning eyebrow at Robin. "You said you had bad news. If Don didn't call you, and you didn't know about Nardek..."

Alan followed Colby's logic, and looked worriedly at Robin. "You have some other news?"

Robin dropped her arms and crossed the space remaining between her and the gurney. She sat on the other side of Alan. "Don...asked me to stop by the Craftsman, pick up Amita and bring her back to the hospital," she explained.

"Dear Lord," Alan breathed. "Is something wrong with Amita, too?"

Robin reached into her jacket pocket. "I couldn't find her," she admitted, "but I found this. On the kitchen table." She handed a folded piece of paper to Alan. As he unfolded the note, Colby leaned a little closer, so that he could see it as well.

"Dear Charlie," Alan read aloud. "Please forgive me. The last few months have been too much for me; I need some time to process all that has happened." Abruptly Alan shoved the note in Colby's direction. "I can't read this," he said.

The agent took the paper and cleared his throat. "Charlie," he continued, "I don't know who you are, anymore. You keep secrets from me, abuse your medication, shut out all the people in your life, including me...but I still love the man you used to be, the man I hope you still are somewhere inside. I couldn't leave if I didn't know that your father and brother will take care of you, as they always have. Tell Alan 'thank you' for being a father to me; I'm sorry to do this to him too. I hope my leaving doesn't hurt you too much, but I need some time.

I don't really know how long I will be gone. I will contact you soon.

Charlie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

Amita."

Colby lowered the paper and looked up, stunned.

The room was silent until Robin extended her closed hand to Alan. "This was with the note," she said quietly, opening her hand. Resting in her palm was the beautiful pearl and pink diamond ring that Charlie had presented to Amita when she accepted his marriage proposal.

Alan groaned, squeezed his eyes shut, and began rocking slightly on the gurney. "My poor daughter," he moaned. "What have we done?" He groaned as he thought of Charlie. "My poor son!"

Robin quietly slipped the ring back into her pocket and draped an arm around Alan's shoulders. "It will be all right," she soothed. "Amita will be fine. Charlie will be fine. You'll see."

Colby had finally found his voice, but just barely. "Yeah," he agreed, awkwardly patting Alan on the knee. "Everything will work out."

...

End, Chapter 29

A/N: Fair Warning: Only one chapter left in PD 2; we are currently writing PD 3 and will tie everything up there. Now you must vote: How soon do you want that last, lonely, chapter?