"Rain's here until midnight," Jackson said and knew the others understood he was volunteering to stay with Larabee and Standish until then. He heard them leave and nodded at Tanner when the Texan said he'd be back at midnight to relieve him.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

The next three days passed in a blur for Chris Larabee, his fever continued to cause problems until it finally abated in a burst that left Chris worn out and sleeping deeply.

Ezra knew the other man was weak and while his own IV had been removed, Larabee's was still running steadily into his arm because of the danger of dehydration. He slid his legs over the edge of the bed and sat for a few minutes, unconsciously rubbing at the itch that signaled the wound was healing.

Ezra knew Simmons would be in shortly and hoped the gruff physician would sign his release papers. He was eating and drinking and the pain was manageable now with Tylenol #3s. He put on his slippers, made his way to the window, and stared down at the street below.

"Anything interesting down there, Standish or would you be interested in letting me take a look at you and maybe giving you your walking papers...or should that be shuffling papers," Simmons said and drew the curtains to allow them some privacy.

"I do not shuffle."

"Today, you do," Simmons told him. "Now take off your shirt and lets see about getting you out of here."

Ezra took off the pajama top he was wearing and sat on the edge of his bed as Simmons gently pulled the bandage away from the wound. The older man was thorough in his examination of the area surrounding the wound, but finally picked up the chart and made several notations before dropping it back on the table and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How do you feel, Standish, and none of Larabee's 'I'm fine' crap," Simmons ordered.

"Honestly..."

"Now there's a novel thought," the physician said with a grin.

"I'm tired and sore and when I get home I'm going to climb into bed and stay there for a week..."

"Deal, I'll have the papers drawn up for you to sign. A week in bed sounds just about right," Simmons said.

"What about Chris? When will you release him?"

"Well, Chris is living up to his reputation when it comes to complications," Simmons answered and stood up. "Although his temperature is down and he seems to be sleeping soundly right now and that's a good thing. I'll talk with Dr. Silverman later today and if everything stays as it is I'll probably sign his release papers tomorrow morning."

"I'll hold you to that, Simmons." Larabee's voice sounded weak, but there was no mistaking his intent as Simmons pulled back the curtain and moved to his bed.

"You look like death warmed over, Larabee," the gruff physician observed.

"After what you people have put me through, I'll take that as a compliment," the blond grumbled and pressed the button to raise the head of his bed. "So, Ez, you're getting out of here."

"That's what the man said," Standish agreed.

"Well, I have other patients to see so I'll leave you two to it. Standish, make sure you rest, take your meds, and keep your appointments with Dr. Silverman and Stacey," Simmons said and turned his attention to the second man. "As for you, Larabee, don't go trying to slip out with Standish!"

"And miss your sunny personality," Larabee said with a grin.

"Real funny. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Simmons told him and left the two men alone.

"Who are you going to call to drive you home?" Larabee asked.

"I believe Vin said he would be in around noon so if you don't mind the company I'll wait for him," Standish said and walked slowly to the closet where the clothing Josiah brought him were hanging. He brought them to his bed and sat down before looking at the blond. "Chris, I was thinking."

"Bad thing to do in here, Ezra," Larabee said, waiting for the other man to continue.

"When you get out of here why don't you stay at my penthouse for a while. I mean it would make things easier for the guys considering they will be overly protective..."

"You mean they'll be in mother hen mode?"

"Precisely...and it would simply benefit everyone if we were staying in one place."

"Thanks, Ezra, that sounds like a plan," Larabee told him. "I'll have Vin grab some things from the ranch and drop them at your place. You did lay in a good supply of your special blend?"

"Of course," Standish answered and closed the curtains while he dressed.

Chris laid his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes as he listened to his roommate get dressed. He envied Standish being allowed to leave, but at least if things continued then he'd be leaving this place himself the next morning. He glanced at the doorway as footsteps neared and wasn't surprised to find Orin Travis standing there.

"Come in, Orin," Larabee said when the older man seemed unsure whether he should enter or not.

"How are you feeling, Chris?" the former judge asked.

"Better, Orin, according to Simmons I can go home tomorrow," the blond answered as Standish drew back the curtain.

"Good morning, Orin," Standish greeted.

"Good morning, Ezra, I'm guessing by your attire that you're getting out of here today," Travis observed.

"Simmons seems to think I am sufficiently recovered and can recuperate just as well at home," the gambler told him.

"Nice to know your injuries haven't affected your vocabulary," Travis offered and pulled a chair closer to Larabee's bed.

"What's going on, Orin?" the blond asked.

"I spoke with Daniel today about Kent and Styles," Travis said.

"And?"

"The board has turned all his files over to the police and the board is cooperating with the authorities. For all intents and purposes it looks like Kent really was behind the murders and Styles helped him by supplying the drugs he used on you, Chris."

"At least they won't be costing the taxpayers anything," Larabee observed.

"JD's still working on the files he sent to the office from Shady Acres. He says he's found some discrepancies in Kent's hidden agenda, but he hasn't been able to figure out why it's bothering him," Travis said.

"If JD thinks something's not right then he's probably correct and I would allow him the necessary time to find what he's searching for," Standish said.

"Believe me, I agree. I've learned over the years to trust each of you and if your instincts tell you something then I'd put money on the outcome," the former judge observed.

"Thanks, Orin," Larabee said.

"You're welcome, now stop worrying about Shady Acres and any other cases and concentrate on healing," Travis said.

"How are Mary and Billy?" Larabee asked of Travis' daughter-in-law and her son.

"They're fine. Billy is doing very well in school and has joined the baseball team. They're coming back for a visit next month since Gerard is supposed to be going to England on business," Travis answered. At one point he'd been half expecting Chris and Mary to get together, but that had not happened and Mary had fallen in love with Gerard and they'd been married six months ago. Gerard was good for Mary and treated Billy like his own and for that, Orin was grateful, but it was still somewhat of a disappointment.

"That's good to hear. Let me know when they get here and maybe we'll have a BBQ at the ranch," the blond said and sighed tiredly.

"I will, Chris, and on that note I'll let you rest. Now, Ezra, don't let me catch you anywhere near the office until I hear from Stacey," Travis ordered before leaving the two men alone.

Chris watched as Ezra finished packing, but soon found his mind drifting as sleep beckoned to him and he gave in to its call. He didn't see the worry or guilt that crossed Standish's face, yet his mind was filled with his own version of guilt as it followed him into his dreams.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

JD looked at the files on his desk and cursed that he needed to update them before concentrating on Raymond Kent's hidden agenda. There was no doubt that the man was crazy and had tried to kill Chris, but there was more to it than what was seen with the naked eye. He'd been able to uncover several other inconsistencies where Kent was concerned, but again they didn't help prove conclusively that he was behind the deaths at Shady Acres.

JD took the top file and sighed heavily as he opened it and began reading what he'd put in there. The Johansson case was a done deal with Robert Johansson finally complying with everything that had been set forth by the lawyer or Mildred Dawson. The elderly woman had been taken for a ride by the enigmatic conman, but he hadn't been able to fool Josiah when they'd confronted him with Mrs. Dawson's approval. JD signed off on the case and put the file in the pile that would need Wilmington's approval before being sent to Travis.

JD read through several more files before realizing he really wasn't concentrating on the task at hand and that wasn't fair to the agency's clients. He pushed the files away, pulled the laptop closer, and tapped several keys to bring up Kent's file.

"JD, are you back at it?" Wilmington asked and knew by the look on Dunne's face he'd been enthralled with whatever he'd been working on.

"Oh, hi, Buck, what time is it?"

"Nearly four...did you get the Johansson and Dawson files finished?"

"Yeah, they're on that stack. I'll get to the rest tomorrow," Dunne told him.

"JD, son, I know you think you're missing something with Kent, but there's not much more we can do for now. It's time to take care of the other clients," Wilmington observed.

"I know...I just have the feeling there's something important we're missing."

"You're not the only one who feels that way, Kid, but right now all we have are questions and the answers will have to wait. I'm going to go see Mrs. Dawson and update her on everything. Why don't you shut that down and come with me. You know how she loves it when young blood pays attention to her," the ladies man said, relieved when the Bostonian did as he suggested and headed for the door.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

"Fuck...fucking kill you." "Easy, Jacobson, I'm going to help you. You're in trouble, Jacobson, but I can help you. You want to hide until they get your brother out of here don't you?" "Killed him...killed the bastard." "No, you didn't kill him, Jacobson, but I can make sure no one finds you." "Why ...help me?" "I don't like men like your brother. They're self-righteous bastards who think only of themselves. It wasn't your fault that he got what he deserved." "Deserved more...fuckin' cheat...never did trust...trust him..."

The words all ran together until they became a long jangled sentence spoken in two voices that could not be separated. There was no one in the room to see the misery that shone in the sea green eyes that were open and staring at the ceiling as if they bore witness to the pain he'd caused. Chris turned on his side and drifted back into the nightmarish images as two new voices invaded his dreams.

"What the hell? Where's Jacobson?" "He's right here, but between the drugs you gave him and the ones Kent gave him he's a mess." "Look, I need to get out of here before we're discovered. Take the gun and shoot Larabee..." "Why the hell don't you do it?" "I can't be seen here. Look, shoot Jacobson and make it look like he killed Kent. You'll be a hero for catching the crazy patient, and Ray will be a martyr." "I..." "Time's wasting, Craig, and I'm the one holding all the cards now that you took care of Kent. Kill Jacobson and I'll make damn sure you're on easy street for the rest of your life."

"No," Larabee's voice was soft in the darkened room with no one to hear his cries as he sank deeper into the nightmare. The voices were strangely familiar and distinctly female at some point, but who was she and why did she want him dead.

TBC