Danielle lent against the bars of Derek Chancer's now former cell, feeling suddenly exhausted and overcome by dizziness. She knew what it was, adrenaline. Before she even realised it, Michael was there, his arms tight around her.
"Are you alright?" The 2 doctors and 3 guards said together.
"Um, yes I think so," Danielle tried to smile. "I just came over a little weak and dizzy for a second. Adrenaline, I know."
Michael lifted her up and in to their cell once more. Dr Stark followed and as Michael lay Danielle on the bed, knelt beside her and laid a hand against her forehead, checking her temperature. Danielle recalled with self-disgust how the old her would've called it patronising, told the doctor to get off. Not now though. Dr Stark's other hand took her wrist, checking her pulse. Joanne entered behind her, just as Michael handed Danielle a glass of cold water.
"Very well done Danielle," Dr Loomis said. "I hardly recognised you from the woman who first entered this hospital."
"Well said" Dr Stark and Joanne agreed. Danielle decided now was the time. When Jack and Rick came back, she'd tell them all how she felt for them. There were a lot of good guards there sure, but these 3 had treated her with nothing but kindness and gone out of their way to help her. Jack keeping her distracted when Chancer was being interrogated the first time, Joanne for being there whenever Danielle needed her, despite her blatant rudeness towards the guard when she'd first arrived. Remembering it now made her cringe. Danielle was glad to see the back of that woman herself.
"I'm sorry Michael," Danielle said softly. "I hadn't planned for the night I told you to end like this."
"Hush," Danielle was certain Michael said as he held her tightly. Dr Stark straightened up.
"Your pulse and temperature are both fine, Danielle. I recommend a nice hot drink, then for you to relax with your man there. I know he'll look after you for us."
Danielle smiled again. It was weak, but contained genuine happiness. "Yes Dr Stark," she said instantly. She was not being sarcastic. She asked her consultant for a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marsh mallows.
"That's my girl," Dr Stark touched her hand.
"Before I do though," Danielle said. "I desperately want to speak to Joanne, Rick and Jack. May I?"
"Of course," Dr Stark said. "But you stay lying down on that bed you hear? I'll ask them to come to you." Michael, keep an eye on her and make sure she stays there."
"Yes Dr Stark," Danielle said again.
A few minutes later, Danielle heard the block doors open then Dr Stark talking to the 2 male guards. "Joanne," Danielle said. "Where's Ryan? Isn't he meant to be here tonight?"
"He's off sick," Dr Loomis said, standing in the doorway. "But don't worry," he added, seeing the concern on Danielle's face. "It's just the flu, he'll be fine."
"Man flu," Joanne muttered. "Just didn't want to work a late shift."
Danielle covered her mouth and snorted with laughter.
"I heard that," Dr Loomis said, but Danielle knew he was smiling. "I'll be sure to tell him!"
Joanne laughed. "Seriously, hope he's ok."
"He will be," Rick's voice said as he appeared beside them. "He's a tough cookie is Ryan."
That's for sure. Danielle thought. You don't get much tougher than surviving Michael Myers grabbing your throat, apology or not. Joanne squeezed her shoulder and Danielle was sure they were right then thinking the same thing.
"You're no push over yourself Rick," Danielle said. Mr. Chancer almost killed you."
Rick smiled at her as Jack stepped in. "Hey," he said. "Did you want us, Danielle?"
"Please," Danielle said, nodding. Knowing she was under Michael's and Dr Stark's watchful eyes, she eased herself up against the pillows, but didn't try to stand. Michael stood up and headed for the exit and Dr Stark closed the door behind him. Danielle felt her love if possible intensify for Michael. He was giving her privacy, as was Dr Stark.
"I don't know the best way to say this," Danielle began and without knowing why as she'd done many times before, pressed the button to close the screen so she couldn't be heard except by the 3 of them. "Please just hear me out?"
"Of course," the guards said together quietly and Danielle cleared her throat.
"I wanted to thank the 3 of you from the bottom of my heart and soul for being there for me since I got here. Before you say it, don't you dare come out with it is "just our job,"" she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers. "Because that's bullshit and you know it! Yes it's your job to guard me, but that's it, guard. You 3 by contrast have gone out of your way to help me when the heat's come down. Jack, you by watching a film with me and showing me the cinema and your work equipment to keep me distracted when Chancer was being interrogated. You didn't have to do that. Not to mention not stopping me and helping me aim that gun properly tonight. Truth be told, I probably would've missed if shooting him on my own, but he wasn't to know that. I was seriously tempted to shoot, you know. But I made the right decision. He's going to the chair, which is exactly what he deserves. You Rick for treating me nothing but kindly from day one. When I found out what Derek Chancer had done, I was devastated. If I hadn't been stuck here, I'd have come to visit you myself. As for you Joanne, where do I start? You've almost been a mother to me, which I haven't had much of. Emma Avery is amazing, but my own mom buggered off and abandoned me a few years ago because I'm blind." She heard Jack's soft, "What?"
"I won't lie, I was terrified when I first got here and tried to hide it under stupid false bravado. But you saw right through that Joanne and cracked it with ease. Yes Michael of course did his part too, but without you I would never have got this far. Hell one of the first nights I was here," she reached for her water jug and for the first time, showed the guards how she'd tried to run her wrists across it, looking for a sharp edge. "I was this close. Without you Joanne I may very well have tried something. Then with the trial, you were there with me from the word go. Yes Dr Stark had asked you to do it, but you stayed on the night it was over when you should've gone home! Don't think I don't know about that because I do! You've all gone over and above your duties as guards towards me in one way or another since I got here, all 3 of you. I don't know how to say this, so I'll just say it straight."
She turned her head towards the 3 not just guards, but friends. "I adore all 3 of you," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I'll do anything for every one of you. Please just ask and if I can do it I will. I love you like a mother, Joanne. Jack I see you as an older brother and Rick, maybe an uncle?"
There was a brief silence, then Joanne knelt and hugged her tightly.
"You're a sweetheart Danielle," Jack said, sounding incredibly touched. "But it is just…"
"No!" Danielle almost shouted. "I told you, don't you dare say that! There's a job, then a job! You know damn well you've done way more than you had to." Jack shut his mouth.
"That's very sweet of you Danielle," Rick said. "I'm very touched, but you don't have to do anything for me except enjoy your new life."
"Well said" Joanne and Jack said together, Danielle still hugging Joanne tightly. Eventually, she released her guard with one arm to open the screen again.
"Hey," Jack said suddenly. "Has Rick passed the ear test yet?"
"Oh God!" Joanne mock groaned as Rick said huh?"
Danielle blushed but couldn't help laughing. "Come here Rick?"
The guard did so, kneeling beside her bed. It was only then she noticed how tall he was. , she reached up and felt his ears for the first time.
"So?" Jack asked. "I got a verdict from the ear judge of small!"
"Ha-ha," Joanne laughed. "I got small and cute from her honour of ears!"
"Medium sized, normal," Danielle said, mortified but also laughing.
"Huh!" Rick said, standing again. "So we've gone from small and cute, to small, to medium sized and normal? I don't know whether to be hurt or relieved!"
Everyone laughed. She could hardly believe it when Dr Stark opened the door and said "go on then, what about mine?"
For the very first time, Danielle felt the consultant's ears. They too were relatively small, but she pretended to be considering her answer.
"Watch out," Jack warned. "You might not like her verdict, Dr Stark."
"Um normal," Danielle blushed.
"Oh yeah?" Dr Loomis teased and once again Danielle couldn't believe what was happening, as she now touched his ears. Affection almost consumed her for all of them once more. "Ok you've got nice ears," she said to Dr Loomis, making everyone laugh.
"What do you want?" Dr Loomis asked. "Flattery will get you everywhere!"
"So missy?" Joanne said. "What about Michael's ears? He doesn't get out of this either you know!" As she said this, she pulled back so the man in question could retake his place beside Danielle on the bed and pull her close. Danielle tweaked his ears and before she could stop herself, the truth had come tumbling out of her mouth. "Sexy as all hell."
…
Adam was seriously pissed off when his phone rang at 02:00. He answered, prepared to give his caller a fucking piece of his mind when the man's words stopped him dead. "Look at the news, Mr. Leach wants to see you, café, 10." He was gone.
If Adam had felt uneasy the last time he'd met the crime Lord, now it was even worse. He dressed, trying to stop his hands from shaking as he did so. He picked up his phone and stared in horror. So it was true. The headline was there for all to see. Even Danielle wouldn't miss this. Derek Chancer was indeed going to the electric chair. That meant that every text he'd received the night before was true. Not to mention the second one really had been from Dr Loomis. This was very, very bad.
Yet again, he thought of his father and suddenly, he wanted to see him so badly it almost hurt. Fuck he missed his old man. How could he get himself out of this? Edward would know, but he was miles away behind bars, and Adam had no chance of reaching him without arranging it first.
"Fuck," he said aloud as he headed for his front door. "Oh fuck, dad you might have been right… I should've listened…"
When he reached the internet café, Chris Leach was already there. "Sir," Adam began.
"Cut it out Adam," Leach snapped, his tone brisk and to the point. "We're terminating your contract with immediate effect."
"Why… What?" Adam stared at the crime boss; sure he'd miss heard. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Leach snapped. "But in case your little ears missed it, I'll say it again. We're, terminating, your, contract. Right now."
"But…" Adam desperately tried not to sound pleading. "But why, Mr. Leach Sir?"
"Um, let's think. Perhaps because everything you got last night on your iPod is true. Perhaps because Chancer is in fact going to the chair. Perhaps because the risk to us has got too high and the prophet no longer outweighs the risk. Your father was correct. Danielle is too hot. Leave well alone. Well now we're doing just that. You're more than welcome to keep pursuing her should you wish, but we won't be helping you any further."
Leach handed Adam back his envelope of cash he'd handed over the day before. "900 bucks," the crime boss said. "A hundred taken for our troubles, but we are not posting the bug or camera to Smith's Grove. There is no point. You may have missed this, Adam." Leach pulled out a phone and bought up a photo. "It came through on the iPod's connection just now. One of the quacks or guards must've sent it. But take a look."
Adam did so and felt everything go numb. He hardly even had the energy to feel anger and hatred towards Danielle now. This was something he could not change. The photo showed Danielle and Michael Myers kissing to the lips. Adam hadn't wanted to believe it, but here was indisputable evidence.
"You see?" Leach put his phone away. "I expect you will find said photo on your phone as well. Chancer is going to the chair; Danielle is now in a relationship with Mr. Myers. Both of those facts are leading to the termination of your contract. What you do from here on in is your choice. But our organisation is done with your case. You will take out your phone in front of me right now and delete our number in a way the pigs can't find it and you are not to call it again."
Adam Dawson had never before considered himself a beaten man. But that picture of Danielle and Michael kissing had broken the last of his resolve. Charlotte however, now she was another story. He could still pursue her and would do. He once again thought of Edward. Fuck he needed his old man right now, he felt so desperate and frankly, alone for the first time in his life. It was not an emotion he was used to or liked in the slightest.
Numbly, he took out his phone and did as the crime Lord instructed. He had it memorised, but regardless he would not be calling it again. Making Chris Leach angry was not a good idea. For so long, Adam hadn't wanted to admit defeat, but that fucking picture…
He took several deep breaths, trying to keep calm. This was it; he was on his own. Leach regarded him, his cold blue eyes without a shred of warmth, mercy or sympathy. "Face it Adam," he said, standing. "You've lost."
What made that statement worse, was that Adam new Leach was right. He'd lost a shit load of money for nothing and as for Danielle… What the fuck had made Michael fucking Myers fall in love with her of all people? He was a damn killer, not a lover! Why hadn't she been dead long ago? Now, Adam was the one who would be dead if he kept pursuing her. If it wasn't too late already that was. Michael Myers was bound to know everything Danielle had been through from him, considering he was her God Damn boyfriend now! That picture proved it. Adam wouldn't have been surprised if one of the guards or quacks had sent it precisely for this reason. Shit! That pic had done irreparable damage and very probably ended his life.
"So if you'll excuse me," Chris Leach said, making to head towards the door. "I'll wish you a good life, Adam, however short it may be."
That last angered Adam, but he also knew Leach was correct. He might not have long left if Michael Myers was after him. He didn't like it, but now he thought about it he could kind of understand why Leach was doing what he was. Michael Myers was a too dangerous enemy. Leach wanted out before his blood was on Myers's hands.
"Mr. Leach," Adam had called out the crime Lord's name before he'd really thought through what he was about to say. Leach looked back, a cold and mocking smile on his lips. "Why… What do I do now?"
Leach actually laughed in his face and Adam didn't dare say anything. Leach had him where he wanted him and knew it. Adam would never dare argue with or challenge Chris Leach.
"If you want my honest opinion Adam," Leach said, his voice as relaxed and casual as if they were discussing tomorrow's weather. "If I were you, I'd start praying now and arrange your funeral."