Recovery
Diagnosis Murder
Steve Sloan/Mark Sloan
Family/Hurt Comfort
Spoilers: Retribution Parts One and Two
Carol visits Mark once again in prison.
Disclaimer: I don't own Diagnosis Murder and the characters. I only own my original characters and ideas.
A/N: This is my first Diagnosis Murder fanfiction story, please go easy on me!
Another Prison Visit
Carol endured a few inconveniences to visit Mark for the umpteenth time since learning about his guilty verdict and that Steve woke up from his coma. She had some good news regarding Steve's progress. However, she needed to be prepared for any news from her father, whether it's good or bad.
"Ms. Sloan, here is your visitor's pass," Vicki, a 30-something corrections officer Carol had gotten to know, told her. "Someone will let your father know you are coming. How is your brother doing?"
"Steve is recovering nicely," Carol replied. "He has been walking with a walker for the past two weeks. Next stop for him will be walking with a cane. Eventually, he will walk without any assistance. He wants to get back to the police department ASAP. I think that he has a very nasty case of cabin fever with being in the hospital for a few months."
"I don't blame him. I will see you later."
Carol walked toward the death row inmate visitors' room where Mark was waiting for her on the other side of the plexi-glass window. A guard escorted her to the only empty chair. She sat down and started to talk with her unjustly imprisoned father.
"Hey daddy," Carol said. "I know the answer to this question is obvious, but I will ask you anyway. How have you been doing?"
"I am doing fine despite the circumstance," Mark answered. "I am still getting harassed by Malcolm Trainor. This man doesn't know when to stop flapping those lips of his. How much taunting can one person dole out? How much of that one person can take?"
"Daddy, have you tried to talk to one of the corrections officers, the guards or even the warden? Maybe they can move him to another cell or block."
"Honey, thank you for your suggestions, but I don't think it would do any good. It seems to me that they don't want to believe me. Maybe it's because they always take Trainor's side."
"Is there some way that I could ask Steve to get involved?"
"You could ask him, but he is on medical leave pending that he passes a physical examination."
"What I meant was that he could contact someone in the department to help you!"
"Even if he could, that won't be of much help."
"Why? Daddy, you insist you are innocent. Steve and I both believe you! So do Amanda and Jesse."
"I still can't figure how they had managed to misconstrue the evidence against me. While, I understand they are doing their jobs, but I consider this to be one of their sloppiest job."
"I am not sure if I had told you this during one of my previous visits. I met with one of Steve's colleagues, a Sergeant Tanis Archer."
"I think you had told me. Where are you going with this?"
"She told me that following the evidence is like going down a rabbit hole. You didn't know where it would lead you."
"I agree, but this is more like a magic show performed by an absolutely incompetent magician."
"Ugh, daddy, please don't remind me of the time when you and mom took Steve and me to that monstrosity when we were kids! There was that little boy that volunteered to be part of one trick and he almost disappeared permanently. His parents almost called the police on that moron and nearly slapped a lawsuit on the company that employed him."
"I only mentioned that to prove a point. Only, it wasn't incompetence on part of the police, but more of perception."
"Ah, I think I know what you mean! Once that evidence leads you down that rabbit hole, it can play tricks on your own perception."
"I wouldn't really put it that way, that is when convicts the wrong person. If the evidence leads to the right person, there aren't any tricks on perception."
"Now, it's crystal clear. I have one question regarding this observation."
"Ask away, honey!"
"If the evidence had been improperly deciphered by the police, then who could've been responsible for making this travesty of justice if it had misled them?"
"I wouldn't point the finger at the police entirely as they were doing their job. I have a nagging feeling that someone in this prison was culpable. I think that person had outside help."
"Can you at least give me a name?"
"At the moment, I can't, but I have a feeling that this man has a relative is behind all these rotten shenanigans."
"You can tell me when you feel ready."
There was a brief and eerie silence between father and daughter. They stared at each other with sad and frustrating expressions.
"I know you have visited Steve at the hospital numerous times," Mark broke the eerie tranquility. "You also accompanied him to his physical therapy sessions as well as his psychotherapy ones."
"Yes, I have and he is making amazing progress on both fronts," Carol replied with relief that the conversation topic changed. "I think I told you that he no longer gets around exclusively by a wheelchair. He getting stronger with the physical therapy and his next goal is to use a cane."
"I take it his ultimate goal is to finally walk again without any assistance."
"Oh yeah, I think he is getting fed up with being in the hospital."
"In a way, I can sympathize with experiencing cabin fever. The only difference is that Steve will eventually be released from the hospital, but I am not sure if I will recover from mine and survive."
"Daddy, stop thinking negatively! You are innocent! You will get out of this horrible place!"
"I hope you are right. Oh, I have been meaning to ask if you know when Steve will finally be out of the hospital."
"Jesse anticipates that Steve will be home in about another month or two."
"Well, I need to tell you to keep an eye on him."
"I know what you are talking about and I will make sure he follows Jesse's orders and he behaves himself."
"That includes getting lots of rest, which I am sure he won't enjoy! Also, he'll most likely get a lecture from Chief Masters about being on medical leave."
"I will do my damnedest to enforce the orders of doctor and police chief."
"Carol, just don't take it to the extremes like handcuffing him with his handcuffs."
"Daddy, I wouldn't dream of handcuffing my brother. I'll probably hide the keys to your car and his truck in my suitcase, if necessary."
Mark laughed at his daughter's remark about hiding the keys. A guard approached Carol and told her that her visit with her father ended for the day. She nodded in understanding.
"I wish these timed visits would be longer," Carol protested as she rose from her seat.
"I know, honey," Mark lamented. "I know! I will see you tomorrow or the day after. I love you!"
"I love you, too, Daddy! Bye!"
They each blew a kiss to each other and Carol turned to leave the visitors area. As she left the prison complex, she returned her visitor's pass to Vicki. The two women talked briefly and said their goodbyes. Finally, Carol left to do some needed grocery shopping and finally to the beach house.
TBC
Author's Post Chapter Note: Next chapter, I am bringing in another Sloan relative into the story. I won't divulge who it is, tune in and find out!
