Disclaimer: See part one.

Author's notes: Glad everyone's enjoying this because I'm having great fun writing it!

VICTIMS

(PART FIVE)

"So, does Steve completely despise me?"

It had been more than twenty-four hours since Jesse had stopped taking the myzephomine and he was getting back towards being his normal self. He still suffered some residual depression but, that morning, Mark knew that the desolation in his tone had nothing to do with the drugs.

Mark had known that this conversation was inevitable, but that didn't make it any easier. He sat down next to his friend's bed.

"Jesse," he began. "Steve wouldn't tell me exactly what it was that you said to him. "Only that it was something about bribes."

"I accused him of being on Gianni De Marco's payroll and said that was why nobody had ever been prosecuted for Chloe Parker's death." Jesse spoke quietly and without looking at the other man. "Christ, Mark. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Now, Jesse, that wasn't you talking. You were under the influence of a very dangerous drug. Steve knows that and he'll also know that you didn't mean it. You just have to give him time."

"I can't believe it," Jesse whispered and Mark knew that his words had done nothing to reassure him. "Steve was just doing what Steve always does, trying to help somebody. How could I attack him like that?"

"Jess..."

"How is the kid? The little girl?" he frowned, knowing that Mark had told him her name, but some of his memory was still a little blurry.

"Bethany," Mark supplied, seeing his struggle. "Well, they've started her treatment and she's responding reasonably well, but it's going to be a long, hard battle. She wasn't in the most sanitary of environments."

"And her dad? The guy who shot me?"

"Kim Ho." Mark made a mental note of Jesse's inability to remember those names. Hopefully it was just an after-effect of the drug and would cure itself. At worst, Jesse's subconscious could be blocking those memories, effectively distancing him from people he might otherwise be sympathetic of. "Steve's still working on that. He's meeting with the DA tomorrow."

"Tell him..." Jesse looked pleadingly at the older man. "Tell him I'll do whatever it takes. You know, if it will make things better."

"Jesse, if you're going to speak on behalf of Kim Ho, then you have to do it for the right reasons. You have to do it because you believe it's the right thing to do. Not just because you want to make up with Steve."

"But.."

"This isn't a decision you can make lightly. Take some time to think about it. Ask yourself why you're doing it. Then we'll talk again later, okay?"

Jesse nodded, recognising the wisdom of his mentor's words. Mark stood up to leave, but Jesse caught his arm.

"Tell him I'm sorry."

"He knows, Jesse. I promise you, he knows."

*****

The very nature of Steve's work meant that he was unable to avoid the hospital completely. That afternoon, on his way to see the DA, he'd had to call by and pick up an autopsy report from Amanda. Then the young pathologist had effectively bullied him into taking her to lunch.

They sat in a quiet corner of the hospital canteen and Amanda studied the detective as he ate.

"What?" he asked eventually, uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

"Jesse's getting better," she replied in a neutral voice.

"That's good news." Steve suddenly found his plate of pasta completely fascinating.

"You could always go and see for yourself."

"No."

"So, are you going to tell me why?"

Steve sighed and laid down his fork. He wanted nothing more than to escape this conversation, but knew that Amanda wouldn't let it go that easily.

"How much has dad told you?"

"Only that Jesse said something cruel to you, but that it was while he was sick. What's going on, Steve? You know Jesse would never..."

"That's the problem, Amanda. I know Jesse too well and for him to say what he did..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

"What could be so bad? You know he was having a drugs reaction. You should have seen him, it was awful. Those drugs really messed with his mind."

"I keep telling myself that, but it doesn't change anything. Even under the influence of drugs, I can't believe that Jesse would think me capable of taking bribes."

Amanda opened her mouth to respond, but Steve never gave her the chance.

"Don't Amanda," he warned her. "Don't tell me that he didn't mean it."

"But you know he didn't."

"Do I? If you'd have been there, Amanda. If you'd have seen his contempt, not just for me, but for everything that I stand for..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "He knew exactly what he was saying. And he meant every word."

*****

"I've thought about what you said, Mark and you were right." It was later in the afternoon and Jesse and Mark were once again talking about Kim Ho. "I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I want to."

"That's understandable."

"Look at what he's put me through. Not only the shooting, but then Doctor Morton. And now Steve. How can I just let him walk away?"

Mark could see that Jesse was still trying to justify his decision and so said nothing, not wanting to influence him in any way.

"I mean, I know it wouldn't be constructive for... him to be locked up." Again, Mark noticed his unwillingness to use his attacker's name. "But he has to be punished. I know there were extenuating circumstances, but he shot me, Mark. Am I such a bad person not to want to forgive him?"

"No, Jesse, you're not." Mark had to respond to the anguish in his voice. "You're human. It's perfectly understandable to feel like that."

"Steve's not going to see it that was though, is he?"

"Don't you worry about Steve. I'll explain to him." Mark injected confidence into his tone, even though he was not at all sure what his son's reaction would be.

"Can't you ask him to come here? I want to explain for myself. I need to talk to him. To apologise."

"Steve's really busy at the moment..."

"Don't, Mark. Don't lie to me. You mean he's still mad."

"Yeah, he's still mad," Mark admitted, ruefully. "But he will calm down, just give him time."

*****

Mark tried to talk to Steve over breakfast the next morning. He wanted to try and make Steve understand why Jesse had come to the decision that he had. He most certainly didn't want this driving a wedge any further between them. Unfortunately, the talk did not go well.

"Forget it, dad," Steve snapped, barely giving Mark the chance to begin his explanation. "I had a feeling he was going to do this."

"It's not a decision he came to lightly," Mark argued. "You have to try and look at this from Jesse's point of view."

"I am. Jesse's a doctor, he's supposed to have empathy and compassion. But no, all he wants to do is lock the kid up and throw away the key."

"That's not very fair..."

"I'm not being fair?" The moment that Steve flared up, Mark knew that he'd lost. "How fair is Jesse being to Kim Ho? He's thirteen, with a sick baby. That's what's not fair."

"Steve, you have to remember that Jesse has never even met these people. He's not as emotionally involved as you are."

"I am not emotionally involved. I'm just trying to do the right thing here."

Forsaking the rest of his breakfast, Steve grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house.

*****

Later that day, Steve sat in his car, stuck in traffic. He was on his way to the DA's office and was determined that, even without Jesse's help, he would do his best for Kim Ho.

The traffic was driving him mad, barely moving at a crawl and the inactivity was giving him way too much time to think. He was also getting angrier by the minute, both at himself and at Jesse.

He had always loved being a cop and had never before doubted either his ability or his integrity. Jesse had changed all of that. Those words had stung him. He'd tried to shrug them off, telling himself all of the reasons for his friend's behaviour, but they kept coming back until he was starting to believe that at least a part of what he'd said was true.

"He died because he didn't believe in justice and he was right."

There was no justice. Chloe and Kenny Parker had died for nothing. And now, when Jesse so badly needed that faith in the justice system to be restored, Steve was trying to take it away from him. He hadn't even had the chance to explain why.

Steve glanced out of the window. Traffic going in the other direction was flowing smoothly. Coming to a sudden decision, he pulled a completely illegal U-turn and headed back towards the hospital.

*****

"Jesse, wake up. I need to talk to you."

The young doctor blinked groggily, as he realised that someone was shaking him. Then full awareness returned and he stiffened as he recognised both the voice and the face of Philip Morton. Instinctively, he reached towards the call button, but Morton was too quick for him and easily caught hold of his wrist.

"Don't, please. Just listen to what I have to say."

Jesse nodded warily, but didn't relax his guard. Morton had closed all of the blinds and shut the door. There were no witnesses to their conversation. Without being invited, Morton sat on the edge of the bed.

"I only came back to apologise." The older man seemed sincere, but Jesse's gaze was still distrustful. "What I did was unforgivable. It must have been awful for you."

"It was."

"I can only say how sorry I am and try to explain my reasons. When Benson Labs approached me, I never intended to test their Damned drug. I knew what it used to be, it's reputation."

"You knew?" Jesse stared at him disbelievingly. "You knew what it was capable of and you still..."

"Please, hear me out. Last year I got into some trouble, financially. I won't go into the details, but I lost everything. My wife, my home. I just needed to get back on my feet and Benson labs..."

"You did it for money? I can't believe that. Is that supposed to make it alright?" Jesse shook his head. Some of his memories of his time under the influence of myzephomine were sketchy, but still incredibly painful. "What you put me through..."

"Listen, I was desperate, you have to understand that. I made a mistake, that's all. It could happen to anyone. How was I supposed to know you were going to have such a bad reaction? But you're alright now. No lasting harm was done."

Jesse listened, absolutely dumbfounded. No lasting harm. He remembered the look on Steve's face the last time he had seen him. He wanted to yell at the man, to tell him exactly what his precious drug had cost him, but he couldn't find the words.

"Jesse, that's what I want to talk to you about," Morton continued. "I've severed all ties with Benson Labs. I'll never do anything like that again, but I need another chance. Doctor Sloan is going to report me to the Medical Council. That's going to cost me my licence. I love being a doctor, Jesse. I don't know what I'll do if they stop me from practising medicine. Will you talk to him, please? Get him to change his mind."

"No." Jesse shook his head, appalled by what he was hearing. "What you did was... And it wasn't just me, was it? Mark said that there were half a dozen of your patients on that drug. What were they doing, paying you by the head?"

"It wasn't like that..."

"I don't care what it was like. You're supposed to be a doctor, you're supposed to prevent suffering, not cause it."

Morton grabbed hold of Jesse's wrist again and his grip was painfully tight. He leaned in closer to him.

"Get Doctor Sloan to change his mind." Any pretence at politeness was gone from his tone. "You don't want me as an enemy."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Oh yes, Doctor Travis. You'd better believe that I am."

TO BE CONTINUED...