AN: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. Sorry this part took so long, but
between school and writers block it's been hard. Any who, here you go.
TTFN
Ty
Peter, Caine, and Kermit were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. Aurora was rushed into surgery on arrival. Peter tried to go with her, but the nurse had insisted he stay in the lobby. Caine and Kermit arrived a few minutes after the ambulance. Now, an hour later, the three of them were still sitting in the lobby waiting for news on Aurora.
Thought's had been racing through Peter's head. He should have been there sooner; he should never have let her go with Tom. He was placing guilt on himself, and it was weighing on his chest like a hundred pound anvil crushing his heart into tiny pieces. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.
Caine placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is not your fault my son. Do not carry the guilt of something you could not have changed."
Peter pulled from his fathers embrace and stood up. "It was my fault Pop. I promised her that I would never let him hurt her again, and look at her now. She's in the hospital fighting for her life."
"There's nothing you could have done, kid," Kermit told him. "You would have lost your job, and probably would have been in jail yourself."
"Better to be in jail, than have Aurora struggling to survive!"
Caine was about to respond, when a young, female doctor with long brown hair and green eyes walked up to them. She was on the slightly hefty side with a round face and chubby red cheeks. Her lips were full filling out her face.
Peter looked up at her expectantly, but couldn't read a thing on her face. Her eyes were as blank as the rest of her. Her nametag read Dr. Grey.
"Detective Caine I presume?"
"Yes, how's Aurora?"
"Her left lung was punctured, we had to go in and repair it. We had to put twelve stitches in her scalp, three of her ribs were broken, not to mention the numerous bruises and contusions through out her body."
Peter was clenching and unclenching his fists. "Doctor, did he? I mean was she? I mean."
"Are you asking if she was raped detective?"
Normally Peter wouldn't have a problem asking, but this was Aurora. He couldn't even imagine something like that happening to her. He nodded in response to the doctor.
"No, Detective, she was not raped."
Peter let out the breath he had been holding. "Will she be all right?"
"Physically, yes. Mentally?" Dr. Grey shrugged. "Only time will tell."
"Can I see her?"
"They've just moved her into room 412 in the pediatrics ward. She should be waking up soon."
"Thank you Doctor." Peter said, taking off for the elevators, with Caine and Kermit close behind.
None of them said anything on the elevator ride. Anger was too high in their blood. Even Caine himself was fuming. Fury was thick in the air, permeating through out the elevator. The rage would pour out with their words if they were to talk to each other. They felt the tension and didn't want to take it out on each other.
They got out of the elevator and went to the nurse's station.
"Excuse me nurse," Peter said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Where can I find room 412?"
She pointed the way. Peter didn't bother to say thanks; he just made his way to the room. The three men hurriedly walked down the hall, but were brought to an abrupt halt in the doorway.
The room was a bright yellow color with a white and yellow sunshine border running across the top of the wall. There were pictures of clowns and crayon drawings from previous children in the room. It looked like a room any happy kid would want to stay in, but what was in the middle of the room, turned the brightness into a cold, dull, morbid gray.
Aurora was lying in the hospital bed with both the guardrails up. There was an oxygen tube in her nose to help her breath. Her black hair was mussed underneath the white gauze that wrapped her head. Bruises covered her too pale face, as well as her small arms. There were several I.V.'s hooked into her arms and machines beeped all around her.
Peter walked over to the bed, grasping the rails. He clutched them so tight his knuckles were turning white. He looked at the fragile girl lying in bed and his heart sank. All the anger melted out of him and was replaced by pain and love for this little girl. Pain because she was hurt so and love because.well he loved her. He hadn't known her very long, but he loved her nonetheless.
Caine and Kermit stood on the other side of the bed, gazing down at the sleeping teen. Their hearts went out to her, letting the anger slip away. They just wanted her to be well. They wanted her to be happy. They wanted to take all the pain away and give her what she deserved. A family who loves her.
Peter brushed his hand lightly against the side of her cheek. Aurora jumped from the small touch. Her eyes were wide with fear, darting all around the room. The anesthesia still had some effect so Aurora was still disoriented. The heart monitor that was hooked up to her started speeding up.
"Calm down Aurora. It's Peter. You're safe."
Her eyes were still wide for a moment, but the scene started to melt into place. Aurora realized that she wasn't with Tom anymore. She realized that she was with Peter, and Caine, and that other guy who's name she couldn't remember at the moment. She relaxed in their presence, and the heart monitor went back down.
"What happened?" She asked barely above a whisper.
"You don't remember?" Kermit asked.
"At this point I don't even remember your name," Aurora replied.
That made him smile. "Kermit."
Peter asked, "What's the last thing you do remember?"
"Leaving the precinct with Tom. I remember going to the hotel and them locking me in the room with Dominic, and then nothing." Suddenly the thought hit her. "Oh god Peter. What did he do to me?"
"Calm down," He told her. "He just roughed you up a little bit. That's all. You're going to be fine."
"So he didn't?"
Peter shook his head. "No, he didn't."
Aurora let out a breath and closed her eyes. "Thank the gods." She opened her eyes and looked at Caine. "My father said to come to you if I ever needed help. At first I doubted it, but he was right. I came to you for help and not only found it in you, but in your son, and in your friends." She looked back and forth between the three of them. "Thank you all for everything."
Caine smiled. "You are welcome. Your father would be proud of you."
"I'm tired," she whispered.
Peter took her hand in hers. "Then rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
Aurora slightly nodded, and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to head back to the station," Kermit said, quietly. "Check in on Tom and his sick bunch."
Peter nodded. "You going or staying pop?"
"I must go. There are a few things I must tend to. I will be back before nightfall."
"All right," Peter complied. "I'll see you guys later."
"See ya kid."
Caine and Kermit walked out, leaving Peter standing next to a sleeping Aurora. He gently pulled his hand from hers. He put the guardrail down and pulled up a chair. Aurora moaned slightly as he gently caressed her bruised cheek. Peter pulled his hand away, fearful of waking her.
Peter watched her sleep there for a few minutes. He looked over her fragile body. She looked so helpless, but Peter knew she was far from that. He knew that Aurora was strong. Stronger than almost anyone he had ever met. Anyone who could survive through what she'd been through had to be strong. As the saying goes, "Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."
Peter watched her, but the had the urge to touch her. He needed to know that she was real, not some illusion his mind had concocted out of a desperate plea to know that she was here, alive. Peter was attached to Aurora. He didn't know why. He didn't care why. He simply was, and his biggest fear in the world right now, was losing the child that lay before him.
He reached out and took her hand in his, with a sigh of relief that she did in fact exist, lying in a bed before him. Peter rested his head on the edge of the bed, still grasping her hand. He closed his eyes and just lay there in peace knowing that she was going to be all right.
Peter drifted to sleep. He didn't know how long he was asleep. He woke only when a warm tingling feeling began to run through the hand that was holding Aurora's. He looked up and saw a sky blue glow around their interlocked hands. He had no idea what it was, or what was even happening for that matter, but he didn't let go. He didn't know if that would harm it or help it. Besides he wasn't taking the chance that it would stay on Aurora and hurt her.
The blue light began to travel up Aurora's arm. It traveled up towards her head and down her body, setting the bed in a shimmering blue aura of light. The heat was rising in Peter's hand. It felt as if he was holding his hand over a boiling pot of water and the steam was burning him. He noticed that the light had also traveled over his own body leaving the two in what looked like a shimmery blue bubble.
Aurora didn't even stir. She lay there in her peaceful sleep as though nothing was happening. Peter watched Aurora's face noticing for the first time that the bruises were fading. Some of them were even gone. His eyes were wide with shock and fear. He didn't know what was going on. The warmth in his hand had become a dull burning that was coursing through out his body. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on.
The bruises were almost completely gone and Peter felt as though he was engulfed in a raging inferno. Sweat trickled off his brow and across his hairline. His face was red underneath the light. He cried out, just as a nurse walked through the door. Seeing the scene before her, she screamed with him.
The screaming woke Aurora. Seeing the situation she sat up and quickly pulled her hand from Peter's grasp. Peter fell against the bed weak from whatever had happened. His breath came in ragged gasps and he was drenched in sweat. Aurora looked over to the door and saw their small audience. Two doctors and a second nurse had joined them. They were looking at them in a mix between fear and shock.
"PETER!" Aurora cried lifting his head.
Peter let his head rest in her hands and looked into her eyes. "I'm fine. Just tired. You're better."
Aurora looked down at her arms and saw that the bruises were gone and realized that she had sat up with no pain. She didn't even feel groggy anymore. Her aw of what was going on was short lived as Peter passed out. The first nurse who had screamed and one of the doctor's quickly grabbed Peter and pulled him away from her. They placed him on the floor and quickly started assessing the situation. Aurora started to get out of bed.
"Wait!" She cried out. "Bring him back!"
They didn't listen to her. The other doctor and nurse came over and were holding Aurora down. She fought them fiercely trying to get to Peter, but the two of them together were too strong for her.
"Let go of me!"
Dr. Grey walked in the room a minute later. Seeing Peter lying on the floor and Aurora struggling in bed she was a bit confused. Aurora shouldn't have enough strength to be lifting her head let alone fight against a doctor and nurse. She walked over to the bed to calm her patient before she hurt herself worse.
"Aurora, listen to me. You have to calm down."
"I have to help Peter!"
"Peter will be fine. Please calm down before you hurt yourself."
Aurora did as she was asked and stopped struggling. The doctor and nurse let go of her and took a step back. Dr. Grey looked at Aurora clearly.
"All of your bruises are gone." She walked over to her and gently palpated Aurora's ribs. "Your ribs are healed." She parted Aurora's hair where she had placed the stitches. There were the fine threads over a little white line. "Your gash is gone. This is impossible." Dr. Grey looked over at the unconscious Peter and quickly went over to them.
"How is he Dr. Martin?" She asked the middle-aged man leaning over Peter.
"He's fine," he replied. "He's just sleeping."
Hearing this Aurora got out of bed and kneeled beside him. No one stopped her this time.
"You're sure he's going to be all right?" She asked Dr. Martin.
He nodded. "He'll be fine after a few hours of sleep."
Aurora let out the breath she'd been holding. She reached down and ran her hand through Peter's hair. She would have been mortified if anything had happened to him.
"What happened in here?" Dr. Grey asked.
"I don't know," Aurora replied. "I wish I did."
It was the truth. Well, sort of. Aurora knew it had to do something with what had happened back at Caine's apartment, but she didn't know exactly what. She wasn't going to tell them what had happened at Caine's. They would think she was completely insane. Maybe she was, Aurora wasn't sure herself, but she wasn't about to let them in on it.
"Aurora," Dr. Grey said, breaking into her thoughts. "Come on I want to run some tests on you."
"I want to stay with Peter."
"Peter will be fine. They're going to put him in a room so he can rest. You'll be back before he wakes up. I promise."
Reluctantly, Aurora nodded. Dr. Grey helped her up. Aurora watched Peter until they turned the corner out of sight.
~~~END
Ok so it's a cliffhanger, but that's what I wanted. Please review.
Ty
Peter, Caine, and Kermit were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. Aurora was rushed into surgery on arrival. Peter tried to go with her, but the nurse had insisted he stay in the lobby. Caine and Kermit arrived a few minutes after the ambulance. Now, an hour later, the three of them were still sitting in the lobby waiting for news on Aurora.
Thought's had been racing through Peter's head. He should have been there sooner; he should never have let her go with Tom. He was placing guilt on himself, and it was weighing on his chest like a hundred pound anvil crushing his heart into tiny pieces. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.
Caine placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is not your fault my son. Do not carry the guilt of something you could not have changed."
Peter pulled from his fathers embrace and stood up. "It was my fault Pop. I promised her that I would never let him hurt her again, and look at her now. She's in the hospital fighting for her life."
"There's nothing you could have done, kid," Kermit told him. "You would have lost your job, and probably would have been in jail yourself."
"Better to be in jail, than have Aurora struggling to survive!"
Caine was about to respond, when a young, female doctor with long brown hair and green eyes walked up to them. She was on the slightly hefty side with a round face and chubby red cheeks. Her lips were full filling out her face.
Peter looked up at her expectantly, but couldn't read a thing on her face. Her eyes were as blank as the rest of her. Her nametag read Dr. Grey.
"Detective Caine I presume?"
"Yes, how's Aurora?"
"Her left lung was punctured, we had to go in and repair it. We had to put twelve stitches in her scalp, three of her ribs were broken, not to mention the numerous bruises and contusions through out her body."
Peter was clenching and unclenching his fists. "Doctor, did he? I mean was she? I mean."
"Are you asking if she was raped detective?"
Normally Peter wouldn't have a problem asking, but this was Aurora. He couldn't even imagine something like that happening to her. He nodded in response to the doctor.
"No, Detective, she was not raped."
Peter let out the breath he had been holding. "Will she be all right?"
"Physically, yes. Mentally?" Dr. Grey shrugged. "Only time will tell."
"Can I see her?"
"They've just moved her into room 412 in the pediatrics ward. She should be waking up soon."
"Thank you Doctor." Peter said, taking off for the elevators, with Caine and Kermit close behind.
None of them said anything on the elevator ride. Anger was too high in their blood. Even Caine himself was fuming. Fury was thick in the air, permeating through out the elevator. The rage would pour out with their words if they were to talk to each other. They felt the tension and didn't want to take it out on each other.
They got out of the elevator and went to the nurse's station.
"Excuse me nurse," Peter said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Where can I find room 412?"
She pointed the way. Peter didn't bother to say thanks; he just made his way to the room. The three men hurriedly walked down the hall, but were brought to an abrupt halt in the doorway.
The room was a bright yellow color with a white and yellow sunshine border running across the top of the wall. There were pictures of clowns and crayon drawings from previous children in the room. It looked like a room any happy kid would want to stay in, but what was in the middle of the room, turned the brightness into a cold, dull, morbid gray.
Aurora was lying in the hospital bed with both the guardrails up. There was an oxygen tube in her nose to help her breath. Her black hair was mussed underneath the white gauze that wrapped her head. Bruises covered her too pale face, as well as her small arms. There were several I.V.'s hooked into her arms and machines beeped all around her.
Peter walked over to the bed, grasping the rails. He clutched them so tight his knuckles were turning white. He looked at the fragile girl lying in bed and his heart sank. All the anger melted out of him and was replaced by pain and love for this little girl. Pain because she was hurt so and love because.well he loved her. He hadn't known her very long, but he loved her nonetheless.
Caine and Kermit stood on the other side of the bed, gazing down at the sleeping teen. Their hearts went out to her, letting the anger slip away. They just wanted her to be well. They wanted her to be happy. They wanted to take all the pain away and give her what she deserved. A family who loves her.
Peter brushed his hand lightly against the side of her cheek. Aurora jumped from the small touch. Her eyes were wide with fear, darting all around the room. The anesthesia still had some effect so Aurora was still disoriented. The heart monitor that was hooked up to her started speeding up.
"Calm down Aurora. It's Peter. You're safe."
Her eyes were still wide for a moment, but the scene started to melt into place. Aurora realized that she wasn't with Tom anymore. She realized that she was with Peter, and Caine, and that other guy who's name she couldn't remember at the moment. She relaxed in their presence, and the heart monitor went back down.
"What happened?" She asked barely above a whisper.
"You don't remember?" Kermit asked.
"At this point I don't even remember your name," Aurora replied.
That made him smile. "Kermit."
Peter asked, "What's the last thing you do remember?"
"Leaving the precinct with Tom. I remember going to the hotel and them locking me in the room with Dominic, and then nothing." Suddenly the thought hit her. "Oh god Peter. What did he do to me?"
"Calm down," He told her. "He just roughed you up a little bit. That's all. You're going to be fine."
"So he didn't?"
Peter shook his head. "No, he didn't."
Aurora let out a breath and closed her eyes. "Thank the gods." She opened her eyes and looked at Caine. "My father said to come to you if I ever needed help. At first I doubted it, but he was right. I came to you for help and not only found it in you, but in your son, and in your friends." She looked back and forth between the three of them. "Thank you all for everything."
Caine smiled. "You are welcome. Your father would be proud of you."
"I'm tired," she whispered.
Peter took her hand in hers. "Then rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
Aurora slightly nodded, and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to head back to the station," Kermit said, quietly. "Check in on Tom and his sick bunch."
Peter nodded. "You going or staying pop?"
"I must go. There are a few things I must tend to. I will be back before nightfall."
"All right," Peter complied. "I'll see you guys later."
"See ya kid."
Caine and Kermit walked out, leaving Peter standing next to a sleeping Aurora. He gently pulled his hand from hers. He put the guardrail down and pulled up a chair. Aurora moaned slightly as he gently caressed her bruised cheek. Peter pulled his hand away, fearful of waking her.
Peter watched her sleep there for a few minutes. He looked over her fragile body. She looked so helpless, but Peter knew she was far from that. He knew that Aurora was strong. Stronger than almost anyone he had ever met. Anyone who could survive through what she'd been through had to be strong. As the saying goes, "Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."
Peter watched her, but the had the urge to touch her. He needed to know that she was real, not some illusion his mind had concocted out of a desperate plea to know that she was here, alive. Peter was attached to Aurora. He didn't know why. He didn't care why. He simply was, and his biggest fear in the world right now, was losing the child that lay before him.
He reached out and took her hand in his, with a sigh of relief that she did in fact exist, lying in a bed before him. Peter rested his head on the edge of the bed, still grasping her hand. He closed his eyes and just lay there in peace knowing that she was going to be all right.
Peter drifted to sleep. He didn't know how long he was asleep. He woke only when a warm tingling feeling began to run through the hand that was holding Aurora's. He looked up and saw a sky blue glow around their interlocked hands. He had no idea what it was, or what was even happening for that matter, but he didn't let go. He didn't know if that would harm it or help it. Besides he wasn't taking the chance that it would stay on Aurora and hurt her.
The blue light began to travel up Aurora's arm. It traveled up towards her head and down her body, setting the bed in a shimmering blue aura of light. The heat was rising in Peter's hand. It felt as if he was holding his hand over a boiling pot of water and the steam was burning him. He noticed that the light had also traveled over his own body leaving the two in what looked like a shimmery blue bubble.
Aurora didn't even stir. She lay there in her peaceful sleep as though nothing was happening. Peter watched Aurora's face noticing for the first time that the bruises were fading. Some of them were even gone. His eyes were wide with shock and fear. He didn't know what was going on. The warmth in his hand had become a dull burning that was coursing through out his body. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on.
The bruises were almost completely gone and Peter felt as though he was engulfed in a raging inferno. Sweat trickled off his brow and across his hairline. His face was red underneath the light. He cried out, just as a nurse walked through the door. Seeing the scene before her, she screamed with him.
The screaming woke Aurora. Seeing the situation she sat up and quickly pulled her hand from Peter's grasp. Peter fell against the bed weak from whatever had happened. His breath came in ragged gasps and he was drenched in sweat. Aurora looked over to the door and saw their small audience. Two doctors and a second nurse had joined them. They were looking at them in a mix between fear and shock.
"PETER!" Aurora cried lifting his head.
Peter let his head rest in her hands and looked into her eyes. "I'm fine. Just tired. You're better."
Aurora looked down at her arms and saw that the bruises were gone and realized that she had sat up with no pain. She didn't even feel groggy anymore. Her aw of what was going on was short lived as Peter passed out. The first nurse who had screamed and one of the doctor's quickly grabbed Peter and pulled him away from her. They placed him on the floor and quickly started assessing the situation. Aurora started to get out of bed.
"Wait!" She cried out. "Bring him back!"
They didn't listen to her. The other doctor and nurse came over and were holding Aurora down. She fought them fiercely trying to get to Peter, but the two of them together were too strong for her.
"Let go of me!"
Dr. Grey walked in the room a minute later. Seeing Peter lying on the floor and Aurora struggling in bed she was a bit confused. Aurora shouldn't have enough strength to be lifting her head let alone fight against a doctor and nurse. She walked over to the bed to calm her patient before she hurt herself worse.
"Aurora, listen to me. You have to calm down."
"I have to help Peter!"
"Peter will be fine. Please calm down before you hurt yourself."
Aurora did as she was asked and stopped struggling. The doctor and nurse let go of her and took a step back. Dr. Grey looked at Aurora clearly.
"All of your bruises are gone." She walked over to her and gently palpated Aurora's ribs. "Your ribs are healed." She parted Aurora's hair where she had placed the stitches. There were the fine threads over a little white line. "Your gash is gone. This is impossible." Dr. Grey looked over at the unconscious Peter and quickly went over to them.
"How is he Dr. Martin?" She asked the middle-aged man leaning over Peter.
"He's fine," he replied. "He's just sleeping."
Hearing this Aurora got out of bed and kneeled beside him. No one stopped her this time.
"You're sure he's going to be all right?" She asked Dr. Martin.
He nodded. "He'll be fine after a few hours of sleep."
Aurora let out the breath she'd been holding. She reached down and ran her hand through Peter's hair. She would have been mortified if anything had happened to him.
"What happened in here?" Dr. Grey asked.
"I don't know," Aurora replied. "I wish I did."
It was the truth. Well, sort of. Aurora knew it had to do something with what had happened back at Caine's apartment, but she didn't know exactly what. She wasn't going to tell them what had happened at Caine's. They would think she was completely insane. Maybe she was, Aurora wasn't sure herself, but she wasn't about to let them in on it.
"Aurora," Dr. Grey said, breaking into her thoughts. "Come on I want to run some tests on you."
"I want to stay with Peter."
"Peter will be fine. They're going to put him in a room so he can rest. You'll be back before he wakes up. I promise."
Reluctantly, Aurora nodded. Dr. Grey helped her up. Aurora watched Peter until they turned the corner out of sight.
~~~END
Ok so it's a cliffhanger, but that's what I wanted. Please review.