Chapter 4



Renee looked in the mirror. The make-up barely covered the bruise on her jaw, but more would make it too obvious. She brushed her hair out, letting it fan out to her chin. Making sure the sleeves of her shirt covered the bruise on her left arm, she left the bathroom.

Seth had Parker in his arms when she walked downstairs. "Thank you for watching them, Seth."

"No problem, Renee. We'll see you when the rest of them wake up." His eyes held concern when he looked at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Seth. I'll see you in a few hours." She kissed Parker's forehead, then walked to the door.

When she arrived at the hospital, Sara met her in front of Gabriel's room. "He still hasn't woke up yet," the older woman told her. She noticed the dark circles under Renee's eyes and asked, "Have you gotten any sleep?"

Renee shook her head. "I can't. I need him beside me."

Sara sensed that something was off with her friend. "Renee, what's wrong?"

"You mean beside the fact that my husband, the only man I'll ever love, is in there fighting for his life?"

Sara heard the emphasis she put on the word only. "What's wrong, Renee?" She asked as she reached out to touch her shoulder. Instantly, the Witchblade assaulted her with a vision of Burgess's attack. She came out of it when Renee jerked her shoulder away. "Oh my God. Renee, he will pay."

"I-It showed you?"

Sara nodded her head. "He will pay. I promise you that."

"Sara, don't-"

"Renee,-"

"Don't tell Gabe. He'll think it's his duty to go after him."

Sara put a soothing hand on her arm. "I will take care of it. Don't worry. Now, go in and see your husband. I'll go get some sandwiches. I'm sure you haven't eaten much."

Renee smiled gratefully at her before entering the room. She pulled a chair up to the bed and lowered herself into it. Taking Gabriel's hand in hers, she let the tears unshed from the night before, finally fall. "Why must you always do this? Why can't you just stay out of trouble? We need you. Do you hear me, damn it. We need you. I need you."

"He is getting stronger."

Renee jumped at the voice behind her. "Jaime. Is he going to make it?"

"Like I said, he is getting stronger. He should wake up within the next twenty-four hours. We'll have to see how it goes from there." He hesitated before continuing. "We'll have to wait until he gets a bit stronger before we can repair the damage done to his shoulder, both the bone and muscle. I will not lose him on the operating table."

"What then?" She knew he wouldn't be fine just because they operated. She wanted to know how to be prepared.

"Physical therapy. He'll have to come in at least once a week. There'll be exercises for him to do. We'll have to wait to see what the extent of the damage is, of course. As long as he does the exercises and follows my orders to the tee, he should recover the full use of his arm."

Sara walked in, carrying two sandwiches. "I'd better get going," Dr. Granur said. "I'll check back in on him later."

Renee took a bite out of the sandwich Sara handed her and returned to the chair. "Renee, you really need to get some rest."

She shook her head. "No, I'm staying here. I'm not leaving him again. Not until he wakes up."

Sara sighed in frustration at the younger woman's stubbornness. "Fine. Just don't want you to be exhausted. You've been through a lot."

"So has he," Renee whispered as Sara left the room.

*******

"You didn't get her?" Dante's voice sounded shrill. "What happened?"

Burgess wouldn't meet his boss's eyes. "She was just in her robe. I-I couldn't-"

"You bumbling idiot! You were supposed to take her away from the house, not take her right there. Could you at least finish that job?"

"No,-"

"What? Did she prove to be too much for you? Can't you do anything right?"

"The old man came down."

"Well, why didn't you shoot him? Oh no, do not even tell me you did not have your gun."

"I set it on the table. I couldn't get to it."

"No wonder, with your pants around your knees. From now on, when on assignment, you will keep your pants zipped. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." The scratches on his face itched, but he didn't dare scratch in front of Dante. That would show weakness. The captain was already mad enough. Instead he turned and strode out of the room.

Dante waited until Burgess walked out of ear shot before he called to the other man. "Orlinsky, get in here. Now!"

When the man entered his office, he said, "Shut the door and sit down. I have information that Mr. Bowman is in the hospital. Kill him. Shouldn't be a problem even for you. He's still in a coma."

"Bruno," Orlinsky started. "I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Jerry. Just kill him."

*******

"Gabriel, you have to wake up. If you don't wake up in the next five hours, the doctors are gonna start losing hope. One thought it was worthless to even try. Please prove him wrong. You have to."

Dr. Granur stood in the doorway listening to Renee's pleas to her still unconscious husband. He wished there was something he could do, but until he woke up, it was all up to Gabriel. He believed he would pull through. That other doctor, Dr. Mafe, was wrong. He didn't know the young man the way Dr. Granur did. He shouldn't even be a doctor. He didn't care about the patients, only the money. If only it was his choice-

A gasp from Renee brought him out of his thoughts. "What is it?" He asked as he rushed forward.

"I-I think he's waking up."

Gabriel's eyes fluttered open, and he took a shuttering breath. His eyes moved around the room. "Renee?" He asked weakly when he saw her sitting by the bed.

"Yes, Gabe. I'm here."

Dr. Granur stepped forward to examine his patient. While he did this, he said, "You should be proud of your wife, Gabe. She hasn't moved from her post of vigilance for the last nineteen hours."

Renee squeezed his hand. "I couldn't. Seth brought the kids here, but didn't think it was a good idea for them to see you until you were awake."

Dr. Granur finished checking him, then said, "Well, son, looks like you're gonna make it. You certainly do have a fighting spirit." He removed him from the respirator. "I think you're strong enough to breathe on your own now." He left the room to leave the couple alone and went to tell the rest of the visitors the news.

Renee brushed her fingers across his cheek. "I was so scared."

He opened his mouth to say something when he realized her movement had raised her shirt sleeve. He saw the bruise. "Renee, what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Renee, look at me."

She lifted her head, and her hair fell back from her face. His gasp of shock turned to one of pain. "Renee, tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened. I'm just clumsy."

"Renee. I know you. You're not that clumsy. You did not fall into a door or wall." His breath came in short gasps from the pain in his ribs, but he felt he needed to continue. "You did not grab your arm that hard to leave that bruise. You did not punch yourself in the jaw. Now, tell me what happened."

Renee kept her eyes on the floor. "I couldn't sleep. Parker was having a restless night as well. I walked him around downstairs until he fell asleep again. I put him in his crib, but didn't want to spend any more time in that empty room. I-I went back downstairs." She struggled to keep her tears back. "He came inside just as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I s-started upstairs, b-but he caught me." She stopped.

"Renee, what did he do to you?" He asked, stroking her arm .

She swallowed several times before continuing. "He f-forced me onto the couch. Untied my robe. I-I tried screaming, but he wouldn't let me. He p-put his hands all over me, in me." She broke down and couldn't continue.

"Did he-?" He couldn't finish the question.

She shook her head.

"Who was it? Who did this?"

Renee shook her head. "I-I don't know. I th-think he was the one who attacked you."

"Older or younger?"

"Probably Sara's age."

"Tommy."

"Burgess." They both looked up at Sara. "I will get him. He's not gonna get away with this."

"He-He's the one who shot me."

Renee looked down at him. "You need to get some sleep. I'll be here."

He nodded his head and closed his eyes. As soon as he was asleep again, Sara turned to Renee. "You need some sleep as well."

"I don't want to leave him."

"Renee, you're not arguing with me again. You haven't slept in the last two days. Now, go lay down in the bed over there," she said, pointing to the other bed in the room.

Renee nodded her head and got to her feet, swaying. She was exhausted. Sara helped her walk to the bed and lay down. "Danny's going to stay outside the door while I'm gone. He's the only one I can trust not to turn me in to Dante, besides Ian, and I want someone here in case someone shows up. And Ian's at home with Darvi and the kids."

"Tell Seth to take the kids home. It's getting late for them."

Sara nodded and walked out the door. As soon as the door closed behind the female detective, Renee stood and walked over to Gabriel's bed. She slid carefully onto the mattress beside him. Renee instantly fell asleep.