Jesse was woken just after six by the sound of his daughter crying in the room just down the hallway. He got out of bed and moved quietly towards her, only to see Steve in front of him and heading in the same direction. Even though he had been instantly aware of where he was and why he was there, the sight of his friend happily heading into the makeshift nursery cheered him considerably.
Steve leant over the crib and gently picked Eliana up. She was instantly silent, she recognised her Uncle Steve, and was happy to be snuggled into his large warm body. Steve turned and looked a little sheepish as he saw Jesse standing behind him.
"Oh, hey, Jesse, I was trying to save you from getting up. I was gonna take her back in with Jo and me for a little while, but I guess you had better have her." Steve reluctantly handed the little girl to her daddy and went back into his room. Jesse, unable to contain his chuckle returned to bed.
Rae woke early and for an instant she couldn't work out why she was alone, but then the memories of the evening before came back to her. She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and balled her hands into fists. At least if she was by herself she could protect those that she loved, and she did love Jesse, she didn't doubt that, but right now she couldn't love him.
Rae pottered about the house, tidying up things that were already tidy, and cleaning things that hadn't been dirty. She made the bed, vacuumed the whole house, and even washed down the deck. Then she made herself an herbal tea and sat in Tony's chair while she went over the events that had led to her being alone.
By the time that Jo had eaten breakfast and Steve and Jesse had gone off to work it was just after ten o'clock. Jo got Eliana into her car seat and then placed her into the station wagon and took her over to Sally. Jesse had phoned the sitter and she knew that for a little while Rae wouldn't be picking up her daughter.
Sally watched as the car drove away from her house, she looked at the happy smiling face of the little girl sitting just in front of her feet and her heart went out to her. She had been delighted to take on the child, she had known who Detective Yeager was, and she had heard of the doctor too. They had seemed such a happy contented family, even with all the problems that she knew they had been through, but now, it seemed that they had been unable to cope with what life had thrown at them, and she for one felt enormous pity for them. She was happily married, and had two wonderful sons, it saddened her to realise that Eliana may not have that type of upbringing.
Jo went along the now familiar trip towards Rae's house, trying to work out what she was going to say to her friend when she got there. She pulled up to the gate, and lowered her window. "Hi, I'm here to see Mrs Travis."
The guard looked over at her, the weather was appalling and it was difficult to see the face of the car driver through the rain. He moved over towards the car and then recognising the person driving he opened the gates. Mrs Travis had only just returned from a walk herself, although he had to admit he hadn't actually seen her leave, but she had waved as he let her in the pedestrian gateway.
Jo pulled up outside Rae's gate and locked up her car. Then she moved over and knocked at the front door.
Rae had been sitting, she didn't know for how long, either writing long notes to try and work out how to keep her family safe, or just staring into space, when she was brought back to reality by a knock at her door. Slowly she got to her feet and, almost in a daze, she walked towards the front of the house.
Jo could see Rae coming down her hallway through the glass in the front door. She watched as she unlocked it and opened it just slightly.
"Rae, Honey, can I come in? I really need to talk to you."
Rae said nothing, but she opened the door and let her best friend enter. Then she shut the door and went with her into the living room.
"Rae, what is going on? Jesse an' Eliana are stayin' with us, an' you know that they can, for as long as they want, but they should be here with you."
"No! No, they can't come here, they will be safe with you."
Jo could see that Rae was already agitated and was winding her fingers round and round in her sweater. Jo moved a little closer to her friend, and was worried to see that she jerked back from her.
"Rae, I'm not gonna hurt you, I want to help you, tell me what is the matter."
Rae shook her head. "No, I can't. Texas, just leave me; it isn't safe for anybody to be with me. I have spent all morning trying to work out how I could have them back here, but things happen to the people I love, and I just can't risk it. I am frightened to take Eliana out into the street, sometimes I am frightened to go out myself." Rae held up the pieces of paper that she had written on, and Jo could see line after line of things that could be done to the house to make it safer, or plans for a house to be built that would keep them away from other people, and then written in large letters at the bottom of one page she could see, we still have to go to work, we have to eat, shop, live, but for me to live and not hurt anybody I have to live alone.
Jo shook her head. "Ok, let's just look at this a minute, nothing has happened that you have started, I know that Steve an' Jesse both got hurt but it wasn't your fault, they know that, they just want you to be happy an' safe. They aren't gonna start avoidin' you."
"No, Texas, nothing you say will change my mind. Jesse and Eliana are both safer away from me, and you should go too." Rae got up from her chair and went out of the room. Jo sat on the sofa and hoped that her friend would come back to see her. She didn't want to intrude if she was upset, but she didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. After five minutes Jo decided to go and see what Rae was doing.
Jo checked every room in the house and was alarmed to discover that Rae wasn't in any of them. She moved back into the living room and then checked the back garden, but she wasn't there and so she went around the house into the front garden. To her relief Rae was coming back up the path, wiping her hands on her jeans as she did so.
"Honey, where did you go?" Jo couldn't keep the anxiety out of her voice.
"I just came to get some air, and I looked at your car, then I pushed a plant back into the ground that had got uprooted, why?"
"Because you just left me sitting in the front room and I had no idea where you were."
"Oh, sorry, I just wanted to get away from your questions."
"Well, I'm gonna head back into town, I told Jesse that I would go stock up on things for Eliana, somebody has to look after that child." Jo tried to make her voice sound accusing, but she could see that Rae wasn't going to reply. "Honey, if Steve comes over, will you talk to him?"
Rae just nodded and then she turned and went back into the house. Jo let out a big sigh and climbed back into her car. She drew away from the kerb and out towards the security gate. The rain had stopped now, although the roads were still wet and she was spotted by the guard who swung the gates open for her and she drove straight through them. Jo turned onto the hill that would take her towards the store she planned to get all her baby goods from and began to happily work through what she was going to buy. As she turned a sharp corner Jo pressed gently on the brake, and then she pressed a little harder, there was absolutely no resistance in her brake pedal, and the car began to pick up speed, sliding on the slippery road as it did so. Jo looked wildly around her; she could see other vehicles in front and behind her, and nowhere for her to safely direct her wheels to get her out of the way of everybody.
The hill got steeper, and the car went faster and faster, horns were blaring all around her, and she could see the faces of worried drivers as their cars flashed by, she rode the road as best she could taking the turns and trying to find the best line for her own and everybody else's safety. Another corner came up in front of her, but this time she misread it and clipped the kerb, Jo felt a scream leave her lips as her car left the road and then the world turned upside down for a brief second before everything became black.
Steve was trying to sort out some of the paperwork that had been generated by the case concerning the drive-by shooting murders that he had inherited from Cheryl. He'd passed the Lee Tennant murder over to his ex-partner, and had in return taken over her part of the drive-by case. He had been taking a note of the differences between the now six cases that they had. The phone rang as he began to see a long long day ahead of him, and without really thinking about it he reached over and picked it up.
"Homicide, Lieutenant Sloan… Oh, hi, Jess… What? Oh, my God, I'm on my way… Yeah, ok…" Steve slammed the receiver back down and grabbing his jacket headed straight for his Captain's office.
Captain Newman was working on the same case as Steve. He was going over the notes of the five officers he now had working it when there was a sharp rap on his door. "Come."
"Captain, I need to get to Community General, Jo has been involved in a car accident."
"Ok, Lieutenant, let me know how long you're gonna be. I hope she isn't too badly hurt." Newman looked up as he spoke, only to find that he had been talking to an empty office.
Jesse had just been getting ready to start his rounds when he heard himself being called to the ER. He rushed back along the hallway and saw Alex leaning over a gurney, which had just been brought in.
"Alex, what have you got?"
"Jesse, it's Jo. She's been in a car accident. She is unconscious, she has bruising and lacerations to her face, but the airbag saved her."
"Alex you take her into Trauma one, I'll call Steve."
It didn't take long for Alex to treat Jo, the airbag had been put to good use, and she would be fine in a few days. Jo had come around as Alex was checking her over, but she had just lain quietly and let him do his job. A half hour after she had come in Jo was in x-ray and fifteen minutes after that Alex was having her admitted.
Steve rushed into the ER and looked around in a panic. He saw Jesse and rushed over to him. "Jesse, where is she? Is she ok?"
"Steve, calm down, she is gonna be fine. She was lucky, and she will be home with you again tomorrow. If you go up to room 392 you will find her probably fast asleep."
At just after two o'clock Rae exited the elevator on the fifth floor of Community General and smiled slightly at Helen, then without a word she sat down.
"Rae, you are a little late, Brian is waiting, you can go right in."
Still Rae said nothing, but she rose from her seat and went into the office.
Brian stood as she entered, just as he always did, and then indicated with his hand that she should sit down. "Hi, Rae, how are you today? We finished on a very difficult note yesterday, I hope that you were able to deal with the things I left for you to think about."
Rae sat there and wouldn't meet his eyes. She remembered when she was taking a course once that the lecturer called what she was having a floor moment.
"Rae, look at me." Brian knew that something had happened. He had no idea what, but he had a feeling that it was monumental. "Rae, if you don't look at me then there is no point in us having this session."
Rae very slowly looked up, she knew that she needed to talk to somebody, she hadn't said anything of any consequence to Texas, and she didn't have Jesse to talk to any more. As she thought about her husband tears came into her eyes. Why was she crying, she had been the one who asked him to leave.
"I'm sorry, I don't know where to start."
"Try the beginning, tell me what happened when you got home and spoke to Jesse about what we talked about yesterday?"
"I went home and I fell asleep. When Jesse got home he scared me and … and I threw him out." Rae spoke quickly, and almost as if she was sure that by speaking quickly it would lessen the meaning of her words, she carried on almost without pausing for breath. "He went and he took Eliana with him. So now I am alone."
"And you feel good about that do you?" Brian looked at her and he was extremely troubled. He wasn't sure if she should be alone, but she wasn't, as far as he was concerned, ill enough to be detained either.
"No, I don't feel good about it, but they will be safer and happier without me in their lives."
"Ok, Rae, have you heard about the four f's?" Brian looked at her again, and he could see that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"'Flock, freeze, flight and fight.' They are all reactions to stressful situations. Some people don't feel the need to do any of them, but you are not one of those people. When you first came out of the hospital you went to stay with Texas and Steve and you were happy with them, you flocked together and there was safety in numbers. Then when Levington was killed in front of you, you froze, which is understandable, you heard his voice and you couldn't do anything except stand there and watch him come towards you. The flight is what you are doing now, but instead of running from your situation you are getting everybody else to do the running for you. If you don't want to stay this way for ever you are going to have to start to fight, fight for yourself and your family."
Brian stopped talking. He didn't have anything else to say and so he sat and watched Rae's reaction.
"Ok, thank you for explaining it. Is there anything else you need to say to me? I would really like to get home."
As Brian began to answer her, his phone rang and he picked it up. "Doctor Dobson." He knew that it must be urgent for Helen to put a call straight through. "Rae, it's for you, it's Jesse." He saw Rae shake her head and so he began to speak again. "It isn't really convenient for her to speak right now… Oh, right, yes I'll tell her, I'm sure she will come to see you. Thank you."
Rae looked at her therapist, he had a worried look on his face and she knew that he had bad news. "Eliana?"
"No, Rae, no, it's Texas, she has been in a car accident. Jesse just thought you would want to know. He also wondered if you could go and see him before you left the hospital."
Rae just nodded her head and stood up. She picked up her purse and turned to walk out the door, as she reached for the handle she stopped and turned back. "When can I come again?"
"Give it a couple of days, Rae, I don't think you are in the right frame of mind to talk things through right now. But if you feel that you want to talk we can do that any time. Just call me, ok?"
"Yes, Brian I will do that." Rae left the room then and moved over towards the elevator. She couldn't believe that another one of her friends had been hurt. As she exited the elevator she saw Jesse just coming out of a trauma suite. He had blood on the sleeve of his coat and he was peeling it off as he walked. He turned and headed back into the room, deposited the coat in the right bin, and he didn't spot Rae until he was half way down the hallway, his mind on the patient he had just treated.
"Rae? Honey, are you all right? Did Brian tell you about Jo?"
She nodded her head and her real feelings rushed to the surface for a moment and she ran to him. "I am so sorry, Jesse, please forgive me."
"Oh, sweetheart, of course, there is nothing to forgive. Come on, let's go to the doctor's lounge, we can talk in there." Jesse half carried his wife all the way along the hallway and then they sat together and he held her close to him and felt the shivers that were coursing through her body.
Slowly Rae looked up at the face of the man she loved so much, and her heart broke for him. "I love you, Jesse, but I just can't live with you any more, it's not safe for you or Eliana to be with me, things happen to people that I know. Now Texas is in here. Think about it, Jess. My friends and my family here are you, Eliana, Steve, Mark, Texas, Amanda, Martin, Cheryl and Alex. So far, since I have been here, only Mark and Amanda have managed to stay out of the hospital. Everybody I get close to ends up near death. Twice I have nearly lost you, I can't stand this any more. God Jesse, can't you see that this is just driving me crazy." Rae tried to stand up, but she felt so shaky that she almost immediately sank back into the seat.
Jesse looked at her and the pain in her eyes made him want to just sweep her up in his arms and take her somewhere where she couldn't be hurt and terrorised, somewhere where she could live the life she wanted to live. "Rae, please, don't shut me out of your life, I need you, our daughter needs her mommy, please, Rae."
"No, Jesse, I can't, I just can't. I need you to know that I love you, but I can't take you back." This time her legs did work and Rae got up and left the room. I guess this is flight She headed back towards the elevator, only stopping to ask the nurse on duty for Texas's room number.
Steve was sitting in the room when Rae arrived outside. She tapped lightly on the frame and he looked round. Quietly Steve stood up and moved towards her. "Hi, Rae, how are you?" He placed his hand on her shoulder and felt her move away from him, but he didn't take his hand away. "Rae?"
"How is she, Steve? Is she gonna be alright?" Rae looked over at her friend, her face was bruised, but apart from that she appeared to be ok.
"She will be fine. A good night's sleep and then I can take her home for Michael to fuss over."
"Oh, well, I'll be going then." Rae turned to leave and felt Steve place his hand on her arm this time.
"No, Rae. I was just going to head for home. Jo woke up and told me to go home and get some dinner and sleep. Would you like to come and have a meal at Bob's with me?"
To his surprise and relief Steve saw her nod her head.
Steve and Rae walked into Bob's both hoping for a quiet evening. Steve had called ahead to reserve a table in the back of the restaurant so that they could talk through some of their problems. Jesse was working late but Michael had offered to sit with Eliana until he returned to his temporary home.
Rae looked around; she could see one of the nurses from the hospital sitting eating on her own at a table just inside the door, Rae recognised her immediately as the rude woman from outside Brian's office the day before. A little further down Detective Bannister was there with his partner, Rae wasn't sure how many people knew about his relationship, but he was able to come and eat at Bob's without fearing any reprisals. Rae stopped at the table just for a second to say hello. She liked Bannister and his partner, but she could never remember his name. Steve raised his hand in acknowledgement of the two men and sat down at a table further into the restaurant.
Rae joined him and he passed her the menu. "We have a couple of new things that we are trying this week, would you like to stick with what you usually have, or try one of the seafood dishes I added?" Steve looked at Rae and was concerned that she didn't really seem to be listening to him.
Rae had sat down, and looked around her. As she sat there she began to feel very uncomfortable, and slowly she felt herself begin to panic. She shut her eyes for a moment hoping that it would help, but it didn't and when she opened them again she still felt very vulnerable and scared. Suddenly she began to go cold all over and she could feel her heart beating loud and fast in her chest. She knew that she just had to get out of the restaurant, that she wouldn't be able to breathe if she didn't. Rae stood up and blindly rushed from the building.
Steve had no idea what was wrong so he got up, a little embarrassed, and followed his partner out into the parking lot. "Rae, Honey, what's the matter?"
"Leave it, Steve, just let me be." Rae put her head on the cold metal of Steve's car. She was having trouble catching her breath, her chest was tight and for a moment she thought that she was going to pass out. She felt Steve's arm as he gently placed it around her shoulder and guided her round to the passenger side of his car, unlocked the door and helped her in. Then he moved round, climbed into the driver's seat and headed towards the house that Rae and Jesse used to share.
Rae had sat in silence the whole way home, Steve had seen that she had her hands in tight fists the entire time, and he knew that she was only just holding on to her feelings or maybe even her sanity. As they drew up to the guardhouse at the entrance to their community Steve had gently touched her on the arm.
"Rae, do you have your pass?"
"What? My pass? Oh, yeah. It's in my purse." Rae had looked round and then realised that in her panic she hadn't picked it up. "I left it at Bob's." She felt tears threaten to fall and shut her eyes tight for a minute.
"Rae, are you alright?" Steve was getting more concerned by the second about his partner, he lowered his window and smiled at the guard. "Hi, Mrs Travis, number 37, she left her purse at the restaurant we have just been to. Can you let her in, I know Doctor Travis isn't at home right now."
"Ma'am? Is that all right with you that we let this, gentleman, take you home?"
Steve realised belatedly how what he had just said could be interpreted. "I'm her partner." No that sounds worse. "We work together." Rae still hadn't said anything and Steve carried on. "She isn't feeling very well, I am just gonna take her home and call her husband, ok?"
The guard looked at the embarrassed man in front of him. He had recognised him straight away and was going to just open the gates, but it had been an amusing interlude in his otherwise boring day. "That will be fine then, Sir. I will expect Doctor Travis shortly." The gates swung slowly open and Steve with a sigh of relief drove through to Rae's house.
Once they had parked Rae just sat in the car and waited, she wasn't sure why, but it seemed the easiest thing to do. "Rae, was your house key in your purse?" Steve looked at her again; he got the feeling that she wasn't in quite the same reality as he was. "Rae, your keys?"
"Oh, yeah, hold on." Rae slid her hand into her jeans pocket and then handed the key to Steve. He opened his door, got out, let himself into the house and then turned to see Rae getting out of his car; she came into the house and headed straight for her room. Steve sighed; problems and bedrooms seemed to go together for Rae. When she had been hurt by Donovan she had spent an enormous amount of time in her bedroom, Levington had kidnapped her from her bedroom, and now, as life seemed to be getting the upper hand once again, she was back in there. Steve put a call through the Community General and then waited.
"Jesse, I think you need to get home, right away… Just come, ok?"
Steve put the phone back and moved down the hallway and tapped gently on the door. "Rae, please, can I come in?" Steve waited, but he could hear no sound. "Honey, are you in there?" There was still no noise coming from the room, and in the end the concern he felt won out and he opened the door and looked in. Rae was sitting on the bed, tears running down her cheeks, she had her arms wrapped around herself and she was rocking back and forth.
"Rae?" Still Steve got no reply and his own panic rising he moved over towards the bed and sat down on the side of it. "Rae, look at me." There didn't seem to be any response from her at all, and so Steve just put his arms around her, hoping to stop the rocking and let her rest against him and cry.
Jesse had rushed out of the hospital and into his car. As he drove along he put a call into Brian to let him know what Steve had told him and then had driven the rest of the way in silence. He acknowledged the guard and was relieved to see the gates swing open for him and then a minute later he was pulling up outside his home.
Jesse raced along the hallway and stopped, he thought for a moment, Rae would be in the bedroom, which was her nest, the place she went when she needed comfort and safety. He opened the door and looked in to see Rae huddled in the shelter of Steve's arms, her face buried into his chest as he tried to calm her down. Jesse moved into the room and stood for a moment watching the scene in front of him. He knew that Rae felt safe and secure with Steve, that he would protect her in their dangerous every day life together, and he could see now that whatever happened to her she would always have somebody else to turn to if he, her husband, wasn't able to be there for her. Or, if she, his wife, wouldn't let him be there for her. Not wanting to frighten Rae, or embarrass Steve, he moved back over and closed the bedroom door, the noise made his best friend turn his head slightly and smile at him. It was a smile that spoke a thousand words. Steve was frightened. Frightened for his partner, and Jesse felt a deep gratitude that, even when Steve was a little out of his depth, he still was able to protect Rae.
"Steve, no, it's all right, don't move, she needs you right now." Jesse placed a hand on his shoulder as Steve went to move gently away from Rae. "Just tell me what happened." Jesse was concerned that Rae had made no movement to signify that she even knew that Jesse was in the room.
"We went to Bob's, it's been a rough day, and… well, she didn't handle seeing Jo too well. I just wanted to talk to her, to try to find out what is bothering her, but … I don't know she seemed to almost lose control of herself. She rushed from the restaurant and I just brought her home. Then she came in here, and … well we've been like this ever since." Steve stopped talking. He wasn't sure if Rae was aware of either of them, and he needed to see if he could bring her back to them.
"Rae, look at me, Jesse's here. Rae." Steve looked into her deep brown eyes, and instead of seeing the friendship, and the life and laughter that was usually there he saw nothing. He gently pushed her away from his body and lay her down on the bed, and then he stood up and looked over at Jesse. "What's the matter with her, Jess? Look at her, you wouldn't think she had been to see Brian, run from a building or even just talked to me."
"I think she had a panic attack, and then once she got on home ground, somewhere she felt safe, with somebody who makes her feel protected she just shut down for a while. I will let her go off to sleep, and when she wakes up she will probably be fine. But I have arranged for her to go see Brian tomorrow."
"Well, the Captain has suggested she have a week off, so I won't say anything at work yet, but Jesse, there is no way she can come back like this."
"I know that, Steve, and I wouldn't let her. Alex won't let her, and Brian definitely won't let her, so she's three for three."
They looked back at the bed and could see that Rae was quickly falling asleep. Jesse moved over to her and carefully took her shoes off, and then he got the comforter from the bottom of the bed and gently pulled it over her. He kissed her on the cheek, then after brushing a lock of hair off her face he quietly moved across the room and followed closely by Steve went out into the hallway.
"You want a coffee?" Jesse looked back at his friend, hoping that he would say yes.
"Yeah, I will if you don't mind. I have to say Rae scared me tonight, I have never seen her like that before. Do you think that she'll dream?"
"She might. Hold on a minute." Jesse went back down the hallway, and Steve, expecting to see him go into his own bedroom was surprised when he carried on round to the nursery. He realised what he was going to do when Jesse came back with the baby listener in his hand. He went into his room and Steve knew that he was plugging it in, and then he came back towards his friend.
"Nobody said it just had to be for listening to crying babies, did they? I forgot to take it with me last night, now I'm glad I did." Jesse smiled then and moved into the kitchen and put the coffee maker on. "Steve, do you think that you and Jo would have Eliana overnight without me being there? I want to just look after Rae tonight."
"Jesse, we would be delighted. It'll give us a trial run ready for when we have a baby." Steve smiled at the thought.
"No it won't. Eliana isn't a newborn baby any more. She sleeps through the night, and doesn't cry when she wakes up. Ok, I know she did this morning, but normally she doesn't. This is the good part, we have gotten past the sleepless nights, the midnight feeds, and the screaming wide awake baby at four in the morning."
"Well, gee, Jess, don't just tell me all the best bits." Steve went over to the cupboard where the mugs were kept and got two out. Rae kept a meticulously tidy house, and he knew just where they would be. Then he put them next to the coffee machine, turned, and, leaning against the counter, began to talk again. "She's really sick isn't she, Jess?"
"Yeah, she is. It affected her when Lee Tennant was killed, and now that Jo's been hurt, it seems to have sent her over the edge. I guess you must have seen something that made you want to take her out for dinner, or was it more than what you saw today?"
Steve nodded, he guessed now was as good a time as any to tell Jesse about some of the things that had happened lately. "Did she tell you about the web site that Levington had made?"
"No. What web site?"
Steve had taken a deep breath. "You aren't gonna like this, Jess. But I guess it's better coming from me than some of those slime balls in vice."
Half an hour later Jesse was ready to slam his fist into the nearest hard object. But he knew that Steve hadn't finished yet.
"There's a cop in vice, Detective Neil Crosier," Steve's voice was full of contempt and Jesse could tell that his usually affable friend had no time for this guy. "He found the site, eight weeks after Levington was killed, and had great pleasure in showing everything to Rae. She didn't cope with it too well, but luckily nobody reported her…"
"Why would anybody report her, what did she do?" Jesse looked concerned.
"When she threatened him, which she did while holding him up against a wall, she is one strong lady your wife, … she had her hand on her gun." Steve let out a sigh, he hadn't told anybody what he had seen that day, and it was a relief to share.
"And, what has this guy done since?"
"Well, apparently it has been going on for a while, Rae said that every time she comes into contact with him he makes suggestive comments, what he would like to do to her with his cuffs, whether she has a four poster bed at home, things that he could only have got from looking at the pictures on the site and reading the confidential report on what happened. But yesterday he obviously went too far and Rae slapped him." Steve could see that Jesse was horrified at his words. "There is more, Jesse, once she had hit him he apparently said something else, she slammed him up against the wall and punched him in the stomach. She could lose her badge, Jess."
Jesse had thought that he couldn't feel any angrier than when he first heard about the site, but now he realised that he had been wrong. He knew that when Levington had been killed in the station the files had been closed and all the information about what he had done to Rae had been classified as confidential and sent to records. As far as they had been aware permission from Captain Newman was required to even get a requisition form for them, let alone have a request to view them granted. But he wasn't just angry he was afraid. Afraid for Rae that she was no longer able to control her temper, to the extent that she had attacked somebody in the squad room. She had ended their married life; probably her professional life, and she didn't seem to have any means of dealing with any of it.
Jesse felt that he was about to explode, and was just about to vent his anger when he heard Rae over the monitor.
"No. Leave me alone, NO!!"
Steve and Jesse were out of the kitchen and in the hallway in an instant. Jesse rushed into the room his eyes travelling to the bed as he did so. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. Rae was sitting up in bed, her eyes wide with terror, and in her hand she had her service weapon. Jesse looked round to Steve, his eyes full of silent pleading. Steve indicated with his hand that Jesse should move out into the hallway and then he walked a little closer to Rae.
"Rae, will you let me have your gun?" Steve's voice was soft and low, he didn't want to scare her, and he knew that she could kill him with a single shot right now, and probably have no idea what she had done. "Rae, it's Steve, Honey, please put the gun down, nobody is gonna hurt you. There is just Jesse and me here." Steve was still moving very slowly towards her, and he could see that she wasn't actually looking at him; in fact he wasn't sure that she was looking anywhere in particular. Gradually he was getting within touching distance of her, and then taking a deep breath he extended his hand and carefully took a hold of Rae's weapon and removed it from her grasp.
Steve heard Jesse let out a breath in the hallway, and then he unloaded the gun and placed it in his belt. He turned to see Jesse coming into the room, his doctor's bag in his hand. "I'm gonna sedate her, Steve, I know she doesn't even know we're here right now, but my God, I can't have her doing that, she'll get herself committed. Thank goodness Eliana wasn't here."
Jesse slowly pressed the plunger down on the syringe and watched carefully as the liquid went into Rae's arm. There was no reaction from her and once he had finished what he was doing, Jesse once again made sure that she was lying down and was warm and comfortable, then he drew the curtains across and tiptoed out of the room.
Steve was just following him down the hallway when his cell phone rang. He moved into the family room as he answered. "Sloan here."
Jesse waited just outside the door and he saw him sit down heavily. Steve finished his call and slowly put his phone away. "That was Cheryl. She went in and interviewed Jo this afternoon, after she woke up, I know it wasn't a murder investigation, but she was coming in to pick up some stuff from Amanda so she offered. Anyway, she just phoned me and … and Jo's brake lines were cut."
"What, who would want to kill Jo?" Jesse face was full of the shock he felt.
"There's more, Jesse. Her brake lines were cut, deliberately, and the last place she visited was here, to see Rae."