Conflict and Confrontation
Rae was driven back to the prison in silence. She wouldn't have spoken anyway, she had no words to explain how she felt, and she couldn't have made small talk because it was beyond her at the moment. The van drew back in through the prison gates and Rae saw her previous life disappear as they clanged shut behind her.
The doors of the van were opened, and Rae, now handcuffed to her guard was pulled unceremoniously out and back into the building. She had suffered the indignity of having a blanket over her head when she came out of the courthouse, and after that had happened Rae stopped thinking. The cuffs were removed and Rae just stood and looked ahead of her. She had no idea how to get back to her cell, she wasn't even really sure exactly where she was.
"Come on, Yeager, move now!"
Rae felt a hand push in the small of her back and she just began to walk in the direction she had been shoved. She kept walking until she was pulled to the left and then she walked that way. No more words were exchanged and finally Rae found herself standing outside a door that looked exactly the same as all the others. The smart card was run down the slot and the interior was revealed. Rae moved inside it and before the door shut again she heard the guard's voice.
"Change back into this, now." The guard stood in the doorway, and watched again as Rae changed back into her prison wear. The beautiful suit that she had worn in court was taken from her and in a moment of clear thought Rae wondered whether she would ever see it again.
The door slid across and Rae sank down onto the bed. She tried to remember what had happened to her during the day, but it was all a little hazy. She could see Mr. Sholte standing with her in the court, and Cheryl damning her with every word she spoke. As she sat there Rae realised that there had been someone in the court who was rooting for her, Tony had been there! Until now he had just been a face in a crowd, but he had been there. The tears came up in Rae's eyes and she shut them so that she wouldn't let any fall. As Rae's eyes closed Jesse's face came up in her mind, and she could no longer contain the tears. She missed him so much, and she wished with all her heart that she had opened up to him when he had wanted her to. Rae realised that she would have to find out how she could get some writing paper, she had to let him know just how much she needed him, and to tell him how sorry she was.
Rae lay back on her bunk and tried to shut the thoughts out of her mind. She had lost everything that she had worked so hard for. Her career, her husband, her family, the life that she had battled to keep here in Los Angeles, through no fault of her own, it had all disappeared.
Steve had got up after the video had finished and left the room. Jo had watched him leave and felt her heart sink. She was so sure that Rae was innocent, and that they would find the evidence to get her released, but she wasn't sure how her friend would cope with the fact that not only Cheryl thought she was guilty, but Steve too.
"Excuse me, I think that this little princess needs to be in her bed. I'll be back in a few minutes." Jo carried Eliana up the stairs and into the nursery. She gently laid the sleeping child in the crib, picked up her soft doll and put it next to her, then after placing a kiss on her cheek she lowered the light, plugged in the baby monitor and left the room.
"…information was it that you said you had that hasn't been disclosed yet?"
Jo could hear Alex speaking, probably to Martin as she came down the stairs, but she wasn't planning on going back into the living room straight away. She knew that Steve would be standing out by the pool and so that was where she was headed.
As Jo opened the door she could see him silhouetted against the clear night sky. She moved over towards him and placed her hand on his arm. "Honey, are you all right?" He turned towards her and she could see the mixed emotions on his face. "Oh, darlin', please, don't stand out here worryin' an' frettin'."
"She's my partner, Jo, I trusted her with my life, and I love her so much, I am just mixed up and muddled." Steve moved away from her and sat down on the patio. Jo came and sat with him.
"She hasn't changed, Steve, someone is doing this to her. I don't know why, an' I don't know how, but they are doing one hell of a job, especially if they have you doubtin' her. But Gilbert is a good guy, he'll help her."
"How can he? Jo, he's your lawyer and when this gets to trial it is going to be a serious conflict of interests for the man."
Jo turned away a moment, she knew that Steve believed Rae to be guilty, and that because of that he thought that she was responsible for nearly killing both her and his father. The words she spoke next came out very softly, but Steve heard every one of them. "There will be no conflict, I'm going to get the charges dropped."
"What? Jo she tried to kill you. She sabotaged your car, for God's sake. If you do that, if you drop the charges then she won't get the help she needs. Then how will you feel?" Steve stood up again and walked away from his fiancée.
"Now hold on a minute here. How will I feel? Oh no, don't you try to pass all your guilt feelin's onto me. I won't feel anythin' I'll know that I have done the right thing, because she didn't do it. An' if you can't see this then you will lose her." Jo had been shouting, but as she finished her voice had returned to a whisper.
"Yeah, well that's how it will have to be. You just won't accept the fact that your best friend tried to kill you, and my dad, and succeeded in killing three others." Steve threw the words at her and Jo took an instinctive step backwards. As she did so she heard a throat clear.
"Ah, Madam, I was just checking to see that everything was all right." Michael looked a little embarrassed as he stood in the doorway.
"Oh, yeah, Michael everthin's just peachy out here. We'll be back in, in a minute… Michael wait. Tell me, do you think Rae did any of these things?" Jo looked at Steve as if daring him to interrupt.
"No, Madam. I realise that I don't know her as well as either of you, but she has always struck me as an honourable person. I don't think she could commit any of these crimes, however badly life had treated her."
"Thank you, Michael." Jo turned in triumph and was shocked to see Steve's face creased with anguish, and she could see him wrestling with his conscience. "Honey, what? What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Don't you shut me out Steve Sloan, tell me, somethin' that Michael said made you stop an' think, now what was it?" Jo moved closer to him, she knew that he needed her support if he was to cope with his feelings through all of this.
"Michael said she was honourable."
"That's because she is." Jo knew she shouldn't but she had to interrupt.
"When we were working the night watchman murders, she kept saying that. One of the men had said he was an honourable man to his wife. Rae picked up on it, she knew it was important, and she was right. The men were all killed because they wouldn't break the law, honour is important to her. Oh, God Jo, I don't know what to think about all this." Steve pulled her closer to him for a moment and hugged her.
"Then you will make the right decision. If you can look at this objectively then you will realise that she didn't do it." Jo smiled at him and was relieved to see him smile back.
"I need to go back and talk to Dad, and find out what really happened."
"Honey, he needs his sleep, we can go an' see him in the mornin' an' find out everythin' we need then. Leave him be tonight, but please come back in an' try to help us, we need you, Rae needs you." To Jo's relief Steve nodded and, hand in hand, they walked back towards the house but just before they reached the door Steve stopped walking and pulled Jo close to him.
"Thank you, I'm sorry, this is just so hard, and I don't know which way to turn."
"I know, an' I am worried about your dad too, but Rae wouldn't hurt him, not ever." Jo put her hand up into Steve's hair and pulled his face down towards her own. As she began to kiss him she felt him relax just a little, and he began to run his fingers in and through her hair.
"Oh, Jo, I love you so much, please help me to get everybody through this."
"I will, you know that." Jo smiled at him and they linked arms and made their way back to their friends.
Michael had cleared the coffee table, Martin had laid out the papers he had brought with him and Amanda had put the folders she had been looking at on there as well. Alex was reading through one folder, and Jesse who wasn't looking as tired and worn as he had done was talking quietly with Amanda. The room was alive with activity, and Steve and Jo could see that everybody was working feverishly, or almost everyone. Jo had to smile as she looked over to the sofa and then she nudged Steve. He smiled as well as he saw Tony laid out along the seats fast asleep.
"He just nodded off, and Michael gently laid him down." Jesse was smiling as he spoke, and Jo moved over towards him.
"Honey, you look much better than you did when you arrived."
"I feel much better, I think I just felt so helpless, and lost, but now we are doing something, something concrete to help…" Jesse took a deep breath, as for a moment the helplessness washed over him again. "I miss her so much, I just want her to come home."
"I know you do, we all do, an' we will find out what is going on so that we can get her back to you an' Eliana." Jo kissed him gently on the cheek, just as she had his daughter and then she found herself a seat at the table and began to look at some of the information in front of her. Jo picked up a photo that had been taken from the video and she could clearly see Rae standing over the body. Then she picked up one of the stills of the actual murder, but try as she might she couldn't see the face of the murderer.
It was another two hours before Michael came quietly over to Jo and suggested that they call it a night. "I think we should leave this for another time now, Madam, the Lieutenant is on duty tomorrow, and Doctor Travis is looking very tired now."
"Michael, thank you, I hadn't realised." Jo cleared her throat. "Let's call it a day now an' come back tomorrow night to carry on, if that is all right with everybody else."
"Ah, not tomorrow night, I can't." Alex looked very embarrassed as he spoke. "I have a date with, ah, five nurses."
"Five nurses!" Steve's voice was incredulous, and he began to laugh.
"Yeah, I was won at the auction by five nurses. Let me see, Shannon, Mary, Louise, Katie and Nadine." Alex counted them off on his fingers and felt himself go very red.
"And where are you taking the lucky ladies?" Jesse was tired, but he couldn't resist joining in.
"We are gonna go to Secrets Nightclub, and I am seriously looking forward to the whole thing being over."
The group of friends broke up then, and went their separate ways. Michael covered Tony over with one of the comforters from upstairs and left the man to his exhausted sleep. Steve and Jo walked up the stairs hand in hand and gently opened the door to the nursery.
Eliana was fast asleep her favourite dolly in her arms. She looked like a small angel; her hair billowed out in the shape of a halo, and a look of peace and innocence on her face.
Jo and Steve looked at each other and then back at the small child, if they needed something to show them what they were fighting for, then it was fast asleep in this very room, they would fight for her, she needed her mommy, just as much as her mommy needed her.
Steve and Jo went into their own bedroom and once he had shut the door Steve turned Jo to face him. "I'm sorry, this is so difficult, but I am so glad that you are here for me. I love you Josephine Walters, I hope you know that."
Jo looked up into the deep eyes of the man standing before her, and nodded slightly. Then she pulled him over and onto the bed. She slowly and carefully began to remove his clothing, and felt him do the same to her. Soon they were lying entwined on the bed, and, as Steve felt Jo begin to leave tiny kisses all over his chest, he let the problems and worries slip away, and moved his fingers into her hair, then as he felt her move further down his body he let out a moan of pleasure and he gave himself to her completely.
Rae lay on her bed all evening, apart from when she had gone to get something to eat. She had picked at her meal until it was stone cold and she had returned it to the counter where she had got it. Now she was just waiting for the lights to go out so that she could shut leave the day behind, and wait for her dreams to take over.
It was just after eight the next morning when Tony woke up, and found to his horror and embarrassment that he was still on Jo's couch. He sat up a little stiffly and saw a hot cup of coffee sitting on the table. He smiled, he could get used to having a butler, even if it did mean waking up in the living room each morning.
Michael was making breakfast in the kitchen as Tony stood and knocked on the doorframe. "Ah, good morning, Sir, I hope that under the circumstances you slept well. It seemed inappropriate to wake you last night, you seemed to be sleeping comfortably enough."
"Michael, I am so sorry that I did that, I can't believe that I slept the whole night on your couch."
"It isn't a problem at all, Sir, apart from the fact that you would have been more comfortable in one of the bedrooms. Madam said to tell you that you were welcome to move in here for the duration of your stay, so that you can keep up with everything that is going on. She also said to make your breakfast, which, I have to say, I would have done anyway." Michael managed to look a little put out without actually seeming to move a muscle.
"That is very kind of her, and I may take her up on it, I don't plan to go home until Rae is at least on the way to freedom… and I hate hotels." Tony stopped talking for a second as a thought hit him. "But that may be much longer than Jo was envisaging having me around her lovely home."
"No, I think that is exactly what she thought would happen. You were only planning to be here a week, but it may take longer than that to facilitate Mrs Travis's release."
"Michael, what is Rae's proper name now? I have heard her called Detective Yeager, Mrs Travis and even Mrs Travis-Yeager."
"When she is working she is known as Detective Yeager, but in her private life she is Mrs Travis."
"Oh, right, thanks. Maybe I should go and talk to Jo about staying here, then, although that does smell awfully good, I think I will wait and see her afterwards." Tony realised that the smell of bacon cooking was probably his breakfast being prepared and he realised just how hungry he was.
"It will have to be a little later anyway, Sir. Madam and the Lieutenant have gone in to the hospital to see Doctor Sloan this morning."
"Oh, of course, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking straight."
"After all that has happened to you recently, Sir, I'm not surprised that you are having a little difficulty taking it all in." Michael put the last rasher of bacon onto the plate with grilled tomatoes, a fried egg and fried bread and then placed it on the kitchen table while he went to get the tray.
"Goodness, is that for me? Michael, thank you." Tony sat down at the table and picked up the knife and fork, which was next to the plate.
"No, Sir, I will take it into the breakfast room for you."
"Michael, this is fine, really, besides, I would like to talk to you if that is all right. I know that Rae considers you a friend, and well, I miss being a part of her life, maybe you could fill me in on what has been happening, before the sky fell on her again that is."
Michael smiled as Tony said that Rae saw him as a friend, and he nodded. If Jo had been there she would have been amazed at what happened next. Michael pulled out the chair next to Tony and sat down. "If Sir doesn't mind, I will sit for a moment then."
"Of course I don't mind, if Rae considers you a friend, then that is more than good enough for me, now, what can you tell me?"
Steve and Jo had arrived at the hospital just after half past seven and gone straight to Mark's room. There had been a nurse in with him and so they had stood outside in the hallway and waited until he was alone before tapping quietly on the glass and then entering.
"Dad, how are you feeling this morning?" Steve moved right up to where Mark was resting and looked anxiously at him.
"A little better. I think I have got the anaesthetic out of my system now. I was way out of it when I last saw you." Mark smiled and saw both Steve and Jo relax as they looked at him.
"Mark, we were so worried for you, are you sure you're feelin' better today?" Jo moved over and kissed him gently on the cheek. She noticed that he had his colour back, and there was the unmistakable twinkle in his eyes once again.
"Better enough to appreciate a kiss from a pretty girl." Mark carried on smiling, he was so pleased to see them, and he began to realise that when Steve was in this position it was reassuring to have somebody you love sitting with you and helping you through the difficult times. He also understood why he always wanted to go straight home as soon as he woke up; he wanted to go home too.
Steve sat down on the chair next to the bed and took his dad's hand in his own. "You really are feeling better?"
"Son, I'm a doctor, I wouldn't lie to you, yes, I am feeling better, better enough to ask what is going on about finding out who did this to me… and don't tell me it was Rae, because I just won't believe you." Mark saw Steve look away for a moment as if unable to face him. "Steve, look at me. You can't think that Rae did this, or any of the other attacks."
"Dad, I'm a cop, I have to go on the evidence that is presented, and the evidence all adds up to one thing. Rae is guilty, maybe not responsible for her actions, but guilty."
"Then the evidence is wrong." Mark spoke with a tone that told his son that he wouldn't listen to anything more he had to say about Rae being guilty and Jo thought that it was probably time to intervene.
"We all met at my house last night, while you were asleep, an' Steve is right about one thing. The evidence is loaded against her. She had her preliminary hearin' yesterday Mark, an' she will go to trial in six weeks on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. There were two attempted charges, you an' I, but I am havin' mine dropped." Jo looked over at the man in the bed. She didn't want to give him too much information so soon after he had been badly injured, but she knew that if they kept anything from him he would be more cross and upset.
"I wish I could get out of this hospital and help you. Steve can you bring me some of the files to look through while I am in here? If I were my doctor I wouldn't let me out for about another five days, so I know I am going to be stuck for a while."
"I'll bring you in some of the stuff from home. We left it all ready to have another session tomorrow night. Alex can't come tonight, and Jesse was exhausted by last night's gathering." Steve looked at his father and realised that he needed to be a part of this investigation, and the fact that he was in a hospital bed wouldn't be a good reason not to keep him fully informed.
Rae realised as she picked up her breakfast tray that she was actually hungry, probably because she hadn't eaten anything worth mentioning since she had arrived in the jail. She got her meal and then looked around for somewhere to sit. As she began to move into the cafeteria she heard a noise, at first she couldn't work out what it was, but then it got a little louder and a little clearer. As she looked round the words assaulted her ears and she just wanted to turn and run. All she could hear was one word repeated over and over again by almost everybody in the room.
"Cop, cop, cop, cop, cop."
With tears forming in her eyes Rae spotted an empty table in a corner and headed over towards it. She had almost made it when she felt her leg connect with something and she went flying. With the tray in her hands she had no way to save herself, and her knees slammed into the hard floor and pain shot through them, she landed in a heap and the chanting continued, louder and louder.
"Cop, Cop, Cop, COP, COP."
Rae turned herself in to the smallest ball she could make. She could feel the pain from her knees radiating up through her, and the noise from the chanting echoing round and round in her head. Suddenly there was a third sensation as she felt herself being hauled up by the back of her top.
"Stand up, Cop."
Rae had no choice but to stand and she had to will herself not to panic over the pressure her clothes were putting on her throat. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into the eyes of one of the animal rights protesters that she had arrested during the Worthington case.
"So, how does it feel to be loved by all who surround you?"
Rae felt herself being propelled across the room, and slammed into the wall. She felt the fist of the activist as it was forced into her stomach, and, as she doubled over and her legs gave way beneath her she heard an alarm being sounded, there was a violent, sharp pain in the back of her neck and she neither saw nor heard anything more.
Alex had just finished his coffee break and was heading back towards the ER when he saw two nurses coming towards him.
"Hi, Doctor Martin, are you looking forward to tonight?" One of the nurses was over a head taller than the other, and it was she who spoke.
"Yeah, it will be fun, you are two of the nurses who bid, right?"
"That's right," it was the other nurse who spoke up now. "My name is Louise, and this is Shannon, and there is Nadine, Katie and Mary as well."
"Ok, well I'll meet you at Secrets Nightclub at eight then, is that all right?"
"It sure is, that's a great place to spend an evening, we'll see you there, doc." It was Shannon who spoke. She was very different to look at than Louise, who was small, with brown hair. Shannon was much taller, about five ten, Alex reckoned, and she had jet black hair pulled back into a braid, it looked like lovely hair.
"…I said should we meet at the bar, or the first one there grabs a table?" Louise raised her voice as she realised that the Doctor wasn't listening to her.
"I'm sorry, yeah, first one there grab a table. See you then, ladies." Alex made his excuses and carried on down the hallway to begin the second part of his shift, as he did so he heard his name being broadcast from the loudspeaker system and he broke into a run.
Doctor Jacobs had taken one look at Rae and decided that he needed to send her out to be treated. He didn't like the fact that she had been kicked in the head, at least once by the look of it, if not more, and he had a feeling that she had a couple of cracked ribs, her left knee had swollen up like a balloon and the right one wasn't that much better. From what he understood from the guard who'd brought her to the infirmary she had been attacked in the cafeteria and they'd had to drag her away from the other prisoner who was kicking and screaming abuse at her. Rae was still unconscious when she was loaded into the prison ambulance, a guard at her side. He shook his head, he had known that she was probably going to be attacked, but he was still upset that it had happened.
The nurse on duty met Alex as he arrived at the reception desk to await the arrival of the next patient.
"Doctor Martin, the patient is a prisoner from the woman's jail, she was attacked by another inmate and is, or was, when she left there, unconscious. Sir, it's Detective Yeager."
Alex felt his stomach constrict as he listened to the nurse, and when she said that it was Rae coming in he was distressed to discover that he wasn't at all surprised. The doors opened as he processed his thoughts, and he moved over at a trot to be at his patient's side.
"Rae, Rae, can you hear me?" Alex was concerned to note that there was no response at all, and he picked up the papers on the gurney next to her, to see how long she had been unconscious and how she had received her injuries. "Take her into trauma two, get on to x-ray to notify them that she will be coming down, I might need a neuro-surgeon, so find out who is on call, and then get on to admitting I want a private room arranged, STAT."
"Yes, Doctor." The nurse smiled at the young man in front of her. She thought he'd blossomed since he had qualified, and she wished that she'd had enough money to join the syndicate who had won him at the auction.
"I will stay with the prisoner at all times." The guard pushed her way into the trauma suite as the gurney was being manoeuvred through the doors.
"Ok, you can stand over there. Don't get in my way, and I won't get in yours. As you can see your prisoner won't be going very far for a while." Alex couldn't hide the animosity in his voice, and so he turned his back on the guard and began to examine his patient.
It took just over an hour to get Rae x-rayed and admitted. It had been decided that there was no need for the neuro-surgeon but as she was settled into the bed in her room she still hadn't come around. Alex glared at the guard who was standing so close to the bed that it was impossible for him to check Rae over without standing on her toes. "Do you think you could just move over to the window for a few minutes, I just want to make sure that all the activity hasn't worsened her condition."
"Just a minute then." The guard, who Alex could see from her name badge was called Bryant, moved over and began to peer through the blind at the world outside. He went over all the basic checks again, and then wrote a note on the chart at the end of the bed.
"Mrs Travis isn't going to be in any state to be moved for at least a week, you can guard her from outside the door, I don't want you in the room with her. A nurse will be checking on her every fifteen minutes, and you will let her enter each time. If not they will report to me, and I will report to your superior. I hope that is clear." Alex had decided that he was going to lay down the ground rules, and trust that they would be accepted.
"Yes, that will be acceptable. As you said she isn't going anywhere." Officer Bryant couldn't keep the sneer out of her voice. She had known that the cop would get into trouble, she hadn't realised it would be quite as serious as this, but that wasn't her problem, and in her opinion Yeager, Travis or whatever her name was, deserved everything that she got.
Alex spoke for a moment to the nurse on duty and then he headed up to where Mark was resting. He knocked on the door and poked his head round. "Hi, all, can I come in?"
"Hey, Alex, sure, the more the merrier." Mark smiled at his young friend. "What's up?"
"I need to speak to Jo, I want to ask her do something, but it could get her into trouble, and I don't want her to do anything she isn't comfortable with."
"What? If it's something to help Rae, then just tell me what it is an' I'll do it." She looked at Steve as if to say, 'don't say a word', and then smiled at Alex.
"Rae was attacked this morning."
"What? What happened to her?" It was Steve who spoke, suddenly she wasn't a guilty person any more, she was just his friend and the only thing he felt was enormous concern for her safety.
"She was ridiculed in the cafeteria and then she was attacked by somebody who, according to the guard that is with her, Rae had arrested during the Worthington case."
"Oh, God, one of the animal rights activists. What did they do to her, Alex?" Steve was on his feet now, he just wanted to rush down and find out for himself how she was.
"Well, this guard, Officer Bryant, doesn't seem to have much time for Rae, and had great pleasure in giving me all the details. Apparently when Rae came into the seating area with her tray everybody started to chant 'cop, cop, cop'. I guess she must have ignored it, because Bryant didn't say anything about a reaction, then when she was walking to her table she was tripped up, and she must have smacked her knees hard on the floor, the left one is really swollen up, the right isn't quite as bad, but I can't see what damage was done yet." Alex paused for breath and looked at the three people listening intently to his every word.
"But there's more isn't there? If she was brought here, she must have been injured some more." Jo managed to keep her voice steady, although she wasn't feeling very steady herself.
"She couldn't save herself which is why she hurt her knees, then this activist, is that what you said?" Alex looked at Steve and saw him nod, his face grave and full of concentration. "She hauled Rae up shoved her against a wall, and punched her in the stomach."
"Oh, my, God, didn't anybody try to stop this from happenin'?"
"She's a cop, Jo. You know how they treat cops in jail." Steve looked at Jo and then seeing how distressed she was getting he pulled her towards him, and wrapped his arms around her.
"It didn't stop there, Rae has three cracked ribs, so she must have been kicked there a couple of times, and she has a concussion, a bad one, she was kicked in the back of the head too." Alex paused, knowing that his next words would cause more distress. "I've had to have her put into cervical traction."
Jo had tears in her eyes now, and she looked at Alex as she began to speak. "I don't care what it is you want me to do, I'll do it. Nobody should be treated like that."
"She's been admitted and there is a watch on the door. I have told the guard she will have to stay outside the room, and that a nurse will check on her every fifteen minutes. She doesn't need to be checked every fifteen minutes; once or twice an hour would be enough. But I want you to go and see her, every now and then, I can get you a uniform, so that when she comes round there is somebody there who cares for her."
Jo came over and kissed Alex on the cheek before she said anything. "Of course, I will, an' you are gonna be a wonderful doctor, no wonder Rae chose you."
"Thank you." Alex felt himself begin to blush, but he knew that he had to get back to the matter at hand. "Jo, the neck brace she is wearing will frighten the life out of her when she wakes up. You will need to get me up there before she is fully conscious."
"I will do everythin' I can to make sure that happens." Jo looked at the young man in front of her. She would never transfer from Mark, who had become her physician after she had begun going out with Steve, but if she had still needed a new doctor, then she wouldn't have hesitated to register with Alex.
Mark had been silent in his bed for the entire conversation, now he began to speak. "What about Jesse, has anybody told him that Rae is here?"
"Mark, Jesse is here too, he was admitted after you were attacked, he just couldn't cope with everything that was going on. I haven't told him yet, but I will. I wanted to be able to explain about Jo at the same time." Alex looked at Mark as he spoke. He seemed to be getting back to his normal self, which heartened the young doctor no end.
"I guess we had better go down to the stores an' get me a nurse's uniform. I always liked playin' nurse an' bandagin' David up when he was a boy, now I get to be one for real." Jo and Alex left the room together and Steve turned back to face his dad.
"Son, what do you think now? I know that this doesn't change whether Rae is innocent or guilty, but I think maybe it changes the way you feel."
"Oh, God, Dad, I don't know. She's my partner, and, well, you know how I feel about her, but I saw you lying there, and I heard what you said as you were coming round from the anaesthetic and I was just so worried about you, and I guess I put two and two together and maybe made five." Steve ran his hand through his hair; he had felt the need to do it much more since his hands had been broken. "I just hope if I am wrong she will forgive me for doubting her."
"Steve, this is Rae we're talking about, she will forgive the person who attacked her today, so there is no reason why she wouldn't forgive you too."
"Thanks, Dad. Look, would you be all right for a little while? I can get in to see Rae, and I just want to make sure that she is ok with that guard."
"Yeah, sure, you go. It will set my mind at ease as well."
Steve smiled at his dad, left the room and headed down the hallway, then he turned round and came back. "Ah, I don't know what room she's in, I guess I better page Alex." Steve picked up the phone on the wall, and put the call through. Mark watched him with a smile. He had realised that Steve had no idea where he was going, but he had to admit, his son had returned quicker than he thought he would.
Steve smiled sheepishly at his dad as he put the phone back down. "Room 293, so I will try again, see you later, Dad."
This time Steve made it to his destination without any hiccups, and he could see the guard sitting outside the door. She didn't look very alert, but he guessed that if Rae was still out of it she had no real reason to be.
Officer Bryant watched out of the corner of her eye as she saw a tall man begin to walk down the hallway towards her. There were three rooms further on than where she was sitting, so it was possible that he was aiming for one of them, but as she saw him slow his step she stood up.
"Yes, Sir, what can I do for you?"
"I would like to see your prisoner."
"I'm sorry, Sir, but she isn't receiving visitors."
"I'm not a visitor." Steve got his ID out of his back pocket and showed it. "Now can I go in?"
Officer Bryant didn't say a word, but she moved away from the door, and Steve, taking that to be a yes moved into the room. Rae was lying, as he had seen her so many times in the past, peacefully in the bed. She had no need of a ventilator to aid her recovery it would just take time. Steve could see that there was a box like shape over where he imagined her knees must be, to keep the weight of the covers off where she had hurt herself. Steve knew that although she was peaceful at the moment, as soon as she realised she had something around her neck that would change. The cervical traction device she was wearing looked horribly uncomfortable, and he could only guess at how overwhelming her terror would be when she realised it was there. He was glad she was no where near coming round, and he sat down for a minute, and checking that the effervescent Officer Bryant wasn't looking in through the glass, he took Rae's hand, and began to talk in a low voice.
"Oh, Rae, Honey, I'm so sorry, that this has happened to you. But at least it has gotten you out of that terrible place. I can't believe that I doubted you, but I promise I will fight with everything that I have to get you released. You just concentrate on getting well. But don't do it too quickly, that way you can stay in here longer." Steve looked around again, and he could see the back of the officer's head as she was sat in her chair. He leant forward and gave his partner a kiss on the cheek, and then he moved back over to the door. As he did so he could see people moving towards the room and Rae's guard stood up once again.
"Ah, Officer Bryant, this is Nurse Walters, she is one of the staff members who will be checking on Mrs Travis. She may stay with her for a while if she feels that her patient is showing signs of coming round. Nurse if you will come in with me I will explain the case to you."
"Yes, Doctor." Jo found she had to resist the temptation to look coyly at Alex, and wondered whether she could keep the uniform so that Steve could see her in it.
Alex opened the door and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Steve standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"Doctor, I was just checking on the prisoner, I trust you don't mind." Steve tried desperately to make Alex realise that he was here, supposedly officially.
"Ah, no, not at all, and you are?"
"Here is my ID… Nurse, would you like to come in?" Steve moved back into the room as he saw Jo standing in the doorway.
"Thank you… Sir." Jo smiled at him as she passed, and wondered what he was thinking.
"That is fine, Lieutenant. I will get in touch with you when she comes round, if that is convenient."
"Yes, thank you, Doctor." Steve turned his back on the doorway and the officer just outside, and then he gave Jo an exaggerated wink placed his hand briefly on her arm and then left the room.
"Ok, Nurse, let's go through this shall we?"
Alex moved over and closed the door to Rae's room, and then he went back to Jo and began to explain the cervical traction unit she was in, and the signs that would show that Rae was beginning to come round.
Steve checked his watch as he left Rae's room and realised that he had just under the hour to get to work. He went back up to speak to his dad to let him know about Rae and was surprised to find Cheryl and Martin sitting with him. Steve tapped on the doorframe and then he entered the room.
"Cheryl, Martin, it didn't take you long to get here did it?" Steve was surprised that the anger he felt was so apparent in his voice.
"Steve, I called them, I needed to talk about what happened, and it seemed a good idea to talk to Cheryl and Martin because I knew I would have to soon anyway."
"Ok, sorry. I've just come from Rae's room, and I guess I'm a bit stressed."
"How is she, Son?"
"Not good, still unconscious, but at least she isn't being bothered by dreams at the moment, and pain is being controlled as well."
"Rae is in the hospital?" Cheryl looked puzzled. "How long has she been here?"
"About two or three hours I would guess, you didn't know?"
"No, I didn't know, did I look like I knew?" Cheryl felt her anger rise as she had to admit that nobody had told them about Rae.
"Steve, what happened to her?" Martin sighed; he seemed to spend every waking minute stopping Steve from getting into dispute with somebody.
"She was attacked in jail, which should come as no surprise to you. Most cops have a rough period if they do time, so I guess you expected it." Steve directed his comments to Cheryl and waited for her to bite.
"Steve, she broke the law, she killed three people, and attacked your father and your fiancée. She deserved to be there. I can't be held responsible for what happens to her inside."
"Please, Steve, just leave it for now, I need to talk to Cheryl and Martin, and if I'm not mistaken you should be heading for work yourself about now."
"Yeah, all right." Steve took a breath, and then turned to his colleagues. "I guess I'll see you later then." He moved over and placed his hand on Mark's shoulder. "Dad, I'll be back once my shift finishes. Don't wait up for me though, if you're asleep I'll just put my head round the door and head home."
"Ok, Son, I'll see you tomorrow then. I think I'll be fast asleep by the time you are back here."
Steve walked down the hallway towards Rae's room in case Jo was there. He realised that he had no idea where she would be when she wasn't with Rae, but his luck held and she was just coming out of Rae's room as he arrived.
"Ah, Nurse, could I have a word with you for a moment?" Steve remembered to carry on the charade for the guard.
"Certainly, Sir. Would you like to come with me to the desk an' we can talk there?"
They walked in silence to the nurse's station and then Jo stood behind it and waited for Steve to speak.
"Honey, I have to go to work now, I guess I'll see you tonight. Or are you planning to stay here until Rae comes round?"
"I think that she is showin' signs of comin' round already. I just need to page Alex, which is what I was comin' out of the room for. Rae's phone is on the blink. Hold on a minute an' let me do that."
Steve looked back round at the guard who didn't seem to have realised that Rae was showing signs of regaining consciousness. She was now reading a magazine, and even though Steve hadn't liked the woman on principle, he felt a little sorry for her. Standing guard on a patient's room had to be one of the worst duties anyone could pull, especially if the doctors and nurses were mostly the prisoner's friends.
"He's comin' back up to see Rae. Can you stay or do you want me to call you in a little while?"
"No, I'd better get to work, call me, and if you need me I'm sure I can get back. I'll see you at home." Steve resisted the temptation to kiss her goodbye and headed off once more, this time in the direction of the parking lot. As he walked he wondered when it was that Jo's house had become home to him. He had thought that he would always live at the beach house. In fact as the years had passed he had thought he would end up there alone. But now he was living in Beverley Hills, with the woman that he loved more than any other in the world, and he couldn't be happier. With a smile he got into his car and headed into work.