Chapter 9
They didn't talk all the way to City Hospital, as both were lost in their own thoughts. 'Maybe Duncan is right and what happened the other night and now are connected, and the only connection is me. But why?' Dani thought.
Duncan stopped the car and turned to Dani "Are you up to this?" he could see that her eyes were still filled with tears. Dani looked down at her hands and then back at Duncan "So Maria could have been hurt because of me.I don't understand why." Dani opened the car door "I need to see her" she said looking back at Duncan "I really could do with some company." Duncan had thought about going to see Joe while Dani was at the hospital but looking into her eyes he knew he couldn't let her face this alone and he had the feeling that she could still be in danger. He would take her with him to Joe's later.
He reached out and took her hand squeezing it gently "Come on, I won't let you go through this alone."
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The emergency room was alive with activity. When they finally managed to talk to a nurse all they were told was that they would have to wait. The receptionist directed Dani and Duncan to the waiting area, where they found couple of free plastic chairs and settled down to wait but Dani jumped ever time someone came out of the door that lead to the treatment rooms. The door from at the other end of the room opened and Detective Morgan entered walking straight over to where they sat. He picked up one of the plastic chairs from opposite them moving it closer he sat down. He leaned forward towards Dani so that the others seated around couldn't hear "Has there been any news about your friend?"
"No.they're still treating her. Have you been able to find out who did this?" Dani's face showed the concern she was feeling.
"We've spoken to all your neighbours but all but the lady in 6d say they didn't hear or see anything."
"She would have noticed.our very own noisy parker" Dani's voice portrayed her slight irritation.
"I wouldn't judge her too harshly, it was her that called us. If she hadn't your friend might be in the morgue" he noticed Dani relax slightly. "When we arrived this was in Maria's hand, it took two of us to pry it out." Morgan handed Dani a plastic bag with a business card in it. Duncan moved to get a better view. Duncan tensed when he saw the name on the card; it read 'Benjamin Cristo Interior Design'. The card had confirmed Duncan's fears Cristo was after Dani.
"Do you know why this card would be in her hand?"
"No.we can't afford an interior designer" Dani said handing the card back to Detective Morgan.
Detective Morgan took the card and placed it back in his pocket. "There were no signs of a break in so she must have let her attacker or attackers in. Oh, there was also a name painted on the wall. Do you know who Louisa is?"
Just then the door to the treatment room opened and a nurse walked out distracting Morgan's attention from Dani for a moment. Duncan took hold of Dani's hand and shook his head and silently mouthed the word 'No'.
"Well, do you?" Morgan said turning back to them.
"Ur, no maybe they got the wrong apartment," Dani said as she felt Duncan's hand relax. Dani wasn't sure why Duncan had stopped her from telling Morgan about the man in the alley, but she trusted he had his reasons.
"When you're ready I'll need you to check your apartment, see if anything is missing." He handed Dani a card "you can reach me at this number."
"Would it be OK for Dani to pick up a few things from her apartment? She can check tomorrow to see if anything is missing." Duncan asked
"That should be alright, but I warn you it's not a pretty sight." The door to the treatment room opened again but this time a Doctor walked over to Dani. "We're moving your friend to a room, you can see her for a few minutes but that's all. She's in and out of consciousness so try not to over tax her. Please follow me."
As Dani started to get up she turned to look at Duncan "I'll wait here" he said. Dani followed the Doctor out of the emergency room.
"Where will Miss Angel be staying in case I need to contact her?" Morgan said standing up.
"She'll be staying with me at the Dojo." Duncan handed the Detective one of his cards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- Dani hesitantly pushed the hospital room door open. The room was dimly lit and there was a bed against the far wall. Dani could just see a small figure under the covers. Dani couldn't believe there could be so many machines attached to one person. As she moved closer grasping the bed rail and looked down into the bruised face, she could just make out the face of her friend. "Hi, Maria it's me." Maria's eyes flickered open. Dani smiled. "What happened?" falteringly Maria tried to speak but only a whisper came out. "He wouldn't stop Dani, he wanted someone called Louisa but I couldn't.." her eyes flickered closed. Dani smoothed Maria's hair "It's going to be OK.you get some rest now.I'll come back tomorrow, we'll talk then" Maria slipped into unconsciousness.
Dani looked back into the room as she stood by the door 'how could this all be happening to us?' she thought as closed the door. She then walked slowly back to the emergency room where Duncan was waiting. As she entered the room Duncan could see the tears forming in her eyes. Walking over to her he put his arms around her. "Why, Duncan. Why is this happening?" Duncan pulled her closer and caressed her hair, "I don't know.but I'm going to find out." Duncan steered her towards the exit "You're staying with me tonight. We'll go by your apartment and pick up a few things for you. Then I'll take you to the loft. I need to go and talk to Joe, he's a friend who maybe able to help. It shouldn't take long"
Dani stopped and turned to Duncan "I don't want to be alone, Duncan," she said trying to fight back the tears.
He smiled at her and wiped the single tear, that had managed to break free from her cheek "OK, we'll both go, we could both do with a drink"
They walked back to the T-Bird Duncan could see she looked so tired, this wasn't how he had want to spend this evening with her.
They didn't talk all the way to City Hospital, as both were lost in their own thoughts. 'Maybe Duncan is right and what happened the other night and now are connected, and the only connection is me. But why?' Dani thought.
Duncan stopped the car and turned to Dani "Are you up to this?" he could see that her eyes were still filled with tears. Dani looked down at her hands and then back at Duncan "So Maria could have been hurt because of me.I don't understand why." Dani opened the car door "I need to see her" she said looking back at Duncan "I really could do with some company." Duncan had thought about going to see Joe while Dani was at the hospital but looking into her eyes he knew he couldn't let her face this alone and he had the feeling that she could still be in danger. He would take her with him to Joe's later.
He reached out and took her hand squeezing it gently "Come on, I won't let you go through this alone."
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The emergency room was alive with activity. When they finally managed to talk to a nurse all they were told was that they would have to wait. The receptionist directed Dani and Duncan to the waiting area, where they found couple of free plastic chairs and settled down to wait but Dani jumped ever time someone came out of the door that lead to the treatment rooms. The door from at the other end of the room opened and Detective Morgan entered walking straight over to where they sat. He picked up one of the plastic chairs from opposite them moving it closer he sat down. He leaned forward towards Dani so that the others seated around couldn't hear "Has there been any news about your friend?"
"No.they're still treating her. Have you been able to find out who did this?" Dani's face showed the concern she was feeling.
"We've spoken to all your neighbours but all but the lady in 6d say they didn't hear or see anything."
"She would have noticed.our very own noisy parker" Dani's voice portrayed her slight irritation.
"I wouldn't judge her too harshly, it was her that called us. If she hadn't your friend might be in the morgue" he noticed Dani relax slightly. "When we arrived this was in Maria's hand, it took two of us to pry it out." Morgan handed Dani a plastic bag with a business card in it. Duncan moved to get a better view. Duncan tensed when he saw the name on the card; it read 'Benjamin Cristo Interior Design'. The card had confirmed Duncan's fears Cristo was after Dani.
"Do you know why this card would be in her hand?"
"No.we can't afford an interior designer" Dani said handing the card back to Detective Morgan.
Detective Morgan took the card and placed it back in his pocket. "There were no signs of a break in so she must have let her attacker or attackers in. Oh, there was also a name painted on the wall. Do you know who Louisa is?"
Just then the door to the treatment room opened and a nurse walked out distracting Morgan's attention from Dani for a moment. Duncan took hold of Dani's hand and shook his head and silently mouthed the word 'No'.
"Well, do you?" Morgan said turning back to them.
"Ur, no maybe they got the wrong apartment," Dani said as she felt Duncan's hand relax. Dani wasn't sure why Duncan had stopped her from telling Morgan about the man in the alley, but she trusted he had his reasons.
"When you're ready I'll need you to check your apartment, see if anything is missing." He handed Dani a card "you can reach me at this number."
"Would it be OK for Dani to pick up a few things from her apartment? She can check tomorrow to see if anything is missing." Duncan asked
"That should be alright, but I warn you it's not a pretty sight." The door to the treatment room opened again but this time a Doctor walked over to Dani. "We're moving your friend to a room, you can see her for a few minutes but that's all. She's in and out of consciousness so try not to over tax her. Please follow me."
As Dani started to get up she turned to look at Duncan "I'll wait here" he said. Dani followed the Doctor out of the emergency room.
"Where will Miss Angel be staying in case I need to contact her?" Morgan said standing up.
"She'll be staying with me at the Dojo." Duncan handed the Detective one of his cards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- Dani hesitantly pushed the hospital room door open. The room was dimly lit and there was a bed against the far wall. Dani could just see a small figure under the covers. Dani couldn't believe there could be so many machines attached to one person. As she moved closer grasping the bed rail and looked down into the bruised face, she could just make out the face of her friend. "Hi, Maria it's me." Maria's eyes flickered open. Dani smiled. "What happened?" falteringly Maria tried to speak but only a whisper came out. "He wouldn't stop Dani, he wanted someone called Louisa but I couldn't.." her eyes flickered closed. Dani smoothed Maria's hair "It's going to be OK.you get some rest now.I'll come back tomorrow, we'll talk then" Maria slipped into unconsciousness.
Dani looked back into the room as she stood by the door 'how could this all be happening to us?' she thought as closed the door. She then walked slowly back to the emergency room where Duncan was waiting. As she entered the room Duncan could see the tears forming in her eyes. Walking over to her he put his arms around her. "Why, Duncan. Why is this happening?" Duncan pulled her closer and caressed her hair, "I don't know.but I'm going to find out." Duncan steered her towards the exit "You're staying with me tonight. We'll go by your apartment and pick up a few things for you. Then I'll take you to the loft. I need to go and talk to Joe, he's a friend who maybe able to help. It shouldn't take long"
Dani stopped and turned to Duncan "I don't want to be alone, Duncan," she said trying to fight back the tears.
He smiled at her and wiped the single tear, that had managed to break free from her cheek "OK, we'll both go, we could both do with a drink"
They walked back to the T-Bird Duncan could see she looked so tired, this wasn't how he had want to spend this evening with her.