Sorry so long for another chapter.  I want to thank everyone for their great reviews...  no flames, please, but if I have screwed up horribly, please tell me so I can fix it.

~~~~~CT~~~~~

Fiona fell back asleep against Steve after Mark and Steve got her in the car.  Everything was quiet for twenty minutes until Fiona began to fight against Steve.  "No!  P-please d-don't," she whimpered.  She began to thrash more and more violently until Steve began to gently shake her.

"Fiona, wake up," he said.  "Wake up.  It's just a nightmare," he said until Fiona sat up, and stared blankly into Steve's blue eyes.  "You're safe," he said again.

"Sorry," she apologized again, her head bowed.

"No need to be sorry," he reiterated.  "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" he asked.

"N-no," she said, as she lay back against Steve.  He hugged her, worried.  She didn't go back to sleep on the rest of the way to the hospital, but laid quietly. 

As Mark pulled up to the familiar entrance of Community General Hospital, Fiona buried her face into his chest and stiffened in fear.  "Shhh, it's ok," Steve whispered for the hundredth time in an hour.  He felt Fiona relax a bit as he got out.  He saw his dad enter the hospital and come out a few minutes later with a wheelchair.  Fiona's eyes narrowed at the sight of the wheelchair, but she didn't say anything as Steve lifted her into it.  He wheeled her into an empty examining room and lifted her to the unlush hospital bed.  Mark came in a few minutes later with a treatment tray and a pair of latex gloves.

Fiona winced and squeezed Steve's had every time Mark pulled out a piece of shell.  "It's good to see you haven't lost your grip," Steve joked.

Fiona's lips curled up slightly at the remark.  "That's what I get for playing piano," she said quietly.  She hissed as Mark gave her the shots of lidocane to numb her feet for sutures.

"Sorry," Mark apologized.

"That's ok.  I know most doctors give horrible shots," she said with a small chuckle.

"Speaking of shot, when have you last had a tetanus shot?  You may not have stepped on metal, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Mark said.

"About two years ago.  Right after I left PAL, I stepped on a nail.  It went clear through my foot," she said, wincing at the memory.  "See that scar right above my big toe?" she pointed out.  Mark nodded.  "That's where it went."

"Ow," he remarked.  "That must have hurt," he said.

"Not at the time.  I was mad at one of my friends, and when I am angry, I don't really feel pain.  When I got calmed down, though, it hurt like a beauty."

Fiona and Steve sat silently for a few more minutes until Mark announced he was done, got up, and went to get bandages, a pair of crutches, and a wheelchair.

After Mark disappeared into the corridor, Steve asked Fiona, "How have you been?"

Fiona averted his gaze and began to stare at her hands.  "Truthfully..." she started.  She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.  "Not too good," she admitted.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked.

"I-I don't want to talk about it right now," she said as Mark came back with the aforementioned items.  He put on an antibiotic analgesic cream under the dressings.  "That feels better.  Thanks," she said with a tight smile.

"You're welcome," he said as he gave her a bottle.  "This is an antibiotic, and this," he said, producing another bottle, "Is for pain."  She looked them over as Steve gently picked her up and put her in the chair.

"What about the crutches?" she asked.

"Hospital policy.  You have to be taken outside with a wheelchair," Mark explained.

Fiona nodded at this.  She looked at her sports watch and grimaced.  "I bet my foster mom is worried sick," she said.  "I said I'd be out for only about thirty minutes, and that has been about two hours."

"Do you want me to call her?" Steve offered.

Fiona chewed on her lower lip, considering the offer.  "Ok," she said.

He walked over to the phone and Fiona gave him the number to call.  She mouthed 'Ms. Robinson' as the person on the other side of the phone answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Robinson?"

"Yes, who's speaking?"

"I'm Lt. Sloan with the LAPD.  Fiona isn't in trouble, but she got injured, so I took her to Community General Hospital," Steve said.

"Thank goodness!  I was about to call the police.  How is she?"

"She's fine, just got her feet cut up a bit.  A couple of the cuts were deep, so my father stitched them up."

"Your father's a doctor?" she asked a bit confused, and then it hit her.  "Oh!  Steve Sloan, from PAL!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, ma'am," he affirmed.

"I want to thank you for helping Fiona, not just now, but in the past." Ms. Robinson said.

"You're welcome.  I think Fiona's anxious to get home.  I'll be there in about 45 minutes," Steve said.

"Ok.  Can I talk to her a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," he said.  Steve handed the phone to Fiona, who shot him a look.

"Hello," she said in a monotone.

"Fiona, sweetie, are you OK?"  Ms. Robinson asked, worry in her voice.

"Sure, I'm fine.  I'll see you in about 45 minutes," she said as she handed Steve back the phone.

"See you," Ms. Robinson said as Steve hung up the phone.

Fiona looked up at Steve and said, "Ready?"

"Sure. Let's get you home," he said as he pushed her to the car.

~~~~~CT~~~~~