Chapter 8

"Ok." Sab took the horses to the exercise barn and Frank came in to see Elaina.

"You alright, Sabrina told me what happened?" Frank put his arms around her.

"Maria always finds a way to get to me. I can't do the demo. Tell Derek and Billy, they can handle it. I just can't after her being here."

"I'll tell them you're not feeling well," Frank suggested.

"No, then Derek will worry about me. Just tell him I want him to show off for once," Elaina told him.

"Are you at least going to watch?"

"Of course I'll watch. I'm a proud mother, you know," Elaina said, proudly.

"I think you're feeling better all ready." Frank gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"A little but I don't want everyone hanging around afterwards. We need to talk about something in private."

"I'll tell them. I know my team has work to do and I think Bea can get the others to go, too," Frank said.

"We better go in before they send out a search party." Elaina and Frank walked to the barn with their arms around each other.

They went in the barn and Frank walked over to talk to Derek. He looked at his Mom to make sure she wanted him to do it and Elaina smiled at him to say it was ok. Frank walked back over to where she was leaning against the wall. "Don't you want to sit down?"

"No. I'm fine leaning here. I don't want to answer questions as to why I'm not doing it," Elaina explained.

Derek introduced Billy and together they explained the therapy and the part the horses play in it. They explained how each horse was signaled by hand or whistle to perform different tasks. One task was what would happen, if a patient would fall from the horse. Derek went up the ramp and signaled for Sahara to come to him. He lowered himself on to the saddle and took off at a slow gallop. Then slipped off the horse. Sahara stopped and went over to him and tried to move him. When he moved, she whinnied and then knelt down by him as a signal for help. When Billy walked over the horse then lay down next to Derek and he got back on her again.

Everyone applauded and Derek let Sahara take a bow. Elaina and Frank saw that Derek was having fun doing the demo. Derek rode over to them. "How am I doing so far?" he asked, getting off.

"You're doing a great job. Now go finish it." Elaina gave him a quick hug and pat on the back.

Derek went back up the ramp and signaled for Gambit to come to the ramp. Billy wanted to show them how they'd keep the paralysis patients on the horse without another rider. Derek lowered himself onto Gambit and Billy tied his legs to the saddle. Billy explained that with the saddle being tight on the horse the legs being tied in place, gave the rider freedom from another riding with them. Derek took off and started the horse out slow. He rode faster each time he turned, slowly going from a walk to a gallop. As Gambit hit the gallop the saddle broke loose and Derek fell hard to the ground.

Elaina and Frank ran over to him as everyone else got up too. "Derek, are you ok?" Frank took the straps off his legs.

"I hurt my shoulder," Derek said, wincing as Billy checked it.

"He's dislocated it. I can fix that." Billy took his boot off and placed his foot under Derek arm he then quickly jerked the arm and placed the shoulder back in place. Derek cried out as he did it. "You'll be ok now."

"I'll believe that when all the pain leaves," Derek stated.

Elaina went over to look at the saddle, where Jake had moved it. She checked the cinch strap and noticed a clean cut half way through it, causing the rest of it to tear loose. "Frank!" Elaina yelled and everyone looked her way. "This was done on purpose and I know who did it." She showed Frank the strap and then took off.

Frank ran after her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to find Maria." Elaina kept walking but Frank stopped her.

"And then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to arrest her, after I beat the hell out of her." Elaina was furious.

"You can't do that. Police brutality laws remember?" Frank joked try to calm her down.

"I'm not joking, Frank. I want her to pay for hurting Derek. Maria has become a very sick human being. It's time we quit letting her get away with everything."

"I agree that something needs to be done. But like you said, she's sick. She needs therapy to get her head straightened out."

"Then I'll have her committed. Then she can get the help she needs," Elaina told him.

"I think you need to calm down some before you go looking for her. I'll tell everyone to leave after they sign the papers. Why don't you go sit with Sarah for a while? Megan will be leaving for class soon."

"I will but I do want to find Maria and soon, before she does something else." Elaina walked to the house as Frank went to talk to the others.

******* Later that afternoon Jake called them. "We've looked everywhere for Maria. There's no sign of her. She must've left town."

"Did you check all the hospitals?" Frank asked, knowing they probably did.

"Cody and Sab did. She hasn't been admitted under her name. Cody faxed all of them a picture of her but so far nothing."

"Thanks for calling Jake, keep us posted," Frank said then hung up.

"I'm thinking, we should be out looking too?" Elaina came into their home office and sat next to him on the couch.

"We have enough people looking, if she's in Chicago, we'll find her." Frank put his arms around her. "When we were in the stables, you said you needed to talk to me in private."

"Let me shut the door first." Elaina went over and shut and locked the door. "I have some news and you're not going to like it much." Elaina sat back down.

"What is it? I can tell by your tone, it isn't good?"

"Maria claims that she invited Miranda to the wedding. I don't know whether to believe her or not."

"Knowing Maria, she definitely did. I'll just get a restraining order against them both. when they show up they can be arrested." Frank started to dial the phone.

"Wait a minute! Let me say something first." Elaina waited for him to put the phone down. "I've been thinking about Miranda lately. She has tried reaching out to me by making us godparents to Benjamin. I want to have my sister back. I can't forget what she did but I'm willing to forgive her to a certain extent." Elaina struggled to find of the exact words to say. "I won't forgive her, totally, ever but I'm willing to be her sister again, if she wants that."

"What about, how I feel about her?" Frank wondered.

"You've never cared for her, I know. I'll have some trouble yet too, with what happened. But I love her, I may not like her for what she did but I've never stopped loving her or heaven help me, Maria for that matter. They're my family. I hold my family in my heart, always."

"If you want to make amends with Miranda, go ahead. I won't try to convince you otherwise. I want you to be happy." Frank held her close to him.

"Thank you for saying that. I think we should still have a restraining order against Maria though," Elaina told him.

"I'll make the call." Frank told her as the doorbell rang. "You can answer that."

"Ok, I can do that." Elaina went out and ran to the door. When she opened it she was surprised. "Miranda, speak of the devil."

"I know I'm not wanted here but Reese said you wanted to see Benny. So if you want take him and I'll pick him up later." Miranda placed the baby in Elaina's arms and turned to leave.

"Miranda, wait! I want to talk to you about Maria. Please sit down." They walked into the living room and sat down.

"Maria told me about the wedding. I know she was just starting trouble by saying I should show up unexpectedly at it. I told Maria I would but I realized that I couldn't do that to you."

"Maria has a lot of problems. She isn't thinking straight right now. I've been trying to get her to get help but she tells me to mind my own business." Elaina smiled as the baby grabbed her finger and held it.

"I gathered from her conversation with me, that she has a problem with some other girl you've become friends with," Miranda replied.

"Yes. Sabrina. Did she tell you much about her?"

"Just that Sabrina had her ex-boyfriend and that she wanted him back. She said they got in a fight or something, she didn't sound to coherent when we talked."

"She's not drinking, that I know. She just has a mental problem right now. As for the fight over the ex-boyfriend that was just one of her sporting events like she used to do in high school."

"I remember how she was, she took one of my boyfriends," Miranda informed her.

"I know. I was the one you called at 3 in the morning crying," Elaina remembered.

Frank came into the room with them. "Hello, Miranda."

"Hello. I guess I should be leaving. Do you want to keep Benny for a few hours? I can come back later."

"Hank is out with the horses. Would you like to see him before you leave?" Frank asked, being polite to her.

"Really? You wouldn't mind if I went to see him?" Miranda was surprised that Frank was being so kind to her.

"We've talked Miranda. He doesn't mind you being here. You can go out and visit. You can stay, while we get to know our Godchild," Elaina explained to her.

"I think I will go out and see Hank. I was afraid you'd throw me out again. I hope we can become close again, Lainie."

"I'd like that too." Elaina handed the baby to Frank as Miranda went out. "Here, why don't you hold him for a few minutes."

"Where are you going?" Seeing her leaving the room.

"Going to see if Sarah wants to meet her cousin." Elaina went up to get Sarah, who was still taking her nap.

"I guess you aren't ready yet to meet the newest member of the family." Elaina walked over to the window and saw Miranda and Hank walking back to the house. She gentle picked up Sarah and took her back down with her.

"Why did you bring her down, if she was asleep?" Frank asked as he looked down at Benny, who was kicking his tiny legs.

"She'll be up soon. I just thought I'd save us a trip back upstairs." Elaina sat down with Sarah next to Frank and Benny.

Hank and Miranda came in through the kitchen. "I want to see the little one," Hank stated, bending over to touch the baby's face. "He has his Momma's good looks, that's for sure."

"Sit down Hank. I'll give him up for a while." Frank handed the baby to Miranda and she placed him in Hank's arms.

"Sarah is really growing," Miranda said.

"Yes she is. She had some nightmares, a while back but she seems to be getting over them."

"What was causing them?" Hank had a worried look on his face.

"She saw me after I collapsed. Frank and Megan did CPR on me. It scared her and eventually it came back as nightmares. Allison helped us explain what happened and it seemed to help. There are a few nights when she still has them but not like before."

"I hope she gets over them totally. She's too young to be scared like that," Miranda said watching Sarah.

"I hope so too. Her screams are scarier than my nightmares," Elaina said.

Miranda stayed for a few hours and then left. Elaina made arrangements for her to stay at a hotel until after the wedding. She wanted to be able to talk to Miranda and not impose her on Frank, anymore than a few hours at a time.