~Chapter Three~
Tuesday 7:00 pm St Luke's hospital
"Hey Syd!" Gage greeted his partner. "Had a nice day?"
"Well Alex and Erica visited me and then I watched a lot of TV and a slept for like a gizzilion hours. So if that's the ingredients for a nice day then yes."
Gage chuckled and passed a package to her.
"What's this?" Syd asked taking it from him.
" A box of your favorite chocolates."
"Aw Gage you shouldn't have. But thanks anyway." She kissed his cheek before going to open the box. "Want one?"
"Have I ever refused chocolates?" Gage asked reaching for one in the process dropping the file.
"Oh my God is that him? No no Gage! What are you doing with him? What are you doing with that bastard Tommy?" Sydney cried suddenly jerking upright.
"Hey Syd, who are you talking about? I don't know any Tommy. I swear." Gage said alarmed at Syd's outburst.
"Then why do you have his photo in the file?" Syd asked her voice hysterical.
"Oh you mean this. this isn't Tommy this is Pierre Johnson." Gage said trying to get her calm.
" This isn't Johnson, this is Thomas Bircher. He. he."
" He what Syd?" Gage asked gently feeling lost.
"He tried to rape me Gage," her voice was barely above a whisper. "We had been dating for about a month. we had gone to the movies and come back to my place," she began to tell him tears welling up in her eyes with the recollection. "I. he. we were sitting on the couch I had just brought in coffee and suddenly he was on me," the tears were running down her cheeks now and she wiped the back of her hand across her eye. "I finally was able to get hold of my coffee to through in his face giving me the leverage to stop him. I should have arrested him but I just wanted him out of my apartment. The last thing he said was I was going to pay for this my whole damn family and me.
I cried myself to sleep wondering how I could have been so stupid and wrong about him. Long about two AM the phone rang, state troopers my Dad's body had been found, he had been shot to death in what looked like a car jacking. I might have believed it until the phone call after the funeral. It was Tommy all he said was: Sorry about your Dad but now we're even.
"I tried to prove it was him but he just up and disappeared finally I had to give it up or go insane." Again she paused staring at nothing suddenly crying out, "He must have been the one who shot me."
Gage put his arms around her and held her. Suddenly she stopped crying and told Gage in a fierce voice,"
Whatever happens promise me you'll get him and put him behind bars, promise me?"
Gage hugged her tight saying, "I promise Syd, I promise" wishing he could just kill Thomas Bircher.
"Umm excuse me Rangers?" Dr Jones interrupted, " I need to check on Sydney and if she's okay I will let her leave tomorrow. Ranger Gage do you mind going outside for a few minutes?"
"Sure" Gage said" Be right out in the corridor Syd."
A few minutes later Dr. Jones appeared" Ranger Gage, Ranger Cooke appears to be in better condition however she seems a bit excited now and it would be best if she wasn't so no more news like what you just gave her now you understand me Ranger?
" Yes Doctor." Gage opened the door to find his partner softly crying over the picture of Pierre Johnson." Oh honey Pierre I mean Thomas can't hurt you anymore!"
" Can't he Gage can't he?? He shot me and thank God I'm not dead now."
Gage took her in his arms" Would it make you feel better if we had a guard posted outside?" He asked stroking her hair.
" Yes Gage thank you."
" Now I'll call Walker and tell him about this while you help yourself to some of those chocolates. I didn't pay 20 dollars to go wasted." Gage smiled and felt relieved when Syd smiled back.
After talking to Walker he turned around and said" Walker's sending a guard down here I'll wait till he's here why don't you try to go to sleep?" Gage asked noticing Syd had a hard time trying to keep her eyes open.
" Alright thanks Gage good night!"
A few minutes later a police officer who identified himself Officer Walter Smith came and reported to Gage.
"Alright you stay here don't you move from this spot okay? That's my partner in there make sure no one esp. this guy" Gage said pointing to Pierre's picture" I'll try to be here as soon as possible."
"Yes Ranger Gage."
" Alright Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Tuesday 7:00 pm St Luke's hospital
"Hey Syd!" Gage greeted his partner. "Had a nice day?"
"Well Alex and Erica visited me and then I watched a lot of TV and a slept for like a gizzilion hours. So if that's the ingredients for a nice day then yes."
Gage chuckled and passed a package to her.
"What's this?" Syd asked taking it from him.
" A box of your favorite chocolates."
"Aw Gage you shouldn't have. But thanks anyway." She kissed his cheek before going to open the box. "Want one?"
"Have I ever refused chocolates?" Gage asked reaching for one in the process dropping the file.
"Oh my God is that him? No no Gage! What are you doing with him? What are you doing with that bastard Tommy?" Sydney cried suddenly jerking upright.
"Hey Syd, who are you talking about? I don't know any Tommy. I swear." Gage said alarmed at Syd's outburst.
"Then why do you have his photo in the file?" Syd asked her voice hysterical.
"Oh you mean this. this isn't Tommy this is Pierre Johnson." Gage said trying to get her calm.
" This isn't Johnson, this is Thomas Bircher. He. he."
" He what Syd?" Gage asked gently feeling lost.
"He tried to rape me Gage," her voice was barely above a whisper. "We had been dating for about a month. we had gone to the movies and come back to my place," she began to tell him tears welling up in her eyes with the recollection. "I. he. we were sitting on the couch I had just brought in coffee and suddenly he was on me," the tears were running down her cheeks now and she wiped the back of her hand across her eye. "I finally was able to get hold of my coffee to through in his face giving me the leverage to stop him. I should have arrested him but I just wanted him out of my apartment. The last thing he said was I was going to pay for this my whole damn family and me.
I cried myself to sleep wondering how I could have been so stupid and wrong about him. Long about two AM the phone rang, state troopers my Dad's body had been found, he had been shot to death in what looked like a car jacking. I might have believed it until the phone call after the funeral. It was Tommy all he said was: Sorry about your Dad but now we're even.
"I tried to prove it was him but he just up and disappeared finally I had to give it up or go insane." Again she paused staring at nothing suddenly crying out, "He must have been the one who shot me."
Gage put his arms around her and held her. Suddenly she stopped crying and told Gage in a fierce voice,"
Whatever happens promise me you'll get him and put him behind bars, promise me?"
Gage hugged her tight saying, "I promise Syd, I promise" wishing he could just kill Thomas Bircher.
"Umm excuse me Rangers?" Dr Jones interrupted, " I need to check on Sydney and if she's okay I will let her leave tomorrow. Ranger Gage do you mind going outside for a few minutes?"
"Sure" Gage said" Be right out in the corridor Syd."
A few minutes later Dr. Jones appeared" Ranger Gage, Ranger Cooke appears to be in better condition however she seems a bit excited now and it would be best if she wasn't so no more news like what you just gave her now you understand me Ranger?
" Yes Doctor." Gage opened the door to find his partner softly crying over the picture of Pierre Johnson." Oh honey Pierre I mean Thomas can't hurt you anymore!"
" Can't he Gage can't he?? He shot me and thank God I'm not dead now."
Gage took her in his arms" Would it make you feel better if we had a guard posted outside?" He asked stroking her hair.
" Yes Gage thank you."
" Now I'll call Walker and tell him about this while you help yourself to some of those chocolates. I didn't pay 20 dollars to go wasted." Gage smiled and felt relieved when Syd smiled back.
After talking to Walker he turned around and said" Walker's sending a guard down here I'll wait till he's here why don't you try to go to sleep?" Gage asked noticing Syd had a hard time trying to keep her eyes open.
" Alright thanks Gage good night!"
A few minutes later a police officer who identified himself Officer Walter Smith came and reported to Gage.
"Alright you stay here don't you move from this spot okay? That's my partner in there make sure no one esp. this guy" Gage said pointing to Pierre's picture" I'll try to be here as soon as possible."
"Yes Ranger Gage."
" Alright Goodnight."
"Goodnight."