X. Just Like the Others
Catherine walked into her home to find Vincent sitting in a chair waiting for her.
"Hey Vince," she said smiling weakly after the past shift's episode.
"I hope that you two are happy together," he said forlornly.
There was no use in denying. "Honey, I do love you," she said. "But I love him too."
Lindsay was standing in the hallway, scared that something might happen to her mother. She remembered how these conversations went when her father Eddie was alive.
Vincent stood up and got close to her. He slapped her, and she felt the pain Sara was put through when she slapped her.
"You whore!" He shouted. "Did you think I wasn't going to figure it out?"
"Vince, please don't hurt me," Catherine begged. "I'm sorry that I lied to you. I really am."
"Bullshit!" He yelled. He punched her in the stomach and knocked her down. She screamed in pain.
"Ow!" She screamed. "AHHHH!"
"That's right scream," Vincent said in tears. "You're just like all the others!"
Catherine was in too much pain to do anything. She lain on the floor, hoping that it was all a bad dream. It wasn't a dream, it was reality.
Vince left.
"Lindsay," Catherine managed in weak voice. "Call 9-1-1."
***
Catherine heard humming. A beautiful voice, that was resonating in her ears. She awoke slowly, the humming becoming more distinct. A female's voice. She was not in her own room. Catherine came around and saw Sara sitting in a chair, humming and doing some knitting for her baby.
"Where am I?" Catherine asked.
Sara stopped her humming to answer. "Desert Palm."
"Oh my God," she panted. "What happened, what happened to Lindsay? Where's Lindsay?"
Sara got up quickly to comfort Catherine.
"Shh," she said. "Lindsay is fine. She's out with Nick and Warrick."
Catherine collapsed back onto the bed in tears. "I'm sorry for what I did to you last night. I don't know what came over me."
"Cat," Sara started. "Did you know that you were pregnant?"
Catherine looked very puzzled at first, then confused, then hurt. "What?"
"You were pregnant," Sara explained. "That's why you're here. You had a miscarriage today. You were only two months along."
Catherine whimpered then began to bawl. She lost her baby, she lost hope in ever loving again, and she lost faith in herself. She did this to herself. It was all her fault. She had pushed Vincent over the edge because of the uncertainty in her life. She should have just…just what? She didn't know what she should have done. She couldn't turn back the clock. She was pathetic. She didn't even remember who fathered her child in the first place. She didn't know if it was Warrick's baby, or Vince's baby. She was being so selfish that she stopped thinking all together.
"Everything is my fault!" Catherine wailed.
"No it's not Catherine," Sara said. "You trusted Vincent and he betrayed your trust."
"No you don't understand, Sara," Catherine cried. "I was sleeping with Warrick while I was seeing Vince. I hurt him. I don't even know who fathered my baby. I would have gone nine months without knowing who the father of my child was. It would have crushed Warrick and Vince. It already has."
"Cat," Sara began. "Vincent caused your miscarriage. He was the one that did this to you."
Catherine turned away from Sara. "Vince was crazy," she started. "His eyes were full of both love and anger. He reminded me of Eddie. Vince said something about me being just like the others."
Sara perked up her ears. "What?"
"He said that I was just like the others, whatever that means," Catherine said. There was a long pause before Catherine spoke again. "He killed those girls, didn't he?"
"Yes," Sara said stroking Catherine's hair. "The hard part is just proving it."
"I can't believe I didn't see it," Catherine said, her voice now drained of any emotion it had before. "None of this would have happened if had listened to you."
"Cath, you were in love, and you wanted to defend him," Sara said. "I would have done the same thing if I was you."
Catherine was too tired to talk about anything else. She sighed and went to sleep. Her mind was numb and off in a far away place. In that place, there was no such thing as conversation, or Vincent or even Lindsay. It was just a vacuum of nothing that comforted her.
***
Vincent fled Las Vegas. He didn't care how he did things anymore. The last murder he committed was messy and sure to get him a conviction. It was too easy. Vincent had no reason to live anymore. Catherine was no better than the others. She was just like them: dishonest, cheating, lying. He wanted to be caught, but not until he took his revenge on Sara Sidle.
