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CHAPTER 13
"Excuse me dear, are you Rachel?" came a voice from behind her, and she looked up at the woman who was standing there.
"You don't know me, but you have heard my name. I'm Carolyn, Carolyn Ross - or should I say O'Doyle?" and she walked over to Rachel, holding out her hand.
Rachel stood up slowly, and looked at her. She was quite short, probably only about 5' tall, with shoulder length dark hair, cut into a bob. She was plain and slightly plump, but had a lovely smile, and was not the glamorous 'type' that Christine Landers had been.
She came and stood next to Rachel, and looked down at the man in the bed. "Oh gosh," she said softly, "He is like Patrick to look at." And she squeezed Rachel's hand gently. "I know that you probably don't want to speak to me, but I had to come. Patrick is fine; the bullet only nicked him. I can't believe the misery that woman has caused." She paused for breath, reaching out and touching John's face. "I will never be able to do this when he's awake," she said.
Rachel watched her gentle movements, and knew why Patrick O'Doyle had married this woman and not the other one. She smiled and said, "There is no reason not to speak to you, it wasn't your fault that the Landers woman used your name and credentials. And although John will never acknowledge it, Patrick saved his life by getting that woman to turn the gun on himself, rather than John. So I want to say thank you, will you tell him for me?"
"You can tell him yourself, dear, he's in room 201, just down the hall, and will be for at least another day. Can he come in and talk to you for a minute?"
Rachel glanced back down at John. His movements were becoming more frequent; occasionally his eyes would open, but close almost immediately. He was waking up. She saw that Carolyn was waiting for an answer, and nodded. "Sure, why not, John's not going anywhere soon."
He came hesitantly to her side, his right arm in a sling, and also looked down on his son. "I am so glad he will be all right," he said to Rachel, in his soft lilting voice. "And glad that everything's over." Rachel nodded, and he took her chin in his left hand, and turned it towards him. "You've been crying?" he said, "Over him?" Rachel nodded again. It was no use hiding it; everybody must have seen her cry . "It was a very brave thing you did," she said, and he lowered his gaze "But also very stupid," she added, and he looked back up at her with a twinkle in his eye. "I could dodge, which I did," he said, "But there was no way John could. I thought my chance of surviving was better than his at that time." "For which of course, he will probably never thank you," said Rachel softly, "But I'd like to - and I know Bailey will as well, for although he likes to hide it, he and John are very close as well."
"Well, I owe him a lot more than that, to make up for what I put him through." Patrick touched her arm comfortingly, and at that moment John opened his eyes again.
He looked at them both for a moment blankly, then closed his eyes again, but opened them again immediately. Rachel bent down over the bed. "John?" she said, and after a moment he looked up at her. "Are you waking up?" He turned his head slightly, and blinked, then in a strained whisper said, "Is that you Rachel? God I had the worst dream." and his voice tailed off as his eyes closed again.
Carolyn put her hand through her husband's arm. "We'd better leave now, but I'm so glad I got to meet you," she whispered to Rachel. "If you want to talk, we are only a couple of doors down." And led her husband out of the room. Rachel took John's hand again, and was comforted by the fact that he squeezed it gently.
CHAPTER 13
"Excuse me dear, are you Rachel?" came a voice from behind her, and she looked up at the woman who was standing there.
"You don't know me, but you have heard my name. I'm Carolyn, Carolyn Ross - or should I say O'Doyle?" and she walked over to Rachel, holding out her hand.
Rachel stood up slowly, and looked at her. She was quite short, probably only about 5' tall, with shoulder length dark hair, cut into a bob. She was plain and slightly plump, but had a lovely smile, and was not the glamorous 'type' that Christine Landers had been.
She came and stood next to Rachel, and looked down at the man in the bed. "Oh gosh," she said softly, "He is like Patrick to look at." And she squeezed Rachel's hand gently. "I know that you probably don't want to speak to me, but I had to come. Patrick is fine; the bullet only nicked him. I can't believe the misery that woman has caused." She paused for breath, reaching out and touching John's face. "I will never be able to do this when he's awake," she said.
Rachel watched her gentle movements, and knew why Patrick O'Doyle had married this woman and not the other one. She smiled and said, "There is no reason not to speak to you, it wasn't your fault that the Landers woman used your name and credentials. And although John will never acknowledge it, Patrick saved his life by getting that woman to turn the gun on himself, rather than John. So I want to say thank you, will you tell him for me?"
"You can tell him yourself, dear, he's in room 201, just down the hall, and will be for at least another day. Can he come in and talk to you for a minute?"
Rachel glanced back down at John. His movements were becoming more frequent; occasionally his eyes would open, but close almost immediately. He was waking up. She saw that Carolyn was waiting for an answer, and nodded. "Sure, why not, John's not going anywhere soon."
He came hesitantly to her side, his right arm in a sling, and also looked down on his son. "I am so glad he will be all right," he said to Rachel, in his soft lilting voice. "And glad that everything's over." Rachel nodded, and he took her chin in his left hand, and turned it towards him. "You've been crying?" he said, "Over him?" Rachel nodded again. It was no use hiding it; everybody must have seen her cry . "It was a very brave thing you did," she said, and he lowered his gaze "But also very stupid," she added, and he looked back up at her with a twinkle in his eye. "I could dodge, which I did," he said, "But there was no way John could. I thought my chance of surviving was better than his at that time." "For which of course, he will probably never thank you," said Rachel softly, "But I'd like to - and I know Bailey will as well, for although he likes to hide it, he and John are very close as well."
"Well, I owe him a lot more than that, to make up for what I put him through." Patrick touched her arm comfortingly, and at that moment John opened his eyes again.
He looked at them both for a moment blankly, then closed his eyes again, but opened them again immediately. Rachel bent down over the bed. "John?" she said, and after a moment he looked up at her. "Are you waking up?" He turned his head slightly, and blinked, then in a strained whisper said, "Is that you Rachel? God I had the worst dream." and his voice tailed off as his eyes closed again.
Carolyn put her hand through her husband's arm. "We'd better leave now, but I'm so glad I got to meet you," she whispered to Rachel. "If you want to talk, we are only a couple of doors down." And led her husband out of the room. Rachel took John's hand again, and was comforted by the fact that he squeezed it gently.