"Catherine's family?" 'Vannah said softly, the entire group looking at him in puzzlement. It was clear from the expression on their leader's face that this was something he was doing very reluctantly. Come to think of it, had they ever heard Catherine talk about her family?
"They don't.... There are some problems." Sam gently stroked Catherine's fingers as he talked. He would notify them but he wasn't letting them hurt her again, he wasn't letting anyone hurt her.
"You sure you want them called?" Cosmo asked quietly. They had just fixed one problem. No need to drag another one in and from how Sammy was looking, Catherine's family was going to be a problem and a half.
"Need to know what happened." Needed to be given one more chance to fix things, even though Sam sincerely doubted they would bother. He fumbled in his jacket pocket with his free hand, extracting an address book after a moment. He handed the book over to 'Vannah. "Should be in there under Walsh." He closed his eyes for a moment, not wanting to remember why he had that information, the last time he had talked to those people.
"I'll take care of it," 'Vannah whispered quietly as she headed for the door, her heart aching at the sight of the expression suddenly on Sam's face.
They sat silently for a bit after she was gone before Sam glanced over at Noah, sitting on Catherine's other side, gently stroking her hand and cheek. The boy looked like he was about to drop, a hint of dark circles under his eyes, a slump to his shoulders as if he was carrying the weight of the world.
"Son, when was the last time you slept?" Sam asked quietly.
"Ummmmm," Noah had to stop and think about that one for a minute. "Day or two ago, I think. Vice-principal Dunbar did his "School's almost over, I'm safe from the little deliquents for three months" dance last night, kind of hard to sleep through that."
"You have a place, right?" Sam glanced over at the other two marshals now. Both Cosmo and Bobby looked exhausted as well, although not nearly as bad as Noah.
"I live over a garage. I hope you didn't pack much, Cosmo," Noah said with a glance over at his friend. "Because I don't think I can fit your wardrobe in."
"Nothing is wrong with my clothes. Why is everyone picking on my clothes?" Cosmo muttered as 'Vannah came back in.
"Did you get them?" Sam asked quietly as he looked up at her.
'Vannah nodded, not really trusting herself to speak. She looked down at Catherine, not able to believe.... "They aren't coming." she finally said quietly. "Got hold of her sister. She said...." No, no way was she saying what Catherine's sister had told her when she received the news. She didn't even want to remember it herself. "They aren't coming." she repeated.
"Didn't think they would but...." Sam looked down at Catherine, gently raising her hand slightly and kissing the still fingers before speaking again. "Why don't you go to Noah's place for a few hours, get some sleep?"
"No, I...." Noah didn't want to leave Catherine, not now, especially not to go back to the place where he had been living.
"Kid, you look like you're about to drop, all of you do." Sam said firmly. "Go on and get some rest. I'll call you if there's any change."
"But, Sammy..." Cosmo began, and Vannah nodded.
"Yeah, Sam, what about you? You've been going longer than everyone, except maybe Noah," she added. Leaving Catherine now, especially after the conversation she had just had with her family, that just seemed wrong.
"What they said," Noah agreed. "Knowing Sam, he probably was up all night before the storm, too, going over some case."
Gerard waved them all off. "I'm staying here," he said firmly. "Can't sleep anyway." Even if he could sleep, he wouldn't. Dreams of Catherine in that coffin....
"But, Boss," Biggs protested, "you gotta sleep sometime."
"I'll sleep next month. Now, git." Gerard's expression and tone were uncompromising. They got.