"Was it Jess or Nat this time?" asked John as Antonio walked back in and
putting his cell phone down on the desk.
"Jess—they said their mom looks good. She's awake now so they are going to sit with her until she falls asleep—then they are going to get lunch and go back to Llanfair for a bit."
"Sleep sounds good—food sounds wonderful."
"I thought you would sleep when you were dead."
"Yeah, well that's usually the case, but last night I didn't get any sleep in that chair while Natalie had the bed."
"You and Nat—did you talk last night? I mean it's not my business or anything, but I thought I saw a few kisses and squeezing of hands at the hospital before."
John gave a nervous laugh and could feel the back of his neck getting warm and instinctively reached back to touch it, "Yeah, we talked—it all worked out the best for both of us."
"What in the world does that mean?" laughed Antonio.
John stopped writing on the form he had in front of him and put down the pen before stretching back in the chair, "I think it means that we're both happy for the first time in a long time."
----------
"Jessica, Natalie—I really don't need a babysitter. Don't you have somewhere else to be that is more important than sitting with me?" asked Vicki.
"No, I've taken the day off of work, and Antonio and John are both at the station writing up the report on the search of Dr. Long's office."
"Antonio and John, huh?" grinned Vicki "Does that mean you and John are together?"
"I guess it means we're happy, but that doesn't matter right now—what matters is that you keep getting stronger so you can go home soon."
"Well, knowing you are happy will definitely help me get stronger," smiled Vicki then closed her eyes.
"Are you ok, Mom?"
"Yes, I'm fine—I just think I'm going to take a short nap. Why don't you two go get some food for yourself and Antonio and John and then come by later tonight before visiting hours are up?"
"Are you sure that's what you want? I mean we can stay as long as you need us to," spoke Jessica.
"Yes, I'm positive—you two must be starving and about to fall asleep. Did you even get any sleep last night?"
"Well, does a few hours at John's hotel room on a hard bed count?"
"No, I don't believe it does. I will see both of you later," she said giving them each kisses before they left.
"So you slept in John's bed last night, huh?" grinned Jessica as they went to the elevator.
"Yeah, and he slept in the chair."
"Right. And you two weren't kissing when him and Antonio went to the station earlier."
Natalie blushed, "I won't deny that. Does this interrogation have a point?"
"Just that I'm glad you are happy."
"Me too."
------------
"Hey Marcie—have you seen Antonio and John?" asked Jessica as they walked in the station with brown paper bags from Rodi's.
"Not lately. I saw them about half an hour ago going towards John's office—try there first, but they may have gone back to the hospital to check something out again at Dr. Long's office."
"Thanks," said Natalie as she led the way and walked in first, "Awww—look at that."
"Poor thing—all work and no play makes John a sleepy boy, huh?" laughed Jessica as they saw John stretched out in his chair with his head resting on the filing cabinet behind him and his feet crossed on his desk.
"I guess you could say the same thing about Antonio then," she said as they saw he had fallen asleep on the couch next to the desk with some papers lying on his chest. "Should we wake them or just leave?"
"Hmm. I'm sure that Uncle Bo wouldn't want them sleeping on the job," said Natalie as she leaned across the desk, "McBain," she said in a very loud voice.
"I'm up—I'm up, just resting my eyes," he said before seeing Natalie and smiling, "Hey, what are you two doing here?"
"We come bringing gifts—cheeseburgers and fries from Rodi's to be exact. Either of you two interested in actual food to eat instead of horrid coffee?"
"I am," said Antonio as he woke up moved over to Jessica could sit next to him and Natalie pulled over a chair beside John's.
"So where is Robocop—I mean Kathryn?" asked Natalie as she handed John his burger.
"Natalie," said John as his eyes narrowed at her for the comment.
"Sorry, it just came out. You do have to admit, she does stand a little rigid."
"And her voice does have a monotone sound to it," added Jessica which got a grin from Natalie.
"Both of you stop—that's just how she is."
"Tell me that Caitlin wasn't like that."
John laughed, "No, they were complete opposites. But let's not talk bad about Kathryn, ok?"
"Fine. Where is she anyways?"
"She is--."
"John, Kathryn is on line two," said Marcie as she peeked her head in the door and closed it as both girls started laughing.
"Hey—stop the laughing or both of you are going to be finishing lunch in the hall," he said giving them both an evil look before answering the phone, "McBain."
"John. It's Kathryn."
"Hey—anything new you'd like to share to clear Natalie and myself from Paul Cramer's murder?" he asked as Natalie and Jessica tried not to make eye contact so they wouldn't start laughing.
"Well, it seems that you two were right on where he was supposed to go. His Medivac was indeed found in Newark. Would you like to explain how he made it to Atlantic City then?"
"Hold on a moment please, Kathryn," he said putting his hand on the receiver and motioning both girls out of the room—though it didn't help because he could still hear them giggling outside.
"Is this a bad time, John?"
John tried to regain his stoic composure though hearing Natalie's laugh did nothing but make him want to smile, "Huh? Oh no—everything is fine here—just had to get a file out and put down the telephone. As for how did Paul get separated from his Medivac? Well, he had a lot of people that wanted him dead—maybe he trusted the wrong person and got into a car with them when he shouldn't have."
"Right. I'm keeping an eye on you John."
"That's great to hear—talk to you soon," he said hanging up the phone. "Ok you two—come back in."
"How is Kathryn?" asked Natalie as she drew out the name and lowered her voice to a sultry tone.
John couldn't help but give out a half laugh, "Kathryn is fine. Jessica—before I say what she told me, this is completely confidential, ok?"
"Ok," said Jessica as she looked at Antonio before hearing what John said.
"Natalie—you and I did hear right, Paul was headed for Newark last night. His Medivac was in Newark though he wasn't found there."
"So are we cleared?"
"We should be, I just wish I knew why Kathryn is still pursuing us as suspects."
"Jess—they said their mom looks good. She's awake now so they are going to sit with her until she falls asleep—then they are going to get lunch and go back to Llanfair for a bit."
"Sleep sounds good—food sounds wonderful."
"I thought you would sleep when you were dead."
"Yeah, well that's usually the case, but last night I didn't get any sleep in that chair while Natalie had the bed."
"You and Nat—did you talk last night? I mean it's not my business or anything, but I thought I saw a few kisses and squeezing of hands at the hospital before."
John gave a nervous laugh and could feel the back of his neck getting warm and instinctively reached back to touch it, "Yeah, we talked—it all worked out the best for both of us."
"What in the world does that mean?" laughed Antonio.
John stopped writing on the form he had in front of him and put down the pen before stretching back in the chair, "I think it means that we're both happy for the first time in a long time."
----------
"Jessica, Natalie—I really don't need a babysitter. Don't you have somewhere else to be that is more important than sitting with me?" asked Vicki.
"No, I've taken the day off of work, and Antonio and John are both at the station writing up the report on the search of Dr. Long's office."
"Antonio and John, huh?" grinned Vicki "Does that mean you and John are together?"
"I guess it means we're happy, but that doesn't matter right now—what matters is that you keep getting stronger so you can go home soon."
"Well, knowing you are happy will definitely help me get stronger," smiled Vicki then closed her eyes.
"Are you ok, Mom?"
"Yes, I'm fine—I just think I'm going to take a short nap. Why don't you two go get some food for yourself and Antonio and John and then come by later tonight before visiting hours are up?"
"Are you sure that's what you want? I mean we can stay as long as you need us to," spoke Jessica.
"Yes, I'm positive—you two must be starving and about to fall asleep. Did you even get any sleep last night?"
"Well, does a few hours at John's hotel room on a hard bed count?"
"No, I don't believe it does. I will see both of you later," she said giving them each kisses before they left.
"So you slept in John's bed last night, huh?" grinned Jessica as they went to the elevator.
"Yeah, and he slept in the chair."
"Right. And you two weren't kissing when him and Antonio went to the station earlier."
Natalie blushed, "I won't deny that. Does this interrogation have a point?"
"Just that I'm glad you are happy."
"Me too."
------------
"Hey Marcie—have you seen Antonio and John?" asked Jessica as they walked in the station with brown paper bags from Rodi's.
"Not lately. I saw them about half an hour ago going towards John's office—try there first, but they may have gone back to the hospital to check something out again at Dr. Long's office."
"Thanks," said Natalie as she led the way and walked in first, "Awww—look at that."
"Poor thing—all work and no play makes John a sleepy boy, huh?" laughed Jessica as they saw John stretched out in his chair with his head resting on the filing cabinet behind him and his feet crossed on his desk.
"I guess you could say the same thing about Antonio then," she said as they saw he had fallen asleep on the couch next to the desk with some papers lying on his chest. "Should we wake them or just leave?"
"Hmm. I'm sure that Uncle Bo wouldn't want them sleeping on the job," said Natalie as she leaned across the desk, "McBain," she said in a very loud voice.
"I'm up—I'm up, just resting my eyes," he said before seeing Natalie and smiling, "Hey, what are you two doing here?"
"We come bringing gifts—cheeseburgers and fries from Rodi's to be exact. Either of you two interested in actual food to eat instead of horrid coffee?"
"I am," said Antonio as he woke up moved over to Jessica could sit next to him and Natalie pulled over a chair beside John's.
"So where is Robocop—I mean Kathryn?" asked Natalie as she handed John his burger.
"Natalie," said John as his eyes narrowed at her for the comment.
"Sorry, it just came out. You do have to admit, she does stand a little rigid."
"And her voice does have a monotone sound to it," added Jessica which got a grin from Natalie.
"Both of you stop—that's just how she is."
"Tell me that Caitlin wasn't like that."
John laughed, "No, they were complete opposites. But let's not talk bad about Kathryn, ok?"
"Fine. Where is she anyways?"
"She is--."
"John, Kathryn is on line two," said Marcie as she peeked her head in the door and closed it as both girls started laughing.
"Hey—stop the laughing or both of you are going to be finishing lunch in the hall," he said giving them both an evil look before answering the phone, "McBain."
"John. It's Kathryn."
"Hey—anything new you'd like to share to clear Natalie and myself from Paul Cramer's murder?" he asked as Natalie and Jessica tried not to make eye contact so they wouldn't start laughing.
"Well, it seems that you two were right on where he was supposed to go. His Medivac was indeed found in Newark. Would you like to explain how he made it to Atlantic City then?"
"Hold on a moment please, Kathryn," he said putting his hand on the receiver and motioning both girls out of the room—though it didn't help because he could still hear them giggling outside.
"Is this a bad time, John?"
John tried to regain his stoic composure though hearing Natalie's laugh did nothing but make him want to smile, "Huh? Oh no—everything is fine here—just had to get a file out and put down the telephone. As for how did Paul get separated from his Medivac? Well, he had a lot of people that wanted him dead—maybe he trusted the wrong person and got into a car with them when he shouldn't have."
"Right. I'm keeping an eye on you John."
"That's great to hear—talk to you soon," he said hanging up the phone. "Ok you two—come back in."
"How is Kathryn?" asked Natalie as she drew out the name and lowered her voice to a sultry tone.
John couldn't help but give out a half laugh, "Kathryn is fine. Jessica—before I say what she told me, this is completely confidential, ok?"
"Ok," said Jessica as she looked at Antonio before hearing what John said.
"Natalie—you and I did hear right, Paul was headed for Newark last night. His Medivac was in Newark though he wasn't found there."
"So are we cleared?"
"We should be, I just wish I knew why Kathryn is still pursuing us as suspects."