Note: Again, thanks for the reviews.
Less than an hour later, they brought Kathryn to a private room. Danny stayed with her. The doctor told him that her x-rays didn't show any broken bones. So they could send her home tomorrow after a night of observation. Kathryn was thankful for that. The nurse gave her something to sleep, and she drifted back to sleep.
Danny watched her sleep as Kathryn's mother slipped in the room. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder jarring him from a deep thought. He turned around quickly and said, "Maggie…she's going to be OK." He stood up and put his arm around her as tears welled up in her eyes. She was clearly shocked at her daughter's appearance.
"My poor baby. Who? Who would do such a thing?" she said as she took Kathryn's hand.
"We don't know. She couldn't ID him."
"You say she'll be OK? Her face…her beautiful face…"
"She'll be fine. She'll just take time to heal."
"Was she…?"
Danny interrupted, "She wasn't raped, but he hurt her a lot…and said things. She'll need time to get through this."
"It's that damn job. She should have quit when her father gave her the opportunity. She can be so stubborn."
Danny wasn't sure how to respond. Part of him agreed with Maggie, but he wanted to support Kathryn. Instead of responding, he asked, "Is Michael OK?"
"He's fine. I told Jim that I would call him if it was OK to bring Michael, but looking at her…he shouldn't see her like this."
"No, he shouldn't," Danny agreed. "Listen, I'm going to check on a few things. Can you sit with her? If she wakes…just tell her I'm right outside."
"Of course."
Danny walked out of the room, and was surprised to see Samantha still there. Jack had joined her. "I didn't realize you were still here. You didn't have to come, Jack."
"I just wanted to see how Kathryn was doing. I'm sorry, Danny. I know this must be really hard for you," Jack said sympathetically.
"Thanks. Thank you both for being here, but you don't have to stay. We'll be OK."
"Martin was here earlier. We did send him home. Vivian wanted to come, but her husband had to teach a class tonight. She had to get home to Reggie," Samantha said.
"Viv did get some information from NYPD," Jack stated. "They found the tape of an unidentified man going into her office while she was in a meeting. The door closes after she walks in. He's in there for ten minutes, and then walks out."
"Unidentified?" Danny said impatiently.
"They were doing some facial recognition searches to see if they could ID him. I think the detective is bringing the picture here soon."
"Can't be soon enough. I have to find out who this bastard is," Danny said angrily.
Samantha and Jack shared a concerned stare. They knew only too well what kind of temper Danny had.
"Relax, Danny. You have to let NYPD handle it. Your wife needs you now. Just focus on taking care of her," Jack said quietly.
"This guy…whoever he is…hid in her office, took her by surprise and then slammed her face into a desk. Then said awful things her. When she tried to fight him, he punched her over and over again until she blacked out. God knows what else he would have done with her if he had more time. Did Samantha tell you…did she tell you they had to do a rape kit?"
Jack sighed, "Yeah…she told me."
"Well then don't tell me to relax. She's my life, Jack and I'll do whatever I have to do to protect her." Danny wanted to say more. He wanted them to understand, but he knew they were just worried about him.
"I understand. Listen…you…uh…take as much time as you need. We'll take off. Call me if you need anything."
Samantha looked at Danny. "I can stay. I don't have to be anywhere. If you need me to do anything."
"No. Her mother's here. Between the two of us, we'll be fine. Thanks, Sam. I don't know what I would have done without you today."
Samantha raised up and kissed Danny lightly on the cheek before giving him a hug. "Take care. Tell Kathryn we are thinking of her. And call me if you need anything…help with Michael or whatever you need," she whispered in his ear.
"I will."
She finally let go and she and Jack walked away.
Danny sat down in the chair in the hall and ran a hand over his face and hair. He was exhausted. He just wanted to turn back time to the night before when he, Kathryn and Michael were safe at home. As he was trying to mentally prepare himself to return to her room, the detective, Henry, approached him. "Evening, Danny. Is she doing any better?"
"Yeah...um..the doctor says she can go home tomorrow. She's sleeping now."
"We know who did it," Henry said as he handed Danny a grainy security photo. "His name is Tom Hanes. Kathryn put away his brother recently..."
"The date rape case," Danny interrupted.
"Yeah...turns out this is one messed up family. The brother she put away, John Hanes...he's actually the sane one. Tom has actually been in and out of mental hospitals since he was 16. He did two years for aggravated assault a few years ago. I talked to his doctor about an hour ago. He told me they were abused as kids."
Danny shook his head. "Poor guy. My heart bleeds for him," Danny said with contempt. "Where the hell is he?"
"We have an APB out on him. We're staking out his apartment, his family's home and his doctor's office. He'll turn up."
"When you get him...I want five minutes with him, Henry," he said with a dead serious look.
"Danny..."
"This isn't negotiable. I'll find a way with you or without you."
"Jack said you'd pull something like this. You're not going near him, son."
"This is none of Jack's business. And you can't tell me that if this was one of your guys, or your wife, you wouldn't want to do the same."
"This guy isn't worth your career or your family. You just need to focus on Kathryn. We'll make sure that Hanes is taken care of."
Danny sighed in frustration and stood up. "Thanks for stopping by. I should get back in there."
"Right...I call you tomorrow with an update. Good night."
Danny walked quietly into her room. Maggie fell asleep in the chair next to Kathryn's bed. Kathryn's eyes started to flutter open when Danny took her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"When did my mother get here?"
"A couple of hours ago."
"Have you seen Michael? Is he OK?"
Danny nodded. "He's fine. He's with your dad. We'll see him tomorrow when I take you home."
"I don't know if I want him to see me like this."
"He'll be so happy to see you he won't even notice."
Kathryn tried to smile, but it hurt to much.
"They know who hurt you," he said quietly.
"Who?" she whispered.
"John Hane's brother."
"Oh my god. Did they arrest him?"
"Not yet, but they will. Don't worry."
Kathryn started to cry because of the pain and frustration she felt. "I keep wondering why me? I don't understand."
"I don't know, baby. But we'll get through it. You're safe now. I love you so much, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again."
She reach up to touch his cheek. "I love you, too."
After Kathryn fell back asleep, Danny woke up her mother and put her in a cab. They agreed to meet at his apartment after he brought Kathryn home.Then Danny spent the night in the chair next to her bed.
The next day, he took her home but before the left the hospital Henry called and said they arrested Hanes. Danny breathed a sigh of relief.
Kathryn was glad to be back in her own home. Then she was elated when her parents brought Michael home. As soon as Danny opened the door, Michael ran into his arms. Danny picked him up and brought him over to Kathryn on the couch. At first, Michael was confused by the bruises that covered her face, but just like Danny said, within seconds he forgot the bruises and lovingly put his arms around her.
Less than an hour later, they brought Kathryn to a private room. Danny stayed with her. The doctor told him that her x-rays didn't show any broken bones. So they could send her home tomorrow after a night of observation. Kathryn was thankful for that. The nurse gave her something to sleep, and she drifted back to sleep.
Danny watched her sleep as Kathryn's mother slipped in the room. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder jarring him from a deep thought. He turned around quickly and said, "Maggie…she's going to be OK." He stood up and put his arm around her as tears welled up in her eyes. She was clearly shocked at her daughter's appearance.
"My poor baby. Who? Who would do such a thing?" she said as she took Kathryn's hand.
"We don't know. She couldn't ID him."
"You say she'll be OK? Her face…her beautiful face…"
"She'll be fine. She'll just take time to heal."
"Was she…?"
Danny interrupted, "She wasn't raped, but he hurt her a lot…and said things. She'll need time to get through this."
"It's that damn job. She should have quit when her father gave her the opportunity. She can be so stubborn."
Danny wasn't sure how to respond. Part of him agreed with Maggie, but he wanted to support Kathryn. Instead of responding, he asked, "Is Michael OK?"
"He's fine. I told Jim that I would call him if it was OK to bring Michael, but looking at her…he shouldn't see her like this."
"No, he shouldn't," Danny agreed. "Listen, I'm going to check on a few things. Can you sit with her? If she wakes…just tell her I'm right outside."
"Of course."
Danny walked out of the room, and was surprised to see Samantha still there. Jack had joined her. "I didn't realize you were still here. You didn't have to come, Jack."
"I just wanted to see how Kathryn was doing. I'm sorry, Danny. I know this must be really hard for you," Jack said sympathetically.
"Thanks. Thank you both for being here, but you don't have to stay. We'll be OK."
"Martin was here earlier. We did send him home. Vivian wanted to come, but her husband had to teach a class tonight. She had to get home to Reggie," Samantha said.
"Viv did get some information from NYPD," Jack stated. "They found the tape of an unidentified man going into her office while she was in a meeting. The door closes after she walks in. He's in there for ten minutes, and then walks out."
"Unidentified?" Danny said impatiently.
"They were doing some facial recognition searches to see if they could ID him. I think the detective is bringing the picture here soon."
"Can't be soon enough. I have to find out who this bastard is," Danny said angrily.
Samantha and Jack shared a concerned stare. They knew only too well what kind of temper Danny had.
"Relax, Danny. You have to let NYPD handle it. Your wife needs you now. Just focus on taking care of her," Jack said quietly.
"This guy…whoever he is…hid in her office, took her by surprise and then slammed her face into a desk. Then said awful things her. When she tried to fight him, he punched her over and over again until she blacked out. God knows what else he would have done with her if he had more time. Did Samantha tell you…did she tell you they had to do a rape kit?"
Jack sighed, "Yeah…she told me."
"Well then don't tell me to relax. She's my life, Jack and I'll do whatever I have to do to protect her." Danny wanted to say more. He wanted them to understand, but he knew they were just worried about him.
"I understand. Listen…you…uh…take as much time as you need. We'll take off. Call me if you need anything."
Samantha looked at Danny. "I can stay. I don't have to be anywhere. If you need me to do anything."
"No. Her mother's here. Between the two of us, we'll be fine. Thanks, Sam. I don't know what I would have done without you today."
Samantha raised up and kissed Danny lightly on the cheek before giving him a hug. "Take care. Tell Kathryn we are thinking of her. And call me if you need anything…help with Michael or whatever you need," she whispered in his ear.
"I will."
She finally let go and she and Jack walked away.
Danny sat down in the chair in the hall and ran a hand over his face and hair. He was exhausted. He just wanted to turn back time to the night before when he, Kathryn and Michael were safe at home. As he was trying to mentally prepare himself to return to her room, the detective, Henry, approached him. "Evening, Danny. Is she doing any better?"
"Yeah...um..the doctor says she can go home tomorrow. She's sleeping now."
"We know who did it," Henry said as he handed Danny a grainy security photo. "His name is Tom Hanes. Kathryn put away his brother recently..."
"The date rape case," Danny interrupted.
"Yeah...turns out this is one messed up family. The brother she put away, John Hanes...he's actually the sane one. Tom has actually been in and out of mental hospitals since he was 16. He did two years for aggravated assault a few years ago. I talked to his doctor about an hour ago. He told me they were abused as kids."
Danny shook his head. "Poor guy. My heart bleeds for him," Danny said with contempt. "Where the hell is he?"
"We have an APB out on him. We're staking out his apartment, his family's home and his doctor's office. He'll turn up."
"When you get him...I want five minutes with him, Henry," he said with a dead serious look.
"Danny..."
"This isn't negotiable. I'll find a way with you or without you."
"Jack said you'd pull something like this. You're not going near him, son."
"This is none of Jack's business. And you can't tell me that if this was one of your guys, or your wife, you wouldn't want to do the same."
"This guy isn't worth your career or your family. You just need to focus on Kathryn. We'll make sure that Hanes is taken care of."
Danny sighed in frustration and stood up. "Thanks for stopping by. I should get back in there."
"Right...I call you tomorrow with an update. Good night."
Danny walked quietly into her room. Maggie fell asleep in the chair next to Kathryn's bed. Kathryn's eyes started to flutter open when Danny took her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"When did my mother get here?"
"A couple of hours ago."
"Have you seen Michael? Is he OK?"
Danny nodded. "He's fine. He's with your dad. We'll see him tomorrow when I take you home."
"I don't know if I want him to see me like this."
"He'll be so happy to see you he won't even notice."
Kathryn tried to smile, but it hurt to much.
"They know who hurt you," he said quietly.
"Who?" she whispered.
"John Hane's brother."
"Oh my god. Did they arrest him?"
"Not yet, but they will. Don't worry."
Kathryn started to cry because of the pain and frustration she felt. "I keep wondering why me? I don't understand."
"I don't know, baby. But we'll get through it. You're safe now. I love you so much, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again."
She reach up to touch his cheek. "I love you, too."
After Kathryn fell back asleep, Danny woke up her mother and put her in a cab. They agreed to meet at his apartment after he brought Kathryn home.Then Danny spent the night in the chair next to her bed.
The next day, he took her home but before the left the hospital Henry called and said they arrested Hanes. Danny breathed a sigh of relief.
Kathryn was glad to be back in her own home. Then she was elated when her parents brought Michael home. As soon as Danny opened the door, Michael ran into his arms. Danny picked him up and brought him over to Kathryn on the couch. At first, Michael was confused by the bruises that covered her face, but just like Danny said, within seconds he forgot the bruises and lovingly put his arms around her.