This is the final chapter. I want to thank everyone who took the time to review this. I really enjoyed reading your comments. Especially Ang whose reviews made me laugh and got me through the day. Thanks :- )

Road Rage

Chapter seventeen

Two days later

For the last few hours Van had been fighting his way back to consciousness. He remembered hearing his doctor talking to other doctors in the OR about removing his leg and how he begged them not to. Now as he neared consciousness he wasn't sure if he really wanted to wake up. He knew his life as a cop was over. Oh sure, he could sit behind a desk and push papers all day, but that wasn't for him. He figured he would leave L.A. and start over somewhere else. He had no idea what he would do, but he knew he had to get away from the life he knew or what he had lost would tear him apart. Off in the fog he thought he could hear Billie and Deaq. He knew his partner would be upset with himself for letting them take his leg; he had to let him know it wasn't his fault and that it was okay, he wasn't mad at him. He would have done the same thing if he had to choose between Deaq's leg or his life.

"Ohhhhhhhhh." Van groaned as he started to regain consciousness.

"Van…Van come on stay with me."

Billie's voice sounded far away. He could feel her smoothing his hair back as she talked soothingly to him.

"B…Billie?" He managed to get out.

"Yeah Van it's me, Deaq's here too."

"Is he…Is he okay?"

Billie smiled. It was just like Van to be worried about someone else.

"He's fine Van. You are the one who was hurt."

"Billie….Billie tell him…its okay."

"What's okay?" Deaq said as he gripped the side rails of the bed, thankful that his partner was finally waking up.

"My leg…I know…I know you had no choice. I…I don't blame you." He had to make sure his partner knew he wasn't blaming him for the loss of his leg.

Deaq glanced at Billie then looked back down at Van.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Van….you're leg is going to be fine. They saved it." It felt so good to be able to say that.

Van's eyelids fluttered then slowly opened. It took a while for him to focus but when he did he looked into his partner's smiling face.

"They saved it…They saved my leg?"

"Yeah partner, you're going to be just fine."

Van gave a small smile when he saw the whiskers on Deaq's face.

"You look terrible." He then looked over at Billie. "But you look beautiful."

"Deaq's been through hell Van, we thought we lost you a couple of times." She didn't mention that she too had been through hell worrying about him.

"Yeah Van, next time you decide to spend the night with some girl you just met, make sure you get directions home."

Van gave a little laugh but immediately regretted it as a sharp pain shot through him. He winced in pain and shut his eyes.

"You okay?" Deaq face filled with worry. "Do you want the doctor?" He said as he reached for the call button.

Van opened his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm fine…and no, I don't want the doctor… it just hurts a little." Van gently pushed himself up a little on the bed and looked at his leg which was completely covered in gauze. "Just making sure I'm not dreaming." He said to Deaq then looked over at Billie.

"Hey, why don't you two go home and get some rest, you look beat."

"We will, but before we go I just got to know something…what the hell were you on up on that boulder?" Deaq asked. "You thought you were superman."

"I'm not sure, Miller gave me some pills for the pain. I guess I shouldn't have taken them…but I was hurting so bad."

"Well you don't have to worry about them. We got Miller plus his two partners'. We also nabbed the two men who ran you off the road." Billie said.

"Billie…go easy on Miller will you, he tried to help me."

"We'll take that into account. Actually he's the one that gave us directions to your location. If it wasn't for him we might still be looking for you."

"Or for what was left of you." Deaq added.

"He tried to get them to take me into town…Billie, just see that he gets a break…I'll testify in his behalf if I have to."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do. But right now you need to get some rest to get your strength back."

"Seems like I've been resting for days, I really just want to go home."

"You're going to have to stay here for a while Van. Then I'm sure they'll have to send you to a rehab for a few weeks to get your leg back into shape."

"But I got to get home Billie."

"What's the hurry?"

Van hesitated a few minutes then blurted out.

"I…I got to feed my fish." Van said avoiding Deaq's grinning face.

"Fish!" Deaq said laughing.

"Yeah fish." Van seemed embarrassed.

"Since when do you have fish?" Deaq smiled over at Billie.

"Since I won them at the carnival."

"Carnival? You? When did you start hanging out at carnivals?"

"Ever since the Malloy twins asked me if I wanted to go with them."

"Malloy twins? You don't mean the two girls down the hall from you?" Deaq's smiled dropped.

"Yeah, Sue and Sandy."

"And you never thought to ask your partner if he'd like to hang out with you?"

"Oh I see, so now all of a sudden you like carnivals?" Van smiled over at Billie and winked.

"Hell yeah I like carnivals. Didn't I ever tell you about the one time…" Deaq began.

Billie smiled back at Van. It's so good to see you smile again Van she thought. The black cloud that had hung over Deaq and her for the last week had finally lifted with that smile. She knew every thing was going to be okay as she backed out the door as they continued to argue about carnivals. She located Van's doctor and told him Van was awake, then she waited with Deaq while the doctor examined him. They were told he should be fine with some rest and therapy. When they left later that night they both went home and for the first time since Van's accident had a good night's sleep. But not before Deaq insisted they stop at Van's house to feed his fish.

Epilogue

After spending a week in the hospital and two months in the rehab Van fully recovered from his injuries and returned to work.

Roberts was later convicted of attempted murder, hit and run, and leaving the scene of an accident. He received fifteen years in prison. Stone was convicted of hit and run and leaving the scene of an accident. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Both Blake and Woodward were convicted of dealing drugs and of not rendering aide to an injured man; they were each sentenced to four years. Miller, with Van's testimony, received a sentence of three years probation since it was his first offense. Van helped him find a job and got him off the streets. Two years later he was killed, an innocent victim of a drive by shooting.

The End