22 It's not the Fall that Kills You

The rail dug into Rae's stomach as she hit it before being propelled over in an almost graceful somersault and even as she screamed her hands were grabbing for the bars and again she was battered as her body hit the other side of the metal support, sliding down the poles that were slick from the rain.

"Steve!" The one word almost stopped him in his tracks as he moved closer to where Matthew, at least he thought it was Matthew, was standing but then seeing her fingers spurred him on again just in time to see a foot raise to kick out at both hands and as the scream rent the air once again, his partner disappeared from sight and he heard the sickening sound as she hit the ground, a sound he would never forget.

The younger man in front of him seemed, just for a second, to be frozen in place and Steve, grabbing his cuffs from the back of his belt, suddenly smiled grimly despite himself and hauled Matthew round before cuffing his wrists to the very rails that Rae had just fallen over.

"Stay there!"

A numbness seemed to envelope him as he saw Rae's still form lying crumpled on the ground below him and, the shock riding over him in waves, he almost lost his own footing as he made his way down the steps automatically not taking in anything around him, not the rain, the lightening, or the sound of car doors slamming and footsteps on the sidewalk as they reached his ears.

ooo

The message from Rae had been relayed to Cheryl and Amanda and the two of them had parked, one in front of the other, outside the main entrance to the building where they had been told Matthew Little lived. The pathologist, who had been away at a conference for almost a week, was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, and knew from the details she had received that the apartment they were going to could, at the very least, break this case wide open if not solve it totally.

"Hi, Cheryl, how are you? How's Martin?" Amanda smiled; she enjoyed the female cop's company and found pleasure working with her.

"I'm good thanks, and Martin is doing great. He's come along so well since we moved to Beverly Hills. He's doing Rae and Jesse's yard work for them, sometimes he chats with Anneya in sign, and he is definitely enjoying life right now."

"That's wonderful." Amanda paused as Cheryl pressed a few apartment buttons until she heard the familiar buzz and then held the front door open for her. "Thank you. What do you know about this?" The two of them were walking through the lobby and looking at the floor numbers as she spoke again.

"Not a lot more than you I'm guessing. Rae said that they had found evidence to link Matthew Little to Dominic or Nicholas or whatever name he uses, and we needed to get over here and check it out. The crime scene guys are on their way, and I have two black and white crews who are going to secure the area and then start door-to-door."

"Matthew Little?" Amanda looked a little puzzled as Cheryl spoke.

"That's the name the guy used at Jo's riding stables. Seems like he actually exists."

"Oh, ok, I remember now. Sorry, my mind is still with bugs and beetles!"

"How nice. I just love the bodies that have bugs and beetles in them." For a second they smiled at each other before Amanda spoke again.

"Me too, but I think I mean it more than you do! So, with Rae and Steve's help I'm gonna just look around to start with. I'm not sure what they want me to do, I'll take my lead from them."

"Here we are, I guess we just go on in." Cheryl had pulled on a pair of latex gloves as she was walking and paused a moment to let Amanda do the same, then she pushed the door and watched as it slowly swung open to reveal a totally empty apartment and she felt the hairs on her neck stand up.

ooo

"Rae." He saw her lying on the ground and for a moment his brain refused to process the seriousness of what had happened to her. He didn't remember making his way to her, but he must have somehow got down the steps because he was there, crouched down and crying out for someone, anyone, to call 911 before focusing on his partner and what, if anything, he could do to help.

"Steve, what … oh my, God." His friend's voice came at him from above and he looked up to see Cheryl staring down at him from the fire escape where she had made her way from the unexpectedly vacant apartment, gun raised and heart pounding.

"Who?" She glanced at the glowering and dripping young man attached to the fire escape.

"Matthew Little, get rid of him, Cheryl, read him his rights and get rid of him. Attempted murder of a police officer." The voice was hard as flint and she nodded her head in response before taking on a more respectful air than normal.

"Yes, Sir." Steve's position wasn't lost on Cheryl and she quickly dealt with the Miranda warning and took her prisoner away, leaving Amanda to rush to where her two friends were, hoping that she could help both of them.

"Did someone call an ambulance?" Amanda stood just a little way back, not wanting to get too close or intrude, but needing to be there.

Steve just nodded and looked back down at his partner. He was trying to use his body to shield her from the inclement weather but knew he wasn't succeeding. Her hair was splayed out on the wet ground, blood mingling with it and the rain. Her right leg was at such an angle that there was no doubt it was broken, at least twice, maybe more, jagged bone, which had broken through her skin and her jeans, was white now as the rain cleaned everything it came into contact with. He was pretty sure that her left leg was broken too and instinctively he gently took her hand in his and to his delight felt it move.

"Rae, can you hear me?"

"Steve?" The voice was so faint that he had to move closer to make out the word and then he watched her blink her eyes. "I … can't see anything."

The dread caused by her words grabbed his guts and twisted them but he fought the feeling with all he had. "Don't worry about it, there's nothing much to see anyway."

"Tell … tell Jesse I love him …" Rae coughed then and the rain washed away the blood that appeared round her mouth. Steve didn't answer; he didn't think that he could. "My … my girls … my children, tell … them too."

The parking lot, walkway, whatever it was, Steve didn't care, had been quiet for a moment and then she had spoken again. "Thanks … p … p… partner … it was fun." Her eyelids had flickered and Steve had closed his own eyes, no longer able to look at her and then there were two firm hands on his shoulders and a calm voice in his ear.

"We'll take over here, Sir. We'll go to Community General." Again he nodded, there was nothing he could do or say and Steve watched as gently, but with urgency, a neck support was fitted before she was transferred to a backboard, placed on a gurney and pushed away from him as he turned to hug Amanda, holding on to her as if he would never let go.

ooo

The birthday party was in full swing, Daniel had stayed at Oak Place with Eliana and Jesse had taken Anneya and Damita with him. From those he could count there appeared to be thirty children under five hurtling around inside a large barn like building, jumping on a bouncy castle, then moving on to big wheeled toys and sand, the next area had face paints and balloons and there were attendants on hand in each part to help the little boys and girls get the most fun out of their time at Wonderworld.

The parents hadn't been forgotten either, the opposite side of the building was decorated as a tropical restaurant, with brightly coloured foliage, a flowing river with a waterfall and suitable music piped in from all corners.

Jesse had put the baby stroller next to a table in the middle of the exotic display so that Anneya could see him wherever she was. He'd had a mild panic on the way over in case parents weren't allowed to stay but there were quite a few moms and dads smiling indulgently at their offspring as they bounced, drove, screamed and laughed their way through the hour and a half activity time of the party. Above the table he had chosen there was a, presumably stuffed, parrot on a perch. Damita had spotted it immediately and was almost transfixed by it. Jesse took a drink from his coffee and wondered how Rae and Steve were getting on. He knew how much both of them wanted the case over and done with. They were carrying around the deaths of the women on their consciences, and he also knew that both of them had a chance to move on with their careers but would find it hard to do so with Dominic still out there.

Rae had spoken to him about the chance to change station with Steve the previous evening and now he was turning it over in his mind. He had a feeling that his wife had already made up her mind to move, but he knew that over the years she had been in LA her impulsive nature had been tempered and that she was trying to be restrained about this and keep her enthusiasm in check.

Jesse also knew how much more relaxed Jo would be when Steve was station bound. He would feel that way for his friend as well. Rae had a while to go until she would be in that position, and he wasn't sure if she would want it anyway. He hadn't thought Steve would either, but a family changed a man, it had certainly changed him, and Steve was definitely mellower, more content, since he had become a husband and a dad.

Looking out over the little bobbing heads of the children again Jesse caught Anneya's eye and was rewarded with a beaming smile. He knew that all the noise around was beyond her reach, but she seemed to be coping well. The bouncy castle had caught her attention for a while, but now she was having her face painted. She had her badge on that told people she was deaf, and Jesse hoped that the ladies doing the painting would be sympathetic and gentle with her. Just as he waved to her he felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out to answer it. He heard Cheryl's voice and his world crashed.

ooo

The sofa was so comfy that Jo didn't think she would ever move again. She and David had spent a very enjoyable time at the hospital, Jayden had taken the bottle, not immediately, but with a little bit of cajoling and help from Belinda the small amount of milk had gradually gotten less and less until it was all gone and she had felt like the best mom in the world.

The little boy had dropped off to sleep almost immediately and, knowing that David would be anxious to get back to his own daughter, she had suggested that they leave and let the tiny baby rest.

Jo had spoken to the new mom in the ward and felt a great deal of sympathy for her. An idea had begun to form in her mind, something that maybe she could do to thank the hospital for the love and care they were giving to Jayden and at the same time help other moms and dads who were in her and Steve's unenviable position.

For now though the sofa, a lavender scented eye mask, a soft throw across her feet and the sound of peaceful music on the CD player were all she needed. David had been disappointed that Damita had gone with Jesse to the party but had taken the time he had been given to begin going over some of the papers he had brought with him as well as the official forms he had received through the mail from his wife's lawyers.

The phone ringing in the hallway was just a peripheral sound to Jo, she knew that Juan would answer it, take a message and then discreetly leave that message with its intended recipient.

"Madam, if I might speak with you for a moment." Jo was surprised as her butler came into the room, the wireless phone still in his hand.

"Yes, Juan, what is it?" She carefully raised her mask, suddenly worried as to the message she was about to receive.

"Mrs Bentley-Wagner is on the phone, Madam, she is taking your husband to Community General Hospital, Mrs Travis has been injured. Mrs Bentley-Wagner thinks that the Lieutenant will need your company and assistance."

Jo wanted to just leap off the sofa, but leaping was way beyond her at the moment. Nodding her agreement she watched as Juan spoke into the phone again before disconnecting the call and then gently helping her to her feet keeping a reassuring hand underneath her elbow as she made her way into the hallway.

"Daniel is at Oak Place, he is lookin' after Eliana, we need to get him to come here, because Miss Vicki isn't home. David, can you go get David from the library? Then we can go to the hospital."

"Very good, Madam." Juan paused, just for a moment before speaking again. "Madam, Mrs Bentley-Wagner did say that the injuries were very serious."

Jo just nodded, somehow she already knew that, and holding tightly to the banister at the foot of the main staircase she watched her butler undertake his tasks as she tried to calm her heart and prepare herself for what lay before her.

ooo

Alex had been called to the ER from his afternoon break and was pacing the floor around the nurses' station not wanting to stray from where he would be able to see his patient as soon as she arrived.

The paramedics had kept in contact with the ER and he knew that Rae had been seriously hurt in a fall; he also knew that she had crashed in the ambulance and was receiving artificial ventilation to keep her alive. Shannon was just finishing her shift in the paediatric department and he had called and asked her to come and sit with Steve or Jesse in case they needed company.

Just as he began to clock watch, knowing that the journey should be over he heard the sounds of a gurney and looked anxiously down the hallway to see Rae being intubated by hand as she was wheeled urgently towards him.

"Ok, report."

"The patient is female, Caucasian, 38 years old. She has suffered severe trauma due to a fall from a third floor fire escape. Patient was intubated en-route and received three minutes oxygen prior to treatment and Thiopentone and Suxamethonium after performance of the Sellick manoeuvre."

Alex was nodding his head all the time listening to the details of the treatment carried out. It would have been easier to say that Rae had been anaesthetized, intubated and pressure had been applied to her cricoid cartilage to prevent regurgitation, but he guessed the official way was quicker.

"Trauma One, go on."

"Yes, Doctor. The patient has upper and lower leg closed and compound fractures to both limbs. The right one, appearing to have taken the brunt of the impact. She has head trauma, again to the right side, and although conscious at the scene was non responsive on our arrival and since." The paramedic continued talking as Rae was taken into where she would be quickly re-assessed before going to the OR.

"Ok, on my mark, one, two, three, mark." Alex supervised the transfer of his patient from the paramedics' gurney to a hospital one and then immediately began attaching her to the ventilator. Less than five minutes later she was on her way, with Alex, to the OR.

ooo

Jesse had taken a screaming Anneya, whose tears were spoiling her new rabbit face, and a sobbing Damita out to the car and strapped them both in. He was working almost on autopilot, appeasing his daughter with some chocolate from her party bag and thankful that the pacifier seemed to be working with the other little girl.

The journey from the Wonderworld Play Barn to Community General wasn't one he had ever made before and so he had, thankfully, to concentrate on the road. Even though he was focussing on directions and traffic signals Cheryl's words still ran round and round in his mind. Rae had fallen, she had said, from a fire escape, three storeys up. The implications of that weren't lost on Jesse, and, not for the first time, he wished that he didn't have the medical knowledge to be able to visualise his wife's injuries before seeing them.

It took over an hour to get to the parking lot and draw into his usual place. Both girls were fast asleep by the time he arrived and although he was able to transfer Damita to her stroller without disturbing her he had to wake Anneya so that she could be carried on his hip into the building.

It was clear to him that members of staff knew about Rae by their reaction to his presence. The elevator was held for him and the usual buzz of conversation which was carried out inside it was missing. He moved numbly from its confines into the bright and busy ER where again the area seemed to sink into silence. The first person he saw was Shannon who moved across and offered to look after the children while he waited for news.

Without really thinking Jesse nodded his head, and if Shannon was surprised to see a child she didn't recognize she said nothing. Suddenly though, just as the young nurse was moving the two children towards the nurses' lounge where she planned to entertain them Jesse found his voice.

"I … the baby, Damita, she isn't mine … Jo's brother, we need to get in touch with Jo's brother."

"Jesse, Steve is in the doctors' lounge, Amanda is with him, I know they've called Jo. When she gets here I'll ask about the baby, ok?"

"Ok. Thanks. I … is she … where's Rae?"

"She's in the OR, Alex is with her. Jesse, why don't you go sit with Steve?" Shannon, the concern showing in her face, let go of Anneya's hand for a moment to rest her palm against the worried man's shoulder.

"Yeah, I will, in a minute, I'll just … I will, thank you." Jesse moved off, almost in a dream, and Shannon, her fingers grasped immediately by the sweet softness of a child's hand determined that she would check on both Steve and his friend every ten minutes or so even though Amanda was with them.

Jesse walked to the doctors' lounge, moved in through the door, and sat on the saggy sofa almost without any recognition of his surroundings at all. It wasn't until Amanda stood up from where she and Steve had been sitting at the round table drinking coffee and touched his hand that he looked at her and tried a smile.

"Hi."

"Jesse, Honey, I am so sorry." Amanda gently stroked his hair back comforting him as she would CJ or Dion, and the look of helplessness and despair on his face tore at her heart.

"What happened? Steve, how … how did she fall?" Jesse seemed to notice his friend for the first time, finally voicing the question which had been playing in his mind since he had heard the news.

Steve, who had been resting his head in his hands, raised his eyes so that he could see Jesse, and Amanda was shocked at the haunted look that he too had. "Matthew, the guy whose apartment it was, he … he must have come up the stairs at the back of the building. She … Rae was … she knew she … was … was gonna be sick and went out onto the fire escape … he push … oh, God, he pushed her over the rail." Steve couldn't continue, the scene rose up in his mind, the scream, the sound of his partner calling his name as she hung on for dear life, the foot as it slammed into her hands, sending her plummeting to the ground, the noise as her descent was abruptly halted, all of it was too recent, too fresh in his mind and he turned away, not having the words to carry on.

ooo

Mark couldn't get washed and changed out of his blood soaked scrubs quick enough. He had heard about Rae being brought into the hospital as he was leaving the OR after a routine operation. He was furious that no one had at least passed a message on to him sooner, but knew that his anger was partly fuelled by fear.

The journey from the changing rooms and showers to the doctors' lounge seemed far longer than normal and Mark tried consciously to relax as he entered the room. Steve was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee between his palms; Jo was sat next to him, an arm resting over his shoulder and an extremely worried look on her face. Amanda, who was stood by the window, moved across as soon as she saw him. Her beautiful face clouded with worry and he gently took her into his arms.

"Why didn't anyone get a message to me?" His words came out stronger and louder than he had meant and he felt Amanda jump a little.

"We knew that you would be here as soon as you were free, and there was nothing you could have done." His friend had relaxed again, but her voice told him of her fears.

"I am the head of Internal Medicine, I could have helped in the OR, sat with you, explained what was happening, I could have … could," He paused, not really sure what else he could have done. "I just should have been told."

"Mark, we were ok, we knew you were busy, but you're here now, an' we are still waitin' so please sit down an' forgive us." His daughter-in-law smiled a sad smile at him and he nodded, before speaking again.

"Is there any news yet?" Mark looked around and saw from the faces in front of him that so far nothing had filtered back to them. "Jesse, where's Jesse?"

"He went for a walk." Steve looked up at his dad, his voice and face expressionless.

"A walk? You let him go off on his own when he is as worried as he must be?"

"Dad, everyone knows what's going on! They won't let him get into any trouble." Steve flared for a moment, but the anger was gone almost as soon as it arrived, and in that moment, it occurred to Mark that after what he had been through, his son couldn't swat a fly right now, let alone stop Jesse when he needed to be constantly on the move.

"Well, I still don't like it, if you are all alright together I'll go look for him." Mark waited; the worried faces all showed different levels of stress and anxiety but he knew that the three of them would be there for each other and so, heartened by that, he turned and left the room.

ooo

The arrival of her husband had shocked Susan, but once she had got over the initial surprise she realised just how pleased she was to see him. Very little had been said, but as he sat there she had carefully slid her hand underneath his and he had grasped it tightly, rubbing his thumb over the back of it, just as he had always done.

She was unaware of how long they had sat in silence but looking out of the window onto the hallway Susan saw a familiar face and called out. "Jesse!" Her voice was almost back to normal now and he stopped at the sound and turned.

"Come meet my … Jesse, what is it? Whatever's the matter?" Susan was shocked by the expression on her friend's face, and the tears which were apparent in his eyes.

"Noth … nothing … Susan, I can't …" Jesse stood there, staring at the tall, dark haired gentleman sitting in the seat next to the bed. As he did so the man got to his feet.

"Sit, you look like you need it more than I do."

Jesse didn't even nod he just sank into the chair and then looked around him, almost as if he had no idea how he got where he was.

"Jesse, tell me, what is it?" Susan was getting very worried now and was considering pressing the buzzer if he didn't answer her. She had been moved into a normal room that morning, the chances of her going into shock being considered no longer a cause for concern.

"Rae … they … they had a lead."

Susan felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in the full meaning of what he was saying. "Nika, they know where to find Nika?"

"I don't know he … he pushed Rae, she … she fell … a long way."

"My God, Jesse, I am so sorry." And she was, her husband was back, and while they had things to work out she knew now she wanted to do that. And Jesse, she also knew he loved the English woman far more than he had ever loved her, however much it hurt to admit it, and her heart went out to him.

"I … I have to go … can't stay here … have to go …" Jesse got to his feet, again looking around in a daze before heading back out into the hallway and disappearing from sight, and this time Susan did press the buzzer, knowing that she should tell someone what had just happened.

ooo

Matthew Little sat in the interrogation room his wrists still sore from being encased in the metal cuffs which had been put on him and around the fire escape earlier in the day. His rights had been read; he had been fingerprinted and photographed. Now he sat, a court appointed lawyer next to him, looking into the face of the young woman who had finally released him from the rails outside his apartment.

"Mr Little, do you understand the charges against you?"

"Yes, Ma'am." So far he had answered any questions which were non accusatory politely, but anything else had been met with total silence.

"Why did you attack Detective Yeager on the fire escape at the back of your apartment building?" Cheryl didn't expect an answer and she wasn't disappointed.

"Mr Little, Detective Yeager was pushed over the third floor railing of the fire escape out back of your apartment block, do you deny that you had anything to do with that?"

Again there was silence and Cheryl looked over at the lawyer who was sitting, his hands folded neatly in his lap, watching his client follow his instructions to the letter.

There was a knock on the door at that moment and then a very young looking police officer stepped inside.

"Excuse me, Detective Banks, but Captain Newman wishes to speak with you."

Cheryl nodded her head, her heart suddenly beating heavily in her chest. She signed off the tape recording and then indicated that the police officer should remain in the room.

Rae's dead there could be no other reason why the Captain would interrupt her interrogation. Cheryl knew that he had plans to join her once the questioning had gotten underway, why else would he have called her out unless it was to change the charge to first degree murder?

"Ah, Detective, come in, please, and sit down." The captain wasn't alone, Chief Masters was also standing in the room, and Cheryl became even more certain of her facts.

"How is the interrogation going?" It was the captain who asked the question.

"As you would expect, Sir. Little is saying nothing except the things he knows he can get away with and we can prove anyway. His name, address, whether he understands the charges. Nothing earth shattering." She didn't want to answer questions either, she just wanted information.

"I see, so he's already lying then."

"Sir?" Cheryl turned to reply to the chief's slightly cryptic comment.

"Due to the wonders of modern technology we already have a result back on Matthew Little's prints. Except he isn't Matthew Little, or not officially anyway, he is Nicholas Large, aka Dominic Little aka the Red Rose Killer."

"My God." The relief that Cheryl felt became mixed with the amazement at the news she heard and for a moment she was unable to say anything more. Finally though the words gradually came back to her.

"So … if I have Dominic downstairs who the hell is Matthew?"

"I have no idea, Detective, why don't you go and see if you can find out? I'll join you shortly." Captain Newman smiled for the first time since he had heard about his accident prone detective, finally feeling positive about the outcome of the Red Rose Killings.

ooo

"Jesse!" Mark had made his way around the hospital almost like being on a treasure hunt or paper chase. Jesse had been spotted in many different locations, Susan's room, the gardens outside paediatrics, the men's room on the fourth floor and now, finally outside the entrance to the NICU.

"Jesse, just stop for a minute, please." Mark finally caught up with his younger friend and put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Mark?" He paused for a moment, wondering why he was no longer alone, "Jayden is in here, I thought maybe I would sit with him … what do you think? I … I don't know what else to do."

He had no idea what to say, all the expertise that Jesse had would make it very clear to him that his wife was in a critical condition, she had been there before, but somehow this time everyone knew it was worse, that it was going to take more than just good medicine and doctoring to ensure her recovery.

"Jesse, we could go see Jayden, but wouldn't you rather be with your friends, or your own children?" Mark had a hand on both arms now and intended to stay in touching distance of the distraught young man until the results of the surgery were known.

"Shannon … Shannon has Anneya, Damita too, we … we were at a party, I … I had to leave early. Mark, if she dies … what do I do if she dies?"

"I don't know, Son, but right now, right now you just have to hang on in there with everyone else, just as she would do if it were you."

To Mark's relief Jesse nodded his head and slowly let his friend lead him towards the elevator. Neither of them knew what the future would hold, but both of them did know that they would face it, friends and family, together.