Title: The Forest

Chapter: 6

Scotty speeded to work. He ran two stop signs, and cut off three cars. He didn't care. He was in a hurry. He had to talk to Stillman.

As he drove he clutched the steering wheel tightly. He couldn't believe what the doctors had just suggested to him. Euthanasia! He couldn't do that to her. It wasn't far to her. She'd only been like that for a week. There was a chance she could recover. Her mind wasn't gone yet. She was still there. He knew it.

He pulled up to the station and got out of his car. He ran into the station house and took the stairs having no patience for the elevator. He climbed up the stairs two at a time in his rush to find Stillman. He needed to find Stillman! As he reached the floor that the cold case squad was located on his speed increased. He continued climbing up the stairs.

When he finally reached the floor he ran through the department, ignoring the voices of everyone who attempted to offer their condolences to his unshaven face. What did they care about Lilly? All they ever did was criticize and ridicule her. What can a female detective do in homicide? They saw her as weak. He tossed their comments aside and found the captain in his office. Without knocking he went inside.

"I need to talk to you!" Scotty demanded.

"Scotty did something happen to Lilly?" he asked. His voice was dripping with concern.

"Yeah!" Scotty shouted. "Her doctor just asked me if she ever spoke to me about end of life decisions. They want to know if she has a living will on file. They want me to euthanasize her."

"It's too soon for this," Stillman said. "There's no evidence that she's not going to pull through yet. We still have time."

"Not according to the doctors!" Scotty said. His was beginning to rise with agression. "They said that her brain activity is dropping. That they don't expect her to wake up."

"They don't know that Scotty."

"I know that!" He screamed before calming down. "But I don't want to debate this now. All I wanted to discuss was if she has a current living will on file."

Stillman sighed and opened up his desk drawer. He removed Lilly's file and opened it up. Inside was what looked like an official legal document. He picked it up and examined it. The words on the page made a frown escape his stoic face. He sighed before handing the file over to Scotty.

"She came to me last year Scotty. After the military case, when the cadet pulled the gun here. I guess it scared her. She asked me to sign the form and I will never forget her saying, 'Please tell me, that if anything happens, and I end up like that kid, that you won't let me live like that.' I was reluctant Scotty it seemed like she knew what she wanted. She didn't want to be a burden to us or to the department or her family members."

"She was scared. You said it yourself," Scotty defended. "She thought the kid was going to shoot us. She couldn't have meant it. She was just scared."

"Scotty, trust me, it seemed like she knew what she wanted."

Scotty sat there in a stunned silence before speaking again, "This isn't the end. She's not giving up I know it. I just know it! She's not a quitter."

"Scotty…"

"Please, can we delay a D.N.R. order for a few more weeks just to see how it turns out? If she's…is she's not improving I will…I will willingly sign a D.N.R. for her life support to be pulled. But please…I just have to see if she's still in there." He choked up. He couldn't believe this. Lilly actually wanted to die.

Scotty was almost in tears and Stillman looked at him sympathetically. "I don't want to pull the plug today, Scotty. We can wait a little while."

"Thank you," Scotty said.

Lilly was sitting in the barren hospital waiting room. Her good Samaritan had given her his jacket so that she wouldn't be cold. She hugged it tight around her as she looked around the room once again. The abandoned feeling the she got from the place was strange for an ER waiting room. Wasn't there usually someone there wither it be a drunk who spent too much time at a bar or a homeless person who was stabbed with a knife? It felt strange and eerie to her. She contemplated leaving. Trying to get a cab and go to another hospital but she was sure that George was still out there. She didn't want to risk running into him.

She sighed as a nurse came out of one of the rooms. "Lillian Rush?"

"Right here," Lilly said. She felt kind of stupid saying it since she was the only one in the waiting room but it was a natural instinct. She got up with the impression that the nurse was going to lead her into an exam room.

"This can't be right," the nurse said.

"What?" Lilly asked.

"The information her. It says you were admitted here earlier today for head trauma and that you're in the neuro-ICU."

"That can't be right? I was just assaulted by a madman. I have a broken wrist to prove it but no head wound."

"Yeah," said the nurse. "This is strange. I'm sure it's just a clerical error. Let me check the computer." The nurse sat down at he admittance desk and typed in the wound listed on the file. It came up with one name. Lillian Rush. "There was only one person admitted with head trauma today. You!"

"That can't be right! I'm standing right here!" Lilly was getting frustrated. She just wanted to get her wrist taken care of and give her statement to the police before getting a room at a motel in a neighboring town and sleeping this entire night off. "There must be a mistake with the computer records."

"Let's take a walk," the nurse suggested.

"Look I don't have any I.D. on me, but I'm Lilly Rush! Can you please just put a cast on my wrist or something?"

"I will I just want to make sure that you're really who you say you are."

Lilly didn't want to fight. George would probably be waiting for her at her house if she went back home and as much as she wanted to get back home and sleep she wanted to be safe even more. "Sure."

The nurse began walking and Lilly followed. She kept looking over her shoulder. She was going to carry the scars of the attack for the rest of her life. She knew it. She and the nurse boarded an elevator and rode it up to the neuro-ICU.

When the elevator doors the nurse stepped out, Lilly followed her. The nurse referred to the file before stopping in front of a door. "According to the file this is where they placed Lillian Rush after her surgery."

Lilly took a moment to reflect on how much she hated her full name. It sounded so formal. Why was the nurse referring to her this way? She shook the notion and opened the door to the room. She took a few step in saw the figure lying on the bed.

Author's Note: Well? What do you guys think. I am going to try very hard to get the next chapter up very soon, but just so that I know you're still out there; please hit the little lilac button and review.