"The rumors flew, but nobody knew how much she blamed herself..."

Whiskey Lullaby

Chris and Hook walked into the Kingdom Hospital lobby in silence. Hook was wearing a black suit instead of his usual hospital garb. Chris was wearing a simple, yet elegant, dark green dress. She was holding a handkerchief in her hand and her eyes were slightly puffy and red from crying.

"I should give you your handkerchief back," Chris said looking at the handkerchief, not quite ready to look at Hook.

"That's o.k.," Hook said. "You can give it back later. You might still need it."

"Thanks," she said, still clutching it. "It was a beautiful service."

"Yes, it was."

"Louis did a wonderful job. What he said was truly beautiful. Elmer…," Chris started and then stopped as the tears started to well up and she tried to hold them back.

"I know," Hook said putting his arm around Chris' shoulder. "This place won't be the same without Elmer."

"No, it won't," Chris said sniffling.

"Have you seen Lona?"

"I think I saw her at the service, but I'm not sure. It's like she didn't want anyone to know she was there. Why?"

"She seemed extremely upset when I talked to her."

"That's because she cared for Elmer. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she really cared for him, she was just afraid."

"No, it's more than that," Hook said. "The last time I talked to her, she was upset, but I think I said something that made it worse; but I don't know why."

"What did you say," Chris asked with a puzzled look.

"Before Elmer died he said something, something he wanted me to tell Lona. It seemed to really upset her, but I don't know why. I wasn't sure I should tell her, but it's what Elmer wanted."

"What was it?"

"He said to tell Lona that he forgave her."

"Forgave her for what?"

"I don't know, before I could ask she started crying and ran away. Then I was paged for an emergency surgery and had to leave. I haven't been able to ask her because I haven't seen her since then."

"Couldn't you have gone after her?"

"No. If I hadn't gone right to surgery, my patient would be dead now, and I haven't seen her since then. I'm not even sure I should ask. That might just make it worse."

"Maybe she'd feel better talking to me."

"Maybe, I have to go; I have patients I have to see. I'll see you later."

"Later," Chris said as Hook walked away. As she watched Hook walk away she couldn't help but think of Lona, wondering what was going on. Perhaps she should go find Lona and see if she could help.

"I'll have another," Lona said putting her glass down on the bar upside down.

"Are you driving," the bartender asked picking up the bottle.

"No, just drowning a painful memory; but it doesn't seem to be working."

"It usually doesn't," the bartender said. "Or, if it does, it only works for a little while. The memories always come back, especially in your dreams."

"Dreams," Lona said with a huff. "'What dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil…'"

The bartender shrugged then went to tend to other customers. Lona sat there staring into her drink. Dreams, she thought, she wouldn't be having any of those anytime soon. Elmer did. Elmer was the best subject in her…

"That's it," Lona suddenly exclaimed. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

"Hook," Louis called out, causing Hook to stop and turn around.

"Hi Louis, that was a beautiful memorial," Hook said.

"Thanks. Have you seen Lona? I've been looking for her."

"I haven't seen her recently, though Chris said she thought she saw Lona at the funeral. Why?"

"She was at the service, but I didn't see her before she left. I just wanted to thank her for the flowers."

"Have you tried the sleep lab, she might be there," Hook said mentally kicking himself. Flowers, he forgot to send flowers. He'd have to talk to Chris; hopefully Chris sent something with both their names on it.

"That's the first place I looked, she wasn't there, and the lab was locked."

"If I see her I'll let her know you'd like to talk to her."

"Thanks," Louis said shaking Hook's hand, "and thanks for being there, too."

"Of course Louis."

Lona unlocked the door to the sleep lab and quickly slipped in, closing and locking the door behind her. If only she had remembered to lock the door a couple days ago. She started booting up the computers and powering up the machinery.

"Why didn't I think of this before," she asked herself. "If Elmer's still out there somewhere I should be able to reach him through the dream state. If not him, I should at least be able to tap into my own memories of Elmer."

Lona opened the drug cabinet and took out two ampoules. She set them on a cart along with two needles. She pushed the cart over to the machinery.

"Either way, this should work."

She started setting up the machinery and the computer program. All the settings had to be just right. She was going to have to go into a very deep dream state for this. After making all the proper adjustments, Lona went back over the settings a made a few final changes. Out of habit she hit the record button, and then walked over to the chair.

She opened a package of alcohol wipes she kept handy and wiped her arm, sterilizing it. She picked up the first ampoule and inserted the needle. She started drawing out he liquid into the syringe. She had to get the mixture just right.

Sitting down in the chair, Lona injected herself with the first drug, then capped and disposed of the syringe in the hazardous waste bin. She repeated the process with the second syringe and ampoule.

There, everything was done, now all she had to do was wait and let the drugs start working. It wasn't long before she could feel the drugs taking effect. She could feel her consciousness starting to slip away. Suddenly, just before she faded from consciousness, she realized she hadn't accounted for the alcohol. As her last thought, she wondered what effect the alcohol would have.

Mary watched Lona starting to slip into unconsciousness. She turned to look at Antubis.

"Antubis, we need to help her," she said, "there's something wrong."

"There's nothing I can do," Antubis said plainly.

"We need to help her."

"There's nothing I can do," Antubis repeated leaving the room.

Hook stepped off the elevator in the basement. The sleep lab was probably the only lab that benefited from not having windows, that and the morgue he couldn't help but think as he walked down the corridor to the sleep lab.

"I guess Lona's in," he said to himself noticing a light shining from under the door.

He tried the handle, but the door was locked. He tried the handle again, just to make sure, but the door remained locked. He had a bad feeling about this, so he pulled out his keychain. He flipped through the keys till he got to the pass key he copied from John B. Goode. Hook didn't even want to think about what this cost him, but it was worth it.

Hook opened the door and entered the lab. He looked around the lab and could just make out the legs of someone sitting in one of the chairs with the equipment aside of it running; other than that, the lab looked deserted. He started walking toward the person in the chair.

"Lona, is that you," he called out to her. "Lona?"

Hook got to the chair and saw that it was Lona. It looked like she was sleeping; but he still had the feeling that something was wrong. Why was the door locked? He picked up her arm by the wrist and tried to take a pulse. Hook quickly grabbed the phone and dialed into the intercom.

"Code Blue in the sleep lab. This is Dr. Hook, I need…"

(to be continued)