Chapter 31

Doug fell asleep quickly. The next time he woke it was not in a start or from a bad dream. He heard the gentle sounds of rain on the roof and slowly opened his eyes. He felt warm under the quilt and it took him a moment to remember where he was. he looked down at his watch and was surprised to see it was almost ten. he got up gently and tried not to disturb Anna who was still resting. he made his way into the kitchen and looked around for something to eat. the saw the cold pizza from last night and grabbed a slice out of the box. he pushed himself up onto the counter and quickly stuffed it down. he looked outside at the combination of falling rain and snow. it all looked so beautiful to him, he was glad he was going to be able to spend the day with Anna.

Anna stretched out. She felt much better, not all the way awake yet but better. She yawned as her hands went above her head. She stumbled towards the kitchen her hair almost up on end from the static electricity that was generated by the quilt. "Coffee, please dear lord let there be coffee."

Doug almost spit out the pizza in his mouth when he saw Anna. "hhahaaaa..." he looked at her again and swallowed the food in his mouth." Sorry, but you have no idea how you look." he looked around for the coffee pot and realized it was behind him, empty. "No coffee...but plenty of pizza."

Anna shuffled her feet across the carpet grinning evilly. "Well then I will make some." She said, "you're laughing at me." She reached out her arm to make contact with Doug.

Doug smiled back at her. "I know i shouldn't laugh, my hair's probably a mess too." he opened up his arms and brought her into a hug. "You look like you feel better though." he let her go and jumped off the counter to give her access to the machine. "so what fun rainy day activities have you got planned for this afternoon?"

She smiled as she found the coffee and took a long smell from the can before putting some inside the coffee maker. "I don't know. I was thinking of just lounging around since I am totally free."

Doug nodded, "Hey lounging is fine. Just know though, come eight o'clock it is the Bulls game baby! we are going to have a good time watching that." Doug wiped his hands on his shirt and walked back over to her. "I have to go back out and do some dictations later; i might even stop by and see Kate and Tess. is their anything else that you want me to pick up for you?" he looked around the kitchen. "it kind of feels lonely without anyone else in this huge place. I wonder where Carter and Abby are."

"Yeah I have some charts at the hospital that I need to finish up, could you grab them for me." She said, "since I can't see patients I might as well get those done. And I wouldn't miss the bull's game, but they aren't the same since Jordan retired."

Doug nodded. "Ok, well i am going to go there so i can get back soon. I'll give you a call when I'm on my way back ok?" he walked into the other room to grab his shoes and coat. "Try not to burn the mansion down ok?" he joked before he left. Doug hopped into his car and drove the short drive to County. He walked inside, a little weary of seeing Carol but mostly trying to avoid weaver. the last thing he wanted was to be found by her and talked into working a shift or attending a meeting.

Anna smiled as she watched him drive off. He was right this house was quiet. Anna poured herself a cup of coffee and then hit the shower. She was amazed that she managed not to get her head wet. She threw some clothes on and then headed back down stairs before turning the stereo on. She refilled her coffee cup and sat down on the couch when she heard a knock on the door. Since she was the only one there she got up and answered it. Coming face to face with her soon to be ex husband.

Doug grabbed his charts and looked to see which ones were Anna's. it looked like the rain had brought in a lot of people to the hospital. he grabbed what he needed and left quickly before anyone had a chance to stop him. he threw the papers in his car and drove until he saw a subway. he stopped to get a few sandwiches for Anna and himself. he knew he told her he would call but he didn't want to take the chance of waking her if she had gone back to sleep. when he pulled up to the house he noticed an extra car. "i wonder is carter finally came home." he thought. with his arms full he walked up to the door and struggled to open it.

Anna was furious with him for showing up. She couldn't believe that she was standing here listening to him. She was yelling now at him. Max reached out and grabbed her arm pulling her towards the door. He opened it coming face to face with Doug. "Get out of my way."

Doug was shocked to see max when he opened the door and tripped when he stepped backwards. because he had his hands full he couldn't stop max from walking into him and he fell on his back. he saw max and Anna by the arm and quickly got to his feet. "what do you think you're doing?" Doug demanded as he grabbed Max's shoulder spinning him around.

Max tightened his grip on his wife's arm. Making Anna cry out. "It's really none of your business Doug, but I am taking my wife home where she belongs." Anna took advantage of Max being distracted by Doug and kicked him as hard as she could breaking free momentarily of him, only to have Max grab her by the hair.

Doug didn't hesitate when Max looked at Anna and grabbed her hair. "Son of a..." he swung at max connecting with him just below his jaw. he followed max as he fell to the ground and got on top of him. Doug grabbed Max's shirt with his left hand as he hit him in the face, breaking his nose.

Max had lost his grip on Anna when he felt Doug's fist connect with his jaw and then nose. He tried to push Doug off of him. He swung at Doug, getting nothing but air. He could feel the blood dripping now down his face.

Doug pushed him back down again. "What the hell's wrong with you huh!" he slammed him into the concrete and punched his face. after max tried to hit him back Doug lost it. he put his knee into Max's chest to hold him down and kept hitting him. all he could think of is what his dad had done to him and his mother and he couldn't stop.

Anna ran over, "Doug, stop, please, you'll kill him, and I won't have you going to prison for that. Even though he deserves it." She started to pull on his arm, "he's not worth it Doug, he's not worth it!"

Doug hit him again and then realized Anna was pulling on his arm. he stood up and off of max and looked at his hand. it was covered in Max's blood. in a second his mind raced and he realized what he had done. "oh my god." Doug said looking down at him. "Ohhh Christ, Anna call 911."

Anna went inside and called 911 and gave them the information. She then went back outside. She looked at Doug and then at Max. She kneeled down next to Max and took a good look at his bloodied head. Anna was more worried about Doug than she was Max; the SOB had brought this upon himself. "Doug are you hurt at all?" She said as she tried to stop the bleeding.

Doug just shook his head. he couldn't believe he had been that dumb to do something like this. "no i think I'm fine." he sat down on the steps and put his head down. he could hear the ambulance coming and he knew he was going to have to explain what he had done...to the cops and to weaver since the nearest hospital was county. he looked over at max who was knocked out cold and Anna who was pressing a towel to his head. Doug didn't mean for anything to go that far. he just shook his head as the ambulance pulled up. "oh man."

Anna gave the paramedics what information about Max that she could, warning them that when he came to that he was on something but she didn't know what. When he had gotten there she could tell from all the experience she had that he was high and drunk. She stood back and let the paramedics do their work. She walked over and sat on the steps next to Doug. She didn't know what to say, Max very well could have killed them both. "Doug, god he could have killed you." She said rubbing her head, hands shaking. "Are you sure you are not hurt?" She was having a hard time finding words, just this morning they were on their way to starting over and now this. She would kill whoever at the hospital leaked out to him that she was staying with Doug and Carter's. Where did this put them, could he forgive her for Max showing up and being put into a situation where she needed to be rescued? Anna knew that there was no way that she would have been able to get away from him. She rubbed her hands up at down her arms. She could feel the bruises that were forming from where Max had grabbed her several times. "He was in the wrong Doug; you were defending yourself and protecting me."

Doug opened and closed his hand several times. he could feel the swelling setting in. he was surprised when Anna came and sat next to him. she didn't seem angry, just concerned for him. "my hand hurts a little." he finally managed to say. Doug could hear the paramedics in the background. he hoped max was going to live, not be alright, but live. he looked at Anna. she wasn't wearing a jacket and he could see the bruises on her arm starting to come up. "are you ok?" he asked taking off his coat and putting it over her shoulders.

"I will be." She said, "just a little scared and shaken up, but it's nothing." Anna reached down and scooped up some snow that was on the ground. "Here," she said as she put it inside his hand and closed her hand around his.

Doug kissed her forehead. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the medics were ready to transport Max. "You should probably go to the hospital with him. The police will be around soon I'm sure." Doug ran his fingers through his hair. he was more embarrassed than anything else. "depending on what his injuries are, I'm probably going to be charged with assault. weaver's going to get a kick out of that." Doug moved his coat to look at Anna's arm again. he was glad that he had come home when he had.

"I am not getting into the back of that ambulance Doug." She stated. "And I am not going to let them charge you with assault for pulling him off me." She had to laugh, "granted you pummeled the crap out of him, but I appreciate it."

Doug shook his head. he was never proud to be in a fight. he had been in way to many of them for that. "Yeah, i am sorry for that. it was uncalled for...bad memories." Doug watched them put max in the back of the ambulance. "Well if you want me to drive you to County i will." he looked at his hand again. the snow had made it numb but hadn't gotten rid of the blood that was now dried onto it and his shirt. "i need to get this off me though."

"Really I'm okay I don't need to go, I'm a little bruised but I'll live." She said, "it's cold out here can we go inside?" she said standing up off the stairs. She grimaced as she tried to turn the door knob. She hoped that her back was to him enough that he hadn't seen her face.

Doug sighed and stood up when she did. he thought he saw her wince when she grabbed the door but decided to address it later. walked in behind her and took his coat off her shoulders and saw the bruise around her arm. looking at it his mind shifted to carol and what he had done to her. he never wanted to end up like max...or his father. he walked into the bathroom and washed his hands. he returned with an ice pack for them both. gently he touched the dark black ring around her bicep. "Don't think I'm that rough with everyone. I swear I'm not this messed up all the time."

She looked up at him. "I don't think that. You did what you thought you needed to Doug. I just want to know how the hell he found out I was here. I don't want you thinking that I called him cause I didn't. If I had known that it was him on the other side of the door I would have never answered it."

Doug shook his head. "I know you didn't call him. There are only so many people that know we're here...Carter, Abby, Carol, Weaver, and Susan. I don't know how he found out. Truth is it doesn't really matter. Nothing we do now will change what happened. So much for starting over huh?"

"Yeah I guess so." She said snuggling into his side "Not quite what I had planned for today. So much for piece and quiet. Can we enjoy what's left of the day together or is that pretty much out of the question as well?" She was livid at Max for butting in where he didn't belong. But she wasn't going to tell Doug. She'd be damned if she was going to let her soon to be ex-husband create barriers between them. She rubbed her wrist.

Doug smiled and hugged her back. "Well, we're not going to do anything until you at least get an x-ray on that wrist. besides i really need to be there when the cops show up. i need to explain what happened."

"Okay Doug," she said, "I'm not going to argue with such a good looking doctor, but I am still not going to let them charge you for his stupidity. If I have to threaten to charge him myself I will."

Doug grinned. "Good looking huh? I'm glad you've recently had a head injury or id call psyche. Let's put it this way, i haven't had the most accident free week. vie injured my hand...twice now. gotten hit in the head...well twice now too haven't shaved in a day but hey! whatever turns you on?" Doug joked poking her in the sides. he was trying hard to lighten things up after such a dark afternoon. "i guess ill have to change my shirt when i get there, I'm all out of clothes." Doug put his coat back on Anna and grabbed his keys. "come on, lets go get ya checked out again."

Anna just nodded, "thanks a psych consult because I think you're sexy." She stood up so that she was eye level with him giving him a quick kiss, "you're something special." With that she walked out the front door towards his jeep.