"Laurie!" Rick yelled staring down at the ground beneath his feet. A faint rumbling was heard, and instantly A.J. got out of the back of the jeep.

"She's down there, isn't she, you bastard…isn't she?" Rick advanced on the now cowed Branson.

"Yes…there's a grate right over there…I didn't know…the cave must be shifting down there…here….you can go down through that…" he pointed toward a grassed-over spot.

"Cover him, Ron." Rick yelled, then ran to the spot and saw two indentations in the loose soil. Reaching down, he yanked up a metal grill, then A.J. handed him a flashlight.

"Laurie!" he called, shining the light down. At once she cried out.

"Rick…..Dad! I'm down here, I see a light…hurry, the roof's crumbling…I can't get out of the way!"

Rick saw a rusty ladder and quickly passed the flashlight back to his brother.

"Hold this steady, A.J….I'm coming, Laurie!" he called down, then lowered himself down to the first rung. Finding it held, he climbed down until he reached the dusty bottom, then saw a light switch in the dim reflection of A.J.'s light. Flipping it, a couple of bulbs went on, causing him to squint for a moment.

"Rick…over here!" He stared in the direction of her voice, then saw his wife, her wrists bound to a support pole. Suddenly dust started to filter down, and she started coughing.

Frantically Rick made his way to her, wanting to swear as he reached Laurie and saw her blood-streaked face.

"Sweetheart…" he knelt down and tore at the ropes binding her wrists and legs, then once her arms were free, gathered her into his arms.

"Rick….I was so afraid…." She gasped, then moaned with pain as the circulation returned to her cut and scraped limbs.

"I've got you, angel…" he kissed her face, then lifted her up and carried her quickly back the way he came. As he approached the ladder, more dirt came down on them, and he yelled "A.J., help me lift her up!"

"No…no Rick, not without you!" Laurie cried, putting her arms around his neck. Just then Oscar and A.J.'s faces appeared above them.

"Boost her up, Son." Oscar told him, as Rick told her, "Laurie, I'm not leaving you, please…I'm right behind you. Can you reach your arms up?"

"Yes…" she replied, taking a deep breath, then lifting her arms up as Rick pushed her up ahead of him. Quickly Oscar took her by the arms and hoisted her up in one motion, then Rick heard a roaring sound, and quickly pulled himself up the rungs just as the cloud of dust reached him.

"Rick, take my hand…." A.J. grabbed his arm, then helped him climb out of the access tunnel. As the two brothers collapsed onto the broken pavement, Rick saw Oscar trying to comfort Laurie, who was shaking with sobs.

"Baby, it's okay..shhh…you're safe." Oscar looked over at Rick, who immediately went to her side.

"It's all right..sweetheart…Dad, look what he did to her…" he started, furious at the man handcuffed a few yards away. As he got to his feet to confront Branson, Oscar called to him.

"Son, don't …let Ron deal with him…he'll get his…" Laurie saw the anger in her husband's face, and weakly held out a hand to him.

"Rick…please…" At once Rick went to her side, and Oscar knowingly put Laurie into his arms. "I'll bring the jeep around."

"My sweetheart…I'm sorry…I should have protected you.." Rick whispered, cuddling her against his chest. Sniffing, she raised her face to his. "No, love…it wasn't your fault.
He wanted to hurt you…he used me…but…only you…only you heard me…" she kissed him then leaned her cheek against his.

"Always, Laurie…" he promised, stroking her hair. Just then Oscar drove up, and A.J. helped Rick carry her to the car, settling her in the back seat with Rick, then taking the wheel as Oscar rode shotgun. As they were ready to leave, two police cruisers arrived to take Branson in, and suddenly the former police chief spoke up.

"Please wait…I need to say something to Mrs. Simon."

"She has nothing to say to you, you animal…" Oscar yelled at Branson, then Laurie sat upright. "Yes I do, I want to know why he did this…what did he hope to gain…."

Against his will A.J. pulled up next to Branson, who swallowed hard, then looked at Rick and Laurie.

"I'm sorry, Laurie…I never meant to hurt you…I was so angry at …at the waste of my life..my son's life..I didn't think about how afraid I made you….all I could think of was to punish Rick for stopping me, by taking you from him and making you helpless." He said.

Tears ran down Laurie's cheeks as she haltingly replied, "You tortured me, you used my fear of the dark and of Rick being killed because of me to make me beg…there is no excuse for what you did. And.." she wiped her eyes angrily, "you could have killed a young boy with what you did…by depriving him of my bone marrow."

At that Branson looked up, horrified. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…I didn't know until you told me…please, forgive me."

"Get him out of here…" Oscar growled, as Laurie turned and buried her face in Rick's shirt.

"Take me home, please, Rick…." She said wearily, as he rocked her in his embrace. Immediately A.J. put the jeep in gear and sped out of the maintenance yard toward the hospital.

"Yes, darlin', as soon as I make sure my sweet girl is taken care, por favor?" he murmured, kissing her hair.

Laurie again raised her eyes to him, then smiled, "Si….mi amor."

Oscar looked at A.J., then gave him a tired grin. "I know she'll be alright now."

"How can you tell?" A.J. asked, seeing his brother and sister-in-law kissing in the rear-view mirror.

"Like when I knew Rick was the one for her, when she says, "Yes Rick., even in Spanish!' he chuckled.

The relieved atmosphere lasted to the hospital, where Laurie was examined and found to only be suffering from dehydration, scrapes, bruises and a badly cut cheek. Once she was stitched up by an upset Rudy, it was decided to have her stay overnight.

"That way, Missy, you can be rested when you leave, plus we need to see if you can still do that bone marrow donation, remember?" he explained. Laurie saw his worried face, and sighed. "Okay, I guess I can spend one day resting, but just for you."

"That's my girl." Rudy grinned, giving her a hug. "I'll go talk to Dr. Allen about running some tests on you later, and we'll see how you feel then."

"Hmmm, why don't I see how you feel now, sweetheart." Rick waggled his eyebrows at his wife, making her giggle. "Okay, big boy." Laurie teased, crooking her finger at him, and instantly Rick hopped on her bed and took her in his arms.

Reluctantly excusing himself when Laurie had to give blood, Rick went out to the hallway, where he heard a woman's voice, raised in fury.

"But she has to go through with it….it's not Matty's fault his father's a piece of scum!"

"Mrs. Jackson, I must ask you to lower your voice. This is a hospital. Now, you go wait in the quarantine room, and we'll let you know if the procedure will take place." Dr. Allen's quiet voice seemingly calmed the woman down, as there was no further outburst.

Curious, Rick wandered over to the visitor's area, then was dumbstruck to see Fran Branson, Bill Branson's ex-wife, seated in the family area.

"Oh my God." He thought. "Matty Branson's the one waiting for the bone-marrow transplant?"