Chapter 4: Looking Back

A few days had come and gone since that night. Kate was gathering her things. She was ready to leave the hospital after what seemed like an endless stay. She never did like the smell and feel of this place. It always reminded her of death. Not that going home was much better. John was still gone. So much had been lost those few days ago. It was time to face the losses and try and get on without them.

Kate hurried out of her room, carrying her purse and coat in one arm. She spotted her daughter in Danny's room and headed in there. Max stood there doing sign language to him as he smiled at her. Kate came in and smiled at him. He lay there looking a bit better. "Hey pal," she said gently. "Mom," he croaked, "don't leave me here." "I have to sweetie," Kate explained, "the doctors say you can come home soon. And I'll come back later." He closed his eyes with his shoulders shaking. "Don't worry," Kate continued, "Esther can't hurt you. Mommy killed her." "What?" asked Daniel, "she's dead?" "Yes," Kate told him, "she tried to hurt us both, but I killed her. You have nothing to worry about."

Kate leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Excuse me, Ma'am?" A voice behind her asked. Kate turned her head in surprise and spotted both Detectives Alan and Wilson. "Yes?" Kate asked, seeing their badges under their open coats. "I'm Detective Alan Emerson, homicide," Alan explained, "this is my partner Detective Kenneth Wilson. Are you Katherine Coleman?" "Kate," Kate told him. "Nice to meet you Kate," Alan said, tucking his ID away, "It's good to see that you've made a speedy recovery." "Would you come with us outside?" Alan asked her. "Not right now," Kate snapped, "I'm very tired and I have to be going." "We need to know what happened" Alan said. "Look, I just want to go home" Kate told them. "We have to know what exactly happened to Esther," Wilson added, "It shouldn't take long." Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. "Anything will help us Mrs. Coleman," Alan continued. "Alright," Kate finally agreed, "I have to go, Danny." "Come back after you're done!" Danny pleaded. "I'll come back," Kate said, "Max, say bye to your brother." Max leaned over and they hugged tightly. "Max, you saved me!" he whispered into her earpiece, "I owe you my life!" Max squealed and kissed his cheek. Max then asked him how he knew. "Mom told me you were there when my tree house burned down," he told her, "you're my guardian angel. I love you Max."

An hour passed as they made it to the police station.

"You said that you contacted a Saarne institute?" Alan asked, reading a file. "Yes" Kate replied, "I don't remember whom I spoke to. I found out it's a mental hospital." "What exactly did he say about Esther?" Alan said, writing something down. "He said Esther wasn't her real name," Kate replied, "Her birth name is Linnea or something. She was one of their worst patients. She'd have to, in order to…" She trailed off, her eyes tearing up. He handed her the Kleenex and she took a few. "She's not a 9 years old either," Kate added, wiping off her eyes, "she's 33 years old and suffers from a rare hormone disorder." "33 years old?" Alan asked. "Here," Kate said handing him a scrap piece of paper, "This is the number that was on my phone. He knows more about her than I do." Alan took the paper and read it.

Max sat outside in the waiting room. She held her folded up jacket on her lap. She looked up as a passing dark figure stopped and looked down at her. "Hello little one," Captain Rousseau said. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. He knelt down to her height and gently took her little hands. "You're a very brave girl, Max," Rousseau commented, "What you did that night for your mother took a lot of heart." Max smiled at him and signed something. "What?" Rousseau asked, smiling at her. "It's sign language," Wilson told him. "Oh," Rousseau said, "what'd she say?" "Not sure," Wilson said, "I think she said thank you." Wilson looked down as he heard his phone go off and he walked into the next room to take it.

Alan came out of his office. He walked by Max went into another room. Rousseau looked up and follows him. As they both disappeared, Max turned her head over to Kate who's sitting there in Alan's office. Kate looked at her daughter and waved. Max gets happy and waved back. "I'm almost done here," Kate signed to her. Max nodded her head and looked back at the captain, who's reading the statement while Alan is on the phone. Kate motioned Max over and she followed. Kate picked her up and sat her on her lap, sighing in sheer exhaustion. They both stare at Alan who writes something down and keeps babbling. Kate's arms wrapped around Max rested her head against hers. Kate sighed more deeply and slowly closed her eyes.

She didn't know how long she was asleep, but a hand gently shook her awake. She looked up and seen Alan looking down at her. "Well, I did get a hold of the Saarne Institute," Alan explained, sitting down, "This Dr. Varava you spoke to confirmed everything here." "Oh good," Kate said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and then she paused, "So that's it?" "That's it," Alan replied, holding his hands up, "I'll walk you out." He grabbed his card off the desk and gave it to her. They both got and walked through the hallway. Kate held little Max's hand who kept staring at Wilson who was in his office, snapping his fingers at Alan. Wilson had put his phone away and wore a stressed look on his face.

They all stopped at the door. "Now everything's being taken care of properly," Alan, said to Kate, "I don't want you to worry about anything." "Thank you very much," Kate said; "thank you for being so understanding. I only pray we can get back to normal." "You will," Alan added, "you'll land back on your feet soon."

Alan came over to his office after the Coleman's had left. Wilson came in carrying a cup of coffee for him. "Five star service," Alan joked, "Hey Wilson, meet Leena Klammer." He tossed the file to his partner, who caught it and then flipped it open. "The doctor there faxed over the info we needed," Alan explained, "it's all there. Her hormone disorder, her real age, birth name." "Holy Christ," Wilson said reading it. He then closed the file and looked at Alan. "What?" Alan laughed, taking a sip of the coffee. "She's still out there," Wilson said, "there was a murder last night at Doc Cochran's place."

"Jesus! As in Gabriel Cochran?" Alan asked. "One in the same," Wilson said, "He was stabbed to death. And get this, his little grandson Tony who was with him is missing. She even killed the dog." He handed Alan the report. "What are we going to do, Emerson?" Wilson asked. "Well, we're going to keep the search going," Alan, explained, "We can't afford for her to get far. She's far too dangerous." "What about the Coleman's?" Wilson asked him. "I'll keep an eye on them," Alan said, "I can't let that happen again to her."

They both got up and walked out of the office.