Gabriel spoke in low tones as he spoke to Patrick O'Reilly on the phone at the Clearwater headquarters. Yes, others could be listening on the line, but he did not want to make it easy for his fellow officers in the Clearwater office to overhear him.
"In hindsight, I am thinking we should have left Constable Davor there in Brookfield with you, though this could have taken much longer to come to light. You had no problems with your routine duties yesterday."
"No, sir," Gabriel replied, using the formal address as the conversation was work related. "It actually felt good to be in uniform."
"Good," O'Reilly said. "I am coming to Brookfield myself, but I am going to need a few days to make the trip."
"You, sir?" Gabriel replied, the question slipping out automatically. He knew that O'Reilly would take it as the surprised reaction that it was and not as him questioning a superior.
"Yes, me," O'Reilly responded. "If he did not have a newborn at home, I would ask Constable Grant to come work with you because you need someone who is aware of the situation and that you trust. It seems like in most situations you will be fine, but should you find yourself in a situation that will trigger a panic attack, you need backup. Backup that can anticipate how you might react in that situation. You also need someone you trust to help you through the emotional issues or relieving you from field duty will be necessary."
"Then you are not relieving me immediately?"
Until he asked the question, Gabriel had not realized exactly how much he had been dreading that possibility. Despite that first reaction in the cabin, Gabriel had come to realize that he was not quite ready to walk away from this job despite what he had gone through. He could not shake the feeling that there was still things that he was meant to accomplish. Good that he was meant to help bring about. Lives still left to save.
"I would rather not," O'Reilly admitted. "I do not think giving you more time off is going to help this situation. However, be careful these next couple of days," the super intendant instructed. "I would rather you let something go, and just report it rather then you get into a situation that puts you in unnecessary danger."
"Yes, sir," Gabriel said.
"We will work this out, Gabriel. You are a good officer and I do not want to lose you."
"Thank you," Gabriel replied.
"Stay at headquarters right now. I want to talk to Sergeant Oakley and inform him what is going on. I don't know if he'll want to talk to you afterwards or not. However, check in with him before leaving Clearwater."
"Yes, sir," Gabriel replied, having intended to do that anyway.
Hanging up the phone, Gabriel leaned back in his chair. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. He had done what he had come to Clearwater to do. He had reported his panic attack. That in itself brought a measure of relief. The fact that Patrick had volunteered to come to Brookfield to help him deal with the current situation, brought even more relief. He trusted his former training officer as much as he trusted Nathan. Though Patrick would be supportive, like Nathan, he would not let their personal relationship get in the way of relieving him from duty if it became necessary.
Gabriel just hoped that things remained routine these next few days until Patrick was able to get here.
A knock behind him cut through Gabriel's thoughts. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Gabriel found Constable Anderson standing in the doorway.
"Sergeant Oakley would like to see you, Kinslow," Anderson said, seeing that he had his fellow Mountie's attention.
"Thank you," Gabriel replied with a nod as he got to his feet.
Anderson left, returning to whatever he needed to be doing. Gabriel left the little conference room and headed for the Sergeant's office. As he passed by where the constables working out of headquarters desks were, Gabriel spotted a Mountie that was not a constant around the Clearwater headquarters. The young man looked familiar, though Gabriel could not quite place him. He gave up on the effort as he reached Oakley's office.
The door to the staff sergeant's office was open. Stepping into the doorway, Gabriel knocked on the doorframe. Oakley looked up from the paper in front of him.
"Constable Kinslow, have a seat, please," Oakley said, motioning to the chairs across the desk from him as he sat back in his own chair.
Gabriel stepped into the office pushing the door shut behind him as he did so. Walking over toward the desk he sat down and waited for Oakley to speak again.
"So, Super Intendant O'Reilly has informed me of the situation," Oakley began, gazing across the desk at Gabriel.
Gabriel met the look of his superior with a steady gaze. "I am sorry if you felt I went over your head sir," Gabriel said easily, knowing that some officers would be insulted by the action. "However, I called Super Intendant O'Reilly more for his recommendation on how to proceed with the situation rather than just report the situation. It was an off duty incident."
Oakley waved a hand. "I am not concerned with that. I know O'Reilly was your training officer. I understand there is a bond there that goes beyond chain of command. O'Reilly informed me that there was an incident that occurred that led to a panic attack that you believe stems from your recent abduction."
"Yes, sir," Gabriel replied. He explained the incident of his jacket getting caught on his arms and the feeling of being trapped that resulted in it. Though he had given O'Reilly a few more details, Gabriel left Lillian out of this account altogether.
"This is the only time you have experienced a panic attack stemming from this most recent incident? I know your file, Kinslow. I know that you experienced panic attacks after being shot."
"This is the first panic attack I have experienced since then, sir. You have my word. I have had some problems with recurring nightmares but they do not affect my job."
"I do not believe you can get through this job without dealing with nightmares at some point," Oakley replied sympathetically. "O'Reilly said he is going to come to Brookfield to work with you for the time being, so for the most part, what goes on with this incident is out of my hands. However, I am not comfortable with you being on your own there in Brookfield until then and I think I have a solution. Constable Peterson just transferred a prison from up near his posting in Unity to the jail here."
"Peterson?" Gabriel said, finally making the connection to where he had seen the young Mountie before. "Bridget and Ivy's brother?"
Oakley nodded in confirmation. "He was scheduled to begin leave after bringing the prisoner here. He was going to go to Hope Valley to visit with his sisters. However, with your permission, I would like to ask him to postpone that a few days. I would feel better if you had someone working with you until Super Intendant O'Reilly arrives, but only if you are comfortable with telling Constable Peterson the current situation. He would need to know just in case something came up. I can understand not wanting a whole lot of people knowing, but I am sure Constable Peterson can be discreet."
Gabriel nodded in consent. It was not an unreasonable request. It was probably even a prudent one.
"Wait here," Oakley instructed, getting to his feet.
Sergeant Oakley left the office. Gabriel stared at the empty chair the staff sergeant had vacated. All he knew about Brian Peterson was what he had heard from Nathan. The young man had been unconscious the entire time that Gabriel had assisted in getting the young Mountie to the hospital following the accident that had claimed the Peterson siblings' mother. How much did he want to tell Constable Peterson about what was going on? How much would he be expected to tell? How much did he need to tell Constable Peterson for both of their safety?
Two sets of approaching footsteps brought Gabriel out of his thoughts. He got to his feet, turning toward the door as Peterson walked through followed by the staff sergeant.
"Constable Peterson this is Constable Kinslow," Oakley said as he closed the office door behind him.
"You are looking better than the last time I saw you," Gabriel told the young man as he held out his hand. "I was with Constable Grant the night of your accident," he said in way of an explanation seeing the confusion on the younger man's face.
"I was told two other Mounties were involved that night," Brian said, shaking Gabriel hands. "I am glad I finally get to meet one of them. I want to thank you for your help that night even if I don't remember it."
"You are welcome," Gabriel told him.
"We were hoping that you could help Constable Kinslow out for a few days, Constable Peterson," Oakley said, having walked around his desk to his own chair. He motioned for the two constables to take the chairs across from him.
"How so, sir?" Peterson asked as he and Gabriel found seats.
"I know you are due to start leave tomorrow, but I was hoping you might be able to postpone that a few days," Oakley said. "I do not want to go into details. I think Constable Kinslow should be allowed to decide how and what he wants to say about the situation. What I will say, and you may have already heard about it, was that Constable Kinslow was held by a group of robbers for several days recently. He has taken some time off and returned to duty yesterday. However, he found himself in an off duty situation that triggered a brief panic attack. Kinslow's former training officer is going to come to work with him in the long term. However, he needs a few days to get here. I would appreciate it if you could go to Brookfield with Kinslow until he arrives. Hopefully, nothing arises but should a panic attack surface, I think it is important that he have back up."
Constable Peterson nodded immediately. "Yes. I will do it. I will just tell my sisters I will see them a few days later."
"Once Super Intendant O'Reilly relieves you in Brookfield, I will make sure your leave starts then. I appreciate it."
Peterson looked toward Gabriel. "Do you have any idea what kind of situations might be problematic?"
Gabriel nodded. Before he could say anything though, Oakley broke in.
"The two of you have a long ride back to Brookfield. If you prefer that the conversation take place between just the two of you, Kinslow, I do not need to be present for it."
"I would appreciate that, sir."
Oakley nodded. "Is that all right with you, Peterson?"
"Yes, sir. I trust Constable Kinslow will provide me with the information I need to keep us both safe while doing the job," Peterson replied.
"Good," Oakley replied. "If there is nothing else that then, the two of you are dismissed."
Gabriel and Brian said good-bye to Oakley and then headed out of his office. Stepping out into the hallway, Gabriel addressed Brian.
"You may like to try calling the Coulters before we leave to explain the delay. Brookfield does not have telephones yet."
"You do not mind the delay."
Gabriel shook his head. "You are postponing leave to help me out. Take whatever time you need," he said, nodding toward the conference room with the telephone he had used earlier.
"Thank you," Brian replied, before heading in that direction.
While Grace stayed at the house with the Bouchards and the Coulters and Sophia, Lillian made the trek into town to pick up the kids from school. With Gabriel out of town, Lillian wanted to be sure that Billy felt at ease and the boy was still more comfortable with her than with Grace or Eleanor.
There would be a full house for dinner tonight, but Lillian did not mind that at all. The orphanage had seemed a little quiet of late with only three charges and now Billy. Though Billy did not make much noise. The boy was still quiet, even when with Vincent and Christian. Though Lillian knew the boy could just be quiet by nature, she also knew it could change. As Billy healed from the trauma he had been through and became more comfortable with them, more of his true personality would start to come through. Lillian hoped that the adoption and Billy choosing to take Gabriel's last name would go a long way in that process.
As for dinner, Lillian and Grace had made plans. If Mary Louise was open to it, they had suggested that Lucas and Fiona have dinner in the kitchen with the girl. It would give the three time to get to know one another. Lillian planned on going out to the barn with Mary Louise and Billy for chore time when they got home from the school and letting the girl know about the Bouchards being interested in adopting her. Knowing Billy would not be at ease with extra people in the home, Lillian planned on letting the boys have a picnic in the sitting room, allowing the rest of them to eat in the dining room.
Later tonight, Lillian and Gabriel would sit down with the children and go over safety rules for while the addition was being built to the house. Luckily, there were currently no really small children at the orphanage. All the children currently in her care were old enough to be aware of the danger construction could pose and follow new rules they established.
Lost in her thoughts, Lillian was surprised to realize she was already at the schoolhouse. She greeted the other parents waiting for their kids. She was about to walk inside for Billy as they had been doing when the kids started coming out. To her surprise, Lillian saw Billy coming out of the school with Vincent and Christian.
Lillian felt her breath catch. It was yet another indication of Billy settling into life with them. It might seem small but Lillian knew it was a big step for the boy.
"How was school today, children?" Lillian asked not wanting to embarrass Billy by bringing attention to the fact that he came out with the other children.
Christian, Vincent and Mary Louise all answered as they came toward her. Billy remained quiet as he walked next to Christian. Lillian held her hand out to him and Billy quietly slipped his hand into hers as the group headed toward the orphanage.
Lillian informed the children that there would be guests tonight. She felt Billy's hand tightened its grip at her announcement as he moved closer to her side. It was a reminder that though he was taking steps forward, his journey to recover from his past trauma was not at an end.
The other children were excited about having guests. Having met the Coulters before, they were especially happy the couple were back. Christian, Vincent and Mary Louise all promised to be good and help in any way they could. Lillian knew they would be.
After her announcement of guests for dinner, Lillian let the children tell her about their day as they finished their walk. Reaching the yard, Vincent and Christian hurried off to the house even as Mary Louise and Billy headed toward the barn to take care of the animals there.
"I think I am going to join you two in the barn," Lillian commented, keeping her voice casual. "Is that all right?"
"What about the guests?" Mary Louise asked.
"Miss Eleanor is capable of entertaining our guests for now," Lillian said.
"Then you can join us," Mary Louise replied.
"Thank you," Lillian said with an amused smile. She would miss the girl's straight forward, honest comments assuming that she went with the Bouchards.
The three of them went to the barn. Mary Louise fed and milked Virginia while Billy took care of Benson and Smoky. Lillian asked Billy about his day while they worked. Though not as animated or open as the other children, Billy did tell her about his day. Lillian hoped that one day he would join the other children during the walk home from school. If he didn't, she planned on making a little time to talk to him on his own. She knew it would be important to find out what was going on in his life. Those short afternoon chats with her mother over milk and cookies were some of the best times she remembered growing up. It was a tradition that she would enjoy sharing with her son.
Son.
The thought still brought her joy. Though it was a mixture of Miss Lillian and Mom at first, Billy had finally started calling her Mom consistently. Though she had been a part of many children's lives, this was the first time she had truly been Mother to one of them. She liked the feeling.
Lillian waited until the tasks were complete before bringing up the main reason she had come out to the barn with the children.
"Mary Louise, there is something I need to tell you before we go inside," Lillian said as the girl closed the door to Virginia's stall. "Do you remember Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard from your time in Hope Valley?"
Mary Louise nodded. "Mr. Bouchard was the one hanging the staircase decorations wrong," she stated.
Lillian chuckled. "That is right. It was very sweet of you to help him with that task. The staircase looked lovely for the wedding because of that."
"You are welcome, Miss Lillian," Mary Louise told her.
"Well, the reason that Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard came to Brookfield is because they are interested in adopting you. Is that something you would be interested in?"
Mary Louise shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know them well. Besides, I like Brookfield and what about Virginia. She needs me."
"We would take good care of Virginia for you," Lillian promised.
"Does that mean I have to go?" Mary Louise asked.
Lillian knelt down in front of the girl and took her hands. "No one is saying that you need to go. That is up to you. However, this could be a very good opportunity for you, Mary Louise. I was thinking that you and Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard could have dinner in the kitchen tonight. Just the three of you so that you can get to know one another better. You should at least get to know them before you make your decision. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, Miss Lillian," Mary Louise replied.
"That is very brave of you," Lillian told her. "I am proud of you," she told the girl, giving her a hug.
Releasing Mary Louise, Lillian got to her feet. "Shall we head inside then?"
Mary Louise nodded and picked up the bucket of milk. "Miss Eleanor might need the milk for dinner tonight," she declared.
"She just might," Lillian agreed.
As Mary Louise headed for the house, Lillian put her arm around Billy's shoulders as they followed.
"Would you like to hang out in the kitchen with Miss Eleanor and me while we get dinner ready? You could do school work or draw," Lillian suggested.
"I would like that, Mom," Billy replied, giving her a small smile.