When Peter had walked back into the room after speaking to the doctor, Lou had filled him in on where she thought Warren may be headed. He'd immediately headed to the front desk to ask the receptionist there for the police contact number and he had phoned them with this information.

Minutes later, Peter returned to Lou's room. "I've informed them, and they're on their way to Jasper," he announced. He paused a moment, then looking to Georgie, he said, "I should take you home now, Georgie. You need your rest, honey."

Georgie looked over at her mother, almost asking permission. She was worried about leaving Lou alone.

Lou smiled. "You go, honey. I'll be fine."

Georgie nodded, getting up from her chair and walking over to grab her coat.

Peter smiled. "Okay, I'll be downstairs by the car. You come quick, okay?"

"Okay," Georgie said as Peter left the room. She put her coat on and then turned to Lou. Georgie smiled and walked over. "Good night."

Lou motioned for Georgie to sit beside her a minute. As Georgie sat, her mother embraced her lovingly. They moved out of the hug, and Lou put a hand to Georgie's cheek, and said, "You take care of yourself and your sister for me tonight, okay? I'm going to be perfectly fine here. There are a lot of people here that will make sure of it, so don't worry, alright?"

"Easier said than done. But...okay, I'll try. I promise."

Lou smiled. "Good," she praised. She kissed Georgie's forehead, and said, "Goodnight, honey."

"Night, mom," Georgie smiled back. She then headed out of the room and shut the door closed behind her.

XXX

Lou was alone again. She had been dreading this. She knew Peter would eventually say Georgie had to go home to her own bed to get a good night's rest. And she wanted that for her daughter as well. But now, here she was, alone and afraid again, scared that Warren might come into her room and make all of this ten times worse.

When would this paranoia leave her? When would she go back to normal? Lou wished she could just go home now, be with her daughters, and spend time with them.

She wanted to sleep in her own bed, be in the comfort of her home. Now that Peter and Georgie had left, Lou desperately wanted them both back here, for some support, for some sort of protection she felt she needed. Lou knew how ridiculous she was being, but she had no way to describe this feeling of insecurity, this fearfulness. What had Warren done to her?

XXX

Peter and Georgie drove home mostly in silence. Georgie was drained from the ordeal she'd been through yesterday and today, and she wanted to go home and sleep away her troubles, but she felt guilty leaving her mom there alone. Georgie felt that someone should be there with her right now, maybe just for support. She felt as though Lou needed someone right now.

Peter looked over at Georgie. She seemed agitated, nervous almost. "Georgie, what's wrong?"

"We shouldn't have left Lou alone."

Peter answered, "I know, I know...I'm going to drop you off and then head back as soon as possible, okay?"

Georgie nodded, relieved. It was silent for a bit, and then, "Is she going to be okay?"

Peter looked over at Georgie again. This was the second time she'd asked this of him today. "Yes, honey, of course she will."

"What'd the doctor say…?"

Peter stopped a minute, unsure of what to say to his daughter. "Well, they said that mom's coming home tomorrow, so we can look forward to that."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's going to be fine, and she'll be home soon, so we can spend some time with her."

"That's great, but did she say anything about Lou's injuries?"

Peter said nothing.

"Dad, come on, she has stab wounds, there's a huge cut on her forehead—"

Peter sighed heavily. "I know, honey. I know."

"Okay, so…?"

"So, she said that...your mom might have to come in for the next little bit to re-do the dressings on the injuries, or...or we can get the supplies ourself and we can do all that at home…"

"Okay, well there's no need to keep going back and forth. I think we can handle it ourselves."

Peter smiled proudly at his daughter. "I agree. And then she also said that mom should take it easy for the next little while."

"So she's out of danger?"

"Yes."

Georgie breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the headrest. "Thank god."

They'd come to a red light. The night was quiet. Peter looked over at Georgie sadly. "Honey, everything is going to be okay. You don't need to worry anymore."

On the verge of tears, Georgie could only shake her head. "I don't know...I—I'm just so angry at myself."

"What? Georgie."

"No, I'm serious. I should've been there for her, except I wasn't. I was hiding away in my room, worried about my own fears. I told myself it was better to stay inside than checking in on Lou. But how would I have known that she'd go out on her own, at night to go talk to him?"

Peter shook his head. "Sweetheart, Georgie, this isn't your fault."

"Maybe not, but I should've been there for her…and...and I just—"

"Honey, what is it?"

"I was asleep during the time that she got attacked, during the time that she was being rushed to the emergency room, when she was brought into the OR, and when she was—she was about to go under for surgery. I slept through all of it, and I just…"

"Honey, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Nobody knew this was going to happen."

Georgie closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I just love her so much. I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost her."

"Me too, honey. Me too," said Peter quietly.

Georgie looked over at her dad, noticing the change of tone in his voice. The light turned green, and the car moved forward. He was concentrating on the road, but he seemed to be elsewhere altogether. The creases in his forehead were evident, and he seemed upset, and angered. It seemed a thousand emotions were running through him. Georgie regretted saying those words because she realized they had a double meaning for her dad. She closed her eyes in remorse, and then opening them up again, she stared out the window for the rest of the ride home.

Peter and Georgie entered the house, and made their way into the living room. They saw Ty and Amy sitting there together. Immediately, the husband and wife stood as they saw the father and daughter approach.

"How is she doing?" Amy asked.

"She's doing okay. She's stable. The doctor is saying she should be good to go either tomorrow morning or in the afternoon," Peter answered.

"Wait, already? Shouldn't they keep her a while longer, just to be safe?" Amy worried.

"Well, the doctor told me that Lou is stable, physically, and that the only way for her to recover emotionally is for us to bring her here to the warmth and comfort of her own home," Peter informed.

"Okay! That's good news, Amy," Ty consoled his wife, putting a hand to her back.

Amy nodded.

"So, I—uh, I came to drop Georgie off, but I think I should head back, you know...be there with Lou. I don't feel good about leaving her alone," Peter said. Turning to Georgie, "Honey, why don't you go freshen up, and you can get ready for dinner?"

Georgie nodded. "Okay, night dad."

Peter smiled. "Night," he called after Georgie as she headed up the stairs to her room. Turning back to Ty and Amy, he said, "Okay, so I'll be on my way."

"Oh, hey Peter," Ty called out. "You know what, man? You've had a long flight, you've been out all day. You must be tired. Why don't you stay home tonight? I'll go to Lou."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Of course you can. You know, Katie's asleep right now, but I have a feeling she'll wake up soon and will want to see you. So please, why don't you head in and get some rest? That way you can spend some time with your daughters, you guys can have dinner together, just relax. And I'll go wait on Lou."

Peter was unsure of what to say. He looked to Amy for a little guidance.

Amy smiled and nodded. "I think that's a really good idea. Ty is happy to help."

Peter nodded. "Thank you both so much. Honestly."

"It's our pleasure," Ty said.

Ty headed to the mud room and grabbed his jacket. He headed out into the yard and made his way to his truck.

Driving into town took less than twenty minutes. Ty parked his truck in the lot and made his way up to Lou's room, remembering the way to the room from his morning trip.

He was about to knock, but he figured she might be asleep. He cracked the door open slightly, and it turned out, he was right. Ty made his way into the room, and shut the door. He scanned the room and saw a chair a little ways away from Lou's bed. He moved to go sit in it.

Once seated, he looked over at Lou. He could only imagine how she'd gotten the marks on her arms. She must've been terrified, he thought. And her forehead…? Her abdomen? How monstrous was that man to have hurt her so menacingly, so mercilessly? Ty had to look away. He couldn't stand it.

Amy had come home that afternoon and she'd broken down in his arms, crying for a good while. He'd worried something had happened, but then he figured it was just Amy letting out her grief from seeing her sister in such a fragile state.

Thinking back to his childhood, Ty could remember coming home day after day, listening to Wade screaming and shouting at his mom. He remembered shouting back, and Lily trying to stop him from interfering, worried Wade would hurt him as well. But he didn't care about himself. All he wanted was for his mother to be okay, to be safe, to feel loved and to be happy. But it was damn near impossible for that to happen with Wade around.

Once in ninth grade, he'd come home after school, and he heard Wade screaming at his mom. This was nothing new, but today his speech was slurred. He was drunk. Again, nothing new. Ty heard a crash coming from the bedroom. He bolted and made his way into the room.

Wade seemed not to acknowledge his presence. He walked over to Lily, grabbing onto her arms and holding her tightly.

"Mom!" Ty screamed at her, anger and desperation flowing from his voice.

But what could Lily say or do in this moment in time?

Ty marched over to Wade, grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away from his mother. Ty pushed him and he crashed into the dresser. Wade growled in pain, sending a few curse words out of his mouth.

Ty turned back to look at Lily, and to his shock, he saw a trail of blood beginning at her hairline. Ty was distracted, he was worried and upset and he was thinking all sorts of things, like what had Wade done for her to begin to bleed, that he had to get his mother to a doctor as soon as possible. "Mom, you're bleeding…"

He didn't realize Wade had come up behind him.

Lily's voice tore out from her throat. "TY, BEHIND YOU!"

Before he could turn back, Wade had struck him on the shoulder.

Ty winced and let out a scream. Holding his shoulder, he staggered back, surprised at Wade's strength, even in his drunken state. He remembered looking over at Lily one more time, and screaming, "Mom, get out of here! Just get out of here—"

XXX

Lou walked out of the kitchen in Warren's apartment. She found him sitting on his couch, the TV on. Was he watching a football game, the news channel? She couldn't tell; the scene kept changing.

"Warren? There's something I need to say."

"Oh yeah, is it the movie you don't like? We can watch something else."

Movie? Lou turned around and there on the TV a movie was now playing. "It's—it's not the movie, I just…"

"Lou, what is it?"

"It's you and I…"

"Oh, no, Lou. We're great. Don't worry about a thing."

"But I'm not happy."

"Yes, you are. Don't overthink things, okay?"

"But Warren—"

"What did I say, Lou!?" He shouted suddenly.

Lou gasped, stumbling back. "Okay, okay."

He stood up, and began walking toward her. There was an icy look in his eye. There was nowhere for her to escape. She was stuck.

Suddenly, the scene shifted. She was standing in the Heartland kitchen, Georgie by her side. Lou was holding her tight in a side embrace, trying to keep her away from Warren, who was inching closer to them.

His hand suddenly shot forward, and he pushed Lou back. She stumbled, bumping violently into the round table. Pain shot through her, but she ignored it. She reached her hand forward, clawing at Georgie's shoulder, trying to move her back and away from his reach. She seemed to keep moving further and further away from her.

Georgie stood right in Warren's path, and Lou couldn't do anything about it. "Georgie...Georgie!"

"Georgie!"

Lou gasped awake. Her heart was beating, and her breathing uneven. She gasped out Georgie's name again and again.

Startled, Ty immediately stood from his chair, moving toward his sister-in-law. "Lou? Hey, it's okay, you're fine."

Lou, still out of breath, put a hand to her chest. "Georgie—is Georgie—"

Ty put a hand to Lou's shoulder. "Georgie is fine. She's safe and sound at home. Peter brought her back. She's okay."

Her chest still heaving, Lou lay back a little, her head resting uncomfortably on the metal headrest.

"She's okay," Ty repeated gently. He shuffled around to pour some water for Lou.

She took the glass graciously. "Thank you," she breathed out.

It was a silent minute, while Lou drank, and Ty stood by, making sure she was alright.

Watching her like this made Ty want to cry his heart out. This brought back too many memories. And it wasn't just that. He just hated seeing Lou so scared, so vulnerable. These were two attributes that he never thought would associate with Lou.

She handed him the glass back, and he took it. Placing it on the side table, he moved back.

"Ty, what are you doing here? You should be at home," Lou said, now calmer.

"No, I'm going to be here for you. You shouldn't be alone. Now, tell me, are you okay?"

Still a little disoriented by the dream, Lou shook her head. "It was nothing...just a—a dream. I'm okay."

"Oh…" Ty said empathetically. "I know what you're going through."

Lou looked up as he said this.

Ty continued, "After you face a trauma like the one you did, you'll have nightmares, you might be afraid all the time, be fearful about your surroundings, but it all eventually goes away. You become yourself again in no time. So, this being scared and having nightmares, it's completely normal. Just know that we're here for you, and that if you need someone to talk to, I'll be here."

"Oh, Ty...thank you. You being here, giving me this assurance, it means a lot."

"Well, anything for you…" Ty trailed off for a bit. Then, "And you know...all of this, don't let it wear you down. You're stronger than this. You are worth way more than he tells you that you are. He's just a deprecating monster that doesn't deserve you. And after this…" Ty breathed out a little, blinking hard and fast, trying not to let his tears show. "If I see him, I will make sure I teach him a hard and fast lesson."

"Ty—"

"No, how dare he put you through all that? You're basically my older sister, Lou. He dared to hurt my family, so no, I'm not stepping back."

"Ty, stop. What are you talking about?"

"If he ever shows his face at our doorstep and says anything rash to you, or he hurts you again, or Georgie or Katie—then I'm not letting him go. Lou, you weren't there this morning when Georgie found out about you. Her face dropped and she was shaking and trembling. She looked like her entire world had shattered around her. I never want to see her like that again, ever."

Lou shook her head. "I've put her through so much, I just…"

"No, stop right there. It just isn't your fault, and you need to believe in that, okay? None of us are blaming you. Neither are Georgie and Katie, they just want their mom back home."

Lou sighed heavily. She nodded. "I know."

"Also, uhm...I grew up watching my mom go through this. But she had me for when things got rough. I was there to protect her, but you had no one. You didn't have anyone when he yelled at you the first time, when he hit you for the first time. And then when—when he attacked you, you were completely alone, but Lou, now you have everyone on your side, okay? And don't for one second think that we don't need you, or that we don't love you."

Lou nodded, moved by his words. She smiled, "Thank you, Ty. I don't know what to say. I can't thank you enough for your words."

"You don't need to thank me for anything, alright? But please, stay strong, and happy. Don't let that idiot get in your head. You deserve the world and don't you dare let anything make you feel otherwise."

Lou let a tear slip down her cheek. "Ty…" She sat up and motioned for him to come close. "Come here," she said, giving him one of those big sister hugs. "Thank you, again."

Ty moved back, and headed toward his chair. "Hey, why don't you call your dad and Jack, let them know what's happened? They have a right to know, and I'm sure you need them way more than you're letting on."

"I know...it's just...I feel like I've bothered enough people. Plus, they're away. I just want to give them a little more normal."

"I get that. But I think they'll be hurt when they find out this was kept from them."

Lou nodded, considering Ty's words. "You're right…uhm, yeah, I'll call," she said as she reached for her phone, and dialled Tim's number.

Tim picked up on the fifth ring. "Hey honey," his voice was cool and calm. He seemed like he'd had a good day.

"Hi dad. Um, how's grandpa doing?"

"Oh, honey, he's perfectly fine. Don't worry, I'm taking care of the old guy out here."

"Good, that's good...where is he right now?" Lou said, her voice beginning to crack. She was on the verge of crying.

"He's asleep right now. We're actually headed back home tomorrow…" Tim trailed off, suddenly noticing Lou's change in her voice. "Honey, what is it?"

Lou breathed out slowly. "Dad, please don't freak out?"

Tim let out an exasperated breath. "Lou, honey, will you please just tell me? Are—are Georgie and Katie okay!?"

"Your granddaughters are fine. I wouldn't let anything happen to them."

"Lou, you're scaring me. What happened?"

"It's just me, I'm in the hospital, dad."

"Well—honey, what the hell happened to you!? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now. Really. Like I said, please don't freak out."

"What happened sweetheart?"

"I—I was attacked."

"Attacked?" Tim's voice faltered. He had figured since Lou was the one calling, she must be okay. But he hadn't been expecting this.

Lou noticed Tim had gone silent. She wondered what he must be thinking right now. "Dad, say something."

"Honey, how bad is it? How badly were you hurt!?" He repeated.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm stable now."

"Sweetheart, please tell me. I can take it. What I can't take is not knowing what happened."

"Fine. I have a few cuts and bruises, a bit of a head injury, and some—some gashes on my abdomen."

"Gashes?!"

"I was stabbed, yeah."

Tim let out a shocked breath. Unable to understand this unexpected turn of events, he could only put his head in his hands. "Oh, honey, we're coming. Me and Jack."

Lou was relieved, to say the least. "Really, dad?"

"Yes, really, honey! ...Is there someone there with you?"

"Yes, Ty's here with me."

"Alright, honey, hand him the phone. I need to speak with him."

"Okay, yeah," Lou said as she removed the phone from her ear, and held it out to Ty. "Dad wants to talk to you."

Ty stood and took the phone from Lou. Bringing it up to his ear, he said, "Hello?"

"Ty, is she really okay right now? Is she stable—she just told me she was stabbed. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she is. Don't worry, Tim."

"Okay, okay, and Ty, please—just don't leave the hospital tonight. Someone needs to be there for her."

"You have my word, Tim."

Tim sighed heavily. "And Ty? Jack and I are coming soon, alright? So just—just text me the details—which hospital, the floor and room number."

"I will. Just drive carefully. The roads aren't in the best condition."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks Ty," and with that, Tim cut the line.