Chapter 10

"Hi Kayla, has there been any change on Alicia?" Hope was anxious to hear something about Alicia. Anything! She wanted Alicia to wake up, so she could tell her how sorry she was for not being there for her.

Kayla scratched at her head. "There's still no change Hope. I'm sorry."

"I'm going to go see her." Hope was saying, but Kayla stopped her from going.

"Um, you can't do that." Kayla told her.

"Why not? There isn't anything wrong is there? You just said there was no change." Hope was frantic.

"No. It's not that. I just sent her down for some more tests. She'll be back in her room shortly. It's just procedure with a brain trauma." Kayla reassured her. "Why don't we go grab a coffee and talk."

"You're sure there's nothing wrong?"

"There's always a chance that a coma could mean more, which is why I wanted to run more tests. I'm not taking any chances with her. Don't worry, Hope. I'm sure she'll be just fine." Kayla squeezed Hope's arm. "Come on. Let's go get that coffee."

"Sure. You're positive nothing is wrong?" Hope kept asking.

"Hope? What is it? You can't still be blaming yourself for abandoning her. That's Stefano's doing. You had no control over that." Kayla reassured her.

"I just feel like I should've been able to remember her the first time I set eyes on her. Why didn't I know who she was? How come she didn't look familiar to me. My God she's the spitting image of me. She has Bo's eyes. She, she…."

"Hope, stop beating yourself up over this. When she wakes up…" Kayla was saying.

"If she wakes up." Hope told her.

"When she wakes up." Kayla corrected her. "You will be there for her. Maybe with her help, you'll be able to remember what happened all those years ago."

"Doctor Johnson!" Nurse Betty called out to her. "I've been looking all over for you. You're needed down in x-ray. It's concerning…um a patient." She ended.

"Is it Alicia Brady?" Kayla asked and Nurse Betty nodded yes. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure. Dr. Baker is looking for you. He says it's urgent that you come right away."

"Kayla? What is it?" Hopes grew more worried by the moment.

"Hope don't worry." She said squeezing her arm. "I'm sure it's nothing. I have to go, but I will keep you posted. You'll be the first to know once I know." Kayla raced off following Nurse Betty to find Dr. Baker.

"I need to call Bo." Hope left to call home.

……

"Bo wait up." Roman was rushing to catch up to his brother.

"Hey Roman, what's up?" He said.

"I've got some more information and I don't think you're going to be happy."

"What kind of information?" Bo asked.

"Why don't we go into your office where we can have some privacy." Roman ushered him to the door.

"That bad, huh?" Bo asked.

"I took a sample of the DNA found on our latest victim down to the lab. It matches Higley's. He's our guy. He's the maniac that's been out there raping and killing all these girls. This last one, Shannon, is scared out of her mind. And no wonder why. Higley was the one questioning her. It's more likely he was threatening to keep her quiet. She's too afraid to give any details of what happened. Good thing we got a break on the DNA."

"Man, that's just great!" Bo was angry. "Here we are trying to reassure the public that we have everything under control and we're going to make an arrest soon. It turns out the guy we're looking for just happens to be one of our guys." Bo threw a pile of papers off his desk. "That son of a… When I get my hands on him, I'm going to…"

"You're not going to do anything. He'll be arrested and put behind bars where he belongs. Let the justice system serve it's purpose." Roman was saying.

"The justice system? That same justice system that has let Dimera get off for years."

"This is more than just Higley being guilty. What does Stefano have to do with this?" Roman asked.

"Arrgh." Bo rubbed at his face. "That man kept yet another child of mine away from me. There's not a damn thing I can do about it. He had her locked up for years. Why? Chelsea was taken away, but she was adopted by parents who loved her. Alicia. Man what did he do to her?"

"Bo, take it easy. I know you're upset, but you have to think about your family. You can't do anything crazy right now. You wouldn't want to lose your Commissioner title now would you?"

"Ro.. What the hell? I know what I have to do. I'm not going to go running off after that man and give him the justice he deserves. Right now I want to deal with Higley. Has he been given his rights?" Bo asked him.

"Yeah. He's down in the holding cell now. Do you want me to go get him?" Roman asked him.

"I… hang on." Bo's cell was going off. "It's Hope. I got to take this." He waved Roman out. "Hope? What is it? Is there news on Alicia?"

"Bo, I think you should come to the hospital. There's something wrong. Kayla was running more tests on her and something's wrong. I don't know. Just get here as soon as you can. I need you Brady." Hope hung up with Bo.

"Bo, did you want me to get Higley now?" Roman asked as he saw his brother emerge from the office.

"It'll have to wait. Take care of it for me. There's something wrong with Alicia. I've got to get over to the hospital." Bo was running out of the office.

"Keep me posted little brother." Roman hollered after him.

…Back at the hospital…

"Hope? Is there any news?" Bo ran to Hope and pulled her into his arms.

"No. Kayla's still with Dr. Baker." She told him.

"Kay." Bo saw his sister and pulled away from Hope. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Umm… I don't know how to say this.

"Just say it." Bo pressed.

"We ran some x-rays on Alicia. There's some swelling on the brain. She's going to need surgery to drain the swelling." Kayla looked down at her papers. "Hope… I don't know what to say. I know I said everything would be alright, but I …I'm sorry. It's worse than we thought. We'll need to operate right away. You'll have to sign some forms."

"Whatever we have to do. Who's doing the surgery?" Bo asked her.

"We have a great specialist that was here at a convention. He's tops in his field. I've known him for years. He's really good Bo. You don't have to worry." Kayla reassured him.

"So who is he?" Bo asked her again.

"Dr. Winston. Trust me Bo, he's the best."

"Where are the papers we have to sign?" Hope asked.

"Come with me." Kayla motioned for them to follow her.

……

"I wonder what's taking so long?" Hope asked for the tenth time as she paced back and forth along the hall outside Alicia's room.

"Hope, Kayla will let us know the minute she has news." Bo tried to calm her. "Come here." He pulled her into his embrace. "She's a tough kid. She'll pull through this." He kissed the top of her silky brown hair.

"I just want to know that she's ok. Why is it taking so long? She's been in surgery for four hours." She hugged him tighter.

"Hope… Kayla would tell us if there was a complication. She also said this surgeon is the top in his field. I don't think we have anything to worry about." Bo continued to hold Hope, his hand stroking her back.

"Bo Hope, she's out of the surgery. She's going to be alright. It was a little touch and go there for awhile. But she made it through the surgery and her vitals are looking good. She's in recovery right now, but they'll be wheeling her up here soon."

"Thanks Kayla. Can I see her?" Hope asked.

"Ok. But only for a few minutes. She's still recovering from the surgery." Kayla brought Bo and Hope to see Alicia.

"Hope?" Bo wondered why Hope stopped in the doorway. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I just…she looks so…I..I" She couldn't speak. Her daughter lay in the bed hooked up to all these machines with her head bandaged. She looked so helpless and small.

"Hey, it's ok. I'm right here. Come on. Let's go see our daughter." Bo guided Hope into the room.

"I don't like seeing her like this. It brings back too many painful memories." Hope was telling Bo.

"Hope?" Bo asked curiously. "You're having more memories?"

"More of the same." Hope reached down to brush a strand of hair out of Alicia's face. "I keep seeing her lying at the bottom of the stairs, her little body so lifeless." Hope choked up on her last words. Her little girl had suffered so much and here she was still suffering.

"Hey Hope." Bo pulled her close. "Kayla said she's going to be fine. She's right here where you can see her. Stefano can't hurt her anymore. I won't let him." He kissed Hope's hair and ran his arms around her waist. Bo stood there looking at their daughter realizing for the first time that she was theirs and she was all grown up. He had missed out on all the years of watching her take her first steps and say her first words. He didn't get to pick her up when she was hurt and make it all better. He didn't get to rock her and sing her lullaby's. This was his daughter and Stefano had robbed him of all those years. He was angry and he wanted revenge. "Hope? You going to be alright?""As long as I have you." She turned to face him and met his lips with hers. "I love you, Brady."

"I love you too. And you will always have me. There's no question about it. I just need to get back to the office and I want to make sure that you're going to be okay for awhile without me here." He ran his hand up the side of her face gently caressing her cheek. "Fancy Face, there's been a break in the case. Higley is our man. I want to read him the riot act."

"Of course you have to go. I understand." She squeezed Bo tight in a hug. "Don't let go just yet." Hope clung to him like it was a matter of life and death. "I just need to feel your arms around me a few minutes longer." Hope breathed in the scent of his cologne her hands clinging to the sleeve of his shirt.

"Hope? I can stay if you need me. I just want to get this case wrapped up. But, if you need me to stay I'll have Roman take care of it." He gently pulled her away from him so he could look in her eyes. "You mean everything to me." He pulled her into a kiss.

"Break it up." Kayla jokingly said as she entered the room. "I know you want to stay with Alicia, Hope, but I need to check on her now. Umm why don't the two of you go grab some coffee and when you get back she should be moved back to her room."

"I'm heading back to the office…unless you need me to stay Hope?" Bo looked at her to see if she wanted him to stay.

"I'm fine. Go take care of business. Just hurry back, alright?" She pulled him into a kiss. "Come here." She said grabbing him for another kiss and then tapped his behind as he turned to leave.

"Take care of my girls." Bo nodded to Kayla and left.

"He really loves you, Hope."

"Yes he does." Hope said grinning.