Dear Readers,

I am so glad you l am so glad that you like my reduxes (Redi) . I love these stories, but they really needed airing out. I have 'Absentia' finished on paper, so all I have to do is put on my laptop and upload it. I love you all. Keep reading.

~8~

For the record I want you to know that I love my husband very much. He and I have been through a lot together and I think that each of us would be lost without the other. With that being said, the fact that he wanted me to leave Emily with his mother pissed me off. I hated him for a moment, but in hindsight I realize that it made me feel like I couldn't do my duty as a mother.

I was released from the hospital late the next day, but I was instructed to use the support of a crutch for the next few weeks. I had to ride to the car in one of those foolish wheelchairs, I was fully capable of hobbling along just fine.

Gil's mother lived on campus at Gilbert College; a school designated for the hearing impaired. While the area was extremely safe and Gil's mother was more than kind, I wanted my daughter home with me. It wasn't fair that I was the one who had to suffer, but looking back it was actually what was best at the time. I wasn't aware of how bad things were going to get.

Emily knew very little American Sign Language, but then again she also knew very little English. I had picked up as much as I could, but I am sure I sounded odd to Betty Grissom. Betty loved Emily and dotted on her, like grandmothers should. I wish I could say the same about my mother, who was currently living in a human development center.

When she opened the door to us, I was greeted by one of her usual concerned looks. It was one of the same looks I received when I explained that Emily was being raised a vegetarian. Gil signed his greeting to her and gave her a hug.

"Emily's in her toy area," she signed to us.

A grandchild having a play area was new to me, but then again I had no grandparents I knew of. I deducted that Betty thought she'd never have grandkids.

"Where are her things?" I signed as best I could given that I had a crutch under one arm.

"Honey let's sit down," Gil said, motioning for me to take a seat at the table.

I looked at him suspiciously. "I really want to get on home," I said to him.

I didn't mean to sound rude around Betty or ungrateful of the fact that she took care of Emily, but I wanted to start my daily routine again. I thought that the sooner I was back to normalcy, the better I would feel.

"Sara," Betty signed to me as she patted my hand. "Why don't you let me keep Emily? I like being with her and I think you need to pamper yourself. Or better yet, let my son do it."

I was so torn; part of me wanted, no needed, a break. The other part of me just wanted to hold my child. I looked over a Gil, who must have seen the worried look in my eye.

"It'll be like a little rest," he said and signed. "We can go to a spa or have movie nights. It'll be relaxing."

I was angry at them both. I thought that they were trying to run my life for me, or that they thought I was too weak to do it. I couldn't bring myself to argue with them, after all it was mother and son versus daughter-in-law.

~8~

I let Gil, let being the keyword here, take me back home. I visited with Emily for a few moments, but she was too occupied with her play kitchen to concentrate on me. Betty promised me that she'd stick to her diet and then we left.

When I stepped through the front door of my home, I noticed that it felt quiet. Gil had cleaned up the mess, my blood and whatever had broken. I didn't want to step into the kitchen, so I headed back towards the bedroom.

I tossed my crutch on the floor and lowered myself to the bed. The doctor had given me an assortment of pain medication and for a moment I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to forget everything that had had happened. But inside I was afraid to dream.

"I'll make you some tea," Gil said as he brought me a glass of water to take my medicine with. "or do you want some warm milk, maybe?:

I shrugged. "I guess tea," I said dryly, not really wanting to answer.

He kissed me on my head and left to make the tea, leaving me alone with the ringing silence. I didn't want his attention. I didn't want him to spoil me. I felt so like my ego and pride had been crumpled up like a paper towel and thrown down a garbage disposal.

~8~

Gil stayed with Sara, holding her until she fell asleep. When her breathing changed and she began to snore softly. he slipped away from her and picked up her empty tea mug.

He was livid.

He dug his phone out his jacket pocket and dialed Brass. It wasn't a mere coincidence that someone broke in to attack Sara hours after he left for the night. Somebody knew his schedule and they also knew he wouldn't be back.

"How is she?" Brass said when the phone connected.

Gil stepped out onto the back patio. "She's sleeping, but I can tell she's shaken up. She's on the edge," he explained. "Tell me you found something."

"Gil, it isn't television," Brass said. "we're working as hard as we can, but the best thing you can do right now is wait on Sara to remember something. That is one of the few chances we have if it is Bezkin."

"Who has the case?" he asked.

"Ecklie gave Catherine a week with it, but after that it's out of our hands. We all love Sara and he's afraid it'll cloud our judgment," Brass explained.

"I better not find him first, Jim," Gil said. "Cause I'll kill him."

~8~

My dreams were rough. I kept seeing this dark figure in my home, but this time he was in every room. I managed to run back to Emily's room in my dream, but she was gone and the dark figure was there. No matter how fast I ran, or which room I entered, the dark figure was always there. He eventually caught me and, though I couldn't see hands, I felt them on me. I felt him tear the robe from my body again. No matter how loud I screamed, no one came.

I must have been whimpering in my sleep because when I woke, Gil was shaking me gently. I sat slowly, wincing from the pain in my ribs. He smoothed my hair back and brought a cup of water to my lips.

"Thanks," I said dryly.

I wanted to gulp the liquid down, but after a few gulps he set it down. He cupped my face with his hands and looked into my eyes. What did I look like to him? Did I look like a used, beaten-up old tire?

"You hungry?" he asked.

At time, I didn't see anger in his eyes. But now that I look back, that was exactly what I saw. I saw pure, unadulterated hatred and anger.

I grimaced. "I can't," I said, pushing him back a little. "I need a shower."

He let me stand, but I still felt his hand on my helping me balance a little. I hobbled, sans crutch because it was bruising my armpit, into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me, afraid that Gil would come in and see my bruised body. I didn't need to see it myself to know what state it was in, I could feel the pain. I didn't want him to see the body that he always desired framed by bruises and bite marks. I wanted him to remember my body as it was: flawless to him.

~8~

A/M: Hello again readers, I am trying to keep on writing, but it is just so hard with this new hairdo! It feels so glossy…

Please review!