Burton grabs the door handle praying that it isn't locked, it pulls open in his hand.
"Nick? Nick?
He gets no reply. He gently takes his arms and pulls back in to the seat. He's shocked to see a bruise forming on his cheek and a cut above his eye. His son has been beaten. He shouts his name louder.
"Nick, Nick"
He gets no response. Relief floods him as he feels a pulse. He is aware of Laurie beside him, obviously on the phone:
"...yes Elesworth, we need an ambulance now, he is unconscious."
Burton looks Nick over, there are no cuts on his hands - it doesn't look like he fought back. He tries again to rouse him.
"Nick. Nick. Come on Son, it's your Dad."
Burton stands up and runs his hand over his head. What has happened? Surely he didn't drive himself home in this state. A man strides towards him, he recognises him from the hearing that morning.
"I'm Detective Grainger is there a problem?"
"I have just found my son at the wheel of his car unconscious, it looks like he's been beaten. We have called for an ambulance."
"By your son, do you mean Nick Fallin?"
"Yea my name is Burton Fallin."
"And what makes you think it's a beating?"
"Come look for yourself."
Burton stands aside. Grainger stoops in to the car, checks for a pulse, and stands back up.
"Good enough for you Detective?"
"Any ideas what happened?"
"No we just found him like this."
Burton cocks his head at the sound of the approaching sirens.
"Family for Nicholas Fallin?"
Burton stands up
"Here."
Burton makes his way over to the doctor. He had been with Nick in the ambulance and when they first reached the hospital, but moved to reception while tests were carried out. Nick had not yet regained consciousness.
"Your son is awake now Mr. Fallin. He is very confused but that will probably clear in a couple of hours. Nothing's broken, but his ribs will be sore for a couple of weeks. He has suffered a serious blow to the head, but there is no damage to the skull. We are going to keep him in overnight to keep an eye on his concussion. He is being moved to a bed on ward 34. If you make your way up there he should be waiting for you."
"Thank you Doctor."
Detective Grainger who has also been waiting steps in, showing the doctor his badge:
"I need to talk to him Doctor, find out what happened. Any information he can give me will be useful."
The doctor barely conceals the disdain in his voice.
"As I told his father, Mr. Fallin is very confused at the moment and can give no useful information on what has happened. He has no memory of the attack and it will not be good for his condition to have you push him. Come back tomorrow and some of his memory will probably have returned. I can't guarantee how much of the attack he will remember as he has suffered a very nasty blow to the head."
"But it's very important that I speak to him."
The detective moves the doctor away from Burton.
"Did you do a tox screen?"
"Of course, standard procedure. It came back clean. Now tomorrow detective."
Granger turns and leaves.
Laurie senses it is best to leave father and son alone,
"Tell Nick I'm really pleased he is alright."
"Thanks for everything Laurie I will, and I will call you tomorrow and let you know how he is doing."
"Thanks."
Burton kisses Laurie on the cheek and watches her leave and then turns towards the elevators. Once inside he blows out his cheeks, relieved to know that Nick should be alright but he is anxious to see him. Nagging at him though is a concern that Nick will reject him the way he had rejected Nick. When he arrives at Nick's room, the bed is surrounded as he is still being settled in. Burton sits on a chair just outside the door. Occasionally he hears Nick's voice, which is weak and laced with pain. Finally everyone leaves except for one nurse who is still asking Nick questions, Burton enters the room. Nick looks up. The bruise on his face is now a angry dark purple, the cut has been stitched. Nick eyes are filled with bewilderment.
"Hi Son"
"Dad"
Burton's is overcome at the relief expressed in the sound of that one word and mirrored in Nick's face, pushing his anxiety away.
"How do you feel?"
"Sore.
"What do you remember?"
"Nothing. I have all these snatches of pictures jumbled up in my head. I try to make sense of them but I just feel more confused. I'm told you found me"
"You were in your car outside your house unconscious."
"That doesn't make sense."
Nick brushes his hand across his forehead, and leans back against the pillows.
"I'm all done here Nick, just press the button if you need anything."
The Fallin men nod in acknowledgement as the nurse leaves.
"Son stop worrying about what happened, the memories will come back eventually. You need to rest."
"It's crazy dad."
"You just rest. I'm here with you and I will be with you through it all, whatever happens."
Nick opens his eyes and gives his dad a weak smile.
Nick sleeps restlessly for the rest of the evening, groaning in his sleep. The nurse comes in at regular intervals to wake him up, he quickly falls back to sleep again. Burton leaves at 10 to go home and get some rest.
In the morning Burton returns to find his son awake and picking at some toast. Nick looks up as he enters the room. The bruise has grown since last night but Burton can see that Nick is feeling better. He eyes have more sparkle in them. He walks around the bed and sits down.
"How are you doing son?"
"Okay. It hurts to move but the headache has lessened."
"Do you remember anything?"
"I remember getting in to my car."
"Where were you going?"
"I don't think I was going anywhere in particular."
"That doesn't seem to be the case Fallin."
Both men look up to find Detective Grainger in the doorway. Nick's surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I caught your case as I was at your house when your dad found you. Plus since you are my suspect anything that happens to you I have an interest in."
Burton really doesn't like this man.
"Have you had permission to talk to my son?"
"My badge gives me permission."
He walks over to the bed and sits down on the visitors chair at the other side of the bed from Burton. He takes out a photo from a briefcase he is carrying.
"I spent the evening looking through street camera's to see if I could see your car and look what I found."
He places the photo on the bed
"What exactly were you doing in that neighbourhood Nick?"
Burton stands up angry:
"Detective I suggest you leave, You are not questioning my son any further without his lawyer present."
Grainger ignores him and points to the photo.
"That is a notorious drug area. You want to tell me now before I go down there myself and find out what you were doing?"
Nick stares at the photo, picking it up, an image flashes through his mind. Pain crosses his face
"I don't know why I was there."
He looks at his father
"It wasn't for drugs."
"I believe you son"
He looks at Grainger.
"You are done here now."
Grainger picks up the photo:
"You better call that lawyer Fallin."
Suddenly a thought comes to Nick.
"Dad what time is it?"
"8"
"I have a meeting with the board at lsp in 30 mins, can you call Brian Foulds and explain what has happened? His number is in my phone."
Burton finds the phone in Nick's bedside table and leaves to make the call. He leaves. Nick leans back in to the pillows and closes his eyes. He wishes his mind would co - operate for him. What was he doing there and what happened?