Scared wasn't the right word.
Kate Monroe got scared easily. She couldn't get through Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street without putting a pillow in front of her face or burying her head into someone's shoulder. As a child, Kate was always the one to scream when a spider was in the house, while her brothers and sister wanted to keep it as a pet.
But now, for what Kate was going through, scared wasn't the word. It was beyond scared. It was absolute terror that she had never felt before.
She didn't know where she was. She was in some sort of car or van, she knew that because she was moving. She tried to get the blindfold off, but it was way too tight. The only thing she could hear was the sound of the car moving, not even any traffic. He had given her something; some kind of sedative, she wasn't sure, but she kept drifting in and out of consciousness. She wanted to stay awake and stay alert for clues to where she was or an escape plan, but she just couldn't. Don would be ashamed of her.
Don seemed to be the only thing she could think of. She thought she might escape, or that someone would save her, but as time went on, she lost more and more hope. She was going to die with this lunatic, and she'd never see Don again.
Many memories flew into her head – childhood, teenage years, moving to New York, on and on. Memories of Don seemed to take over her subconscious. One in particular, not a very happy one, kept playing on repeat in her head…
FLASHBACK
Don had been hurt. Badly. And no one told her, until finally Lindsay called.
Kate was upset. Very upset. No one took the liberty to call her when it had happened? What if he had died, and she would never get to say a goodbye or see him again?
When she got to the hospital, everyone was stationed outside Don's room. Kate wanted someone to blame, and as she searched their faces, she saw they were all hurting. Mac seemed the most upset – Lindsay had mentioned Mac was there when Don got hurt, so he had his own thing going on. Stella was trying to comfort him, and Lindsay and Danny were standing against the wall. Once Kate got there, Lindsay ran to her and hugged her. Kate didn't return the hug. Danny looked away, seeing that Kate was pissed.
Lindsay finally pulled away and looked at her sister. Kate, eyes teary but voice not breaking, said, "How is he?"
"They think he's going to be fine," Lindsay said, trying to brush tears off her sister's face. Kate batted her hands away.
"How could you have not told me?" she asked. "Isn't it cop protocol to call loved ones once one of their own gets hurt? Why the hell didn't that happen this time!?" Lindsay tried to keep Kate quiet, which angered Kate more. Danny tried getting involved, and Kate made it very clear she didn't want to speak to him. "You're his best friend," she said. "After all he does for you, don't you think you could take the same courtesy and take care of him?" Danny had nothing to say.
A doctor came out and told them Don would be fine. Kate was ecstatic, and wanted to see him. But then she saw Mac. He needed to go in first. Don would be there for more moments with her, so she could wait.
She didn't tell him until a couple weeks later that she was never told about his condition. He apologized, and made sure everyone knew that if something were to happen she was the first to be called.
On the day he was released, she was standing next to his bed packing his stuff. He wheeled himself in on his wheelchair and whistled at her. She turned around, blushed and smiled. She didn't talk, however, and he gave her an odd look. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She just smiled and said, in a low voice, "Nothing. Did your last tests go OK?"
Don nodded, getting out of the wheelchair to stand next to her. She protested. "Donnie, come on, sit back down. Listen to what the doctors say, for once, and do it, please…." As she rambled on, he just held onto her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her. "Thank you for being here," he whispered. She nodded, touching his cheek, and made him sit down again.
He sat back down and watch her get lost in packing – something that never happened. He knew what she was thinking, it was the same thing she had been thinking for a while. "I'm here, you know," he said. She didn't look at him, but she straightened up so he knew she heard him. "I didn't die, I'm right here. You can pinch me if you like," he joked. She shook hi s head, and when she turned around she was crying softly. "Hey, it was just a joke," he said, wheeling himself closer to her, making her sit on the bed.
"You almost did die though," she said. "And, I wouldn't have gotten a chance to say goodbye, or anything. You'd just be gone, and I'd be stuck here, alone."
He held onto her hand. "You're never alone," he said. "I wouldn't allow it." He chuckled, which made her smile. "Don't worry about this anymore. Whenever we die, we will get the chance to say our goodbyes and our 'anythings,' OK? I promise." She nodded. "I'm not leaving here without saying goodbye, and neither are you." She smiled, and wiped her tears away. "Thanks," she whispered.
A doctor came in, saying they just needed Don for a second, and he looked to Kate to see if it was OK. She nodded, and they held their hands together until he wheeled himself too far away to hold onto it any longer. "I'll be back, OK?" he asked. She nodded. He winked at her, and wheeled himself off. She smiled, took a deep breath, and finished packing his stuff.
END FLASHBACK
Don was known for keeping his promises, especially to her. He had promised they'd get to say their goodbyes, and now she wasn't so sure that promise would be fulfilled. All she could do was pray he found her in time.