Chapter 2
Caitlin nervously followed Dom to the examining room where Hawke was being held for observation. Dom walked in first and she reluctantly came in behind him.
"How are you doing String?" Dom asked as he saw his friend lying there with a gruff look on his face.
Hawke sighed. "I'd be better if they'd let me out of here," he complained. "I'm fine Dom. I don't need to stay for observation."
Caitlin took a deep breath and moved closer to the gurney Hawke was laying on. "They just want to make sure you're okay Hawke," she told him, unsure of how he would respond.
Hawke stared at her a moment. "Do I know you?" he asked.
"String, this is Caitlin," Dom replied. "You've met."
"Oh, yeah," replied Hawke. "Deputy Caitlin. What are you doing here?"
Caitlin wanted to tell him that he knew why she was there but she held back and bit her bottom lip.
"I live here now," she finally replied. "I've actually lived here for the past three years."
"Three years?" Hawked asked, looking confused.
"It's a long story," Dom told him. He wondered if Hawke was really bluffing or not. "It seems like you're suffering from a bit of memory loss. It's been three years since we met Cait in Texas."
"I'm sorry Caitlin," he replied. "I don't remember."
Caitlin shrugged. "It's not that important," she lied. She couldn't help but allow her insecurities to seep in. She always felt so confident in everything she did. But, for some reason, she struggled feeling confident when it came to how she thought Hawke felt about her. "I'm not that important," she thought to herself.
Hawke quickly turned his attention back to Dom. "Can you find out when they'll let me leave?" he asked.
"Sure, I'll be right back," Dom replied as he headed for the door.
Caitlin started to follow him out but Dom stopped her. "Cait, you wait here with String," he urged. "Make sure he stays in bed until the doctor gives him the go ahead to leave."
"Wha…." Caitlin started to protest but Dom left the room before she could get a word out.
She slowly turned and looked at Hawke who was now staring at her again. "Uh, I think I'll just go and wait out in the hall," she said nervously.
Hawke shot her a confused look. "What? Do I make you nervous?" he asked.
"Huh?" she asked. "Oh….well, I guess the fact that you don't remember me does make me a little nervous. I'm not sure why though."
"I remember meeting you," he told her. "I just don't remember you living here."
Caitlin took a deep breath and moved closer to him again. "Well, what exactly is it that you remember about me?" she asked.
Hawke smiled at her. It was rare that she saw him smile.
"I remember you're stubborn," he said. "You say what's on your mind and you don't take crap from anyone."
Caitlin laughed. "Most of the time anyway," she admitted.
Before the conversation could continue, Dom came back into the room. "They are signing you out as we speak," he assured him. "But, I promised to go and stay the night with you to make sure there are no complications."
"Good," replied Hawke without taking his eyes off of Caitlin. "Bring Caitlin with you."
Dom turned and looked at Caitlin. "Are you up for a night at the cabin?" he asked.
Caitlin shrugged he shoulders. "Sure," she replied trying to hide her skepticism.
"String, the doctor will be back in here in a minute," Dom told him. "We'll wait outside for you."
Caitlin followed Dom back out into the hall. They walked halfway down the corridor before speaking.
"Why are we doing this?" she asked. "He's obviously faking it. Why are we all playing this game?"
Dom placed his hand on her arm and gave it a light squeeze. "I think he's faking it too but I can never figure out what's going on in that head of his," he told her. "I do know you mean a lot to him. Let's just see how it all plays out."
"Dom, I have to give my answer about the job in two days," she replied. "I don't have a lot of time."
"I know," he replied softly. "Just be patient."
A few hours later, Dom landed the Santini helicopter on the dock of the lake. The three climbed out and made their way up to Hawke's cabin. Caitlin didn't follow them inside. Instead, she sat down on the bench out front and crisscrossed her legs up onto the seat.
Hawke came back out a few minutes later and joined her.
"You know, I was hoping to get to know you," he told her. "Don't you want to come inside?"
Caitlin shrugged. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind," she replied. "I've always enjoyed sitting out here and thinking."
Hawke sat down beside her. "You've been here a lot?" he asked.
"More times than I can count," she told him. "I love it up here."
"So, what's on your mind?" he asked.
Caitlin slid her legs around and turned to face him. "I got this great job offer back in Texas," she told him. "It's a good career move and it pays three times what I make now. I have two days to decide if I'll take it or not."
Hawke sighed lightly. "Sounds like it's too good to pass up," he said. "What's there to think about?"
Caitlin's heart sank. "He wants me to go," she thought to herself.
Hawke noticed a change in her demeanor. "Tell me about how you came about finding me again," he said. "Why were you looking for me?"
"Oh, I looked you up in the phone book is all," she replied. "It wasn't hard to find someone with a name like Stringfellow."
Hawke chuckled lightly. "Yeah, well my parents seemed to like unique names," he replied.
"I came to bring your friend back after they found his body in the desert," she continued. "After that, Dom got me a part flying a stunt in a movie."
"You must have really made an impression on him," Hawke said. "Dom doesn't just do that for everyone."
Caitlin smiled. "He made an impression on me too," she admitted. "He's like a second dad to me now. I love him."
Caitlin stared down at the ground. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too but she decided to keep her feelings to herself.
"Tell me more about this movie part," he replied.
