After Laura and James emerged from the bunker, some very generous and kind readers suggested an epilogue or a sequel. This additional chapter leads into my new story (coming soon!) This Side of Medea, which I hope will eventually fulfill the role of both.

Jean Innocent walked slowly past Fiona McKendrick's hospital room. She allowed herself a discreet look inside and saw Fiona's parents sitting by her bed. Jean sighed. She had trusted this couple with Fiona once before and she would have to trust them again.

Jean continued on down the hall until she came to the room of her friend, Dr. Laura Hobson. While Laura slept three men hovered around her bed the entire night. Each was insisting in a loud whisper that he would remain with her for the duration of her hospitalization. Shaking her head, Jean entered the room quietly. Her presence immediately attracted the attention of Robbie and James. Laura's brother, Bradley Hobson, looked to see who had entered. Putting her finger to her lips, Jean ushered them into the hall and gave orders.

"It makes no sense for all three of you to stay with her around the clock." Robbie and James, used to her taking command, listened politely. Bradley Hobson, lost without his wife there to advise him, looked to Jean for guidance. "When she wakes, Laura will need someone who is alert and well rested. Look at you, not one of you has shaved today and your clothes could all use a wash. And the last thing she needs is to be hemmed in by the men in her life. We don't want her to feel suffocated by the three of you jockeying for position. You will have to take it in turns."

Robbie, James, and Laura's brother looked at each other. Even though they knew Jean was right it didn't stop any of them from insisting on being Laura's knight in shining armor. Although feeling a bit overwhelmed herself from recent events, Jean again summoned up the authoritative voice of Chief Superintendent Innocent.

"I will go in and stay with Laura while the three of you come up with a roster that begins in four hours. That will give the first one of you time to go home, eat, shower, shave, and change into something clean and cheerful. The other two can get some sleep."

Before they could protest again she continued. "You can't take care of her if you don't take care of yourselves. One look at any of you would scare her back into unconsciousness. She needs to wake up to the calm and safety of a comforting presence. None of you fits the bill for that right now."

Jean dismissed them with a final nod and went back into Laura's room.

The three men looked at each other. Robbie had met Bradley Hobson before but today was the first time he noticed that except for the height difference, James resembled his uncle. Brad was one of the very few people who knew that Laura had a son.

Robbie told them that Jean was right and they should do what was best for Laura. Brad, a computer programmer, was always a bit wary of the policemen in his sister's life. He had to admit that Robbie made Laura happy. James, the boy he knew of but not much about, just appeared a bit odd, although he did seem to be genuinely concerned about Laura too. James was mostly silent but agreed to the schedule that Robbie suggested, pleased that he was given the first shift.

Bradley Hobson looked the most haggard of the three. He worked 9 to 5 in an office and was not used to going without sleep as were the two policemen. He suggested that Robbie go next after James. "That will give me time to speak with her doctor, check in to a hotel, call my wife, get some sleep, and make myself presentable as your boss recommended."

"You can stay at our, I mean Laura's house." Robbie was still uncomfortable at having moved in with her and looked forward to them buying a house together.

"Thank-you, but no, I wouldn't want to be in the way. Besides, James might want to stay in the spare room for a few days when she goes home." Laura had told him that she and James were working on their new mother son relationship.

James left to go home for a shower and a change of clothes, opting to smoke instead of eat. He had already been given a once over at the hospital and was found to have no injuries from the fall, the injection Laura gave him, or his period of unconsciousness. He silently thanked Robbie for assigning him the first four-hour shift with Laura.

When James returned he was relieved to be alone out in the hallway waiting for ten minutes until Jean came out of Laura's room. At his feet sat a bag of some things he guessed Laura might like. He looked down the hall and noticed Bradley Hobson talking to someone. And then he looked more closely. Why would Laura's brother be talking to him? Just as he was going to investigate, Jean came out of Laura's room.

"James, Laura woke up while I was in there. She has no memory of recent events. And to further complicate things, the last thing she remembers is when you rescued her from the grave a few years ago and thinks that's why she is in hospital now. I reported that to the nurse who went to talk to her doctor about it."

"What is she doing now?"

"Sleeping. They gave her something to calm her down and I read to her until she fell asleep." Jean didn't tell him that the reading material was a leaflet in her purse about the symptoms of menopause. "We've been instructed to keep her calm and steer clear of any reminders to the grave or the bunker."

"That won't be easy, not with the Dr. Hobson we all know." And love.

"James, she's not herself right now. Can you handle it?"

James nodded and went into Laura's room.

Jean found a quiet corner in the hospital to call Robbie and alert him to the fact that Laura believed she had just been rescued from the twins that had tried to murder her and had no memory of anything after that.

Robbie was afraid something like this might happen. Laura kept it hidden from everyone else but he knew she still had nightmares about it and that darkness and dirt were triggers to cause her to relive the experience. She had found the strength to protect James in that bunker all the while she herself was terrified.

James sat down on the chair next to Laura's bed just as she woke up. While she looked pale, he could see traces of Dr. Hobson's steely resolve in her eyes. Neither spoke for a few minutes as if they had agreed upon it in advance. Remembering how awkward his visit to her at the hospital was after he rescued her from the grave, James considered several conversation starters and rejected all of them. It isn't often you get a do-over. He took something out of his bag.

"Fancy a game of chess?"

She didn't seem at all surprised by the request and eyed him appreciatively.

"Only if you promise not to let me win."

Laura's mind functioned well enough for her to force James to put some effort into the game. Her condition distracted him almost enough to allow her to win. He knew she hated to be patronized and vowed to avoid doing that. The hospital staff, 'Uncle' Brad, and Robbie would be doing enough of that.

James carefully noted her moves looking for some sign of her state of mind. There was no Hobbs gambit this time and she stuck to a fairly conventional system of play.

After James had her king irrevocably incapacitated she laid it down on the board.

"Thank-you James."

"For what?"

"I'm not sure why but that was comforting."

"Want to try again?" We have a chance to try again.

She answered by setting the board up.

Robbie was early for his shift. He looked in Laura's room and smiled when he saw that she and James were huddled together concentrating over a game of chess. Robbie waited several minutes for them to finish all the while feeling the need to monitor the hallway. He frowned as he spied a disturbingly familiar man walking down the hall towards Laura's room. What is he doing here?

Was it my imagination or were there a few scenes in the new series of Lewis that support the hypothesis that James is Laura's son?