CHAPTER FIVE
Gyson's heart raced. "I wonder if this is what a heart attack feels like," she thought. She shoved the thought away. She had to concentrate. Running away was one option, but she was certain she couldn't move quickly enough. The bathroom was the better choice. It was closer, it had a lock, and someone would come. Eames, at least, would wonder where she was. The bathroom was the best bet.
"Hey, sister..."
Gyson's heart banged against her ribs. She opened her mouth to scream.
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I used to be a cop."
"He doesn't recognize me," she thought. "Goren was right. He doesn't recognize me."
"I just want to know where the patients' rooms are."
Gyson swallowed. "Sorry," she managed. "You scared me. But the patients' rooms are back there. Where I came from."
He smiled at her. It was the smile of a man who thought he could get anything he wanted from a woman. Knowing what this man really was, Gyson felt sick to her stomach.
"Thanks," he said, and brushed by her.
"Please," she thought. "Please don't let him recognize me."
"Hey...Do I know you from someplace?"
She was certain her heart was about to burst through her chest. "No...No I don't think so..."
"You sure? Beautiful woman like you. I'm sure I met you..."
"My God," Gyson thought. "He's wanted by the police. He's in a hospital crawling with cops...And he's trying to pick me up." Her stomach lurched.
"I...I'm sorry. I...I don't feel well. I've been up all night with a friend. I gotta go to the bathroom." She turned and tried not to rush into the bathroom.
"Ok, ok," Copa laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not a bad guy."
"No," Gyson thought as she locked the bathroom door. "You're a horrible man." She felt in her pocket. She still had Goren's cell phone. She pulled it out and punched its first number. "Please...Please...Pick up...Pick up."
"Hello? Dr. Gyson?"
"Detective Eames...Copa...I saw him in the hall...He's here..."
"Where are you?" Eames was wonderfully calm.
"I'm in the bathroom," Gyson said sheepishly.
"Good. Stay there until Captain Hannah or I come. Don't open the door to anyone else. No matter what they say."
"Yes...Yes...Detective Eames...Be careful..."
"I'll be fine. And so will Bobby."
Gyson stumbled and sat on the edge of the bathtub. She would do what Eames told her to, but it would take every bit of her control. She liked Eames and wanted her to be safe. She wanted Patrick Copa caught. But she wanted to be with her patient.
"Oh, God," she thought and ran a hand through her hair. "I wish I'd at least brought something to read." She looked around the bathroom, but its only reading materials were a set of health pamphlets dating back to the Clinton Administration. Gyson struggled not to let several terrible scenarios run through her head.
A sudden banging at the door interrupted her thoughts. Gyson jumped to her feet and rushed to the door. Eames' warning echoed in her head.
"Police! Open up!"
"Who is it?," Gyson shouted back.
"Police! Open up!"
"No! Only to Detective Eames or Captain Hannah!"
"Dammit! Open up!"
Several crashes against the door followed, and Gyson desperately hoped that the door and lock would hold. She clutched Goren's cell phone, but before she could call for help, the crashes ended. She heard sounds of a struggle, and then silence. She realized her heart was pounding, and she wondered if it had stopped since she first saw Copa.
There was a soft knock at the door. "Dr. Gyson. It's Captain Hannah. It's all right. You can open the door."
Gyson's heart settled back inside her ribs. She released the lock and opened the door to reveal a slightly disheveled Captain Hannah.
"If you ever consider leaving psychiatry, Doctor," he said. "You'd make a good cop."
"I don't know." Gyson manged to keep her voice from shaking. "I don't think good cops hid in bathrooms."
"They do if they're ordered to. Would it make you feel better to know that Detective Eames has spent all this time locked in Detective Goren's room?"
"Marginally." Gyson picked up her bag. "Are they all right?"
"Yes. Goren apparently slept through everything."
"Probably for the best," Gyson said. "He might've tried to get out of bed."
Hannah smiled. "One of the few ways Bobby Goren isn't a great cop. He would've come out from behind a locked door. Especially if civilians were at stake."
Gyson saw a few signs of a struggle as she walked down the hall—some scuffs on the walls, scratches on the floor, a cart askew. "What happened ? Copa couldn't have thought..."
"I don't believe, Doctor, Patrick Copa does much thinking at all. How he ever became a detective..." Hannah shook his head. "He and the fourth man who attacked Goren—another ex-cop, I'm ashamed to say—snuck in the hospital. One of them knew something or somebody. The fourth guy's the one who tried to get you to open that door. Copa finally remembered where he saw you before, or realized you could at least place him in the hospital. The kid watching Goren's room was smart. He saw Copa, but just kept his eye on him until he made a move towards Goren's room. By that time there were plenty of backup because of Eames' call to us. When we finally had him under control, Copa started whining about how he used to be a cop and Goren had ruined his life. The kid in particular wasn't impressed. Turned out Goren had spoken to his Academy class, and Goren's a hero to the kid. It doesn't bother me that the kid wasn't too gentle when he put the cuffs on Copa."
A uniformed cop snapped to attention as Gyson and Hannah reached Goren's room.
"All quiet, Luna?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Sir."
"This is Dr. Gyson. She's one of our witnesses. And a brave and smart woman. Watch out for her too."
"Yes, Sir."
Hannah knocked on the door and stepped back. "I'll see you later, Doctor. Thank you."
He was gone before Gyson could thank him. She entered the room and found Eames standing protectively next to the bed. Goren was asleep. Eames turned to face Gyson, and the fierce look in the detective's eyes nearly forced the psychiatrist to take a step back.
"She may not love him," Gyson thought. "But she cares...Oh, don't be a fool, Paula. She loves him."
"You didn't get to take your shower," Alex said.
Gyson stared down at the bag in her hand. "No...I'm afraid I was interrupted." She shivered. It seemed terribly cold in the room.
"You were great," Alex said. "You kept your cool. Did all the right things. You ok?"
The bag slipped from Gyson's hand. "I...I don't think so," she murmured. There was a great roaring in her ears, and a fog filled her head. She recovered to find herself sitting in the only semi-comfortable chair in the room and Alex looking down at her.
"I'll call a nurse," she said and reached for the call button.
"No...No...I'm all right." Gyson eased up her body.
Alex frowned, but poured a cup of water and handed it to Gyson. The psychiatrist tried to keep her hand from shaking as she took the cup. She managed to drink the water without spilling it.
"Are you sure you don't need a nurse?" Alex asked.
"I...I think I'm going to be ok." Gyson handed the cup back to Alex. "I think it just hit me...What could've happened to me...To you and Detective Goren. I'm not used to having my life threatened."
Alex smiled wanly. "Your first time is the worst. But you never really get used to it."
"I'd really rather not have to get used to it," Gyson said. She shared a smile with Alex. Gyson sat up in the chair. "I think I'm all right now. What happened? Did Copa get anywhere near you?"
"No, fortunately. Bobby fell asleep right after you left. He slept through everything. You did absolutely the right thing. Calling me, hiding, and staying in the bathroom. That last thing must have been very hard."
"It was."
"Copa didn't get up the hall. It was hard for me too. I had to stay in here. Although I could hear what was going on, at least. And after everything settled, I poked my head out and saw them take Copa and the other guy away."
Gyson sighed and pushed her hair out of her eyes.
"You should go take that shower," Alex said. "Only this time, you should have an escort. There's at least one female officer out there."
"Well, as long as she doesn't have to follow me into the shower...You sure you don't mind?"
"The sooner you get done, the sooner I can take mine," Alex said.
"All right." Gyson looked down at Bobby. "I'd like to talk to his doctors and nurses..."
"Me too. They told me they'd be around in about an hour."
Gyson nodded. "I hate hospitals."
END CHAPTER FIVE