Lucy took her normal stance with her baby in her arms, looking out the window, but she wasn't at the County Line. She was at the hospital. She stood in Forrest's room as he slept, a large white gauze bandage stained red, around his neck.

She turned around when the door opened and a nurse let in Jack and Howard. Jack began to talk to his brother and Howard approached her, his eyes red and weary. But she could hardly look at him. Her whole body shook but she couldn't sit down. If she stopped, she'd have to think…

Before Howard could speak, Forrest stirred. Jack began to talk about getting the men that attacked Forrest, but Howard tried to push him away. "What you gun' do about it?" Forrest drawled, his voice scratchy and weak.

"I'll kill 'em," Jack promised before Howard got Jack out of the room. Lucy slowly approached Forrest, clutching her sleeping babe to her chest. She took the chair next to Forrest and reached out, grasping his hand. "Welcome back," her eyes filled with tears. He looked at her, "No cryin' now…" he said, looking at her affectionately through his haze.

Lucy leaned over and kissed his cheek, "Don't speak…you have to get better…" she said, her thumb rubbing the top of his hand. "My God…Forrest…I am so sorry," she began to cry for the first time since the two days previous, the incident.

Howard re-entered the room. Forrest's eyes watched him cross the room to Lucy. He helped her up from the chair and ushered her from the room but when they were just outside she began to cry. Howard awkwardly attempted to hold her in his arms but she fought him off. "No! NO!" She cried out. This caused her own baby to stir and fuss. She rocked the child away from her husband, "Where were you?" she asked, feeling as if she'd collapse in on herself.

"I'm sorry…" Howard admitted sincerely. She could see it in his eyes- he felt guilty. He knew that it wouldn't have happened to Forrest if he was there…and that she could've gotten hurt as well…if he only knew…

"He needed you," she cried, holding her baby close for comfort, "He needed you and you weren't there!"

"I know…" Howard replied, shifting uncomfortably. "How'd you get away?" he asked, "How'd Forrest get here?"

Lucy's breath caught in her throat, "He walked here, didn't ya here? He walked here with his head near cut off while you buried yourself in drink!" Lucy couldn't take it anymore. She wiped her tears from her face. "Look, I'm spending my days here until Forrest is better, so you and Jack better figure out what to do with that restaurant…" she disappeared back into Forrest's room.

It was one month before Forrest was released from the hospital. A red scar traced his neck from ear to ear. Lucy left the hospital with him. She found that her baby seemed to get stronger as Forrest did. If she could face Howard, her mother's instinct told her that they could name the baby then…she'd pull through. It had been the first week since her daughter was born that she had slept through a night.

Lucy was in the back shed, a fire was going as she attempted to dry some of their laundry. She hung the boy's shirts on a line near the warmth and her own dress that she'd gotten wet while washing the others. She wore her white under garment, modest, but she didn't want to freeze to death and it was nice and toasty in the shed. The heat felt nice on her skin. Her coat hung over her chair.

But then a figure opened the door, letting a cold breeze in. She found she only knew the man by name, Charley Rakes. She crossed her arms over her chest, "Would ya mind shutting the door?" she asked.

"My apologies," the man with the awkward part stated before he shut the door. His suit was pristine, she noted: gloves, not a hair out of place. "I believe you are Lucy Bondurant, unless I am mistaken?"

"And you'd be Charley Rakes? The man that beat up little Jack Bondurant…" Lucy did not accept his hand when he extended it.

The man gave a laugh and took his hand back, "That does not concern you…but I am here to talk to you about the night that Forrest Bondurant was attacked, here in this very parking lot…" he said.

"Ain't nothing to talk about…it's all in the papers," She replied, reaching for her coat. She suddenly felt very exposed.

But he reached out and stopped her, "Is it?" he asked. His gloved fingers did not touch her skin, but traced a scar that lay above her breast, "Some say there was someone else here that night…"

"There's a lot of talk in town," she seethed, "Now if that's all Mr. Rakes you can leave…"

"How's your child, Mrs. Bondurant? Is she well? I hear she's not in good health…it would be a pity if anything happened to her…"

"Bastard…" Lucy muttered. She drew her hand back to smack him to hell and back but his hand caught her wrist. He laughed an unnerving laugh. "You wouldn't be able to fight a man off….let alone two…" he examined her delicate hands. He then let her go. "I'm not going anywhere, Mrs. Bondurant, not until your husband and his brothers give up their bootlegging…" he said.

"They's innocent," Lucy hissed. "Now I think you should get off our property…" she demanded.

"Hm…yes…I have no interest in being in a place like this anyway…" he lazily brushed her coat from the chair and into the fire. She glared at him, getting ready to smack him again, "You might want to tell someone what happened that night," He looked over her chest again. "Before someone else does," he said. He opened the door again and left without another word. He left the door wide open, not bothering to close it behind him. Lucy shivered.

Forrest watched as Rakes got back into his car and left the lot. He looked back to Lucy and walked across the lot to her. "Was he in here?" he asked, glancing to the coat in the fire.

Lucy nodded, "Yeah…makin' empty threats is all," she replied with another shiver. Forrest took off his sweater and put it around her, "You get on in the house," he told her. "I'll finish this up…"

Lucy drew his sweater close and headed inside and up the stairs where her daughter was still sleeping like a little angel. She kissed her forehead before she rifled in her trunk to find something warm to wear.

Howard entered their room, his heavy footsteps obvious. "Did Rakes threaten you?"

Lucy finally pulled something new out. She stood and faced him, "No…he threatened you…" she pulled the new dress on. "And…" she sighed, her eyes flying to the floor. When she found her words, she looked up at him again, "And he threatened here…"

Howard's eyes flashed. He had been into drink but he was coherent. He held more than any man could so he was still completely in control. "I don't care where this man's from…he best not come around here again…" he threw his hat on his bed. "You shoulda called for us…"

"I can handle it…" Lucy replied. She approached him and took his coat off. She got him to sit down and preceded to take his boots off, "We should name her…" she said.

Howard looked hopefully from his wife to his daughter, "You think?"

"I'm sure," Lucy responded, putting his shoes aside. "And, I've been thinking a lot about it and I think it's only right that we name her Emmy, after your sister…"

Howard took her face in his hands. His hands were so large compared to her delicate features that it felt as if her life was at his fingertips. But he kissed her- his breath smelling of whiskey and moonshine.

Lucy's shaking fingers unbuttoned Howard's shirt and helped him be rid of it. When his hands began to work off the dress she just put on, she began to cry. She became a limp form in her husband's lap.

"Cy, what's wrong?" he asked slowly, having absolutely no idea why she'd cry at this moment.

She cried into her husband's broad chest, "I need Forrest…"