"No way."
After what Sully just told them what he'd heard about Terri, Davis's exclamation echoed what each of them was thinking, yet it seemed oddly inadequate.
Faith shook her head. "If any of that were true, she would have told us."
"Come on, Faith," Bosco said. "If your dad was Alejandro Sosa and your boyfriend was Tony Montana, would you tell anyone, let alone your cop buddies?" He'd made the Scarface reference to lighten the mood, yet it had the opposite effect on him and he felt his stomach twist with rage.
"Come on, Bosco," Faith pleaded. "We don't even know if this is true."
"It was just something that went around when she first started," Sully said. "As soon as everyone realized what a good cop she was, people stopped talking about it."
"Besides, true or not," Davis said. "Terri can't help who her father was."
"No, but she can sure as hell help who she sleeps with!" Bosco muttered through clenched teeth.
"Bosco-" Faith didn't know what to say.
"You know what," Bosco said. "I'm going to go ask her right now." He started for the door.
"Bosco, wait a minute!" Faith said, starting after him.
Davis held her back. "Let him go, Faith."
"What?" Faith said, looking at Davis as if he'd lost his mind. "He can't go see Terri like that!"
"He's going to see Terri," Sully said. "Instead of charging off to the police station to end his career."
Faith saw the logic in this, yet she still had reservations. "Do you think Terri can handle him like this?"
Sully and Davis looked at her incredulously.
"Right," Faith conceded. "We'll give them twenty minutes, before we go save Bosco."
Bosco felt like a man possessed. Bosco could care less who Terri's father was or what he'd done. It was the other man in Sully's story that un-nerved him. Sully's story had glossed over the aspects of Terri's relationship with a man half the cops in the western hemisphere had heard of, but he couldn't help but visualize the two of them together. He could think of nothing else.
As Bosco turned the corner of the hallway to Terri's room, he bumped into a man going the opposite direction. "Sorry," Bosco mumbled, not even glancing at the guy. He kept moving.
"No, my fault, officer," the man said. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," Bosco said as he continued toward Terri's room.
"Have a good night," the man called after him.
Bosco raised a hand toward the man in a half-hearted acknowledgment. He was at Terri's room. He knocked on the door before he opened it.
No answer. He opened the door. "Terri?" The room appeared empty. He walked in a bit further and noticed the IV stand lying on the ground, the tube and needle beside it. His stomach did a summersault and his anger was temporarily forgotten. He rushed over to the slightly ajar bathroom door and looked inside.
Terri was on the floor with her back against the wall and her knees pulled into her chest. Her hands covered her face. A gash on the back of one of her hands indicated where the IV had been. A small rivulet of blood flowed from it and down her forearm.
"Oh my, God." Bosco grabbed a paper towel from beside the sink and knelt down next to her. He gently pulled her hands away from her face and held the towel over the wound on the back of her hand. "Terri, are you all right?"
Terri shook her head and tried to recover her face with her other hand, but Bosco caught it before she did. Her face was dripping with water and he could tell she'd been crying. "What the hell happened?"
She collapsed into his arms. Every pain she had ever held inside came bursting to the surface in one gigantic sob. Every feeling she had suppressed in her life flooded out through her tears.
Not knowing what else to do and completely caught off guard, he just pulled her into his chest and held her tight.
"Hey, it's okay," he soothed. "Shh. It's okay." He rubbed her back with one hand while the other cradled her head. This was his first time ever seeing her cry and it was almost more than he could take.
For the next minute or so, they sat together like this, neither of them aware of anything around them.
Kyle Holladay had been expecting to see Officer Boscorelli coming out after him, so he waited patiently just outside the doors of the hospital. When no one came out after ten minutes of waiting, Kyle decided Marie must have convinced Bosco not to go after him.
Oh well, he thought. We'll just have to do this again some other time.
Kyle slipped the gun back into his jacket and walked casually over to his waiting car. As he climbed into the back, he smiled to himself.
Sometime soon, he thought.
Slowly, Terri's body began to relax and her tears subsided. She had been holding so many feelings inside for so long, that once they started to come out, she couldn't stop them.
She put her arms around Bosco's waist and leaned her cheek on his chest. She tried to catch her breath, but every few seconds a sob would rack her frame and cause her to gasp. After a few more minutes, her tears had all but stopped and she was calming down.
"You ready to tell me what happened?" Bosco asked in a whisper.
Terri held him tighter. "He was here, in my room." She almost started crying again, but she held back her tears.
"Who?"
"Kyle," Terri whispered. Terri felt tears in her eyes again. She hadn't told anyone here about Kyle before now.
He felt a flash of anger at the name and he couldn't keep the derision from his voice. "Kyle?" Bosco spat.
Still shaken, Terri missed the change in his tone. "He was here and I was by myself and I didn't have my weapon and he -" She felt sick again as she thought back to the kiss and what had happened after.
Bosco pulled her away from his chest so he could look at her face. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?"
"He wasn't here to hurt me."
The revulsion in her voice left no doubt about what had happened and Bosco flashed back to the visions of the two of them together he'd been having on his way to her room. Then, he remembered.
"Son of a bitch," Bosco muttered. He looked toward the door, back at Terri, then back at the door again, as if deciding between the two. "I think I ran into the bastard outside your room."
"How'd you know it was him?" Terri asked.
"He called me 'officer'," Bosco explained. "I can't believe I didn't catch it before. He had the balls to tell me to have a good night." He was still having an internal struggle against the urge to go after the guy, but he knew he couldn't leave Terri like this. Bosco shook his head. "If I'd known-"
Bosco saw and felt her shiver. "Come on. Let's get you back in bed." He helped her to her feet and held her steady. "You okay to walk?"
Terri nodded tentatively.
Slowly, Bosco walked her out of the bathroom and over to the bed. He helped her lie down and let her catch her breath as he pulled the blankets up over her legs and chest.
As she settled in, he went back into the bathroom and got another paper towel, wetting one end in the sink. As he came back out, he righted the IV stand and pulled it over to her bed with him.
As he slowly cleaned the blood from Terri's arm and hand, he cleared his throat and asked, "So, do you think you can you tell me what happened?"
Terri put her other shaking hand on her forehead. Where to begin, she thought. So much of the story needed to be told, before she could explain what had happened here tonight and have it make any kind of sense. Not knowing what to say and not trusting herself to speak anyway, she gestured toward the bouquet of flowers.
Bosco tossed the paper towel into a waste basket and walked over to the flowers. "These from him?" he asked, pulling out the card.
"'To my dearest Marie, my love forever'," Bosco read aloud. He turned to Terri. "He calls you by your middle name?"
Terri nodded.
Bosco noticed the wallet and slowly picked it up. As he opened it, a small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor.
Bosco bent down and picked it up. It was a small black and white picture of a man and a woman. He showed the picture to Terri.
Terri took the picture with trembling hands. "These are my parents," she said, almost to herself. "This is the picture that was missing from my father's wallet when he was murdered."
"Your father was murdered?" Bosco asked, reeling. Guess Sully didn't get the whole story. "When?"
She didn't hear him. If Kyle had this picture, that would mean – "Oh, my God." Terri felt tears in her eyes again, but she brushed them away angrily. "That son of a bitch."
"What? You think your ex-boyfriend was involved in your father's murder?" Bosco couldn't help himself.
Terri was still processing the picture's appearance and didn't catch the "ex-boyfriend" drop. "How else could he have this picture?"
"Maybe he took it from him when you two were living together."
Terri felt more than heard the bitterness in his voice. It felt as if he'd slapped her in the face. "What?"
Bosco clenched and unclenched his jaw. "I just can't understand why you would keep something like this from me."
"Something like what?" Terri asked.
"Oh, come on! Drop the act," Bosco said. "Sully just told us all about your boyfriend back in Chicago."
At first, Terri's expression registered shock, but it quickly turned to sorrow and grief. She'd known about the stories going around about her when she first started with the NYPD, but that had been so long ago. Sully must have remembered them and put two and two together. "I should've been the one to tell you," she said. It came out softer than a whisper.
Bosco nodded. He wanted to say something like "You're damn right", but the look on her face stopped him. Instead, he asked, "Why didn't you?"
"I thought I'd left my past behind me." As the full connotation of what she'd just said settled in on her, her head became to pound again, in earnest. She leaned back into the pillow and tried to relax. "I guess some skeletons don't stay buried."
"You still shoulda told me," Bosco said. The anger he'd been feeling was slowing giving way to hurt and betrayal.
"You need to understand that this is a part of me I wish I could go back and erase. Believe me when I tell you I kept this from you because it's something I'm ashamed of and not because I wanted to deceive you."
"You should have trusted me."
Terri heard pain behind the resentment in his voice and turned to look at him. "Look, I've made some mistakes in the past. I'm the first to admit that, but I've done my share of penance already. Please don't make me pay for those mistakes again by turning against me now."
Bosco wrestled with this for a moment. How was he to know that she wasn't just coming clean now, because the cat was out of the bag? Yet, ever since he'd known her, she had always been straight with him about everything and he couldn't think of a single thing she'd ever done that was anything but honest. He looked at her and saw the pleading look in her eyes. "I wouldn't have thought of you differently if you told me this sooner, so why should now be any different?" he asked.
Relief swept over her and Terri felt her eyes fill yet again. She didn't think she could speak, so she nodded her thanks.
Bosco nodded back. After a shared moment of appreciative silence, he cleared his throat and shifted focus to the wallet he held in his hand. "Do you want to tell me what this means?"
After a deep breath, Terri repeated everything Kyle had said to her.
"What do you think is in the safety deposit box?" Bosco asked.
"Knowing Kyle, and what he wants, it's probably another key to his hotel room," Terri said with disgust. She held a hand to her head. She was suddenly feeling very lightheaded. "Whatever it is, it's not going to be good."
Bosco had only heard rumors about Kyle Holladay. Holladay was said to be as cunning a business man as he was ruthless with those who crossed him. He greased the right political wheels by donating to the right charities and campaigns. He had friends in high places, making him untouchable. Like smoke. Anytime there was the vaguest hint of impropriety about how he conducted his business or where he made his money, some Councilman or guild would give him an award, praising him for his contributions to society. Publicly, he was beyond reproach. Behind closed doors, however, was something only those closest to him would know.
Someone like Terri.
Bosco looked over at the flowers. They seemed so beautiful and benign, nonetheless he had found Terri terrified and crying on the bathroom floor soon after they'd been delivered. Anyone who could turn someone as strong and resolute as Terri into a sobbing mess, while being thoughtful enough to bring flowers to celebrate the occasion, was someone cold and depraved and best dealt with as soon as possible.
There was a soft knock at the door and they both tensed.
The door opened slowly and the nurse poked her head in. "Just checking in," she said as she walked over to Terri. "How are you feeling?"
Terri forced a quick smile as she felt her heart rate slowly come back to normal. She saw Bosco relax and let out a long exhale. "Fine." Then, remembering, Terri said, "I forgot I was hooked up and had a bit of an accident." She held up her hand where the IV had been.
The nurse looked put out for a moment, but hid it quickly with a smile. "Don't worry, dear. It's not the first time. I'll have to run and get a new set up. Be right back." She closed the door softly behind her.
"Tell me what we need to do to get this taken care of," Bosco said the second the door was closed. "Because I am not going to live like this." There was an odd, resolute look on his face as he added, "And neither are you."
Terri agreed, but frowned at him. "He's not like anyone you've ever dealt with before. He'll come at you from all sides and you won't see him coming."
"So what do you want to do?" Bosco asked, misunderstanding her. "Live in fear the rest of your life?"
"No" Terri said calmly. "I want to go after him. And we will. I just want to be sure that once we go down this road, we make it to the end. And I assure you this will not be a straight and narrow path. It's going to get ugly, on both sides."
The silence that followed her statement was heavy. Bosco felt a slight twinge of apprehension at the determined look in her eyes. "Okay," he said reticently. "What do you want to tell everyone?"
"I want them to know everything," Terri said. "Just not here. As long as I'm here, everyone will worry how I'm feeling or if I'm okay. I need to get out of this hospital."
The nurse knocked on the door as she opened it this time. "Here we go, dear," she said as she walked over to the bed.
"Oh good," Terri said, a forced smile plastered on her face. "I love the needle part."
"Oh, don't worry, dear. You'll hardly even felt it," the nurse asked as she busied herself cleaning the wound on the back of Terri's hand. "Other than your hand, how are you feeling? Any pain or dizziness?"
"I still have a little bit of a headache, but nothing new," Terri answered. "Just ready to get out of here."
"Well, the doctor has you scheduled for a CT at nine o'clock," the nurse said as she inserted the IV into the back of Terri's hand. "We'll know more once the doctor reviews the results, but you'll have to wait for him to okay your release."
"Fine." Terri forced another smile. "Thank you."
"Let me know if you need anything else." The nurse smiled politely and then left.
Bosco sat down in a chair next to the bed. "So what do you want to do now?"
Terri's answer was cut off by another knock on the door.
"We saw the nurse leaving," Faith said as she walked into the room. Sully and Davis followed closely behind. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," Terri said, pulling at the pillow behind her back. "She just wanted to let me know that I've got a little while before I can get out of here."
"Who sent flowers?" Davis asked, pointing at the roses with his thumb.
"They were here when I got out of the bathroom," Terri said with a shrug. She noticed Bosco put his hands into his pockets, hiding the card and the wallet from view. "When do you guys have to get back to work?"
Sully looked down at his watch. "We should've cleared a half hour ago."
"I don't want you to written up because of me," Terri said. "Why don't we all meet for breakfast after shift? I've got something's I want to discuss with all of you."
Sully and Davis exchanged looks. "Sure. What time and where?" Davis asked.
"Molly's is open round the clock. How about we meet there at one o'clock," Terri suggested.
"Sounds good," Sully said with a nod.
Davis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I like their waffles."
Terri smiled. "Thanks guys. You're wonderful."
Davis and Sully said their good-byes then turned and walked away. Terri moved her attention to Faith. "Have you called Fred and told him what's been going on?"
Faith was unprepared for this sudden change in topic. "Well, it's been a busy day. I haven't really had time to-"
Terri raised an eyebrow. "Don't try to push one of those stories on me, Faith. I may've slipped and hit my head, but I didn't hit my head that hard. When was the last time you tucked your kids in? Go home. They're more important than me."
Faith smiled. "All right. You take it easy and do what the doctor tells you, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," Terri said, with a playful salute.
Faith looked at Bosco. "If they let you take her home and make sure she rests. Don't let her do anything. She needs to take it easy."
"Terri's a big girl," Bosco said, holding up his hands. "She can take care of herself. I'm just the driver." Bosco looked at Faith and she understood it to mean that he would do his best to keep Terri out of trouble.
Faith nodded. "Well, all right. Do you need anything else?"
"Yeah," Terri said. "Kiss Charlie and Emily goodnight for me."
Faith smiled. "Sure. I'll see you two at Molly's later."
"Yeah," Terri said. "'Night."
"Well, your CT looks clean. There don't appear to be any hemorrhages, but I would still feel more comfortable if you stayed here for a few more hours."
"Why? You just said I'm fine," Terri said.
"Symptoms from a head injury like yours can take hours, even days to present," Dr. Thomas said as he closed her file and set it on the foot of her bed. "It wouldn't hurt to stay at least overnight, so that we can monitor your condition and make sure we didn't miss anything."
Terri was shaking her head before the doctor finished speaking. "Is that really necessary? I mean, don't take this the wrong way, doc, but I would rather not stay here a second longer than I have to."
Dr. Thomas looked at Bosco, hoping to find an advocate, but Bosco held up his hands and shook his head. Dr. Thomas looked back at Terri and sighed. "Well, I can't keep you here if you don't want to stay. I'll need you to sign a form stating that you're leaving against medical advisement."
Terri shrugged. "Sure, whatever."
"You'll need to take it easy for the next couple of days," Dr. Thomas said. "And avoid taking medications that thin your blood, like aspirin or ibuprofen. I would suggest you stay away from alcohol as well."
"What, like, ten feet away or something?" Terri asked.
"You know what I mean." Dr. Thomas shook his head, but grinned. "I'll have a nurse bring you that form."
"Thank you," Bosco said, as the doctor left the room. He turned back to Terri. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
Terri just looked at him.
"Okay, dumb question," Bosco said, raising his hands. "Sorry."
"Would you just make yourself useful and help me get my stuff together, please," Terri said.
"It's just after ten," Bosco said. "What do you want to do for the next three hours?"
"I'd like to go back to my apartment and change, maybe take a shower." Terri uncovered her legs and flipped them over the side of the bed. She took a few breaths, trying to steady her head, and then she slowly got to her feet.
Bosco watched her with concern. "Terri-"
"Don't, Bosco."
"Don't what?" he shot back. "Don't be concerned about you?"
"I'm fine, Boz. I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I'm sore, but I'm fine.
"I just don't want to see you push yourself too hard."
Terri frowned slightly and shook her head. "Until this thing with Kyle is over, I don't think I've got a choice."
A few hours later, after they'd stopped at her apartment so that she could change and pick up a few things, Terri and Bosco pulled up in front of Molly's Diner.
"Well, now comes the fun part," Terri said.
"Are you okay doing this?" Bosco asked.
Terri thought about this for a moment and then slowly nodded. "It'll be tough, but it's got to be done." She climbed out of the car and walked into the diner. She glanced around and saw Sully, Davis and Yokas sitting at a table near the back. She and Bosco walked over and joined them.
"Terri," Faith said when she saw them coming toward her. "Hey. How are you doing? Did the doctor find anything?"
"Everything seemed to check out," Terri said as she sat down. "And the doctor tells me I've had enough hospital time today to fill my quota for the next few years, so I should be good for a while."
There were appreciative grins from Sully and Davis, while Faith and Bosco exchanged a look that was missed by Terri.
"I've got something for you," Faith said. She pulled a pulled a folded piece of blue paper out of her bag and handed it to Terri. "It's from Charlie. He wouldn't go to bed until he finished."
Terri looked down at the card. One the front, below a smiling sunshine, there was a stick figure of a boy holding some flowers. On the inside, it read, "Get well soon, Aunt Terri. Love, Charlie."
Terri smiled and found herself at a loss for words. She blinked the mist from her eyes and cleared her throat. "Tell him thank you very much if you see him before I do."
"Of course," Faith said.
Terri put the card away in her bag. She cleared her throat once more, and quickly wiped her eyes before she began. "First off, thanks for meeting me here," Terri said, as the waitress poured both her and Bosco coffee before going back to the kitchen. "I've got something I'd like to tell you, but it's complicated and might be hard for you to understand."
Davis looked at Terri. "Does it have anything to do with your ex-boyfriend in Chicago?"
"Davis!" Sully exclaimed.
Terri looked at Sully and smiled sadly. "I guess you heard the stories going around about me when I started, huh?"
Sully threw one last look at Davis before he turned to Terri. "Look, I'm real sorry, Terri. It wasn't my place to-"
"No, don't worry about it, Sully," Terri said, waving her hand at him. "It's quite a story. I'm surprised you sat on it as long as you have. But I think it might make more sense once you hear my side, too."
"Terri, if you don't want to talk about this, you don't have to," Bosco said. She'd given him a quick run through about her past earlier, back at the hospital, and he knew a conversation on this topic would probably stir up many bad memories. At the same time, however, he wanted to hear more about her father's murder that she'd spoken about.
"I think I'll feel a lot better if I had friends that I can talk to about this. It's been a long time since I've had anyone I could really talk to." Terri looked around the table at all the people there. "I trust you all with my life. I think you deserve to know the full story of whose back you're watching every day."
