Chapter 2
"Nooooo" the soulless voice of James Hathaway called out in the dark. He thrashed in the bed kicking his legs trying to get away from his night demons. He moaned again. The sweat soaked sheets tangled about his legs.
Laura and Robbie stealthy walked into James' room. Lewis' heart ached seeing his friend in so much emotional pain. The room was pungent of stale air and James' labor sleep. "I'm sorryyyyyyy...," begged James. "I'm sorry" he sobbed to his demons.
"We can't help him like this," Lewis whispered to his accomplice.
Laura grabbed Lewis' arm roughly stopping him from leaving, "We either help him or he continues this downward spiral to his personal Hell."
"No not now, not like this," Lewis untangled his arm from hers. "Tomorrow we talk to him." He waved his arm toward James' now still body.
Laura glanced at the helpless form laying in the large bed. He looked so much like a small child to her, a small child alone. "Tomorrow morning!" she whispered, turned and stormed out of the room, raced down the stairs and out the door to their waiting car.
"Tomorrow or so help me …," She growled at Lewis as he fished the keys out of his pocket
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Inspector Lewis arrived early in the morning hoping to find his partner at his desk. He only found an empty office. Innocent blocked the door as Lewis turned to exit.
"Where is he?" She looked at the Inspector waiting for the excuse. She so much wanted to scream at him, but she was the Chief Superintendent, no yelling. "Well?" she demanded an answer.
Not having any answer to give, Lewis pushed past her and dashed out of the building. He wanted to find those answers and more.
Lewis called Hobson, "I'm heading over to his house right now!" He snapped at her.
"I'll meet you there," she replied as she gathered her medical bag and raced out the door leaving the television on kettle on.
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Lewis called Hathaway's mobile, "Hathaway ….." Robbie got excited for a brief moment when he heard James' voice only to have his excitement shattered when he realized the voice was the voice mail recording. "Where are ya, man?" he shouted a message to the phone.
The drive to Hathaway's house took an eternity. "Idiot drivers. They all should be walking their fat arse's" Dr. Hobson grumbled as she finally arrived. Lewis' car was sitting in the drive next to Hathaway's. "At least his car is here," she said. Only the morning birds singing in the trees heard what Laura said.
She notice the front door ajar. "Robert? James?" She called their names out to the empty house. "ROBERT?" She shouted loud enough to be heard upstairs, no answer.
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