9
Matt drove them back in and they went straight up to the penthouse. His hands were never really off her as they got in the elevator and then went past Chris' desk. She had left already and Roy was plugging away on Baby. He turned around and asked the two, "Well hello there. You two ready to do a little work?"
They both chuckled and walked down. Matt told him as C.J. took her position in front of Baby as Roy moved over, "We've been working all day. I think we can cross another name off the list."
Roy raised a brow and asked, "Lux? Well, I had a question about motive there anyway. The next two look more interesting though."
C.J. nodded and then punched the buttons to bring up the last files accessed. "Who are they?" She started squinting to make out the one face, then closed her eyes altogether. Neither Matt nor Roy really caught on as they heard a commotion in the lobby.
Hoyt was bellowing, "Houston! I know you're here!" He came in walking in a huff.
Matt and Roy got up and met him by the hot tub. "Hoyt, something wrong?" Matt was genuinely confused about the lieutenant's entrance.
Hoyt then took a deep breath, "Yes, something's wrong. I just got laid into by my superior, the chief, good friends with the new warden down at Mackenzie State Prison. Guess what, he's not a big fan of P.I.s, especially ones that throw the kind of fit you did yesterday. I understand the situation Houston but next time please, please let me handle it. Alright? You know the rules? And insinuating that you helped the warden out with a little extortion matter a few years ago to his guard?"
Matt cut him off and explained, "I was talking about Paul. I didn't know he had retired. I was just trying to pull a few strings that's all. I didn't mean to imply this new person had ever done anything wrong."
Hoyt nodded his head and said, "Well, you did and he's madder than an angry snake right now because of it. Yelled at the chief who yelled at me..."
Matt then finished, "who is now yelling at me."
C.J. got up and barely said to the men as she walked past them, "I have to take a shower." They didn't find anything strange about her as she walked past and kept the conversation going.
Hoyt took a deep breath and then said, "Look I'm sorry, but he threatened to put me on administrative leave."
Roy then said, "Michael, they can't do that. Not for something like this. It was completely out of your control."
Hoyt said, "That doesn't matter Roy. I'm not real sure the chief has ever really been impressed by me. I figured it was because he was close to Novelli. Those were some big shoes to fill. Look, just don't worry about it so much..." He stopped to look at the screen and then asked, "That your prime suspect? He looks familiar."
The men all walked over and Matt filled him in. "The one of the left is Nikkos Sacan, the one on the right is Parker Ralls. Both were Daniel Parsons' clients at the time of his death."
Hoyt squinted and said, "I don't know...the one on the left looks very familiar...Sacan, you say?"
Matt nodded and told him, "He was associated with the syndicate. That's why he needed the lawyer."
Hoyt then made a connection, "The Italian syndicate. That's right...he just disappeared about four months ago."
Matt asked after looking at his uncle, "Disappeared? What do you mean, disappeared?"
Hoyt told him, "Well I wouldn't worry for him too much. Word is he took off like he was being investigated for something. Probably in Sicily or somewhere right about now, living it up. I suspect he'll resurface soon enough."
Matt rubbed his forehead, "Great...he was the next suspect on our list."
Roy then said, "Maybe we should focus on Ralls first and then go back to him."
Hoyt then told him, "Hey, how is C.J. handling all this?"
Matt then told him after looking back toward the steps to the gym as he heard the water turn on, "She's doing much better today. Doctor released her this afternoon and she went with me to talk to Lux. He actually was nice, told C.J. a little bit about what he remembered about her father." He shook his head, "I just wish we had more to go on. I want whoever this is in custody now."
Hoyt patted his back and Roy walked him out after saying he'd meet up with them tomorrow morning back at Baby.
Unknown to the men upstairs, C.J. was in a trance again. She had slowly descended the stairs leading to the gym. After searching for a few minutes, she finally found a razor blade. Then she undressed and got in the shower. The water was just warm enough but she stopped. A memory flashed through her head of her and Matt in this shower just a few months ago, when they christened it as husband and wife as he called it.
She started to blink and shake her head. Something was overcoming her, but she was desperately trying to fight it. C.J. sat down in the shower and just stayed there for a couple of minutes. She was trying to focus. She got released from the hospital, they then saw Lux and then...she saw him. Back in the trance she took the blade and put it to her wrist.
Matt turned Baby off as Roy and Hoyt got in the elevator. He then turned to head down to C.J. He called out as he made his way down, "C.J., honey let's go get something to eat, huh? You want barbecue?" He could see the water running, but not her in the shower. Where was she?
Matt called out again, "C.J.?" He looked in the closet, she wasn't there. He then went into the other side of the bathroom, she wasn't there. "C.J.?" He called out again trying not to go into panic.
He decided to look in the shower thinking maybe he couldn't see her because there was some steam and found her. "No!" He shouted as he saw the blood and seen what she had done. She was unconscious and he very quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped it around both wrists.
Her head moved a little to the side as she murmured softly, "must go now..."
Matt was on the verge of tears as he turned off the water, wrapped another towel around her and grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her up in his arms. "No, you aren't going anywhere. Hang on C.J., I'm gonna get you to the hospital, just hang on please..." He was almost crying as he got her upstairs and into the chopper.
He had her strapped in and flew as quickly as possible radioing in to the hospital what was going on. All he told them was she had an accident and was cut badly.
They met him on the tarmac and quickly got her inside. Matt's clothes were wet but he barely noticed. His mind was going a million miles an hour. How did they get to her this time? He never left her side! How? He was pacing and pacing suddenly recognizing why this looked familiar, it was just like a nightmare he had a few weeks ago.
He took a deep breath just as the doctor came around the corner, "We did the best we could..." Matt almost fainted at that point and the doctor grabbed his shoulders as he continued, "whoa...Mr. Houston." He helped him over to the chairs and continued, "She should be fine, Mr. Houston."
Matt exhaled, "She'll be fine...thank God..." He ran his hands through his hair, tears still in his eyes.
The doctor patted his back and told him, "Mr. Houston, we were able to stitch up her wounds and we gave her a new drug, Longmax, its new and helps with blood clotting, preventing people from bleeding out. I believe it was developed by your friend, anyway it was just approved by the government." He really hated what he had to tell Matt next, "I...Mr. Houston before when...well..."
Matt nodded his head and closed his eyes, "You have to admit her, right?"
The doctor nodded, "I'm sorry Mr. Houston. You can have her transferred to a private, independent hospital, but yes...I know this has to be hard for you, but its for her own good. A few more minutes and...I just came out here to tell you we did the best we could but the rest is up to her. She needs to be in a facility that can watch her. If this is all the result of a case and someone has hypnotized her like you claim, you need someone who knows how to break through that to get to her and bring her through this."
Matt started to break down at that point and the doctor took him to his office to give him privacy. He left Matt there for several minutes while he checked on other patients.
Matt had yet to call anyone. He needed to do this with her alone. The last thing she needed was a group of people telling her she needed to be admitted to a mental hospital. No, he had to be the one to tell her and help her through this. He took a deep breath and thought to himself, 'Then the one responsible for doing this to her was going down.' He would be taking no prisoners.
The doctor told him she would be unconscious for a few hours still. She had lost a lot of blood and although she had received a transfusion, most likely they would try to wake her around nine. Until then, Matt would need to decide where she should be, in this hospital or a private facility.
Matt flew the chopper back to the penthouse. He had rarely ever felt this alone. The last time...well...the last time was when he was convinced she had died at the hands of Robert Tyler. Matt closed his eyes after stepping into the penthouse. He got downstairs and cleaned up the shower, tears still coming every few minutes. Then he headed up to Baby. He kept closing his eyes and swallowing hard as he punched in Mental Hospitals in Los Angeles and pulled up all the policies and reviews for each one. He needed somewhere she would be safe, one that would work with him and allow him to keep private security around her and her room until this case was over. He rubbed his face again and tried to take everything in. Above all they needed an expert, one that could help her break free from this.
He found one, Tranquil Gardens, a small, exclusive private facility with some top ranked psychiatrists. Matt called and talked to the manager getting approval for his security men Greg and Brad along with C.J. put on the top of the list to get in with the most reputable doctors in the country. Most of the time Matt didn't think too hard about his fortune, but on this occasion he was very thankful he had it. The manager sounded like he was willing to bend over backwards to help him get her in tonight, no insurance or credit check needed.
Matt sat back after making the call, knowing he had to go tell her. He already planned to drive over to the private hospital and then take a taxi back to the hospital. That way he could ride in the ambulance with her. The new hospital also had a place he could sleep if he didn't really want to leave her for an additional fee of course.
He got over to the hospital and the manager came right out to meet him. Dr. Walon assured him she would receive the best treatment possible. The rooms were nice enough, but Matt wasn't paying as much attention to what Walon was saying. He was still shell shocked.
They showed him her room, a suite in a manner of speaking. Only it didn't have any mirrors, anything with a sharp edge and a bed that had nice blankets, but restraints tucked away underneath. Matt kept swallowing hard as they explained all this to him.
Another doctor went over all of the admission policies. She would be kept under constant watch for the next 48 hours or until doctors were sure she was no longer a threat to herself, that included any time in the bathroom for anything. Matt struggled to stay composed but nodded every time. He did ask, "If I'm here, can't I handle that?"
The doctor told him, "Usually no, but...we can probably make an exception here." Then he proceeded to tell him about how her treatment would begin with therapy sessions and an assessment as to whether or not meds would be given. Matt spoke up again and told them he was not authorizing any drugs of any kind. The man seemed a little taken back, but agreed.
Then came the task of telling her. Matt got to the hospital via taxi with the ambulance from Tranquil Gardens parked out front waiting for her. He got to the room and that same doctor who had just saved her life, the one who had removed the bullet she had taken when her friend Connie Ling had died waited outside her room. Matt gave instructions to Greg and Brad and they went on ahead. The doctor told him, "I know this isn't going to be easy, but it has to be done."
Matt took a deep breath and went in. He had no idea what to say. Sitting down in a chair beside her bed, he took her hand and kissed it. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath. "Hiya beautiful..." was all he could get out.
C.J. smiled a little and then said after looking around the room, "What happened? How did I wind up back in here?"
Matt swallowed and took one hand to brush the hair from the side of her face, "C.J., what do you remember about today?"
C.J. started breathing faster, "Why? Matt, what's going on? I don't remember again? What's happening?" She started crying and Matt moved to the bed and took her in his arms holding her close.
The doctor then came in and said, "Mr. Houston, they're ready to go."
C.J. pulled back and asked, "Ready to go...what...what is going on? Matt?" She looked up at him and the look nearly broke his heart even further.
Matt brushed her hair back and softly told her, "We need to go to another hospital, one that can treat you better..."
The men came in with a stretcher and one asked, "Do we need the restraints?"
C.J. looked at them in disbelief, "Restraints? Matt...what do they mean? Where are they wanting to take me?"
The man then said, "Ma'am, its just standard procedure. Just remain calm, this will all be much easier for you if you don't try to fight us. Tranquil Gardens is one of the nicest mental hospitals in the country so just take it easy and let us get you there."
C.J. couldn't believe what she was hearing, "What? No! I'm not going to any mental hospital, I don't need any mental hospital. Matt, tell them..." She caught the look on his face and said softly, "You agree?" When he didn't respond she looked down and took a deep breath before saying as clearly as she could, "I do not need to be admitted to any mental hospital. I am a lawyer and I know my rights..."
The man then said, "Ma'am, you've been deemed to not be in your right mind right now by your doctor at this hospital and your husband. Now you don't have any choice. Again, please don't fight us on this or we will have to use the restraints."
Matt then said rather strongly if not loudly, "No one is using any restraints on my wife. Am I clear?" He shot them a look that could kill.
C.J. just shook her head, "I can't believe this. Of all people, Matt..." He tried to put his hands on her shoulders but she shook them off and wiped a tear. "Don't touch me," she said softly. She got up slowly and got on the gurney without saying another word.
Matt stayed by her side but she wouldn't talk to or look at him. All of this tore him up more and more. He kept trying to tell her, although they had no privacy what with the attendant sitting in the back with them, that he loved her. He told her this was only temporary, that someone was controlling her mind and hurting her despite his best efforts to keep her safe and that he would never leave or give up on her. He vowed to find out and sort through this whole mess and bring her back to him.
She never responded, just cried softly with her back to him as much as possible. The only thing she said to him after they took her to the room was, "I never would have done this to you. I helped you when they tried to frame you for that murder, and I stuck by you. I can't believe you'd betray me like this."
Matt swallowed, then trying to explain he told her, "I'm not betraying you, I'm trying to protect you, I..."
She shouted at him, "Get out!" The tears flowing down her face made his start again and Dr. Walon came up behind him.
He put his hand on his shoulder and asked softly, "I know you refused to grant permission earlier, but we should give her something..."
Matt looked back at him and told him, "No, you aren't drugging her. I was clear on that." The doctor nodded and the two left, but not before he told her one more time, "I love you, you are my best friend and the love of my life. I don't care how mad you may be with me right now, I'm not leaving you. I'll be right down the hall here. I love you."
She just closed her eyes and shook her head. Through more tears said, "Just leave, please."
He left the room and went to the one reserved for guests. Dr. Walon told him, "She'll be fine. You both probably need some sleep. We'll have someone in her room all night and your men can stay outside it. A Mr. Bradley..."
Matt interrupted, "Brad, yeah, he's one of the security men I hired. He and Greg should be switching off in the morning. Thank you for letting me keep them here." Matt just looked back at the room in silence after Walon left him there.