TWO WEEKS LATER

"Okay, Donovan, I'm going to change the dressing on your stitches. If everything looks good, this will hopefully be your last visit to the infirmary until your drug test next week," Dr. Lewis briskly entered the room, carrying a tray of medical supplies. Placing it on a small table beside the examination table where Bode sat, she got straight to the point.

"Can you take off your shirt for me?" she asked matter-of-factly, her gaze fixed on Bode.

Nodding, Bode reluctantly raised the edge of his orange cotton prison-issued shirt, stifling a groan to conceal the pain he felt. As the fabric peeled away, Sarah's eyes widened at the sight of the dark bruises covering his body, which hadn't been there during their last check-up.

"Jesus, Bode. What happened?" Genuine concern laced Sarah's voice as she glanced at him, her use of his first name catching him off guard. She helped him remove the shirt entirely so she could assess the full extent of the damage. "Who did this to you?"

Bode's gaze dropped to the floor, silent.

"Donovan. I do understand how things work in here. But... I can't help you if you won't let me."

She ran her gloved hands gently over his muscular shoulders and back carefully examining his injuries, then moved to his chest and sides.

"Thankfully, it doesn't look like you took much damage on the side where you were stabbed. But there are a couple of really dark bruises here. You could have some internal bleeding. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Do you think my kidneys will be okay?" Bode asked ignoring her question.

"That's the second time you've specifically asked about your kidneys. Why the concern about them especially?"

Bode met her eyes for the first time since she'd walked in. His blue eyes filled with such overwhelming vulnerability that it her breath caught in her throat.

"It's my mom. She is dying of kidney disease. I'm a match, but I haven't been able to convince her to let me be her donor."

"I see. Well, based on the location of the bruises, I think they should be okay. Will you at least tell me how long ago this happened?"

"Two days," Bode replied quietly.

Frustration tinged Sarah's expression as she rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm going to send you for some imaging. Any symptoms that I should know about?" she asked gently to keep him from clamming up. "Like... blood in your urine, trouble breathing, headaches."

"No, nothing like that," Bode answered softly.

"Well, at least that's something," Sarah sighed, shaking her head in frustration at her patient.

Thankfully, Bode's scans showed no serious injuries, but Sarah couldn't help but worry that the worst was yet to come. He was clearly being targeted.

There was an enigmatic quality about Bode, an aura of guardedness. It seemed as though he had been deeply wounded in the past. Occasionally, though, he would let his defences down for a brief moment, revealing a glimpse of the person he might have been had life dealt him a different hand. His intense, soulful blue eyes seemed to hold a wealth of untold stories just beneath the surface.

Sarah was determined to help him, even if he wouldn't help himself.

She decided to start with his lawyer. He was an overworked public defender named Levi. He was only assigned Bode's case after he'd been transferred to Three Rock, but they had worked together to prep for Bode's parole hearing. Despite his busy schedule, he was happy to take her call.

Sarah explained who she was, the fact that Bode was being targeted and that she suspected his drug test may have been tampered with.

"I honestly don't know what happened. Bode had a completely different statement prepared. We'd even rehearsed it that morning. An investigator with the State Attorney General's office had asked to meet with him right before the hearing. I don't know what it was about... but after he met with her... well, everything changed. I would recommend speaking with Captain Manuel Perez. He's in charge of the inmates at Three Rock and seems to know Bode pretty well. He may know more about her investigation and how Bode is involved," Levi offered helpfully.

"Thanks so much, Levi. I'll try to connect with Captain Perez. Talk soon," Sarah said appreciatively, as she hung up the phone.

Captain Manuel Perez was much different than Sarah had expected. In her mind, she would be meeting a grizzled old firefighter. Someone tough and unrelenting enough to manage a large crew of prisoners with limited support. When she had called to ask if they could meet, he hadn't sounded very impressed that she wanted to talk about Bode Donovan, but he didn't say no. She offered to come to Edgewater and treat him to dinner for his time. Captain Perez suggested a local pub called Smokey's.

Sarah was already seated at a table when he walked in. He was tall with an athletic build, thick dark hair, a well-defined jawline and striking light blue eyes. As he reached the table, he gave her a friendly smile. "Dr. Lewis?"

"Ah... yes," Sarah answered, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks. There was a magnetic charm about him that had caught her off-guard. "Nice to meet you Captain Perez."

"You can call me Manny," he said with genuine warmth, as he sat down across from her in the booth. "So, you want to talk about Bode," he said with a bit of a sigh.

"I do. I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me. He's a patient of mine at Lompoc. I'll be honest... in my work, meeting an inmate that I think I can really help is pretty rare. Something doesn't seem right with Bode's situation and I want to see if I can help," Sarah started.

Before she could continue, Manny interrupted. "That's because Bode is a master manipulator. When he first got to Three Rock, I thought I could see a lot of myself in him. Someone desperate for a second chance. Finally, ready to change. But, I was wrong. Didn't you read his statement to the parole board?"

"Which one?" Sarah asked plainly. "The one you two worked on together for weeks before the hearing? Or the one he gave off the cuff minutes after meeting with an investigator from the State Attorney General's office? Bode's failed drug test was tampered with. I don't know how or why. He had a full panel of tests just after he arrived at Lompoc and there wasn't even a trace of any drugs in his system. That's simply not possible unless there was an issue with his test at Three Rock."

"Listen Dr. Lewis..." Manny started.

"Sarah," she corrected.

"Listen, Sarah... Not only did Bode let down his crew. He smashed my daughter's heart. She was so drawn to him that she broke off a solid relationship with a great guy, and she was ready to wait for him... no matter how long it took. But... Bode cut her off the day of the hearing and has refused her visitation requests. It crushed her. I know he seems like a cause worth fighting for, but he's not. He hurts people... over and over again. I don't think he means to.. but he's not worth it," Manny finished and started to stand up from the table.

"Wait," Sarah said putting her hand on his. "I promised you dinner. Please stay," she said bringing her green eyes up to meet his sharp blue ones.

"I just have one more thing about Bode, then we can talk about whatever you like. I swear," she pleaded

"Okay, fine," Manny said dropping back into his seat. "But, I'm ordering the steak."

"Fair enough," Sarah said with a warm smile.

She carefully pulled a set of photographs from her file folder and spread them across the table. They showed Bode's injuries from both attacks. She'd had to take them for the formal incident report, which she was required to file anytime inmates were injured.

"Bode is being targeted. I don't know by who, but I think it has something to do with whatever happened at Three Rock that sent him back to prison. He hadn't even been inside for two days when he was first attacked. He won't say a word about who is behind it. He has refused all visitors except his lawyer, which makes me think that he's worried about his friends and family become targets themselves."

The shock was evident on Manny's face, as he took in each photo laid out on the table. They showed in graphic detail just how badly Bode had been beaten and his stab wounds.

"It's Sleeper," Manny said quietly.

"Pardon?" Sarah asked, her face full of confusion.

"Sleeper. He's another inmate at Lompoc. He was transferred to Three Rock about a month before Bode was sent back. They had been cellmates in prison and there was bad blood between them. Bode warned me that Sleeper had brought drugs to Three Rock and it was Bode who suggested that we test the crew for drugs to prove that Sleeper was distributing in the camp. Bode is the reason that Sleeper was sent back to Lompoc. My understanding is that he is well connected inside."

"Do you think Sleeper would have had the connections to tamper with Bode's test results?"

"I honestly don't know," Manny replied genuinely.

"Any idea what the State Attorney General's office spoke to Bode about before his hearing?"

"None," Manny said. Then after a couple of moments considering the question, he continued. "It is strange though. Bode was adamant that his drug test was incorrect. He claimed that he hadn't used in over a year... long before coming to Three Rock. No one believed him except Gabriella, my daughter, but he continued to claim his innocence... right up to the moment that he went in to speak to the investigator."

"Manny. I believe Bode, not because he's charming and seems a bit like a lost puppy... but because the science supports it." Sarah pointed to the photos on the table. "Even after taking that beating and being stabbed three times, he refused any painkillers. He didn't want to risk getting hooked again. That doesn't seem consistent with someone who is easily pushed off the wagon."

Manny nodded.

"Also, I don't know if you know his mom, but his kidneys weren't damaged in either attack. So, he can still be a donor. He mentioned that he's a match, but that she has refused to accept a kidney from him," Sarah said with a weak smile.

"Thankfully, she found another donor. She had surgery shortly after Bode was sent back to Lompoc. You can tell him that her recovery is going slowly, but smoothly so far. It was his uncle who was the donor," Manny explained.

"I'll let him know. I think he'll be really relieved to hear it. It's been the only thing that he's been worried about after either attack. Are my kidneys okay? Can I still be a donor? It's honestly the only personal thing that I know about him. I was only able to find you thanks to his lawyer."

"Well, I'm glad you found me," Manny said with a captivating smile.

Sarah felt her cheeks flush. "Me too," she said with a shy smile.