Wow, I can't believe I'm finally updating myself! I am so sorry for letting you wait so long, thank you so, so much for your continuing support, I just totally lost my motivation for this story. I hope you like the update. I won't concentrate on the investigation very much but more on how it effects Sharon and the rest.
Chapter 6
The next time Sharon opened her eyes she could tell that it was early in the morning. The sun was shining through the curtains that were supposed to keep the lightness out. Sharon shifted a little and tried to get comfortable which was a difficult task for her these days. She groaned in frustration and started to pull the oxygen tube that had been supporting her breathing through the night out of her nostrils because they were starting to get on her nerves. Andy, who was asleep in the most uncomfortable position possible on the chair next to Sharon's bed woke up by her shifting.
"Sharon, don't", he grumbled with a voice that was still full of sleep. Andy gently put his hand on Sharon's forearm and stopped her from pulling the tube out.
Sharon sighted while Andy stretched his stiff muscles groaning.
"Andy, you shouldn't have spent the night here", Sharon murmured as she noticed his discomfort.
"I'm ok. More importantly: how are you feeling?"
"I'm ok too."
"How's your head?"
"Still attached to my neck", Sharon smiled – she hated being hovered over almost more than not being a 100% fit.
"Sharon", Andy sighted frustrated.
"Look, I'm sorry, Andy. But can we make a deal?"
"What kind of a deal?"
"I'll tell you whenever I feel worse than I do now and you may ask me three times a day TOPS how I am doing."
Andy immediately got what Sharon was trying to point out: "deal."
"Thank you", Sharon smiled tiredly.
"I just don't like seeing you like this."
"Well, I don't like being like this either but as we both know from experience, it'll only get better from here on."
Andy leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his girlfriend's lips.
"Any news?" Sharon asked.
"There actually are."
"Oh?"
"Sharon, Julio and Amy went by the condo after they left the hospitals to check for any hints."
"And?"
"They found letters."
"Urgh", Sharon closed her eyes for a couple of moments. Ever since Rusty's threat letters Sharon was especially tense when it came to any kind of letters involved in an investigation.
"What kind of letters?"
"It's hard to say", Andy said, "some are love-letters, some are slightly threatening."
"Love-letters?"
"Tao sent me copies, here", Andy handed Sharon her phone while she reached for her glasses. Andy saw that she struggled to reach over the nightstand to get her glasses so he gave her those too.
"My dearest Sharon,
oh who ever loved that loved not on first sight?", Sharon started to read one of the letters, "isn't that Shakespeare?"
"I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person."
"Right", Sharon murmured and continued reading. Every once in a while, she read a passage out aloud but more to herself than to Andy.
"…so beautiful. I can't stop thinking about you. What am I doing wrong? I am in love with you. I am truly in love with you…"
"…that filthy Lieutenant of yours isn't worth your time. You're mine." Sharon looked up from the phone and looked at Andy who was a little worried that showing Sharon all the letters at once might have been a little too much for her. She looked paler again and continued to pale as she continued reading.
"I'm begging you, don't bring him home with you anymore or I must take more serious steps to keep you safe – Andy, that guy is a stalker", Sharon stated, "how did I not notice a stalker?!"
Andy took his phone out of Sharon's hands and then took her hand into his.
"How could I not notice", Sharon whispered again and shook her head.
"There was no way you could have known without opening the letters", Andy said without judgement.
"Where did they find them?"
"In the bottom drawer of your desk at home."
"Oh my god, Andy. That's where I put all the low-priority mail. Things have been so hectically that I didn't get to go through it for, I don't know, months probably."
"I know", Andy smiled sympathetically. He knew why Sharon was so upset: if she had read the letters there might have been a chance to avoid the brutal attack on Sharon.
"Any traces?" Sharon asked.
"None whatsoever, sadly."
"I can't believe this."
"We are doing everything we can to find this guy", Andy said, "as a matter of fact, if it's ok with you, I'd like to join the rest of the team for a couple of hours today while the kids are here."
"Of course. Can you tell the kids to bring me my laptop?"
"Sharon, I know that we made a deal but you're not really in the state to be working."
"I can't just sit here and do nothing. There must be some kind of hints besides the letters about who this person is. If I can just read through the material Tao, Sykes and Sanchez have gathered I might remember something."
Andy was still skeptical and knew that the doctors prohibited her screen time and labor due to the concussion but was also aware that Sharon was still drowsy and probably wouldn't last very long without falling asleep.
"Fine", he gave in.
"Thank you", Sharon murmured, already worn out by their long conversation, "you should go home, take a shower and get some real rest. You look exhausted."
"I'm not leaving before the kids are here", Andy stated simply.
"I'm just gonna fall asleep anyway", Sharon grimaced.
"Still. I don't want you here alone."
"In case you haven't noticed, there are two heavily armed policemen in front of my room and I'm sure the kids will be here shortly. I'm serious Andy, you need some rest before you do anything else and I can't if I have to worry about your wellbeing", Sharon argued while squeezing Andy's hand lightly.
"Are you sure?" Andy asked.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Almost directly after Andy left, a nurse checked on Sharon and shortly afterwards a doctor examined her.
"We'll have to wait for the lab results to be sure but I'm confident that GHB is almost out of your system, you seem much clearer."
"I feel much clearer", Sharon agreed. "
"How bad is the pain? Do you need more pain relievers?"
"No, I'd rather not be numbed again. I can deal with the pain."
"All right then. We'll see how the lab results are and then we might be able to start discussing your release."
"That's great."
A little later Emily, Ricky and Rusty arrived at the hospital with pajamas, Sharon's laptop, her robe and tablet.
In the meantime, the team was working their hardest and shortly after Andy arrived had their first significant breakthrough.