He could not have imagined such a tragic scene if he tried to. Using the lamps and Billy Jones' directions, the group of men found Isobel Crawley lying on the ground…her clothes disheveled sticking to her and the ground, her hat a few feet away. The lightening along with the rain made the sight even more horrifying and it took Richard couldn't even talk as he knelt beside her placing his two fingers against the pulse point on her neck.

She looked ever so small and her skin was pale as a sheet in contrast to the blood on her face and hands and her left eye was already swelling. Richard was experiencing three very intense emotions at the same time: utter rage at the low life bastard who did this to her, mind numbing fear for her mental and physical well being and great relief when he felt her weak pulse beneath his fingers…she was alive.

"We have no time for ambulance let's get her into my car…" he put an arm under Isobel's neck and knees and scooped her up before driving her, top speed to his hospital. He examined her and let the nurses clean her up while he went to his office to collect his thoughts. He managed to close the door before he leaned over the basin and threw up, he could not get the bruises on her stomach and ribs the cuts and swelling on her face. Whoever did this was going to cost him his Hippocratic oath to do no harm as he was going to kill this vermin.

As for Isobel, he sedated her with morphine and the Crawleys had requested that she be moved to the abbey where nurses will be hired to care for her round the clock, he would be getting a guestroom while two of his underlings will be covering him after morning rounds. He was glad to see her family taking care of her and he was sure that she would be feeling more comfortable there. He was physically and mentally exhausted. Jesus, the last exchange he had with her was a tiff and he could only pray that God gives him another chance to look her in the eye and say what he actually felt...he loved her.

He ran his hand through his silvering hair. He needed to get her through this, his Isobel would never be alone.

Violet Crawley tried in vain to eat breakfast that morning. She could take her mind off her best friend. She was not only disgusted or appalled she was in a furious temper, Spratt thought she was going to dig a hole in the wood planks with the way she was digging her stick in the floor as Cora explained what happened to the woman Violet considered to be a younger sister – not that she would ever tell her that. She dined with every judge in the county and went to school their ladies! She would make damn sure this revolting man got his comeuppance once he was caught.

She decided to visit the abbey that evening after Isobel would be transferred. She was being kept sedated in order to delay the trauma and to give her body time to heal. Violet needed to speak to Richard Clarkson. She was the only one who knew about their relationship and she was wondering how he was holding up. She smiled fondly as she remembered seeing him for the first time as a newly graduated GP with a heavy Scottish accent when he delivered Mary. She had not been very nice to him but then again – she was never nice to anyone new but she became to admire the man.

He was away from his homeland making other people's life better. He was kind, intelligent and cared about his patients. With sadness she remembered how he fought for Sybil in vain and the look of heartbreak on his face when she died. She realised how moody he was when her friend went to France after he tried to resolve the situation with Cora and how close to Isobel he was when Matthew died. Wasn't it ironic that the very person they wanted to get rid of a couple of years ago became the most important person in both of their lives?

AN: I know it's a short chapter but it's a meaningful one as we see the effect this has on everyone and how they are going to be there for Isobel but I though Richard and Violet had a right to a 'reaction chapter' - what do you think?