Chapter Five

The hospital corridor was rather quiet as Pete and Jim walked towards the nurses' station. They could see Sally talking with another nurse- a blonde haired woman by the name of Marie. That didn't not surprise them only seeing Kel Brackett, in his street clothes, did. "Aren't you in the wrong hospital?" Pete smiled at the well – known, no – nonsense doctor.

"Just visiting a friend, told him the same thing. I mean, told him he's at the wrong medical building." His eyes were laughing as he made the comment -even if his face was otherwise serious. "I'd stay and visit only I'm supposed to start my own shift in the next hour. Take care."

"You, too." Pete and Jim said, before they turned their attention to Sally and Marie. "We were hoping we could see Mr. Tilton." The uncomfortable looks the two nurses shared made Pete and Jim uneasy only, before they could ask about the reaction they'd said seen, Sally was sending shock waves through them. "He passed away not ten minutes ago, never came to."

Pete and Jim felt a range of emotions; though, anger that both men had died before anyone could demand to know how they got Mac's wallet was high on the list. Though, before Sally could say anything else-and it appeared she meant to, they heard someone yelling, "I NEED TO TALK TO THE POLICE!"

Pete, Jim and both the nurses turned their heads. All of them were astonished to see the driver of the orange car that had been hit by Tilton and his friend holding his IV stand and hurrying as fast as he could towards them. Naturally, Sally started hollering, "Mr. Parker! You're not supposed to be out of your bed!"

"So, let's you and I get him back into bed! Jim and I will talk to him!" Pete said as he glanced at his partner. "That is, once Jim calls the station to let them know what's going on."

No one argued with Pete. Seconds later Pete was helping Sally get Robert Parker back to his room while Jim was using the phone at the nurse's station to call the police station.

~oOo~

Mac winced as Eliza examined his right leg once more, something she was only doing because he was complaining it was bothering him. "How bad is the pain?" Eliza asked as she rolled his pant leg back down.

"I'd say 4. However, it's more of an ache than anything." Mac told her.

"Well, until we can get you to a hospital and have an X-ray done, I can't swear there's no hair line fraction. However, until that happens, let's err on the side of caution. I will look around for something to use as a splint." She started to cover him with the blanket he'd been using only to have him stop her.

"It's not night yet. I don't need that thing. Thanks anyway," Mac smiled at her.

"I'll be back soon." Eliza left the room and hurried down the stairs, leaving Mac alone with his thoughts which held a conversation he'd had with Eliza before complaining about his leg.

"I hate not being able to remember more than my name and the fact I'm a widower-and I hate the fact I'm such a burden to you." Mac looked at Eliza; she was once again looking out the window.

Eliza whirled around, horrified he thought of himself as a burden. It was a notion she quickly did her best get him to let go of. "Mac, you're not even close to a burden. You're hurt, and I'm a doctor. Doctors take care of people, the same as paramedics, nurses, people who work in home health, firemen, policemen and other various jobs. We all take care of each other. Well...except for men like the ones who abandoned you. Like my grandfathers, father and brothers have said more than once 'Men like that need to be thrown behind bars until they grow up.' Please, don't ever think I wish I wasn't here. For your sake, I'm glad I was." She couldn't help but chuckle and added, "It's like my Grandfather Milne-my mother's father-used to say all the time, 'Life's a game, and fallin' means yer playin'." Eliza, who had without half thinking, spoken the sentence in the same Scottish accent her grandfather would have used, found herself slightly embarrassed-as Mac looked startled as she spoke. "Sorry, I have a habit of using my grandfather's accent when I quote him. Don't know why, only I do." She sighed and then added, "Life pushed you down, Mac, but you don't have to stay down."

"It's not just the accent that threw me," Mac admitted as he flicked his wrists. "It's just that...when you listed those jobs-I mean the ones in the medical field and law enforcement…" he growled in frustration. "I don't know."

Eliza wanted nothing more than to give him his answers. "You'll get your answers, Mac. Someday, you will. I just know it."

Mac came out of his thoughts as Eliza walked in carrying a couple of narrow boards. "I'll have to find something to use as stra…" she stopped mid-sentence-as she was sure she heard something.

Mac, who heard the same thing, looked toward the window. Sure enough... "Someone's coming, least sounds like vehicles to me."

Eliza laid the boards in her hands on the same crate that she used as a chair, and quickly moved to the window. A smile quickly spread across her face as she turned and hurried towards the door. "It's the police and an ambulance just entering this deserted town!" She then exited the room and flew down the steps.