The next couple of days were normal, almost. Jacob and Joseph would eat lunch and dinner with John before leaving to do their work. They had ordered a special wheelchair, but the shipment wouldn't be for another few days.

Pat comes into the room, carrying a flower bouquet. John stared at it; it was beautiful. Orchids, daisies, sunflowers, the contrast of colors worked so well.

"Who is that from?" John asks, the iPad always easily accessible for him.

"Don't know," Pat says. "Just said that it came from someone who knew what you were feeling. Wanted to let you know there's people out there thinking of you." John blinks, people…out…there? That means the whole county knows. People that are supposed to hate him, supposed to fear him. Now they pity him. Pat sighs, putting the flowers down on the bedside table, the doorbell rings.

Pat walks out, peeking through the door. It's those damn deputies again. When are they going to just give up?

"Who here?" John asks. "Cops?"

"Yes," Pat says. John sighs.

"In," John says. Pat turns to look at him still in the doorway. "Let in."

"John…are you sure about that?" Pat asks.

"Won't stop," John says. "Get it over with."

"Okay," Pat says. He goes over to the door opening it, Hudson and Staci standing there. "Come on in." Staci is the first through the door. He had never set foot in John's house before. "I will ask you to take your boots off. Please."

"Yes, of course, sir," Staci says kicking off his boots. Hudson is a little more reluctant but complies when Staci gives her a look.

"John is just in here," Pat says, leading the two deputies to the infirmary. Staci gives a small smile to John, who scowls at him.

"Why here?" John asks. Staci looks at Pat for permission to enter.

"Go ahead," Pat says. Staci steps into the infirmary, it smelled of rubbing alcohol, but something sweet as well.

"How are you, John?" Staci asks, his hands folded in front of him.

"Fine," John answers. He looks down at the iPad, then up to the newly installed cameras. John ignores it and repeats the question. "Why here?"

"We are just checking in," Hudson says.

"Since when it your problem?" John asks.

"Well, we imagine you had to have had a reason for what you did," Staci says, pulling up a chair to sit next to John.

"No need reason," John answers.

"Really?" Staci asks. "So, you just…left your bunker in the middle of the night for the hell of it?" John groans, his finger is shaking. "I apologize for upsetting you. I bet you read in the paper about that sheriff's deputy that tried to overdose?"

"All over the paper," John says. "No name. Privacy."

"That deputy was me," Staci says. John pauses to look at Staci. John doesn't remember the deputy's name.

"Your name?" John asks.

"Staci Pratt," Staci answers. "That's my partner Joey Hudson." Hudson just gives a small wave, standing in the corner of the room. "I know this must be hard. I bet nobody here understands, do they?"

"No," John says. "I don't need help."

"I told myself that," Staci says. "Never reached out, never talked to anyone, that is what lead me down that path, John. Keeping it all inside is foolish and self-destructive. I can help you."

"How?" John asks. "Why? This nothing to do with you."

"But it does have something to do with us, John," Staci says, putting his hand on John's arm. John whimpers and Staci immediately let's go. "You are a part of this community. You live here now. That kind of makes you, our problem."

"Not illegal to kill yourself," John states.

"There's something else going on though, isn't there?" Staci asks. John's eyes go wide, fear written on his face. "I am only here to help you. But I can't do that if you won't let me. And I won't give up. You can just keep denying my help and I'll keep offering it."

"JOHN!" Joseph shouts. Staci gulps, but smiles softly at John, handing him his card with his number on it.

"Call me anytime," Staci says, putting it underneath John's iPad. John just nods to Staci. He wanted help, but he was just so scared. Staci stands up when Joseph comes charging into the room. Hudson is out from the corner, standing in front of Staci protectively, hand on her weapon.

"What are you doing here, Deputies?" Joseph asks. "John, are you okay?"

"Fine," John answers. "Just want to talk."

"Get out," Joseph orders. Staci just smiles again at John, then his eyes wander to the flowers on the nightstand. He's pretty sure that was a group effort by Adalaide, Grace, and Sharkie. "Now!" Joseph shouts. Hudson grabs Staci's arm, pulling him out of the room. "What in the world was that, John?! You weren't answering our texts! Do you have any idea how worried we were? You are lucky Jacob didn't get here before I did!"

"Bugging me for…couple days," John answers his angry brother.

"WHAT?!" Joseph screams. "Ah…I'm sorry, John." Staci follows Hudson out onto the front lawn after the long process of getting their boots put back on.

"We better get out of here before Jacob comes," Hudson says. She really didn't want to deal with the oldest Seed brother. Staci just nods, climbing into the truck. That whimper from John hadn't left his mind. He leans forward holding his chest, no, not right now, not in front of Hudson. "Stace? Oh, fuck…" She looks around, deciding to just leave and get a little distance before she stops. "Hold on, Stace." Staci is still holding his chest, his breathing accelerated, his vision blurry. He knew that whimper, everything he thought he'd buried, thought he'd forgotten and moved passed just comes back to the surface.

Was John touched that way too? Hudson pulls over to the side of the road. Her voice is distant, Staci unable to respond.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Hudson shouts. "Sheriff!" Hudson shouts through the phone.

"What's going on, Hudson?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks.

"We just got done talking to John, Pratt is having some sort of breakdown! I think it is a panic attack…something triggered him, Sheriff." Hudson explains. She hates seeing her partner like this. Staci starts to lean more forward, as if he is losing consciousness. "Staci! Staci, come on, don't pass out on me!"

"Where the hell are you, Joey?" Sheriff Whitehorse orders.

"Dirt road about a mile away from John's ranch, I turned left…that's all I know. He's…he isn't responding, and I think he's passed out." Hudson says.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Sheriff Whitehorse says. "Go to Boone's house it is closest to you. I'll meet you there."

"Okay," Hudson says. Hudson gently pushes Staci back against the seat, his face is soaked in tears, his eyes closed, his breathing still accelerated. Hudson drives quickly pulling into Boone's driveway. Boone comes out, shaking his head. He was the one that tested them at the beginning of their career, to be a sheriff deputy. Boone comes over to the passenger seat.

"How long he been out?" Boone asks.

"Since the drive over," Hudson responds. "So, about 15 minutes?"

"You got here fast," Boone quips.

"You really going to chastise me for speeding me right now, Boone?" Hudson asks.

"No, no, I'm sorry, young lady," Boone replies. "Let's get him in the house."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Hudson asks.

"You want him to stay in the truck?" Boone asks. Hudson bites her lip, obviously weighing her options.

"I would rather wait for the sheriff," Hudson says. Boone sighs, but nods. "Maybe he'll wake up by the time he gets here." Staci groans after 5 minutes, sitting up. "Whoa, easy there, Pratt."

"Where am I?" Staci asks.

"Hey, there, kiddo," Boone says. Staci turns to look out the window to see the man that welcomed him into the Hope County Sheriff's Department. "Gave your partner there a real scare." Staci looks over at Hudson who looks relieved to see him awake and talking. Staci sits up when he hears gravel behind him.

"You called the sheriff, Joey?" Staci asks.

"What the hell was I supposed to do?" Hudson asks. The Sheriff exits the truck, Staci rolling down his window.

"What happened?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks.

"Let's talk inside," Boone requests. Sheriff Whitehorse steps away from the truck but not too far in case Staci needed a guiding hand. Staci steps out of the truck and into the house. He puts his hands in front of him, nibbling his lip. "You want something to drink?"

"A beer would be nice," Staci teases. "Water is fine."

"Pratt?" Sheriff Whitehorse calls.

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry, sir," Staci says almost instinctively.

"You got nothing to be sorry for," Sheriff Whitehorse states. "What happened?"

"I got…" Staci starts to say. "I do think something else is going on…with John I mean."

"What is that something else?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks gesturing for him to sit. Staci nods sitting down on the couch.

"I can only speculate," Staci says. "Nothing has been confirmed. I just told him my story and that I knew what he was going through. But he…the way he reacted to my touch."

"How'd he react?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks.

"Whimpered," Hudson says. "Scared, almost pained."

"So…abuse?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks. "You think his brothers…"

"No!" Staci shouts, catching the other two by surprise. "No, it isn't his brothers. They would never! You guys know their past right?"

"How would we know that, Staci?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks. Staci looks at the Sheriff horrified.

"They have been here how long, and you still haven't read the Book of Joseph?! It gives a pretty clear fucking view as to why he is the way he is." Staci explains. "Jacob, Joseph, and John were all beaten violently by their biological father. John was, according to the police records that I found, 4 at the time, Joseph was 14, and Jacob was 16 when they were taken from their parents. Jacob then set fire to their foster home. They were separated after that. John was adopted by this rich couple in Atlanta, they tortured him. That's where he gets the whole…yes thing from. His name used to be John Duncan before he changed it back to Seed 12 years ago. So no, his brothers would never hurt him like that."

"You…you looked up the police record?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks.

"I need to know everything I can if I…have any chance of helping him," Staci answers. "Not just abuse, Sheriff. Assault, sexual assault."

"You believe he has been sexually assaulted?" Sheriff Whitehorse asks. Staci nods. "Yeah, that would easily drive someone like John to suicide."

"I gave him my number and told him to call me anytime," Staci says. Sheriff Whitehorse looks at him. "Don't look at me like that Sheriff. I know I lost it back there, okay? This is just…it's a lot. But I'm fine."

"Staci Pratt!" Hudson shouts. Staci looks behind his shoulder at her. "You passed out back there!"

"I said that I was going to help him," Staci says. "And I intend to…I just wasn't expecting this."

"We can't know for sure until he says so," Sheriff Whitehorse says. "But if you really think you are up for this, I'm not going to kick you off this case." Staci smiles over at him. Staci after all did know exactly how to help him now, he knew what he was feeling on both fronts.