Part 3 (2/2)

”They brought her up about 4:00 a.m. and she never woke up, and I haven't heard a peep out of her.”

”Are her parents here?”

”No, but Detective Garrett went in to see her a few minutes ago.”

”What! The police are not allowed to question her without supervision.” She was trying to control her anger.

The nurse held up a hand. ”Hold on, Ms. Welch. I didn't say anything about someone questioning her.”

”Why else would he be here?”

The nurse frowned. ”You don't know Daniel very well, do you?”

”What?”

”I've worked for over thirty years in this hospital and I know Daniel Garrett. He often comes by to check on a patient-overdoses, victims of shootings and the like. That's the type of person he is. I can a.s.sure you he's not questioning Brooke Wallace.”

Sarah took the chart and walked toward Brooke's room feeling duly chastised. The nurse was right-Daniel was always there for the victim. He'd been there for her during Boyd's arrest, his trial and the appeal. Through it all Daniel had been unfailing in his support, as he was with everyone. She'd admitted as much to herself yesterday, so why had she felt a flash of anger when the nurse had mentioned his name?

What was really bothering her? Did she want to be more than a woman in an endless line of victims to Daniel? Of course not. She just didn't want him to see her as a helpless female-that's all. She didn't want anything else from a man ever again-including Daniel.

She was lying.

She groaned inwardly at the war going on inside her. Her emotions were like a tennis ball being constantly batted back and forth until she was exhausted from the struggle. She had to decide what she wanted from Daniel, what she expected from him. Because, like it or not, he was in her life. Their jobs threw them together and she had no right to tell him to stay away from her. She had to apologize. Of that she was very certain.

Just as she reached the door, Daniel came out. He stopped short when he saw her then walked on without a word.

She hurried after him. ”Daniel.”

He halted and slowly turned around. ”I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be here this early. I only stopped by to see how Brooke was doing. She's awake and I didn't ask her any questions about the rape. I only rea.s.sured her that we'd catch this guy.”

”You won't, though.”

He blinked. ”What?”

”You're quitting the force. If you do that, you won't catch him.”

He was watching her closely. ”Russ has a good team and they'll find him.”

”Russ is a macho idiot,” she blurted before she could stop herself.

”He's also a good cop.”

”No, he isn't, but you are.” It came out almost as a whisper.

His dark eyes narrowed. ”What is this, Sarah? Last night you told me to stay away from you in a voice that could cut gla.s.s and this morning you're saying I'm a good cop in a voice I don't recognize. To say I'm confused is putting it mildly.”

”Could we talk for a minute?”

Daniel held up both hands. ”I don't think so. We said all we had to say last night. You're right, I've worried about you too much and it's time for me to back away. Time for me to do a lot of things and some of them have nothing to do with you.” He took a deep breath. ”With Serena and Ethan being so far away, I wanted to be there if you needed someone. But you've made it plain on more than one occasion that you're fine and don't need anyone. You see-” he glanced down the hall ”-I have this flaw-I want to help everyone. I've finally recognized that that's not always possible.”

”Daniel-”

He cut her off. ”If you have a problem with Russ, just call Lieutenant Bauer and he'll take care of him.”

”Daniel...”

”Goodbye, Sarah. After today you won't see me again. I'll be flying to Paris on Monday and I'm not sure when I'll be back.” He turned and strolled toward the elevators.

She watched until he disappeared behind the closing doors. She let out a long breath, not even realizing that she hadn't been breathing. For a moment she didn't know what to do. All she could think was that she hadn't had a chance to apologize. Daniel hadn't wanted to hear anything she'd had to say. She deserved that. She had been cruel last night, hurting him when he'd been nothing but kind to her.

At Boyd's trial, Serena had sat on one side of her and Daniel on the other, encouraging her and letting her know she had the strength to face Boyd and to describe in open court what he'd done to Greg and to her. She wondered now if she could have done it without him.

She moved toward Brooke's room. He'd said he was going to Paris. Did he have family there? Or was he taking a special woman? She suddenly realized that she didn't know anything about Daniel or his life. Did he have a family? He wasn't married, she knew, because Serena had mentioned it. Who was Daniel Garrett?

She shook her head as she entered the room. It really didn't matter. She had just severed all ties to the man and she felt an emptiness in her stomach at her thoughtless actions.

BROOKE WAS LYING on her side, staring at the wall. The IV was still in her arm.

”Good morning,” Sarah said as she took a seat.

”Morning, Ms. Welch,” Brooke responded.

”How are you feeling?”

”Sore, and my neck and throat hurts.”

”That will heal with time.”

”And the nightmare, the shame and horror-does it go away, too?”

No. It will be with you the rest of your life.

She should have been able to say yes with confidence, but she couldn't. The truth of that hit her like a slap in the face, the sting creeping into tiny crevices in her mind that she had boarded up against the pain. She hadn't dealt with what had happened to her. She could see that now. Daniel had seen it, but she hadn't.

She gathered her thoughts, her knowledge. ”It will be hard.” She spoke the truth and more truths followed. ”You have to make a concentrated effort to move on with your life. You have to talk to people, especially when you're hurting, and don't shut people out.” Like I did. ”People want to help you.” Daniel did. ”It will take a lot of love and support, but eventually you will be able to put it behind you.” Like I have to do now.

”I don't like talking about it.”

”A good counselor or therapist will help you with that and you don't have to talk until you're ready.”

”I like talking to you.”

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