I forced myself to move and move fast. I stepped back and closed the door. When it was almost shut, I heard a thud against it on the other side. I suspected the snake had come after me but I got out of the way in time and it hit the door. I slammed it shut and turned around and hobbled back into the room. I had insisted that Doc unhook my IV so I could go in alone without him pushing the pole for me. He had also clamped off the catheter tube and taken the bag off so I wouldn’t have to carry it, since I was using the large bag that you can’t tape to your leg. I was now *very* glad of the fact he had taken both catheter and IV off and that he had not accompanied me to the washroom.

“Done already?” Doc asked, glancing up from his book. He saw the look of terror on my face. “Hon, what’s wrong?” I couldn’t find my voice. “Meredith, what is it?”

Then the reality of what I’d just seen hit me. I lost all of my strength and, even though I was leaning on crutches, collapsed on the floor. I could feel my heart pounding. Doc was up out of his chair and around the bed in a split second. Man, can he move fast when he wants to. I think I’ve said that before.

“Meredith, are you okay? Did you hurt anything?” he asked as he knelt down on the floor beside me.

“I didn’t hurt myself”, I said between sobs. “There’s a snake in the bathroom!”

“A what?”

“A snake. You know, those long thin creatures that slither on the ground?”

“Very funny, Meredith.”

“I’m not joking, Doc!”

“What kind of snake?”

“King Cobra.”

“How do you know?”

“From watching National Geographic Wild. I’ve seen enough snake shows to know.”

“Meredith, you are serious, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Doc. That thud you probably heard was the thing hitting the door instead of me.”

“Oh, dear God, hon. Let me get you back in bed.” He picked me up and carried me over to the bed, then put the heart monitor and catheter bag back on. “I‘ll leave the IV off until you get your antibiotic this afternoon.” He watched the monitor for a minute. “Meredith, your heart is beating very fast.”

“Tell me you don’t wonder why, Doc.”

“I know, sweetie. Try and relax, though. I’m going to call the detective.” When he got off the phone, he said “He is coming right over.”

“Doc, I have to get out of here. I do not feel safe.”

“Hon, wait until Scott gets here. We can talk to him about our options.”

“Please get me out of this room. Now.”

“Meredith, please wait for Scott.”

The detective got to the hospital in record time. I told him what had happened. “Are you absolutely sure it was a King Cobra?” he asked me.

“Yes.”

“Ok. I called a snake expert we use from time to time. He’s on his way over with equipment to catch it. If this is the work of Jane, she‘s just escalated to attempted murder. She‘ll be going to prison for a long time once we catch her.”

“Can you prove it was her and that she meant for the snake to kill me?”

“The email is evidence of her murderous intent, though we need to trace it to prove she sent it. There’s also the fact that she chose a species of snake that it would take hours, if not longer, to get anti venom to you. There might be some at the Vancouver Zoo, if they keep that species. It would still take time to get here. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find out where she got the snake and if someone saw her with it, that should secure a conviction. Trust me, when we catch her, I’m charging her with everything I can.”

“Scott, I need to get out of here. I can’t take another moment in this room. Especially knowing the snake is in the bathroom.”

“The door is closed. It cannot get out unless someone opens it. I’m not going to open it, I doubt Julian is and I *know* you aren’t.”

I kept looking in the direction of the bathroom. The door was set back a bit with a small closet-type area in an alcove in front of and to the left of it, which was used to keep patient belongings in. I know it was irrational, but I kept expecting to see the snake slithering along the floor.

Doc was watching my cardiac monitor. “Scott, I think I should see if there’s an empty room on the floor. Meredith is too stressed out in here.”

Just then, the snake expert arrived. The detective introduced us to Rylen Collins. Once again, I voiced my nervousness about being in the room. Rylen agreed with me that I should not be in the room. “In fact, none of you should be in here while I’m catching the snake, just in case it gets out the bathroom door when I open it to go in.”

Doc left my room to go see where we could stay until the snake was caught. Rylen asked me to tell him what had happened and had me give him a description of the snake. “It certainly sounds like a cobra”, he said. “We’ll see if it’s a King Cobra. All cobras are deadly, though.”

Doc came back with a wheelchair and said there was an empty room on the other side of the wing that we could sit in until Rylen caught the snake. He unhooked me from the cardiac monitor and unplugged it. “Scott, could you push this over to the room for me? with all the stress and how it’s affecting her heart rate, I don’t want her off it.” He turned to the undercover who had come into the room to see if he could help. “I’d like you to push her IV pole, if you would. She‘ll need that this afternoon.”

“Is there anything you want to take with you?” he asked me.

“Just my purse, Julian.” While I call him “Doc” the majority of the time, I try not to in front of people who aren’t close friends.

Once again, he clamped off my catheter tube and took the bag off. “I’ll come back and get this.” How embarrassing. I’m sure I turned a thousand shades of red.

We went over to the other room. Detective Fletcher excused himself to make some phone calls. “There’s an officer outside the room”, he said to us. “Nobody is getting in here for now. Except myself.”

I went to the bathroom to do what I’d originally set out to do when I encountered the snake. When I came back into the room, Doc told me to get in bed. “Aw…” The look on his face stopped me in my tracks. I knew he was worried about my MVP, and while I thought he was being too much of a worry-wart, I decided not to argue. I didn’t want to give him any more to fret about and besides, I was getting tired. I lay down and he put the monitor back on, and hooked up the catheter bag he had retrieved from the other room while I was in the washroom, then pulled the blankets over me. I curled up in a ball on my side.

“What’s wrong, Meredith?” he asked, the concern showing in his voice. “Are you in pain?”

“Some, Doc. But it’s mostly the stress of what happened this morning. Everybody keeps telling me how safe it is here, but it‘s not!”

“Come here, hon”. Doc sat down on the bed and reached over to me and pulled me toward him. I sat up and he took me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Meredith. I really thought you were safe here. I never dreamed Jane would do something like this.”

“I can’t stand to be here another night”.

“I know. I’m going to talk to the detective and see if we can go to the safe house today.”

“But you said I can’t leave here yet.”

“You shouldn’t, but I think it will do you more harm than good to stay. I will get all the supplies we need - medications, IV pole, catheter supplies etc.”

The detective and Rylen came into the room. Rylen was carrying a wooden box with a lock on it. I could see “Venomous snake” in red letters on the side facing me. “Rylen got the snake”, Scott said.

“You were right, Meredith”, Rylen said to me. “It is a King Cobra.” I felt vindicated. “It was in the shower area, took me a while to catch it, but I got it.”

“I hope that box is secure”, Doc said to Rylen.

“It is, and the snake is in a cloth bag with the opening tied with rope. When I get out to my truck, this box is going inside another box that will be secured with two locks.”

“What will happen to it now?” I asked. “I hold it no malice. It’s not it’s fault that someone took it from it’s home and brought it here and released it into my bathroom.”

“I will keep it at my reptile and snake zoo until the courts no longer need it. Then I will see if I can find a zoo or snake facility to take it. It’s too dangerous for me, I don’t want to keep it permanently.” He turned to Scott. “I’m going to get going and get the snake out of here. Give me a call if you need anything else.”

After he was gone, Scott asked Doc “Julian, is there any way Meredith can leave the hospital today?”

“Only with medical supervision and the proper supplies.”

“I can’t guarantee your safety or hers here in the hospital anymore. I thought you both were safe here, but I thought wrong.” I was reminded of a saying my mother used to have about what Thought did. “We need to get you both to the safe house ASAP. She has medical supervision - you. Can you get the supplies you need?”

“I think so. I was going to ask you if we could go today, as she's too stressed after this latest incident. She doesn't feel safe here and I can't say as I blame her.”

“Can you work on arranging that? If anyone needs verification that she needs to leave now to go under police protection, I can give it. I will work on finding a safe house for you two to go to and on getting transportation.”

“How will we get there?” I asked.

“Air. Does she need an air ambulance, Julian? It‘s only a one hour flight.”

“That would be best. I‘d like her to stay on the monitor.”

“Ok, I will set one up.”

“Wait a minute, here”, I spoke up. “I am not flying. No way, no how.”

“Why not?” the detective asked.

“I’m petrified of it.”

“Have you ever flown?”

“Once, years ago. Never again.”

“Flying is the quickest way to get there. The alternative is ground ambulance. And it’s a much longer trip.”

“I can go by car.”

“No, you can’t”, Doc interjected.

“Sure I can, Doc. I’ll be fine.”

“You are not going by car. I will not permit it.” His tone softened. “I know how afraid you are of flying, hon. But you *have* to set that fear aside and do it. It’s only for an hour, and I can give you something to take the edge off.”

“I don’t want to be sedated.”

“It won’t make you a zombie - like I said, it will take the edge off.”

I pondered a moment. “Ok, I’ll do it. Scott, how on earth did Jane find out where I am? I thought you guys were keeping my name out of the hospital computer system?”

“We are. I don’t know how she found you, but I will be trying to find out, you can bank on that.” He left to go make his calls.

Doc got his phone out to make his calls. “Doc, can I use your laptop? I need to do something and Scott has both my phone and my notebook.”

“Sure hon. I’ll go get it. What is it you need to do?”

“I need to transfer some money into the account Karen has access to for my horses’ care.”

“The horses are not at the farm, remember?”

“I know, but she’s with them at Joanna’s. If anything comes up, like needing a vet, I want her to be able to pay for it. Also, if she or her family needs anything, there’s money for that.”

“Good idea, hon. I’ll help out with that.”

“You don’t need to, Doc. The horses are my responsibility and I am well able financially.”

“I know, hon, but I feel responsible for this situation.”

“You are not responsible for it, Doc. This is all on Jane.”

Doc made his calls and I did my banking. When he was done, I used his phone to update Karen. “I’ll try to call or text before we leave, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to. If I don’t, I’ll ask the detective to call you and let you know we’re on our way to the safe house. There is plenty of money in the account for the horses, please take some out for yourselves and give some to Joanna for the cost of their board and her extra food, utilities etc costs.”

“You and Julian take care of yourselves and be safe”, she said to me. “When this is all over, you and I are going for a girls’ weekend away, Mer.”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Oh, there’s a bunch of leftover eggs, too many for us. What shall I do with them?”

“Give them away to anyone who wants them. Doc usually takes them in to his office for his receptionist and the other doctor there, so if you are going to be in the city, drop some off there. And, of course, take as many as you need for yourselves and Joanna and her family.” We had left the chickens at the farm since Jane hadn’t mentioned them and I doubt she even knew about them. Karen was going to go over every day or two to collect eggs and make sure the feeders were filled and the automatic waterer working. And, of course, to clean the “hen house”, which is just a section of the barn I’d made into a coop for them.

I handed his phone back to Doc. “I’m so tired.”

“Go to sleep, hon.”

“I don’t know if I can. Besides, aren’t we leaving?”

“It will take time for Scott to arrange. Just close your eyes and rest if you can’t sleep.”

I curled up in a ball and closed my eyes. Doc came over and sat on the bed and stroked my hair. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

I was woke up by a voice on the intercom calling a code blue in another room on the floor. Doc got off the bed and ran out the door, even though he was not working. That didn’t surprise me. Doc never stops being a doctor. If he sees someone that is even slightly hurt, he offers assistance. He truly loves helping people.

I took a drink of my water, then lay back and closed my eyes again. Awhile later, Julian came back. “You’re awake”, he said.

“How did it go?” I asked him.

“We got her back, thank God”, he replied. “She’s on her way up to the cardiac ICU.”

“Is it normal for someone on the gynecology floor to go into cardiac arrest, Doc?”

“No, it’s quite rare but does occasionally happen. Usually with women who have a cardiac history. From what the nurses told me after she was taken upstairs, she does have one. She’s one of Watters’ patients. She had a hysterectomy yesterday and apparently arrested on the table. There’s some question as to whether she was stable enough to undergo anesthesia. And it was elective surgery - for heavy periods. He could have given her medication or a Mirena IUD to lighten them. God knows why the anesthesiologist cleared her for surgery.”

“Damn”, I said. “If that’s true, he has to be stopped.”

“We can do our part, Meredith. Even though he didn‘t do surgery on you, he did do a procedure without doing proper testing first and without a local anesthetic. Not to mention the inappropriate touching.”

“Doc, I’ll give a statement. If that means I have to keep my horses somewhere else, then so be it.”

“I don’t think it will come to that, hon. We can make it clear to him that if any harm comes to them, he will be the prime suspect. Besides, he’s getting older - I’m pretty sure he’s in his mid 70’s - and has a hard time getting around. He even has to sit on a stool to do surgery. Which should not be tolerated, in my opinion. His hospital privileges should have been revoked. In fact, I‘m going to call the College right now and tell them about this patient.” The “College” is the “College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia”, the provincial licensing body.

He stepped out of the room to make the call as giving the patients details ie her name in front of me would violate her privacy. (He could tell me general info about the code, like he did, just no identifying information) When he came back, he asked if I wanted lunch.

“Yes, Doc. I’m hungry. Though I’m afraid to look at the tray.”

“I looked at it, it’s pretty 'nasty', as you would say. How about the rest of the Chinese food? I was going to suggest it for supper, but we‘ll probably be gone by then.”

“Sounds good, Doc.”

After we had lunch, he went downstairs to get us coffee. While we were drinking it, the detective came back. “Everything is arranged to fly you to Vancouver tomorrow afternoon. An ambulance will take you from the airport to a safe house outside of the city. It’s more secure and I thought Meredith would be more comfortable in the country.

“Everything that you need will be provided. Food, toiletries, medical equipment, medication. You just need to prescribe it and my contact there will make sure you get it, Julian.”

“Can I get some clothes brought out from home before we go?” I asked. “I have one outfit here, but I don’t want to wear that every day.”

“They will get clothes for both of you when you get there. I‘ve made arrangements for you to stay at a hotel tonight. We‘ll take you over whenever you want to go.”

“Meredith needs her antibiotic before we go. It only takes about 15-20 minutes. Then I can unhook her IV for now, she doesn’t need it at the hotel.”

“Is it safe?” I asked Scott.

“The hotel? Just as safe as here, probably safer since Jane would not know you are there. We are taking no chances. Your name will not be in their computer system and there will be two officers on the floor - one at your door, the other at the other end of the hall. One officer will be in the lobby. No other rooms on that floor will be in use and the elevator will be programmed to need a key to stop there. The officers will have a key if something happens that you need to get downstairs. I’m going to go to the station and finalize some details, give me a call when you are ready to go and I’ll come get you. Can Meredith go over in a car?” he asked Doc.

“Yes, if it’s a short ride.”

“I’ll bring a different car than I’ve been driving just in case.”

After Scott left, Doc got my antibiotic and flushed my IV port before hooking it and the bag of fluids up, then he went to the room we’d vacated and gathered up our belongings. “When your IV is done, you can get dressed, hon” , he said as he set them down on the table beside me. “But wait for me to get back, I’m going to go get my shaving kit from my locker.”

When he came back, he had a couple bags in his hand. “Just some scrubs and gowns”, he said. “I’ll return them when we get back home.” I gave him a puzzled look. “For us to wear to bed. I don’t want to ask the detective to arrange for someone to buy me pajamas.” He didn’t mention why he wanted me to wear a hospital gown but I didn’t ask. “I think we’re about ready, but I need to go take care of a couple things at the clinic first. Since we don’t know how long we’ll be gone, I have to make sure they have some signed cheques to pay the bills and do the payroll. Ms Jamieson knows how to do everything, I showed her how just in case there was a time when I was unable to do it. I’ll be back in a bit, then we will call Scott to come get us.”

A couple minutes later, Doc came back into the room. “I ran into someone who was on his way to see you.” Behind him was Alex Carmichael, brother of my veterinarian, Steve. He worked in the hospital in psychiatry, I had done paperwork for him when I worked in the ER as a clerk and patients of his had come through there. At the time, I was looking for a veterinarian and he recommended his brother. They had both become good friends of mine, and now, Doc. “Talk to him, Meredith. He may be able to help.”

“Did he put you up to this?” I asked Alex after Doc left.

“No, Meredith. I heard that you were here and I meant to visit you - as a friend - sooner but I’ve been swamped with work. I have some time today, and tried to find you in the computer system, but there’s nothing. Not a mention about you and there should be a chart there, even if you had been discharged. So I came up to the floor to see if I could find you and I ran into Julian. What’s going on that it’s so hush-hush and you have a cop at the door?”

“Got a couple hours, Alex?”

“I have all the time you need.” I told him about the events of the past few weeks, trying to keep it as brief as I could. “Oh, wow”, he said when I had finished.

“If you ask me how I feel about it, I’ll slug you.”

He laughed. “Well, to be honest, I was going to ask you that.”

“Alex, how would *you* feel if an ex of your wife’s was trying to eliminate you?”

“I’d be pretty angry.”

“Well, there you go.”

“Julian is a lucky man.”

“Why do you say that?”

“A lot of people in your situation would have left.”

“I did think of it, but only to protect Julian. I thought if I left, Jane wouldn’t harm him.”

“Does Julian know that?”

“Yes. He said that she would probably still want to harm him because he would not go back to her, even if I was not in the picture.”

“He’s most likely right about that.”

“I know. But I’d decided to let him decide. I didn’t feel I had a right to make that choice for him.”

“He obviously chose to have you stay.” I nodded. “He loves you very much, Meredith.”

“He told you that?”

“Yes, and I can see it in his face when he’s talking about you and when he’s around you.” Alex had been out to the farm a few times and had attended our Christmas party.

“I love him a lot, Alex.”

“I know you do. Hey, how are you getting to that safe house?”

“Air ambulance.”

“You’re flying?”

“If I don’t back out.”

“I know you are terrified of flying. How do you feel about going that way?”

“Is this off the record?”

“Of course. You aren’t my patient, Meredith. I’m just talking to you as a friend.”

“Thank you, Alex. I’m petrified.”

“Why did you agree to go by air?”

“The only other option was a much longer trip by ground ambulance, and those things are not comfortable. Julian won’t let me go that far by car. And we have to go. The snake episode clinched that.” I shuddered. “I know she meant for me to get bit by it, but what if Julian had gone in there first and got bit? He wouldn’t have known what kind of snake it is and may not have realized how dangerous it was. He may not have exited the bathroom in time.”

“How did you know the species of snake?”

“I watch too many nature shows.” Alex laughed. “Julian teases me about always watching Nat Geo Wild, but it paid off!”

I talked to Alex for a while longer and I have to say it was nice to talk to someone not involved in the situation. He gave me some coping strategies - things to think about and focus on - while we were in the air. I promised him I’d try them.

Doc got back and Alex said he had to go. I thanked him for stopping by and for his advice. “Hey, could you let Steve know what’s happening so he’ll know why I haven’t called him about the horses in a while?”

“Sure, Meredith.”

“Alex”, Doc said “before you go, tell her I did not put you up to this visit. I know she is probably suspecting I did.”

“She already asked if you did.” We all laughed. “And I told her that of course you did.” The look on Doc’s face was priceless. “Just kidding, Julian. I told her you didn’t.” Doc looked so relieved.

After Alex had left, Doc unhooked my IV and changed the catheter bag to a small one, then taped it to my leg. I got dressed while he drained the big bag and disposed of it. He had gathered some supplies for the night and our trip. We made sure we had everything and he called Scott Fletcher, who arrived to get us 15 minutes later. He took us out the service doors as a precaution.

Twenty minutes later, we were being taken up to our room. It was a higher end hotel, far above what I thought the police force was able to pay. I wondered if Doc had anything to do with it. I couldn’t imagine him ever agreeing to stay in a lower end hotel, not even for just one night.

Scott told us that we would not be disturbed that night unless absolutely necessary. “I know you will want supper. Give your order to the officer outside your door, let him know what restaurant and someone from the Force will get it for you. No ordering from room service, so if you want anything for later, order it with your supper. That includes drinks. Sorry to be so rigid but we aren’t taking any chances.”

“We understand”, Doc said.

“If one of the officers or I knock, it will be one knock, a pause, then two more. That way you know it’s us. Do not answer for anyone else. Oh, and one more thing - tomorrow, before we go to the airport, I’ll take your phone and laptop, Julian. You’ll be provided with secure replacements. Meredith, we’ll give you a phone and laptop, too. Or would you prefer a notebook?”

“It doesn’t matter. Either is fine.”

“Ok, I will leave you alone now. Call me if you need anything.” He turned to go, then turned back. “I almost forgot. There’s a shower seat in the bathtub for Meredith. I didn’t think she would be able to stand up for a shower. And don’t worry, it’s brand new, unused.”

When the detective was gone, I said “Doc, come here.” He came over and sat beside me on the edge of the bed. “Kiss me, honey. Not a peck like we had to settle for at the hospital, either.” He gave me a long, lingering kiss. “I’ve missed this so much, Doc.”

“Me, too, hon. Boy, have I missed it!”

“I need a shower, Doc. I didn’t have one today with all that was going on.”

“I didn’t either. Let’s have one together.” We got undressed and went into the bathroom. There were bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bars of soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste on the vanity. “That was nice of the detective, but I have the shampoo and toothpaste I picked up last week for you and I can use them, too. We can use the soap, though.”

“Doc, my incision and foot! Do we have anything to cover them?”

“Your incision is fine, it’s healed over. I’ll get one of the bags we brought over and use it. I have tape in the supplies I brought.”

After he removed the gauze covering my incision and taped the bag around my leg, we got in and I sat on the chair. As he loves to do, Doc bathed me and shampooed my hair before washing himself. I could see he was getting aroused, which was making me aroused.

“Getting horny, eh Doc?”

“You have that effect on me, hon.”

“We haven’t had shower sex in a while.”

“And we won’t be having it now.”

“Why not, honey?”

“You can’t stand.”

“I can kneel.”

“I am not kneeling in a bathtub, Meredith.”

“I meant on the chair.”

“That wouldn’t be safe.”

“I’ve knelt on a chair at home.”

“Not in a shower. I don’t think it’s safe, hon. Besides, you are still recovering from two major surgeries.”

When we got out of the tub, Doc towelled me off, then shaved. His beard does not grow fast and stubble was just starting to appear, but he couldn’t stand it. He often shaved twice a day at home, but had only been doing it once a day when I was in the hospital.

I went out to the room and got dressed, leaving my bra off. I hate those things and the only person with me was Doc and I knew he was okay with me not wearing one when we were alone! When he finished shaving, he got dressed, then he put the cardiac leads back on me. He had signed out a portable monitor from the hospital. The detective would return it the next day after we had left for Vancouver - he (Doc) would put me on the plane’s monitor for the flight. Apparently, a monitor would be at the safe house when we got there.

We discussed supper. Doc wanted to order from his favourite upscale restaurant. “What would you like, hon?” he asked.

“Lasagne.”

“Meredith, have something healthier.

“Lasagne is healthy, Doc. It has meat for protein, veggies in the tomato sauce, the cheeses are dairy, and the noodles are the grain. A balanced meal, according to Canada‘s Food Guide.”

Doc rolled his eyes and tousled my wet hair. “You can have your lasagna on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“That you also have some salad.”

“I can’t eat that much, Doc. Their servings are huge.”

“Then have some and put the rest in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.” There was a small fridge in the room.

“Ok, Doc.” I usually let Doc get his way in matters of health/medical issues and meals. I get my way in drinks - I refuse to give up my whole milk - and snacks - I love my salty snacks and ice cream, but I limit them, even more since being diagnosed with MVP. Salt and heart issues do not mix well. I had a feeling Doc was going to insist on limiting them even more now that I was on medication for the condition.

He wrote out what we wanted for supper, then opened the door to give the order to the cop. He tried to give him his credit card to pay for it, but the cop said the force was paying for everything, as it always did with people under police protection. Doc told him he would make a donation to the force when we got back home.

While we waited for our supper, Doc called the restaurant and told them that the order the police officer was getting was for us. He asked that they put the cost on his credit card instead of billing the force. It was bothering him that we were costing the city so much. “I would have ordered a cheaper meal if I knew the officer at the door wouldn’t take my credit card to pay for it”, he told me.

When our meal came, there was a note inside:

“Dr Richards and Meredith,

I am so sorry to hear of your misfortune. We all wish you the very best and look forward to seeing you again when you are able to return home.

Please leave the plates and utensils at the front desk of the hotel and we will pick them up.

Rick and Staff”

“Oh, that was nice of him!” I said.

“It sure was.” As they had done the week before when Doc was getting an order to take to the hospital, they included plates and cutlery.

The meal, as usual, was delicious. I kept my word to Doc and ate some salad as well as some lasagne, but I could not eat it all. Doc couldn’t eat all his fancy beef - I forget what he said it was - meal. It looked like they gave us bigger portions than usual. Doc put the leftovers in the small fridge. He had to take some of the beer and pop it was stocked with out to make room.

He changed into a pair of scrubs and I got undressed and into a gown. I was getting tired, so I crawled into bed. Doc gave me my evening meds, then changed the small catheter bag for a big one and used a big hook to hang it from the bed frame under the mattress, then got into bed beside me. He turned the tv on and flipped through the channels. There was nothing interesting on, so he turned it off. I was feeling horny again and he looked sooo good in those scrubs.

I kissed him and let my hand wander. “Careful, Meredith. You’ll arouse me again.”

“That’s the idea, silly.”

Doc kissed me back and took my hand in his.

“Make love to me, Julian.”

“Hon, you aren’t ready. You’re less than a week from your second surgery.”

“I’m not going to swing from the chandeliers. Make slow, gentle love to me. It’s been so long.” It had been 9 days, the longest we had gone without sex since our first time back in October.

“On one condition, hon. You let me know if your pain gets worse.”

“I will, honey.”

Doc made slow, gentle, sweet love to me. It was just as good and satisfying as if we had went at it like the Energizer Bunny. And remember when I was wondering what it would be like to have sex with a catheter in? Let me just say it was HOT!

I lay in his arms after. “How’s your pain, hon?” he asked.

“It’s okay, Doc. About the same as before.” It wasn’t, it was a bit worse but I was not going to tell him and make him feel bad about giving in to me. I did not regret our lovemaking one bit. Loathe as I am to lie, sometimes a white lie is appropriate.

“What is your number?

“5”

“That means 6 in your language. That’s too high, hon.”

“It’s better than it was, it was 10 last week. And making love took my mind off of it for a bit.”

“I know, but it’s still too high. I’m going to give you your meds now.” He gave me a shot of the pain medication, then got back into bed. I lay my head on his chest.

“Doc, I hope you don’t regret it.”

“Making love to you tonight?”

“Yes.”

“I shouldn’t have, Meredith.”

“Don’t say that, Doc. I wanted it and I don’t regret it at all. I needed it, honey. If I have a bit of extra pain, it was worth it. I’m sure you needed it, too. We have never gone this long without being intimate.”

“If you are sure, Meredith…”

“I am positive, Julian. And my pain right now is nothing compared to when that cyst ruptured, or when I fell out of bed trying to climb over the bars.

“You sure were a sight doing that!”

“I can imagine!” We both laughed.

Doc turned on his side and snuggled up behind me. He put his arm around me and we fell asleep in our favourite position for the first time in a week.

The next morning, there was a knock at the door. It was the one knock, pause, two knocks code the officers used. Doc opened the door and a female came into the room carrying a paper bag. “Hi, I’m Janine and I’m stationed at the door this morning. I thought you would like some breakfast.” She took a thermos out of the bag. “Black coffee - there’s creamers and sugar packets in the bag as well as croissants. It’s from the kitchen here at the hotel and I personally watched them make the coffee and get the croissants from a freshly baked tray.” Wow, they sure weren’t taking any chances.

Doc and I thanked her and she left. “Let me know if you need anything.”

We were just finishing our breakfast when Scott Fletcher arrived. “Everything is in place for the flight today”, he told us. “An ambulance will be here to pick Meredith up, and you can go with me or with her”, he said to Doc.”

“I’d prefer to go with her in the ambulance.”

“That’s okay. I’ll be behind you and will make sure everything goes smoothly when we get there. I have some news. We know how Jane was getting information about Meredith being in the hospital and her room number etc.

“Yesterday, after I dropped you off here, I got a call from one of the undercover officers that had been guarding your hospital room. He was on duty when the snake was left in the bathroom yesterday. He had been one of the officers watching your farm, but he requested the hospital duty, said he didn’t like being out in the country. We let him switch with one of the officers at the hospital.

“Apparently, Jane had approached him at the farm and offered him a considerable sum of money to feed her information. He is having financial difficulties so he said he would do it. That is why he requested the hospital assignment. He had no idea she was going to have the snake put in there. When she recruited him, she told him that she was not going to hurt either of you, she just wanted to scare you so that Julian would go back to her. He said he’d never have done it if he’d known she was going to do such a thing. That was what prompted him to come forward - the fact that she tried to kill Meredith. His conscience bothered him all day yesterday.”

“Wow!” I said. “It makes a lot of sense.”

“It sure does.”

I looked at Doc. He was not a happy camper. “I wondered where Jane was getting her information from. I agree, this makes a lot of sense. I hope you are going to press charges against him.”

“We plan to, but we also need him to testify when this goes to court. The Crown may offer him a deal. The important thing is that Jane does not know about you going to Vancouver. The officer said he did not tell her after finding out exactly how dangerous she is.”

“What if she has paid off more than one cop?” I asked.

“That is a good point. The officer doesn’t know if she has or not, so I’ve dropped hints among the undercovers who have been guarding the hospital room and this room here that we are taking you to an eastern province. If any of them are giving her info, that should throw her off.

“Here are two cell phones and two laptops.” He handed us each a phone and laptop. “The number to the phone is taped to it. Please do not make any unnecessary calls. Certainly none to people back here, only to me or any calls you need to make regarding Meredith”, he said to Julian. “There’s a contact entry for me on each phone. I need you to give me your phone and laptop. I‘ll give them back when you come home.”

Doc handed them over. “I have left your number with my clinic”, he said to the detective. “I told them to call you if they absolutely had to reach me, but they will only do that if it’s an emergency.”

“That’s fine, Julian. The ambulance will be here at 1:00pm. I’ll be here, too, to see that everything goes smoothly and I will follow it to the airport.”

The morning went by quickly. Too quickly. I was dreading the flight. My stomach was one big knot. Around 11:30, Doc heated our leftovers in the microwave and we had an early lunch. He wanted to have time to clean up before we left. I didn’t know if I would be able to eat, but my favourite food was too tempting.

After he had cleaned up, he clamped my catheter tube and took the bag off. “I’ll put one on once we are on the plane”, he said. “This way we don’t have to worry about holding onto it going from here to the ambulance. I’m sure you don’t want all and sundry to be able to see it.” What a huge relief that was!

Precisely at 1pm, there was the code knock on our door. “All ready?” Scott asked when Doc opened it. He had a wheelchair for me with him. “I thought you would prefer to go downstairs in this rather than on a stretcher”, he said to me when he was in the room. I got in it and he and Janine picked up our bags and carried them. Doc put the paper bag with the things from the restaurant in my lap, then pushed me out the door.

The elevator was open, waiting for us. It was a quick ride to the ground floor. Doc took the bag from me and gave it to the attendant at the desk to give to Rick when he came to get it.

“What is in the bag?” Scott asked him when he rejoined us.

“Plates and utensils the restaurant sent with our meal last night. They are picking it up later.”

“Oh yes, I heard about you calling them to pay for your order. That was not wise.”

“Why not?” Doc asked.

“I doubt anything will happen, but we wanted to be extra cautious. Jane has proven herself to be very resourceful.”

“How would she know we were going to order from there?”

“She probably wouldn’t but like I said, we wanted to be extra cautious.”

We went outside and the ambulance was there. A stretcher was on the ground, waiting for me. “Julian, do I have to lay down? Can I just sit in a seat?”

“You don’t have to lay down, you can have the head raised for the trip. But you need to be on the stretcher. It’s a liability issue with the ambulance. Also, if you were to pass out and fall on the floor, it would be very difficult getting you up onto the stretcher.”

The paramedics introduced themselves as Holly and Brett. Holly said she would be riding in back with me. “Do you want to ride up front?” she asked Doc.

“No, I’ll ride in back. You don’t need to do anything with her. I’m a doctor and she is okay. She’s on a portable cardiac monitor, as you can see, just leave her on it instead of transferring her to yours.”

“I have to take her vitals, it’s rules. I hope you understand.”

“Okay.”

Doc helped me out of the wheelchair and onto the stretcher. I lay back and Holly did up all the belts. “I feel like a condemned prisoner on the execution table.”

She laughed. “It’s for your own safety.”

“I know, it just seems like a lot of belts.”

“I’ll be following you guys”, Scott said. “We’re going to take a longer route so I can be sure there’s nobody following us. A plainclothes officer will be in front of the ambulance and he will be in contact with me. Once I feel it’s safe, we’ll head for the airport.”

The paramedics loaded the stretcher and Holly and Doc got in. Brett was driving. A couple minutes later, we were on our way. My anxiety level was rising. Holly was taking my blood pressure. “It’s a bit high, do you have problems with your blood pressure?”

“No.”

“What’s the reading?” Doc asked.

“160/100”

“She’s pretty nervous about flying, that’s probably why. It’s usually around 120/70. Let me know if it gets any higher.”

“Will do.”

Half an hour later we were pulling into the small airport a few miles from the city. There had evidently been no sign of anyone following us. We stopped at the gate to the tarmac. I could hear Brett talking to someone, then we were moving again. When we stopped, he got out and opened the back door. “Can I get off of this thing now?” I asked.

“No”, Holly replied. “We’ll take you right up to the plane’s stretcher and transfer you.”

Which is what they did. Once on the other stretcher, the paramedics from the plane, who introduced themselves as Luka and Selena, loaded it onto the small plane. Then they and Doc got in. They lifted the stretcher onto it’s spot on the plane and secured it in place. Doc took the cardiac monitor off and handed it to Scott, who had boarded just to say goodbye. Selena hooked me up to their monitor.

“Julian, there will be a monitor at the other end of your trip for you to use.”

“Good. Thanks, Scott.”

“I’ll be off now. Have a good flight. If you need anything, call me. I’ll see you soon, I hope.” We said goodbye and he disembarked and the door was closed.

Panic was welling up in me. “I can’t do this, Julian”, I said. I was trying Alex’s suggestions, but it wasn’t helping much.

“What’s wrong?” Luka asked.

“She’s scared of flying”, Doc said. “Meredith, give me a moment, I’ll get your sedative.” He rummaged around in his bag, which he’d insisted on bringing with him instead of having it put in the cargo hold. He flushed my IV port, then injected the sedative. “This will take the edge off. Don’t worry, it won’t put you to sleep. Take deep breaths, hon.”

Both Selena and Luka looked at him. “She’s my common-law wife.”

“And you are treating her?” Selena asked.

“Long story, but it’s on the up and up. The College knows.”

We heard a voice on the intercom. “Ten minutes to take off.”

“That was the pilot”, Luka said. “When he calls 'five minutes', we have to sit in our seats and do up our seat belts.” Doc was bending over me, holding my hand. I was lying flat on my back, they wouldn’t let me sit up until after take-off.

“You can have the seat directly across from her”, Selena told him. “I’m sure that will help. Take off and landings are worse than being in the air.”

“Oh darn, I forgot to put a bag on her Foley. Let me find one.” He looked for the bag of supplies he’d brought on board with him.

“We have lots”, Selena said, reaching into a compartment. She took a bag out, then undid one of my belts and lifted my blanket to find the tubing. She hooked it up and undid the clamp. Finally, she pulled the blanket back down and did the belt up.

“Five minutes” came the voice over the intercom. Doc, Selena and Luka took their seats and did up their seat belts. The aisle was very narrow and Doc was able to reach over and take my right hand, but he had to hold it gingerly, as it had the IV cannula in it.

A few minutes later, the plane started moving, picking up speed as it taxied down the runway. The sedative was starting to take effect but nevertheless, my heart was in my throat. Selena had handed me a barf bag just before she sat down. I was seriously thinking I was going to need it.