Like Irene had done, Braxton gasped when he saw Marissa. She looked so small and frail. Her eyes were closed and Irene was sitting quietly beside the bed. When she saw Braxton, she got up and approached him. “Hi, you must be Braxton. I'm Irene. Marissa is sleeping but it's okay to go over and say hello to her.”

“I don't want to wake her up.”

“It's all right. I think knowing you are here will help her sleep better. The doctor said she's had a few nightmares today, including one just after he got on duty. He said they had to physically restrain her to stop her from thrashing. They were afraid she was going to do some damage to herself.”

“She had nightmares when she was at my place in Denver. She's still having them?”

“She didn't have any at home until the incident with the Cartel coming to the house”, Gael said.

“It's probably a response to trauma”, Braxton told them. “She's going to need therapy - whether she accepts it or not is a different thing.”

“I think she will, especially with Chris. She trusts him. She thinks a psychiatrist she saw in Seattle was telling the Cartel what she was telling her, so she is very reluctant to talk to someone she doesn't know and trust. Go on, say hello to her.” Irene went back to the bed and spoke to her daughter. “Marissa, it's Mama. Can you wake up for a minute? Braxton is here.”

Marissa's eyes opened and she tried to lift her head up but she didn't have the strength. “Braxton?” she asked.

“Yes, I'm here, sweetie”, Braxton said. He approached her and reached over the rail and slid the fingers of his left hand under her right, like he had done at the hospital in Denver. She wrapped her fingers around his in as tight a grip as she could manage.

“So ... glad you ... came. Missed you ... a lot”, she got out with effort. A tear was running down her cheek. Irene held out the box of tissues that was on the bedside table and Braxton pulled a few out with his free hand and gently wiped her face dry.

“Braxton, Gael and I are going to see if we can find some coffee. Would you like anything?”

“A tea, if you don't mind. Milk on the side please. Here, let me get you some money.”

“It's our treat”, Gael said. “You can get it next time.” He and his wife left, leaving Braxton alone with Marissa.

“I'm sor-sor-sorry”, Marissa said after a moment.

“For what, sweetie?” Braxton leaned in closer. Her voice was so weak, he was having trouble hearing her.

“Leaving you ... in Denver.”

“Don't you worry about that. You just concentrate on getting better.”

“I can...tell ... you ....now.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait until you are stronger.” It was evident to him, that talking was an effort for her and he wanted her to rest.

“Wh-what ... I ... was doing.”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“In ... Denver. What I .... couldn't .... tell you ... then.”

At that moment, he realized what she meant. “I know what you were doing, Marissa.”

“You ... you do?” Her eyes widened.

“Yes. Your dad told me.”

“You ... must hate ... me.” Another tear ran down her face. Braxton wiped it away.

“No, sweetie. I don't hate you. I could never hate you.” Marissa tried to say something else, but what little energy she had was spent. “I don't know all the details, but I know it wasn't your fault, that you were forced into it. Now, you need to rest, honey, okay?” He saw signs of panic in her face. “Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You go to sleep. I'm going to sit right here beside your bed.” He kissed her on the forehead before sitting down in the chair.

Marissa drifted off and Braxton was left with his thoughts. He didn't know what his future held, but he fervently hoped that Marissa would be in it. He didn't care that she had transported drugs for a cartel. Well, he cared in that he hated that she had had to do that, but her past did not matter to him. He still wanted to be with her and he was very glad he'd ended his short relationship with Amber. He was even happier that they had not consummated it.

Irene and Gael returned with their coffee and a cup of tea for him. “There's a family room down the hall”, Gael said to him. “Do you want to go talk?”

“I don't want to leave Marissa. I told her I would stay. If she wakes up and I'm not here, she'll get upset.”

“I'll stay with her”, Irene offered. “Go take a break.”

Braxton and Gael went to the family room and sat down across from each other. Braxton put some milk into his tea and took a sip. It was still quite hot.

Gael set his coffee on the small table beside him and sat leaning over with his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face. Braxton, sensing that Marissa's father needed a moment, sat quietly. When Gael sat up straight again, he spoke. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I want to kill those assholes with my bare hands”, Gael replied. “Does that make me a psycho?”

“No, it makes you a father who loves his daughter. And, to be honest, I've had the same urge.”

“She has to pull through, Braxton. If she doesn't, it will destroy Irene.”

“Let's keep positive. Are you a religious man?”

“Not formally, but I do believe. We say grace before meals and some of us do pray. We have been praying for Rissa.”

“I am a lapsed Catholic but I said a few on my way here. You should go spend some time with her. You couldn't have had much time before you went back to the airport to get me.” Braxton was surprised that Gael was sitting there with him instead of being in his daughter's room.

“I'll let Irene have some time alone with her. I'm okay here.”

Braxton recognized what Gael was doing - avoiding his daughter. Not out of hatred, but because he couldn't deal with seeing her in that condition. “I understand, Gael. Want to talk about it?” he offered.

“Not right now, Braxton. Maybe later, though.”

Braxton decided to try to take Gael's mind off his daughter's condition. “Tell me about yourself. Marissa has told me some about her life before she was kidnapped the first time. It sounds like you have raised a lovely family.”

Gael was grateful for the diversion. “As you know, I'm a dairy farmer. The farm has been passed down a few generations in my family. There was never any doubt about what I would do. I knew from the time I was a young boy that I wanted to take over the farm. Since I wasn't the oldest, it was fortunate for me that none of my three brothers and two sisters wanted it.

“You obviously enjoy the farm life.”

“I love it. From working with the cows to tending the land - planting crops, watching them grow and ripen and then harvesting them. There's a huge satisfaction in growing your own food. Mind you, there are also difficult times, like when we have a bad year with the crops or when we have to put down one of the animals or when it's time to ship them. But it's all part of the cycle of life.”

“So you grew up in a larger family and then had a large family yourself. Obviously, you love children.”

“Both my wife and I do. We had 7 of our own and we wanted more, but the last couple pregnancies were progressively harder on Reenie, so we decided to foster. Terry and Anne were our first foster kids and we adopted them. There have been many since then, some for just a day or two until their mothers got situated somewhere. Others for longer. We currently have three orphaned siblings that have been with us for a couple years. Nobody would take all three and Children's Services didn't want to split them up, if at all possible, so we took them. They are part of the family now, and we plan to adopt them.”

“How old are they?”

“Matt is 8, Julie is 12 and Kyra is 15.”

“So young to be orphans. How are they adjusting?”

“Very well, overall. They have had their moments, of course, but they have had counselling from therapists that work with Children's Services. I think it has really helped them to integrate with the family. They love living on a farm, especially the animals. Just the other night, they helped dry off twin calves that my prize cow gave birth to. In fact, Rissa was a big help with the birthing.” Gael smiled as he thought about that night.

“Oh? Is she a cow midwife?” Braxton joked.

Gael chuckled. “I guess you could call it that. Betsy - the cow - was trying to push the first one out, but it was breech and stuck, so I had to get the chains.” Seeing Braxton's puzzled look, he explained “We put chains around the fore or in this case, hind, feet and pull the calf out.”

“It doesn't harm the cow or calf?”

“Not if you do it right. You have to know when to pull and how much strength to use. That comes with experience. In this case, the calf was still stuck in the birth canal and I needed to get a hand in there to feel around and see what had gone wrong. My hands are too big to fit around a full term calf, even a small one like the one we were trying to get out. The same went for my buddy, Brent, who is also our family physician. He was pulling on the other chain. Marissa came into the barn with Chris Holden, whom she'd been talking to out at Charlie's pasture. He's the one who left you the message via the APA. Rissa's hands are much smaller, so I got her to do it for me. The cow was lying down, which was good as Rissa would have a hard time trying to stand to do it. She got her hand in there and discovered the calf's front legs were bent under her. She straightened them out and we pulled the poor thing out. Fortunately, it was alive - a lot of them die if they are in the birth canal too long. Which reminds me - she cracked her knee earlier that night - I should mention that to the doctor and find out how it is. I've been so worried about her bigger problems.”

“How did she crack her knee?”

“She got in a snit and got up from the dinner table without getting her crutches and she fell when she took a step without them.”

“She did that in the kitchen at my office. What was she mad about?”

“There had been words about her eating - or should I say lack of eating. Brent and Chris were there and Brent suggested a feeding tube to give her optimum nutrition before her surgery. She said no in a firm tone. I changed the subject but a couple minutes later, my daughter Vicky, who is a nurse, asked Chris what specialty he'd gone into and he told her psychiatry. Terry, my adopted son, asked if he was there for Marissa and I think she felt like she was being centred out. She got up and fell.”

“It sounds like that's a typical response from her when she's mad or upset - to walk away from the antagonist.”

“It is. She usually calms down after a bit. Don't get the wrong idea - Marissa is a good person. She's very kind and she has good ethics.” Gael didn't want Braxton thinking that his daughter was a bad person.

“Oh, I didn't think ill of her at all. We all have our faults. Including me.” Braxton smiled.

“I was going to say she isn't spoilt, but that's not entirely true. She had a bad start in life, so we've sort of indulged her a bit more than her older brothers and sisters”, Gael admitted.

“How did she have a bad start in life?”

“She was born very premature. They didn't think she'd survive and she spent months in the neonatal ICU. They said she had 'failure to thrive', if you know what that is.”

“I do.”

“So she didn't eat much, even as an infant - she never finished a bottle. We tried and tried to get her to eat. Her doctors suggested we let her eat whatever she wanted and worry about nutrition later, after we'd gotten her to eat on a regular basis.”

“But she still didn't eat?” Braxton was thinking that might explain her reluctance to eat at his place.

“She finally did and gained weight - a bit too much, but the doctors advised against saying anything about it. They were just happy she was eating. She ate well for a few years, even when she moved into her own place. Then she got kidnapped and forced into the Cartel. When she came home to us, she was so thin. Irene has been trying to get her to eat more, but often when she does, she ends up throwing it up.”

“Is she inducing vomitting?” Braxton was concerned about this revelation. He hoped she didn't have bulimia.

“No, we don't think so. Brent - our family doctor - thinks her stomach is rebelling at having actual food in it. He was the one who suggested a feeding tube.”

“To be honest, Gael, I think it's a good suggestion. Marissa could really benefit from it.”

“Should I suggest it while I have power of attorney?” Gael hadn't even thought of doing that until now.

“I don't think so. For one, I don't know if they would do it now as it requires general anesthesia. Also, since she was so adamantly against it, it could push her away. I will make a suggestion, though, if I may.”

“Yes, please do.”

“It might be an idea to put in a nasogastric feeding tube. It goes through the nose and down into the stomach. It doesn't require anesthesia and it can be easily removed if it doesn't work out.”

“What about the possibility of her resenting me?” Gael didn't want to drive her away but he was concerned about his daughter's lack of proper nutrition.

“It's a risk, yes, but the benefits might outweigh that. She needs every advantage she can get to recover. I can't be her official therapist, but I can try to help her understand how important it is and how you are only concerned for her well being. I'm pretty sure Chris would back me up. And I think it would be a good idea for someone from Psychiatry to see her while she's here. I know she can't respond much right now but even to introduce himself -or herself - and ask if they can do anything for her.”

“Someone did see her today and agreed that she cannot make her own decisions. I don't know if he was planning on seeing her again, but I can ask her doctor. I'll also suggest the tube. I'm surprised they haven't wanted to put one in.”

“They probably don't know about her difficulty eating and they may be waiting to see if she improves enough to eat in the next day or so. I can be with you when you suggest it if you like.”

They were interrupted by screaming coming from the direction of Marissa's room. “That's Rissa”, Gael said as he rose from his seat and ran out the door. Braxton was right behind him. They found Marissa thrashing about in her bed. Irene was trying to talk to her and a couple nurses were attempting to hold her down. One called for restraints.

“Can you hold off on that?” Braxton asked. “I think I can calm her down.”

Dr Olivia Payton, the ICU physician entered the room. “What's going on?” she asked.

Braxton approached the bed as Irene said “She had a nightmare.” Marissa was still thrashing about, but she was no longer screaming. She was mumbling “no” over and over.

“Marissa, sweetie, it's Braxton. Can you stop moving around, please? You're going to hurt yourself.” A nurse had left the room and came back with restraints. Braxton held his hand up to stop her. “Please, let me try first.” The nurse backed off. “Marissa, please stop. I'm here. It's me, Braxton.”

Marissa looked at him. He took the fingers of her right hand. “Braxton?”

“Yes, honey, I'm here.” She stopped thrashing around. “What happened? Did you have a bad dream?” She nodded. “What was it about?” Marissa shook her head. Braxton turned to the others in the room. “Can we have some privacy? I think she might talk to me if we're alone.” One by one, they left the room. Gael was the last one out and closed the door. The curtain on the clear glass wall was open enough for staff to see in and keep an eye on her. “Okay, honey, we're alone. What were you dreaming about?” He stroked her hair to keep her calm.

“Beating.”

“The cartel beating you up?” Marissa nodded.

“Thirsty. Water?” she asked.

“I'll go ask, okay? I'll be right back”, he told her. There wasn't a water jug in her room. Probably because she was so out of it when she came in, he thought.

The doctor okayed water, and a nurse got a jug and a bending straw, which Braxton took to Marissa's room. He poured some into a plastic cup and put the straw in, then he held it up to Marissa's mouth so she could take a drink. She took a few sips and he set the cup down before lowering the rail and sitting on the bed. He took her fingers in his hand again.

“Thank you”, she said. Her voice was still weak. He looked at her monitors. Though he wasn't a medical professional, he had a bit of knowledge regarding vital signs. He saw that Marissa's heart rate was coming down and so was her blood pressure. She was obviously starting to relax. He was sure that the nurses and doctor were watching on the monitors at the nursing station as well.

“Go back to sleep, sweetie. You need your rest.” She shook her head.

“Don't want ... to ... dream.”

“Oh, honey.” Braxton got off the bed and raised the rail back up. He walked around to the other side, lowered the rail, kicked off his shoes and got on the bed behind her. There were too many tubes and wires on her other side. He arranged the pillow under her arm to support her broken hand and wrist, wondering when they were going to cast it, and lay down putting his arm around her, being careful of her nephrostomy tube. He didn't know how the medical staff would react, but he didn't care. He knew doing this had helped in Denver. “Okay, sweetie, go to sleep now”, he said as he stroked her hair with his other hand.

Dr Payton came into the room. She approached Braxton. “We don't usually let visitors get on the patient's bed unless they are the spouse”, she whispered to him, not wanting to wake Marissa up.

“Can you make an exception?” he asked. “When she was at my place and had nightmares, I'd get on the bed and she wouldn't have another one that night. She never had one with me in the bed with her.”

“If her parents okay it, I'll make an exception. I'll go ask them. They are in the family room.” The doctor came back with Gael and Irene in tow. “It's fine”, she said to Braxton and left the room.

“Braxton, we are going to go find a hotel room and get registered. Are you staying here all night?” Gael asked.

“Yes, I think I will. She needs her rest and she won't have nightmares with me on the bed.”

“Thank you, Braxton”, Irene said gratefully. “You don't have to do this.”

“I want to, Irene. I'm very fond of Marissa. Hey, what do you two think about getting a room with two double beds? It would cut down on the cost if we were to share.” He could afford it but he was concerned about the Brennans, knowing that farmers were far from rich. They'd already had to pay to get here and had rented a car.

Gael looked at Irene and she nodded. “It's fine with us”, he said. “I'd like at least one of us to be with Marissa 24/7 if they will let us, so we shouldn't get in the way of each other.”

“You two go ahead then, and get some sleep. I'll call you if anything happens, though I don't expect it will.”

Gael and Irene were back the next morning. Gael gave Braxton his key card to their room as well as the keys to the rental car. “We're not going anywhere, so you might as well drive it and save yourself the cost of renting a car or taking cabs. Get some rest, Braxton. Thank you for staying with Rissa all night.”

“I'll be back later, Marissa” Braxton promised as he kissed her on the forehead. “Get some more rest.”

“Don't go. Please”, she whined.

“Marissa, your father and I are here”, Irene said. “We'll stay here with you. You won't be alone. Braxton needs a break. He will come back later.”

“Okay.”

Gael went to the nursing station to see about getting another chair for Marissa's room, so that both he and Irene could sit. A nurse got one from a storage room. Irene was talking to their daughter when he returned to the room.

“Hi ... Daddy”, Marissa said when he sat down beside his wife.

“Hi Rissa. Did you get some sleep?”

“Yes ... I did.” She smiled slightly. “Braxton...helps me .... sleep.”

“You really like Braxton, don't you, honey?” Irene asked.

“Yes, Mama .... a .... lot.”

“He likes you a lot, too, Rissa”, Gael told her. She smiled again.

Dr Galloway entered the room. “Hi, Marissa”, he said. “I see you are awake. Do you feel like breakfast?”

Marissa shook her head. “No ... thank you.”

“Honey, you need to eat something”, Irene said to her.

“We'll try again at lunch time. Maybe she will have some broth”, the doctor suggested.

“Doctor, what about a feeding tube?” Gael asked. “Braxton suggested a nasogastric one.”

“It's not a bad idea”, the doctor replied. He was watching Marissa shaking her head no. “But let's give her a couple days, she's had a traumatic experience and she's been in a lot of pain. We are giving her pain meds but we are afraid to give her too much as they depress the breathing and she is having enough trouble with the pneumonia.

“I'm having a portable x-ray come up in a bit to get images of her hand and wrist. Later, we'll take her to the casting lab to get a cast put on it. It will help immobilize it better. You can go with her, I have put a note about that in with the request. Other than that, we'll continue to draw blood every few hours for lab work and I want her to rest as much as possible.”

“How are her labs?” Irene asked.

“They are about the same”, he replied. She looked disappointed. “They aren't any worse, that is something to be thankful for - and she seems more 'with it' today. I think the IV fluids are helping.”

By the time Braxton got back mid afternoon, Marissa had had her cast put on and her parents had managed to get her to drink some broth for lunch. She didn't want the jello that was on her tray, but Irene kept it and the spoon to see if she would eat it later. “I brought you something”, he said, reaching into a bag he had in his hand. He took out a large screen notebook computer. “This is all ready for you, I had them install Skype and I set up an account for you. Dr Maynard is going to call you on Skype in a bit.”

“That's very nice of you, Braxton”, Gael said. “I'll reimburse you for it.”

“No, you will not. This is my gift to Marissa.”

“Thank you .... Braxton”, she said. “I ... have one... at home. Get ... your money ... back.”

“Sweetie, the one at home is doing you no good here. Give it to someone who needs it and keep this one.”

A few minutes later, the Skype screen showed an incoming call. Braxton tapped the button to answer. “Hello”, he said. “Go ahead.” He turned the screen toward Marissa so that the camera would show her on the other end.

“Goober!” a familiar voice greeted her. “How are you?” It was her brother Bill.

“I'm ... okay”, she answered, looking at her brother on the screen.

“You don't look okay, Goob. You have to get better and come home. Charlie misses you.” Bill turned the tablet he was holding away from him and Marissa saw her steer come into view.

“Char-Charlie!” she exclaimed as excitedly as she could manage, given her condition. “How ...are you, ....Charlie?” Charlie looked around like he was trying to figure out where Marissa was.

“Here, Charlie”, Bill said, pointing to his tablet.

“I'm here ....Charlie”, Marissa said. The steer seemed to understand and put his nose up against the screen. Marissa giggled. “I ...miss you .... Charlie. Braxton ....is here ....remember ....me ....talking ....about him?” Braxton was trying to see the screen. He walked around to Marissa's other side and sat down on the bed after taking the rail down. He looked over her shoulder. “Say hi .... to Charlie”, she told him.

“Hello, Charlie”, Braxton said. “I've heard a lot about you. Marissa misses you so much, but she's sick right now and has to be in hospital. I promise I will take good care of her.” Charlie mooed.

“I swear that steer understands”, Gael remarked, “though I know he likely doesn't.”

“He .... does, Daddy.”

Braxton decided to head off any potential arguments. “Bill, it's nice to meet you”, he said to Marissa's oldest brother.

“Likewise, Braxton. Goober has missed you tremendously. I'm glad our friend found you.”

“I am, too, Bill. I missed Marissa.”

“But if you hurt her, I will find you no matter where you are.” Bill, like his other siblings, was protective of Marissa.

“I would never hurt her, Bill. That is the last thing I want to do. Look, this is good for Marissa, but I think she's tired. Can we do it again?” Braxton suggested.

“Of course. Any time.”

“Charlie ... you ... behave”, Marissa croaked out. “Stop .... bawling ....let people ....sleep.”

“Moo.”

“I'll ... kick your ... butt if .... you don't.”

“Moo.”

“Bill, show ... Braxton ....how big ....he is.” Bill stepped back with the tablet to get Charlie's whole body in the camera range.

“Wow!” Braxton exclaimed. “He's huge!”

They said their goodbyes and logged off. “How big do you think he is?” Braxton asked Gael.

“3,000 pounds and we measured him at 6 feet at the withers. Rissa looks like a doll when she stands next to him.”

“That's a couple inches taller than me! Will he trample me if I come visit? ”

“No”, Marissa said. “Charlie ...is ... a big ...suck. Gideon .... loves ...him.”

“Okay, Marissa, time to sleep for a bit. Gideon is going to call you when he's finished work. You need to rest up before then. Your Mama and I are going to go find something to eat. We'll be back in a bit. Are you okay to stay with her, Braxton?”

“Absolutely.”

Marissa drifted off to sleep with Braxton sitting beside her bed. He surfed the net a bit with the tablet, until Gideon Maynard called on Skype. The oncologist wanted to see how Marissa looked. He was worried about her. “Hi, Gi-Gideon”, she greeted him. She was still having trouble getting words out, but she was determined to have a conversation.

“Hi, Marissa. We have been so worried about you. Paula and Caitlin are here, they want to say hi.” He was calling from home. His wife and daughter moved into camera range and said hello to Marissa.

“Hi”, she said back with a small smile.

“I talked to your doctor”, Gideon told her. “He tells me your labs are the same. He said you aren't eating. Can you try to eat some? For me? You need to get your strength up.”

“I ...will...try.”

“Good. I can't wait to get you down here and get that kidney out.” Gideon was getting frustrated at the delays, but he knew it wasn't her fault.

“When?” Marissa asked.

“It won't be for a while, you have to recover from this before you can go under anesthesia. It will probably be a few weeks.”

“I ....I talked ...to ....Charlie!”

“You did?” She nodded.

“I brought her a notebook and we Skyped with her brother”, Braxton told him. “He took his tablet to Charlie so Marissa could see and talk to him.”

“Did he recognize you, Marissa?”

“Yes ... he did.”

“He really seemed to”, Braxton said. “And he seemed to understand her, too.”

“He does understand her. I've seen it firsthand. Marissa, I couldn't come this weekend because I'm on call, but next weekend, I'm planning on coming up there to see you. Is that okay?”

Marissa shook her head. “Won't ... be here. Home.”

Gideon hated to burst her bubble, but he wanted her to be realistic. “I don't think you will be home that soon. I hope you will be out of the ICU, but you will still be in the hospital.” He saw her crestfallen look. “I'm sorry, sweetie. I don't know if Braxton can stay that long, but I'm sure your parents will.”

“I'll be here as long as she is, Gideon. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Good. I think she will do better with you there.” They talked a few more minutes, then said goodbye. Marissa was disappointed.

“Gideon is ... wrong”, she said emphatically.

“No, honey, he isn't”, Braxton replied. “You are very sick. It's going to take more than a week to get you well. But like I said, I will be here.”

When Gael and Irene got back, Braxton took a break and went to get his dinner. He was planning on spending the night again, so he wanted to get something before the Brennans left for the hotel.

Irene and Gael left around 11:00. Braxton got on the bed behind Marissa. He was taking no chances on her having a nightmare - he wanted her to get a full night's sleep if she could. Dr Payton came into the room. “I have some good news for you, Marissa. We have your latest labs back and they are a bit better than they were.”

Marissa's eyes widened in excitement. “That's ... g-good, right?”

“Yes, it's very good. If you are feeling up to it tomorrow, I think Dr Galloway is planning on getting you out of bed for a bit. Would you like that?” Marissa nodded. “I'll check in on you in a while, get some sleep.”

Marissa turned over onto her back. She looked over at Braxton, who was on his side facing her. If she hadn't been so thin, they might have had trouble fitting on the bed together. “I... I am ... glad ... you are ...here.”

“I wouldn't be anywhere else, sweetie. Right after I talked to your father, I booked the soonest flight here that I could get a seat on.” She smiled at him.

“I ... wish ... I could ...talk better”, she said.

“You are weak from the infection. You almost died, you know. It will take a while to get your strength back.” Braxton was having a hard time keeping dry eyes. A tear escaped. Marissa reached over with her good hand and wiped it away, then rested her hand on his cheek. He reached up with his hand and covered her fingers.

A few hours later, Braxton woke up with an uneasy feeling. He opened his eyes and saw a woman enter the room with a syringe in her hand. She was not Marissa's night nurse. He noticed that she did not have hospital ID clipped to her scrubs. He also remembered Marissa had had her pain medication just before they went to sleep. The woman walked toward the bed.

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly, not wanting to wake Marissa up.

“Just giving her some medication.” The woman had the look of a deer caught in headlights.

“You aren't her nurse.”

“She's busy. I said I would do it for her.”

“What is her name?” Braxton knew that if the woman was telling the truth, she would know what Marissa's nurse's name was.

The woman didn't reply and reached for Marissa's IV tubing. Braxton decided to act. He reached over Marissa and grabbed the tubing, trying unsuccessfully to keep the port out of the woman's reach. She pulled the cap off the needle with her teeth and injected the medication into it without even swabbing it with an alcohol wipe.