But for now, she closed her eyes and tried to believe that someday, maybe she could learn to be happy again.
Chapter 15
Dylan sat at the nurse’s station, his eyes glued to the door of Brook’s room. It was almost twenty-four hours since Brook realised that she remembered what had happened the night she was attacked.
When Dylan called Liam the night before, he said he would come and talk to Brook the next morning, and he did. She told him everything that she remembered, and Liam agreed that it wasn’t just a dream, that her memory of the night’s events had come back.
He agreed to come back with Matt that evening and they would take her official witness statement. Now they had been in her room for almost an hour, and Dylan just needed to know that Brook was okay.
Dylan knew in his heart; her remembering wouldn’t really change that much. It would still be her word against his, and Warren Pearse was no idiot. He would have his alibi all set up. All Dylan could do was hope that he made some mistake, somewhere and Liam could catch them.
“Hey, Dylan,” Sian said, as she walked up to the counter. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” Dylan said, giving her a warm smile. “How’s the Gyney God?”
“He’s good,” Sian replied, giving Dylan a wicked grin that said things were better than good. “He is very sweet.”
“Sweet!” Dylan repeated with a laugh. “That smile on your face tells me that he is a lot more than sweet.”
“A lady never tells her secrets,” Sian laughed too, but then her smile faded a little, as she gave Dylan a serious look. “Hey, so I’m not sure if this is something you’d want to know or not, but I was just across the street in Ray’s Diner, and I’m pretty sure that the guy who was here last week, the one you had escorted from the hospital was sitting in a chair next to the window. Actually, I was over there about two hours ago, and I saw him, but I didn’t really think much of it. But then, I just went back over there, and he was still there, still in the same seat. I watched him for a few moments, I don’t think he saw me. But he was sitting there, drinking coffee, just staring toward the entrance to the hospital.”
“How long ago was this?” Dylan asked, standing up from his seat, his blood instantly boiling inside of him.
“About ten minutes ago,” Sian said, giving Dylan a worried look. “But I don’t know if he’s still there…”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Dylan set off down the corridor as fast as his legs could carry him.
“DYLAN!” Sian called after him, but he didn’t even slow down. Instead, he headed straight for the stairs, taking them two at a time until he reached the bottom. Once there, he headed straight for the front door. As he stepped out into the late afternoon sun, he spotted Warren climbing into a car.
“HEY!” Dylan called out, stopping Warren for a moment. He stood back up straight, turning to look at Dylan. He gave him a grin before he turned to climbed into the car. “Pearse!”
Dylan began to run toward him. He had no clue what the hell he was going to do, but he was going to do something.
When he reached the car, he banged the top of it, and instantly the door opened once more.
“Have you got a problem here, College boy?” Warren sneered as he stepped back out of the car with one movement.
“You’re my problem, Asshole,” He said, taking a couple of steps towards Pearse, but before he closed the distance, he was grabbed from behind.
Dylan tried to struggle free, and Pearse just gave him a smug look.
“JESUS, DYLAN!” Liam shouted, pulling him back, pushing him back towards the hospital, back in through the entrance. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that he is sitting there, waiting,” Dylan said, looking Liam in the eye. “I was going to go and…and…”
“And what, Dylan?” Liam demanded, giving his brother a questioning look. “What if I hadn’t come out here? What would you have done?”
“I don’t know,” Dylan admitted. “Something… anything. I just need to do something because all this waiting; this not knowing what is going to happen next, is too hard. I feel like I’m ready to explode, and I want it done. This is just too hard.”
“I know it is Dylan,” Liam sighed, giving Dylan a knowing look.
“Then why the hell did you stop me?” Dylan demanded, giving him a questioning look. “Why did you protect that piece of shit?”
“Come on, Dylan,” Liam sighed. “You know I have your back. But that guy would kick the crap out of you, and not even break a sweat.”
“I can hold my own,” Dylan replied, but even he knew that Liam wasn’t wrong. He just hated that there was nothing he could do to stop this asshole.
“Dylan,” Liam sighed once more. “We are going to get this guy. We just need time.”
“I know,” Dylan replied, releasing a long, frustrated breath. “I’m going back up to check on Brook.”
He turned and started towards the elevators.
“Dylan!” Liam called out, but Dylan didn’t even slow, much less stop. “DYLAN!”
“WHAT?” Dylan retorted, turning back to his brother.
“I need to know that you won’t pull any more stunts like this,” Liam demanded. “I need to know that you get what I am saying here.”
“Yes! I get it,” Dylan sighed impatiently, before he turned once more, heading towards the elevator. Hitting the call button, he released a long, calming breath as the doors opened, and he stepped inside.
Once he was safe inside the confines of the elevator, he let out a long, frustrated shout as he slumped back against the wall. He hated that his hands felt so tied.
When the elevator came to a stop, Dylan stepped off, making his way down the hallway to Brook’s room. As he reached it, Matt, who was standing, talking to the officer posted outside Brook’s room, looked up and gave him a worried smile.
“Are you okay?” He asked as Dylan reached the door of the room.
“Awesome!” Dylan huffed as he walked past Matt, into Brook’s room.
The moment she saw him, she sat up straight in her bed, giving him a worried look.
“What’s happened?” She asked, her eyes fixed with his.
“Nothing,” Dylan sighed, knowing he just epically fucked things up. “How did it go with Liam?”
“No,” she said, surprising him with her response. “You don’t get to bull shit me again. That lady doctor just burst into my room and whispered something to your brother, and he was out of here like someone had lit his pants on fire. I know this is about Warren. I don’t need you to protect me.”
“I’m not!” Dylan replied, wishing he’d thought before he reacted to what Sian had said.
“Yes, you are!” Brook said, her eyes locked with Dylan’s. “Something has happened, and I want to know. You said you wanted us to have more once I get out of here. But I’ve already done the controlling asshole, who lied to me and deceived me every chance he got. I’m not interested in ever doing that again. So, tell me the truth, or just get the hell out of my room.”
“Warren was across the street in a coffee shop,” Dylan finally explained with a sigh, knowing there was no point in lying to her anymore. Not unless he was prepared to lose her. “Apparently he’d been there for a couple of hours, just watching the hospital…”
“And you went to go confront him.” Brook finished what he was saying, with a sigh. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that I’m done waiting for this to be over,” Dylan said, sitting down on the bed, next to her, taking hold of her hand. “I’m tired of seeing you look like you’re almost afraid to breathe, just because he’s still out there.”
“But it’s not your job to protect me,” Brook sighed, reaching up and softly touching his face. “Not if it means you getting hurt too. Warren is not someone to mess with, Dylan.”
“I know,” Dylan smiled, wishing he could wave a magic wand and make everything so different.
/> “Is that the only thing that happened?” Brook asked, giving him a worried look. “There is nothing else I need to know?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened,” Dylan nodded, unsure of how she would take what he’d just told her. “He was across the road, but he’s gone now. I saw him driving away, so I don’t want you worrying.”
“That’s the thing,” she replied, giving him a sad smile. “I always worry. He is always there, always in the back of my mind.”
“Well, we’re going to get him,” Liam said suddenly from the doorway of the room. “As long as Wonder Boy here stops trying to fight the bad guys on his own.”
“Liam,” Dylan sighed, turning to look at his brother. “Now is not the time.”
“Now is the time,” Liam insisted. “I know you’re frustrated; I get it, but I need to know that you’re not going to pull any more crazy stunts, Dylan.”
“I won’t,” Dylan sighed, giving Liam knowing look.
“Good,” Liam said, walking to the bottom of Brook’s bed, picking up his jacket. “Now, Matt and I are going to go pay Detective Pearse a visit.”
“Now?” Brook asked, looking almost terrified.
“Yes,” Liam replied, smiling at her. “But I don’t want you to worry. I will keep you updated whenever I can. If you could just try and make this genius stay out of trouble.”
“I’ll try,” Brook replied, returning his smile, but Dylan could see she was still worried.
“Thank you,” Liam said, turning towards the door, but he stopped when he reached it, turning back to Dylan. “Oh, by the way, you mentioned the first night Brook was in the ICU that there was a rape kit done.”
“Yeah,” Dylan replied, instinctively glancing over at Brook. Her face was now bright red, and Dylan hated that she had to be part of these conversations. “It came back negative. I told you that.”
“I know,” Liam nodded, glancing at Brook for a moment before he returned his attention to Liam. “It’s just; Brook mentioned that she scratched her attacker on the hand. If she did, then there might have been some DNA under her nails.”
“You think that could help?” Dylan asked, giving him a hopeful look.
“If we get a hit, yep,” Liam nodded. “I will have someone from the lab stop by to pick up the kit, get it rushed through.”
“Okay,” Dylan nodded, giving his brother a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“I will keep you posted,” Liam assured them before he turned and headed out of the room, leaving Dylan and Brook alone once more.
“So this is really happening,” Brook said, giving Dylan a nervous smile, but the look in her eyes almost broke his heart.
“It’s going to be okay,” Dylan assured her, as he sat down on the edge of her bed. “But right now, you’ve got to focus on you. You’re getting better and better every day. You’re doing great at Physio, you’re getting stronger and stronger on your feet. You’re going to be out of this place before you know it. So don’t let him win. You’ve come too far.”
“Okay,” Brook said, giving Dylan a broad smile.
“Now,” Dylan replied, standing up and holding out his hands to Brook. “How about we go for a walk?”
“Really?” Brook groaned, giving Dylan a tired look.
“Really,” Dylan said with a smile, not backing down.
Releasing a long sigh, Brook reached up and took hold of Dylan’s hands, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She was still very wobbly, but Dylan could see she was getting stronger by the day.
“I think this time we should try it without your sticks,” Dylan suggested, giving her a broad smile. “Instead, you can link my arm, and I promise that I will not let you fall on your butt.”
“I can try it,” Brook replied, giving him a nervous smile. Dylan knew she was scared, but she was still determined to give it a go. Sometimes Dylan was in awe of the determination this girl had shown over the last couple of weeks.
“Are you ready?” He asked once she was steady enough on her feet.
“As I’ll ever be,” Brook replied with a giggle, as she gripped his arm as tightly as she could.
“Then let’s do this,” Dylan said leading her to the door.
They walked up and down the corridor several times, as Brook talked about her father, and her childhood. It wasn’t until Dylan noticed the officer outside Brook’s door change with the next shift, did he realise just how long they had been walking.
“I think it’s time to get you back to bed,” Dylan said, turning her around, heading her back to her room. “You’ve done really well tonight.”
“Well, it helps when I have such good company,” Brook replied as she looked up at him, giving him a warm smile.
“It was my pleasure,” Dylan said as he led her back into her room. “But right now, we need to get you back into bed.”
Dylan helped Brook settle back into bed before he flopped down onto the seat next to her bed.
“You have worn me out,” he laughed, as he gave her a broad smile, and she instantly smiled back.
Dylan loved to see her smile, but it was something that really didn’t happen enough. He was happy to see she was getting stronger every day; He knew that in a few more days, they would talk of her being released from the hospital,
He didn’t know why, but that thought made him feel sad. It meant that she would soon be heading back to New York, and he didn’t know if he would ever see her again.
“What’s with the face?” Brook asked, pulling him from his thoughts. “You looked… sad.”
“There is no face,” Dylan replied, forcing a smile he didn’t quite feel. “I was just thinking.”
“What about?” Brook asked with a yawn and a sleepy smile.
“Oh, nothing that can’t keep,” Dylan said leaning forward in his seat. “I think right now; you need to sleep.”
As if on cue, his pager beeped.
“Duty calls,” Dylan said as he pushed up from the chair. Looking down at his pager, he could see that it was a page to the emergency. “I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” Brook yawned once more before she snuggled down into the bed.
Dylan walked to the door, stopping to look back at Brook before he left. He smiled when he saw she was already fast asleep. Releasing a long sigh, he turned and headed down the corridor, heading for the elevator.
It was almost ten when Dylan slipped back into Brook’s room. She was still fast asleep. Dylan smiled as he slowly walked to the chair next to her bed.
As he sat there in the silence of her room, watching her sleep, he wondered how he had let himself get so involved in her, and her life. Falling for a patient was not something Dylan ever believed he would do. That just wasn’t him.
However, there was something about Brook, something that called to him on such an inner level.
At first, he’d believed that it was sympathy. Sympathy for everything she had gone through. Sympathy for the fact that she was practically alone in this world, with no one in her corner to fight for her. And yes, part of him did still feel a level of sympathy for her. But, deep inside, he knew it was more than that.
What drew Dylan in was her quiet strength. Despite being all alone in the world, she had fought. She fought for every breath when any other person would have just given up. It was her courage to leave a man that she knew would kill her for doing so. The truth was, she amazed him.
Over the last couple of weeks, Dylan had also learned that she had a kind caring side. Also, she was funny. She had an amazing sense of humour, especially for someone who had every reason never to laugh again.
Dylan knew in his heart that he was falling for her, and falling hard. But he also knew she was never going to be his. Once she was well enough, she was going to walk out his life, leaving him with a longing deep inside he might never be able to fill.
“Dylan,” Liam’s voice whispered from the doorway of the room, pulling Dylan from his thoughts.
“Hey,” Dylan said, standing up,
walking towards where he followed Liam back out into the hallway. “You’re here late. What’s happened?”
“Yeah,” Liam replied, releasing a tired sigh. “I’m just heading home now, but I just wanted to stop by and let you know. We formally charged Warren Pearse this evening. Right now, he is in a holding cell at the station. He will be up in court in the morning, and hopefully then remanded in custody at least till the hearing.”
“You… you arrested him?” Dylan asked, completely stunned by what Liam had said.
“I told you I would,” Liam said with a smile. “And when have I ever not kept my word.”
“I know, but…” Dylan replied, still completely blown away. “How?”
“The rape kit,” Liam explained. “Oh, he had some bullshit alibi, and he was about to walk out the door when I got the results back.”
“That was fast,” Dylan replied, knowing that these things, normally take time.
“I called in a favour,” Liam laughed. “I used a lot of my chips on this case, so you bet your ass I’m going to nail this asshole. His DNA was under her nails, so we got him. There was even still faint scratch marks on his hand, exactly where Brook said they would be.”
“So, it’s over,” Dylan said, a sense of relief washing over him.
“Well, we still need to make these charges stick in court,” Liam sighed, but then smiled. “But yes, I do believe that it’s over.”
Chapter 16
Dylan walked into Brook’s room and found her sitting on the bed with a strange look on her face. It had been almost four weeks since she arrived in the emergency room, and today, she was finally being discharged from the hospital.
Warren Pearse was taken before a judge the day after Liam arrested him, and was remanded in custody until the court case, which was set for six weeks later.
“Hey,” he said as he walked towards the bed, sitting down next to her. “What’s up?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged, giving Dylan a worried look. “I guess I’m just a little worried about leaving here. Going out into the big world once more. I know it’s stupid, but in here I feel safe.”
Dylan (The Murphy Series Book 5) Page 15