**Author’s Note…I know by now y’all are fixin’ to shoot me or string me up, or imagining all sorts of evil things to do to me but please just bear with me, there will always be a happy ending…I promise J**

Part Three

Bo continued to hold her, her breathing finally returning to normal as she settled into a deep sleep. After a few minutes he carefully slid out of bed. He adjusted the blanket around her and walked out into the hallway. He couldn’t sleep, even though his fever had broken hours before, his head still felt muddled, his mind filled with so many different thoughts and feelings. The rage that was coursing through his body was something he never wanted feel again after Drew, but just like before he had to fight to keep it from consuming him.

He walked back over to the window and looked into the room, watching her as she slept. He knew they had done the right thing by keeping Sarah alive long enough to give the gift of life to another child, but the pain was still so overwhelming. He looked at his watch; it was just after five in the morning. He looked back into her room, hoping she would be asleep for a while after the sedative they had given her after they came back from the NICU.

He walked back into the room and kissed her softly on the lips, “I’ll be back in a little bit, sweetheart; you just sleep.”

He walked into the station ten minutes later. The few officers on duty looked up from their desks, not knowing what to say to their boss. Bo walked towards his office in silence, closing the door behind him. A few minutes later there was a knock on his door. He motioned his approval and John walked into his office. Bo looked up at him, “So what do we have so far?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. We’ve interviewed the neighbor who called 911. She claims to have heard the impact and ran out onto her front porch. She said she saw the other car speeding away but it was dark and she could only tell that the vehicle was of a darker color, midsized, a sedan of some sort. We’ve released what information we have to the local TV station and the major networks in Philly, asking for the public’s help in finding the driver. So far we’ve had very few leads that have led anywhere.”

Bo takes the file from John and opens it. He inhales quickly, the rage coursing through his body as he looks at the photos of her car, stealing his breath from him. Bo looks back up at John, “Just keep looking, John. I want this cowardly SOB found.”

 “We will, Bo. I promise you that.” He pauses for a moment, an awkward silence coming between them. After a few more minutes John breaks the silence, “How’s Nora?”

“Physically she’s going to be fine, just a head laceration and a broken leg.” He swallows, trying to keep his emotions in check, turning his back on John, as he looks out over the activity in the station, “We…we decided to donate Sarah’s organs. I…I hope it…” Bo turns and looks back at John, “I’m…I’m sorry, I’ve got to get back to the hospital.”

John walks up and lays a hand on Bo’s shoulder, “I understand, go be with your wife. I’ve got every thing under control here. I don’t want you worrying about what’s going on at the station. Take time for yourself and your wife, and just remember we’re doing everything we can to find out who’s responsible for this.”

“I know you are, John.” He grabs his keys off the desk, “I’ll be at the hospital if you need me.”

She sat, staring straight ahead at a painting of the ocean, the tears that once flowed freely were now gone. They had opened her window, allowing the spring air to fill the room. The breezes coming through the window had long since dried the tears that fell onto her cheeks. Larry had just left her room, but she barely noticed his presence. Her hand instinctively caressed her stomach, the same way she had done so many times over the past eight months.

Bo stepped off the elevator and made his way towards her room. Larry saw him and met him halfway down the corridor. Bo looked up when he saw Larry, “How’s Nora?”

“Physically, she’s fine, Bo. The cut above her eye will heal, although she’ll have a small scar. Her leg will also heal with very little lasting effects. It’s of course her emotional well being I’m concerned with. I was just with her and she’s completely unresponsive, she won’t talk…she won’t eat.”

“We just lost our child, Larry. How do you expect her to be?”

“I expect her to grieve, to cry and be angry, but not this. She’s shut down, Bo. No tears, no emotions at all.”

“She’s in pain.”

“Of course she is, and so are you, but you can’t let her shut down like this, you know first hand what happens when you do.”

Bo nods, knowing full well what Larry meant, “I’ll take care of her, Larry. We’ll get through this together.”

“You need to lean on each other, Bo. Don’t hide behind your pain.”

Bo walks into the room a few minutes later. She was still staring straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the painting across the room, “Hey there, Red.” He said, trying to get her attention. He walked over and sat down beside her bed. He picked up her hand, caressing the top of it with his thumb, but it remained still and limp in his, unresponsive to his touch. He looked at her other hand as it slowly moved in a circular motion over her stomach, “Nora, honey.” She continues to stare straight ahead, never taking her eyes off the painting, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.” Still he receives no response.

He lays her hand down on the bed and stands up. He wanted to go find Larry. He opened the door, but stopped when he heard her quietly call his name. He walked back over to the bed as she slowly turned her head to look at him, “I’m sorry, Bo, what did you say?”

“I just said I was sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.”

“I’m sure you had a reason. I understand,” she said without emotion.

“I just spoke with Larry; he says that you’ll be able to go home in a few days.”

She nods and looks back out the window, “I’m tired, Bo.”

He stands up as she turns and looks back over at him, “Okay, sweetheart, I’ll let you get some rest.” He leans in and kisses her softly on the lips, “I love you, Red.”

She nods and gives him a small smile, “Me too.”

She closed her eyes, only opening them once she heard the door click closed. She could barely look at him; every time she did she felt her heart break more and more. She did this to him; she had killed their little girl, it was her fault.

He walked out into the hallway, running his hands over his face. He walked over and looked through the window. She was just laying there, her face turned towards the window, the sun coming through the blinds, playing across her face. He could barely look at her; every time he did he felt his heart break more and more. He did this to her; he had killed their little girl, it was his fault.

He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at their best friend, “How is she?”

“She’s shutting down.”

“You can’t let her do that, Bo.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to keep that from happening. I just hope she’ll let me help her. She helped me through my grief with Drew, even though I did my best to push her away. But this is so different, Hank. There’s just something in her eyes now, it’s gone.”

“What’s gone?”

“The light,” he says quietly.

Larry walked up to the two men, “How is she, Bo?”

“She’s doing exactly what you said she was doing. She’s shutting down, and shutting me out.”

“I want her to talk to someone, Bo.” He pauses for a moment, “You should, too.”

Bo shakes his head, “I don’t thing she’ll go for that, Larry. You know Nora, she doesn’t do shrinks.”

“She needs to have a safe place to voice her feelings.”

“You can try, Doc, but I’m telling you she’s going to fight you every step of the way.”

“Maybe,” Larry patted Bo on the back and walked into Nora’s room.

Bo turned and looked at Hank, “I’m going to the station.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“I’ve got to do something, besides just stand around here.”

Hank watched him walk away and turned and looked through the window at Larry talking to an unusually silent Nora. He shook his head, they were both hurting and the one person that could help them was the one person they were shutting out.

Bo returned a few hours later, finding her room empty. He picked up the hospital gown, lying on the bed. He threw it back down on the bed and ran out into the hallway, looking up and down the corridor, as he made his way towards the elevator. He knew her and he knew that she had taken off.

He arrived back at their house ten minutes later. He swung the doors open, throwing his keys down on the desk. He found the living room empty as he expected he would. He ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He glanced briefly in their bedroom, knowing full well where she was. He slowly walked down the hallway, pausing just inside the doorway. He leans against the doorjamb and watches her as she rocks back and forth, staring straight ahead.

He walked up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. She just continued to rock back and forth, not saying a word…

TBC…