41. Trap

41

TRAP

M y arms feel empty once Meredith is taken out of them. Her blood stains my jeans and is smeared on my hands. The coppery scent makes my nostrils flare. I want to scream out my pain the way Grizzly did, but there are too many witnesses, especially Harlow, who don't know about us.

Numb, I ride along with the others to the hospital. Grizzly is strangely silent after his breakdown. His eyes appear to be haunted, as if the fear for Meredith is too much for him. I know better. There's something deeper, more important, that he hasn't told us yet.

I realize he has the same suspicions that Dart and I do. It's easy to know who's to blame for this attack, but not so easy to prove it. We only have the tracks as evidence and the threats that have been made against us. Sadly, those may not be enough.

In the ER, Grizzly takes control. He won't take no for an answer when the nurse refuses to tell him Meredith's status or allow him to speak to the doctor who's in charge of her care. When he threatens violence she backs down and runs to get the doctor because she knows that even the security guards can't stop us.

A tall, lanky, gray-haired doctor steps out from behind the locked doors to greet us. One look at who we are, and he doesn't try to argue about us not being family. He knows the damn score. It's better to just tell us and not start a riot.

"So far we know there's a cut on the back of her head, most likely from a rock on the ground. It's about three inches long. We're cleaning and stitching it now. It's nothing to be concerned about. However, there's a split in the skin over her temple accompanied by a large knot. From the looks of it I'd say someone kicked her in the head after she went down," he explains.

"How serious is that?" Dart asks, continuously closing his hands into fists then releasing them. He wants to hit someone, and I don't blame him.

"It's concerning because of the location and the fact that she hasn't woken up. I'll confirm a concussion for now. We'll do a head scan to check for bleeding, but her pupils are reacting as they should so it's doubtful."

"The bruising on her neck, Doc. Was she strangled? Did she go without air too long?" I question.

"There aren't any handprints, so I assume someone had an arm across her neck to control her, to drag her as the heels of her shoes indicate. She may have gotten lightheaded, but she didn't totally lack oxygen. Some of the blood on her fingers is from torn nails. But we just got back a lab report saying the rest isn't hers. The conclusion is she got a piece of her attacker. The police will be interested in the DNA."

"So will we," Grizzly declares. "And you'll give us the information before you turn it over to the cops. When will she wake up?"

The doctor doesn't even seem surprised at his orders. He just nods in compliance.

"I can't give you a timeline. Head wounds are tricky. Just take solace in the fact that she's breathing on her own and has no signs of more injuries other than all the contusions. She'll recover."

"Doc, I need to talk to you alone a second," Grizzly says, which shocks us.

We start to protest that we should hear it too, but he says, "I'll explain in a minute. The doctor needs this information first."

They walk away, far enough that we can't hear their soft-spoken words. "What do you think he's telling the Doc? What does he know that we don't?" Dart asks impatiently with a little anger in his voice.

"Why ask me? If I knew he wouldn't have sent me over here with you, would he? I suppose he has his reasons for telling the doc first, but it doesn't seem fair. We could have just as well listened while he explained to the damn doc. Nothing that happened tonight makes any fucking sense," I reply testily.

We watch as the doctor walks away after nodding at Grizzly. We expect our boss to come directly to us and explain, but he leans against the wall and puts his hands on his knees. It's like he can't hold himself up without support.

We start in his direction. He stops us with a palm in the air and a curt, "Sit your asses down. I have something to say, and I don't want any interruptions."

Mumbling about his arrogance, we take seats in the waiting area as far from other people as possible. Still, several of them leave, leaping like scared rabbits out of their chairs. I imagine baring my teeth and growling at them just to see how fast they can run, but for Meredith's sake I don't.

Grizzly joins us. He doesn't sit. It appears he's too distraught or nervous to remain still. He paces back and forth in one tiny spot.

"First, you should both know that tonight was the first time I heard about this, so don't jump down my throat when I tell you. I don't know why Meredith confided in Addy, except I guess she needed a friend. I'm still having a problem believing it, but the doctor says he'll confirm it soon enough."

Taking a deep, almost gasping breath, he continues, "Meredith is pregnant."

"What the hell are you saying?!" I stand up and shout. "That can't be right. She'd have told me."

Dart glares at me and growls, "Why you? It could be mine or Grizzly's. Maybe it's one of us she should have told."

"Does it really matter?" Grizzly asks. "The point is she's having a baby and one of us fathered it. She didn't say a damn word to any of us, which makes me wonder if she meant to get rid of it and that's why she was outside. Addy claims she was afraid of our reaction to the news. I suppose she had good reason to be scared. We haven't exactly said anything about permanent relationships or kids."

"She wouldn't do away with it no matter what, so don't even go there," I argue. "Don't you dare say anything against her like that."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but the fact is she kept it a secret. And she was damn well sneaking out tonight. I got a call saying one of the prospects found a duffel bag full of her things on the ground by the back door. Explain what she was doing," Grizzly commands.

"I can't, but I can guarantee she would never hurt that baby. You know I'm right. You're just in shock and freaking the hell out right now," I tell him.

He sighs and rakes his big hands through his hair. "You're right. She'd never do anything to harm it. I'm just trying to understand why she didn't tell us. It hurts me that she didn't. Doesn't it hurt you?"

"It pisses me off more than anything. She better have a good explanation," I state.

"I'm just sort of sad that she didn't trust us to deal with it," Dart quietly says. "What are we going to do about it? You know, once we know who it belongs to? Do the other two just walk away?"

"I'm not walking away. I don't think any of us will. We'll figure it out as we go along," I admit.

"It's possible there won't be a baby after tonight. What if this attack made her lose it? Have you thought about that?" Grizzly questions us.

"Shit! No! We haven't had as much time to get used to this as you. You had time to think on the way over. No wonder you weren't talking or giving orders. You were busy freaking out. I say we go find the damn doc and demand he tell us if she's lost it," I retort.

Finding the doctor isn't necessary. The nurse is already heading for us.

"She's awake. That's a good sign. The doctor says you can all go in, but don't be loud or upset her. She's had a scare already and the concussion will make her head ache. She may be a little woozy as well."

Fear for Meredith and anger against the attacker overwhelm me when I see her head bandaged, bruising so stark in the harsh hospital lights and IV attached to her arm. I notice that both Grizzly and Dart have the same grim expressions on their faces.

Still, the reality is we need to know what she was doing and why she never told us about the baby. We want answers, despite her condition.

There's only room for one of us on her right side where the IV stands. I take that spot, which means Dart and Grizzly line up on her left. I take one hand while Dart takes the other. Grizzly touches her face and moves stray hair off her cheek.

"I'm awake," she whispers hoarsely.

"It's about time," I tease. "Your little nap was longer than we liked."

"Funny," she says as she opens her eyes to look at us. "I'm okay. Don't look at me like I'm dying."

"Who did it?" Grizzly demands.

She sighs and answers, "I didn't see any faces, but I might be able to recognize the voices."

"So, there was more than one," Dart says.

"Two as best I could tell," she replies.

"Why were you running away?" I ask before Grizzly can start the interrogation I see coming in his eyes.

"You know?"

"A prospect found the duffel. You have a lot to explain," I warn her.

"I just wanted some time away. Time to think," she admits.

"About the damn baby?" Grizzly injects.

"Why didn't you tell us? And…is the baby okay?" I add tentatively.

She gives us a faint smile and says, "The baby is still on board. It's fine, according to the sonogram they did after the doctor was told to check. I suppose someone spilled the beans against my wishes."

"You're damn right. But you should have told us right away," I grumble, the anger rising now that I know she and the baby will make it.

"I wasn't sure how to tell you, or who to even tell. You know there's no way I can say which of you is the father. I didn't even know whether any of you would be willing to claim it or if it was even wanted. Frankly, I was scared of what would happen. A fight? A demand to get rid of it?"

"That's bullshit! We'd never ask that of you, just like we know you'd never do it anyway! That baby isn't just yours. At least one of us has a claim to it. I think we all want it," Grizzly yells.

We realize too late that we're not alone. A young prospect is in the doorway and is listening with shock to our argument.

He's already heard too much, and that can't be allowed.