In shock Darcy picked it up and flipped it on. "Liz?!"

"It's Char..."

"Have you heard anything?!"

"Lizzy found Gina!"

There was silence. Darcy had digested and regurgitated that bit of news in a furious flash. He felt sick to his stomach and the utmost joy at the same time. He wished to run, to jump, but his legs would not move.

"Will, did you hear me?!"

He wanted to cry, to laugh, but his head pounded feverishly and his free-flowing blood rushed through his body and flooded his senses.

"They're both okay."

Upon his hearing the last statement, the blood stopped coursing through his veins, he slumped to the floor and a gush of air was forced out of him. With it came a torrential rain of tears and a solitary sob.

Charlotte put her hand to her mouth to stifle her own cries and to let her friend express all he felt, in silence.

It took a while, but he finally calmed down. "Where are they?" he croaked.

"San Antonio... Wilford Hall Medical Center."

"I'll be there as soon as I can!"

He threw the phone carelessly on the counter and ran to the shed. Bud followed happily. Absentmindedly, Darcy flung open the shed doors, grabbed the keys, jumped into the truck, turned on the ignition, and put it in gear. He could make it in 5 hours, if he could find the highway, if he wasn't pulled over, if Bud would stop barking and get the hell out of the way... Bud! He slammed on the brakes.

"Damn!" Darcy exclaimed as he pushed full force on the horn; Bud responded stalwart and vicious in her reply. Darcy slammed his fists against the steering wheel. He, again, blew the horn furiously, but Bud remained in front of the truck. "Damn! Damn!! Damn!!!"

After a few agonizing moments, Darcy removed himself from the truck and ran back into the house to find something... Anything! Maybe he could coax Bud with some liver snacks... Doubt it! Maybe he could coax Bud into the house and lock her up... Cruel, but still a plan! I might just have to kill that damn dog...

"Will!" Darcy heard a distant voice and spun around frantically. "Will!" There it was again! "Will!"

He ventured near the phone and realized that Charlotte was still on it. "Charlotte, Bud won't let me go!"

"I know! Lizzy said to put her on the phone..."

"What?!"

"Put Bud on the phone!"

Darcy could not fathom what this ludicrousness was all about, but he did what was asked and called for the dog.

Bud barked at the voice, then whined and nodded as she listened. After the conversation, she ran out the door.

Darcy put the phone to his ear. "Charlotte what was that all about?"

"I told her that both of you would be coming to pick me up."

"Liz! Oh God, oh God, Liz! Thank you! How are you? Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

"Thank me later. Just get down here!"

"Okay!"

"And take the phone with you!"

"Okay!"

Darcy flipped the phone off and ran out of the house. Bud was waiting in the rumble seat of the truck.

*****

"Down here, Will!" called Charlotte as Darcy ran frantically through the hospital ward.

They embraced.

"Where is she? How is she?" he panted.

At length, Darcy emerged from the room and sought out his friend. "What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure. They're examining her stomach contents in the lab." Darcy had to sit down. "When she was brought in, she was... incoherent."

"Drugs?" Charlotte nodded. "Who did this?" he spat.

"Wickham."

Darcy may have shot up from his seat, but his legs betrayed him a moment later; he plummeted back into the chair with a thud. Not a word was uttered from his mouth because his brain had decided at that moment that it was best to be shut down or all hell was going to break loose.

Charlotte did not offer anything further either. Fitz said he would handle it, now where the hell is he?!

Her prayers were answered soon enough; the Colonel was hurrying down the hallway.

"Will!" Darcy only blinked as his cousin pulled him up out of his chair and hugged him. "Will?" he inquired as Darcy slid back into the chair. The Colonel looked at Charlotte and wordlessly asked a question, she nodded, and he frowned. The Colonel sat down in the empty chair on the other side of Darcy.

*****

At length, Darcy finally woke up from his trance. "Is he dead or alive?"

"They got him..." answered the Colonel. "Don't worry about it."

"Then I'll assume he's alive... Good!" whispered Darcy. Both Charlotte and the Colonel peered uneasily at each other. "He must suffer. He must pay."

No one said anything. One ground his teeth to bite down his contempt; the other two had already been there for hours and required nothing more than levity. Both Charlotte and the Colonel silently mused over the change in Darcy's appearance. They could not look at each other for fear of laughing out loud. Instead they rejoiced in the fact that all was well with their loved ones and happiness was just around the bend.

An hour passed and the doctor came up.

"I have good news." Charlotte and the Colonel stood up. "We've found the drug types, etc., and I've written up..." The doctor stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed Darcy.

"Doctor Knightley, this is Will Darcy, Georgiana's brother."

Darcy nodded and the doctor nodded back.

"As I was saying, I've written up the treatments and they're being administered as we speak."

The fog had lifted. "Thank you, Emma." Darcy stood up and held out his hand. "I really appreciate your efforts."

"No problem Will," she shook it and smiled. "I'm glad I was here." Dr. Knightley grabbed his face. "What's with all this?" she laughed.

Darcy blushed. "I know I must look like Grizzly Adams, but there's a good explanation for it." The doctor, Charlotte and the Colonel burst out with laughter. "Not that I'm going to explain it to any of you!"

After the laughter had died down, they talked more calmly about Georgiana's situation.

"Now, if you don't mind, I've got to make a last check on Georgiana and get back downstairs so I can get out of here."

"Thanks again, Emma." Darcy embraced her.

"It's my job Will. But you're welcome. Doctor Eleanor Dashwood is assigned as her regular physician while she's here."

He let her go. "Why not you?"

"I'm Emergency, remember? And she's very good. Don't worry?"

Darcy nodded. "Okay."

"I like what I do but I am eternally grateful to turn patients over to a regular physician, unlike Dr. Willoughby," she sniffed. "He interferes with the other doctors, changes medications, etc. You'll have to watch him."

"And how is our other patient?" asked Charlotte.

"According to Doctor Willoughby, she's sound asleep now. And probably not too happy about it," chuckled Dr. Knightley.

"Liz?!" questioned Darcy. They all nodded. "Good God what happened?!"

"She's pretty bruised up and..."

"Well, where is she?!" Darcy bolted aimlessly down the hallway. "How come no one told me?!"

Charlotte and the Colonel ran after him, while the doctor went into Georgiana's room. Neither answered as they pulled him onto an elevator.

"How bad is she?" he asked as Charlotte pushed the 4^th floor.

"Not bad..." offered the Colonel; Charlotte looked away.

Darcy looked hopefully at the Colonel as they stepped off the elevator. "Where's her family?'

They walked down to the end of hallway, Charlotte leading the way.

"Mr. Bennet's here somewhere... They may have given him a room to sleep in. Jane is on her way while Charles stays with the kids." Charlotte peeked in the room to make sure her friend was decent and then stepped aside. "She's definitely asleep," she whispered.

"I'll just go in for a minute." Darcy closed the door behind him. Guided by the moonlight through open blinds, he crossed over to her bed and pulled up a chair. As she was facing the window, he stroked the hair from her face. "Liz... Thank you," he whispered as a tear rolled faintly down his cheek. "Thank you. I'm not sure what you did, but I am forever grateful..."

"Will?" she mumbled.

"I, I'm here."

Elizabeth could not move or see; she felt numb. "Will?"

"I'm here Liz." Darcy continued to tenderly move more strands of curls away from her face. "Oh shit!" he gasped at the sight and nearly fell out of his chair. "Oh God, Liz! What happened?!"

"...few ... bruises... all." Her mouth was dry, her lips cracked, and that was all she could say.

Elizabeth was cognizant of some of her injuries, but she was unaware that some of her hair had to be cut off to stitch up the other damage.

"Just a few..." Darcy had to look away to collect himself. He swallowed hard. "How are you feeling?"

"Groggy."

"I'm not going to stay long... I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"How's Gina?"

"The doctor says she'll recover."

"Good!"

Nothing else was said between them. Darcy watched as Elizabeth went back to sleep, then he left her room as quietly as he came.

Darcy walked past Charlotte and the Colonel and nodded for them to follow. They walked onto the elevator, the doors closed, Darcy pushed the button, the elevator doors opened, and they walked towards the cafeteria in an eerie silence.

After Darcy grabbed a few things to eat from the vending machine, he joined them at a table in the corner. "Tell me exactly what happened," he stated more calmly than he felt.

"Well..." spoke Charlotte and the Colonel in unison.

"Lizzy and I were working together!" blurted the Colonel.

Shock crossed his face, then a scowl a moment later. "I don't see any scars on you!" sneered Darcy.

The Colonel stiffened; he had never fumbled a case like he had done with this one. And he truly did not like to be reminded of such folly. He sighed aloud and told the story. "... and she made it back to the hotel... all bloodied and beaten... I was just waking up from a splitting headache."

Darcy was white as a ghost, yet red as the devil! But that did not stop him from speaking or pounding on the unstable Formica. "Where the fuck were you?!"

"I was attacked from behind, you know?!" defended the Colonel. Darcy bit his lips and said no more. "I got them into the car, called on the CB for help and drove us to the border."

"I just can't believe you didn't try to find them!!!"

"As I said..." The Colonel gulped and swallowed his pride. "I can't apologize enough..."

"Will," soothed Charlotte. "She's alive."

"Barely!" he spat.

"She will be all right," defended Charlotte.

Darcy glared and sneered at his cousin. "You'd better hope so!" And with that he stormed out of the cafeteria.

"Bud," said Darcy as he walked her around the parking lot. "Lizzy's all right." Bud bounced and pranced. "She's a little bruised up..." he bristled at the thought, "... but she's okay." Bud barked. "Let's get you something to eat, okay girl?" Bud barked again and lunged for the truck.

Once Darcy found an open-all-night store and Bud was properly fed, he had time to think. It was, indeed, the first time in 5 days that he felt at peace to do so. No, he was not going to release anymore tears, for this was a time for action.

First and foremost was Georgiana; she was out of the woods as far as her health was concerned; all he had to do was wait on further prognosis on the state of her mental capacity from the doctor. He had stopped by her room right after he left the Colonel and Charlotte; the good doctor was already on duty. Doctor Dashwood had the perfect bedside manner and Georgiana was speedily responding to the treatments. All was going well on that front.

Then there was Elizabeth. What was he going to do about her? Darcy was not quite sure of his plans, but he must do something.

Bud jumped back up in the bed of the truck. Darcy sped off to feed his hunger pains.

*****

As Darcy walked up to the hospital entrance, Mr. Bennet was standing there rubbing his temples. He had just witnessed a display by his daughter in her hospital room that made him wholly enraged and entirely confounded.

"Has something happened?!"

"No, son, they're both fine. Fine." Darcy sighed aloud. "I was just out here trying to find some control."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bennet. If I had known..."

"It's not your fault, Will. Lizzy would've done it her way, anyway."

"She'll have the best care money can buy. The best surgeons... I'll see to it personally."

"I don't doubt that. My concern is what will happen after she recovers completely."

"You think she'll go back out?"

"She's stubborn and pig-headed." Mr. Bennet exhaled deeply. "Will, parents aren't supposed to stay awake at night worrying about their children... wondering if they'll get the dreaded phone call in the middle of the night. Retirement is supposed to be relaxing, but there's no way in hell I can do that when my daughter is out in the world wrestling with the devil's spawn."

"Well, it may surprise you to know that she is considering retiring in a few years... I think this adventure may push that to the forefront."

Mr. Bennet looked hopeful and equally doubtful. "I hope you're right, Will. I really do."

They walked into the hospital.

"I checked on Gina while you were out. She's coming around nicely."

"Thank you. The doctor thinks she might be able to go to a clinic in a few days..."

"I hadn't heard that. That's good news!" Mr. Bennet patted Darcy on the shoulder. "Good news, indeed!"

Darcy nodded. "I'm torn between having her cared for at home or the clinic, though."

"Of course, you want her with you... to know she's reachable at any given moment. But try to take yourself out of the formula. If the best care is at the clinic, then provide her round-the-clock security and take a room either there or as close as possible. If the same care can be given at home, then there's your answer."

"You're right. I'll talk to Dr. Dashwood again after I see Gina." Mr. Bennet nodded in agreement. "Are you going to Liz's room right now?"

"Yes."

"I'll meet you over there then."

They parted as elevator doors opened.

*****

"Will, can we..."

"It would be best if you let me be for a while, Fitz."

Darcy pushed past his cousin, entered his sister's room and closed the door behind him.

*****

"Lizzy! Lizzy! Stop fighting!" soothed Jane.

Jane had come in the room at a most horrific scene. Elizabeth was screeching at the top of her lungs and fighting the nurses like a clubbed arm caged animal. Jane had never seen her sister in such a state. One nurse was holding her down as another nurse administered the injection.

"It's probably shock from the loss of blood," assured one of the nurses. Jane nodded.

Within minutes, a calmer Elizabeth dazedly rolled her eyes toward her sister. "Jane," she whispered. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," smiled Jane.

"Why didn't somebody wake me?"

"We tried, but you were not in the best of moods."

"I hate this!"

"I know."

"Where's Papa?"

"Getting us something to eat."

"Where's Will?"

"With Gina."

"Where's Charlotte?"

"Grilling the prisoners, I suppose."

"They got 'em?"

"Yes."

"Both of them?"

"Yes."

"Good!" Elizabeth promptly went to sleep.

Jane sat and watched her until their father came back in the room.

"How is she?"

"Calm, now."

"I couldn't watch," he shuddered.

"I know," lamented Jane.

They sat quietly.

*****

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I can't give out her room number. Only family is allowed to see her."

"What the hell?!" Stan bellowed.

"Now Stan..." admonished Mabel. "We can page Clarence. He'll come down and sign us in."

"Mabel..." he huffed and sighed in one continuous breath. "Always the voice of reason, ain't ya?" Stan chastely kissed his wife on the cheek, then turned back to the reception nurse. "Can you page Clarence Bennet, please?"

"I can do that."

*****

"Clarence!"

"Stanley!" The two men hugged in companionable solace. "Hello there, Mabel!" They embraced.

"How's my girl?" asked Stan.

Mr. Bennet shrugged his shoulders. "We're not really sure."

"Why not?"

*****

Darcy nodded to his cousin. "Follow me."

They walked through the hospital in silence. Darcy opened the door to the truck, grabbed Bud's collar and helped her down. They walked around the parking lot with the Colonel in their wake.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yes. I'm sorry Will." Darcy stopped and turned to face the Colonel. "I must've been pegged... That's the only way I can explain it." Darcy stared unconvinced. "Lizzy's forgiven me, why can't you?"

"I'm sure I will... someday. Just not right now."

"I understand."

"You couldn't possibly understand!!" growled Darcy. "How could you..."

"Do you know how many times I've kicked myself?! There's nothing I'd like better than for someone to beat me to a pulp, right now! I've let my family down! I've let my friends down! My profession! Myself!" The Colonel trembled in rage, frustration, and self-doubt. "If I said anything more than I'm sorry for damn near 200 miles, I can't even remember!" Darcy stood, unmoved by the display. "Write me off if you want to! Never speak to me again! Fire me! I can't do anything more but apologize!"

Darcy looked upon his cousin in contemptuous disappointment; the Colonel walked away.

"What are you doing up?"

"Just wondering where you were," smiled Georgiana as Darcy kissed her on her forehead.

"Walking the dog."

"Walking the dog? You got me a dog?"

He laughed. "No. Liz has a dog, a big dog named Bud."

"Why is the dog at the hospital?"

"It's a long story," he chuckled.

"Well?"

Darcy told Georgiana everything, well... almost everything that happened in the last 3 weeks or so. Her expressions and laughter throughout the story showed her vast improvement.

"Where is she?"

"She's on the 4^th floor. Her arm is broken..." Darcy looked away. "...and she's badly bruised."

"Can I see her?"

"I'll see if it's okay. In fact I'm going to check on her in a minute."

"Mr. Bennet came to visit me."

"I know. I saw him outside."

"Nice man." Darcy nodded. "Is her sister here yet?"

"I'm not sure." Darcy stood up to leave. "Has Charlotte been to visit you yet?"

"No."

"I'll call her and see when she's coming by. I want to be here when..." Darcy left the rest unsaid.

Georgiana nodded sadly. "Okay."

*****

"Stan! Mabel!" cried Elizabeth.

"Lizzy!" exclaimed Mabel. "Oh my God, what happened?!" Mabel was afraid to embrace her pretend daughter, instead she sat down beside her.

"Oh dear Lord, Lizzy!" cried Stan. "If I had known..."

"I'm fine."

"Are you? Really?" asked Stan as he sat on the other side of the bed.

"Yes."

"I just never imagined my baby girl would end up like this." Stan just shook his head as he choked on his words.

"Professional hazards," she tried to smile.

"Bullshit!" he huffed.

"Stanley Ignatius Weston!" admonished Mabel.

"Sorry dear heart." Stan hung his head and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "Lizzy, I..."

"No need to apologize." Tears fell unbidden. "I could've done some things differently..."

"Lizzy," soothed Mabel as she stroked Elizabeth's other hand. "Don't be so hard on yourself. In his younger days, Stan would've done something equally dangerous or worse."

"I care about ya, Lizzy. You're the best student I ever had, but I won't be able to sleep at night..."

"Shh," whispered Mabel. "She's asleep."

They sat quietly and watched Elizabeth sleep, fitfully, sweat oozing from her pores.

*****

"Liz, are you... Oh, excuse me, I didn't know she had visitors."

"She's asleep and we were just keeping an eye on her while Clarence called home and Jane rests. I'm Mabel Weston," she stuck out her hand, "and this is my husband Stan."

"Nice to meet you," he shook the woman's hand then the man's. "I'm Will Darcy."

"So, you're Will Darcy, huh? How's ya sister?" asked Stan.

"Better thanks." Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Are you family?"

"Yes and no. Lizzy came to work for me 'round 3 years ago."

"She's like our own daughter," Mabel sighed.

"How so?"

"Well..." Stan and Mabel told Darcy their entire acquaintance with Elizabeth in as brief a tale as possible and barely above a whisper.

"I didn't put two-and-two together. Liz told me some of her stories," he chuckled and looked in admiration at Elizabeth's sleeping form, "but in a different spin."

"That's my Lizzy..." chuckled Stan, "always weaving tales."

"I can't believe you all are talking about me like I'm dead." Elizabeth laughed as she tried to sit up.

"Here honey, let me help you." Mabel patted and pushed the pillows behind her. "How's that?"

"Fine thanks." Elizabeth looked at the faces around her. "Well?"

"Well what?" asked Stan.

"Is that all you're going to say about me at my funeral?" she smiled. "I'll just have to do better in my next life!"

No one else smiled; in fact they paled enough to be seen clear through.

"Lizzy! How morbid!" cried Mabel.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to..."

"That's alright dear." Mabel patted Elizabeth's hand again. "Are you hungry?"

"Did you bring some food with you?"

"No."

"Then I'm not hungry. Hospital food bites," Elizabeth wrinkled her nose.

"Well, I've got just the thing for you." Darcy pulled a fast food bag from atop the bed next to Elizabeth's. "They're a little cold, but I thought you might like some french fries."

"McDonald's!" Elizabeth nearly lunged at him; Darcy willingly gave up the bag to her ravenous one-handed grabbing. "You remembered!"

While Elizabeth greedily tucked into the bag, Stan and Mabel bid their fondest adieus'.

*****

"Stan," Darcy closed the door behind him. "I didn't have the opportunity to thank you for your help in finding my sister." Darcy held out his hand. "Thank you seems so inadequate."

Stan shook it and patted Darcy's shoulder. "You're welcome. I'm just glad she's okay. Both of 'em."

"Me too." They all walked further down the hallway. "Are you coming back tonight?"

"Don't know. I gotta go back down to the police station."

Darcy breathed in deeply. "How about tomorrow?"

"We'll be here."

"Good. My sister's much improved and I'd like for you to meet? You too, Mabel."

"We'd be happy to," smiled Stan.

"See you then."

They parted ways after the elevator doors opened.

*****

Darcy peered into the room. Elizabeth lay with her back to him and facing the window.

"Liz?"

"Yes, Will?"

"I didn't disturb your rest, did I?" No answer. He sat down in the chair by her bed. "I wanted to... I..." There was so much he wanted to say. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything. I just want you to know that you'll have the best care possible. Whatever you need, I'll make sure it happens. Whatever you want, I'll make sure..."

"Will."

"Yes, Liz?"

"I need you to shut up so I can sleep."

He smiled as she smiled. "I can do that too."

Darcy watched as Elizabeth slept. For nearly 2 hours, he recounted their 3-week cohabitation: the trepidation, the arguments, the disclosures, the consolations, the friendship, the laughter, the fun, the teasing, the discoveries, the revelations, the kinship. Through it all, he remembered her indigo eyes that betrayed her true feelings and her beautiful face, unscathed.

At length, Darcy stood up from his chair, took a good long look at Elizabeth's sleeping form, kissed her on her cheek, and left to sit with his sister.

"Hi." Charlotte and Darcy embraced. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago. If you listen carefully, you're being paged."

"Timing is everything," he shrugged.

Charlotte sat down in the chair beside Georgiana's bed and pulled out a mini tape recorder. "For prosperity's sake." She clicked a few buttons; Darcy took his seat at the edge of the bed and held Georgiana's hand. "Will, promise me you'll let Gina tell me everything without interruption?"

Darcy swallowed hard and assented with a nod of his head.

"Okay Gina, start from Tuscany."

"Well," she sighed. "Will sent me to Tuscany, Italy for my senior year of high school."

"Why?"

"We, my brother and I, were getting threats... phone calls, mail. So to protect me, he sent me away. Everything was going well. Will was coming to spend Thanksgiving with me. I was so excited. But about a week before, I started feeling like I was being watched... even in school. I tried to stay around the other students, but I hadn't made any real friends yet, so I just hurried to my classes amongst the crowd and waited for the limo in the headmaster's office. That day... a Sunday. I walked to the little chapel to pray for your safe journey. It was down the road, but still on the property." Darcy stiffened. "I didn't think I was in any danger and I really didn't want Mrs. Annesley to come with me," she defended. "But unfortunately, that's where they were waiting on me. I hadn't even got to the altar when they grabbed me. I don't know if they drugged me then, because I don't remember anything after that. Well, not until a few days later. I felt myself being carried down some steps but I was too out of it to really know what was going on, but I saw his face..."

"Whose face?"

"George's. George Wickham. The only other things I can remember is some lady shooting me in the arm with something, me throwing up almost every time I woke up or ate something, and Lizzy carrying me away."

"Do you remember what the lady looked like?"

"Yes. Blue eyes. Blonde... no, dyed blonde hair. Her dark roots were beginning to show."

"You don't remember anything else?"

"No, just fuzzy pictures and scrambled voices. I see them more clearly when I'm sleep, though."

"Anything that comes to you, I want you to write it down." Charlotte handed Georgiana a pen and pad. "Do you still draw?"

Georgiana smiled. "I sure do!"

"Excellent! I'll send you some pencils and a sketch pad." Charlotte smiled, shut off the recorder, stood up, and stretched. "Well, I've got to make a few phone calls and hopefully see Lizzy before I go."

"You're leaving?" asked an alarmed Darcy.

"Yes. Don't worry, I've turned this over to the D.A. down here. Frederick Wentworth. He'll take very good care of them," she winked. "Thank you, Gina." She kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few days, okay?"

"Okay."

"Rest easy and take care."

"See ya."

"I'll be back," said Darcy. He quickly followed Charlotte out of the room. "Charlotte, are you sure this guy, Wentworth, is good?"

"Oh don't worry, if he was a judge he'd be a hanging judge. He's a well-known prosecutor; practiced up in New York for 9 years. Put John Gotti away... spent 6 of those years building a case against him. He's relentless to a fault. Now he's come back home to stay. Just in time to prosecute our dear boy." Charlotte dug into her briefcase. "Here's his number. He's expecting you to call."

"Thanks." Darcy pulled her to him. "I owe you one."

They embraced.

"No you don't."

He let her go. "Does Fitz know you're leaving?"

"He's coming with me," she smiled.

Darcy nodded. "Well," he sighed. "I'll see you in a few days then."

"Take care. Get some sleep! And for God's sake... shave!" she giggled as she strolled down the hallway.

*****

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I am," smiled Georgiana. "Yes, I am."

Darcy sighed in relief. "I think I'll take a walk."

"You should try to sleep before you fall out," she admonished.

"In a while." Darcy closed the door behind him.

*****

"Lizzy?"

"Hmm?" answered a dazed Elizabeth.

"I'm going back to Dallas for a few days..."

"Charlotte?"

"Yes. It's me."

"I haven't seen you in ages!"

Charlotte smiled. "I know. I'll make it up to you when I come back."

"Come back? Where ya going?"

"Back to Dallas for a few days."

"Okay."

Elizabeth went back to sleep; Charlotte left her room.

*****

"Stay away from me!!!" She thrust her hand forward. "Stay away!"

"What the hell..."

"Get out!" yelled a nurse. "The patient is not in control!"

"Liz." Darcy stepped forward cautiously. "Liz."

Her glassy eyes turned towards his voice. "Stay away," she floundered. "Stay away."

"Why don't you come down and let these people help you?"

"They're... they're trying to kill me, Will!" she whimpered.

"I won't let them. I promise." He moved closer to the bed and held out his hand to her. "I'll be right here."

Elizabeth slunk down to sit upon the pillows of her bed. Darcy embraced her tightly while the nurses administered the sleep agents.

Jane and Mr. Bennet were visiting Elizabeth; she had another rough night of it. Now she slept as they whispered between themselves.

Doctor John Willoughby strolled in, took Elizabeth's pulse, checked her vitals, scribbled something on her chart, and left without a word.

*****

"Hi," he smiled widely as he saw the patient awake. "How are you this morning?" Darcy kissed Georgiana on her forehead.

"Fine," she smiled. "I see you shaved."

Darcy rubbed his chin and laughed. "Feels good to be naked again."

"Did you get any sleep?"

"A few hours."

"Will!" she chided.

"I'll sleep when I get you home." And make sure Liz is okay...

Georgiana just shook her head.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asked.

"I slept like a baby," she smiled. "When am I going home?"

"I haven't settled that with the doctor yet."

They talked for a little while until Darcy was almost sure that his sister was not suffering from the same malady that had Elizabeth in its grip.

*****

Darcy peeked in the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," answered Jane as she rose to greet her friend. "How are you?"

He held her tight. "Fine Jane," he kissed her on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Okay. Tired. Okay."

"I know what you mean," he sighed. "How's Liz this morning?"

Jane exhaled heavily, shrugged, and wiped a few fresh tears from under her eyes. "I heard Gina's doing better."

"Yes," he sighed, wondering. "Why don't you two take a break and let me sit with her for a while?"

They both agreed. Mr. Bennet went to call home, while Jane called the rest of the family.

*****

Darcy watched as Elizabeth tried to toss and turn; hindered by the large cast on her arm, she mumbled something, then was quiet. His thoughts wandered over the events of the past few days. Could he forgive his cousin? Ever? Could he forgive himself for involving Elizabeth? Had she forgiven the Colonel? Does she blame me? What was going on inside her head? Why these nightmares? Why this paranoia? What really happened during her kidnapping that she has not told anyone? Does she remember? Would he ever be able to look at her without cringing inwardly?

"Papa?! Jane?!" Elizabeth screamed out and fought blindly, wildly. "Papa?! Papa?! Jane?!"

Darcy rushed to her side. "Liz! Liz!"

Elizabeth still struggled and called out as he grabbed her by both shoulders. "No! No! Papa?!"

"Liz! Snap out of it!" He pulled her close to him try to control her mind's battle. "Liz, what's wrong?! Ow!" She drove her nails into his back and bit his chest through his shirt. "I'm here," he soothed. "Ow! It's me, Will." She settled a bit as he kissed her on her cheek. "Liz, baby, I'm here." Darcy continued to trace her cheek with soft tiny kisses. "Don't fight me. Let me help you?" Elizabeth whimpered into his shoulder. "Baby, let me help you?" he whispered.

Elizabeth wept bitterly as Darcy held her tight to his body, kissing her hair, rubbing her back, and giving her comfort.

As the door to the room opened, Darcy held up one hand to halt the intruder, whoever it was. Mr. Bennet quietly closed the door, leaned his forehead up against a wall and let the tears flow freely.