Kylie J <[email protected]> 
Date: Thu Sep 9, 1999 11:27am 
Subject: REPOST/EDITED: the little room 


DO NOT READ THE LAST ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the right one, few changes made, so you don't get the
wrong idea about something... Ok ok ok... finally i've finished it... it's a bit far fetched, but hey, and it's loosely
based on the Stephen King novel 'Misery' (if you haven't read it, you should)... well, it started off like it anyway,
but it completely chnged by the end... a big big thanks to Rhiannon, i don't think i would've found an ending, or
even a decent story without your input... thanks heaps... and thanks for the character too, you know who you
are... thanks also to all my other friends for their help and characters...

disclaimer: these characters and places belong to southern star, hal mcelroy and whoever else feels like making
a claim to them SO THERE! i intended no wrong doing in writing this excuse for a story so if you feel a sudden
urge to dob on a poor, young, helplessly obsessed student then be my guest! but as far as i'm concerned this is
all above board. am i making a profit? no. therefore it's not a breach of the copright act. i don't think... but i'll
stop all that now. 

another disclaimer: i intended no breach of copyright in using some of the ideas from misery, and if you can pick
them out, they belong to stephen king. here goes... oh, and beware, character death, violence and soppy parts
are in it, but it's not that bad, i don't think... (scuse the missing caps, i tried to replace them all, but i'm sure i
missed alot of them)... 

feedback please... 
THE LITTLE ROOM M, v, s, a Jack and Jo had been having a friendly conversation in the car on the way
back from the Purvis property, when Jack turned away for a second before Jo started screaming at him. In an
instant, he looked back, but it was too late, the car had hit them - the blue Volvo that was coming straight at
them, on the wrong side of the road. Jo was screaming at Jack, in pain with her legs mashed under the dash
board, but he would not wake up, blood gushing from a deep wound in his head. Thinking he was dead, she
frantically tried to radio for help, only that too had been smashed to smithereens. Feeling giddy and faint, she
slipped away into unconsciousness, the pain too much to bear. :(:(:( back at the station, Ben was puzzled as he
tried to radio J&J to attend a call, receiving only a dead signal. he asked the others (Maggie and PJ being the
only two left) if they knew of the duo's whereabouts, but they all had no idea, they too had expected them back.
he went to talk to a frustrated Tom, who was in a bad mood as it was, but he just got uptight, with the excuse
they probably got lost - he hadn't been too keen on sending the two of them out together, with their records and
their inexperience. so Maggie and Ben went out for a drive. :(:(:( Jack was stirring, only to hear banging and
hammering somewhere quite close, and lulling voices telling him to 'go back to sleep'. he had to check Jo first, to
see how she was, but before he could, he felt a needle prick in his arm. and he was out. :(:(:( about a half an
hour later, Maggie and Ben stumbled upon the smashed up patrol car and Volvo, and Ben ran to check on his
friends as he ordered Maggie to call for an ambulance, which of course she already had. the pair ran over to the
vehicle, to find the doors busted open and J&J missing. both bemused they called for backup. the St Davids
crew arrived soon after, to assist with a door knock and search of the area, but all they could come up with was
the obvious assumption that they had been kidnapped, along with the driver of the other vehicle, who too was
not in his car. was it a felon with a grudge against police or the other driver? or neither? but in taking down the
number plate of the Volvo, Ben remembered one minor detail - the vehicle had been reported stolen. :(:(:(
waking briefly in a little room next to Jack with excruciating pain in her legs was all Jo could remember, not how
she got there, not why, as soon after she drifted off into the protective cloud again. away from the agony, away
from the questions she wanted answered. as for Jack, he woke for a while, head throbbing, pain pulsating his
temples, vision duplicated. he remembered only the needle they, whoever 'they' was, stuck in his arm in the car
and the events surrounding those 30 seconds he was awake. so far there was not a case to be had against
anyone. unless you wanted to convict every man in Victoria. but he couldn't even be sure he was still in Victoria.
:(:(:( extremely worried for their colleagues, Maggie, Ben, PJ and Tom, along with the 15 or so back-up
officers, made an attempt at piecing together this puzzle. it had few pieces, but yet it was one of the hardest they
ever had to attempt. there were no witnesses. no other known driver. no one even heard anything because of
the location of the crash - a country road with no houses for miles. they seemed doomed. PJ though, had been
working on a theory. It was before Maggie and Ben's time in Mt Thomas, maybe before Mt Thomas, as Tom
had no recollection of the events or names, but it was a theory all the same. the owner of the other vehicle,
Karly Ross, had reported her car missing as she was about to play a part in an unimaginable crime. she was
about to play a part in the cruel, plotted kidnapping of two police officers, whom she had never met before, but
they were police officers all the same. he had remembered the name, from the case that created her hatred for
police, as he had known a girl with the same, seemingly common name, but she had been killed in an accident
when she was 18. this respirating Karly had had a grudge against the police since they put her father in gaol for
a crime he did not commit, where he was cruelly murdered, bringing her down from her respectable career as a
med-student, to a life of petty crime and drugs. everyone blamed her, hated her. she was the girl with the father
who set fire to the pound, killing more than half the defenceless animals in it. if her father was like that, then
some of that violence and hate must have been passed down. PJ was the prosecutions officer for the case, back
as a Senior Constable. she must have found out where he was stationed, and come back to wreak revenge. he
did not know what she had done, or how she had harmed his friends, but he knew it would not be a happy time
with J&J at the moment. :(:(:( back in the little room the two were awake, but they could not converse as they
were being watched by a man, who looked about thirty something (*ring a bell?*). he introduced himself as
'Jim'. the illusive 'Jim'. it was triple j now. the 'j' trio. happy times in store for the 'j' trio Jack thought cunningly.
Jo just thought several foul words strung together. they were in pain, they didn't know where they were, but all
this 'Jim' person could do was sit there like a stunned mullet. 'I'm Jim. call me Jim'. selfish bastard. 'the doctor
will be here in a moment to dress your wounds and give you some pills'. what doctor??? a doctor??? get the
doctor in here NOW! I'M IN PAIN HERE! :(:(:( PJ and the others were working on his theory, but even
though they had a possible suspect, she could be anywhere. if PJ remembered rightly, she was a cunning woman
with a scheming mind. she probably had some place rented interstate under a different name or something. their
hopes were few, but they had to keep going for their friends. they had one link to her possible whereabouts -
her father and her frequently travelled to a cabin in the bush when she was young. they had to find out. PJ and
Maggie headed the stake-out, but only by radio, as it was the other side of Melbourne so their crews handled
it. :(:(:( Jo was being prodded about by the 'doctor', who claimed it was for her own good. her legs were
useless, according to their 'learned friend', but Jo believed otherwise. she swore she could still wriggle her toes.
maybe she was imagining it. the 'doctor', who identified herself as Karla, then bandaged and splinted the young
Constable's legs with old bedposts, sawn to size with the ends padded with foam. Jack's head was still
throbbing, but she claimed his wound was only minor. even Jo could tell he needed hospital treatment. maybe
'Karla' missed neuro

lessons, too busy kidnapping some poor child or something. when she finally let them be, bandaged and dosed
up on painkillers, the two could start talking. the third 'j' party had gone too. Jo let it all out, even Jack was
upset. the two cried to each other, and questioned their whereabouts, why they had been taken to this place,
and if they would be found before they were killed. once they had started talking, or whispering, they
remembered some helpful details. Jack vaguely remembered stirring and seeing a sign saying 'welcome to
Widgeree'. well, that could've been ages ago, Widgeree wouldn't of been too far from where they were in
the smash. as for the driver, neither of them remembered seeing one, even in the car, when it was on the right
side of the road. they could remember no details of the actual smash, it was as though their memories had been
wiped

clean. they were completely puzzled. they appeared to have been caught in a vicious trap. what to do.
whoever these people were they were sick. and desperate. :(:(:( the crew had received radio word back from
the Melbourne guys that the Stakeout was a failure. the place was desolate - they could be anywhere. back to
the drawing board. Maggie had already alerted the neighbouring districts to keep watch for any suspicious
actions involving a Karly Ross, and two injured police officers, probationary Constable Jack Lawson and
Constable Joanna parish. it was now time to alert the rest of the state. the rest of the country even. as the news
bulletins went out, calls flooded in, there had been sightings in Melbourne, Ballarat, the blue mountains, even as
far as Darwin and Cairns. but there was one place that sent the bells sounding in PJ's memory. Glen Waverly,
in Melbourne. he had been stationed near there when the arrest of Karly's father was made. Glen Waverly, as
he remembered, had been a reasonably quiet suburb. easy to sneak someone in near the middle of the night. the
sighting was at a quiet house, double story, but it was more a hearing than a sighting. the informant heard loud
bumps and thumps and startled screams most way through the previous night. PJ rang her up and had a chat,
then convinced his superiors let him and Maggie take a drive out for a look around with the glen waverly squad.
they packed their bags and set off. :(:(:( Jack and Jo rolled to their respective sides of the double bed where
they had been kept (although it was mostly Jack doing the rolling), as soon as they heard the hurried footsteps in
the hallway outside the door. in burst their 'keepers' armed with hypodermic needles filled with some liquid that
the pair felt they were about to be injected with. the sensation of the needles pierce their skin on their arms was
all they felt, but before they were completely out of it, they thought they were being picked up and moved. :(:(:(
PJ and Maggie, along with glen waverly officers, were dressed in bullistics vests and moving in for the kill. the
house was a respectable looking one, double story with a federation-style bullnose verandah around its
perimeter, stylish barred windows downstairs with nice wooden framework, and french windows leading to the
upstairs balconies. what a waste. but this thought did not enter the minds of Maggie and PJ, who were hoping
they weren't about to find the bloodied, mutilated bodies of their colleagues, and consequently friends, hidden
away in some obscure room, stinking of the stench of rotting flesh. as they broke into the house, firearms
raised, ready to shoot at anyone in their midst, they were confronted with a creepy air about the place, but
nothing so far concrete - the place was empty. they continued to search, and in the up stairs bedroom they came
across a bloodied bed, with several long, dark brown hairs on one pillow, possibly Jo's, and blood on the other.
whoever was here had left in a hurry, and J&J weren't exactly in a ship-shape condition. Maggie and PJ
pondered this as they sat with the g.w. boys over a drink, the case was strikingly like that in the Stephen king
book misery. first, the victim is cut from the car, in a serious condition, then the kidnappers nurse them back to
health, with the hope that the victim will believe they owe their life to them. if this was the case, as in misery, then
they should find their friends fast. :(:(:( J&J had woken in a new room, quite like the other one, small, no
windows, the pair both in the same bed, only this one looked, and smelt older. it looked quite run down
actually, dust and rotted wood all over the floors, spider webs strung in the corners and the like - and their
kidnappers, the 'doctor Karla' and 'Jim', along with another man they had never seen before, staring over them.
they looked mad. very very mad. as though they were ready to do anything to rid the earth of them. not only
that, they had hammers the size of logs in their hands. things weren't looking so great. all of a sudden, the
enormous hammers were brought down with a great thud onto their trembling legs. an explosion of pain shot
through them, and they screamed out in horror, but this only provoked the attackers. they kept swinging, as
though the painful cries gave them enjoyment. Fulfilment. the three monsters said nothing during the attack,
'Karla's face though, bright and happy. down. and down again. the pain growing worse and worse until
suddenly there was no pain. it had become too much. perspiration pouring from Jack's forehead, he turned
around to see his beloved Jo, her face as wet and bloodied as his, her expression as twisted and terrified as his.
her screams of pain vanishing, her strength was lacking. he couldn't look at her like this. he wanted to do
something, but he could not. he had had too much. he closed his eyes, and all was black. 

Jack awoke, in an empty room, his attackers had gone. so had Jo. what had
they done to her??? 
terrified they had killed her, he impulsively tried to get out of bed,
forgetting in the rush of the moment that his legs were as weak and useless
as a single blade of grass. he soon realised that this had been a stupid
move, as he was now stuck on the floor. he pressed his palms against the
cool timber flooring, absorbing it's cold into his hot body, thinking how
he could get out of this mess. he was terrified of what they would do to
Jo, what they would do to him if they found him. he had to try to get back
into bed. he pushed on his once strong arms, to elevate himself into the
low mattress. but he could not; his strength was gone, taken away by these
demons. his arms were quivering. his whole body was quivering. he wanted it
all to end - except for Jo, he couldn't bare to be without her - he
understood now what work place relationships did to people, affecting their
judgement. this was only a workplace feeling, but look where it had got him,
where it had placed Jo, all because of his childish 'crush', as everyone seemed to
call it. mortified, he lay back. and waited. 

the investigations team - PJ, Maggie, inspector draper and some officers
from St Davids (sergeant Meredith Murrell, Senior Constables Leah Donovan
& Bob White, and Senior Detectives Emily Graham & Rebecca Satchwell) - were
no closer, after 3 weeks of investigation. Karly and her gang were too
slippery. there were no houses rented anywhere in the country under her
name, no newly rented houses in the district either. all other newly
rented, or bought, houses had been checked by their local police. but
nothing turned up. PJ suspected they may have gone back to their holiday
home in the bush, somehow suspecting it would have already been checked,
but draper thought it wasn't such a good idea. maybe Tomorrow. but PJ
couldn't wait. his suspicions had been mounting over these past weeks, but
someone had to be leaking. wherever they received a possible call, or
location, it seemed Karly and her gang had been tipped off, they weren't
anywhere, but there were always traces. maybe it was just part of her
cunning plan, but PJ had to be sure. he had received the latest notion from
an elderly lady, like all the others, she was female. so, with out warning
her, he arranged a stakeout at the premises named. he omitted three of the
officers, and kept them in the dark about the whole thing. 
they arrived, but still, the leak was evident. there were traces of J&J
being there, but no one in sight. 
the next stake-out he omitted another three, and another three, but still
the leaks seemed to be there. only at the second of these, Leah found a
note stuffed under the pillow - 
'how's it goin' Hasham???'
was all it read. damn her to hell. damn that bitch Karly to the fiery
furnaces of hell. he was peeved, and things weren't getting any better. 
:(:(:(
Jack had received severe punishment for his little adventure to the cold, dusty
floor, it seems 'Karla' and her friends had taken a liking to cigarettes. yep,
flicked here and there and everywhere, he was now covered in little red burns all
over his aching body. not to mention the razor blade they had used to carve their
names into his legs. He could never forget them now, he was scarred with their
names. he was getting quite scared for Jo though, more scared for her
than he was of what they would do to him. he hadn't heard much noise coming from her
room lately, not that he ever had, he was starting to wonder if she was lying stone
dead in a cupboard somewhere. but all he could do was think about the prospects.
perspiration beading on his forehead, he tried to turn on his side, to save his poor
lumbar from the pains of bedsores. but each time he made an attempt he was faulted
by a shooting pain from his feet to his head, wound to wound. he wanted it to be
over with. what was PJ doing??? he was angry with the world, what it had done to Jo,
what it had done to him. he thought himself going crazy with all this, but who could
blame him??? 
~`~`~
Jo was deathly cold. all they had given her to keep her warm was one measly sheet,
and she kept getting these cold shivers then throwing up. then she felt hot. then
cold. she wanted to die. she didn't care how, she just wanted to die. what had they
done with Jack? she had heard some pained cries earlier, obviously from Jack, but
she didn't know if he was dead, alive, unconscious, conics. and frankly, she wasn't
sure she wanted to know. he had got her into this mess, that little kid, chasing
after her with his little crush. too young for the force. if only she had of known
what he had been through for her. not that she didn't like him, just not in 'that'
way. 
:(:(:(
the depressed crew, as well as Inspector draper and the stragglers from St Davids -
good friends
Leah and Meredith - were sitting around having a drink, wondering what to do
next. Leah was a bit tipsy, and she was complaining she didn't have a place to
stay for the night, as was Meredith. Ben suggested they stay with him, but Tom
didn't care, he was more concerned with J&J and his careless attitude at first. if
only he had of been more compassionate. Chris said she had a spare room, and
Leah offered it to Meredith, she'd much rather stay with Ben, she'd come a bit
soft on him over the last weeks. in the car on the way back to his place, Leah
was blurting out her life story, how she grew up in Sydney, then moved to Melbourne
to Join the force, then been posted to St Davids and so on. Ben nodded and smiled,
not really caring what she was saying, only hoping that she might eventually fall
asleep. Ben eventually interrupted her mid sentence, he'd seen the lights on at his
friend's house. 
"whattaya know? I thought they were on holiday. I might stop for a chat, looks like
they're up... I don't really feel like it, but hey..." and with that, he parked the
car on the street, climbed out, and walked up the path with Leah blindly
following him. 
they reached the front door and he rang the bell before Leah could stop him.
"oy, oyyy... look, oy, look at this" and she pointed drunkedly through the window
where she had been looking, and at the two gun belts on the sideboard. 
Ben swore to himself, but it was too late, Karly was at the door with a shotty. in
the two were in, they forgot all the rules, and Ben made a bolt through the door and
on top of Karly while Leah ran in. but their senses came too late to save
Leah, who had just been shot by Karly's accomplice, who until now the hadn't
known existed. he had appeared out of no-where with a pistol, and immediately shot
poor Leah in the foot, and again in the shoulder before Ben could do anything.
Ben struggled with Karly and the new man, defenceless to it all, apart from his
strength. Leah was bleeding heavily on the other side of the room, and he could
do nothing. 
~`~`~
Jack and Jo were upstairs, hearing all this commotion and wondering what was going
on. they couldn't come down, couldn't call for help, all they could do was listen,
and perhaps make some noise to distract them while whoever was down there could call
for help. they had both feared that someone had been shot, hearing the shot and the
scream, and the same idea had popped into both of their heads. they started banging
and carrying on, making hell racket, either they came up to shut them up, letting
whoever was down there free to tell all, or they stayed until the noise was too
great, then did something. it was a catch 22 for Karla and Jim. 
:(:(:(
Ben's phone was ringing at the watch house. ringing, and ringing, and ringing.
No one answered of course, as no one was there. the urgent caller drove hurriedly to
the imperial in her dressing gown with the hope to find some of the officers there.
they'd all gone home, the imperial was all closed up. in an urgent tone, she banged
on the door and shouted and screamed until Chris ran downstairs to see what was
going on. she burst her way in and told the whole story. the caller was an elderly
widowed lady, Mrs smith - the next door neighbour of Ben's friends, where they were
being held. she said no-one was answering at the station, and she told Chris the
story of what she had heard - a gunshot, screams, thumps, bangs, crashes,
everything else - while a terrified Chris called Tom to get over there right away.
:(:(:(
by the time the sirens were sounding outside the house, no. 56 rose lane, Mt Thomas,
Leah's blood was all over the floor, in a big pool, she had almost bled to
death. Ben had been knocked unconscious, and Karly and her gang were on their way
upstairs to beat the life out of J&J. when they heard the sirens, they panicked,
they hadn't thought of the fact that someone would hear them. they grabbed their
guns and headed to the two main entrances to the house. the 30 or so police called
in for urgent back-up from where ever they could get them were buzzing around the
house outside, while draper spoke over the loudspeaker to the offenders to give
themselves up, they had no chance of getting away now, the officers were ready to
shoot. and they would have. inside, 'Jim' said they should give it up, they didn't
really have any chance, but Karly was desperate, she ordered him, at gunpoint, to
tell the police that they would kill Jo if anyone came in. they were upstairs, and
her scheming mind hadn't figured that anyone could still get in, very quietly.
Maggie, Meredith, PJ and some back-up boys were sneaking their way in through the
front
and back doors. and up the stairs. and into the bedroom. and on top of Karly. and
off went the gun. not Jo. not PJ. not Maggie. Meredith had copped the bullet in the
leg. while PJ, Maggie and the guys brought Karly and Jim to the ground, the others
and the ambulance crews were attending to Ben and Leah downstairs, while others
moving up to Jack, Jo and Meredith. 
:(:(:(
back at the station the three remaining Mt Thomas officers were locking up the
aggravated criminals, looking forward to juicing them the next day. there were
plenty of charges they could think of - 5 counts assault police; 5 counts
intentionally causing grievous bodily harm; 5 counts assault; threatening police;
abduction; obscuring the course of justice; attempted murder; not to mention threat
with and use of a deadly weapon, and many others. they wanted them charged with as
much as possible. but, draper ordered everyone to go home and get some sleep, and
put
some back-up guys on duty to watch Karly and Jim.
:(:(:(
at the hospital, Dr Jasmin was attending to the five injured, in order of priority.
obviously Leah was first, with her loss of blood, and she was given several
units
to booster her supply. but Jasmin didn't like her chances. she had a uncommon blood
type, O negative, and all the blood of her type at the hospital and St Davids
hospital had been, and was being given, to her. she was lying in her bed in ICU,
wounds temporarily closed, barely conscious, the life taken out of her. Jasmin
didn't
give her very long. she said they should call her family. 
Meredith was being given blood transfusions while her leg was being operated on, the
bullet hadn't penetrated any of her major arteries so she was in the clear. after
her operation, her leg was bandaged up and she was admitted.
Jack's head wound had partly healed itself, though not very well according to Dr
Farrah who said it should've had stitches to start with. he had been concussed, but
that had healed. they'd have to keep an eye on it. his cigarette burns would heal
themselves, but she prescribed him some cream to put on them to ease them a bit. the
names on his legs, would cause scars, unfortunately. his legs though, were
completely smashed, he was going to need major reconstructive
surgery to fix them. even that may not work. but his head would need to heal up
first, he may be an anaesthetic risk with it like that. she wasn't too sure, but
just better to be safe than sorry. he was admitted for observation. 
Ben was next, he'd been lying in emergency semi-conics, and he had appeared not to
be in any particular risk. he had concussion, a few bruises and bumps and a couple
of broken ribs. he'd be in for a few nights to keep his head under eye. he kept
mumbling though about Leah, was she ok, would she be alright? what could they
tell him, poor guy. 
Jo was lucky last, her legs being the only major problem, apart from a few bruises
and cuts. her legs would be completely useless, she may never be able to walk again.
she was already in shock after all that had happened, so Jasmin put her in with
Jack, a familiar face. 
Maggie, PJ and Tom were always at their friends' sides, they didn't go home, they
went to the hospital, as did Emily and Rebecca. 
Leah's parents had rushed to the airport when they'd heard, they had caught the
first plane to Melbourne. they'd probably arrive the next morning. 
~`~`~
the next day, Meredith had woken and immediately asked about Leah. the two were
good friends and they had shared a house back in St Davids. they told her things
weren't looking good, so she asked to go to see her. who could deny it? Meredith sat
by her friend's side until Leah's parents arrived, then she let them alone. she
went back to her bed and was very upset, especially when Emily and Rebecca arrived. 
Maggie and PJ had been with Ben, and he too had woken, dazed as he was. he was
distraught when Maggie let it slip about Leah, and blamed himself. if he hadn't
of stopped - but then Jack and Jo, what would happen to them? half dozen of one, 6
of the other. he went back to sleep. 
Jack and Jo were by each others sides in their wheelchairs looking out the window
and holding hands. this had brought them together. Jack's heart skipped a beat
everytime she spoke. he wanted to be with her forever. but what would the boss
think? stuff the boss. 
:(:(:(
back at the station Tom, draper and the replacement team from St Davids were having
a ball chucking the book at Karly and her accomplice, James 'Jim' brooks. they were
looking at life. hahahaaaa... 
the prison squad arrived at about 1.00 and everyone was glad to see the backs of
them. for now. the trial would be in a few months, when everyone was up to it. they
dreaded that day. 
:(:(:(
at the hospital, Maggie and PJ told the invalids about the charges pressed against
Karly and Jim. J&J's minds rushed. what about the other guy?????? weren't they
chucking him away too???? but Maggie and PJ knew nothing of the third party. J&J
hadn't even given their statements yet. Karly and Jim were taken off Mt Thomas'
hands before they gave them, because they were causing too much trouble and they
already had enough to throw them away. several police witnesses, who had already
given their statements. they were going down. but this third party, he was no-where
to be found. J&J gave their statements immediately, including a description of the
third party to be distributed over the country. he was wanted. 
~`~`~
J&J were terrified to go to sleep in their beds. they were close to each other, and
they had Maggie and PJ as police guards, to keep off the filth. PJ went off to get
some coffee, but was stopped half way there by a large man, fitting the description
of the third party, with a handgun under his Jacket. this was pressed against PJ's
spine, right on a nerve sending little pains up his back as he was going. they
reached J&J's room without anyone noticing them, and PJ gave Maggie a look, warning
her. but this was useless. the man had closed the door behind them before Maggie
could raise an alarm. this was a hostage situation. and no one knew. until-
:(:(:( - (*this part was written in my music lesson while listening to pearl jam's
'last kiss', which inspired me to write more*)
the next morning two of the replacements, Senior Constable Eleanor White and
Probationary Constable Peter Schremmer arrived at the hospital after Dr Jasmin
reported some strange noises coming from J&J's shut up room. she led them to it, but
the door would not open. Ellie knocked on the door and asked them to open up, but
and unknown male voice came out and told them that if she was to move any closer,
he'd kill one of the room's occupants. Peter called for backup, while Ellie tried to
reason with the man. she opened the door a fraction to speak to him, but he got the
wrong impression and let off the gun. a painfilled scream ensued, accompanied by
several panicky cries of 'Maggie!'. Ellie burst into the room, shooting at the man,
eventually getting him right between the eyes. he fell on the ground, dead. Ellie
then rushed over to Maggie, who had copped a bullet in the shoulder and was bleeding
heavily. Jasmin followed, attending Maggie who was grasping at PJ's hand, her face
losing it's colour. Ellie ran over, tears streaming down her face, and began kicking
and thumping at the man's dead body, Peter had to hold her back to stop her. Jasmin
shook her head at PJ, and stepped back from Maggie, while PJ picked Maggie up to
where he was seated on the floor and held her close, breathing her fresh scent for
the last time. she managed a feeble smile, then she slipped away, silently. Jack and
Jo were in their respective beds, Jack reaching out to comfort Jo from his bed, she
was shaking and white, from the shock, and weeping seeing Maggie's limp body in PJ's
arms, him refusing to let go. PJ's tears were falling freely from his eyes, wetting
Maggie's soft, blonde hair. he finally closed her eyelids softly with his roughened
thumbs, laying her back, squeezing her hand gently before giving her one last kiss
on the cheek, then walking out of the room. Ellie touched Maggie's hand, whispering
one word, 'sorry', before running out of the room. Jack and Jo had been helped into
wheelchairs and were being wheeled out of the room, reaching down to say goodbye to
Maggie as they went. the room was now deathly quiet, and cold, the bodies of Maggie
and the man, lying there, their blood mixing as if in one final attempt to reconcile
the world, good and bad. 
the backups had arrived, Tom in lead. as he approached the room he saw Peter
standing outside the door, a solemn expression covering his usually cheery face.
then he saw her shoe. then the blood. then the foot of the other man who he had, at
first thought was a dead PJ. then he realised what must have happened. 
'bloody hell' then he had had to sit down, before he fell down. it had almost
happened to her so many times, now it had actually happened. 
Ben had been taken to see Leah, shortly before Maggie's death, oblivious to what
had happened. he sat by her and told her he was sorry, he'd let her down, and so on,
he kissed her on the cheek, and just as he was about to walk out, she woke up. he
held her hand, and she managed a weak smile. then Jasmin walked in, a blood soaked
PJ in tow. his gut told him it was Maggie - his gut was right yet again.
unknowingly, he squeezed Leah's hand until the finger tips went dark pink, and
she had to try and wriggle them free. he realised what he was doing, and stopped.
his face was blank with shock, his mouth part way open, his nose screwed up in his
characteristic way. Leah's smile had vanished, her eyes welling. she hadn't
known Maggie well, but obviously Ben had, and that was enough. she closed her eyes
and the little tears were forced out. 
Ellie was sitting by herself in a little waiting room in shock, her hands shaking,
her palms clammy. she had never killed anyone before. she deeply regretted opening
the door, but it was all she could think of at the time. all she could think of now.
but that didn't help. she should have waited for backup and the hostage negotiators,
but then what might have happened? Jasmin brought PJ in too, it was quiet in the
little room. he couldn't look at Ellie at the moment, as far as he was concerned she
had killed his Maggie. he sat there for a while, head in hands, feeling sorry for
himself and thinking about Maggie and trying to come to terms with her death. Ellie
walked up to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said:
' I really am sorry, I feel terrible. but you have to remember it wasn't me who
pulled the trigger, I was only trying to help. but I am very sorry, and I can
understand why you're angry.' 
and walked out of the little room.
:(:(:(
Maggie's funeral was three days later, the coroner had concluded that the bullet
penetrated her left subclavian, a major blood vessel, and she had bled to death.
everyone was there, Ben had been discharged from hospital, Jack, Jo and Meredith
were given day leave, and dash had come back from Melbourne to say goodbye to her
friend. Leah was unable to come out of hospital for the funeral, although she
was out of hight dependency she was still on the intensive care ward. it was very
moving, all her Mt Thomas colleagues, and dash, said a few words, then Maggie's
father and mick. Ellie, Rebecca and Emily, along with their friend Kaela made a
musical tribute they had composed over the last three days, the four had their own
ensemble back home called the contrasting colours. Ellie was a talented cellist,
Rebecca on harp, Emily on flute and Kaela on bass clarinet. 
the wake was at Maggie's house, and Chris and her crew supplied the food and grog.
PJ sat in Maggie's room, on Maggie's bed, head in Maggie's pillow for most of the
night, drinking himself stupid, crying, thinking and wishing she'd come back. he had
been a mess over the last few days, crying himself to sleep, laying in, and when he
did manage to drag himself up he was obsessively sorting through all his photos of
Maggie in to albums and frames. if one was missing, if he though one was missing,
he'd have to start all over again to make sure he hadn't missed it. he was
constantly hung over, from his drinking and sugar binges, and he had even thought,
at times, of taking his own life. but he came to his senses and realised Maggie
wouldn't want him to be like this, she'd want him to carry on. 

the day after the private service, a memorial was held for the townsfolk to say goodbye to Mt Thomas' favourite
police woman, who had helped just about everyone in some way or another at some time or another. half the
town turned out, Leila and Merv inclusive, and they produced massive amounts of tributes, floral or otherwise,
which were to go to her grave, her house, or the station. :(:(:( during the next month, the recovery process was
going. for about two weeks, Mt Thomas station was closed, and all business was to go to St Davids. Tom then
returned to work, as did PJ who was on his way to recovery from his bout of depression, after three weeks
away. Jack and Jo officially retired from the force, with hefty compensation petits, and Jack was planning to
return to Swifts Creek, under the impression Jo would be leaving for Melbourne. When he learnt she was
staying in Mt Thomas, he aborted his previous plans. He had undergone his reconstructive surgery, and was
recovering in a wheelchair while Jo was adjusting to life as a paraplegic. Leah was about to be sent home, she
had had to stay in hospital for a few weeks to make sure there were no complications. Meredith's leg had
healed up and she was back at work with a permanent posting to Mt Thomas. No Sergeant Robyn Taylor had
been stationed at Mt Thomas - once again to replace Maggie - she expressed her love for the place and got the
job. Another new recruit was due at any time to replace Jack. Ben had been back for a while, ribs healed and
bruises faded. Although their physical injuries had basically healed, they would carry the emotional burden for
the rest of their lives - they were a part of what had become known as The Mt Thomas Day of Horror (*thanks
dad*). 

Exactly a month after Maggie's death, December 8, 1999, Monica Draper and Tom arranged a memorial
service for the month anniversary of the tragedy. Everyone involved - either with the investigation, or being
there, or being injured in the course of the drama - was there, and, of course, Monica and Tom, and all the
family and friends of those involved, and any interested members of the community. A large picture of Maggie
was produced, and was placed in the middle of all the tributes, so she could join in. A large candle was lit for
Maggie, and burned throughout the ceremony, and everyone payed tributes to the survivors, the saviours, and
the dead. A memorial, funded by the Victorian Police Force, was unveiled, to be placed outside the Mt Thomas
Police Station. It was the most gorgeous thing Jack and Jo had ever seen. It was a large marble rhombus, with
beautiful strains of greys and blacks and silvers and whites mottle together, with a large, silver plated Victorian
Police Force symbol at the top. The names of all those involved were engraved in an intricate typeface all the
way down the plaque, and below that, the story of what happened…

Constable JOANNA PARISH, 23, of Mt Thomas Police Station, Injured, Survivor Probationary Constable
JACK LAWSON, 19, of Mt Thomas Police Station, Injured, Survivor Senior Constable LEAH DONOVAN,
25, of St Davids Police Station, Injured, Survivor Sergeant MEREDITH MURRELL, 27, of St Davids Police
Station, Injured, Survivor Acting Sergeant BEN STEWART, 39, of Mt Thomas Police Station, Injured,
Survivor Mrs DOT SMITH, 65, resident of Mt Thomas, Informant Senior Constable ELEANOR WHITE, 24,
of St Davids Police Station, Saved the Lives of 
3 Fellow Police Officers Probationary Constable PETER SCHREMMER, 21, of St Davids Police Station
Senior Detective PATRICK 'PJ' HASHAM, 38, Senior Investigator

*** 
And In The Loving Memory of Senior Constable MARGARET 'MAGGIE' DOYLE, 28 LOST HER LIFE
ON THE TRAGIC DAY OF NOVEMBER 8, 1999 You Will Be Deeply Missed

All those named on the plaque were given an honorary medal, and Mrs Smith was awarded for bravery, she
did, after all, save the lives of four Police officers. Maggie's medal was to be placed on her grave, and PJ
accepted that duty. He headed off, medal, flowers and team photo in hand, tears in his eyes, to her grave at the
cemetery, the same place where Dash's mother was laid to rest. Maggie had wanted to be buried in Mt
Thomas, as that had become her home over the last six years. He placed the items on her grave, and sat there
for a while, saying hello and telling her how things were going. The he left, climbed in his car and went home to
bed, he'd had a big day. :(:(:( Jack and Jo were sitting together in their wheel chairs at the station, their former
workplace, all their old collegues working around them, and Jo suggested they go outside. They did, and Jo
proposed. She knew Jack was young, but what the hell, they could live together with their disabilities, and
whatever else. Jack went bright red, and said 'Sure'

i've decided to keep this going, with the trial, and the wedding, and the anniversaries and stuff, so feedback is
wanted PLEEEEEEEEEASE, i need to know if it's worth it... 

KyLiE }:)