Dr. Edwards looked on as Danny sat talking to Michelle. He found himself saying a silent prayer for both of them. She was in for a long recovery. Even if all the tests show that all else was all right, she still had to bring her body back. He didn't know what had caused her to be so underweight but he knew that there may have already been enough damage done.

He watched as Danny loving sat there doing his best to will her awake. Dr. Edwards smiled thinking that moments before this young man had been a bull in a china shop but now he was so gentle and caring.

The sound of his pager set him in motion again. Another trauma had just been brought into the ER. Looked like it was going to be an eventful night.

Once again the ER was alive with activity. All of it centering around a young woman. She had been badly beaten. Dr. Edwards went right to work just as he had with Michelle. Barking orders and doing his best to assess her condition.

In all his years in the ER he still found that cases like this tugged at his heart.

"Who brought her in?" he asked hoping to get a little more information as to what happened to her.

"Some guy said he found her laying in the street," the orderly began, "I turned around to talk to him and he was gone."

Dr. Edwards found that a bit odd. He made a mental note to contact the police as soon as he was finished.

He was glad to say that other then a few broken ribs and being severely beaten he could find nothing else wrong with her. She had been lucky. He had seen this kind of thing one too many times here with much different results.

The only thing he was able to put on her chart right now was Jane Doe. She had no identification on her. Dr. Edwards felt a gnawing in his gut. This just didn't add up.

The sound of the swinging door startled Danny. He had fallen asleep sitting in the chair. He had his head resting as close to her as the bedrails would allow.

"We need you to step outside," the young nurse said.

"Why?" Danny asked with concern. A dull ache swept through his neck. He brought his hand up to ease his tight muscles.

"We need you to step outside for a minute."

"Why?" Danny wasn't about to leave her alone.

"Sir we need to draw some blood and do our morning work up."

"I don't want to leave her right now." Danny's eyes implored her to let him stay.

"I completely understand that," she continued, "But it will be a lot easier if you would just wait outside. Go get a coffee. We will be done in less then a half hour." The nurse stepped forward gently touching his hand. "She'll be all right. I'll see to it."

Reluctantly Danny removed himself from the chair. "I'll won't be far," he leaned in and kissed Michelle's forehead. "Promise me you will find me if something happens," Danny could hear the urgency in his tone.

"I will," the nurse returned with a smile. It was obvious how much this man loved this girl. He hadn't left her side in nearly three hours. Each time she had passed by the room, she saw how attentive he had been to her. How loving and caring he was. It filled her heart to see such devotion

"The name's Danny Santos. So if something, anything happens to her you page me. Understand?" Danny couldn't stop his authoritative nature from returning. He needed to regain some sense of normalcy.

"Everything will be fine, Mr. Santos." she reassured ushering him from the room.

Again, Danny found himself aimlessly walking the halls of the hospital. His mind bounced from one thing to the next not staying in one place long enough to complete a thought.

He knew that he had a job to do. He had to find who killed Mick. Yet with all that was going on with Michelle he couldn't see his way clear to leave the hospital.

He tried like hell to put some semblance of order to all that he had come up with so far concerning Mick's murder. What had brought him to Chicago in the first place.

The only things he knew for sure were that Mick had used the Santos name to set up his operation. He used it's power and fear it invoked to push the right buttons. Danny knew that Mick pushed the envelope of everything he did. If you took into consideration that playing by the mob rules already pushed that envelope Mick was way beyond the limits. He was certain that Mick had made some enemies along the way. Bernard had made Danny aware of a few but assured him that Nino would help lead him to the real killer.

Danny found himself laughing at the very thought. Nino, just like Mick was a disaster looking for a place to happen. The few times that Danny had spoken to Nino had been a guessing game at best. Each time Nino came up with a wilder story. Finally having had enough Danny came to Chicago to get the low down on his own.

So much for that happening now. He was so caught up with Michelle right now and finding Nino. Finding Mick's killer faded into the very back of his mind.

Something made Danny stop short before room 315. He looked through the open door. At first he didn't recognized the young women, then a sense of horror washed over him.

"Drew," he whispered. Danny found himself entering her room as if he was outside his body watching himself moving forward unable to stop.

Danny stood motionless beside her. She was a mess. He was barely able to recognize her. Without realizing it, Danny took her hand in his. Something told him that she was as much a victim in this whole mess as Michelle was.

Drew moaned as she awakened. The pain was execrating. "Drew," Danny said softly. "Drew, can you hear me?"

"Danny?" she was barely able to open her eyes they were so swollen.

"Yeah, Drew. It's Danny. What happened to you?"

Drew swallowed hard before speaking. Her brain was in a state of confusion at the moment. "Nino," she whispered.

"He did this to you?" Danny asked not completely surprised. Drew nodded her reply. "Why?" Danny needed to know. He needed to know just what Nino was really up to.

"You," she returned pointing at Danny. "You and Michelle."

"What? What does Michelle have to do with this?"

"Nino has been after her from day one," Drew knew that she was hanging herself with each word she spoke but she didn't care. She would be far away from Chicago before Nino would ever think to look for her. She continued speaking almost talking in circles. Danny was having trouble keeping up.

The only thing he knew for sure was that he needed to keep Michelle safe. Safe from Nino. Now more then ever Danny was certain that Nino had been responsible for Michelle's accident. Nino Rivera would regret the day he laid eyes on Michelle Bauer. Regret the day that he was brought into this world.

Danny looked on as Drew winced in pain. "Hang tight," he started, "I have someone bring you something for the pain." Danny walked out of the room leaving Drew looking on in wonder. Danny Santos. She still couldn't believe that he was Mick's brother. He and Mick were absolutely nothing alike. Right now she was thankful for that.

Danny ran smack into Dr. Edwards as he was leaving Drew's room.

"Mr. Santos?" Dr. Edwards was unable to hide his surprise. "What were you doing in there?"

"I know that girl. Well I don't really know her. She is a friend of an associate of mine."

"Oh really?" He had done a little checking since his newest patient arrived in the ER. He had been shocked to learn exactly who Danny Santos was. He had also put two and two together and was wondering just how far his involvement went in all of this. Exactly what his tie was to these two girls.

The last thing he wanted to believe was he was responsible for what had happened to them tonight.

Danny didn't like the look he saw on the man's face. The way his eyes shifted back and forth never meeting his. He was all too certain what Dr. Edwards was thinking. Danny had thrown his name around one too many times at that hospital for it not to come back to haunt him.

"She's in a great deal of pain," he pointed back towards Drew's room. Danny ignored what his gut was telling him. There were too many other things that had to be taken care of. "Do you think that she could get some medication?"

"So what you are going to take care of her now too?" Dr. Edwards asked in a biting tone.

"No," Danny returned surprising the doctor. "She's in pain and I told her I would find someone for her." Danny flashed a cunning smile. One that left Dr. Edwards wondering just what was going through his head.

"Would you mind telling me this girls name? She was brought in with no identification."

"Her name is Drew Jacobs. How did she get here?" Danny asked hoping to get some information that would lead him to Nino.

"An orderly said that a man brought her in. Said that he found her laying in the street. I found that quiet odd actually."

"Did this orderly say what the man looked like?"

"No I didn't ask. Why?"

"I just wondered." Danny needed to find that orderly. He wanted to find out if his hunch had been right. That it was Nino who had left Drew there.

Danny wound his way to the emergency room once again. He was in search of that orderly. It was a long shot at finding him but he had to try.

"Excuse me," he said stopping a man coming out of the on-call room.

"Yes?"

"I am looking for an orderly who brought a girl in tonight that was badly beaten."

The man looked Danny over. "Can I ask who you are?"

"Detective Andrews," Danny lied, "I'm investigating what happened to this girl."

"Jack Spencer brought her in. I think he's about to go off duty."

"Do you know where I could find him?"

"Should be in the lounge about ready to punch out."

"Thank you," Danny said as he turned away.

Danny found his way to the employee lounge. It was full of people waiting to head home for the day. He walked into the room carefully giving each individual the once over.

"Excuse me," he said again, "I need everyone's attention please. My name is Detective Andrews," he continued with the lie. "I am looking for the person who helped with the young girl in the ER tonight. She was badly beaten. I was told someone saw the man who brought her in."

"That would be me." the orderly stepped forward.

"Could we talk outside?" Danny asked pushing open the door.

"Sure."

Danny followed the man into the hallway. Danny pensively paced in front of him. "I was told you saw this man. Can you give me a description of him?"

Jack Spencer, the orderly, gave a perfect portrait of Nino Rivera down to the scar on his cheek. Danny rubbed the stubble of his beard.

"Thank you. You have been a great deal of help. It is greatly appreciated." Danny shook his hand before turning away.

"I hope you find this guy. He looked like a pretty nasty one." the man commented.

It was more clear then ever now that Danny needed to have protection for Michelle. He knew that even though Bernard was an ally he wasn't able to turn to him for help. Not this time. Bernard knew his son was a lot of things but he would protect him to the end. Just as Carmen had done her own.

Danny pulled out his cell phone and rang Dietz, "Jimmy," he said gruffly, "Get me Dietz."

"He's not here."

"What? Where the hell is he?" Danny growled.

"I don't really know, Mr. Santos. He tore out of here earlier suitcase in hand."

"What!" Danny yelled. "Where was he going?"

"He didn't say a word to anyone." Jimmy returned.

"Great, just great," Danny slammed his fist against the wall.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah," Danny returned harshly. "I need you to get together a couple of our best protectors and send them to Chicago University Hospital. I have someone I need them to look after for me."

"Sure thing boss. What should they do when they get there?"

"I'll be waiting for them. I will have all the instructions that they need. I need them here like it was yesterday. Do you understand?"

"It's a done deal."

"Good. I can't afford any screw ups on this." Danny slammed the phone shut, "Damn you Dietz! Where the hell are you?"

Nino pulled away from the emergency room all the time watching in his rearview mirror. He saw the orderly pushing Drew inside. Every emotion possible was running amuck through him. The main one being rage.

So many things had gone wrong in the last year. Hell, everything had gone wrong the minute he had met up with Mick Santos again. It was bad enough that he had dominated him in Springfield but Mick had been able to do it there in Chicago too. Chicago, where the Rivera name had been synonymous with reverence yet somehow Mick had turned it around leaving the Rivera's trailing behind once again.

Nino lit a cigarette. Taking a long slow drag letting the smoke engulf his lungs. He needed more then a cigarette right now. He was in definite need of some blow.

This night had turned out to be surreal. From bringing Carlos in to throw Danny off the trail, to his failed attempt at enticing Michelle to him, finding out that Danny had been back around asking questions and the kicker to it all Drew. Drew had to be the dumbest broad he had ever met. She was this love sick puppy. He knew that she really wanted Mick but hell he didn't care he really wanted Michelle. So they laid the ground work to get what they both wanted.

Yet that didn't turn out as planned either. Nino would have done just about anything to get Michelle away from Mick. She was the sexiest thing he had ever laid his eyes on. She sauntered into a room and everything stopped. All eyes were on her.

Nino still recalled the first day that Mick dared to bring her around. She was dressed to the nines. Tiny black cocktail dress clung to every curve of her body. He wanted her from that very moment. It didn't hurt matters that it would be great to actually take something away from a Santos. Nino could taste the revenge. Revenge for all that he had lost to Mick. He had lost Pilar, he had lost his place in the family organization and ultimately lost his little piece of Chicago to Mick as well.

Unfortunately it hadn't been that easy. As quickly as Michelle had come into Mick's life she had left in the same manner. Mick was furious. He couldn't think of nothing but her. Everything centered around Michelle Bauer. That had been Mick's final downfall. Michelle Bauer had in a way cost Mick his life.

Nino pulled into the Fraternity lot. He was glad to find it empty. He had grown wary of the continuous party.

He closed the door of his room. It was hard not to miss the remnants of his fight with Drew. There was broken glass covering the floor. The furniture was over turned in every corner of the room. Nino couldn't even smile thinking about the terror he had inflicted upon her. It didn't even matter any longer. He didn't give a damn. Everything was unraveling before his eyes.

He went to the nightstand drawer and opened it. He reached for a tiny vial of cocaine. His salvation. The white powder that vial contained had the ability to take all thoughts away. Nothing existed for him. He was able to be anyone and have anything he wanted.

He felt an instant rush. The drug's desired effect was never lost on Nino no matter how many times he partook of it.

He set the chair upright and turned on the television. The morning news appeared on the screen. Absently Nino looked on not really seeing what was right in front of him.

He listened as the news anchors went about discussing the weather and morning traffic. It wasn't until the news stories started that Nino's attention was truly drawn to the screen. He moved to edge of his seat as he saw the picture of Michelle's tiny car being towed from over an embankment. The newsman on the scene explained of an accident that had taken place in the early morning. He said that the victim's name had not yet been released but that the person is in critical condition at CUH.

Nino felt his blood run cold. He didn't need to hear Michelle's name to know that it was her. She was in critical condition. He was running out the door heading towards the hospital before he knew what he was doing.

Dietz better have a damn good reason for running off, Danny thought to himself. It was unlike Dietz to do something like that. He had been a loyal employee for years. He'd worked for the family long before his father had been killed.

Just then Danny remembered Dietz's call from earlier. He had been so concerned about listening to Michelle's doctor that he hadn't even let Dietz speak.

Danny rubbed his hand across his forehead. Everything was completely out of control. In one fell swoop his ordered life had become chaos. Everything that he thought he knew about himself was gone. Never before had he been so unable to think. Prior to meeting Michelle, Danny knew exactly where he was headed. What his life was all about yet now he didn't know. He just didn't know anything.

Danny passed by the hospital chapel. He entered pensively. Had he been back home in Springfield he would have head over to see Father Ray, his cousin. Ask him to make some sense out of this mess he was in.

Danny went to the front of the tiny chapel and lit a candle before sitting down in the first pew. He didn't even know where to start. He wondered just what the man upstairs thought of him. Sure he had never actually killed anyone or had even ordered a hit for that matter but he had known about them. About them all. Technically Danny had never gotten his hands dirty but he was quite certain that God didn't care about technicalities.

The worse thing was that he had come to Chicago prepared to do just that. KILL....kill the person responsible for murdering Mick. Just thinking about it caused Danny's blood to freeze in his veins. He was never a killer. Never had the stomach for it but he knew that he needed to do this for the family. Danny could still see Carmen's face the day he left. She looked at him with such pride. Pride that he had finally taken the reins and was becoming one of them.

He absently wondered why she couldn't be proud of all the other things that he had accomplished for the business. He was slowly bringing them into the 21st century. He was bringing in money hand over fist. Money that was clean.

He wanted to be out of the business that had cost him his father and brother. He wanted more then a life filled with violence, fear, intimidation. Danny wanted to be free to live his life away from all that. He wanted his children to grow up without worry. He didn't want them to live the same nightmares that he had.

Children, he thought. He had never once thought about children before. Yet he could see the children that he and Michelle would have. They would look just like their mother. Danny felt his heart swell with the very thought. "She has to come out of this okay," Danny whispered.

"God," he began, "I know that I have no right to ask any of this of you, but I am anyway. I need for you to bring her back to me. Somehow she was dropped into my life. I know that you know the reason for it. I can't have her lost to me too. I love her," he said aloud for the first time. "I truly love Michelle. I want to be there for her. Help her through all of this. Please, please," he begged, "Please bring her back to me."

Danny got up and left the chapel as quickly as he entered it. His realization of his love for Michelle had scared him. Saying it out loud only intensified his fear.

How would he explain to this beautiful angel who he was. What he was all about. How could he make her understand all that when at times he didn't even understand. Danny shook his head trying so hard to make it all make sense. He was only able to come up with one thing right now. That was he needed to be with Michelle. He needed to make sure that she was going to recover. Finding Mick's killer would have to wait. Danny was certain that Carmen would be less then understanding about his decision but he didn't care. Hell she could have someone else do her dirty work if she wasn't able to wait for him. That would be better for all as far as he was concerned.

Danny looked up to see Jimmy, Tito and Max entering the hospital. He was relieved to see them. He knew that Michelle would be safe with their round the clock protection. He wasn't about to take any chances.

Danny gave the men a brief overview of what had happened in the last few days. He explained that no one other then the doctors and nurses were to get into see Michelle. He especially didn't want anyone from the University there. Danny also made it clear that if Nino Rivera came anywhere near her room they had his permission to have him disposed of.

Danny knew that if that happened, he would be starting World War III amongst the families but he didn't give a damn. He couldn't prove it yet but he knew in his gut that Nino was tied to all of this. Danny wasn't about to let him have another shot at her.

Danny and the men exited the elevator heading towards the ICU unit. A nurse stopped them before the could enter, "Excuse me," she said, "We only allow one visitor in at a time."

"I know that," he returned. "I am the one visitor. These gentlemen are associates of mine. I intend on speaking with Dr. Edwards about them. Who's in there with Michelle now?" Danny asked thinking that it had to be one of Michelle's sorority sisters.

The nurse checked the sign in sheet. "It's a man by the named on Nino Rivera. Said he was a friend of the family."