"Hey there."

"Kevin!" She tried to sit up and winced in pain. He rushed to her side and helped her to adjust the pillows behind her.

"Thank you Kevin. I'm sorry I was so much trouble."

"You weren't any trouble. You needed help."

Jessica's eyes shut and she tried to hold back her tears. "How much do you know about what happened?"

"I don't know anything. I came to your room in the morning and found you lying on the floor." Kevin pulled his chair closer and took her good hand in his, squeezing it gently. "You have to let me know what happened. Your injuries are..." he paused, not sure how to proceed. "Pretty bad." he concluded.

"What's wrong besides my hand?"

"Your cheekbone is fractured. Your wrist. You're whole body is pretty banged up and bruised. Um...God Jessica this is so hard to say!" Kevin took a deep breath and continued. "Did you know about the baby?" He dropped his head and studied their entwined hands, not able to look into her face.

"The...baby...no...what baby?"

"You were pregnant, you had a miscarriage and lost the baby. I'm so sorry."

"What? I was preg..no..Kevin, they have to be wrong." Jessica shook her head forcefully and groaned from the effort.

"No, honey." Kevin held her hand and stroked her hair gently. "There was a baby." he told her sadly.

Jessica just looked at him for a moment and then dissolved into a shower of tears.

"Jessica, what happened? You have to let us know. You shouldn't be treated this way. Please let us help you." Kevin just continued talking softly to her as she cried, holding her hand or touching her hair, trying to reassure her the only way he knew how.

She continued sobbing and tried to twist away from Kevin to lay on her side. The movement made her cry out in pain. Kevin helped her lay back in a comfortable position and waited for her tears to subside.

"Kevin, I can't. I just can't. It's too..." She awkwardly dried her tears with the hand wrapped in the cast. "I'm so ashamed. I just can't." Jessica started to cry again. "I'm sorry."

Kevin frowned and put his hand on her shoulder. "Jessica, you have nothing to be ashamed about. Someone beat you. Someone hurt you so badly they put you in the hospital. Someone took your child from you." He knew in his heart who had done this to her, but he needed to hear her say it. Her acknowledgment that Nick was responsible would be a big step toward getting her away from him.

Jessica looked up at him, tears still staining her face. "There really was a baby?"

Kevin just nodded.

"It was Nick." Jessica hung her head and told Kevin the whole story.

*****************************************************************************

"Where is he?"

Kevin slammed the door to his hotel room open and confronted Carlos.

"Who?"

"That asshole Carter."

Howie emerged from the kitchen area wiping his hands "Hold up Kev, he's in his room last time I saw him, but what's..."

"Howie, if you know what's good for you, stay away from there for the next hour or so."

"But Kev..."

"Howie, do you like the sight of blood?"

"No, but..."

"Then get lost!"

Carlos grabbed Kevin's arm as he headed out the door. "What's up chief? Maybe you should be counting to ten or something before you go over there."

"He beat her!" Kevin whispered savagely. "The little prick is getting some of his own now. I don't want you stopping me!" He pulled away and walked across the hall to Nick's room.

*******************************************************************************

Kevin pulled the room card that he had received in the morning out of his pocket and opened the door with a bang.

"What the hell?" Nick stood up from his prone position on the couch and looked at Kevin in confusion. Kevin held his ground for a moment and then rushed Nick, slamming him into the wall forcefully.

"Kevin! Jesus!" Nick gasped, trying to catch his breath. Before he could utter another word, Kevin's fist connected with Nick's jaw. Nick cried out and started hitting back, but he was no match for a furious Kevin. Kevin rained blows on the younger man until he had him down on the floor trying to protect himself from further injury.

Nick looked up and Kevin smiled in satisfaction when he saw blood dripping from his mouth and cheek. "Kevin, what is this...I don't..." Nick mumbled.

Kevin looked down at him. He really had no idea. Bastard. He swung his leg back and brought it forward to slam into Nick's stomach.

Nick grunted in pain and curled into a fetal position. "Kevin, why?" he moaned.

"Payback." Kevin spat out. "Remember Jessica? Remember what you did to her? You did more to her than you think." He fought the urge to hit Nick again.

"Jess?" Nick groaned and tried to sit up, collapsing back on the floor when the pain was too much for him. "Where's Jess?"

"You're never seeing her again, asshole!" Kevin advanced on him again, his fists quivering, until he felt someone hold him back. Carlos.

"Enough Kevin. He's hurting. You hurt him, that's what you wanted. Leave him be."

"Is she hurt?" Nick had managed to pull himself semi-upright. He held the arm of the couch and kept himself doubled over to relieve the pain in his mid-section.

Kevin pulled his arm away from Carlos and punched Nick again, knocking him back to the floor. "Is she hurt? You God damn bastard. I hope you die!" Kevin pummeled Nick until Carlos finally succeeded in pulling Kevin away once again, handing him off to two of the other bodyguards.

"I mean it Carter! I hope I hurt you as much as you hurt Jessica! Fucking asshole!"

Kevin's screams rang down the hallway as the guards dragged him away.