"Did you get all five of them?" she asked when they were finished.

"Yes." the officer replied. "They are currently being held without bail at the county jail. The others have all provided positive identification of them. I think we have enough to hold them for quite some time."

"Thank God!" Aileen said with relief. "I hope I'll never see their faces again in my lifetime."

After the police left, she headed down to Kevin's room. His mom and brothers were just heading for the cafeteria. They exchanged greetings with Aileen, updated her on his condition and headed out. She moved to Kevin's side and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling today?" His eyelids fluttered and she grinned. "That's it Kevin. I know you are hearing me! Wake up, I know you can do it!"

Kevin's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She studied his face, he looked to be in deep concentration. His forehead was creased and his eyes were twitching beneath the lids.

Aileen rubbed his healthy shoulder. "Take it easy, now, Kev. Don't strain yourself. I know you're in there and aware. It will come." She stroked his hair and face. "I love you, Kevin and need to talk to you so badly." His face settled into peacefulness again. "The time will come Kev, you're so close right now!"

Aileen headed to see Nick after lunch. She peered in the window before entering. He looked to be asleep, he was lying with his back to the door but the blanket had been pushed off of him. She quietly opened the door and stepped in to the room. Nick was asleep. She looked down at him, thoughtfully. He looked so much younger when he was sleeping, like he was 14 or 15 years old. Aileen rearranged his blankets so that he was covered warmly and pushed his pillow closer to his head. After this, she picked his drawing tablet up off the chair and settled down. Aileen idly flipped through the pages of the book. He was so talented! The drawings showed so much imagination and detail, they were fantastic. She was so engrossed in them she didn't really notice what she was looking at near the end of the book. When she flipped through again, she realized what the drawings were. Aileen paled and gasped as she looked at them.

"Oh Nick."

Brian walked into Aileen's room later that evening.

"What's up, sweetie? You sounded upset on the phone." he said in that soft voice of his.

"Oh Brian!" she blurted out as she engulfed him in a hug. "You have no idea. Things are in such a mess. I don't know what do to anymore!"

"Okay now." he said, holding her by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Take it easy. Start at the beginning and work your way to the end. We'll work it out as we go. Take all the time you need, darling."

"Okay." she took a deep breath. Her nervous fingers smoothed over and over a wrinkle in the blanket. "You know all those bastards raped me, right?"

He nodded. He knew, of course he knew. Brian saw and heard them in his dreams each night since then.

"Well, the first night I was awake here, I found out that..." She couldn't continue, she took a breath and tried again, but she couldn't say it.

"What Aileen? What did you find out?"

She looked at Brian. The look of concern on his face brought tears to her eyes. "Oh Brian! I'm pregnant!"

"What? Not one of those...." The look on his face had changed to one of fury.

Aileen put her hand on his arm. "No, thank God, not one of them."

"Well if not one of them, who?" Brian looked at her and she saw the knowledge dawn in his eyes. "It's not Nicks?"

She nodded sadly. "98% positive"

Brian sat back in disbelief.

"I don't know what to do or say." she said. "I can't tell Nick. It's killing him that he made love to me, that Kevin got shot when he hesitated. That's why he shot himself. He's taking total blame for this. I don't know what he'll do when he hears this news."

"You talked to him?" Brian asked.

"Briefly yesterday, but I don't think I accomplished anything by doing it."

Brian shook his head. "This is heavy, Aileen. I don't know if I'm the right person to be offering advice here. I don't believe in abortion, of course, but this situation..." his voice trailed off.

"I know, Brian, I know. I don't think I can kill it either, an innocent baby. It's my baby, but...."

"Nicks baby too." he finished for her.