Learning By Heart
Chapter 5
By: April
Disclaimer: The Passions characters featured in this story are the
property
of NBC, Passions, and its writers.
If it weren't for these people, I
could
not have come up with this story. This one is really more or less just
dedicated to the time once Sheridan gets to Paris that was not on the
show,
what could have happened, etc. The story gets much more creative in
the next
chapter.
Enjoy! From April
LEARNING BY HEART
Chapter Five
One week later...
"Luis?"
Luis looked up to see Sam Bennett looking worriedly at him. Luis knew
he had
to look like hell considering he had not left the hospital since
Sheridan was
brought in.
"When was the last time you went home and got some sleep?"
Luis just looked at him. "I am not leaving her until she goes home,"
he said
plainly.
"Look, I know better than to argue with you, but at least come with me
to the
cafeteria and eat something," Sam coaxed, knowing that Luis's one
track mind
had probably forgotten about little things like food. "I have some
information on the case that might interest you."
That got Luis's attention.
He looked at Sheridan one more time,
silently
praying that her eyes would be open. They weren't. They had not
opened
again since she lapsed into unconciousness in the ambulance on the way
to the
hospital a week earlier.
"Alright," he conceded. He leaned close to
Sheridan's ear. "I'm going with Sam for a minute, but I'll be
right back."
She was back in the mansion. She looked down and saw the blood, the
sheet
and the body. "I didn't mean to do it!" she cried over and over.
"It's not
my fault! I'm sorry!" Blood all over her hands. - "Yes you did," a
loud
voice calls back. "You did, and now no one can ever love you. No one
will
ever want you if you tell them what you've done!" - She continues to
sob
uncontrollably, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it." She began to
give up,
to let the darkness take her in as it had tried to so many times in the
last
many days.
Suddenly a man appears. He walks up to her and holds her
close,
comforting her. She holds onto him as if her life depended on it.
"Who are
you?" she askes him. "The one who loves you," he answers, and before
she
can say anything else, he begins to disappear.
"Where are you going?
Please
don't leave me," she cries. He leans close to her and says...
"I'm going with Sam for a minute, but I'll be right back."
"LUIS!" A single tear ran down Sheridan's cheek before the blackness
took
her again. 'Please hurry!'
Sam watched in a combination of sadness and pride. He had always known
that
someday Luis would find a woman that he loved with all his heart, even
more
than his own life.
He had always, in a way, felt like a kind of
serrogate
father to Luis since his left so many years earlier. He had known the
first
time he saw Luis and Sheridan together that she was the type of woman
that
would finally win Luis' heart, but he had never imagined that things
would go
this far.
He had tried to warn Luis about what happens to normal
people who
try to get involved with people like the Cranes, just as many other
people
had. Somehow they had managed to overcome that. 'I never thought
his heart
would be broken because of something like this.'
They walked down the long hall and entered the hospital cafeteria. Sam
ordered lunch for both of them, and took it to a table in the corner
of the
dining hall.
"What about the case?" Luis asked impatiently. He was still a little
upset
that Sam had not let him handle it personally, despite his repeated
requests..
Sam had told him that it was too personal since both his best friend,
Beth,
and Sheridan were involved.
Luis had adamantly denied that, but deep
down,
he knew Sam was right. 'Besides, Sheridan needs me.'
"First, I want to see you eat," Sam said, hoping to get something into
Luis'
system.
The glare from Luis told Sam that he wasn't in the mood to
bargain.
"Okay, we still haven't found the gun, and we still don't have any
witnesses
that have stepped forward."
"That's your news?" Luis said disgustedly. He knew it wasn't
Sam's fault,
but he had to blame someone.
"No." Sam looked at his hands, trying to find the best way to break
the news
to Luis. "No, my news is that Harmony P.D. is no longer handling the
investigation."
"WHAT?" Luis jumped up so fast that he nearly knocked over the entire
table.
"Who is?"
"The FBI," Sam said, not happy about it himself. "I guess the Crane
family
doesn't think we're doing enough to find whoever did this."
"That's bull, and you know it!" Luis cried. "Do you know how many
times
anyone has been here to see Sheridan that's actually a member of her
family?"
Sam just looked at Luis. "Besides Ethan, Ivy has come once a day.
Julian
hasn't come at all! And no one has heard hide or hair from her
father.
They
don't give a damn about her, Sam! To them, she was nothing but a
liability.
Hell, Julian and Allastair are probably celebrating their good luck!"
Just
thinking about it made Luis' blood boil. He had not shared the
thought with
anyone else, but he would not have been surprised if Julian and/or
Allastair
weren't somehow involved.
"Well, at any rate, the Special Agent in Charge wanted to reinterview
everyone, including you. You think you're up to it?"
"As long as he comes here, because I'm not leaving."
"That's what I told Ethan to tell them. Look Luis, Ethan hand-picked
this
person as soon as he found out the FBI was getting involved. His
name's
Special Agent Chase Michaels. He'll be here tomorrow morning."
"Sam?" Luis asked. Sam noticed the sudden concern in his voice.
"This
agent, have you talked to him? Is he really going to do everything he
can to
find whoever did this to Sheridan?"
"I haven't talked to him," Sam said. "But, I trust that Ethan wants
to find
the guy who did this as much as you do. I think it'll be okay."
"Fine," Luis said, getting up. "I've got to check on Sheridan."
Sam watched as Luis walked away. He had not touched one bite of his
food,
and Sam wondered just how much longer Luis could run on empty before
his body
gave out. Almost as an afterthought, Sam called Luis.
"Yeah?"
"How's Beth doing?" Sam asked.
"Oh, she's pretty good, considering." Beth had been released from
the
hospital a few days earlier, and even though Luis had told her
repeatedly
that he didn't need her to check on him, she did anyway. "I'm
lucky to have
a friend like her," he said, genuinely grateful for everything she had
done.
She had stayed by his side every day, leaving only to check on the cafe
and
change clothes.
"Go home and get some rest, Luis!" Sam said in his best police chief
voice.
"That's an order."
"I will in a little while," Luis said. They both knew he wasn't
going
anywhere.
Luis headed back to his quiet vigil next to Sheridan, and
Sam left
to handle the Feds.
Luis gave Sheridan a kiss on her forehead as he
had done
every night since she was admitted, and sat down in the recliner the
nurses
had brought in for him. "Good night, Sheridan." Finally, he closed
his eyes
and entered a fitful, dream-filled sleep.
The next morning, Luis was woken up by a soft shake. "Luis?" Beth
asked,
trying to wake him without startling him. Luis opened his eyes and
looked at
Beth. She was doing well, considering she had taken a bullet in the
stomach..
Still, she had been very lucky. It had missed all of the major
organs, and
she was up and around already. She smiled at Luis. "You want to
stretch
your legs for a sec and go get some coffee?"
"Yeah, I could use some," Luis said, trying to work out the kinks in
his
neck. He got up slowly and gave Beth a warm hug. "Thanks for coming."
"Where else would I be?" she asked him quietly. "I will always be
here for
you, no matter what happens."
"I know, and I appreciate it. I know Sheridan does, too," he said,
looking
over at her. Same as before, she was lying in the bed, looking as
though she
were in a deep sleep.
"Anyway, let's go." Beth took Luis' hand and began to lead him
away from
the room.
"Oh, no!"
Beth looked over at Luis, startled by his sudden outburst. "What's
wrong?
Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just forgot that I'm supposed to meet with FBI agent
handling the
case this morning, and I don't know when he's supposed to be here."
Beth stared at Luis for a minute before continuing. "FBI? How did
they get
involved in this?"
"I don't know. Sam thinks that maybe someone in the Crane clan
decided there
wasn't enough being done. Personally, I don't believe that for a
second.
Just between us," he said, leaning in so no one else would overhear, "I
think
I have a hunch as to who may have been involved. I just can't prove
it yet."
Beth looked anxiously at Luis. "Well, who?"
"I think Julian or Allistair, or both."
"Why do you think that?" Beth asked confused.
"Because they saw her as a threat!" Luis ran his hands through his
hair,
then rubbed his temples, as if it would magically make everything fit
together. Beth had watched him do it hundred of times, even in high
school.
"They have always been afraid of the fact that she didn't think or
act like
them. She was never really considered part of the "family". She was
shipped
off as much as possible and kept out of the way. Until she came back
last
summer. Then she became a problem." Luis fought back the tears that
were
threatening to come.
"What do you mean?" Beth took his hand, trying to comfort him.
"Because that's when she met me."
Beth just stared at Luis. "Luis, you don't really believe this is
your
fault." She looked at Luis to see if she could see the slightest
agreement.
Instead, she saw more pain in his eyes than she had ever thought could
be
there. She had been there we he was forced to go through things would
have
driven most kids either crazy or strait on a one-way track to crime.
Instead, he had not just survived, but thrived into a wonderful man
with a
good heart and a strong will. He had never let anything beat him.
"Luis,
there was nothing you could have done. Sheridan wouldn't have wanted
you to
give up, or blame yourself," Beth said putting a hand on Luis'
shoulder.
She
was surprised when he shrugged it off.
"Don't talk to me like she's gone," he said quietly.
Beth tried again. "Luis, she's been in a coma now for over a week.
The
doctor has already told you that the chances of her making a full
recovery
are..."
Luis' glare silenced Beth immediately. "Don't say that."
"Luis, I just want you to be ready in case..."
"What?" Luis asked, slamming his hand on the wall next to Beth's
head.
Beth
jumped, never having seen Luis this angry before. "In case she dies?
Let me
tell you something. As God is my witness, if she dies, I will not rest
until
I find out who did this." He leaned in so that his face was only an
inch
from Beth's.
"And when I find them, nothing short of the hand of God
himself
will save them. " Suddenly realizing that he had scared Beth half to
death,
Luis forced himself to calm down and back away. Beth looked at him,
visibly
shaken.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay, Luis," Beth said quietly. "I just didn't realize you
felt
that strongly about her."
Luis finally sat down, feeling like he had been standing for years. "I
would
die for her," he said quietly.
Beth just looked on as Luis took Sheridan's hand and began to pray.
'It'll
be alright. He's hurting now, but eventually the pain will go away,
and when
it does, I'll be waiting.' Beth thought to herself as she left the
room.
Luis fell asleep with head laying on the edge of Sheridan's bed,
still
holding her hand.
To Be Continued...
TO: CHAPTER 6
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