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Disclaimer: I don�t own these characters.
Bill and Michelle walked into the kitchen of the Bauer house. Bill tried to get Michelle to drink a glass of water, but she refused. She was still in a daze.
They sat down on the sofa. Michelle clutched a pillow as if her life depended on it.
"I suppose everyone�s at the hospital now," Michelle said.
"Probably so," Bill answered.
"I should call and find out what�s going on."
She picked up the telephone and dialed the number for Cedars. When the receptionist answered, she asked them to page Rick.
A few minutes later, Rick was on the phone.
"Michelle! What happened to you? All of a sudden you were gone."
"Bill drove me home," Michelle said.
"Good. It was probably best," Rick replied.
"Rick, is Abby o.k.?"
"She�s in with Dr. Sloan right now, but he says he doesn�t think there was any damage done to her ear. It was just really painful for her."
"I know," Michelle said. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"Ray has a head injury. He�s still unconscious."
"Is he going to be alright?" Michelle asked.
"We don�t know right now. You know how tricky head injuries can be. We�ll just have to wait it out."
"Please let me know if you hear anything else."
"I will call you," Rick said. "I�m going to have to stay here for a while. Are you o.k. at home?"
"I guess. Bill is here."
"Call me if you need me."
"I will, Rick," and Michelle hung up the phone.
Danny sat in the back of the cab, on his way to Michelle�s house. He didn�t know if she�d be there or not, but he hadn�t seen her at the church, so he was hoping she would be at home. He also saw Rick leave in one of the ambulances, so he wouldn�t be there. Danny was sure that Rick was probably ready to take his head off anyway.
He closed the partition between the driver�s seat and the back seat, so he could have some privacy. Thankfully, the cab driver had not seemed to recognize him. He pulled out the tape recorder he�d taken from Ben�s coat. "What the hell," he thought.
He listened to the tape. And then he played it again. And again. And again. He was completely astounded. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Michelle�s suspicions weren�t unfounded, but he was not prepared for what he felt when he heard the truth from Carmen herself. Discussing with Ben how they had concocted the entire "hit". She had told him Ben was responsible. Danny had been ready to take revenge on Ben, and Carmen was going to just let him do it, knowing full well that there was no reason to.
He had to get to Michelle. He had to make sure she was alright. He knocked on the partition and asked the driver to go faster.
"Michelle," Bill said, "Why don�t you try to get some rest?"
"You want me to take a nap?" Michelle snapped. "What do you think I�m going to see when I close my eyes, Bill?"
"Sorry," Bill said. "What can I do to help you?"
"I don�t know."
"Well, at least go change your clothes. Put on something comfortable."
Michelle mindlessly walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans. When she looked in her closet for a shirt, she saw the bag that she�d packed to take with her tonight. She hadn�t taken it to the church with her, because she was afraid it would make someone suspicious. She�d planned to come back for it. Now there it was , sitting there, and the realization that she would never wear that lingerie for Danny hit her like a ton of bricks.
She sank to the floor and sobbed.
Danny stood outside the Bauer house. The only person he could see was Bill. Where was Michelle?
He knocked on the door, and Bill turned around. He almost tripped over a chair as he leapt to go let Danny in. Bill was clearly surprised to see him.
"We thought you were dead!" Bill said.
Danny didn�t even respond. He just looked around for Michelle.
"Where�s Michelle?" he finally asked.
"She�s upstairs changing clothes. She�s devastated, Danny. She thinks you�re dead."
"Bill, don�t leave, o.k.? I need to talk to you about Pilar. But first, I�ve got to go upstairs and see Michelle."
"I�ll wait for you down here."
"Thanks Bill."
Danny headed up the stairs. When he got to her bedroom, he found her sitting in the floor next to a pair of jeans, a green tee shirt, and a small duffel bag.
When she looked up at him, she thought she was hallucinating. She just stared at him. Then when he walked toward her, she knew he was real.
He sat down in the floor with her and held her as close as he possibly could. He let her cry.
"I thought you were dead," she repeated over and over.
"I know, baby, and I�m so sorry." He started help her up out of the floor.
"Don�t let go of me," she pleaded with him.
He wrapped his arms back around her and whispered, "I�ll never let you go, Michelle. Never."
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