A Snowy Night

Part 16

By Kellie

After leaving the jail, Danny headed towards Cedars to check on Pilar. He knew that she hadn’t been allowed any visitors since she was admitted after that mess in court. Danny doubted that the no visitors’ policy had changed, but at least checking on her was something to do besides go back to the Bauer house alone. As the elevator opened to the fourth floor, Danny turned to head towards the psychiatric ward. He looked up and saw Rick leaning against the wall of the corridor with his eyes closed. "Rick, are you alright?"

Rick looked up, "Danny – what are you doing here?"

"I thought I’d come by and check on Pilar. I know I probably still can’t see her – I just need to.."

"do something useful?" Rick finished for him. Danny nodded.

"Now back to my question, Rick, are you okay?"

"Considering the day I’ve had, we’re lucky I’m not in the room next to Pilar’s," Rick replied.

"Rick, I will find a way to get Michelle out of this – it’s not the end of the world."

"I know that eventually we will find a way to prove Michelle’s innocent, Danny. I just wish this whole day could start over."

"Rick, there’s more bothering you than Michelle, isn’t there?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I had to tell an old friend his daughter has leukemia right before I came to the courthouse for the verdict."

Phillip walked up at that moment. "Rick, Danny – I just found out about the verdict. Is there anything I can do?"

"Phillip, you have enough to handle with Lizzie right now," Rick replied. "Actually, I think I’ll go call those specialist. At least I can do something useful for Lizzie. There’s not a damn thing I can do for my sister right now."

Danny looked a Phillip. "Rick was just telling me he had to give a friend some bad news today. I guess that was you."

"Yeah. I just don’t get it. Why does an innocent child have to suffer through this? It’s so unfair," Phillip replied.

"Nothing in the world seems fair tonight, " responded Danny. "Phillip, I know I’m not of much use to anyone, but if there’s anything I can do for you…"

"The best thing you can do is find a way to get Michelle out of this mess. Lizzie adores her. She knows about the trial from the news – I dread explaining to her that even though we know Michelle is innocent, she still ended up in jail."

"It’s hard to explain things we just don’t understand ourselves," Danny answered.

Phillip nodded as Danny said, "I guess I’ll go up to the psychiatric ward and see about my sister."

As Danny turned the corner to ward Pilar was on, he met Rick leaving the nurses station. "Danny, I talked with Dr. Bradford. She doesn’t want Pilar to know anything about how the trial has turned out. If you promise to keep that to yourself, you can go in and see Pilar for five minutes. The doctor doesn’t’ want you to mention anything about Michelle or the case."

"Thanks Rick."

"Danny, I need to warn you – Pilar is in rough shape. She’s not responding to anyone right now. If she acknowledges you or speaks to you, encourage her to talk with the doctors. She’s hardly said anything since the evaluation was finished.

"I’ll try to get through to her," he said as he walked towards Pilar’s door.

Pilar said nothing during the few minutes he was in the room. She was curled up in a ball on the bed. Danny couldn’t help remembering when Michelle was in this place and how vocal she had been about wanting out. Pilar seemed like a lost little child. After he left the room, Rick was waiting in the hallway.

"Danny, did she speak to you?"

"No – My mother should rot in hell for what keeping quiet about Ben’s murder has done to Pilar. Carmen has single handedly destroyed my sister. I can’t decide what I angrier with Carmen about – Pilar or Michelle. I could kill my mother with my bare hands at this moment."

"I know – I think I’d help you right now, but it wouldn’t undo any of this mess. Danny, the reason I up here waiting on you is more bad news."

"What now? I didn’t think things could get any worse."

"Jesse is in ER. It’s his heart – Maureen’s heart," Rick replied.

"How bad is it, Rick?"

"We’re still doing some tests, but it looks bad."

Danny turned and looked back at Pilar through the window. "Rick, what am I going to tell Michelle? She’s going to ask me to tell her what’s happening with everyone she knows. When she was in that place before she made bail, she spent hours asking me about every person she could think of – she needed something besides that place to think about. There’s not one good thing I can tell her – all bad news today – Pilar, Jesse, Lizzie. Damn it, none of this is right."

"I know, Danny. I know."

After going down to ER and speaking with Buzz, Danny left Cedars. Jesse was going to be admitted to the cardiac ward and no visitors were being allowed right now. Danny started towards where he had parked his car. Tiny snowflakes were falling. He turned towards the park adjacent to the hospital and started walking. The next thing he knew, Danny was standing in front of the church, debating whether or not to go in.




Chapter 17

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