Part 26 (1/2)
Russ shoved his gun into his holster. ”No, Ms. Welch, I shot him.”
”Oh.” She wasn't sure. She heard the sound but couldn't remember pulling the trigger.
Daniel helped her to her feet and picked up her blouse from the floor. She immediately slipped into it, not even feeling embarra.s.sed that Russ had seen her this way. She was just glad they were all alive.
Russ headed for the doorway. ”The ambulance is here.”
Daniel and Sarah hurried down the stairs. At the bottom Daniel swayed and Sarah wrapped her arms around him.
”Are you okay?”
”I'm fine,” he lied.
”You are not,” she said. ”He hit your head repeatedly.”
”I'm fine,” he insisted and rushed to Drew. The paramedics had Drew on the stretcher, trying to get him stabilized.
”Daniel,” Drew mumbled.
”I'm right here, buddy.”
”I-I-I'm sorry. I-I-I had to have...the heroin. Y-y-you wouldn't understand...couldn't tell you.”
Daniel couldn't speak.
”We have to go.” A paramedic spoke up.
”I'm coming with you.” Daniel found his voice and turned to Sarah. ”I have to go with him.”
”Go,” Sarah replied. ”I'll get Russ to bring me to the hospital.”
Daniel ran after the stretcher.
Sarah wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling so exhausted that she didn't know how she was still standing. Russ walked up to her.
”Ms. Welch, are you okay?”
She glanced at him. ”I'm not sure. I, uh, could you please take me to the hospital?”
”My pleasure.”
Not much was said on the drive. Sarah was just worried about Daniel, wanting to be with him as soon as possible. It had been a horrific night and she prayed it didn't get any worse, but as soon as she walked into the emergency room she knew another nightmare had just begun. Daniel stood outside the double doors, his skin white, his gaze disoriented. She immediately went to him.
”He's dead,” he said in a trembling voice. ”He died on the way, saying, 'I'm sorry' over and over.”
”Oh, Daniel. I'm so sorry.” She slipped an arm around him.
Daniel's whole body was stiff and he didn't respond to her words or her touch. She wasn't sure he'd even heard her. He pushed back. ”How could they do this? He was innocent. He didn't deserve this.” Tears filled his eyes and he moved off down the hall. Sarah followed him. Russ watched from a distance.
”Daniel.” She reached out to touch him but he swung away and her heart pounded with alarming force. He was putting distance between them; she could feel it. He wasn't letting her get close to him. The pain was controlling him totally.
”They killed him because of me.”
”That's not true,” she refuted, looking into his watery eyes. ”Drew is not as innocent as you think. He started this years ago with his drug habit and it escalated into violence. Even when he almost died, he still went back for more. He kept it a secret from you, from your parents, because he knew that you would disapprove and seek help for him. He didn't want help. He wanted to live the way he was. That was his decision, not yours.”
”They used him.”
”Yes. That's the sad part, but Drew never said a word to you about Boyd. That was his decision, too. He did try to stop Claude, though, and that's why Claude shot him.”
Daniel swayed slightly and she immediately caught his arm. ”You have to see a doctor. You probably have a concussion.”
”What the h.e.l.l does it matter?” he cried. ”Nothing matters anymore.”
”Daniel-”
”I have to tell our parents,” he cut in. ”I'm not quite sure how to do that.”
”With the truth.”
”Yeah.” He let out an angry breath. ”I'll tell them that through our negligence and insensitivity to Drew's needs that he's dead.”
He ran both hands over his face. ”I guess I'd better do it before they hear it on the news.” He sucked in a long breath. ”It's all over, so it's safe for you to go home.”
”I suppose,” she said, not liking that detached tone in his voice.
His eyes held hers. ”I mean it's all over. Whatever we had between us is over, too. I'm not the man for you. You'd have been better off if you had continued to hate me. I'm sorry-that's just the way I feel.”
His words were like a blow to her chest and it took a moment to catch her breath. ”Daniel...”
”I didn't want anyone to ever hurt you again and I'm the one who's hurt you. By being who I am I've put you through h.e.l.l once again. So get as far away from me as you can.”
”Daniel.” She tried again.
”It's true,” he stated. ”Get on with your life. You deserve one.”
She bit her lip to still her emotions. He was hurt beyond belief and didn't know what he was saying.
”So do you,” she said, hoping to reach him. But he didn't even seem to hear her.
”Russ will drive you home. I have to check on Chad and Mac.” He strolled off down the corridor toward Russ.
Her insides trembled then convulsed with the worst pain she'd ever felt. She knew in that moment that she loved Daniel Garrett more than she'd loved anyone in her life. Through the pain she held on to that truth. Daniel would change his mind. He had to.
Russ walked up to her. ”You ready?”
She blinked. ”What?”
”Daniel said to drive you home. Chad and Mac are in surgery, so he's going to see his parents.”
”Oh. Yes.”