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"What made Eppy snap like this? This just doesn't make any sense! Why would he attack Kacie this way? " Annie asked in anguish.
Kermit stopped pacing and answered flatly. "His son was killed in a prison riot three days ago."
"I know that look, Kermit," Paul observed tensely. "What else?"
Kermit sighed and rubbed a hand across the back of his aching neck. "I tracked the rest of his family. Another son is part of the syndicate in New York, working his way up the ranks pretty quickly, according to my sources. The third son has a string of drug busts a yard long, and dropped out of sight two months ago. Rumor has it, he picked up a needle disease and is probably dead."
"His pain...has been great." Caine spoke up softly. "He has coped...the only way he knows how." His face took on an ineffably sad expression. "To lose a son...is an agony beyond...description."
"Where is Eppy now?" Annie asked tremulously.
"I would imagine he's under guard over on the ward. He's probably in pretty tough shape, both because I hit him, and because of the alcohol content in his blood. He looked like he hadn't drawn a sober breath in days." Paul replied. "Annie's 9-1-1 call also brought a blue-and- white to the scene. He was arrested for aggravated assault."
"What about attempted murder?" Kermit shot back. "Paul, if you hadn't just happened to show up at Peter's apartment, we would be at a morgue, not a hospital waiting room."
Paul sighed. "I guess it all depends on how far Peter and Kacie want to push this."
"Not necessarily," Kermit corrected. "District Attorney Benton might decide he wants to make an example of 'rogue cops', as he puts it, and hang Epstein out to dry. It's an election year -- he may want to show the voters how 'unbiased' he is."
They stopped talking when they saw Peter and Dr. McClanahan exit the exam room together and come toward them. Peter's face was ashen, and the doctor draped a comforting arm around the younger man's shoulders as they talked.
As they walked through the sliding doors together, Peter spoke huskily, "Thank you, Doctor. For everything." The older man patted Peter on the back, nodded at Caine, and went on his way.
"They're going to have to stitch her up again," Peter spoke dully. "They wouldn't let me stay. I wanted to stay with her." His voice remained toneless, and he almost sounded as though he was speaking to himself. "I wanted to stay with her. She was hysterical, and they sedated her, but they wouldn't let me stay."
He held out the golden necklace with the interwoven hearts. "They took this off," he whispered hoarsely. "They made me take this. When I gave it to her, she said she was never going to take it off. But it...was cutting into her neck...and they wouldn't let her keep it on."
Annie came to him, following the sound of his voice. Slipping her arms around his waist, she held him. "She's going to be fine, Sweetie. The doctors told you so."
"I know. I know, Mom," he choked. "It's just that...seeing her so...broken...like that. I wanted to protect her from all the bad things in life. I wanted to keep her safe." He drew a ragged breath. "I should never have left her alone today."
Annie took Peter's face in both her hands. "Peter. Stop this. You didn't do anything wrong. You love Kacie with all your heart and she knows it. I sense the depth of your feelings for one another the minute you walk into a room together. Stop feeling guilty." She shook him gently and scolded. "You listen to your mother."
"I knew that Eppy was out there, somewhere. I wasn't there to protect her from him. I left her alone so he could get to her..." He stopped abruptly, as his thoughts took a new path. He stiffened and pushed away from Annie. His face darkened and his eyes glittered with hatred. "Him," he hissed. "Where is he?"
"Easy, Peter." Kermit spoke in the same tone of voice used to calm an angry animal, and he approached his friend in much the same manner a wary trainer would approach an out of control beast.
Peter snapped his attention to Kermit, who mentally flinched, but outwardly showed no emotion. {Jesus, if he finds out where Epstein is, the guy is a dead man}.
"You know where he is, don't you, Kermit?" Peter's voice was deadly calm. "Tell me. He's here somewhere, isn't he?"
"Peter, you know this won't do any good."
"You can either tell me, or I'll find out for myself. He almost killed my wife, and I am going to..."
"Peter." Caine spoke gently.
"Stay out of this, Pop!"
"I cannot." Caine laid an arm on Peter's shoulder and spoke to him calmly. "I cannot allow you to do this thing, my son. I will be forced to stop you."
"I don't want to fight you, Pop, but I will."
"No, you will not." Their eyes locked together, and as Peter saw the compassion in his father's gaze, he felt his anger start to drain away. "Peter, I understand your pain, but the anger you are allowing to build in your heart is disturbing your chi. When you are with Kay Cee, she will need you to be calm. Your...agitation...will upset her."
"Pop..." The look Peter gave to his father was filled with despair.
"I know, my son. I know."
Peter leaned his forehead against his father's shoulder and rested it there for a time, drawing strength and calming his jaded nerves.
"Sweetie, we're all here for you if you need us..." Annie gently reminded him.
Peter reached out to Annie and melted into his mother's arms. "I know that, Mom. I've always known that."
A nurse joined the group and announced, "Mr. Caine, your wife is going to be in room 518. Dr. McClanahan thought you might like to be there waiting for her when they bring her in. If you like, I can take you there."
Peter lifted haggard eyes to the woman. "Gimme a minute, OK?" He turned to Paul, who had come to stand next to Annie. "Paul...I don't know how to thank you. If it hadn't been for you..." His eyes filled with tears as his foster father embraced him and Annie both, and he was too overcome for speech.
Peter wiped his eyes as Kermit squeezed his shoulder. "Thanks for getting me here, Kermit..." There was so much more he wanted to say to his friend, but he couldn't find the words.
The nurse stood patiently as Peter flashed a look at his father.
"Yes. I will stay with you, my son."